A 3-Day North Carolina Campcation Diary From A Non-Granola Girlie

An underrated genre that I’m obsessed with is the summer camp movie. I grew up watching The Parent Trap, Camp Rock, and Heavyweights, dreaming of the perfect sleepaway experience with a cozy cabin, endless activities, and s’mores around a campfire. While I was fortunate enough to attend several camps in middle and high school, I never fully took advantage of being outdoors. Instead, I was always too busy being homesick or only thinking about my camp crush.

So when Marriott Bonvoy and Chase reached out to invite me to an adult camp experience in Highlands, North Carolina, I was ready to pack my bags ASAP. Over three days, we were treated to a nostalgic itinerary — without any of the roughing it — anchored by a luxe stay at the Trailborn Highlands, part of the travel brand’s Outdoor Collection. On this getaway, my childhood movie dreams became a reality filled with hiking boots and my first baby rapids.

And I’m definitely not the only one looking to become “one with nature.” In 2025, Yelp reported that searches for “adult camps” surged 347%. More recently, Pinterest found that interest in “small car camping” jumped 150%. Clearly, whether people are packing into a compact trunk or booking an upscale resort, everyone is craving a scenic escape from reality.

If you’re thinking of planning your own outdoor adventure before summer slips away, here’s my three-day camp-inspired itinerary in North Carolina that you can follow on your next vacay.

Monday

2 p.m.: Camping In Style

After a long travel day from Los Angeles to North Carolina, I arrived at the Trailborn Highlands, and got settled into my King Room suite — which felt way more like high-end glamping than a cabin in the woods. I was thrilled to see that my sleeping arrangement wasn’t a bunk bed covered in a mosquito net. Instead, I had all the luxuries of a resort — including Wi-Fi, a smart TV, and Grown Alchemist products in the bathroom — with a gorgeous view of the trees from my balcony.

Right after unpacking, I did a quick unboxing of the Camp Elevate goodies from the Marriott Bonvoy and Chase team. This included trail mix, a portable fan, Supergoop! sunscreen, bug spray, quick-dry pants for our water excursion, and an Owala water bottle I now carry everywhere I go.

4 p.m.: Après Hour Icebreakers

We had free time to unwind in our rooms, which I used to shower and take a nap before meeting up with the rest of the group for an après hour in the lobby. While enjoying wine and local brews, we introduced ourselves through a game of Two Truths and a Lie, themed around travel stories.

5:15 p.m.: Comfort Food & Camp Flasks

The group then enjoyed a delicious meal at the Highlands Supper Club, located in a log cabin on the hill across from the hotel. As a Florida girl in LA, I miss good Southern food, so dinner made me feel right at home with sides of bacon-braised collards, mac and cheese, deviled eggs, oysters, and biscuits with whipped honey butter.

I also ordered a bacon-washed old fashioned that was the perfect mix of sweet and savory, served up in a camp-style flask. Then, after some chicken and blackened redfish, we ended the night with warm blueberry cobbler.

Tuesday

9:45 a.m.: Hike It Out

We were given the morning to ourselves for breakfast, but I used that time to get in some extra sleep so I was full of energy for our guided Glen Falls hike. Before we left, I grabbed some coffee from the lobby and nibbled on trail mix.

The hike itself was a lot tougher than I expected, especially since it was downhill to start and uphill on the way back. We had to take a few breaks along the way, and my portable fan quickly became a lifesaver in the heavy humidity. It wasn’t all bad for this city girl, though. The views from the top of the waterfall were breathtaking, and reminded me of The Hunger Games. (Fun fact: The first movie was actually filmed nearby.)

One of our guides also foraged snacks for us to try along the way, including buckberries and sourwood tree leaves. It made me feel like Katniss Everdeen for a minute.

1 p.m.: The BBQ Fuel-Up

As fun as it was to eat leaves, I was ready for real food. The thought of our BBQ lunch at Highlands Smokehouse was the only thing keeping me going on the hike back up to our cars, and it did not disappoint. I went all out, getting two meats, fried okra, mac and cheese, and sweet tea — my dream meal, cute. We also shared an appetizer of fried pickles and burnt ends. I was in heaven, but we eventually needed to get back to the hotel because I had an in-room massage booked.

2 p.m.: Post-Trail Pampering

I am forever grateful that I scheduled my 60-minute massage right after our hike, because it helped my aching body rest and recoup after working out. Since it was an in-room massage, I also got to quickly shower off while the therapist set up in the suite.

Both the hike and massage can be booked through Trailborn, if you’re staying at the hotel. The best part? Charging it all to your room means racking up a massive 17x points on your Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, which you can save up to fund your next trip. I love a good deal, especially one that involves me getting a scalp massage with aromatherapy as well.

