wheelingit

Home Base: 
On the RV
Type of RV: 
2008 Holiday Rambler Endevor
53 Reviews
19 States Visited

Recent Reviews


3

History and paw-friendly beach at your fingertips

This was a fun stop-over for us in the Gulf Coast of Alabama. The campground itself is a public operation run by the Dauphin Island Beach Board. It’s somewhat run-down and sites are basically just grassy parking lots, but it’s wonderfully located within walking distance of both Fort Gaines and the bird sanctuary, and has the huge attraction of its own semi-private (fully-paw-friendly!!) beach. The Island itself also offers lots of activities such as fishing, birding, biking and eating out. Sites themselves vary in size and some are too closely packed for my liking, but they do have a selection of various hook-ups. The nightly price for full hook-up at $34 is a tad high for what we like to pay, but the monthly rate is a steal at only $355/mo! As a result it’s very popular with snowbirders. We weren’t overly enthused on the campground itself, but really liked the overall area and I can’t think of anywhere else in the SE where you can stay all winter right next to a paw-friendly beach for this kind of monthly price. For that reason it gets a thumbs up, and we would certainly come back for a longer stop.

More info and pics here:
http://wheelingit.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/cp-campground-review-dauphin-island-al/

Extra Info: Both Verizon aircard and phone worked fine. Sites are reservable $34 for 50Amp/full hook-up ($355 montly rate), $31 50Amp/water ($330 monthly rate), $28 30Amp/full hook-up ($325 monthly rate), $26 30Amp/water ($300 monthly rate). On-site laundry and dump.

Date of Stay:
 March, 2011
Rate Paid:
 $34.00

4

Discover crafts, music and Florida heritage on the Suwanee River!

We really enjoyed this unexpected stop. This particular park is only ~20 miles East from our previous campground, but is more developed and is also very nicely located along the Suwanee River. The 247-acre park is a culture center plus museum dedicated to Florida heritage and the memory of Stephen Foster. There’s enough to keep you busy for days here between exploring the fun exhibits, meeting artists at the Craft Square, walking the many miles of trails or participating in one of their many events. The Suwanee River and nearby Big Shoals and Creek Falls areas provide water activities too. All the facilities are new and perfectly kept (the showers even have heat-lamps!), plus RV sites are all nicely spaced flat, packed- earth with electric/water hook-ups. We’d definitely come back for one of the music events and to explore more of the area.

More info and pics here:
http://wheelingit.wordpress.com/2011/02/13/sp-campground-review-stephen-foster-folk-culture-center-white-springs-fl/

Extra Info: Verizon worked. Sites are reservable $20/night with 50Amp/water or 30Amp/water. On-site dump and laundry.

Date of Stay:
 February, 2011
Rate Paid:
 $20.00

4

Pure white-sand beach and iconic river trails in the forest!

I must say we were very happy with this stop. This is a smallish campground within the State Park which is in turn completely surrounded by the huge Blackwater River State Forest. As such you have miles and miles of nature all around you and the place feels very remote and relaxed. What makes this spot extra special is Blackwater River itself which is a beautiful and iconic canoeing/kayaking trail lined with banks of pure quartz white sand. It’s beach in the forest and very unique! In the campground itself sites are large, perfectly flat, nicely separated and with full-hookups. You can swim on the “official” beach-site a short walk from camp or take doggie to walk and play along the other beach-banks all along the river. We could easily have spent more time here and would definitely come back.

More info and pics here:
http://wheelingit.wordpress.com/2011/02/22/sp-campground-review-blackwater-river-state-park-holt-fl/

Extra Info: Both Verizon aircard and phone worked fine. Sites are reservable $20/night with 50Amp/water/sewer. On-site dump.

Date of Stay:
 February, 2011
Rate Paid:
 $20.00

5

Miles of pristine, snow-white beach on the relaxing Forgotten Coast!

What a fabulous stop! For relaxing beach, white-sand beauty and remote nature this is a gem of a spot. Sites are packed sandy spots with a small selection of concrete pads, decent size and all within a short walk of pristine coast-line. The State Park has good hiking trails, lots of interest for birders and plenty of water activities. The Shady Pines camp-loop is a rather tight in trees, but interestingly is the only loop that allows big-rigs (on concrete sites #98-103. Max rig size 40-feet). The much wider and open Gulf Breeze loop limits rigs to 38-feet on the online reservation system. The only ding this place gets is for not allowing pets on the State Park beach. However there is open access for dogs only ~1 mile from the park entrance on the public beach. Overall this is a gorgeous, remote and totally relaxing place to stop. We could easily have spent several weeks here and would most definitely come back.

