Campground Review – Page 2

Campground Review, Exploring Pennsylvania, National Parks, Sightseeing

Timothy Lake South RV: Campground Review

Written by tepetravels May 18, 2021November 30, 2021

Have you ever heard of East Stroudsburg in Pennsylvania? We hadn’t either! We stayed in Timothy Lake South RV Campground in East Stroudsburg, in the Poconos.

The campground offered quite a few pull-throughs and some back-ins. The back-in sites seemed mostly along the edges of the campground. Many of the pull-throughs were very long. We could have stayed hooked up to the truck it was so long. They were a little on the narrow side though. There were plenty of trees throughout the campground, so once the trees have all their leaves, I’m sure it will be quite shaded.

The campground had a laundry room and office/store. However, the store was closed for COVID. You could walk up to the check-in window to buy ice ($3/bag) and firewood. The campground had a sister site, Timothy Lake North, whose amenities you could also use (per the website, we did not go).

Laundry was $2.00 for washers (or $2.25 for super wash) and $1.75 for dryers. The laundry room was limited to 1 person at a time and you had to check out the key from the check-in window. Reservations were not accepted. They did not have quarters/change machine, although the machines were quarter run.

Our Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile were spotty around the campground and the mountain areas. We ended up paying for the campgrounds WiFi for the week to make sure we could connect for work and school. Even their internet was spotty at times. It was also not a very fast internet.

The campground was 12 minutes from Super Foodtown grocery store and 16 minutes from Price Chopper grocery store. There were several restaurants within a 20 minute drive. The Delaware Water Gap was also close (12 minutes to a close trail or 25-30 minutes to the hike we went on).

Getting There: I would take it slow on these roads. The roads are pretty narrow to fit two cars (especially one being a truck and RV) around some of the turns. The roads are hilly and twisty as well.

If you enjoy quiet with no electronics and lots of nature and hiking, you may enjoy this location. However, everything was closed in the campground (not including the laundry room) and there was just not a lot of things to do besides hiking (or kayaking if you had your own). We would not stay here again. If things were open, maybe it would have been a different experience.

SUMMARY OF CAMPGROUND:

Our rating: 2 out of 5 hitches

Cell Phone Reception: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile (all of our connections were slow/spotty depending on where we were in the park)

Laundry: Yes

Bathrooms/Showers: Yes

RV Sites: Pull-through and Back-in (grass)

Pop Up Tents/Gazebos/Outdoor Rugs On-Site: Yes

Amenities: picnic table/fire pit/grill at sites, playground, pool (closed for season while we were there), shuffleboard. (Paid for cable and WiFi)

Cabins: Yes

Tent Camping: No (sister site Timothy Lake North does)

Full Hook-ups: Yes

Amps: 20/30/50

Pool: Yes

Food On-Site: No

Camp Store: Yes, closed due to COVID

WiFi: No free WiFi, Paid WiFi (a little slow, not what I would call high-speed internet)

Accepts Mail: No

Fishing: No

Campground Review, Exploring New Jersey, Sightseeing

Lake & Shore RV Resort, Ocean View, New Jersey Campground Review

Written by tepetravels May 11, 2021November 30, 2021

For our stay in New Jersey, we stayed at Lake & Shore RV Resort. The campground was located close to an Acme (Safeway family) grocery store. It was pretty conveniently located: about 1.15 hours from Philadelphia, PA (with toll roads), 40 minutes to Atlantic City, NJ (with toll roads), and 30 minutes (depending on beach) to the Jersey Shore, but otherwise not a lot in the area.

The pool area looked neat, but was closed while we were there. They were cleaning it and getting it ready for summer. The arcade was also closed (COVID reasons). The laundry room, store (limited hours), beach, and putt putt were open. The campground also had a nice walking trail around the lake with a fishing pier off of it.

It seemed like the campground was mostly permanent sites/homes. Everything was well maintained though. The map of the campground was ok, but did not have a lot of details on it (what was open/closed, when store was open, etc.).

