It’s the month in which we celebrate our country’s hard-earned (and hard-defended) independence, and we’re so excited to honor a member of the United States Marines as July’s Camping Memories contest winner! Sergeant Robert Spade was kind enough to share his family’s longtime love of Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts. Thanks to Sgt. Spade for being part of our family – and especially for his service to the our nation!
My wife and I have been camping together since our wedding 24 years ago. We started out in a tent, then two pop-up campers, (during which time our daughters were born), two travel trailers and finally the fifth wheel we currently have. We used to stay only at KOA Campgrounds because that is all we knew. They met our basic needs, but their prices kept going up and they started charging extra for children and the use of A/C, which the 10% KOA Kard did not put a dent in these add on charges.
Then one day while we were planning a trip to Natural Bridge, VA , we found a Jellystone Park nearby and we decided to try it. That was the beginning of a whole new kind of camping. The staff are the most helpful and friendliest I have ever witnessed. From making the reservations to leaving the park, they made my family feel like we are the only campers there. There is always well organized activities to keep our children entertained if I need some alone time. Having served 12 years and two Combat Tours in the Marine Corps, it brought tears to my eyes every morning when we would gather at the Flagpole to say the Pledge of Allegiance with Yogi or Boo Boo. The campground was so clean and peaceful.
Anytime I have had to cancel for any reason, they are most understanding and helpful. The campgrounds and the staff are focused on clean, safe and well organized family fun. My children still sing the “Sticky Moose Song” they learned on the hayride in Niagara Falls, Canada. We now plan our camping trips around Jellystone Parks. We are booked at the Luray, VA Jellystone Park over the July 4th weekend, and my children are eager to try the waterslide. We have not camped at a KOA since we discovered what Jellystone Parks have to offer. I want to thank you for your training program, it really shows in the service we receive. Here are a few of our photos that we have collected, it was hard to limit how many to send. Thank you for all of the past and future memories you have helped provide for my family.
If you’d like to enter the Camping Memories contest, join the Jellystone Park Journal, our e-newsletter.
