Wind and tents, great entertainment for RVers! We have been getting a lot of wind here this winter but nothing like what hit last night. All day the clouds mocked us overhead and threatened us like school yard bullies, all talk no action. We waited and watched till finally getting tired . . . → Read More: Wind and Tents]]>

Wind and tents, great entertainment for RVers! We have been getting a lot of wind here this winter but nothing like what hit last night. All day the clouds mocked us overhead and threatened us like school yard bullies, all talk no action. We waited and watched till finally getting tired of the game, we ignored them and turned our backs. True to their bully form, that is when they hit with full fury. The dirt across the river and out in the fields began to swirl. Trees swayed and leaves began to start a noisy rustling chorus. A wet drop hit my neck. Others might run for shelter but I missed school the day they taught us to get in out of the rain. I did go cover up our scooters and check the area for loose articles and hatches un-battened.

Soon, the dirt swirls had dissipated into the air so that all the air was now filled with it along with my hair, ears, and teeth. Crunch. Tree limbs began to break off and fall to the ground with loud cracks and thuds. Again, others might run for cover but not us. Instead, we pulled up our chairs on the patio, sheltered from the worst by our large trailer, and watched as a large group of tenters scrambled to keep their lodges from flying off to OZ. Down went the blue tent while the green one thought to follow its lead. The avocado tent kept lifting its leg like a dog that seriously needed to go. The orange tent stood solid with no fear against the marauder. People hollered for each other’s help to secure the tents while leaning into the wind. Quickly the decision was made to circle the wagons, a tactic that still works today. Several leapt into their cars and positioned them around the tent line to block the bully’s blows.  The blue and green tents were revived. The avocado tent’s leg was tied down tight. Just as the rain hit, the tenters scurried inside. We checked on our other neighbors and helped to secure their loose items that were blowing all about before we too retired to our abode.

Now some of you might wonder why we would sit there watching. Before you think us callus, let me explain. First, this was a large group of tenters who needed no help from us. Second, in storms there is powerful energy to awaken your life force (provided you don’t push it too far). Lastly, most RVers started out in tents and remember those days well. We all remember setting up tents in the dark, wind, rain, or heat. While the memories of those wonderful trips are still quite fond, most of us are glad to not be sleeping on the cold hard ground anymore or have to deal as much with weather. Memories are good but sometimes they should be tempered with a bit of reality.

I would like to comment . . . → Read More: Campground Etiquette]]>

Good Sam has published a great guide on campground etiquette that should be required reading for any new camper or RVer and has rules my parents raised me by since I was a toddler. Check out their guide and print out a copy to study and pass around.

I would like to comment on them myself.

1. Introduce Yourself. As an RVer, you have a vast wealth of knowledge to share and if you are new to RVing, you can easily learn much faster by introducing yourself and asking questions. We are not strangers in boxes on streets with addresses any longer. We are fellow travelers on a common road and lifestyle. It is sooo easy to meet and talk to others while walking about the campground so go take a walk, chat, and make your doctor happy too.

2. No trespassing. This is my biggest bugaboo as well as my parents. Don’t cut through campsites! It is not OK, period, no matter how far the bathroom or whatever is. You may cut through an empty site but not through occupied sites. We rent our space and as a renter, have every right to expect privacy on it just as any landowner. This past summer we had several kids cutting back and forth through our site until we gave the stunned kiddies what for and it stopped. They may have thought that I was just an old fogie but I thought they were rude brats with lousy parents so teach your kids the rule please and then set an example by following it.

3. Pick up after your dog. Hard to believe it has to be said but yes, always bring a baggie with you, bend over, pick it up. We don’t love your precious Fido like you do and we don’t care to step in his poo. It is also a health hazard to other animals and kids. I assume most adults have grown out of playing with poo but I could be wrong.

4. Leash your pet. Unless you really want to be kicked out or sued for biting, barking, chasing, destroying property, etc. etc. keep them on a leash. If you don’t like going out for long walks on a cold morning or late at night, don’t own a dog. It comes with the territory. Even the best of pets will do something wrong in certain circumstances so keep them under control. It is also for their safety. Though I do like dogs, I happen to have a dang cat. She is quite lovable but any time she escapes, she gets into a fight and loses every one… badly… which makes some veterinarian richer. Therefore, I do my best to keep her from escaping.

