Our family just went on a short camping trip at one of our local campgrounds here in southwest Virginia. We have some beautiful spots here in our area. We always preferred to go to campgrounds that were more wooded and private, rather than being out in the open. We have Sugar Hollow Campground in Bristol, VA; then there's Grindstone Campground and Beartree Campground in one of the National forests near here. All of these are great places to camp. Sometimes we ho to Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge, TN and spend some time in the campgrounds there, but it's hard to find ones that are more private. Big Meadow campground in the Wears Valley area is a good one, and it's not too far away from Pigeon Forge.
I think going in an rv on your trips is better than staying in a hotel because you are basically taking "your house" with you!