Planning our 2014 season - Need tips and advice

[Dot Dave]

As this will be our first season with our AS, we're seeking advice and tips on how to plan our trips. We live in Boston (AS stored in NH), so our plan is to stay around New England. We'll mostly be weekend campers, with hopes of getting out every other weekend or once a month at a minimum. We also plan on taking a one-week trip out to the Finger Lakes.

What we will look for in weekend trips are campgrounds near areas where we can go hiking or take a quick jaunt into quaint NE towns to poke around. We're interested in both private CGs and State/National parks where camping is allowed. Most of our trips will be in Northern NE, mainly because we store the AS in NH and can get places in NH, VT, or ME without too long of a drive. We're hoping we can get started by mid to late April (depending on the weather, of course).

Since we are new to this, we don't really know how campgrounds work. We've only camped in our AS once (for our shakedown trip, arranged by our dealer). So we have a few questions about planning:

When planning weekend trips, do you make reservations well in advance (i.e., plan out all of our weekend trips now and reserve space) or do you call a campground a week or so in advance to reserve?

For those who have traveled (or live in) New England, what are some of your recommended campgrounds?

What's the best time to visit the Finger Lakes? Any favorite campground recommendations?

Think that's it for now. We look forward to your suggestions and appreciate your insight. We're both really excited about starting this season.

Thanks for your help!

David and Dave

[Sbb]

Hi, I am from NJ, but would love to live up your way. I season you might want to get a reservation. Below are a few suggestions for you, places I have stayed or a family member has stayed. Enjoy

-Bar Harbor ME, we stayed in the Ocean KOA $$$ you would need a reservation to be actually on the water. There are plenty of other campgrounds around, but this time we liked the KOA. As for Acadia, we went to the far Northern park of the park, very pretty, great pretty ride to get there.

-Lobster Buoy, my brother (36" huge Class A and sister(Scotty 19') have stayed here, love it, on the water, walk to Lobster Dinner, in ME by I think Camden, they have been multiple times.

-Camping on the Batten Kill in Arlington VT between Bennington and Manchester, Northshire Book Shop best anywhere, good hiking, good restaurants, Blue Benn Diner, Dorset Inn, Orvis and on and on. You can camp in woods or field. We have been in both, the wood site very good size, the field pretty view.

- New to us this year, Greenwood Lodge and Campground in Woodford, VT(9 mi East of Bennington) very nice couple own it, great view, we went to Brattleboro, and Woodstock from there and Bennington, and MA. Hiking all over the place

-Finger Lakes-We went once stayed in a State Park, we were new with our 19" at that time and where we chose to be was really hard to back into. The sites were small. and no power. There were power sites, but they were really close. It was Thurman State Park. Waterfalls, hiking, very pretty, just small sites, it worked for us because some very very nice man backed the trailer between two very close trees for us. Friends have stayed in a KOA up that way.

I hope this helps, we have Delaware Water Gap by us, The are Private campgrounds and State Parks right on the River, a little Far from Beantown. When I come up your way for work, I stay at Normandy Farms Campground. It seems to be only game in town, but is nice, clean, and well run. I always go down in the back.

See you down the road. sbb

[Dot Dave]

Thanks, sbb! Really appreciate the recommendations and info.

[Minno]

We stayed at a campground near Boston: Boston Minuteman Campground in Littleton, Mass. last summer. Family owned, and very very nice. We were there for 6 days while Chris worked in the area. We would go there again in a heartbeat.

Kay

[Dot Dave]

Thanks, Minno! This one is only about 45 mins from where we keep our AS. Perfect for weekend trips. Appreciate the info.

[ricks-vt]

Be sure to check out Watkins Glen State Park- southern tip of Seneca Lake.

[SteveSueMac]

Totally agree with Minuteman in Littleton (one of our faves last year) and Watkins Glen in the finger lakes (though we stayed at a KoA which was fine with us).

