Coastal Paradise

By: Emma Comery   Photos By: Lorie Kiesewelter

The Copa Copa. Named for its location at the intersection of the Copano Bay and Copano Cove Drive in Rockport, this luxury RV resort offers guests a one-of-a-kind staycation experience on the water. Although this family-owned resort has been open only a year, it has quickly developed a reputation for being both the hidden gem and the crown jewel of South Texas RV resorts.

From the two 45-foot-long sites to the high-end PK grills, owners Karen and Dennis Keisewetter have thought of every last luxurious detail. Surrounding the sites, tropical plants and flowers erupt through rubber mulch made from recycled tires. Milkwood welcomes droves of butterflies, and an autograph plant carved with names of past vacationers welcomes the guests. The only thing more amazing than this living mural of flora and fauna is the knowledge that each year it will only grow and fill in more vibrantly, offering more and more privacy for its guests.

Each site enjoys its own wooden deck featuring a PK grill, and a grassy lawn with a garden table and seating opens up for guests to eat, read, or gaze out at the water. Visitors can relax in the custom-built aluminum sided pool that always stays perfectly cool, or venture down the pier to enjoy the sunset and perhaps a passing pod of dolphins. Picturesque doesn’t even begin to cover it. “People looking for experiences find them here,” Karen says, “whether it’s taking their kids fishing for the first time or celebrating their 25th anniversary.”

Staring out across the Copano Bay, the world feels unexpectedly limitless. The sun doesn’t burn here, it kisses. The wind is but a breeze compared to its gale force cousin in Corpus Christi. From the bench at the end of the pier … inhale, hold, exhale. Peace.

It is everything Karen thought it would be when she and Lorie drove by the property one day on one of their mother-daughter property hunter excursions. “We stood in the middle of the lot,” Karen remembers, “and I knew we needed to buy it. I envisioned two RV sites in my head, and I knew it was going to be beautiful.” Over a beer, she convinced her husband Dennis to jump on board, and together the family dove into the design plans and backbreaking work of pouring cement, building fences, and planting palm trees. 

“He does the things I don’t want to do,” says Karen – like building a fish-cleaning station – “and I do the things he doesn’t like.” Such as picking out the perfect boulder to go in the garden. She designs, he builds. “We complement each other,” Dennis says, adding, “We have different thought processes, and that makes us a great team.” Their daughter Lorie of LK Photography handles promo shoots of the resort, and helps her parents with turn-over between bookings. 

Together, they’ve built their paradise, and they are sharing it with us all. RV enthusiasts from Corpus to Austin, and even out-of-state, have driven up to this spectacular waterfront getaway and made unforgettable memories. Though the resort closed for a few months for the pandemic, it has since reopened and been busier than ever. Our advice? Claim your reservation now. The resort is booked up through the season and already has bookings for 2021 … New Year’s on the bay, anyone?