We arrived after dark to the Las Cruces KOA.  The park was about 1/2 full and the sites were spacious, clean and had both gravel and cement area for parking.  The skies at night were clear and the location of the camp, set on a hilltop, was perfect for seeing stars and the distant city lights.  During the daytime, the park has beautiful views of the mountains nearby.  Some of the sites are considered premium and they had the best mountain views and a patio area and outdoor fitpit.  

The dog run area was exceptionally clean, nice and spacious for our two dog.  The dog area has a patch of grass in the middle and then surrounded by decompressed granite.  I preferred this to the dog parks that are all grass.  It was very clean and had climbing structures for the pups.  The restroom near the dog park was sparkling clean with marble floors.  I popped into the gift shop/welcome desk and there were a lot of items for sale, crafts, food items, etc.  I can see spending a longer visit here and exploring the town of Las Cruces and the nearby Medilla area wineries.  The location is convenient if you are traveling on I-10 and feels very safe and secure.

This was our first time book docking at a Walmart.  It worked well because we are on a long drive and wasn't sure where we would stop and wanted to get as far along our journey as possible.  This Walmart is right off the main freeway.  We called the store and they were very kind and said, yes, absolutely okay to stay.  The parking lot is large and it looks like a safe area.  Next door is a Pilot with a lot of trucks.  We parked in the Walmart lot, close to the trucks in the adjacent Pilot lot.  I smelled diesel fumes and we realized some of the trucks were idling so we moved to a different place in the lot.  It was basically a place and the only consideration were lots of parking lights so made it bright in the trailer, even with the windows shut.  The dogs were a little edgy in an unfamiliar place with sounds of other trucks, so it wasn't the best night sleep but it served our road trip needs.  We were able to run our generator in the morning to make coffee, watch the Today show and head on our rainy way back on the road towards CA.  It was my first for a Walmart stay so not much to compare it with but appreciate the hospitality and place to park.

This is a very nice campground which is part of the Miami-Dade County park system.  It is close to the Encore Everglades park (about 4 miles) so we stayed here after we departed.  The campground is divided into pods and each pod has about 15 or so sites.  We were in pod 4 site 20 (420 lol).  We booked this camp with the intent to stay for a month or longer as my husband had an opportunity to Captain boats in Miami.  

The park was very quiet.  Most of the campers were retirees, a few families with kids, but we were there in early January.  The grounds are nicely maintained with lots of places to walk and open space with trees.  They don't allow dogs off-leash and although it is adjacent to the rest of the Larry & Penny park, dogs are not even allowed in the main park, at all.  We did however find a few dog parks within four miles or so which were nice.

They have a very nice pool which was open daily Wed- Sunday 11am - 5pm.  It was raining and rather dreary during our stay so we didn't use the pool.  They have a nice Clubhouse and it looked okay with tables, chairs, books, puzzles, but again very quiet.  Not many activities except for a few and we didn't stay long enough to participate.  After a week, we decided to make moves back home to Lake Tahoe.  It was unseasonably cold, raining so no boat work and not an ideal spot for the dogs.  They don't have WiFi and since we were planning a longer stay, purchased the Starlink system since I work remote during the winter.  Starlink worked great, but costs $500+ to get started and then $120 or so a month.  If you are looking for an affordable long term/monthly stay, it is great.  The rates were $850 a month for full hook-ups.  They had last minute space available, too.  

If you are in the area, check out the Miami Zoo.  We were there when they had the "Zoo Lights" a super fun evening event.  They have other events at the Zoo and lots to do nearby.  You are closer to town than Everglades Encore, but still close to the agricultural area.  I recommend but not as fun or as many activities as some other places.

We stayed thirteen nights at this park.  We really enjoyed the stay and recommend.  The campsites are mostly nice.  There are a lot of seasonal campers and it seems those sites are nicer.  The sites closer to the cabin area are closer together.  I wouldn't recommend this campsite for actual campsite, but rather the excellent location and fun activities and amenities of the park.  

The park has lots to do and while dated, it is kept in good shape.  The pool is lovely with lounge chairs, palm trees and a tropical feel.  They have a hot tub, too.  Everything clean and had a resort-feel.  There are an abundance of activities: pickle ball, shuffleboard, a nice mini-golf course, walking trail, clubhouse, fire pits and large open grassy space.

We have two active dogs and they have a huge field where we were able to run our dogs off-leash and chase the frisbee.  I am not sure if it is allowed, but there were others as well so seemed okay.  This was a real benefit when camping with pets that like to run.  

