COWGIRL CAMPOUT: THE POST-EVENT PAJAMA PARTY

To say this sleepover was a one-of-a-kind experience would not be an understatement. It was only my second time in Round Top, and having only seen this place in pictures, plus never having met many of my co-glampers, I truly didn’t know what to expect. Let’s just say: pleasantly surprised, all the way around!

When we pulled up to the Lone Star Glamp Inn, we were greeted by a marquis welcoming the Double D Addicts – a nice touch! We were given a collection of comically large keys, the old-school kind, which actually made them a little easier to keep up with. Upon entering, you’re in the midst of a lounge/lobby-type area, complete with the “Cadillac Bar” in one corner (which we presume is only staffed and stocked during show season), a foosball table, a pool table, and a series of seating areas arranged into cozy conversation circles of eclectic antique and vintage armchairs and sofas.

Another charming touch was waiting for us on the custom table at the entrance: darling goodie bags for each of us, filled with a tiny tambourine to turn it up a notch, souvenir stickers and koozies to commemorate our stay, and some undereye patches and electrolyte drink mix to help us look and feel our best in case it was less “slumber” and more “party.”

Just beyond the table is the main room, outfitted with 10 unique yurts, each with its own aesthetic theme and different décor, boasting cute cowgirl names like the “Hello Darlin’,” “Miss Kitty,” and “Rhinestone Cowgirl.” Each yurt has two twin beds, bedside tables, lamps, and a standing fan. (You do need to bring your own linens – sheets, blanket, pillow, towel, and washcloth – or you can rent them from the venue for $45.) There’s a cute kitchenette area toward the back featuring a full-sized fridge, microwave, Keurig, and even a crockpot. The back also hosts the airstream that’s been converted to house four bathroom stalls and two showers, and in a stroke of genius, there’s also a high-top table outfitted with four lighted/magnifying make-up mirrors next to a full-length dressing mirror. ‘Glam’ is the core concept of glamping, after all!

After we got acquainted with the space (and logged on to the WiFi – cell service is somewhat spotty in this big concrete room), we all start selecting our yurts; some gals chose based on décor, some based on the name that spoke to them, and some based on proximity to amenities, like the restrooms or the big fan in the center.

The cast of characters ended up being Rebecca May, who found this place and spearheaded the whole slumber party, and her yurtmate and bestie, Ivy; DDR Addict Laura Reck and her group of gals (Billee, Susie, Kim, and Elaine) came all the way from Colorado; Rebecca Binder drove over from Bryan; Cheryl Reader-Graulty, a familiar face, joined from Huntsville; my mother Peaches and her friend Deb “Mac” Crabb, and of course, me.

We got “rigged up” and headed to the store for the ribbon cutting. Afterwards, we swung by The Stone Cellar – a cute little Round Top restaurant about halfway between The Halles and the Glamp Inn – for a bit of food because while the charcuterie spread (and particularly that pimento cheese) was fantastic, we needed a bit more sustenance. For the record, the fried green tomatoes were the universal fan favorite!

We all got cozied up in our jammies and settled into our respective spots in a conversation circle of charmingly mix-matched green velvet seating options, and got to know each other the old-fashioned in-person way, swapping stories about children and grandchildren, our own upbringings, and how we first found Double D Ranch. We snacked on “crack popcorn” and sipped “PJ Party Punch,” we had tiny rolling-horse races and pulled out a whole plethora of props for the group photo – complete with custom DDR champagne flutes! Some gals tucked in early, some burned the midnight oil playing pool or just getting the giggles. (Surprisingly, zipped up in our little yurts you might be able to hear a murmur of activity outside, but everyone unanimously reported a solid night’s sleep and not being disrupted by any noise.)

Saturday morning, we all congregated in the kitchenette and chatted over complimentary Keurig coffee and the breakfast of champions: fresh fruit and peanut M&Ms. (Just kidding, Ivy kindly provided donuts and kolaches, too.) It was wonderfully leisurely, sharing the morning conversing on cozy couches and soaking up the natural light from the front room windows until everyone was ready to “get dressed and get on with it!” We enjoyed a visit from the owner, Kaci VanCoutren, who regaled us with the history of the building and the evolution of the space from hosting vendors during markets to becoming the unforgettable overnight experience it is now.

“This building was always a Cadillac museum,” Kaci explained. “It was modeled after a 1950s dealership, but it never was an actual dealership. This building and the building next door belonged to my husband Sterling’s uncle of Sterling McCall Toyota – if you’re from Houston, you probably recognize that name – and so we bought it from him. Unfortunately, he passed away before he got to see what we’ve done with it now. At first, we had vendors in here, but it just wasn’t working out, we were sinking, and EVERYBODY rents space to vendors.”

So, they found a niche and filled another need that comes along with the market – a place to stay where you can still be in the middle of it all. They plumbed water into this building and filled it with yurts and fun furniture. The majority of the year (i.e. non-market times), you rent the Cadillac Room as a whole, like we did. During market, however, you can rent a single yurt (even for a single night) and live it up with like-minded antique hunters and vintage fashion finders, a la a European hostel.

“We do one-night stays during the show,” Kaci said. “Because we get gals from Houston and Austin and busy women who can’t commit to the three-night minimum and don’t want to pay $400 a night because they want to buy stuff at the show! And this is a whole experience; it’s not just sleeping. It’s not like a hotel where you say, ‘goodnight, everybody’ and go to your room, you sit around and talk, and get up and have coffee together, and it’s just something entirely different.”

It truly is. We have no affiliation with the Glamp Inn, but it immediately felt like it was meant for us, and for our Addicts especially; it feels like a place designed to foster the exact type of sisterhood our amazing customers have created. There’s an openness, a welcoming quality, and an environment that says, “Come on in, show us what you bought!”

Play nice. Be free. Come on in.