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.

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.

National parks can also have a high cost or a reasonable cost but if you are a senior or permanently handicapped, you can get half off camping with their senior or handicapped access passes which includes free entry to the parks. Be aware that few national parks have electricity available. They are revamping some and I did find one in the middle of the Everglades and Big Cypress in Florida with electricity but no water or sewer. It still worked well for me.

Corps of Engineer campgrounds can be a good bet. Many of them are near a lake, offer utilities, are reasonable, and honor senior and handicapped passes for half off. I stayed at a quite lovely CoE campground in Ponca City, OK.

Regional, county, and city parks can be very reasonable. There are some free still (no utilities) and others at very reasonable cost. Don’t expect a lot and the electricity may only be 20 amp but a smart RVer learns to manage their use and what items cannot be on at the same time without blowing the breakers. I stayed at the city park in Miami, FL for a week or two and can honestly say it is truly lousy and not free but it has the perfect location at the crossroads of all the best southern Florida has to offer and was the cheapest around. I have also stayed at a regional park just outside Washington, D.C. which was not great but would have been just fine had it not been for bad campers nearby.

Joining discount camping clubs is a definite must and by all means join more than one. The one most RVers belong to is Good Sam Club. Personally, I rarely use the 10% discount they provide because it is just not enough for a full-timer. However, I use most of the services, insurance, etc. they provide and do attend the Rally and Samborees when I can. It is a good place to start. Escapees is another good one. They offer great rates at their own Rainbow parks and coops and 15-50% off at other parks. I have stayed very happily in their Florida parks and the one near Branson, MO. Their discount came in handy in Bangor, Maine too. They also have a yearly rally to attend, interest clubs, HOPS for arranged tours, and CARE at a park in Texas for injured or sick Escapees.

Passport America is a great discount club I have had a lot of success with and saved a lot of money camping at 50% off. Many full-timers use them. Watch out for listing clauses such as cash only required for camping fees, reservations required at some places, extra charge for electricity which may eliminate most of the savings, and limits to 1 night, Sun-Thurs only, no holidays, etc. Most of the time these are not an issue but be sure to read every listing carefully and keep in mind campgrounds are added and drop out during the year after the book has been printed. Their website will be more up to date. Happy Camper Club is similar to Passport America but PA is still the king.

Clubs that require a “home park” such as Coast to Coast, RPI, Thousand Trails, AOR, Outdoor World, etc. can be very good for the full-time RVer on the go and have saved me a ton of moola while also letting me stay in very nice private membership parks with lots of amenities in places I could not afford without them. There are classic or  basic memberships which allow you to stay one week at a time, twice a year at each member park and there are deluxe memberships which allow two weeks at a time, twice a year at each park in-season and more off-season at each member park for only $10 a night at this time. Deluxe memberships can also be used by your adult children with limits and both types of memberships can be passed on to family as can home park membership so these become a family asset for generations. Watch for the rare extra charge for electricity, blackout dates such as all holidays and special events, inability to use another park within 125 miles of your home park, fewer parks than Passport America, etc. Home park memberships can cost several thousand dollars but you don’t have to choose one near home so shop around. Look for resales in the RV magazines and believe it or not on Ebay. Home parks have yearly dues so pay attention to that amount as well. I rarely use my home park due to its location but I had a great time there last year, the yearly dues are very reasonable at less than $50, the cost when I stayed there was only $2 a night (that is not a typo!), and they let me stay for more than a week. Best of all, it gets me into Coast to Coast and RPI with all the other member parks I can use. I got to stay on Cape Hatteras, NC with them, Orlando, FL, Fredericksburg, VA (near Washington, D.C.), near Atlantic City, NJ, Myrtle Beach, NC, etc.

Another part of the “home park” type clubs is the other parks they affiliate with under what they call Good Neighbor parks, Enjoy America parks, etc. While they cost more at $15 per night, they really expand your choices, many allow you longer stays, are not subject to the 125 mile rule, and are still reasonable. Again, read the listings carefully.

If you belong to the Elks, they do provide free or cheap camping at many of their lodges.

If you are retired or active military, there are many good RV parks they offer so don’t waste a valuable benefit.

Of course, there is always rest areas and Walmart for the overnight quickie. I don’t stay overnight in rest areas both due to the danger and because what few are now open are very much needed by truck drivers and therefore full by early afternoon. Walmart I have used when necessary. They can be noisy in the middle of the night when they clean the parking lot but survivable and I always make a point of shopping there before I leave to pay them back.

I have heard good and bad about truck stops. They can be noisy and some truckers resent us using those. Some folks use truck stops a lot though and have very good experiences. I have no experience with them.

