Is it just me???? RV PARKS

[sempi2]

Originally Posted by Aage

Here's the view from where I sat in Henri (our TT) in an RV park we stayed at for a week last November...



And here are a couple of Henri enjoying the beach and warm weather...





Here are Flora and Fauna, our trailer pets.



Taken in Navarre, FL on The Emerald Coast.

Looks good to me. Too bad it is do far.

[JBinKC]

We had a wonderful experience at La Hacienda RV Resort in Austin, TX, last week. We pulled in and the other campers adopted us. There was a bonfire and camaraderie like I haven't seen since I was a Boy Scout. We were a little misty-eyed by how we were received, and we were the only Airstreamers. I can't wait to get to our great national parks (off season), but what a time we had at our first RV park! Best wishes, John

[tpi]

I use the trailer for a variety of experiences. I enjoy wilderness camping, in national forest campgrounds and desert boondocking. I also enjoy visiting city and suburban areas such as Las Vegas and Santa Cruz. The RV parks were a good home base for exploration. I've spent many nights in RV parks enroute. I like the convenience of not disconnecting trailer for an overnight stay, the hookups, and easy access.

Check out RV park reviews (campgroundreviews.com) and see if any of them may interest you.

[Airtandem]

Shane: go look at some of the resort parks. I belong to a Coast to Coast. They have some good aminities. Also look at the AS resorts.

[garry]

We have stayed in them all COE, city, national & state and private RV parks.

Each has its strong points when the grandkids are with us a swimming pool is desired and when staying more than 2 days we prefer full hook ups.

When you start staying somewhere weeks or months at a time sewer connection becomes more than a convenience. The blue tote can get old real quick.

[flyfisher]

Why on earth would anyone want to live in Texas? Or California, Florida, or even Arizona for that matter?

Why would anyone want to camp in a Walmart parking lot? Or spend nights sleeping in a trailer at a rest stop along the interstate?

The world would be a lot smaller and a heck of a lot more crowded if eveyone wanted to stay at the same place and do the same things. Just wait until everyone in China begins RVing.

[RickDavis]

We prefer the no hook up spots offered by the various government agencies and avoid private parks unless it is a rally situation. We live in a rural area and do not want to feel like we are in the city when on vacation. I guess we are pretty extreme on this as we avoid any place with resort in the name and actually belonged to passport america for 4 years and used it only once.( we are on the road several months a year)
We do appreciate the trend to all hook up parks as it means there is less competition for the spots we want. In fact the spots we use in FL have never filled, even on the week ends and that is the way we prefer it.

[xonvldz]

have always camped.started tenting and stayed in alot of state parks.now i prefer the camping resort which usually will offer lots of amentities.the lifestyle is no cheaper than staying at a hotel,but it is a lifestyle i enjoy.with limited vaca time,i want to stay at the nicest places and the upscale resorts are usually very pleasant.its not a dress rehearsal,so make sure you live the lifestyle that makes you and your family happy.

[ZoominC6]

As we gradually moved from "newbie" to those who are fairly experienced 'Streamers' we sampled everything from five star RV parks to National Parks/Forest campsites. We even camped on pavement at the INDY 500 but we found they ALL served a purpose at some time during the ongoing experience and learning curve. We've graduated from staying in private RV parks while in transition on the road to prefering state parks. We can even imagine overnighting at Cracker Barrel or Walmart but have yet to try it. Our nation has some really fabulous state parks and those have become our favorites. The venues are wonderful, water and electric hookups are the norm and you'll have space and privacy for the most part based on our experience. As a "newbie" you may find that you too will find your niche and fall into it as you live the RV lifestyle. The destination will most likely determine your camping experience. Whatever you find to be your favorite campsite, enjoy your Airstream and get out there often.

[Road Ruler]

Originally Posted by THEPILL

Why on earth would anyone stay in a RV park?
Opinions, or is it just me?
Shane

There are some nice RV parks but trees, water, and the sounds of nature is what we crave and enjoy with our bullet. Below is one of our favourite Provincial Park campsites. Algonquin Park Ontario Canada.

[Mackhopp]

Originally Posted by Road Ruler

There are some nice RV parks but trees, water, and the sounds of nature is what we crave and enjoy with our bullet. Below is one of our favourite Provincial Park campsites. Algonquin Park Ontario Canada.

Hi Road Ruler - nice spot.

Can you share what park/site #??

Inquiring minds want to know.........

[fltlevel510]

For the past 3 years we have spent 8 months of the year traveling in our Airstream. We have stayed at a few resort RV parks, State Parks, City Parks, Bureau of Land Management property and everything in between and we enjoy them all. As a matter of fact some of our best adventures have occurred in city parks in large urban areas. The biggest issue is the increasing price of camp sites. The state parks are adding entry fees along with online reservation fees that make single night stays more costly than a resort rv park. Just yesterday I was looking at the 100 top rated Good Sam Club RV Parks and the average over night fee is around $50. This is not to say they are not worth this amount but simply for us folks that spend a lot of time on the road these prices are not sustainable.

