DearMissMermaid
Well-known member
To Mbbowie, where is "around here"?
to zoemorn, I can see where a gravel parking lot, called an RV park would be awful. What were the owners thinking? I am surprised they have any business at all.
That being said, I have "seen" (never met, cause they don't come outside, once they hookup it seems) some RV folks that show up in a campground, stay completely ensconced in their RV with the shades down 24/7, never once setting foot outside. I wonder why they bother picking a pretty park, when they have no intention of leaving their RV or even looking out their window. Maybe for those types, a plain gravel RV park would be ideal.
It just seems to my tiny brain, that if all you are getting is an ugly parking lot, might as well camp at Walmart and Truck Stops that allow it.
Even for just one night, I want a pretty place. The dog and I take walks, we both love nature. I don't need pools, club houses and activities, I just want a pretty place to park and lots of nature. I've been pretty lucky, to find this often, considering I travel on a small budget.
I have not found a foolproof way to find RV parks and campgrounds. I ordered all the campground books from AAA because they were free with the roadside membership, I peruse the internet, google maps and recreation.gov. Still some parks manage to to slip through all the cracks, because they don't advertise or subscribe to any discount clubs nor have webpages.
Sometimes I search on "RV park", sometimes "campground". I am always trying to track down government owned parks, as often (not always) they are pretty and cheaper than the local going rates for privately owned parks. Not all are listed on google maps, rather frustrating at times. Sometimes cities and counties own campgrounds as well as states and national government.
I once was looking for a campground, but when I got there, it was in a crowded industrial area and I didn't bother to go check it out. I kept driving. Miles later, I saw a battered sign for a park and pulled over, thinking I could rest and study my guides and internet for a campground. It turned out to be a small drop dead gorgeous campground on the river, not listed anywhere on the internet or in any of my guide books at all. It was government owned, the rent was payable on the honor system in a drop box. Folks said there was a camp host, but they hadn't seen them in days. I never saw them either. I loved that little park! So you just never know what's out there sometimes or how something so nice slipped through the cracks. Plenty of people were there, I guess word of mouth had spread. It had electric only, but you could top up your water tanks for free at the public spigot and it had a dump station.
Google maps brings up camping and RV parks, listed A,B,C,D, etc. But there are also tiny little dots on the map without a big letter by them.
I tend to explore the tiny dots, though some businesses are misleading, and you find the google dots are not at all what you are searching for, so it can be time consuming.
Also, I often search away from the interstates and there are certain "name brand" parks I tend to avoid all together, as I think they are overpriced for what I am looking for, yet they are probably perfect for families on vacation and those with deep pockets in search of planned activities.
I have plenty to keep me busy, so I don't need the extra amenities. I just want nature.
Those plain gravel parking lots for RV's, that sounds positively dreadful to me.
to zoemorn, I can see where a gravel parking lot, called an RV park would be awful. What were the owners thinking? I am surprised they have any business at all.
That being said, I have "seen" (never met, cause they don't come outside, once they hookup it seems) some RV folks that show up in a campground, stay completely ensconced in their RV with the shades down 24/7, never once setting foot outside. I wonder why they bother picking a pretty park, when they have no intention of leaving their RV or even looking out their window. Maybe for those types, a plain gravel RV park would be ideal.
It just seems to my tiny brain, that if all you are getting is an ugly parking lot, might as well camp at Walmart and Truck Stops that allow it.
Even for just one night, I want a pretty place. The dog and I take walks, we both love nature. I don't need pools, club houses and activities, I just want a pretty place to park and lots of nature. I've been pretty lucky, to find this often, considering I travel on a small budget.
I have not found a foolproof way to find RV parks and campgrounds. I ordered all the campground books from AAA because they were free with the roadside membership, I peruse the internet, google maps and recreation.gov. Still some parks manage to to slip through all the cracks, because they don't advertise or subscribe to any discount clubs nor have webpages.
Sometimes I search on "RV park", sometimes "campground". I am always trying to track down government owned parks, as often (not always) they are pretty and cheaper than the local going rates for privately owned parks. Not all are listed on google maps, rather frustrating at times. Sometimes cities and counties own campgrounds as well as states and national government.
I once was looking for a campground, but when I got there, it was in a crowded industrial area and I didn't bother to go check it out. I kept driving. Miles later, I saw a battered sign for a park and pulled over, thinking I could rest and study my guides and internet for a campground. It turned out to be a small drop dead gorgeous campground on the river, not listed anywhere on the internet or in any of my guide books at all. It was government owned, the rent was payable on the honor system in a drop box. Folks said there was a camp host, but they hadn't seen them in days. I never saw them either. I loved that little park! So you just never know what's out there sometimes or how something so nice slipped through the cracks. Plenty of people were there, I guess word of mouth had spread. It had electric only, but you could top up your water tanks for free at the public spigot and it had a dump station.
Google maps brings up camping and RV parks, listed A,B,C,D, etc. But there are also tiny little dots on the map without a big letter by them.
I tend to explore the tiny dots, though some businesses are misleading, and you find the google dots are not at all what you are searching for, so it can be time consuming.
Also, I often search away from the interstates and there are certain "name brand" parks I tend to avoid all together, as I think they are overpriced for what I am looking for, yet they are probably perfect for families on vacation and those with deep pockets in search of planned activities.
I have plenty to keep me busy, so I don't need the extra amenities. I just want nature.
Those plain gravel parking lots for RV's, that sounds positively dreadful to me.