More info and pics here:
http://wheelingit.wordpress.com/2011/02/19/sp-campground-review-st-joseph-peninsula-cape-san-blas-fl/

Extra Info: No real connectivity here. For whatever (strange) reason we were able to get a weak on-line signal with our external antenna/amp with Verizon between 8AM and noon everyday. No signal rest of day. Sites are reservable $24/night with 30Amp/water. On-site dump and laundry.

Date of Stay:
 February, 2011
Rate Paid:
 $24.00

4

Great base to visit New Orleans

This was a great spot to visit New Orleans. The campground is only ~20-30 mins out of town (right across the Mississippi from downtown) and yet has a remote and relaxing, green feel to it. Campsites are level concrete pads with water/electric, nice “sitting areas” and lots of separation between campers. The campground also had the bonus of free WiFi and free laundry. Seems a lot of the area was destroyed by the flood so there’s not a lot of shade (trees are small) and there’s still some construction (with noise) going on at the canal, but neither of those things bothered us much while we were there. We felt relaxed and peaceful here and would definitely stay again if we were coming back into town.

More pics and info here:
http://wheelingit.wordpress.com/2011/03/03/sp-campground-review-bayou-segnette-state-park-new-orleans-la/

Extra Info: Both Verizon aircard and phone worked fine. Sites are $18/night (Oct-Mar) for 50Amp/water. On-site dump and *free* laundry room.

Date of Stay:
 March, 2011
Rate Paid:
 $18.00

5

Relax in nature only 10 miles from Austin!

This was the perfect spot to visit Austin. The park is only ~10 miles from town yet is set in a lovely, large green area with miles of hiking/biking trails, historical interest (Rock Shelter and the McKinney Homestead) and even several creeks with cute, little water-falls. The sites themselves are very decent asphalt pads with great separation, green ”sitting area” and electric/water hook-ups. The only negative is some of them are rather uneven (with blocks and fully extended jacks our RV was just barely level). Overall we thoroughly enjoyed exploring/hiking the park and taking trips into Austin and would certainly stay here again if we came back.

More info and pics here:
http://wheelingit.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/sp-campground-review-mckinney-falls-state-park-austin-tx/

Extra Info: Both Verizon aircard and phone worked fine. Sites are $16/night for 30Amp/water or $20/night for 50Amp/water. Additional entry fee of $5/person/day (waived if you have the Texas State Park Pass). On-site dump.

Date of Stay:
 March, 2011
Rate Paid:
 $20.00

5

Wild Turkeys, river, nature and hiking all in one!

This turned out to be was a fabulous stop on our way West in Texas, so much so that we ended up extending our stay. Although it’s only a hop over from I-10, the campground is nature-lovers paradise with a remote and relaxing feel. It’s set beautifully in a peaceful valley right next to the gorgeous South Llano River and surrounded by rolling hills. There’s a slew of outdoor activity available here from miles and miles of hiking (in the adjacent Buck Wildlife Management Area), to swimming, fishing and tubing in the river, to bird-watching (the area is roosting home to the Rio Grande Turkey and has multiple on-site bird blinds). Sites are lovely, flat asphalt surfaces with 30Amp/water, nice “sitting area”, decent separation and very pretty surroundings. The area gets hot, hot, hot in summer but is perfect in the Spring. We thoroughly enjoyed the area and would certainly come back.

More info and pics here:
http://wheelingit.wordpress.com/2011/04/07/sp-campround-review-south-llano-river-state-park-junction-tx/

Extra Info: Verizon extended (1X) network only here so weak voice signal, but no usable data signal even with external antenna/amp (free WiFi is available in Junction at the Public Library). Sites cost $17/night for 30Amp/water, reservable on-line. Additional $3/day/person entry fee (waived if you have Texas State Park Pass). On-site dump station.

Date of Stay:
 March, 2011
Rate Paid:
 $17.00

5

A simply outstanding campground in the stunning Davis Mountains!

