[A/S] Southern itinerary

["Terry Tyler" <tylerbears@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi JG, here are a couple of suggestions:

1 - If you haven't stumbled onto books written by John Howells, you might find a few of them speak
to your interest. He describes places that are warm in the winter, and he briefly outlines
attractions. His books are not about campgrounds, but are about geographic areas. By reading his
books, we gain a broader picture of particular areas we plan to explore. We want to see everything,
do everything (within our limits) and not miss anything - even though we know it will take more
years than we have left.

2 - The kind of traveling you are planning to do is somewhat similar to what we've been doing part
time for 30 years and full time for the last 11 years. With that in mind, I'll share with you (via
"OPTIONS" at the end of this note) a thumbnail sampling of overnight accommodations we use each
year. There is no single publication to find this data (like a Sears catalog). 

Instead, we've compiled our data from booklets, pamphlets, brochures, flyers, newspaper clippings,
magazine articles, notes from friends and personal findings. I store them in an old cosmetic case
and a well worn brief case. Because the options are constantly changing, vigilant attention to
detail is essential. We were going to write a book, but it would be obsolete before published.

Each day, when we leave our campsite, we have three to five options in mind about where we may stay
that night. If our first choice is no longer available when we arrive, we head for the second choice
and so on. For some folks, that kind of uncertainty is uncomfortable. For us, we consider it part of
the adventure. And yes, once in awhile, we strike out and have to scramble, but that's life. It's
not all roses and delicious pumpkin pie. 

Hopefully, some of this data will be useful to you,

Terry
'77 31' Airstream Excella 500
'78 Ford Van E-250, 460 CID, etc.

PS - Today (Thursday 11/30/00), we rolled into "Slab City" at Niland, CA just before dark, found a
level place in the desert where we have a few tall shrubs and sagebrush for privacy, yet there are
dozens of other RVers some distance away. There are occasional groups parked close to each other.

This is a 600 acre parcel of desert that used to be the training area for General George Patton
during WWII. All that's left now are a few paved roads and a lot of concrete slabs where barracks
and other buildings used to be. Peak season is January when the population may rise to a thousand
RVers. There is no charge for parking in the desert. There are no facilities either. 

We arrived with our water tank full, our holding tanks empty, our 3 solar panels happily singing
away while pumping amps into our 3 deep cycle marine batteries, our fridge has been holding at 38
degrees, our inverter is keeping the Mac laptop battery fully charged and our CB hears the Snowbird
chatter of our neighbors. After dark, the brightest lights are the overhead constellations, while
the muffled sound of dogs (coyotes ?) off in the distance means all is well in this small part of
our world.   
 
==============

OPTIONS
by Terry Tyler

There are thousands of options for choosing overnight RV accommodations which are not listed in any
commercial directory. I've put together a categorical listing of options we routinely use in our
travels around the continent. These few sentences are not a complete picture of what's available,
but with flexible thinking and open mindedness, any RVer can find more options. 

The list includes: Rally sites, Caravan stops, Courtesy Parking locations, City Parks, Town Parks,
Village Parks, Municipal Parks, County Parks, State Parks, State Forests, Truck Stops, State
Environmental Conservation Parks, RV Repair Shop parking lots, Auto/Truck Service lots, National
Parks, National Forests, National Park Service CGs, US Army Corps of Engineers CGs, Power and Light
Company CGs, Ferry Crossing parking lots, National Wildlife Refuges, Water Authority CGs, Turnpike
Authority parking areas for RVers, Burean of Land Management areas, Interstate overnight parking
areas for RVers, Gas Company CGs, Fairgrounds, Provincial Parks, Bay Bridge Tunnel Authority parking
lot, Mobile Home Parks, Tennessee Valley Authority Parks, Airstream Parks, Museum parking lots,
Overflow areas at campgrounds, Utility Company CGs, Marina parking lots, River Authority
CGs, Rodeo Grounds, Mining Company CGs, Restaurant parking lots, Elk CGs, Reservoir CGs, Trading
Post parking lots, Church yards, Casino CGs or parking lots, historic Fort CGs and Escapees Parks. 

And the list goes on - and on - and on. In my opinion, there are more "under used" and "little
known" locations for camping and RV parking than any one family can identify in their lifetime. But,
for those of us who make a game of trying to find them, it only takes an awareness that there are
options, and that with persistence, more can be found than one might imagine.  

The simplest and fastest way to start learning about locations like these is to join the Escapees RV
Club and begin tabulating the information found in the Day's End column of the club's magazine.
Anyone wishing a printout of sites that members have submitted to the column's author during the
last 10 years may order one using the address listed in the Club magazine. There's also a floppy
disk available with the same information. Go to http://www.escapees.com for details on joining.

Happy hunting, have fun and we look forward to reading about places you found, 
mailto:tylerbears@airstream.net