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Category: 2024

West Glacier, MT

West Glacier, MT

We stayed in West Glacier for a month in July of 2024 with our good friends Tammie and Peter. Early on, the weather was perfect but then it just got hot and it stayed pretty miserable until we left. If we make a trip up to this area again, we’d probably stay a week or so on the east side of the park near East Glacier and then spend the rest of the time near West Glacier. We also were limited in our ability to go very far into the park with our large dually truck. There are size restrictions on the Going to the Sun road (the main road through the park). It’s probably best to rent a smaller car so that you aren’t restricted for travel. Rather than writing a lot of text, I’m just going to include a lot of pictures for you to look through.

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Fort Laramie / Guernsey Ruts / Register Cliff

Fort Laramie / Guernsey Ruts / Register Cliff

Fort Laramie in southeastern Wyoming was a significant military outpost in the American West. Originally established in 1834 as a fur trading post by William Sublette and Robert Campbell, it played a crucial role in the westward expansion of the United States, particularly during the mid-19th century.

The fort was initially set up to support the fur trade, offering goods and services to trappers, traders, and Native American tribes. Located at the confluence of the Laramie River and the North Platte River, it became a central hub for the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. The area around the fort saw interactions between various Native American tribes, such as the Cheyenne, Sioux, and Arapaho, and the European settlers or traders.

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Waller, TX

Waller, TX

Park Review – Jetstream RV Resort

Rating: 
Location:
Waller, TX
Type:
Commercial Park
Check-in/Check-out times:
1:00/12:00
Site Quality / Amenities:
Concrete roads and pads with well kept grass between the sites. Nice patio area but no other amenities like chairs or picnic tables.
Access: Easy access from US-290 then south on FM-362 to Cyrus Rd.
Staff: The person who checked us in was not super helpful or welcoming. We had to ask for information about which way to enter our site from.
Cellular/WiFi:
We got over 1.2Gbps downloads on T-Mobile and Starlink was also fast and unobstructed.
Restaurants: Hedgehog Grill in Waller was a nice small American food restaurant in Waller. We both got catfish and it was very good.
Nearby parks: Chappell Hill RV in Chappel Hill, TX was a decent place for longer stays but with little to no activities in the park. The Hill Top at Brenham could be a good place to winter although it also does not have activities in the park.
What we liked: This is a newer park with nice concrete sites and pads and grass throughout the park. The common areas also appeared to be top notch.
What we didn’t like: The code for the entry gate was sent the morning we were heading to the park but we were already on the road. Luckily someone pulled up behind us and gave us a code to enter. We later found out the exit gate was open 24×7. I don’t know if it was broken or if they just left it open but security clearly wasn’t a concern.

We had booked a premium site (and paid in full for it ahead of time) and found that we had been moved without warning to a standard site when we arrived. We were only told then we’d get a refund for the difference.

At check in we had to ask how to properly get to our site so we were pointed the right direction. Most places guide you to a site or at least draw your path on a map.

Getting to our site was a challenge due to vehicles parked in the fire lane along the internal roads. When we arrived at our site we found someone had parked in the site.

Most of our neighbors were pipeline workers so we were awakened at 5:45 every morning to loud trucks. They were the reason for the parking issues but they were all very nice so it’s hard to blame them. They were just trying to make a living. That said, the park needs to manage their tenants. Three or four vehicles plus a trailer on many sites is too much and needs to be controlled.

After we left we got a bill for electricity. We’ve never had that happen for a weekly stay. I replied to the bill that I didn’t remember agreeing to that but I wouldn’t be paying the bill until I received the refund from the site type change. I got a call from the manager later in the day who said the bill was not supposed to be sent and she had zeroed it out and thought I’d never get it but of course I did. I asked why we didn’t get a follow up email saying to ignore the bill if I got it or another to tell us about the site type change and she really didn’t have an answer. I also asked about the refund and she said they had tried but since we had booked online, they couldn’t refund it but again there was no communication about that when they tried. If I’d give her my credit card number she’d refund it to the card. I declined and said send me a check – we’ll see if we ever get it.

