Vicksburg, MS

We altered our plans and stopped driving a little earlier. Getting all the way to Jackson would have been quite a drive, and the reviews of the campgrounds there were not very good. We elected to stop in Vicksburg, just over the bridge crossing the Big Muddy. This is an area we hope to spend more time in, so we thought it would be good to check out this campground. It was rated highly by the Trailer Life directory put out by Good Sam.

I am becoming disenchanted with the ratings of Woodall's and now Trailer Life. While we are traveling a compressed schedule that keeps us near the Interstates, we have yet to find a commercial campground on this trip that anyone would want to spend more than a night in. In some cases we were a little wary of the security of our surroundings. I say that, but there were no problems. It was just a feeling. My point is that these are not resorts by any stretch, and they just do not allow you to comfortably set up for a stay beyond overnight.

The Magnolia RV Park here is a good example. Friendly staff handled our reservation and checked us in with little fuss. These are good things, so they get points for that. Unfortunately the layout of the sites themselves, while they sound good in the review, have not been updated for the size of today's RVs. I can understand the expense of such capital improvements causing pause when considering improvements, but they should be more accurately described in the review books. It would appear that the reviewer's conspire with the parks to make them sound particularly attractive to capture the park's payment to be included in the review book. In our case the site is perhaps as long as described, but the distance separating the sites is not adequate for setting up a table or chairs to sit outside. Once the slides are out there is perhaps ten feet between the coaches. I suspect I will hear the neighbor snoring tonight, even over our air conditioner. ( Oh yes, we are now back in the humidity and warmer temps. Yeah!)

Of more importance is the narrow access roads between the rows of sites. It will be very difficult to depart in the morning if the camper in the site in front of us has not departed, since his VW toad is right up against the access road. We can probably make it, but the guy to our right hasn't a chance in hell of getting past our mirror and the VW. We spoke to the couple on our right to coordinate leaving in the morning so that we leave before they must be on the road. If we did not do that they would be held captive by our departure, or they would take off my mirror trying to leave.

This is not the first park like this on our current trip. You just got lucky that I had time to rant before getting DISH Network sorted out in time for DWTS. It is Monday, right? Oh, and don't get me started on the neighbors dog and the pile of @#*! it left for me while trying to get the utilities set up.

Where is my whine, er, wine!