Rafting The Snake River

Above, yours truly rafting the Snake River in 2019. Photo by Floatographs.

If Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks are in your summer vacation itinerary this year, you may want to make a visit to nearby Jackson Hole, Wyoming to take a rafting trip on the Snake River.

I did this in 2019 and had a great time. I went with Dave Hansen Whitewater. We were staying at the then-Snake River KOA and were picked up by the rafting company from the campground. Amazingly, I did this a year after I had a heart attack. 

Above, a gift shop in Jackson, Wyoming. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was about a three hour rafting trip and about eight miles in length on the Snake River. 

The staff were friendly and professional and took care of their guests very well. 

Besides taking a rafting trip, wandering around the town of Jackson is also a great activity with plenty of shops to explore. 

10 Hot Weather RV Tips To Stay Cool This Summer

Above, at camp near the Snake River near Jackson, Wyoming. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I am only weeks away from taking a vacation trip up to Wyoming and South Dakota. Currently, the temperatures in Jamestown, New Mexico have been in the 90s, sometimes touching on 100°.

Summer means RV travel and some travelers will going into places that are in warmer climates. RV Life has posted an article with 10 hot weather RV tips to stay cool in the summer.

They begin it with:

Summer’s warm temperatures are perfect for RV camping and a lot of other fun outdoor activities. After all, many RVers spent winter and spring eagerly anticipating the heat of summer. However, in the case of scorching summer temperatures, too much of a good thing can be no good at all. That said, sweltering temperatures aren’t just uncomfortable, they can be hazardous. Not to worry though, because I’ve gathered 10 hot-weather RV tips that experienced RVers use to keep things cool in the RV when temperatures soar.

One tip they didn't mention is to indulge in some sort of water sport while at camp. A few years ago, I did some river rafting near Jackson, Wyoming. Besides being a lot of fun, I also was kept cool.

Above, rafting on the Snake River near Jackson, Wyoming. 

To read more, go here. 

Jackson Hole/Snake River KOA No More

Above, the then-Jackson Hole/Snake River KOA in 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While working on this blog post on "greedflation", I was reviewing my account with KOA Kampgrounds which shows the history of my stays.

As I was doing so, I spotted this:

It was a nice park, but we noticed that the park catered more to cabin stays rather than RVs. There weren't that many RV sites there, we noticed (compared to other KOAs). We stayed there in 2019 while visiting Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks along with some river-rafting on the Snake River.

Hopefully, another park in the Jackson Hole area will become a KOA Kampground as it is a prime area for RV camping. The nearest one is 57 miles east of Jackson.

This makes two KOA Kampgrounds I have stayed at in recent years that have left KOA. The other being the Cortez/Mesa Verde KOA in Cortez, Colorado. 

The No. 1 State For Camping: Wyoming

Above, at Jackson Hole/Snake River KOA. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Over the years, I have camped in several states. According to RV Life Campground Reviews, I have camped in 15 states.

Ever wondered what state ranks as the number one state for camping?

Well, Travel + Leisure has the answer.

They begin with:

Though it feels as though spring has just begun, summer vacation is around the corner. For many, that means it's time to start plotting out the perfect camping trip. And, according to Adventures on the Rock, a website dedicated to helping travelers find adventure vehicles, this year, it's all about camping in Wyoming. 

The company recently shared its rankings for the best states to go camping in the U.S., analyzing 10 factors to score each state using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Park Service, the CDC, AAA Gas prices, the National Climatic Data Center, and more. Those factors included the number of national parks and landmarks relative to the state area, a state's available hiking trails, campsites relative to the state population, and the diversity of plants and animals. The company also considered a state's average yearly rainfall and current fuel costs. 

To read more, go here. 

Snake River Cabins and RV Village

Above, the main office building when it was a KOA. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This morning, I received an email from Snake River Cabins & RV Village.

It was the first time I've heard of this place. But looking at their website photos, it did look awfully familiar.

It was the Snake River KOA. Mitch Geriminsky and I stayed there in 2019 while we were in the Jackson Hole/Grand Teton National Park area.

Above, the campsite in 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Doing a little more digging, I found this June 2021 article in the Jackson Hole News and Guide (a snippet):

More than 20 RV parks used to be scattered around Jackson but in recent years the number has dwindled to a handful.

Blame the changing nature of the American vacation, and also the soaring value of land in the Hole, says Bud Chatham.

But Chatham is bucking the trend, opening a new RV park this week. It’s 30 miles from Jackson but it’s going to fill a need for people who can’t find a place to park their vacation rig any closer.

