RV

North Landing Beach RV Resort, Va

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Last summer we met up with Virginia friends at a convenient campground with easy beach access. We needed a place with rental cottages and RV spots, and after researching places we decided on North Landing Beach RV Resort. If you haven’t been to North Landing Beach (aka the NLB), it’s a little slice of heaven you have to experience. With its family-friendly beach, mix of camping and cabin rentals, super fun on-site events and secluded location, this place has it all!

Getting There

North Landing Beach RV Resort is located about 20 miles south of Virginia Beach at 161 Princess Anne Rd just north of the VA/NC border. It’s part of a peninsula that stretches across the NC/VA border and sits between the North Landing River and a few bays that dump into the Currituck Sound. Usually when you hear Currituck Sound you think of the Duck/Carova areas of NC. However, this place is in VA, close to the remote coastal community of Knotts Island and a ferry ride from the Outer Banks.

Driving from Raleigh, it took about 3 hours to reach North Landing Beach. Because of the campground’s unique location we drove through small towns of Elizabeth City and Moyock, both we hadn’t previously seen. We felt perplexed seeing newer neighborhoods scattered among all the farmlands. After talking to locals in the area, we learned that many families live out this way and commute up to the VA Beach/Newport News area for work.

The Campground

After check-in, we meandered through the gravel roads underneath the pine trees to our campsite. Our campsite (spot #625) was by far one of the best spots in the park. Located next to a canal, we enjoyed lots of waterfront space so we had plenty of room to spread out for fishing and being loud exploring. We could also easily holler to our friends staying in a rental cottage across the canal.

Speaking of rental cottages, our friends raved about the 2 bedroom cottage they stayed in for the weekend. It featured a full kitchen, small living area, full bathroom, two bedrooms, and deck overlooking the canal. Their location was convenient for using their kayak, being close to us, and having easy access to the beach.

After setting up our campsite, we explored the recreational amenities, community gathering spots, and beach areas. This campground features a large pool, a variety of sports courts, bounce house, putt-putt golf, kayak rentals, easy river beach access, and organized events/activities. We participated in the watermelon-eating contest, which was hilarious and brought out a competitive streak I hadn’t previously seen in my kids. We also rode on the super soaker float where we squirted campground guests with water guns! Watch out – some campers hid behind their RVs and soaked us with hoses!

On Saturday night we attended the low country boil and live music concert at the pavilion. The event was crowded, but the food line moved fairly quickly and the live music was greatly entertaining. The staff worked tirelessly to keep the food fresh, hot and delicious! We listened to the band play great cover music for at least an hour while our kids played independently nearby – win, win! Another night, we watched the private fireworks display set off by the campsite and it was unbelievable!

Play & Hike Outside

When we weren’t enjoying planned activities at the campground we spent most of our time at the beach. From our campsite, we walked less than five minutes to the beach. Being on a large river, the water was much calmer than the ocean, making it great for young families. The water was also pretty shallow, so the kids could swim out pretty far before needing to come in closer.

Since we visited over Father’s Day weekend, the dads enjoyed lots of fishing, though they didn’t catch much. The kids had recently started using nets to dredge up murk and look for tadpoles in bodies of fresh water. They brought their nets and buckets on this trip and although they didn’t find many tadpoles, they loved the hunt, especially with friends.

On Sunday morning we explored the nearby Charles Kurwalt trail on Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge. The National Wildlife Refuge System manages lands and waters set aside to conserve America’s fish, wildlife, and plants. The Mackay Island refuge and surrounding waters support many species of resident and migratory fish and wildlife. We first stopped at the Charles Kuralt Overlook on the left-hand side of Marsh Causeway. The overlook provides beautiful views of the nearby marshes and that’s about all. Feeling disappointed, we continued south about 200 yards and found a roadside pull-off spot for the Great Marsh Trail.

The Great Marsh Trail is an easy 0.3 loop trail around a marsh. Despite some whining from the kids, it was a beautiful hike. We heard lots of wildlife and spotted several turtles in the water. We saw berry bushes, cattails, and flowering trumpet vines. Mackay Island refuge features more hiking trails, a visitor center and a sure way to escape in nature.

During our campground stay we met several families who live nearby, which we thought was unusual. They mentioned they love staying at NLB on the weekends, a real tribute to the daydreaming and fun anyone can have here.

