Here and There

Scott and Jackie's Travels – Thousand Trails Reviews, Campground Reviews, Fulltime RVing, European Travel

Tag: shortstop

2015 – Shortstop: Twin Dikes Park, Lake Sam Rayburn – Jasper, TX

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We always like Corps of Engineers campgrounds and Twin Dikes Park on Sam Rayburn Reservoir near Jasper, TX is no exception. This is a great campground. There are a variety of spacious well-laid-out campsites ranging from full hookups with screened shelters (even running water in the sink) down to nice tent sites nearer the lake. The full hookup loop has 30 amp electric while the water/electric sites have 50 amp service. The park is clean with wide paved roads and paved campsites. This is a first rate campground in a pretty setting. I was able to get two of my three Dish satellites for TV and our Verizon 4G signal was very good. This is a popular campground that stays busy, especially on weekends so reservations are highly recommended. The next time we come this way we’ll plan on a longer stay.

2015 – Shortstop: Natchez, MS State Park

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There are two campgrounds at Natchez, MS State Park (plus a primitive camping area and a cabin area). We stayed in the newer Campground B a couple of years ago and liked it very much. Our stay this time was in the older Campground A, we like it too. Campground A has the only full hookup sites in the park and there are only six of them. Not only that, but it appeared to me that three of those were taken by long term campers. I’m not sure how that works in a state park, but I remember seeing at least one other long term setup in the newer campground a couple of years ago. The full hookup sites are all back in but between two one way roads in and out of the campground. The sites are level, reasonably spaced and concrete slabs. The other sites in Campground A are water/electric only. Some look like they would be okay for bigger rigs, but there are others that would be a tighter fit. I could get my 5th wheel into the lower part of Campground A but I don’t think I would like doing it very much.

Getting to Campground A is an experience all in itself. As I mentioned in my 2013 review, to get to this state park one turns off of Highway 61 onto State Park Road. You will wind your way past several buildings that are at the falling down stage right on a pot-hole filled road. In a few minutes you come to a sign instructing you to turn left off of State Park Road if you want to go to Campground B and the main offices. Otherwise, you continue down State Park Road to the entrance to Campground A. The rough road only gets worse as you come, but it’s only a mile or so to the campground entrance. The back in, full hookup sites are right there.

You could get into this campground from the main state park road (not to be confused with the road I just described “State Park Road” – how’s that for confusing!). However, that way into Campground A is via a narrow road just wide enough for one vehicle down and through the lower part of Campground A. Then, once you get to the row of full hookup sites you are going the wrong way with no place to turn around! Needless, to say, you don’t want to do that, so approach Campground A on State Park Road and not the road into the rest of the park (I know, confusing).

I managed to get most of my satellite TV channels but it was a challenge. Had it not been fall with the tree leaves thinning out, I doubt I would have had any success at all. My Verizon 4G was a fairly good 2 bars. Now that I’ve stayed in both campgrounds at Natchez State Park I think I’d go for Campground B for shorter (no sewer hookup) stays and Campground A for longer stays, and that only if I could get a full hookup site.

Shortstop: LeFleur’s Bluff State Park – Jackson, MS

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Our shortstop at LeFleur’s Bluff State Park in Jackson, MS is our second stay at this campground. We were here two years ago as we journeyed down Natchez Trace Parkway the first time. There’s really not much new to say. We still like it here.

Our review from 2013 is here.

One good change is that the unnecessary concrete island at the entrance has been removed, making it easier to navigate through the gate. Before, there was no one at the entrance station but now we noted that it is manned. I mentioned in my previous review that I thought satellite TV would be easier to get in the sites across from the bathhouse. I was mistaken. “North” isn’t quite where I thought it was and the satellites are still out through the trees. From what I can see, the sites nearer the campground entrance might be best for satellite, but as wooded as it is getting a signal there would be challenging at best. However, there are lots of local over-the-air channels so a TV watcher will still have plenty of entertainment available. This is a busy campground on weekends so a person would be wise to reserve a site early if possible.

