Lums Pond State Park, Bear, Delaware

      We arrived at Lums Pond at 11 in the morning only to be told that we couldn't enter until 1 that afternoon.  Check out time is noon and the park host take the hour to clean each site before a new camper pulls in.  We were able to park the coach just outside the gate in the shade, disconnected the dinghy and used the two hours to run into Costco, then have lunch.  Lums Pond is another beautiful state park.  All the roads and sites were paved with lots of space between sites.  The campground was all green grass.  The park host stopped by and told us that the car pass that he put on our post would give us access to other parts of the park.  He didn't tell us what all the park had to offer.  Since we were just staying one night so we didn't check it out. In writing this I copied their website's description to add below and after reading it, I guessed we missed out on most of what the park has to offer.  We will have to visit here again.  Very nice clean park with full hook-up sites.

http://www.destateparks.com/park/lums-pond/index.asp

     Lums Pond State Park is built around the largest freshwater pond in Delaware. The park features excellent camping, fishing, sports facilities, hiking trails, and an unforgettable Go Ape! Treetop Adventure Course featuring rope ladders, tree-top crossings, Tarzan swings and 5 zip lines — four of them over water! Lums Pond itself covers 200 acres, and although there is no swimming allowed, boat rentals and fishing provide water-bound recreation. A boat launching ramp and two piers allow easy access to the water.

Park History
     Before the pond existed, St. Georges Creek flowed through the hardwood forest and was the site of several Native American hunting camps. The creek was dammed in the early 1800's when the C & D canal was built. Water from the pond was used to fill the locks of the canal and power a small mill. This area was first used as a state park in 1963.

Hiking, Picnicking, and Learning
     Hikers have the opportunity to explore a variety of habitats along the 7.5 mile Swamp Forest Trail circling the pond. Lums also features over 10 miles of multi-purpose trails (horses, bikes, and hikers). The Whale Wallow Nature Center hosts a variety of programs for visitors during the summer season (Nature Center will be open daily from noon-6 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day.). For outdoor dining, picnic areas are scattered throughout the park, and three pavilions can be reserved for larger groups.

Sports
    Ball fields and game courts abound at Lums Pond State Park. Choose friendly competition in baseball, softball, football, soccer, tennis, basketball, or volleyball. Sharpen your skill in horseshoes or disc golf. Equipment rentals are available during the summer season. Children can work off their excess energy on the playground.

More Fun
    As the weather grows colder, winter activities include hiking, year-round camping, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. Hunting is also permitted, but consult the park office for maps and regulations.

About Camping at a Delaware State Park
     Delaware State Parks have a great deal to offer in family camping. Take your vacation amid towering trees near a freshwater pond or enjoy the scenery of rolling sand dunes and sparkling bay waters.

    All of the campgrounds provide drinking water outlets, modern shower and sanitary facilities, and sewage dump stations. Campsites are equipped with a picnic table and may include a fire ring (campfire regulations). Many have electric and water hookups.

    During the summer season and in high-use areas like Delaware Seashore and Cape Henlopen State Parks, campers should register for the entire length of their stay, up to 14 days.

Don't Move Firewood!
   Help us protect our trees by preventing the spread of harmful insect pests to Delaware's parks and forests. Use the firewood sold at the campground or from local sources near the park you are visiting. Please do not bring firewood with you into Delaware!

Lordsburg KOA

      As with most of our KOA visits, it is just for a night stay-over while driving through because there were none of our membership parks nearby.  The Lordsburg KOA was no exception, it appeared that 90% of the RV’s in the park were just there for a night as well.  We hit some bad weather driving down from Mesa and pulled into the park at one in the afternoon and it was lightly snowing.  By the time we were in our site and set up the sun was out and it warmed slightly.  The park has full hookups with both 30 and 50 amps sites.  There was an extra $3 for a 50 amp pull-through.  I can’t say anything bad about the park but plan to spend forty to fifty dollars for a place to park overnight.  The whole campground is a large gravel parking lot.  It does have all the standard amenities like most all KOA campgrounds do and a few more niceties that we missed because of the weather and the shortness of our visit, like “kamper kitchen,” the activity building, the pool, and the general store.  It is also easy to get to from the freeway.  We would return to the park again if we were traveling I-10 through New Mexico.