The laundry room had quarter run machines, although there were no change machines at the campground. Washers were $2.50 (or $2.75 for super wash) per load and dryers were also $2.50. I did have one washer break down in the middle of the cycle and had to fill out a form online to get my money back. Supposedly a check is in the mail from the maintenance company (not the campground).

The bathrooms looked nice and clean, although we did not use them.

Lanes were marked with street names at either end on white poles and sites were marked at the electric boxes. It was dark at night, as there were not a lot of lights, which would make it challenging to situated after dark. The campground was typical Thousand Trails when it came to sites: first come/first serve, find your own site and then let them know. I really wish that they would just tell you which ones are open since everyone is supposed to tell them their site number once they choose one. Sites were a little shaded as there were many trees in the campground. Sites also seemed like a decent size, which we have found to be a rarity in Thousand Trails. If you have a site in the front row near the lake, you can see the lake from your picnic table. The campground was gated and you received a key card after checking in to scan at the gate to get back in.

SUMMARY OF CAMPGROUND:

Our rating: 3 out of 5 hitches

Cell Phone Reception: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile

Laundry: Yes

Bathrooms/Showers: Yes

RV Sites: Back-in (grass)

Pop Up Tents/Gazebos/Outdoor Rugs On-Site: Yes

Amenities: picnic table/fire pit at sites, playground, beach/lake, putt putt, basketball court, walking trail, shuffleboard, pool, arcade (closed), shelter with picnic tables

Cabins: Yes

Tent Camping: Yes

Full Hook-ups: Yes

Amps: 20/30/50

Pool: Yes (closed for season while we were there)

Food On-Site: No

Camp Store: Yes (limited hours)

WiFi: No free WiFi, only paid-for WiFi

Accepts Mail: No (“Emergency” situation only)

Fishing: Yes

Animal Sightings, Campground Review, Exploring Virginia, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

Cape Charles/Chesapeake Bay KOA

Written by tepetravels May 7, 2021November 30, 2021

We stayed at the Cape Charles/Chesapeake Bay KOA for our last stop in Virginia.

There are cabins, tent sites, RV sites, RV rentals, and a hotel on this property. There is a small pool and playground by the hotel, and another larger pool and a small playground by the water/back of the RV sites. There are a couple of bathrooms/showers on the property, which also house the laundry rooms. The laundry rooms were a mix of credit card and quarter machines. The first week we were there, the credit card machines were not working. The laundry room closest to the hotel had 2 quarter washers and dryers, and the one closest to the water/back of the property only had 1 quarter washer and dryer. Washers and dryers were $2/load and the laundry rooms were open 24/7. There was not change machine in the laundry rooms or the camp store. The camp store was located in the hotel and had a decent selection of snack foods, souvenir type items, and a few RV selections. The one thing we really loved, was that it is open 24/7. They also accept mail.

The pools were closed until May 21, so we did not get to enjoy them. The beach was just a short walk from our site, so we did go there a few times. The water was too cold to swim, but the boys had fun playing in the sand and wading to look for shells. The water goes out pretty far during low tide, so we were able to see some sandworms and clams as well. The campground had a stand of hammocks to enjoy that overlooked the water.

There is also a restaurant called Jackspot on-site, although they were only open Thursday-Saturday while we were there. Ben and I went there for a date night and had drinks and shared a burger and fries (really good!). It has amazing views overlooking the water. There were a few covered sections of the patio and some outdoor heaters as well.

Although there wasn’t as much to do here (unless you love fishing) as other spots we have stayed at, the location wasn’t too bad. The closest grocery store is a Food Lion, about 10 minutes away, although it is a smaller store and the prices are a little higher. There is a Walmart 40 minutes away as well. (Both on the campground’s side of the Bay Bridge, as paying $14 each way to cross would be crazy). There was a small hardware store (OBS) about 30 minutes away as well. There were a few walking trails about 10-15 minute drive away. The historic downtown of Cape Charles was about 18 minutes away. It was a cute area, with a beach area and some food and shopping options.

