HoneyTrek Travel Newsletter - Vol. 216 - Day #4,688 - January 17, 2025

Reader, BIG NEWS! We just got the green light for a second edition of our glamping book, Comfortably Wild! While the first edition featured the best outdoor accommodations in North America, this round we are embarking on a seven-continent quest for the most mindful and inspiring getaways in the world!

To reach this ambitious goal, our new publisher Simon & Schuster has given us 18 months to research, travel, experience, and write about these regenerative destinations, publishing in September 2027. While we could probably do it faster, we want to do it right. Not just regurgitating Top 10 Lists and AI-generated results, we want to meet these small business owners, try their activities, share meals, and sleep in their wonderland…whether that’s in the Maldives or Mongolia. And when we reach an eco-resort, we don’t want to just stay within their walled garden—we want to immerse ourselves in the region and local culture. We want to feel confident that we are featuring and sending our favorite people (you!) to the absolute best places.

When does our global quest begin? It’s already started! While road-tripping through the Southwest in December, we revisited a couple of camps featured in our first glamping book and found two new ones that are strong contenders for the next edition. We’re excited to share them with you in this newsletter and hopefully get your wheels turning on destinations that you think would be a good fit for this project.

If you can recommend any exceptional eco-retreats or know someone who would be a good resource for us, just reply to this email or chime in on Instagram. Until then, get inspired with this travel dispatch!
​

Indigenous Glamping in The Navajo Nation

Many glamping structures have roots in native and nomadic dwellings, which is why for the "Living History" chapter of Comfortably Wild, we feature First Nation-owned camps, like Shash Dine’. Set in the Navajo Nation, where the Colorado River has created some of the world’s most dramatic slot canyons, it is a place of profound beauty.

For fifteen generations, the land of Shash Dine’ has been a working sheep farm and gathering place for Baya’s family and their guests. Her grandmother’s eight-sided hogan still stands and their newly constructed earth-and-juniper-log dwelling is one of the finest living examples of Navajo architecture. The female (round) hogan is said to be the womb of Mother Earth, and we had the honor of spending the night here.

​See this gallery from our experience at this authentic Navajo camp and our exploration of Antelope Canyon, the Southwest’s most photographed slot canyon.

Can Big Art Save Small Town America?

Driving Route 66 into New Mexico, mid-century motels, motor courts, and diners are shadows of their former neon selves. But what if those abandoned retro buildings could be canvases for murals and studios for artists? What if wide open spaces beyond town could be a place to create and display festival-style art that would make people stop and stay for a while? That’s the dream of Art City Inc.

Staying in a glammed-up shipping container along the mesa cliffs, surrounded by Burning Man art (minus the 70,000 people), it was a Playa we never imagined could exist.

Outpost X: A Glimpse into Our Fantastical Chapter

Sci-fi film set meets glamping camp, Outpost X has turned 100 acres of Utah salt flats into a cinematic retreat for fantasy lovers. To prepare for your otherworldly stay, they send a podcast to learn about your new planet of Namaajin, a post-apocalyptic sanctuary away from the evil empire. Upon arrival, they equip you with costumes and an intergalactic cruiser to play the part in the blockbuster movie of your dreams.

Watch our video (it's going nuts on TikTok) to see us gear up like Mad Max, race speeders through the galaxy, sleep in a Zen Dome fit for Princess Leia, and have more fun than the cast of Spaceballs.

Get the Inside Scoop

Our upcoming book is already building some buzz in the glamping industry! Listen to the podcast as the founder of the American Glamping Association interviews us about this upcoming project and top tips for glamping camps. Plus, we share some great destinations for your next outdoor getaway!

Honey Trek > Mike & Anne How... Jan 9 · The Glamping Podcast 35:01   ​

​
P.S. Did you hear that HoneyTrek won the AGA's 2024 Glamping Industry Pioneer Award? So honored!

HoneyTrek Year in Review

Before we get too far into 2025, we have to share our robust year-in-review blog. In 2024, we traveled to eight countries across the Caribbean, Western Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Buddy the Camper traversed the West and dipped into Mexico. We spoke at three travel conferences and attended two more to continue our education on regenerative travel and cross-cultural connections. We starred in an Outside TV show and made the bold attempt to shoot a pilot for a show of our own!

Miami's Wild Side We regularly work with tourism boards on storytelling campaigns and have always wanted to partner with Visit Miami to tell the story of this city's unique blend of urban arts and UNESCO wilderness. 6 Surprising Facts About Miami

#1 Town to Visit in America CNN Travel gave Richmond, Virginia that bold accolade, and you know what? This city was our surprise gem of 2024, as well! See 7 Reasons Why

Next Stop...Baja, Mexico!

We just crossed the Mexican border for a two-week road trip with some of the most seasoned and coolest RVers we know. We’ll be heading into the vineyards of Valle de Guadalupe (so many glamping camps here!), sea cliffs of Ensenada, wetlands of San Quintín, cactus oasis of Valle de los Cirios, and end in Bahía de Los Ángeles for stunning beaches to culminate our perfect Northern Baja route! And when we're not out playing, we'll be plotting our glamping route around the world...

Travel with love,
Mike & Anne