Jan. 14 - ??. Magnolia Trace RV Park, Zephyrhills, FL
Cost: $375/month + electric
Rating: 7/10
This is a very small park (30 sites) which doesn't even advertise. Most people here are permanent or very long term. Very friendly neighbors; this is almost like a small community! Sites are large, but totally dirt (we got stuck in the mud pulling in). No amenities other than a laundry room and bathrooms.
Jan. 10 - Jan 13. Golden Isles RV, Brunswick, GA
Cost: $38/night
Rating: 6.5/10
This is a fairly decent looking park. Most sites are pull thrus and, although not very spacious, not right up on top of each other either. Sites have picnic benches. Grass is well maintained and lots of trees. Pleasant place to walk around. My only real complaint is that the sites are completely dirt, not even gravel, so when it rains, the mud is horrific.
Jan 6 - Jan 7. RVacation RV Park, Selma, NC
Cost: $44/night
Rating: 9/10
This is a real gem of a park (see my post for Jan. 6, 2019). Large, spacious sites, well kept grounds, and right on a private lake. Not a 10 because it's right off the highway and not far from train tracks, so a lot of noise.
Jan. 4 - Jan. 6, 2019 Holiday Trav-L Park, Virginia Beach, VA
Cost: $37.50/night
Rating: 5/10
This is a very huge park, with tons of amenities and cute decorations all around. What I did not like was that the sites are very narrow, as are the roads within the park, making it difficult to navigate and nowhere easy to park. It was fine for us as the campground was mostly empty while we were there, but I can't imagine what it's like during the summer when the place is filled to capacity!
Oct 4 - Jan. 4, 2019 KOA, Virginia Beach, VA
Cost: $795/month
Rating: 6/10
This could be a really nice place during the peak season, but it's fairly drab now. Extended stay guests have their own separate area, and it's a bit of a hike to the office and area where most of the activities are. I was surprised that we need to mow our own lawns! Overall, it's an ok place to stay, no great shakes though. We're near the Oceana Naval Air Station, so fighter jets are always going overhead.
April 22 - Oct. 2 Heritage RV Park, Augusta, GA
Cost: $400/month
Rating: 7/10
This is a pleasant park, although there are absolutely no amenities, including no bathhouse. The landscaping is well kept and the sites are fairly spaced (not tremendously wide, but not on top of each other either). Most RV's coming in here are very nice; haven't seen any eyesores yet. Only complaint is hundreds and hundreds of fire ant hills, so that I cannot walk around with sandals and need to fear taking any steps. But I am told "welcome to the South."
Nov. 3, 2017 - April 22, 2018 Williamsburg KOA, Williamsburg, VA
Cost: $606/month
Rating: 7/10
This is actually 2 campgrounds, about 1/2 mile apart: the main section where all the activities are, and the overflow/long-term park, where we are. This is a very rustic place, set in the woods. Sites are very close together, but fortunately, the park is mostly empty (except for the site right next to me!) so it is somewhat scenic, although very isolated.
Nov. 2-3. Misty Mountain Campground, Crozet, VA
Cost: $52/night
Rating: 8/10
This is a gem of a park, nestled in the mountains, with a babbling creek running around the perimeter and a small fishing pond (catch & release). Nice playground with huge jumping box (like a trampoline), fully stocked store with cute tzochkies. Looks like they have an outdoor stage and indoor community room and probably have lots of fun events during the season. My only complaint is that the roads around the park are very tight.
Aug. 20 - Oct. 30. Add-More RV Park, Clarksville, IN
Cost: $475/month
Rating: 7/10
Compared to the last place which was a total dump, this place is fairly decent. It's not a resort so no amenities, but there's a lake behind the grounds (fenced in and you need to pay to use, but it's still pretty to look at while out for a walk). Some sites are large like ours and others are very crowded, depending on where you're parked. It's an ok place to be as the location is very good (very close to lots of shopping and 10 miles from Louisville). Not awesome, but pleasant enough.
