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First year wintering in the south


Sculptor

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2 hours ago, Sculptor said:

This is one I have not considered.  I think it could work out, but it brings me back to the “where”.

The negative to a volunteer position is that you don't travel much but it does allow you to really examine the area where you are and it is the most budget minded and while it does mean you spend some time working for your site, it also gives you a place to belong and some local connections. If you find a position where your volunteer work is something that you enjoy doing, is it really work?  When we were on the road we usually traveled for one to 6 weeks, then sat for between 1 and 3 months. Some of the best volunteer positions will ask you to stay for at least 3 months, while campground host positions usually only require 1 month. 

To me, volunteering means a public facility or a non-profit and not working for a commercial RV park. All of our experience has been in that area but we have had so many experiences that we could not have had in any other way. 

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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3 hours ago, Sculptor said:

I lived in central Florida for a few weeks, on my way to Miami in 75.  I’m familiar with love bugs.  What a mess.  At least they don’t bite.

But they sure can plug a radiator,  And my truck was white. They seemed to love white. In the AM I had to hose off the door to get in.

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1 hour ago, Kirk W said:

The negative to a volunteer position is that you don't travel much

That is true in a way but often in my case I may have done as much or more driving without the trailer hooked up to explore the area and sometimes those were some pretty extensive distances.  And that was pretty nice not having to deal with finding a new camping spot every few days or even weekly.

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5 hours ago, bigjim said:

nice not having to deal with finding a new camping spot every few days or even weekly.

That sounds to me like you might enjoy the lifestyle that we had, or some variation of it. We would typically locate a volunteer position that sounded interesting and fun that was in an area which we had never visited and then stay long enough to see everything within 100 miles or so in all directions. As volunteers we also get acquainted with local residents who volunteer in the same location as well as the staff there. Staying longer than just a week or two, we developed friendships with some of them that continue to this day. We also were guests in the homes of some of those local people and that enabled us to really get to know the community in a way that tourist visitors never do. We did at least 2 volunteer positions each year, 1 north and 1 south and some years as many as 4 shorter stops. We did a few state park campground host positions, but not many as we found other types of position to be more interesting. In most cases, we didn't return to a place once we had been there but moved on to somewhere else that we had not spend much time. We enjoyed that lifestyle so much that we have continued to do volunteer positions even after going back to part-time. With no RV site expense for long periods of the year, we lived quite inexpensively and had some wonderful experiences that we could never have had in any other way and that we will never forget. Over the years we have volunteered in 17 states. amd in 32 different locations.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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In some ways Kirk and Pam did it a really good way.  My problem is I kept making friends and going back to the same place more than many.  I volunteer with the forest service every summer except for 2 since 1997 and did seven winters at a state park near Dallas. i went other place in between.  One year before coming to my summer gig I went for about a week at 6 SKP parks and co-ops. Some of the reasons I didn't  go to more places had to do with medical care.  I will say I have saved more money doing the volunteer jobs than I ever did when working and that was on reduced income. I have been offered paid positions but would have only done it in a state with no income tax just to make life less complicated.Everyplace I have ever volunteered has offered for me to stay year round as long as I wanted and one of those had in place a 3 month maximum per year.  There has been a good side to the way I have done it but a downside in not seeing as many places.  The only time I met Kirk and Pam I was volunteering at Cedar Hill SP near Dallas and we met for lunch.  If I had realized they were at one of the wildlife refuges in NM when they were there  we might have met then for a meal or visit.

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3 minutes ago, bigjim said:

My problem is I kept making friends and going back to the same place more than many. 

We did that same thing and did actually return to several places, but never the same place two consecutive years. We went on the road with the intention of finding new experiences, new places, and new adventures. It is sometimes difficult to leave your friends behind, but we found that sometimes that lead to new locations because one of the friends changed locations and invited us to join them in that new location. For example, the refuge manager in MT moved and then invited us to do a stay at his new location in MO, which we did. One from TX helped us to get in LA, and a biologist there directed us to our stop at Everglades NP. 

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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We traveled the entire 7 years because we had a retirement income as military retired and medical so we could afford the $1-$2 a gallon diesel we paid, and campground fees, with few exceptions 1997-2003.

