Roadrunner Review: The Lakes RV and Golf Resort

Brother Marty mentioned to a friend that we have a motorhome and would be making our way to Arnold CA for a 4th of July Reunion with the other brothers and wives. His friend told him about the Lakes RV and Golf Resort and Marty passed the info on to us.

My first thought was it could be nice.  Or on the other hand, it could be a Par-3 'Executive Course' or something along those lines.  He said that golf was free and it was a good place to stay.

Turns out they were right.  It is a Championship Par 72 course that is a good one.  The rates at the RV Resort are 37/night which is very reasonable.  The golf is free, although to ride in a cart is $16/per person.  Still very reasonable and a real value.

Here's the layout of the Resort from TheLakesRV.com

The directions off California Highway 99 from Fresno to Chowchilla and the resort are good.  It was easy to find off the freeway and has a large entrance parking area for check-in.  I love the big gates.

Some views of the streets and lots.  The streets are wide, the pull through lots are the widest. 

Our site is on the right with our Honda CRV parked in front of it.

The perimeter sites are a bit cramped with not enough room to park the car.

Though its a little tight, and we can not open our awning because of the tree in the back, we opted for a cheaper $37/night site since we wanted to stay two weeks.

I love the mature hedges that mark off each site.  Our neighbor apparently owns the lot next to us because we have not seen them since we have been here.

The rest of the park is very nice.  Laundry is very reasonable at $1.00/$1.25 (washer/dryer) and a short walk away.  The layout of the grounds is pretty nice.

The small pond and swimming pool are very nice and perfect for the hot weather we have been having.

Pretty great to be able to walk over and lounge around the pool a couple hours each day.  I didn't try the whirlpool but it's there too.

Inside, they have a little shop

and registration area.

And a lounge reading area

Outside it had some pretty nice lounging areas to soak up some sun.  Across the pond, folks could pay a little extra and have a 'waterfront' site.

Back at our area - it was adequate.  Tight but OK.  We could put out our door awning but the slideout awning had a tree problem.

The other great thing about this place is that it is a block away from the Pheasant Run Golf Course.  And, guests at the RV park can get free greens fees!  Yes!

 And it is not a par three / executive course it is a full regulation championship par -72 layout.  For $16 each, we got a cart and played a round of golf.  It was a great deal.  And I liked their driving range and practice facility.  I was able to use it three times and determine yes, with one eye I could still make contact with the golf ball!

We enjoyed our time at this RV/Golf facility.  It lived up to its billing and was a nice place to stay.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Roadrunner Review: Mason Jar on the Main

We stayed in Red Bay at the Downtown RV Park for two nights.  It was our first time doing that, we usually stay at the Tiffin Allegro Campground over by the Service Center.  But our friends Steve and Karen were there so we decided to give it a try.

It worked out well!

A couple hours after we arrived a young lady walked around and passed out flyers to the Mason Jar on the Main Restaurant a couple of blocks away on Main Street.  We tried it out on Tuesday for lunch and were impressed.

 The first thing I noticed was the metal paneling.  Nice.  The clean old original brick wall on one side works well with the metal.  The tables and chairs give it a good look along with the checkerboard tile floor.  Not overdone, a bit trendy and a fun atmosphere.

Owner Sherri was also our order taker and about as friendly as can be.  We opted for Chicken Fingers and the Special of the Day:  Fried Balogna Sandwich.  Pam said the chicken was good and they make their own tasty ranch dressing.  My balogna sandwich with pepper jack cheese and onion rings was a home run.
We had a 1/2 sweet tea and regular tea and a 1/2 tea and 1/2 lemonade which were very good.

 Cool looking chalkboard along one wall.

 Our order arrived in a few minutes and it was worth the wait.  The place started getting busy with a whole mix of folks -- us and some other 'motor home people (as we are known by the locals), some workers from the Tiffin Plant, one of the Tiffin son owners and a couple of his friends, a couple of ladies out for lunch and then a whole bunch of folks making it a busy place.

The food was good and reasonably priced.  The atmosphere was friendly, trendy and clean and the place was decorated well.  It is the perfect spot to grab some good food in downtown Red Bay.  We will be back!

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Roadrunner Campsites in April 2015

We left our JEB Little Creek MWR Campground in Virginia Beach VA Monday, April 6.  By April 30 we were at the Shady Creek RV Park Aubrey Texas.  Along the way we had stops at:

• High Rock Marina and Campground, Lexington, NC
• Freightliner Repair Facility, Gaffney, SC
• Camp Lake Jasper, Hardeeville, SC
• Pelican Roost Campground, Naval Station Mayport, FL
• MidBay Shores Recreation Area, Niceville, FL
• Fountainbleu State Park, Mandeville State Park, LA
• Bayou Wilderness Resort RV Park, Lafayette, LA
• Shallow Creek RV Park, Gladewater, TX
• Cowtown RV Campground, Aledo, TX
• Shady Creek RV Park and Storage, Aubrey, TX

Here's brief recap of some thoughts on each campground:

JEB Little Creek MWR Campground:  Cost - $22.00  Rating: - 5/10

The best thing about this campground is its proximity to Kelly and Jon.  It is literally 5 minutes away from them and our first grandchild.  It also had a concrete pad, good 50 amp service and good, free wifi at our campsite.  (I'm sure it helped that we were right next to the Campground Office.)

