Our very first camping trip in our camper was to the Freeport/Durham KOA in Durham, ME over Memorial Day Weekend. We had never stayed there before, but had visited friends who were camped there so we were a little familiar with the layout and amenities. We booked this one because it was not far from downtown Freeport, which we love to go walk around at, but it was also further away from the congested areas of say Old Orchard. For our first RV trip, this went smoothly and we had a great time. What was supposed to be rainy, ended up being a beautiful, hot weekend.
This KOA was unlike other KOA’s in one way: they didn’t lead us by golf cart to our site. I believe it’s pretty standard at KOAs for someone to guide you right to where you need to be – the quickest and easiest way to get you to the right site. They didn’t offer that when we checked in this time. No real worries since they did give us a campground map – just worth pointing out if you are in an entirely new to you area. Since it was Memorial Day Weekend, they gave us two little American flags at check in to display at our site if we wanted. What really sucked us in though was a sign saying they make wood fired pizzas on site which they will deliver to your site. Uh, yes please! (The next camping trip we took they offered pizzas on site as well, so this has become our new tradition on the first night at camp.) While we were not led to our site by a golf cart, we were delivered our wood and pizza by golf cart – a KOA tradition.
Our site was E35 (see it on the camp map). It was super easy for Jesse to back in and level the camper without any trouble (especially for our first trip.) Here is the leveler that he bought and loves. It is hanging inside the camper and just requires that he opens the app when we get on site and it tells him how close it is to being level so he can adjust accordingly. HUGE time saver! This site really didn’t need much leveling as it was fairly flat. It really was a nice site because it was wooded and off the beaten path. There were a lot of RV sites out in the field when we first pulled in without much shade. This one was the opposite: overall shady, with sunny areas if you wanted to get some rays, private and quiet. There was a camper fairly close behind us but our camper blocked our view of them.
Fairly close on the living side of our camper though was what is labeled on the map as a deluxe cabin. I’ve never seen a cabin quite like this, have you? We peaked in the windows and could see bunk beds, nice kitchen area, air conditioner, a half bath and the little shed off the porch was a shower. Seemed super cute and cozy and we wondered why weren’t utilizing cute spaces like that before we bought our camper! A family checked into it later that night and seemed to have a great weekend as well. They were pretty close to us, but kept to themselves.
Since it was Memorial Day weekend, it was also opening weekend for the campground pool. It’s a little too chilly in Maine before Memorial Day weekend to have a pool up and running. The had regular chairs and some lounge chairs around the outside of the pool, which made it a very nice place to relax. Only one of us went in the pool that weekend, but she loved it and can say she was the first one to swim this year.
New to the pool this year is the water slide – a big blue winding slide into the deep end. It was very popular with the campground kiddos. The pool area was clean and well-maintained and a perfect way for campers to have a refreshing swim.
As I mentioned, this was our first camping trip in our new camper that wasn’t in our own backyard. On this trip I realized one reason why it was all worth it: the sink. You laugh, but it’s true. My parents tent camp, sometimes lean-to. In order to wash dishes (and they use a lot of them), they have to walk to a water spicket to fill a huge stockpot of water (usually taking two people to carry it) and then carry the heavy thing back to the site. They boil that water, which takes a good half an hour for that much water. They pour that hot water into a dish pan with soap to begin to wash, however the water is then too hot so they have to let it cool some before starting to wash. Once it cools, they can actually wash as normal. That’s probably a two hour process start to finish. Not for us, not anymore. Having a sink is amazing. I even found this super cool dish strainer on amazon. It is shown in the sink picture shown here. It has an adjustable spout on the end for the water to filter down and out into your sink. It is saving so much splash and run off from dish water on the counters. 100% would recommend it!
One of the reasons for choosing this campground is it’s close proximity to Freeport. It is a cute Maine town to just park and walk around. There are all kinds of little shops to buy Maine shirts, totes, postcards, beach chairs, etc. and of course Salt Water Taffy (one of my faves). There is a giant L.L. Bean store for anything outdoor related that you may need. Our main purchases this time were coffee cups/travel mugs to keep in the camper and a checkers set, just for the camper. And of course the Salt Water Taffy. The kids don’t like it yet, but that just means more for us!
This area really had everything we needed. Even though we walked around Freeport, visited Popham Beach, swam in the pool, had pizza, I have to mention that my youngest daughter’s FAVORITE thing was the horses that are in barns in the corner of the campground. She continuously was riding her bike over the barns to sit by the fence and watch the horses, and a donkey I think. A few times the owner would bring one of the horses out to ride around the campground or let my daughter pet it. This was so awesome and just made my daughter’s weekend. She just cannot wait to go back and see those horses. If you have children that love horses – keep this in mind.
All in all, we loved our time at the Freeport/Durham KOA and had a wonderful time there and will definitely be returning. Until next time…