Bringing big city-style treats to Sheboygan
The importance of the entire fish – scales and all
February 24, 2023
NORTHEAST WISCONSIN – For those who like camping but also like the comforts of home, glamping – which involves more luxurious accommodations and facilities than those traditionally associated with camping – might be a good fit.
With glamping, Paula Luther, owner of CoziMoon Glamping, said all folks have to worry about is having fun.
Luther said that is what her Omro-based glamping business strives to offer clients.
“I supply all the equipment needed and do all the setup, take down and cleanup,” she said. “I’ll come right to your house/venue and do everything.”
CoziMoon mainly serves nine counties – Brown, Calumet, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette, Outagamie, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago – in Northeast Wisconsin, but Luther said she also serves parts of other counties.
“If you’re located more than 60 minutes from Omro, give me a call and we can chat,” she said.
Luther said there are many examples of where CoziMoon might come in handy.
“It’s great for birthday sleepovers, family reunions, romantic date nights, staycations, graduation parties, bridal showers, bachelorette parties or extra sleeping accommodations for out-of-town guests,” she said. “CoziMoon doesn’t have generators, so we hook into a person’s electricity.”
She said the accommodations are “very luxurious for camping.”
“To start with, I provide a 210-square-foot, all-weather canvas tent,” Luther said. “From there, I put in platform beds (various size options), memory foam mattresses, premium bed pillows, luxury sheets, cozy blankets, bedside floor mats, bedside tables, a moon lamp/Bluetooth speaker, area rugs, DVD projector with screen, decorative pillows, fairy string lights, tent pole light and a portable air conditioner or fan.”
Being a company of one, Luther said she can do an entire setup in about an hour and 15 minutes.
“I can put the tent up in less than 15 minutes,” she said. “It used to take me about 18 minutes, but as I’ve set more tents up, I’ve gotten faster.”
Inspiration behind CoziMoon
Graduating from Oconto Falls High School and then enlisting in the military, Luther said there were many factors behind CoziMoon’s creation.
“I love the outdoors and camping,” she said. “We have five children, so it was a lot of packing and planning (to go camping). Traveling and setting everything up while keeping the kids busy, and then you camp for a day or two – it was tough. Then you’d spend half the next day packing everything up, getting in the car and traveling home – it took a lot of time.”
For those who like camping, Luther said, the work doesn’t stop when you get home.
“Then it’s unpacking everything from the vehicle, cleaning and putting it all away,” she said. “It’s time-consuming and wasn’t much fun (for me) anymore. I love that my kids have memories, but they don’t have the memory of how I felt.”
Luther said her background in the military also contributed.
CoziMoon Glamping specializes in birthday sleepovers, family reunions, romantic date nights, staycations, graduation parties, bridal showers, bachelorette parties or extra sleeping accommodations for out-of-town guests. Submitted Photo
“I did about five years active duty and then came back to Wisconsin and finished my career in the Army Reserves,” she said. “I retired from the Army Reserves in 2018 with 23 years of service.”
Although Luther said she worked in human resources/computer networking in the army, she also set up plenty of tents during her military career.
“We still went to the field and did our training,” she said. “We’d have to pitch the tents, put the IT equipment and the air conditioning inside and do the flooring – a lot of building up tents so we could work.”
Finally, Luther said she always wanted to be a business owner.
“Since I moved back to Wisconsin, I’ve been working government jobs,” she said. “I was looking for something different. Now is the time where financially I was able to (own a business), and I could do something on the side.”
This background, Luther said, helped her launch CoziMoon Glamping.
“The summer of 2022 was my first full summer,” she said. “My inspiration was to let other families spend time with loved ones outdoors in nature and not have to put up with the stress of camping. All people have to do is pick a date – I do the rest. I’m hoping to be busier this summer.”
A bright glamping future
Luther said she’s not completely booked for this season yet.
“The season goes from April 15 to October 15,” she said. “We have a nine-day family reunion on the books this summer, birthday parties, etc.”
Luther said she envisions the business will continue to grow and she’ll eventually add employees.
“But I still see it as a side business because it’s seasonal,” she said. “We are in Wisconsin, so I don’t think I would run it all year.”
Though, Luther said the tents she uses are “awesome” and could support year-round glamping – if she chose to do so.
“They are sturdy, strong and waterproof,” she said. “Last summer, when we had those terrible storms come through with 50 mph winds, I left a tent up and it didn’t fall. I wouldn’t recommend setting up if a storm was coming, but I was amazed at how dry it stayed inside. The tents are also rated for heaters.”
Another new addition this upcoming season, Luther said, is customers could request tent set up at a campground – but it would be on a much smaller scale.
“I’ve recently had people ask me if I could set up in campgrounds,” she said. “In that situation, it would just be the tent and lighting.”
Paula Luther said her time in the military – where she would often set up tents – sparked her interest in starting CoziMoon Glamping. Submitted Photo
According to the website (cozimoonglamping.com), Luther will arrive at your glamping destination for set up by 5 p.m. Thursday/Friday and return for takedown between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday/Sunday.
“If you want to start your glamping experience on a different day of the week or a different length of time, patrons can contact me for a quote and availability,” she said. “I also give a 15% discount for military, veterans, police, fire, EMTs and EMS.”
Additional photos as well as details on reservations and pricing, are available on CoziMoon’s website and its Facebook and Instagram pages.
