We just arrived home from a terrific weekend on the Oregon Coast. It was our first in the Camplite and everything was great!
We stayed at Nehalem Bay State Park and reserved one of the last five campsites a week ago. What a fabulous place! As always, the park was clean and organized, from the recycling station, to the restrooms, to the woodshed and ice bins. It makes me proud that my taxes support the Oregon State Park system. They really work hard to make the experience wonderful.
The unique part about this park is that it's on a spit, with Pacific Ocean on one side and Nehalem Bay on the other. It's a huge park with lots of hiking, biking, beach walking, and a boat ramp. This particular weekend, the wind was extreme on the ocean side, so we retreated to the quieter bay, which was deserted and lovely. Our pup Sylvie, a Havanese, had never been to the ocean, so we had a fun time introducing her to salt water and waves.
Besides the fabulous scenery, the best part was that the Camplite performed flawlessly. The tow was pleasantly uneventful and all systems worked as hoped all weekend. We previously had a Chalet with an unreliable fridge (among other difficulties) so it was extra nice to have good cold food at the ready. As Merlin mentioned in a recent post, we too enjoyed stopping on the way for leisurely eating. It's so nice having a trailer you can just walk right into and not have to pop up! We almost purchased a Trail Manor and now I know we made the right decision going with the Camplite instead.
And, boy, did we appreciate that great bathroom! The first time I visited at 0-dark-thirty, I declared that convenience was worth $20K alone!
As for other comforts, the upgraded queen mattress was a delight. And, instead of using the propane for heating at night, we used this great quiet little Vornado and slept like babies:
http://www.amazon.com/Vornado-Whole-Vortex-Heater-Black/dp/B00MB4BQ0G/ref=sr_1_1?s=appliances&ie=UTF8&qid=1433735447&sr=1-1&keywords=vornado+heater
We also grilled on the Charbroil X200, a wonderful machine, reported on in another thread.
Here's a few photos from the trip:
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Nice write up Kath. It's good to have the seaside/bayside options.
Great photos and report! Glad the heater worked out. It took us several shake down trips to set up the CampLite how we wanted it!
Nice looking rig!
Thanks, folks. We really enjoyed that place and I'm sure we'll go back for more exploring.
I forgot to mention something else that put a smile on my face. We used to wake up every morning in the Chalet to significant condensation, despite always leaving a vent open, and sometimes a window. The Camplite had no such inclinations and it was really pleasant waking up in the morning. Not sure if it was the CL or using an electric heater vs propane (drier?), but it was a nice surprise.
Maybe it was random luck (I hope not), but I have to say the Camplite excelled in every way. I've been camping for 40 years, progressing from backpacking to this version of luxury, and I've never had a good night's sleep outdoors until this weekend. Couldn't be more pleased.
Quote from: @kath" timestamp="1433779812" source="/post/12071/threadI've never had a good night's sleep outdoors until this weekend. Couldn't be more pleased.
Agree, after installing a memory foam mattress, we get great rest while camping in our CampLite, as good as being at home!
Congrats on the great first trip!
X2 on the bathroom. (rofl) And it's great to hear the sea trials went well.