5. Late arrivals and early departures. Please try to be considerate. I rarely arrive late but the one time I arrived in a campground at midnight, I pulled straight into my site, shut the engine off as quickly as possible, and went inside for a little quiet TV and sleep. Nothing really has to be done immediately other than hooking up to electric possibly. I did not level perfectly or put the slideout out as both of those things can make a lot of noise. Unhitching can wait. Water can often wait. Don’t stand outside talking, take it inside.

If you are going to leave early after having been in camp for awhile, get your act together the day before to minimize the front door slams, cargo door slams, truck door slams, engine running, etc. And, try not to slam!

6. Be quiet. Anyone who has spent significant time in an RV knows the walls are paper thin. It doesn’t matter that the park has set quiet hours or that the local law sets quiet hours. Noise is annoying any time of day and I assure you that non-opera lovers and non-rappers consider your choice in music to be noise. Use headphones outside. Get an MP3 player of your own with headphones. If you are having a gathering, at least keep the music or TV down low. Don’t talk right next to someone else’s RV or tent. Keep in mind that many people, both young and old, sick, overworked, overhiked, overswimmed, overMickeyMoused, etc. nap during the day. It’s just common courtesy folks. BTW, in many states noise is not allowed at any time of day if it can be heard more than 20 feet. You can get a ticket for it.

7. Clean up! Your site should be clean when you leave whether or not it was clean when you arrived. We all like to arrive at clean sites and there is only so much money in campground budgets to hire people to clean up after you. Yo Momma is not going to come along and do it for you. Trash left behind does get carried away sometimes by the wind but usually ends up polluting lakes, forests, and animal homes. We don’t go seeking out nature to see what we can already see in our alleys back home (I was going to make a New Jersey crack here but I don’t want to get smacked). Cleaning up after rude campers is part of what increases the costs to camp for all of us and well, I really don’t want to have to call yo Momma and report you.

To those who find the need to purposely trash restroom toilets, showers, and sinks ( I have seen some truly disgusting and willful stuff), what you are doing is illegal. You will be caught some time and prosecuted fully. You might also want to remember you are driving up the cost of camping for yourself as well and some day for your own kids and their families. Some day, there may not be any campgrounds due to vandalism. Use your brain. It’s that lump above your neck!

8. Campfires. That’s a tough one because campfires are inherently noisy. The best you can do is break it up at a reasonable time so everybody else can get some sleep and try to hold the noise down. I would also suggest inviting your neighbors to the campfire. Everybody has a fish-that-got-away or the-worst-trip-we-ever-took story to tell and most things aren’t that noisy to those who are participating in it. Except for your Aunt Gertrude who cackles and snorts when she laughs. Please leave her at home or camp away from me.   Just kidding. She can come.

It’s been over 5 years now since I became a resident of South Dakota and hit the road as a full-time RVer. It sure flew by fast! I have had many awesome adventures and seen so many wonderful sights all over the US. I have to say, I have enjoyed every minute . . . → Read More: Driver License Renewal Time]]>

It’s been over 5 years now since I became a resident of South Dakota and hit the road as a full-time RVer. It sure flew by fast! I have had many awesome adventures and seen so many wonderful sights all over the US. I have to say, I have enjoyed every minute as a full-timer and never want to go back to being a landlubber. I still love the open road though I don’t drive quite as long now and I stay places longer.

So it is, the state of South Dakota wished me a happy birthday this year by ordering me home to renew my driver’s license. EEK! South Dakota in the winter… in the snow… I DON’T THINK SO! Note to self, next time choose a home state that is warm in the winter for your winter birthday or at least one that will renew by mail. Not only do they expect me back there this month, they also want a ton of paperwork to prove I am a US citizen for the Homeland Security guys since they are going with that national ID/license crap. I fully expect to be stopped at the border and asked to show my papers. Papers please. Zieg heil. I also have to prove my RVer residency there again by providing a campground receipt for one night there. Sheesh. I can see this is going to be a real pain every 5 years and am considering switching to Florida eventually which I love in the winter and would get certain discounts as a Florida resident. For the time being though, I have to go back to South Dakota.