If you haven't yet, I would strongly recommend checking out the New England Unit of the WBCCI: http://newengland.wbcci.net/

Outstanding people and some great rallies planned this year in decent driving distance for you. At least one in all 6 New England states this year!

Check out their site and some of the rallies planned. We'll be at Chilly Man, Pets and Paws, Glamping, Do Your Own Thing and one or two more. Best part is the really wonderful folks of this unit! Just had our belated holiday party yesterday and it just affirms how great this group of folks really is!

Hope to see you guys on the road sometime!

[Dot Dave]

Ricks-VT and SteveSueMac, thanks so much for the suggestions. I have both Watkins Glen and Minuteman now on my spreadsheet of recommended campgrounds.

SteveSueMac, we joined the NE Unit in December. Didn't realize the holiday party had been rescheduled. We had planned going on the original date, but the weather wasn't so great. Is there an email list we can get on for updates? If we had known, we might have gone. And we're looking at some of the rallies too. They sound like so much fun, and we would love to meet other Airstreamers! Definitely considering the Glamping rally and we have looked at a few others -- but no decisions yet.

[SteveSueMac]

Sorry about that! They posted something on Facebook about it in December. Bummer you missed it! Not sure about the mailing list. Let me check and get back to you.

[Dot Dave]

Didn't even know about the Facebook page. Just found it and requested to join. Thanks!

[MrUKToad]

Our third trip out was a long weekend to the Finger lakes region, Victoria Day in Canada so we were escaping the boozed up youngsters. We stayed at a New York State Park, Taughannock Falls, just up the lake (Cayuga) from Ithaca.

Apart from arriving in the wee small hours (I severely underestimated how long it would take, especially negotiating the international border), we had an excellent weekend. Taughannock was small but cozy (full of Canadians doncha know!) and the park itself was a great place to walk. Had it been later in the season, the swimming would have been excellent, too. Whilst there we visited Watkins Glen State Park and went to have a look at the campground, which was also cozy but at the top of a very steep hill. Ithaca was a great place to do lunch and there are so many attractions in the area we could have stayed a week and still not seen half of them.

We'll probably head back to the Finger Lakes this summer, only this time we'll leave home a little earlier!

[Minno]

If you go to Boston Minuteman, use their directions on their website. GPS stops you about a mile and a half before you get to the campground!

Kay

[polarlyse]

We rarely make reservations but then again we're retired and much of our travels is off season. We do make them during busy seasons or very popular areas like coastal Maine, Florida, Rocky Mtns. of Colorado. Usually a call late morning is enough as you are better able to predict your landing times. We tend to wander along rather than follow a strictly planned agenda so it makes it difficult to make advance reservations. We have rarely had trouble finding a campsite. You may not get your first choice of place or site but it's usually not a big issue.

Enjoy your travels. See ya on the road sometime.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by Dot Dave

Didn't even know about the Facebook page. Just found it and requested to join. Thanks!

Yup - and I talked w/Mary (who heads up membership for NEU) tonight and she mentioned to be on the lookout for the Quipper newsletter. Just an FYI - in my house, that gets emailed to our family email address which my wife Sue monitors so to be honest, I haven't seen it!

But you should be able to get most of the info from the site: http://newengland.wbcci.net/ and that newsletter.

Please feel free to PM me if you have questions. Hope to catch y'all at a rally!

[jpons]

I can recommend a few places in ME and NH, plus one in Canada if you are up for a little longer adventure.

Maine
==================

Bar Harbor /Acadia
----------------------------
Blackwoods is the nicest campground, but no hookups and it is kinda tight
All other campgrounds are nothing to write home about.


