On some occasions – such as a one-night stopover enroute
to another destination - commercial RV parks are selected because they offer
easy access to major roads and highways.
Where state parks and COE campgrounds offer a more rustic setting,
private, commercial venues often provide more of a “resort” feel. We experienced this on our fall Texas
trip. Here are four of the places we stayed.
Buckhorn Lake Resort Kerrville, Texas
http://www.buckhornlake.com/
Private RV resort $$$ Full hook-ups available
Located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, which is
acclaimed for having some of the best weather in the U.S., this resort is a
good home base for exploring the numerous character-filled towns including
Comfort, Bandera, Fredericksburg, Luckenbach, and Boerne. San Antonio is about an hour away.
Daily, weekly and monthly rates are available. A portion of the property offers long term
lease options for those who wish to build a “coach house” with an adjoining
area to park their Class A motorhomes. Are
you traveling with friends or family?
There are three newly-constructed cottages for rent.
The park boasts wide, level concrete pads surrounded by
perfectly-manicured grass. An in-ground
sprinkler system keeps the lawn green even in the summer Texas heat. (The owners also own a local golf
course.) For those wishing to stay in
touch with the outside world Wi-Fi and cable TV are provided. Your four-footed friend will enjoy a large
fenced off-leash park. There is an
exercise/fitness center but if you prefer getting your exercise in a more
sporting mode tennis courts, a putting green, and two swimming pools are on the
grounds. After your workout, take it
easy in one of the two whirlpool spas.
One of the pool / spa complexes is reserved for adults only; the other
is open to families and children.
Several large dining and entertainment areas can
accommodate groups up to three hundred.
There is an auditorium with a stage where seasonal shows are
presented. Country singer Pam Tillis will
appear on December 21, 2013 and the band Exile
will play at Buckhorn Lake on February 1, 2014.
Dinner shows are scheduled throughout the year.
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| View of the grounds looking from the campsites back toward the entrance |
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| The barn houses several kitchens, party rooms, and the theatre and stage |
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| The windmill sits directly in the center of the campground |
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| Our site at Buckhorn Lake Resort |
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| View of the campground looking across the lake from the dog park |
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| Another view of our site |
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The outdoor kitchen, b-b-q grill and smoker, and party area. An eclectic collection
including the "jumping" motorcycle and a gas pump decorates this area |
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| This end of the barn houses the theatre. The John Deere tractor is a "B" model |
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| One of two pools on the property, this one is reserved for guests over 18 |
Sandpiper RV Resort
Galveston, Texas
http://www.sandpiperrvresort.com/
Private RV resort $$$ Full
hooks-ups available
Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, Sandpiper RV Resort
rose from the remains of the Sandpiper Motel, a Galveston landmark destroyed by
Hurricane Ike in September 2008. This gated
RV resort is situated on Seawall Boulevard adjacent to Stewart Beach. Enjoy the beach with your favorite
four-legged friend (the beach allows dogs on leashes) or loll away the
afternoon at the infinity pool with a great beach view. The original motel office and six rooms
remained after the hurricane. They were rebuilt
and now serve as the office and customer lounge area. The renovated motel rooms are available for
rent to family members or friends of travelers staying at the RV park.
Want to explore? A few minutes’ drive takes you to the free
Texas DOT vehicle/pedestrian ferry across the entrance of Galveston Bay to
Bolivar Peninsula. Dolphins playfully
escort the ferry back and forth. Five
minutes in the other direction is the amusement pier and great restaurants. Head to the old wharf area of Galveston and
visit the commercial buildings, now restored and re-opened as modern shops and
restaurants, which once marked Galveston as the busiest port on the Texas Gulf
Coast. The historic district, stretching
for blocks along Broadway, showcases Victorian mansions including the Bishop’s
Palace. A short drive across the
causeway to Pelican Island brings you to the Galveston campus of Texas A&M
University, the American Undersea Warfare Center, and Sea Wolf Park.
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| Sandpiper RV resort as you approach it on Seawall Blvd. |
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| Our site at Sandpiper Resort |
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| The infinity pool sits up above the RV sites |
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| The edge of the infinity pool looks over the RVs and out to the Gulf |
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| Our trailer from the office / pool area early one morning |
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| Sand dunes directly behind our site. Stewart Beach is just over these dunes |
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| Close up of our trailer set up at Sandpiper |
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| Mike and Sophie walked on Stewart Beach every day |
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| A spectacular sunrise over the Gulf of Mexico on a cloudy morning |
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| An afternoon storm kicks up the surf... |
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| Dark clouds of the approaching storm as seen from the pool deck |
Ameristar Casino RV Park
Vicksburg, Mississippi
http://www.ameristar.com/Vicksburg_Hotel_RV_Park.aspx
Casino-owned RV park $$
Full hook-ups available
Mike’s brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Cindy, have
long extolled the virtue of casino-owned RV parks, and, in fact, we stayed at
one at Circus Circus in Las Vegas last year.
Our visit to Ameristar in Vicksburg, MS, was an even better
experience. The park offers concrete
pads with large grassy areas. A free “on
demand” shuttle (just call from the gatehouse any time day or night) will take
you to the casino (surprise, surprise). The
dinner buffet (current price $15.95 Sunday-Thursday, $26.95 for the seafood
buffet on Friday and Saturday nights) at the Ameristar features classic
Southern dishes and distinguishes itself from the usual banal buffet
offerings. Enjoy everything from okra
with tomatoes to prime rib.
The location of
this RV park allows for an easy” walking-and-driving” tour of historic downtown
Vicksburg. But most importantly, it is
only minutes from the Vicksburg National Park and Cemetery. Though the Park Office says that the
battlefield can be toured in two hours, we easily spent most of a day at this
riveting national treasure.
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| Entrance to the casino |
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| Entrance to the RV park |
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Campsites in the Ameristar RV park
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Sam’s Town Casino RV Park
Tunica, Mississippi
http://www.samstowntunica.com/stay/rv-park
Casino-owned RV park $ Full hook-ups available
The RV park at Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall is,
like Ameristar, a great blend of concrete pads and grassy areas. At night there is so much neon nearby, along
with many security lights, that it is practically as bright as day. A security guard makes rounds of the RV park
and hotel parking lots so, assuming you win big in the casino, there is no
problem walking back to your RV.
Tunica, itself, is a gambling destination. Not many attractions other than the casinos
beckon visitors to this Mississippi Delta town. But
for sightseeing purposes, Memphis is less than twenty minutes away. Elvis is waiting for you at Graceland.
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| Sam's Town, Tunica, Mississippi |
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| Our campsite at Sam's Town RV park |
When making travel and camping plans, using federal,
state, and local agencies’ websites is effective. Additionally, Woodall’s, Sam’s Club and KOA campground
directories offer good possibilities. A
watchful eye is needed when perusing on line because anything can be made to look good on the internet. Most helpful are
the recommendations of friends and fellow travelers, who are not shy about
sharing their own Road Stories.
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