What Is a Camping Concierge, Anyway?

Camping concierge services can be very basic (providing a reservation only) or can provide a glamping experience with all the bells and whistles provided for you. My Exquisite Florida caters to Florida tent campers who need help managing some, or all, aspects of their trip.

Cozy campsite in the Everglades

Why Would I Need a Camping Concierge?

Why would anyone need a camping concierge? Well, I was inspired by memories of my Mom and all the work she would do to get us ready for a family picnic. What was a relaxing day for the rest of the family was an exhausting experience for her!

She provided most of the physical labor and all the emotional labor that fueled those picnics and outings, and they seldom provided her with a break at all. Mom found the great locations, planned the menu, did the grocery shopping, prepared the food, loaded the cooler, made sure we were dressed appropriately for the day, made sure we went potty before we got in the car. . . and that was just the START of it!

When we got where we were going, then she wrangled my Dad and three kids all day long, kept us all out of trouble, and when we got home she made sure we all got bathed and changed into our jammies. Then she unpacked and did dishes. No wonder we didn’t have more adventures together.

A camping concierge makes sure that everyone gets to enjoy the vacations that are meant to recharge our souls. With the daily details taken care of, your family can simply enjoy the splendid surroundings and sleep soundly at the end of each day.

Beautiful upland pine community on Yearling Trail, Ocala National Forest

What Does a Camping Concierge Do?

At the simplest end of the spectrum, I will find and reserve a campsite for you, and you can do all the rest. Sometimes that’s all you need.

In the middle range, I will make your reservation, prepare meals for you to reheat onsite, and suggest several ideas of things to do while you are on vacation. Sometimes you just need a little guidance to have a thoroughly wonderful time.

At the most “glampy” end of the spectrum, I will make your reservation, set up the campsite for you in advance of your arrival, prepare and serve your meals (including clean-up afterwards), pick up your trash each evening, provide detailed itineraries and guided excursions, and break down your campsite at the conclusion of your trip. Sometimes you just want to let go and let someone else do ALL the work. That’s what I’m here for!

So Give Me an Example

How about SEVERAL examples?

I’ve led guided hikes through the Ocala National Forest. I’ve guided individuals and I’ve guided small groups. Sometimes these have included lunch, but most of the time they are short trips of about 3-4 hours.

Hiking in Ocala National Forest

I’ve guided groups of kayakers. We’ve taken trips on spring runs, on rivers, across open water in the Florida Keys and we’ve even done night trips during the bioluminescent season along our Indian River Lagoon. I really love working with people who have never kayaked before, or who have only kayaked a little bit. It is so gratifying to watch someone grow in skill and confidence! When I can shepherd someone from absolute beginner status into buying their own boat, I am as proud as can be.

Preparing to launch in Lake County

I’ve coordinated camping trips for individuals and families. These range from simple trips which only required a reservation (where I do not even go along) to more involved trips which have included meal service and guided excursions for a family of five. On this last trip, we even made solar ovens and had a game day — unexpected fun for all of us!

Pebble-y beach on Tarpon Belly Keys

I always try to include a bit of lagniappe – oh, you’ve never heard of lagniappe? Look it up right here! It may be hot chocolate for the kids one morning or a marshmallow toasting kit one evening, mulled cider. . .or something else entirely. The point is to delight you in an unexpected way.

So What’s It Gonna Cost?

Hard to say until we answer several questions together.

Where do you want to go and when? I add a 30% surcharge to the camping reservation fee. State and National Parks offer inexpensive camping opportunities, but it can be hard to get a reservation. Private campgrounds are generally more expensive, but may offer more in the way of amenities and availability. Let’s talk about what you want to do once you get where you want to be.

Want me to set up and breakdown your tent? $100, unless it’s particularly complicated. Got a canopy? Happy to set that up for an additional fee.

If you want guided excursions, the charge depends on the expertise required. If it is an excursion I can guide, I generally charge $40/hour plus any admission or ticket fees, gratuities, etc. Kayak trips are more expensive because of state registration and insurance requirements. Trips that require an outside guide will be based on that guide’s fees, with a surcharge for my set-up time. Let’s put some thought into what would make your trip most enjoyable, and then we can make it happen.

Meal service depends on the menu items you select and the level of service you require. This is the hardest part of the trip to calculate. If I’m just delivering prepared meals for you to reheat and serve on your own, a very rough estimate is about $12 per person per meal, but let’s talk.

I can often offer economies based on what’s in my freezer. How does coq au vin sound? Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches with salad? Grilled pizza? I’ll feed you well, and there will often be leftovers. The same meal, cooked and served by me, including cleanup service, will run about $15 per person per meal.

Let’s Get Your Exceptional Adventure Underway!

Contact me today to get a quote started. Email pam@myexquisiteflorida.com for more information.

