RV PARK REVIEW - Gold Ranch Verdi Casino & RV Resort

MAY 2013
DISCLAIMER: We are not paid to endorse or slam any RV park we review, the owners/operators are unaware of any position or personal opinion we make and/or post until after the fact. 

We headed to the Reno, NV area to visit old friends and found Gold Ranch Casino Verdi & RV Resort was just what we were looking for in a RV Resort. We wanted to be near our friends Jimmy and Sue, Lake Tahoe, Carson City and Virginia City ... you know a site that's convenient for playing tourist. It's situated in a beautiful setting nestled up against the Sierra Nevada Mountains with paved level sites. Gold Ranch features a fun casino with sit down restaurant, fast food for dine-in or drive-thru, gas station, pool & spa, clubhouse, laundry and bath house. The RV Resort is located just 2 miles from the California/Nevada state line with easy access off I-80W, exit 2.

Amenities at this Good Sam campground include:

• 105 fully paved sites, including 68 wide pull-throughs      
• Comfortably spaced lush green sites with 24-hour security
• Full hook-ups - 20/30/50 amps
• Wireless Internet at every site (fee applies)
• Clean showers and laundry facilities
• Clubhouse with fireplace, television, and free Wi-Fi
• Heated pool and Jacuzzi
• Two restaurants to choose from: the Sierra Café and Jack-In-The-Box
• Pets welcome
• Mail/Fax service available
• 24-hour convenience store and Chevron gas station

Our very peaceful and serene campsite.

All rates based on one RV and one tow per site include: Tax, electric, water, sewer, cable TV, 50 amp, pets, extra person (max 4 per site), clubhouse, pool and spa, gleaming showers and restroom facilities.  A 10% discount on daily rates for Good Sam and AARP members, and they offer weekly and extended stay discount rates too.  Our nightly 2013 May rates for for a pull through was about $35.00 less our Good Sam discount. Keep in mind rates tend to change or may have seasonal rates that fluctuate.

In our check-in welcome package, we found free drinks coupons to be used in the Casino and a buy one get one free dinner at their Sierra Cafe.

After driving in from Elko, I chose the dine out option ... no cooking or clean up. We both decided on the 8 oz. Prime Rib special for $8.99 served with a choice of Potato, Seasonal Vegetable and Choice of Soup or Salad; and using the buy one get one was a savings bonus.  For the price, it was actually very good ... and the no cooking or cleaning was even better.


So, I bet you can't guess the rating we give this campground? You're right! It's an A!  I was curious, so I just checked Good Sam's ratings and they agree with me ... 10.0 Facility / 9.5 Restrooms / 9.5 Appeal. Therefore Jim and I recommend you stop in when you're in the area and try it for yourself.  

Gold Ranch Casino Verdi & RV Resort

350 Gold Ranch Rd. (I-80 W, Exit 2)

Verdi, NV 89439

Call or Click Below 

RV Reservations  877.914.6789

As the sun sets at our campsite, we thank you for following McTraveler's RV Adventures.  We anticipate you'll be back soon to join us at our next destination and for more adventures.


Until then, wishing you safe travels!
Pam, Jim, Maxx and Mollie

DESTINATION - RENO, NV - A grand reunion of a 50+ year friendship

MAY 2013

Over the years, Jim introduced Pam to a long list of junior high and high school buddies he has stayed in contact with; and I and along with their spouses were inducted into this tight knit group ... amazing friendships have grown even stronger over the years.

Last winter when we started planning our 2013 Spring RV Trip 6,000+ mile route; we had to include a visit to Reno, NV where Jim's junior high school friend Jimmy and his wife Sue reside.

McTraveler made the drive from Elko, NV to Reno, NV which unveiled greener scenery and climbing altitude as we approached the Sierra Nevadas traveling along the Humboldt River and then over the Truckee River. We settled into the Gold Ranch Casino and RV Resort* on 350 Gold Ranch Rd., Verdi, NV 89439.  We really liked this campground that's nestled into the foothills of the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  It's located on the western outskirts of Reno which was a short drive to see Jimmy and Sue.

Jimmy is also retired and graciously played the grand tour guide as Sue had to work the first couple of days of our visit.  Day one tour starts with Incline Village and Lake Tahoe where there is so much to see and do. Jim, growing up as a California boy, had been here several times; but it was my first and found the area just breath taking with it's alpine mountain views and was amazed at the size and depth of the pristine lake. For lunch, we drove down to South Lake Tahoe where you can stand on the street corner with one foot in Nevada and the other in California; but California claims this city.

