New Uses for Duck Tape + RV Park News

 

Copyright Janet Groene 2024. To asl about placing your ad on all six Groene sites for one year, one low rate, email janetgroene@yahoo.com

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            CAMPGROUNDS; GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS

If It Quacks like a Duck

Invented during WWII, duck/duct tape is a must-have for camping. Today it’s used for everything from  prom dresses to removing warts (or so they say).  It’s an essential, even for backpacking and other fly-weight camping. It’s that versatile.

For featherweight travel, such as a day hike, seasoned travelers don’t take the entire roll.  Make up a smaller supply by winding it around an old plastic credit card or thin piece of wood.  It comes in colors including camouflage, but the basic stuff is my mainstay. 

 

 

 

. Here are some ways to use it:* 

 

Temporarily repair a seam, hem or shoe. Shoelaces always coming untied? Cover with a strip of duct tape before starting a hike.

* Repair tears in  heavy duty fabrics such as a backpack, sail, tarp,  tent or RV awning with duct tape. It should last long enough to get you home. 

Make a bug-proof barrier

 

 
* When you have a broken prop such as an awning support or tent pole, use duct tape and a sturdy stick to make a temporary splint.

* To keep zip-shut bags stay tightly closed,  tape them. This extra insurance is a good idea for a dry bag in the canoe or kayak.

* With duct tape and one or two heavy duty plastic bags you can waterproof large items or create a makeshift garment or shelter. (When working with plastic bags that come in contact with the body, take all precautions against cutting off air supply.)

* When you need a short length of rope or twine in a pinch, fold or twist duct tape.    

* In a survival situation, securely tape your knife to a suitable stick to make a fishing spear.

* Tape over a zipper that leaks or is broken.
 
* Make a temporary repair to RV hoses. Then get new hoses ASAP to make sure you aren’t contaminating drinking water or allowing seepage from the sewer hose.

* Trap ants, flies, roaches or small mice. (Think flypaper). Use it sticky side out and use crumbs for bait.

* Duct tape is shiny, so it can help mark a trail. You can also write on it.

* Create emergency, hands-free lighting. Tape a flashlight to something.
  

 

BE READY FOR FOOD EMERGENCIES ON THE GO
 

Janet Groene’s Survival Food Handbook isn’t just for doomsday preppers. It’s a guide to stocking your camper with ordinary, shelf-stable, compact  supermarket ingredients for cruising, boondocking and emergencies such as fridge failure, sudden evacuation or breakdown.  http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe

 

 

        CAMPGROUNDS; GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS
   

We gather late-breaking RV park and campground news from local sources in the US and Canada. It may be premature or incomplete. It's presented here for you to follow up on your own as the story develops. Hot dates are in red; states are in boldface. 


    * In Hugo, Oklahoma,  the new Hugo RV Park  opened with 29 seasonal and nightly  RV sites, three of them covered. The park has full hook-ups, showers, a dump station, general store, club room,  self-serve laundry, storage units,  RV and boat storage and  Wi-Fi. While you’re here don’t miss the  to the restored Hugo Frisco Depot Museum and the unusual  Showmen's Rest cemetery for onetime circus stars.  (www.) HugoRVPark.com/

* Walk to downtown Palm Springs restaurants, shops, events and a Starbucks  from your RV site at the Happy Traveler RV Park in Palm Springs, California. In summer it’s a family park with children welcome. Starting on November 1 each year  it’s for adults and is a favorite with sun-starved snowbirds. (The night manager speaks most Scandinavian languages.)  The big swimming pool has a spa and the winter season is packed with parties and special events.  For information and reservations call (760) 325-8518 or  email HappyTrav@hotmail.com/

* Starting at the end of May, National Park Service camping rates along the Blue Ridge Parkway went from $20 to $30. Also increased are fees for services such as showers and dump stations.
 

 

Traditional Cherokee Dress

* Reserve your space for the “Cherokee Ways of Knowing Ancestral Walk”  at Desoto State Park, Fort Payne, Alabama on September 11. With naturalist Miranda Watson, you’ll learn about the Cherokee people and their ties to the environment. The hour-long hike is “moderate” with a few rough spots, so you may want to bring a hiking stick. It’s free but RSVP is required. Call the park naturalists’ office at (256) 997-5025. The campground has full hookups including cable TV and Wi-Fi plus shower houses and a coin laundry.  Camping reservations, https://reserve.alapark.com/desoto/  

  

