SoloWomanRV

Friday, October 16, 2026

Get RV $ as a Craft Vendor + Latest RV Park News

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THIS WEEK'S LATEST NEWS OF NEW, FUTURE AND CHANGING RV PARKS AND CAMPGROUNDS

BANKROLL YOUR RV TRAVELS AS A CRAFTS VENDOR

AND LOVE IT!

Could your RV be your ticket to a nice, new income? Do you yearn to take your RV on the road full-time while supporting yourself with your art, craft, mechanical or writing skills?

Many people, some of them full-timers, make money by selling their wares at art shows, craft fairs, hometown festivals, ordinary flea markets and online. Your mobile business might even make your RV travels tax deductible.

Any product large or small, trinket or valuable, might sell well depending on the site, the time of year and regional tastes. Your choice of a craft also has to fit with the RV travel life, and that means keeping it compact and portable.

Here are ideas to expand your profits.

* Sell demonstrations as well as products. Say you are a master quilter. You might sell quilted pieces, quilt fabrics or kits. You might offer quilting classes, sell patterns in person and online or take orders for custom work.

* Some indiidual crafters, and some entire events, are cash only. Others are 100% cash free. Decide whether to accept digital payments. Many benefits and headaches go with that choice. According to ClearlyPayments.com, accepting credit cards increases revenue by 20%.but there are also risks and costs.

* To follow the crafts fair circuit in your RV, do a Google search for “fairs+festivals”. It’s essential to plan a travel schedule that makes the best use of your time and fuel dollar. Then book your booth well in advance and start promoting it ASAP on your social media. When you post, “I’d love to meet you in person, " you can invite your fan base to upcoming events.

Competition and the cost of booths are soaring. It may take a season or two to learn what shows are cost effective for you.

* Most campgrounds don’t permit soliciting and selling except during events, but they might let you organize, say, a seminar on beading or writing poetry, or a crafts weekend at the clubhouse.

* Selling homemade items is a crowded field. You need a stand-out specialty. Online sites used by crafters include artfire.com. Ebay, Amazon and etsy,com. Stay current on new sales tools such as phone apps. Camera skills are a must.

* Give yourself a deadline, say six months to a year, to make a go of your traveling business. The IRS permits write-offs of business losses for only a limited period.

* Network with other crafters through social media and in person. . Learn what sells, what gives the best overall return. Then focus. I know a woman who crochets baby outfits from an antique pattern. She has one unique pattern and uses hard-to-find yarn. She can’t keep them in stock.

* Sign your work. Become a brand. Improve not just your craft but your name recognition and profile. Add value with signed works, creating a collectable series and/or limited editions.

* Assemble the needs for your booth such signs and folding displays. Know set-up and take-down rules and timetables for your booth and for your RV. Rules are usually strict. Be prepared to meet them or be delayed or fined.

WHAT IS FULL-TIME RV TRAVEL REALLY LIKE?

We tell our own story, from making the hard decision to sell everything and go on the road, to a happy ending when we became part-time RV-ers 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

RV PARKS & CAMPGROUNDS;

GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS

No endorsement of any campground, park or service is implied. These are news briefs. It's up to you to follow up as the story devlops.

NEW AND FUTURE PARKS & CAMPGROUNDS

New this year just east of Flagstaff, Arizona, the Flagstaff Mountain RV Park is thriving in this year of historic Route 66. Open since last spring, the year-round park has full hookups, a modern laundry, free high speed Wi-Fi, a convenience store, private bathrooms and showers with heated floors. (928) 547-1010

A campground is now re-opened at St. Francois State Park, Lake Timberline, Missouri. Thanks to a massive renovations project, 63 new campsites have been added, 20 with electric and twice as many with full hookups. The park has three hiking trails, horseback riding, canoeing and kayaking, fishing and easy access to the Big River. The park closes seasonally. Check now for 2027 reservations. (877) 422-6766.