Aug 6 - Aug. 20. Louisville North Campground, Clarksville, IN
Cost: $257/week (Good Sam, weekly rate)
Rating: 2/10
This place is about as close to the definition of a dump as you can get. The ONLY thing it has going for it is it's proximity to Louisville (just over the bridge) and the fact it's only 8 miles to shul. Plus it was the ONLY place in the commutable area that had a long term site available for us. Basically it's a large parking lot (it's right behind a gas station, so it must have actually been the gas station's lot before they converted it to a campground). The sites are very close together, there are a lot of filthy, old, run down trailers along the perimeter (towards the middle are the nicer rigs, but they only stay a few nights at most), the roads are extremely narrow and full of potholes and culverts so hard to navigate. No landscaping, and the freight train tracks are right behind, making it an extremely noisy place.
July 30 - Aug. 6. White Acres Campground, Bardstown, KY
Cost: $35/night (Good Sam)
Rating: 7/10
This seems like a lovely little place. Then again, our only other option for this week was the parking lot at the expo center without hookups, which would make my needing to work very difficult. This is about 35 miles south of Louisville but it's a very charming little park. No amenities but the sites are spacious and the grounds are well kept. It's peaceful and quiet here.
July 28 - July 30. Kentucky Exposition Center, Louisville, KY
Rating:
Cost: $50/night
Rating: 1/10
What an awful place. Then again, this isn't a campground; it's basically a few spots in a parking lot that have hookups on the side for RVs. How they get away charging so much is beyond me. I guess most of the folks who use the sites particulate in events at the expo center, arena or the Six Flags park next door (which shares an entrance gate). The design of the hookups is atrocious; we had to park at a really weird angle to hook everything up; it will be a nightmare hitching back up due to the angle we're on. There is only an attendant on duty who didn't seem to know much of anything, and the office he worked in was a 6x6 box with no windows and filthy (like a mechanic's office).
July 27-28. Ashland/W. Huntington KOA, Argillite, KY
Rating: 10/10
Cost: $40/night (KOA discount)
Another gem of a park. Spacious sites, lovely set up although didn't have much time to go out to explore. Another place I'd love to return to. (note: we did return here again on 10/31/17, but once again, it was only for overnight en route to Williamsburg, VA). Such a lovely place; really wish we could stay longer.
July 26-27th. Wytheville KOA, Wytheville, VA
Rating: 10/10
Cost: $40/night (KOA discount)
Another gem of a park. Had so many activities, including a water slide, cafe/pizza place and bowling alley. Great, spacious sites, new picnic tables, fire pits made of stone. Wish we could have stayed longer!
July 25-26th. Jones Station RV Park, 2710 Jones Drive, Mebane, NC
Rating: 8/10
Cost: $35/night(Good Sam discount)
Very lovely place; wish I could stay a bit longer than overnight. Sites are spacious and the grounds are very well kept, with nice decorations. Serene and pretty. Only thing it needs is a pool!
June 18-July 25th. Tranters Creek Resort & Campground, 6573 Creeks Neck Road, Washington, NC
Rating: 9/10
Cost: $405/month + electric (Good Sam discount)
This is a very lovely campground with a lot of wide open space. Trees line the perimeter, but mostly everything is open (unfortunately, many new sites are supposed to be built so the place will be much more crowded in the future). But for now, wide open fields on one side, surrounded by Tranter's Creek on the other (and not far from the Tar and Pamlico Rivers). People here are like one big happy family: so warm and caring. Place has gameroom with arcade games, billiards & air hockey (need to pay for everything), but a nice book/magazine and DVD library to borrow from. Beautiful and large pool, fire pits and picnic tables. They even pick up the trash in front of my site twice a day! Mostly very nice RVs and a few homes. The only reason I'm not giving it a 10 is because for the most part, the roads are gravel so I can't ride my urb-e, and the site is on the grass, which makes it very muddy and mushy when it rains.
Mar. 19-June 18, 2017. High Rock Lake Campground, 1013 Wafford Circle, Lexington, NC
Rating: 7/10
Cost: $284/week; then $465/month + electric
This is a very lovely, very rustic campground, set on a lake in the mountains. Reminds me of a state park. It is very peaceful and serene. My only complaints are that the drive to the campground and the roads around the campground are very narrow and winding, with a lot of steep hills. Being that the campground is on a mountain, none of the sites are anywhere near level. They didn't have any monthly sites, so we had to take a double and pay the weekly rate. UPDATE: After 2 weeks, a monthly spot opened up in the wooded section which is also near the entrance and a bit noisy. Not quite as serene as the other spot, but there are always trade offs.