It was also great for bird watching. There were always gulls and pelicans in the Bay and we had a hawk fly overhead with a fish in its talons one day!

The campground was really good about maintaining the property. They were building new platforms for some of the newer cabins, cutting grass, painting, picking up garbage from sites (place garbage at end of your site, or there were also dumpsters). I did not see the hotel rooms, but it looked more motel-like in structure than hotel. There was ice for sale and golf carts for rent. Fires were allowed, but I did not see firewood at the store. We bought ours at the grocery store ($7.99/bundle). The campground also had a few activities planned each week (need to check with the office/camp store for the weekly pamphlet if you are staying longer than a week for the new events). The campground/hotel offered WiFi, which actually worked pretty well for us. We had some connection issues with our Sprint/T-Mobile, but were able to use the campground’s WiFi to stream and get to online classes.

VIDEO: Walk Through of Cape Charles/Chesapeake Bay Campground

SUMMARY OF CAMPGROUND:

Our rating: 3.5-4* out of 5 hitches

Cell Phone Reception: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile/Sprint (very spotty)

Laundry: Yes

Bathrooms/Showers: Yes

RV Sites: Mostly back-in, only a few pull-throughs. Sites are grass/sand.

Pop Up Tents/Gazebos/Outdoor Rugs On-Site: Yes

Amenities: picnic table, cable and fire pit at sites, community grill, 2 playgrounds, dog area, 2 pools, beach, community picnic tables near beach area, restaurant, WiFi

Cabins: Yes

Tent Camping: Yes

Full Hook-ups: Yes

Amps: 20/30/50

Pool: Yes

Food On-Site: Yes, although only on certain days

Camp Store: Yes (open 24/7)

WiFi: Yes

Accepts Mail: Yes

Fishing: Yes

Animal Sightings, Campground Review, Exploring Virginia, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

Williamsburg RV & Camping Resort (Thousand Trails): Campground Review

Written by tepetravels April 23, 2021November 30, 2021

For our first stay in Virginia, we stayed at Williamsburg RV & Camping Resort, a Thousand Trails Campground.

The campgrounds amenities, such as the putt-putt, looked nice. The indoor and outdoor pools were closed (indoor for Covid, outdoor seasonal), as was the Arcade (closed for Covid). The laundry room was located in the office building. Laundry was pay by app or quarters, although there was not a change machine. Washers and dryers were $2/load. Once the office closed, they lock the doors, so if your laundry is still going you will have to wait to get it until the office opens in the morning. There were bathhouses scattered around the property. They were a little dated, but looked clean.

Office building: store, laundry, backyard with pool and ice machine

The office staff for the most part, were really nice. However, the campground sites themselves and the layout were a problem. The main entrance was under construction when we arrived, so there were some small signs to a temporary entrance. It was tight and bumpy and not well marked when we got there. There was a car that pulled out in front of us and then waved us to follow that ended up leading us to the office. At first we didn’t know what to do because the car was not marked as TT, the guy didn’t introduce himself, and there had been no information from the campground regarding the construction. Our site was supposed to be a pull-through, but we ended up backing down the road to end up pulling into it due to the construction. The end of our lane had a 3 inch or so drop from where the pavement had been removed and the sewer cap was still sticking out. I didn’t want to damage the underside of the RV. The other way was to try to pull into the site going the wrong way on the road, which may have worked for a small RV, but there wasn’t enough turning radius for us. The exit was also at the main entrance, so there were signs for a temporary exit as well, but was problematic for larger RV’s. On the plus side, they did get the paving done before we left and we were able to use the newly opened front drive. We had not been notified about the entrance change before we got there there, but our friends (not TT members) who rented a cabin were sent some emails about it.

We had issues with the water for most of our stay there. Our friends staying in a cabin had water problems for a night. Our row of RVs had it for several days. It was like there was air in the pipes and water would come out in bursts. The water pressure had dropped but fluctuated a lot. The water also came in cloudy half the time, even with the filter at the pump.

