Room with a View

Now that we’re feeling more established with our wonderful new van, we’re branching out into experiencing a wider variety of sites, which we absolutely love. It may not be to everyone’s taste, but we really are finding the “simpler” approach to trips away is something we’re enjoying. Staying on more basic sites was something we had previously really stayed away from, having become very used to club and mainstream sites and everything they offer.

There is no denying that we’re well and truly blessed with where we live. We have made wonderful new friends from all over the country along our journey, lots of which shadow this thought. You really don’t always need to venture hundreds of miles for a quality experience or some much-needed downtime. We have historically almost felt compelled to make trips as far from home as we could realistically reach within cost and time constraints at that point. It was during the COVID pandemic that we felt it was more sensible to stay that bit closer to home, as there were ongoing restrictions in place and such. During these trips staying within an hour or two drive from home, we re-evaluated the need for travelling long distances.

Although we still adore trips further afield, too. However, maybe just a little less so in the sight of not feeling so “compelled” to need to go so far.

Living in Cornwall amongst such spectacular surroundings is something that we had entirely taken for granted until we got into the world of touring with our caravans. We both readily acknowledge that we have seen far more of our beautiful county since venturing out in our caravan, than either of us had ever before. It’s fair to say that Cornwall offers a reasonable choice in the way of more mainstream and/or club sites. However, what we do have is a plethora of smaller and more basic sites, such as certified locations. These range from being very simplistic and are only a few pounds per night, to some that are more well equipped but still prove to be a very reasonably priced alternative.

Something I’m sure we’ve mentioned before is the number of hours we have spent over time looking at and researching caravan brands and layouts. We have done so online, at a variety of dealerships and large organised events, such as the NEC Caravan and Motorhome Show.

Whilst there are many reasons, one of the big factors that have always attracted us to the Bailey brand is the large front window, which has been a signature Bailey design for some years. We can wholeheartedly say that the new Bailey front infinity window is just an absolute triumph for the customer and an accolade for their design and engineering processes. As “the nation’s favourite”, Bailey of Bristol has an amazingly friendly ethos. They actively engage with their audience and customer base. We were beyond excited when we were invited to attend the release of the Unicorn S5 range in July 2021 at the Bailey factory in Bristol.

The new infinity window is much lower at the front and is, therefore, in line with the top of the front table. It also goes higher into the roofline and is overall 50% larger than the previous front window. This design absolutely ensures a perfect uninterrupted view, whether it be from the sofa, the kitchen whilst cooking or making that all-important morning tea or coffee, or even from the bed right at the back of the van (in our layout). There is nothing so simplistically magical about sitting in bed with your morning coffee and watching the sun rise over a stunning backdrop a view. Or indeed, sitting on the sofa of an evening maybe with your favourite tipple and watching the sunset or even the night stars.

Our journey, our experiences, and our choice of holidays have drastically changed over the last few years. These changes have often come down to the simple fact that with every caravan purchase, the onboard facilities have improved. This has meant choices of more simplistic sites, for example. We find ourselves just totally in our element in our “home from home”, exploring new areas of our home county, seeing new views and finding places we’ve never had a reason to visit before. We also massively enjoy venturing further afield to completely new places, revisiting childhood jaunts, meeting new people and making new friends. No matter where we go or how far we travel, it’s always reassuring to know that we have our own familiar space and belongings with us.

We’ve recently been to a Caravan and Motorhome Club certified location called Castle View, which is approximately only 15 miles from home, and what a find! This site is a more well-equipped CL site which offers EHU and serviced pitches with your water and wastewater drain. It has no toilets or shower facilities, so you remain self-sufficient, but with all services required to do so provided on the pitch. Each pitch is generously sized and has its own picnic-style bench for your sole use. Each pitch even had its own lit Christmas tree for the festive season. The site is perfectly positioned to offer some absolutely stunning views overlooking St Michael’s Mount, which is beautifully lit at night (only on specific days). We found ourselves just sitting and watching the view endlessly… the infinity window wholly lent itself to such amazing surroundings.

We are so pleased with our Unicorn Cartagena and are looking forward to all the new adventures ahead!

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