Foley, AL – This is only our second stay at a motorcoach only RV Resort, and unlike our first at Naples Motorcoach Resort, we thoroughly enjoyed this one. It helps the price is not outlandish here, while the park and grounds are equally nice. But the biggest difference is that the people are friendly. Everyone we met said “hi” and many stopped to talk, which is in stark contrast to Naples. I also noticed, and this may or may not be related, that the average motorhome here was more, shall we say, accessible in price. Instead of being stacked with Prevosts and Newells and King Aires, there are more Phaetons, Allegro Buses, Dutch Stars and the like at Bella Terra.
This is a gated community. There is no perimeter fence, just landscaping
Bella Terra’s interior roads are wide and in good repair
We stayed in site #256, which was easily long enough for a 45′ motorhome and our Grand Cherokee behind. This site also included a screened-in gazebo, a fire pit and outdoor seating. All utilities worked fine and wifi was usable (4 Mbps). This site is a lake view site, meaning it’s directly on the lake, facing inward. There are also sites further back from the lake. Surprisingly, they allow something many RV resorts/campgrounds do not: washing your own RV. Yes, they charge $5, but that is a small price to pay compared to hiring someone or going to a truck wash.
Our site was nice and wide
We had a nice outdoors sitting area
Sites are a good length
Our site was a pull in that faced the lake
Upon check-in you’re given a list of activities for the week. We attended Mexican potluck night, with Karla making a deconstructed taco in a casserole format. The dinner was very well attended, with about 50 people there. All dishes were homemade and tasty. Many of the people clearly knew each other (not surprising as this is an ownership resort), but we and other renters like us were welcomed. After dinner was an awkward Karaoke party, which I guess can always be shortened to a Karaoke party. I was unfamiliar with most of the music, being both older and country & western. Karla however, being raised on country music, jumped up and performed a rousing rendition of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by The Charlie Daniels band.
Most activities occur in Bella Terra’s clubhouse
Inside the Bella Terra clubhouse
Bella Terra’s pool area
We also went to Friday night bingo…at 4 PM. It has been at least 3 decades since either Karla or I played bingo, and improvements in technology have been made. Instead of using a permanent stamp on a throw-away card, reusable cards were in play, where you simply slide a plastic red tab over the number called. At the end of each round, simply upend the card and bang on the table and voila!…all numbers reset. We were fortunate to be seated at Rosmary’s table, who informed us about these new fangled cards and the all the different types of bingo patterns that may constitute a win.
The gym area
From Bella Terra we visited the Holmes Medical Museum and the Railroad Museum & Model Train Exhibit, both in the nearby town of Foley. We also hiked a number of trails at Gulf State Park, located a few miles south near the Gulf of Mexico. We have written about these activities in the post Gulf Shores & Foley Alabama.
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Date of Stay: January 22 – 29, 2018
Campground website: Bella Terra RV Resort
