Week 196 - A Good Site Luckier Photo Collection - 05-16-2010

The Lucky RV Site Collection:

We have never won a door prize, a slot machine jackpot, don't play or win the lottery, but we have been so lucky in the RV sites we have been blessed to stay at. This collection shows a couple dozen of these sites. Each site has its own unique aspects, and all were great places to stay.

We met John and Gloria at Motor Coach Country Club Resort in Indio, California. They own this lot at Pacific Shores in Newport, Oregon and a home in Florida. A delightful couple, we kept in contact with them the last few years. They invited us to meet them in Newport. Unfortunately by the time we arrived in October 2007, they had headed to Florida. Luckily, John and Gloria allowed us to stay on their personal lot for five days. Their lot is first class and has a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean. Without luck, but with careful planning, we were able to return in September 2009 to visit them when they were there. The visit was wonderful and we look forward to another.

This is Weir Beach, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Lucky? You bet. We tried to get into an RV park right in Victoria, B.C. We could not, so we had to "settle" for this park. The sunrise view on the right came right into our front window. We stayed here with our next door neighbors from Atascadero, Ben and Sid.

It takes more than luck to park here, the Motor Coach Country Club RV Resort in Indio, California. It takes $82.00 per night (11-2006) to get a water front site. But we had a 1/2 price coupon from an FMCA motorhome rally, so our three night visits were just $41.00 each. This park is as beautiful as any 5-star hotel we have ever stayed at.

Beebe Bridge Park in Lake Chelan Falls, Washington has huge, beautiful sites. It's $25 per day and there are no reservations. Luckily, there was one site available the day we arrived. It was not on the water like the site below. But each day, others may leave and if you schmooze them, you can move into their site right when they move out. We got to stay at this site right on the Columbia River. Wow!

Frazier Cove RV Park in Lillooet, British Columbia, had just two sites large enough for the Mothership. Lucky? You decide. But it was only $13.00 with 50 amp power, water, sewer and WiFi. We think lucky!

Another site with a fantastic water view of Lake Hugo, Oklahoma. The Kiamichi State Park has a lot of nice sites, but none like this one, right on the bluff overlooking the lake. $15.00 with power and water. And we had the place to ourselves. There were about six other RVs but we only saw one couple, who luckily talked us into purchasing a Passport America camping membership. We have saved hundreds of dollars with PA's 1/2 price rates.

This site may not look like much, but as you see in the second photo, it is right on the Colorado River in Bullhead City, Arizona. It is dry camping and you can park as close to the river as you like. It's an easy bicycle ride to Laughlin, Nevada casinos where you can try your luck.

All the sites at the Kah-nee-ta RV Park in Warm Springs, Oregon are priced the same. We could be parked A) in a row next to several others shown on the left, or B) have a site where the closest RV is hundreds of feet away. Hmmmm, let's see, I think we'll go with B! Shhhhh, don't tell their marketing program that we got the most spacious site we have every camped on for the same price as the others.

Jojoba Hills RV Park in Aguanga, California is one of our favorites and we have visited for a total of 40 days in four visits. All the lots are unique and cared for by their owners. We have stayed on five different lots, but this one was just amazing: grass, brick, concrete patio, outdoor furniture, spacious and magnificent views in three directions. We were lucky as we believe we got their best lot and you cannot make reservations. You just have to get there and take what they have. This was the last spot available!

Rocky Plantation Comfort RV Park near Warrenton, Georgia is owned by a couple who had hundreds of acres of farm land and wanted to leave it to their kids. So they created this self-service RV park where you check yourself in. The camping fees pay for the annual property taxes. There are no facilities. However, the day we stayed there, the owners had a fish fry with friends and invited us to eat with them. And they gave us a Rocky Plantation Comfort RV Park baseball cap that is now Pete's favorite.

What could be more fun than parking 20 feet away from the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean? Lucky for you, we know the answer: NOT MUCH! This is Rincon State Park near Seacliff, California. This day we had the place to ourselves. But during much of the year, you have to be lucky to get a site. There are 128 sites, but twice we planned to stay and it was full.

