There Is Plenty of Fun Close To Home
Does your summer vacation normally involve piling the kids into an RV and heading out on a cross country trip to Yellowstone or Disneyland or the beach?
Family vacations strengthen family bonds and improve family relationships. But, with rising fuel prices, how do you keep the family happy, without breaking the bank?
One way is an RV vacation closer to home. Check out state parks within 50 miles of home - make your reservation and pack up the RV. You can still get a great family vacation, but not spend near as much."
The family vacation has been a rite of summer since the end of World World II and the prosperity that came with it.
Buy - or Rent Your RV ?
An RV that sits in the garage to be used once a year is no bargain whatever the price. If you are a once a year camper, it will be much less costly to rent your RV.However, if you have a nearby campsite, you like to get the kids away from the electronics and back to nature, or you will use your RV at least once a month. Then it may be less expensive in the long run, to buy your RV.
The first RV I ever bought was a little used travel trailer. It had a soft spot in the floor, which wasn't really a problem until my overweight cousin put his foot through it.
Luckily he didn't get hurt, but if I'd known that a soft spot means rotten floor and if I'd known that replacing rotten floors is an expensive proposition, then I probably would have bought another trailer. Boy did that salesman see me coming...
I found this guide that is written by an RV tech that will teach you exactly what to look for and especially what to look out for when shopping for a used RV.
You Can Read It Here!
Ebay Trailers Available Now
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Select a Park or Recreation Area
Find Your Camp Site
- National Park Service
- The National Park System comprises 391 areas covering more than 84 million acres in every state (except Delaware), the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These areas include national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White House.
- State Parks
- State Parks offer some of the best family camping. There is always a state park close enough to home that you can get away for a weekend. In addition, the state campsites are often located right on a lake shore, ocean beach, or some other major natural attraction, that commercial campgrounds can't afford to be near.
Most states have a central agency that controls the state parks, like a Department of Conservation, Department of Natural Resources or Forestry Department. This link will take you to those agencies. - County and City Campgrounds
- Many counties and cities have very nice campgrounds available. Although not usually as large as a state park, they are often closer to the activities that you want to do.
- BLM Campsites
- The Bureau of Land Management areas include 34 National Wild and Scenic Rivers, 136 National Wilderness Areas, 9 National Historic Trails, 43 National Landmarks, 23 National Recreation Trails, and more.Seventee thousand campsites at over 400 different campgrounds, mostly in the western states.
- COE Campsites
- The Army Corps of Engineers is the steward of the lands and waters at Corps water resources projects. Its Natural Resources Management mission is to manage and conserve those natural resources, consistent with the ecosystem management principles, while providing quality public outdoor recreation experiences to serve the needs of present and future generations.
10 Commandments When Camping With Kids
Adapted from Pacific Northwest Camping by Tom Stienstra
How do you get a girl or boy excited about the outdoors? How do you compete with the television and remote control? How do you prove to a kid that success comes from persistence, spirit and logic, which the outdoors teaches, and not from pushing buttons?The answer is in the Ten Camping Commandments for Kids. These are lessons that will get youngsters excited about the outdoors, and will make sure adults help the process along, not kill it.
1. Trips with children should be to places where there is a guarantee of action. A good example is camping in a park where large numbers of wildlife can be viewed, such as squirrels, chipmunks, deer and even bear. Other good choices are fishing at a small pond loaded with bluegill, or hunting in a spot where a kid can shoot a .22 at pine cones all day. Boys and girls want action, not solitude.
2. Enthusiasm is contagious. If you aren't excited about an adventure, you can't expect a child to be. Show a genuine zest for life in the outdoors, and point out everything as if it is the first time you have ever seen it.
3. Always, always, always be seated when talking to someone small. This allows the adult and child to be on the same level. That is why fishing in a small boat is perfect for adults and kids. Nothing is worse for youngsters than having a big person look down at them and give them orders. What fun is that?
4. Always show how to do something, whether it is gathering sticks for a campfire, cleaning a trout or tying a knot. Never tell- always show. A button usually clicks to"off" when a kid is lectured. But they can learn behavior patterns and outdoor skills by watching adults, even when the adults are not aware they are being watched.
5. Let kids be kids. Let the adventure happen, rather than trying to force it within some preconceived plan. If they get sidetracked watching pollywogs, chasing butterflies or sneaking up on chipmunks, let them be. A youngster can have more fun turning over rocks and looking at different kinds of bugs then sitting in one spot, waiting for a fish to bite.
6. Expect young peoples' attention spans to be short. Instead of getting frustrated about it, use it to your advantage. How? By bringing along a bag of candy and snacks. Where there is a lull in the camp activity, out comes the bag. Don't let them know what goodies await, so each one becomes a surprise.