 * Save the date! The Joshua Tree Music Festival plays Thursday-Sunday, October 10-13 at the Joshua Tree Lake Campground, Joshua Tree, California. All ages are welcome for four days of live music on three stages plus yoga, massage, food, dance, workshops and art. The family-owned campground has dry or fully serviced RV sites plus Internet (fee), fishing and a dump station. (760) 366-1213

 
    * Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro, North Carolina will open its new campground next month with both hook-up and non-electric campsites. Go to ReserveAmerica.com/

* If, Keyawona Dixon sees her dream come true, five acres of land that has been in her family for more than a century will become a campground with nine RV sites and 10 furnished glamping tents. The site in Leesville, Louisiana is popular with deer hunters and is near the Toledo Bend Reservoir and Alligator Lake, both known for fishing. Her Julandy’s Isle Glamping Resort is planned for an opening in 2026.

     * KOA Traverse City in Buckley,  Michigan has a new camp store
and is also  offering 15 new seasonal sites for next year's dates,  April 25-October 14, 2025. At 40 feet they are said to be the widest in the campground and will have new gravel driveways. Campers may add concrete pads for an additional, one-time fee. For details call  1-231-269-4562.

 

 * If you love winter camping in snowy Washington, follow the Winter Recreation Program on Twitter at @WaStatePks_WNTR.  Learn about the 811  miles of managed X-country ski trails and the state’s 120 Sno-Parks (plowed parking areas near snowmobile and ski trails.) 

  * A new, shorter stay limit goes into effect in Washington State Park campgrounds on August 19. The maximum stay in one park will be ten nights and cannot exceed 90 nights per calendar year in all  Washington state parks. Also applying to all state parks is a fire ban until September 30. Included are campfires and charcoal briquettes. See https://parks.wa.gov/

* Construction has begun on Turtle Creek RV Park, scheduled to open next year  in Williamsburg, Michigan as part of the glitzy Grand Traverse Resort & Casinos complex.  Promising 50 RV sites and state-of-the-art facilities, the adult-oriented campground will have full hookups, a spacious clubhouse, Wi-Fi throughout, swimming pool with hot tubs, private showers, outdoor entertainments and a bar, and shuttle service to Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel. Previously it has been free to park overnight at the casino in a gravel lot with no facilities.  (231) 534-8870

* New owners promise upgrades for High Pines RV Park, adjoining Allegheny National Forest in Kane, Pennsylvania. The park has 60 pull-through sites, accommodating rigs up to 60 feet. Some sites have 50-amp service. Additional 50-amp plugs and more sewer hook-ups are in the plans.  The park has a dog run, bicycle paths, a group fire ring, volleyball, a game room and ball fields. (814) 778-5336
 
* A new state park campground in McComb, Mississippi will open reservations on August 1. Percy Quin State Park has 102 campsites with full hookups, picnic table and grill. Premium sites have a larger pad and a lake view. The  park surrounds 490-acre Lake Tangipahoa, an impoundment of the Tangipahoa River. Come here to hike, fish, launch a boat, swim and ride bike paths. When you’re in the area, don’t miss the McComb Railroad Museum.  (601) 684-3938.

 

    *According to the Commercial Observer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida the Yacht Haven Park & Marina has been taken over in a deal known as “a deed in lieu of a foreclosure”. The previous owner was the Fort Lauderdale Motorcoach Resort and Yacht Club.

* With the opening of the new Dorothy & Corbett Walker Memorial Hiking/Biking Trail in Wellington, Ohio, campers at Findley State Park now can take the trail  to Wellington Reservation and back. Wellington Reservation is a 541-acre day-use park with a 21-acre lake, additional trails, picnic tables, a visitor center, boating and fishing. The campground at Findley State Park has laundry facilities, showers flush toilets, ball courts, horseshoes, a dump station and a sesonal camp store Campsites are available with full or partial hookups. Camping reservations,  (866) 644-6727. 

 

     * Opening next month in Celina, Texas will be the McKinney North/Celina KOA Holiday with full hook-ups, cabins, tent sites and lots of shade trees. The 45-acre park has a pond, swimming pool,  a pond, clubhouse, cable TV, Wi-Fi, a pavilion, basketball/pickleball courts and a  Kamp K9. Rigs up to 70 feet can be accommodated.  Reservations,  (888) 562-0683

 

 

 

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In June Jeopardy, #6 in the Yacht Yenta e-book mystery series,  salty widow Farley Halladay finds some possible answers to her husband’s death in a fall from the mainmast of their ketch.  Many questions remain, however, as she struggles to manage her online charterboat booking company, care for her husband’s elderly Navy mentor and manage her wacky, wayward sister.    https://amzn.to/3wcf6ao

 

 

Beauty for an RV Bath + Campground Good/Bad News

 

   Blog copyright Janet Groene 2024. To place your ad on all six Groene sites for one year, one low rate, email janetgroene@yahoo.com  

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           NEWS FROM CAMPGROUNDS AND RV PARKS

 

 Furnishing Your RV Bathroom  

    Here are ways to make the RV privy more roomy and accommodating.

