Former Houston, Texas area residents, Jimmy and Karen Dyess, purchased Bayshore RV Park in Tokeland last fall and, with business already good through the winter months, are now looking forward to a very busy spring and summer season.
Jimmy, 56, is a longtime tugboat captain working in the Gulf coast oil industry out of Houston and Karen, in her early 40s, comes from a retail sales background. She manages the day-to-day operations at Bayshore RV Park and Jimmy takes care of maintenance and improvements.
Retirement dream
Owning and operating an RV Park has been a part of what Jimmy calls his retirement ‘master plan’ for the past several years. He would like to get off the ‘working water’ as soon as possible, and sees this investment as the key to accomplishing that goal and enjoying himself more.
Why an RV park? “My experiences staying at RV parks have been that they are always happy places to be. People are on vacation, relaxed and friendly. That atmosphere is what we were looking for when we decided to invest in an RV Park,” said Jimmy.
And the couple says they haven’t been disappointed thus far. “The RVers we’ve hosted this fall and winter have welcomed us with open arms,” said Karen. “The overwhelming affection they’ve shown us is awesome,” she said.
Extensive Search
The couple started their search for the right property online, first checking out parks in Alabama and Georgia, and then concentrating on the U.S. west coast from the Canadian border to southern California.
Looking to get out of the Texas heat and familiar with the Pacific Northwest’s cooler climate — Karen has a sister that lives in Tacoma — the Dyesses said they were immediately interested when they saw an Internet listing for Bayshore RV Park. After visiting several other Washington parks for comparisons, they settled on the Tokeland location, made their offer and closed on their purchase of the more than half-million-dollar property on Oct. 1.
“We saw the incredible untapped potential for this park and the feeling here is just what I was looking for; it’s just like coming home,” said Jimmy.
Karen agrees. “I’m so glad to be out of the hot sun and I’m really enjoying cooler, cloudy days and rainy weather as much as the sunshine here,” she said.
Park amenities
Open year-round, Bayshore RV Park boasts more than 400’ of Willapa Bay frontage across the street from the Tokeland Hotel. There are 41 full hook-up grassy sites under the trees and along the waterfront, connections to Direct TV at most of them, Wi-Fi is available, there is a group fire pit and individual fire pits at some sites, restrooms and a dog walk area.
Two clubhouses with full kitchens also are available for the exclusive use of RV clubs staying at the park.
Additions in the works include a laundry room, an entertainment deck and a playground for children.
Family matters
Jimmy was born and raised in New Orleans, leaving there at the age of 23 to travel the U.S. coast working on boats. He worked his way up, earning his Master’s license and has captained tugs for many years. Currently he works off the Gulf Coast in the oil industry.
With the kind of schedule he has, Jimmy has been able to live just about anywhere he wants, which included several years in Las Vegas, for the past several years in the Houston area, and now in Tokeland.
Karen was born and raised in Dothan, a small community in the southeast corner of Alabama. She met Jimmy through her sister, and after getting to know each other by phone for more than a year, the two finally met, fell in love and married in 2009.
For more information about Bayshore RV Park and/or to make a reservation, contact Karen at: or at: 360- 267-2625.