Chatham and his wife, Kelly, own the Snake River Cabins and RV Village south of town, a place commonly called Snake River KOA, though it’s ended its KOA association this year. They also own Dave Hansen Whitewater, one of the area’s oldest river ride companies. They’re opening Alpine Valley RV Resort on Highway 89 north of Alpine, next to the new Broulim’s supermarket.

So, they ended its association with KOA Kampgrounds last year. Same owners, though.  

Above, yours truly rafting the Snake River in 2019. Dave Hansen River Trips photo.

It was a nice place, but there were more cabins there than RV campsites, we noticed at the time of our stay. During our stay, I took a whitewater raft trip down the Snake River with Dave Hansen River Trips. According the the park's website and the above article, Dave Hansen River Trips is "under the Chatham family of businesses." I had a good time on the raft trip and would recommend them.

Their website can be accessed here.

What Will Travel Look Like In 2022?

Above, The Beast at the Jackson Hole/Snake River KOA. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Now that we're in a new year, it is time to start thinking about travel.

Since this is also the third year of the pandemic, how we travel depends upon what develops. Will the pandemic finally fizzle out or will it keep roaring back again with even more variants? 

KRQE posted an article with a travel expert's predictions for 2022 travel.

It begins with:

(NEXSTAR) – When the travel industry (and pretty much every industry) went quiet in March 2020, we didn’t think we’d still be thinking about the coronavirus much in 2022. But here we are, heading into year three of the global pandemic.

Some of us still have leftover airline credits to use from canceled trips, and may be desperate to go somewhere — anywhere — that isn’t home. Others are still feeling nervous about the virus, and can’t puzzle out how safe travel is these days.

As the world (once again) reels amid a massive surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the omicron variant, travel plans may feel even more uncertain.

We asked Melanie Lieberman, senior travel editor at The Points Guy, to help us understand what we can expect of the travel trends in 2022.

To read the article, go here.

RVTravel: Labor Day Weekend To Set Records

Above, the Jackson Hole/Snake River KOA. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It's hard to believe, but Labor Day is just two weeks away from tomorrow. This is the traditional end of the summer vacation season and it is predicted that more people than ever will be hitting the road for camping during the last holiday of the summer.

And, people will be out and about during fall.

According to an article in RVTravel:

If you’re planning to go camping over the Labor Day weekend – or any other weekend this fall – and you don’t have a reservation in hand, you might be out of luck.

Major camping companies and campground associations are forecasting big numbers for the last holiday of the summer. 

Show me the numbers

Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) said 28.46 million households across North America are expected to camp over the Labor Day (Labour Day in Canada) weekend in the U.S. and Canada. Those numbers, which are an estimate for all camping – not just at KOA parks – is an increase of 60 percent over this year’s Memorial Day weekend counts and 44 percent more than the Fourth of July results.

So, if one is planning to do some camping during Labor Day weekend and the following weeks, it is a good idea to make reservations now.

To read more, go here.

Camping Reservations and RV Sales Surge

Above, the Jackson Hole/Snake River KOA. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The following shouldn't come as any surprise since there has been many articles on how RV sales and rentals have been surging in recent weeks.

Now, camping reservations have also been surging since many restrictions have been lifted.

According to Yahoo! Finance:

After months in lockdown, Americans are ready to leave their homes — and sleep under the stars. 

There has been a surge of new reservations at camp grounds around the U.S. The allure of solidarity and outdoor access has prompted a third of people in the U.S. who have never camped before to now consider camping, according to Kampgrounds of Americas, a Montana-based camping company with over 500 franchised campgrounds in North America. 

“We know people are concerned about social distancing, and the outdoors provides a great way to do that. Which is why we think there’s a lot of interest in camping right now,” Toby O’Rourke, CEO of Kampgrounds of Americas, told Yahoo Finance. 

To reduce the chance of coronavirus infection for campers this summer, Kampgrounds will offer contactless check-in, while keeping shared areas closed — including bathrooms, in certain states, which means campers in tents may need to wait longer before their outdoor adventure. 

As stated, camping is a great way for social distancing. Unfortunately, the knucklehead governor of New Mexico closed all state park campgrounds.

To read more, go here. 

RVs Not Welcome At New KOA Park

Above, The Beast at the Jackson Hole/Snake River KOA. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Incredible as it may seem, given that the baby boomer generation is in retirement age and buying RVs in record numbers, a KOA Kampground in Maine is opening with no RV spaces. 

