Not every RV park we land in is a perfect park. We have stayed in many parks all up and down the scale from being very nice to those something only slightly better than a parking lot. We are currently in Suwannee River Rendezvous RV Park and it got me to thinking about what it takes for a park to be perfect or to be one with the “it” factor. Then it also had me pondering that nearly every park out there probably has the “it” factor to someone.
Take the park we are in now for an example… Suwannee River Rendezvous RV Park which is about 3 miles outside the small town of Mayo, Florida. It is located in Lafayette County which, by the way, is one of only three dry counties in the entire state of Florida. By dry, I mean they don’t allow the sale of alcohol inside their county. The RV park is composed of two sections. The section we are currently in has been recently developed and as such all the vegetation has been denuded leaving only the recent plantings behind. But the newer section has a fabulous new bath house, laundry, library and pool/hot tub facility. Beanbag toss and horseshoes are here as well as a big pavilion with picnic tables and easy chairs. The older section is more for tent campers or those with very small rigs but it is a completely wooded area with very mature oak trees and is along the scenic Suwannee River.
That being said, what is within easy driving distance of Suwannee River Rendezvous RV Park? Well not much… There are several State Parks nearby because they are protecting some natural springs and offer nice access for Kayakers and SCUBA divers but not too much for hikers and bikers ad such. So what makes this park have the “it” factor for some and not for others? For some the barren open newer RV park offers easy access to satellite TV signal which is a big plus for some but doesn’t matter to us. We would maybe prefer the more wooded serene older campground as it offers a chance to watch the birds and bees, but it is definitely not big rig friendly. In fact, big rigs are advised to park at the ample space provided at the newer campground and walk down to the office to check in.
The park being in the middle of nowhere doesn’t really appeal to us but does appeal to many others. I spoke with a fellow at our last RV park (also in the middle of nowhere) and he said he loved the park because it reminded him more of the country and not the city life he was accustomed to. This park smack dab in a dry county also doesn’t appeal to us as we like to seek out the occasional “dive bar” or at the very least sample a newly made craft beer in a local mom and pop establishment. However others might revel at the fact that alcohol is snubbed by the county as they have no love for the evils of the drink. In fact there is only a tiny grocery store in town so visitors should stock up on groceries (and alcohol) in advance of their visit here.
We will enjoy driving over to see the various warm water springs and if the weather cooperates we hope to inflate the kayak to take a trip up the Suwannee River. We realize we really can’t enjoy this park like one of our current neighbors does as they love this park since it provides them such great access to some of the best cave diving in the USA. In fact cave divers from all over the world come to this area to cave dive. Sharon and I are SCUBA certified divers but have no desire to do so in a dark cave… simply not a thrill for either of us. 
One interesting diversion at this park is Grandma Susie's Cookin' Shack opened only on the weekends. It features very inexpensive down South home cooking. So even though there is a lack of restaurants in town this little gem serves up some good grub… Restaurants are another important item for some RV’ers but not so much for us since we cook most meals in our home. And for the sake of our blood pressures, we decided one or two breakfasts are all we should partake at Grandma Susie's Cookin' Shack. Where the two of us may not think a great deal about some aspects of this park and it’s location, others might find it the perfect park with the “it” factor they seek out. Overall we are glad we came to experience this nice park for a short term stay, but we are looking forward to the next park where we will be closer to our “it” park because we will be right on the ocean waterfront at Ho Hum RV Park near Carrabelle, Florida along the forgotten coast.
After these ponderings I have concluded every park may be the perfect park with the perfect “it” factor to somebody out there…
We enjoy a park where we aren't parked on top of each other. COE parks are our favorite. We do like to be within 15 no more than 20 minutes from a grocery store. We really do not care how many activities the park has. We are happy to go sightseeing, read, and work on our hobbies. We don't need to be entertained all hours of the day. We also really appreciate a cordial park staff. Not one that thinks they are doing us a favor by letting us stay there.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that every park is an "it" park for someone.
Well put John. We all too often dismiss something that others find to be their liking. We have some news.
ReplyDeleteBe careful of the flying sturgeon (not kidding) in the Suwanee River. They have been known to jump out of the water and into some boats. People have been injured because they are pretty big fish. We've seen them jump....a lot.
ReplyDeleteAl and I were just talking about rv sites tonight and the "it" factor. The place we are staying in certainly has not "it" factor, but it's in the Keys so I guess that's "it" enough for us. At least we're not in a dry county. :)
To us "it" is dependent on the reasons for being in the area. If it gets us close to what we want to do with the amenities we like-then it has it.
ReplyDeleteWell written and an interesting topic. Just as applies to people, wouldn't it be boring if we were all alike...then all the campgrounds/rv parks would be the same. Good blog post.
ReplyDeleteWe enjoy every park we are in for various different reasons, they all have their own personality. Everyone one has their own requirements thats why there is so many choices out there.
ReplyDeleteMoving every week or two for the last 8 years makes for a lot of places to visit.
I find it so interesting to see all the different "it" factors we all have. Makes this lifestyle fit so many people.
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ReplyDeleteVery interesting topic I was just talking about with someone else. We are pretty much state/national/Coe park goers. They are private park FHU, concrete pad, planned activities.
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