El Reno West KOA Campground - El Reno, Oklahoma

The 2015 KOA Campground Directory claims that KOA campgrounds exceed your expectations at every KOA. It also states, "Each KOA campground provides a unique camping experience. Yet there's always large tent and RV sties."

Somewhere in KOA's corporate headquarters are the minimum standards for franchise campgrounds operated under the KOA banner. We have camped in three KOA campgrounds and were disappointed twice. I am starting to wonder how stringent those standards are and how well they are enforced.

We were heading home from the Wally Byam Caravan Club International's rally in Farmington, New Mexico. After a fun stop at the Cadallac Ranch near Amarillo, we were getting tired of being on the road in the late afternoon and we found the El Reno West KOA Campground using the AllStays app on our iPhones. A quick call confirmed that they had room for Rosie, our 25 foot Airstream trailer, that night.

At the Cadillac Ranch RV Park

Entrance to the Cadillac Ranch

The Cadillacs

Another view of the Cadillacs

Rosie parked at the Cadillac Ranch

Rosie at the Cadillac Ranch

Finding this campground isn't easy. You end up driving through a couple of retail parking lots to access the road leading to the park. As we finally turned on the road to the park, the skys opened up with one of the biggest storms we have ever been in with Rosie. The rain was pouring down and our iPhones were alerting us that heavy storms were in the area and to expect flash floods. We pulled up to the registration building and talked to the person on duty using our phones. It was simply raining too hard to open the door on our truck and to walk into the office.

Rain as we headed to the KOA campground

The person on duty said we could drive over to a specific site then return to register once the storm passed. We found the site and sat in the truck watching the storm.

There was a retaining wall immediately behind our site and water was gushing between the rocks all along this wall. We noticed that the water level in our site was inching up on Rosie's wheels.

As we sat in the truck and watched the rain fall and the water level rise in the park, we talked about how close together the camping sites were in that park. I doubt that we would be able to extend Rosie's awning because our site was right up next to our neighbor's. We commented that we have seen trailer storage lots where there was more room between campers.

It didn't take long for us to start looking at our weather apps and AllStays to find another campground about 30 minutes down the road. Just that quick, we decided that we would not be staying at a disappointing KOA that night and pulled out.

The road leading to the campground was starting to flood. Having traveled that road 20 minutes earlier, I was familar with some reference points on the road and determined that the water, while rising, was passable. It probably would not be so in another 10 minutes.

We are not sure what this park had to offer because we left before it flooded. Our decision to leave was based on the rising water in our site, the water pouring through the retaining wall and the campers were jammed so close together in that park. Also, the camping fee was out of proportion of what the park really offered. There would have been a huge bout with "buyer's remorse" had we spent the night in this park.

The person who wrote the line about large tent and RV sites in the current KOA directory may need to get out of the office and camp in a few of their campgrounds. Either that or we define "large" vastly different.

Tucumcari KOA Campground - Tucumcari, New Mexico

After spending more than a week at the Wally Byam Caravan Club's International Rally in Farmington, New Mexico, it was time to start heading home. Our plan was to pull out before 9 a.m., but that didn't work out. There were two problems that delayed our exit.

One of the workshops at the rally was about proper towing. The speaker emphasized that you need to inspect the safety chains on your hitch. A quick visual inspection confirmed that we had problems and the chains needed to be replaced.

Our camping neighbor used a grinder to cut away the old chains and we were able to install new ones. That was the easy problem to fix. The next issue took lots of time to solve.

For some reason, we could not hitch up Rosie, our 25 foot Airstream trailer, because of a problem with our Propride hitch.

We could not get the stinger more than two-thirds of the way in before the hitch pitched to the left and the stinger stopped sliding in. It didn't take long for our camping neighbor to come outside and to start helping. In a little while, one of our friends from the Cajun Caravan drove by and noticed our predicament. He said that the person camping next to him had a similar hitch and asked him to help us.

In a short amount of time, we had about half a dozen people standing around and trying to solve our problem. That was when the man with a hitch similar to ours said that we really needed his wife there because she was the one who was normally stationed at the hitch as he backed up the truck. A few moments later his wife arrived and she immediately saw the problem and knew how to correct it.