[fmr.capt.evi]

Shane,
The "highest and best" use for land is RARELY for RV parks, so they will ALL have some drawbacks. Remember those railroad tracks you crossed on the way in?....or that pig farm, just upwind from here?....or that airport traffic pattern (that you won't even notice until about 10:00 tonight)? My attitude is that RV parks are for PARKING while I do my thing in that area, so they perform a valuable service, and generally, they're worth it. For our nature fix, we visit state and national parks. Since our houses have wheels, we can enjoy it all!

[eubank]

Oh, I sure hope to avoid ones that have a feedlot nearby! We stayed at a motel over at Clayton (north end of town) one time. At the time of check-in after dark, we didn't notice a thing, but the wind shifted overnight. Peeeeee-eeewww! First light revealed the large feedlot just a block away!

By the by, the last time we were through Clayton with the AS, we decided to try the state park near town, Clayton Lake SP. Very nice!


Lynn

[Road Ruler]

Originally Posted by fmrcaptevil

Shane,
.or that airport traffic pattern (that you won't even notice until about 10:00 tonight)? My attitude is that RV parks are for PARKING while I do my thing in that area, so they perform a valuable service, and generally, they're worth it.

For sure FMR.... It reminds me of our stay at the KOA in Virginia Beach....LOL

[DaveFL]

My AS was purchased for convenience of travel and amenities it offers. RV parks can be the destination or the place to park for the night. We have tried the Coast to Coast system, Passport America, Good Sam, KOA, SP, NP, COE, BLM, Provencial Parks, FJ, Cracker Barrel, Walmart, prices vary usually matching amenities provided but none are home or we would be on the road fulltime, giving up mowing lawns, painting, fixing and paying property taxes.

[Lani]

We've been full-timing since last June and I would still consider us newbies to the Airstream life. When we first started out on this adventure, we had a similar thought: why on earth would you pay that much for a parking spot in a private park when there are public parks?!?

But, in our almost 10 months of traveling, we've parked EVERYWHERE (Natl parks, State parks, city parks, ACOE, Wal-Marts, Flying Js, Cracker Barrels, and yes, even private parks). While we prefer public parks for the space, beauty, price, etc., there have been times where an RV park was necessary. In order to full-time, we need internet access and sometimes we just don't get internet/cell service in a public park. While we have stayed at some pretty bad RV parks, we've also stayed at some really, really nice parks. A few come to mind: Blue Lake RV Resort in Bonners Ferry, ID; Teton Valley Campground in Victor, ID; Bear Canyon Campground in Bozeman, MT and Sycamore RV Resort in Sycamore, IL. Sure, the spaces weren't as big as some public parks, but these parks offered us exactly what we needed when we were on the road. They were in good locations, had internet, nice facilities; and friendly staff. The nearest public parks were not an option either because of location, lack of hookups, or lack of internet access. And, a Wal-Mart comes in handy on a Saturday night during peak season when nothing else seems available and you fail to plan ahead (Yep, that's me!), or you don't want to pull into a park late at night only to leave early the next day.

So, like others have said, each person has their own reason for staying where they do. But, there are some really nice private parks out there and we've been pleasantly surprised by them and thoroughly enjoyed our stays.

Safe travels!

[pmclemore]

Sure we love state and national parks. But they are not always where we are going. When they are not, we enjoy RV parks. We don't spend that much time in camp - we are usually hiking, biking, kayaking or touring. I can say with certainty that we have always been glad to find an RV park available when we wanted or needed one.

Pat

[Aage]

It occurred to me that the best thing to do in order to avoid staying in an RV park that is a "surprise", or conversely, miss out on a great camp that might have just been a few miles up or down the road, is to GET A GOOD GUIDEBOOK.

The only one I've ever bought is Woodall's, but that's not to say there aren't other good ones out there.

Woodall's is a book (with a CD) arranged by area. It gives a comparative rating and a description of every site that is fast to find, and easy to understand. Plus, it gives last year's rates.

The CD allows you to search by town, and adds the dimension of proximity. You can choose to look at sites that are in the town, 25 miles away, or anywhere nearbye. You can also select other characteristics, such as level of electrical service, pets, swimming, and so on. The added links are a plus to see their own ads.

Well worth the money; I think I paid ~$20 for it.

[Road Ruler]

Originally Posted by Macfrodge

Hi Road Ruler - nice spot.

Can you share what park/site #??

Inquiring minds want to know.........

LOL, sure thing Macfrodge. Lake of Two Rivers site #78. It is the "Gem of the Park" IMHO. enjoy