Discover Comfortable Camping at KOA in North Carolina - Tips and Advice

[chefmeg]

First, let me say that my idea of camping is a Holiday Inn.....BUT, we want to spend more than just a say or 2 at the beach in North Carolina, so I am looking into camping.
There is a KOA very close to where we want to be and it has something called "kottages" and "lodges".....anyone ever stayed in something like this?
Do you have words of wisdom?
TIA

 

[pamperedlinda]

First, let me say that my idea of camping is a Holiday Inn.....BUT, we want to spend more than just a say or 2 at the beach in North Carolina, so I am looking into camping.
There is a KOA very close to where we want to be and it has something called "kottages" and "lodges".....anyone ever stayed in something like this?
Do you have words of wisdom? TIA

run! run fast to nearest hotel with running water, beds, cable tv, phone, air conditioning!

LOL! Sorry, I'm not much on camping - as you can probably tell! Seriously, I don't enjoy roughing it. I can handle camping in an RV, but tenting and cottaging is not my style.

 

[pampchefrhondab]

A lodge or a cottage would be very similar to a hotel! Well, at least in a campers eyes (LOL)!

Seriously a lodge is usally just a hotel that looks rustic. The cottages would be more like a one room hotel (possibly two hooked together) with a private bath. No food, fridge, etc., but usually has a TV w/cable.

 

[Humble Beginnings]

Camping... not so much! The idea of sleeping outside, bugs and going into the woods for the washroom to me isn't much of a relaxing getaway. If you have to work harder than at home I really don't see the point. This is just my opinion I'm sure there are people out there that LOVE it and to each his own.

 

[raebates]

I now love camping. You'll notice I said now. I grew up with the idea that camping was the air-conditioned motor home with the microwave and indoor plumbing. Then I married The Furry Guy, who happens to be an Eagle Scout. His idea of camping is a tent. I must admit, I love it. (Although, we now use an inflatable mattress under our sleeping bags. The ground is harder than it was 20 years ago. I blame global warming. ) Of course, The Furry Guy does most of the hard work. I do a lot of food prep work before we go to make things easier. Generally speaking, I prep all the food, and The Furry Guy cooks it. We share quick cleanup. As for your question, I can't really answer. We've talked about doing the lodge/cabin thing, but always choose either the tent or a hotel room. If the weather's going to be great, we do the tent. We've often found hotels cheaper than the cabins/lodges where we've vacationed, especially through Priceline.

 

[chefmeg]

at this KOA, the "kottages" have a bathroom and kitchen and is very affordable! WAAYYY less than a hotel. I guess I need to talk this over with DH (who is camping right now at DS's Boy Scout camp!) and see how he feels about it....I think it is alot less roughing it than what he is doing right now!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

at this KOA, the "kottages" have a bathroom and kitchen and is very affordable! WAAYYY less than a hotel. I guess I need to talk this over with DH (who is camping right now at DS's Boy Scout camp!) and see how he feels about it....I think it is alot less roughing it than what he is doing right now!

We camped with friends at a Yogi Bear Park a few years ago....we were tenting it, but they stayed in some type of cottage. They had 2 different kinds - both had electricity, but one had more amenities than the other kind - like a private bath, etc.....maybe that is what the differences are between the kottages, and the lodges?

 

[Kitchen Diva]

I love camping...the fresh air, the crickets to lull you to sleep, going potty in an outhouse (okay, that part I don't like- but if Larua Ingalls can do it, then by golly so can I!)
Sadly we don't go- we have a nice tent, air matress, we had sleeping bags until a small village of mice moved into our crawl space and partied it up for a while, and ate through our sleeping bags...but I love to camp!

I hope you are able to find something that you'll both like and will be able to enjoy.

Besides, I've had snakes, cockroaches, and beetles in my hotel rooms in the past- I've never had an encounter with bugs while camping- just mosquito's when I'm not by the fire or in my tent...but for the most part they leave you alone.

 

[Karen]

LOL! I love camping.:love: As a matter of fact we were tent camping this weekend for my husband's family reunion...through all of the thunderstorms, downpours, and when we left we had tornado warnings. Through it all everyone (all 18+ people) kept reminding ourselves that camping is fun! We were fortunate that the water didn't come in our tents, however one tent at another site was 12" under water. Everyone kept standing next to it to have their picturest taken. It was stressful at times, but we just kept thinking of the memories we were making and the awesome photos we were getting!

Anyhow...the KOA's in our area offer cabins or lodges, sometimes campers that have everything except bathrooms. Eventhough the bathrooms are in a separate facility, the KOA's that I've stayed at in the past have all been VERY clean and kept up. Some even provide all of your linens and those are always clean as well. Good Luck!

 

[Teresa Lynn]

love Rae's comment about sleeping bags on the air mattress.... when we first started tent camping we bought a 4 room tent, air mattresses & sheets for all our air mattresses, our friends kids have never let me forget that

 

[raebates]

We started out with a tarp under our tent when we were first married in 1985. A few years later we added a thick comforter under the tarp. A few years after that we added a thin mattress from a hide-a-bed under the comforter. Several years ago we chucked all that and just went with an inflatable mattress.Here's the best part: The Furry Guy uses the pump to start the fire. If you've ever cooked over a fire, you know that it takes well over 1/2 hour to get everything started, then burned down to coals to cook your meal properly. The Furry Guy uses a small propane torch to start the fire, then uses the foot pump from the air mattress to fan the flames so the fire burns down quickly. We're usually cooking about 15 minutes after he first lights the fire.Have I mentioned lately that The Furry Guy is a genius?

 

[StacieB]

We are tenters, however, we have a 5th w heel camper and go camping 2-3 weekends a month. We love it. We started out as tenters, but then when the twins came along, it was to much. So we have been camping with a 5th wheel for 3 years now. Love being outside and the kids have a ball. Campfire is the best!

 

[Jennie4PC]

I have not been camping for 5 yrs now but I am dying to go. Nothing like sleeping outdoors. Last time we wnt we ended up at the insta care cause my DS split his lip.

 

[pampchefrhondab]

I love camping!! We were lucky enough to get a very small pop-up from my parents. It's not much bigger then a tent (much smaller then some), but it gets us up off the ground and it has some storage so we can keep stuff packed.

My favorite camping is at Fort Desto in Florida - paradise on earth!

Kacey - Are you a Laura Ingalls fan too? Another reason to love you:love:!

 

[amy07]

I'm HERE now!Meg, if you are talking about the KOA near Hatteras we are here now with our family for a vacation. VERY clean! Activities EVERY day for the kids. And VERY quiet.

They have 2 different cabins/cottages here. I just noticed the other ones last night (the ones with AC). They all look cute. I would definitely say to get the ones with AC. We had some huge storms come thru in the middle of the night and I don't know how the tenters survived. And I couldn't imagine having to shut your windows (VERY stuffy) I thought our travel trailer was going to blow away! But the days have been beautiful and VERY relaxing!

Not alot of hustle/bustle. Nice. But I'm a country girl anyways, so this just fits me. I actually don't consider this camping since I grew up tenting, but DH likes the camper. And I must admit it is MUCH nicer with small children!
PM if you need more info on this campground.