Natchez Trace RV Campground, Hohenwald, Tennessee

     Our original thought on choosing Natchez Trace to camp at was to visit Nashville, but we never made it there.  We had planned on staying for six days and moving on toward Memphis, but the couple (Bud and Melanie) next to us at Diamond Caverns were heading there the day after us so we added four more days to spend more time visiting with them.  (Also, Melanie was sewing us new curtains.)  Another couple (Ron & Glenda) that we had met at Diamond Caverns also joined us a week later.  On our first day there we checked out the store/cafe and met some of the local people who invited us to join them at their table for breakfast.  That wound up being a daily thing.  We also met three other couples there, one park ranger and his wife (Thomas & Pam), the other two (Bob & Debi) & (Rick & Kim) had also been at Diamond Caverns while we were there but we hadn't met them yet.  With all the truly great people there, we added another four days to our stay.

     When we arrived at the campground we went off in search of a full hook-up with 50 amps, but the only one available was in a bad location in the sun and at the time our AC wasn't working.  So we then looked for a 30 amp full hookup site and found only a few of them, but they were also in full sun.  So we found a great spot under the trees (I had to trim some branches while standing on the motorhome for us to back in)  It was 30 amps and no septic hookup, but it was a great spot and there was a full hookup 30 amp spot that Bud and Melanie could use when they came the following day.  Our park ranger friend (Thomas) set us up with a pumping service, so after five days we ponied up $10 bucks and got pumped out.  When Ron & Glenda showed up, there were a few full hookup sites at the beach and we all moved over there.  We occupied four of the seven beach sites for the Labor Day weekend.  It was camping at its best.  Thomas offered up his pontoon boat to use while he was working and once we took him up on his generous offer, we drove it back to the beach and picked up the rest of the clan and enjoyed a couple of hours out on the lake.

    The weekend before Labor Day the campground hosted a charity auto show which featured mostly "Rat Rods".  It was an interesting take on restoring old cars.  The campground is also located right next to the Natchez Trace.  The Natchez Trace is a 444-mile long national park.  It's a road starting from Natchez, Mississippi extending north almost to Nashville.  No commercial vehicles are allowed on the road and it has a 50 mph speed limit throughout.  It followed a trail that pioneers used as they traveled north through the area.  The site where Meriwether Lewis is buried is pretty close to the campground.  That, and the Amish community nearby are just about the only thing to see near the campground as Nashville is about an hour and a half drive.  

    From what we understand about the campground is that the previous owners were going bankrupt when Thousand Trails picked it up.  There are over 500 sites and it's very spread out.  Because of the park's age, most of the sites are 30 amp without septic.  Most of the facilities are rundown and are in need of a lot of work.  There are only seven sites at the beach that are near the lake that are available for "transients", the rest of the lakefront site are annual sites.  Hopefully, with enough annual sites, the park will be able to make the improvements that it desperately needs.  The campground also has a lot of cabins, which we didn't learn much about.  I think the number one draw to the campground is the people who live there, work there, and live nearby.  Everyone we met was so nice.  The other nice feature is the cafe that serves three meals a day with the best prices.  Jackie and I both ate breakfast there every day for around six dollars together.  I'm sure that the campground will continue making improvements and we're looking forward to our next visit.

Mt. View RV Park

     We stumbled onto Mt. View RV Park while looking for a camping spot near our Niece Anna's home in Boise.  The park turned out to be a great choice.  It was clean, well-kept, and the staff was very friendly.  We will camp here again when we visit Boise.

From their website

Boise's Most Convenient RV Park!

Stay with us when visiting Boise, ID; The City of Trees.  We're the only RV Park in the city limits of Boise.

As Idaho's most populated city, Boise offers a variety of attractions. From fabulous restaurants and entertainment venues to our scenic mountains and rivers. We offer Good Sam and AAA discounts for our nightly guests.

With 60 pull-thru full hook-up sites; complete with 20,30 & 50 amp service, asphalt pads, grass yards, and plenty of trees. Unfortunately, we do not offer cable television. We also provide handicap access and city water that actually tastes good! As a full-service RV Park, we also offer year round RV storage. Our on-site management ensures a safe, secure, clean, well maintained, and friendly environment.

Amenities:

Close to BSU (3.5 miles), close to downtown Boise (4 miles), Boise Airport, restaurants, Green Belt, Boise River, hotels, car rental agencies, museums, hospitals and Boise Towne Square Mall.

City water, 20, 30 & 50amp access along with waste dump at all sites. All sites are pull-through on asphalt pads. Coin Operated Laundry with Restrooms & Showers.

We have a 3rd party internet provider who services our network. The network is supported by fiber optics and redistributed throughout the park wirelessly. This network is available to any device that has a "static web browser". Once you log on, you have the option to either utilize a limited free period or purchase 1($3), 7($12) or 30($30) day packages. The free option allows the device to have either 6hrs or 500mbs of data per 24hrs. The 6hr portion of this free option starts from the time the "free button" has been engaged and will run continuously whether you are using the device or not. You are able to utilize the "free button" once per device per 24hrs. All options, free or paid, are high speed with up to 25megs down and 12up.

Reservations STRONGLY SUGGESTED. Reservation/Confirmation will take place over the phone. Please call during office hours to secure your desired dates. We do not offer cable TV. However, due to our close proximity to downtown Boise, approximately 50+ channels are available over the air depending on your antenna/TV. Please be advised we are not equipped for Tent-Camping.

Check-In/Check-Out: 12:00 (noon) MST

Mount Vernon RV Campground

     Mt. Vernon is set up so that it’s easy to check in. The welcome center is outside the gate and just inside the gate is a large parking area to drop our dinghy and use it to find a campsite. This really helps for bigger rigs in tight campgrounds. However, this campground was anything but tight. At the entrance is most of the facilities, the pool, rec centers, laundry, basketball court, etc. The roads are wide and branches are trimmed back. The sites are large and well separated. Most sites are in the trees, but there are sites in the open if you’re trying to get satellite. The campground follows the freeway so that campsites on the west side get the steady hum of traffic. We noticed that the staff was continuously working on the campground and it shows, however they did seem to have difficulties keeping up with the blackberries in some sites. This is the perfect campground for any size rig and it is very easy to access from I-5. Also, there is a large casino right outside the gate, if you’re into that.
     From the campground, it isn’t too far to venture up into the Northern Cascades. We followed Mt. Baker Highway up the north side of the mountain pass the ski resorts to some of the most scenic views in the Cascades. Along the way up we stopped to check out Nooksack Falls.  It is well worth taking a day and driving up to Artist Point and taking a short hike along the ridge and taking in the views of two mountains, Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan. We had the bad fortune of having clouds come in and cover Mt. Baker, but it was still well worth the drive.

     Snow-capped mountains and scenic rivers offer a stunning backdrop for this RV camp in Washington State. When booking a Mount Vernon RV Camping trip, guests can look forward to enjoying area festivals, sporting traditions, and great American pastimes. Additionally, Mount Vernon RV Camping offers the perfect location for exploring the Cascade Mountains and appreciating the local scenery. Lush forests provide plenty of hiking trails while opportunities for golfing and fishing are available nearby. Ferries to the San Juan Islands operate daily and we're just a quarter mile from the nearest casino.