     You'll feel an away-from-it-all serenity at Lordsburg KOA, despite its easy-access location off I-10 halfway between Tucson and El Paso. Desert beauty surrounds you with scenic views of the Pyramid Mountains and big-sky sunsets. Tour ghost towns, search for opals and agates at Rockhound State Park, see the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, hike in the Gila National Forest or climb the dunes at White Sands National Monument. At this KOA, you'll find a swimming pool in season, game room, free cable TV, free wireless internet, special holiday treats and a Camping Kitchen ready for group events. An activity center is available for groups as well as food service on certain days. This is the place for relaxation in the Western desert. Pool: May 15 - September 15. Max pull thru 80 feet.

Long Beach RV Campground

LL Stub Stewart Memorial State Park

        Stub Stewart is a great park that we found in the Coast Range.  It features two large RV camping loops with large flat sites each with a very large flat pea graveled area.  It also has a horse camping area with full hookups, complete with horse stalls.  There are several cabins for people who want to enjoy the park but may not be set up for camping.  Also, it is one of three Oregon State Campgrounds with a disc golf course.  (Champoeg & McIver being the other two)   While we were there, the rangers had a night talk on the stars.  There are trails for hiking, trails for horses, and even special trails for mountain bikes.  Overall, the park is outstanding.  Near the park is the Bank-Vernonia State Trail. 
      "Banks-Vernonia State Trail is the first “rails-to-trails” linear state park built in Oregon. The trail follows an abandoned railroad bed that stretches 21 miles between the cities of Banks and Vernonia. Most of the route consists of an eight-foot wide hiking and bicycle trail paralleled by a four-foot wide horse trail. The gentle grade in all but one area allows hikers, bicyclists, equestrians and people of all abilities to enjoy the scenic mountains, fields, and forests of Washington and Columbia counties." Stub Stewart is just about midway along the trail.  The link is a PDF about the trail and its history.

        Our second visit to the park was a last minute thought on Jackie's part.  At 4:30 in the afternoon the day before a camping trip to the beach, Jackie suggests that we find a place to camp on the way to the beach to avoid Monday morning traffic through downtown Portland.  Thirty minutes later we were on the road heading here.   We pulled in a little after six in the evening hoping there was a space available.  Fortunately, there were plenty of sites and we got a great one.  (they are all great sites)  The next morning it was an hour drive to breakfast and then back to the campground and off to Nehalem Bay via the scenic route.

Little Diamond Lake RV Campground, Newport, Washington

      After a not-so-fun drive through Spokane we arrived at Little Diamond Lake Campground.  The campground is both a Thousand Trails and a KOA campground.  It is divided as such, but only in aspects of campsite locations.  When we arrive a couple of days before the Labor Day weekend, the KOA section was all but empty, but once the weekend hit, both sides of the campground filled up.  The KOA side being newer had lots and lots of great sites.  The TT did too, but there was a difference.  The staff were all KOA people, but that didn’t really make a difference, everyone was quite nice.  As campgrounds go, this one is really nice.  Only, we stayed too long and with smoke from wildfires kept us and most of the rest of the campers inside after the Labor Day weekend.  

       The Campground features a small lake with a dock and paddle boats to rent.  There is also a nice clubhouse with pool tables, ping pong, and others.  There is a nice outdoor pool and an indoor spa.  Also, a laundry, a store, and a small room for wifi, with books, videos, puzzles, and a TV.  Overall the KOA people do a great job of keeping this rather large campground clean and well maintained.

     From the campground, we took a couple of drives before the smoke took over.  We drove down and explored Coeur d'Alene and Sand Point, Idaho.  Both are great tourist towns with shops and things to do and explore.  The best part of our visit here to Little River was the friend that we met, Lynne & Dean, and Patti & Dwayne.  Meeting great people is one of the best perks to full-time RV'ing.  Lynne & Dean introduced us to a website called RVillage.  It is like Facebook for RV'ers.  We signed up, saw who else was in the campground and met Patti & Dwayne.  

     Panoramic views of Northeast Washington are just one of this campground’s attractive features. Warm weather plus a trip to Little Diamond RV Campground in Washington is the perfect combination for summer fun. Our resort offers plenty of activities for the whole family, including fishing for Kamloops, paddle boating or lounging by the swimming pool. The popular nearby Silverwood Theme Park makes for a fun day out.

    A fun family getaway starts with a reservation. Book your Little Diamond RV Camping trip today. Our on-site activities and full-service amenities are designed to give you exactly what you’re looking for in your next Washington RV camping trip!