  

 * Start with a toiletries kit for everyone on board. Instead of storing everything in the bathroom like we do at home, this kit come and goes with the individual back to his or her bunk space. It cuts down on bathroom clutter and is also handy to grab and go when you use the campground shower house. 

    When you get home from each camping trip, the kit goes into the house to be cleaned out and readied for the next trip.    Bonus points if the toilet kit hangs up on a single hook. I’ve been in some backwoods shower houses where only one or two nails were provided in the shower stall to hang up toiletries and a towel. 

 

* By now you’ve discovered that most  RV designers forget to make room for a laundry hamper.  Early in your move-in process,  decide where and how to stow dirty clothes. I like laundry bags that can be hung anywhere, carried to the laundry, washed with the laundry and used to carry the clean laundry back to the camper.

 

    * As a travel writer I’ve lived in my own RV and in many rentals and loaners worldwide. None of them have enough towel racks. It’s fun to shop online to see how many types of towel racks and hooks are available.

    * Add a second shower curtain rod to serve as a drying rack. A spring-loaded shower rod fits almost any available space. For drying light items, use a spring-loaded curtain rod. 

 

 

    * Retractable clothesline reels are sold in camping supply stores. Use them as needed, then zip them back into their tiny reel. They are lifesavers but flimsy, suitable only for light items. 

    * Coated wire shelf units that hang on  the shower head aren’t a good idea in an RV.  The weight puts extra load on the delicate plumbing fixture. Swaying with road motion, these units rub on the wall, scarring it. Don’t trust suction cup storage units either, especially with heavy or breakable bottles. They can break loose on bumpy roads.  

 

  

     * A wall-mounted hair dryer is a convenience and space saver if you have juice to run it. 

    * The shower pan or tub are good places to stash large or heavy items, such as potted plants, before you get underway. Protect the tender fiberglass surface with a rubber mat.   

 

 

 

    * Fabrics and soft goods  soften the look and feel of a small bath. Add a plush toilet lid cover, a cotton shower curtain rather than plastic, and fabric window coverings rather than clattery blinds. Soft goods also deaden sound.

    * The more ventilation and soundproofing you can provide in the bathroom, the better for privacy, mildew and odor control and less claustrophobia. You might replace the overhead vent with a solar fan vent.

 

* Have an RV electrician install an exhaust fan. It can be put  on a mechanical timer that can be set for, say, 15 or 20 minutes before it turns off automatically. Steam builds up quickly in a small compartment. Automatic lighting is also a plus.

* Shopping at dollar stores you'll find many inexpensive space savers to fit the smallest nooks and crannies. 

   

             CAMPGROUNDS; GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS

We scan local sources for information on proposed campsites and other time-sensitive RV park news. These are not review nor endorsements and may be premature or incomplete. Follow up on your own. Locations are listed by state or province in boldface. Hot dates are in red.

 

 * Officially open since May but still adding finishing touches is the 170-acre The Lakes RV & Cabin Resort in Maysville, North Carolina. The former quarry has full hook-ups, two freshwater quarries and access to the While Oaks River. The pet-friendly resort has hiking paths, a swimming pool, fishing, a beach and free Wi-Fi. Short- and long-term RV  sites are available. Call ahead for construction updates. (910) 595-4112 or sign up for the newsletter at www.thelakesrvcabinresort.com/

     * Shuttered several years ago and now sporting a $1.2 million investment, the former Covenant Acres Campground in Bliss, New York has reopened as the Letchworth Valley Campground and Resort. The 126-acre property has a tranquil lake and is known for its trout stream. Open for seasonal dry camping, the campground offers a true wilderness experience.  (585) 404-5591, email letchworthvalleycamp@gmail.com

    * Citing high interest rates, the developer who was about to create a KOA campground in Morgan County, West Virginia has withdrawn the plans according to the Morgan Messenger. The future of the historic land that was the Noland Farm has not yet been decided. One option may be to annex it to Cacapon State Park. 