There was a pond back by the tent area, where we saw some turtles. There was a walking path back there.

The Campground was close to a post office and a Food Lion (groceries), and CVS (about a 3-5 minute drive).

If we were in the area again, I don’t think we would stay here. The staff was all very nice, but the interior roads were a pain with our larger RV.

VIDEO: Campground Tour

SUMMARY OF CAMPGROUND:

Our rating: 2 out of 5 hitches

Cell Phone Reception: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile

Laundry: Yes

Bathrooms/Showers: Yes

RV Sites: Pull Through, Back-in (grass/gravel)

Pop Up Tents/Gazebos/Outdoor Rugs On-Site: Yes

Amenities: picnic table and fire pit/grill at site, cable, putt-putt, basketball, horseshoes, shuffleboard, playground, pool

Cabins: Yes

Tent Camping: Yes

Full Hook-ups: Yes

Amps: 20/30/50

Pool: Yes

Food On-Site: No

Camp Store: Yes (limited)

WiFi: No

Accepts Mail: Yes. (This one depends on who you spoke to at the front desk. One person said no, another one said yes.)

Fishing: Nothing officially posted, but I did see someone fishing at the pond

Animal Sightings, Campground Review, Food, Frequently Asked Questions, Hiking, Internet, Maintenance, Newbie Tips, School, Sightseeing

How We Pick Out A Campground (Frequently Asked Questions)

Written by tepetravels April 20, 2021April 20, 2021 1 Comment

There are a ton of campgrounds out there and it can be overwhelming trying to find the “best” one to call home! They range from independent places, chains (like KOA and Thousand Trails), city owned, state owned, and federally owned. Some only accept military/retired military, some only accept Class A’s, and some have age limits on the RVs or the people they let in. A lot of places also have dog restrictions based on breed.

We have a few things that we always look for in a campground: location to sightseeing, internet, full hook-ups, and a laundry room. Our biggest one is a good internet connection for school and work. There are a few different websites that I visit to check reviews: campgroundreviews.com, GoodSam, and Campendium are my first ones. After those, I will go to Yelp/Google Map reviews (make sure to type RV Campground or RV Resort, not just campground as you will get results that will not work with RVs or may not have hook-ups), and then to Facebook for the RV groups to see if anyone has stayed there before.

I always check multiple review sites, especially for internet issues, but sometimes you still don’t get it right. For example, the Garden of the Gods RV review stated that our 3 providers worked. However, when we checked in, there was a note with our paperwork saying AT&T did not work in the park. This wasn’t mentioned on the campground’s website at the time. (This is just one of the reasons why we have three internet providers!)

I also try to read about the general campground conditions (sites, roads, etc.). If a lot of reviews with bigger RVs say that sites or internal roads were tight or not well maintained, I will pass on that campground. We’ve even double checked the reviews on the way to a campground and changed our plans last minute based on the current conditions. Conditions of campgrounds can change frequently. For example, when we booked one Texas site, it had decent reviews. On the drive there, we were reading the reviews from the last week and it was filled with reports of sewage problems throughout the campground (eww!), so we frantically searched and found a new campground to stay in. The most recent one was a change due to a review saying the T-Mobile signals were weak. T-Mobile is where most of our working internet comes through. We have some hotspot data through our cell phones, but the T-Mobile hotspot is the workhorse.

Campground amenities can also be a big indicator for the nicety of a park, although not always. There doesn’t seem to be a regulation on who can call themselves a RV Resort vs a campground, so reading reviews are important! We had one Thousand Trails claim to be a resort and they only had a laundry room and a walking trail. Nothing else was available or was broken and the sites and roads needed some upkeep. On the other hand, we had a Thousand Trails in Orlando that lived up to the resort title with many amenities and things to do.

An on-site laundry is also a requirement for us, as we do not have a washer/dryer on our travel trailer.

We have learned to always check (recent) reviews across the different review sites. It can be worth spending the extra money to get a nicer campground, especially for longer stays.

