VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Big cities present big challenges for RVers.

Not only is traffic typically horrible, but there’s hardly ever a place to stay near the city center -- legally anyway.

In the past, we struggled mightily trying to find RV parks in places like Houston, Denver and Los Angeles. And when we did find a fantastic park in New Orleans (the French Quarter RV Resort) it was expensive.

Vancouver, on the other hand, has a nice and comparatively affordable option: Capilano River RV Park just across Burrard Inlet in West Vancouver. You’re just steps away from Lions Gate Bridge, offering easy bicycle and pedestrian access to Stanley Park and downtown Vancouver.

We stayed at Capilano River RV Park on a beautiful Sunday after we finished up a trip to the Sunshine Coast. It was a bustling place, predominantly European visitors filling up the facility’s 200-plus sites. Full hookup sites go for $68 per night USD.

For that you get a compact, but fairly private site with a picnic table, water, sewer and electricity. The park has a nice pool -- crowded with kiddos on a warm summer day -- as well as a hot tub, TV lounge, laundry, shower house and propane filling station.

West Vancouver has lots of its own attractions. Ambleside Park is right next door, with walking paths and fantastic views of the Salish Sea.

Capilano Regional Park and the famed Capilano Suspension Bridge are nearby. Grouse Mountain, which offers excellent hiking, is just a little bit farther away in the coast mountains.

And if you’re comfortable riding a bike in the city, the trip over Lions Gate Bridge is a thrill. You travel high above Burrard Inlet and can get to Stanley Park in no time. From there, it’s a short hop into downtown.

We used Capilano River RV Park as a comfortable home base to hang out after our epic journey on the Sunshine Coast. While we were there, Leslie cooked an amazing dinner -- salmon prepared three ways, from a 16-pound Chinook she had landed just days earlier.

It was a spectacular meal and stay. You’ll find more reviews of RV resorts we’ve stayed at on our blog. Go to spokesman.com/blogs/going-mobile.

 

Nothing close in Seattle

Last week, we asked readers for RV park recommendations in Seattle. We got skunked --  probably because the Emerald City has no great options.

Nothing is close to downtown. On the east side, two RV parks are situated near Lake Sammamish: Vasa Park Resort and Trailer Inns. Issaquah Village RV Park is a little farther down the road.

Lynnwood has Twin Cedars RV Park, and Bothell has Lake Pleasant RV Park. To the south, there’s a KOA in Kent near Sea-Tac. That’s pretty much it.

 

Northern California Coast

A while back, we asked for some Northern California recommendations and faithful reader Howard Braham came through. He’s traveled the route extensively with his wife, Donna.

Here’s Howard’s can’t-miss list: Jedediah Smith and Del Norte Coast redwoods state parks near Crescent City. “The real fun starts about 20 miles or so south of Crescent City near Klamath, Calif., heading into Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park,” Howard writes, saying views of the big trees and hiking trails are outstanding.

Some more recommendations include Battery Point Lighthouse at Crescent City,  Patrick’s Point near Trinidad; Fort Humboldt, Bodega Bay, Dillon Beach and Point Reyes National Seashore.

Nice list, Howard! We’ll check it all out this fall.

 

This week’s Going Mobile question

We’ve settled in to our 2017 Thor Gemini, but occasionally have vehicle envy when we see cool retro trailers. What’s your RV crush? If you could, what would you upgrade to? Send your responses to goingmobile@spokesman.com.

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