[VAC] Re: COE

[tylerbears@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Hi Angela and Steve,

Easiest source of COE information is to call Cottage Publications
at 800-272-5518 and ask them to send you "Camping with the Corps
of Engineers." Have your credit card ready for a $15 bill.

As for favorite places along the way to the Panhandle, we don't
have any. Florida State Parks aren't used because we have two
indoor cats and the state of Florida wants $2 per cat per night.
Generally,
we use campgrounds in the Campers Club of America [CCA], Coast to
Coast [CCC] or Resort Parks International [RPI] membership
systems. Their original costs [10 years ago] have long since been
amortized which brings our current nightly cost to less than $8
dollars. There are 7 National Forests in the Appalachicola
National Forest and two County Parks (free) near Tallahassee (off
route 20). We've stayed at all of them at least once. This year,
there are many new campgrounds in the CCA membership system and
we'll probably visit all of them. The closest thing to a favorite
is the Campground at Gulf Islands National Seashore Park south of
Pensacola. There's a rest area at Carrabelle Beach on route 98 we
never pass up whether we need a rest or not. The campground
across the street has always looked inviting, but we've never
stayed there. 

If you have any idea of spending more than 100 nights per year at
campgrounds, it might be worth joining CCA. The cost of an annual
membership is $200. You'd get a directory of campgrounds where
they charge $5 per night. The math: $200 + $500 (100 nights at
$5) = $700 divided by 100 nights = $7 overall average cost per
night. If you're interested, holler.

If we were looking for a second Airstream to use while
refurbishing the other one, we'd check the bulletin boards in
campgrounds near where we lived and then with map in hand, we'd
increase the size the circle we explored. For the most Airstreams
per park, we'd go to all five Airstream Parks in Florida [Mc
David, Christmas, Melbourne, Punta Gorda, Dade City] and check
their bulletin boards first. Every town we went to, we'd buy a
local paper for the classified ads. We'd do the same with yellow
pages in local areas -- call the RV dealers and inquire if they
have anything from the 70s in silver. We'd scour the campgrounds
and talk to every Airstreamer we could -- on the chance they knew
of someone who wanted to sell their Airstream. Even if you don't
find one you like, you'll have a good time exploring new places
and meeting more Airstreamers. 

Whatever you do, don't set a deadline for buying. Take your time,
use the checklist you've developed from reading the vintage
postings, then reread the VAC FAQs by Bud Cooper and turn your
quest into a fun experience. 

Terry & Sandie #6477