Can’t really say enough good about this park. From a nature point of view it’s stunning. The campground is set beautifully in a small valley at 5,200 feet in the Davis Mountains surrounded by hills and miles of hiking. There’s a large selection of sites all the way from primitive to full-hook-up (with cable!), all of which have paved surfaces, decent separation and pretty views. Lots of activities to do in the area from hiking and biking the hills, to sight-seeing only ~3 miles away in cute and quirky Fort Davis (check out the Broom Shop, Stone Village Market (health food), the Rattlesnake Museum and Fort Davis Historic Site) to star-gazing at the McDonald Observatory (I highly recommend attending a night-time “Star Party“) to gardens and scenic drives. Unfortunately our time here was cut far too short by the fires, but there’s no doubt we’d love to come back and stay for an extended time. A gem of a place!

More info and pics here:
http://wheelingit.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/sp-campground-review-davis-mountains-state-park-fort-davis-tx/

Extra Info: Verizon network “iffy” here. Our smartphone had small bursts of 3G, but also periods of no connectivity at all. Aircard had no connectivity, but we were able to get online reliably with external antenna/amp. Sites cost $10/night for water, $15/night for 30Amp/water and $20/night for full hook-up (50Amp/water/sewer and cable!). FHU are reservable online and book-up fast. Additional $5/day/person entry fee (waived if you have Texas State Park Pass). On-site dump station.

Date of Stay:
 April, 2011
Rate Paid:
 $20.00

4

A relaxing base to explore Carlsbad Caverns

We chose this campground primarily to visit nearby Carlsbad Caverns (~1 hour away) and really ended up enjoying the remote and relaxing feel of the place. The campground is nicely located on a hill-top overlooking Brantley Lake so almost all the sites have some kind of lake view. There are a couple of cute, little hiking trails and direct access to the lake from the primitive area (great for doggie in the afternoon). On the negative side sites are a bit of a mix. All have very electric/water, lovely sitting areas, large shelters, grills, tent sites and nice views, but vary quite a bit in how level they area. Non-reservation sites seem the best bet. For those looking for more privacy the primitive camping area has lovely dirt sites right by the lake (with several areas large enough for big-rigs -> if the weather were cooler that’s where we’d go). Another thing to be aware of is every now and then (especially on a still day) you will get some sulphur smell from the nearby gas fields. Overall however we loved our view, found the campground very relaxing, and would certainly come again.

More info and pics here:
http://wheelingit.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/sp-campground-review-brantley-lake-state-park-carlsbad-nm/

NOTE/ Our $4/night rate reflects price paid for electric hookups using New Mexico Annual Camping Pass

Extra Info: Verizon full signal both for smartphone and aircard. Sites cost $8/night for primitive, $14/night for water/electric (either 50 or 30 Amp) and $18/night for full hook-up (3 sites available). Camping fees can be covered with New Mexico Annual Camping Permit. Approx. half of campground is reservation, other half is first-come-first-serve. On-site dump station.

Date of Stay:
 April, 2011
Rate Paid:
 $4.00

4

Camp and swim in bottomless lakes!

We chose this campground for our visit to Roswell. It’s located ~18 miles from the city and is nicely situated next to the Bottomless Lakes with pretty views of the surrounding red rock and access to swimming, hiking and biking. Sites are very large and flat with shelter, grill and selection of water/electric or full hook-up. By far the nicest ones, in my opinion, are the front pull-throughs (#24-27) which are both enormous and have small trees and lake views. Only dings are that the last 6-mile ride to the park is a bit bumpy and you can’t take dogs in the swimming area. Overall however we really enjoyed the relaxing surroundings and would certainly stay again.

NOTE/ Our $4/night rate reflects what we paid for electric hook-ups using New Mexico Annual Camping Pass

More info and pics here:
http://wheelingit.wordpress.com/2011/04/19/sp-campground-review-bottomless-lakes-state-park-roswell-nm/

Extra Info: Verizon smartphone worked on 1X (bursts of 3G). Aircard worked with external amp/antenna. Sites cost $14/night for water/electric (30 Amp) and $18/night for full hook-up (6 sites available). Camping fees can be covered with New Mexico Annual Camping Permit. Approx. half of campground is reservation, other half is first-come-first-serve. On-site dump station.

Date of Stay:
 April, 2011
Rate Paid:
 $4.00

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