Animal Sightings, Campground Review, Exploring South Carolina, Hiking, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

Myrtle Beach State Park Campground: Campground Review

Written by tepetravels April 9, 2021November 30, 2021

For our final stop in South Carolina, we went to Myrtle Beach and stayed at the Myrtle Beach State Park.

The state park does have some nice amenities to it: walking trails, touristy type of shops (1 in the campground, 1 at beach), walking distance to beach. If you are staying in the park, you do not have to buy the daily park pass (as long as you have your window tag displayed).

It was very dark at night, as there were not any street lights throughout the campground. Bring a flashlight if you are taking a walk or going to the bathroom! There are signs about copperheads throughout the park. There was air noise from the airport and helicopter tours. There were a couple of airplanes that flew so low that the RV rattled.

The sites are nicely shaded, although they are long and narrow. The sites had a picnic table and fire pit (with flip down grill). The gates closed and locked at 10:00 pm, although they do give you the code. It was a very weird experience, as you have to get out of your car in the dark near the woods to unlock and open the gate, drive through, get out again to shut it. Having a keypad code for the gate would be a huge improvement. The park also states that there is no alcohol permitted in the campground or park.

The camp store had some souvenir type of items, firewood ($7.49/bundle), ice, and some drinks and ice cream.

There were several bathrooms/showers around the campground. The laundry facility wasn’t too far from our site (in loop 5). Washers and dryers were $2/load.

Bottom image: entrance to the campground (campground to the left, beach to the right)

The beach did not close at night, so we did get a couple of nice nighttime walks in.

There was a patch program for the kids through the state park (a little like the Junior Ranger Program at the National Parks). The Nature Center was at the edge of the campground and was a nice spot to sit and watch the birds at the feeders. It was also a great spot for the kids to find lots of information for the scavenger hunts.

We did not see many animals, other than birds and squirrels in the campground. We did see some crabs, starfish, and a jellyfish at the beach. Nick and I also found shark teeth, which was lots of fun and a new experience for both of us. There were also shells to find, which is always a plus for us at a beach.

CONCLUSION:

CONS: Air noise, the gate, tightness of the campground

PROS: Walkable to beach, campfire ability, shade trees, amenities of park and campground, patch program for kids

If we were in Myrtle Beach, we would stay here again.

VIDEO: Walking Tour Myrtle Beach State Park

SUMMARY OF CAMPGROUND:

Our rating: 3.5 out of 5 hitches

Cell Phone Reception: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile

Laundry: Yes

Bathrooms/Showers: Yes

RV Sites: Back-in (dirt/sand)

Pop Up Tents/Gazebos/Outdoor Rugs On-Site: Yes

Amenities: picnic table, fire pit, playground, community grills in state park, second playground in the state park, close to beach, walking trails in state park, patch program for kids in park

Cabins: Yes (6)

Tent Camping: Yes

Full Hook-ups: Yes

Amps: 20/30/50

Pool: No, but ocean is close

Food On-Site: No

Camp Store: Yes

WiFi: Yes

Fishing: Yes (no license, but daily fee: $8/day ages 16+, $3 ages 3-15)

Animal Sightings, Campground Review, Exploring South Carolina, Hiking, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

KOA Mount Pleasant/Charleston: Campground Review

Written by tepetravels April 4, 2021November 30, 2021

For our stay in Charleston, South Carolina, we stayed at the Mount Pleasant/Charleston KOA. The campground is located in Mount Pleasant, about a 15-20 minute drive from Charleston.

The campground had some nice features, including a camp store. The campground is located near a plantation, and offers wagon rides when the plantation is open. Unfortunately, the plantation house was under construction when we were there and the wagon rides were not going on.

The campground had corn hole, a nice walking trail, a community fire pit, hanging swings by the lake, fishing (catch and release, no license needed), pool (not heated), rec room with camp kitchen (2 stations) and little library, dog park, and bike/canoe/paddle boat rental. The office sold firewood bundles. There was a propane station and an ice machine near the office as well.