This blog announced earlier that Dunnellon, Florida was getting a new RV park. Now the 30-acre Follow That Dream RV Park is officially open. It has 238 RV sites and a long list of luxuries including a resort style swimming pool, billiard room, hot tub pickleball, dog park modern laundry and planned activities. (352) 496-9933

Newly opened in Death Valley National Park is the updated Fiddlers’ RV Park. The 31-site park offers each RV-er a private patio with picnic table. Swim in the spring-fed pool and enjoy other amenities of The Oasis at Death Valley such as tennis and dining. See OasisAtDeathValley.com/

The Washington RV Park in Washington, Missouri is still dealing with finishing touches but it is open with full hook-ups. The no-frills park says it’s a place to spend the night but the town is a destination with a capital D. The city on the Missouri River offers frequent events, historic sites, river cruises, dining and shopping. Go to WashingtonMOrvpark.com/

SCUTTLEBUTT

It seems we’ll have RV camping after all at the Virginian resort in Jackson, Wyoming. The campground is said to be opening for the 2027 summer season and perhaps future seasons. Check into it yourself to score reservations ASAP. (307) 733-7189

CHANGES, UPGRADES, EXPANSIONS, NEW OWNERS

Ocean Lakes Family Campground in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina has entered Phase Two of its master plan The project, expected to be done by next May, will include expanded facilities at Sandy Harbor. Keep abreast of changes and available reservations during this construction.

Expanded paved RV camping is now in place at Roosevelt State Park in Mississippi. The camping pads have all new, modern hookups. Check it out at (800)-GO-PARKS.

EVENTS

Take a guided Bison Saunter on November 7 at Prairie State Park, Ozark, Missouri. The park preserves original prairie grasses and a herd of bison. Only primitive campsites are available at his park. Best bet for RV sites is the Joplin KOA. Get details of the bison event at (417) 843-6711

Friday, October 2, 2026

RV Travel but Live Local + RV sites 2027?

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THIS WEEK'S JUST-IN LOCAL CAMPGROUND AND RV PARK NEWS INCLUDING DETAILS AND RV PACKAGeS FOR THE GEORGE STRAIT "ONE LAST TIME" BOOTS IN THE PARK CONCERT IN 2027.

Are you an RV traveler or a tourist?

Camp Anywhere; Live Local

Some RV travelers want to feel at home where they park. Others settle in a campsite, put up the Do Not Disturb sign and wish the world away. If you’re in the first category as I am, you want to know what makes each place tick, then leave with a friend or two and lots of good memories.

Here are some ways to connect with your temporary homes.

* Expand the stay by staying longer or by returning a time or two. Give the place a chance. If you like the campground, use it as a base camp for exploring the surrounding region such as the Hocking Hills, the Badlands, the Dalles, the Dells, the Outer Banks, Delmarva or the Texas Hill Country.

* Tourists flock to the town’s famous eatery. Veteran travelers, however, seek out the diner where locals have breakfast. Hear local buzz while having the best food for the best price in town.

Bonus points if you order the local specialty. Try Taylor Ham in New Jersey, Philadelphia Scrapple, Goetta in Ohio, Redeye Gravy in Appalachia, Enchiladas Montadas in New Mexico, a Primanti in Pittsburgh.

* Visit a local church. See my article “People Power, Steeple Power” on the Perceptive Travel website. https://www.perceptivetravel.com/issues/0308/groene.html

Buy the local weekly newspaper. Tune in to local radio.

* Don’t miss the Friday Night high school game (or, in some areas, the Friday Night Rodeo or dirt track race.) Scream your head off for the home team.

* Need a laundromat? Go local. Meet other patrons. They’re ordinary folks.

* Check local bulletin boards for news of fund raiser suppers, festivals, memorials, pageants and folk traditions such as an annual Blessing of the Fleet, Dive for the Cross, Blessing of the Animals or Chili Cook-Off. Often these small town events support a worthy cause all year.

* Visit local museums and leave folding money in the donation jar. You will get more than you expect. Many small, local museums are run by dedicated, underpaid, overworked volunteers on shoestring budgets. The collections are always interesting, sometimes world class. The best part is meeting the grateful local staff.