Thumbs Up:

  • variety and uniqueness of fun activities and amenities
  • mix of rental cottages and rv spots
  • beautiful and calm river beach
  • sunset views

Thumbs Down:

  • nothing to report
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New Bern, NC

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If you’re looking to get out of Raleigh for the weekend, but don’t want to drive to the beach or mountains, head to the river instead! Last fall we took a quick weekend Winnie trip to New Bern, NC. We camped, hiked, explored museums and historical homes and walked around downtown. And, we took our time leaving on Sunday because it’s such an easy drive home!

Camping in New Bern

New Bern is located along the Neuse River about 2 hours east of Raleigh. The Neuse River near New Bern is much wider than near Raleigh and eventually dumps into the Pamlico Sound. We stayed at a fantastic KOA campground on a campsite adjacent to the playground. Though it was a super cold weekend with lows in the lower 40s, the Winnie’s heating system kept up and we slept very comfortably. 

This was our first KOA camping experience and it was crawling with kids and activities. The campground features a big pirate ship playground, miniature golf, a huge jumping pillow, a catch and release pond, and breathtaking waterfront views of the Neuse River. Both evenings we followed the short path to the waterfront and sat on the swings to catch views of the sunsets.

The campground is less than 10 minutes from downtown New Bern so it was super convenient for the price. Other than RV rental sites, they also offer rental cabins and tent sites, which all looked very nice. When we come back to New Bern, we’ll definitely stay at this KOA campground again.

Exploring Downtown New Bern

The first night we headed into downtown New Bern for dinner and to explore the shops during the Art Walk. We enjoyed a delicious seafood dinner of steamed crab legs, oysters, and clams and the girls tried their first alligator bites at MJs Raw Bar & Grille. Then, we walked through some of the nearby shops, which all seemed to be super dog friendly.

As we walked around we noticed the frequency of large life-size fiberglass bears everywhere. The girls loved taking pictures with them, and after a quick Google search we learned the founder of New Bern named the city after his native city of Berne, Switzerland. Bern means “bear” so the bear symbol is shown on the city flag and local artists painted the fiberglass bears in honor of the city’s 300th anniversary in 2010. 

Downtown New Bern is surrounded by the Trent River to the south and the Neuse River to the east. Though we didn’t make it down to the waterfront, we drove by a large waterfront park and several waterfront restaurants that looked fun for a future trip. 

Hiking in Croatan National Forest

The next morning we headed out to Croatan National Forest for a quick hike along the river. We drove about 20 minutes south of New Bern along US-70 to the Flanners Beach/Neuse River Recreation Area located at the end of Flanners Beach Rd. This area features picnic areas, restrooms, ample parking, hiking, biking, and a nearby campground. The campground has about 40 wooded sites (some with electric hook-ups) that accommodate RVs and tents.

The trailhead for Flanners Beach/Neuse River Loop Trail begins near the campground area. The path starts out paved and then transitioned to unpaved dirt and gravel after we hiked further into the forest. Ash and Claire weren’t in a prime hiking mood, so we quickly made a scavenger hunt game with scrap paper in Ash’s hiking backpack. Searching for natural items of different colors definitely cheered them up! 

This 2-mile loop trail features dense hardwoods, pines and ferns. The girls enjoyed picking up downed pieces of pine limbs and using them as sweepers to clear the pathways. The trail signage wasn’t very helpful, but having GPS on our phones helped us stay on the right loop. At one point we crossed a narrow wooden boardwalk over a marshy area before coming to beautiful views of the Neuse River. At the end we arrived back at the open recreation area and walked down the steps to explore the river’s shoreline. Being a cold morning, there weren’t many people out hiking and we had the beach to ourselves. The views from the shoreline were amazing; it’d be fun to explore this beach during the summer months.

Exploring Tryon Palace

Later in the afternoon we headed back to downtown New Bern to explore Tryon Palace. Tryon Palace is a Georgian-style mansion built between 1767 and 1770. It served as the first capitol building of North Carolina and home to Royal Governor Tryon and his family. Tryon moved to New York a year later and a new Royal Governor moved in until the start of the Revolutionary War. Patriots made the palace their capitol and the General Assembly met there to draft North Carolina as a new state. Subsequent NC governors used the palace and even George Washington visited the palace in 1791.

