They have places you can pitch a tent, park an RV, or even rent a cabin. The RV park has full hook-ups with both 30 and 50 amp power available. They have shower houses and a laundry room. The one thing they don't have is internet, but since Marty and I get that through our phones, it isn't a big deal. The place is gated and patrolled so it's really safe too.
That's our truck to the right, the 5th wheel is next to the truck just to the left. The picture below is to the right of this photo. And the photo after that is even further to the right.
This is on a week day where most of the park is empty. During the weekends, this place usually fills up by late Thursday.
The building on the right is the shower and laundry house, right behind it is one of the playgrounds. We also just had a semi pull in this last week pulling a 5th wheel. They are making semi's now where you don't need a CDL to drive them. Several people prefer to pull their 5th wheels with a semi as they are built to take a lot more weight than a truck.
This was our neighbor, who left this weekend. Do you know what that trailer is for behind it? It's his garage. It holds a classic T-Bird he likes to enter into old car shows. Doesn't that look like the life to live??
Pretty huh?
Anyway, that all covered the sleeping arrangements of the park.
Now for the recreation....
Pool house, swimming area, and water slide.
They have 3 play-grounds scattered throughout the park and the lake has a swimming area with a HUGE water slide (the swimming portion of the lake is closed in October). A pool house and a separate facility to rent out for weddings and other gatherings are both indoor. They also have a few roofed pavilions and gathering area's for large and small get-togethers.
This is a photo from behind the pool house and water slide. This is also where one of the playgrounds is.
You can launch a boat on the lake and go fishing, or as we prefer: let the dog go swimming and let loose some energy.
We've also been biking back here a lot, the kids love that.
BUT...
Our favorite part about this place?
The 24 hour/free petting zoo!
They have lots of goats...
..and sheep...
...and rams. This guy is just so gentle and sweet.
They also have ducks with weird heads...
And normal ducks...
And these are the white ducks, and the one in the center is a goose I think or is it a gander? Yes, a gander. He think he's pretty tough, but can be bought for a cheep price - chick weed and grass clippings.
This is the pony. He/she is not that great though. He wants nothing to do with you unless you have food, and IF you have food, he'll reach really far with his neck to snatch your food, so you can't touch any other part of him. The female donkey is the same way...
She just doesn't want anything to do with you either.
But, the male donkey we have come to LOVE! We're thinking we could turn the garage portion of our 5th wheel into a stable and take him with us. The kids can sleep in there with him, they think he's pretty great too.
The caretaker said his name is Poncho, but the gate keeper said his name is Jack. So who knows. His pen has a huge sign on it that says "HE BITES" so most people stay away from him, but we found he just wants to be loved! He sticks his head out and wants to be scratched and rubbed, and low and behold I discovered he gives kisses. He is our favorite.
The other neat thing about this place is, everyday the caretaker lets one or a few animals loose. They are allowed to wander all over the park. The other day we came out and discovered Poncho having lunch in front of our RV, the boys got to go right up to him and pet him. He's such a tolerate little thing.
They also have peacocks, turkeys, guineas, rabbits, and chickens.
And the funny thing is that they don't mind dogs coming with you to visit the petting zoo. Pete really trips out on all these animals. He doesn't know what to think of them, lol.
We'll definitely be remembering this place next time we're in town.
9 comments:
Love the sunset tree picture! Poncho sounds great - what an awesome place to hang out for awhile! Dana
Mamalama here! :D
Found your blog--yay! What fun you must be having! My dh has been talking for years about how he'd love to live on the road, but i think we'll have to wait until he retires. Hey, do ya think we can get a Grand Tour of your new abode? I just love to see the Cribs and Lifestyles of the Married and Homeschooling. ;)
Hey girls, thanks for stopping by! I still have BOTH of your blogs on my blog roll, but I think they may be collecting cobwebs after all this time without a post! haha
Mama I have pictures of an RV like ours on my facebook page if you want to see, the one we're in now is about to go up to the factory to get some custom stuff done, I plan on taking pictures of it when we get it back. Should be early November. I haven't made this one "homey" yet because it will have to be empty when they take it, which will be about a week from now. I can't wait to show you my spice rack though, without you I would have never gotten the idea!
That place looks awesome! We're talking really seriously about getting a truck and 5th wheeler, so we can take the girls on some road trips before they get too much older (Hayley's already 12!!) This looks like heaven.
Kim, shopping for a 5th wheel is SO MUCH FUN! You two should totally get one.
Toy haulers and bunkhouses both have extra rooms for kids. If your really serious about it, let me know. We figured out a neat little tip to save 10 - 20 grand on an RV.
Mrs. M
I happened upon your blog as I live in Southern Indiana and am looking for places to camp near home. Anyway we are currently looking to upgrade our RV and I would love to know your tip on saving money on one. And thanks for your review on Scales Lake. Just mihjt visit there is fall.
Hi CD...
We went looking for RV Wholesalers... They sell all the major brands and come with all the normal warranties but the wholesalers usually don't have a lot. They pull in a majority of their clients from the internet. They cut all their overhead cost by not having a big lot with lots of trailers. Instead they order directly from the factories, and either you pick up or they deliver.
Not all are called wholesalers though. Another way you can find low cost is finding a dealership that is located very close to the factory. Again if you pick up the RV it takes a lot off the price by skipping "Shipping/delivery" fees. Also they charge extra for taking up space on their lot. So arranging to pick up your RV immediately was another thing many told us would make a difference in cost.
The RV capitol of the US is Elkhart, Indiana because that's where most of the factories are located. So your in a great state!
We went looking for a layout that would fit our family and needs. We found 3 5th wheels, all different brands that fit the bill. I called each of the manufacturers and asked where they were located and their nearest dealerships. I also asked if they could make certain custom changes and what the cost would be - like adding a door to the master bedroom instead of an accordian door. All the changes were free and good to know before I spoke to a dealer.
Then we called those dealers, gave them the model and special additions and upgrades we wanted and asked for a quote. I called the internet dealers as well and asked them for a quote. I let them all know we were shopping around and getting quotes with other companies which helped bring the price down even further with some dealers.
The cheapest used models we found was on ebay and craigslist, both 2008's and both 18-20k more than our 2010 model. They were the exact same model and layout as our 5th wheel. The older ones didn't come with the custom changes, washer & dryer hook ups, thermopain windows, etc. We found other used ones of our make and model but they were listed at even higher prices. I was shocked to find out it was cheaper to buy brand new.
Also look into who does warranty work on the brand you go with. Some manufactures make it VERY hard to get warranty work done. I wish Gulfstream would contract with Camping World - they're everywhere and don't require their customers to pay them. They just deal directly with the manufacturers who contract with them.
Good luck finding an RV and enjoy the hunt! We loved that part of it. It's always fun seeing new RV layouts and seeing neat ideas to incorporate into yours once you buy it.
Thank you so so so much for this information. So helpful!
You bet! :D
Post a Comment