Mar. 16-19, 2017. Springwood PV Park, 800 Donaldson Rd, Greenville, NC
Rating: 5/10
Cost: $35/night (Good Sam)
This park has potential, and it's adequate for our purposes, but I would not be happy for the long term. The spaces are very narrow and all the sites and roads are full of loose gravel and potholes on one side of the park. The other side is all on grass, although the roads around that area are a little wider and paved. Many of the other RVs look like permanent residents and are old and run down. I would not stay here again if I had a choice.
Mar. 14 -15, 2017. I-65 RV Park, Creola, AL
Rating: 2/10
Cost: $35 night
This is an older, appearingly run down park. Although they take big rigs, it is extremely difficult to navigate as the access roads around the park are very narrow and windey. The sites are very narrow and there are a lot of trees, also making it difficult to navigate. There were no 50 amp sites, so we got a 30 amp. We must have had 1 too many things running, which blew out something. 4 hours later, they are still trying to find a breaker to replace. We chose to stay here so we didn't have to dry camp again, but it looks like we have to do that again anyway. They gave us the option to change sites, but since it's so difficult to navigate, we didn't want to deal with having to try to back in our 40' fifth wheel. I would not stay here again.
Mar 2. - Mar. 13, 2017. Escapees Rainbow Park, 140 Escapees Blvd, Livingston, TX 77351
Rating 6/10
Cost: $360/month + electric
The park itself is very lovely. Grounds are well maintained, sites are spacious. This park also has deeded lots with houses on them, RV sites and their CARE center (Continuing Assistance for Retired Escapees) which is basically a place to get medical care and assistance either short term (i.e. after surgery) or long term (hospice). My only complaint, which is why it didn't get a higher rating, is that there are no cell towers in the immediate area, so it was very difficult, sometimes impossible, to get a signal, which is a great detriment to my business.
Feb. 5 - Mar. 2, 2017. Midtown-RV Park, 720 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78702
Rating 5/10
Cost: $525/month + electric
Another place that's adequate but no great shakes. No amenities and the wifi doesn't work at this spot. It's a long-term only park and many of the trailers here have been here 5-15 years and look run down, although there are some nice ones as well. It's very quiet during the day but in the evening, when everyone's home from work and school, the place is jumping and folks are very friendly and neighborly.
Jan. 5 - Feb. 5, 2017 . Bastrop/Colorado River KOA, 98 Hwy 71W, Bastrop, TX 78602
Rating 5/10
Cost: $475/month + electric
Adequate but no great shakes. Very average in terms of sites and amenities. On the Colorado River, but river viewing area/fishing dock are overrun by weeds so you can't sit or fish there. Empty field also full of weeds; nothing aesthetically pleasing to look at around here.
Dec. 12, 2016 - Jan. 5, 2017 . Highway 6 RV Resort, 14350 Schiller Road, Houston, TX 77082
Rating 10/10
Cost: $392/month + electric (grand opening special)
This is the best place we've been in so far. It is brand new; just opened about a month before we arrived. The roads and sites were paved and very wide; sites were spacious. Amenities were above and beyond: laundry room and showers were impeccable and better than commercial grade; clubhouse with state of the art exercise equipment, billiards & shuffleboard tables; big comfy couches for tv; all day coffee & popcorn; heated pool and hot tub open all year; a huge man-made lake running in the center with a fountain (and fill with catch & release fish), dog walk and dog wash station, tire (air) fill station. The only improvements I would suggest (which may be implemented down the road) are more dumpsters (or garbage pickup) as the only one is by the front entrance, which is 1/2 mile from the back of the park -- need to drive there; and a playground for the kids.
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From Oct 31-Dec. 12, we traveled from ND to Raleigh NC. See blog posts for where we overnighted en route. Then stayed at NC State Fairgrounds (reviewed previously).
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Oct 2-Oct 31, 2016 . Frontier Fort RV Park, 1838 3rd Ave, Jamestown, ND
Rating 2/10
Cost: $450/month
This is a good place to stay for an overnight visit, but not very pleasant for a long term stay (even as much as a week). The only scenery to look at are run down, dilapidated trailers and a truck component junk yard. Picnic benches provided are mostly broken. It is difficult to maneuver around the roads. There is little space between sites, especially back to back. The only positive it has going for it is location.
