Cor and MaRia Bijvank have camped all over the world. Born and raised in
Amsterdam,
The Netherlands,the
couple has travelled all over
Europe
,
across the
United States
, into
Canada
,
Alaska
, and
Mexico
.
Early in 2005 they purchased their KOA campground, and as of now this KOA
is completely remodelled.
New bathrooms and laundry facilities are in place and all of the sites now
have level concrete pads.
The
Bijvanks run their campground differently than most in the
US
.
"We greet campers with an old-fashioned European hospitality.
When
they arrive we go to them so they don’t have to see us in the
office," said MaRia.
The couple encourages people to relax, set up camp after arrival , and
check in later that day.
This provides time to get to know their visitors and helps make
each person comfortable.
"We treat everyone like a friend," added Cor. "We prefer
a friendly atmosphere."
Due to the geologically interesting area, the campground evokes the
attention of different groups of travellers.
Beside the regular travellers, Cor and MaRia welcome colleges and universities studying the land
and provide them with a base camp as the students delve into their
studies.
Often groups will stay
seven to nine
days as they get a
firsthand glimpse
of the inner workings of the Earth and the
Bighorn
Mountains.
Cor speaks four different languages and the Bijvanks pride themselves on
their ability
to utilize their internationally oriented perspectives.
"Sometimes people want to speak in their native language, and as
international travellers they sometimes need some help with things. I can
help with that," said Cor. "We have lived in a lot of places
and seen a lot of things; we think we know what people like and dislike,
so we do the best we can on our campground.
The campground’s originality is what sets it apart from many other
campgrounds. According to the Bijvanks, it is a fun place to stop, be it
for a night or a week, since they are there to add a European flair to
an American tradition.