Monday, October 22, 2012

Campfires


One of our favorite parts of camping is the evening campfire. There's nothing like cooking supper over the fire, then sitting and chatting while watching the fire. Campfires are so important to us that we often avoid campgrounds that don't allow them.

Campfires serve many purposes for people.

I've often observed lone campers sitting by a campfire throughout the day, reading books or writing in journals. What a wonderful setting for contemplation!

Campfires are also wonderfully intimate settings for couples to cuddle and chat, to recall their past and to plan their future.

Campfires are great for families to talk about the day's events - swimming, sightseeing - or issues related to past events and future dreams. They are also fun settings for family sing-alongs and skits. Kids never seem to tire of performing by the light of the fire.

Campfires are fabulous settings for gathering with old friends and meeting new ones. Dave and I have visited with some very interesting characters, ranging from itinerant artists to government officials, around the campfire. All of us were drawn together by our mutual love of the outdoors and the simple pleasure of a campfire.

If you have any special campfire stories to share, please add a comment.

Virginia, Charlottesville – Charlottesville KOA


Campground: Charlottesville KOA

Location: Charlottesville, VA  - just south of Charlottesville between Hwy 20 and Hwy 29

Overall Rating: B

Setting Rating: B
(Large hills; woods, farmland, picturesque area of the state)

Site Rating: B+
(not an overly large number of sites; partly sun to mostly shaded sites, full-service with 50 amp to primitive sites; good number of pull-thrus; can handle the largest rigs; gravel pads are mostly level; fair spacing; campfire rings; quiet campground; tables in good condition; sites well maintained; cable TV; wireless internet at sites)

Washroom Rating: B+
(central modern washroom; clean and ventilated; well maintained; laundry)

Recreation Rating: B
(a nice well kept children’s playground; a well maintained pool is of a nice size with some deck furniture; Monticello along with other historical sites and a range of sightseeing options within 20 miles; game room)

Conclusion: Last visited 2005. This is a lovely friendly campground for sightseeing and a week of relaxation. We would not hesitate to visit again.  

 

Virginia, Haymarket – Greenville Family Farm

Campground: Greenville Family Farm

Location: Haymarket VA

Overall Rating: C

Setting Rating: B
(Rolling hills; woods, farmland; on the back of a farm)

Site Rating: C-
(full sun with some shade in the full-service area; well shaded sites that are water and electric; good number of pull-thrus; packed soil pads that are not overly level in some sites; good spacing and good sized sites in the non-full service sites; full service sites well grassed but with tight spacing; campfires not allowed in full-service area; average spacing; quiet campground; not a highly used campground; wooden tables well aged and some in poor repair; many sites are not well maintained and are somewhat overgrown)

Washroom Rating: B-
(central aged modern washroom; clean and ventilated; laundry)

Recreation Rating: C
(good sized pool; several historical and site seeing sites within 10 miles)

Conclusion: Last visited 2010. An adequate campground for sightseeing in Washington DC area. We are likely to visit again for a weekend.  

 

 

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Virginia, Madison – Madison KOA


Campground: Madison KOA

Location: Madison VA, along Hwy 29

Overall Rating: B-

Setting Rating: B
(Rolling hills; woods, farmland)

Site Rating: B
(well shaded sites; some pull-thrus; primitive to full service; packed soil and gravel pads; while pads are generally level, some adjustments may be necessary; average spacing; fire pits; cable hook-ups available; quiet campground)

Washroom Rating: B
(central aged modern; well maintained; clean and well ventilated)

Recreation Rating: C
(pool; small playground; laundry; several historical and site seeing sites within 25 miles)

Conclusion: Last visited 2011. We are likely to visit again for a weekend.  

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Virginia, Stafford – Aquia Pines

  
Campground: Acquia Pines Camp Resort

Location: Stafford VA, I-95, Exit 143A

Overall Rating: B

Setting Rating: B-
(Suburban campground; rolling hills of northern VA; woods, farmland and around an increasing number housing developments, tall pines)

Site Rating: A-
(part shade in one area of campground with full shade in another area of the campground that is in the woods; average spacing in the part sun area to good spacing in the full shade area; some sites are a tight turns; gravel pads; primitive to full service with 50 amp; no fire pits at the sites; cable hook-ups in part shade area; some road noise from I-95 and Hwy 1 can be heard in the campground)

Washroom Rating: B+
(two moderns; clean and well ventilated; aged)

Recreation Rating: B
(good sized pool; a nicely equipped playground; laundry; a host of sightseeing opportunities within 25 miles in Washington DC and Fredericksburg VA; a nicely stocked campground store; wide selection of groceries within 4 miles)

Conclusion: Visited 2012. We are likely to visit again for a weekend. A good choice from which to travel into Washington DC

Ohio, Forest Park - Winton Woods


Campground: Winton Woods Country Park

Location: Forest Park, OH – 2.5 miles south off I275

Overall Rating: B+

Setting Rating: B
(Suburban park; Country Park surrounding a manmade lake; part of the campground overlooks the lake; quiet campground set around tall pines)

Site Rating: A-
(excellent size and well spaced; well leveled concrete pads; primitive to full service with 50 amp; good size fire pits; mostly sun to well shaded; well off the main highway; quiet campgrounds)

Washroom Rating: B+
(central modern; well maintained; clean and well ventilated)

Recreation Rating: B
(manmade lake for swimming; lake at a distance from the campgrounds; a long paved walking trail goes around one part of the lake; canoe rental; a range of sightseeing opportunities within 20 miles)

Conclusion: Last visited 2012. If we were staying in the Cincinnati area we would visit this campground again. We could readily stay for up two weeks at this campground.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Wyoming, Chugwater - Diamond Guest Ranch


Campground: Diamond Guest Ranch

Location: Chugwater, Wyoming

Overall Rating: B+
Setting Rating: A+

(The setting is one of the strengths, located deep onto a functioning ranch at the western end of a box canyon, semi-arid, scrub brush, foot-hills, campground is an old summer outcamp, former bunkhouses have been turned into a small conference center)

Site Rating: B
(Not all sites well leveled, part shade to full sun, water and electric to full-service, well maintained grass sites, some sites are close too close, good size fire pits but firewood not available at the campground)

Washroom Rating: B
(Two small modern washrooms well located, aged but well maintained)

Recreation Rating: B+
(Small well maintained heated pool, could use more deck furniture, walking trails, horseback riding, horse shoe pit, children’s playground)

Conclusion: Last visited in 1998. We hope to visit again for 3 to 7 nights. The setting is outstanding. Horseback riding and the horse trails are a great asset. Food stores are at a distant so make sure you are well stocked before going to the campground.