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OF NEW AND FUTURE RV PARKS
What’s New, What Works...
A Pet Lover’s Guide to RV-ing
Just say the word “Camper” and my Gypsy would hop on board for fear she’d be left behind.
As a dog lover, I’m sold on having pets on board but it’s a personal decision. Pets aren’t right for every woman. RV travel isn’t right for every pet. Pets can get car sick, can wander off at the worst possible time and can get into trouble with all sorts of strange plants and animals along the way. Small pets have been captured by alligators in the South, attacked by wild animals in the desert, disappeared in canals and swept away by large birds in Alaska.
If RV-ing with a pet is on your to-do list, here are some random tips.
* See local vets to make sure your pet is armed against both everyday diseases (e.g. rabies) and REGIONAL hazards. Ask about a vaccine for poisonous snakes and preventives for local ticks. Heartworm pills are a must in many areas. Each vet can make recommendations based on local conditions.
* When traveling between the U.S. and Canada you’ll need proof of shots. Also be aware that many foods are prohibited from passing from one country to another. They include some meats in pet foods. If your pet eats a food that isn’t available in the other country and cannot be taken across the border, have the vet adjust the pet’s diet well in advance of the travel. Go to http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/prohibited_restricted.xml
to see rules about foods that cannot be brought into the U.S.
* In a panic stop any unprotected pet becomes a missile. Even a small kitten or bird can whack you in the back of the head hard enough to do substantial damage to you while probably killing the pet. For their own safety, keep pets crated or tethered underway. Many types of clever new pet safety devices are available online and at pet stores.
* Unless in an off-leash park, pets must usually be kept on a six-foot leash. Break the rules and you can be kicked out of the campground without a refund. Portable pet “playpens” and “runs” are found in pet supply stores. Some campgrounds now have premium RV sites with a private fenced area.
* In state and national parks, you could be fined if you or your pet harass wildlife.
* Guard your pet against other pets in the campground. Campsites are small and some dogs are very territorial. As you and your pet pass by, they could break through a screen door, leap out of a playpen or window or otherwise come after you or your pet.
* Most pet owners are good about cleaning up dog poop, but it’s also important to keep your pet from piddling on other campers’ tires, tent ropes and so on. It’s also offensive to bathe pets in campground showers.
* Humans can wipe their feet or slip off their shoes. Pets can’t. I carry extra matting to provide an extra large area for sand and mud to fall out of Gypsy’s paws before she hops aboard. I also keep a good supply of towels for drying her after we walk in the rain.
What are your tips on travel with pets? E-mail janetgroene@yahoo.com and I’ll share them here. Let me know if we may use your name.
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| You could be fined or jailed for leaving pet in a hot vehicle |
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 to go full-timing. Then it leads you through choosing and outfitting the RV as a home, making money on the go, home schooling if you have kids on board, finding affordable campsites and more. It ends with advice on easing out of full-timing, when and if that day comes.
CAMPGROUNDS; GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS
This LATE-BREAKING news is gathered from local sources and may be incomplete or premature. It gives you an earlybird view of new and future campgrounds. Follow- up is up to you.
TRENDING....
At this time of year.....(*) Check ahead for full and partial campground closings at this time of year. Some seasonal campgrounds will open all year due to the housing shortage. HOWEVER (*) “Open all year” may not mean fully serviced. In freezing climates, water may be turned off entirely or to individual campsites. (*) Know what payments are required at each campground. Some campgrounds are cash only. At others, only electronic payments are accepted. Some are mixed, such as outside vendors or food trucks that take only cash.
* New funding will make a big difference for RV travelers to Morgantown, West Virginia. In Phase Two of an ongoing project, Mylan Park’s KOA Resort & Campground will get will get 169 campsites, four log cabins, new pacing, a clubhouse and bathhouses. The 60-acre city park has athletic fields, indoor spaces for sports such as volleyball and basketball, events and a pool for aquatic recreation. (304) 973-9733, (www.) mylanpark.org
* A long-time favorite family-owned campground in Brunswick, Maine is the latest acquisition by Modern America Campgrounds, one of the largest campground owners in the Northeast. Changes at Thomas Point Beach will include the addition of 30 RV pads. Now owners of 20 campgrounds, Modern America aims for a portfolio of 33.
* In a $20.5 million deal, Melrose Trailer Park and Olive Avenue RV Resort in Vista, California has been purchased by a large investment firm. After being in the same family for several generations, this is the property’s first change of owners.
* Starting this month, Mohican State Park Lodge & Conference Center, Perrysville, Ohio, will hold an art exhibition of 32 works by 29 Ohio artists. Titled “Folk and Art” the exhibition is here until January 3. See details at the Ohio Arts Council website, (www.) Oac.ohio.gov/ Mohican State Park State Park, Loudenville, Ohio has 100 campsites, half of them with full hookups. There’s also a playground, showers and seasonal facilities including a swimming pool, gem mining and a nature center. For camping reservations call (866) 644-6727.
* The new Nature Center is worth a special trip to Dillon State Park, Nashport, Ohio, near Newark. Check out the modern, dog-friendly campground with its full hookups, the swimming beach, marina, hiking trails and the many ranger-led special programs. The famous Camp Store, dating from the 1960's, is open again after a major renovation. The park’s phone is (740) 452-1083. For reservations go to https://reserveohio.com/
* The village-owned James N. McNally Public Campground in Grantsburg, Wisconsin will double in size. It’s adding 30 campsites to the present 38. (Most are rented by the season, so jump in early.) Also added will be new lighting, a shower building and paving. A completion date hasn’t been projected but it’s possible that some new sites will not have hookups at first. Call for updates, (715) 463-2405, option 1.
* Guadaloupe National Park in Texas, which has three developed, year-round campgrounds, is going 100% cashless starting November 25. Be prepared to pay with an electronic card.
* Thanks to a grant, the city-owned Oregon Trail Glamping & RV Park in Westmoreland, Kansas is adding rental cabins and more improvements. The park has 16 RV sites with full hookups, Wi-Fi and a dog park. There is no camp host. Restrooms/showers are accessed by code. (785) 288-9728
* Word from Howell Township, Michigan is that a former gravel mine will soon have a campground. The 98 acres, now being developed as a brewing company, has room to add the proposed Quarry RV Resort with two swimming pools, bathhouses, cabins, glampsites and 252 RV pads. Keep your fingers crossed.
* Also in the Wolverine State, a new KOA is being built as the Monroe County/Toledo North KOA in Oetersburg, Michigan. Plans for Phase One call for two swimming pools, a splash pad, bathhouses and other amenities. A completion date hasn’t been announced but reservations for 2025 are now open at 1-734-856-4972
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Be the first kid on the block to learn of new and proposed RV resorts, parks and campgrounds. Email janetgroene@yahoo.com, put RV Yes in the topic line, and get a poke when new posts go up here.
Janet Groene’s Survival Food Handbook is a guide to provisioning your RV pantry for emergencies by using familiar, affordable supermarket foods. https://amzn.to/3mIfryC
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