His hometown of Littlefield, Texas, operates the Waylon Jennings RV Park, which offers free overnight campsites. The town also has a museum of the county music star's memorabilia.

Support local fund raisers

* My brother is an avid genealogist, following trails that lead from England to Ohio, New York and Germany. Yet he found a treasure trove of information in a private genealogy library in a tiny rural village in the deep South. If you are interested in family history, check each town's local library or genealogy society.

You may be connected with a place in surprising ways. See next week's post for tips on getting started as a genealogist.

BE an RV Prepper

Stuff happens when you're away from home too. Prepare your RV for delays, breakdown, stranding, sudden evacuation, can't find ice, fire ban, run out of propane, supply chain interruptions, civil disturbances. How much food will you need for a week in the woods for two adults and two kids? A month in a remote fish camp? A two-week power outage? See Survival Food Handbook for tips on buying, stowing, and making meals from ordinary supermarket supplies that need no fresh ingredients.

This book was written for campers, RV travelers and boaters who have limited storage space. It's not about having a year's supply of dried food in your RV's basement.

CAMPGROUNDS AND RV PARKS;

GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS

This is timely news from local zoning boards, real estate transfers and events boards. It's premature or incomplete for RV travel planning. Grab the news, verify it and follow it for yourself as the story develops. Locations are in boldface. Dates are in red.

NEW AND FUTURE RV PARKS

In Hewitt, Texas the new South Waco RV Park is now open with Sun Shield or open sites, full hookups, metered electric, gated entry, security, complimentary Wi-Fi, laundry, and a community center. Although it’s expected to be primarily a home for workers paying weekly and monthly rates, the park offers a $55 nightly rate for travelers. Reserve at (254) 314-7001.

A 50--site RV park has been approved for Henry County, Virginia near the Martinsville Speedway. Construction of the park will begin after additional permits are issued. In addition to the Speedway, the area offers travelers attractions such as the Virginia Museum of Natural History, historic sites, restaurant shops, watersports and fishing. See tourismmartinsville.com/

By the end of this month the new Lakers Field Campground, should be open at Logan’s Lake, British Columbia. The 37 dry campsites are handy for travelers who want to be near the Lakers Field ball parks and recreation areas. An additional 10 sites are planned. Phone: (250) .523-6274.

Thanks to a $60 million expansion, up to 70 more campsites will be available in 2027 at Bon Echo and Presqu’ile Provincial Parks in Ontario. Throughout the province's parks, 300 new campsites will be added and 800 existing campsites will be equipped with electric hookups.

CHANGES, RENOVATIONS, NEW OWNERS

A county park in Lorton, Virginia is undergoing a $1.5 million renovation that will bring full hookups to RV sites, electric service and other improvements to other sites and comfort stations. Pohick Bay Regional Park is the home of the annual Bull Run Festival of Lights from November to just after the first of the year. See NovaParks.com/

SCUTTLEBUTT

Volunteer Campground Host applications are now available for summer, 2027 posts in Manitoba. The deadline is October 31, 2026. Cut and paste https://www.manitoba.ca/sd//parks/_resources/en/pdf/campground-host-app.pdf

The popular Kentucky Horse Park campground in Lexington, Kentucky will be getting a major up-do as part of a $5 million renovation of the park. Included will be a new swimming pool and splashpad. Campground work will be completed in phases and should be complete sometime next year,

EVENTS

There’s color in them thar Ohio hills. You don’t have to go to Vermont for a brilliant fall colorama. The Hocking State Forest Fall Color Tour and Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve Annual Fall Foliage Tour will be held October 24-25. Drive or hike various routes where natural resource experts, firefights and forest rangers will be on hand with directions, demonstrations, displays and tours of historic cabins.

For schedules and addresses of both color tours see the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov (https://www.ohiodnr.gov/ For information on local accommodations see explorehickinghills.com. For campground reservations go to ReserveOhio.com/

Blazing desert colors and amazing talents come together outdoors in the Desert Arts Festival on November 27-29 at The River, Rancho Mirage, California. A presentation of more than 100 West Coast Artists, the festival displays ceramics, wall arts, sculpture, photography, jewelry and blown glass. Admission and parking are free.

