Blog - Chickery's Travels

Cherry Hill Park (College Park, Maryland)

Are you planning a trip to Washington DC and looking for the perfect place to stay with your RV? Look no further than Cherry Hill Park, a true RV Resort! In this post, we’ll explain why Cherry Hill Park should be your go-to destination when visiting the nation’s capital. We’ll cover the convenient location, fantastic amenities, exciting on-site activities, and endless opportunities for exploring nearby Washington DC.

What You’ll Love at Cherry Hill Park

Cherry Campground campground has over 400 full hook-up sites (back-in and pull-through) and offers daily, weekly, and monthly rates.

Cherry Hill Park is located along side of I-95 in College Park, Maryland, only 17 miles from the National Mall in Washington, DC. There is a wide array of amenities offered including DC sightseeing tours that leave right from the campground.

Luxury Amenities: Camping in Style

There are so many amenities at Cherry Hill Park near Washington DC. Amenities include: Fishing Pond, Two Dog Runs, Hiking Trail, Camp Store, Restaurant, Bus Depot, Sightseeing Sessions, Swimming Pool & Hot Tub, Splash Park, Tractor Rides, Summer Movie Nights, Playgrounds, 18 Hole Mini Golf

Cherry Hill Park offers top-notch amenities to ensure a comfortable and relaxing stay for its guests. After a long day of sightseeing, relax around the beautiful, heated outdoor pool, or spend time in the hot tub. For the children in your family, Cherry Hill Campground boasts a fun splash pad and two playgrounds. Additionally, enjoy free Wi-Fi, a well-stocked camp store, clean bathhouses, and a café on-site, ensuring that your needs are well-catered throughout your stay.

Cherry Hill Park Activities: Fun for the Whole Family

When you’re not touring Washington DC, Cherry Hill Campground offers a wide spectrum of activities that cater to every age group. Participate in park-wide events like bingo nights, potluck dinners, outdoor movie screenings, and group campfires. In addition, stay active with the various sports courts available, such as basketball, volleyball, and miniature golf.

Prime Location Near Washington DC

Nestled in College Park, Maryland, Cherry Hill Park is the closest RV resort to Washington DC. It’s strategically situated within a 30-minute drive to the heart of the city. Cherry Hill’s location allows you to enjoy the serene surroundings of the park while still having easy access to the excitement of the nation’s capital. The proximity to major highways and public transportation makes planning day trips to the city a breeze. Plus, with so many nearby attractions, you’ll never be short on things to do!

The campground offers guided tours to DC or you can take the camp shuttle to public transportation and explore on your own.

Cherry Hill Park near Washington DC offers guided tours to DC or you can take the camp shuttle to public transportation and explore on your own.

This is the closest campground to Washington DC and all of its amazing National museums and attractions. And once you’ve had your fill of exploring DC for the day, you can relax knowing you’ll come back to an amazing amenity-filled campground. Cherry Hill even offers a dog walking service for RVers who are traveling with pets. So, you can make sure your pet gets some exercise while you are away for the day! And you can check and fill your RV tires for free before you leave the campground air station.

Learn about budget-friendly activities in Washington DC.

Make Your Reservations Today!

You can make reservations on their website or via phone at (301) 664-1762.

Author Bio: Mike and Susan are avid RVers who love traveling, sightseeing, and camping in their RV. In true Maryland fashion, they named their RV Chessie since they live close to the Chesapeake Bay! They have traveled all over the US and Canada and created RVBlogger as a way to share their travels and create the financial vehicle needed to break away from corporate life.

Learn our 3 step process for finding the best campgrounds. Whether you are traveling by motorhome, fifth wheel, travel trailer, or campground this process can work for you.

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8:30 am by Julie Chickery

How We Paid $139,000 of Debt in 2 Years While Full-Time RVing

We’re a little embarrassed to admit that we didn’t get serious about paying off debt until 2017. Up to that point we were living the standard American lifestyle of buying things on credit (including our truck & RV) and making payments. Now we’re sharing our story in hopes it will help others like us.