Leeds RV Park & Motel, Leeds, Utah

  We didn't start out with this park as a destination, but after canceling our week in Yellowstone, we moved things around to stay a couple of days in Leeds so we could visit Zion National Park.  As the weather got really cold while visiting Bryce, we decided to add another day just to get some warmer weather.  This gave us two days to visit Zion, one to go into the park and use the shuttle to follow the Virgin River up the canyon stopping to hike the trails along the way.  The second we followed Route 9 through the tunnels to the other end of the park, seeing a whole different section of the park that can't be seen from the shuttle.  My only issue with the park is the number of people, but I guess that's a good thing.  The last stop on the shuttle offers a short paved trail up the river to the start of the Narrows.  I think that everyone who visits the park takes this hike, or so it seems.  The Narrows is something I would like to hike in the future.  It is a trail up the middle of the river through the narrow canyon.  There is a rental place at the park's entrance to rent waterproof gear to make the hike.

     As for the park itself, it was truly one of the nicest parks that we've visited.  All the sites have shade, full hookups, a concrete patio, and picnic table.  There are grass park areas for tenters and picnickers.  The owners were very helpful in accommodating our reservation change in making sure that we didn't have to change sites after our last minute decision to come a day early.  Although the park wasn't in either of our membership campgrounds, it is one that we'll visit again in the future.

     The best part about the park was the people we met while there.  In our short time there we met five other couples.  Four of which we shared an evening of libation and laughs.  Somehow we always meet the nicest people on our last day in a park.  We're looking forward to running into our new friends in the future.

Leavenworth RV Campground, Leavenworth, Washington

     With some poor planning on my part we arrived at Leavenworth on a Friday morning, fortunately, we were early enough to beat most of the weekend rush.  By that afternoon the campground was pretty full, Sunday afternoon, just the opposite.  Leavenworth is a campground as opposed to being an RV park.  We found mostly weekenders and very few members living there full time.  You get the best of both worlds, a regular campground for enjoying a campfire in the woods (when there isn't a burn ban) with lots of small squirrels to tease the dogs and a resort with a great pool, clubhouse, sports courts, etc.  The only drawback that we found at the campground was the dust.  We had to keep our RV closed up with the AC running to try to limit it, but then we're camping, and sometimes that comes with the course.  

      The campground is about a twenty-five-minute drive to the town of Leavenworth.  Leavenworth was a dying logging town, the railroad had moved to an easier way over the mountains, then someone came up with the brilliant idea of making it a theme town.  They did their homework and change the look of the town to resemble a Bavarian town.  It started with a few storefronts, then expanded from there.  Most of the business in town hold to the theme, including Starbucks, McDonald's, and even the 76 station.  There are enough shops, restaurants, and things to do and see in the town that we took a couple of days to just poke through the shops.  After we had left the area while visiting the Grand Coulee Dam we learned of the Leavenworth fish hatchery and its importance in keeping the salmon population going after the dam was built.  We'll have to return to check it out.  Leavenworth also has quite a logging history which is also worth looking into.

     Overall, this was a great campground and one I'm sure we'll return to.  (Maybe during the week, next time)  We were there for the eclipse which we experienced while playing shuffleboard.  We were too far north for the sky to get dark, but it was a weird light and the temperature noticeably dropped.   

Leavenworth RV Open Year Round

     What's your activity of choice? Hiking? Fishing? Snowmobiling? Sledding? Book a Leavenworth RV Camping trip and you won't have to choose! We offer countless activities for every season. This beautiful RV camp in Washington boasts a serene location situated amid 300 acres of forests and meadows. Visit in the winter and you'll have access to over 200 miles of groomed snowmobile trails. Snowshoeing, sledding and cross-country skiing are other popular snow sports, with plenty of on-site hills to choose from. Our hills are even tailored to skill; Chipmunk Hill for the kids and Grizzly Run for the daring adults.

     Is summer more your thing? No problem. Warm, sunny days provide picturesque conditions for sunbathing, river rafting, kayaking, paddle boating and more on Alpine Trout Lake and Otter Pond.

     Additional off-site recreation is right around the corner. Leavenworth RV Camping is just 29 miles from Steven's Pass Ski Resort and four miles from Fish Lake, a popular ice fishing spot. For additional sights, visit the Bavarian Village of Leavenworth for seasonal festivals, historic architecture and German culture just 17 miles from this exciting Washington RV campground.

