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City residents Sonia Jo and Jason Thomson have drawn national attention once again.

The couple’s Wanderland Popup in New York’s Catskills is among the 10 luxury camping destinations featured in a May 11 National Geographic article:

Don’t Call It Glamping: 10 Amazing Luxury Camping Adventures

WANDERLAND POPUP IN THE CATSKILLS, NEW YORK

In spring of 2017, Wanderland Popup is bringing its chic boutique tents to the tiny town of Tannersville, inside the green mountains of the Catskills and about a two-hour-a-half-hour drive from New York City. The New Jersey-based company, founded by artsy couple Jason Thomson and Sonia Jo, will set up 10 Lotus Belle tents, handcrafted in Australia, in a lush field close to a private lake and hiking trails in Hunter Mountain, Indian Head and Kaaterskill Wild Forest. Visitors can also go fly fishing, try zip lining, and enjoy bonfires. Decorated with a vintage vibe and artisanal accessories, these cozy tents and their come-hither, queen-sized beds are warm, both literally and figuratively. Best time to visit: The location is best enjoyed during the spring, summer, and early fall—perfect for leaf-peeping season. Tents start at $185 a night.

Thomson is triCity News editor and the Asbury Park Sun’s Creative Director.

“We’re super excited about the opportunities coming our way up in the Catskills,” Thomson said. “It’s a place that has really become a second home for us and actually reminds us a lot of Asbury Park in terms of all the creative revitalization that is happening in a region of upstate New York that’s been depressed for so many years.”

The pair first drew national attention last year when their High Voltage Cafe venture debuted on the Asbury Park boardwalk and in Apartment Therapy for the space saving creative design of their former 700-square-foot Asbury Park home on Cookman Avenue.

Together, the couple also runs Wanderland Rentals, which rents out vintage furniture, decor and props along with their vintage travel trailers and European style canvas tents for parties, weddings, and other special events. They also have a clothing line called Nomad inside Storehouse, a collective of local and national makers on the Asbury Park boardwalk.

Aside from the High Voltage Cafe location on the Asbury Park boardwalk, the couple will open a second location in Junction Hall, the newly created space by Second Life Bikes and Cowerks on Main Street.

Through their Wanderland venture, the couple is also behind the new event destination space in Highlands [at the former Clam Hut], Wanderland on the Bay, which features a dock area with a bar, a beach, their event tents, and pop-up food trucks.

“It’s a bummer we haven’t been able to bring our boutique tenting experience to Asbury Park yet, outside of a few popups here and there,” Thomson said. “It’s a shame we have to do business elsewhere but this is our hometown and it’s definitely a goal we’re not giving up on and this National Geographic piece is a great example of the potential media exposure such an experience can and will bring to our city. It’s kind of a no-brainer.”

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The Asbury Park Sun is affiliated with the triCityNews newspaper.

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