LIKELY PLACE RV RESORT AND GOLF, LIKELY, CA

Our Opinion: Recommend.  Well maintained, visually appealing, with some special touches.

Date of Stay:  Oct. 9-10, 2011

Weather During Stay:  A day of sun (arrival), a day of rain and clouds (meant no golf for Odel).  Cool nights.

Site Description:  Fifty gravel sites, more than half of them long, mostly level, pull-throughs.  Our site (30) was a 50 amp FHU; some sites are W/E only.  Voltage was good, but water pressure was poor.  Since we had read about that problem already, we filled our fresh water tank before arrival and used our pump to augment the water pressure.

Sites are quite spacious, with nicely mown, wide strips of grass between sites.  Roads are gravel and easy to maneuver. There are a few trees here and there in the park, and many on the edges.  The overall feel is open and spacious.

Well maintained bath house with laundry facilities (2 washers; 2 dryers).  At least two 3-sided shelters (hide from sun, wind, or rain).  The office doubles as the golf pro shop and a breakfast and lunch grill - we enjoyed breakfast there.

Rate:  With an AAA (or Good Sam) discount, $28/night for 50 amp FHU.

Phone/radio/TV:  Top-notch Verizon signal for the phones and MiFi.  WiFi is available, but we didn’t use it.  No obstacles for our roof-mounted satellite dish.  Three PBS channels and one network on the air antenna (digital).  No local NPR station.

Elevation/landscape/terrain:  This is a gently rolling campground (and golf course) at 4,600 ft. elevation.  Lots of juniper (or cedar?) trees on the sage-covered hillsides.  Views are of lovely high-desert shrubs and trees, rolling ranchland, and distant mountains.  Very appealing.

Lighting/noise:  Quite dark at night except for a tall security light here and there (too bad).  No traffic noise at all, no train noise, just a coyote chorus now and then.

Favorite Sites:  We were in site 30 and liked it fine - very spacious.  Pull-through sites 31-35 are in the “front row”, so you would not have other rigs parked between you and the view to the east, but those sites don‘t have sewer hookups.

Hiking/Walking: This park SHINES in this category!  Besides an 18-hole golf course, they have developed a geocache golf game, in three sections of varying lengths.  Do all three sections for 5.5 miles, or one section for as little as 1.1 miles.  If that doesn’t appeal, a 1.4 miles nature trail with several comfortable benches offers views of the golf course and surrounding area.  Thoughtful and fun amenities.

Comments:  The tiny town of Likely is in the remote NE corner of California.  Click here to read a bit about the history of the golf course and RV park.  Closed from the end of October until the first of May (high altitude = snow).  Otherwise, if you are traveling Hwy 395 in northern California, we recommend a stop here, especially if you golf.

COLLIER MEMORIAL STATE PARK, CHILOQUIN, OR

Our Opinion: Recommend.  Roomy sites, lovely rivers nearby, pleasant walking trails, interesting logging museum, and reasonably close proximity to Crater Lake.

Our first visit to Collier Memorial State park was two years ago, when we used it was a base camp to visit Crater Lake.  On this visit, we stayed two night, October 7-8. 

A few things have changed:

The Discovery Season rate increased $4/night, to $17.  Still a very good rate for a spacious, paved FHU site (50 amps) in a very nicely maintained campground.  Still first-come, first served (no reservations taken).  We arrived on Friday at noon and had our pick of many sites; folks arriving later on Friday had fewer choices, but the campground was not full on Friday or Saturday night.

When we visited in 2009, no local NPR station was available.  You can now pick up Jefferson Public Radio, the NPR broadcast for southern Oregon and northern California, on 90.9 FM.

Click here to read our full review from our first visit, which has been updated to reflect changes since our 2009 visit.  By the way, there is a truck stop travel plaza 3 miles south on highway 97 (east side), at the KlaMoYa Casino.  Gas and diesel (with truck pumps); easy access for big rigs.

BEND ELKS LODGE, BEND, OR

Our Opinion: Neutral.  Private; you must be an Elk to stay here.

Date of Stay: October 4-6, 2011.