We wintered in NW Louisiana for two to three months of winter on an RV space we made up on family land with full hookups and a shed. We took breaks of a week or three in places we wanted to explore in depth. We Followed what we called back in the day the RV Roadie 2X2X2 rule. We never made reservations because we never traveled more then 200 miles a day, arrived where we would stop by 2 pm so no reservations needed, and we would stay 2 days. The day we arrived to set up and relax, and day 2 to explore the area at our leisure. Some places we planned to stay a month we sometimes left after 2 days and places we wanted to stay only two days sometimes got extended to a month. It took a tear to get the hang of it and meet the Americas one person at a time.

In seven years we pretty much covered everything we wanted to see and do west of the Mississippi and from Mexico up to and including Alaska. Being retirees we stayed at Military on base RV parks whenever they were on or near our route.

Because my mom had Alzheimers we went from Shreveport area on I-20 to I-10 to I-8 to Sand Diego where she lived along with two of my half brothers for our first three years. Then we tried I-40 across and loved the views. Then I-70 and I-90 across with mixes coming back to LA for the winter three months. That was because out two boys and her parents were there then, but no longer. We did Alaska in 1999 entering Tok AK in early May and leaving Valdez AK September 5th for the South. We came off the road to take care of her parents in late 2003 and were relieved of those duties and moved here to Colorado mid to late 2019.

Every year we did San Diego we either went North up 5 or once 15 then on to our favorite summer one week rest just south od Astoria OR at the Warrenton military Famcamp and do the Lewis and Clark and coastal tours like the cheese factory and Coos Bay. We did the Sutherlin SKP coop park as well as the California and Washington SKP Coops and the One in Yuma along 8. One year we went through Grand Canyon to Vegas to Utah mid march,and did Salt Lake, Yellowstone, Glacier National in April then crossed into Canada at Roosville, then Banff park, Jasper Ice fields, Lake Louise and on to Prince George to start the trip up the AlCan and down the Cassiar Highway back. We took almost the whole month of April from Glacier, doing Canada in three weeks, and entering AK in the first week of May 1999.

We did the 101 around the Washington peninsula twice and did Seattle from the RV Park in Tacoma on McChord AFB twice on the way to somewhere else. We did a week at Chanute Kansas three times because the HitchHiker 5th wheel factory, now closed was there. The public RV park in Chanute is great to see a nice town in mid America. And great beef in Thayer just south of Chanute at a little family owned steak house with dollar bills taped all over the ceiling, and the owner's husband was a Nashville country music singer guitar and sang for the crowd once the dinner rush was over. Best steak and my first Mountain oystes and they were better than I'd ever imagine.

So if you want to travel all or part of the year, there is lots to see and do. Some folks just snowbird one place in winter and another in summer.

There is no right way to fulltime RV, except to remember you are not on vacation, so aren't due back anywhere. It took me a year to stop driving 7-10 hours a day. But we retired and fulltimed at the ages of 45 and 43 respectively, so could climb glaciers and hike the grand Canyon, neither of which would I do now. I'd ride the mules in the canyon and do a helicopter or plane tour of the glaciers in AK now that I am an old fogey of 68 and save my feet and back! LOL!

I would agree with the advice to travel at least three years I'd add do the three main east west routes and several of the North South routes that go near what you haven seen or done yet. Don't worry, you won't see it all. The people we met, and the towns that are like the 50s frozen in time, all reminded me of the old Charles Kuralt show "On The Road."

Safe Travels - enjoy.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

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Interesting. I started with the SKPs in March of 1997 and had only been full time rv'ing for about 6 months before. I didn't start accessing the forum until about summer of 2002 so I didn't get to learn a lot the easy way vs by the stumble on method.  RV and Kirk both were very helpful once I got on and a lot of people that are no longer on the forum. One guy that helped me a lot was Stan Miller.  And there was a "Phred Tinseth" I think his name was. I haven't seen anything from Jack Mayer in a long time.  I can laugh now but some of the  help I got turned into "adventures".  I laugh now about the routing help I got from RV about driving into the DC area for a volunteer position that turned into an adventure due to me flubbing part of it.  And Stan once really helped me with something on the computer that was a challenge and at the end I figured out he knew it so well and I knew it so poorly that there was a major/minor communications problems that came down to me not understanding what a radio knob was.

If my circumstances had worked out different I kind of like RV and wifes method as stated but i can't complain as everything has worked out for me pretty well.  And I am still around as in 1996 they said I might need a heart transplant. Fooled the heck out of the Dr's didn't I.