Laura S Walker State Park

     We arrived at the park right after a pretty solid rain.  A lot of the park was flooded, but all the sites we built up and elevated to minimize the water issue.  However, not all the issues...  it seems that the ants were also looking for a drier place to live.  Small sugar ants used our electrical cable as a gangplank to come aboard.  I'm sure that conditions were just right for this to happen, the cable must have been laying across an anthill.  Outside of the ants, the park was great.  Very well maintained, super clean, and has the friendliest rangers.  In the evening, listening to the noise of the local wildlife was amazing.  It is a park that we will return to, only next time we'll stay more than just one night so that we have time to visit the Okefenokee Swamp that just a couple of miles away and we'll be a little more attentive to the ants.

From the Park's Website

"Wander among the pines at Laura S. Walker, the first state park named for a woman, an oasis that shares many features with the unique Okefenokee Swamp, where you can enjoy the serene lake, play rounds on a championship golf course, and stroll along the trails and natural communities in this southeast Georgia haven."

    Located near the northern edge of the mysterious Okefenokee Swamp, this park is home to many fascinating creatures and plants, including alligators and carnivorous pitcher plants. Walking or biking along the lake’s edge and nature trail, visitors may spot the shy gopher tortoise, numerous oak varieties, saw palmettos, yellow-shafted flickers, warblers, owls and great blue herons. The park’s lake offers opportunities for fishing, swimming and boating, and kayaks and bicycles are available for rent. The Lakes, a championship 18 hole golf course, features a clubhouse, golf pro and junior/senior rates. Greens are undulating rather than tiered. Each fairway and landing area is defined with gentle, links-style mounds that accent the course’s three large lakes. New Sportsman's Cabins sleep six. The park’s namesake was a Georgia writer, teacher, civic leader and naturalist who loved trees and worked for their preservation. Read the story of Laura Singleton Walker.

Accommodations & Facilities

• 626 Acres
• 120 Acre Lake
• 6 Sportsman's Cabins
• 44 Tent, Trailer & Campsites - site-specific
• 7 Picnic Shelters
• 5 Group Shelters (seats 75-165)
• 1 Group Camp (sleeps 142)
• 1 Pioneer Campground
• 1 Gazebo
• Playground 
• Dog Park
• Sand Beach
• Boat Ramp 
• Wildlife Observation Boardwalk
• The Back Nine Grille at The Lakes Golf Course
• Wifi Available in the Visiter's Center

Things To Do & See

• Biking
• Birding
• Boating
• Fishing
• Geocaching
• Hiking - 4 miles of trails
• Swimming
• Water Skiing
• Weddings - park approval required
• Bike Rental
• Kayak & Stand-up Paddleboard Rental

Lake of the Springs RV Resort

Lake Minden RV Resort, Nicolaus, California

    Lake Minden was a campground of convenience.  It was on our way north and it is fairly close to where our daughter lives.  Again our GPS detoured us around the quick and easy way to the campground, but this time it only added a mile or two.  The ranger at check-in was very nice.  She reached across the counter to shake our hands.  The campground is nice and well taken care of.  We camped in Section D on the other side of the lake.  Unfortunately, all the sites are 30 amps with no septic.  We got set up and took a walk around the lake.  We saw several people fishing along the bank of the lake.  There are two nice sections for dry camping and two sections with hook-ups, only Section A near the lodge has septics.  The park does have a restaurant that is seasonal and wasn't open during our stay in March.  On the second day, we drove to Grass Valley to have lunch with our daughter and her boyfriend.

Lake Minden RV Campground in California
      Local attractions and fun things to do are never scarce at beautiful Lake Minden. Located on the grassy plains of the Sacramento Valley, Lake Minden RV Camping Resort provides endless recreation and adventure. Fish, boat or just enjoy the water on our private 41-acre lake, where fishing for catfish and largemouth bass is a year-round pastime. Hiking, picnicking, attending local festivals and enjoying the wildlife are also popular at Lake Minden RV Camping Resort, as the California scenery creates the perfect backdrop for many outdoor activities.

     Our central location close to major cities makes for a convenient weekend getaway or a week-long retreat. While we are open year-round, outgoing adventure-seekers will especially enjoy our April through October season. This is our most active time and the campground will be bustling with guests and tons of things to do!

     Book your next trip at Lake Minden RV Camping Resort. Our relaxing atmosphere paired with a friendly staff is bound to create a memorable vacation.