Foss State Park, Foss, Oklahoma

     As we continued our drive west across Oklahoma we picked another state park near I-40.  The park is located about 13 miles west of Clinton or 5 miles north of Foss depending on which direction you're driving on I-40.  We reserved a pull-through site right on the lake for a couple of nights.  We got there to find that all the sites were very nice and all paved with plenty of room.  There are a few campgrounds in the park and we chose Cedar Point for its lakefront sites.  We also found that this campground has a marina, a laundry, disc golf, kayak rentals, and showers.  

     On our second day there, we took a short drive back into Clinton and checked out the Indian Casino just east of town.  It wasn't bad.  They offered $10 or free play and in the end, I was up $5 and Jackie $20.  

    Foss State Park is located in western Oklahoma on Foss Lake. Recreational activities include hiking, biking, disc golf, horseback riding, fishing, boating, swimming, and camping. Facilities include 108 RV campsites, 10 of which have full-hookups and 98 that are semi-modern. All sites offer 30 amp or 50 amp service plus water. Big rig sites, shaded sites, and 103 tent sites are also available. In addition to the tent and RV sites, the park also offers two fully furnished cabins, one of which is ADA compliant, available for reservation at the park's main number. While Foss offers an equestrian camp featuring a multi-purpose trail for horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking, horse rental is not available. Plan your next group retreat or family reunion to Foss Lake and take advantage of the park's five palapas at Sunset Beach, air-conditioned enclosed shelter meeting space, picnic areas, group picnic shelters, grills, fire rings, comfort stations with showers, lighted boat ramps, boat storage, boat rentals, playgrounds, swimming beach and seasonal marina.

Fort Stevens State Park

     Unfortunately, we didn't get any real good photos of Fort Stevens when we visited there.  It was raining all weekend and as we hiked about we took a few pictures of the beach that were pretty much just grey, so we put away our phones and just enjoyed the trails to the beach and the old fort.  The campground was great, plenty of room for every type a camper.  With the rain, I sort of felt guilty with my feet up on the dash drinking my morning coffee looking out the window at the tenters across the way trying to get a fire going in the rain.  We all camp differently, and they were into it and having fun.  I used tent camp quite a bit and we carry a nice tent with us just in case the urge hits me. 

Fort Myers Beach RV Resort

     We pulled into the park on a Saturday morning to find no one in the office, but we did find a package with campground information, our name, and site number.  Once at the site, we found it to have no power.  We picked another site close by which worked out.  The resort was more of just an RV park.  There is a pool and a few other amenities, but not really resort material.  It looks like they are adding new power locations for sites, but they are located right at the road and too far to reach from your RV and they impede pulling forward out of your site.  The roads are very narrow and are all one-way roads with every other alternating.  The sites are set up like pull-throughs, but with the one-way roads, you need to pull forward into them and back out of them.  The park is nice enough and the people we did meet were very friendly, however, we never did meet any staff.  

      The park is located very close to the beach, which is why we chose it in the first place and Fort Myers Beach is very nice.  While out on the pier we got a close look at pelicans diving from the pier's handrails to catch fish.  We also got to watch a pair of dolphins swimming about.  Near the pier is a nice area with shops and places to eat.

A tropical Fort Myers RV campground in Florida
      Tropical paradise is the norm when you book a stay at Fort Myers Beach RV Resort. Our impeccably landscaped grounds, clean facilities and unbeatable Ft. Myers location make this Florida RV park a place to remember. Speaking of unbeatable location, guests at our Fort Myers RV campground have access to nearby islands like Sanibel and Captiva. Spend a day exploring the beaches of Southwest Florida or stay put and relax at the resort.

      At Fort Myers Beach RV Resort, an array of activities and amenities are available to all of our guests. Swim laps in our heated pool, work up a sweat in the fitness center or spend a day at the spa. For bookworms, find something to read in our library.

     Get ready to sit back, relax and enjoy the Florida sunshine and tropical breezes. The staff at Fort Myers RV Resort looks forward to hosting your next Florida getaway.