Aug. 31 - Sept. 1, 2016 . Butte View Campground, Highway 12, Bowman, ND
Rating 8/10
Cost: $20/night
This is a very lovely park, although a very strange layout, in that it's a clover leaf with 5 loops, and you pull through in between the loops. It's pretty empty, so I'm not sure how getting around would be when it's full. This is a county park - part of the Parks & Recreations Dept. It has a dump station and water spigots in the middle of each loop, and the sites only offer electric (30 or 50 amp). Each site has a picnic bench and some spaces have trees & shade. The camp host is also very helpful and pleasant. We passed through the downtown area and it looks very quaint and fun, but we don't want to unhitch to go into town, since we're only here as a stopover.
May 8 - Oct 2, 2016 . KOA Bismarck, 3720 Centennial Rd, Bismarck, ND
Rating 9/10
Cost: $750/month
This is a very lovely park. It appears to be little, but there are over 100 sites which are well spaced out around the park. We arrived when it was nearly empty, but I can imagine it would be quite another story when it's full. Still, the sites are well spaced, with trees and bushes in between each site. Very well kept. The only reason it's not a 10 is because everything, including the roads are gravel, which makes it impossible for me to ride my urb-e around it. Then again, it's small enough that I can walk all around, and it's very lovely to walk in with all the trees and lilac bushes. I'll look forward to meeting a lot of people when busy time comes around. Place has 2 playgrounds and a cute dog park complete with agility training equipment. It has a pool which looks very small, but we'll see how that works out during the summer (I hope to update this listing in a few months).
May 6-7, 2016. Red River Valley Fairgrounds, 1805 Main Ave West, Fargo, ND
Rating 8/10
Cost: $30/night
Not a place I'd stay long term as is was mostly just a large, gravel parking lot. It met our needs to stay over Shabbat en route from Fargo to Bismarck.
Aug 3, 2015 - May 1, 2016 . Wilson's Riverfront RV Park, 225 Amboy Road, Asheville, NC
Rating 7/10
Cost: $750/month
This is a small place, only about 35 sites. Good is that it's on the French Broad River and there is a biking/walking trail in and next to the park. Lots of folks out & about on foot, bikes or boats and most people are very friendly. Sites are nicely sized and easy to get into (if you have experience!). The park itself is very lovely. Bad is it's also right off the highway so constant car noise. Getting into the park is also next to impossible with an RV. There's no way to enter it from the exit -- you have to go down the road to find a place to turn around, which also isn't easy with a big rig. Office (not on premises) is horrendous. It's part of the repair shop and looks & smells that way - musty smelling, dark & dingy, full of tools and lots of clutter (incl. piles of unopened mail). Website claims they have lots of brochures, but only maps of Asheville and flyers from one rafting company are buried on the counter. When you enter the office, your instinct is to want to run back out. There is no welcome package and the owner does not volunteer any information unless you ask specific questions. Then again, you're there for the park, not the office. Since the office is past the entrance to the park, it's recommended to go to the park first, find a spot, then go to the office to check in (they don't assign spots anyway). After being here more than 2 months now and being familiar with the way in and out, I would definitely stay here again. Tony (owner), once you get to know him, is extremely nice and accommodating and very laid back.
Apr. 27-May 4, 2015. River Plantation, 1004 Parkway, Seiverville, TN
Rating 8/10
Cost: $30.50/night (Rally rate)
This is a huge place, with a very nice convention facility. The pool didn't look very large (not in season and no time to use anyway). There were a bunch of pull thru sites (we had a large one). Sites were on gravel with concrete pads containing a picnic table and firering, and there was adequate space between the sites. Nice river running behind, although hard to find a place to fish without getting the line caught in bushes. Nice space to walk around. I would stay here again.
Apr. 16-26, 2015. Walden's Creek Campground, 2485 Henderson Springs Rd, Pigeon Forge, TN
Rating 8/10
Cost: $19/night (Passport America)
This is a very small place, only 35 sites. There isn't much to see in the RV section, which looks like a crowded parking lot, and the sites are close together (although there is a small pad with a picnic table and we've stayed at places much closer). However, the owners are really nice. The husband expertly guided us into our spot. There are so many nice touches all around the park, including cute signs, statues, signs, bird houses, etc. Near the office is a huge deck with a few nice sitting areas, and a wonderful creek (and resident ducks) behind it. So if you just walk behind the office, you can forget about the ugly RV area. It is also in a convenient location and has a trolley service running into the 3 local towns (Pigeon Forge, Seiverville and Gatlinburg).
