I enjoy trying new things and partaking in unusual experiences, especially when they involve the great outdoors. I’m not sure if it’s because I grew up with a father who loved taking our family on camping trips or if perhaps it’s because I just really like stars and making fires. (Pyromaniac) well, whatever it is, a combination of things, I like a good unique getaway with Mother Nature, which is why I am super excited to tell you about my unique mountain yurt adventure I shared with two of my very close friends this past weekend.
Exploring The Yurt
To begin sharing with you all this story I must tell you how it all started. The week before our departure, my sorority sister and one of my best friends Jess asked me if I wanted to take a little day trip to Asheville, NC on Saturday with our other good friend Nik. Well, I was free all weekend (And they were too) so I suggested we make a weekend out of it. So we did. But where were we to slumber….well after giving it some good thought, we decided that we wanted to try our hand at GLAMPing. (It’s called glamping because there’s no tent to pitch, no sleeping bag to unroll and it’s on the more modern side)
Anyway, I remembered that Asheville, a very modern-day wilderness town in North Carolina, had these things called yurts available for rent that are accustomed to the GLAMPing way of travel…Now you are probably like what the funk is a yurt because 99% of the people I told I was staying in one did so let’s just knock that out of the way so please see the definition below.
YURT- a circular domed tent of skins or felt stretched over a collapsible lattice framework and used by pastoral peoples of inner Asia. (Webster’s Dictionary also has an illustration of a yurt if you need that too, but I also have photos posted below so… it’s like a modern-day teepee, which I nor my two friends have ever stayed in.
Anyway, I ended up finding a Mountain Fiesta Yurt Airbnb in Hot Springs, NC. (Which is an awesome and super easy site to use) After speaking with its owner on the site we ended up booking the yurt for one night (at $80 split three ways) and let me start by saying this, I am so glad we did because it was a two-day experience I will never forget.
The Room
I am going to be completely honest with you, I had no idea what the hell to expect to stay in a yurt. I knew it was going to be interesting that’s for sure, but I never thought it would be as rejuvenating and memorable as it was. When we got there, after a nice 2-hour and 45-minute drive, Brenda (Airbnb owner) was there to welcome us along with her two adorable and friendly pups. She refers to them as her “bellhops” and they certainly were. Leading us up the trail behind her as she drove her ATV kindly carrying our bags, the hike up the gravel to the yurt was a nice workout.
But we made it, and when we got up there all three of us were in awe of the view and even more in awe once we saw the inside of the yurt. This yurt was decorated and fully stocked with amenities. Frankly, it was better than most people’s houses. There was a queen-sized bed, electricity, fridge, water, cups, games, a cute little table with chairs, homemade coffee, and even a cot for our male friend of the group; all of which Brenda supplied. My favorite part of the yurt is the sky roof. I am a sucker for stars, and it was a real treat and very relaxing to be able to see the stars at night before going to sleep.
The Overall Experience
After being amazed at the yurt and its features, we drove 17 miles to the town of Hot Springs, NC. It was like a little movie set, with old-time buildings and only one street with mom-and-pop shops and local dive bars. It was perfect. We ended up taking a walk through the town, grabbing some late lunch, and even got to watch a plastic duck race the locals were hosting. After, we did as any three city kids would do…we got lost.
But getting lost ended up leading us to a small river where we all took off our shoes and climbed rocks like idiots and splashed around. Then, we found our way back and ended up finding a mountain trail to hike right as the sun was setting above the mountain tops. And though I had a mild asthma attack once we hit the top, being able to look out at the landscape in front of me made it well worth it. Later that night we had a classic smores roast (Even though I cracked 99% of the graham crackers) and then froze our asses off as we slept. Thankfully I use Jessica as a body warmer.
On Sunday, we woke up around 8:30 am (freezing our asses off I may add) to find that it was a beautiful, warm spring day. We got dressed and then took a hike up a trail behind Brenda’s property to start our day. After that, we packed up our things, said goodbye to the yurt, and headed to Asheville for the day. When we got there, we ended up eating at this tapas restaurant called CURATÉ which was very elegant and delicious.
After that, we went and visited a few shops, got some sunburn along the way, and ended our perfect little getaway weekend with a fun sing-along drive back to the QC. All in all, I thank Brenda and Airbnb for helping me and my two friends have a such wonderful weekend, and we most definitely are going to go back soon.
To visit Mountain Fiesta Yurt and get your very own GLAMping experience click HERE! Tell Brenda and Moe Lex Paige sent you.
With Love,
Lex Paige
