The bad weather kept us inside again yesterday, and I’m running out of things to tell you about. We basically did the same old thing, eating, writing, some chores around the motorhome, etc. So rather than bore you with the same details all over again, I decided to dust off and update a blog from back in 2001 on some of our favorite campgrounds.
RVers often ask us what our personal favorite campgrounds are. Sometimes I feel like that would be akin to telling you where my favorite fishing hole is. What if the word gets out and pretty soon the place is so full that they don’t have room for me?
But what the heck, there’s always Wal-Mart if my favorite campsite is not available, so here are my Top Ten favorites and why. Please be aware that the reasons I like a campground may not be important to you, just as the things you look for may not meet my needs.
Elkhart Campground, Elkhart, Indiana – No question about it, this is our favorite campground in the entire country. It is centrally located to a lot of places we regularly frequent, Elkhart is the capital of the RV industry, the campground is clean and well maintained, the RV sites are wide, the interior roads are all good, and owners Bob and Gita Patel treat us like family.
Escapees Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama – I don’t think we’ve ever been to an RV park with roomier sites than this Escapees Club RV park. We like the Alabama Gulf Coast area, the small towns in the area are all friendly and clean, and the park itself has a lot of great amenities and activities.
Escapees Sumter Oaks RV Park, Bushnell, Florida – We love the giant live oak trees that shade the park, they have a great indoor pool, a fine rec room, and because it’s an Escapees park, it’s always friendly. Miss Terry loves wandering through the nearby huge Webster Flea Market looking for bargains.
Tra-Tel RV Park, Tucson, Arizona – There is nothing fancy about this small RV park, the spaces are tight and you get noise from nearby Interstate 10 and the railroad tracks on the other side of the highway. However, it’s clean, the staff is very friendly, they have a nice pool, and for us, location is everything. Tra-Tel is a comfortable, convenient place to stay when we visit our family in Tucson.
Escapees Raccoon Valley, Heiskell, Tennessee – This is a favorite stop for us because we love the area. The campground is just a mile or so from Interstate 75 and close to Knoxville, but has a rural feel to it. Twice a week local bluegrass musicians come to the park and hold free jam sessions.
Thousand Trails Verde Valley Preserve, Camp Verde, Arizona – Again, location means a lot. We stay at this large Thousand Trails campground often when it’s too hot to be in Phoenix or Tucson, but still too cold to go to our old hometown in Arizona’s White Mountains. There is a lot to see and do in the Verde Valley, from exploring historic ghost towns and ancient Indian ruins, to riding a vintage steam train.
Three Flags RV Resort, Wildwood, Florida – We are almost through our second two week stay at this membership park this winter, and it is fast becoming one of our favorite places in the Sunshine State. It has level full hookup pull-through sites, it’s close to Interstate 75 but quiet and laid back, the park is clean and the staff is friendly.
Escapees Turkey Creek Village, Hollister, Missouri – Located on the shore of Lake Taneycomo, just minutes from all of the shows and attractions in Branson, we have stopped at Turkey Creek many times, and look forward to getting back again. The RV sites are nice, the area has more to see and do than you could get done in an entire season, and the local folks are all very friendly.
Hershey Thousand Trails, Lebanon, Pennsylvania – We’ve stayed here several times and love the green, rolling countryside around the campground, which is a short drive from Hershey if you need a chocolate fix. It has a lot of great amenities and this is another part of the county that we really enjoy spending time in.
Fisherman’s Landing, Muskegon, Michigan – We have stayed at this nice city owned campground many times when we visit family in Muskegon. The full hookup sites are level, there is a lot to see and do in the area, and we can launch our kayaks right from the campground. The downside is that on summer weekends it can get noisy with rowdy campers who party until late at night.
Okay, now I’ve told you mine, so don’t hold back on the rest of us. What are some of your favorite campgrounds, and why?
It’s time for our Saturday books blast and today I want to tell you about books from two very talented author friends of mine. The first is Gone, the first book in the science fiction mystery Tangle Saga series, from award winning author and playwright Traci Tyne Hilton.
The second book I want to share with you today is Shirley Bourget’s excellent paranormal mystery Blood Ancestral Skin. Check them out, I think you’ll enjoy them.
Thought For The Day – Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.
Check Out Nick’s E-Books In Our E-Book Store
Nick Russell
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What? No Park of the Sierras?
Southern Trails, Unadilla, GA, Easy acess to I-75, Free Pecans, Friendly staff and best of all free pancakes Tue thru Sat
Oasis RV Resort, Las Vegas, NV, Amenities galore, Easy acess to strip & I-15, Overall best location in Las Vegas Reasonable price for the offering.
Terrible’s Lakeside RV Park and Casino, Pahrump, NV. A Passport America park. Wonderfully landscaped. Large central lake. Sandy beach. Huge sites. Love it.
Betty’s RV Park Abbeville, LA Great hostess, great music, great food, great culture. Small little adult park where we always have a fun time.
Grayland State Park, Grayland, WA. Easy walk to the Pacific Ocean, level blacktoped spots with fire pits and trees between spots. This is our favorite in Washington. Booked months in advance in the summer though. Red Rock RV Park in Island Park, ID which gives you easy access to Yellowstone and other points of interest. Owners very helpful in providing information on places to see. Cherry Hil Park in Maryland for easy access to D.C. and other points of interest. Exceptionally helpful staff.
Colter Bay Rv Park, right on Jackson Lake with a view of the Grand Tetons across the lake. Full hookups . Wonderful museum. Good restaurants. Big Rigs fit.
Three of our favorite RV parks are Escapee’s Lone Star Corral in Hondo TX, this is our winter home, spaces are huge, people are friendly and it is in close proximity to San Antonio, and the hill country. Branson View Campground just outside of Branson Missouri, sites are small but can handle a large rig, just six miles outside the city of Branson. Lake Minden just above Sacramento California. This park is a TT, but also RPI. It is somewhat isolated but a short drive into Sacramento and then the foothill of the Sierra Nevada, Reno and Lake Tahoe are within a three hour drive.
Desert Gardens in Florence, AZ. Huge sites in the middle of the desert. You are surrounded by ancient saguaros, chollas, and other desert flora. There’s a network of walking trails in the surrounding desert. Friendly, laid-back atmosphere.
Hmmm, we love all the Escapee parks we’ve been to – Lone Star Corral in Hondo, TX is our home park – we LOVE Rainbow Plantation in Summerdale – quiet but in about 40 minutes I can be sitting on the sand at Gulf Shores. Love Raccoon Valley in Heiskell, TN, always very friendly, Bushnell is also wonderful. the John Kerr Corp of Engineer park on the VA/SC border is absolutely FANTASTIC…love the peace and quiet – of course we were there in late Sept/early Oct, but gosh it is beautiful!
In Wheatland WY is Lewis Park – a city park with water/electric and a dump station – you never know when you stop there if you will be treated to an old fashioned tractor pull or to a lovely concert in the park! Donation only, and not far from Gurnsey and ‘the ruts’, great place to stay for a couple days!