Changes hitting the private campground business

[BonsaiNut]

And one other interesting read - a combination of soaring demand and a real estate bubble is hitting the private campground business. I've personally never stayed in one (tent camper) but it is an interesting read about soaring demand while declining supply:

https://www.rvtravel.com/andy1003/

People spend $100,000 on a huge camper... assuming there will be somewhere they can take it.

 

[singlespeedrider]

Funny I just got done looking at reservations at a state campground here in Arizona for April 2022. Lots of the sites are already booked.

 

[Danimal]

Back in december it took me over a month of trying daily to secure my cottage on a California beach. Very frustrating. But I got it! and in a couple weeks I'll be lounging on the balcony watching the waves roll in with a big ass grin! And mtb trails across the street

 

[BonsaiNut]

Back in december it took me over a month of trying daily to secure my cottage on a California beach. Very frustrating. But I got it! and in a couple weeks I'll be lounging on the balcony watching the waves roll in with a big ass grin! And mtb trails across the street

Unless it is like my experience at Crystal Cove... when the night we were there they decided to have a "movie night at the beach" and showed the old black and white version of King Kong right in front of our cottage. The stadium speakers they were using were showing their age, so they made up in volume what they lacked in fidelity... plus people were complaining they couldn't hear the screams and grunts over the roar of the surf, so they kept turning the volume up. So much for a quiet evening watching the sun set and having drinks by the moonlight. We couldn't even watch the movie, since the screen was perpendicular to the cottages, and it felt uncomfortable sitting out on the deck and having hundreds of strangers staring at you.

That is how I found out that Crystal Cove is managed by three different groups - none of which play well with the other. The cottages are run by one group, the park by another, and the hotel and timeshare resort on the other side of of PCH has access rights and buses tourists over by the hundreds during the peak season. I hope you have a much better experience than we did.

 

[Danimal]

Unless it is like my experience at Crystal Cove... when the night we were there they decided to have a "movie night at the beach" and showed the old black and white version of King Kong right in front of our cottage. The stadium speakers they were using were showing their age, so they made up in volume what they lacked in fidelity... plus people were complaining they couldn't hear the screams and grunts over the roar of the surf, so they kept turning the volume up. So much for a quiet evening watching the sun set and having drinks by the moonlight. We couldn't even watch the movie, since the screen was perpendicular to the cottages, and it felt uncomfortable sitting out on the deck and having hundreds of strangers staring at you.

That is how I found out that Crystal Cove is managed by three different groups - none of which play well with the other. The cottages are run by one group, the park by another, and the hotel and timeshare resort on the other side of of PCH has access rights and buses tourists over by the hundreds during the peak season. I hope you have a much better experience than we did.

I stayed there once before, it was a very good experience. We shall see.....

And thanks for the bucket of cold water on my warm fuzzy expectations.

 

[tick]

The business case for owning an RV just never ever closes. Not surprising that the business case for a private campground doesn’t either.

 

[BonsaiNut]

And thanks for the bucket of cold water on my warm fuzzy expectations.

I am sure you'll have a better experience. Ours was so unusually bad that the front office gave us a bunch of gift cards for the restaurant. They were very apologetic - we just happened to have rented the exact cottage that was right in front of the movie setup; the sound system was literally plugged into our cottage. So what are the odds that you would happen to be there the ONE NIGHT they were doing movies on the beach and you have the ONE COTTAGE that was right in front of the setup. I should have immediately run out and bought a Lotto ticket!