Lake Louisa State Park

When you make the turn from Highway 27 into Lake Louisa State Park, you may feel the weight of the city lifting from your shoulders. Within the Green Swamp Area of Critical Concern and along the northern boundary of the Lake Wales ridge, here you have access to nearly unlimited adventure! 20 miles of trails, a system of 10 lakes, and 4500 acres of rolling hills are home to eleven natural plant communities.

This diversity of habitat enables a wide variety of wildlife. You may see deer, bobcat, gopher tortoises, fox squirrels and many birds. On a recent visit hosted by the Lake Beautyberry Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, we saw many gopher tortoise burrows, tons of birds, and two brown watersnakes, one of which was getting ready to molt. What an adventure, right here in Lake County!

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Neighborhood Lakes Trail

This recently opened trail is short but a great indication of how much fun we are all going to have when Lake County’s system of trails is connected. And the experience of riding it is a reminder to myself that the longer I put something off, the harder it is to do – not riding my bike for a while turned in to 15 years of missing the wind in my face and the pleasant tremble of muscles that have worked really hard.

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A Different Sort of Adventure

IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT SUICIDE, PLEASE CALL 800-273-8255. HELP IS AVAILABLE.

I should warn you right up front: this is not a standard My Exquisite Florida post. This is not a story about an exceptional adventure. It is a story about an effort to lay down a burden of unbearable grief and a simple ritual that may help. This particular ritual took place at Horseshoe Park and Fairy Trail in Cassadaga. Cassadaga is home to many spiritualists and mediums, and while you may not appreciate the “woo” factor or believe in anything other than the physical world, it is a beautiful place and the people who live and work there are kind and open — even to those who are skeptical.

You may know that my husband’s best friend, Kevin, died of suicide several years ago. Kevin visited us shortly before his death, and Steve and I both knew he was in big trouble. Neither of us knew enough to talk to him about our fears, and instead of keeping him with us where we thought we might be able to keep him safe, we let him go home. We never saw him again, and several days later his ex-wife called to tell Steve that Kevin had shot himself.

When I tell you that Steve is a survivor of suicide, I do not mean that Steve attempted suicide and failed. I mean that the impact of Kevin’s death was so profound that Steve’s life was disrupted and the distress he has experienced has had an effect on his health, physically and mentally. Although Kevin’s death was nearly six years ago, Steve is just now making meaningful progress in moving forward from the grief and guilt that he has carried.

Yesterday, we visited the Fairy Trail at Cassadaga. I found this place a few months ago and have been back several times to enjoy wandering the trail and experiencing the pleasant town of Cassadaga. There are offerings and messages left all over the Trail, and there is a power in this place: a sense of peace and hope and certain knowledge that whatever “it” is, it is going to be okay. I had hoped, when I first realized that the cigarette tucked in a kiosk was an offering left in memory of a loved one, that Steve might find some comfort in this garden. I made the suggestion and Steve did not seem terribly interested. BUT a couple of weeks ago I made the suggestion again, and Steve agreed that he would find a memento and try to begin saying “goodbye” to Kevin in a healthy way.

I know that he did not experience the Fairy Trail in the same way I did, and I know there will likely be no magic moment of “poof” where he will suddenly feel the weight lifted from his shoulders. But I also know that he is not immune to the workings of the Universe, and that his willingness to visit signals readiness to move forward. Steve left the letter he earned in Junior High track perched on a young magnolia tree, and I know that whatever is left of Kevin in this world smiled. Simple, simple, simple. . .as the best rituals are. Someday in the next week or so someone will look at this simple letter and be touched, and I hope Steve feels it happen.

Steve has started his journey back to wholeness. The Universe has his back every step of the way. So will I.

Yankeetown: Delightful Spot on the Withlacoochee River

Steve and I are blessed with a friend, Cathy, who owns a home right on the Withlacoochee River in Yankeetown. She rents it out to us on occasion. We’ve just enjoyed a long weekend enjoying the small town charm of Yankeetown and the beautiful Withlachoochee River. Maribeth joined us so she could get a taste of kayaking on this peaceful river and the joys of Cathy’s huge back porch.

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Invasive Species Awareness Week

Florida’s pleasant climate makes it lovely not only for humans, but other living creatures as well. From plants (think Caeser Weed, or Australian Pines, for example) to animals (think Ball Pythons or Cuban Tree Frogs), our state has become home to creatures that crowd out our native plants and animals, changing habitats in negative ways.

Birds, mammals, invertebrates, fish, and plants can all be invasive, and they are generally introduced accidentally. Lionfish, for example, were released from home aquariums into the ocean, and are now an invasive species that plagues the entire Florida coastline.  

Every year, Invasive Species Awareness Week brings awareness to invasive species and also provides ideas about how to make a meaningful impact on the problem. Many thanks to NAISMA (North America Invasive Species Management Association) for these ideas.

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