Escapes
J A N U A RY 2 0 2 1 42 WALDEN CAME
MEETS THE SIMPLE
LIFE ON
LAKE
LOUISIANA’S NEWEST HIGHPOINTER
PONTCHARTRAIN
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// 4 8 S W I M M I N G W I T H
I N TO T H E W I L D HOW A
TEENAGE
FLIP-FLOPPED WRITER
BOYS
AND
BABY OTTERS
BEW
LAP OF LUXURY
Happy Glampers
TENTRR ELEVATES THE CAMPING EXPERIENCE IN LOUISIANA Story and photos by Alexandra Kennon
I
’ve got to be honest: When I was first asked if I wanted to go “glamping,” I practically rolled my eyes. A portmanteau of “glamour” and “camping,” the two concepts seemed entirely mutually exclusive. Glamour conjures visions of fashion models, YouTube makeup artists, and Instagram influencers. As someone whose childhood was heavily peppered with camping trips along the secluded banks of the Mississippi River, I can confidently say that while the excursions make up some of my fondest memories, venturing into the wild to commune with nature and use the bathroom in the woods tends to be anything but glamorous, in my experience. The trip I was asked to take, however, was a far cry from the rougher campouts of my youth—the term “glamping” 42
is used, and aptly, because Louisiana State Parks have recently partnered with national company Tentrr (whose name amusingly reminded me of the dating app I may or may not have recently downloaded, then promptly deleted). Tentrr specializes in placing luxury campsites complete with large expedition tents, elevated wooden decks, Adirondack chairs, and picnic tables in remote, scenic locations so vacationers can enjoy the beauty of the outdoors without all the frustration and effort of a traditional camping trip. Typically, Tentrr works with private landowners, making Louisiana’s only the second state park system the company has partnered with. Launched in November, the partnership includes over sixty sites—each chosen as spots of particular natural beauty—in eight Louisiana
J A N 2 1 // C O U N T R Y R O A D S M A G . C O M
State Parks, including Fontainebleau in Mandeville. My home base of New Orleans is only a short drive across the Causeway, and after the dystopian rollercoaster of 2020, I found myself heavily in the market for the rejuvenation in the form of a scenic view and some fresh air. Tentrr’s accommodations thankfully rendered my admittedly rusty campmaking abilities basically unnecessary— they promised a spacious, heavy-canvas tent with a peaked roof tall enough to stand in without crouching, a queensized bed, a camp toilet, and even a propane space heater (which, it being December, I would be especially grateful for). Our particular lakeside campsite at Fountainebleu was accessible only by boat, meaning we would have to put ourselves and our belongings into
a canoe and paddle for about twenty minutes from the car to reach our private beach. It certainly sounded like an adventure, but I was a bit nervous at the prospect of navigating Lake Pontchartrain with all of my luggage in a tiny boat. I have experience canoeing, as well as capsizing. Before embarking on the trip that Saturday, I looked up the projected weather and typed “Can hypothermia set in at forty-five degrees” into the Google search bar. I learned that, in fact, it can—particularly if one is wet. Perfect. Embracing the “glam” in “glamping,” I asked my friend Lexi to accompany me. Lexi had never been camping before (and, if we’re being honest, given Tentrr’s accommodations, she still hasn’t really), and is the type of person to actually subscribe to YouTube makeup
