KOA's

We are planning our first multi-stop trip. Going to Ft Myers/Naples Fl. from Indiana. We will stop in Georgia and northern Florida on the way there. I've made reservations at two KOA campgrounds basically just to sleep and shower. I was wondering what peoples' general impression of these campgrounds might be. Also on the way back we might try to boondock at a Cracker Barrel or Walmart. Would welcome opinions on that also.

 

Our experiences at most KOAs have been very favorable, given that when we stay at them we are looking for something easy to find and convenient to the freeway. They are great for quickly getting from point A to point B. With the teardrop you'll often be able to park at tent sites, which are considerably less expensive than the pull throughs. Some of them might test your skill at backing up, but more skills is generally a better thing anyway.

I've never seen a KOA that had a campfire ring, probably because not allowing them greatly reduces their liability and it allows them to make their spaces even smaller.

There's a cycle of decline that every campground goes through, so you need to account for that. We notice it mainly in the showers - a few work flawlessly,everything is in good repair and they are squeaky clean. Some are in rough shape and are obviously ready for the next cycle of updating and repair - they can be shabby enough that it's hard to tell how well they've been cleaned. We've been to a few KOAs repeatedly and have experienced the ebb and flow firsthand.

We've overnighted a time or two at a WalMart. The only thing to keep in mind is that many municipalities have enacted laws to discourage the practice. If so, the WalMart should have signs posted to that effect. We felt most comfortable staying at rural WalMarts away from big freeways, where it's not that common to see folks camping in the parking lot, at least not at the times of year when we happened by. Our thought process is that the more likely that there is a pattern of camping, the more likely someone might see an opportunity in preying upon those campers. We were more likely to use them when we were really trying to cover a lot of ground very quickly, like when we visited the CI factory to pick up our trailer. We had a very tight timeframe that only worked by sprinting out there and jogging back. We cat napped for a few hours at a couple of different WalMarts in order to make the 1,700 mile trip there in two days.

 

Another shower option is the use of your friendly athletic club. We have been members of the Y.(formally ymca). On occasion we have used showers as we camp and travel if we happened to have missed a shower for a day or two. Sometimes we have called ahead but most times just have our ID cards, If there is a question they have called our local Y and verified our membership. Anytime Fitness is another nation wide chain...life is about options... We have stayed at a few KOA's most we have found in good repair and clean. Good to check the price for camping however, we were in Tacoma Washington a few years back and pulled into the KOA as an unplanned stop. The price for a site was the same if you were tent camping or had a large RV...#75...per nigh......we opted out and went to a local state park...further away but much cheaper..

 

Here is a little review I did of a KOA in Boise-Meridian.
http://www.campinnforum.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=28708#Post28708

We have also stayed at the one in Lincoln City, OR (at the coast). You can find that one on my blog as well.

I think as a place to stop for one night to have a shower, doing laundry, etc, they can be great. I am not a great lover of staying at them for much longer than a night for several reasons. 1) you are all packed in quite tightly. We were traveling with our then 4 year old son and the folks next to us helped teach him a very colorful volcabulary. They were nice enough, but we're also there to party. 2) They don't tend to be very scenic, even if they are in scenic areas. 3) They can be pricy compared to alternatives, especially for what you get.

Sometimes they offer just what you need though. The folks at Boise-Meridian were very friendly and made you feel very welcome. They had nice facilities (pool, laundry, showers/bathroom, pool room, TV area, etc). They were close to the freeway and it was a good spot to stop and rest. But it was in an industrial park and you can see from the pictures what we were parked with. The one at Lincoln city was pretty run down, people were not friendly and welcoming, had a decent playground, etc. we stayed there 2 nights and decided we probably would only come back if we had to.

Based on my limited experience, that is what I have found. We have stayed at other little RV resorts (for the showers, laundry, pools) along our big trips, and they have been fantastic. There are several we will go back to if we are in those areas. We always prefer a state park out in our parts, but I understand they really vary by state (ours are really nice, free warm showers, clean, etc so we are spoiled!).