RVingToadless

Home Base: 
Pacific Northwest
Type of RV: 
Forest River Sunseeker 3120
35 Reviews
13 States Visited

Recent Reviews


4

Garden of the Gods

The good news is this park finally got cable! The bad news is that red stuff on the "decorative red gravel" gets all over your RV and it's hard to keep clean! The red gravel is a nuisance! As for the cable, currently it is installed in rows B and C. The cable is limited, just some networks, Travel, CNN, Discovery, Weather, and some "who cares" channels. Each RV spot has a picnic table and fire ring. The spots in Row A are against the fence which backs up to a busy road. Those spots appeared quite narrow and small. I was in Row B (considered a "Deluxe" site, also "back in"), and I could still hear some road noise, but it was not too bad. At the time I checked in, I was told that the "pull through sites" were not available. That would be Rows D, N, and M. Those sites are "Premium" and are extra long. At the time I was there, it appeared to me that their "Premium" sites were being converted to "back to back" sites because there was evidence of "recent ground disturbance" down the center of Rows D, N, and M, dividing the rows in half. In those rows, the electrical poles had two sides with two connections, same with the water spout. A contractor was there doing some "sewer work" on Row D. Who knows? There are two laundry with rest room areas, but at the time I was there, only the one near the office was being used, and it required a code. The one on the other end was locked, did not appear to require a "code", and appeared to not be in use at this time (off season). The washers in the office area have three different prices, depending on whether you want cold ($1.25), warm ($1.75), or hot ($2.25) water. However, the washers were those great front loaders! The dryers were those huge commercial type ones. The sign says you get 5 minutes for each quarter, but that wasn't true. It was actually 5 minutes for the FIRST quarter. Subsequent quarters added 10 minutes. $1.25 gets you 45 minutes and I dried three washer loads on that. However, some of my clothing got a bit "fried" when I used the "hot" setting on the dryer. The price I am showing is for a "Deluxe" site during the "off" season. The park has a pay phone if you need one. I was told WiFi is free if you come in the office, if you want it at your site, it's through Tengo and you pay. However, from my site in the upper part of Row B, I was able to detect an unsecured wireless on a sporadic basis. I'm not sure if this unsecured wireless belonged to the park. When I couldn't get that signal, my Verizon Aircard worked well. There is a public transit stop with frequent service right outside the gate for those that don't tow a car. The campground staff told me that Enterprise delivers rental cars to the campground for those who need that option. It was good value for the money during the "off season." I don't think I'd want to be here during "high season."

Date of Stay:
 April, 2009
Rate Paid:
 $28.00

4

Ekstom's Stage Station

This is a simple campground in the woods that can host a variety of functions. Camping spots are all on grass, may or may not be level. Sites, which consist of both pull through and back in, are rather close together. However, there weren't many there when I stayed, so not bad. The electric poles are either 50 amp or 20 amp, so if you are on a 30 amp cord, you will need an adaptor. Warning, the 20 amp connection is upside down, so your cord will have to be "bent back." I did detect a WiFi, which I used (and it worked for my purposes), but I don't know if the WiFi belongs to the park. Decent restroom, shower, and laundry facilities. You check in at the restaurant. Price shown is before taxes. I felt $30 was a bit overpriced for what you get. However, I must recommend the adjoining restaurant. Excellent, world class food for a small restaurant. Dessert included in the meal price.

