Enjoy the very best of nature and camping combined with the amenities and comforts of a clean and comfortable hotel room when you go glamping at Loves Way Village in West Virginia...
This post was created in partnership with Loves Way Village. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.
While I do consider myself somewhat of an outdoorsy person, I am not one that is much for "roughing" it. I love finding a good hiking trail or paddling down a river in a kayak, but sleeping on the ground in the middle of the woods with no bathroom (or shower!) in sight? No, thank you. It just really isn't my thing. I'd would MUCH rather commune with nature in comfort. ;)
That is why I was beyond thrilled when the folks at Loves Way Village invited my sister and I to stay in one of their glamping tents a few weeks ago. We were able to hike and kayak and enjoy all of the beauty and adventure that the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia has to offer, but we still got to come back to a comfortable bed, air conditioning, a hot shower, and a soak in our own private hot tub each evening of our two-night stay at Loves Way.
I know that glamping has definitely become all the rage lately. Some may even call it a novel trend in traveling. But I do think that this fad in accommodations is here to stay, folks. You get all the fun of camping (think s'mores over a campfire, rainfall hitting the fabric of the tent lulling you to sleep, being close to nature), but without all of the dirt, and grime, and dealing with the elements.
The Glamping Tents.
The Loves Way Village glampground has 20 air conditioned/heated tents complete with beds on site. Four of these glamping tents are what they call their Hot Tub Love Pods. My sister and I stayed in one of their double Hot Tub Love Pods during our visit to Loves Way.
All of Loves Way's electrified glamping tents are pet and family friendly and include Wi-Fi, a mini fridge & microwave, a coffee maker (although the Hot Tub Love Pods are equipped with a Keurig), bed linens, and fresh towels. For an additional fee, you can also add your own private Solo stove to your tent site.
Our beds were super comfortable and a welcome retreat after a long afternoon of hiking or kayaking.
But perhaps my favorite amenity of our Love Pod was our own private hot tub located on the outdoor deck. After a 6 mile hike with a 1800-foot elevation gain the first day of our stay and a 7 mile, 4 hour kayaking trip on the second day of our trip, a long soak in the hot tub was definitely pure heaven & dare I say necessary for our aching muscles.
The Common Areas.
The main common space at Loves Way Village is built around a large communal outdoor fire pit. The fire pit is started and maintained by Colette and her family each evening at the campground (weather permitting). Guests are encouraged to use the fire pit to roast marshmallows and mingle with other guests at the village.
It is also a nice option to have in case you choose to not spring for the addition of a Solo stove to your tent site. You get to enjoy all of the goodness of a campfire without hardly any of the work.
If you would like to grill your own burgers or hot dogs, the campground provides gas grills for use by their guests.
This shared outdoor space also has picnic tables and cornhole set up.
The only other shared space at Loves Way Village would be the bathhouse which is located within a short walking distance from most of the tent sites. As far as campground bathhouses are concerned, this is definitely the nicest one that I have utilized in my limited camping experience.
The individual showers were fairly private and the hot water was plentiful. Forgot your toiletries at home? No problem! Loves Way provides shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel dispensers in each shower. There were also plenty of outlets and mirrors in the women's bathhouse.
The Love Boxes.
Want to grill out, but don't want to take on all of the fuss of packing up a cooler with meats and groceries from home? Then no worries! You can add on meal boxes from Love Ways' Love Box Menu when making your Love Pod reservation.
My sister & I were treated to the Rib Eye Love Box for Two the second evening of our stay. Our box came with everything we would need to grill our own steak dinner on our Solo stove. In addition to the steaks, we were also provided with 3 different grill-friendly sides- corn on the cob, baked beans, and foil packet potatoes and zucchini.
Loves Way sources all of their meat for their Love Boxes from a nearby local farm, Flying W Farms. This family owned and operated farm produces, cuts, and processes all of their meats on site- from their dry aged steaks to their homemade sausages.
During the last morning of our stay, we opted for their Nana's Cinnamon Love Buns for Two breakfast box. The box includes two baked on-site, warm cinnamon buns swimming in an ooey, gooey cinnamon-sugar sauce and your choice of either apple juice or orange juice. They were perfect for enjoying out on our tent's covered deck while listening to the rain fall above us.
Things to Do in the Area.
If you happen to be into outdoor adventure, then the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia just might be the perfect destination for you. Whether you are into hiking, rock climbing, or kayaking, the area has much to offer as far as things to do goes.
Before we checked into Loves Way Village, my sister and I decided to tackle the Chimney Top hiking trail on our drive in. This almost 6 mile trail has a 1700-foot elevation gain in the first 1 1/2 miles.
While not for the faint of heart, this challenging hike rewarded us with amazing rock formations and breathtaking views at the top of the North Fork Mountain. We definitely didn't regret a single one of our aching muscles the next day.
If you are looking for something a little less challenging (but also with unique rock formations and spectacular views), then the Seneca Rocks trail is not too far of a drive from the campground.
During the second day of our visit to the Highlands, we booked a half-day kayaking trip through Breezewood Adventures. Kellan and Trevor, the owners of this kayaking outfitter, were super helpful in suggesting the perfect stretch of the South Branch of the Potomac for our skill & experience level.
After our half day of hiking the day before, we wanted a nice, easy float down the river. While the water levels were a little lower in some areas than we would have liked (blame lack of rain in the area), we did have the river all to ourselves save the frequent deer and heron sightings.
If you are craving all of the feel of camping (think star gazing, chatting around a campfire, cooking over an open fire) minus the drawbacks of pitching a tent on the ground (think bugs, wild animals, and no beds), then booking a glamping tent at Loves Way Village just may be the compromise you have been looking for. The very best of nature and camping combined with the amenities and comforts of a clean and comfortable hotel room.
Ready to book your stay at Loves Way Village? Then CLICK HERE to get started!
And right now if you use the code MIDWEEK when booking your tent from Sunday- Wednesday nights, you can unlock a discount code. The rate for a Hot Tub Love Pod drops down to just $80 per night! (*Discount code is good for a limited time, so hurry and get booking!)
