Celebrate Thanksgiving at an RV Park

Turkey in a Trash Can at Top of the Hill RV Park

Just like each family has its Thanksgiving traditions, many RV parks have Thanksgiving traditions of their own. Just because you are at an RV Park this Thursday doesn't mean you can't celebrate Thanksgiving. From traditional Thanksgiving dinners to early Christmas celebrations, the events listed belong are just a sampling of the events available this Thanksgiving weekend.

Texas

Top of the Hill RV Resort

If you happen to be in the Texas Hill Country this Turkey Day, be sure to check out the Turkey in a Trashcan event at Top of the Hill RV Resort in Boerne, Texas. This year they are cooking six turkeys (that's about 126 pounds of turkey meat!) in trash cans. According to Eddie Cuello, the manager at Top of the Hill:

Under the cover of the six trash cans, the magic will be at work roasting each of the 21 pound turkeys. Many of the friends that come to Top of the Hill RV Resort’s Thanksgiving event have returned for six years now to the smell of incredibly delicious turkeys cooking in the open pit and the great feeling generated by the people sharing Thanksgiving together. It is a tradition that not only supports our community of seasonal and full time RVers, but of any person who wishes to join us.

The cooking of the turkeys is a show unto itself. When guests watch the process of making Turkey in a Trash Can for the first time, they are amazed that a 20+lb turkey can cook in two hours and be done just right plus be extra juicy! First timers discuss and debate whether such a process really works, while the experienced guests take time to explain the workings and stories of similar ways to cook. You can smell the aroma of the cooking turkeys and hear the sounds of crackling and sizzling as the fire cooks the turkeys to perfection. After great anticipation, the time comes for the turkeys to be unveiled. When the trash cans are lifted, cheers, clapping, and “ooohhs and aaahhs” are heard around the campfire. The wagers are met with pleasing affirmations of “I told you they are cooked and look how great they look!” The turkeys are removed from the stakes and put on serving platters where the meat is allowed to sit a little longer just before the carving for the guests. The Thanksgiving meal is served in the enclosed Pavilion where tables are decorated and set-up to accommodate the attending guests. Everyone brings a dish to share for the grand gourmet pot luck dinner. After grace, guests eagerly line up to experience the mouth savoring Turkey in a Trash Can along with all the rest of the Thanksgiving trimmings. It is a gathering of family and friends. Laughter, stories, companionship are shared. Many guests have told us that they are truly blessed to be able to share in this wonderful experience of Turkey in a Trash Can; they keep coming back to Top of the Hill RV Resort!

Jellystone Hill Country

Also in Texas Hill Country is Jellystone Hill Country in Canyon Lake, where Thanksgiving has become a traditionfor many of their guests. Wednesday starts with pie baking (a little wine and cheese while the pies bake).  Thursday consists of Yogi providing Turkey -- lots of Turkey. Last year they cooked 22!  Each family brings a couple of side dishes and they have a big potluck!  Football games are shown on the big screen.  There are activities on Friday and Saturday as well as Hey Hey Rides and games.  It is like one big family!

Georgia

Pine Mountain, an RVC Outdoor Destination

Join Pine Mountain, an RVC Outdoor Destination, for their annual Thanksgiving dinner – “Gobbler and Cobbler Feast 2010”

This special dinner is a collaborative effort between our office and their  guests. They  provide meats and dressing or stuffing, and our guests are invited to bring their favorite traditional side dishes to go along. Dinner will be served at 1:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving day, and the festivities will continue until every guest is stuffed!

After dinner, guests are encouraged to sit around the fire pits to relish and enjoy this fall holiday. Coffee, beer, and wine is available at the community lodge, and don’t forget about the game room for the kids!

Pine Mountain, an RVC Outdoor Destination, is a new concept of outdoor hospitality described as “your ideal natural environment mixed with your favorite hotel experience.” It’s just an hour south of Atlanta and around the corner from the famous Callaway Gardens, making it a fantastic  weekend escape. The property is thoughtfully designed to preserve the natural beauty that surrounds it, while providing high quality accommodations, amenities and service. Your “favorite hotel experience” is brought to life with the destination’s concierge service, saline swimming pool, coffee, beer, and wine bar, free Wi-Fi, bark park, and more. Lodging options include the trendy and unique yurts, fully furnished cabins, and concrete and pull-through RV Sites with full hook-ups, 50 amp service, and cable.

South Carolina

Jellystone Park at River Bottom Falls

The Thanksgiving celebration at Jellystone Park at River Bottom Falls begins the Friday after Thanksgiving with a family movie at 7 pm followed by a Community Campfire and Marshmallow Roast at 9. Saturday is filled with activities for the whole family including kid's crafts, a family scavenger hunt, Hey Rides, Candy Bar Bingo and Thanksgiving Dinner in the Park followed by the USC v. Clemson football game. On Sunday morning, join Yogi and Booboo for breakfast as they carboload for their long winter nap, then help put them to bed. Click here for more details.

Missouri

Beagle Bay RV Haven & Campground

(formerly W.A.C. RV Park)

Beagle Bay, located in Sacroxie,  is hosting their first Holiday Mall & Craft Show will from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 26, with the doors open to vendors for set-up at 7 a.m. The event will be held in their new event hall. Two separate rooms, have been turned into one large, 30 x 70 room with new carpeting, new electrical wiring, a stage and dance floor, and a dual lighting system -- general fluorescent lighting and wall sconces on dimmer switches for mood lighting. The event hall will be available for RV clubs, class reunions, family reunions, wedding receptions and dances, birthday parties and much more.

California

Manchester Beach KOA

Over in Manchester, they have a weekend full of Thanksgiving events starting with their pot luck at 5 pm on Thanksgiving Day. The KOA provides deep fried turkeys, so guests just need to bring a dish to share. Then, on the Friday after Thanksgiving, Santa will make a visit and park guests can join him on a hay ride around the park while singing Christmas songs and enjoying all the beautiful Christmas lights around the park. You can continue singing at karaoke night on Saturday. Paint the fence and ice cream socials occur throughout the weekend.

We will soon run a guest blog post from Sheri at Smitty's Info about cooking Thanksgiving dinner in a camper.  Then we will continue our RVing with Kids series with a post from Margie Lundy of the Lundy 5. There will also be a post about RV Park Christmas events, so if you know of any RV Park Christmas events we should feature please contact nicole at rvparking dot com.