hershey wrote: I use Effy's solution. It has worked for us well for the last 7+ years of fulltiming. I keep way too many records but: I can tell you exactly to the penny how much we spend per night at any type campground or membership parks. Excel is a great spreadsheet.
We also use the Excel spreadsheet method. It works great.
I keep a bookmark of campground websites on both my pc and iPad that we would like to return to sometime. I also keep photos sorted by region/time of every place we've visited.
Eric
2009 Holiday Rambler Admiral 33SFS (34' 3")
2008 Jeep Liberty - North Edition (4x4 auto)
FQCC/Camping Quebec, KOA, Good Sam, Coach-Net
I maintain a spreadsheet (Open Office, clone of Excel). I keep by date expenses, maintenance, campsites, etc., and my own rating. I usually include a short description of the campsite. I also note refueling stations that are easy to get in and out of. That is not much of a problem with our current pusher, but with our 34' gasser, sometimes it was very difficult finding places.
In addition, I keep a daily, more or less, diary (Open Office, clone of Word). In this, I jot down anything of interest we may encounter along the way.
GM
Discovery 39S Tin Teepee
Honda CR-V Toad
Jeep Cherokee Toad
Enrolled member of the Comanche Tribe
English Bride
Bichon Frise bear killers:
Lord Shonefeld von Reginald-Friese IV.
Lady Annabelle von Lichenstein-Friese III.
If you have a smart phone, tablet and or PC, I suggest you grab an application called Evernote. It is a great application that you can take notes, add pictures, lists, timestamps, notebooks, etc.
Easy to use, searchable and can be accessed from any device. I'm using it for everything these days.
I suggest you watch the introduction video on their web page. Gives a great sample of how it works. Evernote
For those of us who grew up pre-computer, this is quite possibly the best idea.
Easy to make entries, no electricity required, can't be damaged by being dropped, won't lose the entries (unless it gets wet), just simple and easy.
"There are also a number of free or cheap Journals available."
Even better, especially the ones with alphabetized pages!
CM1, USN (RET)
2002 Fleetwood Southwind 32V, Ford V10
Toad: 2006 Jeep Rubicon LJ
Other toad: '06 PT Cruiser, Kar Kaddy dolly
Toy: 1977 Dodge W100 CC SWB, 3/4 ton axles & springs
"When seconds count, help is only minutes away!"
We keep a spreadsheet with the ones that we have been to, list the pros & cons etc. We don't worry about price as our trips are usually only 3-4 nights so even the expensive parks seem like a bargain compared to hotels and such. :-)
Michael
Just me, my wife, our 11 year old daughter and our two big, hairy Goldens.
2004 Coachmen Cross Country
370DS - 300HP - 2 Slides
When we take our walks around the campground, we see which sites are the best and circle them on our campground map. We then scan the map and file it a "Campground" folder on our computer along with any notes about the campground.
When someone says, "I'm not book smart, I'm street smart." All I hear is, "I'm not real smart, I'm imaginary smart."
Along with a spreadsheet I will usually donwload the PDF CG maps and also of the area into a sub folder specific to trip, in a main folder of trips. On the maps I highlight the site we stayed, and might mark a "better spot" if it catches my eye while I am there. The cool thing about spreadsheets is the ability to put hyperlinks in the cells so if you ever want to quickly get to a CG website or anything sightseeing things ec, it's only a click away. Spreadsheets also allow you to sort and find/search for information quickly. I track everything, from distance, to landmarks, to temps, pricing, names of the hosts, phone numbers, possible stops along the way, you name it. I'm an analyst by trade so I believe that you can't have too much information. Not only does this help with remembering and re-planning, but all this information is at my disposal on my laptop en route in case I need it.
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