RE: So what's your take on this article?
I thought the point of the article seemed to focus more upon the socialization aspect of mobile home parks as well as how lower costs for housing, which created a good alternative to other senior citizen habitats.
Additionally, the author repeatedly mentioned how the residents looked out for one another and how the "community" created a positive living environment for many of the residents. Studies indicated that the sorts of interactions between many of the residents brought safety, security, happiness, and possibly longer life. The old preconceptions of what trailer parks (trailer trash references) were may be changing for future retirees.....and that may not be so bad for many.
The fact that many of us are somewhat familiar with living, even if for a few weeks or months at at time, in trailers parked closely to one another gives us an inkling of some of the characters noted in the article. When we camped in a park in south Florida this past winter we had the opportunity to discuss the park, its residents, and lifestyle with one of the winter-time regulars. His observations were somewhat similar to what I read in this lengthy article. People tended to look out for one another, but there were also those that didn't participate. Various personalities brought together for various or similar reasons brought out interesting interactions and outcomes.
The fact that many of today's baby boomers are looking or will soon be looking at the need for low-cost housing cannot be overlooked. Many are facing retirement with a lack of a pension, low savings, and little other financial resources, not to mention the lack of an extended family in the geographic area. As mentioned in the article, many people now retiring or soon to be retiring in the next 5-15 years may need many of the features offered in the park described in the article......Low-cost housing, neighborly assistance for some everyday needs, feeling of community, communication/interaction with others of a similar age, etc.
As John&Joey originally asked, Is this where you would want to be (or recommend) in your later years when snowbirding is not an option? As for me, I'm not planning to living in a mobile home park similar to "Pismodise", but without good financial resources it wouldn't be all that bad. Location, condition of the park, management, costs, etc. would have to be just right though. Maybe future developers will offer better alternative retirement low-cost communities than what is out there now. If changes are made regarding how financing is handled maybe things will look better for this type of late-life housing.
RE: Michigan UP Campgrounds
Woodland Park Campground in Grand Marais is excellent. We camped there last summer and enjoyed the park and the small village of Grand Marais. Be sure to visit the Lake Superior Brewery. The beach was great and the water very clear. You can find agates on the beach and in the water. If you go into the water be sure to have a swim mask so you can find some beautiful rocks.
http://www.grandmaraismichigan.com/woodland-park.php
RV Park Review:
http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/Michigan/Grand_Marais.html
Ontonagon Township Park was a nice little park just north of the Porcupine Mtns. State Park. I like it much better than the state park campground, but be sure to visit the state park for sightseeing and hiking.
http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/Michigan/Ontonagon.html
We also liked Brimley State Park about 15-20 miles west of Sault Ste Marie. There is a campground at the casino too. See the clicky below for reports on both.
http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/Michigan/Brimley.html
Michigamme Shores campground on the shores of Lake Michigamme, about 40 miles west of Marquette, is a FHU campground. There's a state park nearby if you would prefer that, but the private CG is well rated. I haven't camped there, but have checked it out and would definitely stay here if in that area of the U.P.
http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/Michigan/Champion.html
RE: Boat or RV ?
Not certain, but I think part of the dilemma with the RV is that the idea was mentioned to us from a friend who has never owned an RV. By that I mean our initial impression of RV life was that of striking out on the open road and experiencing the wide open frontiers out west.
After investigating a little, it sounds more like traveling from one crammed RV park to another and living in close proximity to other people, their kids, their pets and their noise. We already live in a sub-division with zero lot lines and all the nuisances that come along with that. Don't get me wrong, we are not anti-social; we love people. But we also love peace and quiet. If RV life means living in a crowded campground, it makes me wonder what is the attraction ?
Oh but you DON'T have to be crammed into a campground with others on top of you, especially out west. Many RVers are into boondocking, camping under the stars without connections to electricity, water, & sewer. An RV with a generator will allow you to camp in national forest campgrounds or even anywhere on national forest property and other places "out on the range".
When we camped at Grand Teton Nat'l Park (Gros Ventre CG) near Jackson Hole, WY the campground didn't have hookups. We'd head out every morning to go find a trail to hike (of which there are many). Yes, we'd pass a few others out there, but usually it was just us and nature, plus some excellent scenery. You can get as lost as you want out west and in many other places around the country if you investigate those locations.