Background

I guess the bigger issue is how we got into this much debt to begin with! It is pretty sad when we look back at it now. When we first decided to RV full-time almost five years ago we purchased a very large Fifth Wheel (44’ Heartland Cyclone Toyhauler) and truck (Chevy 3500 HD) brand new. Instead of saving money, we essentially traded our $2,300 house payment with RV/truck payment and campground fees. We also had some credit card debt and a Parent Plus Student Load.

It wasn’t until 2 ½ years later in Dec 2016 when we watched a documentary on debt in America that we set a goal of being debt free.

We got serious about paying off debt and in the last 2 years we have paid $139,000. We could have paid off more, but I (Julie) am a bit of a princess and didn’t want to sacrifice my standard of living too much. We still stay in our preferred type of campground, which is full hook-up with paved pads, WiFi, heated pools, and hot tubs. We still go out to eat and have fun, but we do prioritize and make sure we keep our eye on the prize.

Debt Reduction Techniques

Here is what we have done to allow us to live the life we choose while working towards our financial goals.

1. We kept working.

We started our full-time RV journey almost 5 years ago with both of us working as full-time employees. In the last two years, we’ve transitioned to part-time and freelance work to allow us to grow our business. Click here to read more about how we earn an income on the road (and how you can too).

2. We sold stuff.

When we first moved out of our home 4 ½ years ago, we had 2 large storage units. After the first 2 years, we went back through our stuff and reassessed what was really important to us. We sold the items we no longer needed and now have one small storage unit. The largest item we sold was our Harley Trike because we were just not using it often enough to continue to justify towing it around the country with us. If you’re having trouble downsizing, see our article on The 3 Areas That Make The Biggest Impact.

3. We budget every dollar.

This, by far, is the most important part of our financial strategy. Before starting our debt free journey two years ago, we kept a very loose budget. It was really just a list of bills to make sure we paid them on time. What we didn’t really do was track what we did with the rest of our income. This made it very easy to lose sight of how much money we were spending. Now we have a monthly budget that is geared towards our goals. It accounts for every penny of income. We use the Everydollar app to track spending. It’s not really about sacrificing; it is about prioritizing. We love the saying, “You can afford anything, just not everything.” The great thing is, you decide what is important. Want to know more about budgeting for the RV lifestyle, read our article, How Much Does It Cost to RV Full-Time?

Click here to get our FREE full-time travel budgeting worksheets.

4. We have developed some strategies for saving money.

Along the way, we’ve found the methods that work for us to save money. For example, traveling slowly is a double saving on both campgrounds (with monthly rates) and fuel (by consuming less). We also don’t buy things on credit anymore so we don’t have to pay interest. For more ideas, see our article: 7 Ways to Save on Full-Time RV Travel.

Want to Learn More?

If you’d like to learn more about paying off debt, purchasing an RV, budgeting for the RV lifestyle, earning an income on the road, and saving money while traveling full-time, check out our book Full-Time RV Finance.

Learn how we paid off $138,000 of debt in just 2 years (and how we got into this mess in the first place). We'll share our top 3strategies that anyone can employ to start their journey towards debt freedom today.

8:30 am by Guest Post

Port Huron KOA (Kimball, Michigan)

Wow! If you’re looking for an amazing campground to explore an incredible place, read on. The Port Huron KOA delivers a great camping experience next to a wonderful town. You won’t want for anything on this visit.

Location

The Port Huron KOA Resort is located in the southeast region of Michigan. It is located roughly an hour north of Detroit. Just outside of Port Huron, you’ll find the KOA is conveniently located to some of the most amazing but often-overlooked small towns in the state!

The closest towns:

Port Huron
St. Clair
Marine City

Amenities

The entire family will enjoy a stay at the Port Huron KOA in Kimball, Michigan.

They say there’s a campground for every type of camper out there.

And if you’re looking for a super fun getaway where you’ll never be bored, the Port Huron KOA is your campground.

This RV park has everything you would ever want.

Of course, there are the traditional family-friendly campground activities like gaga ball, playgrounds, and fire pits. If you’re a morning person, I suggest checking out the walking trail. But if you prefer evenings, take a blanket out to the hill and enjoy the sunset.

