Disclaimer While I mention and review many products, services, campgrounds, etc. in this blog, I do not receive any form of compensation for them. These are solely my opinions or thoughts. Should I ever receive anything for them, I will disclose that fact in the post. I am affiliated with Camping World and Amazon.
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By Katrina, on August 15th, 2010
Time to head back to civilization as in full utilities, regular stores, and Redbox. We headed down to Sullivan’s Mobile Home and RV Park in Pocatello. It’s an old park with old mobile homes and trailers but they take Passport America and the location is good. The staff greeted us at the entrance to help us park in one of the 2 pull-thrus and were very nice and helpful. The space was quite level but very narrow. With high trees all around, getting satellite TV was problematic but we were able to get one satellite to a degree using the new outside dish my brother built. Unfortunately, the city water pressure is ridiculously high and killed one water hose and my inline filter. Even with an RV water pressure regulator on it, the pressure was so high that it pulses constantly. We had to disconnect and use the onboard tank instead. Our neighbors fared a little better with a house water pressure regulator on their line but they had to remove one hose that was attached from the outlet to the regulator before it burst and attach the regulator directly to the outlet. I liked the laundry lines but the laundry room smelled bad. If you are a square dancing aficionado, the managers are very into that and hold square dances there occasionally. My aircard worked OK there.
We stocked up on food while there as the cupboards were a bit bare after 2 weeks in the country. We scored some more Jack In The Box (not available in Utah or back East). No luck on replacing the blown SUV tire.
I dragged my brother to the Idaho Potato Museum in Blackfoot, ID. Definitely a must see just for giggles. We learned all about how spuds are grown, harvested, and stored. We took a picture in front of the World’s Largest Potato sculpture. We saw the World’s Largest Potato Chip, Marilyn Monroe’s sexy potato ad, a letter from the Idaho governor to Vice President Dan Quayle telling him he could spell it any way he wants, Mr. Potato Head, and lots of stuff made from potatoes. They even gave us free freeze-dried hash browns which we cooked up at home and turned out to be very tasty.
   
The zoo, a replica of Fort Hall, Fort Hall Casino, and a well treed graveyard with resident and very entertaining buzzards are nearby but we didn’t go to those.
For more pics click here.
By Katrina, on August 8th, 2010
The temperatures in Idaho were so much cooler that we decided to extend our trip up north and go to Yellowstone National Park. While there are tons of basic campsites in and around the park, our need for electricity and reasonable weekly cost dictated where we could stay again. We found a wonderful state park at Henry’s Lake in Island Park, ID within 15 miles of the West Yellowstone gate. Henry’s Lake State Park has a gorgeous lakeside setting with water/electrical or just electrical sites, great showers, good Wifi available for an extra fee, dump station, boat launch, and a very nice staff. It is also well off the road and very quiet though it tends to get tent killing, trailer shaking, boat sinking winds in the evening. We were able to book a spot online with ease. Keep in mind it is well out in the country far away from Walmart and inexpensive grocery stores so stock up before you go. The wifi was $10 a week or you may want to consider the Idaho state park yearly wifi pass for $29/year if you plan to spend a lot of time in Idaho and their state parks. We enjoyed the state park and Yellowstone so much that we extended for another week. Thank goodness they have non-reservable walkin sites available.
Over the mountain pass on SR20 and just 15 miles away is the tourist town of West Yellowstone, MT. While on the way there going east, watch for a large turnout with restrooms, picnic area, and lots of people filling jugs with water from a clear fresh stream/fountain at Howard Springs. I don’t know what the big deal is with the water but there are always lots of people there filling up on it. I stopped there to score a geocache up in the picnic area.
West Yellowstone is your typical tourist trap. There are lots and lots of interesting little stores full of Tshirts and Yellowstone knick knacks as well as art galleries, playhouses, restaurants, etc. There are campgrounds all over there if you don’t mind a tight squeeze and/or high cost. 2 small grocery stores supply both locals and tourists but at significant prices. Even the McDonald’s and KFC there cost twice as much as elsewhere! Forget finding the dollar menu. Bring lots of cash or be prepared to pay for ATM fees. Many places don’t take plastic.
There is a very good Yellowstone museum there and Imax. We enjoyed the museum very much and had some fun taking pictures. I can’t imagine touring the park in the good old days by stagecoach as they show or young girls leaving home to work the summer there in the shops and dining halls while boarding there with no car. Many seemed to enjoy it though. The stagecoaches were replaced by yellow touring cars which are still used for tours.
  
