Versailles, Kentucky

September 15, 2017

Campground Adventures

We chose Camp on the Kentucky as the campground we would most enjoy in the Lexington area.  It is a small campground (18 sites) right on the Kentucky River that promised level sites and wi-fi.  We checked reviews and found comments describing long and winding country roads getting to the campground, being off the grid, and a warning that no motor home over 30 feet should attempt to get there.  There was also one cranky reviewer who felt disrespected by campground personnel.  We generally appreciate those kinds of campgrounds because we find they protect the campground from unruliness.  There were also more comments about how the campground was quiet and friendly and a wonderful experience.  So, we reserved our spot.

Our GPS couldn’t find the campground’s address but we had directions from the campground’s website and thought we’d be okay by programming in the town’s name to get us to the general area.  We left the Blue Grass Parkway and traveled down the promised long and windy country roads.  They were also quite narrow.

And, both the navigator and driver forgot the navigation system wasn’t guiding us to an exact address until we passed the [need we say narrow and winding?] road leading to the campground.  It turns out that Versailles, Kentucky is the mailing address for the campground which is actually located 12 miles away in the community of Nonesuch. [Reputedly named for its agricultural excellence.  “We knew no such place that grew so well.”]  We unintentionally explored 26 more miles of narrow and winding roads getting back to the road to the campground.  [It takes significant real estate to turn around a motor home and towed car together measuring 60 feet.]

We swapped driving responsibilities but neither of us experienced much relief because of our active imaginations.  What if we met another rig our size or inadvertently eased too close to the shoulder with its drop off steep enough to upset the RV?  We had finally managed to get navigational guidance using GPS coordinates and we were disconcerted when we were instructed to turn right in 800 feet as we passed the sign below.

The road must have been a little longer or the instructions a little generous because we made it to the campground safely.  The level site would have been level for a shorter unit, but the slope on our assigned lot required four pads under the front jacks.  The coach looked as if it were taking off with its front tires lifted off the ground.  We were off the grid:  No cell service, wi-fi, or TV of any kind (over the air, cable or satellite).  But the campground  was in a beautiful location and the staff was friendly.  When we sat on the porch and chatted for a few minutes, a resident who had followed us to the campground even complimented us on our handling of the roads.