Fiesta Key RV Resort

      Our trip to the Keys took us across Florida on 41 (Aligator Alley)  Unfortunately, it was during quite a downpour.  Finally, when we got to US-1 the rain stopped and our trip south through the keys was sunny and bright.  When we arrived we were assigned a site too small for our RV and the park was flexible enough to move us to another spot.  Being May, the resort was less than a 1/4 full.  The section that we were assigned had been rebuilt after the last hurricane, so everything was new and nice.  However, no one caught that they installed the water and electrical on the wrong side of each site.  In the resort is a bar and grill called the Lobster Crawl which is very nice.  I understand that on Friday and Saturday nights, there is live music, but we arrived on a Monday.  The pool is beautiful and elevated a bit giving you quite a view of the ocean.  The resort is located about a third of the way down the keys, which worked great for us to drive the car the last hour and a half down to Key West.  I would definitely visit here again.   The resort is part of the Thousand Trails (Trails Collection) but with new restrictions put on the Trails Collection resorts, we reserved it through our RPI membership which actually was a couple of dollars cheaper.  My only complaint about the park is that when other RV friends of ours decided to meet us for lunch, the park wouldn't let them drive their coach in, even though there was plenty of room to park near the Restaraunt for an hour or so. 

     The drive to Key West is beautiful and a bit frustrating.  The speed limit changes often and there are several speed traps along the way, yet people are so impatient that they are willing to pass anywhere.  In Key West itself, tourist rent scooters and are zipping about town, (no helmets) without a care or thought of pedestrians or traffic.  The town is fun, with lots of shops, bars and places to eat.  We visited the furthest point south, which I don't think is, Fort Zachary Taylor, Mallory Square, and just walked about town.  Two cruise ships were in port, so there were lots of tourists.  I'm looking forward to a return trip some year.  

      Find your paradise in the heart of the Florida Keys at Fiesta Key RV Resort! Enjoy the tropical feel of our spacious 28-acre resort located on our own private island. Surrounded by the incredible Gulf of Mexico, Fiesta Key has an on-site marina, and plenty of areas where you can take in the ocean views, or relax and enjoy the sunset. We offer full amenities, and fun vacation activities to keep you busy throughout your vacation. Hook up your RV, check into one our rentals or pitch your tent! Popular nearby attractions include Long Key State Park, the Dolphin Research Center and Bun n' Mary's Dive Center. Don't miss out on this fabulous RV resort located in one of the most popular vacation destinations in the United States!

     Experience paradise in the heart of the Florida Keys at Fiesta Key RV Resort! Tropical breezes wash across the grounds of our 28-acre resort located on our own private island. Surrounded by the breathtaking Gulf of Mexico, Fiesta Key RV Park offers plenty of ways to enjoy the Florida sunshine. In addition to the gulf, you can take a dip in our pool or spa. An on-site restaurant offers convenience while a bar on the beach and, WiFi hotspots are added bonuses.

     Hook up your RV, check into one our rental cottages, or pitch a tent! Don’t miss out on this fabulous RV resort located in one of the most popular vacation destinations in the United States! Popular nearby attractions include Long Key State Park, the Dolphin Research Center and Bun n’ Mary’s Dive Center.

Emerald Cove RV Resort

     We arrived at Emerald Cove on a Thursday afternoon and they put us in a fairly decent site, it had to be over 90’ feet. The campground offers back-in sites along the river (if you’re a member of Colorado River Resorts) and lots and lots of rental. You can rent anything from a small bumper pull to a large park model with covered decks running the length of the units. Overall the campground had a younger feel than a lot of other campgrounds that we’ve visited. Lots of people had ATV’s or boats. There are a couple of pools and hot tubs with a ‘Tiki’ bar separating them. On weekends the bar featured Karaoke which was entertaining for a short while. There were a really good miniature golf course and a nine-hole pitch & put course across the street. Also, there were horseshoes and a basketball court that shared space with two pickleball courts. Unfortunately, the pickleball courts are not well kept and there is no fence around them, so chasing balls is a must. The campground is a mixture of paved roads and gravel sites, but it’s hard to tell where the pavement ends and the gravel begins. The sites along the water as well as the road are packed sand, but plenty hard enough to drive on. The campground doesn’t accept mail and anything arriving USPS is rejected and can be picked up at the post office in Earp. UPS & FedEx are delivered right to your site. The other interesting thing about the campground is the number of wild burros that visit the campground daily looking for handouts.
     Nearby is Parker Dam, the Blue Water Casino, and the Desert Bar. The Desert Bar is a bar that has no outside sources of electricity or water and can only be reached by a five-mile-long dirt road, not recommended for cars. If you get the chance, it’s worth the drive. Also, Emerald Cove is within an hour of Lake Havasu City and the town of Quartzsite which is the place to be in January if you’re an RV’r. We enjoyed the park, but it probably wasn’t our favorite. Though I’m sure that we will revisit it someday in the future.