Shortstop Review: Baileys Point CoE Campground – Glasgow, KY

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We’ve enjoyed our short stop at Bailey’s Point CoE Campground on Barren Lake near Glasgow, KY. The campsites are terraced along the lake and most of the sites have nice views of the lake – in fact, many are right along the lake. The campground is on a finger of land, so driving to it means traveling down some country roads. The roads are okay, but are rather narrow and hilly. The sites are mainly water with 50 amp electric although there are some that were obviously designed for tents and smaller campers. Parking in most every site includes backing up a sometimes steep entry ramp. Once you get to the top of the paved ramp the sites, themselves, are level gravel. Several of the site ramps are long enough and steep enough that I wouldn’t want to back my 5th wheel up them for fear that the back bumper of the camper would scrape the paved surface of the ramp. When you make camping reservations online you can see photos of the individual campsites. You might want to pay attention to the photos to get an idea of just what it would take to back into the sites. I had no problem getting satellite TV and my Verizon 4G as weak but usable. The campground is well cared for and the scenery is great. We’d be happy to have a longer stay here in the future.

Shortstop: Ottawa Metro Park Campground – Lima, OH

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Ottawa Metro Park Campground is a nice campground located just a few minutes off of I75 in Lima, Ohio, making it a great two night stop for us. The roads and the spacious, level campsites are paved. There are both back in and pull-through sites. The trees in the campground are smaller, so they don’t offer much shade but, as a result of their size, getting satellite TV is no problem. Some sites offer 50 amp electric but the majority are 30 amp. All sites are water/electric and there is a dump station in the campground. The restroom/shower building is modern and clean. During our stay the price was $25 a night with an over-60 senior discount price of $20. There are some terrific, paved walking trails and a swimming beach in the park. The only negative I saw about the campground is that it’s all first-come/first-served with no reservations possible. For RVers out on the road this arraignment doesn’t work very well. We arrived the weekend after Labor Day and had no problem getting a site. If you plan on coming to this park during busier times, you might want to try arriving on a weeknight; or at least you will want to have a backup campground in mind. My Verizon 4G signal was a usable 2 bars. This place is a real winner, especially if you don’t mind taking a chance on getting a site when traveling during busy times of the year.

Shortstop: Crows Creek Campground, Smithville, MO

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We’re in what we call “repositioning mode” – a few days in which we travel longer distances and do shorter stays to get to a different part of the country. Because of that we did a one night “shortstop” at Crows Creek Campground on Smithville Lake, just north of Kansas City, MO. Crows Creek is a big county run campground with over 400 campsites. Around half of the sites have 30 or 50 amp electric and a good number of the 30 amp sites have water hookups too. I think all but a couple of sites are back-in. There are no sites with sewer connections, but there is a large dump station near the entrance to the campground. We saw a nice playground and the grass was freshly mowed. The restrooms were clean. Many of the campsites are near the lake, although I think all the lakefront sites are electric only (no water hookups). The campground is less than 10 miles west of I35, but County Road E, which you travel the last 3 or 4 miles is rather narrow and a bit rough in spots. Our Verizon signal was a good 4G and it should be pretty easy to get a satellite signal there.

Shortstop: South Llano River State Park – Junction, TX

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South Llano River State Park, located at Junction, TX and about 100 miles west of San Antonio is another great Texas Hill Country state park. The scenery is beautiful and the wildlife is abundant. The river flows along the boundary and is a popular place for tubing. There’s a wild turkey habitat plus numerous deer and other animals like armadillos. There is also a wide variety of birds. The park has many trails of varying lengths and difficulty. I hiked to the top of the scenic overlook. It wasn’t far, but the steepness of the hike left me out of breath.

The campground offers 30 amp and water hookups. All sites are paved and reasonably level front to back. Most of the sites have shelters with picnic tables. There are no pull-throughs, but the sites are angled making for easier back in. The park itself is five miles south of Junction and I10.

We had good roaming Verizon cell service but no data. Satellite TV was fairly easy to get. In spite of the popularity of the river, during portions of the year the park closes almost all river access except for five hours each day to allow the large turkey population undisturbed roosting. Because of the restrictions of river use during a good part of the year I’d say this park doesn’t quite measure up to Garner State Park for river access but still, it’s a good one and well worth a visit.