The park is in a beautiful, agricultural area in the town of Redlands.  It is very tropical with farms, nurseries and lots of tropical fruit stands and interesting parks.  It feels rural but it is close enough to town to go to the Miami beaches or other activities.  If you go, check out all the agricultural farms, the Fruit and Spice stand, the 'Robert is Here' fruit stand and the Knaups Berry Farm for world class cinnamon rolls.  The lines were too long for us to wait, but we heard they were the best.

This is one of the most friendly parks I have stayed.  We were there on Christmas and New Years and had a total blast.  They had music, karaoke, dancing and potluck dinners. The staff was nice too, we met Jason who was super helpful.  My friend flew in to visit and she rented one of their deluxe cabins.  It was really nice, with a fireplace, fenced patio, loft, kitchen.  The entire experience at this resort was enjoyable and felt like being at camp.  Highly recommend a visit.

This was our first visit to Gulf Shores State Park in Alabama.  The check in was as slow as molasses even though they had lots of staff, mostly standing.  Waited in line for 45 minutes with one person ahead of us taking her sweet time to book a future campsite.  Our site was nice, spacious with privacy.  We were worried about the alligators and snakes so kept pups on a short leash.

The beach was beautiful, with sandy white shores and lots of shells.  However, if you have dogs, it's a no-go so they have to stay back at the camp.  They do have a lovely dog park, right on the lake where dogs can run and swim, but the 'do not feed alligators' was a concern.  Locals said they had never seen one in 15 years… so not sure and not sure I want my dog to be the exception.

We enjoyed the friendly, southern hospitality of the town and would definitely return.  I would investigate other dog friendly places in the area.

We were so excited to visit this highly rated Thousand Trails Sunshine Key!  The pictures online are not exactly accurate.  The RV sites are barren with little shade - feels like a parking lot.  There are a LOT of full-timers here and they have the best sites, close to the marina and pool.  The resort has a fun/upbeat vibe with lots going on - happy hour with music, crafts and farmers market.  Our site 57 was more isolated and the park was only 2/3 full, even though the Thousand Trails website says it is full!

There is a small beach area with lounge chairs and a Tiki hut.  Our dogs ran off leash and swam in the ocean as there was no one around.  They also have a marina and dock with beautiful sunset views.  The other guests were very friendly and we wish the weather was better to hang out and meet more people.  We had one day, out of 14 with clear, sunny skies.  The other days were raining a tropical storm and the winds were insane.  This was unusual however for December.

Everyday the staff sends texts to remind you of activities - happy hour, live music, bingo, farmers market and crafts.  Friendly and welcoming and would recommend again.  I don't however, think it lives up to the hype of one of the very best Thousand Trails/Encore in the Keys.

Marathon is a laid back, Keys island with eclectic dining, shops and activities.  We had dinner one night at Isla Bella - very upscale, but expensive.  The Sombrero Beach is beautiful and dog friendly if on a leash.

The pros are it was an affordable campground and great staff on site.  The cons, prepare to get eaten alive by bugs.  These are the 'no-see-ums' you read about and the bugs are tiny, but their bites last weeks and cause a lot of discomfort.  If you have dogs, not the best option because they are not allowed, anywhere.  This is a small park, pretty beach, but didn't work for our stay.

This campground has great reviews and we were looking forward to our visit.  Our site was right on the water, facing the overseas freeway.  We loved the location but we could not sleep, it was so loud with the traffic, trucks and cars.  Our site was 15 and faced the highway.  The park was lovely, the grounds and the beaches beautiful.  However, if you have dogs, it's a no-go.  No dogs allowed and they have to stay at your camp.  We were disappointed because potentially, we could return and stay for 14 nights, but with two nights of zero sleep, we were ready to go.  The nearest town is Big Pine Key and there's a Winn Dixie, UPS store, bagel shop and a dog park.  The dog park was packed so not an option.  Maybe check out other campsites that don't have the freeway noise.

We're members of Thousand Trails but we had to pay extra to stay here.  It was a place to stay, nothing special.  If you are there in the winter, the pool was cold and closes early.  It is basically a place to stay and not very scenic.  There are a lot of full-timers with their 'stuff.'  The people in the site next to us had an outdoor shed with tons of junk everywhere.  The park was close to Disneyworld and we dropped about $400 on a day at Epcot and had to drink our way through all the countries to make it worth our time since many of the attractions/rides were closed.  I had fond memories of times at Disneyworld in the past with my kids but now, it feels like an artificial money suck.  If you are in the area, I would recommend one of the other RV parks that has more to offer.

This recommendation is based on our site location which was oceanfront.  We were there over Thanksgiving and the location with the sunset and views was worth the slightly higher cost we normally pay.  Check out the campground site map, and if there is an oceanfront site, you won't regret booking this RV resort. 