After successfully connecting Rosie's hitch to our truck she said that she hated our type hitch when they first got it, but she made her peace with the hitch and started liking it once they figured out the "tricks" to using it. That was encouraging to us and we were glad we had problems at the rally because so many people were there to help us.

In case you are wondering, there was nothing wrong with our hitch. The problem was that the angles of the stinger and the receiver on Rosie were slightly off. Our neighbor's wife quickly saw the mismatch and she knew how to fix the angles by adjusting the leveling bars on the hitch.

It was interesting that once she found the problem and cure, all of the men who were standing around and trying to help but could not figure out the solution, including me, immediately started nodding their heads and agreeing that the problem was fixed and this incident was over.

It was amazing how many things we were able to fix at the rally. Our camping neighbors noticed that our stinger's height was wrong as we arrived in Farmington and we were able to adjust that problem during the rally. During our hitch-up problem, the consensus opinion was that we had our leveling bars in the wrong position. After a couple of experiments, we came up with a new position for them.

It was almost noon before we finally pulled away from our campsite in Farmington. We had to say goodbye for now to some new friends from the Southeastern Camping Unit. We plan to meet up with them in three months at a rally in South Carolina.

The first thing we noticed once we were up to cruising speed was how much better Rosie was riding. Before, we felt every little bump in the road and everything inside Rosie crashed to the floor as we traveled. All that wasn't happening now. The new stinger height and the leveling bar positions were all working together to make towing Rosie much better than before. If for no other reason, the improvements to Rosie's hitch made the long journey to New Mexico worth it. Joining up with the Southestern Camping Unit and getting to know the great people in that group was, as they say, the icing on the cake.

Once again, we were faced with finding a reservation while traveling. Our original goal was to make it past Amarillo. We needed to leave before 9 a.m. to meet that goal. Plan B was to drive until we were tired then use the AllStays app to find a campground. We were getting tired of the road near Tucumcari, New Mexico. The best suggestion from the AllStays app was the KOA.

KOA Campground

You can alter one of the famous quotes from Forest Gump to, "KOA is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get." KOAs tend to range from OK to marginal. That's sad because KOAs meant something special back in the 1960s.

So, we dragged our lowered expections to the KOA Campground in Tucumcari, New Mexico. This time we landed on the high end on the "OK" scale.

Rosie at the KOA

Rosie's campsite

Like most KOAs, this campground was a parking lot. It wasn't full, so the campers were spaced in every other site.

We noticed while setting up that several rabbits were running around the park. As we continued setting up Rosie, it appeared that lots of rabbits were living in this park. We enjoyed watching them hop around our site.

Rabbits at our campsite

The park had a nice swimming pool and a playground for children. Several kids were shooting baskets using the basketball goal.

One of the mysteries of this park was discovered during the night. We saw what appeared to be hundreds of flashing red navigational lights on a hill in the distance. We speculated as to what these lights could be and one of the ideas we came up with was that they could be wind turbines used to generate electricity. That turned out to be correct as we could see the windmills the next morning as we continued traveling east on I-40.

Here are some specifics about this park:

• If the park was full, the sites are close together. Since it was at about half capacity, they appeared to be filling every other site.
• It appeared that they were trying to provide some nice amenities at this park. There was a swimmng pool, basketball goal, playground, game room, laundry and a camp store.
• The restrooms and showers were clean and maintained.
• We were able to watch all of the major TV networks pus THiS and GRIT digital networks using Rosie's TV antenna.
• Our site had 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service.
• Our site had water and electrical connections. We could have booked a site that also had sewer connections if we were willing to pay a higher price for the night.
• Speaking of price, there were many pricing tiers at this park. I wonder if two campers paid the same rate that night.
• There was a dump station at the park.
• AT&T only provided marginal 3G voice and data service over the park.
• The park had Wi-Fi service. It was adequate to read email and, if patient, to look at Facebook.
• The campground has a kitchen from which you can order fast food type items or breakfast. They will deliver your meal to your campsite.

We came close to having an accident in the park. The individual sites were marked with large rocks. As we were pulling out the next morning, we noticed that Rosie was about to go over a big rock. Had we not seen it as we were trying to carefully pull away, the rock would have damaged Rosie's holding tanks. We ended up going the wrong way down one of the camping loops to avoid having to deal with the decorative (and destructive) rocks.

