Beach / No Beach

Griswald One · 03-13-2016, 10:01 AM

Looking for some East Coast suggestions. When I ask my kids what they want to do for camping this year one says "I want to go to the Ocean". The other says "Anything but the Ocean!"

My son, the No side, does have at least some room to complain as we have stayed at the same Myrtle Beach resort several times. But I have to admit I share my daughters love of the crashing waves. The boy would rather be hiking or climbing a rock face somewhere, maybe a little paddling on the side.

Can anyone suggest a compromise location?

Kim Gass · 03-13-2016, 10:13 AM

Try a lake. Sebago Lake SP is near me in Maine. Its got a big lake a beach, not usually crashing waves with paddling right there and hiking and rock climbing in the White Mountains of NH nearby There is also hiking in the park. Mountain nearby that is pretty good.. with nice views.

You want crashing waves.. 45 minutes away is the beach part of the Maine Coast.. and your boy might like SUP paddling on it and Sebago.

Rock climbing.. he can do that around Portland Head Light while you have ajida watching!

Griswald One · 03-13-2016, 05:45 PM

Lakes are a possibility, we are blessed with hundreds of them in Ontario and your suggestion is intriguing, Maine is definetly on our to do list. But it is the surf that we really enjoy, my daughter and I spend hours on our boogie boards.

Kim Gass · 03-13-2016, 07:20 PM

I guess you have a kid balancing act to figure out. Higgins Beach in Scahboro is about half an hour. But even in summer the boarders use wetsuits.

clubhouse · 03-13-2016, 08:20 PM

Can you do both? If you going for a week, maybe extend to 10 days and spend 5 each. If you can't extend, then go 3 one place and 4 another.

Griswald One · 03-14-2016, 04:28 PM

We are considering Wild Acres in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. The area seems to offer a fairly wide variety of activities and includes sites backing onto the Ocean. It is a Sun RV property.

Anyone familiar with it?

Soltice · 03-14-2016, 04:40 PM

Dont think East ,think North
Northern Ontario offers all that and more
Lake Superior is 82500 sq kms and is an Ocean unto itself
here are the link to an adventure

https://www.ontarioparks.com/park/lakesuperior
Agawa Campground - Lake Superior Provincial Park
Rabbit Blanket Lake Campground - Lake Superior Provincial Park
Lake Superior Provincial Park - Camping, Hiking, Kayaking, Backpacking, Canoeing, Pictographs

Naturally Superior Adventures
https://www.naturallysuperior.com/

Look at taking the Voyageur Canoe on a camping trip
or rent canoes or kayaks
this is my back yard
I highly recommend it to anyone

Soltice · 03-14-2016, 07:08 PM

https://youtu.be/X0S-3A-ewI0

Kim Gass · 03-15-2016, 08:24 AM

You will need a drysuit for OOB and for Superior. The standing waves at the mouth of the Micipicoten are fun for those dressed for it and for SUPers with experience. People have died there though. NSA does not have room for RV's But I bet there are places nearby.
I have only stayed at the lodge six or seven times and camped on the beach where driving on is prohibited. I hope NSA has recovered from all the damage it had last winter in a December storm. I know David will be up and running nevertheless.

OOB is a zoo in the summer. You may like that. Its a good hour and a half to rock climbing and mountain hiking is a little closer. The reason is its busy is its is bilingual and mobbed by Quebecois.. Its the closest beach to Montreal and Quebec..both within five hours. You might consider avoiding Construction Holiday ( Quebec... the province basically all goes away)
Just a warning.. if the wind is from the North or West there will be NO surf. If its from the Southwest there will be some but those southerly winds make surfers sing. Or SE.

Ontario Provincial Park rates are really high.. but if you do go there remember that the exchange rate is $72 cents US for each CDN dollar.

TWP723 · 03-15-2016, 08:32 AM

Castaways, OC, Md.

Griswald One · 03-15-2016, 02:58 PM

I like the idea of the Provincial Parks up at Superior and I have promised my son one or two canoe trips this year to get back a little closer to nature so heading up there with him is a possibility. But my bride is an RV Princess... Here first stop on any website is the list of amenities.

I think we are getting closer to a visit to Maine. By bride has set her focus on Wild Acres, although I had pointed out Castaways as a possibility as well.

Interesting that Kim suggests prices at Provinicial Parks are expensive??? $30-40 a night is pretty cheap by Canadian standards. And our parks tend to offer a level of privacy that I have never found in a State Park and certainly not in any private park. Guess it is all a matter of perspective.

As for the dry suit... We breed em hardy in the Great White North... I grew up life guarding on Canadian waterfronts and have swam, trained and competed in many of our lakes... Perhaps I am naïve but I will stick with my bathing suit for now

Kim Gass · 03-15-2016, 03:16 PM

I beg you to update on the Ontario Parks Website.
I am sorry but I don't agree at all on the level of privacy offered in Ontario Parks. At the best its meh. McLeod in Geraldton was about the best.

I have been camping in Ontario since 1967 and they have priced me right out of the market.

Pukaskwa National Park in ON is way more reasonably priced.