Emerald Cove - Colorado River Adventures

Type: Premier
Good Sam Rating: 8/7/8.5
Address:
2715 Parker Dam Rd
Earp, CA 92242

Phone: (760) 663-4968
Fax: (760) 663-4945
Reservations Phone: (760) 663-4968
Reservations Fax: (619) 663-4945
Reservations EMail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Resort Information: Located on the scenic Colorado River between California and Arizona. The town of Parker was Wyatt Earp's country. The area is replete with Old West names and history. The resort, a short distance from the London Bridge and Laughlin, Nevada, is in a desert setting, yet has lots of water activities.
Directions: Between I-40 and I-10 on the Colorado River. 6.3 mi N of Earp, CA on Parker Dam Rd.
Reservation Requirements:
Web Site: coloradoriveradventures.com
EMail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Full Sites: 410
Pull-through Sites: 120
RV Site Minimum Stay: 1 night
Open: Jan 1 to Dec 31
Peak: Dec 1 to Apr 1
Maximum Electrical Service: 50 amps
WiFi Available: Yes
Amenities: Recreation hall, outdoor pool, boat ramp, boating available, fishing available - dock, hiking trails, mini golf, Jacuzzi hot tub, sun shades, white sandy beach, gambling casino nearby, fishing nearby, boating nearby, tourist attraction nearby. Nearby: Watersports, London Bridge.
RV Notes: Phone service available at some sites. Drive-ups not accepted.
Accepts Pets: Yes
Visitor Mail Accepted: No

Diamond Caverns RV Resort & Golf, Park City, Kentucky

    We pulled into Diamond Caverns just as another Mandalay was pulling out.  We chatted with them for a few minutes and they suggested taking the spot that they had just left, they said the neighbors were nice.  So we did and they were.  The campground office is outside of the campground across from the driveway and the sales office is located where you would think to park and register.  But I guess everyone is used to people being confused so it isn't a big deal.  There is also a golf course and condos associated with the campground but that's a couple of miles back toward the highway.  Once in the park we found our spot and plugged in, which tripped the 100 amp breaker feed six other 50 amp sites down the row.  Like most parks, the electrical has a lot to be desired.  We were able to get everyone back up and running and only tripped the breaker a few more times during our ten-day visit.  The park has a mixture of 30 and 50 amp sites.  Most of the pull-thru sites were 30 amp.  The facilities were a bit worse for ware.  Overall the park is nice enough, but really needs a lot of repair and upkeep.  We had the great fortune of meeting several new friends there and with that, the worn conditions of the park mattered less.

     There is very little phone service and even less Internet.  We purchased a week from the private contractor who set up some directional antennas to feed the park.  (unfortunately, none pointing toward us)  So even after paying $25 for a week, it was still iffy for streaming, but okay for email.  The Internet in the "Spa" was better and free.  What used to be a spa is now a lounge, library and weight room and they still refer to it as the spa.  The other thing about the campground is, that it's located near a gun range.  We heard shooting the whole time we were there, but on the weekend it was non-stop shooting from 7 am until dark.  

     During our stay, we did have a thunderstorm come through and strike close enough to cause a surge that caught our microwave on fire filling the coach with smoke.  It went out on its own and seems to be working just fine.  That was enough for me to install a permanently mounted surge protector.  (one of the perks of being a retired electrician)  It didn't take long to install and has a built-in time delay before its contact close allowing surges to dissipate before it closes.  However, I found the low-voltage trip feature gets lots of use in these il-wired parks.  

      While we were there, we took a tour of Diamond Cavern.  It's a wet cave, so it has a lot of geological features.  It's located right at the entrance to the RV park.  We also went to Mammoth Cave Visitor Center and learn the history of the cave and the area. We had planned to tour part of the cave, but I was dealing with vertigo and we never went, but plan to return.  A half an hour drive south of the campground is Bowling Green where we donated to Camping World and visited the Corvette Museum.  That was worth the $10 admission if you're into Corvettes and by law, being that I'm a male in my mid-fifties I have to be.  One of the most interesting things about the museum is the sinkhole that swallowed eight Corvettes a few years back.  

18 Hole Golf Course at Diamond Caverns RV Resort & Golf
Diamond Caverns RV Resort & Golf Club offers the best in family vacations and southern hospitality. With a unique family atmosphere.

We offer full hook-up sites, including water and electric. Additionally, Diamond Caverns RV Resort has 2 bedroom accommodations equipped with a nearby pool. Book your next getaway with this Mammoth Cave RV campground.here, this RV Resort near Mammoth Cave National Park has 743 acres designed for relaxation and exploration plus an 18-hole golf course. Diamond Caverns RV Resort boasts walking, hiking, and biking trails, along with other area attractions.