Weather During Stay: Cold, day and night!  Some sun, plenty of clouds.

Sites:  Eight back-in sites at the back of the lodge on asphalt.  Sites are paved and sufficiently sloped that we needed blocks under our front tires and jacks.  All sites have 30 amp E.  Water available from one spigot on the side of the lodge when the lodge is open (you need the “key“ for the spigot).    No dump on site.

No trees; all sites have open exposure.  Sites are large enough for big rigs, but very narrow - just enough room for slides (on one side) and steps. Tow and towed vehicles can be parked in parking slots nearby.

Rate: $15/night for 30 amp E.  Stay limit 7 days.

Phone/radio/TV: Strong Verizon phones and aircard signal.  No obstructions to block TV satellite dish.  Around 10 digital stations on the air antenna, including 2 PBS stations.  Lodge has secure WiFi; we didn’t use it.  NPR on 88.1 (and probably others).

Elevation/Landscape/Terrain:  This is a small, sloped parking area at 3,600 ft. elevation.  Sites face west, with a nice view of the Cascade range.  Near view is of the lodge and neighboring residences.

Lighting/Noise: Tall security lighting at the lodge keeps it very bright at night.  Reasonably quiet.

Favorite Sites: No difference between sites.

Hiking/Walking: Nothing appealing from the lodge, but there are plenty of recreational opportunities around Bend.  Several pleasant walks/hikes at nearby Pilot Butte.

Comments: Bend is a popular summer destination for RV’ers and recreation enthusiasts.  Though parking at the lodge is very tight, it is the best deal in the area for a short-term stay.  This was our second stay at this active lodge.

HI VALLEY RV PARK, BOISE, ID

Our Opinion: Neutral.  Well maintained commercial RV park on the edge of Boise with friendly, professional staff.

Date of Stay:  Sept. 27-30, 2011.  Updated May 17, 2012 to reflect our most recent stay, May 15 through May 19, 2012.

Weather During Stay:  Warm!  Daytime highs in the mid and upper 80’s; nighttime lows in the 60’s.

Site Description:  Very level gravel sites, long enough for motor home and towed.  All sites are arranged in long rows.  Streets are wide and paved (with numerous speed bumps).

Our site (60) was in a long row of sites used to accommodate short term stays, with neighbors coming and going daily.  Sites in this row were very well maintained, but quite narrow; gravel pad, narrow concrete “patio” or walkway, and a strip of grass (over which you neighbor’s slide protruded). 

We had 50 amp FHU plus cable TV, with good voltage - even in the heat - and water pressure.  We also had a picnic table, the same width as the concrete strip.

Several of the rows had wider sites with grass yards and small storage sheds.  It appeared that these were used by semi-permanent renters (all very tidy).

Rate:  With tax, $33.05 per night for 50 amp FHU and cable (May, 2012).

Phone/radio/TV:  The Verizon signal was a little flaky, but usable.  Very reliable WiFi is offered through Tengo; get a coupon for free use from the office.  No obstacles for our roof-mounted satellite dish, and dozens of channels on cable TV.   Local NPR on 91.5.

Elevation/landscape/terrain:  This is a flat park about 8 miles from downtown Boise at 2700’ elevation.  Views are of neighbors and surrounding dry hills.

Lighting/noise:  Reasonably dark at night.  Quite a lot of traffic noise from a nearby state highway, sufficient to bother me with our windows open at night.

Favorite Sites:  No particular favorites, as they are are similar. 

Hiking/Walking: Walk across the street (Horseshoe Bend) from the park to pickup a sidewalk that you can walk in either direction.  Boise and Eagle (the small town nearby) both have very nice walking trails along the Boise River.

Comments:  Odel liked this park better than I did.  It is very well maintained, the green grass is appealing, and the staff are friendly.  They sell propane on site, which is useful.  We hadn’t stayed in a crowded commercial park for quite a while, and the tight space and nighttime noise bothered me.  Close to shopping and restaurants, on a suburban edge of Boise.  During our stay in May of 2012, the overnighter spaces were much less crowded, and the office staff do a good job of leaving an open space between campers whenever possible.  I found the park much more appealing when it was less crowded.