Suggestion - Halloween Rally at Calico

[griffsdad]

Heck I've heard a couple of Fish squad members F*rt longer than that :eyecrazy: :J

I don't resemble that remark!

[griffsmom]

Back in decmber of 2006, I had suggested calico as a replacement for the Temecula halloween rally. Moose has camped here and this was his summation of the cg:

 

Calico Ghost Town is fun but the rv sites are close, no shade and all dirt. Jim and Carol were there with us when we were there for the re-inactment at Pre Day. It rained and a lot of mud. No group area.
 
Moose

FWIW, my suggestion was nixed pretty quickly.

[kimrb266]

Here's a link to the KOA campground map.   The KOA is nice, has a little store, hook-up and non-hook up areas.  There is area nearby for ATV's, the ghost town is a couple miles right up the road.  The campground is easy to get to and isn't much farther than Temecula.

 
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v333/wkavery/CalicoAttchmnt.jpg

[DK&3kids]

It has gotten mixed reviews....Dan and I will be driving through on our way home from vacation later this month....if we have time, maybe we can stop and check it out.

http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/California/Yermo.html

[kimrb266]

I read the reviews on the previous post and have to agree with a few of the negatives. The pool is NOT HEATED so it is COOOOLD but it was in good shape and clean. We went there in May so being that the rally is in Oct, maybe the warmer sun will heat it up a bit. I also mentioned that the KOA isn't the Ritz and that the bathrooms are outdated but they are clean. You are in the desert, so yes, there is alot of dirt. All in all, I think this would be a fun location for the Rally. After all, we would be going to Calico for the Ghost town festivities and the rest would be enjoying everybodys company.
 
Also, a few of the reviews were actually for the Calico campground next to the Ghost Town. Of the 30 reviews, 11 of the were **** (4 stars/+) and 8 were *** (3-3 1/2 stars)
 
We went there on Mother's Day weekend and it was completely full all weekend and there wasn't alot of noisy people (except for my kids). There were employees driving around the campground on their golf carts taking care of business.
 
KD3kids - By all means, check out the KOA and give us your opinion. It can't be too bad if I'm willing go there again.

[wavery]

It has gotten mixed reviews....Dan and I will be driving through on our way home from vacation later this month....if we have time, maybe we can stop and check it out.

http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/California/Yermo.html

I got a kick out of this one:
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The price was quite high for what you get. $36.00 plus an extra $3.50 for our 11 year old granddaughter. They claim the sites are 70 feet long, but our 50 foot motorhome just barely fit with almost no room for our car. We stayed here mainly for the pool and it was filthy and cold and our granddaughter wouldn't get in. We wouldn't stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome
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Let's see......50' motorhome + 5' tow bar + 15' car........yep , that's about as close to 70' as you can get all right. Those poor people....I just can't imagine how they endured all that. :J

I think that people should have to pass an IQ test before they are allowed to post reviews on the internet :p

[DK&3kids]

I read the reviews on the previous post and have to agree with a few of the negatives. The pool is NOT HEATED so it is COOOOLD but it was in good shape and clean. We went there in May so being that the rally is in Oct, maybe the warmer sun will heat it up a bit. I also mentioned that the KOA isn't the Ritz and that the bathrooms are outdated but they are clean. You are in the desert, so yes, there is alot of dirt. All in all, I think this would be a fun location for the Rally. After all, we would be going to Calico for the Ghost town festivities and the rest would be enjoying everybodys company.
 
 Also, a few of the reviews were actually for the Calico campground next to the Ghost Town. Of the 30 reviews, 11 of the were **** (4 stars/+) and 8 were *** (3-3 1/2 stars)
 
 We went there on Mother's Day weekend and it was completely full all weekend and there wasn't alot of noisy people (except for my kids). There were employees driving around the campground on their golf carts taking care of business.
 
 KD3kids - By all means, check out the KOA and give us your opinion. It can't be too bad if I'm willing go there again.

Hey Kim, I should've read farther back - I didn't realize you've been to the KOA before.  I trust your judgement!  I've been wanting to go to Calico for a long time!  

[kimrb266]

Hey Kim, I should've read farther back - I didn't realize you've been to the KOA before. I trust your judgement! I've been wanting to go to Calico for a long time!