Apr. 14-16, 2015 (again, May 5-June 1, 2015 for repairs & rally). Tom Johnson Campground, 1885 Hwy 70, Marion, NC
Rating 8/10
Cost: $27/night (Good Sam)
Enormous place, with separate areas for RV sales, service (37 bays), campground for regular campers plus those using their service facilities or buying new rigs, and another huge campground for rallies (which we'll be back for at the end of May). Staying in service campground for now (getting slide process rolling and hoping they can fix the smell), where there's a huge building containing a bathhouse (laundry, showers), office, customer lounge, and cafe. Sites are concrete pads and have plenty of space, both length and width wise.
Mar 27-28 , 2015. Bass Lake RV, 1149 Bass Lake Place, Dillon SC
Rating 8/10
Cost: $19.20/night (Passport America)
Another really nice campground with very spacious, pull thru sites and nice scenery with a bass filled lake. You have to pay to play billiards, and being right off the highway it's a little noisy, but I would definitely stay here again. Only 5 miles from South of the Border.
Mar 25-26 , 2015. McIntosh Lake RV, 1093 Mcintosh Lake Ln SW, Townsend, GA
Rating 10/10
Cost: $25/night (Good Sam)
What a gem of a place!!! It's a very small park (only 34 sites), all of which are pull thrus. Almost all the sites border around a very nice lake (green now due to the rain but I'm told it's usually clear). The grounds are immaculately kept and the owners are very sweet and friendly. See my post for Day 275 for some photos. I wish I was staying longer than an overnight, but if we come back in this direction, we'll be sure to stay again.
Mar 24-25 , 2015. Sunshine Holiday Daytona, 1701 North US Hwy 1, Ormond Beach, FL
Rating 6/10
Cost: $37.50/night (Good Sam)
This is another Encore property, which I continue not to like. It wasn't as horrendous as the previous 2 (one that had 4" and the other 12" between sites). This site was a pull thru and actually had a picnic bench, so there was a bit more breathing space. It is also a snowbird location, so it was very crowded, although the folks seemed to be very friendly. A LOT of dogs though. We didn't have time to see the amenities, although the office had a section where they rented out games and there was a nice but small pool. Otherwise, there wasn't much to see while walking around, except a lot of RVs.
Feb. 8- Mar. 23, 2015. Turner Agri-Civic Center, 2250 NE Roan St, Arcadia FL
Rating 9/10
Cost: $27.60/night
This started out as a boondocking rally in which we had no hookups, but the place has lots of full hookups. It is a huge, open field surrounded by pastures (you can see the cows and horses across the road). So far the place has been completely empty. They only rent it out during large events, but since we were already here, they allowed us to stay. We started off only staying an extra week so as not to be pressured on where to go next, but when we were ready to leave, we discovered a bad pin box, and had to wait to get it fixed before it was safe to tow (which is taking about 3-4 more weeks). Although this isn't a resort (no amenities), it is peaceful, remote yet close to major shopping and chains. There is always a nice breeze blowing and unlike most of FL, it does not rain every day here.
Feb. 5-7, 2015. Ft. Myers Beach RV (Encore), 16299 San Carlos Blvd, Ft. Myers FL
Rating 4/10
Cost: $61/night
See Breezy Hill RV Resort below. Almost exactly the same except there was maybe 12" between rigs instead of 4". Way too crowded and nothing interesting to see.
Feb. 3-4, 2015. Marco Naples RV Resort (Carefree), 100 Barefoot Williams Rd, Naples FL
Rating 5/10
Cost: $45/night
We came during peak season so the place was packed. It wasn't quite as bad as the previous place, but it was still pretty crowded. The place seemed nice and clean, although there wasn't much to look at besides rows upon rows of trailers. There was a rec room on the other side of the grounds, but we didn't have a chance to check it out.