The Hastings, Florida Fall Harvest Festival fills the historic downtown with food, music, vendor booths, displays, a kids zone and more small town good times. Dates are November 6-7. Farms tours at $100 include bus transportation and lunch. Get details nd tour tickets at (904) 825-1000

SAVE THE DATE

George Strait Schedules Boots in the Park One More Time

George Strait, the King of Country, has announced May 14-16, 2027 as the dates for his major music festival, Boots in the Park. A full lineup will be on stage in Albuquerque, New Mexico.. Many ticket categories are already sold out. For information, tickets and details of RV packages, which are ticketed separately, see https://events.bootsinthepark.com/abq/tickets

Friday, September 25, 2026

RV Hookups, Hiccups+Where to Camp 2027

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THIS WEEK'S LATEST BUZZ ON NEW, FUTURE, CHANGING AND CLOSING RV PARKS AND CAMPGROUNDS

Let’s Hook Up

Those first messy, scary minutes at a campsite are easy if you know how–AND IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT GEAR for hooking up. Here are some things to check, whether you are equipping a new RV or are a seasoned RV hooker.

* A white drinking water hose delivers safer, tastier water to your RV. Some types fold flat for easier storage. If you keep it clean, it looks good outside the rig. However, white hoses get grotty quickly. Unsightly mildew gets a grip. It gives your campsite an untidy look.

Give the hose a bath. Fill a water bucket, add a drop of detergent and a cup of bleach and plunge the coiled hose into it. Wipe down, rinse well, then run a few gallons of water through to flush it outit before hooking it up to the RV again

. Consider two other items when you purchase hoses. Quick-disconnect fittings are a convenience. You might also add a pressure-control device that tames water pressure if the campground’s pressure surges. Your RV’s plumbing could be damaged if incoming water pressure is too high. Inexpensive doublers allow you to connect two hoses to one faucet. Camping supply stores sell everything needed for water hookup.

Once inside the RV, water has to go down drains into tanks that you have to monitor and empty. It’s illegal to let anything drain into the ground, not even clean water from the sink.

* The capacity of your RV’s electric cord(s) depends on diameter and length, so it’s important to get cord(s) that do the job without adding more bulk and weight than you want to haul around. Power is lost with length, and too thin a power cord overheats and melts. We need a heavy enough cord in the shortest length that will do the job.

In active, travel these cords take a beating, so check often for breaks, nicks, cracks, chafing or exposed wires. If you give the cord a quick wipe-down (I use an old oven mitt) before coiling and stowing it, you’ll transfer less dirt into the RV’s storage area

* Sewer hoses are the bad boys of the hook-up arsenal. Even when they appear to look good, they may stink. They break down are eventually, made porous by use and sun damage. Treat yourself to a new one before you think it’s needed. Then shop for accessories that keep it property routed and in place. You-know-what doesn’t run uphill.

Many RVs have a built-in flushing system that allows you to put clean water through the entire system including the black water tank and out the hose. If you have one, its operation is described in your owner’s manual.

It’s best to empty gray and black water tanks after a long run so everything is stirred up and in solution. Empty black water first, then gray water to flush the hose. The dump station will also have clean (but not potable) water to use for a final rinse.

Please leave the dump station as clean or cleaner than you found it. Abuse is the chief reason free dumps are disappearing and fee dumps are raising their prices.

* All tanks are vented to allow waste to “burp”. If you’re getting sewer gas smells the first thing to look for is a vent clogged by a wasp nest or other debris.

* It’s less important in these wireless days to carry a variety of connectors but in some remote areas, phone and cable TV hook-up may be available if you have your own cables.

BE PREPARED

Stuff happens when you're away from home too. Prepare your RV for delays, breakdown, sudden evacuation, can't find ice, fire ban, supply chain interruptions, civil disturbances. How much food will you need for a week in the woods for two adults and two kids? A month in a remote fish camp? A two-week power outage? See Survival Food Handbook for tips on buying, stowing, and making meals from ordinary supermarket supplies that need no fresh ingredients.

