RE: what do your kids enjoy most about camping?
I think the #1 thing our son enjoys about camping is never hearing the words, "No, I can't play with you. I really have to get some work done," from either of his parents.
RE: Hanging Laundry
Maybe some campgrounds ban clotheslines because of how some people set them up...
We have seen big bolts coming out of trees at about eye level on a couple of campsites lately.
It might be one of those things where it's easier to ban the entire practice than to explain to some people that if they like camping, they shouldn't be damaging the trees in the campground.
RE: Funny start to the weekend
Clay, Please give us a top 10 list of the most interesting excuses for setting up in someone else's campsite!
The people we had to deal with seemed to genuinely not have a clue. I would love to hear some of the excuses people use when they are deliberately being a pain!
:)
Funny start to the weekend
Friday evening, we pulled into our reserved pull-through campsite at a state park, and someone was parked in it. When DH pulled up right behind the car and started trying to get our TT situated in the spot, the car's owner came up to him and said, "Do I really have to move my car, or can I leave it here?"
The campsite was a "buddy site" we had booked with friends, and the posts for the sites had the reservation/"site occupied" information prominently displayed. A few minutes after we arrived, someone pulled into our friends' site and were all ready to unhook their 5th wheel before DH walked over and said, "Uh... that site has been reserved and paid for."
These people make for good stories.
:)
RE: laundry etiquette
I'm with ORBiker...
I've got a few things that I don't dry. You certainly wouldn't score any beers from me if you put my stuff in the dryer and started it!
:)
RE: Camp Setup with Small Children
I'm embarrassed to admit just how "sexist" our routine sounds, but here it is...
As soon as we get to the campground, DS and I take a walk to the playground and check it out for awhile while DH does all of the "outside" jobs.
After about 1/2 hour, we come back from the playground, and DH and DS go look for sticks for the campfire while I set up the "inside" stuff.
DS loves to help, but we tend to get a little tense on our weekly Friday afternoon rush to get out of town and get set up. This way, the adults each get to do their half of the setup ALONE :) and then by the time we reconvene, we're all feeling more relaxed and sociable.
We have a DVD player, but the only time we tend to get it out is when DS gets overheated on one of those intensely hot summer days and we need him to slow down and take a break and cool off for awhile.
RE: tornado's to the left of us and tornado's to the right!!
We live in Omaha, and there was a tornado here last night.
After about 9 hours without power, we turned on the tv when the power returned and they said that there had been a tornado, and that it had hit a Wal-Mart. We suddenly realized the Wal-Mart was only about 2 blocks from the storage lot where we keep the TT.
When we went to the storage lot to check on things, it was a very strange sight: There wasn’t a scratch on our TT. However, the TT parked alongside of it had been picked up and slammed back down in the same place. It was in exactly the same place… the only way you could tell anything had happened to it was that the tongue was sitting on the concrete. The wood blocks that the tongue had been sitting on were scattered, and so were the wheel chocks. It was pretty wild – that trailer was beside ours with only 3-4 feet between them!
It was something else to look around that lot – you’d see one trailer with a window blown out sitting right next to one that was fine. There was another one that was picked up and slammed down – that one was at the end of a row with nothing on one side of it, and it had been turned about 30 degrees toward the empty space – and it also had the tongue down on the ground with the wood blocks and wheel chocks a few feet from the trailer.
I never knew tornado damage could be so uneven among almost identical objects sitting so close together!
Needless to say, we are very, very happy and relieved!
RE: Ouray, Silverton & Animas Forks
We think Little Molas Lake was a beautiful place!!!
It was somewhere beteen Durango & Ouray.
(FWIW, Ouray was one of our all time favorites, too.)
However, we were there before we bought the TT, so we could go anywhere our Jeep would take us. If I remember correctly, I think we only saw tent campers there. However, since we weren't interested in camping spots at the time, I may be wrong. You'll want to ask a "local" if that is true. Maybe you CAN drag a small camper there!
RE: "Vacation Home" or . . . "Camping?"
I don't know... I think I can follow her logic.
People keep telling me I shouldn't call what we do in our 30' TT "camping." We go to state parks, hike, roast marshmallows, etc. However, I sleep on my nice full size mattress in an air conditioned room, bake cookies in the oven, take hot showers, and blow dry my hair afterwards.
I said, "Fine... I'm vacationing in my 'condo on wheels! Do you think that describes it better?"
;)
RE: Adventures for Young Kids
I think staying in a cabin at the YMCA of the Rockies was the best "pre RV" family vacation we had! It's in Estes Park, CO, and has scheduled activities for everything from blowing bubbles for the 2 year olds to hiking Long's Peak for those in better shape than we are!
RE: Tornados and TCs?
I think I would be pretty afraid to be in a "big box store" during a tornado...
You want to be on the lowest floor, in a small, interior room to have the best chance to avoid flying debris.
Unfortunately, in most campgrounds that leaves the restroom as your only option, because you DO NOT want to be in a camper, and that's the only other place at the campground.