Continue reading Yellowstone National Park
By Katrina, on July 20th, 2010
While camping at Lava Hot Springs was out of the question for us due to the very high daily cost and the fact we have to stay places at least a week at a time due to my work schedule, it wasn’t too far from the campground in Downey, ID for a day trip. We chose a lovely sunny day to go over and check it out. Could have done without the construction delay along the way but, oh well, I guess that is just part of the adventure.
The first thing you see there is a gigantic pool that is filled from the springs and actually spans over the road, or at least the slides for it do. The pool was filled with happy swimmers and more were walking and sliding over our heads. Despite the cost of camping, the fees for all the pools and river tubes seemed reasonable. We saw smaller hot springs pools at area motels and a fine set of covered lounging pools at the other end of town for the more sedate set. They reminded me of Roman baths and seemed like a good place to talk politics or make a deal. The hot springs put out quite a lot of water so the pools are refilled easily every night. The bottom of these pools below is gravel.
 
The best attraction there actually seemed to be the river. The shallow river winds through town at a nice clip to be exciting but not too exciting if you know what I mean. You get some very nice small rapids that demand your attention if on a single tube but are negotiated easily on a double or quadruple tube. Tubes can be rented all over town and hauled on top of your car or in a truck bed to the end of town where putting in to the river will take a little downhill climb in the park. They ought to formalize the put in point with a sign and steps. There is a nice paved walk along the river to watch the rafters. We desperately wanted to join them but unfortunately had not brought our swim suits and it was on a weekday when the shuttle to get from the bottom end of town back to the park and our car was not running. The shuttle only runs Friday-Sunday and that is quite a walk uphill through town without it. You get tickets for the shuttle in a local shop.
  
We had to settle for ice cream which also seems to be a popular activity there. 
For more pics click here.
By Katrina, on July 19th, 2010
Summer has finally hit and things were getting a bit hot down in Utah so we decided to head north a bit for cooler temps and some summer fun. I have never had the chance to explore southern Idaho nor have I ever been in a hot spring so what better place to go than Downata Hot Springs in Downey, ID. Of course, being a Passport America park certainly made the decision easy. Downata is a family waterpark and campground which hosts numerous family reunions every weekend in the summer. During the week the campground is a ghost town but the pool is always busy though not too busy. On the weekends, the campground is nearly full with families, laughter, splashing, campfires, good food, tents galore, and more. The staff is cool and calm and takes it all well. I like the way the tent sites wrap around the the play area which makes it easy to watch the kids at play and they do love to play in the large field of sandy dirt like a giant sandbox. There are several pavilions available for the gatherings.
  
The campground RV spaces are tight so be prepared to love thy neighbor. It has 30/50 electric and water. There are no sewer connections and no dump. There is a nice dump nearby at the fairgrounds for $3. The campground restroom is not the greatest but it is clean. There is only one shower for each sex and they are pay showers – 50 cents for 6 minutes. I don’t mind paying but the least amount of time I can take a shower in is 8 minutes. Darn. The pool has free open showers (not private) for use after swimming so take your shampoo and soap with you there.
While my Verizon aircard worked fine, we mostly used the fantastic and fast free wifi they provide. Rarely do I see wifi that good at a campground. These guys did it right!
Also available are cabins, yurts, teepees (no kidding), and a large wall tent.
  
Continue reading Downey, ID
By Katrina, on June 22nd, 2010
After all the “hard work” we did at the Samboree, I felt a little respite was in order so we were off to a nearby members only park in Mount Pleasant, UT. My brother headed off to Salt Lake City in his car on business while I hitched up and drove the trailer over to the new park. Despite heading straight at high mountains which was a bit unnerving, the two-lane road threaded its way through a canyon and gently up into a scenic valley surrounded by them. With very little traffic, a sunny but cool day, and lovely scenery, it was a most enjoyable drive. While I had my GPS, my brother left with only directions printed out from the Internet and hopes that he would be able to find the park that night. What a brave soul (or stupid).
Pleasant Creek is an RPI park with plenty of treed sites, a game room with a pool table, laundry room, TV lounge, ice cream parlor, and a heated swimming pool. The pool seemed to be the big attraction. I know I made full use of it while I was there and I wasn’t alone. They have planned activities like Bingo (where everyone wins a prize) and crafts. Some folks played cards in the evening in the lounge and I worked on a puzzle while watching a movie there. It is a very nice park I heartily recommend. The view from our living room window overlooking the valley was amazing. There are lots of sheep, cows, and horses around on the surrounding farms. The wifi is pretty good and my Verizon aircard worked fine there. Neither of our phones worked there though.
 
Don’t expect much in terms of tourism. There is not much to the town though we found the Radio Shack to be different and interesting and we stood at the geographical center of Utah downtown. We took a drive one day for fun over to Manti to see the Mormon temple there and we found both a Walmart and phone signal there. It is enjoyable just looking at the many grand Victorian homes in the valley. I did some geocaching in the area.
 
