Thank you to Thousand Trails for providing me with a complimentary stay at Thousand Trails Chesapeake Bay, in exchange for sharing my honest thoughts. All opinions are my own.
Do you love to travel? My family loves to travel to different parts of our home state and all over the country. We've been traveling with our kids since they were each around three months old, and promised that we'd try to show them as much as the country (and the world) as possible. Traveling with kids can be challenging, but it can also be a grand adventure each and every time. This fall, we wanted to make some special memories by taking a family camping trip to Chesapeake Bay, Virginia. Why Virginia? We tend to visit a lot of the same areas of NC (because we love them), and wanted to branch out of state to explore a new area.
Now, when I say that we wanted to take a camping trip, I meant my kind of camping trip, which involves sleeping in a small cabin with all of the amenities of home at our disposal. Thousand Trails makes it possible for families to camp in ways that suit their style. With campgrounds all over the United States, Thousand Trails offers beautiful campgrounds with RV site hookups, small cabins, and lakeside cottages, plus tent camping areas. Their campgrounds are gated and monitored so you and your family will feel safe and secure during your stay.
We had out first Thousand Trails experience this past summer in Advance, NC. We loved the campground there and had such a wonderful time that we wanted to check out some of the other campgrounds that Thousand Trails has to offer. So, we packed up the car and headed to the beautiful Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia, and enjoyed staying on site at Thousand Trails Chesapeake Bay for two nights.
View of our riverside cabin, Capt. John Smith.
The check-in process at Thousand Trails Chesapeake Bay was so pleasant. We were greeted by a friendly staff member who gave us maps, information, our cabin key, and even coloring and activity books for the kids. We were escorted by a second staff member to our cabin, which sat along the Rappahannock River, off of the Bay. All of the cabins had names that pertained to US history and the story of Pocahontas. Thousand Trails Chesapeake Bay Resort is just a quick drive away from historic Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg.
What a view!
Our riverside cabin sat right along the river, which provided a beautiful backdrop for us to enjoy. Outside of our cabin, there were private picnic tables, fire pits, and lounge areas by the river. I knew that the kids were going to love playing in the spacious green space, and enjoying the picnic table and fire pit. Both of the kids are water babies, so they were thrilled to be able to look out over the river right from our cabin.
Across from our cabin was just one of the campsite areas for RV hookups.
The campground consists mainly of RV camping areas, where Thousand Trails members can hook up their RV's campers, or enjoy outdoor tent camping. Fire pits and picnic tables are provided throughout the campground for members to use and enjoy.
Capt. John Smith Cabin by the river at Thousand Trails Chesapeake Bay, VA.
I love the cabins at Thousand Trails. They are like tiny houses that have everything you need compartmentalized. The riverside cabins include one bedroom with a queen bed and plenty of wardrobe and storage space. A set of stairs takes you up to a loft, which has two twin beds. There isn't room to stand up in the loft, which makes it so much more fun! It's the perfect place for kids to escape to end enjoy camping closer to the stars while still being indoors.
Master bedroom in our riverside cabin with a queen bed, and a flatscreen TV.
This is just one side of the loft in our cabin- each side had storage and a twin bed.
B absolutely loved playing and sleeping in the loft.
Peeking up at B from downstairs in the cabin. He spent a lot of time in the loft.
The loft provided B with an escape area that he could lounge in, play in, and sleep in. He felt like he was having his own camping experience right up there. He can't wait until his sister is big enough to stay up in the loft with him on another Thousand Trails camping adventure down the road. The loft was pretty spacious on either side, which we appreciated. It gave B a space to play and do his puzzles without having to lay everything out on the floor downstairs, where his sister could wreck it all.
A spacious living area surrounded by windows for beautiful natural light.
The cabins at Thousand Trails campgrounds aren't huge, but they offer plenty of space to meet a family's needs, and sleep 6 people. The downstairs features a living area with sliding glass doors that open onto the deck. There's also a built-in fireplace and a flatscreen TV with Direct TV channels. The futon folds down to provide a bed for two more people. A small kitchen table and chairs give you plenty of space to enjoy meals indoors.
There's a kitchenette, which is fully stocked with pots, pans, and everything else you might need to cook with. There's a stove/oven, microwave, full refrigerator, pantry space, and small appliances like a toaster and coffee pot. Thousand Trails even provides items like coffee filters, local coffee, paper towels, dish soap, etc. All you need to bring is food and your favorite beverages. We made up a few treats and camping snacks at home and brought them along with us.
A look into the kitchen fully stocked and functional.
A small dining space gave us just enough room to eat breakfast and lunch at the table.
One of the things that I truly appreciate about staying in a cabin at Thousand Trails properties, is that they take care of everything. I don't have to worry about packing linens, towels, or coffee filters and paper towels- it's all provided, even trash bags. The less I have to cart from home, the better!
The coffee maker was most important to me, of course!
After we settled in with our luggage, we set out to find a grocery store. There were options in either direction down Hwy 17. Local grocery chains were available, as well as Walmart, which we opted for the first night. We bought our groceries and headed back to the cabin to settle in for the night. I appreciated having lots of storage space to store our non-perishable items and all of our reusable bags.
Hubby and Baby S, enjoying the cabin.
After we got back from the grocery store, we just relaxed in the cabin. Everyone got to put their feet up and chill out, which was something that hubby and I desperately needed to do. It was great to have a change of scenery to do it in.The kids were excited to take a bath in the bathtub, so that was part of our nightly routine at home that we were able to continue at the cabin. Once everyone was clean, we tucked our babes into their beds and relaxed a bit more, before turning in for the night. We slept so peacefully- it was wonderful!
Our second day of the trip was packed full of fun- exploring the campground, taking a trip to a nearby beach, and enjoying an evening campfire and dance party. Tune in to Part Two of this series to find out more about the awesome amenities and activities offered at Thousand Trails Chesapeake Bay!
Want to go? Plan your trip!
To learn more about Thousand Trails or to find a property near you, visit the Thousand Trails website. There are over 190 Thousand Trails Resorts and Campgrounds in the US! Purchase a Thousand Trails Camping Pass for ONLY $565/year!
Special offer:
COLORFUL CAMPING! $100 OFF CAMPING PASS
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Which Thousand Trails property would you love to visit this fall?
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