Date of Stay:
 June, 2009
Rate Paid:
 $30.00

3

Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort

The good news is.... It was "National Park Week" and I didn't have to pay any park entrance fees (but I still had to pay camping charges)! Plus, it was April, I got in without reservations. The bad news is.... $32 for water and electric only? And the dump station is $5 extra? This is a ripoff, even for a national park! At those prices, I should have had free cable or Wi-Fi! (On the other hand, the dump station was on the "honor" system...) Actually, the initial price for the RV site is $35 (with all taxes). The $35 includes an "automatic donation" of $3 to the National Parks. IF.... they remember to tell you, this $3 is "optional." You can "opt out" of it. I did. The price I am showing is the amount I paid including taxes, plus the RV dump fee. The 12 miles of road you have to drive when you turn off Highway 101 is a bit narrow. Watch those edges! The RV section of the park is basically a circle parking lot with hookups (water and electric only) and woods in the back. Well, the woods are nice..... The hookups are "side by side." You either have to back in, or "front in" depending which side you get and where your connections are. My RV is 32 feet and I don't recommend having anything bigger than that. Good thing I wasn't towing a car! In fact, if you do tow a car, you have to unhook it and stash it in another area, according to the rules. Each site also gets a picnic table and fire ring. You have to check in at the lodge, about 1/4 mile away. Fortunately, it wasn't busy at the lodge. If it were busy I don't see how an RV could maneuver around the lodge area for check in. You do get privileges to use the hot springs pool, but of course, that is extra. Verizon cell phone and air card did not work here. Also, no TV reception at all via antenna. Don't know about satellites. If you really really wanted to come here and stay awhile for the hot springs, it might be OK and I'd give it a 7. But for an overnight, not worth driving the 12 miles (one way) off the main highway.

Date of Stay:
 April, 2010
Rate Paid:
 $37.00

3

Cape Disappointment State Park

No TV reception (via antenna), and Verizon cell phone and air card do not work here. Ah! Hence, the name "Cape Disappointment." Ok, all joking aside. This is a HUGE state park. The road up to the park is very winding. If you have a pet, it may get car sick (my cat sure did, poor thing). Unlike other parks in Washington State (where you get some "acreage" with your sites), the sites are kind of close together, but there are some trees to provide "separation." Each site gets a fire ring and a decent picnic table. The first 60 sites are full hookup (including sewer), the next 30 sites are water and electric only, and the rest are dry camping. The full hookup sites were on paved pads, NICE! Not sure if all the spots are paved. The sites are in lots of little circle loops called "pods." Each "pod" has about 10 spots. In each "pod," two of the 10 spots are right next to the "Beach access" trail. Not bad for April when I was here, but if it's "high season," you would get no privacy in those spots. Also, although none of the "pods" have any sort of ocean view, if you are in a pod that is close to the ocean, you will definitely hear it. Not an issue for me, but thought I would point it out. The rest rooms and showers were in a nice building. The restrooms were unisex, but they were private, each toilet in a separate room with a locking door. Same with the showers. Typical for Washington State, showers are 50 cents for three minutes. The park has a store, but if you aren't towing a car, it's a long long long walk (1.5 miles) from the campsites to the store. I did see a sign advertising "laundry available" but I didn't walk to the store to verify it. There are some hiking trails, and a couple of them lead to beautiful lighthouses. I wanted to mention, depending on the configuration of your RV, you may have to be clever with your water hose due to the location of the sewer hole. I had to use a long hose and drape and wind it around the perimeter of my site to keep it from crossing the sewer hose. Lastly, if you have one of those RV surge protectors, it almost fits at the connection box!

Date of Stay:
 April, 2010
Rate Paid:
 $28.00

3

Fort Casey State Park

The park is a good overnight spot to dry camp if you have ferry reservations for the next morning to get to Port Townsend on the Keystone-Port Townsend Ferry and don't want to get up early and race to get there. Of the 35 total spaces, one pull-through is reserved for physically challenged customers. This park is open year round. This park does not take reservations, it's first come, first serve. However, if you stay here in the winter, be sure you have a good inverter, as it could be a bit chilly! (In my opinion, this park should be renamed "Inverter Park" because of all the travel trailers and RV's here that were using Honda inverters!) Dry camping only, there are no hookups or sewer dumps. The restrooms/showers were..... about what you would expect for a State Park....i.e., not perfect, but passable. Showers were 50 cents for three minutes. There are water faucets located about every third camping spot, but your hoses won't fit because these water faucets are meant for filling up buckets. There is a "winter water supply" that can accommodate hoses near the pay station. The "pull-through" spaces are on the outer edge of the loop. The "back-in" spaces are in the center of the loop, except for five "back-ins" located at the top of the outer edge of the loop. These five spaces offer the best location for ferry watching, with spectacular views of Puget Sound. The "pull-through" spaces are shaped in a half-circle. Some of the "half-circles" are a narrow arc, and some are a wider arc. The pull-throughs on one side of the park give you a "ring-side seat" to the ferry dock; you can sit outside and watch the ferries come and go. The pull-throughs on the other side of the loop are against a bluff full of trees and vegetation, not as good of a view. The "back-ins" on the inside of the loop may or may not have a good view of the ferry dock. Each camping space has a good-size sturdy picnic table and fire ring. However, you are not allowed to use the driftwood for the fires, heavy fines if you are caught. If you need firewood, you are supposed to leave a note and $5 in the pay box and maybe someone will bring some wood to you. Each site has plenty of room for tents. There is a short, uphill, hiking trail that takes you to the old Fort Casey firing batteries. Older children can have fun exploring and climbing the batteries, while adults and younger children can picnic on the grass. For the lighthouse lovers, there is a beautiful lighthouse that you can tour during afternoon hours in summer, and weekends in winter. Within a short walk is the Keystone Cafe.

