On the trip to the Balloon Fiesta many of us stayed at the KOA in Grants, NM. The park was very nice and the service provided by the staff was the best I have ever seen. When you check in they give you a menu of dinner items (and free cookies). When you order one of the home cooked meals, they deliver it to your trailer. When I am in that area, they will be my first choise of a place to stay.
We have found the most campgrounds, KOA or otherwise, require a credit card over the phone when you make a reservation,
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I can understand that. Before we started requiring a CC number for reservations, we had nearly a 50% no-show rate on reservations. Folks would just forget to cancel. Once we started asking for a CC number, the collective memories of reserving guests improved dramatically: Our no-show rate is way less than 1% now.
I also stayed at the Grants NM KOA last month and agree it was nice and the folks there very friendly... I even got extra cookies because I checked in sort of late and they were getting ready to close the office... :-)
On a separate note, one thing that I have noticed at the 20 or more KOA's I stayed at last month was if I listed my trailer as a "19 foot travel trailer" (which it is) that when I checked in I was invariably assigned to a "short" site down with the pop-up campers and the tent campers... Yes, I can fit onto a pop-up site it but it barely fits. I think many places have a break-off point for sites for rigs 20 feet or less...
So, right or wrong, what I started doing, and will continue to do, is when I make my KOA reservation I always list my unit as "30 foot travel trailer" and then when I check in I get a decent site with a little more room (same price). I realize the campgrounds are trying to save the longer sites for the people with the bigger rigs, but......
At any rate, it has worked and nobody has ever noticed or mentioned that my 30-footer looks a little short... I guess if they ever do I will just play dumb (not too hard for me) and say I measured the truck along with it...
regards, Dave.
__________________ Dave&Shari Wagner 2006 Bambi SE, 2008 Ford F350 Diesel 4x4 AIR#23096 " I am lost and have gone Airstreaming to find myself, If I should return before I get back, please ask me to wait..."
We stayed at Kingman AZ KOA on way home from ABQ, and it was challenge to find (Way off I-40) but quiet and well equipped.. Tried to get reservation at Gallup NM KOA on Thursday before ABQ Balloon rally, and rude clerk hung up phone on us rather than take reservation, believing he'd sell out from drive-ins before we got there..
For those put off by Moss Landing at $80 (before KOA discount?) the only other spot near Monterey is Marina Dunes, and they sell out at $75/night for full hookup site, so it is a Monterey Bay thing... Coastalviwe may have secret alternate in Monterey (or Laguna Seca County park is nice..) but ocean views in CA are not going to be very cheap...
__________________ Condoluminum
In Theory, there's no difference between Theory and Practice, but in Practice, there is usually a difference...
I've stayed at 2 KOA campgrounds; Willits CA. and Chula Vista CA.
The Willits campground caters to families with kids and it works very well. Lots of activites, petting zoo, ice cream, karakoke. Attractive grounds but a little dusty.
The Chula Vista (San Diego Metro) was a very attractive urban campground. Mostly paved. The landscaping appears to be a labor of love, lots of flowers and seasonal displays. Mature trees and green grass. Very mild coastal climate. Some freeway noise at night.
While only a fraction of my camping is at KOA campgrounds, the two I camped at were decent.
We stayed at Kingman AZ KOA on way home from ABQ, and it was challenge to find (Way off I-40) but quiet and well equipped.. Tried to get reservation at Gallup NM KOA on Thursday before ABQ Balloon rally, and rude clerk hung up phone on us rather than take reservation, believing he'd sell out from drive-ins before we got there..
For those put off by Moss Landing at $80 (before KOA discount?) the only other spot near Monterey is Marina Dunes, and they sell out at $75/night for full hookup site, so it is a Monterey Bay thing... Coastalviwe may have secret alternate in Monterey (or Laguna Seca County park is nice..) but ocean views in CA are not going to be very cheap...
For you folks who do not know about the "Monterey Bay thing" I second it. I lived in Carmel (next to Peable Beach Golf and Country Club). Eveything there is real spendy. But it is a great place to visit...just bring cash....lots of it. Seventeen mile drive and the Hogsbreath Inn....nothing like the evening in Carmel. BRING MONEY. They love Airstreams down there tho.
The Watsonville KOA on San Andreas Rd. is not really bad at all, and about a 40" easy drive from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It's also very close to beautiful beaches, including Sunset State Park and Manresa, with literally miles of sand. Good access to Big Sur, Carmel, and Monterey, as well as Santa Cruz attractions.
Just saying.