This book was written for campers, RV travelers and boaters who have limited storage space. It's not about having a year's supply of dried food in your RV's basement.

CAMPGROUNDS & RV PARKS;

GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS

Fresh from our local sources, these news briefs are intended to give you a heads-up. It's up to you to follow up as the story develops. Locations are by state. Dates are in red.

NEW AND FUTURE RV PARKS AND CAMPGROUNDS

We have to wait until late summer, 2028 for the opening but the new campground at McCormick’s Creek State Park in Washington, Indiana will be bigger and better than the camp that was wiped out in a tornado in 2023. In the plans for the 92-acre campground are 192 modern campsites, three new playgrounds, 32 primitive sites, new restroom/shower stations and a camp store. The park is known for its limestone canyons, scenic waterfalls and the dining and accommodations at the stately the Canyon Inn. (812) 829-2235

New in Dansville, New York is the Valley View Hideaway on the site of former summer camp for kids. Existing buildings and restrooms have been rehabbed. Cabins are renewed. RV sites with water and electric are being added. The scenic, 50-acre campground has a playground, obstacle course and hiking trails.

Coming soon to Breaks Interstate Park, Breaks, Kentucky is a 43-site RV park on the Kentucky side. The park, which straddles the Kentucky-Virginia border,,is known as the Grand Canyon of the South and is in the Jefferson National Forest. It has water sports, camping, hiking trails, guided elk tours, nature programs and much more. Call (276) 865-4413, Email info@breakspark.com/

New since last July in Shepherdsville, Kentucky is the family-run Shepherds RV Park. The park has RV sites, a camp store, Wi-Fi throughout and a catch-and-release pond. See shepherdsrvpark.com/

The first Snow Peak brand campground in the U.S. has opened in Long Beach, Washington. A Japanese concept, . Campfield offers family camping, cultural experiences and luxury touches such as spa. It does not appear to offer RV sites. Tents, cabins and the setting are nature friendly. (833) 662-7624

CHANGES, UPGRADES, NEW OWNERS

A new playground last June is just one of the upgrades at Noah’s Ark Resort near Revelstroke, British Columbia. The year-round, family-friendly resort on the Trans-Canada Highway also has Wi-Fi in selected areas, a community kitchen, facilities such as a laundry for winter guests, a hiking trail to the waterfall and a refreshment station with Keurig coffee pods and frozen yogurt. See RVCampingRevelstoke.com

In Sandpoint, Idaho, renovations at the City Beach RV Park will include construction of restrooms and showers, thanks to a grant from the state. The goal, they say, is to produce a “signature” RV park but plans are vague and construction dates TBA. At present the park reportedly has 40 RV sites with full hookups. Get current details from DandpointIdaho.gov/

Historic Mather Lodge

It’s time to take a new look at Petit Jean State Park in Morrilton, Arkansas. The historic Mather Lodge is newly restored and the park now has the first via ferrata climbing route within a U.S. state park. Also new is the Monument Trail mountain biking system. The park has 144 RV sites with 50-amp power. (501) 727-5441

SCUTTLEBUTT

Belden Town Resort is located in unincorporated Plumas County in the Feather River Canyon, California. The 4-acre riverfront property is an outdoor getaway for camping, fishing and hiking. It has hotel rooms 16 RV sites and tent camping. Now for sale, the hamlet is known for its festivals including the annual Stilldream Art and Music Festival.

The proposed plan for a new campground and development in Woodlington, Lenoir County, North Carolina calls for a $55 million project providing 205 RV spaces, 23 tiny homes, 20 houseboats and tent spaces. The Paradise Lake and RV Resort site will extend to the Neuse River and include includes a lake. Stay tuned.

CLOSINGS

In Parsons, Kansas, the city-owned Parsons Marvel RV Park will close permanently on October 4.

Woodland Trails Resort on Strawberry Lake, Minnesota closed for the season and will not reopen. Future plans for the property are not announced but a campground is NOT one of the options for the property.

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.

COME BACK NEXT WEEK FOR LATEST

HEADLINE NEWS BY STATE OR PROVINCE