Devil's Lake State Park

        Devil's Lake State Park in Lincoln City, Oregon.  This beautiful park is open year round.  Although it may not be all that inviting looking when pouring down rain is what's melting the existing ice.  The campgrounds offer several yurts and lots of wooded RV sites.  Because of the time of year, I didn't see many good tent sites.  From the campground, you can walk down a short path to Devil's Lake where there's a dock or you walk west out of the park, cross 101 and down a couple of blocks to the beach.  From inside the campground, there is no evidence that you're in the city.  For winter camping, it was nice to have Lincoln City right there.  Lincoln City offers good eating, a casino, and a factory outlet mall, not to mention all the other things the Oregon Coast has to offer. 

      Our visit to the park was over my birthday weekend, so we had family and friends stay at Gleneden Beach Resort nearby.  Aside from the weather, it was a perfect weekend.  Three days with lots of family and friends to share my birthday with.  However, in the future, either I'm going to have my birthday in June or celebrate it in a much warmer climate.
       

Desert View RV Park

      After seeing the Needles KOA and its lack of shade, we decide to move to the Desert View RV Park next door. Not that there was anything wrong with the KOA, but Desert View was more preferable. The first thing we noticed was the owner's pride in his campground and his attention to his customer’s needs. He became a friend and will return to Needles again just to say hi. The park is laid out to try to provide as much shade as possible to all campsites. This also provided privacy, so that you weren’t camping with the septic connection of your neighbor. The site has a concrete pad for you to set out your barbecue or chairs. Unfortunately, there weren't any picnic tables. There is a small pool, a rec room with games, a small dog exercise area, and a laundry.

   While in Needles we visited the Casinos in Laughlin, drove out to the mining town of Oatman, with its wild burros roaming the streets, and made a trip to Lake Havasu to see the London Bridge.  I couldn’t get over how blue the Colorado River was.  Unfortunately, Needles itself doesn’t have much to offer, besides expensive fuel.  The nearest grocery store is a Smith’s sixteen miles away.  But if you’re into following Route 66, it ran through both Oatman and Needles.

  Overall, Desert View is a nice campground and would highly recommend staying there if you found yourself looking for an RV park in that part of the world.

Welcome to Desert View RV Resort!
Offering Shadiest RV Park in the region with a lot of Trees and Oleander garden Resort park is the best Sweet Remedy in the Desert with great Privacy Spots adding to a Tranquil environment. We are Pet-Friendly with dogs on the leash. Free WIFI is available at our Club Room. Our RV Resort includes a heated Swimming pool, Horseshoe, Table Tennis, Darts, Billiards, Foosball, Soccer, Basketball.

The area is popular for walking distance from Colorado River, nearby Golfing, Boating, Jet Skiing, few minutes from Avi Casino, Lake Havasu 35 minutes, Bullhead City 18 minutes, Oatman gold mining Town 20 minutes, Las Vegas 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Desert Springs RV Park, Daggett, California

Deschutes River State Recreation Area

         Visit number two to this absolutely beautiful park.  As beautiful as it was in October, it is even more so in May!  We pulled into a perfect sunny 70-degree day.  This time the river was much higher, parts of some of the picnic area were flooded, but none of the campsites.  

            This is one of our favorite campgrounds.  There are hiking, biking, and horses trails heading up river to explore.  There is a paved loop for RV's and people looking for water and electricity and there are two grass areas with sites separated out for tenters, campers, small trailers, and people who just camp in their car or van.   Also, there is a large grass area for picnicking.  Behind our campsite is a grass field with trees and a volleyball net set up.  

      Because it is sort of out of the way, the Internet and cell service can be spotty.  In the evening, there was almost no Internet, but early in the morning, we were able to stream full video without buffering.  

From Wikipedia

The Deschutes River State Recreation Area is a park at the confluence of the Deschutes and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is a few miles east of The Dalles. The 35.1-acre (14.2 ha) park offers opportunities for camping, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trail riding.

From Oregon State Parks

Campground Information

A Loop (open year-round)

34 electrical sites with water for RV or tent camping (water shut off in the winter)
Flush toilets and hot showers (closed in winter)
Paved parking pads
First come, first served Nov. 1 - Mid-April
B Loop (closed in winter)

14 primitive RV/tent sites
Vault toilets & potable water nearby
G Loop (closed in winter)

4 reservable primitive RV/tent camping areas
Group areas accommodate up to five RVs or tents for up to 25 people
Vault toilets & potable water nearby
T Loop (closed in winter)

11 primitive sites for tents and small RVs (maximum combined length of 24 feet)
Vault toilets & potable water nearby