2025 Destinations
Cameron, MO
April 2025
This was an overnight stop on the way to South Padre Island, with plans to spend a few days in San Antonio before continuing south. Due to scheduling issues I made the trek to San Antonio by myself and my wife met me there.
I stayed at the Love’s RV Stop in Cameron, using one of their RV sites. We’ve stayed here before, so we knew exactly what to expect.
The biggest downside continues to be the price. At $50 per night, it’s more than I think an overnight stop should cost. That said, the sites are easy to get into, the hookups are good, and the Wi-Fi works well.
Being part of a busy truck stop, traffic noise continues throughout the night, so don’t expect a peaceful campground atmosphere. However, if you’re simply looking for a convenient place to pull in, get a good night’s sleep, and continue your trip the next morning, it serves that purpose very well.
We also stayed here again on our return trip home. Nothing had changed, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s still a convenient overnight stop, and we’ll likely consider it again when traveling through the area, although we’ll continue looking at other options if the price continues to climb.
Guthrie, OK
April 2025
This was my next overnight stop on the way to South Padre Island, with plans to spend a few days in San Antonio before continuing south.
The campground offers a variety of campsite sizes, and unfortunately, we were initially assigned a site that simply wasn’t large enough for our 40-foot fifth wheel. It took a few phone calls to get everything sorted out, and while the staff did move us to a more suitable site, the process was more complicated than it probably needed to be.
Once it was settled, everything else went very smoothly. The campground has easy access from the highway, quality hookups, and reliable Wi-Fi, making it a convenient overnight stop.
We also stayed here on our return trip home. Knowing the layout made things much easier the second time around. If you have a larger RV, I’d recommend requesting one of the end sites when making your reservation, as they provide much easier access and more room to maneuver.
Overall, it’s a convenient place to spend the night while traveling through the area, especially if you’re driving a larger rig and can reserve one of the larger sites.
April 2025
Waco, TX
Our trip to South Padre Island continued with another stop in Waco, Texas. What trip to Texas would be complete without spending some time exploring the city that Chip and Joanna Gaines have helped make famous?
This was our second stay in Waco, although this time Pat wasn’t with me. She had to remain home for a couple of extra days to take care of a few things, so I made the drive south on my own and we planned to meet in San Antonio. With any luck, we’ll stop here together again on our way home.
Since we enjoyed it so much on our previous trip, I booked another stay at Magnolia RV Resort. It really is a beautiful RV park. The grounds are meticulously maintained, beautifully landscaped, and it’s obvious the owners take great pride in the property.
The pool area is one of the nicest we’ve seen at any campground or RV resort. It’s thoughtfully designed with plenty of tables, chairs, and shaded seating areas where you can escape the Texas sun. Many of the campsites also have shade sails to help keep your RV cooler, something that’s almost a necessity during the Texas summer.
The office and reception area looks like something out of a decorating magazine. From the moment you walk through the door, you feel relaxed and welcome. On weekends they even serve breakfast, which is a nice touch.
Magnolia RV Resort continues to be one of our favorite stops in Texas, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone visiting the Waco area with an RV. During this visit, full-hookup sites were $70 per night, which we felt was a fair price considering the quality of the campground and its amenities.
San Antonio, TX
April 2025
We made a stop in San Antonio, Texas, to attend the Volunteer Leadership Conference for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. It was the perfect opportunity to combine an event that’s important to us with our trip to South Padre Island.
We stayed at the San Antonio KOA, and I have to admit, I was a little concerned as we drove to the campground. The surrounding area has an industrial feel, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Those concerns disappeared the moment we drove through the entrance.
The campground is much larger than it appears from the road and offers an impressive list of amenities. One surprise was the on-site café, which was a nice convenience. There’s also direct access to a walking and biking trail, making it easy to get out and explore the area without having to drive.
The grounds are clean, well maintained, and the staff was friendly and helpful throughout our stay. Best of all, the campground is only minutes from downtown San Antonio, making it an excellent base for visiting the River Walk, the Alamo, and the many other attractions the city has to offer.
If you’re planning a visit to San Antonio with your RV, I would definitely recommend the San Antonio KOA. It’s a comfortable, well-maintained campground in a convenient location, and we’d be happy to stay there again.
South Padre Island, TX
April 2025
We planned to spend two weeks at the KOA South Padre Island, and overall it proved to be a very nice campground. During our stay, the campground was undergoing a major expansion, adding additional waterfront campsites and updating the laundry facilities, fitness room, and community center. Fortunately, the construction had very little impact on our stay.
The campsites reminded us of many of the older KOA campgrounds in that they are fairly close together. We were fortunate to be visiting during the off-season, so the campground was far from full. That made the spacing much less of an issue. Personally, I think I would feel a little crowded if the campground were at capacity during a busy weekend.