 

* Reserve a campsite and buy advance tickets ASAP. September 13-15 is when the annual Stephen Foster Old Time Music Weekend comes to the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs, Florida. Top folk musicians gather for jam sessions, workshops, concerts and discussion groups. In-depth instruction will be available in banjo, guitar and fiddle at all levels. Registration of $210-$235 includes all sessions. Food and accommodations are extra. A limited number of campsites and cabins are available for participants but sign-up for the program doesn’t guarantee accommodations. For more information and registration call John at the park (386) 397-7005.

    * Closed since 2018, the tribe-owned Kah-Nee-Ta Resort & Spa, Warm Springs, Oregon  celebrated a soft opening with a blessing ceremony on July 11. The $31 million restoration of the resort continues with limited day use operations and additional opening dates will be announced.  The resort has  30 hot springs mineral wellness pools, soaking tubs and cold plunges.  Housing options include remodeled rooms, new Teepees and 70 RV campsites. Amenities include a laundry, restrooms and showers. The casino has 338 slot machines, six table games and dining options. (541) 553-1112.

 

 * The Indian River County Fairgrounds and Expo Center, Vero Beach, Florida, presents the  Treasure Cost Seafood Festival September 28-29. Enjoy fresh Atlantic seafood, arts and crafts vendors, live music from the Landsharks Band, cold beer and children’s activities. Admission is $10 adults, under age 12 free. The fairgrounds has RV sites with full hook-ups,  (772) 226-1035,  and the nearby area has many RV parks such as the Vero Beach Kamp RV Park (772) 413-0664. See TreasureCoastSeafoodFest.com/

 

 

* Spend Labor Day Weekend on sea and shore when the Treasure Coast Music Festival plays on outdoor stages at Causeway Cove Marina & RV Resort, Fort Pierce, Florida. Located on breezy Hutchinson Island, the resort is a first class marina, first class RV resort and a first class destination for full-time fun, food and blockbuster events plus easy access to inshore and offshore fishing hotspots. 

 

Tickets for the festival range from $79 to the $325 Diamond VIP Table. Hear top R&B, Soul and Reggae artists such as Stokely, Angie Stone, Barrington Levy, Leela James and more. See https;//CausewayCoveMarina.com/


* Existing RV sites are being improved at Colbert Alloys Park, Muscle Shoals, Alabama and 18 new RV pads are being added. The 40-acre  campground on Wilson Lake has full hookups, a walking trail, archery range, bathhouse, dump station, kayak launch and kayak rentals,  (256) 577-9619

    * Four North Dakota state parks have been awarded funds for upgrades to water and electric lines This means that more RV sites will be able to offer 50-amp service and individual water hook-ups.  Parks affected will be Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, Lewis and Clark State Park, Grahams Island State Park and Lake Metigoshe State Park. Work is scheduled for fall and is not expected to affect other operations within the four parks.  

* The former Crown Villa RV Resort in Bend, Oregon is now a posh Sun Outdoors brand offering 176 RV sites with full hookups. Fire pits are provided in 53 of the sites and 30 sites have a fenced patio for dogs. All ages are welcome in this year-round resort found just east of the Cascades.  Amenities include a spacious community building, a large swimming pool, wading pool, two pickleball courts, laundry and storage facilities. Access to Wi-Fi and cable TV is available. Call  (541) 388-1131. Reservations  (888) 886-2477.

* Soule Park Golf Course in Ojai, California is one of the nation’s best municipal golf courses. Now it may soon have an RV campground. County officials are seeking better ways to utilize the 223-acre park and also reduce its turf area requiring a high water use rate. According to the Ojai Valley News, a design firm has recommended creating RV campsites,  revamping  current pickleball courts, upgrading the playgrounds, improving trails and enlarging the dog park.

    * The 42-space Camper Park at UC Santa Cruz, California was a budget housing option for students for 40 years.  It has been bulldozed and is no more. Students requiring housing for the coming year may contact avc-ches@ucsc.edu/  

 

 *  At Tallulah Falls State Park, Georgia, regular Full Moon hikes provide a magical views of the waterfall and the gorge below. Make reservations now at the park’s campground for a  ranger-led night hike.  Dates and times vary with the season. Upcoming dates include August 17, September 17, October 17, November 15 and December 15. Sign-up is required at (706) 754-7981. Cost is $10 for the hike and $5 parking.  You’ll hike to the suspension bridge and watch the moon rise.. The park has RV campsites with water and electric plus tennis, a paved bike path, an interpretive center, ranger programs, a 63-acre lake with beach, archery, fishing and geo-caching. Book camping reservations at ReserveAmerica.com or (800) 864-7275.

