full-time tent living...anyone doing it?

[TNONMYMIND]

Re: full-time tent living...anyone doing it?

NYCgrrl: never actually got out of Tx. this winter...have been bouncing around texas campgrounds and motels since December
when we finally finished with the odd jobs at my ex's.
have tried to leave tx at least 3 times now but can't seem to get any further west than Abilene...either weather or illness and now
my partner's meds not being available when requested(this last attempt to leave)have kept us in texas... have been to
Lake Brownwood, then Eisenhower, then Abilene State Park. now we have to go to the VA to pick up breathing meds that weren't
in our mail drop last week, so we are back in Denison and going out to Eisenhower for another 10-14 days as we both have
appointments coming up. After that we have to renew my auto registration in May...I'm hoping we can get back on the road and head to Kansas for a while...hope to also make it to Utah and Wyoming this year before winter sets in again. As always we try to
stay flexible and don't make reservations in advance...most times it works for us but sometimes(like Easter weekend) we come up
short...but life is good and God provides...

[NYCgrrl]

Re: full-time tent living...anyone doing it?

NYCgrrl: never actually got out of Tx. this winter...have been bouncing around texas campgrounds and motels since December
when we finally finished with the odd jobs at my ex's.
have tried to leave tx at least 3 times now but can't seem to get any further west than Abilene...either weather or illness and now
my partner's meds not being available when requested(this last attempt to leave)have kept us in texas... have been to
Lake Brownwood, then Eisenhower, then Abilene State Park. now we have to go to the VA to pick up breathing meds that weren't
in our mail drop last week, so we are back in Denison and going out to Eisenhower for another 10-14 days as we both have
appointments coming up. After that we have to renew my auto registration in May...I'm hoping we can get back on the road and head to Kansas for a while...hope to also make it to Utah and Wyoming this year before winter sets in again. As always we try to
stay flexible and don't make reservations in advance...most times it works for us but sometimes(like Easter weekend) we come up
short...but life is good and God provides...

Are you near.....Canton,TX now? I might know something of use to ya if so.

[cunningman]

Re: full-time tent living...anyone doing it?

I got outta Waco!!!! I'm in KS now, it's been windy but temps have been OK. 80s predicted in less than 2 wks...that being said. I HATE temps above 75, I'll be heading North to WI in May, not sure of date but prob 2nd wk sometime. I have been camping on wkends w my 2 grandsons. It's been a Hoot. Bought em a decent lil tent, their first pocketknives and sleeping bags. Am teaching em how to set up camp and what is needful in a camping situation.
My bike is running great and my lil trailer is nothing short of amazing to me. I have organized and learned how it all needs to be packed to have the trailer tongue weight good for pulling. I can't hardly tell it's behind me most of the time.

[TNONMYMIND]

Re: full-time tent living...anyone doing it?

well, here's another installment of "the (mis)adventures of Bonnie, Charlie and the Dovemobile...
April was filled with VA appts. and dodging rain all over Texas
Here it is May and we left Texas for Oklahoma, again dodging rain/floods/tornadoes
we are currently in yet another motel for the 3rd night in a row escaping the storms...hope to leave in the morning for
Independence, Ks to see the reproduction cabin of the Ingalls family then head north to Wamego, Ks. to the Oz museum...
been camping/living in the van...at least the van has more noise blocking insulation than a tent, but we are having to
spend more time at state parks/COE campgrounds so we can be connected to electric and bathroom/shower facilities...

[Irate Mormon]

Re: full-time tent living...anyone doing it?

How is the cost of FT camping compared to conventional housing? Esp if you are staying at state parks and COE campgrounds.

[TNONMYMIND]

Re: full-time tent living...anyone doing it?

Irate Mormon: based on personal experience we have found camping at COE parks to be the most economical, especially if one has a federal senior/access pass...that will get you into the Corp campgrounds for half price, which will include electric/water
usually...State parks are lot more variable in price but still tend to be less expensive than having a permanent residence...
and there is no lawn care or property taxes to be responsible for or major housecleaning that needs to be done on your part like with a house...when we get tired of the scenery it's only a matter of packing things up and hitting the road to another area with a different view...
we only stay in motels when the weather gets really squirrelly, more so recently because of all the tornadoes/flooding...once the weather settles down we will be in campgrounds for longer periods of time and only occasionally in the motel...

[MacGyver]

Re: full-time tent living...anyone doing it?

If anyone wants to travel around the States full time and stay on the cheap, I'm sorry to say you should avoid Maryland state parks - especially in-season. Depending on the park, rates run as high as $60 a night even for a tent site, and that doesn't include some BS fees that they love to tack on here:

In addition to the park facility use fee, there is a nightly reservation/transaction fee. Internet reservations, the per night fee is $4.56. Call Center, the per night fee is $4.61. Walk-In transactions at the park, the per night fee is $4.51. Reservation/Transaction Fees are Non-Refundable.

