We’ve been asked what type of Campground/resort we liked most.  The answer really depends on how long we are staying,  what the area has to offer, the weather patterns and what our mood is at the time.    When planning for the winter trip, we didn’t really know any of the above considerations.  So, we relied on what we’ve liked in Michigan and made reservations using services like Campendium and Allstays (a great app).

We used our Michigan glamping experiences to set the tone for the majority of our reservations.  We love the state parks in Michigan.  We prefer not to be close to other RVs and to have trees and foliage to enjoy.  And we actually found quite a few places that we loved that gave us our Michigan experience – like Top Sail State Park, St Andrews, Gunterhill and O’Leno State Park.

But when near the beach or in the Keys, having lots of space just isn’t going to be possible because the resorts tend to maximize the space.  So we knew we would be close and in open settings for a few of the areas, like Fort Myers and the Keys.  But we were not prepared for what we actually experienced!

The first time we were in the typical RV Parking Lot was the KOA in Lake Okechobee.  We were shocked at first.  It was odd to see the slide outs of the neighbor right outside the windows and to hear every conversation when sitting outside.  When we were at Woodsmoke in Fort Myers area, the spots were so close and the road so narrow, that we had to have a tractor back Stella into her spot.  However, there were still trees and landscaping that made the areas less of a parking lot.   The Pine Island KOA felt like we were camping in an open field (full of Noseeums unfortunately).  Fiesta Key was perhaps the most crowded and essentially a large open gravel parking lot with many RVs crammed in.

What I discovered, to my surprise, is that the larger and more dense resorts were the ones where we made new friends more easily and where we socialized more.  We met some wonderful people in these parks.  We learned so much about places to see and things to do.  We had social campfires, happy hours and shared dinners.  We shared stories and experiences.

We had great times in each type of location.  We learned to appreciate the uniqueness of each location.  And, in the end, we are revisiting both types of resorts. The places that we are reserving for the longer durations next year are the larger more dense parks/resorts.  The state parks are still on our itinerary and will be great for the stays of a week or less — They will give us some moments of privacy and beauty.

And we always have Michigan to return to for our forested beautiful camping locations…..