We miss Airbnbs!
We have seen tons of articles lately about "Airbnb horror stories." Most of them include tenants finding hidden cameras that were not disclosed by the hosts, or complaints about the ever-rising cleaning fees, along with the lists of chores that hosts expect tenants to do in addition to paying the fee. Then we have the stories of travelers flying thousands of miles, only to show up to an Airbnb that already has people staying in it, or worse, doesn't exist at all.
It's easy to read these articles and think "Wow, I'm so glad I have my home-on-wheels when I travel!" Admittedly, we do think that sometimes. But, long before we became RVers, we took road trips, and on those road trips, Airbnbs were our go-to accommodations. We have to say, none of these horror stories ever happened to us. Granted, they are rare. That's the problem with the media; they'll publish the few extra-dramatic stories because no one wants to read a story with the headline: "I stayed at an Airbnb and everything was exactly as expected." Boring! But, actually staying at those places is anything but boring. Over the years, we came to find Airbnbs were the best fit for our travel lifestyle. We could often have entire houses to ourselves, and sometimes we even discovered some rather unique and quirky accommodations that added to the road trip experience. In fact, Airbnb caught onto visitors' thirst for distinctive dwellings and now have an "OMG!" category as part of their website search. The search results yield availabilities for all kinds of places, from dome houses, to modern cabins, to train cars, to abandoned airplanes! Or, if you want to narrow your search to something equally "OMG" but more specific, you can search for only dome houses, or container houses, or treehouses, or castles...you get the picture.
After we posted our last blog post, highlighting the over-water cabins at Santee State Park, we began reminiscing about our road trip days, pre-RV. We found some amazing abodes back then, both on and off Airbnb, and there is no doubt in our minds that these nights greatly impacted our decision to travel full-time. We've noticed lots of similarities between searching for an Airbnb and searching for a campsite. Even though now, we have our home with us, we still look for sites that have unique features or are extra cozy. We had even spent nights in Airbnbs that had RV and marine toilets, giving us great practice for our current bathroom situation. Also, during our full-time travel life, we sometimes find ourselves without our rig, like when it's getting repairs. If we are going to be out of our trailer for a while, we like to spend our time in an Airbnb, and brownie points if it's got something special to it.
So far, since we launched full-time, we have stayed in four Airbnbs:
This guest house in Mocksville, North Carolina:
This bungalow in Syracuse, Indiana:
This lake house in Eau Claire, Michigan:
And this A-Frame in Evergreen, Colorado:
When we're displaced from our RV, we have more restrictions on our Airbnb than we did when we were just vacationing. First off, our pets are with us, so we need to make sure the Airbnb is pet-friendly. We have noticed, even in the past couple of years, that more and more hosts are starting to allow pets, and we can't help but wonder if this is because of RV and van life's influences. We also choose based on proximity to wherever our trailer is being serviced. Lastly, we need space for way more belongings than we used to pack on vacation. There are items that we can't and don't leave in our trailer for long periods of time, and we also work while we're displaced from our trailer. This not only means bringing our computers and any other work materials we may need, but it entails bringing along multiple harps and mobile music studio equipment!
Despite these restrictions, we do try our best to find places that will make us feel comfortable. Even better when they have features that set it apart from run-of-the-mill accommodations. Our Mocksville Airbnb had a pool and nature trail. The Syracuse bungalow was walking distance to a lake. The Eau Claire home was literally on the lake! And the Evergreen A-frame boasted unique architecture and some cool features like a deck with a view, and a hot tub.
So far, we've had decent luck with our Airbnb choices since we've been on the road. There will always be a few things here and there that we aren't fans of, but this is mainly because of the fact that these places aren't ours. We've come to appreciate having our trailer set up exactly the way that functions best for us. The site we park it in is just bonus.
We thought it would be fun to include in this blog post a trip down memory lane, where we show you some of our favorite and most unique accommodations that we stayed in during our pre-RV road trips, and then some of our most unique campsites since we began traveling with our RV.
Airbnb honorable mentions
Our cozy villa in Iceland (Western Iceland/Golden Circle Road Trip, October 2017)
Our Iceland Airbnb was absolutely stunning, with its tall ceilings, giant fireplace, and large deck with a hot tub and view. Unfortunately, the thing we remember most about this house was how insanely sulfurous their hot water was. The homes in Iceland get their hot water from geothermal springs, which contain sulfur, so that part makes sense. Only, we're pretty sure the hot water systems are supposed to have mechanisms that tame the sulfur smell, so that one's hair does not stink like rotten eggs for days thereafter. That said, if we can put the olfactory memories aside, this is exactly the type of place that best served us for our Icelandic road trip – a cozy, chic home where we could warm up by the fireplace after a long day of adventuring.
