Amber Lea Acres offers the ultimate tranquil experience for a weekend getaway

Amber Pallas-Brunt and Julian Brunt wanted to create a getaway and event venue that provided guests with a place to find tranquility and peace surrounded by beautiful nature. The couple founded Amber Lea Acres on the site of a former winery located in Tekamah, Nebraska, about an hour north of Omaha. The venue sits in a little valley surrounded by cornfields and rolling hills. This open land is the perfect spot to unwind with nature.

They drew inspiration to launch Amber Lea Acres from their shared love for travel and their own wedding in the mountains in Highlands, North Carolina. The couple also recently spent some time in Africa.

“Between these experiences, it combined the idea for a wedding and events venue,” Amber says. “I mentioned it and Julian ran with it and started looking for property.”

Despite their love of faraway places, Amber and Julian chose to make Nebraska their home. Born and raised in Nebraska, Amber lived in Los Angeles for seven years after college. Julian, a crop-dusting pilot, hails from Australia and says he’s a farm boy at heart. That’s why owning 42 acres of land brings him satisfaction.

Amber says she loves being close to Omaha but enjoys the peacefulness of the country life.

“Though I love the convenience of cities, as I get older, I start to appreciate the quiet,” Amber says. “It can be hard to find because we are all overstimulated, every time I go out there, it is a sigh of relief.”

Amber and Julian have worked hard to create a space of quiet intimacy that allows every guest’s mind and soul to be embraced by nature.

One of the ways to unwind and connect with nature is through “glamping.” Many people don’t enjoy “roughing it” and want the comforts of home. They enjoy experiencing nature, but not pitching their own tent, sleeping on the ground and hauling equipment. This is why Amber Lea Acres provides “boujie” tents that offer the comfort of a hotel room yet surrounded by nature. “Glamping” is the ideal half-way point between camping and comfort.

The venue features three tents on the land called the “Glamping” Suites. Two of the tents are built for two people and one of the tents is made for four people. All the tents include a king bed, full bathroom and air conditioning. Some guests stay in the tents for just one night, but the couple encourages them to stay the entire weekend for the full experience. Girls’ trips have proved very popular.

While many couples choose Amber Lea Acres as a getaway, children are welcomed, too.

Guests can purchase charcuterie boxes and waffle cone s’more boxes during their stay. Each tent includes its own fire pit in front, small refrigerators, microwaves and a Keurig coffeemaker.

The Brunt’s also encourage guests to check out the nearby town’s restaurants and “cool bar” or just hang out with their own coolers.

A highlight of Amber Lea Acres are wedding weekends.

“Generally, one day is not enough for a wedding,” Amber says.

Amber and Julian recall their own wedding where they celebrated the entire weekend with family and friends. Guests can rent the entire property, plus the tents for either 24 or 48 hours.

“It is just a beautiful canvas to really make it whatever it is you envision,” Amber says.

Amber Lea Acres hosts graduations, showers, or birthday parties. They converted the large steel building from the winery into an event space named Finley Hall after Julian’s hometown. Guests can also enjoy the outdoor patio adjacent to the hall

Another feature is their barn called, “The Crib,” a former corn crib. All the building names are creative and mean something to the couple. Future plans include building another venue on top of a hill that overlooks the entire property to host more events.

Amber Lea Acres opens from April until the beginning of December, depending on the weather.

Although a convenient getaway for Nebraskans, visitors come from out-of-state for a weekend getaway. Guests can book up to four months in advance.

“We spent a year getting the land ready,” Amber says. “Now we are finally ready for our first full season.”