Yosemite View Lodge Review!

 

During the holidays we have shifted from splurging on presents to taking small family trips to explore places close to home. This year our trip took us to California where we stopped by a few places including visiting Yosemite National Park which you may have seen me post photos of earlier this week. The night before we were due to be in the park we wanted to stay somewhere close so we could head out first thing in the morning & get as much time in the park as our schedule allowed. We ended up staying at the Yosemite View Lodge which is just a short drive from the entrance of the park along the 140/El Portal Road. Yosemite National Park is a spot that thousands of people visit every year and of course families will be looking for lodging so I wanted to share our experience with the hotel we picked out. It had a lot of positives & a few negatives, but during our travels I've found most hotels have a balance between the two. 

Over all we had a pleasant stay in our room, like most hotels it is just a place to rest for the night. We had a party of six so we were in one of the bigger family suites, it was nice to have the extra space to stretch out and relax together in one big hotel room instead of getting two smaller rooms. There were a few minor negatives about the suite which included terrible water pressure in the showers, some of the dishes in the kitchen were still visibly dirty from the last guests, a little bit of wall paper in the kitchen was coming down and the spa tub switch was hidden behind the towels. Otherwise the room was cozy & welcoming, we felt relaxed and comfortable. I also liked the little travel toiletries that were provided, they had a nice smell to them. There were four queen sized beds along with a pull out sleeper sofa, so depending on how many people you had sleeping in each bed you can fit up to ten people in this family suite. It included two bathrooms so there is no need to worry about fighting over a single bathroom which is nice especially for bigger families. 

The property has a lot of fun amenities like an indoor pool & hot tub along with an outdoor pool & hot tub. It was nice to relax in the hot tub after a long day of travel. There was also a game room just a short walk from our room which had some board games, random books, two living rooms with sofas and TV's along with a big room that had a pool table, air hockey and more. A few of the electronic games in the room weren't on/working but there was still plenty to do! We hung out in the game room for quite sometime. 

Near the front desk is a large living room type area with plenty of seating where you can relax if you wish. There is also a pretty decent sized store & gift shop were you can find souvenirs, clothing and even do some light grocery shopping. The prices weren't bad, and they had a lot to choose from. We actually ended up buying our breakfast from their little shop, because surprisingly with how expensive the rooms are they don't even include a basic breakfast. If you want actual breakfast they had a small buffet in their on site restaurant, we didn't get breakfast there but looking at other reviews it was almost $22 per person which is pretty high. 

We did visit the restaurant for dinner while we were there. The property has two places to eat aside from the little grocery store they have there is a restaurant & a pizza place. For some reason the pizza spot is closed during the winter so the only option was the restaurant. Service was very slow, it took a while to get seated even with it being mostly empty and it took a long time to order then get our food. The tables were also very uneven and wobbly but I think that may be due to the floor. However the food was very good & the waiter in charge of refilling drinks was on top of making sure our glasses stayed full. 

The view of the river outside of our room was gorgeous and I loved sitting outside in a chair just listening to the sound of the running water. The hotel was over all pretty quiet at night so it was just you and the sound of nature which was peaceful. We also sat out near the river itself at a little firepit area they had set up. The view of the stars at night was spectacular. The short drive to Yosemite National Park from this hotel was also a plus because you can get into the park as soon as they open for the day and try to beat some of the crowds. 

If you are planning a trip to California & are looking for other activities to do feel free to type in "Things to do in California" in the search bar of my blog so you can find some other great activities in California. You can also click the "Things to do in California" link located on the right hand side of my blog/in this post.

🟊 This is not a sponsored post, we paid for this ourselves. I just enjoy sharing awesome spots with my readers. 

Cabin Rentals at Roper Lake State Park - A Review.

Right now the weather is perfect for exploring Arizona on the weekends (or during the week if you have time). While my family and I enjoy camping sometimes we don't feel like setting up the tents and camping gear after a long drive to our designation, yet we want to remain in nature so the cabins that the Arizona State Parks Department offers at many of their state parks is the perfect solution. If you've been following my blog for a while you will remember that I recently posted a review of the Roper Lake State Park located in Safford,Arizona. This post will cover information on their cabin rentals.