Jan 28-Feb 2, 2015. Breezy Hill RV Resort (Encore), 800 NE 48th Street, Pompano Beach, FL
Rating 4/10
Cost: $73/night
We came during peak season so the place was packed. This campground really milks every square inch. Standard sites are barely wide enough to open the slides. We took a tape measure and the space between our neighbor's door and our slide was 4 inches!!! I don't know the history but I suspect this place was founded by Canadians, as there is a huge French Canadian population (snowbirds) here that they cater to. Even the live music they had playing by the pool was mostly in French, as were almost all of the notices on the bulletin board, and very few people here speak English. There isn't anything pretty to look at either. It is like one enormous parking lot. Even if it wasn't filled to the brim, there wouldn't be much to see. This place is way too overpriced.
Dec. 29, 2014 - Jan. 12, 2015. Hardeeville - Thomas RV Park, 3090 S. Okatie Hwy, Hardeeville, SC
Rating 8/10
Cost: $25/night (Passport America rate)
Not a resort so no bathhouses or pool, although there is a dog park and a closed in "pavillion" where they probably hold events when it's busy. We came when it was almost completely empty so it's hard to know what the place looks like when more full; i.e. whether you can touch the trailer next to you. There seems to be a lot of space. The sites are all gravel and the place is very clean and well kept. The owner seemed nice, although I only met her briefly. We were lucky and got a pull thru site. Internet was not very good but they did have cable tv. Nice area to walk around in -- very serene and quiet, although the ground was very soft. Not sure if the place would have been one big mud puddle if it had rained. It's only 10 miles to downtown Savannah, so a very convenient location, although this is very rural and in the middle of nowhere. The closest place to civilization (i.e. shopping strips/malls) is in Bluffton, also about 10 miles away.
Dec. 1 - Dec. 29, 2014. Pirateland RV Resort, 5201 So. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, SC
Rating 9/10
Cost: $532/month (monthly rate already discounted)
This place came very highly recommended, and I can see why. This place is awesome! I know it would be a lot more awesome during the summer when more of the grounds and activities are open (such as the boating on the lake, mini golf, outdoor pool with lazy river, arcade and restaurants). But there still are activities (Bingo, cards, pot luck dinners), an indoor pool and jacuzzi, 5 lakes full of all kinds of fish, including flounder and bass, and the beach is a block away. There's a huge residential section of the park as well but those houses are on separate "streets" - unlike the previous place we stayed, they are not mixed in with the RVs. Most of the streets are wide enough and all are paved. The sites are grass or cement pads. NOTE: I would probably not rate this very highly during peak season as it is probably way too crowded.
Oct. 4, 2014 - Nov. 2. 70 East RV Resort & Mobile Homes, 134 Walnut Street, Garner NC
Rating 8/10
Cost: $465/month (monthly rate already discounted)
Not at all what I was expecting, based on the old online reviews. This is actually an extremely nice park which has been recently renovated. There is a mixture of permanent trailer homes and RV spaces, but all the sites are extremely well maintained and very, very large. There is a lot of grass behind and to the sides of the sites. Some roads are gravel, others are pavement, but it is easy to get around. There are no amenities such as a rec center or pool, but for us, that doesn't really matter, especially since it's not warm enough for swimming now anyway. It is still a very pleasant place to stay and the price is good. Still about 10-15 minutes to Raleigh. Also an excellent wifi signal.
Sept. 22 - Oct. 3, 2014. NC State Fairgrounds, 801 Youth Center Drive, Raleigh, NC
Rating 8/10
Cost: $25/night (no discounts)
This is a very nice place to stay. Although not completely scenic (not on a lake or mountains, etc), the grounds are very well kept and the lot sizes are huge and very easy to back into. Each comes with its own trash can which is emptied daily and a light post. No tables or fire pits, but you can always set up your own chairs and portable grill outside, which is just fine for our lifestyle. There are also no other amenities such as bathrooms, showers or dump station. This is also not the type of place that has long term or permanent residents. Most of the other RVs were the high end sort, making our high end 5'er look cheap and insignificant!
The wifi signal we had was the best so far!
It was mostly empty except for the weekend, when there was a huge football game and a horse show in town (the camping area of the fairgrounds is next to the horse area). The following weekend was a huge bluegrass festival, also bringing people in from near and far.
I would definitely stay here again. We would stay longer except they are closing down the campground during the month of October for the state fair.
