Sun, Water, Sand and Pizza – Our amazing stay at the Sun Outdoors in Saco, Maine (Old Orchard Beach)

It was the 4th of July weekend. We had 5 days, 4 nights booked in Maine. The weather forecast was beautiful. We couldn’t have been more excited – that excitement when you take photos by each of the welcome signs as you cross into a new state, getting closer and closer to your destination, only to find out you shouldn’t have taken those photos while you were driving down the road because they all came out blurry. The one that always excites us most though is the “Welcome to Maine” sign. We lived there for a short two years and love returning to it. We love the ocean. We love the close proximity to shops and beaches. We love seafood. And we got an abundance of all of that over this long weekend.

We started camping at this campground when we lived in Maine when some friends from back home would come out. They’d bring their camper and we’d rent the camper next to them. We loved it as it was close to Old Orchard Beach, yet not so close that you are packed in like sardines. At the time it was a KOA but has since switched to a Sun Outdoors. They didn’t seem to change much with the change of hands, but the sign out front. The same KOA porch swings. The same KOA cabins. The same friendly staff. New name: Sun Outdoors. Just be aware that there are more Sun Outdoors in the area, including the Sun Outdoors Downtown – different campground that we haven’t been to. Because we had such a great stay at this campground, we will be looking for more Sun Outdoor campgrounds to stay at in our travels.

Keeping with our tradition of having pizza the first night at camp, we ordered from the camp kitchen/snack bar. We ordered a pepperoni pizza and cheesy garlic bread – but were a little surprised when they said the wait would be at least 45 minutes. Small staff and a few orders in before us, it was no big deal. We were definitely hungry by the time it was ready and it hit the spot. We didn’t have to heat the camper up cooking in it or worrying about having meat unthawed to cook outside. Our pizza tradition continues!

Pulling into the campground is the snack bar on your left and the pool on your right, directly in front of the store and check-in station. It was a very quick check-in, followed by a staff member in a golf cart that led us right to our site and delivered our fire wood. It doesn’t sound like it’s necessary but in campgrounds with one way roads, it’s very helpful to find out you pulled in correctly and don’t have to spin around, back up or do another loop to pull in the right way. It’s pretty standard for KOA’s to do this, and now we know Sun Outdoors campgrounds as well. He guided us right in to our pull through site with no problems. Jesse barely had to level it again because of the leveler he bought. See it here. Worth every penny!

We did get to pick which site we wanted in the booking process online. (Be sure to take advantage of the military discount they offer when reserving for 20% off – promo code: SALUTE). We had only ever stayed in sites to the left of the campground (as we’d only stayed in rented cabins or trailers). Given the availability for the 4th of July, we chose a site on the right hand side when you pull in. It was all pull-through camper sites on this side, where I think the other side of the campground had back-in sites and tent sites also (See the full campground map here).

We were right on the end at site 10. It was spacious. However, behind me taking this photo is a gap in the fence that surrounds the campground. This is the exit for this section. Meaning the main road is right there. The traffic going by there didn’t bother us, just the occasionally loud truck. But with a gap in the fence there, there seemed to be a breeze that cut through (not that it was cold) but it blew our campfire smoke right in our faces. What I LOVED about this site though was that the ground was small rock. Many of the sites we’ve stayed at so far were dirt. Meaning dirt ends up getting tracked in. Not here. The camper was the cleanest its been so far. I love that.

This campground had a very clean swimming pool and hot tub (for 18+). One morning we went in it right when it opened at 9:30 a.m. which was the perfect time as it was empty. A couple of the days we attempted to go in after getting back from the beach and found it to be too crowded with no empty chairs around the pool. It was a very popular hang out at the campground, making it a great attraction.

Instead of the pool, we sat by the fire, we played board games, we walked the campground, we played basketball at the court. There was also a checkers set on the porch of the main building that Emma kicked butt at. We bought our own set when we stayed at the Freeport/Durham KOA just because the kids seem to run up to one every time they see one. With all the games in the world today – its checkers they want to play! We really like the soft fabric ones like this that are easy to store anywhere. Normal checkers boards are hard and big squares – kind of hard to store in the camper. The camp staff did offer some arts & crafts, but we didn’t partake in them this time.

We were surprised by fireworks the first night being let off at a nearby amusement park. We were able to stand right at the edge of our site and see them. We also caught the fireworks the next day right on Old Orchard Beach on the 4th. There were SO MANY people there to catch these fireworks, but it was fun to watch. As we all know, it’s rather hard to take a good photo of it, but Emma captured this one that was the least blurry. Impressive.

One of the reasons these campgrounds are so popular in Saco is that they offer trolley services. There is a shelter right at the entrance, as well as a trolley schedule posted. It leaves every hour, with stops at a few other places, before bringing you to Old Orchard, a few streets up from the beach. There is a small fee to ride it (mention your military experience if you have any!) and it may be packed. On nice days there were lines of people with beach bags waiting for a ride to the beach. But you save the parking fee downtown, which can be between 20 and 50, depending on the time of day we found. We decided to only take it down on the night when we wanted to catch the fireworks. Apparently us and every other camper. We didn’t realize that when we took it down, but when the fireworks were done and it was time to catch the trolley back, it was full. One of the other riders said this was the most people OOB had had for the 4th since before Covid. We believe it! We had to wait an entire hour for the trolley to come back and get us – arriving back at the campground after midnight. Late for us since our bedtime is usually at 8 p.m.! If you are going to utilize the trolley, maybe not wait for the latest one back at night, just in case it’s full. But A+ to the drivers for making extra trips so people didn’t get stranded downtown.

We spent one day walking around Old Orchard, between the tourist shops (where we all either got a new tee or a sweatshirt), getting our toes wet, and eating seafood. While we did try to find the holiday parade, we decided instead to stop for mini golf (Jesse kicking our butt). Read our write up on that here. Great mini golfing if you are in the area! It had caves, waterfalls, and lots of flowers and plants to enjoy.

We stumbled across The Shack when simply walking up the street. An a-frame menu by the road that advertised lobster rolls was all it took – 100% satisfied! Jesse got his steamers he wanted and I got my lobster roll both from a little restaurant looking out at the water. Great food. The smell of the ocean. And laughs and screams from the nearby amusement park.

Where the majority of time was spent that day though was at Palace Playland – an ocean side amusement park. There are dozens of rides, from a Ferris wheel looking out over the ocean, to a roller coaster, to bumper cars and an arcade. Rides for all ages. The park got progressively busier as the day went on and we got closer to the fireworks. The lines got longer but still wasn’t more than a spin or two of wait in line. Having a full days wrist band to come and go was helpful when we ended up having to wait for the trolley for an hour. Back to the rides they went!

Old Orchard Beach is a very popular place in the summer. There are people everywhere and they are from everywhere. The waves are perfect for boogie boarding. The beach is perfect for relaxing. The shops are perfect for tourist purchases. The food is authentic. If this sounds good to you, Old Orchard is the place to be. We go at least once every summer and will continue to do this because of the great time we had. Its a gorgeous place to say you’ve been. While there are many campgrounds and hotels in the area, we truly enjoyed our time at the Saco Sun Outdoors and hope you give it a try too.