Shortstop: Balmorhea State Park, TX

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Long before the Spanish and European explorers ever came to what is now thought of as the Big Bend country of Texas the native Americans depended on this oasis created by the artesian springs of this vicinity. This is dry country and these springs, now called San Solomon Springs, offer welcome relief and surprising life in the desert. Farmers have used the spring water for irrigation since the 1850’s and in 1938 a large V-shaped pool was formed by the Civilian Conservation Corps. After driving nearly 200 miles from El Paso across high, dry desert, this state park remains a welcome oasis for travelers and a popular swimming hole for the locals and – get this – a place for scuba divers to use their gear in the 25 foot deep pool out here in this dry, dry country. Bahmorhea State Park offers water/electric campsites as well as rental cottages. Many of the campsites are pull through and all have covered shelters. My Verizon phone had pretty good 4G and real strong 3G. We enjoyed a swim in the pool with it’s crystal clear waters which remain a consistent 72-76 degrees year round – this just a short stroll from our campsite. Thousands of small fish surrounded us. The pool has a few small catfish and turtles as well. We also saw a fairly large snakeskin on the sidewalk by the pool. Didn’t see the snake though – no complaints about that. In addition to the spring we enjoyed wonderful star-lit skies at night. The Milky Way is in plain view here on the desert plains of West Texas. We had a curious roadrunner (beep-beep) checking out our campsite during the day and, yes, we heard the call of coyotes at night. My only complaints are the lack of sewer hookups in the campground and bathrooms that need some updating and TLC. I’m sure that this state park will be on our itinerary on future trips across west Texas on I10.

Shortstop: El Paso West RV Park – Anthony, NM

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This RV park, located near I10 and just a mile or so from the Texas state line, got good reviews and offered an Escapees discount so we decided to give it a try. It has several level pull through sites as well as back in’s located on the parameter of the property. The clientele is a mixture of long term residents who are working in the area and short stay travelers like us. The pull through sites are “back to back” and long enough to allow tow vehicles to stay hooked up. The restrooms are modern and clean and the folks running the place are friendly and welcoming. We found the campground to be a bit noisy. Working people started their day early and overnight campers were anxious to get on the road. It just so happens that we were given the site right next to the dumpsters and we could smell them, not in our camper, but any time we were outside. Nothing I’ve said is a real big deal but it did add up to a less than restful night for us. We would return to this place, but I think I’d lobby for a site a bit farther from the dumpsters.

Shortstop: Countryside RV Resort – Apache Junction, AZ

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We have around 60 RV parks in our Thousand Trails membership. However, Thousand Trails is owned by Encore which has many other RV Parks, Condos, Time Shares, etc. Some of the Encore RV resorts allow Thousand Trails members to come in at a discount. It’s such an offer that brings us to Countryside RV Resort in Apache Junction, AZ for a three night stay. This town is in the eastern most part of the Phoenix metro area and the beautiful Superstition Mountains are quite nearby.

This is primarily a “snow bird” park that fills with folks escaping the northern winters. Road after road is filled with “park model” trailers, most of them older but well kept. Most have some level of site improvement such as car ports or a built-on rooms or landscaping. The sites are small and folks find ways to make use of every square inch of space. The RV sites sport a small concrete slab and utility hookups. These sites are also rather small, especially those that abut against the park model sites which, as I say, are making use of every inch of space. The only trees are tall palm trees which are picturesque but offer no shade.

Our early October stay put us in the resort just ahead of the first winter arrivals so the property was very quiet and empty feeling. There are people around. Apparently, they stay year around – weathering the Phoenix furnace-like summers. In a month or less I’m guessing this place will be filling up with it’s 55+ crowd of winter people.

At the heart of the campground is an Activity Center and pool. There’s a large meeting hall and library plus a billiards room, post office, shuffleboard, and other amenities. I think it would be interesting to try this place out in January-March when things are in full swing.