Camden hills state park
----------------------------
In picturesque Camden, can hike righ up to Mt. Battie from the campground


Beaver Brook campground
---------------------
1 Wilson Pond Road
North Monmouth, ME
Beaver-brook.com
Best site is 219 - right on the water with a nice little beach and some cool rocks
221 - on the water
218 - on the water
217 - on the water
213 - next to creek
122 - close to water


Mountain view campground
---------------------
Sullivan, ME (Scoodic Peninsula)
Best site is #15
20amp, water, no sewer
Right at waters edge, killer view
Close neighbors

Recompense campground
---------------------
Freeport, ME
We stayed at site 162
164 - 168 all very nice waterfronts
None of these have hookups

Grey homestead
---------------------
Southport,ME
We stayed at 9b very nice, private, awning to woods EWS
29a very nice, most private, woods probably best site. EW
26 very nice features, a little exposed, small camper, up to maybe 20, EW

Casey Spencer Bay Campground
---------------------
On Moosehead lake
Best site is #4 Lakesite Electric Only (part of the day)
The ones close to #4 are nice too.

Lilly Bay State Park
---------------------
On Moosehead Lake
13 Myrle's way
Greenville, ME 04441
207-695-2700

Best sites are
16M
20X
21M
7S
245S
205L
203M
220L

Orr's island campground
------------------------------
Have not stayed there as it is mostly seasonal with very limited weekend availability, but we have visited.
Very very nice and private. Worth checking out.


New Hampshire
===========================

Cove camping area campground
---------------------
Center Conway, NH
W/E No sewer
Site 49 has its own beach
Site 48 is on the water but overlooking public beach
We stayed at 28 and it was nice and quiet but a little crowded. But overall we think it was the best because of the area it was in.

Canada
===========================

Hole in the wall
---------------------
Grand Manan
We stayed at site D incredible views
Site 21 in area B best for tent on a rock spit


Hope that helps.

-J

[Dot Dave]

Wow! Thanks everyone for some great recommendations. I've added a bunch of campgrounds and parks to our list. This is awesome info.

Called to make reservations today for the Glamping Rally -- waiting for a call back to reserve a spot. Can't wait to actually get out there using our AS and meeting all of you great people.

Best,

David (& Dave)

[Maybe Later]

Sorry, but I can't help any with campground suggestions in your area. However, there is a web site that I put a lot of faith in to get user info on campgrounds no matter where we travel and that is : Reviews of RV Parks and Campgrounds - RV Park Reviews.

It is written and posted only by campers that have used the facilities and I believe is more factual than any other method. No one trying to advertise just to draw you in. I hope that you also find it useful.

Walter

[Dot Dave]

Thanks, Walter! I have been using RV Parks Reviews to find CGs. It's a great resource. Going between the reviews on RV Parks and jumping to the actual CG site has helped us find some for our list. Thanks for the info.

After we get some experience, I might be asking you for some recs down your way too. Have family down in GA (and lived there for many years too). Would love to get down there camping and visit family. And if you ever make it up here and need some personal recs (after we have experience, of course), I'll be happy to suggest some places.

[Maybe Later]

GA has plenty of great campgrounds from the coast to the mountains and I think you would enjoy a lot them. Near Helen, GA (in the mountains) there is an Airstream only campground which is just great named Top of Georgia. You have to be a WBCCI club member to use the facilities. Also some great rallies are held in the state. Springstream is coming up this spring in Hiawassee, GA on Lake Chatuge and it is always a lot of fun and well attended.

As for me coming up that way, the last time I was in Boston was when I was getting discharged from the Navy and that was back in another century. Who knows though, my wife has never been to that part of the country so maybe we might decide to give it a try sometime.

Walter

[nilesrob]

David and Dave,

Two recommendations:

1. Winter Island - Salem, MA. This will meet none of your hiking needs, but it is about the coolest place to camp. It is actually a marina - Salem Harbor, and they only have a few sites - you want the ones right by the harbormaster. A couple of pics included.

2. Russell Pond - in NH National Forest (think Lincoln, NH). This is boon docking, so no power or water, but what an awesome place. TONS of hiking, you are right at the base of the Kancamagus Highway. Bring a canoe/kayak if you've got one - really pretty pond.