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Category: 2021

Brazos Valley RV Park, Caldwell, TX

Brazos Valley RV Park, Caldwell, TX

One of the criteria we had when looking for places to stay this winter in Texas was that they needed to be close to shopping, particularly Walmart, and medical services so that we could get COVID vaccinations when available or other medical care if needed. We found it difficult to get into a State Park for more than a few days at a time and in particular weekends were pretty much fully booked. We found Brazos Valley and it offered a small Walmart and a Brookshire’s grocery in nearby Caldwell as well as Walmart Supercenters, restaurants and numerous other stores in nearby Bryan and College Station. We thought surely we could find enough things to do in the area to stay busy for a month so we booked our stay without knowing quite what to expect. To our surprise we really liked the park and the area.

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Tyler Oaks RV Resort, Tyler, TX

Tyler Oaks RV Resort, Tyler, TX

We spent two months (January and February 2021) at Tyler Oaks RV Resort north west of Tyler. We originally planned to go back to New Mexico for the winter but due to COVID and continued lockdowns there that were causing long lines just to get in a grocery store we decided to go back to Texas where we would have better medical care due to our insurance. We thought it might be easier to get vaccinations (which I was able to do but not Anna quite yet) and also that it would be warmer. Well, we should have known better about that one. Even as we left Colorado there was snow ahead of us going through Texas.

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Rocking A RV Park, Vernon, TX

Rocking A RV Park, Vernon, TX

Park Review

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐+ (For an overnight stop)
Site Quality: Gravel roads and grass pads. Even though they had received quite a bit of rain the day before we arrived the pads were mostly dry and no major mud. There were a few muddy spots on the internal roads.
Type: Commercial
Access: Right off Highway 287 at College Dr. in Vernon Texas west of Wichita Falls. When coming from the West it is a bit difficult to turn left and go under the highway to circle back to the park because there was no traffic light at the intersection.
Staff: There is a husband/wife team who manage the park and they were both friendly and helpful. She checked us in and he escorted us to our site.
Amenities: Propane available on site. There is a playground and dog park for those who need these facilities. There is also a small store on site. In the summer a pool is available.
Cellular/WiFi: Both AT&T and Verizon were acceptable – for Verizon the signal level was only 2 bars but both upload and download speeds were in excess of 22 Mbps. WiFi was available at the park but we did not use it.
Restaurants: We only had an opportunity to eat out on a Sunday and due to that and the fact that many restaurants seemed to have changed their hours due to COVID, we only had an opportunity to stop at Fred’s Corner Grill. This place looked like it had been a Dairy Queen at one point and it had a similar menu. We both had a burger and they were good basic burgers.
What we liked: Access to the park was right off Highway 287 so it was convenient to our route. There was also a Walmart right next door to the park which was convenient for supplies. There are some nearby activities including a museum as well as some things related to Roy Orbison who was born in Vernon.
What we didn’t like: The park roads were somewhat muddy and could be a real mess if there was a lot of rain. The same situation could occur with the pads although they seem to be packed gravel with grass (or weeds) and they did not appear to have much of a mud problem.
Nearby Parks: We did not look into any other parks in the area this time although we did stay once before at Lake Arrowhead State Park in Wichita Falls about 70 miles further east.
Verdict: We would definitely stay here again for a night or a few if we are travelling through the area again.

Raton KOA Journey, Raton, NM

Raton KOA Journey, Raton, NM

Rating: ⭐⭐
Site Quality: Dirt/gravel pads and roads. Our site was long enough for our rig and truck.
Type: Commercial
Access: Easy access from Interstate 25 just south of the New Mexico / Colorado boarder.
Staff: The manager we checked in with was friendly and helpful although we had to wait for her to return from an errand. Once before we came here to get propane and the office was also closed during the day when it was supposed to be open.
Amenities: There were Restrooms with showers, laundry facilities, and a dump station but we didn’t use them. I believe they may have all been closed in winter when we were there. Propane on site.
Cellular/WiFi: Verizon and AT&T were decent. The park had WiFi but we did not use it.
What we liked: Ease of access along I-25. Full hookups during the winter. Nice views of the mountains west of Raton. Propane is available on site.
What we didn’t like: The park is mostly dirt and could be very muddy – luckily although there was still some snow on the ground the mud for the streets was not bad. There was some mud near the entrance to our rig. There is an alley that separates the front of the park from the back.
Verdict: The Raton KOA is good for a short stopover on the way to or from Colorado along I-25.

Ozark Highlands, Springfield, MO

Ozark Highlands, Springfield, MO

We stayed here for two weeks in June of 2019 while visiting Anna’s uncle John. This is a good alternative to the KOA where we have stayed before as it is lower cost and much closer to John’s house. The park has been here since the 1940’s and is primarily designed for mobile homes but they have included sites for short term stays in RV’s and for longer term stays (over a month) you would be placed on a mobile home site. Mobile homes in the park range from very well kept to some being in need of some TLC but overall the park has aged well unlike most mobile home parks.

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