The cabin rentals they offer are cute and cozy, each one has it's own theme which will help you designate which cabin is yours. We stayed in the Hummingbird cabin, to go with the theme they had a metal Hummingbird hung up at the front of the cabin and inside of the cabin you'll find a small set of curtains on the door that have a hummingbird print. The cabin is one big room split by a half wall (Doesn't go all the way to the celling) and a door for privacy so you can change. Inside are two bunk beds, a queen sized bed, along with two shelves.

This cabin is one step above camping, it will help keep you safe from the elements, it has electricity and heat/ AC and beds to sleep in. Outside you'll find a Barbeque to cook on and a sink where you can clean any fish you've caught in the lake that day, no cooking is permitted inside of the cabin so there is no mini fridge or microwave so you'll need to prepare before you arrive packing enough ice and food for your stay. 

We were aware that we needed to bring our own sheets and blankets so we got everything packed up before our trip, we always make sure to pack a trash bag or two, cleaning wipes, etc because you never know what you are going to need. I am happy we packed trash bags because I was surprised to find there was no trash can of any type inside of the cabin or out (understandable to due nightly visits from animals). There is no seating aside from the beds themselves so if you are looking for a place to sit down and eat there is a cute picnic bench on the porch where you can sit and enjoy the view. 

Speaking of the view there is also a swing on the porch which my kids and I loved sitting on and just enjoying the nice weather, plus is was a lovely spot to star view from. It gets absolutely pitch dark at this park because it is on the outskirts of Safford where there isn't a ton of city lights to drown out the natural lighting from the stars, which makes the sky gorgeous during the night.

There are a few changes I would make to the rental experience a little more comfortable for families staying in the park. Firstly I would add a small trash can inside of the cabin, not all families remember to bring trash bags with them which can make it difficult to dispose of garbage properly. Second, as you may have noticed there is no bathroom in this cabin so you'll need to walk to the bathrooms which isn't a biggie. There are two toilets directly in the middle of all the cabins, they are vault toilets which are basically stationary port-o-potties, there is a small sink outside to wash your hands, but there is no lighting to help you see at night. I think an addition of a solar powered light for inside each bathroom would be lovely. A secondary bathroom with a shower is located behind a row of the cabins, we didn't go check out this specific bathroom as we didn't see a trail leading up to it and didn't want to cut in-between other families cabins to get back to it. 

The lake itself is quite lovely, they offer a beach area where you and your family can swim, a "island" where you can relax and picnic, along with hiking trails and fishing this little lake offers quite a bit. They also have a small shop inside of the ranger station where you can pick up things like puzzles, hats, souvenirs and more. The park is easy to reach from the interstate and it is close to town so you are close to shopping, restaurants and more. If you forgot something like a toothbrush or just want to pick up some more drinks/snacks there is a Dollar General just three minutes away from where the park is located. You can find more information on their cabin rentals and rates by visiting their website.

 Disclaimer- A two night cabin rental mentioned above were provided by The Arizona State Parks Department for a review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase

Stay in a cozy cabin at Kartchner Caverns State Park!

 

Although this year has been a strange one due to covid, one of the unexpected experiences that has come out of it is that we've been given the chance to check out local state parks, and travel destinations on a more personal level because there aren't a lot of people traveling at the moment. I recently was given the chance to work with the Arizona State Parks Department! The opportunity is very exciting for my family and I because we love camping, being outdoors and exploring so we can't wait to work with the parks department more through out the next year.

This time around we were given a night rental at a small cabin inside of the Kartchner Caverns State Park located in Benson, Arizona. This state park is wonderful for camping and hiking, however that isn't all that it offers. It is also home to the Kartchner Caverns itself which is beautiful and well preserved cave system that I will cover in another post coming soon.  The views from front door of the cabin are gorgeous, you have a perfect view of the mountains and trails that are free to explore. All of the information on reserving a cabin or camping spot can be found on their website.