J
We like to stay in state parks, but during our last trip out, we stayed at two KOA's, one night in each. Wytheville VA wasn't bad at all, we were placed higher up on the hill away from the masses, so it was quiet and we had a measure of privacy. The facilities there are very clean and well maintained. Hagerstown MD on the other hand, was a zoo, very crowded. We couldn't even open the window on the road side of our trailer because the fire ring of the site next to us was right underneath the window, about 4 feet away! That's a bit too close for comfort (especially with a smokey fire going). I guess it's a case of "any port in a storm", and it beats the Wal-Mart parking lot.
The best KOA we've ever seen was outside of Dayton OH. Beautiful setting, lots of space, clean and quiet.
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Bob Fowler
Some people are like Slinkies. They're really good for nothing, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
The best KOA we've ever seen was outside of Dayton OH. Beautiful setting, lots of space, clean and quiet.
We've been to the Dayton KOA and it is really a great campground!! It was packed when we were there because of some agriculture group shindig but we still had plenty of room. Our site backed up to a neat little creek.
Right now we're at the Indianapolis East KOA and it's another really great spot. The owners are super and the lots are huge. Nice woodsy country setting and all the amenities you could want. Distant freeway noise but not bad. Also has a small river....
We had reserved a w/e site for our two nights but when we got here it was raining kind of hard so he changed us to a w/e/s "super" site at no extra charge. Great place!
Phil & Edee
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“Cats and dogs are magical creatures... just petting one can make both of you live longer!"
HUMMMM that's nice to hear that our local KOA is a nice place.We might have to disappear from the area and camp a weekend in plain site. LOL! Go outa town and not leave town Hummmm thats a neat Idea. Thanks
KOA has a business practice that I find offensive. When you make a reservation, you are required to give them a credit card number. They charge your credit card before you can get off the phone. Most RV parks don't charge you until the date of your reservation. With KOA, if your plans change and you have to cancel, you have a heck of a time getting a credit to your account. So, I never use a KOA unless there is no private park nearby.
I've stayed at KOA's and many other campgrounds too and have found that most campgrounds will charge your credit card for at least one night to hold the reservation. I had to cancel my reservations at one KOA and received a prompt refund of my money in my next VISA statement.
we have had a uniformly good experience with KOAs. We don't use them as destinations. We tend to stay at the state/national parks, so the KOAs are intermediate stops. The nice part is they usually have full hookups and give us a chance to put the twink in order. Donna likes to get some laundry done. The trick, is to check in with the folks here to see if there are any reviews. The forum is extremely valuable in that regard. We have not had a question about a particular campground or park that someone here hasn't been able to give some valuable advice on.
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Donna & Mike
Cowboy up! or go sit in the truck
... I knew it had been a topic of conversation a while back!
We stayed at the Jonetown, PA KOA during our trip to Muzikfest. OK, not the closest CG to Bethlehem, but we also wanted to see my sister in York, so it was a good compromise.
As for the CG - very clean, nice facilities, well laid out, very friendly staff. Cost was reasonable ($39 per night for a back-in, 30A, water & sewer site) and we saved an additional 10% with our KOA Value Card.
We arrived on a Thursday afternoon and was third in line for registration. There were a lot of Canadian RV'ers making the trek back North and the CG filled up pretty good Thursday night. Friday morning, there was a long line of 5th wheels and Class A's headed on out. Repeat the process Friday evening, though there were a few that stayed the weekend. We departed Monday at about noon and headed for home.
There is a very good grocery store about a mile down the road in Jonestown, the closest big town is Lebanon (about 10 miles or so) with usual shopping centers & box stores. Easy access to I-78 (exit 8), I-81, and US-22.
Not exactly a "destination" CG, but if you need to be in the area or a place to stop for the night, this one is a good choice. I'll be going back later this year for a business trip scheduled at Fort Indiantown Gap (about 9 miles away).
Oh yes... I almost forgot... If you're in the area, do plan on stopping at Cabela's! They are at exit 29 off I-78. Even if you don't NEED anything, it's worth the trip to see the displays!
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Bob Fowler
Some people are like Slinkies. They're really good for nothing, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
One of my favorite places to park the airstream is a KOA... Prizer Point in Cadiz, KY. It is one of the best campgrounds in the country... In fact, I'll be up there on Sunday!
This spring /summer we stayed at several KOAs (been part-time full-timing for 100+ days). Each one has their own "flavor" and some facilities are nicer than others. The staff at all of them were so friendly (Prizer Point, Manchester TN, Milton FL, Lillian AL). Facilities ranged from good to excellent. It all just depends on the location and owners.
I check out campground reviews... I throw out the best and the worst and then rate from there...Everyone can have a really good or bad day. Consistency is the key.
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