Masters of RVing Adventures

We had mostly a boring drive yesterday through Wisconsin and Minnesota. Pretty sure we’ve driven past 9000 of their 10,000 lakes! (Although this area has quite a bit of flooding from weeks of prolonged rain.)

For my many non-camping friends reading this, I just want to share some KOA knowledge. Over the years, Mark and I have stayed at various KOAs when camping for two primary reasons: (1) they have an extensive network throughout the U.S. and Canada; and (2) they are basically a known entity – all KOAs have to meet certain standards, even though most are franchised. As with all things, some KOAs are much nicer than others, have a more dedicated and conscientious staff, and go the extra mile for an exceptional customer experience. KOA has recently acknowledged this difference in their parks and now offer a three-tiered explanation, which you can find on their website.

from KOA.com website

KOA Journey campgrounds are best described as a good overnight option. Many KOA owners will always stay at this most basic level. Most of the KOAs that we will be staying in while at our various campsites in Alaska will be in this category.

KOA Holiday campgrounds can best be described as very family-oriented, offering amenities and activities geared for you to enjoy in the park in between your area sightseeing interests. Our two stops in Montana are Holiday level.

KOA Resorts are their top tier, with only 16 across the country and one in all of Canada. They are usually in very touristy locations.

Take a look at the difference between the entrances of the Holiday KOA in Milton where we stayed 2 nights ago and the Journey KOA in Maple Grove from last night. One has a rock wall with a waterfall feature, while the other has a sign and chain link fence.

Don’t get me wrong, we stay at all three types, depending on our location and needs. Also, I’m not advocating for KOAs, say over Sun Outdoors or Camp Margaritaville or Spacious Skies or RJourney campgrounds. I’m also not saying anything good or bad for the many campers who prefer their safety net to be a camping membership, such as Thousand Trails (as does my friend and trusted RV resource, Julie with RVLove) or Passport America or the many other discount programs. Everyone needs to do their own research and uncover whatever works best for them. Since this is my blog, I get to ramble about some general information and hope I’ve shared something worthwhile.

To get your attention again, can you pick out our rig below?