When Nathan Lawson was a child, camping was a family affair.
“Mom had a couple of RVs, and that was a cheap way back then to take your family on vacation,” Lawson told Travel Noire. “We didn’t know at that time as kids, but we just went out to the park to have some fun. We played all day in the different parks around the … area a lot. [My cousins and I] talked about it before we even bought our RVs. [I]t’s ingrained in all of us to do that now.”
It’s a pastime that Lawson continued to engage in when he had his own family. It comes as no surprise that the Lawsons are the proud owners of Time Away RV Resort. It is the first recreational RV resort within walking distance of NASCAR’s Talladega Super Speedway in Lincoln, Alabama.
Lawson’s wife, Alicia Lawson, admitted that owning an RV park wasn’t always the plan. In 2008, after the market crashed, Lawson purchased some properties that he rented out. However, after 15 years of the tedious grind of refurbishing and refreshing the homes for new tenants, they were looking for something lower maintenance.
“When we started RVing we were thinking, ‘Wait a minute, they bring their own house. All we have to do is sweep off the pad and let the next person pull in,’” he explained. “This is just us diversifying our portfolio in the landlord spectrum.”
Time Away RV Resorts’ amenities include Wi-Fi, full 30/50 amp hook-ups, a laundry room, and men’s and women’s shower houses. The walking trails, pool, playground, basketball court and dog park allow ample time for recreation for the whole family. An on-site manager ensures all visitors’ needs are met. There is a community pavilion, fire pits and a picnic table at each site for sharing meals and socializing.
They also welcome the proximity of the Talladega Super Speedway, which hosts one of the country’s most popular sports in auto racing.
“Most of the other campgrounds here in the area, only open for the race and have people pull up on the grass and pull up on their backyards,” he said. “At least if nothing else, we can open up for the race every year.”
Though the largest nearby attraction near Time Away RV Resort is the Talladega Super Speedway, the RV resort is also situated within close proximity to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, Talladega National Forest, Top Trails OHV Park, Logan Martin Lake and Lincoln’s Landing.
The Lawsons continue to improve Time Away by adding new amenities and upgrading those currently offered. Future plans include adding tiny home cabins and updating the shower houses.
Open all year round, the RV resort is available to book for as little as one night. However, weekly and monthly rates are also available.