My first trip to San Francisco RV park left me with a favorable impression. Others have reported that the spaces are tight, and that certainly rings true. Our 31 foot 5th wheel was nestled closely to our behemoth motorhome neighbor. Both vehicles’ slideouts were within inches of each other, but under more conventional circumstances that might not have been the case. Some, but not all, pull through spaces are directionally alternated so that the front of one RV is parallel to the rear of its neighbor. This means that one RV has to pull into potential oncoming traffic when departing its spot. About 25% of the park’s RVers appear to be long term residents and the salt air seems to have affected not only their vehicles but also their affability. Some appear to be local construction workers. The pool, hot tub, laundry, bathrooms, and club room showed careful attention to cleanly detail. Park security is not as conscientious as in other facilities, but an occasional police car drove through. The RV park’s management were quite friendly and were able to answer any questions pertaining to local venues and most activities. For computer users, Wi-Fi coverage through TenoInternet is adequate at best if you’re south of the park’s laundry room, but expect to pay the going rate of $3-$4 per day. Any RV north of the office will probably have to rely on the local PacificaNet at $6.95 per day and even that reception is spotty. In the greater San Francisco area only two RV parks are close enough to attract Rvers and having stayed at both RV facilities, San Francisco RV is clearly the better of the two. Glorious sunsets, the ocean’s roar, local shopping and dining, easy accessibility to diverse cultural and sporting activities and safe environs make this park the wise choice.

If you're looking for a well maintained RV park between Bakersfield and Las Vegas, you'd be hard pressed to find anything better than the Barstow/Calico KOA located in Newberry Park. The listing for this park is Yermo, California, but if you tried to find it on the MapQuest maps, you would come up empty. Simply take the Ghost Town Road and turn left at the Shell station. All this aside, this KOA has level sites that are quite long and very wide. If your RV has a triple slide out, then you'll have no problem getting well situated. Most sites have cable tv (adequate), electricity and sewer...all functioning quite well. Road noise from Interstate 15 in the south portion of the RV park is quite noticeable. The swimming pool was closed off and doesn't open until April. The pool may have been a welcome addition to the Barstow/Calico RV park's amenities since the temperature was nearing 80 degrees during our brief respite from travel. Astronomers...if you've got a portable telescope, don't forget to bring it to this KOA. A brief stroll to the rear of this RV park provides dark, crisp skies to launch your celestial adventures. All in all, the Barstow/Calico KOA is a nice stopping off point for visiting the Calico Ghost Town (3 miles) or a longer jaunt to Las Vegas if traveling east.

Pismo Coast Village is an iconic RV park in beautiful Pismo Beach; however, there are some chinks in the resort's armor. One particular area of concern is the fact that check-in time is not until 4PM. If you arrive before that rather ridiculous time slot, you run the risk of being shunted off to an "off facility" location to await the removal of an RV from a supposedly reserved site. When my wife and I arrived after a four hour drive, did we want to hear that we'd have to leave Pismo Coast Village to wait on the busy frontage street for an indeterminate length of time for the staff to remove a storage trailer? Unless you persist and ask for an alternate site, you feel like you've been banished like a malevolent child. To the credit of the PCV staff, though, they did provide the alternate site, but it was not without some strained moments. On the positive side, PCV maintains its grounds in an exemplary fashion. RV spots are wide and can accommodate the largest of RVs. On a positive and subtle note, the people who frequent PCV are usually upscale, savvy RVers who make for usually interesting neighbors. The cost to stay at Pismo Coast Village is still reasonable in comparison to other central California coastal properties. Making a reservation is very easy via the PCV's web site or by telephone. While staying in the Pismo Beach area is always enjoyable, the hierarchy at PCV needs to rethink their check-in time and how the support staff deals with arriving customers.

Tucked into a beautiful grove of redwood trees, Cotillion RV Park offers a lot of scenic beauty. This park is within easy walking distance of Roaring Camp Railroad/Thomas the Train. The campground is spotlessly maintained. The only real drawbacks are numerous children on scooters and bicycles that clog the narrow roadways and pathways. The park's management is ultra friendly and can take care of the RVer's immediate needs. One suggestion for park improvement would be to install clear directional signs for entering or exiting the RV park. It's hard to give ground when encountering a large motorhome or trailer coming at you in the narrow roadways. All in all, though, Cotillion RV Park offers serenity in a wooded environment.

If your primary goal is to visit San Francisco or watch 49er football games or Giants baseball games, then Candlestick RV Park would be an adequate choice. Even though the spaces are very tight and the amenities are not plentiful (no cable TV, very weak Wi-Fi, no shade), Candlestick RV Park makes a good jumping off point for numerous activities. The staff is very friendly and quite knowledgeable about the San Francisco area. One note, however, do not take exit 429B since that will route you through the rough Hunters Point area. Instead, use exit 429A.

This was our second visit to the Surfwood RV Campground over a 10-year period. The campground is fairly well maintained and caters to both the traveler and what appears to be full time RV residents. Campsites are routinely separated by occasionally untamed shrubbery, sometimes blackberry bushes. This gives the campground not only a rustic appearance but also creates a good degree of privacy between campsites. The current owners have gone to significant lengths to upgrade the campground with Wi-Fi and an excellent convenience store. The swimming pool, however, is not well situated for easy use and is only available on a seasonal basis. RVers have numerous opportunities to camp along the Oregon Coast Highway and spend a comfortable night as well as an extended stay in the Reedsport-Winchester Bay area. Surfwood Campground is a good choice for a modestly priced campground and offers adequate amenities. Not to be missed is the town of Winchester Bay with its excellent assortment of local businesses (loved the knife shop!) and restaurants.

Flying Flags is currently undergoing a lot of renovation. Sites close to the RV office are being significantly upgraded to paved, landscaped, and level pads. This will be a big improvement over the gravel and/or grassy sites currently in use. For the most part, RV campsites can handle the largest trailers and motorhomes. At least 80 percent of the sites have full hookups. My wife and I love the pool and spas that Flying Flags features...all very well maintained and available for use year round. We have camped here many times over the years.