The topic of where people stay on their way to somewhere comes up quite often among the full-time RV’ers. Everyone has their own way to travel. Some take the Interstate, others take all secondary roads. We do both. It depends on our time period and the weather. If there is bad weather forecast, like last spring when we dodged snow storms all the way from Texas back to Iowa we stick to the Interstates. When we have time we like state highways. County roads can be pretty, but small-town gas stations are tight and nearly impossible at times to get a 40’ motorhome, towing a car to the pump and out again. Not to mention, counties have the smallest road maintenance budgets, you get the picture.
I keep a running list in a spreadsheet on my computer of campgrounds where others have stayed and been satisfied as well as places we stay and like. I share our opinions with others as well. As we move back and forth in the spring and fall I am developing a list that lets me pick nice campgrounds, with less research.
We talk to many who don’t like to reserve. They don’t want to be committed to stopping a certain place or time of day. When they are ready to pull off they get on the internet and find a nearby campground and call ahead to check availability. We tried that coming home last spring and found that we did not have any trouble stopping when we were ready, but we did spend a lot more on sites and were in crowded, commercial RV parks. I have decided a little research and planning will not only improve the experience, but also save some money. I have always believed in planning ahead and reserving. After testing the other method, I am a firm believer in it.
[caption id="attachment_1203" align="alignleft" width="225"]
"The Gateway To The West" at night[/caption]Last night was a perfect example of the value of talking to others. We stayed at the Casino Queen RV park in the shadow of the St. Louis Arch. Cool view and close to the interstate we are travelling on. But it was expensive $55.00 for the night. The green in between the sites on the online map was not grass, but white road rock. The hook-ups were at the very back of the site, requiring us to unhook the car in order to reach the water / sewer / electric. It defeated the purpose of a pull through, FHU overnight stop. Security was good though and we slept like babies in our concrete jungle. Our new friends from Saylorville messaged me to say they had stayed at a city park a few nights before when they made their way through here and stayed for $13.00 less and were happy with the site. That info went into my growing spreadsheet right away. I do write and read online reviews for places we stay. I take most of what I read with a grain of salt as people’s expectations of nice vary widely. I home in on reviews that give specifics not just opinions.
The trip to Georgia is somewhat expedited. We took our trip with our friends, knowing we wouldn’t return till the 27th. The Ranger at the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site wants us there as close to Nov 1st as possible, as their biggest event of the year takes place in Mid-November and we wants us as trained and comfortable as possible for the huge crowds that will visit that weekend.
We chose a route today that will take us through Shawnee National Forest and through so me of the Natchez Trace area of Mississippi. It will be a pretty drive through fall foliage and rain today.Todays route made me long for the Interstate route. We were detoured twice for closed bridges, diverting us onto narrow, bumpy county roads for miles at a time. Our 6 hour day turned into 8. It was very pretty, but we both had to keep reminding ourselves of it. The cats are very stressed tonight as were we. We were forced to fuel at Bubba's Gas and Go ( not really but the name would fit nicely) the per gallon price was 30 cents above the norm for the area and if it weren't for Champs super power of driving big stuff, we would have had to unhook the car and dolly to get in and out. I still marvel that he was able to back the motor home with the dolly and car attached.
[caption id="attachment_1204" align="alignleft" width="225"]
Annie came out of her cocoon in the stair well to watch Champ park the motor home[/caption]I made a reservation tonight for us at a State Park near Tupelo MS. It will cost half as much and be more campground like. We have our National Access Senior Pass, so Corps parks are our first preference. They are half-price for us, usually around $12.00 per night, always near water (Army Corps of Engineers controls the waterways, dams and reservoirs) and fairly consistent in terms of quality, and services nationwide. When I can’t find a Corps park on our route, State Parks are my next bet. Private RV parks along the roadway are a last resort. When it comes to being on the road I campaign for Reserve… always.
Until next time…
No comments:
Post a Comment