The laundry room was on the side of the office building and had 4 washers and dryers. Although there was not a coin machine in the laundry room, you could get quarters at the office. Washers were $2/load and dryers $1.50/load.

The bathrooms and showers were located on the backside of the officel. They are separate though: women’s bathroom on one side, individual shower rooms in the middle, and men’s bathrooms on the other side.

We enjoyed the walking trails. The trails go by a little creek and we saw some small crabs and turtles.

There was WiFi available. The signal was pretty spotty where we were. However, they do offer routers to borrow. These are on a first come basis. We were finally able to get one with only 2 days left in the trip, but it made a big difference! The speeds were a lot faster plugged in.

The campground was close to grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and several parks. Charleston was about 15-20 minutes away. The Costco and Walmart were within 2 miles. It was in a pretty convenient location.

VIDEO LINK: Campground Tour

The night before we left, we found a postcard on the door reminding us of check-out time.

COVID Review: Masks were required in the office. The office staff was friendly and always had them on. However, employees working outside (including those that show you to your site) and other campers really didn’t wear masks.

SUMMARY OF CAMPGROUND:

Our rating: 3 out of 5 hitches

Cell Phone Reception: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile (slow)

Laundry: Yes

Bathrooms/Showers: Yes

RV Sites: Pull Through, Back-in (mostly gravel, saw a few concrete pads)

Pop Up Tents/Gazebos/Outdoor Rugs On-Site: No stakes allowed in the ground due to underground wires

Amenities: picnic table and fire pit at sites, some upgraded sites had a grill, cable, two playgrounds, pool, rec room/camp kitchen, little library, corn hole, dog park, bikes for rent, paddle boats and kayaks for rent, ice machine $2/bag, firewood $7/bundle (although after taxes/fees it came to $8).

Cabins: Yes

Tent Camping: Yes

Full Hook-ups: Yes

Amps:

Pool: Yes, not heated

Food On-Site: No, but camp store has a few items

Camp Store: Yes

WiFi: Yes. Routers provided at office, first come first serve, to help boost signal

Accepts Mail: Yes

Fishing: Yes, no license needed, catch and release

Animal Sightings, Campground Review, Exploring South Carolina, Hiking, Sightseeing

The Oaks At Point South (Thousand Trails), Yemassee, South Carolina

Written by tepetravels March 25, 2021November 30, 2021 1 Comment

When we booked this campground (The Oaks At Point South) several months ago, it had good/okay reviews. When we looked at it again on our way in, it now had horrible reviews due to mud and ruts. We tried to find another campground, but they were all booked. We were told it was the busy season, as Georgia’s summer brings bugs and flies.

When we checked in, there was a packet with our parking tag and the site map in the red box at the driveway. They were doing a no-contact check in. The reviews were right, it was very muddy and our site had deep ruts from where someone must have gotten stuck. We had gravel in the middle of the site, but the hook-ups and where our truck would have to park were very muddy and did not have gravel. TIP: If you do stay here, go slowly once you are off of the highway. You turn right by the Waffle House!

The site was a little small for us. The truck fit, but we had to park very close to the RV. We couldn’t really put out the master bedroom stairs and use that door. We put our rain boots on before we set anything up, which helped a lot.

After a couple of days, the mud began drying up. Ben and the boys once again put on their rain boots and stomped down the ruts to fill them in. We bought several bags of gravel from Walmart to cover the spot with. It wasn’t perfect, but at least we left it better than when we got there.

Some of the roads were tight. The roads were definitely single lanes, but were not dedicated as a certain direction. Garbage was to be placed in the dumpsters. The campground did have a laundry room with 4 dryers and 3 washers. Washers and dryers were $1.75/load. There was not a change machine in laundry room. It seemed like they really wanted you to use the app. A third party was in charge of the washers and dryers, so when one of them ate my quarters, I had to call the company, as the office said they couldn’t help.

