Pirates Cove RrrrV Resort is a brand new luxury RV getaway in Foley, Alabama, located just 12 miles from the Gulf Coast. The resort will be opening up to RVers in just a few months. The Buzz had the opportunity to speak with co-owners and friends Lisa and Dayna Masters and Kelly and Jeff Childers to learn more about their pirate-themed resort.
Lisa, Dayna, Kelly, and Jeff have been friends for 15 years. When they’d go fishing together along the Gulf Coast, they’d bring their RVs and stay at various RV parks.
But after speaking with the owners, it was apparent that in recent years, when trying to make their reservations at an RV spot near the Gulf, it got harder and harder to find a spot. “We called and they laughed at us and said you can’t have a spot until [next year]. That’s when the light went off in our heads,” Jeff explains.
Together, they decided to open their own RV resort that would be a fun, safe, and affordable option for families wanting to visit the Gulf Coast.
From the outset, the friends knew that their Christian faith would be central to their creation and ownership of the park.
“We based everything off Christianity,” Jeff admits. “[God] supplied everything we needed.”
The first job to be done was finding a property for the resort. As Dayna recalls, “It fell into our laps.”
Lisa further explains, “We were looking for land. This was the first land we looked at. The others were not anywhere in our price range. When we got the land resurveyed after we purchased it, we saw it had doubled in value. It was the first property and by far the best property as our investment doubled immediately after purchase.”
Co-owners Lisa & Dayna Masters putting the the work themselves to get their RV park built. [Photo/Pirates Cove RrrrV Resort]
After that, Lisa reports, “It’s been a whirlwind of events.”
In the two years since purchasing the property, they’ve cut down the 20-acre forest, paved a mile-long road and 2 miles of sidewalk (approximately 4,000 yards of concrete), added 6 buildings, and installed 2 pools.
When developing the plans for the park, Lisa comments that they took basic characteristics of other RV parks and resorts they’d been to, and improved upon them. This includes wide roads, wider lots, things that the guests will notice and appreciate. “[At other parks] you can reach out and touch your neighbor,” she points out. The average lot size of 38x70 feet ensures visitors won’t have that problem, and that they’ll have plenty of personal space.
Phase 1 of the resort will be ready to open in the middle of May 2020. Camper lots are ready for visitors, and as Dayna explains, “We’ve already taken 50 reservations...two months ahead of opening.”
Lisa details the amenities available at the resort’s opening: “Phase one includes 116 camper lots, two bath houses with laundromats in each, a playground, a pool that has 4 waterfalls, a sun deck and kiddie pool, a hot tub that accommodates up to 18, and a dog park.”
Visitors will notice the pirate theme through various details in the resort.
“We were trying to figure out how to have something catchy in the name,” Jeff comments when asked about the name of the park. Ultimately, together they decided to play on the typical RV resort moniker by making their resort uniquely an “RrrrV resort,” resembling the trademark growl of a pirate.
The streets are cleverly named to enthrall visitors with key defining characteristics of pirates and pirate legend. For example, there’s Salty Dawg Drive, Pirate Avenue, and Hook Street, to name a few.
The names of the only two roads running east and west pay homage to the owners: Masters Lane and Childers Lane.
Finally, a defining staple of piracy will greet visitors as they approach the resort.
“The entrance will portray a pirate’s shipwreck,” Dayna says. “That will be a landmark for the property.”
Phase 2 of the resort’s opening will include more than 100 additional RV sites and a third bathhouse with laundry facilities. Catch and release fishing will be available at the fully stocked pond. Other recreational options will include a dog walk around the pond and a community fire pit.
Many projects are moving along ahead of schedule.
“Our office and activity room with a full kitchen are on Phase 2 plans, but will be ready very shortly,” Lisa explains. “We hope Phase 2 moves quickly and anticipate this to be the case because of our current timeline.” Much is completed already.
While there is still work to be done, the four friends’ dream of opening a fun, family-friendly resort is close to fruition.
“We wanted to be a destination so people can come back year after year and have an affordable place to stay,” Dana adds.
As guests arrive, fill the lots, and begin to enjoy the amenities the owners have so carefully planned, they’re sure to appreciate the time, effort, and resources that have been passionately poured into creating the resort.
“We literally did most of [the work] ourselves,” Lisa says. “Jeff is a plumber and did sewer systems projects prior to this and Dayna built houses, flipped houses, and ran a construction company. We have all sacrificed a lot and even us ladies have gotten very dirty. We are ‘all in,’ literally. We put all our resources and assets on the line for this project.”
As they share the joy of Pirates Cove RrrrV Resort with visitors, their focus will continue to be the same.
“We want to make sure that God gets the glory and the credit,” Lisa says. “We don’t want to forget that.”