Displayed rates do not reflect discounts, attribute fees (electrical hook-ups / water hook-ups), taxes or incremental charges.

See the line below my avatar. I'm convinced that our state motto is, "If you can dream it, we can tax it. If we can't tax it, we'll regulate it".

[NYCgrrl]

Re: full-time tent living...anyone doing it?

well, here's another installment of "the (mis)adventures of Bonnie, Charlie and the Dovemobile...
April was filled with VA appts. and dodging rain all over Texas
Here it is May and we left Texas for Oklahoma, again dodging rain/floods/tornadoes
we are currently in yet another motel for the 3rd night in a row escaping the storms...hope to leave in the morning for
Independence, Ks to see the reproduction cabin of the Ingalls family then head north to Wamego, Ks. to the Oz museum...
been camping/living in the van...at least the van has more noise blocking insulation than a tent, but we are having to
spend more time at state parks/COE campgrounds so we can be connected to electric and bathroom/shower facilities...

Argh the VA! I keep telling the man he should look at some of the health plans here cuz in NYC they are as slow as molasses in making appts.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: full-time tent living...anyone doing it?

If anyone wants to travel around the States full time and stay on the cheap, I'm sorry to say you should avoid Maryland state parks - especially in-season. Depending on the park, rates run as high as $60 a night even for a tent site, and that doesn't include some BS fees that they love to tack on here:

In addition to the park facility use fee, there is a nightly reservation/transaction fee. Internet reservations, the per night fee is $4.56. Call Center, the per night fee is $4.61. Walk-In transactions at the park, the per night fee is $4.51. Reservation/Transaction Fees are Non-Refundable.

Displayed rates do not reflect discounts, attribute fees (electrical hook-ups / water hook-ups), taxes or incremental charges.

See the line below my avatar. I'm convinced that our state motto is, "If you can dream it, we can tax it. If we can't tax it, we'll regulate it".

Well I have to take my hat off to MD cuz I think yr state has even beat NYS in the "50 ways to lose your wallet whilst camping" mode :winktongue:. I never heard of some of those fees before. Gulp.

[Irate Mormon]

Re: full-time tent living...anyone doing it?

I love the posts by TN - I can see myself doing that when I retire. Just don't know what to do with my fish tanks.

[TNONMYMIND]

Re: full-time tent living...anyone doing it?

here I am again to bring all who may be interested up to date...
may we explored Oklahoma and Kansas
beginning of June was spent in New Mexico...first at Hyde Memorial State Park, then on to Heron Lake State Park
and finally on to Abiquiu Reservoir which is a Corp of Engineers Park...we were there last year for a few weeks and liked it well enough to go back again.

Hyde Memorial is just north of Santa Fe and in the Santa Fe National Forest and just below the ski areas...
first night there we actually needed the heater as temps dropped into the upper 40's overnight...
next morning shone bright and sunny but by mid morning a storm moved over the area...first pea-size hail then very large raindrops and finally rain mixed with SNOW...it all lasted about an hour then the sun came out again
Abiquiu is north of Espanola, weather was fairly comfortable for the first week, generally a good breeze with brief showers
in the afternoon, usually around the time I would be getting dinner ready...
second week temps rose into the low to mid 90's with very windy afternoons...
since we had stayed the full 14 days we have left that campground and are now looking for a cooler location so we are
heading for Maine and hopefully cooler temps... the adventure continues...

[James.]

Re: full-time tent living...anyone doing it?

I am both intereted and jealous. Keep up with the updates.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: full-time tent living...anyone doing it?

I love the posts by TN - I can see myself doing that when I retire. Just don't know what to do with my fish tanks.

A thought.......

:angel:

[NYCgrrl]

Re: full-time tent living...anyone doing it?

Hey TN........big change of scenery going to Me. Keep on enjoying selves and letting us know how it goes:glasses:.

[TNONMYMIND]

Re: full-time tent living...anyone doing it?

June 30 to July 11 spent with family /grandkids...we then decided to head for the Maine coast and a look at the Atlantic
Ocean...we followed the coastal highway 1 from Lubec, ME to Rockport, ME for 4 days but the ocean was ever elusive...between the buffer of trees and coastal towns built right at the waters edge with no public access we didn't see much...so back to the
insanity of the grandkids...had to leave before we both went deaf from the eardrum-piercing screams of the 2 yr. old...
now back on the road trying to find cool temps. but not being successful at that either.
Moteling it for a few more days, hopefully temps. will cool down in the meantime...not to mention that camping prices are pretty ridiculous here on the east coast...anywhere from the mid $20's to mid $30's and additional charges for entrance fees and electric service...STATE PARKS...not very many COE campgrounds this direction...