But there’s also many amenities that are quite luxurious.

There are 3 pools, golf cart rentals, an indoor fitness center, and scheduled kids’ activities galore in the summertime.

There are activities for everyone at the Port Huron KOA including 3 pools, golf cart rentals, an indoor fitness center, and scheduled kids’ activities galore in the summertime.

What I love most about this campground is the general stores. There are 3 of them on site, so you never even have to leave the park to get everything you need!

Forget the graham crackers for s’mores night?
Just want a soda without packing up the car full of kids?
Need a mini-fridge?

It’s all available at this campground.

Some other awesome features:

Sports Court with access to tennis, hockey, and basketball
Jumping pillow for kids and kids-at-heart
Golf cart rentals
Frisbee golf
Pavilions
Access and discounts to neighboring adventure water park
Gem mining
Ice cream shop
Bike rentals
Dog park

Reservations

This Port Huron KOA is a large park. It offers almost 300 RV and tent sites! Some sites are primitive, while others are luxurious. You can request a pull-thru site or go with a back-in. There really is something for everyone (and everyone’s budget.)

If you’re traveling away from the RV, they also have over 100 assorted cabins.

Because of this, prices really vary. Expect to pay around $35 for a primitive site. And up to $60 a night for a basic site with full hookups.

If you’re looking for a fun but more upscale RV experience, there are several fabulous Gazebo Sites for about $100-$120 a night.

The Port Huron KOA is a large park. It offers almost 300 RV and tent sites! Some sites are basic, while others are luxurious with outdoor kitchens and more!

Reservations can be made over-the-phone at 800-562-0833 or online. I really liked the online reservation system. Their website was easy to navigate with an updated map of the park. This made it really easy to book just the site I wanted.

Local Area

Plan a week long stay in this area. You’re going to need that time to explore Port Huron!

My highest recommendation is the head of the St. Clair River. This is directly underneath the Blue Water Bridge where the river opens up to Lake Huron. As one of the heaviest traveled rivers in the world, you could literally sit there “and watch the boats roll by” all day long!

On our trip, we saw so many different watercraft. There were freighters, sailboats, fishing boats, and tugboats! We even saw scuba divers heading out for a dive.

Bonus travel tip: There’s even an app you can download to your phone to identify the freighters as they pass you.

As you explore Port Huron, you’ll notice the rich past of this coastal town. Make sure to visit these historical sites:

Fort Gratiot Lighthouse — The very first lighthouse built in Michigan. This is pretty cool considering Michigan is surrounded by coastline and has hundreds of lighthouses. There is also a small and quiet beach where you can play in the sand or wave to Canada.

Knowlton’s Ice Museum of North America — One of the things I love the most about full-time travel is discovering unique history. That’s what you’ll find at this museum. I mean, in today’s modern times, who thinks about an ice harvest? Here you’ll learn how the Great Lakes played a major role in supplying ice to the world. And if you’re with kids, have no fear. There’s a really awesome video and hands-on activities to make this a really family friendly place.

And don’t miss out on exploring the area by foot or bike on these paths.

Blue Water River Walk — This is a nearly one mile stretch of land along the St. Clair River and crosses underneath the Blue Water Bridge. Along with the river view, this walk really is so much fun! There’s public art displayed, a ferry dock, and a fishing pier. The city has really done a great job of putting together a beautiful walkway for all to enjoy.

Bridge to Bay Trail — Now if you really like to run or bike, this trail is for you! This is a 54 mile paved trail that allows you to really explore and enjoy not just Port Huron, but the entire St. Clair region. My brother lives in this area. And I have been running this trail for over a decade and it never gets old. What I love most about this trail is it connects park after park in the various towns of the region.

Author Bio: Author of Tales From the Black Tank, Liz Wilcox is an Army wife turned RV entrepreneur. When she’s not out exploring the US with her family, you can find her telling jokes and swapping campfire stories. At the end of 2017, she gave up personal space in return for personal freedom, hitting the road in a 2007 Jayco Greyhawk. As a full-time RVer, she has a passion for creating community among campers of all kinds through humor and storytelling. You can learn more and become part of her community at The Virtual Campground.

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