Other possibilities are the driveways or backyards of family, friends, or fellow RV club members. I love introducing myself to my son’s friends as the mother he keeps in his backyard. I have also stayed in his in-laws driveway which is both interesting and fun. As a member in several clubs, I can sometimes stay with other members who choose to share their backyards or driveways.

Lastly there is boondocking on public lands which I have no experience with since utilities are not provided there and I require at least electricity to work and play. Boondocking is free usually or a very inexpensive permit may be required. You can check it out on the Internet by searching for “boondocking”. There’s some great tips and advice out there on it. http://cheaprvliving.com/Boondocking.html and all their other links will blow you away.

I hope this helps those of you thinking of jumping into the RVing lifestyle either full- or part-time. It’s a great life so see you out there!

Off to check out the Gulf of Mexico near Gulfport and Pass-Christian, Mississippi which are popular snowbird destinations. I went to 5 Star Resort in Pass-Christian, a C2C-RPI park. Don’t let the name fool you. It is an average park in a great location. The Gulf and white sand beaches are minutes away. Stennis Space Center, boat tours, casinos, Jefferson Davis’s last home, a national seashore, Lake Ponchetrain in Louisianna, New Orleans, etc. are close by.

The park itself has a clubhouse, pool I never saw used, hot tub, bayou for boating, many permanent residents in a separate section, etc. The staff were nice. Given the choice of a very treed area, partially treed area, or open grass area, I chose one of the easy level pull-thrus in the grassy area to use my satellite dish. My Verizon air card got lots of signal though I still needed to use the external antenna to get any stability. They provided a key to the clubhouse so I had the wifi in the clubhouse as a backup for work.

I hit the beach first thing. Parking was easy with many many turnouts provided to park as well as free parking lots. Beach Blvd./US90 is a wonderful drive. The water is warm and waves very little. You have to walk out a ways to get in deep which was nice. Here and there are piers to fish and places with jet skis anchored in the water ready to rent. I waded way in for a while and flew my kites over the water. An RV couple seemed to be camped out in one parking lot with their motorhome across several spaces door to the sidewalk, awning and chairs out, sipping drinks and watching the sea.

You can see the scars left by Hurricane Katrina still with so many foundations along the highway laying empty and a few damaged buildings here and there. In the wide medians, a local artist has given new purpose to the damaged trees by carving them into eagles and dolphins. Forget finding locations with your GPS as so many are now gone or closed and new buildings are springing up.

The next day I headed for Louisianna. I had considered going into New Orleans but it can be a dangerous place for a woman alone with a cane and there had been a kidnapping off the street that week. After seeing their poor behavior after Hurricane Katrina and seeing numerous houses still in ruins, I was not really that enthused to go there myself. They also put all the somewhat expensive tours downtown with $10 parking. I prefer a tour that starts from the edge of town myself when it comes to big cities and $10 on top of the tour fee is just way too much. I chose instead to drive the world’s longest bridge over water which happens to be over Lake Ponchetrain nearby. There is a $3 toll going south only but it was worth it and apparently a lot of people drive the bridge solely for fun. It is over 24 miles long and bounces you up and down like riding a horse. On foggy days, they send cars out in small groups across it. Watch your speed because there are 7 crossovers on the bridge where cops are watching. Before going over, I stopped at the park to walk along the seawall and then went to Sunset Point where locals recommend going to watch the sunset beyond the bridge.

Off to Stennis Space Center another day. You catch the free tour bus from the rest area at exit 2 off the I10. Stennis is a rocket engine testing facility. They repair and test both rockets and space shuttle engines. The bus takes you around the test stands and to the welcome center museum which has both space and national weather system exhibits. They have an interactive mockup of the international space station, a rocket testing sim, and a space shuttle landing simulator. Be very glad I am not a space shuttle pilot. My first try I overflew the runway and had to go back around. The second I landed successfully though slow. The last two I crashed and burned. It wasn’t pretty. The food in the Rocketeria was pretty decent. I also purchased some freeze dried mint chocolate chip astronaut ice cream in the gift shop. It wasn’t bad at all though you have to get used to it.

I found a shrimp boat tour to go on over in Biloxi, MS. They take you out in the bay for an hour and show you how the nets work, how to catch shrimp, and the sorts of other fish the nets scoop up with the shrimp. We had pelicans and seagulls following us closely in hopes of a free dinner. They were not disappointed.

Since I was going by anyway on US90, I stopped at the home of the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis. While not actually all that big, it has 2 other buildings which used to be guesthouses among other things, high ceilings, huge porches front and back, and an interesting bedroom setup in the back with them attached to the house but accessible only by going out on the back porch which provides more privacy. Mr. and Mrs. Davis did not sleep in the same bedroom. With his busy schedule as statesman, senator, president, and commander, I am not surprised. Out behind the house used to be beautiful rose gardens and beyond that is a stream as well as a graveyard from the time the house was used as confederate veteran’s home. The grave of the unknown confedrerate soldier is there.