7. Make absolutely certain the child's sleeping bag is clean, dry and warm. Nothing is worse than discomfort when trying to sleep, but a refreshing sleep makes for a positive attitude the next day. In addition, kids can become quite scared of animals at night. The parent should not wait for any signs of this, but always play the part of the outdoor guardian, the one who will "take care of everything."8. Kids quickly relate to outdoor ethics. They will enjoy eating everything they kill, building a safe campfire and picking up all their litter, and they will develop a sense of pride that goes with it. A good idea is to bring extra plastic garbage bags to pick up any trash you come across. Kids long remember when they do something right that somebody else has done wrong.
9. If you want youngsters hooked on the outdoors for life, take a close-up photograph of them holding up fish they have caught, blowing on the campfire or completing other camp tasks. Young children can forget how much fun they had, but they never forget if they have a picture of it.
10. The least important word you can ever say to a kid is "I." Keep track of how often you are saying "Thank you" and "What do you think?" If you don't say them very often, you'll lose out. Finally, the most important words of all are: "I am proud of you."
If You Know Where You're Going - Do You Know How To Get There?
Frommer's Best RV and Tent Campgrounds in the U.S.A. (Frommer's Best Rv & Tent Campgrounds in the USA)
Amazon Price: $16.49 (as of 10/07/2008)
2008 Trailer Life RV Parks, Campgrounds, and Services Directory (Trailer Life Directory : Campgrounds, Rv Parks & Services)
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 10/07/2008)
The Trailer Life Directory RV Road Atlas
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 10/07/2008)
Rand McNally 2009 The Road Atlas Large Scale: United States (Rand Mcnally Large Scale Road Atlas USA)
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 10/07/2008)
RandMcNally Kids' Road Atlas (Backseat Books)
Amazon Price: $3.95 (as of 10/07/2008)
For All Your Camping Needs
- RV 101
- Rv Expert Mark Polk Is The Producer & Host Of Americas Most Highly Regarded Series Of DVDs, Videos, Books, And E-books. Polk Provides RVers With Qualified Rv Information, Tips And Safety Advice.
- Used RV Buyers Guide
- Secret Methods And Inspection Hints Used By Professional Rv Appraisers.
- Campground Cookbook
- Campground Cooking E-book With Over 200 Fun & Easy Recipes For Your Rv And Grill.
- How To Catch A Fish
- If you are sick and tired of coming home from fishing trips empty handed, having to eat fast food instead of delicious steamed trout, then this will be the most important message you read today.
Staycation Anyone?
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JaguarJulie
You've crafted a very interesting lens on a Staycation. I'm reading more and more about staycations lately and even tried one myself. 5***** Posted September 05, 2008 |
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TopStyleTravel
Very informative lens. Keep up the good work. People do have to get creative in this economy to travel. Including the concept of a 'Paycation', which empowers the consumer. Doing what they already do...booking travel online. Posted June 26, 2008 |
RV Staycation News
- Chattanooga Times Free Press | Vacation? No. Staycation? Yes.
- Usually at this time of year, Mark and Cindy Goodson of Cleveland, Tenn., are sunning beside the ocean at Myrtle Beach, S.C.
But this year, with gasoline and diesel fuel prices edging toward $4 and $5 a gallon, the couple shortened the 480-mile drive to the beach by about 460 miles.
The Goodsons this year pulled their travel trailer just 20 miles to Harrison Bay State Park. They are joining a growing number of people who, instead of going on vacation, have opted for a so-called staycation ? a vacation spent close to home.
?I have a diesel truck,? said Mr. Goodson, who owns a lawn service. ?It would cost an outrageous amount of money for us to go to the beach this year.?
Mrs. Goodson approved of the change. - RV Outdoor 'staycation'
- The local mountains can't match the scenic wonder of Yosemite or Yellowstone, but they are being rediscovered by campers looking to save tankfuls of money.
As the price of gas skyrockets, many are choosing to vacation near home at the campgrounds of San Diego County.
RV Staycation News
- Chattanooga Times Free Press | Vacation? No. Staycation? Yes.
- Usually at this time of year, Mark and Cindy Goodson of Cleveland, Tenn., are sunning beside the ocean at Myrtle Beach, S.C.
But this year, with gasoline and diesel fuel prices edging toward $4 and $5 a gallon, the couple shortened the 480-mile drive to the beach by about 460 miles.
The Goodsons this year pulled their travel trailer just 20 miles to Harrison Bay State Park. They are joining a growing number of people who, instead of going on vacation, have opted for a so-called staycation ? a vacation spent close to home.
?I have a diesel truck,? said Mr. Goodson, who owns a lawn service. ?It would cost an outrageous amount of money for us to go to the beach this year.?
Mrs. Goodson approved of the change.
