Discover Cave Country RV Campground

Hi there! We’re Luis and Nikki Calles—and if you had told us years ago that we’d end up owning RV parks in Kentucky, we probably would’ve laughed… from behind our desks at the bank in Nevada.

Back then, we were both working in banking and quietly wondering, “Is this it forever?” Spoiler alert: it wasn’t. We loved traveling and, more importantly, we loved our dogs, so in 2015 we bought our first RV so they could come along for every adventure. (Let’s be honest—they were the real decision-makers.)

Nikki spent two years chasing down a telecommuting position at the bank, and once she finally got it, she spent another year convincing Luis that selling the house, quitting his job, and living in an RV full-time was a great idea. 

We hit the road and spent our time traveling up and down the West Coast, loving every minute of it. But as much as we enjoyed the freedom, we also needed to make it sustainable. Nikki kept working remotely, and Luis started picking up camp host jobs to cover site fees and utilities—which turned out to be a pretty great gig.

That path led us to Kentucky in March 2018, when Luis applied for a camp host position at Cave Country RV Campground. We made the trip from California in just three and a half days (we still don’t recommend that pace… but we were motivated!). We only planned to stay for the summer, but then something unexpected happened—we fell in love. The scenery, the people, the slower pace of life… it just felt right.

Luis especially loved camp hosting, and we were lucky to learn from Jeff Lawson, the owner at the time, who became not only a mentor but a great friend. At the end of that summer, Jeff casually suggested we buy a run-down mobile home park across town and turn it into a long-term RV park. You know, like you do.

So we did.

With zero experience—but a lot of determination, some borrowed equipment, and plenty of guidance—we got to work building what would become Sugar Maple RV Park. Nikki kept working her remote job while Luis figured things out one project at a time. About six months later, we had our first RV sites ready, and we’ve been growing ever since.

Somewhere along the way, we also met Charlie Moore, one of our very first guests at Sugar Maple, who took one look at Luis shoveling a mountain of mulch by hand and decided to step in. Thankfully, he’s stuck around—because at this point, about 90% of what we accomplish involves his knowledge, his time, and his equipment!

We continued building Sugar Maple while helping out at Cave Country RV whenever Jeff needed a vacation (or just a break from us). Then in 2021, Jeff told us he was ready to retire and offered us the chance to take over. On June 1, 2022, we officially became the owners of Cave Country RV Campground—and we’re doing our best not to mess up the amazing place he built!

These days, we’re proud (and still slightly surprised) to be running two RV parks. We don’t get to travel as much as we used to, but we still love the RV lifestyle—and we love getting to be part of other people’s journeys.

Whether you’re staying with us for a night or a long while, we’re really glad you’re here.