There is a reason only a few people drive their car into the city much less an RV.

If you have the luxury of staying a week or more then the convenience of having the RV may out weigh the inconvenience of having to stay so far away from the city.

We searched for a nice campground and finally found one, outside the city of course in Newburgh/New York City North.

This location is not to far from Orange County Choppers if you’re a fan.

The campground itself is large, has a nice swimming pool and a great little café.
They even cook up pancakes and coffee on the grill in the mornings.  Very friendly staff too, the campground offers a bus ride to the train station.
We tried that the first trip out, but waiting for the bus took longer than we cared to wait.
We wanted to get to New York City after all that’s why we came.

Luckily we had towed a car and could drive the car into the train station.

The car drive to the train station was a good 20 minutes and then the ride on the train was about an hour each way to get to the city.
The train was loud, not very busy the days we were there.
The directions were easy to follow and within a few minutes our son (14 at the time) was an expert train rider and ticket buyer.

Around the city we used the subway.  The subway was busy and not as user friendly with a lot of local New Yorkers in a hurry to get to their destination and the employees sick to death of tourist asking how to buy tickets and which ones they need.

We got to visit Grand Central Station.  Wow I could have spent an entire day there.  The fresh bread in the bakeries and the shopping was fabulous.  The hum of the hustle made it feel so electrifying. We also got off at stops in Harlem and the Bronx. It was like being right smack in the middle of an episode of Seinfeld or Law and Order.  We walked down Madison and 5^th Ave.

Our son got to see an entire different lifestyle than he had seen before and I believe it changed his expectations for his future.   We also gained a new respect for people and the value of diversity.

The hot dog and pretzel stands were just like we anticipated.

Everyone should travel to New York City at least once.  We walked Central Park, now THAT is a park.  We toured museums went to the top of the Empire State Building and walked until we couldn’t take another step.

We still believe the Empire Pizza we had was the best pizza ever.  I think  being on the streets of New York City added something special to the flavor.

We stopped for coffee across from The Trump Tower and talked about how fabulous it must be  to fly into the city, have a limo pick you up and drive you to the Towers.  I’m sure that’s a lifestyle we will never see, but I doubt if anyone in all of New York City was enjoying themselves more than we were at that moment.

We had tickets to New York Yankee Stadium to see the subway battle in the Bronx between the Yankees and the Mets.  We had been to Reds and Indians Games but this was Yankee Stadium.
So much EXCITEMENT filled the air we could barely contain ourselves.

Even though our seats were way up there the view was fantastic.
We stayed, like everyone, until the last out was made.

Then we headed for the thrill ride back on the subway after midnight.  It’s hard to try and pretend like you know what you are doing when you don’t. We took the subway from Yankee Stadium to Harlem and then walked a block to get to the train station.  We took the train back to our car.  I don’t think anyone slept that night.  The excitement of the game, the city and the transportation was more than any of us imagined it would be.

We have taken a few family vacations since the New York City Trip, but so far nothing has come close when it comes to the exhilaration we all experienced that year.

A family favorite RV get away for us is Lake Cumberland.

Lake Cumberland was created with the completion of Wolf Creek Dam in 1951.
The main lake is 101 miles long and over one mile across at its widest point with 1255 miles of shoreline.
Every year more campers and boaters seem to discover Lake Cumberland.

We camp at the General Burnside Island State Park and Resort in Burnside, Ky.
It’s a peaceful resort for campers, boaters, golfers and fishermen alike.
The campground features 94 sites with utility hookups, two central service buildings with showers and rest rooms, and a dump station.
They have a playground for the young and old alike, with a covered shelter to get out of the sun.
There is large swimming pool that gets quit busy on hot summer day.

The big attraction is the large beautiful lake.
The rocky banks on the lake tower above and on many occasions we have seen the mountain goats roaming around. The water is an emerald green color.

The lake is very deep, over 100 feet in many areas.
We have lost a couple of anchors because we didn’t have enough rope.