I so enjoyed listening to Jim and Jimmy laugh and reminiscence about the good old days and catch up on where and what their classmates are doing now.  At times the conversation was deep as the lake, so I chose Duke Ellington and John Coltrane playing In a Sentimental Mood for day one video tour.

  

Day 2, with Jimmy still in tour guide mode, put us on a paddle boat cruise of Lake Tahoe. He took us to Zephyr Cove along the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe to board the MS Dixie II.  We left the Zephyr Cove dock and meandered across the lake to Emerald Bay on the California side. Emerald Bay provided the setting for one of the first summer homes at Lake Tahoe in 1863. Vikingsholm is a magnificent castle built at Emerald Bay in 1929 and can be toured. We so enjoyed the day on the water ... a little cool, but still a perfect day to take in the picturesque scenery and enjoy an old friend's company.

After the cruise we stopped at a famous local landmark in the state capital of Carson City, Red's Old 395 Grill, reknown for their BBQ.  You walk into this fine establishment and you're immediately slapped in the face with sensory overload ... you don't know where to look first! It's a fun, quirky BBQ hangout with 101 beers on tap ... I had a smile plastered to my face and lickin' my lips with this stop.

 

Finally we got to spend time with Sue too; so we all take off for Virginia City, NV which is about 30 miles south of Reno.  Virginia City was a stopover for eastern emigrants traveling onto California. It developed into an overnight boomtown when the first major silver deposit, the Comstock Lode, discovery was made public in 1859. President Lincoln pushed through statehood for Nevada (even though the population was legally too low to do so) to help fund the Civil War. There's a history lesson on every corner in this town ... even Mark Twain wrote from here.  After a morning of touring the town, we HAD to stop in the old ice cream parlor for a cold treat. Those who know Jim, knows he's an ice cream addict. What a fun day we had together in the old pioneer mining town.  

Sue and Jimmy

Jim and I both have been blessed with long term friendships, and we cherish this one too.  So we thank Jimmy and Sue for taking time to make this reunion so special. Having a personal tour guide sure spoiled us!  We loved our time with you and hope you will join us for a ride along in McTraveler very soon.

And we thank you, our readers, for following our adventures.  Stay tuned for the next destination; and until then we wish you safe travels!

Pam, Jim, Maxx and Mollie



*Note: Our campground has since changed their name to Gold Ranch Verdi Casino which we recommend if you're in the area.

DOUBLE FEATURE: A Ride Along plus A Park Review - Salt Lake City to Double Dice RV Park in Elko, NV

MAY 2013

Double your pleasure, double your fun ...

now I have the double mint chewing gum song in my head!  

McTraveler is leaving Salt Lake City, UT and making our way to Elko, NV for the night. The drive along I-80 goes through a lot of scenic landscape changes.  You'll see the green mountains with snow caps as you leave SLC, then by the expansive Great Salt Lake and on toward the flat desert floor vistas of the Great Basin where we found the Bonneville Speedway with salt flats that are blinding white; immediately as you cross the Nevada line you'll find mountains again and finally flatting out some as you enter into the hot, dry desert area of Elko, NV.

This leg of our 2013 Spring RV Trip also included a first ... a cattle drive outside of SLC where the cowboys were herdin' 'em doggies underneath I-80 ... what a fun sight to behold!  That was never expected ... did a double take then snapped a photo.

                                                  Now I have the Raw Hide song going through my head!

Because of the weather, we chose not to boon dock overnight ... just didn't want to have to run the generator all night for A/C.  So we found the Double Dice RV Park in Woodall's Directory and they did give us the Good Sam discount.  Like the name says, we're in Nevada, so everyone has some sort of gaming on property, even the RV park has a casino.  We didn't gamble, but later on we felt we had lost enough money just by staying here.

Campground Views

The park is a glorified gravel parking lot, but we were grateful to find anything with hook-ups on this long lonely stretch of road.  The staff was nice and said to go pick and site and let them know one we settled into.  The vast majority of the 100 park sites were allotted to permanent residences so there were little to chose from.  I peeked into the laundry and showers ... both areas are dirty coin operated messes.  

