RV Parking Woes + RV Campground News

Can you find parking at the mall?

 

 

 Blog copyright Janet Groene 2024. This blog has had moret than 250,ooo views. To ask about rates to place your ad for one year, one low rate, on all six Groene sites, email janetgroene@yahoo.com

 

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THIS WEEK'S BREAKING NEWS OF NEW RV PARKS, EXPANSIONS, CLOSINGS, OPENINGS

Park and Make Out

      Winter RV travel means wonderful  trips to the sunbelt, ski slopes, holidays with family, shopping trips to the mall. That also means that  parking is tight for cars and sometimes impossible for an RV. 

 

The 4th Edition of the Groenes’ book Living Aboard Your RV, A Guide to the Full-Time Life on Wheels, is available from Amazon at   https://amzn.to/3knbvll/

The book starts with making the decision in the first place, then leads you through choosing and outfitting the RV as a home, making money on the go,  home schooling, finding affordable campsites and more.  It ends with advice on easing out of full-timing, when and if that day comes.

     

With help from Shawn Conrad, executive director of the International Parking Institute (a group of parking professionals) here are insider tips.

                                     
    * Allow extra time for parking. When we feel rushed, stress levels rise and we become more accident prone. 

 

    * Research ahead of time. The destination’s website may offer parking tips,. There may even be a smart phone app that tips you off to available spaces at a shopping center or event

    * Cruising around for a parking spot wastes fuel. Head for a spot farther from the entrance. Added bonus: extra exercise helps keep you fit.  

    *  Show goodwill toward fellow drivers. Don't block others looking for parking spaces. Make sure you take up only one spot and  your neighbors can open their vehicle doors. When you’re driving an RV you’re also an ambassador for all RV drivers. Do your best to stay out of the way of faster, more agile vehicles.

            * When at the wheel or walking to your car, don’t text, talk on the phone, check shopping lists, touch up your lip gloss or do anything that prevents you from being aware of what is happening around you, advises Conrad. 

 

  * Watch for children, using all the driving aids at your command including mirrors and rear-view camera.  Kids dart out quickly, run behind cars or stand below your line of vision.

    * Don't park illegally or in spots marked for disabled drivers. If your vehicle has a handicap placard and the handicapped person is not on board with you, be a good citizen and don’t take a spot from someone who truly needs it.

    * Be safe personally. Park in well-lit areas, close your windows (and RV curtains), and lock your doors including basement doors (except the propane storage door.) . Hide valuables and packages so they can’t be seen from outside. When returning to your car or RV, have your keys out and ready.

    * Jot down your parking location (or enter it in your GPS)  so you won't forget where you parked.

    * Know the exact height of your vehicle in feet and inches. If you’ve added anything on the rooftop, don’t forget that.  Think twice before entering an indoor parking garage. The controlling height for the entry plus all ramps and floors should be clearly posted.

    Janet adds: Many campground reservations are now site-specific, allowing you to see the site online and tailor the parking to your own RV.  If the website doesn’t provide this information, call the campground ahead so you know what you’ll face when approaching the site and parking. Is it back-in or pull-thru? Size limit? Where on the site are hook-ups and the paved pad located?  Is there room for your slides? One side or both? 

 

Special cautions: (1) Don’t block extra-wide spaces that are provided for handicapped drivers to unload and deploy ramps and wheelchairs. (2) Toddlers often don’t show up on rear-facing radar. Use all precautions when backing.

 

   

      CAMPGROUNDS; GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS 11/8/24

 These late-breaking news items are from our local sources and may be incomplete or premature. Check them out for yourself as the story develops. 

 

 * Meet Mr. And Mrs. Santa Claus, the Grinch and other Christmas characters while driving through  awesome displays of lights at Atlanta State Park, Atlanta, Texas, December 13-14. The event is free with your donation of canned goods. The evening program takes place 5:30-9 p.m. For event details contact  (903) 578-0160 or email   lane.neely@tpwd.texas.gov/  The campground has full or partial hook-ups. Get reservations at  ReserveAmerica.com/
                
* Catalina State Park, Tucson, Arizona has 120 campsites with water, electric, picnic table and grill. There’s also equestrian camping. The park has a year-round schedule of ranger-guided programs. One of the most popular is the Nature Program, offered 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays from  October 19-April 26, 2025. Each session is different depending on the season and wildlife sightings. Call the park at (520) 628-5798.   Make camping reservations at 1-877-MY PARKS (697-2757). The park has a visitor center and general store.

  

     * Sign up for the Guided Bison Saunter on December 7 at Prairie State Park, Maidenmines, Missouri.  With a guide you’ll hike the winter prairie to observe the bison herd. The park has a small, year-round, first-come  campground with a vault toilet and potable water. For information and reservations for the event call (417) 843-6711 .

* The new Century Casino & Hotel in Caruthersville, Missouri has all the bells amd whistles of a glitzy casino complex PLUS an RV park. Formerly the Lady Luck Casino, the all-new complex has 599 slot machines, a hotel, nine live tables, 74 hotel rooms, a restaurant and a bar. Rates at the year-round campground are reported to be $60 nightly. (573) 333-6000.

    * Thanks to a rezoning approval,  a new RV park is a step closer to reality on the shores of Lesser Slave Lake in Faust, Alberta. There is some local opposition, so stay tuned.

* Valley of Fire State Park, Overton, Nevada,  will be closed for maintenance and construction from December 2–15, 2024. During this time, all entrances to the park will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians. (702) 397-2088
                            
* Big improvements are coming NEXT YEAR to campgrounds in some Virginia state parks, so check for changes before making reservations. While the parks will remain open, some campgrounds and facilities will be closed throughout 2025. The schedule is a checkerboard of places, dates, openings and closings, too long to list here.

    * In Dekorra, Wisconsin, Lake  Wisconsin Campground now has the go-ahead to add 12 new campsites to the 160-site property. A completion date hasn’t been announced.

* It’s now open! The Farm RV Resort in London, Kentucky is the state’s newest RV showplace, a resort with pickleball courts, pull-thru sites, 151 RV sites with full hookups, paved roads, private showers, golf cart rentals, free Wi-Fi and more. The resort has plenty of planned events and things to do, and it’s surrounded by places to fish, boat, hike and explore. Don’t miss London’s children’s museum.  (606) 588-3276

    * Acorn Oaks RV Park in Francesville, Indiana is 80 years old, constantly on the move to make modern improvements. The 15-acre, 105-site park is 40 miles north of Lafayette. It has Wi-Fi, a camp store, a new wine and beer lounge and, for the young set, a playground, wagon rides, arcade and snack shack. New improvements include a laundry, upgraded bathhouse and a dog park. The pond was dredged and a beach added.   Future plans are to bring in golf cart rentals and add a gym.  Nightly and seasonal rates are available. Dumping is free to registered campers, $10 for drop-ins.  (219) 335-2850.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE WHAT YOU MISSED LAST WEEK