You certainly can find those crowded campgrounds like KOAs and others where there's "fun" for everyone, especially the kiddos that are running around like screaming banhees, dogs barking when their owners leave them alone in the camper, or the "friendly" neighbor that wants to come over just to say hi and overstays the welcome. Ask around on the campgrounds thread, or better yet, the Public Lands, Boondocking, and Dry Camping thread for those quiet nature type spaces you may have in mind. I guarantee you that marinas can be even more crowded than many campgrounds.
RE: Boat or RV ?
Actually we were at this point back in the early 90's. My mother passed away and left us some "fun" money as a result. My decisions were a boat, a '67 Chevy Chevelle that I always wanted, or an RV. Well, after considering my wants along with those of a family, I decided that an RV would be fun for everyone.
A boat limits you as to when and where you can use it. We lived in northern Michigan at the time and had plenty of lakes and Great Lakes around, but cold weather issues was certainly limiting. We didn't live on a lake so trailering it would be necessary and that would require having a vehicle large enought to pull it around.
The Chevelle was a bit of a pipedream. Nothing further needs to be said.
The travel trailer would allow the whole family some fun and entertainment. We had Chevy Astro Van that would pull a small TT. Plus, after the kids found that they'd rather do their thing my wife & I still had the RV to entertain ourselves. And now with a larger RV and retirement we're finding lots of things to do with our camper......throughout the year. Spent about 6 weeks in Florida last winter and will go back for a longer period this coming winter not to mention all the other events and trips we take over the year.
RE: Long Hot Showers in an RV?
Bustoff, you're asking all the right questions for someone considering an RV. Keep asking until you have a better understanding of the whole thing. I guarantee you that once you buy (or possibly rent) and RV you will quickly learn a lot of RV related issues.
In regard to batteries: Your RV will will have a wall monitor with indicator lights that tell you the charge level of your battery(s). It will also tell you how much fresh water you have as well as how full your black (toilet) and gray (shower, sinks) tanks are. Your charged battery will run the water pump & lights. Your generator will also charge your battery(s) while boondocking so that you don't have to run the genny very much if you watch your power usage. This knowledge usually comes from experience (and asking questions here, but experience is best).
We've boondocked at Nascar races and never run out of fresh water and that's over 4 HOT days (with a 60 gallon fresh water tank, but did it with a 34 gallon tank over 10 years ago with a small travel trailer). You will learn how to conserve your water in many ways. Long hot showers aren't really necessary - it's clean and not sticky that counts the most.
I would seriously consider renting a Class C unit (or A if you can find one) because that will certainly give you a good idea what it's all about before investing in an RV. You may even change your mind about what type of RV you want. Having a Class A or C will likely require you to tow a "drive around" vehicle unless you plan ahead and have all your food & supplies before settling into your campsite. A scooter or bicycles work well too if things aren't too far away. But camping at a National Park and then wanting to explore will require that you drive the RV and that's not always possible when exploring/parking due to the RV size. This is why many campers opt for either a travel trailer or 5th wheel. For $50K (or less) you can find some excellent tow vehicles and great trailers. Most trailers do not have a generator on board, but you can purchase a small Honda 2000 like I have and keep yourself charged wherever you are.
Like I said, keep asking questions and exploring your ideas to the point where you know what you want. We've explored areas from New England, to the Rockies, from Canada to Florida and we are not done yet.
RE: Long Hot Showers in an RV?
Bustoff, you're asking all the right questions for someone considering an RV. Keep asking until you have a better understanding of the whole thing. I guarantee you that once you buy (or possibly rent) and RV you will quickly learn a lot of RV related issues.
In regard to batteries: Your RV will will have a wall monitor with indicator lights that tell you the charge level of your battery(s). It will also tell you how much fresh water you have as well as how full your black (toilet) and gray (shower, sinks) tanks are. Your charged battery will run the water pump & lights. Your generator will also charge your battery(s) while boondocking so that you don't have to run the genny very much if you watch your power usage. This knowledge usually comes from experience (and asking questions here, but experience is best).