We did go to the on-site bar restaurant and had  a just okay meal ... but it was nice not to cook after driving all day.

Suffice it to say, we enjoyed the beautiful drive and endured the overnight campground.  Overall rating of this fine establishment get a big fat D.  I was surprised when I just looked at Trip Advisor and they had one excellent, six very good, and four terrible.  We felt the park rated in the terrible range.

We're sorry you had to visit our virtual campground but hope you'll only stay at this campground as a last resort.  But we do hope you enjoyed the ride along to our misadventure.  We promise better adventures at our next stop in Reno, NV ... see you there.

Until then, wishing you safe travels,
Pam, Jim, Maxx and Mollie

RV PARK REVIEW - SLC KOA - McTraveler's eyeballs are popping out from greenery overload - that's a good thing!

MAY 2013

After our adventures throughout southern Utah's red rock/orange sand country (BTW Jim had had enough rocks); McTraveler made it's way north to Salt Lake City.  What a nice change to see green, white, and blue.  Real trees! Lush greenery and flowers everywhere, white snow capped mountains, and beautiful blue sky views of  downtown SLC.

Downtown Salt Lake City

A light rail system is a very short walk
from the campground

The SLC KOA is the closest RV park to downtown and right off North Temple Street where you will find a light rail system for your tourist adventures.  It's also located on the western side of the city; which is where we wanted be to for an overnight. Tomorrow McTraveler will be going westbound on I-80 towards Elko, NV then onto Reno, NV to see friends. Note: To and from the interstate there will be some city street driving.

The location is not your typical campground in the woods (let's go hiking and fishing) but a really beautiful urban campground for taking in the sights of a big city; or an overnight that's convenient to get back on the interstate.  We thought they did a really good job with the grounds to make it a natural setting as possible.  Again, we had been green (forest) deprived the last several weeks.

Views of the campground.
Here we enjoyed the smells of pines and flowers; unlike our last campground's smell of musty mud.

The staff was very courteous, professional, and helpful with giving us tips of things to do while you're here.  It was nice to feel welcomed.  They appreciated our business and wanted us to have a good experience in their campground.  After weeks of spotty phone and internet service and no cable TV, we were all over the electronics here.

CAMPGROUND AMENITIES50

• 50 Max Amp
• 80'Max Length
• Wi-Fi
• Cable TV
• Pool (5/25 - 9/7)
• Hot Tub / Sauna
• Propane ($)
• Kamping Kitchen
• Pavilion
• Tour Shuttle ($)
  

• 5 Buck Pizza
• Tours
• Coin Operated Laundries
• 2 RV/Car Washes
• Media Center
• Barber Shop
• Nico's Mexican American Cafe
• Free Temple Square Shuttle

So nice to have a paved site with grass and trees

We enjoyed our overnight stay and would stay again if in the area.  Our overall rating for the Salt Lake City KOA is a solid B+.  We hope you found our review helpful.  If you've stayed here, we'd love to hear your view.  We welcome all comments.

Now, we thank you for visiting our virtual campsite and hope you liked the s'mores.  We eagerly anticipate that you'll be back soon to read more of McTravelers RV Adventures.

Until then, wishing you safe travels,

Pam, Jim, Maxx and Mollie

DIRECTIONS

I-15 Northbound and Southbound and I-80 westbound -  take Exit 308 (airport), 1.5 miles on I-80 West to Exit 118 (Redwood Rd.), turn right on Redwood, go 1/4 mile, turn right on North Temple Street. Go 1/4 mile. Turn left at the light marked 1460 W. Turn right into the park.

I-80 Eastbound - take Exit 115 (North Temple) stay on North Temple Street 3.5 miles.Turn left at the light marked 1460 West. Turn right into the park.

GPS address:  110 N 1460 W, Salt Lake City, Utah 84116

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK - Utah Rocks !!!

MAY 2013

Arches National Park is open year round, as well as the Devil's Garden Campground there. Unfortunately, at 40' plus toad, McTraveler is too large for their sites.  Even though we're at the Moab KOA (see our RV Park Review), there are plenty of other area campgrounds to choose from.  So we take the toad (our Jeep Liberty) to spend the day at Arches which is located on US 191 just 5 miles north of Moab.