Would you believe we ran into others we had met at the Samboree in Nephi there in the park just 2 trailers over? Would you also believe they live in the next town down from where we were staying in Layton, UT. What a small world.
By Katrina, on June 13th, 2010
I’m finally in the right place at the right time to catch a Good Sam Club State Samboree so we packed up and headed off to Nephi, UT. I had never been to one so I was a bit excited. Any Good Sam Club member can attend any state Samboree even if you don’t belong to a local chapter. They call us “Members At Large” (hopefully that is not a crack about our weight!). Chapters from other states also visit when they can. This one had chapters from New Hampshire, California, Colorado, Nevada, and Canada in attendance. Now going in, I knew not to expect anything near as large the annual rally. However, with around 200 rigs and 400 freewheeling souls, it was pretty good size. The theme this year was Wagons West.
Most Samborees do provide space to camp at the fairground or other venue as part of the fee but they do not provide utilities or reliable Wifi at your rig. Some electrical hookups may be available for those with medical needs though it will likely be 20 amp. Most attendees camped at the Juab County Fairgrounds for this. Some electric for those in need and showers were available. We chose to stay at the High Country RV Park nearby instead due to having an old dang cat on board that requires air conditioning and our need for good electric and wifi. The RV spaces are very narrow and use side-by-side hookups but they are fairly level pull-throughs and they have an inexpensive laundry room and excellent bathrooms. The owners/managers are hard to get hold of. The wifi was truly excellent though and free. Excellent prices too.
It seemed like lots of Good Samers had come in early and were staying at High Country RV Park. I met a few before the Samboree opened and they moved over there. Joann and Bill were camped next to us and were lots of fun. I was glad to meet them before the Samboree.
Continue reading Utah State Samboree, Nephi, UT
By Katrina, on June 7th, 2010
I have been getting a lot of questions recently about discount camping and clubs, particularly for full-timers. Now that I have a few years on the road as a full-timer under my belt , perhaps it is time to go over my experiences with them. If one is going to be a full-time RVer, discounts are essential. As campground prices to rent a piece of dirt continue to rise and in some places cost more than a motel room, it is getting harder and harder to live on the road. Since my RV is my home, my view of campground fees and what is affordable is quite different from the weekender. A weekender sees them as an entertainment or discretionary expense. I view those fees the same as rent on an apartment or a home mortgage. Just as with rent or a mortgage, they must be reasonable and not constantly take too much of my income.
The first saving tip I can offer is to stay longer and always ask if there is a weekly or monthly rate. There usually is in private parks. The monthly rates can be very good.
Another great tip is camp in the best places out-of-season. For instance, I was able to spend a week in the Florida Keys in November one year at a cost I could afford and the weather was gorgeous the whole time. I could not possibly afford to pay double what I paid had I gone in December which begins the Winter RV snowbird season. Sure you don’t want to roast in southern climates in the Summer or freeze in northern climates in the Winter but take advantage of Spring and Fall. You may also find fewer crowds at those times.
The cost of state parks has risen quite a lot to the point where they charge as much for partial or no hookups as you may pay for full hookups in a private park. They also do not have discounts (some do honor senior and handicapped discount passes for state residents only). Compared to a private park with a discount or a weekly/monthly rate, state parks are no longer a deal. I rarely stay at them anymore. That is not to say you should never check them out. The cost to camp in some areas such as the Florida Keys is so ridiculously high that the state parks are the better deal there in-season though they are so full that you have to reserve a site a year in advance to get in. I have used them anytime in Massachusetts too.
Continue reading Discount RV Camping
By Katrina, on May 25th, 2010
The longer you live in any house or RV, the more things you want to change. Something that may have seemed fine at first, over time gets very old to deal with or something new comes out to replace it and add more functionality. As you all know, we RVers LOVE our gadgets!
I see new GPS devices coming out with more specialized info and routing for truckers and RVers such as notice of steep grades, better routing for large vehicles, specialized POIs, etc. Garmin claims their Nuvi 465T is one of those.
I also see more RVers going to smartphones such as the Droid and Palm Pre for email and web on the road as well as the usual phone calls to the kids and grandkids.
Not all improvements are spectacular. Some are just simple ordinary living day to day improvements.
The biggie for me was replacing the shower head with one from Oxygenics. Even in low water pressure areas, it boosts the pressure coming out by adding air to the water. It also saves water and thus gray water tank space. We can’t wait to take showers now. It is wonderful! I can highly recommend it. Oxygenics Body Spa RV Showerheads in white or chrome can be found in many RV stores including Camping World. They may seem pricey but they really are worth it. My only gripe is that it does not turn off completely to soap up which is by design as they state.
Along with the shower head, I added a simple valve with an on off slide button between the shower head hose and shower water supply. It is very nice to be able to push a button to temporarily shutoff the water while soaping or shampooing. You can get the valve at Home Depot and other hardware stores.
Continue reading RV Improvements
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