After Raleigh became the capitol in 1794, the palace served as a boarding house, school and for other purposes. A fire broke out in 1798 causing major devastation to the main house. The house stood in disrepair until local residents started a movement in the 1930s to raise money and awareness about potential renovation. In 1959, the palace opened to the public.

We attended a guided tour of the main house, which are held hourly on a first-come, first-serve basis. A lot of the furnishings in the palace are English. The guided tour lasts about 45 minutes and the tour guides wear period dress. After the main house tour, we walked through the kitchen and stables, which showed cooking and stable demonstrations, respectively. Finally, we walked through the English-style gardens behind the main house. The guided tour was the perfect amount of time for our kids (ages 4 and 6 at the time). They really enjoyed seeing the cooking demonstrations and playing old-time games on the front lawn.

After Tryon Palace, we headed over to the Pepsi Family Center to virtually travel back in time to 1835. We learned about New Bern’s history through hands-on activities with sailing a ship, making foods, and sewing a quilt. The girls chose interesting patterns for their quilt squares and the computer “sewed” them together. Their favorite activity involved playing unique roles on the ship to help guide it to its destination. 

Overall, we had such a fun weekend exploring New Bern, but I know we’ve just broken the ice with what the area has to offer. I was impressed with how family-friendly the historical places were and look forward to future excursions at New Bern. Next time, I’d love to explore the waterfront area and generally spend time on the water.

Additional Info:

Thumbs up: unique history center, beautiful river views, great campground amenities and convenience to New Bern, hands-on activities at history center, bustling downtown New Bern, variety of family-friendly places/activities

Thumbs down: poor signage on the hike

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Falls Lake: Rolling View Campground

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Throughout my early childhood, my family spent several summers renting a weekly beach house in Cape Hatteras. We always went in mid-September because the pricing was just right for a large house that could fit grandparents, aunts, uncles and my family of five. Once we got busy with after school sports in middle school, our family stopped making the annual trip. So, when our family decided to head back to Cape Hatteras last summer after a 25-year hiatus, only a mandatory evacuation could stop us – and it did!

Hatteras Evacuation

Due to an unfortunate accident on Bonner Bridge, Dare County prompted a mandatory evacuation of Cape Hatteras island two days before our vacation was set to start. With family coming from CA, TN, and VA, my sister acted fast and found us an amazing last-minute house in Emerald Isle, starting a day later.

With the extra day’s wait and our kitchen in full demolition mode, we did what any sane family would do. We loaded up the Winnie for a nearby overnight trip to Falls Lake Rolling View Campground.

IMG_9853Falls Lake Rolling View Campground

Falls Lake Rolling View Campground is located at 4201 Baptist Rd, just north of 98/west of 50. Since my aunt arrived from CA the day before, she also ventured with us, excited to be the first overnight guest. We rented a back-up spot in Loop A, close to the bathrooms. Falls Lake does not have sewer hook-ups (as is the case of most state parks) so we used the surprisingly comfortable restrooms/showers. Overall, our shady camping spot was perfect for a late July Saturday.

Being only about 30 minutes from the house we arrived mid-morning to a quiet campground and swimming area. We enjoyed cooling off in the roped-off swimming area with the $5 tubes we purchased earlier in the season. Between splashing and exploring the nearby playground, the girls also played in the sandy beach. Overnight guests have access to the beach area with their rental fees. You can also just pay a “per car” fee to use the beach daily.

IMG_9858After a few hours at the beach, we headed back to the campsite for quick showers at the bath house. Then, we hiked a short trail through Loop B to access another playground. The girls spent at least an hour swinging on the tire swing – a big novelty to them. 

After the playground we explored the marina near the park entrance. The marina features boat launch facilities, a convenience store, snack bar, and water recreation rentals (kayaks and paddleboards). Then, we cooked hotdogs and sausages on the campfire and made mac n cheese on the stove. Though it sprinkled a bit, we quickly roasted some s’mores and had a nature scavenger hunt.

Early the next morning, we cooked a modest breakfast before packing up the trailer. We stopped at the dump house on the way out of the park, which was relatively quick and convenient. Then, thirty minutes later we arrived back at home with plenty of time to re-pack the car for Emerald Isle. Having Falls Lake within thirty minutes makes for fun family outings of all types – day, overnight, or multi-days!