DK&3kids - If you are going by the campground on your vacation, please stop by and check things out.   I believe 2 of us from the group have been there and have given the KOA favorable reviews and your review would be appreciated.

[TheViking]

Ok, Here's the dealio. We did the tour last weekend. We stopped at KOA and drove through it, then talked to the staff. The place is clean and has showers, a pool, restrooms and a small play area. The restrooms are clean as well. They have a little store in the office with the basics in it.   Down the center of the CG is all pull-thru sites that are F/U. In between each site are 8' tall Oleanders so you have some privacy. There are also W/E only sites but they have a dump station nearby in the CG. They ask that reservations be made soon after the 1st of the year for next October. They have a group of 42 trailers coming in next month so they can house our group just fine. Drive about 5 minutes up the road and you come to Calico Ghost town. This is an ok place, the problem we saw was it seemed that there was not alot of F/U sites all together. The areas that would make the best Rally areas were dry camping sites. There is a couple of areas that would work but just not as good as others. The area we liked best was right by the entry of the park and has rentable little cabins for any of us that had friends that wanted to go and didn't have a camper. But, only 1/3 of the maybe 20 sites there had any amenities. So, there you go.

[Sue Hardee]

Ok, Here's the dealio. We did the tour last weekend. We stopped at KOA and drove through it, then talked to the staff. The place is clean and has showers, a pool, restrooms and a small play area. The restrooms are clean as well. They have a little store in the office with the basics in it.   Down the center of the CG is all pull-thru sites that are F/U. In between each site are 8' tall Oleanders so you have some privacy. There are also W/E only sites but they have a dump station nearby in the CG. They ask that reservations be made soon after the 1st of the year for next October. They have a group of 42 trailers coming in next month so they can house our group just fine. Drive about 5 minutes up the road and you come to Calico Ghost town. This is an ok place, the problem we saw was it seemed that there was not alot of F/U sites all together. The areas that would make the best Rally areas were dry camping sites. There is a couple of areas that would work but just not as good as others. The area we liked best was right by the entry of the park and has rentable little cabins for any of us that had friends that wanted to go and didn't have a camper. But, only 1/3 of the maybe 20 sites there had any amenities. So, there you go.

I vote for KOA. By 2008 who knows we may be up to 42 campers. ..I can drive 5 minutes to Calico. We will have fun where ever we go!

[wavery]

It all sounds good to us. Heck......we're happy to pull up in the desert and set up camp......although we would probably be happier to have a campsite with all our friends :sombraro: .

[cjpoppin]

Sounds alright to us......but we would like to have electric at least.....It's fun to put up decorations and desert nights can get chilly in Oct or it can still be hot and we'll need the A/C.....this being said we'll go along with the group and take whatever.........It would be sooooooooooooooo nice to have it close to home........carol

[Dee4j]

I'd like to see how Santa paula goes first.. If we like it maybe we can make reservations when we are there and be able to get the whole Birch loop instead of being split up.

it's heck of a lot closer and there are options to avoid traffic..

The 91 east & the 15 north are a complete nightmare  if you can't get outta here by 1 pm forget it's still jammed at 9 pm

[Sue Hardee]

I'd like to see how Santa paula goes first.. If we like it maybe we can make reservations when we are there and be able to get the whole Birch loop instead of being split up.

it's heck of a lot closer and there are options to avoid traffic..

The 91 east & the 15 north are a complete nightmare  if you can't get outta here by 1 pm forget it's still jammed at 9 pm

I can agree with Dee on that one...But so is almost all the freeways from San Diego thru L.A.  unless you leave in the middle of the night...

[cjpoppin]

Was looking at the Calico campsite again and found more info on the prices they are $138 for two days of camping with full hookup ( if you go during their Halloween event dates) and with that it gets you into Calico for both days and free into the Maggie Mine and Mystery Shack.  I think the other days would revert back to non event pricing.......You can make reverations three months in advance.......Not sure if the KOA campground will hike up their price during the Calico event days......Did anyone check that out......
My two cents would be for up this way then again it would be nice not to travel to S.P.  but we'll go with the group.......carol