AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

Our Opinion: Recommend.  This complex, on the east side of Memphis outside the I-240 loop (easy access), makes a convenient home base for exploration of Memphis or, in our case, a family visit.

Date of Stay: May 2 through May 19, 2010.

Weather During Stay:  We had it all (except cold): sun, rain, heavy humidity.  Severe thunderstorm warnings and flash flood watches. 

Site Description:  The Agricenter is similar to a fairground, and the 300 site “campground” is fairground-style: long rows of rectangular pull-through sites with a variety of utility hookups and limited amenities.  Sites are level, a combination of gravel and grass, easily swamped by rain. Showers and a laundry room are available – we didn’t use either.  Roads are gravel, and potholed.  Onsite storm shelter.

Our site has a gravel pad with 50 amp FHU.  Others have 30 amps, and many have just W/E.  Reservations are recommended if you want a FHU site.

Site 54 in Sunshine	Waterlogged Site 54

Rate: $30/night for 50 amp FHU; $180/week.  Other configurations are cheaper. 

Phone/radio/TV: Strong Verizon signal for the aircard and phones.  No obstacles for our roof-mounted satellite, and over a dozen channels on the antenna.  NPR is available at 91.1.  WiFi appears to be available, but we didn’t use it

Elevation/Landscape/Terrain:  Elevation is low, and the terrain is flat and grassy.  Views are of other rigs, grass, big green trees, nearby agricultural fields and the buildings of the Agricenter:  the permanent Farmer‘s Market, event center, and the Memphis NOAA weather center (the NOAA weather radar site).

Lighting/Noise:  High floodlights come on at night, but we were parked far enough away to minimize the glare.  Reasonably quiet at night, but the road behind the campground gets noisy by 7 am.

Favorite Sites:  The 50 amp FHU sites are in a section of the campground separate from the less expensive (and very crowded) sites favored by the semi-permanent campers who live here while they work in the area.  We were in site 54, with open space on our curb side.  Half or fewer of the sites in our area were occupied, so we all had plenty of space.

Hiking/Walking:  Excellent!  Trails along the Wolf River are accessible by foot from the campground.  A huge regional park (Shelby Farms) is adjacent to the Agricenter with miles of paved walking/biking trails. 

Comments: Though the campground is nothing special, the location is great.  Surrounded by grass, green trees, and agricultural fields, the camping area has a rural feel, but all kinds of shopping and restaurants line Germantown Road, a 6 lane adjacent thoroughfare.  Germantown is an upscale area of Memphis and feels very safe.  NOT a destination campground, but recommended for full timers who can make their own entertainment.

RACCOON VALLEY RV PARK, HEISKELL (KNOXVILLE AREA), TN

Our Opinion: Neutral.  A friendly, reasonably priced park convenient to Knoxville, in the midst of reconstruction.

Date of Stay: April 16 through 19, 2010.

Weather During Stay:  Sunny, mild spring weather until the day we left (when it rained).   Cool nights. 

Site Description:  This park will soon double in size; reconstruction of an older section of the park was underway when we visited, with a few of the newly remodeled sites open.  We spent our first three nights in site 7 of the old section (28 sites, mostly pull-throughs).  Roads and sites are gravel, with grass and mature trees.  FHU, 30 and 50 amps.

Our last night (after taking our MH out for repairs) was in site 54, one of the newly opened sites (41 new sites, mostly pull-throughs; 12 back-ins are indicated to be dry camping on the park map).  At this time, the gravel roads and sites are quite dusty, due to construction.  Again, FHU, 30 and 50 amp. 

We were sorry to see how sloped our site in the new section was… we weren’t able to level completely.  Our neighbor, a 42’ motor home, had the same problem.  I know the park was anxious to get new sites opened for business, but visitors will be disappointed if these sites aren’t re-graded (they have already been graveled and compacted).  

Two of the new pull throughs	Our neighbor’s tires were off the ground.

