Nah, I was just kidding. You know hotels often lure you in with strategic shots, but did you know campgrounds sometimes do the same thing?
They do. And it's hilarious.
As I've mentioned before, I spend quite a bit of free time researching places we can go in our Airstream for the weekend. Arizona has a lot of state parks that look like they'd be fun to explore, so I've checked out Patagonia, Lake Havasu, and Kartchner Caverns so far. These are viable options for some winter excursions. However, most of the parks take their campsite photos in rather lush times of the year, so their photos probably do not accurately show what the sites will look like when we get there in January or February.
See for yourself. Here's campsite #3 at Lake Havasu State park according to their reservation website.
Pretty huh? Love it. Lots of lush trees (for Arizona) surround the site, and the blue water provides a beautiful view.
Well take a look at that same site as shown on CampsitePhotos.com, my go-to site for real photos of campsites almost anywhere in the country.
Is that even the same place? Or how about campsite #14 at Patagonia State Park per their website.
Then here's what it looks like on CampsitePhotos:
Not bad, but still not the same. The first photo makes the site seem isolated and private, but like almost everywhere in Arizona, our wispy trees aren't made for privacy. Or shade.
I realize seasons and times of day certainly have a lot to do with the differences in the photos, but my point is--without sounding like a commercial for CampsitePhotos (though I'd be up for that, guys!)--a person could consistently end up disappointed if they made their reservations based solely on the photos shown on the reservation sites. In almost all cases, doing more research makes for a happier camper.
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