Arches is another star in Utah's lineup in the NPS system. Throughout the 73,000+ acre park you'll find close to 2,000 geological formations of windowed arches, towering spires that dwarfed us, comical hoodoos, impressive colossal sandstone fins, canyon slots that were sometimes a tight squeeze to hike through, and massive balancing rocks that blow your mind.  Some of the rock star attractions include Balanced Rock, the Delicate, Landscape and Skyline Arches, Devil's Garden, and the Park Avenue Trail. Arches National Park is known as having the world's largest concentration of natural sandstone arches.

To learn more about the history, landscape, flora and fauna, and climate of Arches National Park, please click here.

After checking out the displays and watching the film, we picked up the road guide and hiking brochure at the Visitor Center; then took the scenic driving tour that lead us though stunning landscape.  The road had numerous turn outs for scenic overlook photo ops; plus we found parking at the best hiking trails where we found ourselves up close and personal to amazing rock formations.

To get a closer look at the Landscape Arch; take the Primitive Loop which is the longest maintained trail in the park.  The trail head is located in the Devil's Garden section.

    Location: Northern area in Arches National Park
    Difficulty: Easy to Landscape Arch; moderate to complete the primitive loop
    Length: 7.2 miles (round trip) to complete the primitive loop
    Elevation gain: About 400 feet

A sampling of photos from our video

So now it's time to put your hiking boots on and hit the virtual trails with us.

We'd love to hear if you enjoyed our hike together, plus your actual experiences if you have been here, or if our journey has inspired you to add Arches National Park to your personal travel bucket list.  Thanks for joining us and hope to see you back soon for the next McTraveler's RV Adventure.

Until then, wishing you safe travels,
Pam, Jim, Maxx and Mollie

RV PARK REVIEW: Moab KOA - Yuck the Muck !!! Where's my Rubber Ducky?

MAY 2013

I thought the saying was April showers bring May flowers?

Easy access to the campground from US 191 (the main drag running through Moab) 

The night before leaving the Bryce Canyon area, we made on-line reservations at the Moab KOA. After the great experience we had at the Bryce/Cannonville KOA (A+ rating) we presumed we'd feel pretty much the same about this one. We also chose the Moab KOA for it's convenient location to Arches National Park; which was our number one attraction we planned to visit. We also liked their campground amenities and would fit McTraveler's needs:

• 50 Max Amp
• 65' Max Length
• Wi-Fi
• Cable TV
• Pool
• Propane ($)
• Mini Golf ($)
• Bike Rentals ($)

Campground entrance

Picnic table and a grill are provided

McTraveler was the first coach to park at this new site

Upon entering the campground, we noticed that it was well maintained; and we liked the natural, raw high-desert setting.  

Our greeting at check-in was lack luster ... like we were a bother or even worse, a pimple on their ass. Would a smile really hurt you?  We are your guests; and guests like us keep you in business, or not.  We're not looking to make a BBF but a warm welcome would have been appreciated. You know what they say about first impressions ... you don't get a do-over to redeem yourself.

Our park escort (a fellow workcamper) to our site was friendlier and helpful.  He even stayed to jaw-jack while we were hooking up utilities. We shared with each other our workcamping experiences ... we had been workcampers at a KOA in Arkansas the previous year.

McTraveler was the first coach to park on a brand site designed for big rigs.  WOW, this is pretty neat, or so we thought.  The desert soil is red, gritty sand and the freshly graded site had not packed yet.  The new site had a very light gravel base that was just wide enough to get your tires on.  Stepping out of McTraveler was directly onto the loose dusty desert floor. Well, dusty until the skies opened up so much we were looking to board Noah's Ark.

Pam's first step out after the deluge, into inches of standing water, resulted in her shoe getting sucked off her foot and left in the muck.  Maxx and Mollie didn't like it either when they tried walking to Kamp K-9 for their potty breaks.  Mollie, our blonde and silver Yorkie, was no longer blonde, not even a strawberry blonde, but ORANGE!  Maxx didn't look much better.  With the consecutive days of rain, we got sooo tired of washing eight paws and legs every time the pups went out.

We think it's wonderful that campgrounds expand when the need arises; but in this case they were premature in opening up the site.  The ground was not packed so during the rains, the loose sand washed over what little rock they had in place.  It would have helped to have some type of edging between the sand and the rock to keep our doorstep area from becoming quicksand and muck.

We really didn't spend much time in the campground; we were too busy out exploring the area and enjoying our adventures.  So with mixed thoughts on this campground we say ... stay during dry season but beware during rainy seasons.   This campground gets a C rating.