* On Saturdays now through September 28, experience Monsoon Magic at Catalina State Park, Arizona. The all-day program explains Monsoon Season, a powerful weather pattern that transforms the Sonoran Desert. Intense thunderstorms hit the hot desert where plants and animals quickly react.  The program includes an hour-long trail walk. The program is free but park fees apply.  The year-round campground has 120 sites with water and electric. Reserve at  1-877-MY PARKS (697-2757).

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RV Rescue 101+ Latest Camping +RV Park News

 

  

  

 

Blog copyright Janet Groene. This blog has had more than 343,000 views. To ask about advertising on all six Groene sites, email janetgroene@yahoo.com 

 

 

Tea tastes better than you're in an RV

 A Beacon of Hope
copyright Janet Groene 2024

    A skier was making her last run of the day when she hit a rock under the snow and went sprawling. Her knee was badly torn. The sun was fading fast and the area was known for having very spotty cell phone coverage. That’s why she also carried a PLB. And it saved her from spending a cold and possible deadly night in the snow.

 

 

      Unlike a cell phone or medical alert button,  a PLB is related to the EPIRB or ELT, the beacons on boats and airplanes. The best Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) do just one thing. They send a strong, clear call for help from your back yard or from the most remote places on earth. And they do it without a monthly subscription.  

    These compact, comfortable-to-wear locators are now being used by skiers, archaeologists, hikers, climbers, parachute jumpers, rafters, paddlers and yes, even RV travelers. You’ll spend around $400 for a full-featured PLB but that is the end of it until it needs a new battery, usually five years later.  There is no monthly cost. You may never use it, but the security it provides is priceless.

     Where your medical alert might work only in your home town, and your phone has limited range and battery life, a PLB continues send its SOS to a satellite thousands of miles away for days.

 First, determine your own basic needs. A PLB isn’t a two-way communication device. It is activated only if you’re in grave and imminent danger.  If you want to use it on the water, you need a unit that is waterproof and buoyant.  (Some activate automatically when they hit water).  Some units have a strobe light that can help rescuers find you at night.

 

Satellite signals bring help

      For the government to call it a PLB the beacon must operate at a special frequency used just for search and rescue. It must undergo rigorous testing. A typical unit can put out more than 6 watts of power for more than 30 hours at minus 20 degrees C.

    Here’s how it works. When you need rescue, just press a button. Your unique signal code is sent to satellites that were launched just for this purpose.  In seconds the  signal is routed to a ground station terminal and to the Mission Control Center (MCC). A Rescue Coordination Center passes the information to Search and Rescue (SAR) forces in your area.  

    Thousands of lives have been saved by these systems,  and not only explorers trapped in caves or lost at sea. People have died in trapped vehicles only a few feet from a busy highway Because they couldn't get a phone signal or their phone battery was soon dead.  

As soon as you own a PLB it’s essential to register it with NOAA. That applies even if you buy a used unit. 

    Once you’re registered, SAR forces worldwide have your back. 

 

See Janet Groene's shortcut, space saving recipes, new each week at https://campandrvcook.blogspot.com 

 

        CAMPGROUNDS; GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS

These news reports are gathered from local sources and may be premature or incomplete. They are presented for your follow-through as the story develops.  

 

 

    * It may take as long as ten years to complete the massive, 2,629-acre annex plan for Matthiessen State Park, Oglesby, Illinois but work has began and plans are in place. One zone will be annexed to the west end of Starved Rock State Park, with a scenic overlook of the Illinois River.  (815) 667-4726.  Cozy Corner Campground at the state park is family owned and family friendly,  +1-815-667-4886.  Pleasant Creek Campground has water and electric hookups, https://pleasantcreekcampground.com/

  

      *  Are you headed for Yellowstone in 2025?  Next year will see the official opening of Old Faithful RV Park in Cody, Wyoming, 32 miles from the East Entrance Station of Yellowstone National Park. Bookings are taken now but construction delays have hindered the development and some bookings for 2024  have been cancelled.  For  updates call  (432) 664-9299 or email camp@oldfaithfulrvpark.com 

 
*  Sangudo Riverside Campground, Sangudo, Alberta is one of four county-operated campgrounds at Lac Ste Anne. Its expansion and renovation is scheduled  for completion in 2025. Located on the site of the former Sangudo Speedway Track, this campground on the Pembina River is open now, offering 14 sites with water and electric,  showers, dump station,  horseshoe pits and an on-site caretaker. When water levels allow, there’s also floating and kayaking on the river.  Reservations open in October. For information go to  https://lsac.ca/community-recreation/campgrounds/sangudo-riverside-campground/