In many places the water is so clear you can see your toes while treading water.

The main creek arms are 10 to 15 miles long with numerous secondary and tertiary arms.
All the little arms that branch off the lake make it possible to find your own private cove to dock and swim.
There are several small water falls hidden in different coves.  Finding one is like finding your own hidden treasure.

The most well know falls is the 76 falls and there is always a large gathering of boaters there.
We always enjoy swimming under the ice cold falls and listening to the echo of the water crashing down while we stand behind the sheet of water.

If you don’t have your own water transportation no worries – they rent EVERYTHING you need to explore the lake.
Rental fishing boats, ski boats, pontoon boats, and houseboats are offered.

A six-lane launching ramp at Burnside Park resort provides you with the perfect access to a fun-filled day on the lake.

The lake offers several resorts. There are floating marinas like Conley Bottom Resort that offer sandwiches, cold drinks & ice cream snacks; some have air conditioning inside to cool off.

The Jamestown Marina Resort has a lot of activity, with a great  boardwalk for snacks, and a place to feed fish and turtles.  If you hit the right day there is often a para sail boater around.  If you have never tried para sailing I highly recommend it.

We like to walk the dock area and admire the many different boats.  They come in all shapes and sizes.  Some even large enough to live on.  Reading the names on the boats adds a little fun too.

I recommend everyone in the Midwest take at least one trip to Lake Cumberland.

If you are like us, one trip turned into more than 10.

Hands Down my 2 personal favorite parks are still Kings Island near Cincinnati Ohio and Cedar Point near Sandusky Ohio.

In my opinion traveling to the parks in an RV makes the trip more enjoyable for everyone.

When I get in the traffic line to the entrance at Cedar Point my mind always wonders back to my childhood years, sitting in the back seat of my parent’s car with my cousin.  We couldn’t wait to get in and run to the new ride, whatever it was that summer.

Now that I enjoy the peaceful side to an amusement park trip the Camping at Cedar Point is a treat in itself.  They have a very nice campground called Camper Village that offers 209 RV sites and a newer area called Lighthouse Point that opened in 2001 with 97 luxury RV sites with some cottages built around the perimeter.  Having Lake Erie as a backdrop the sites are surprisingly serene for an amusement park site.  You can just hear the hum of excitement from the park enough to keep you anxious to get back inside.

They have added early entry into the park for campground guest.  How fun.  Start the rides earlier.

In my childhood when Kings Island first opened in Ohio, anyone that could ride “The Beast” and survive had a really cool summer story to share.  I think that was the beginning of the Ohio parks battle every year for the fastest, highest, best new thrill ride.

The Beast is still a favorite ride of mine but somehow it’s not quite as torturous as I remember it.

I think Camping at Kings Island provides a great place to head back after an exhausting day to watch the fireworks by the campfire.  PERFECT.

Paramount’s Kings Island Campground has more than 300 roomy campsites, all equipped with picnic tables and fire rings. Full 3-point hook-ups for RVs and tent sites are available too. Plus, all the action at the park is just a short walk or FREE shuttle ride away!

No matter what your favorite amusement park trip is, if you are lucky enough to enjoyit  in an RV, life is GOOD!

If you have an RV camping story please post a comment.

2)      Everyone is relaxed when the day starts, because you weren’t squeezed in the car with 4 kids in the back seat.

3)      Once at the park you have a nice cool place to rest out of the sun.

4)      You have a private place to change clothes after the soaker rides.

5)      You have an extra storage place for the giant teddy bear you won.

6)      You can have great sandwiches and drinks without spending a week’s salary.

7)      If a rain shower pops up, you have a nice dry place to relax, instead of crowding under the canopy.

8)      Grandma and grandpa can take a nap, or read a book while other’s still enjoy the rides.

9)      You can take advantage of the half price second day, because your not exhausted.

10)    You can stay until the park closes and only have a short walk to a good night’s sleep.