We've boondocked at Nascar races and never run out of fresh water and that's over 4 HOT days (with a 60 gallon fresh water tank, but did it with a 34 gallon tank over 10 years ago with a small travel trailer). You will learn how to conserve your water in many ways. Long hot showers aren't really necessary - it's clean and not sticky that counts the most.
I would seriously consider renting a Class C unit (or A if you can find one) because that will certainly give you a good idea what it's all about before investing in an RV. You may even change your mind about what type of RV you want. Having a Class A or C will likely require you to tow a "drive around" vehicle unless you plan ahead and have all your food & supplies before settling into your campsite. A scooter or bicycles work well too if things aren't too far away. But camping at a National Park and then wanting to explore will require that you drive the RV and that's not always possible when exploring/parking due to the RV size. This is why many campers opt for either a travel trailer or 5th wheel. For $50K (or less) you can find some excellent tow vehicles and great trailers. Most trailers do not have a generator on board, but you can purchase a small Honda 2000 like I have and keep yourself charged wherever you are.
Like I said, keep asking questions and exploring your ideas to the point where you know what you want. We've explored areas from New England, to the Rockies, from Canada to Florida and we are not done yet.
RE: First real trip a success / trip report / Florida Keys
Sounds like you timed your trip well. You'd have a lot more difficulty getting into those state parks January - March. We stayed in the Keys this past winter and really enjoyed it too.
RE: Campground in Grand Mesa Colorado
Are you referring to Grand Mesa National Forest? If so, we camped at Island Lake Campground in the national forest 2 years ago. Nice campground, but only 9 sites have electric. The campground was remodeled not long ago and has very nice sites, several large enough for your rig. We found out about Island Lake CG when stopping at the National Forest office in Delta, CO. Below is a clicky for the Cedaredge, CO area and campgrounds available.
http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/Colorado/Cedaredge.html
If you drive up through Cedaredge there is a nice little fruit & veggie stand/farmette along the road north of Cedaredge.
RE: Saugauck Michigan Camping Recommendations
We always camp at Van Buren State Park just south of South Haven and usually make a day trip up to Saugatuck. It's only about 20 miles from South Haven to Saugatuck and there are places to stop along the way for fresh fruit & veggies, antique stores, Fenn Valley Winery, and Crane Orchards. Taking the old highway up (Blue Star Hwy) is a pleasant drive. Below is a clicky to campgrounds listed on RV Park Reviews.com for South Haven.
http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/Michigan/South_Haven.html
Holland State Park is nice, but it's located north of Holland and you have to deal with plenty of traffic and many stop lights to get down to Saugatuck.
RE: Conditons heading south after Christmas
Here are a couple of campgrounds I researched before leaving this past winter. As you know, we stayed in a motel the first night going south (17 degrees!).
Tennessee - south of Nashville
http://texastcampground.com/
Athen, AL
http://alabamarvtravel.com/
Troy, AL - We stayed here way down & way back. Nice place!
http://www.deerrunrvpark.com/
Tallahassee, FL
http://www.tallahasseervpark.com/
Also, there is a Gander Mt. & a Camping World in Bowling Green, KY (exit 22) in case you need to stop and/or spend the night.
RE: Miami area?
You might want to research Miami Everglades. It has a Miami address, but it's sort of between Homestead and Miami, not far south of US-41.
http://www.miamicamp.com/
We stayed there this past winter and really liked the place. The rating are high at RV Park Review.com. See the link to their website for the Miami area campgrounds.
http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/Florida/Miami.html
RE: 1920's RV camping
If in the Elkhart, IN area you can check out the museum at the RV Hall of Fame and Museum. The museum has some really nice old RV's on display. The clicky below will take you to some nice photos of the oldies.
http://www.rvmhhalloffame.org/
RE: First Time Snowbirding Experiences
Wing it for sure. Take the time to travel around to see what regions you like and what types of campgrounds suit you. This is what we did this past winter and really enjoyed visiting 9 different parks. Reservations are generally not necessary for most parks. We often just drove up and signed in for 3-4 days. The parks are happy to have you and we found most places to be friendly and welcoming.
Do your research before going down. I created a Word document for myself with 35 different parks on it listing rates, amenities, addresses/phone/websites, directions, and feedback from actual campers at those parks gleaned from RVparkreviews.com. This way we weren't lost for our next stop.
RE: Where to go?
