[A/S] Inexpensive campgrounds

[Terry Tyler <tylerbears@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Allan,

The "how" part of your question is simple. We speed read every brochure,
restaurant paper placemat, tourist booklet, camping magazine, festival
advertisement, chamber of commerce literature in towns, villages, cities,
counties and even regional areas.  You name it and if it's in our hands a
few minutes we'll know if there's a inexpensive campground mentioned.

Although we don't look for freebies, we routinely find them in the process.
They are especially prevalent in small towns across the state of Nebraska.
More difficult to find are inexpensive and free campgrounds operated by
power and light companies, lumber companies, propane companies, fraternal
organizations, church groups and those few are only the tip of the iceberg.
For us, it's a game - a game which both of us play with enthusiasm (but not
every day).  Similarly, we like playing Mexican Train dominos, but not every
day.

Having said that, we (me - mainly) are intensely selective about reading
every single comment in the "Day's End" column of the Escapees magazine.
That publication has a bonanza of data plus there are dozens of new places
listed in our favorite column of each new issue.

As in each family - yours, mine and others - we have our own particular
quirks. One of mine is data collection and documentation - so it will be
conveniently accessible while traveling.  Twenty years ago, I used to
compile this kind of data on my Apple computer (using AppleWorks) and then
print out the old and new data every few months - by each individual state.
(Yeah - I know - kind of kookie, huh?)

Next, I'd locate each place on my master map and put a colored vinyl tab
(pencil eraser size) on it. That made the towns convenient to locate while
traveling.  Like any other mini project, the first few states took a lot of
time, but effort is cumulative and with each following year, it became
easier and easier.

Then, someone else (fellow SKP Bob Lee) started compiling this data and
offering disks and print outs for sale. The sheer number of places listed
had become forty pages long, so I opted to buy his printouts (available
through Escapees RV Club).  Plus, I had dozens of other projects going.

The nice part of all these experiences is that the data is cumulative and
once we've visited a site, we always remember it - for years and years.
Others do the same thing which makes traveling with another couple so much
fun. We rotate who decides where we'll stay the next time we move. This
makes sharing the wealth of acquiring new knowledge more exciting, plus we
enjoy a little mystery about where we're going to stay this time.  It helps
to have a little trust and be willing to play along with the game.

You asked if the spots we stay at are relatively nice. Generally, the answer
is "Yes," but we've had our share of "Let's go find the back-up"
experiences.  We usually have two back-ups in mind when trying a new place.
Occasionally, one of those will be a place we've visited before and know
it'll suit us. Sometimes, it's a truck stop (Flying J, etc) when we're
running short on daylight and hauling the Interstate.

Rarely, but it has occurred - are times when we'll go into a high priced
($15+) campground for a specific reason, i.e. to park our Airstream for 12
hours while we retrace the day's route and return to each rest stop in hopes
of finding our cat who slipped out unnoticed.  We found her. She asked us
"meow - what took you so long? it's midnight already."

The goal is to always the same - find a safe place to stay, enjoy the
journey, sprinkle in a little adventure, mix it with a bit of uncertainty
and have a good time - whether for a few days or a week.  There are
occasions when the adrenalin is pumping, the sun set an hour ago and we're
still rolling, but those instances are the exception.

We keep in mind that moving day is only a small portion of the journey. What
we do at each stop is also important - and often essential, i.e. laundry.

First come, first serve? Yes, that is the name of the game for us. We thrive
on that concept, but it doesn't mean that's the only game. There are certain
times of every year (peak season) in certain parts of the country (snowbird
land) when reservations are downright prudent. We go to great lengths (8
months in advance to the day) to make those reservations at specific
campgrounds we really, really want to visit during specific weeks.

Other times (October 15 to December 15), reservations at high style RV
resorts are bizarrely inexpensive ($99 a month).  If we want the $99 a month
campgounds (4 pt hookups) outside of those dates and outside of hard core
snowbird land, they are always available in certain parts of the country,
i.e. Deming, New Mexico and dozens of others.

If we land in a campground with a seperate charge for electricity, we've
been known to not plug in (and not have to pay for electricity), but instead
- use our own electricity that's replenished daily by our solar panels.

As for websites, I haven't found any that provide this information. I'm sure
someone will pipe up with that data. We'll add it to our list.

If you'd like more on this topic, go to Tom Patterson's website and use his
search engine to check the archives. I've written on this subject many times
and Tom has been kind enough to include them in his archives.

Are you still with me? If yes, you must have really wanted to learn a little
more about this stuff.  Keep in mind it's only mops and brooms stuff.
There's more to life, living and loving than inexpensive campgrounds.

Keep it all in perspective,

Terry