             * Hear live, professional bluegrass and help benefit state parks when you attend the BIG BLUEgrass Festival, Sugar Pine Point State Park, Tahoma, California on August 2.  The park’s campground has 175 campsites and is open all year.  The events contact number is (530) 525-9528. For camping call Reserve California at 1-800-444-PARK (7275) or visit www.reservecalifornia.com. Bring your own low-back chairs, flashlight and warm clothing.  Order concert tickets at https://sierrastateparks.networkforgood.com/events/71286-big-bluegrass-benefit-concert-2024/ Music starts at 5 p.m. and continues until dark. Performers include Lorette Lynch, The Real Sarahs , and Josh Brough Stringband. Food and beverage vendors will be on hand.  

     * The campground at Selkirk Shores State Park, Oswego County New York will close after Labor Day and stay closed throughout the 2025. season. During the major renovation new restrooms will be added, cabins will be repaired and upgraded, the pavilion will be restored and ADA facilities will be expanded.  The park will be open only for day use.   Campers can consider nearby state parks such as Southwick Beach, Fair Haven Beach, Westcott Beach, Whetstone Golf, Burnham Point, and Cedar Point. Reserve at ReserveAmerica.com/ or 1-800-456-2267.

    *Act quickly at ReserveAmerica.com/ to camp at Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga Springs,  New York during the esteemed  Saratoga Arts Celebration August 17-18. The juried art show is a highlight of the year in this highbrow, historic park. See works by 75 selected artists. Parking and admission to the event are free. The destination park has a campground, golf, disc golf, trails for biking and hiking, fishing, a gift shop and swimming (fee.) 

    * The Keystone Truck & Tractor Museum in Colonial Heights, Virginia has always been worth a lingering stop. Now it also offers overnight parking for RV’s. Sites have water, electric, Wi-Fi and picnic tables for $35 nightly.  Harvest Host members park free the first night.  The museum’s 125,000 square feet are packed with farm machinery of all kinds, all of them caringly restored. The Keystone Grill serves breakfast and lunch. Check ahead for the museum’s many special events and don’t miss the extensive gift shop. Reservations (804) 524-0020.

* New this season in Belair, Manitoba, barely an hour north of Winnipeg,  is Base Camp 59, where a swimming pond is scheduled to be added in 2025. Seasonal campsites with electric, water and in-ground septic tank are available for lease.  The resort has a volleyball court, washroom with showers, laundry, sauna, Wi-Fi at site ($), walking trails and a community garden. Prices range from $3,800/season to $4,500/season depending on the size and location. https://www.basecamp59.ca/leasing/

* After a four-year closure for major renovations,  Crane Flat Campground in Mariposa County,  California is open again. Of the 160 renovated campsites, eight are ADA accessible. The campground’s roads are paved and each campsite has a picnic table, fire ring and a bear-proof food locker. Drinking water is available and nearby are a grocery store and gas station. There is no electricity in the campground so you’ll need your own light source at your site and for using the restrooms. Reserve at Recreation.gov/  Telephone  (209) 379-2123.
    
    * The National Park Service alerts campers that Bright Angel Campground in Grand Canyon National Park will be closed from  November 4, 2024 to May 14, 2025 while work is done on the Transcanyon Waterline. The campground has a ranger station, drinking water and toilets but no showers.

 

* This is the 10th year for the spectacle they call North America’s largest rock festival. The Louder Than Life Festival comes true September 26-29 at the  Highland Festival Grounds, Kentucky Expo Center, Louisville, Kentucky. Campers can enter the camping area a day earlier. RV sites, available in a variety of packages, are 20 X 45 feet and up to six occupants are permitted per site.   Dozens of heavyweight music acts will take to five stages for four days of nonstop amps plus festival fun such as food, drinks and camaraderie. See all the package choices and get advance tickets at   
https://louderthanlife2024.frontgatetickets.com/event/a69mj1kngzw911fo

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RV Woman: Dress the Part (Plus Campground News)

Blog copyright Janet Groene 2024. To ask about placing your ad on all six Groene sites for one year, one low rate, email janetgroene at yahoo.com

 SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THIS WEEK'S LATE-BREAKING NEWS FROM CAMPGROUNDS IN THE US AND CANADA  

 

What does the RV woman wear?

 
RV WOMAN: WHAT IS YOUR STYLE?