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Up the middle of Florida the RV park rates are approx. 1/2 the rates within 20 miles of either shore.. Check out the RV parks near Lake Okeechobee's north side. We stay at Ft. Myers Beach which is $$$$, but DW likes it there. well, except for spring break/March. During March there are at least 10 colleges on spring break, with Florida beaches the destination.

 

2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA ." And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.  John F. Kennedy 20 Jan 1961

 

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10 hours ago, bigjim said:

One guy that helped me a lot was Stan Miller. 

Stan is now staying home and raising some grandchildren in the Phoenix area. He no longer owns an RV and has moved on to other things. Like us, age has also been gaining ground on him. 

 

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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South Central Texas, Austin and surrounding area, is becoming more popular with winter folks. Obviously its not the Florida coast, but some people find it more economical than Florida. Bastrop TX, 25 miles southeast of Austin is building RV campgrounds faster than you can count, and older parks are expanding. Kerrville Tx just west of San Antonio, is another place catering to winter RVers. There is still plenty to do and see all within easy driving distance of Austin, San Antonio San Marcos areas. Or if you prefer the Texas gulf coast is still cheaper than a lot of places in FLA, so they tell me.

Like Texas BBQ and Country music? We have been in Bastrop TX  at the Bellamont RV Park staying Aug- Oct. $525 / month, water, sewer and metered electric, with cable TV and internet (not completed yet). Brand new park just opened this summer, 92 sites but only 35 completed so far, gravel sites, hiking trail, small fishing pond, on site laundry facilities. Or $575/ month which includes a 10x10 Sturdy-Built wooden storage shed at the back of your site big enough for bicycles or motorcycles. It is 1 mile to many stores like Home Depot or Lowe's but quiet. https://bellamont.com/

We are moving for Jan- March 2021 and have reservations in Galveston at an RV Resort for $700 / month, huge park with several on site attractions, concrete sites, many amenities, 1/4 mile from beach. Gives you some kind of idea about costs.

I have not heard of a covid problem at campgrounds in this area. People are acting responsibly, face covering and distancing. Costs seem to be anywhere between $475 - $800 / month for FUP sites depending on the amenities offered by each CG.

Edited by Steven@146

Steve & Tami Cass, Fulltime Somewhere

2018 Ram 3500 DRW / 2019 Grand Design Solitude 3350RL S-Class. Texas Class A Drivers License

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18 hours ago, bigjim said:

Smart Ray, keep the DW happy. Do you think spring break will be as crowded this year?

Yes I do; college kids need little excuse to party. What better place than sun, sand and surf? Spring break doesn't have to be from a classroom.:)

 

2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA ." And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.  John F. Kennedy 20 Jan 1961

 

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54 minutes ago, Ray,IN said:

Yes I do; college kids need little excuse to party. What better place than sun, sand and surf? Spring break doesn't have to be from a classroom.:)

They aren’t kids, they are adults and they should be intelligent enough to know close contact then moving around the country leads to outbreaks of the virus, causing sickness and death.   

Barb & Dave O'Keeffe
2002 Alpine 36 MDDS (Figment II), 2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID
Blog: http://www.barbanddave.net
SPK# 90761 FMCA #F337834

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We plan our winter southern GA and FL run around the various state and national parks. The sites are usually larger and better separated than the commercial parks, as well as much less costly. $25/night is pretty much our average over the winter. This winter we're staying north of I-4 to minimize the crowding in stores, etc., but usually we work our way further south as far as the Tamiami Trail (US-41) before heading north again. In the January to March time frame we're usually in Florida, we've never had a problem with the love bugs or most other insects. We have run into some annoying no-see-ums occasionally though. 

Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system

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4 hours ago, Barbaraok said:

They aren’t kids, they are adults and they should be intelligent enough to know close contact then moving around the country leads to outbreaks of the virus, causing sickness and death.   

But, also at that age, they think they are invincible so they don't see any threat. Why do you think most soldiers are in that age bracket? They don't yet have enough life experience to understand risks. I am so grateful my husband and both brothers survived Viet Nam at that age.

Linda

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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Willfull ignorance. Darwin is working hard to clean the gene pool. Virus and bacterial pathogens have no religion or politics. They infect the political and non political alike. Infection is the only way they live and they're limited by hosts and transmission vectors like it being droplet and airborne. 

Safe travels! 

