Normandy Farms/VisitingNewEngland small business partnership - Local Small Business Stories
Normandy Farms Offers an Exceptional Family Campground Experience
in
Foxborough, Massachusetts (Near Boston)
Pools at
the Normandy
Farms Recreation Lodge. Photo source: Normandy Farms.
Article and photos by Eric Hurwitz.
Article
created on 6/14/2018.
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Who knew that the agricultural business seed planted by Francis Daniels
in 1759 at a modest farm in Foxborough,
Mass., would eventually blossom into Normandy Farms,
a world class RV campground resort tucked away in the woods between
Boston and Cape Cod?
Spanning nine generations, the Daniels family has gone from
operating a
dairy farm and raising chickens and sheep to transforming, in 1971, the
open 100
wooded acres into what would become an all inclusive camping
destination. The beauty of
Normandy Farms is that the Daniels family not only offers many kinds of
camping
units -- with myriad amenities including sewer, water, electric, WiFi
and cable TV -- but also cater to those who seek none of it and just
want a more, no frills rustic experience. Although
many visitors prefer bringing their own RVs or tents, others cannot
resist the onsite accommodations like the deluxe onsite cabin and yurt
rentals.
Cabin rental from Normandy Farms. Photo credit: Normandy Farms.
These wonderful places to stay offer heat/AC, a fireplace, flat screen
television, and large deck. Most of the rental
units are pet-friendly, too! The yurts offer an
added bonus with splendid pond views...
Pond at Normandy Farms. Photo credit: Normandy Farms.
The amenities often surpass those high profile resorts that think
they're really good. Normandy Farms Campground offers two Olympic-sized
outdoor
pools, a heated outdoor pool, and an indoor pool with a double jacuzzi.
The campground also features a sauna, daily
massages, yoga,
fishing, an 18-hole disc course, fitness
center, arcade, picnic area, guided bike and hiking tours, a dog park
(complete with agility equipment, a dog wash and fountain), a bike park
with jump line, pump track and skill course, and more than enough seasonal
activities to please all generations from early spring to late
fall.
"Parents love the freedom and that children can
safely play
at the playground, bike park or at the pool or at recreation center
activities," said
Kristine Daniels, marketing director and an
owner at Normandy Farms. "They love everything we have to offer. We
have a high number of returning guests."
Indoor pool and jacuzzi at the Normandy Farms Recreation Lodge.
The 20,000 sq.
ft. post and beam Recreation Lodge and surrounding area offer the
majority of campground activities, including
billiards, indoor and outdoor movies in the Creative Arts Center, separate
cozy loft areas for kids and adults, July
4th, Halloween and Thanksgiving events, food
truck festivals, paint nights, wellness
weekends, and the aforementioned pools, jacuzzi
and sauna. Normandy Farms also offers old
campground standbys
like a softball field, playgrounds, shuffleboard, bocce,
horseshoes, tennis, volleyball sites, and basketball.
Softball field at Normandy Farms.
The jam-packed but spacious and comfortable General Store/Welcoming
Center offers groceries, frozen foods, candy and snacks. apparel and
accesories, Normandy Farms Campground souvenirs and
places to
sit by the big picture windows overlooking open spaces.
Welcoming center and general store at Normandy Farms.
Additionally, the open-air snack bar offers breakfast, lunch and
dinner items along with ice cream. Whether a juicy burger with crispy
fries to regional favorites like New England lobster and fish and
chips, the food options surpass many other campgrounds offerings.
Normandy Farms
also takes its a step farther by offering food delivery to campsites!
Lisa Stranahan, a Walpole, Mass., resident, says
she and her family can never get enough of Normandy Farms Campground.
"We have been going here every year since Sara (daughter now in high
school) was a toddler," said Lisa. "Wonderful place, filled with so
much to do, for every age group. Activities for all ages, with every
weekend having a particular theme. The grounds are beautiful and every
building, including bathrooms, are immaculate. Huge activity center,
huge and well stocked gift shop, dog park, bike park, multiple pools, a
pond, walking trails....too much to list! Even though Foxborough is so
close, you feel as though you are a million miles away! Absolutely love
it there!"
Normandy Farms is a place to do everything, or simply nothing --
whether by
the large stone fireplace in the lodge's lofts, or in the scenic,
solitude expanses of Mother Nature.
The remarkable thing about Normandy Farms is that the
overall experience never feels pretentious or contrived. At its
foundation,
Normandy Farms still looks like a traditional campground yet somehow
embeds so many 21st century amenities within
a classic family vacation template. No one working at Normandy Farms
forces anyone
to have "fun," the way some resorts aggressively market to vacationers
ironically looking to "get away from it all." Although Normandy Farms
bills itself as "New England's Luxury Campground Camping Destination,"
the reality is that many who come here can easily attain a low-key
camping experience, if they choose. Either way, the timeless
tradition of family camping can be fully realized here. The
simple joys of conversation and bonding over a firepit under the big
starry sky in the great outdoors does a family good!
