Past trips
Past trip
Radl Ranch
in Radl Ranch, CaliforniaVery nice set up. Bathroom and shower are clean with hot water. We were only there overnight but would consider again.
Past trip
in Spirit Walk - Private Retreat, CaliforniaCain W.has mixed feelings towards this listing.
First I will say that the site is very beautiful. The accomodations were great, and we especially liked the outdoor kitchen and fire pit.
My only complaint is that the host does not seem to be taking the COVID precautions as seriously as expected. When we arrived, we were greeted by a person (not the owner/host) who was not wearing a face mask. She also did not maintain a 6-ft safe distance from us while showing us around.
We were given no instructions for maintaining safe distances, and I saw no signage or markers for doing so.
One family that was staying there the same time as us was not making any effort to keep a distance from us. In fact their kids got right up in our kids faces. It was friendly but their mother made no effort to correct them, and also got into our space without any caution.
We ultimately had to ask them directly to keep their distance, and after doing so the kids still didn't get any corrections from their mother. Of course none of them wore masks.
Another family that we talked to was also concerned with the lack of distance maintained by the previously mentioned family. What is worse though is that they told us that when the owner/host met them at arrival, he actually criticized them for wearing masks, saying something about how they "must be from the city". When the husband of the family said that since they were coming from the city that he should want them to wear a mask, he said "no, I don't."
Of course the host cannot be responsible for his guests respecting safe social distances, but I do think he should take more responsibility for establishing the right guidelines and setting an example. I also understand that risk of disease transmission outdoors is greatly reduced. So I wouldn't expect all guests to be wearing masks all the time. But the utter lack of caution there was disturbing. There should have at least been some written or spoken guidelines for sharing the kitchen space, as it was confined such that there was no way for 2 people to use it while maintaining a 6 ft distance from each other.
To be fair, the host definitely did seem to be limiting the capacity as it seemed less than half of the available sites were occupied. I imagine this results in a significant financial hit for him. So perhaps this is why he is jaded about the COVID guidelines.
There was plenty of open space on site, so if you are ready to be assertive about social distancing with other guests, I think you can have a nice safe stay here. But know what you are getting into, and be prepared to be the one to insist on others keeping their distance.
Past trip
in Austin Creek State Recreation Area, CaliforniaCain W.recommends this listing.
(Site 24)
We stayed at site #24 which is the last site at the far end of the pond. The only downside is that because of the pond there were a lot of mosquitoes, mostly at dusk. The upside of there being mosquitoes is that there are a ton of bats that eat them. Literally hundreds of them swarming over the pond at dusk. It might be intimidating for some, but we loved watching them feed on the nasty little buggers that were trying to feed on us. There was also a heard of about 6 deer that wandered around the pond and our site all day and night. Plus lots of frogs of different sizes. The size of the campsites are generous with plenty of room between so it didn't seem crowded. Site 24 is particularly isolated, but close to bathrooms and potable water. I can tell that some days probably get very hot, especially for the exposed sites (20-23) , but weather was mild for us. The drive from Armstrong to the camp was windy and narrow, but offered some fantastic views. And of course the redwood forest at Armstrong is amazing.
Cain hasn't gone on any trips yet.
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Past trips
Radl Ranch
in Radl Ranch, CaliforniaVery nice set up. Bathroom and shower are clean with hot water. We were only there overnight but would consider again.
Site 17 - The Meadows of Isleton
in The Meadows at Isleton, CaliforniaMichael and Terri and very sweet hosts, and their property is beautiful. The campsites provide plenty of room. The porta potties were clean, and there is a large sink and shower available. The animals are all very sweet and cute, and we had fun helping to feed them in the morning. It is very hot during the day in the summer, and not much shade. So bringing your own shelter is highly recommended. It's also very windy at times, so make sure you plan accordingly.
We will definitely be returning some day.
Curley RV Site
in RockNWater Cove Camping, CaliforniaGreat campground. The river is very nice and refreshing. The host was kind and responsive.
Site 7
in Spirit Walk - Private Retreat, CaliforniaFirst I will say that the site is very beautiful. The accomodations were great, and we especially liked the outdoor kitchen and fire pit.
My only complaint is that the host does not seem to be taking the COVID precautions as seriously as expected. When we arrived, we were greeted by a person (not the owner/host) who was not wearing a face mask. She also did not maintain a 6-ft safe distance from us while showing us around.
We were given no instructions for maintaining safe distances, and I saw no signage or markers for doing so.
One family that was staying there the same time as us was not making any effort to keep a distance from us. In fact their kids got right up in our kids faces. It was friendly but their mother made no effort to correct them, and also got into our space without any caution.
We ultimately had to ask them directly to keep their distance, and after doing so the kids still didn't get any corrections from their mother. Of course none of them wore masks.
Another family that we talked to was also concerned with the lack of distance maintained by the previously mentioned family. What is worse though is that they told us that when the owner/host met them at arrival, he actually criticized them for wearing masks, saying something about how they "must be from the city". When the husband of the family said that since they were coming from the city that he should want them to wear a mask, he said "no, I don't."
Of course the host cannot be responsible for his guests respecting safe social distances, but I do think he should take more responsibility for establishing the right guidelines and setting an example. I also understand that risk of disease transmission outdoors is greatly reduced. So I wouldn't expect all guests to be wearing masks all the time. But the utter lack of caution there was disturbing. There should have at least been some written or spoken guidelines for sharing the kitchen space, as it was confined such that there was no way for 2 people to use it while maintaining a 6 ft distance from each other.
To be fair, the host definitely did seem to be limiting the capacity as it seemed less than half of the available sites were occupied. I imagine this results in a significant financial hit for him. So perhaps this is why he is jaded about the COVID guidelines.
There was plenty of open space on site, so if you are ready to be assertive about social distancing with other guests, I think you can have a nice safe stay here. But know what you are getting into, and be prepared to be the one to insist on others keeping their distance.
Site 24 - Bullfrog Pond Campground
in Austin Creek State Recreation Area, CaliforniaWe stayed at site #24 which is the last site at the far end of the pond. The only downside is that because of the pond there were a lot of mosquitoes, mostly at dusk. The upside of there being mosquitoes is that there are a ton of bats that eat them. Literally hundreds of them swarming over the pond at dusk. It might be intimidating for some, but we loved watching them feed on the nasty little buggers that were trying to feed on us. There was also a heard of about 6 deer that wandered around the pond and our site all day and night. Plus lots of frogs of different sizes. The size of the campsites are generous with plenty of room between so it didn't seem crowded. Site 24 is particularly isolated, but close to bathrooms and potable water. I can tell that some days probably get very hot, especially for the exposed sites (20-23) , but weather was mild for us. The drive from Armstrong to the camp was windy and narrow, but offered some fantastic views. And of course the redwood forest at Armstrong is amazing.