As I mentioned earlier, this park was on the positive side of our KOA experiences. It was also one of the more expensive parks we have camped at. We remarked at how we pay less on the beach along Florida's Gulf of Mexico than this park and how much more natural beauty we enjoy at the Gulf.

Our journey home continues.

McGee Park and Fair Grounds - Farmington, New Mexico

Our caravan to the Wally Byam Caravan Club's (WBCCI) International Rally arrived in the early afternoon at McGee Park, the event's site in Farmington, New Mexico. It was impressive how efficient and quick the volunteers were checking everyone in and escorting us to our site. Since we arrived with the caravan from the Southeastern Camping Unit, we were assigned sites together as a group. That turned out to be a great thing because the members of that unit took us under their wings and included us in their many activities during the rally.

Rosie parked at McGee Park in Farmington, NM

Our electrical connection wasn't working when we arrived. Since the sites behind Rosie, our 25 foot Airstream trailer, were not filled yet, I connected to their electrical service to get Rosie's air conditioner working. In a few minutes, a park electrician arrived, changed out the faulty circuit breaker and switched Rosie's electrical service to the correct feed. That was good because we knew the row behind Rosie was going to quickly fill up with more Airstream trailers.

Airstream trailers parked at the rally

And many more trailers arrived as the rally started. It didn't take long for Farmington's Fair Grounds to turn into an Airstream community. There were workshops for just about anything you would want to know about camping in Airstream trailers. There were also many entertainment opportunities and social events. We quickly learned that Airstreamers love ice cream parties. As the temperatures soared into the upper 90s and the low 100s, ice and ice cream became precious commodities.

Airstream trailers at the WBCCI International Rally

One of the first things we noticed was that we were seeing a surprising number of people we knew at the rally. We were running into people we knew from our previous travels on the Cajun Caravan and from our trips to the Airstream factory. Plus we were glad our neighbors in this park were the great people from the Southeastern Camping Unit. It seemed that this vast sea of silver trailers was actually a community of people who have Airstream trailers in common and who love sharing their knowledge about these great campers.

While camping recently in Ohio, we were advised by friends to get involved in things while at the International Rally. I guess I took that advise to heart as I quickly started working with the radio amateur operators at the rally. There is a WBCCI Amateur Radio Club and it scheduled several events while in Farmington. Before leaving, I was elected 2nd Vice President of that group.

Steve being installed as an officer of the WBCCI Amateur Radio Club

We ended up eating out more than we planned because it was too hot and we didn't want to heat up Rosie while warming our food. Sadly, most of the restaurants in Farmington like to set their air conditioner to either hot or uncomfortable. That made it difficult to find a cool spot in town except for our rally's main center, classrooms and the bathhouse, which were all pleasantly cool.

Eating out in Farmington

About every three or four days, the "honey" truck would come along and empty all the trailer's waste tanks. You always knew when the truck was in your loop by the smell. While the odor was temporarily displeasing, we always welcomed the "honey" truck and were glad to have empty tanks.
There are always things to learn about the Airstream lifestyle and lots of people at the rally were willing to share their tips. One of our big concerns was our hitch. We doubted the non-Airstream dealer we used correctly installed it. Turns out that several other people who watched us arrive also thought there was something wrong with our hitch.

It didn't take long after getting Rosie's manual and the hitch's installation guide out to discover the problem. I didn't have the tools to fix the hitch, but I figured the guys with vintage Airstream trailers probably travel with a complete set of tools. I was right and a group of guys quickly helped with the needed adjustments needed to properly set Rosie's hitch. We were able to feel the difference when we pulled Rosie away from the McGee Park.

We went to Durango, Colorado on our free day. The temperatures there were significantly better than in Farmington.

We went on two tours arranged by the rally. The first was to a local museum featuring lots of old electronic equipment. I found an old Collins 20V 1,000 watt AM transmitter in one of the buildings. That was one of the first transmitters I worked with as a teenager and I remain very fond of that model. (I noticed that the power amplifier and modulator tubes in this transmitter were wrong. I guess this museum could not find the old 4-400 tubes.)

A Collins 20-V AM Transmitter

An 892 type tube

The second tour was very special. The WBCCI people were able to arrange a tour of the Aztec Ruins at night. The National Park Ranger conducting the tour was very knowledgable and she had a wonderful personality. She helped make a great tour more memorable.

