Copyright Janet Groene 2026. To ask about rates to reprint Groene content go to janetgroene@yahoo.com
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Yes You Can, Girlfriend! Go RV-ing and Rule the Roads
Say Hello to the Practical,
All-Purpose, Unisex Sarong
Most North Americans use the sarong (also known as a pareo, pireo or lava-lava) only as a swim suit cover up, but in Pacific nations it’s worn by both women and men as a skirt, dress, head scarf/shawl and even pantaloons. It makes for a fun afternoon at a girls’ get-together to see how many different outfits you can create from one.
For little cost and space you can have a large wardrobe of sarongs in your RV closet for everyday and dressy occasions.
Do a Google search for “sarongs” and you’ll find a huge choice of readymade pareos ranging from imported Balinese batiks to African prints and ruffled silks. It’s easy to make your own, even if you’re not a seamstress. A pareo is simply a rectangle of cloth without slits, straps or buttons. If you want other features, let your imagination go the limit.
Buy two yards of 36-, 45- or 48-inch-wide fabric. The width of the fabric determines the length of the sarong. If you're XL, you may need up to 2.5 yards. Hem the raw edges. If you don’t know how to sew, use iron-on fusing or hemming tape.
Choose a cotton or blend in a tropical weight that's supple for easy tying and draping. If the fabric is too heavy it gets too thick in spots where it’s folded or tied. If it’s too thin, undergarments (or body parts) will show through. See-through sarongs make good cover-ups and scarves, but now we’re talking about sarongs as garments that require little or no other clothes. Underwear optional.
See instructions for half a dozen or more ways to tie a pareo online at sites such as
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-tie-a-sarong. With practice you can tie it so it stays put all day without pins. (Full disclosure. I’m good, but not that good, so I have safety pins in several sizes.) I carry at least two sarongs, usually more, lots more. I use them as garments, picnic table covers, beach blankets and a light cover for a cat nap. They wash and dry as easily as handkerchiefs.
LESS LABOR, MORE LABOR DAY
COOKING ABOARD YOUR RV
For yourself or a gift, Janet Groene's timeless RV cookbook is packed with shortcuts, tips and 270 easy, delicious recipes to cook inside the camper or outside on the campfire, camp stove or grate. Amazon will wrap and ship it for you.
https://amzn.to/3nNndWY
CAMPGROUNDS & RV PARKS;
GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS
These reports from our local sources are time-sensitive news and are not intended for travel planning. It's up to you to follow up as the story develops. Destinations are in boldface; dates are in red.
NEW & FUTURE RV PARKS and CAMPGROUNDS
The new, full-service RV park at the Turtle Creek Casino in Williamsburg, Michigan (near Traverse City) is now open for overnight or extended stays. The park has a 24-hour clubhouse, laundry, restrooms, showers, a fenced dog park and shuttle service to the Casino with its restaurants and games. Reservations are at
https://book.rguest.com/onecart/unit/offers/759/Turtle-Creek
Nearing completion at the Rock & Brews Casino in Braman, Oklahoma is a 21-site, full service RV park. It should be ready by October. The casino is also adding a major venue for shows. The new R&B Live Entertainment Center is expected to open in August, 2027.
A zoning change has been approved for a new, 99-acre RV park in Wakefield, Louisiana. The park will proceed in three phases, opening with 16 concrete RV pads around a 55-acre fishing lake. The name and details of the new park near St. Francisville have not yet been announced.
In Ellsworth, Maine a 28-site RV park is getting closer to creation. The Anchor Inn will have full hookups. See DisoverEllsworth.org/
EVENTS
This year’s Warren, Wisconsin Cranberry Festival will be held September 26-27. The Lions Club provides dry camping at the festival grounds. Ttwo full-service RV parks, Jellystone and McMullen, offer shuttle service to the festival. Make reservations ASAP. For the 53rd year tlocal folks will put on a party that includes 100 food booths, 100 farmers market stalls, 300 flea markets, 100 or more arts and crafts vendors, a parade, the election of a queen, walking tours of the cranberry marsh, a cranberry pancake breakfast and music everywhere. See Cranfest.com/
CHANGES, UPGRADES, NEW OWNERS, EXPANSIONS
Now known as the Keeshkeemaquah Campground & RV Park, the former Shady Oaks RV Campground between Sidney and Austin, Manitoba, continues as a family friendly getaway under the new name. Enjoy a prairie landscape, full hookups, a swimming pool, volleyball and basketball courts, a pavilion, high speed internet, washrooms and showers, an open area for sports and trails for walking the meadows and oak forests. At an altitude of’ 1, 249 feet the park claims to have fewer mosquitoes. Go to keeshcampground.ca/
The 30-site Oak Grove Campground in in Lincoln National Forest, El Paso, Texas is now open again following extensive repair and clean-up after the devastating 2024 South Fork Fire. The campground has vault toilets, fireplaces, tables and trash pickup. No hookups, no reservations. Sites are available only to small RV rigs, 18 feet or less. See (www.) fs.usda.gov/r03/lincoln/recreation/oak-grove-campground/ Also reopened is the RV campground in Madera, California at the district fairgrounds. Fifteen sites have full hookups; the rest have water and electric. The rate is $65 nightly and there is a three-day limit. Reserve now for the fair in September. https://www.camplife.com/7060631/reservations/
Good news from in the Beaver State. The Philomath, Oregon’s Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve major additions to the city's Tall Timber RV Park. Guests will soon find new sports courts, a community gathering area, a propane fueling station and many other new amenities to the 47-acre park overlooking Newton Creek. For details try City Parks at (541) 929-6148 ext. 7
CLOSURES
Larrabee State Park, Bellingham, Washington will close its campgrounds and day use areas on September 15 until next May, 2027. During a massive underground project, old water systems will be replaced. Park areas that do not provide water, such as trails and boat launches, will remain open. Reserve early for RV sites with modern water service next year. (360) 676-2093
Buck Hall Recreation Area in Francis Marion National Forest, McClellanville, South Carolina is closed until next spring. Thanks to an $8 million project, aging infrastructure from the 1960's and ‘70s is being replaced with updated electric, water and restrooms/shower houses. The area, which is on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, was settled as a plantation in the 1700's. See recreation.gov or SM.FS.fmrd@usda.gov
WHAT IS FULL-TIME RV TRAVEL REALLY LIKE?
We tell the whole story, from making the hard decision to sell everything and go on the road, to a happy ending when we became part-timers again.
We traveled full-time for 10 great years.
Do you dream of living and traveling in a complete home on wheels? Living Aboard Your RV, 4th Edition by Janet Groene & Gordon Groene is a total guide to the full-time life on wheels. Should you sell the house or rent it out? Downsize possessions or put them in storage? Too young to retire? See our chapter on ways to make a living anywhere. Kids on board? We cover home schooling and also an exit strategy if and when it's time to settle down. Order at any book store or let Amazon gift wrap and ship it for you. https://amzn.to/29XFEkq
Camping cuisine is part of the fun, the art, the sport of RV travel. Save money. Make friends around the grill or campfire. Eat healthier. See weekly tips and recipes at https://campandrvcook.blogspot.com