The campground has a very nice heated swimming pool, and while there weren’t many organized activities during our stay, there was plenty to enjoy nearby. The beach is just a short walk away, and as always, the staff was friendly, helpful, and eager to make sure everyone had an enjoyable stay.
Most of the campers were in our age group, making it easy to strike up conversations during our daily walks or while relaxing around the pool. One unique feature of this campground is its view across the Intracoastal Waterway toward SpaceX’s Starbase. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the opportunity to see a launch, but several people told us it’s an incredible experience when one happens during your stay.
As for South Padre Island itself, we found it to be a little different than we expected. If your idea of a perfect vacation is relaxing on the beach, taking long walks along the shoreline, and enjoying the warm weather, it’s hard to beat. We thoroughly enjoyed our daily beach walks.
However, we also enjoy exploring local shops, attractions, museums, and unique places to visit. Outside of the beaches, most of the shopping centers around beachwear and souvenirs, and there are relatively few other attractions on the island. There are, however, some excellent restaurants on both South Padre Island and nearby Port Isabel, and we would definitely recommend taking advantage of those.
In the end, we decided to shorten our stay and head north to explore the Corpus Christi area. That decision wasn’t a reflection on the campground itself. In fact, we believe it will be an even better destination once the current improvements are complete. We simply discovered that, for us, there wasn’t enough variety in the surrounding area to fill two full weeks.
If you’re looking for a relaxing beach vacation with a well-maintained campground, friendly staff, and easy access to the Gulf, KOA South Padre Island is an excellent choice. Just be sure the pace of the area matches the kind of vacation you’re looking for.
Rockport, TX
April 2025
Located just 30 minutes from Corpus Christi, KOA Rockport turned out to be a great stop on our trip. We originally planned to stay only a night or two but ended up spending a couple of relaxing days exploring the area.
The campground is very large, with spacious concrete sites that provide plenty of room between campers. There aren’t many trees, so shade is limited, but the open layout makes for some spectacular Texas sunsets at the end of the day.
Rockport itself has plenty to offer. We enjoyed wandering through town, browsing a local flea market, and exploring several unique shops. One of the highlights of our stay was lunch at Mac’s Pit Barbecue. If you’re a barbecue fan, put this place on your list. The food was outstanding, and the staff made us feel right at home.
Since Corpus Christi is only a short drive away, we also spent an afternoon touring the USS Lexington. It’s an impressive museum and well worth the visit if you’re in the area. We found it to be one of the highlights of our time on the Texas coast.
If your travels bring you to the Corpus Christi area, KOA Rockport makes an excellent base for exploring both Rockport and Corpus Christi. We enjoyed our stay and would certainly return.
Two Harbors, MN
May-July-October 2025
If we had to choose one campground that keeps drawing us back, Burlington Bay Campground would be at the top of our list. We’ve camped here many times and continue to return because of its outstanding location, beautiful Lake Superior views, and easy access to everything the North Shore has to offer.
The campground overlooks Lake Superior and is only a short walk from downtown Two Harbors. Even when the campground is full, the sites are laid out well enough that you rarely feel crowded. We especially enjoy visiting during the week when the pace is slower and it’s easy to relax while watching the ore boats come and go from the harbor.
One of the campground’s greatest advantages is its location. Within minutes you can visit Split Rock Lighthouse, Gooseberry Falls State Park, Betty’s Pies, the Rustic Inn Café, and countless scenic overlooks along Highway 61. Whether you enjoy hiking, biking, sightseeing, photography, or simply sitting beside Lake Superior watching the waves roll in, there’s something for everyone.
If you’re looking for scenic drives, don’t limit yourself to Highway 61. Some of our favorite fall color routes have been on the lesser-traveled back roads recommended by the friendly staff at the Two Harbors Visitor Information Center, located right next to the campground. We stop there on every visit. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and always willing to suggest local events, scenic drives, or hidden gems that many visitors never discover.
Another reason we enjoy Burlington Bay is the people. The campground attracts friendly campers, and we’ve met several people over the years that we’ve enjoyed visiting with on return trips. It’s the kind of place where it’s easy to strike up a conversation while walking through the campground or watching the ships in the harbor.
Reservations can be difficult to get during the peak summer and fall color seasons, so planning ahead is recommended. If your schedule is flexible, it’s also worth calling to ask about cancellations, as sites do occasionally become available.
There are several excellent campgrounds along Minnesota’s North Shore, but Burlington Bay continues to be our favorite. Between the spectacular views, convenient location, well-maintained campground, and endless opportunities to explore the area, it’s a destination we recommend without hesitation.
Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Park
August and September 2025
This was our third attempt at making this trip, and it was well worth the wait. Everything finally came together, from the weather to the unique experiences we enjoyed along the way. It turned out to be one of our most memorable adventures.
I wrote about the highlights of our journey in our Blog, where you’ll find more details, photos, and stories from our travels. Click here to read about the trip.