The Campfire Legacy

August 1, 2024

Meet Sandra Peña

Sandra, along with her husband Julio and their four kids, RVs in their Jayco Greyhawk. Sandra enjoys exploring and photographing people, especially her own family. She values both movement and stillness and would rather be outdoors. Her motto is to love first, trust the journey, and enjoy the ride no matter where it may lead.

Let’s be honest, traveling with kids in tow can be stressful. Keeping everyone content is hard enough on a regular day, much less when you are exploring new and unknown places. So if your family is in search of a new and creative way to travel with your kids while spending more intentional, quality time as a family, then I highly recommend planning an RV vacation.

To some, the unknowns of the open road may seem daunting, but it's the best way to travel as a family. We say this from experience, by the way, as my husband and I have four children all under the age of fourteen, and we've explored 47 states with them in our Jayco Greyhawk Class C RV.

Campground Magic

Take our recent trip to the Temecula KOA at Vail Lake in California, for example. In late spring, our family loaded up the RV with all the necessities (pickleball paddles, spike ball, outdoor griddle, etc), and visited this little slice of heaven tucked away inside California’s southwestern mountains.

Surrounded by mountain biking trails and sparkling lakes, we pulled into our site which was shaded by beautiful old oak trees within the campground's 385 acres of rolling hills and open space. Temecula is known for its wineries and mountain biking, but our family was more interested in unplugging together and indulging in all the amenities this campground had to offer, and there were plenty!

The Peña sit around a table having breakfast outside of their Jayco Greyhawk.

The Peña kids run out of the Jayco Greyhawk at the Temecula KOA Campground.

Something For Everyone

There are many different ways to RV travel. You can camp at large resorts with amenities like water slides and rock climbing, or at small, family-owned parks where you’ll quickly make friends with the staff. You can camp in some vineyards or farms to enjoy agrotourism, or be self-contained and boondock (or dry camp) out in the desert without hookups, noisy neighbors, or distractions.

That’s how our family preferred to travel when we started RVing, but as our kids grew older we wanted to expose them to new people and become a part of a larger community.

Families that Play Together, Stay Together

When we are deciding on campgrounds to visit, activities and amenities are high on our “must-have” list. The Temecula KOA at Vail Lake did not disappoint in this aspect.

At the campground, you could choose from: basketball, horseshoes, mini golf, disc golf, bike riding, lounging by the pool, hiking, equestrian trails, mountain bike riding, and most importantly (to us), pickleball.

We picked up the sport while at a campground a few years ago and our family hasn’t stopped playing since. We can be on the court for hours honing our pickleball skills, perfecting our backhands, and indulging in family-friendly competition (trash-talking is encouraged).

We also took advantage of the e-bike rental service. Riding e-bikes as a family is a memory we will never forget, as that was a family first for us. Our family of six cruised through the campground and the paved bike trails in the valley, soaking up that gorgeous California sun and the memories that would follow.

Speaking of rental services, the KOA also had a golf cart rental service. We enjoyed the luxury of a golf cart that accommodated all six of us comfortably and rode all around the huge campground. The golf cart made it easy and convenient to pack up the family and head to the pool, or to play mini-golf after dinner, which we did several times throughout our stay.

At the end of the day, we crashed at our spacious and clean campsite. We didn’t have many surrounding neighbors so the kids were free to run around and just be kids — playing ball with one another, scraping knees, and being their own best friends. We hardly spent any time inside our RV as the sunsets, campfire, and large oak trees motivated us to eat outside for the majority of our meals.

This KOA was our favorite for several reasons, but what really stood out to me was their bar, café, and convenience store. We had everything we needed—eggs for our pancakes, chocolate for our smores— and even awesome souvenirs and gifts.

Our Tips for Planning a Fun-Filled-Family RV Adventure

My best advice for an enjoyable stay at a campground is first to make a list of activities you and your family enjoy and then another list of activities that you would like to explore. It's important to be clear so that you book a place that checks off the majority of your needs and wants.
When booking a campground, look across several websites and read reviews. Instagram is also a great resource, as most campgrounds have a social media presence. If they don't, that doesn't always mean it won't be a great stay, but believe it or not, it's a great indicator of the pride they might have in their space. Also, previous campers will load photos and share their memorable experiences. Other apps I recommend are Pinterest and TikTok, which also offer reviews, tips, and recommendations for points of interest.
Another tip that sounds outdated but is effective is calling the campground that you are interested in booking. Asking the front desk all of your questions upfront leaves little room for disappointment. If your RV is a bit longer, then you want to ensure they have sites long enough. Also, making sure that it's a campground that is kid-friendly is crucial. Keep in mind that everyone's idea of a relaxing campground stay is different, and finding out the mood of the campground ahead of time will avoid frustration.
Another thing to ask yourself is if you want to experience a campground stay where people are enjoying music with high energy or if you want a more relaxing, quiet type of camping experience. Then, picking a campground, or even a site within a campground, will be crucial. Asking the front desk which sections are the most kid-friendly is always a great idea, too. You may want to be closer to the lounge and activities for easier access for the kids, or further away for a more secluded stay. In our opinion, it's better to ask as many questions as possible ahead of time and no question is off limits.

The Peña family's Jayco Greyhawk Class C Motorhome at a campsite at KOA.

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