Mossyrock Park Camping - Tacoma Power

Just an hour and twenty minutes South East of Olympia you can find four different camping grounds owned and maintained by Tacoma Power.  These parks are reserved on the State park website, but in my opinion are far superior to state campgrounds.  Maybe not so much privacy on the sites, but very well kept and full of activities.

We booked our second trip to Mossyrock Park (the last trip several years ago) and it was just as nice as I recalled.  We arrived and easily found our space #161 on the upper camping level.  This was by far the largest campsite we've ever reserved, although part of it was technically the "horse shoe" play area, but no one ever came to use it.  It had a great peak-a-boo view of the lake and just a short walk away was a playground for the kids.  My daughter noticed it the moment we pulled in and immediately dragged me over to play, which worked out well for letting my husband set up camp. 

We were actually surprised by the warm weather we received and I was a little hot because I had packed for rain and cold.  If your family has a boat or enjoys water activities, this is the place to be! Riffe Lake is vast and many people come with a boat or jet skies in tow. 

Don't want to get in the water? Take a 15min drive East towards the City of Morton and stop at the Mossyrock Dam for an amazing site!  This Dam is Washington State's tallest and very impressive to say the least.  If you've got some time, continue on to the small but charming town of Morton to hit the local grocery store to stock up on camping supplies or anything you may have left from home.  Although Mossyrock does have a small convienence store in town if there is anything you need to get right away while camping, as well as a small one inside the campground.

Overall this was a great camping trip for our family.  I know camping is about hiking and activities and things you don't normally do at home, but the playground was the biggest entertainment for my kids, second to riding bikes. 

Vist any one of the four Tacoma Power Campgrounds and I am sure you won't be disappointed.  It's not the "nature lover's" campgrounds, but there's plenty to see and do in and around the lake.

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Riverside State Park - Pitcher and Bowl - Spokane and Nine Mile Falls, WA

Our time at Riverside State Park wasn't nearly long enough.  We arrived Friday evening after a long haul over from Western Washington and spent the weekend exploring Spokane and Idaho.  Rarely have we visited a State park and wanted to spend more time IN the park rather than out and about. 

The camping spots along the river are not exactly private, but being there are only several in a row on a dead end road, you have little to no traffic and no one camping in front of or behind you.  We were in space #3, which was a nice location and just a short ways from the great Riverfront walking trails.

On a morning walk my daughter and I saw huge bird nests in the trees as well as several bird species in the river.  The mornings were just right with the sun shining and a cool breeze of fresh air.  The summer evenings were warm and we stayed out to play until late at night. 

Be sure to take a walk over to the swinging bridge or stop in the parking lot near the entrance of the park to go the quicker route.  We went with the kids one morning and they didn't want to leave the bridge.  It was fun listening to the river rush by and toss pebbles into the water below. 

As with any camping near water, the bugs were plenty at night.  Be sure to keep your camper or tent doors shut at all times.  Otherwise you'll find yourself sleeping with the moths and creepy crawlers we found in our trailer.  Unfortunately, teaching two young kids to keep the doors closed is a task all in itself!

My family and I loved this campsite and are already discussing our next trip over to spend more time at Riverside State Park. 

IMPORTANT TIP for trailer campers: We had our own directions but decided to follow the FREEWAY suggestion of taking the next exit.  We were lost after just minutes of not finding another sign to follow.  Print your directions and stick with them.  The actual campground name is called "Pitcher and Bowl" which I hadn't seen anywhere on the state reservations form.

Then we were a little confused when we arrived to the Park entrance road and the sign only had a picture of tents with an arrow.  Typically there is a pic of a camper, but yes, this is the camper/trailer park area.  Don't turn RIGHT off of Riffle Road, this will only take you to the day park area and there is no where to turn around with your trailer.  Follow the tent arrow to the LEFT.

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Where to buy those impossible to find Camper sized bed sheets

Unless you are a sewing extraordinaire (unlike me), you will find that shopping for bedsheets and linens for an RV or Camping Trailer seems impossible.  We purchased our trailer earlier this year and the first thing I was excited to do was decorate and add all those little personal touches - not that there is much to add, but it needed to feel like a home away from home. 

I went to Target and loaded up on some essential kitchen and camping items.  Our kid's bunk beds were made of a firm thin mattress so I purchased a cheap foam mattress pad and cut them to size for the bunks, worked great!

I realized we needed bed sheets immediately if we were planning to take our first camping trip soon.  After going from Sporting stores to the "world's foremost outfitter" and biggest store I've ever been in, Cabelas, I was unable to find sheet sets to fit our beds.  A couple of the stores had some very cheap feeling, 200 count sheets for the Queen at an outrageous price.  We needed sets for the short queen bed and the four rear bunks for the kids and their future camping buddies. 