Site sizes are typical of a commercial park, with most pull throughs just long enough for a 40’ motor home and towed, and wide enough for slides and awnings.  Each site in the old section has a picnic table - too bad your neighbor’s sewer hookup is in the middle of your “yard”.

The office/clubhouse is being expanded; laundry and showers are available.  The pool was closed when we were there, probably due to the dust from the construction.  There is a small fenced dog run.  Dump station on-site.

Rate: Escapee members pay $16/night plus tax, which included electric.  Non-Escapees pay $23/night plus tax, including electric.  Given the park’s proximity to Knoxville, this is a very good rate, especially for Escapees.

Phone/radio/TV:  Strong signal for our Verizon phones and aircard.  No obstacles for satellite TV in our sites; we also picked up a few local stations on our antenna. Tengo Internet provides WiFi for a fee - we didn’t try it.  NPR on  91.1.

Elevation/landscape/terrain: Elevation is around 1,000 ft. in hilly terrain.  Views are of neighbors, tall trees, and green hillsides. 

Lighting/noise:  A few “streetlights”.  Quiet at night.

Favorite Sites: Not much difference here.  We would pick based on the length of the site - and try to find a level one.

Hiking/Walking: Although we didn’t see them, a reader mentioned hiking trails on the south side of the park.  We visited the numerous, long “greenways” for walking in Knoxville.

Comments:  Nothing special about this small campground except the very friendly reception and good price.  Brandy gave us each a heartfelt hug on our arrival and departure.  As usual in an Escapee park, a social hour is held daily at 4 pm.  We will return anytime we want to revisit Knoxville, and look forward to seeing the park after reconstruction is complete.

WARRIORS’ PATH STATE PARK, KINGSPORT, TENNESSEE

Our Opinion: Nice park, but NOT recommended if you have a big rig.

Date of Stay: April 13 through 15, 2010.

Weather During Stay:  Highs in the low 80’s, lows in the 40’s.  Plenty of sunshine.

Site Description:  Warriors’ Path campground is very pleasant for tents and trailers under around 30 feet, but we can’t recommend it for big rigs.  Of the 94 sites (of which only 74 were available when we stayed, because one loop was still closed for the season), no more than half a dozen (if that) can accommodate big rigs.  During our mid-week stay, we saw several 40+ plus rigs circle the campground and head back out.

We arrived on a Tuesday and lucked into one of the sites that is both long enough and level enough to (barely) accommodate us, B-29.  All sites have water and at least 30 amp electric.  Again, we were lucky with our site, which had both 30 and 50 amps.  Each site has a picnic table and fire ring.  Roads in the campground are paved and narrow - one lane but not necessarily one way.  

The campground has 2 restrooms, one with showers which we didn't investigate.  There are two dump stations, neither particularly convenient for a big rig.  There is also a large playground.

Rate: We paid $20/night for W and 50 amp E.

Phone/radio/TV: Great Verizon service for phone and aircard.  The campground is moderately wooded, but we managed to get our roof-mounted TV satellite to lock on, and picked up a couple of stations on antenna.  NPR is available on 89.5. No park WiFi.

Elevation/Landscape/Terrain:  This is a very hilly state park, including the campground.  Beautiful, large trees shade many/most of the campsites, and many of the campsites have views through the forest to the river.  Sites are not particularly private.  Our appealing view is of trees, grass, a restroom, the playground, and several other RV’s. 

Lighting/Noise:  Lights on the restrooms at night; quiet once the campers settle down.

Favorite Sites:  B-29 worked for us (technically, we are a 38’ MH - I think this site is too small for a 40’ MH).  C-74 appears to be the largest site. Sites cannot be reserved.

Hiking/Walking:  LOTS of trails, from easy to strenuous - plenty of good walking.

Comments: The campground is just a small part of this large park, which seemed more like a county or regional park - heavily used by the locals.  The park includes a golf course, Olympic-sized swimming pool, stables, trails, marina, soccer fields and fishing piers.  Too bad the campsites are so small - though we enjoyed our stay, we don’t recommend it for big rigs.