Calling South Dakota proved fruitless so I emailed their driver bureau with info on my situation. They were actually pretty decent about it. They emailed me back a form to request an extension and a form for my doctor to fill out to verify I am physically able to drive. I was a little put off by the doctor form since I didn’t need that when I got my license the first time and nothing has changed since then. Maybe my upcoming birthday which makes me a certain senior age triggered it. I don’t know. It’s a darn good thing I kept my previous doctor who had no problem filling out the form and faxing it to them. Anyway, South Dakota granted the extension until the end of June and emailed me the document I needed so I have time to get all those papers together and drive up there in warmer weather. At least there, you can handle it anywhere in the state unlike Texas where you have to go back to the county of residence.

I hope this lesson helps others when choosing a home state. Consider the time of year your birthday is when choosing. If you are a winter baby, you need a southern residence. If you are  a summer baby, choose a nice cool northern state. You might also want to consider tornado and hurricane seasons. Be sure to check if they renew by mail. Apparently, not all states do. Otherwise, be prepared for a hassle every 4-5 years.

See also: Where Is My Home?

While we still have another month here in Blythe, we decided to head over to Quartzsite for one last look. Most of the seasonal vendors are gone now. Gambler’s RV at Rice Ranch is in the process of taking down their tent in the rear. K & B Tools in Tyson Wells . . . → Read More: Final Quartzsite Trip]]>

While we still have another month here in Blythe, we decided to head over to Quartzsite for one last look. Most of the seasonal vendors are gone now. Gambler’s RV at Rice Ranch is in the process of taking down their tent in the rear. K & B Tools in Tyson Wells and the tent vendor across from the post office are still open. The Main Event area is totally dead and I see most of the snowbirds have cleared out of the B10 campground and others in the area. There is still one group out on the BLM land west of town and others scattered infrequently here and there.

I caught some geocachers sneaking around looking for the geocache on the main road through town across from McDonald’s. I found that one last year when there was a vendor open in front of it and people everywhere. They got lucky with the vendor already gone and few muggles about. I watched them find it and we chatted for a bit. They’re full-time RVers too. In just 4 months of geocaching, they already found 300! They got bit by the bug hard.  

The weather today was lousy. It was overcast and very windy. At least the rain held off until after we got home.

I accepted a geocaching challenge to go see the Blythe Intaglios some time ago and finally decided to stop on the way to Parker, AZ for groceries. Traveling north on Hwy 95 from Blythe, there is a sign on the right for the Giant Desert Figures (Intaglios) and just past that a . . . → Read More: Blythe Intaglios]]>

I accepted a geocaching challenge to go see the Blythe Intaglios some time ago and finally decided to stop on the way to Parker, AZ for groceries. Traveling north on Hwy 95 from Blythe, there is a sign on the right for the Giant Desert Figures (Intaglios) and just past that a monument. Across the highway from that is the dirt road to the Intaglios. I am very glad I did. These are giant ancient drawings on the desert floor which were only discovered in the 1930s from the air by a pilot flying from Blythe to Las Vegas. The area is covered with black volcanic rocks which have been scraped away to create the drawings. The Intaglios are each surrounded by fences to preserve them. Parking is available nearby each. The road to them is pretty rugged but our small car managed to make it up there fine. You get a nice view of the desert up there too. Many visitors have added their own touch by piling rocks on top of the wooden fence posts to leave their own mark. It’s worth a few minutes of your time to stop. We found it enlightening when we realized these are the exact same figures that were stamped from steel sheets and setup as part of the landscaping renovation at Mayflower County Park last year. Nice to know what those childish sculptures that have nothing to do with the park or its uses are so now we have some idea why thousands of dollars were spent erecting them. In the desert they fit and are art. In the park, they are out of place and stupid.

For more pics click here.