This year was our first winter to go south. I've followed threads on this site for several years and created a load of info for both Texas and Florida. When it came down to it I decided I was partial to having more vegitation than Texas can provide. I read threads from people that wintered in Texas who found it was often windy down in the RGV and somewhat dusty. We were down there back in the 90's and also had been to Florida so we knew enough to decided we'd give Florida our first try. We liked it so much we're going back for longer next winter.
Florida parks can be more expensive than Texas. At least when comparing monthly rates for RV parks. We found some less expensive parks even further south where it is often more expensive. If you stick to the middle of the state, along US27, you will find the parks there to generally be less expensive than the coastal parks. But the beaches are certainly nice along the coasts. Still, Florida isn't so big and that allows you to visit the coastal areas even when staying in the interior.
I think you can find parks in both Texas and Florida without making reservations. We stayed in 9 different parks during out trip this past winter so we'd get a better feeling of the different regions. We only made three reservations the whole time and one of those was a state park (usually need reservations, especially in south FL). The other two reservations were in the Keys and a park near Miami, but we could have stayed in both without reservations as there were always vacancies during our stays.
Take the opportunity to go to one state or the other and travel around rather than staying in one place the whole time. Definitely do some research on this site or RVparkreviews.com. That's how we narrowed down our parks.
RE: Winegard Wingman - How does it work?
Excellent information from everyone!!! As I said, I'm not a techie by any means, but I certainly appreciate the info and advice. Those clips added to the batwings in the previous thread are also worth a try. Heck, it's cheap enough to try too.
Othertonka: Thanks for the website. That's definitely a keeper.
When in Florida this past winter we needed more channel options. When not having cable we missed our favorite CBS shows and also some sports offerings on both CBS and NBC. The number of Spanish speaking channels were more than expected, but the 2 years of Spanish classes I took back in the mid-60s have evaporated from my brain. :D
Winegard Wingman - How does it work?
I bought a Winegard Wingman, followed the directions, and clipped it into my batwing antenna. There is no plug-in or anything that attaches to the batwing except for the four plastic pins you use to connect the two components. I'm not much of a techie, but I'm a bit mystified by how adding the wingman improves reception.
I ran a scan on my TV in the driveway, but didn't prior to connecting. I used the booster and still only got 2 channels. I guess I'll have to see how it does in an area where there are more channels available.
When in Florida this past winter at a campground where we only got about 7 channels (no CBS or NBC) a neighbor with the wingman attachment said he got about 15 channels including CBS & NBC. This is why I'm trying the wingman. Maybe I should have purchased the whole batwing/wingman combo unit?
Anybody add the wingman to their batwings? Results?
RE: Yellowstone/Grand Teton Area Recommendation
I'd agree with both Gros Ventre and Coulter Bay. Both are non-electric or other hookups, although Coulter Bay has a section with FHUs and are difficult to get into. We were there in July of 2011 and stayed at both with 5 days at Gros Ventre and 2 at Coulter Bay. Nice campgrounds!
There are a couple of private CGs in Jackson, but we didn't really check them out.
RE: Okeechobee Florida
We stayed for a short time in Sebring this past winter and also have been through Okeechobee a couple of times. Not much in Okee as far as we could see, but enjoyed Sebring and have already reserved some time at the state park there for next winter.
RE: Best Northern Summer Campgrounds
If you don't want to be too far from Illinois you might try Spaulding Lake Campground near Niles, MI. It's well rated on RV Park Reviews and the monthly price is very good. The location is great for visiting Lake Michigan, wineries in SW Michigan, summertime fruit & vegetable availability, casino if you're into that, and much more.
http://www.spauldinglake.com/
Another possibility in SW Michigan would be Shamrock Park in Berrien Springs, MI. Much the same area amenities as above and a city owned park with excellent monthly rates.
http://shamrockpark.net/index.html
If you want to go further north you might try this one. It has great monthly rates and is located between Manistee, MI and Traverse City, MI.
http://www.kampvilla.com/
Found a place northeast of Traverse City which was well rated, but I can't bring up their website. Phone number is available though on the RV Park Review website along with ratings and comments. Nice area too and on a lake. Also, near Lake Michigan.
http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/Michigan/Elk_Rapids.html
Hope this helps.