Aztec Ruins Tour

There were always things to do at the rally. We found that visiting with our friends, both old and new, was one of our favorite activities during the rally. We also enjoyed the many impromptu cookouts and gatherings with our Southeastern Camping Unit friends.

Becky attended the "tea"

While the heat was oppressive and brutal, the fellowship among our friends made this long trip worthwhile.

Here are some specifics about McGee Park:

• Sites are side-by-side left-to-right and back-to-back. It helped that everyone was there for an event and we all had something in common.
  
• The water lines are all above ground. This normally would not be a problem. In one hundred degree heat, it became an issue as the water temperature reached dangerous levels.
• AT&T placed good 4G data and voice signals over the park.
• Our site had 20 and 30 amp electrical service. A site near us had 20 and 50 amp service.
• There were no sewer connections in this park.
• We found two dump stations in the park.
• We were able to watch all of the networks using Rosie's antenna. We were not able to see our favorite digital channels.
• There was one large bathhouse serving the park. It was clean and the air conditioner kept it pleasantly cool.
• There were horse stables all around this park and signs said that horse racing was returning to the casino next door the day after we left the park. It was fun watching the horses as they were being trained.

This is not a park that someone schedules on his or her vacation. You end up here because of an event. We enjoyed seeing our friends and making new ones at the rally.

Horses training near the camping area

Sunset

Another sunset

Coronado Campground - Beralillo, New Mexico

The final stop on the Southeastern Camping Unit's caravan to the 2015 Wally Byam International Rally in Farmington, New Mexico was at the Coronado Campground in Beralillo, New Mexico. This park is owned by the city.

Photo from Rosie's window on the way to Farmington, New Mexico

A car museum at a truck stop in New Mexico

We looked at the themometer on our truck as we were heading to this campground and it was consistently reading in the upper 70s and lower 80s. We were shocked when we arrived at the campground because the temperature had shot up to 100 degrees.

Sign at the park's entrance

I've heard several people say that hot temperatures in the southwest are easier to take than hot temperatures in the deep south because of the humidity. The south's high humidity makes hot temperatures feel worse than the same temperature in low humidity. Whoever stated that line of conversation was wrong! A 100 degree temperature in a desert environment is hot and painfully uncomfortable.

Rosie in the park

Rosie's setup was quick. (Rosie is our 25 foot Airstream trailer.) We didn't want to be out in the heat too long at a time. Our water connection was a little confusing. There wasn't a water spigot where it logically should be for Rosie's site. There was one about 15 feet away, but it was being used by another trailer. The free spigot was on the wrong side of Rosie and we had to use two 25 foot plus another 15 foot hose to reach it. Even with 65 feet of hose, it was a tight fit.

There were many features in the park to remind you that you were in the southwest. These added a little "local" flavor to the park.

Some Southwest flavor at the park

The park is along the banks of the Rio Grande River. We enjoyed watching the river plus the rabbits and quail in this park.

The Rio Grande River

A bench along the Rio Grande

A quail sitting on a post

Many of the members of our caravan went into town for authentic New Mexican food. We decided to eat some of the leftovers from our previous meals and stayed in Rosie for the evening. I was able to fish our sewage tote out of the back of the truck and empty Rosie's tanks before our group returned. This allowed us to avoid the line waiting at the dump station the next day as our group was leaving the park.

It took more than an hour, but Rosie's air conditioner was able to bring the inside temperatures from tolerable to being pleasant.

Here are some specifics about this park:

• It appears that all of the RV camping sites are pull-thrus.
  
• Our site had 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service.
• The water connection was in a strange location and it took every spare hose we had to connect.
• We did not have a sewer connection in this park.
• There is one dump station serving the park.
• The park had decent bathhouses. You had to press the button in the shower six times to get the water running for about 30 seconds. After a while, it became a game to keep the water running while showering.
• AT&T placed a good 3G voice and data signal over this park.
• We were able to pick up more than 40 TV signals using Rosie's antenna. A healthy percentage of these were Spanish stations.

This park charged us an additional $10 fee to reserve a site over the phone. I don't think that is a policy that encourages people to book reservations there.

More Southwest flavor