Our First Kamping Adventure in San Diego
Last week we shared our Date Day in San Diego and we received several questions about our first Kamping Experience!
It’s hard to believe that in almost 5 years of camping around the country we had never stayed at a KOA, not even once.
We’ve driven past hundreds of KOA’s over the years and we had this idea in our heads that all KOAs were on the highway, served up cheap box pancake breakfasts and they cost a small fortune. After spending a week at the KOA Metro San Diego campground I can honestly say we were way off base.
When we started looking for a good campground close to downtown San Diego the pickings were slim. So, we figured this was as good a time as any to have our very first Kamping adventure.
The owners are young and this particular KOA has been in their family for three generations. We had the opportunity to walk the property with the owners and they touched on so many things that are near and dear to our heart! We discussed sustainable living and locavore practices and in return they showed us their giant solar array, the onsite organic garden, local wine and beer selections in the store and a new restaurant that will serve lots of fresh veggies straight from the garden and from nearby farmers.
If you’re a cyclist you’ll love it here because the Bayshore Bikeway picks up right outside of the park entrance. To the east the route goes to a nearby mall with a Target, Nordstrom Rack and plenty of other places to shop away a day. Follow the bike path west and check out Pepper Park (that’s about as far as we made it on our casual ride), the Sweetwater Marsh Wildlife Refuge or continue on to Hotel Del on Coronado Island! Now that would be a killer bike day!
There still is one pre-conceived “downside” that I can’t shake after visiting this KOA: I still think it’s a pretty expensive place to call home for a week. With prices hovering around the $50-$60 per night range it makes for an expensive week of camping. After seeing the place I noticed a few glaring items: The park was crazy clean (they literally swept the streets daily, and I saw them dusting the outside of the cabins for cobwebs), they employ a staff of workers year round that are insanely friendly, all the amenities were well kept and the sites are perfectly level and manicured.
So now I understand, in comparison to some of the other campgrounds we’ve stayed at in the area this place is in Tip-Top shape and only a bit more money per night. So would I pay the “big bucks” for the “preferred plus pull through” site? Nah I’m too cheap…but I would totally splurge and go for their regular 30a back in sites.
If you haven’t been to San Diego it’s worth a visit and the winter weather is extremely mild! In fact I remember sitting in bed watching the news about the “early November Arctic Blast” that was sweeping the nation, the weather man cut to a map and everything was blue…except for San Diego and the Florida Keys. So we hopped up out of bed, threw on some clothes and took advantage of every last minute exploring.
Kayaking with the owner of Fisher Boards at Coronado Tidelands Park
Sailing with Friends from Marina Cortez to Bonita Cove in Mission, CA
It’s pretty obvious we had a great time hanging out in the area. We loved the campground location because we rarely saw traffic yet we were only a short drive from downtown. The sad part is we only had a week… C’est la vie.
Free Kamping
Ok, now for the really good news. KOA knows our readers are super cool people and they are giving away 2 free nights good for any KOA campsite or cabin! You can check out all of their Kampground locations here: Kampgrounds of America and enter the contest in the nifty widget below.
Did you catch our Date With San Diego video? If not you should check it out, we found some pretty fantastic spots!
Have you ever dismissed a place or campground before only to find out your preconceived notions were off base? We would love to hear your story.
Disclaimer: KOA San Diego was very kind to host us at their campground but all opinions and experiences are our own.