Campground main entrance road changes
from paved to gravel

So McTraveler Adventures thanks you for stopping by our campsite.  We hope you drop back by real soon; next time we'll have the s'mores ready.

Until then, wishing you safe travels!
Pam, Jim, Maxx and Mollie

Campsite view

Campsite view

Campsite view

The red rock cliffs behind us were beautiful

Campsite view

We couldn't find the ark
 but did find our rainbow at the end of the day;
 and that put a smile on our face.
What a beautiful way to end our stay in Moab.

RV PARK REVIEW: Bryce/Cannonville KOA. Cannonville, Utah

DISCLAIMER: We are not paid to endorse or slam any RV park we review, the owners/operators are unaware of any position or personal opinion we make and/or post until after the fact. 


MAY 2013

Bryce Valley / Cannonville KOA is centrally located in a beautiful valley with Bryce Canyon National Park to the north (12 miles/15 minute drive), Kodachrome Basin State Park to the south (10 miles away), and the Grande Staircase-Escalante National Monument (1.9 million acres of BLM public land to explore) to the east but the Escalante Visitor Center is just a few miles south in Cannonville, Utah.  There are so many things to do in the area.  This park gets an A+ for convenience of location.

From Bryce Canyon National Park drive south on
Utah Scenic Byway 12 to the KOA and in route you pass by
the Grande Staircase-Escalante National Monument

The KOA is situated in the Bryce Canyon area near 
Cannonville which is also so close to 
Kodachrome Basin State Park

In 1999, John and Marsha Holland purchased the raw land and proceeded to build their dream campground with emphasis on enhancing their guests' camping experience. Today as family owners and operators, they still have the same passion and continue to update and improve the campground.


The 50amp full hook-up sites will accommodate rigs up to 85' and include WiFi (my Verizon Jet Pack and phone did not have reception through out this whole canyon land area), picnic table and fire ring (firewood is available for purchase - do not bring your own).  The park's amenities includes a propane station (we needed to heat McTraveler), a very large kitchen pavillon for groups, a family pool, and a snack bar and a stocked kampstore which we found helpful.  Note: fullly stock up on provisions prior to coming into the national park and monument area; you're in the middle of no-where.

This park has a wonderful rustic western ambiance

The staff made us feel very welcomed and 
they genuinely wanted us to have 
the best possible experience

The family staff is very friendly and concerned about your experience in their campground; but doing so without being overly obtrusive. Marsha is a great source for local things to do and will help you plan your day trip excursions to ensure you don't miss out on the 'best stuff'.  She also gave me her personal favorite hiking tails and advised what time of day is best to tour various attractions.

We used the laundry facility and found it very clean and the lowest priced wash/dry load to date.

Overall, we immensely enjoyed the relaxed, friendly atmosphere, the beautiful setting and the welcome we received that made us feel like family - that's an A+ all around.

Hope you found this helpful and that you'll be back soon.

Wishing you safe travels,
Pam, Jim, Maxx and Mollie


PS - Yes, we recommend this park and will definitely go back!

View from our dining room

A RIDE ALONG: McTraveler takes you from St George, Utah to Cannonville, Utah

Leaving the St George, Utah area

Maxx and Mollie are NOT spoiled sitting in mamma's lap!
By the way, thepups are always tethered when
traveling.  We attach their leashes to the seat belt
so they can roam at will; but NOT run out of
the coach should there be an accident.  More pets
are injured or killed when first responders open
the door and they run out into traffic, than the
actual accident itself.  Keep your pets safe.

Another beautiful drive through southern Utah's canyon lands, national forests and parks, red rocks, mountains, and deserts ... all in one day! What a diverse ride.  Be sure to watch out for the tunnels too.

We're headed to Bryce/Cannonville KOA which is conveniently located between Bryce Canyon National Park and Kodachrome Basin State Park. Both are a must do if you're in southern Utah.

Entering Dixie National Forest

Sit back and enjoy the video. And thanks for riding along and hope to see you back soon!
Wishing you safe travels,
Pam, Jim, Maxx and Mollie

Love the red rocks ... heading into hoodoo country

Don't think you'd have a problem with TSA at this airport

Near the exit to Bryce National Park

   

Cannonville is just around the corner

Bryce/Cannonville KOA, a family owned and run park