Friday, September 13, 2013

KOA...The Owners Make the Difference!

Durango, CO
September 13, 2013

Our time here at the Durango KOA has just flown by. Tomorrow is travel day. The sheets have been changed, the laundry is all caught up, the floor has been vacuumed...with a brand new Hoover Air... and the fridge is full.




The view towards town from our site.








As many of you already know, we are KOA members and frequently choose to stay at them. Our puppies are a huge reason for that choice.



Jay and Carol Coates have been the owners/operators here for 21 years. To us, that's what makes this KOA a very special place.
 

It is evident that they truly love this place and enjoy providing a warm and friendly place for campers and RVers to call home.



 In 2012 their KOA was awarded the KOA Franchise of the Year and 2013 Campground of the Year.
 I am sure the pictures show the park is clean and well-maintained. But what the pictures don't show is that the staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and most of all, happy to be here! 

It's quiet with sites that are private and comfortable. Junipers and pinon pines surround most sites. 














Speaking of junipers...the one outside our dining table window is full of berries. We have been entertained since day one with these beautiful grosbeaks enjoying an "all you can eat buffet".


 Here's "mama" ...

and "daddy". I hope he isn't sticking his tongue out at me, but it sure looks that way.

I could never get a clear pictures of the young birds all over the ground.
yellow crook neck squash






zucchini squash

 This year a vegetable garden and composting project were added. These pumpkins are much bigger than they look.


cantaloupes








The garden offers a lot of variety.
beans



broccolli
lettuce






tomatoes











The veggies are picked everyday and put into bins in the office...FREE to all campers!
herbs




corn









 Joe says no more yellow flowers, but I just cant help myself!

Seeds for the birds too!





 I do hope the pictures show how much we have enjoyed being here.
This little guy was a daily visitor too!
 Tomorrow, we are off to Albuquerque for a few days.
 Have a great week-end. Take care...
until later.

15 comments:

  1. I've enjoyed your stay in Durango... being in
    Farmington right now, we stopped in one of the parks and checked out the Animas River... FULL... was even higher yesterday. Really muddy as well. Looks like it brought half of Durango down the valley with it. Safe Travels to ABQ... another of my favorite cities.

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  2. Your photos have been beautiful. Wow, fresh garden produce every day. I could get used to that. Safe travels, you two. enjoy.

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  3. As usual, your photos are breathtaking.

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  4. Another awesome day you had.
    We don't do KOA's but any campground with good owners/ managers is what makes it a great place to stay.
    Glad you and the puppies had a great time there.

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  5. This certainly is a beautiful park! Fresh vegetables is worth the extra fee. I saw some gorgeous dinosaur kale in one of the pictures!! All those different squash were amazing. I hope you had fresh veggies every night:)

    The owners definitely want you to have a wonderful stay. We'll keep this in mind when we return to the area

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  6. We aren't KOA fans but I think I would have to make an exception for that one. It does look beautiful. Have a great time in ALB - so much to see and do.

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  7. I am truly impressed by the appearance of the Durango KOA. We have stayed at KOA's in the east & Midwest & have been consistently disappointed. The sites have been tight, unlevel & close together coupled with a rundown appearance of the entire facility. I understand KOA's are popular out west. It's obvious why by your photos. Sure wish the KOA's out this way would take the same pride in their parks.

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  8. We have always avoided KOAs in the past, but I think the free veggies would go a long way into convincing me to give this one a try! Looks like a beautiful spot. Have fun in Albuquerque.

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  9. Wow! Fresh Veggies look amazing! We like the KOA in Nashville, we will definitely stay at the Durango KOA when in the area. Beautiful pictures as always:). Safe Travels. Hugs to the pups, & Georgia says woof!
    Val & Bob

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  10. Ditto for us on typically avoiding KOAs. Ironically, the last three places we stayed were KOAs in Polson, West Glacier, and East Glacier and they were great. The one in Sisters, Oregon is also amazing. Your photos of the special details at the Durango KOA sure convince me to keep up my membership. So glad you had a special stay while you were here.

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  11. We have found that we like the KOAs more than dislike them....but sometimes one has to wonder if they are worth the price. What I really love about them is they typically have a dog run, and sometimes are real nice dog run...keeps Bubba and Skruffy happy, that's for sure.

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  12. I am so very, very happy to see your photos of the Evening Grosbeaks! I use to see them here on the east slope and more so over in the Salida area on the west slope. Their numbers have been declining. They are beautiful. When we leave, heading out for the winter we stay at a Koa in Colorado City. It has been family run for a long time. Very clean, you can tell they love their park and upon arrival you are given free cookies. A great place for us to stop going south and coming back home. I enjoyed your photos, beautiful!

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  13. I have a feeling we will follow your footsteps again on this KOA, beautiful flowers make a difference in your mood. Great pics.

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  14. And oh love those Grosbeaks!

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  15. What a great campground! To think they have a GARDEN! :) Love Durango too...

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