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

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Thanks everyone who answered, and don’t stop adding.  😀  I have been catching up with reading responses, and my heart is warmed by your responses.  Thanks very much.  ALL of your advice above is valuable and could possibly apply to us this year.  We are in a life changing transition!  
At this time, we think staying for short stays, and moving every so often, will suit us this year.  The nice part of the whole thing is we can change our minds with the weather, as they say.  (Budget aside)  I hope as we move forward, we will learn about new situations such as volunteering locations.  This will open up more options for us.

Kevin and June

2013 Volvo VNL 730    D13 Eco-Torque @ 425  Ratio 2.47 

2014 DRV 36TKSB3 

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  • 1 year later...

And now I must add an update to this topic.

We have been traveling in the year and two months since this post.  We traveled from NC to KS.  Then to TN. Then west again to MO, OK, then south to TX for our winter.  It turns out we liked TX so we are going back for this winter.

Spring and summer were a not-so-whirlwind loop from south Texas, to Tennessee, then to Michigan.  Then west to SD, WY, and MT.  
Now we are a southern route, we left Moab UT and arrived in Tuba City AZ.  
when we leave the Grand Canyon we will travel south toward Phoenix and Tucson.

The main reason I returned to this post was a search for places to check out for winters in Arizona for 2022.  Any suggestions for a drive by?

 
A second reason was to express my gratitude for your advice.  Much has come true this past year.  We have picked all routes by where we want to visit.  With the exception of our trips centered around Yellowstone which should be a separate topic.  We have met very nice people and a few are good friends now.  We have seen some places we wouldn’t go back to, and some we have seen enough of.  A couple we might return.  As was predicted!!

Still very much to see, and The Lord willing, we will see more.

 

Edited by Sculptor

Kevin and June

2013 Volvo VNL 730    D13 Eco-Torque @ 425  Ratio 2.47 

2014 DRV 36TKSB3 

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9 minutes ago, Sculptor said:

 

The main reason I returned to this post was a search for places to check out for winters in Arizona for 2022.  Any suggestions for a drive by?

 

 

We spent time at Coyote Howls West . I'd go back if we return to the area . 

https://coyotehowlsrvparks.com

Good folks and wonderful sunsets . Coyotes get pretty close and wild burrows not far away . ;)

Goes around , comes around .

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24 minutes ago, Sculptor said:

The main reason I returned to this post was a search for places to check out for winters in Arizona for 2022.  Any suggestions for a drive by?

I'm not sure exactly what you mean but will make a couple of suggestions anyway. For RV parks we have stayed more than once at Saguaro RV park in Benson, AZ as a good place that we have stayed. If you want to stop around Tucson, I suggest Pima Co. Fairgrounds RV park, just east of Tucson. If you hare traveling back toward TX, stop at Dream Catcher RV park at Deming, NM. Places to visit are Casa Grande NP, Saguaro NP, Organ Pipe NM, and Pima Air & Space museum.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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Phoenix area.... Lost Dutchman State Park and Maricopa County parks circling the greater Phoenix area.

Tucson area .... Catalina State Park; south of Tucson at DeAnza RV Park in Amado; east of Tucson at Benson at the Escapees Co-op or Kartchner Caverns State Park

Full-timed for 16 Years
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Motorhome
and 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel

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8 hours ago, Pat & Pete said:

We spent time at Coyote Howls West . I'd go back if we return to the area . 

https://coyotehowlsrvparks.com

Good folks and wonderful sunsets . Coyotes get pretty close and wild burrows not far away . ;)

Thank you, I love the photos on the site, and also the write ups.

Kevin and June

2013 Volvo VNL 730    D13 Eco-Torque @ 425  Ratio 2.47 

2014 DRV 36TKSB3 

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7 hours ago, Kirk W said:

I'm not sure exactly what you mean but will make a couple of suggestions anyway. For RV parks we have stayed more than once at Saguaro RV park in Benson, AZ as a good place that we have stayed. If you want to stop around Tucson, I suggest Pima Co. Fairgrounds RV park, just east of Tucson. If you hare traveling back toward TX, stop at Dream Catcher RV park at Deming, NM. Places to visit are Casa Grande NP, Saguaro NP, Organ Pipe NM, and Pima Air & Space museum.

That’s exactly what I was asking for, Thanks Kirk!

Kevin and June

2013 Volvo VNL 730    D13 Eco-Torque @ 425  Ratio 2.47 

2014 DRV 36TKSB3 

Signature.jpegmKgUJbbl.jpg

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