Cabins at St. Augustine Beach KOA
The idea first came to us on a long road trip. We spent a night at a chain motel somewhere along Interstate 10 deep in Louisiana. There were four motels at the exit. One had recently burned to the ground. Another looked like it had been turned into a homeless shelter. We spent a nervous night hoping the Jeep would still be there in the morning and that our road trip wouldn’t be over before it started. It turned out fine. But we thought “there must be a better way.” KOA provided a unique solution.
Even if you have never camped a night in your life, you probably recognize the bright yellow KOA signs scattered along America’s roadside. A fella named Dave Drum founded Kampgrounds of America in 1962 and for over 60 years KOA has catered to families enjoying The Great American Road Trip. The business model has evolved with the times, and you might want to check one out on your next road trip. Even if you don’t like camping!
Deluxe Cabin at Baton Rouge KOA
Over the past decade or so, an increasing number of KOAs have added lodging options that don’t require an RV or tent. Some of the more interesting options include teepees, cabooses, yurts, and covered wagons. For the less adventurous the most common option is a cabin, or more recently, a tiny home. The most basic cabins are just that – a bed with a roof over your head. No linens are provided, and you have to trek to the communal bath house. Probably not the experience you are craving. However, the “deluxe” or “premium” cabins have all of the amenities you would expect from a typical hotel room, some with multiple bed rooms or lofts.
We have found these premium cabins to be a great option when car camping or “overlanding” during those long travel days when you just want to make miles and not spend time setting up camp (often in the dark) or breaking camp in the early morning. In most cases the cabin rentals are less expensive than the local hotel options, and for some reason we feel more comfortable parking our Jeep stuffed to the roof with gear at a KOA than parked at a motel along the interstate.
Watch your head. And your step!
To date we haven’t had any bad experiences with these lodging options, but some have been more interesting than others. At the KOA in Canton, Texas (which has an amazing BBQ place onsite) we stayed in a “tiny house.” The “queen bed” was a mattress up in a loft that required climbing up a very steep “ship's ladder.” The ceiling was very low – if you sat up in bed you were going to bonk your head. And there was no railing to keep you from scooting out and into the abyss in the middle of the night. It all seemed shockingly dangerous; something that should have been banned back in the 70s (and probably was.) We survived, and had a good chuckle about it. But from now on we will be checking the lodging descriptions more carefully!
Our "tiny home" in Canton, Texas
As you plan your next road trip, we encourage you to consider KOA if you want to add a little adventure to your travel. We can’t guarantee you will like it, but we are pretty certain it will be more interesting than staying at yet another Holiday Inn Express along the interstate. And if you are traveling with young kiddos you can be confident that they will enjoy the opportunity to swim, fish, canoe, and run around chasing critters until sundown more than another dubious motel complimentary breakfast.
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