I tried glamping for the first time after years of off-grid camping. Here are 9 things that surprised me.

Before I became a New Yorker, I lived in Austin, Texas, where I regularly took camping road trips around the southwest.

For weeks at a time, I would travel with a companion through New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado to find the sweetest landscapes amidst national parks, state parks, and national forests.

Since I was usually on a tight budget, I used freecampsites.net to find places to pitch my tent at night, or, when I couldn't find one, even slept in the backseat of my travel companion's car at the nearest rest stop or Walmart parking lot.

These were always off-grid experiences where the only amenity I saw was a fire pit.

Read more: After road-tripping across Texas, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado nearly a dozen times, I planned the best itinerary through the Southwest

Glamping is a more comfortable version of camping where you don't sleep on the ground outside, as Insider reported. Instead, glamping destinations typically offer private rooms, a real bed, and some amenities like heating or cooling as well as easy access to nature.

Glamping accommodations typically include unique lodgings like Airstreams, treehouses, and luxury tents, according to the same source.

For about $100, I booked a night in a lifeguard tower at South Miami-Dade Marina. I found it on Airbnb.

I thought it could be classified as glamping since the tower was amongst nature and had a bed and basic amenities, including a shared bathroom on the property.

For full disclosure, Insider paid for the Airbnb accommodation, according to our reporting standards.

Before I tried it out for myself, I always assumed that glamping would be more expensive than camping, but less expensive than a hotel. But that's not always the case.

I booked my trip on Airbnb, but after a quick search of accommodations on GlampingHub.com, a booking site that's exclusively for luxury outdoorsy accommodations, I found that glamping can range from hundreds to more than $1,000 a night, depending on the offerings.

The cheaper accommodations were a mix of tents, cabins, and treehouses while the most expensive options ranged from luxury houseboats to private islands.

All the sites were more expensive than popular paid campsites in the US, which range from about $15 to $50, as Insider reported.

Since I knew there would be a full bathroom on the property with a working shower, faucet, and flushing toilets, I expected running water to be available to refill my water bottle. Besides, even many of the most basic paid campsites I've visited came with a potable water source.

But on my way to the tower, my host texted me to inform me that I should bring bottled water because the water on-site was only suitable for showering but not drinking. So I stopped at a convenience store to pick up a few bottles.

Inside, the tower seemed to be about 100 square feet with a bed taking up the majority of the room.

Since my glamping site was on the cheaper end of the spectrum, I figured the bed would be small and uncomfortable, but the mattress was firm with a slight give, just how I like it.

With a big, cozy bed, I woke up in the morning feeling refreshed and ready for the day. I rarely get a good night's sleep when camping, so this was a treat.

Being able to charge just one device is something I consider to be a luxury when camping. So when I found out that I was able to plug in my laptop, phone, camera, and headphones at the same time, I was thrilled.

Typically, saving device battery life is a stressor on camping trips for me since I like to listen to music and take a lot of pictures. Without having to worry about my devices dying, I was able to relax more.

I thought the low light might bother me at night, but instead, it just added to the campy vibe.

I didn't expect air conditioning in my cheap glamping accommodation since I'm used to camping in hot tents where the closest thing to AC was a gust of wind.

But it was around 80 degrees Fahrenheit the night I stayed in the tower, and I was surprised to find air conditioning offered in such an untraditional type of lodging. I know I wouldn't have been able to get comfortable without it, and it was refreshing to wake up and feel cool rather than sweaty.

Usually, when I go camping, I see squirrels and an occasional deer.

However, a sign on the dock warning boaters of wildlife made me realize that I was going to be sleeping next to manatees, which I thought was pretty cool.

While I didn't spot any manatees during my stay, I was frequently greeted by cats and chickens that freely roamed the property.

Thanks to wide windows on three sides of the tower, I felt like I was sleeping outside but with the comforts of the indoors. This was my favorite part of the whole experience.

I also had the perfect view of the sun setting. The windows were high, so I sat on a stool — the only chair in the room — and took it all in.

There was a full moon that night, and I could see it lighting up the clouds from my bed. I thought that on a clearer night, I'd probably be able to see some stars.

In the morning, I watched the sunrise from bed and thought about how grateful I was to be here.

I arrived at the Airbnb in the middle of a stressful work trip that left me feeling anxious at the end of each day. But after one night of glamping on the marina, I left feeling more relaxed and refreshed than any one night of camping

That's because simple, comforting amenities like a bed, electricity, and air conditioning removed many of the pain points that come with camping and sleeping outside. I was able to enjoy nature without feeling uncomfortable.

I wonder how I'd feel after a longer glamping trip, and next time, I'll definitely be booking at least a long weekend.