SNOWBIRDING – Planning the Route Home
February 13, 2023
When I began planning our return trip, I entitled it “Wiser Snowbirds Limping Home,” for the reasons outlined below. However, I later renamed it “Snowbirds Soaring Home,” because of unexpected opportunities I discovered.
One of the many things we learned on our way to Florida is not to assume that because a Thousand Trails RV park is open year-round it is a suitable place to stay during the winter months, even for one night. The following must be taken into consideration:
First, by definition, a snowbird is a person who migrates from the colder northern parts of North America to warmer southern locales. If we had any interest in travelling up a treacherous mountain road to encounter ice, snow, or low temperatures, we would simply stay close to home. Just sayin’.
Second, how far off the beaten track must you travel to access a place where you can stay as part of your membership in Thousand Trails, Trails Collection, Passport America, or Harvest Hosts? How steep and winding is the road? If the cost of gas consumed to get there and back is equal to or greater than the cost of staying at a park close to the main highway, what’s the point of enduring the stress of driving and endangering yourself or increasing the wear and tear on your RV?
Third, does the park offer the facilities required for you to enjoy your stay? That is, the provision of parking sites that are somewhat private, level, and easy to access, with reliable electricity, water, and sewer outlets. Is cellular service available where the park is located? What about internet access? Laundry facilities? Is food or propane available should you find yourself in need? Are there places to take a scenic walk or engage in other enjoyable activities?
Don’t rely on their websites or customer reviews to provide this information. The former are often sadly outdated and misleading, as sometimes existing facilities can no longer be accessed, especially during winter months. The latter are written by people whose assessments may differ greatly from your own. We have read highly critical reviews, only to find the park and services perfectly acceptable. The reverse has also been true. So, if you want to know exactly what you can expect, phone the Park or Resort and ask questions. You should also check the weather forecast for that area and use Google Maps to view the terrain and surrounding area.
Similarly, although there is usually no fee for boondocking (camping without hookups) it is not always practical or cost-effective to do so. Things that must be considered include:
*Unless you are in a national or state park, you are rarely permitted to boondock (dry camp) anywhere for more than one night.
*Do you have enough water in your holding tanks?
*How full are your grey and black water tanks?
*Will you be able to put your slides out? If not, will you have access to everything you need?
*Will you be allowed to run your generator? Electricity provided by solar power stored during the day only lasts so long, and propane can only be used to heat your water, cool your refrigerator, or operate your stove and furnace. Air-conditioning always requires that the generator be running if you are not connected to electricity.
*Will the cost of propane that is consumed, combined with the cost of gas used to run your generator (if allowed), be significantly lower than the cost of staying in an RV park?
*Will you feel safe?
If you choose to spend the night at a Walmart or Costco parking lot you should first call and ask for permission. There may not be parking space available, or RV parking may be prohibited under local or city ordnances. I am told that RVs have been ushered off Walmart parking lots during the night, or even cited with expensive tickets. Don’t make assumptions and risk arriving at the store only to find a “No RV Parking” sign.
We have found that boondocking with a Harvest Host has provided unusual and interesting surroundings, as well as a greater feeling of safety than spending the night at a roadside rest area or in a big-box store parking lot. However, they too have restrictions and are usually located away from the main highways. The nominal $20 donation you must make or spend on things your host may be selling is something that should be factored in when doing a cost-benefit analysis.
Paying half price at an RV Park that is part of Passport America is usually a good option, although you must be aware of the following:
*Half-price fees are often limited to a one-night stay.
*Passport America discounts are not offered during peak seasons at many if not most of the associated RV parks, and that is the time of year snowbirds are travelling.
*Some RV parks that are part of Passport America do not offer the reduced fees for stays on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
*Reduced rates are rarely available during festivals in the area, such as Mardi Gras.
*Spring Break may also affect your ability to book space at popular RV Resorts.
So, unless you have resources that allow you to stay at pretty much any RV Park you can find, there is a lot of research to be done and a variety of factors to take into consideration. If you choose to forego planning and prefer to live in the moment, you may find yourself with no place to stay.
I keep a written record of what we encounter along the way, and it has served as a trail of crumbs to follow on the return trip. There are places to which we choose not to return, others we stayed at in December that are unavailable to us during peak season (January and February), and at least one that we have no desire to return to but it is the only option available to us on the long drive across Texas.