Our houseboat on Yellow Ferry Dock in Sausalito, CA (West Coast Road Trip, July 2018)
We couldn't go to Sausalito and not stay in a houseboat when given the chance! This was a guesthouse owned by a couple who lived in the houseboat next door. It was absolutely adorable, but houseboats are most definitely an acquired taste. We were not prepared for the constant creaking and rocking whenever the waves hit! Also, the whole house smelled like a mixture of aquatic plants and black tank. Perhaps the marine toilet prepared us for a life we didn't know we would have! Needless to say, we did not sleep very well those nights, but we still talk about this Airbnb as by far one of the most unique we've stayed in.
The Elkon, OR yurt (West Coast Road Trip, July 2018)
The yurt that made us fall in love with yurts, only to be disappointed by all other yurts because this one was absolute perfection. It's situated on a vineyard, and once the winery closes, the gates close and there is nothing but darkness and silence. There isn't even any cell service! It was eerie at first; we kept saying this is how horror movies start. But once we got used to the sensory deprivation, we snuggled in for the best night's sleep we have ever had. We have tried so many times to replicate that "nestled in nature" feel with the RV, hoping to turn off all the sights and sounds and cocoon ourselves under the covers for a sweet sweet slumber. We have gotten close, but to this day, the yurt-level quality sleep remains unreachable.
The Whimsical Stone Abode in Sandgate, VT (Anthony's New England birthday road trip, February 2020)
Our last road trip before the world shut down brought us to NH, VT, and upstate NY. It was supposed to be Anthony's birthday trip - and it was!!! - but we did double-duty when the opportunity arose to buy a harp that had remained elusive up until that point. So this officially marks the first Airbnb that we ever brought a harp! This already made the stay extra unique, as our host happened to be a retired music teacher, and so we invited her and her husband over for some peaceful music by the fireplace. She said it was the first time she was ever invited into her own home! But, the most unique aspect of all, was that this house was an all-stone dome house constructed by the hosts. This "hobbit house" was an incredible getaway in nature, and for certain one of the quirkiest Airbnbs we've stayed in to date.
Non-Airbnb Honorable Mentions
Though we often turned to Airbnb to find unique and cozy accommodations, we had some luck with other sites, such as booking.com, which began offering more than just hotels around the time road trips became our favorite way to travel. VRBO hadn't yet hit the mainstream, but even some private websites were devoted specifically to renting out houses. It's funny to think how far vacation home rentals have come even in a handful of years.
Our campground cabin in Trinidad, CA (West Coast Road Trip, July 2018)
Betcha wouldn't have guessed that our first stay at an RV park was in 2018! Nicole was feeling a bit funky when booking our West Coast Road Trip accommodations, and these adorable cabins showed up on booking.com. They ended up being one of our favorite places during that trip. We've yet to RV the Pacific Northwest, but we always envisioned going back to this campground with our RV...or at least we did, until we read a bunch of reviews that said the RV part of this park was no bueno, despite the cabins being awesome. Hmm. Too bad we couldn't predict the future when we went, because then we could have checked out the RV sites in person. C'est la vie. We already have some other highly recommended campgrounds for when we do make it back to the Redwoods, so we'll be ready when that time comes.
Our exquisite modern home overlooking the Gold Coast in Port Orford, OR (West Coast Road Trip, July 2018)
This home was owned by an architect, and he strategically designed the house so that the ocean views were the main focus. Also, absolutely no sunset we've seen has topped the ones we saw from this deck.
Our most unique and special RV campsites
We have a running list of our favorite campsites, but some don't quite fall into the "unique" category. We're thinking sites that had something unequivocally one-of-a-kind. Some sites might have a water view, but others have an unforgettable water view. Some have features that we can't get in many places, and some were even a surprise when we arrived to our campsite! (For this purpose, we are not including any Harvest Hosts or Boondockers Welcome stays, as these are not usually campsites, although many are quite unique in their own right. HipCamp sites, however, are included).
The Christmas Tree Farm, Hershey, PA (Maiden Voyage, October 2021)
We booked this Christmas Tree Farm stay on HipCamp, and the rows are cleared so small RVs and tent campers can park anywhere among the trees. We opted to park where the larger vehicles fit, at the front of the property, but we still had all the little pine trees surrounding us, and in the distance, views of horses. This was the first night where we caught a glimpse of what RV life could look like at its best. We had nature at our doorstep and serenity at our feet.
Honeysuckle Meadows, Sevierville, TN (Season 1, May-June 2022)
Our beloved wonky site, where we backed into a pull-in, but then had a backyard that was to die for. We had a giant field almost entirely to ourselves, barn views to the back and mountain views to the side, and best of all, nightly lightshows put on by the fireflies.
Jackass Flats, Alpine, TX (Season 2, February 2023)
The site itself wasn't special; it was actually quite minimalistic. But the view out the back was of these dudes. If that's not unique, we don't know what is!