The overall theme is a lack of care in taking care of their customers and in communicating changes effectively. It seems like between the time we booked the site and arrived at the park they had changed their focus to be more of one for long term stays.
Verdict: We won’t be back not only to this Jetstream park but to any Jetstream park. The problems we encountered here clearly are larger than just this single park and are reflective of a corporate policy that’s not friendly to short term stays.

Meridian, TX

Meridian, TX

Park Review – Meridian State Park

Site #4

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location:
Meridian, TX
Type:
State Park
Check-in/Check-out times:
2:00/12:00
Site Quality / Amenities:
I believe the full hookup sites are the only ones long enough for big rigs and in fact you really don’t want to go past the Crosstimbers campground (which is the full hookup campground) because the streets narrow and the limbs are cut lower. Roads and sites are asphalt in decent shape. Each site has a picnic table on a concrete pad ad well as a grill, a fire pit and a lantern pole.
Access:
Easy access a few miles southwest of Meridian on TX-22.
Staff: Office staff were friendly and check in was quick and easy.
Cellular/WiFi:
T-Mobile was marginal in the campground but we got enough signal to allow WiFi calling using our Starlink even though we had some minor obstructions due to trees. The park actually had WiFi but we did not use it although we had decent signal at our site.
Restaurants: We didn’t eat out in the area although there are some nice looking small town spots in Meridian and Clifton. We did go to the Clifton Classic Chassis & The Golden Age Gallery of Art and Artifacts in Clifton. This is mostly a classic car museum consisting of a former Dallas doctor’s collection along with some interesting antiques. This is definitely a gem if in the area. The Bosque Museum is also in town. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to go there but it sounds like it’s worth a visit as well.
Nearby parks: We drove through Clifton RV Park in Clifton and the park looked ok for a few nights but the lack of onsite staff was a bit concerning especially since they are slow to answer the phone when checking in. We’d probably look somewhere else.
What we liked: Very nice, small state park very similar to Tyler State park which is one of our favorite Texas state parks.
What we didn’t like: Unfortunately, you can’t see the lake from the full hookup sites although it is just a short walk away.
Verdict: We would stay here again if we are in the area. Need to book early as there are very few sites!

Amarillo, TX

Amarillo, TX

Park Review – Fort Amarillo RV Resort

Site 137

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2
Location:
Amarillo, TX
Type:
Commercial Park
Check-in/Check-out times:
1:00/12:00
Site Quality / Amenities:
Roads and pads are gravel with some asphalt below. There is a picnic table and concrete patio on each site and there *might* be enough space to park a dually truck in the back of the site next to the trailer. Additional amenities include a heated indoor pool, a rec hall with exercise room, a large playground, a fenced dog park, and pickleball and basketball courts. There is a large pond and stream (both man made) in the middle of the park with some nice outdoor seating areas. Part of the office includes a large store.
Access:
Easy access from the new Loop 335 W on West Amarillo Blvd just north of Interstate 40.
Staff: Office staff were friendly and check in was quick and easy.
Cellular/WiFi:
There is WiFi at the park but we didn’t use it. We had a strong Verizon signal but I didn’t check speed, T-Mobile was 5 bars and achieved about 500 Mbps download and 12 Mbps upload. Although there are some trees around the park, our Starlink was unobstructed.
Restaurants: Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood & Bar – We weren’t thrilled and will try somewhere else next time.
Nearby parks: We have stayed at the Oasis RV Resort nearby several times. It is a newer park but a bit farther out of town and the last time we stayed there the roads in the park were in need of some maintenance. In addition, connections are in an awkward place. Overall, Fort Amarillo will likely become our go to place when staying in Amarillo.
What we liked: Although there were some buildings on site that needed some major TLC, the park generally seemed to be well maintained.
What we didn’t like: We’d prefer asphalt or concrete roads and pads but the gravel here was in good shape and was not a problem.
Verdict: We will stay here again when in Amarillo.