Saco/Old Orchard Beach
Every year, we visit Colebrook, New Hampshire. My husband’s uncle has a house up on a mountain overlooking a valley and mountains across the way. The sight is breathtaking. It’s always a shock to me, the next morning, because we get in so late the night before and we can’t see what the darkness has hidden.
In all this beauty there is a downfall. Since the home belongs to family, usually our week vacation is packed with lot more activity than we were hoping for. There is nothing wrong with family but we do occasionally want to have a trip with just us. So the idea of going somewhere else was born…
We went away for the holiday weekend plus a few extra days. Finding a place that wasn’t already booked up (and not a million dollars a night… oh and would take dogs) was not an easy feat. It was extremely difficult deciding where to go as well. We live in Massachusetts and if you are not from around here, the New England area has lots of little states – ahem: lots of options – to choose from. I searched everywhere from upstate New York to the furthest tip of Maine. We finally settled on KOA Campgrounds. There are many of these campgrounds all over the country (and if I’m not mistaken they might be in Canada too). Most of them are pet friendly and have specific Kabins you can have them in. Some even have on-site kennels and dog parks too.
Luckily, I stumbled across the Saco/Old Orchard Beach KOA in Maine. Having never been to Old Orchard Beach (and not really wanting to be faced with millions of tourists) the fall was the perfect time to go. Upon our arrival at almost 9PM, we were greeted with a little envelope with literature about the campground – including a map – and a little note explaining where our Kabin was. The key would be inside and they left the light on for us. The office was closed but they were very on top of things.
We found our Kabin with no problems. In the dark, the roads weren’t clearly defined but I found that to be attributed to its charm. There were tall pines and the campground floor was full of fallen leaves and pine needles. Our Kabin was cozy and all wood. It was pretty rustic – which I like – but next year we’ll probably bring a small rug to soften the place up a little.
On downfall would be the amount of space some of the sites had. Our Kabin was pretty close to two others and on the other side of use were three other camper sites. We were fortunate enough to have those empty the enitre week but had we had neighbors on that site it might have been a little stuffy with the dogs and all. Since we went up on a Thursday night and left on Tuesday afternoon, we had complete quiet and privacy on each end of the week. Highly enjoyable.
Our immediate Kabin neighbors were only there for a couple of days and it turns out they were from the next right next door to where we grew up. They also had two little – very well behaved – girls. The couple was our age and they were a perfect neighborly match. We ended up playing cards both nights they were there and it was nice having a few drinks after the kids went to bed. Before they left, we exchanged numbers and emails so we can plan a game night (or next year’s camping trip). 
All in all, the campground was great. There was a decent sized playground, game room, and in ground pool (even though we didn’t get to use it). The bathrooms were bright and spotless. For a few bucks, you can go to the Merry Moose at the front of the park and pickup a huge stack of pancakes or Belgium waffles. And the staff was extremely helpful and polite… these days, that’s hard to find.
We purchased a KOA card, which with our savings, paid for itself. It’s good for a year so that means next year we’ll be able to go to any KOA and save 10%. I also received an email from the Saco KOA thanking us for staying with them and included was an offer to save 20% during the Spring or Fall season. And on top of paying a nightly fee that’s about HALF the price of staying anywhere else. I’d say this place, along with our vacation, was perfect.
