North Carolina

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Asheboro, NC – 2010 – Holly Bluff Family Campground #39
RATING: 1 – Yuck, 2 – Poor, 3 – Fair, 4 – Good, 5 - Excellent
OVERALL RATING: 2
Would you stay here again: No
Unfortunately there are not many places to choose from in this area. The campground closest to the zoo is even worse.
Dates: April 28 – 29, 2010 (2 nites at $27.00/nite)
Quality of Facilities; Layout and Visual Appeal: 2 First impression was that the place was a dump. There was a large meadow in the middle of the park with a playground, basketball hoop, etc. And it looked like a private residence on one end away from the sites. Then a road all around the meadow and on the other side of the road were the sites. One side had back ends that were not clearly marked, very short and narrow with a slope behind. According to the map there were two more rows of sites down the slope, but could not find a road that led to them. We where in two rows of pull ins, again, not clearly defined and could not make out the road between the rows. Some trailers were parked partially in that road. There were other sites and a third side of the meadow, but could not find how to get to them. All those sites were probably permanent trailers. We could see a lot of junky trailers.
Location: 4 The only thing we wanted to see in Asheboro was the North Carolina Zoo. This park was very close to the zoo. It was also close to down town, but not close enough to hear any noise.
Noise/Quiet: 4 Very quiet place. No traffic, train or plane noise. Neighbors and residents were also quiet. Dead quiet at night.
Staff: 3 Private campground. Owners run the place and they are a very old couple. They are very nice and friendly and very accommodating, but they really need to retire. The wife really had a senior brain and was hard to understand her. The husband led us to our site and helped us back into it, but actually caused it to be more complicated and was more ‘in the way. Also the wife could not find our reservation and Dave had called a second time to confirm it (talked to the husband, he probably did not write it down or tell the wife). Fortunately there were empty sites.
Amenities: 4 Full hookups, no cable (but could get @ 5 channels with the antenna). Free WiFi had an easy logon, good signal and a good connection.
Recreation: 1 No organized activities. There is a pool (closed at this time) and game room. Not a good place for kids.
Laundry Room: ? Did not see or use. After seeing the comfort station, didn’t even want to check out the laundry.
Comfort Station: 1 Oh my gawd, this place is awful. There is only one small building that is very old and run down. The bathrooms are small and cramped. The showers out in the open and not private at all. There are two stalls with a solid door. Bare walls and cement pad with the water pipes if full view. There are no shelves or hooks to put shampoo, etc. The dressing area is common with a long bench. There is no privacy at all. There is a shower curtain to block view from entrance. I will not be using this facility. It’s sponge baths for two days.
Assigned RV Site #39: 3 Our site was okay. There was an Airstream rally parked in the pull thrus where we were assigned, so we asked to be away from the Airstream, but those were the sites against the slope and they were too close and too small. So we took the site in the middle of the Airstreams. It was a spacious site under the trees. And the Airstream people were very quiet and also nice.











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Asheville, NC – 2010 – Campfire Lodging’s #D-18
RATING: 1 – Yuck, 2 – Poor, 3 – Fair, 4 – Good, 5 - Excellent

OVERALL RATING: 4
Would you stay here again: Yes

Dates: May 3-5, 2010 (3 nites at $50.00/nite)

Quality of Facilities; Layout and Visual Appeal: 4 To get to this place you have to drive up a steep, narrow mountain road. I don’t know what we would have done if we came upon another car, let alone an RV while driving up this hill. I was really getting nervous about this place. But when we crested the top and drove onto the property it was like WOW. This is a very small place with about 20 sites. The place was quiet, peaceful and pleasant. The first thing you saw was about 5 premium sites along the hill top overlooking the valley and what a view. These sites were at an angle so that the side of your rig was overlooking the valley. These are $15 extra, but well worth it. These premium sites looked close together, but they really are not. They are layered so that they are not right next to each other. Out site was on the other side of the hill top against the forest. It was primitive but under the trees with lots of shade. The interior roads are gravel and they circle around a small grassy meadow. The office is right at the entrance of the property and it is a cozy cabin like place. The staff was very friendly and personable, but not too accommodating. I had asked for another site (see below) and she said they were full up. But she did not even attempt to switch around other reservations (this has been done at other places) to accommodate us. The property does go down the slope behind our site where there are the tents and yurts. There is a small pond and hiking trails. A very nice place.
Location: 5 We are out in the residential area just outside of town. We are off of Biltmore Ave, the street that goes directly to the Biltmore (the attraction we wanted to see in this town).
Noise/Quiet: 4 We can hear a train and it runs a long time, but no horns. No traffic noise . So very quiet day and night. It is very relaxing to hear the birds chirping every morning.
Staff: 4 The woman that runs the office is new age type. Very friendly and personable (but did not go out of her way to accommodate us when we asked for a different site). I don’t know if she owns the place or just manages it.
Amenities: 4 Full hook-up, cable TV (several channels – we did not get a list of channels like most places), free WiFi with easy log on and strong signal and good connection most of the time, but slow when in Facebook and Farmville
Recreation: 3 No organized activities. No pool or playground. Not a good place for kids.

Laundry Room: 3 Small w 2 washers, 2 dryers. Has a table for folding. Machines are old, but in good shape.
Comfort Station: 4 The comfort station is in a rustic, cabin like building. There are about 6 private rooms with shower, sink, and toilet, and one room is the laundry room. The bathrooms are a bit small. Showers have shelves and seats, vinyl, but very nice. Lots of hot water and good pressure.

Assigned RV Site: 3 Our site was good, but would have been much better if it wasn’t across from the office (could hear the pump for the air conditioning). I told her that was one of the reasons for wanting another site so she turned it off. Didn’t hear it for the rest of our stay. But our site was right next to the narrow dirt road leading down to the tent sites, pond and yurts. There was lot s of traffic on that road and people would walk their dogs down that way. They all could see right into our trailer window. So there goes the privacy. And the traffic was distracting. The site was nice, spacious, very shady with trees all around. And you did have a small view of the mountains on the other side. But that road was annoying. Would have been very happy with the site if that road was not there. The site was dirt and gravel with a picnic table and fire ring. There was a lot of space between the site next door.