Additional Resources

Thumbs up: peaceful campsite, fun beach area, clean bath house, playgrounds with tire swings, water recreation rentals at the marina, ease and convenience of renting, close proximity for last-minute trips

Thumbs down: nothing to report

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Jordan Lake State Recreation Area: Poplar Point Campground

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For our maiden voyage in the Winnie, we headed to Jordan Lake State Recreation Area for a quick 24-hr overnight trip. We wanted to get a small sample of camping while staying close to home. Jordan Lake State Recreation Area is located about 30 minutes west of Raleigh off US-64. Whether you’re going for a short trip or several days, Jordan Lake has lots of outdoor experiences and recreational activities to offer.

Camping

A few weeks before our trip we reserved a campsite online with electric and water hook-ups at Poplar Point Campground. The entrance for Poplar Point Campground is located at 558 Beaver Creek Rd in Apex. Jordan Lake State Recreation Area is enormous with over 1,000 RV and tent campsites scattered over five different areas. We chose Poplar Point Campground because it has many waterfront campsites available with water and electric hook-ups and a recreation beach at Loop E. We reserved spot 58 at Loop H, which is a back-in spot, like most at the park. The NC State Park registration system is very useful. You can search by amenities, whether you need a pull-through spot, and length of site. Similar to hotel room booking systems, it also shows multiple pictures of each campsite.

We arrived early on a Saturday morning and checked-in at the Poplar Point front gate. The ranger confirmed that we could switch our spot for the more popular first-come, first-serve spots at Loop E if we wanted. Loop E features a beach area, playground and more waterfront sites. But, after driving by our site at Loop H, we decided to stick with our original plan. We were anxious to set-up the Winnie and explore the campground. 

IMG_2418Our partially shaded campsite featured a flat gravel pad, picnic table and grill. There’s a short walk to the water, which we were hoping to use for fishing access, but unfortunately there was more poison ivy than we wanted to dodge. We found another access to the water, but the low-lying trees made casting difficult for the girls. Surprisingly, we didn’t have any neighbors during our entire stay. Though the girls were sad because they couldn’t play with new friends, it also meant they could run around like maniacs without worrying about traffic.

We spent about 45 minutes setting up camp by rolling out the rug, organizing the outdoor food station, hooking up the water and electric, and making sure the party lights hung perfectly. This park (and most state parks) features a dump station near the entrance, which we used on the way out to empty our gray and black tanks. For lunch, we quickly cooked hot dogs and grilled deli sandwiches on the griddle before heading to the beach. 

Recreation Area

4After lunch we headed to the recreation area to cool off in the beach. The recreation area at Loop E features a large sandy shoreline with designated swimming area. The water was refreshing and the boats racing by made fun waves for the girls. The girls loved catching the waves with their inner tubes and building sand castles on the shore. They enjoyed racing into the water and diving into the calm water. Even though the water was a little murky, they didn’t seem to mind.

The recreation area has a narrow forested area near the parking lot with picnic tables and benches. We spotted several fishermen fishing further down the shoreline. We also saw a pontoon boat selling shave ice and snacks on the shoreline. Even though we just missed the shave ice, we watched the boat motor to the recreation area on the opposite side of the lake.

Unfortunately we left several of our beach essentials (beach chairs, umbrellas, sand toys) at home, placing greater attention on our camping items. We bought inner tubes at the convenience store off US-64, which proved crucial beach toys. Despite not having all our regular beach things, we spent over two hours at the lake beach having a fabulous time.

Dinner Camping

IMG_2425After playing at the beach we headed back to our campsite for showers and dinner prep. The girls helped shuck corn for grilling on the fire pit while I made mac n cheese on the trailer range. We grilled chicken sausages, corn on the cob, hot dogs and cinnamon sugar filled apples for dessert. 

After cleaning up dinner we settled in for puzzles and Uno. I also taught the girls how to play the card game, War, which immediately became their favorite game! Once the sun went down, we chased fireflies around the loop and used our campfire to make s’mores. Then, we read a bit of Wind in the Willows around the campfire before tucking the girls into their bunks.  

Though it took the girls a little longer to fall asleep, they slept soundly until morning. Bill and I enjoyed some music around the campfire while listening to insects chirp near the water. Overall, our first overnight trailer trip was a big success! Camping in the trailer was an exciting, but relaxing experience while Jordan Lake offered lots of fun at a quick drive away. 

Thumbs up: campsite space, large beach recreation area, affordable family camping, 

Thumbs down: poison ivy down to the water near campground

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