Just last night, we were fortunate to be in a big state park that had a lodge when a storm blew through that had 60 MPH winds and could have spawned tornadoes. Once we knew the storm was headed our direction, we had enough time to get to the lodge and spend about 45 minutes in the game room in the basement of the lodge. (Definitely a nice place to wait out a storm compared to the average restroom!) After the storm, there was a wonderful drop in temperature, no wind, and a beautiful sunset.
RE: how do you ignore the pesty fellow camper/neighbor
Wear headphones and pretend like you can't hear anyone until at least the second time they try to get your attention...
I did that at a previous job. No one had to know that my radio didn't even have batteries. :)
Actually, I am much friendlier when I'm camping!
RE: Camping outside of Camp Grounds? Where?
One thing that's definitely in your favor is the Iowa State Park system - it's wonderful! We've never had a bad experience there. One of the reasons the fees might be a little higher than you might expect is because the Iowa State Parks don't charge an entrance fee. Everywhere we've been has been immaculately maintained, has safe & modern playground equipment, and nice size sites. We also see park rangers making very regular rounds through the parks. We haven't seen any problems anywhere, but it's nice to know they're looking out for any issues.
Over on our side of the river, we see a lot more disparity among different state parks.
RE: Considering SW Colorado Vacation
FYI - I don't have any of my photos stored on an image server so I can't post a link to them right now, but if anyone wants to know why "Little Molas Lake" is worth all of the comments, PM me your e-mail address, and I'll e-mail the photo that I've been using for my screensaver.
RE: Considering SW Colorado Vacation
Thanks so much for all of your ideas! All of you have us ready to take off right now!
I think Molas Lake is the one that we stopped at one time - it was beautiful! It was one of those spur of the moment, "Hey, I wonder where this road goes" side trips when we discovered it. We definitely intend to return to that spot.
Stan, your photos are absolutely spectacular! DH and I have really enjoyed them. We've spent a lot of time in Colorado and recognize many of the areas, but your photos point out just why we want to spend more time exploring those areas in greater detail - you've photographed a lot of places we haven't been... YET!
Thanks, everyone!
Considering SW Colorado Vacation
We are trying to start planning a summer vacation (we're going crazy waiting for camping season!). Have been thinking about the SW Colorado region (Montrose, Ouray, Silverton, Telluride, etc.)
We love hiking, photography, history, & 4WD trails. (We don't care much about restaurants, shopping, etc. - we go camping to LEAVE civilization!) Right now, DS is 3-1/2, so I'd like to go with trails that are a little safer - not close to a sheer drop off or anything, because I don't want to get stressed out making sure he's within "grabbing range" every step of the hike. Also, the one ammenity that is nice to have right now is a nice, safe, age-appropriate playground area for him.
We've spent a little time in all of the towns I mentioned and always left wanting to stay longer, but we haven't thoroughly explored the area. I know there was a lake that was absolutely beautiful between Ouray & Silverton, but I don't remember the name.
Any advice on campgrounds, hiking trails, scenic drives in the area? Also, any advice on roads that we might prefer to avoid until AFTER dropping the 34' TT off at a campground? (I remember the one from Silverton to Ouray was a little aggressive.)
THANKS!!!
RE: What option do you have on your coach that you don't use?
When we were RV shopping, the saleswoman said, "You don't need a model with an oven - I've been camping my whole life and never used one."
Well, she doesn't know me! We did NOT follow her advice, and we eat very, very well when we're camping. I only wish the oven was bigger!
I think the meaning of the word "useless" sure is dependent on who is doing the talking.
RE: Desperately seeking Omaha Storage!
Thank you so much for all of the suggestions! We'll start making our calls today.
I'm really burned about the fact that there are so many RVs in the neighborhood, but we got targeted. However, it is technically illegal, and I know they only enforce the ordinance when they get a complaint. So... we'll just quietly find a storage facility - I don't want to make any noise that would cause problems for all of the other RV owners around our house.
DH noticed that a couple of houses on our block sold a couple of months ago - he thinks the newcomers don't like the way things have historically been approached in the neighborhood. We know it wasn't the next door neighbor - he used to bring his own 5'er home all of the time and park it in the driveway!
A big, huge "thanks" to all of you for the suggestions!!!!
Desperately seeking Omaha Storage!
We live in an older neighborhood with a fairly significant percentage of RV owners that store the RVs in their driveways. However, someone singled us out to file a complaint, so we received a 10 day towing notice from the police.
We had actually intended to put the TT in a storage lot for the winter, but every one we called was full.
Our neighborhood streets are snowpacked, and we have to go up a very steep hill to get out of the neighborhood, so I don't think it's actually possible to get the TT out of the neighborhood right now. However, we can only deal with one issue at a time, so right now the focus is on finding a lot somewhere in the area that actually has a space for a 34' TT.
Any suggestions?
Thank you so much!