The campground was close to a McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Waffle House, and a couple of gas stations. It was about an hour to Savannah, GA, Hilton Head, SC, or Charleston, SC.

The map (both online and the one we were given at check-in) stated there was a vehicle washing station; however ,when I check with the office, they said there is not one but you could wash at your site. It was not recommended, as it gets muddy easily. The campground has a lot of trees, which would make for nice shade in the summer, but also has your car covered in bird droppings and pollen. We found a few car washes nearby, but they were pretty expensive. We finally found a do-it-yourself one near Tybee, which cost us about $5.

The horseshoe pits and putt-putt looked run down and like they hadn’t been used in a long time. I was told they were closed by the office. The walking trail to the ponds was really nice and we got to see several small alligators and turtles, as well as lots of frogs at night. The footbridge located on the map is still there, but not in great shape, so I would be careful using it. It was a dead-end path, so we preferred walking the loop around the ponds. The walking trail was the highlight of our stay here!

Walking trail images. Bottom right corner: foot bridge

The walking trail also leads to the next-door KOA, which has a coffee and wine bar called The Swimming Mermaid, which is open to the public.

We would not stay here again. It was very quiet and the walking trail was neat, but there was nothing else to do! The pool was closed while we were there. Mask wearing was not prevalent. We were 45-60 minutes away from the larger cities. There are several campgrounds closer to Savannah, including some state parks, that had great reviews. We were trying to make the most of our Thousand Trails membership and I think we missed out on finding a great campground.

Sorry, the boys forgot to do their video at this campground.

SUMMARY OF CAMPGROUND:

Our rating: 2 out of 5 hitches

Cell Phone Reception: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile

Laundry: Yes, $1.75/load

Bathrooms/Showers: Yes

RV Sites: Pull Through (grass/gravel/mud), a few looked like back-ins

Pop Up Tents/Gazebos/Outdoor Rugs On-Site: Nothing stated in rules at check-in, but we saw a few around.

Amenities: picnic table, cable (our hook up was wrong), dog park, pool (closed while we were there), walking trail to ponds, firewood for sale $7/bundle, community fire pit. There were only a few sites that had a fire pit of their own.

Cabins: No

Tent Camping: Yes

Full Hook-ups: Yes

Amps: 30/50/20

Pool: Yes

Food On-Site: No

Camp Store: No

WiFi: Yes, in Clubhouse/Office

Accepts Mail: Yes, packages. No 1st class mail. Will not accept or sign, it just gets put outside the office door.

Fishing: Yes

Campground Review, Exploring Florida, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

KOA Orlando Southwest: Campground Review

Written by tepetravels March 11, 2021November 30, 2021 1 Comment

After our stay at Miami and the trip to Key West, we went back to Orlando. We had family staying in the area and wanted to spend as much time as we could with them. We hadn’t seen them since July 2020! We stayed at the Orlando Southwest KOA.

It was an easy drive to grocery stores, Disney (approximately 15-30 minutes, depending on traffic) and Universal (20-30 minutes), Costco (30-45 minutes).

The pool looked nice, but was always a little crowded, so we didn’t go in. The office store had a nice selection of RV items, grocery type items, and even a little library! It had a cool spiral staircase in the middle, which I found out leads just to an office.

Pool, bikes for rent, playground, bathrooms, dog area and wash, camp kitchen

There were trees around the campground, which gave some nice shade. Sites were decently spaced out. It was nice to walk around, although there was not a walking trail. This was one of the first KOA’s that we have been to that did not have a front gate. We also had water problems several times while we were here. The park did send out a text to us when they shut the water off for repairs, but it happened a couple of times times. The water pressure was low for most of our stay.

The boys loved the little library. We didn’t use the laundry room. Staff members were always nice when we interacted with them.

We would probably stay here again, although I would choose the Orlando Thousand Trails over this one. We had better water pressure and internet/cell service at the TT campground.