                      

 Coming from North Phoenix the drive took us about three hours to reach the park, once inside the park rangers were very helpful getting us checked in, letting us know what time we could get into our cabin, and more. The cabin itself was easy to find, there are four cabins located inside of the park along with a few dozen camping spots and RV spots that are able to be reserved for up to two weeks at a time. Wondering how much a cabin rental will set you back? A cabin rental is surprisingly affordable at $59 a night (plus a one time $10 reservation fee) the rental fee includes the daily park fee. The cabins have two parking spots located directly next to them for each cabin, all four cabins have a designated sign letting you know where to park. Directly in front of each cabin you'll find a firepit (wood can be purchased from the park rangers) and a picnic table for your personal use.

Each cabin sleeps up to six people and includes a queen bed plus two bunk beds. Originally I had pictured a big open cabin similar to one I had stayed in at a KOA in New Mexico, however we were surprised to find that it was actually split up into two rooms. The first room contained the queen size bed, a table with four chairs and a small kitchen area that includes a microwave and small fridge. Guests are asked to bring their own pillows and linens due to there being no washing machines at the camp, they do provide mattress protectors to help keep the beds themselves clean. We had no issue with bringing our own bedding, it was like packing for a camping trip without the tents.

You may notice that aside from the microwave there is no other methods for cooking, however there are plenty of outlets so you could bring a small toaster or cooking top to prep your food if you plan on staying for a long stay. We were only going to be staying for a one night/two day stay so we had brought some breakfast items to make in the microwave and we opted to take a small drive into Benson to get some dinner. 

                

The day we arrived it was a stormy day and had been raining on and off, that combined with it being winter the weather outside was a little chilly. So was the cabin warm? Yes! Each cabin has both heating and air conditioning, they don't have an actual way to set the temp you want on the heater it simply has three options "Low", "Comfortable" and "High". We had it on high or a bit but ended up turning it down to comfortable, the cabin stayed toasty warm and just the right temp, you couldn't even tell it was chilly outside. 

You may have noticed that the back room is the room with the two sets of bunk beds, however not shown is a bathroom. Though there isn't a bathroom inside of your cabin there is a camp site bathroom just out the backdoor of the cabin, a quick two minute walk gets you over to the shared bathrooms which also contain showers for anyone looking to wash off. The bathrooms were clean and well kept, since the walk was short we didn't get too chilly. If you have a lot of trash to throw out there are also dumpsters, along with a small trash can inside of your cabin. 

   

We are a family of four and we were all perfectly comfortable, and cozy inside of the cabin together. There was plenty of room to move around, and plenty of space to store our belongings. There were several hooks around the cabin, outlets with USB ports, lights and heaters in both rooms and if you want privacy to get dressed or from the kids at night there is a door you can pull shut between the two rooms. 

After we checked into our cabin the first night we went to check out the trails so we knew where we were wanting to head in the morning, we also picked up some board games while we were in Benson so we could play them at the cabin table. We had a very enjoyable stay and the park itself was gorgeous, I will be doing a blog post soon with more photos of just the trails and another with info on the caverns itself. This is a gorgeous place to visit and it is a destination that isn't to be missed! 

Disclaimer- The one night cabin rental mentioned above were provided by The Arizona State Parks Department for a review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase

Grand Canyon/Williams KOA Campgrounds Review!