By Janet Groene

 
There is no one-size-fits all solution to the wardrobe dilemma. As women our tastes , budgets and activities differ. You may choose to live your entire life in ski togs or swim suits.  Most of us, however, need a variety of outfits. And we all have to deal with laundry.

     Here are my thoughts on dressing up, dressing down, and dressing clean.  

    * Save space by sticking with one palette such as denim, camo or khaki. Everything goes with them.  Another  choice is to buy only black, white or black and white basic garments. Then go wild with colored accessories such as scarves, belts and shoes. 

* Jeans?  Everyone wears them. They fit in everywhere but they are  bulky to wash and slow to dry. For me they’re  too hot in summer and not warm enough in winter. After I broke my wrist I found that inexpensive scrubs, with their many pockets, are comfortable bottoms and good way to carry a lot of things. They are inexpensive, tropic weight and easy care. In winter, the counterpart is sturdy twill cargo pants.

 

 
 * The new generation of rainwear from companies such as Brella offers travelers just the right garment(s) for different climates and for  layering. A poncho-style garment with a hood can be worn over everything, including a heavy jacket plus a backpack or camera. For active days, new high- tech jackets allow freedom of motion, ventilation and flattering, form-fitting style.

   
    * Check out special travel-smart garments including socks and underwear from companies such as Magellan, Columbia,  Tilley,  REI and Orvis. Travel garments may be no-iron, UV resistant, moisture-wicking, quick drying, stain repellent and/or or insect proof.

 

* Double-duty garments are always a plus. Look for jackets with zip-out linings and/ or zip-off arms. Find slacks that zip apart to become shorts or pedal pushers. Camisoles double as a bra. Shop for reversible skirts, vests, and sleeveless shells. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
    * Get two looks from the same pair of dressy shoes. Clip-on bows, jewels and other trim turn plain pumps into party pumps. Go wild with different shoe laces. Button covers  can be slipped over plain pearl buttons to turn a plain blouse into a designer showpiece. 

   

 

 

                LEARN TO LOVE A LAVA-LAVA

 

 

  

  * Also known as a sarong or pareo this simple swath of fabric  can be used as a shawl, sun dress, sit-upon, head covering, skirt or scarf.  It’s the ideal swim suit cover-up. Do a Google search for “sarongs” and you’ll find a huge choice of readymade pareos ranging from imported Balinese batiks to exotic African prints and ruffled silks.

 

  

Credit: WikiHow

 It’s easy to make your own sarong. A pareo is simply a rectangle of cloth without slits, straps or buttons. Buy two yards of 36-, 45- or 48-inch-wide fabric (the width of the fabric determines the length of the sarong).  Hem  raw edges

    I avoid rayon and polyester. Choose a cotton or blend that is just heavy enough to be used as a garment but light and supple for easy tying, overlapping 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, your underwear shows through. 

  

A sarong can even be worn as shorts

For instructions on a dozen or more ways to tie a pareo, go online and watch some videos. You know you’re a real pro when your sarong stays put all day without pins.

 

 

 

 

 

In June Jeopardy, #6 in the Yacht Yenta e-book mystery series,  salty widow Farley Halladay finds some possible answers to her husband’s death in a fall from the mainmast of their ketch.  Many questions remain, however, as she struggles to manage her online charterboat booking company, care for her husband’s elderly Navy mentor and manage her wacky, wayward sister.    https://amzn.to/3wcf6ao
 

See 16 timely, helpful RV articles by Janet Groene at https://rvtravel.com/author/janet

 Check out weekly tips, recipes and shameless shortcuts  for campgrond cooks at https://campandrvcook.blogspot.com/ 

 

          CAMPGROUNDS; GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS   

This late breaking news is gathered from local  sources such as real estate transactions and may be premature or incomplete. We provide it here so readers can run with the information and make camping reservations as the story develops. Locations are in boldface; important dates are in red. 

 

Can't find reservations? Here's what's new or soon to come

 

* The Green Bay Press Gazette reports that Green Bay, Wisconsin needs additional housing for the huge crowds expected for the  2025 NFL draft  next April 24-26. So  the county will open its three county-operated campgrounds early. For details go to (cut and paste) https://www.browncountywi.gov/community/parks-department/general-information/camping/
Check too with other public and private campgrounds in the area. Some are year-round; others may elect to open early for the season next year.