VIDEO TOUR: KOA Orlando Southwest

SUMMARY OF CAMPGROUND:

Our rating: 2.5/3 out of 5 hitches (it was nice, but had several water problems)

Cell Phone Reception: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, although Verizon got a bit laggy sometimes

Laundry: Yes

Bathrooms/Showers: Yes

RV Sites: Pull Through, Back-in (grass and gravel sites)

Pop Up Tents/Gazebos/Outdoor Rugs On-Site:

Amenities: picnic table, fire pit/grill, cable, pool, playground, 2 dog parks and a dog wash, community camp kitchen, little library in office, pickleball, basketball, horseshoes, bike rental

Cabins: Yes

Tent Camping: Yes

Full Hook-ups: Yes

Amps: 50/30

Pool: Yes

Food On-Site: No, although some snacks and general supplies in camp store

Camp Store: Yes

WiFi: Yes (basic)

Accepts Mail: Yes, no charge

Fishing: No

Animal Sightings, Campground Review, Exploring Florida, National Park, National Parks, Sightseeing

Miami Everglades RV Resort Thousand Trails: Campground Review

Written by tepetravels March 7, 2021November 30, 2021

For our stay in Miami, we stayed at the Miami Everglades Thousand Trails. This was not part of our Thousand Trails membership, so we had to pay extra for the site. We were only there a few days, so we did not get a chance to do a video or take part in many of the campground’s amenities.

The campground did have a propane refill station, an office (they met us outside, so we didn’t get to see it), and a laundry room. The washers were listed at $1.50 and $2/load, dryers $1.50/load. However, they ran on a card which you had to rent for $5 (refunded when you returned the card) and had to place a minimum of $5 on the card.

The park had a nice walking trail along the outside of it and we got to see several different types of lizards.

There were lots of fun things to do around the campground, including putt putt and shuffleboard. Part of the park was a large open field, which was used for group camping, as well as storage, but also would work for running off excess energy.

Dog area, tiki hut, shuffleboard, pool, basketball

It was in a decent location, although there was nothing close by, as it was surrounded by plant nurseries. It was about 30 minutes to Everglades National Park (depending on which Visitor Center you wanted to go to) and Biscayne National Park.

The huge negative for me, and the reason why I would not go back, are the interior roads. They are barely single lanes and are not marked as one ways, so when we pulled out, we had to guess which road to go down and hope no one was coming the other way. Because the roads are narrow, it also made pulling out of our site take an hour. Not packing up and pulling out, just pulling out. Our neighbor to the left had pulled really close to the road and the neighbors across parked their cars along the road, so we had to keep backing up and moving the RV so we could clear them all. The neighbors were nice and moved a car and tried to help with making sure I was clearing my blind spots. For smaller rigs, it would probably work out well, but it was incredibly hard to maneuver a large RV. NOTE: Someone told us that going over to the tiki hut side, driving past the tiki hut and by the propane would be easier and give you more room to maneuver (instead of trying to turn left onto the center road). It definitely helped.

If we had a smaller RV, I would stay here again, but it was just too hard to maneuver with ours.

Black line is how we were directed to come into the site. Pink line is how we left our site, going across and around by the tiki hut instead of trying to turn left on center lane.

SUMMARY OF CAMPGROUND:

Our rating: 3 out of 5 hitches (The nice walking path and amenities got it to a 3)

Cell Phone Reception: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile

Laundry: Yes

Bathrooms/Showers: Yes

RV Sites: Pull Through, Back-In, grass/dirt sites

Pop Up Tents/Gazebos/Outdoor Rugs On-Site: Tents were listed as a no, but we saw several around the campground. Screen rooms had to be approved.

Amenities: picnic table, concrete patio at site, community fire pit, cable, playground, dog area, pool, large tiki hut area with picnic tables, putt putt, basketball, shuffleboard, pickleball, horseshoes, sand volleyball court, walking trail

Cabins: Yes

Tent Camping: Yes

Full Hook-ups: Yes

Amps: 30, 50

Pool: Yes

Food On-Site: No

Camp Store: unknown

WiFi: Pay

Accepts Mail: unknown

Fishing: No

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