Luray KOA Neat and Tidy Meet Your Match

Luray KOA Neat and Tidy Meet Your Match

When my husband suggested that we break up the drive from Asheville to New Jersey by stopping in Luray, I was less than supportive. I barely had clean clothes left. There was nothing but crumbs in the pantry. I was ready for home.

But pushing Wes past six hours is, at this point, a self-defeating proposition, so I agreed to a couple of nights at the Luray KOA right outside of Shenandoah National Park.

And my husband was, as he so often is, pushy yet right.

My first comment about the campground was "Wow, this entrance is small." I couldnt really imagine big Class A RVs being able to turn in. Clearly they were able to, since there were plenty of the beasts in the campground, but still--it looked a little like the entrance to a farm.

Then there was the camp office. Contained within a perfectly maintained A-frame building, it looked like something out of an IKEA catalog. All clean lines and small fixtures, with neat stacks of books and pendant lighting. Oh, and pretty close to nothing for sale. My husband, the consummate shopper, was practically beside himself.

As I stood outside our camper the first night, I kept trying to put my finger on what it was about this place that made it feel so different than many of the campgrounds we have stayed at previously. There was a suitable playground within reach of our site, so the boys could play while we relaxed.

There was a thoughtfully placed ping-pong table with a shade overhead to keep out the sun or rain.

There was a beautiful view and friendly neighbors.

But we have found these things at many campgrounds.

It took me a bit to realize that the Luray KOA is just perfectly, impeccably tidy and thoughtful.

Every sight has the perfect balance of sun and shade, grass and patio. All of the sites face onto a big, beautiful common green where you can play ball or toss a frisbee.

This created a sort of country village feel. When we went out for the day, they cleaned out our fire pit for crying all night. That was a definite first in our experience.

I sort of felt like there might be someone roaming the campground with a pair of scissors, looking for blades of grass that had gone astray.

When Jeremy mentioned the next day that the owners were from Europe, all the pieces clicked into place.  This is what a European campground might feel like, only full of Americans and their trucks and their RVs.

It suited these Americans just fine. The boys made a friend to play with immediately, and we met a lovely couple from New Hampshire. Im pretty sure that the landscape leads people into more village-like behavior, walking, and chatting, and meeting together in the common area for shared activities.

I cant wait to stop at my small, European campground again.

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