I even called up Grandma to see if she could make something but she is one extremely busy Red Hat Society president and wouldn't be able to get to them anytime soon.  But I do still have her on backorder for comforters for the bunks, hopefully coming soon!

I spent a few days shopping online and after viewing the only handful of stores I could find that were extremely overpriced, I came across AB Lifestyles website.  A family owned company that makes quality 300 thread count RV camper style sheets at a decent price!  I did debate for a couple days and sent in some questions on the sizing for my thin bunks and they quickly responded.  I ordered the combo pack which was perfect for us; One short Queen set and two bunk sheet sets. 

They arrived in the mail about a week later and the color and quality was amazing.  Super soft sheets with extra elastic on the top sheet to keep them from shifting and having to make your bed in tight quarters every day.  I was pleased with my order and I am hoping this post may help someone else make an easy choice at Camper bed sheet shopping, rather than spending a week trying to find them and decide if it's a good deal or not. 

AB Lifestyles also provides Camper sized comforter sets, Airstream Trailer sets, mattress pads and mattress covers for allergies.  They also have many other bedding products for specialized needs and custom sizing.

*I did not receive any products or materials from AB Lifestyles. All opinions on this article are my own personal experience from purchasing a product from them.

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Ocean City State Park - Ocean Shores, WA

Ocean Shores is one of the most popular beaches in Washington State.  Many families go there for kite flying, sand castle building and many other activities.  You won't find any large stores or shopping malls in Ocean Shores but this small town has been a favorite in our family for years.  For us it's a quick drive and if you are lucky enough to get good weather, the beach can be fun!

We spent the weekend at the Ocean City State Park, located in Ocean Shores.  This is a nice state park and has private spaces for camping in your tent or with a camper in tow.  We of course have our trailer and landed in spot #144 which was a great spot.  It wasn't very large but the privacy was great and our kids had fun climbing the trees over looking the fire pit.  The beach was a quick walk from our campground, or as we prefer, a quick drive onto the beach.  We like to drive the truck so we can pack toys, snacks, etc and take a break inside it if the weather is windy (which is normally is). 

The kids had a great time riding their bikes in the park as well as on the beach.  The ranger in the park was nice and gave the kids stickers and a Junior Ranger pack for my older daughter.  If you forget firewood, you can purchase it on the spot for $5 a bundle.  Showers are available in the bathrooms if your in a tent and there were a few nice looking Group camps for larger groups.

This was a very nice and great State park and I recommend it to anyone headed to Ocean Shores.  There is also another State park in the City (Pacific Beach) which is right on the water, but you loose all privacy and park in stalls lined up on concrete.  So in my opinion the privacy is worth the short walk to the beach. ShareThis

Our First Family Camping Trip - Grayland Beach State Park, WA

We finally took our first family camping trip and we chose to stay somewhat close to home and head for the Ocean.  Rather than our typical stay in Ocean Shores we decided to check out Grayland and Westport, Washington. 

True Camping...DVD's and all

When we arrived it was pouring rain outside, normal spring weather on the shores of Washington, but not what we had hoped for.  We set-up camp as best we could and stayed inside the trailer.  We did what I assume the people in the tarp covered tent next door were doing - we popped in a DVD and watched one of our favorite Disney movies "Open Season"!  I was worried at first that our 6 and 2yr old would quickly tire of being in such a small space, but with a few toys and a movie they did well.  Soon it was time for bed and my daughter happily climbed into her bunk and my son went to bed just as well.  A huge sigh of relief, as we have had some difficult times in the past with getting him to sleep anywhere besides his crib at home.

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The unhappy camper...or maybe not?

This Northwest, coffee drinking, rain loving, flip flops in 50 degree weather mom hates camping! Several years ago my husband and I had purchased a trailer and became weekend warriors, hitting a new state park every weekend. After the season we had overloaded ourselves on camping, broke down a couple of times and we decided to sell the trailer we only had for a year.

Fast forward several years and two kids later and we have decided to try again! My husband has bugged me for months that he wants to buy a trailer to take the kids camping. "Rent One!" I suggest. But after some discussion and research we have decided to take the plung and become outdoorsman. Needless to say I would much rather be spending my weekend in a lush hotel with a pool and maid service, but I suppose spending some quality time with the family in the dirt, eating BBQ and hiking through the woods won't hurt. I'll still be taking plenty of vacations without a trailer in tow.

After spending a couple of weeks in search of the "perfect" trailer we finally found the one and are headed to purchase it today. With many things to consider such as length, weight, slideouts, bunkhouse, and whether to buy new or used; it can be a tough decision. It wasn't hard for me though to choose a new trailer, with their innovative features such as; flat screen TV, full kitchen, electrical gadgets and all the ameneties you need to feel like your in a hotel in the woods (except I'm the maid).

So our new travel adventures on the road will begin soon. Stayed tuned for my upcoming blog on our first camping trip. Two small kids in atrailer in the woods, Oh boy, this is going to be fun! ShareThis