Sept. 17 - Sept. 22, 2014. Lake Aire RV Resort, 4375 Hwy 162, Charleston, SC
Rating 4/10
Cost: $28/night, Passport America
Initial impression: Awful! Roads are not paved and there is no gravel except in the entrance area. It is all grass and dirt. With all the rain, this means that everything is all MUD. There are also a lot of puddles, harvesting mosquitoes. Because of this, it is very difficult to go outside, even just to the truck which is parked directly in front of the RV without sloshing in mud.
We were lucky to get a pull thru space. Lot sizes were fairly large. There were picnic tables and fire pits at each site. Our table was completely warped and moldy - unusable unless we put a cover on both the table and the seats.
There appear to be a number of permanent residents who live in small trailers which don't appear to be in very good shape (ratty, beaten up looking).
The person in the office was helpful and friendly and their literature includes a lot of touristy things to do in the area.
Wifi signal was horrendous.
I did not have the chance to check out the showers or laundry. The weather did not allow use of the pool, but it was a very small one. There was a nice pond but we could not walk there due to the mud and puddles.
Wifi signal was horrendous.
I would only stay here if I was desperate, and not long term.
August 19 - Sept. 15, 2014. Raccoon River RV Resort, 12209 Hutchinson Blvd, Panama City Beach, FL
Rating 7/10
Cost: $995 for month (no discount)
Price was for a one month stay.
About 90 sites, all of which are very close together. There are a lot of trees on the nice landscaped property. All sites are on grass and have picnic tables. No fire rings. The 2 pools and playground are very nice and clean as well. The main office has a nicely stocked store for both groceries and RV stuff. There is shuffleboard and volleyball, but no rec center. There seemed to be a few hiking trails off the beaten path, although I'm not sure they're meant to be used for hiking; they're just there.
I did not use the bathhouse, but I did look in. It appeared to be clean, but had a musty, moldy smell on the tiles. In one of the stalls, the tiles were very warped. Mind you, I'm very squeamish when it comes to campground facilities, so unless it's like a 5 star hotel, I wouldn't use it, so I can't really fairly judge the restrooms or public showers.
There is a lake, but the only way to access it is by a bridge, which was closed.
We arrived when the park was nearly empty, which provided a nice view out of the window. It did get very busy and filled up over Labor Day weekend, but it was still very pleasant. No wild, drunken folks making loud noises, no unruly kids running around, or dogs barking. All in all, still very pleasant, even if not so scenic to look at all the RVs and campers.
We only met Loretta who worked in the office. She was very friendly and helpful.
My only complaints:
1) The roads around the park are gravel and dirt with a lot of potholes.
2) Our site had FHU and a picnic table, which was on a cement slab which was broken and cracked.
3) The electricity at our site was substandard. In general, it was fine until the weekend when it got very busy. Then we were practically without power (not good when the thermostat reads 107!) because our surge protector kept shutting off, which it does whenever the voltage gets too high or too low. I'm told this is not unusual at a busy campground, but it wouldn't happen if they invested in upgrading their power grids.
June 29 - July 2, 2014. Outdoor RV Resort, 9000 Route 192, Clermont, FL
Rating 3/10
Cost: $16.25/night, Passport America
This is definitely not a big rig friendly place. With over 900 sites, most of them are permanent trailer homes and the campground is designed like a gated community, with very narrow, winding streets. We were fortunate to get a site with a street perpendicular to our site so we could back in straight (didn't happen - see June 29th blog post), but I don't see how one would get into a site otherwise as there is no room to back up from the street and there are no pull thrus.
Our site had a little bit of grass in the back, and a canal running behind it. Unfortunately, the water appeared very filthy - dark brown and sludgy looking. There was a nice picnic bench on the site, but I really wasn't motivated to sit and work out there overlooking the dirty water.
I have not had a chance to check out the rec center or pools yet. From the outside, it looked very nice. In order to use any of the games like shuffleboard or tennis or anything requiring equipment, you have to give a refundable deposit. It would be nice if where you do this (at the guard house) wasn't located at the total other end of the park where the games are! We could walk to the center from our site, but not easily to the guard house.
Would I stay there again? NO because of the layout of the roads within the park. Too difficult for a big rig to get around in. Also not too many other RV'ers - 99% are homes.
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