The only KOA Kampground I've been to with the lowest number of RV sites was the Jackson Hole/Snake River KOA. They had about 22 sites for RVs. The rest were mainly cabins and tent sites.

RV Travel posted an editorial by Chuck Woodbury that begins with:

Jumping on the new, hot trend of “glamping,” a new KOA park in Maine will open in June without a single RV site for rent. The entire park will be composed of luxury canvas tents on wood platforms, each with hot and cold water, bathrooms and other luxurious amenities. They’re gorgeous! 

Before its new life as a “glampground” it had up to 130 spaces for RVs, tents and some cabins. It was first opened in 1970. 

Now, the same land is dubbed Terramor Outdoor Resort. It offers a “luxury experience in the woods,” which those of us with RVs would likely say we already have. The difference is, I suspect, that most RVers won’t pay $218 to $315 a night, which is what you’ll pay at Terramor for your experience with nature. So leave your RV at home, even though since 1962 KOA has been a welcoming stop for RVers and tenters for a night or a week (or longer).

With more people in RVs these days, hopefully this is not going to be a trend where RV campsites are lost to the current fad of glamping.

To read more, go here. 

Campground Reviews Posted

Above, The Beast at Sleepy Bear RV Park in Swan Valley, Idaho. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As usually happens whenever I get back from a long RV trip, I have some new reviews for Campground Reviews (formerly RV Park Reviews).

I added a new park (Sleepy Bear RV Park) and posted two other reviews on parks already listed.

They are:

Sleepy Bear RV Park (Swan Valley, Idaho)

Fillmore KOA (Fillmore, Utah)

Jackson Hole/Snake River KOA (Jackson, Wyoming)

On The Way Home

Above, The Beast at the Fillmore KOA in Utah. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today would have been a 12-hour long driving day if it weren't for an hour and a half visit (and lunch) with Mitch Geriminsky's grandson in Logan, Utah.

We left the Jackson Hole/Snake River KOA near Jackson at 6:00 this morning.

I hadn't seen Mitch's grandson since he was about 4 years old. We had a pleasant visit and lunch at the Black Bear Diner.

Today's drive was around 277 miles. We were caught in heavy traffic in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area on Interstate 15. After getting out of the city environs, we started looking for a campground to spend the night. I thought there were campgrounds/RV parks in the Nephi area, but there weren't. So, we ended up at the KOA Kampground in Fillmore, Utah. We arrived at about 6:00 PM. We're more than halfway through central Utah.

After the long drive, we made good use of the campground's hot tub. Now, as I write this, I am enjoying some Grand Teton Brewing's Teton Ale Amber. Not bad, but Alien Amber Ale is better.

We will probably be staying tomorrow night in Las Vegas. 

Jackson Hole/Snake River KOA

Above, the front office of the KOA. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Around 7:00 this morning, Mitch Geriminsky and I left Swan Valley, Idaho for Jackson, Wyoming.

The road was a scenic mountain one with plenty of forest to see. This was nice after seeing nothing but desert and tundra.

Above, the pet playground next to the Snake River. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We got into Jackson about an hour after leaving Swan Valley and headed to the Jackson Hole/Snake River KOA. Even though it was around 8:30 in the morning, the host got us registered and a site assigned. We didn't need it immediately as we planned to go into Jackson for breakfast and the aerial tram ride.

Above, The Beast with the other RVs. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We found a nice restaurant in town (and a parking lot with plenty of RV parking) and had a good breakfast.

After breakfast, we wandered around the shops and I found a set of steer horns for the area above my front door at home. I had a similar one years ago, but I apparently sold it in a yard sale as it was nowhere to be found.

Above, a view of the Snake River behind the KOA. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After shopping, we headed to the aerial tram in Teton Village and rode that (more on the ride in another post).

Once we were done with the tram ride, we headed to the KOA and were escorted to our site. It is a different KOA from what I am used to. It is primarily Kamping Kabins and tent sites. There were few RV sites on the property. But it is a nice campground situated next to the Snake River, upon which we'll be whitewater rafting tomorrow (we'll be picked up in front of the campground office).

One annoying thing, I had a small load of laundry to do. At about the time when it should be done, I went to put it into a dryer. But I found someone else's clothes in the washer (I maybe got there about 2-3 minutes after mine was finished). I found my clothes taken out and set on a table and all the dryer in use. Talk about rude people! So I am drying my clothes in the RV bathroom. They will be dry in the morning.

That was the only negative thing to happen in what otherwise was a good day.