Glamping! Westgate River Ranch Resort
We arrived at the Westgate River Ranch Resort and headed straight for the check-in desk. We could hardly contain our excitement… this crew was about to get our ‘glamping’ on! Need I say more? It was around 2:30 in the afternoon and we were pleased to find that our accommodations were ready. The girls at the front desk were very knowledgeable, helpful, and kind. They wanted nothing more than to make sure that we were ready for whatever we had gotten ourselves into. Let me make myself clear, I saw ‘we’, but I’m totally talking about me. I am not a skilled camper. Who am I kidding – I am not a camper at all. The kids (they are the ‘we’ part) were just along for the ride and super excited to do whatever it is camping people do. If you’re wondering what camping people do, like we were, check out our short video here!
We made our way to the ‘glamping section’ of the resort which is secured by an electronic gate that requires a code to enter. Okay, that makes me feel a little comfortable. We pull up and find 12 glamping tents in some sort of kidney shaped, almost circle set-up. It’s not really a circle, but you get what I’m saying. It’s like a neighborhood of tents full of people who want to say they went camping… fancy camping, aka glamping. Yeah, that’s it, glamour camping.
Welcome to your glamping campsite
We pulled up to tent #2 and parked the car. A cheerful young lady zoomed up about a minute later in her golf cart ready to give us the grand tour. She was our glamping concierge, Soly. I was expecting her because the day prior to our check in she sent me an email addressing frequently asked questions and cheerfully followed up with a phone call. She wanted to make sure we had all our questions answered before arrival (that was really a nice touch).
She gave us a wonderful tour of the glamping area, tent included. Let’s talk about this tent. Picture this… screened in porch with two rockers and a cute café bistro type set with a table and two chairs. Next, we moved into the bedroom area which is secured by a huge zipper and the ‘walls’ are a think canvas material. The room area is air-conditioned (hallelujah!) and is decorated in a very rustic, western style. There’s a king bed and two twins, two nice size night stands, a three-drawer dresser, an armoire which houses a safe, fridge, and microwave (YAY). There isn’t a TV. Instead, there are about 9 board and card games in your tent. Last but not least, there’s a classic full-length mirror – we are glamping, after all. The place is just too cute.
You are given a key when you check in to access your personal bathroom in the bath house. Your bathroom number corresponds to your tent number – we were number two for both. The bathroom is small, but it comes equipped with everything you need. You know… sink, toilet, shower. Yep, it’s a cozy little room, perfect for the setting. Now, if you’ve ever been camping, you know walking to the bath house in the dark of night can be a little scary, right? Like, get out the headlamp scary. Well, not here. There are dim lights in the trees, beautiful woven sea grass style fixtures, that hang above the fire pit circle. It’s a beautiful, inviting ambiance that lights the way for those middle-of-the-night bathroom trips. It’s just gorgeous – the camping area, not the bathroom.
The Resort
This resort is huge – we rented a golf cart to get around (and that was fairly pricey). The grounds are beautiful, but camper beware, the grounds crews start their daily chores early. The hum of lawn maintenance equipment and service vehicles start at 8:00am, daily. You probably won’t hear them deliver your breakfast, though. They bring cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit, coffee, and juice to your front porch between 8 and 10 in the morning. Breakfast is delivered in a nicely arranged woven basket and along with the food and drinks, you will receive cups, plates, silverware, and napkins. If you don’t eat it right away or bring it into your tent, the squirrels will give it a taste test. I was skeptical and the squirrels proved me wrong – they got to the buns before I did on day two!
Activities!
There are so many things for guests to do. There’s horseback riding, fishing, airboats, swamp buggys, boat rentals, an adventure park, and so much more. Check out this menu of activities and the prices that go along with them…
We met Phyllis holding down the fort at the Marina. We didn’t have any success fishing in the catch-and-release pond, so I thought it would be a good idea to ask around and see what the fish like to eat in this area. It’s amazing all the things you can learn from the locals who have been here for a long while. She knew everything about the area; fishing, river navigation, lakes in the area, and so on… you name it, she knew it! She said she’s been around for a long while and I believe her. I believe her so much that her tried and true tips helped us catch some fish! Well, I’ll be.
We played mini golf at the adventure park. It’s 18 holes of – wait for it – mini golf. That’s it. Nothing special or fancy. The course looked old and dirty and could use a little attention, manicuring, and overall beautification. The holes aren’t exciting, no tricks, no skillful stunt shots, disappearing pipes, or windmills. It’s just, kinda, boring. Unfortunately, the adventure park is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so we didn’t have many options. Golf, however, is always open.
On Wednesday, we were able to experience the adventure park in all its glory. Let me tell you – my kids had a BLAST! There were no lines and they went from one thing to the next like maniacs! You can choose to purchase each activity separately or buy an all-inclusive wristband, which is what we did. We had unlimited access to all the adventure park activities – bungee jumper, mechanical bull, rock climbing wall, zipline (that was awesome!), mini golf, bounce houses, and a petting zoo.
Each evening the glamping concierge comes to the campsite before dusk and lights a campfire for you. They leave enough wood to last about two hours, at the minimum. We had more than enough wood to keep it going for hours if we wanted. Bring plenty of marshmallows with you. They sell them in the general store for $3.99 a bag – yep, they will definitely take advantage of you because you are a captive audience with no other options.
Speaking of the general store, it’s not too shabby. They (proudly) serve Starbucks coffee, they have a nice selection of hand-scooped ice creams, pizza, and several snacks and drinks. You can grab all the necessities, too. S’mores ingredients, firewood, charcoal, easy-to-cook and pre-packaged foods, and often forgotten toiletries… you know, the basics. There’s standard souvenirs and overpriced junky toys, too.
Final Thoughts…
All in all, we had an amazing time. We enjoyed each other. We played highly competitive board games in our screened porch. We caught a baby alligator. We rocked in chairs around our very own fire and ate charred marshmallows as we told scary stories as the campfire crackled and the moon lit the night. We became a closer family, and for that reason – we will be back.
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