Date of Stay:
 June, 2008
Rate Paid:
 $19.00

3

Nehalem Bay State Park

Technically, this park is in Manzanita. A beautiful state park with lots of trees and great access directly to the beach. Apparently, reservations are required for the "A" loop (which is the closest to the beach) year round, even if it doesn't look busy. If you don't have reservations, the signs specify that you are to proceed to the other loops (even though at this time of year it is "self-registration"). When I was there, half the spots in the "A" loop were empty. I obeyed the signs and picked a site in the "C" loop. Later, I asked the camp host if the "reservations required for A loop" is enforced when it's not busy, I was told that the requirement is enforced. (There is a valid reason for it.) The sites, which are all paved blacktop, are water and electric only, 30 and 20 amp. However, if you are towing a car, not all spaces have room to park the car. All vehicles must be parked on the blacktop, and that is where you won't have much room for a tow car. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. If you are planning to stay more than a couple of nights, you might want to consider using a plastic tub for washing your dishes. The park provides "sink water pit drains" for throwing your sink water out. Some of the sites (too many to list) are near the walkways to the showers. Try to avoid those sites, although it is not a big issue in the off season. Showers are free! They were adequate, about what you would expect in a state park. My only complaint about the showers is that the showers themselves didn't have a curtain. My dry clothing got splattered in the small changing area outside the shower. The park has a pay phone in case your cell phone doesn't work in this area. If you aren't carrying a satellite, you still get great reception from six "over the air" channels in this area. Lastly, this park has a great recycling station to help cut down the garbage for those that like to contribute to this ecological effort.

Date of Stay:
 April, 2010
Rate Paid:
 $16.00

5

GIngko/Wanapum State Park

The road to the park is 3 miles off Interstate 90 and is a bit of a lonely road through a bunch of sagebrush. Then, at the park entrance, you have a very sharp left turn, less than a full 90 degree angle. In wintertime, only one loop (the loop that overlooks the Columbia River) is open. Both loops are RV sites with full hookups (w/s/e) but tents are allowed. If you camp in a tent, you still pay the full price for the site. During the winter, they don't charge extra for the river sites. However, in winter, the water is shut off. You can get water at the park entrance. During the summer, the river sites are $5 extra. Each site is paved and quite spacious and includes a large grassy area with a great picnic table and fire ring. In the main loop, the pull-through spots are on the outer edge of the loop and are all shaped in the "arc" shape, but it's a wide arc, with plenty of room for a toad. I highly recommend Spot #21 or Spot #10, both are on a corner, with a wide view of the river. Not all pull-through sites have a river view. The back-ins are on the inside of the loop. On the upper loop, all sites are pull-through. There are a couple of "paired" sites for buddy camping on the upper loop. Restrooms were very clean, the best I have seen at a state park. Showers were 50 cents for three minutes. Since the digital change, you get NO TV reception unless you have a satellite. The one downer about this park is that it can get very windy here. If it is windy, I recommend staying in the upper loop (if it's not closed for winter) as there is a wind break in that loop.

