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“Swinging in the treetop,” writes New York Times writer Neil Genzlinger in a recent article, ”I realized that the real reason to take a rustic vacation isn’t to escape crowds or the niceties of civilization; it’s to escape your own hang-ups.” The article is called “Going Backcountry, Three Ways” and in in Genzlinger explores rustic travel options. While they all have an outdoor element but these adventures are far from your typical camping trip.
He explains,
“The wilderness resorts of old, which tried to reproduce the lifestyle of the landed gentry, have been supplanted by a raft of quirky rentals.
They hold out the promise of something different, something that connects the jaded traveler to either a personal or a collective American past — the past of the frontier, of “On the Road,” of backyard tree forts. But beyond that, they vary widely. The yurt had no electricity or plumbing. The treehouse had room service and a flat-screen TV. There is rustic rustic, and there is not-at-all-rustic rustic.”
Through Genzlinger’s look at three unique travel experiences. One was a round hut inspired by nomads that had few luxuries. Another was an old railroad car. And the last a resort he describes as “back to nature with benefits.”
Throughout he sprinkles witticisms like, ”How did our dishwasherless forebears ever have time for Words With Friends?” And, “Anyone who has ever stayed in bare-bones accommodations knows that the development of the modern bathroom is the single most important achievement of our species besides the invention of language.”
