Welcome to travel diaries, the series where we break down the cost of real trips Scoop readers have taken. Today’s installment features a no-frills, all-fun family vacation for $1,250.
The destination: Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park, a network of campgrounds with 78 locations across the country (four in North Carolina).
- The Golden Valley location, which we’ve visited 3 times, is conveniently located in between Asheville and Charlotte at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Vibe: Disney World…on a Great Wolf Lodge budget.
Distance from Charlotte: The drive clocked in at 1 hour and 35 minutes from South Charlotte.
- Coincidentally, that’s the exact amount of time your kids need to fully watch KPop Demon Hunters on their iPads.
Setup: The park consists of 194 Cabins, Tents and RV sites spread across 600+ acres. The campus and itinerary is loaded with fun outdoor adventures and activities loosely centered around the childhood cartoon characters, Yogi, Boo Boo and Cindy.
Note: The website refers to the cabins as “luxury,” but that’s not the word I’d use. It’s good enough for us and we are definitely not campers.
Things to do: We did all of the below, multiple times, over the course of 2 days (mid-Friday to mid-Sunday).
- Splash Pad, 2 Water Slides & a 750 gallon bucket that drops water every few minutes
- Large Pool, 2 Hot Tubs
- Inflatable Wibit Obstacle Course on the lake
- Water Zip Line
- Kayaks, Paddleboards, Fishing
- 18 Hole Putt Putt Course
- Gem Mining
- Ropes Course
- Alpine Coaster
- Laser Tag
- Hiking Trails
- Jumping Pillows
- Sport Courts (Basketball, Tennis, Pickleball)
- Activities: Bingo, Foam Party, Scavenger Hunt, Movie Night
Cost breakdown:
- Cabin – $350/night
- Golf cart – $100 (a must have)
- Food – varied; think pool-side grille
- Splurged on a more premium cabin, “limo” golf cart, gem mining and alpine coaster.
Total: $1,250.41
Pro tip: They have an ICEE-branded machine that can whip up the finest consistency Rum & Coke or Lemonade & Tequila cocktails ($12.84). They’re sneaky strong.
Want to participate? Email brianna@scoopcharlotte.com; I’ll see you a questionnaire.