Galveston Island State Park was destroyed by Hurricane Ike. We were lucky to visit before Ike. The photo on the right is still the one posted on their website but they do say that camping is available (05-2010).

Anyone would consider it lucky to be able to park your home right here. Ozarks Luxury RV Resort is one of our favorites. It is right on the shores of Table Rock Lake. And the friends we met here are like most other RVers, delightful to be with and very generous. They took us on a boat trip up the lake for lunch. We joined them for motorcycle road trips, pot lucks, fire rings, pickleball and just plain good fellowship.

Our first major trip in 2006 was to Las Vegas for a basketball clinic. Ellen met Charlie and Cheryl and we spent a few hours together with them on their last night. They gave us their address and told us to stop by in Conyers, Georgia. Warning: Don't invite us unless you mean it! And they did. We spent 12 days parked at their house and they exhibited what the world knows as "Good Ole Southern Hospitality". They even drove us 25 miles to the Atlanta Airport and picked us up at Midnight on our return. Folks don't come any nicer!

Are you feeling lucky? How about day camping on Sulfur Lake in the Yukon. Beautiful, private and free.

On Sulfur Lake, Ellen enjoyed fishing and relaxing. Lucky for us, we read our Mileposts book that told us how to find the skinny little road off the Alaskan Highway that lead 1/4 mile to this spot.

The Jetty at Port San Luis Harbor in Avila Beach was a lot of fun. Six or so motorhomes could share this spot surrounded on all sides by the Pacific Ocean. You had to get to know your neighbors and decide who parks where, so that when someone had to leave, the fewest of you have to move first. Lucky? Sadly so. We were lucky to camp here twice as now it has been closed.

Nurturing a friendship with Bill took decades and it has been great. Bill built this RV site in his backyard with power, water and sewer. Lucky for us, Bill knew exactly how long the Mothership is; 44 feet with the motorcycle rack. Bill has the gift of hospitality and says "it's all about us".

We have a few traveling rules and one of them is "we don't pay after dark". We left Yakima, Washington and headed toward Mount Rainier National Park. It was getting close to dark and we did not find any campground that worked for us. Luckily, a few miles from the park, at the junction of highways 12 and 123, is this incredible dry camping site. We just backed in among the trees and enjoyed God's beauty in its most natural form.

Ahhhh! The Garden of the Elks. The Cape Girardeau Elks has a 35 acre lake (off to the left) and 12 sites. We were there on our 33 anniversary and stayed for five days. It was humid but we had 50 amps of power to make it through the days and the nights were marvelous. And Ellen could get up early each day and fish from land, our kayak or the Elk's boat. She caught one of the biggest large-mouth bass that the lake had to offer. And yes, we were alone for five days of bliss.

One of the nice things about having your RV serviced, as full timers, is that the service centers usually allow you to stay on their lot each night until your service is complete. Normally, this means on a dirt or asphalt lot, that may or may not have electrical power. Does this look like a parking lot? No, our luck wins out again. This is the overnight parking for Cummins Care in Elkhart, Indiana. Concrete pads surrounded by grass, with power, water and a little stream in the back. It is amazing what sites are out there!

The Grand Tetons are truly an awesome creation of God. In person, they are just breathtaking. We stayed one night at Colter Bay RV Park where this photo was taken. We had no reservations (we rarely make any) and only one night was available. The next day we kayaked down the Snake River and met Diane. Diane gave Pete a ride from our destination to our kayak launch site. As she drove and chatted, Diane learned that we had no place to stay that night. So Diane invited us to park the Mothership at her house in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

This is Diane and Dennis's house on seven acres that borders the Grand Teton National Park. This 5,000 square foot house has picture windows in every room, yes, even the bathrooms. The view is a different angle of the mountains shown in the previous photo. And our little parking area was private, a little way from the house and had electrical and water hookups.

We do consider ourselves lucky. Lucky to live in such as wonderful country, lucky to travel, lucky to have such as awesome creator and lucky to stumble upon these amazing places to park our home. And finally, we are lucky to have such great friends as yourselves.

We hope you enjoy our travelogues. But you know, it probably is not just luck!

Love, Pete and Ellen