Gilbert Ray Campground, Tucson, AZ (Season 2, February 2023)
We had to do some tricky maneuvering to fit into this campsite, but we could not give it up once we saw it. The saguaro cacti, of course, are wonderfully unique, but our site was a stand-out. We had a massive picnic pavilion with electricity and light! We wonder if this was a group picnic area once upon a time, because unless 20 people are RVing in a rig under 34ft in length, this was extreme. And we loved it!
Las Vegas Bay Campground, Boulder City, NV (Season 2, March and April 2023)
Two separate stays at adjacent campsites overlooking this incredible canyon in Lake Mead Recreation area. The views were unique, we had nearby desert bluff trails, and our neighbors were coyotes.
Cottonwood Campground, Twentynine Palms, CA (Season 2, March 2023)
Our campsite at Joshua Tree National Park was all bite and no park...or something like that. The parking space was just a small outcropping of the campground road, so small that we ended up parking our truck at the bathhouse. However, beyond the asphalt was ample space to spread out. We didn't have our tent yet, or else this would have been a perfect place to pitch it. Instead, we set up our sunbrella and enjoyed the desert sand. Still to this day one of our favorite back yards...or is it side yard?
Salmon Lake State Park, Seeley Lake, MT (Season 2, June 2023)
The first of our two back-to-back lakefront sites that will go down in history. Of the two, Salmon Lake was our lesser favorite, but it was more unique. Like Cottonwood Campground, this too was a crescent-shaped site, but actually large enough for us to tow into. There were only two sites on this side of the state park, and we never had any neighbors, so we felt like we owned this entire part of the park. To add to the uniqueness was our gorgeous wood pavilion and our private lake access. Bougie camping!
Lolo Lakeside, Seeley Lake, MT (Season 2, June 2023)
This campsite reigns supreme in our books, but it also makes the list of our most special and unique sites. When we booked it, only group campsites were available, but they still allowed a minimum of only one person. We paid twice the amount of money as a single occupancy site, but it was worth every. single. penny. Once again, the yard was the prize. The parking spot was certainly large enough, but it was just an angled back-in along the campground road. Well, that was the parking spot we chose, at least. Because it was a group site, we actually had a few places to choose from. Let's just say we could have had about 6 Clydes.
Because it was a group site, the camping area was massive. Room for three tents, just as many picnic tables and a gorgeous fire ring. The whole site had views of Lake Alva and all that that entails: Fish, birds, loons, mountains, and mist. We had private lake access. Our neighbors were so far away that we could barely see or hear them. And, to top it all off, we had our own private hiking trail. Aesthetically, this campsite was spectacular, no question, but energy-wise, we felt a peacefulness here that we've been hard-pressed to find anywhere else in our travels. The connection we had to this part of Montana was almost spiritual.
Medicine Lodge Archaeological Site, Hyattville, WY (Season 2, August 2023)
A huge grass site with a huge patio and a huge rock that looks like a boat. Yeah, that pretty much sums up our site at Medicine Lodge. This goes down in history as one of our most unique campsites ever, especially because that giant rock was the feature we never knew we wanted.
Arch Rock Campground, Moorcroft, WY (Season 2, August 2023)
From one awesome rock to the next! When we arrived to our campsite at Arch Rock in Keyhole State Park, we knew we'd have water access, but we did not know that the campground's namesake rock would be in our site. It was really cool!
Salida East Campground, Salida, CO (Season 2, September-October 2023)
We may have had some issues with the campground as a whole, but our site was extraordinary. We had a huge gravel picnic area, and beyond that, a whole separate area for a tent (which we did not pitch...wasted opportunity). Then, off the back were views galore: Look up and see a mountain; look down and see the Arkansas River. This was also by far the highest our patio had ever sat. It was more like a balcony.
We're really glad that we've been able to find uniqueness and natural flair in many of our RV campsites, but we admit, one of our favorite parts of our road trip vacations was finding all different kinds of accommodations. It certainly kept our trips interesting. So do we miss the Airbnb life? We miss getting to experience places that we would never actually choose to live, like the dome house or houseboat. We like stepping outside our comfort zones, like when we stayed in the yurt with no communication with the outside world. But on the flip side, we had to worry about constantly packing and unpacking. We had to get our bearings in each new place, all the way down to finding all the light switches! We also had the aggravations of certain items not functioning properly or the houses not being in full working order.
Now, we know that wherever we go, we have everything we need, and we keep our travels interesting in new ways. Not many people can wake up in the morning in their own bed and yet have a new view out their window. We don't think we'll ever tire of seeing our home in so many different places, especially when they're as unique as all the ones we listed here. The best part of all of this, though, is that at the end of the day, we can have the Airbnb life too, if that's what we want. If we feel like packing our bags and venturing over to an OMG! accommodation for a little side-adventure, we can! We can make our nomadic life exactly the way we want, and that's the most special part of it all.