All of these camping phases in my life were wonderful, and I have many happy memories of them all; but they weren't all happy. It's easy for me now to look back and see where a clash of interests could exist where a mixture of these camping phases were brought together. And then there's the stages of our lives that we go through as we get older, with changes in our likes and dislikes. Then mix all that in with the variables that affect campgrounds when on any given day a different mix of personalities could invade and disrupt the balance. That is, the balance from our personal point of view. I've seen my share of peaceful campsites turn into campgrounds from hell when the weekend party crowds arrive. But I also remember younger days when I was one of those partiers. "Live and learn!", that's what my mom would have said.
So, what lessons can be learned about what campgrounds to choose? when to visit them? and what to do when things don't meet your expectations? Let me tell you a story of an unpleasant stay I had at a campground, and we'll apply my mom's philosophy and see what I learned from that bad experience. Maybe you too can learn from my pitfalls.
"Live and learn!", that's what my mom would have said. I learned quite a few lessons a few years back. My wife and I had recently purchased a new popup camper and we were on our way to Ocracoke, NC to camp at the national park campground there. This is an annual trip for us and takes a day and a half to get there from northern Kentucky. In previous years we were tent campers, but had opted for the popup because we got tired of replacing expensive tents every year due to the Ocracoke blows which inevitably strike at least one night during our three week stay. In those years we had just our truck full of gear, but felt secure in staying at a motel along the way. Now that we had the camper we didn't like the thought of a motel, while leaving the camper unattended in the parking lot, so we decided to camp one night midway between home and Ocracoke.
Using the resources on the camping site, I located an area midway along the route and then checked out campgrounds in the vicinity. I visited the Web sites and read the descriptions of several. Since we were only needing to set up the camper for the night, we weren't particular about amenities, but wanted a campsite that was at least clean, a little cozy, and offered electricity. We decided on a campground that was near our route and filled out their online reservation form.
I got an error the first time I submitted the reservation form, but it went OK the second time. I was making these reservations weeks in advance of our arrival and according to the Web site would receive an email confirmation in a few days. When two weeks went by without a confirmation I called the campground. The lady I talked to seemed cordial enough over the phone and told me that they had indeed received the reservation, but that they were having problems with their email confirmations. OK, no problem, we have our campsite reserved.
We had no problem finding the campground that first night of our trip, but we immediately noticed that it's right next to the expressway. We stopped at the campground office and were greeted by a young lady who was more interested in watching TV than in checking us in. The office was otherwise empty. We proceeded to our campsite, which was not much better than a parking space in a Wal-Mart lot. There was no grass, the camper pad was course gravel, and the spaces were about 10 feet apart. The camper next to us had their TV on and it sounded like it was in our camper. So much for the "quiet, spacious sites" that the Web page boasted about. We set up anyway, we were tired, and we soon went to bed. Not long into the night we were awakened by the sound of pounding rain on the tin roof of the campground office, which was just behind our camper. It was not a restful night.
We woke early and in the midst of the continuing downpour proceeded to close the camper and get on the road. Were we ever glad to be out of there. My first comment to my wife as we left was "now we know."
We continue to go to Ocracoke each September, but we no longer camp for a night along the way. The warning signs were there, we just didn't heed them. We've learned our lessons, and now stay with friends for a night.
The basic lesson I've learned in regards to getting satisfactory service and lodging, whether it be at a campground, a restaurant, a motel, or a resort, is this: "When in doubt, don't!"
Heed the warning signs. If the Web site description seems too good to be true, it probably is. If the online reservation form crashes, take note. Don't rely on online forms. It's still best to make reservations by phone where you can have the satisfaction of talking to a person. When the person who greets you at the campground won't serve you, go elsewhere. When visiting a new campground for the first time, ask to see the campsite first, before checking in. If you don't like where they've placed you, ask for another site. If they won't accommodate you, or you arrive to unacceptable campsite conditions, don't stay. And demand a refund!
| Remember, for the most part, the Internet has become the billboards of the computer revolution. Most of what you read are business advertisements. Be skeptical, email the campground, call them up, communicate with them. When communications are poor, take that as a reflection of poor service and look for another campground. Get clear descriptions of the campground facilities and know what to expect upon your arrival. Ask them what kind of crowd frequents their campground. Ask them how much space is between the sites. Ask them if they enforce quiet hours. Ask them about the grounds and the amenities. And, if you can avoid it, don't make non-refundable reservations.
All we can do is live and learn, and hopefully along the way enjoy a little camping. |