For more pics, click here.

I thought I would check out Bee’s Resort in Clermont, FL since it seems to be popular. It’s a C2C/RPI park. I found it to be a typical warehouse type park with very close sites packed in. It is out in the country away from shopping but very close to the Florida Turnpike to go to all the Orlando attractions. Despite the drought, their tiny lake was nice to look at with it’s 24 hour fountain and porch swing next to it. Some of the owners have added lights and decorative blinking lighthouses along the edge. The pool is cold but nobody seemed to mind during the hot days.

I got there in time for an all-you-can-eat chicken dinner. Holy cow! They plopped so much delicious different foods on my tray that there was no need for seconds. There was plenty of room and tables for everyone and a screened porch to eat out on as well.

For fun, I drove into Kissimmee. Thank goodness for the Sun Pass on my windshield while driving the turnpike. It really is so much easier than scrambling for change. I went to a huge outdoor store and got lucky. I found the adjustable rack needed to hold my BBQ when sites don’t provide a table and it can double as the trash bag holder I have been needing for my annual document shredding. I also found a tent pole which I plan to use as an antenna extension. I have external antennas for both wifi and my aircard which I plan to clamp to the pole and extend them above the trailer roof for better reception.

Just down the street I found a Disney outlet store where I snagged my Disneyworld Tshirt. They are just too expensive to buy inside Disneyworld and there are lots of these stores near there.

I got to stay quite awhile at the SKP park in Wauchula, FL but the time came when they suddenly started to fill up for their January Capers and I got pushed out of my spot and into the overnight area. First in, first out is the rule which is fair. I couldn’t leave their lovely wifi though until a new aircard for Verizon wireless was sent from an Ebay auction I had won.  So, I went into the overnight area which is actually still pretty decent with 20 amp electric and water, no sewer. It is also up near the clubhouse rather than shoved in the back. I was actually sorry to leave Wauchula SKP park but it really was time to move on anyway.

I stayed another week then moved on to Southern Charm RV Resort in Zephyrhills, FL which also has wonderful wifi throughout the park and is part of Enjoy America, a discount camping club associated with RPI. Going to Zephyrhills and Southern Charm was rather a shock for me. Zephyrhills is a mecca for RVers it seems, particularly snowbirds. Never in my life have I seen so many RV parks together one right after the other. Chancey Road seems to be at the heart of it. Southern Charm was not only very nice about giving me the 50% Enjoy America Discount, they were also very flexible and they have the most active senior residents I have ever seen. Every morning no matter how cold, they fill 2 of the 4 volleyball courts with some real skilled players of all ages and both sexes. It makes one giddy to see all the bicycles parked by the courts and watch the “older children” play. Everyone rides a bike at the park. Many have golf carts but still keep a bike around as well. It made me feel so much better to see most of the bikes have either the extra large seat for those of us who have lived long enough to have earned it and need it, or they have bucket seats for those that need the support. Whatever it takes, only the ride matters. I also saw the residents playing some pretty active shuffleboard and horseshoes.

I liked their pool and hot tub. Had it not been so darn cold the week I was there, I would have been in them constantly. I had to check with the office to make sure I really was in Florida that week and had not made a wrong turn at Albuquerque. Geez! I think that was payback for sending my northern family snotty postcards showing the freezing snow where they are and the lovely sunny beaches where I am. Oh well.

The library at the park clubhouse was nice. Not only do they have books, they also have a video rental collection that is so large that they cannot put them all on display at the same time. The cost is only 25 cents per video per night and they have some great videos on VHS primarily. I got to see videos of Branson, MO and the Grand Canyon where I will be heading this year and helps in planning those trips.

While walking around taking pictures of the fulltime resident lifestyle and gathering info for the day when I settle down a bit (only a bit), I got to tour a park model trailer which is very nice and just like a regular home but smaller. I got to check out prices a bit which are pretty reasonable actually compared to houses today with the added benefit of a real old-fashioned community where everyone knows everyone, checks on each other, and plays with each other. The clubhouse is the center of most activity. I also got to ask some questions. I was worried about property taxes but apparently it is insurance that is the real hardship to watch out for. I know insuring my trailer as a fulltimer on the road is very expensive, much more than I expected. Apparently it is every bit as expensive and maybe more off the road so that should be checked before buying into anything. The property taxes are nothing in comparison. It is also good to note that staying somewhere permanently is not just a matter of parking your trailer. It will need a cap or second roof over it and all slideouts to protect the trailer roof s as well as a skirt around the bottom of it to keep out varmints and cold drafts. Most people also add a covered carport at the least or an addon fully enclosed room the length of the trailer. Sometimes it is hard walled and other times it is screened in. A shed is also a nice addition. I am told that often the lot is leased rather than owned and if improvements are allowed, you may sell those improvements to the new leaseholder when you move. I am not sure all parks work this way but one I was told of you buy into the park as a lessee for a few thousand dollars then you only have to pay the yearly dues which are several hundred dollars. There is no monthly rent for residents.

