Random Thoughts
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve written a blog post, which is unusual for me.
I enjoy sitting down with a cup of coffee and putting my thoughts on paper, or more accurately, into the computer. Whether anyone else finds them interesting isn’t really the point. Writing helps me organize my thoughts, and if something I write makes someone smile or stop and think for a moment, then it’s time well spent.
One topic Pat and I have been discussing lately is the idea of trying a seasonal campsite.
Since buying our fifth wheel, we’ve experienced several different styles of RV travel. We’ve spent six months as snowbirds, taken shorter destination trips, and enjoyed extended vacations of a couple of weeks at a time.
Each has had its advantages.
Our six month stay in Florida was a wonderful experience, but it also taught us something.
Being away from family, especially our grandchildren, for that long wasn’t right for us. That may change someday as everyone gets older, but for now we’ve decided that spending three or more months away from home just isn’t in our plans.
Our two week trip to Texas, on the other hand, was just about perfect.
It gave us a chance to enjoy warmer weather, explore an area we’d never visited, and still return home before we started missing family too much. I can definitely see us doing more trips like that.
We’ve also learned that we prefer traveling during the week whenever possible. Leaving on a Monday and returning on a Friday usually means less traffic, better campsite availability, and fewer crowds at the places we want to visit.
The one thing we haven’t tried yet is a seasonal campsite.
There are certainly some things we like about the idea.
Having the trailer already set up would make it easy to head out for a couple of relaxing days without all the preparation that normally comes with each trip.
For it to work for us, though, the campground would need to be fairly close to home. If it takes several hours just to get there, much of the convenience disappears.
The campground rules are another consideration.
Some seasonal campgrounds only allow you to remove your RV once during the season. Others don’t allow family members to stay at your site unless the primary occupants are present.
I understand why those rules exist, but they’re probably not the best fit for the way we like to camp.
We may have found a campground that checks most of the boxes.
It’s less than an hour from home, well maintained, has a nice swimming pool, offers things to do in the surrounding area, and welcomes day visitors.
We’ll see where that leads.
Changing gears a little…
One of the things I enjoy most about camping is getting away from the lights and noise of the city.
Earlier this summer we were camping near Jordan, Minnesota, when the northern lights put on a spectacular display. A short walk away from the campground lights gave us a wonderful view of the sky. Had we been at home, we would have needed to drive quite a distance to escape the city lights.
On that same trip, I noticed something else.
By Sunday evening, many of the seasonal campers had packed up and gone home for the week. What surprised me was how many left their decorative lights on after they left.
I realize most of those lights are LED and use very little electricity, but it made me wonder why.
Part of camping, at least for us, is enjoying the darkness. Watching the stars, listening to the sounds of nature, and appreciating a quieter environment are all part of the experience.
Perhaps there’s a reason for leaving the lights on that I’m not aware of, but if it were our campsite, we’d probably switch them off until we returned.
Maybe that’s just another reminder that there are as many ways to enjoy camping as there are people doing it.
That’s enough random thoughts for one day.
If you’ve noticed something unique during your camping adventures, or have an opinion on seasonal camping, I’d enjoy hearing about it. One of the best parts of this hobby is learning from each other’s experiences.