Williamsburg RV & Camping Resort, Williamsburg, Virginia

      After a two and a half hour drive from Virginia Beach (70 miles), we were happy to finally get to Williamsburg.  There's an unmanned gate with a keypad to let you in.  Once the arm lifts, you follow the arrows on the road to the very center of the campground to the office.  The office gave us a choice of a couple of sites that didn't work out and then another couple.  On the second go-round, we decide on the least sloping site.  We still wound up with tires off the ground to level. The campground was fine, but felt crowded and could use work on some of its sites.  The office staff was extremely nice and very helpful.  The pool was nice and the lodge was fine, but the games all cost money to play.  Being there in June, the humidity was such that it wasn't comfortable to sit outside.  But with it being so close to Williamsburg, Yorktown Battlefields, & Jamestown, we really didn't spend much time in the campground.

      Williamsburg was very educational.  They offer 50% off on their annual passes for veterans, so it was cheaper to buy an annual pass than a three-day pass without the discount.  They also give 10% off on everything for veterans.  Colonial Williamsburg is separate from the town, there are no cars and everyone working there is playing a 1776 character.  Some of the actors were outstanding, especially the barber.  We did find that eating there was very expensive ($7 for a hotdog) and sit-down dining was even more expensive.  However at the end of the Colony is a William & Mary College store that has a coffee shop/cafe in it, which was very reasonably priced.  I visited Williamsburg in the early 70's and sent my sister a photo of me in a tri-cornered hat and she sent me a photo from that trip.

      We also visited the Yorktown battlefield.  It is a national park so with your park pass it's free.  I believe it was $14 per person without one.  We took the free one hour "Ranger Tour" in which a Park Ranger walked you outside the visitor's center and told you the story of the Battle of Yorktown.  This was very well done and interesting.  Then we took the driving tour of the park that shows the locations of earthworks, redoubts (outposts) the surrender field, the home where the surrender was signed and other interesting historic spots.  We also walked the town of Yorktown that has a nice beach waterfront area along the York River.  After Yorktown, we decided to drive over to the site where the Jamestown settlement was.  We checked out the glass blowing demonstration where the glassworks ruins were found, but when we got to the settlement, it was raining so we opted to skip it.  With your national parks pass it was only $5.  I guess we will have to come back.

Willard Bay South Marina & Campground, Willard, Utah

     After pricing Willard Bay State Park Campground, we opted for the $25 a night Willard Bay South Marina and Campground.  It was pretty much one big parking lot, but the sites were well spaced, most having a covered picnic table in the grass.  There was plenty of shade trees so it was a lot better than I imagined from the satellite view.  Each site had full hookups, which was nice, however, the sewer system ran below the parking lot and there was a vented manhole cover just a few feet from our door.  This was two problems, the smell, and the number of bugs that circled around it.  Since we were staying for just two nights and weren’t planning on sitting outside much because of the mosquitos, we didn’t change sites.  We probably should have, judging by the number of gnats that found their way into the coach by the second night.

      While there we drove down to the historic 25^th Street in Ogden, only to find that everything was closed on Mondays.  So, after looking at the map, Jackie suggested that we check out Antelope Island State Park. It was a great park which featured antelope, buffalo, and lots of birds.  There was a couple of campgrounds a visitor center, and a burger stand, which featured buffalo burgers.  We were assured that the buffalo came from South Dakota.  We didn’t go for the buffalo, but both our hamburgers were outstanding.  We learned the history of the island and of the Great Salt Lake and how the level of the lake changed over time.  Perfect, if you’re into that sort of thing like we are.  The Visitor Center also had this cool birdhouse.

       Overall, the park nice enough and would be great if you had a boat.  (just don’t park near a manhole cover) On the upside, we did see a pair of great horned owls and a couple of beautiful sunsets.  On the way out, you exit through the park gate and then there is about a mile of straight two-lane road and halfway down the road is a second gate which has two concrete bollards sticking up right in the middle of the road splitting the lanes.  If you’re not paying attention….

    (from Utah State Parks)   Boat, swim, water ski, and fish on the warm waters of Willard Bay.  Camp under tall cottonwood trees that frame the night sky. During winter months, Willard Bay is a wildlife watching area for nesting eagles. Two areas, North and South Marinas, offer all the amenities for a weekend at the Bay.

Wilderness RV Park

     When we pulled in and walked into the office we met the owner and another couple who were living there.  Our timing was good because those folks turned out to be some of the nicest people.  They invited us over for a Saturday morning breakfast and we got to know them better along with several other campers.  We picked a 30amp pull-through site.  It was tight and on grass, but not too bad.  We walked around the park which was nice, with lots of trees, a couple of ponds complete with ducks.  We did notice that most of the campers were older and many lived there full time.  There's a pool, but not heated, horseshoe pits, a laundry and not a whole lot else in the park, except for some really nice people.

     We did find that if you're willing to drive a little from the park, there are beautiful white sandy beaches and many other outdoor activities.  We drove down to Pensacola Naval Air Station and visited the free Air Museum.  It was one of the best air museums that we've seen and it was free! 

Type: Deluxe

Good Sam Rating: 8/7.5/7.5

Address: 
24280 Patterson Rd
Robertsdale, AL 36567

Phone: (251) 960-1195

Fax: (251) 960-1196

Reservations Phone: (251) 960-1195

Reservations Fax:

Reservations EMail:

Resort Information: Located on I-10 22 miles west of Pensacola, Florida and 27 miles east of Mobile, Alabama. Miracle Strip beaches and other historic sights all within a short drive. Area attractions: Six golf courses, the Naval Aviation Museum, excellent deep sea and freshwater fishing, hunting, canoeing and other water sports.

Web Site: wildernessrvpark.com

EMail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Full Sites: 71

Pull-through Sites: 71

Dry Sites: 6

Check-In/Check-Out Times: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m./ Noon

Open: Jan 1 to Dec 31

Peak: Jan 1 to Apr 30

Maximum Electrical Service: 50 amps

WiFi Available: Yes

Maximum RV Length: Unlimited

Elevation: 0

Amenities: Recreation hall, outdoor pool, fishing available, horseshoes, pavilion, picnic tables, bird watching, laundry, propane, golf nearby (6 courses), fishing nearby - deep sea and fresh water, beach nearby, tourist attraction nearby, Nearby: Miracle Strip beaches, Naval Aviation Museum, water sports. Wi-Fi and Internet access in the clubhouse.

RV Notes: Additional charges: 50 amp $2.20/night including tax. Wi-Fi access in the campground.

Accepts Pets: Yes

Pet Restrictions: No more than 4 pets per rig.

Visitor Mail Accepted: Yes