5:30 p.m.: Cabin Crafts

I used the rest of my free time to nap, journal, and learn the iconic chant from Camp Rock 2 (IYKYK). When our downtime was over, we met up for a cyanotype workshop. This was like arts and crafts at summer camp, but instead of popsicle picture frames or tie-dye tees, we created gorgeous artwork with wildflowers foraged from right outside.

If you don’t know — which I didn’t before this — cyanotype is a printing process that uses UV light to create images on blue paper. It’s like the bikini line left on your skin after sitting out in the sun all day, but with leaves and paper. The final step was to soak the pages in water to set the design, and so we left our creations to dry as we headed to dinner.

7:30 p.m.: Tapas & Tequila

Our second dinner was at The Stubborn Bull, which we walked through town to get to. The women-owned Spanish-inspired restaurant serves tapas and entrees. My favorite was the crispy Brussels sprouts with pork belly and a honey-sherry dressing, which I enjoyed with a spicy margarita.

10:30 p.m.: Savory S’mores (Fail)

We didn’t have dessert at the restaurant, because there was a campfire waiting for us at Trailborn with both sweet and savory s’mores. Each of us was handed a kit, which you can purchase at the hotel for $5 and comes with everything you need to make two treats. Everyone else stuck with the nostalgic OG, but I was intrigued to try the savory version. This option is $30 per person and includes a full charcuterie board.

Instead of roasting a marshmallow, you melt a piece of cheese on a stick before putting it between two crackers with some jam and your choice of meat. I accidentally dropped my first piece of cheese in the fire, and was too scared to melt it all the way on my second attempt, but I’m eager to try savory s’mores at my next bonfire.

It wasn’t just a foodie adventure by the fire, but a nice way to unwind with the crew. I was starting to feel that classic summer camp experience of making new friends, and we got some laughs in while sharing stories before parting ways for the evening.

Wednesday

9:30 a.m.: A Small-Town Stroll

Since we had a late night, the next morning was more scheduled free time. I wanted to check out the quaint Nordic spa at the hotel, but it wasn’t ready to be used when I arrived, so I opted for a walk through town instead.

On our stroll to dinner the night before, I had spotted a mini print vending machine, so I headed back to grab a cheap souvenir before wandering into other stores. It channeled a Hallmark movie, where a city girl goes back to her small town to rediscover the true meaning of Christmas, so of course, I listened to Taylor Swift’s “‘tis the damn season.”

I ended up back at Trailborn to enjoy coffee on a bench next to the hotel’s lily pond — and really soaked in the nature vibes.

3 p.m.: River Paddle Outing

Eventually, it was time for our next adventure. We arrived at Headwaters Outfitters, where we met up with the team that was going to take us on a river paddle excursion. Before heading out, though, we enjoyed sandwiches, chips, and peanut butter protein balls at the store. I also fell in love with a few hilarious stickers that I had to buy to decorate my Owala bottle.

When it was time, we boarded a mini school bus that was super nostalgic and headed to our entry point on the French Broad River. In our life jackets, we boarded our own kayaks and were sent down the shallow river. I was nervous about getting stuck in a few rocky spots, but managed to keep my boat going. There were also times where we encountered the tiniest of rapids, which had me (a novice) feeling like I was on a Disneyland ride for 0.2 seconds.

6:30 p.m.: A Sunset Dinner Moment

Eventually, we found a stopping point, got back on the bus, and headed to a dinner party planned for us. The venue was a gorgeous farmhouse next to the water with a field of wildflowers, which we journeyed into on a tour of the land. While there, we were treated to a live band, cocktails, and light bites while a chef cooked up a full spread of roasted sweet potatoes, couscous salad, and grilled steak.

I felt like I was Miley Stewart in the Hannah Montana movie, and I had found my way back home. It didn’t hurt that the farmhouse was named Rachel’s, giving me the distinct sense that I was right where I belonged.

After hanging out, swapping stories of our day, and singing Camp Rock songs, our group sat down for dinner as the sun was setting. It was one last time to enjoy the sounds of nature, and the night ended with the tastiest homemade chocolate chip cookies, milk, olive oil cake, and fresh peaches.

9:30 p.m.: Netflix & Chill Camp Rock & Pack

After feeling so happy and full of delicious food, we headed back to the hotel. It was bittersweet saying goodnight. The friendships you make at summer camp are truly the thing you remember the most, so I’m glad this campcation included making a few besties who were willing to sing “This Is Me” like we were Mitchie Torres and Shane Gray.

Obviously, I spent my final night packing my bags with Camp Rock playing in the background to keep the camp spirit alive.