Despite the very good Office Manager, a great couple for Camp Hosts, the campground suffers from no attention from the MWR Department and leadership.  The campground is in a great location and has a lot of use, but laundry room, roads, painting and general maintenance is lacking. Snow removal was non-existent.

High Rock Marina and Campground, Lexington NC:  Cost - $37.00 Rating - 8/10

We were looking for something different and pleasant and not too far out of the way as we were heading to Gaffney SC.  The High Rock Marina was a fine overnight stay and a place that was perfect for our first overnight in quite a while.  We got a decent site with full hookups and it was 'almost' on the lake for an enjoyable evening.  We had dinner outside and built a campfire and wen to bed fairly early.  

Freightliner Repair Facility Gaffney SC: Cost - $0.00  Rating - 7/10

Not a destination but a decent place for repair work.  Sites are level, no tree obstructions so satellite TV work fine.  Wifi at campsite and at customer lounge area are both excellent. Dump station is good and very convenient.

Camp Lake Jasper, Hardeeville SC:  Cost - $39.33  Rating - 7/10

New facility with lots of nice amenities.  Fire pits at each site, fishing, outdoor community area, large sites.  Nice little lake for fishing and canoeing.  Great stopover for a few days in the Hilton Head/Savannah area.

Pelican Roost Campground, Naval Station Mayport FL: Cost $21.00  Rating - 9/10

All in all, the best military campground we have stayed at.  It has free laundry, is well run, sites are level with lots of mowed grass.  The staff is excellent and the view is excellent --right on the water of the St. John's River.  New base gym and swimming pool is 400 yards away and the big beach is within walking distance.  We loved watching the ships go by right in front of us!  Definitely will make it to stay here again.

MidBay Shores Recreation Area, Niceville FL:  Cost - $17.00 Rating - 7/10

Though this is an older campground, the price was right and we were on the water of Choctahatchee Bay.  The trees blocked our satellite dish but cable was fine.  Needs a little TLC but it was a good stop in the Fort Walton Beach area.

Fountainebleu State Park, Mandeville LA:  Cost - $25.00  Rating - 7/10

Glad we finally got to stay in a Louisiana State Park!  Nice big campsites with campfire rings and trash cans nearby which are emptied daily.  The park offered a number of hiking trails, is close to a great bike trail and even has a small beach not far away on the property.  It was a very pleasant couple of days here.

Bayou Wilderness RV Resort, Lafayette LA:  Cost - $39.83  Rating - 7/10

A little out of the way and higher than we like to pay.  The road getting there was not the best but it was a very nice campground. Site was level with plenty of gravel. Grass was freshly mowed and the laundry facilities were in good shape.  A good place for an overnight stay to see our friends in Lafayette.

Shallow Creek RV Campground, Gladewater TX:  Cost - $29.70 Rating - 8/10

This was great!  Love the concrete slabs throughout with some grass.  Plenty of parking at campsite. Office manager and grounds person were very friendly and helpful.  Was a real nice overnight stay and we'd do it again!

Cowtown RV Campground, Aledo TX: Cost -  $39.83  Rating - 8/10

Another very convenient campground.  Right off I-20 and near my brother and sister-in-laws place.  Campground has lots of pull through sites.  The front office is very helpful and friendly and the laundry is good.  We stayed about a week and would do so again.

Shady Creek RV Park and Storage, Aubrey TX: Cost - $31.50  Rating -  7/10

(forgot to get a photo)

Nice place for an overnight stay.  Campsites have ample parking and our site had new gravel.  It was level and the who place is well maintained.  Fairly new park with large pool and nice laundry facilities.  It was a very beautiful and well-maintained campground.  The grass was freshly mowed which is a big plus with me.  It was a little out of the way but it was a good stop for us with our friends in Frisco, TX.  

There's a recap of our campsites from Virginia to Texas during the month of April.  I also make it a point to provide campground reviews on rvparkreviews.com and militarycampgrounds.us Its been fun to be on the road again!

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles.

Cold Weather Considerations

It hasn't gotten very cold here in Virginia Beach yet and we are OK with that.  But a few people near us have wrapped their water hoses and it looks like they are ready for freezing weather.  There is a pretty good likely hood of that so we went to Home Depot and bought some things to be prepared.

First thing we got was the 30" Frost King pipe warmer heat cable.  Then we got a 25' hose to go with the 6' water hose we already had.

And we got the five sections of 6' foam

Then I read the directions on the Frost King pipe warmer.  Something about "...not for hoses...".  Hmm.  Next I went next door and ask the fellow camper about that and he said, "Yeah, no big deal there, we looked it up and found out we just needed to wrap the hose in aluminum foil and its working fine".