Have a sit down and a glass of vino.. You will need it.
https://www.ontarioparks.com/fees/camping/2016

Campground Fees: Reservations: Burea of Parks and Lands: Maine DACF

Most State Parks in New England have very limited or no hookup availability, so that kind of makes the privacy questions moot. They are private. And unserviced.

Lake Superior is cold.. can be deadly cold. Several people I know of have perished of hypothermia there. Lets get rid of the great north stuff. You live south of me.

Agawa is a most unprivate campground but it is pretty. Try for one of the front rows. Otherwise the transport noise from Rt 17 all night can be annoying.

I am coming from a tenting background and for me Provincial Parks that charge $43 for just dirt and a table and no services is really off putting. ( Algonquin Provincial Park.. water lines busted , no change of fees)

Griswald One · 03-15-2016, 04:55 PM

Had a look at water temps in Superior and Maine and admit to my naivety ... Surface temps in August seem to be between 65-70 degrees in both locations. Certainly not warm by any stretch and agreed that those temps are potentially fatal to surfers and boaters. Safe though for beach play and boogie boarding. Perhaps not as enjoyable for my older bones, but the kids won't care. We swim in Lake Simcoe in May most years and the temps are significantly cooler... As for the Great White North stuff... That is Canadian tongue in cheek fun, hence the smiley face

And it is still interesting the cost perspective, cost of living here greatly impacts the value... When we are paying the equivalent of $3.60 a gallon for fuel while our American neighbours are paying $1.80... Well $43 for a camp site seems reasonable in comparison to $25US. Particularily when that site normally comes attached to huge water ways too paddle on, some of the best fishing in the world, kilometres of hiking trails and an abundance of wildlife. Luckily for me, I get to travel and find the benefits of camping on both sides of the border and love them both.

Kim Gass · 03-15-2016, 05:19 PM

Your right.. Clark.. may I call you Clark? Priorities. I love Canada and canoe tripping there. I just grit my teeth at $1.30 a litre and say its vacation.

However I see more moose at home! And the canoeing is pretty good here but I have not found but a few RV campgrounds with access to canoe country. Pretty much all Mainers with an RV head out to the North Maine Woods for canoeing.

But those are unserviced sites and not even a table which might not be to your familys liking. Those are $8 a night. $4 for me as I live here!

OOB is fine but is hardly representative of Maine. To find the real Maine I am afraid you will have to give up electric and water service. A bucket to go to the lake is handy.

I live right across from a pretty neat full service campground on a lake but so far the wakeboard boats have not been able to generate boogie board surf. Why the loons gather around wakeboard boats I have no idea. Last year we had three nesting pair.

I have to congratulate you though for coming "down here" as it costs a lot more. No more do we see the parking lots full of New Brunswick license plates.

Meanwhile I have to figure out how to camp in the desert . With no services and no available water and electric..!

Fire_Instructor · 03-16-2016, 07:04 PM

If you are self-contained well enough to "dry-camp", you may be able to get a site at the Assateague National Park in Maryland. The State Park there is actually nicer, but reservations are typically 364 days out for that place!

izzyshouz · 03-16-2016, 08:25 PM

We stayed at Paradise Park in OOB with a group. It is very clean. Nice mgmnt and a 5:min walk to the pier. We're booked for 4th July. Very busy though. We have teens but they like the beach and the 15 min ride to old port, Portland for walking around.

caroga · 03-17-2016, 06:28 AM

New Jersey shore. A lot of Canadians head to Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and Cape May. Cape May has a couple of good rv parks. In fact Newar has there North East Rally there in the summer. Terrific beaches, boardwalk, good restaurants, etc.

TWP723 · 03-17-2016, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fire_Instructor

If you are self-contained well enough to "dry-camp", you may be able to get a site at the Assateague National Park in Maryland. The State Park there is actually nicer, but reservations are typically 364 days out for that place!

I agree! I tried last March to get a spot there for the Fall of 2015. They told me they're taking reservations for NEXT (this) Spring! Must be nice there!

Soltice · 03-17-2016, 06:52 AM

If you decide on the Lake Superior Provincial Park I enclosed the psrk links to the campgrounds.
Naturally Superior Adventures provides wet suits on request and is only short drive from any of the park ground. ( 20 minutes)
If you are looking for rock climbing there isa school at Batchewanna/Montreal River
Superior Exploration, Adventure & Climbing Co.

Like I said I live here if you have questions shout
there is space to park an RV at NSA but you are boondocking

jloco · 03-17-2016, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griswald One

Had a look at water temps in Superior and Maine and admit to my naivety ... Surface temps in August seem to be between 65-70 degrees in both locations. Certainly not warm by any stretch and agreed that those temps are potentially fatal to surfers and boaters.

I'm not sure if you've ever been to Old Orchard Beach in Maine, but I can tell you first hand that the water at Maine beaches is very cold. It's not much better in New Hampshire either. It never warms up.
You numbers above are accurate for Maine. If you go a bit further south to Cape Cod or Rhode Island, it's totally different. Much warmer ocean temps.

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