This is technically our third extended RV trip and the longest at 58 days. Last year this time we were afflicted with SAD – seasonal affective disorder which Wiki defines as a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year exhibit depressive symptoms at the same time each year, mostly in winter. Vowing that we would winter-warm when we reached retirement, we chose far – 3,000 miles from a possible polar vortex with comfortable temps and conducive to reclaiming an active lifestyle. In the process we’d commune with nature, get our blog on and sort out the next phase of life.
The common RV mid-life dream is to “See America,” starting with the National Parks. Mention Yosemite and everyone swoons. They are a fabulous travel destination, but can’t be the go-to choice for everyday RV living. Getting in is the first challenge – their popularity makes them very difficult to reserve – unless you are tent camping out of your Subaru. And, if you are doing that, rock-on! There just aren’t that many spaces for the over 30 ft crowd like Betty. You can book a year in advance on the hotel.com of campgrounds – reserveamerica.com – and it’s a land grab. People take the maximum dates that might work then cancel as they work in the rest of their travel plans. So when a random search turned up the maximum two weeks at Zion National Park in May, Eric locked it down and the rest of the trip will reveal itself over time. Our best advice is to pick the parks you want to go to and look at next available dates and try to make them work.
State parks are usually the go-to choice for the best combination of natural beauty and amenities. They can also be difficult to reserve, but since there are many more State than the Fed parks, there are more choices. Campsites can be roomy or tight, private or lined up like dominos. Most have laundry, clean bathhouses and run less than $30 a night. Each state runs their parks a little different. Many are on reserveAmerica.com but some have their own state-run sites which tend to be easier to use and more informative. There are 4 other National Parks around Zion, but Betty can’t drive Route 89 to get to them so we are going state. For this, we look at the route for the trip and google state parks with RV camping. The map shows the possibilities and we look for availability, amenities and convenience.
Lesser known are the county parks. These can be hard to find, and even harder to book. They are not on ReserveAmerica. They may not take online reservations at all. And that is what makes them great finds. You have to sleuth them out, and get them on the phone to make reservations. Many will only reserve out 3 months or so. St. James county park outside of Charleston SC is a wonderful example. That park even has a shuttle bus to run guests to and from the city or the beach each day.
Our favorite parks for extended stays are the DoD/MWR parks (Department of Defense/Morale Welfare and Recreation), exclusive to active duty, retirees and some DoD personnel. Some are co-located on a major base while others are “resort” style, located off-base near the recreation region of the area. For us retired military, the combination of the RV park and base make for an amenity rich environment. From fitness centers to commissaries to hospitals, they are a robust self-contained ecosystem. Currently we are at a resort site overlooking the San Diego bay at Fiddler’s Cove on Coronado Island. Last night we took a 5 mile night ride in to the nearby Naval Air Station to catch Aquaman at the base theater – for free. Returning to the Cove at 11 pm, we keyed in the code to open the gate and retreated to our rolling condo on the bay in the security of a private compound.
We think of private parks as the parks of last resort. And then it’s mostly about price and convenience. Carlsbad Caverns is 8 miles from the closest RV park – White’s. State Park is 17 miles. We’re on bikes. White’s it is.
With no national directory of Federal, State, County, Private and Military parks, the internet is your friend. You need time, patience and good WiFi to plan your See America dream.
This morning we biked 5 minutes back to Silver Strand to play an hour of beach paddle ball. While a surfer dudette hit the waves, a bunch of tough looking guys played with a cool high-tech toy in the surf. The weather was foul with rain threatening overhead but it didn’t interfere with the workout. When we were all run out, we searched high and low for a foot wash to clean off the sand. The restrooms were austere, just like weremembered them. We returned to the Cove ahead of the rain, feeling like we had the best of both worlds – sandy beach access and ALL THE AMENITIES. We preferred the MWR park so much, we canceled Crystal Cove State Park near LA and booked the DoD Seal Beach RV park about 30 miles up the road. Both are right on the beach. But only one is in da club.