****This was not a paid post and my honest opinion was used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others. The products mentioned below have been provided by the Grand Canyon/Williams KOA for the review free of charge.****

When you go on vacation or on a business trip the first thing you usually think of is finding a place to stay while you are away from your home, most will look for a hotel or a motel to stay in for the night but have you ever considered a KOA camp that offers camp sites, tents and cabins for rent? During my life time I've only stay at one KAO camp site in northern New Mexico which was for a single night, four of us shared a one room cabin with no bathroom the bathroom they had was a bit of a walk and the inside of it scared the crap out of the bug-a-phoba inside me. I hadn't stayed in once since but I recently thought I would give it another try, each KAO site is individual owned and operated so they all offer different amenities and more and I am very glad we decided to give the KAO experience another chance. My family and I recently packed up for a weekend trip up to Northern Arizona to enjoy some snow festivities for the weekend and the lovely Grand Canyon/Williams KOA located at 5333 State Highway 64Williams, AZ 86046 graciously offered to sponsor us for a two day stay at their campground. It is the closest KAO campground near the Grand Canyon and also happens to be within a ten minute drive of Bearizon! We were offered one of their Deluxe cabins with bathroom, it offers a sleeping loft, a full bedroom, a smaller room with two bunk beds along with a kitchen, living room that has a pull out sofa bed and of course the bathroom in total it sleeps up to eight people. You would think it might cost an arm and a leg to rent a cabin for the night but surprisingly the estimated base rate for five adults and two children was only $135 a night, hotels in the surrounding area can cost $119 a night ($108 using a hotel website) for a single room with just two beds so for slightly more you basically get a small house all to yourself.

Walking into the front office was quite the site on it's own, driving up you could see bike rentals, a play ground, bathroom areas and a convenient store which contained the office area. Check in process was easy and the staff was extremely friendly and attentive, the convenience store was large and had a lot to browse I wanted to start looking around right away but we had a long drive up north and the kids we itching to get out of the van. We had a small two minute drive from the front office to where the cabins were, they have four various sized cabins lined up and they all looked so welcoming. Each cabin is fully furnished which includes patio furniture and chairs for the fire pit area, there is also a gas BBQ grill provided for your use. The cabin it's self was warm and cozy, they had the heat on keeping everything nice for when guests arrived. The cabin included everything you could need to make your stay as comfortable as possible, the kitchen features two coffee pots (a regular coffee pot & a K-cup machine with four provided pods), a microwave, toaster, dish washer, a full sink, two stove tops and it was already stocked with pots/pans, dishes and more. Liens are provided as well as soap/lotion in the bathroom, and under the kitchen sink we even found a dish rack/sponge/dish washer tabs and dish soap so you don't need to bring your own.





Even with five adults and two children there was still plenty of room to move around.Their website states there is only one TV in the cabin but there are actually two, there is one out in the living room and another in the master bedroom. During check in you are provide a map of the camp grounds that includes a list of channels and the Wifi info (provided free with stay), I do have to say that due to the location there wasn't a lot of channels to choose from which made me wish a DVD player was provided in the cabin for the time we did spend inside trying to stay warm. Each room had it's own small heater which really helped keep the cabin at a very comfortable temperature compared to what it was like outside. While enjoying our stay we fully enjoyed everything the cabin had to offer, we used the fire pit both nights we were there (fire wood can be purchased in their convenience store along with fire starters, camping gear and more!), we used the gas grill, and many of the dishes and dish washer. We took the kids up to play at their play ground and checked out everything they had to offer, the pool was out of commission for the season of course so that was one thing we didn't do but we took full advantage of the coffee bar they had inside the convenience store the kids loved the hot coco and we loved the Smores flavored hot coffee!! They even had a Rec Room with Pool Table, a Wii, a basket ball court and more for you to enjoy while you stay. Pets aren't allowed in the deluxe cabins but they are allowed in the smaller cabins and in the tent/RV areas, they provide a walking area and a K9 camp area for the dogs to play.





It was a quite area and even though all the cabins around us were occupied every night you weren't able to hear anyone's loud TV's, hear people going up and down the halls like you would in a hotel or have to deal with anyone being above you. Over all it was a very positive and enjoyable stay, everyone wished we could have stayed a few more days but work and school were calling us home. There was a lot to see and do just at this camp site and that didn't even include what all we did while we were up in Williams,Arizonas so I am sure I forgot to mention one or two things so if you are in the area you should book a stay and see everything they have to offer for yourself I am sure you won't regret it.