 * The fast-growing Oasis Experiences brand of RV and marina properties has expanded in  Brownsville, Tennessee with 40 new RV sites at the Serendipity Resort & Campground. The resort offers full hookups, a water park with pool, complimentary 18-hole disc golf, playgrounds,  golf cart and kayak rentals, camp store and on-site food and beverage spots including a bar and grill.  (731) 585-0268

 

   

 

The 28th annual Four Corners Folk Festival in Pagosa, Colorado brings out a long list of music artists August 30-September 1. The family-friendly gathering features camping, food, children’s activities, vendors and an awesome main stage. Everyone age 13 and over must have a three-day pass to the festival to use the campground. Water and porta-johns will be available in the camping area.  Open fires are not permitted. Check rules and size limits for RV’s. Large rigs can’t be accepted.  https://www.ksutpresents.org/fcffcamping
 

 

* Opening on September 20 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the new Tiger’s Trail RV Resort will present 220 RV sites, some back-in and some pull-through. The luxury destination is  handy to casino play and LSU games and will have a lazy river, guardhouse, fitness facility, hot tub, swimming pool, lounge area, outdoor bar, two dog parks, golf cart rentals, a pond with kayak rentals, fishing and pickleball courts. Ride the city shuttle system to points of interest.  See (www.) TigersTrailResort.com/ Telephone (888) 901-4050.

* "Hidden Gems Await" is the new tourism slogan for Stone County, where the Red Creek Cabins & RV Park in Perkinston, Mississipi just added 21 RV sites, a bath house, laundry and two pavilions. The secluded  park south of Wiggins offers full hook-ups, fishing, a sports field, showers and restrooms.  (601) 945-2888

* The pet-friendly, family-owned Grant Haven RV Campground in Bemidji, Minnesota has grown. Now there are 40 full hook-up RV sites. Amenities include a playground and Wi-Fi throughout. On site guests can rent a Polaris XP 1000 to drive the ATV trails that are accessible from the campground entrance. The campground is open all year to welcome hunters and ice fishermen.  (218) 209-2090

Historic Knox Farm

* Mark your calendar to be at historic Knox Farm State Park in East Aurora, New York the weekend of September 13-15. Local and regional musicians, artists and crafters will be on hand with rousing stage performances as well as  art displays and demonstrations. See https://www.borderlandfestival.com for information about on-site and nearby off-site camping packages.
 

    * Balmorhea State Park in Toyahvale, Texas has reopened its campground. The 46-acre park’s famous 25-foot-deep swimming pool is said to be the largest spring-fed pool in the world. Due to damage,  the pool has opened and closed several times in recent years, leading to the closing of the campground. Now partially reopened and accepting reservations, the campground has improved water, electric and other facilities, three new ADA compliant sites and a dark-sky-compliant restroom. Call (512) 389-8900 for site reservations. It’s also recommended that campers make separate reservations for day use in the park. They are limited to 900 guests and they go quickly.
                                                 
* Canada’s Sunshine Coast has a new campground in Sechelt, British Columbia, just north of Porpoise Bay Provincial Park. The Tsain-Ko campground was formerly open only to members of the Shishalh Nation. The 10 RV sites and 10 tent sites are now available to the public. Contact the Tsain-Ko Development Corporation at : +1 604-885-3504. For more information on Porpoise Bay see https://bcparks.ca/porpoise-bay-park/

    * WRIC News reports that a new campground has opened near Front Royal, Virginia  in Shenandoah  National Park.  Some of the 165 campsites at the Mathews Arm Campground can be reserved; others are available on a first-come basis. Sites have a fire ring and picnic table. The campground has a laundry, showers and amphitheater.  Rates are $30 nightly. Stop at the park’s visitor centers for schedules of ranger-led activities. Stock up on camping and food supplies at Elkwallow Wayside, two miles from the campground. 1-877-444-6777.

* According to The Timberjay in northern St. Louis County, an uncompleted campground in Tower, Minnesota continues to face delays. For several years the Tower RV Resort on the East Two River has been under construction. Prospective guests are getting anxious as target opening dates come and go. Keep an eye on this project.

* The community newspaper, All Point Bulletin,  reports that a new campground may be in the works for Point Roberts, Washington. It’s too early to predict an opening date, and more permits have to be approved before work begins.  Intended for the 50-acre plot are tent sites, RV sites with water and electric hook-ups,  a dump station, two bathhouses with showers, lots of trees and a home for a live-in manager.

    * Hurray for Huerfano, Colorado, where the city council has given the green light for a new, ten- unit RV park plus another ten spaces for parking and car camping.  The area is known for its dark sky policy and good star gazing. 

    *  Labor Day weekend begins Friday, August 30 this year. The holiday is on a Monday this  year, so for many travelers this will be a four-day weekend. Check your favorite campgrounds for special events and packages. 
 

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