The main reason I went to Zephyrhills was to get in on the Camping World sale and get together nearby. They were offering lots of free seminars and food. Unfortunately, that did not pan out. The sale was abysmal with very little on sale and then only large expensive items. I did get some important info from the seminars but they were much too loosley structured. They were more of a questions and answers session. A real class with a set guideline, more content, and then questions and answers would have been better. I didn’t even get the free food because I went on the wrong day for that. Geez. Very disapppointing. At least my new aircard arrived while I was in Zephyrhills so I could move on.

For more pics, click here.

King George RV Resort is a park that serves a particular need and should be taken that way. It is hardly a resort. The spaces are very close together, the pool is small, the “clubhouse” is closed during the evening, no campfires are allowed, and it is not the sort of place that engenders the usual RVer walk, stop, and chat. They lock the gates at 6pm so be sure you arrive before that. They provide the lock combination during check-in so you can get in and out while staying there.

What the park is, is an extremely convenient place to stop overnight on the way in and out of Florida and a good place to stay to visit both Okefenokee Swamp and Cumberland Island National Seashore. It is very easy to find this park just off the I95, there is a gas station very close, Walmart Supercenter is only about 8 miles away, the seashore is about 12 miles and the swamp about 35 miles. It accepts nearly all discount clubs including RPI, Good Sam,  and Passport America so there is no reason for anyone to pay full price.

The prospect of seeing wild horses led me to St. Marys, Georgia to grab the ferry to Cumberland Island and National Seashore. There are currently no bathroom facilities or food sellers on the island so you should use facilities at St. Marys before leaving, bring water and a sack lunch. An expensive sack lunch and water can be purchased at a store nearby to the ferry dock. Consider also bringing a plastic poncho in case of rain, sun block, a heavy coat, hat and sunglasses. It can get very cold on the ferry and island with lots of wind. To park for this all day excursion, you must park down the street near the beige building rather than in front of the park and ferry dock. They make an exception for those with a handicapped tag displayed. Tickets for the ferry can be purchased in the Cumberland Island National Seashore Visitor’s Center.

On the island, I first visited the old Carnegie ice house. Most of the island was owned by the Thomas Carnegie family (brother of Andrew Carnegie). Before the invention of ice makers, they shipped large blocks of ice in from the north during winter for the summer. I then joined the ranger walk to the ruins of Dungeness, former mansion of the Carnegie family. It was a huge lovely home in its time and idyllic setting for the 9 children to grow up in. Poor Thomas died only a year after its completion leaving his wife Lucy to raise the children alone and run the home and lands. As they married, Lucy gave each money to build their own homes nearby. 2 of the boys never married and kept apartments in the indoor pool house. At one time as many as 300 people worked for the family as servants, grooms, running the livestock operations, etc.

Today the island is a combination of enchanting forest and white sand beaches with wild horses, pigs, turkeys, etc. calling it home. The horses were brought there by Spanish explorers and some are from the Carnegie stock. They are wild and not to be petted no matter how gentle they seem grazing in the fields. Be careful if you hear the thunder of hooves. A horse came bounding past me and whinied while I was there. I also spooked a wild pig while walking through the forest. The flock of turkeys completely ignored me as they chatted. There are numerous snakes there, though I did not see any, so be very careful in the brush or around rock or concrete which they love. On the beach, you will see lots of unusual shells and crabs. I saw my first horseshoe crab. The water is warm and inviting.

The Carnegie family cemetery is on the island and still actively used. However, it is gated and locked off with high brush keeping out all peeking. There is also a small cemetery of cars formerly used by the residents. Though severely rusted away, the luxury cars and roadsters of another era are clearly identifiable.

There is tent camping on the island if you are willing to hike. To have a car on the island requires a special permit and is only for residents and other special use.

Do not miss the last ferry back. They don’t wait or come back for you. I am told the cost to get a local to take you back to the mainland by boat is $200 or more and there are no hotels.

I went back to St. Marys later that week to do some easy geocaching (scored 4), get pictures of the numerous pumpkin scarecrows around town  for the Scarecrow Festival, and to tour a typical southern antebellum home in the Greek style, Orange Hall.

For more pics click here.