OK - before we did that I wanted to check out the wrap sensor to see if was going to warm up as advertised.  Pam read the thing to do was to plug it in and put the sensor between a small bag of ice.  We did that and it heated right up after about 15 minutes.  Not hot, but warm.

Next step was to wrap the entire hose with tin foil.

Then we laid the sensor cord/wrap up against the hose and secured it with electrical tape every 6-10 inches.

And stuffed it all into the foam wraps and tape it up with duct tape.

Then I connected it to the water faucet

and the other end with the sensor to the regular coiled water hose in the wet bay.

I know there is a lot going on here but the 3 main things to note are: 1) The hose on the reel connected to the tin foiled hose 2) the heat sensor is plugged into an extension cord that I have threaded through the bays to an inverter outlet on the other side of the coach and 3) I also have addition drop lights in the wet bay turned on 24/7.

Once I close the bay door, the hoses are protected.

The rest of the hose has the foam wrap.

That's what the finished product looks like.  We've had it on there about a week now and so far no issues.  It only dipped below freezing one time since there.

We feel like this gives us another cold weather option and we wanted to see if it was feasible.

What other solutions have you seen to prevent hoses from freezing?  Or what do you do?
I'd be interested.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles and hope you are warm and enjoying things as we approach the new year.

Stops Along the Way

We are more or less in the travel mode although we have stopped for a few weeks in Albuquerque.  But after we left our great spot at Catalina Sate Park outside of Tucson Arizona, we have been to three more campgrounds.

A couple of weeks ago we wanted to camp at the Grand Canyon, but it was full.  The closest place we could find was at Camp Tuthill at Flagstaff, AZ.  It was about 90 miles from the Grand Canyon which was within driving distance for a day trip to the Grand Canyon.

Surprisingly we were able to get a pretty good internet signal and after some tricky maneuvering, we were able to latch onto a DirecTV signal through the trees.  At $19 a night, we found this to be a pretty good place and would camp here again.  I'd give it a 7/10 rating.

Marty and Roz commented that they prefer Camp Navajo near Williams AZ.  We had not heard of that one but found it online.  It says they open in May so we will have to try that one next time.

After Flagstaff, we moved east along I-40 to a great overnight stay at USARVPark in Gallup, NM.  We read the reviews on RVParkReviews.com and it rated very highly.  We agree.  For an overnight stay, it was great.  It May be one of the best former KOA's we have ever seen.

They have a really great gift shop and little store.  But more impressive are the grounds and the campsite areas.  All sites are wide and level and the laundry, swimming pool (though not open) and different areas are all well maintained.  And they ask a few questions to see which of the many discounts you may qualify for.  I like that!  I'd give it a 9/10.

We are currently in the FamCamp at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque.  We really like this place.
It is fairly easy to get to and the campsites are pretty long and wide.  Among the longest and widest we have stayed at.  Since brother Reid and wife Amy have lived here forever, we often find ourselves staying at the FamCamp.  It is convenient and not far from where they live so it works out well.

The laundry is reasonable and they have a new bathhouse/restroom in the area where we like.  Over the last couple of years they have made a steady stream of improvements.  The most notable are lots of gravel in the campsites and grading work so the roads lanes are pot hole free.

Overall, I'd give it a 7/10.

All in all pretty decent stops along the way.  None have the 'it' factor but those only come along once in a while...

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Until next time...

Where Were You...?

It is pretty hard for me to remember where I was a year ago -- except last year.  Last year we were at the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta GA.  Talk about a once-in-a-lifetime experience!  Being there was one of my all time favorite golf moments!

Then I got to thinking - where were we two years ago (April 2012)?  Florida? Lets see...
Yep - in the Cocoa Beach area soaking up some sun and enjoying my new Grill Guard wind shield.

Then we go back to three years ago - where were we  in April 2011?  Here in Arizona about ready to head north and east for Albuquerque.  Our Norcold refrigerator died (as in quit entirely) and we decided to buy a temporary one until we could get to Red Bay (Tiffin Factory) and get a new residential style refrigerator.

At this point you know I am going to go back a couple of more years:  In April 2010, we had been on the road almost a year and were en route (with a stop in Maynardville TN) to Michigan to see him and also to see Meghan.

"For the Love of Meghan" bracelets we wore hoping somehow our support would turn the tide against her breast cancer.

At that point, she was in a fight for her life.  One that she would lose a few weeks later at the young age of 29.

And in 2009 - five years ago - we did not even have the Roadrunner.  We put our house on the market in Friday and it sold in record time!

Wow -- were we excited.  A month later we bought our 2007 Allegro Bus and got ready to hit the road!

Five years have flown by and it is hard to remember where we've been at times.  The Roadrunner Chronicles helps and so does my Financial spreadsheet that I keep to log expenses.  It shows exactly where we have been so it is a good reference point too.

There you go--from the Masters to Fairfax, VA in a look back at this date in each of the last five years.  Thanks for joining us on this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles!