The School for Y.

Bainbridge Island, WA

Joined June 2016

✨Fulltimervers with two preteen daughters. ✨Unschooling ourselves in order to live more #consciously in an emergent world. ✨#slowingdown

Epic place to stay when visiting Telluride

This has to be one of our top 5 boondocking camping views ever! We are grateful that another review recommended not driving here from Route 62, but instead coming up on the road by the airport (route 145). The airport route was unpaved, but well maintained. The other way I don’t think I’d recommend unless you have high ground clearance and 4WD and the road is not muddy.

At the top of the road is a huge open area where you can pull up to this view. Some of the ground is more level than others. The road goes up from there to more spots, but the road stops being maintained and is very bumpy/rocky.

We also heard that there is a laundromat in the parking lot of the Telluride Brewing company down the hill. We didn’t utilize it, but that’s the kind of info I am so grateful to read in reviews.

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Good for a night

I didn’t have high hopes for a city-run campground in the middle of Kansas. No reservations. Pay with cash in an envelope. 4th of July weekend. We decided to give it a try and we’re pleasantly surprised.

There are 15 or so sites along the lake (which seems more like a pond or a river) which had big shade trees covering them. Then another 10 or so sites behind that were in full sun. Many of the sites had power and water. Some sites shared the power with the neighboring site, and one of the two outlets for 30 amp was missing or broken.

But there were enough open spots we found one with shade and power and water. There is a dump station by the bathrooms. We checked out the bathrooms and they weren’t clean enough for us to want to use them, so it’s fortunate we have our own.

Some people fishing. Crazy fireworks being lit off in the park behind us. Someone doing donuts in their truck at 2 am. It probably would have been very quiet had it not been for the holiday weekend.

A good place to stop for the night as you trek across I-70.

Great spot!

This was a sweet camping spot. Only 4 sites (only site 3 is shady!) tucked alongside a bike and walking path that goes through a beautiful forest preserve. The path is gorgeous dipping through forested sections, open fields, and lilly pad covered ponds!

The staff were very helpful, and are on site 24 hours a day. This was necessary as there are no water spigots at the RV sites. The staff has to hook up a very very long hose and will bring it to your site. You can get water, it’s just an inconvenience for you and them. But they do it with a good attitude.

It’s a great location if you’re seeing family and friends in the area. And it’s within walking distance to stores and restaurants.

This would have been 5 stars if not for the water not being available.

Pretty good

This is a nice state park campground. The spots were decently spaced out, the bathrooms are clean, and there are some hiking trails from the campground.

The campground is over 2 miles from the park entrance, so it’s definitely not an easy in/out kind of place. Also, they started mowing the grass at 6 am right outside our window. That seems inappropriately early.

Fine for an overnight stop

Took a chance on this place as there were no reviews for it. It’s primarily for long-term or permanent residents, but they have a few guest places. It was pretty well kept up and we felt safe. The check-in staff was sweet and helpful. We didn’t take advantage of the pool or playground, but we did utilize their 2 PM checkout. It’s a decent place to stop for a night as it’s not too far off the highway.

Lush and Green

A big campground, but many of the spots are nicely spaced out so it didn’t feel crowded. All the hookup spots were full, but the cool mountain air made it comfortable to sleep with no air conditioning in June. The town of Brevard is darling, and there are great hikes, including beautiful waterfall vistas all over the area.

Nice spot with warm pool

The KOA was kept up to good KOA standards. The pool was big and warm, easy for swimming while maintaining social distancing. One of our favorite parts was that you could walk a short path to a delightful coffee shop with great food and drinks and nice outdoor seating. Our girls also enjoyed the smooth roads for skateboarding. Because of Covid, many of the fun features were closed (playground, Gaga pit, jump pad).

Awesome Spot

This private campground has four hookup spots for RVs, as well as tent camping spots. You can reserve an RV space and for $35/night, you get a shaded, grassy spot to park with water and power (the dump station is just down the driveway).

The highlight for us was the ability to ride horses. They provided us with two names of instructors, one of whom graciously squeezed us into her schedule and gave our girls a two-hour riding lesson in their covered arena. They also have trail rides to the beach available.

We don’t have our own horses, but if we did, it seems like this place is set up to accommodate that easily.

There are roadside fruit and veggie stands you pass on the way in that are worth a stop.

Nice spot on a great island

Jekyll Island is a must stop if you can access the Georgia Coast. The Island is a darling place full of great beaches, a sea turtle rescue center, a water park (which wasn’t open yet when we visited in June), and decent restaurants.

The only place to camp on the island is the Island-run campground. It’s a perfectly fine campground — clean, well-kept, well-run. There are full hookups, the bath house and laundry facility are open (post-Covid), and people were friendly and respectful (although our neighbor burning his styrofoam cup and plastic water bottle in his campfire didn’t seem to be totally clear on the concept of how to use a campfire).

But we didn’t come for the campground, we came for the island. A short walk from the campground is a gorgeous beach with the skeletons of trees scattered across the shore. You have to go at low tide, or there is not much beach to be found. There is also a nice walking path from the campground out to the pier (where you can fish) and through the wetlands where we saw gorgeous birds (bright pink roseate spoonbills!) and little crabs scurrying around.

You will definitely want another form of transportation if you want to see more of the island. There are tons of great bike paths that take you through beautiful, moss dripping forests. But, it’s three miles into the town center, so that can make for a lot of riding if you’re wanting to bike to restaurants/grocery. Electric bikes would be amazing!

We rented a four-seater “golf cart” from the airport. This was a great way to see, feel, and smell the island.

There were several restaurants for safer post-Covid outdoor seating. We tried the Irish Pub (great fish and chips), and the restaurant at the Wharf (call ahead for outdoor reservations).

