SPL TRAVEL
Westgate River Ranch Resort
Teepee camping turns to glamping in Old Florida retreat
60 StPeteLifeMag.com January/February 2020
PHOTO/WESTGATE RIVER RANCH RESORT
and horseback riding along an old dirt trail was exciting. Who cared
about the mud between your toes or the mosquito bites back then?
But as I got older, the comforts of a soft mattress and hot showers
became more important. Camping faded into my past, like Barbie
dolls and games of Twister.
Today, I might not be willing to pitch a tent and roll out a sleeping
bag, but there is an alternative universe of camping for people like
me. It’s called “glamping.” And it’s here in Florida at Westgate River
Ranch Resort and Rodeo, just two hours from Tampa Bay.
Nestled amid the rolling ranchland, farms and lakes of Central
Florida along the Kissimmee River is the largest resort ranch east of
the Mississippi. Westgate River Ranch Resort, encompassing nearly
1,700 acres, is hugged by 400,000 acres of protected state and
federal conservation habitat.
About an hour south of Orlando, this family vacation destination
is part of the Westgate corporate timeshare empire with an
assortment of cabins, lodge rooms, vacation homes, an RV park and
several campgrounds that feature glamping. For the uninitiated, the
word is derived from “glamor camping,” which generally means no
sleeping on the ground, no outhouses, and in best case scenarios,
air-conditioning, a cook and cleaning service, and your own personal
At Westgate River Ranch, I hit the jackpot at the Luxe Teepee
BY MARCIA BIGGS
/StPeteLifeMag.com