Glam Camping, On A Roll
Hitting the highway in comfort and style
By Anne Norup
My first experience with an Airstream travel trailer was when I was six years old. It was love at first sight.
That summer my aunt and uncle were coming for an extended visit. Since we didn’t have a guest room, they brought their silver-cocooned master suite on wheels and parked it in our driveway. In the blink of an eye, it had become my favorite playhouse ever.
Fast forward a few decades. Our 19-foot Bambi Airstream evokes the same sentiment for me today. It’s the quintessential grown-up’s playhouse and home-on-the-go, a retreat for good times and über-fun.
Several months ago my husband and I made a pact to get away more often. The strains and stresses of intense jobs with tight deadlines were taking their toll. We wanted to escape, pure and simple, to a spot in the woods, at the water’s edge, with fresh, clean air and where Mother Nature would rule
as CEO.
The idea of buying a cabin on a lake sounded fantastic…for about an hour, until we realized that dream was way beyond our means. Okay, other end of the financial spectrum — let’s go camping. Nope, that won’t work. We like creature comforts way too much.
Enter craigslist. “Look, Honey, here’s a Bambi for sale!” That did it for me. Now it’s parked in our driveway, ready to leave on a moment’s notice, and decked out with all the essentials needed for luxe camping: HD flat screen TV/DVD player, espresso maker, a nest with down pillows, quilt and a memory-foam mattress-top, along with restaurant-grade dishes and glassware (no plastic in our RV!).
We load our two-person kayak on the truck racks, pack up the dogs, toss the bikes in the bed of the truck and we’re ready for adventure of any sort. Since we’re all “water hounds,” we always head toward beaches, lakes, rivers and ocean campgrounds. Being outside, enjoying the beauty of our surroundings and then tucking into our Bambi for the ultimate in cozy comfort is our idea of a perfect getaway.
Don’t get me wrong, though, an Airstream isn’t a requirement for glam camping, although it is nice. You really only need three things:
1. A longing to answer the call of the wild and go exploring;
2. A desire to pamper yourself with your favorite stuff;
3. Wheels!
Got ’em all? Then you’re good to go — and don’t forget the S’mores!
Resources
RV Associations:
Idaho: www.rvidaho.org
Oregon: www.orarvc.com
Anne Norup is a freelance writer and photographer living in Port Townsend. This is her first contribution to Outdoors NW.
A Wanderlust’s Guide to Cool Campgrounds
With Hook-ups
My Top 6 Faves in Oregon
and Washington
By Anne Norup
Part of the Glam Camping experience is finding cool campgrounds with amenities. Hook-ups are an essential part of that, but we appreciate cable TV and Wi-Fi too. If we’re out for awhile, or the weather turns for the worse, laundry facilities are a true blessing. The campgrounds listed below have all those amenities plus more. We also relish having a fire pit whenever possible.
Oregon
Sea and Sand RV Park on the Oregon Coast
4985 N. Highway 101, Depoe Bay, OR 97341
(877) 821-2231
This fabulous park has spectacular ocean views from terraced sites, as well as cozy forested campground sites, all with easy access for miles of beach walking. Fire pits are only available at the forested sites, but beach bonfires are permissible.
Diamond Lake RV Park
3500 Diamond Lake Loop, Diamond Lake, OR 97731
(541) 793-3318
Tucked into the magnificent Cascade Mountains, this park is great for fishing, kayaking, swimming and enjoying your RV in the midst of pine trees. Horseback riding and spectacular Crater Lake are nearby. No TV. Open mid-May to Oct. 1.
Rogue River RV Park
21800 Highway 62, Shady Cove, OR 97539
(800) 775-0367
Nestled on the banks of the beautiful Rogue River, this park is perfect for families, fishing, river rafting, golfing and hiking. Their tagline, “where elegance meets the splendor of the outdoors,” is
very apt.
Washington
Point Hudson RV Park
103 Hudson St., Port Townsend, WA 98368
(800) 228-2803
Located on the beach of Admiralty Inlet, views are of Whidbey Island and Mt. Baker, but best is the easy walk to Port Townsend’s delightful restaurants, shops and museums as well as a walk along the beach to Fort Worden State Park.
Fidalgo Bay RV Resort
4701 Fidalgo Bay Rd., Anacortes, WA 98221
(800) 727-5478
Right on Fidalgo Bay with over a mile of beach and 40 acres to play, this resort is also a great jumping-off point for San Juan Island exploration. It has a waterfront clubhouse and is two miles from Anacortes with its delicious restaurants and fun shops.
Columbia Riverfront RV Park
1881 Dike Rd., Woodland, WA 98674
(800) 845-9842
www.columbiariverfrontrvpark.com
Ranked as one of the top RV parks in the country for the past four years by the Good Sam Club, this campground is located right on the river, with 10 acres to roam, a mile of beach for walking and an outdoor pool.
Other readers have had interest in these related articles:
Cama Beach State Park on Camano Island
If you like this post, you might also enjoy:
Trackbacks For This Post
1 Comment
-
[...] – Home There's a list here: Airstream Exclusive Parks And a few other ideas here at OutDoorsNW: Camping, On A Roll | Outdoors NW __________________ Forum Staff | Invites | Tutorials | Galleries | FAQ | FaceBook | Twitter [...]
[...] – Home There's a list here: Airstream Exclusive Parks And a few other ideas here at OutDoorsNW: Camping, On A Roll | Outdoors NW __________________ Forum Staff | Invites | Tutorials | Galleries | FAQ | FaceBook | Twitter [...]