+++++++

As a ranger for the Dyrt, we sometimes get the chance to review gear. We recently received the ZunZun travel hammock chair by La Siesta. I can’t over empathize how excited my husband was to get this, as he loves hammocks, but loves “air chairs” even more, as he can sit and work without straining his neck. I didn’t think we could travel with one because they’re too large and require too much equipment to set up…

Enter ZunZun by La Siesta - it packs down to the size of a thermos and only requires one overhead branch or bar to hang it. The tree skeletons at the beach on Jekyll Island were the perfect place to test it out. https://www.lasiesta.com/us/en/collection/la-siesta-zunzun-sunrise-travel-hammock-chair-with-suspension-zzv14-22

We are always on the lookout for small gear that we will use often, as we live full-time in our van, and space is at a premium. While we have multiple hammocks and love to use them, this was the first time we’ve seen a small, collapsible hammock chair like this and we’re sold!

The kids helped us set up the chair at the beach. Other than needing our help threading the strap through so it would wrap around the branch (which was a bit too high for them to reach), they were able to do the whole thing — it’s that easy.

We all took turns. I love the pivot mechanism that allows you to turn in complete circles without getting tangled. The chair was comfy and a great way to stay off the wet sand. I can see a lot of places where we will use this chair, where a traditional hammock wouldn’t otherwise be possible.

The only downside I could see (other than many campgrounds banning hammocks), is that when no one is sitting in the chair, even the slightest breeze turns the chair into a sail, blowing it all over the place. However, this was easily solved by wrapping the fabric around the bar several times. That allowed it to hang there calmly.

My kids are old enough, but I could foresee it being a problem that kids (or forgetful adults) who might want to use the spreader bar as a thing to hang on, especially when trying to stand up from a seated position. I imagine a lot of pressure could bend the bar, making it unusable. We’ll just do our best to avoid doing that!

Great chair! We might have to get a couple more so we can all have one, but you’ll probably see it in a lot of our reviews going forward! Good thing they pack down so small!

Great campground

Our campsite was in the middle of a lot of stage campground streets but it was perfect. Shaded by big trees. Great spot for watching all the kids ride around. Close to the pool and laundry. The campground was active but not loud. My only complaint is that the pool doesn’t open until 11 on weekdays. That means you can’t take one more dip before checking out. Boo.

But you can walk to the beach. Walk to restaurants. Walk to the farmers market at the lighthouse every Monday afternoon (4-6). Pool. Laundry. Showers. Nice people. Overall a great spot!

Good spot

Good place to stop for the night. It was pretty open but might feel crowded if all the spots were filled. Staff were friendly and helpful. We came in late and left early.

Nice spot

We don’t typically stay at KOA’s but this one was convenient and had power so we could run the AC. Summer humidity is a killer! This park was well kept. A great 1.5 mile long nature trail. We didn’t see the resident alligator but glad to know there is one. Great smooth road for skateboarding.

Pool was open but limited to 6 people. No boat rentals, but bikes were still available. They are checking what state you’re from. If you’re from a state that is still on stay at home orders, they won’t be able to give you a reservation.

Would have given it 5 stars, but it’s hard to pay $75/night for camping…

Close to town moi

We picked this campground over the state park because we wanted to be able to walk into town, rent bikes, and generally explore by foot. It was supposed to be a gray cloudy day and hanging out on the beach seemed less appealing.

The other campground reviews are spot on. We paid $60 for w/e/s and two kids. A bit spendy for sure, but nice to have water and dump at the site so we could all take showers to get the sand off. And a premium for being close to town. Bathrooms were clean and there were even two open roof showers. Also includes WiFi.

Smacnally’s is down the road and they have a big outdoor deck where they are serving food. Not sure the tables were six feet apart but the lunch crowd was relatively thin and the wind was blowing so we felt safe enough dining there (the happy hour crowd was packed in). You can rent bikes next door at the Dockmaster. $10/bike for 2 hours. Total deal. Also close to the ferry.

Pretty good

Big campground with decent space between sites. Watch out for cacti and other prickly things in the grass.

Parked on the P loop to be closer to the beach boardwalk. He sites at the top are up the hill and have a nice view of the water.

Two of the bathrooms were open (post-Covid). They were ok. A used tampon on the floor of the shower turned us off!

They don’t have first come, first served anymore. Every site has to be reserved in advance.

The beach was pretty with lots of shells, but tons of 4x4 trucks and jeeps driving around was less than appealing to those who just want to walk on quiet beach.

One bar of Verizon service.

A little pricey but great location

The campground is popular with nice services and a great location. Make sure to call ahead if you want a space.

Great stay!

This is a working farm. The RV spot was between date palms and next to the dog agility course. The tent sites were in the back and seemed nice and private. The property has a farm stand where you can pick up eggs, homebaked goodies, and other produce anytime using a self-pay box. Janna was very prompt in her response and squeezed us in last minute. After checking Airbnb and Hipcamp this was the best place we found close to the city.

BLM Lake Bed Boondocking

Not sure if this is the same place the rangers in Joshua Tree told us about, but if you drive North on Sunfair off of Route 62 and take a right on Sunflower, you can drive on to BLM land and find anywhere to camp on a dry lake bed. It was pretty open and incredible in late November.

Popular even in November

They weren’t huge sites and the only one available right before Thanksgiving was a small tent only site (due to cancellation).

Reserve in advance!!

Park units and RV Sites

There are big double wide and park unit houses in addition to RV spots against the fence and facing the lake.

Some of the photos of the spread out sites and tents are actually of the campground next door.

Great trees and sites!

It didn’t have full hookups, but there was water, a dump site and fire pits. Some other campers ran there generators too late and too early, but it was a beautiful site with wonderful shade and eucalyptus trees.