Date of Stay:
 May, 2010
Rate Paid:
 $28.00

5

Fort Worden State Park

I wouldn't call this a State "Park," this is more of a State RESORT! Former military base that is now used as a beautiful conference and retreat center, to include RV camping with full water/electric/sewer hookups on the Beach Campground and water/electric with community dump on the "Upper" campground. The rate I am showing is for the Beach campground, the Upper campground is $1 less. These rates are on par with what Washington State charges for state parks. The RV slots are paved and long. In the Beach campground, the sites are "back-in" at one end and "pull through" (in wide arc's) on the other end. If you have a back-in against the trees, you have to drive all the way to the end, then go around the "turn around" and come back in order to "back-in" to those spots. The RV slots that face the beach have only a view of the sand dunes, but it's a short walk to the beach. This is a popular park and reservations are suggested any time of the year, although it wasn't full the weekend I was here. If you reserve on the website, you pay an $8 reservation fee. If you call the Conference Center directly, you do not pay the reservation fee. The "Commons" dining hall serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There is also an espresso shop with sandwiches and pastries. Both are rather pricey, you might as well be eating at the Marriott. The first Sunday of each month, the Commons features a fabulous Sunday Brunch between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM for $16.95. Well worth it! If you choose to partake of the food at the Commons, they do take credit cards, but you can optionally purchase prepaid food cards when you check in for camping. The prepaid food cards is a fairly new program. When I was there, the Commons employees didn't know how to deal with the prepaid cards and apparently had not been informed about them. The Park Ranger and the folks at the check in office got it straightened out. If you need to do laundry, the Conference center allows guests to use their laundry building only between the hours of around "4:00-ish" PM to around "8:30-ish" PM each night. Verizon AirCard worked very well here. TV reception via antenna for the local channels was decent on digital channels, and "passable" on analog channels still out there. Lastly, very important! If you come here off the Keystone/Port Townsend ferry, IGNORE your GPS if it instructs you to take a right turn off the ferry. Instead, follow the well placed signs and turn left. If you follow your GPS and turn right, you will end up taking a route up some steep and hairy roads. Follow the SIGNS! Great park for family outings!

Date of Stay:
 March, 2009
Rate Paid:
 $27.00

3

Willard Bay State Park - Cottonwood Campground (North Marina)

Willard Bay State Park has three camping areas. This review is for the Cottonwood Campground, with full hookups. The good news is, the park has free Wi-Fi! The bad news is.... I couldn't get it from site #36. However, Verizon Aircard worked very well. Very fancy for a state park! Each site got a barbecue grill, fire ring, and a pavilion covered picnic table on a concrete patio! WOW! A "covered" picnic table! At each site! I couldn't believe it! On the other hand, there were a lot of mosquitoes during my visit, probably because of the proximity of the lake. As other reviews have mentioned, you get "convenience to the freeway," but you put up with road noise. The pads are all asphalt and there is a good deal of spacing between RV slots. The pull-throughs are very wide arcs. There was one thing I didn't like. The water spout and electric post were located in such a way that you had to cross your water hose and electric cord over the top of the sewer hose. But this may be due to the configuration of my RV and maybe wouldn't affect other RV's. This is a great relaxing place to overnight while traveling through northern Utah.

Date of Stay:
 April, 2009
Rate Paid:
 $25.00

5

Mountain Home RV Park

"Would you like to face east or west?" "Would you like......" Oh my, lots of questions! But these camp hosts just want to make sure you get the spot that is best for you! The thing that tickled me the most was.... the camp host was very tactful about saying, "We DO let you wash RV's here....." I had come through a snow storm in Wyoming and had a very dirty RV. Other RV's in this park were very clean and shiny, so I washed my RV! They probably run a "tight ship" here. The rate I am showing is the rate before taxes and discounts. I don't like to give "perfect" scores, but this park deserves an EXCELLENT! This is a beautiful park! I got a personal escort to my site, and help setting up. The host also had a nice brochure showing what was available around Mountain Home. Nice paved spaces, with plenty of room for tow cars. The slots have a large width of grass for "spacing" between RV's. The water faucets are wrapped and insulated for wintertime use. The park has high water pressure and it is highly suggested that you use a regulator. Restrooms/showers/laundry area was shiny and clean! There are four showers, and each is in a private, code locked room. Wi-Fi worked great, you get a "coupon code" that is good for 24 hours. Cable had a good selection of channels. The park is a nice, brisk walk down from a very nice Wal-Mart, and there is a good Chinese restaurant next door. This is a good park for full-timers if you can handle Idaho winters. Or, it's a very nice stop over on your way along Interstate 84.

Date of Stay:
 April, 2009
Rate Paid:
 $30.00

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