One thing we learned on our first motorhome trip is not to plan on driving more than 3 hours each day if at all possible. Staying in your lane when driving a vehicle that barely fits between the lines requires your full attention. There is often no shoulder to speak of, and we have encountered many miles of road repair or construction work where there are just a few inches between the passenger side of the motorhome and a concrete barrier. I force myself to read a book and trust Gary’s considerable skill rather than frequently gasping with fear at the thought of us adding to the black marks where other vehicles have made contact with the cement. It’s nerve wracking! I asked Gary why he doesn’t just use the middle lane, and he explained that it’s more difficult to watch for passing vehicles on both sides than it is to keep your distance from a stationary barrier along one lane. He has a point. Once our mirror was hit by a big truck that was passing us in a narrow construction zone. When he heard the sound, the trucker pulled off the road as soon as possible, to see if he had caused us any damage. Fortunately, the mirror was easily pushed back into place, and all was well, but driving for long periods of time under such conditions is very stressful.
So, whenever possible I plan overnight stops after as close to 3 hours of driving as possible. Sometimes a shortage of suitable places to park for the night will force us to be on the road for 4 or 5 hours, but that is rare. Normally we arrive at our next destination in the late afternoon or early evening, always before darkness falls, and can get settled in without disturbing anyone. Gary is usually able to back in without any guidance and hook up to services in just a matter of a few minutes. We can then relax.
On our way to Florida, we learned it is best not only to travel just a few hours each day but also to stay no fewer than two nights at each place we stop, if possible. Checkout at almost every RV park is 11 am. We only leave earlier if we have a long drive ahead of us, because we are both nocturnal and are rarely asleep before 1:00 am, sometimes much later. After getting on the road, then driving for a few hours and stopping to pick up supplies we might need, by the time we are parked and have dinner it’s dark and we’ve had no opportunity to explore or enjoy our surroundings before we need to hit the road again in the morning. Doing that day after day until you reach a destination where you plan to stay for a while, is not a lot of fun. So, with rare exception we are spending no fewer than 2 nights at each stop along the way back to the west coast. Once we get back to California we will stay at some places for several days.
Despite such difficulties, here are some of the things that are making my spirits soar on the trip back west:
*Both of us are still loving the gypsy lifestyle and are constantly finding ways to improve the experience in the future, for as long as we continue to enjoy it.
*A lack of available places to stay in the New Orleans area due to Mardi Gras forced us to boondock at Houmas House, a Harvest Host. Much has been written about the old sugar cane plantation, but I want to provide a brief synopsis of its history in my next blog, because I found it interesting on so many levels.
* I wanted to visit Galveston and the Bolivar Peninsular on our way east, but I couldn’t fit them into our schedule. On the way back we had no choice but to travel to those locations because of a lack of other places to stay during the week of and prior to Mardi Gras. I look forward to staying on the beach there next time we are in Texas, and exploring some of the interesting buildings along that part of the Gulf of Mexico.
*White Sands Park in New Mexico is another place I wanted to visit on our way to Florida but couldn’t fit into our route. Once again, circumstances have made it necessary to stay at a nearby facility called Middle-of-Nowhere RV Park. Hmmm. The terrain looks flat, the roads paved, and the sites fully serviced, so if we make sure we have enough fuel we should be fine, despite the ominous name. In any case, it will be an adventure.
*On our printed itinerary for the trip to Florida I had placed a big sticky note that said, “Check to see if David Phelps will be on tour anywhere nearby.” David is my favourite tenor and lives near Nashville so appears primarily in neighboring states, although I have travelled to see him at Carnegie Hall in New York, as well as in Vancouver, Washington. I checked his website frequently, to no avail. Then one day his tour schedule appeared on Facebook, indicating he will be in Mesa, AZ on February 22nd and 23rd. We will be there for 4 days beginning February 21st. How great is that! I chose a Trails Collection RV Resort near to the venue where David will be singing, and purchased tickets. Can’t wait!!
*I was able to book a 4 day stay at Rio Bend RV & Golf Resort in El Centro, CA; two weeks at Pio Pico RV Resort in Jamul, CA near San Diego; 10 nights at Pacific Dunes Ranch RV Resort in Oceano, CA.
After we leave Oceano the pickings are slim, a situation that has been exacerbated by recent flooding in some parts of California. Still, there are some interesting-looking Harvest Hosts with whom we will stay, as well as some suitable Passport America and Thousand Trails RV parks we stayed at on the way down.
We should be back to the Island by mid-April. I’m not sure how I feel about that. What I am sure of is that we are happy to have escaped several weeks of unrelenting rain, along with some snow, ice, and cold temperatures. 😊