We didn't experience too much of the town, restaurants or shops, but we did LOVE Mexico beach.  It is beautiful, white sand beach and was empty on Thanksgiving weekend.  The dogs loved it!  Highly recommend this park, but definitely get a site on the ocean.

We stopped in Baton Rouge on our cross country journey from CA to Florida.  We had plans in the area for an authentic swamp tour and a visit to New Orleans.  The KOA is a really great place to stay.  We arrived late on our first night and rolled in and went to bed.  The next day, a Saturday, the KOA serves a home-cooked breakfast (for a small charge.). When you don't have groceries, and you are tired - this was a wonderful treat!  The hosts gave us many suggestions on our visit to New Orleans.  If you need to go to the store, it is close to many major stores and grocery stores.  It was clean and every staff person we met was helpful.  They even refilled our propane.  It's always nice to meet locals who have area recommendations and we appreciated the hospitality.

Tip: If you are looking for a unique, nature based experience, I highly recommend Captain Ronnie, owner of River of Swamp Boat Tours.  He takes you out on the bayou where you see the beautiful scenery, birds, trees and yes, alligators!  This was one of the highlights of our trip.

I felt unsafe in the neighborhood, but the actual campground was okay.  A small patch of grass, fencing around and didn't use any amenities as we stayed one night.  We were in San Antonio on a dreary, rainy day so it wasn't our best experience.  This park had all we needed but I would not recommend any of the nearby areas to shop or dine.  It is close to the Riverwalk and this is a fun place to visit, dine and take a river cruise.

This RV resort looked amazing in photos and the price was reasonable and the location close to the adorable and friendly town of Fredricksburg, Texas.  We were there mid-week and the park was about 1/4 full.  Most of the park includes tiny homes as well as large RV lots.  We have a 23" foot travel trailer and were the little fish in a big pond.

The amenities of the clubhouse are very nice - brand new!  The pool is gorgeous but there is not spa and it was too cold for swimming in a very cold pool.  The other amenities are really nice including the laundry room.  Otherwise, not much else going on in the park.  

A few things we didn't like - we appreciate a secure, safe RV resort but they have way too many staff driving around on loud ATVs/Carts and they are loud!  They literally drove by our site every 30 minutes, day & night.  It was super strange and I felt like I was in the tv show handmaids tale with the nonstop eyes!  

The town of Fredericksburg is really cute with lots of shops, wineries, fine dining and bars.  Our dog needed to see an emergency vet for an abscess removal and the Hill Country vet was so amazing - they took us right in and treated Hank.  Overall, friendly people in the town and we enjoyed the visit.

This is an affordable campground within the grounds of Caverns of Sonora.  Someone suggested this as a must see and it was very unique.  The campground is basically a parking lot and we were one of two campers.  They don't take reservations and it was raining and cold.  The staff is amazing - it's always great to meet interesting people who care about their work and love sharing their unique property.

There is a cavern tour which takes you down into the dark cavern.  If you have claustrophobia, don't go.  We were okay but you walk through darkness the the guide turns on lights which illuminate these unique caverns.  It's pretty cool but I started to wonder if the air had a lot of CO2 because my husband and I felt slightly queasy - similar to altitude sickness.  I can imagine it's hard to get air way down under the earth.  

The town in Sonora is small and has a few places to buy groceries but it is really pitch dark at night and we took a wrong turn and found ourselves on a dark road.  If you like geology and/or caves, it's great to visit and stay.

I was really looking forward to Cottonwood camp, outside of the Sedona area.  The campground had excellent reviews so we booked three nights.  There are many different sections of the park and your experience overall could be impacted by which site.  We were in site 141 close to the main activity room.  These sites are very packed and there are a lot of long-term guests and it looks like it.  The other sites throughout the park are better, especially the ones on the ridge with a view.  

The other challenge was almost zero connectivity even using a hot spot.  I work remote so this was a challenge and I had to take work calls in the public lodge.  The lack of WiFi at all limited our other devices as well.  Not an option if you work on the road.

The area however has amazing natural beauty, parks and lots of hikes.  Some are dog-friendly, but some are not, so recommend checking.  The town of Sedona has changed over the years with many more tourists, traffic and high prices.  I would likely not return or stay somewhere more in nature, but with cell service as well.

I was looking forward to this campground and booked five nights. There are some really nice amenities and pools. There is a golf course on site and my husband played. We left early because we felt isolated in our camp location and felt like we were not as welcome as shorter timers. Office staff cold and overcharged us.

This is one of my favorite Thousand Trails. The pool is really nice and the grounds beautiful with all the date palm trees. We've met other nice campers and there are families with kids and retirees. The City of Palm Desert has a beautiful public park with pickle ball and lake. Great dining and shopping in the area. Lots of hikes and recreation areas.'