The forgotten Florida coast … maybe the perfect utopia? Wander the deserted beaches with squeaky sugar white sand, discover your own shells, climb a 1850’s lighthouse, enjoy real Florida seafood, fresh as it can be, right off the boat, ride your bike the length of the island, along a separate bike path…. wow, just wow…..

Gulf State Park, located directly on the Gulf of Mexico,  is a refreshing break from the high rise beachfront condominium parade.  Beachfront in the park features dunes and wide white sandy beaches that rival any beaches we’ve seen anywhere.  Plus there’s a great state park campground with full hookups, miles of biking and hiking trails, swimming in both the pool or lake, tennis courts – overall a first class state park!

For more, click these links …

Updated Gulf State Park Campground

Gulf State Park/Gulf Shores, AL

Top 10 Things to do in Gulf Shores

As we get older, FIRSTS are more rare, so all the more reason to celebrate our very FIRST campsite in our new Lance 1685 travel trailer!

Sesquicentennial State Park just north of Columbia, South Carolina was a perfect night’s stop – convenient to the interstate for quick in & out, but an amazingly quiet oasis despite being in the middle of US1 strip center heaven.

Website: Sesquicentennial State Park

Campground/Park Map: Park Map/Campground Information Here

Reservations: For 2 nights or more only, for one night call the local park number below:  Sesqui Reservations

Local Park Telephone Number:  803-788-2706

Campsite #69 Sesquicentennial State Park, Columbia, SC

Showers:  ******  Six stars on the 12 star rating system, hot water, water pressure good, bench outside shower, one hook, wet floor gets negative points, overall, not bad for a state park shower – hot water is always a plus.

Laundry:  No laundry

Scenic Value:  *** Average.    Small park, but pretty, nestled in the hills and towering pine trees by a little lake.  An surprising oasis in the city.

Mosquitos/Bugs:  **** None for the night we camped.

Sesquicentennial State Park Shower & Restroom Facility.

Noise Levels: **** Better than Average.  Very quiet, no noticeable road noise when we were there, but it poured rain all night, so the white noise could have literally drowned it out!

Campsite:  *** Average.  Our site was #69.  84 sites total, a few pull throughs. All with electricity and water.   Some sites were very narrow to back into, ours was fine.  Fairly level, didn’t need leveling blocks.  Shade.

Campsite #69 Sesquicentennial State Park, Columbia, SC

Claustrophobia Quotient **** Better than Average.  Sites were spread out and nicely spaced, a usual advantage of a state park campground.

Access to Essentials: **** Better than Average.  No time to explore, but literally this state park is an oasis right in the middle of a strip mall US highway.

Campsite Price:  $18 (Oct 2014) no state park entry fee.

Have you camped at Sesquicentennial State Park?  Did I miss anything?  Please leave a comment and share!  Cheers!  Jan

Driving from the Outer Banks to Atlanta, we stopped at Fort Yargo State Park, Winder, GA. I’ve developed a new rating scale for campgrounds, which, of course, features SHOWERS, as well as Scenery, Campsite Info, Mosquito/Bug report, Local Essentials and more! Let me know what you think!

Sixteen miles of pristine windswept beaches on this barrier island famous for sun, sand and serenity. Ocracoke village, a fishing village at the southern end of the island features diverse variety: the national park visitors center, a museum, good local restaurants & bars (no chains allowed), artsy shops as well as t-shirt shops, the Outer Banks oldest lighthouse and the point where Blackbeard the pirate was beheaded. What’s your favorite?

Hot Showers! 11 Stars on my 12 Star Rating Shower Rating System! After two weeks in the national park campgrounds with their luxurious cold showers, we were ready! Plus it’s close to the Cedar Island ferry terminal. All good!

Sweeping, deserted beaches, towering sand dunes, some of the coolest lighthouses I’ve ever seen … yes, you could say I love Cape Hatteras National Seashore!

With stunning vistas, whitewater rafting, miles of hiking trails, deserted railroad towns, historic coal mines, history … and more… New River Gorge National River deserves more than an overnight stop. The National Park/River we almost missed!

The Park We Almost Missed: New River Gorge National Park (click here)