RV site at Normandy Farms. Photo credit: Normandy Farms.
Additionally, many families find
the campground affordable and much more budget-friendly than luxury
hotels, resorts and inns. From tent sites with no hookups to more
developed campsites, the choices cater to every family budget. A
lower-cost solution: the Normandy
Farms pop up trailers that can sleep up to six, and be set up on the
site of your choice.
Pop up trailer at Normandy Farms. Photo credit: Normandy Farms.
Many also love the elevated safari tents, too, which combine the
traditional tent with more upscale surroundings...
Elevated safari tent at Normandy Farms. Photo credit: Normandy
Farms.
Much of Normandy Farms' delicate balance of combining a long
established
campground with a modern resort succeeds through a caring staff and
pride of
ownership set forth by nine generations of a family-owned business.
Whether a farm of the past or a campground of the future, each
generation of the Daniels family
has set forth a vision and belief in the American Dream by providing a
valuable service. There's no doubt the Daniels family cultivates its
campground with a love for its customers and as a personal business
career choice that is more a lifestyle than a job. Kristine's dad, Al,
is a prime example of that work ethic, working various sweat-producing
tasks out in the fields and by the campsites, thus defying his
70-something age. The Daniels family
might employ more than 125 and over 400 campsites, but the
family-oriented neighborhood campground model comes across as a
close-knit camping vacation community.
"I attribute much of our success to being family owned and operated for
nine generations," said Daniels. "We’re all collectively dedicated to
continually innovating and evolving within the camping industry. We
strive to consistently provide the finest services and amenities to
create luxury camping destination and experience that will make lasting
memories."
Bike park at Normandy Farms. Photo credit: Normandy Farms.
Thoughtfulness goes a long way in making the guests feel at home.
Employees escort visitors to their campsites and provide them with a
brief orientation in order to ensure that they are comfortable and have
everything that they need, according to Daniels. After guests
head home, Normandy Farms sends a thank you email letter. It's the
little things that count and visitors seems to appreciate that as more
than 60 percent are repeat guests. That includes
travelers from all over the world including New Zealand, Germany and
South Africa, although most who stay are from the New England area and
Quebec.
Community outreach is also a staple of Normandy Farms Campground.
"We’re also dedicated to raising money for the Jimmy Fund, which is an
organization that supports children and their families with cancer,"
said Daniels. "Through various events such as our Ice Cream
Socials and Casino nights, we’ve raised more than $300,000 to help
children and their families who are affected by cancer."
Normandy Farms has also garnered fantastic press including being
· Voted among the “Top
13 Campgrounds in the World” by the Travel Channel
· Awarded as the “Best
Luxury RV Park” by Yankee Magazine
· Honored by Time Magazine for “Glamping”
· Listed in the USA
Today Pet Guide for “Vacations for Nature Lovers”
·
Awarded four times the "Large Park of the Year" by the National
Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds
Hank Morse, of WROR FM 105.7 Boston, told me that actor, musician and
game show host John Davidson once stayed at Normandy Farms when he was
in a Reagle Players production in nearby Waltham. Daniels said that a
few rock and roll stars have stayed at Normandy Farms between playing
concerts at Gillette Stadium.
The geographical convenience offers further vacation appeal, being
located approximately halfway between two of New England's greatest
cities, Boston, Mass., and Providence, R.I. -- each under 30 miles away.
Other famous New England travel destinations like Cape
Cod, Plymouth, Mass., Newport,
R.I., and Mystic, Conn., are within an hour's drive, while
the spectacular southern
coast of Maine
begins about two hours from the campground. Within
just a few minute's drive: Gillette Stadium -- home of the
New England Patriots -- and Patriot Place, a highly developed shopping,
dining and entertainment complex. Those living far outside the region
tend to combine a Normandy Farms experience with exploring the New
England area, while locals tend to stay put at the campground.
Beacon Hill in Boston.
Ultimately, Normandy Farms achieves a memorable campground experience
as a beautiful place to watch the stars at night,
or to enjoy the star amenities throughout the whole family camping
experience.
"We really have something for everyone here," said Daniels. "Once
people experience time here, they often soon make plans to return."
Cozy loft at the Recreation Lodge at Normandy Farms.
Normandy Farms
Campground is located at 72 West St., Foxborough, MA 02035.
Tel. 866-673-2767.
Web site: http://www.normandyfarms.com. Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/normandyfarms. Twitter page: http://www.twitter.com/NormandyFarmsCG.
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