To Each His Own (Camping Style)

We're so enjoying the privilege of being able to sleep in our own bed every night! I think it's cute that in the RV world the towed vehicle is called a toad. When you call an RV park, they ask how big your rig is and if you have a toad.

Pepper just wants to know if we're there yet.

She also likes keeping up on her nap schedule.

Our friends in Portland suggested that we would be missing out if we didn't stay in some of the beautiful state parks, especially along the Oregon coast. We did that and found the trees, beaches, and other scenery to be just lovely. It was also enjoyable to watch families with their campfires. The prices are very reasonable ($22 a night) and most of them have water and 30 amp electric hookups. If we cooked out often, ate outside, or sat in our chairs outside, these parks would be perfect for us.

However, I realize and admit we are city-dude, spoiled campers. Trees block Ed's satellite so he misses out on football games and I go a bit batty without internet access after a day or two. With the temperatures dropping into the low 50's at night, we need 50 amp electric service so the heat doesn't keep tripping the breaker every time we use another appliance.

After four nights of state parks, we reverted back to the type park that works the best for us - level campsites, clear access to the sky, fast Wi-Fi (internet), and full hook-ups.

If there isn't a full hook-up, the park usually has a dump station but that requires unhooking everything to go there. We can last about 4 days without sewer if we're careful. Having to be mindful of every drop of water so as not to fill your black tank (from the toilet) or your gray tank (from the sinks and shower) gets to be a real pain.

It's also good to have our sewer connected so I can keep up with laundry. At first I thought it was silly to have a washer/dryer in the RV but I soon discovered how convenient it is.

Ed's also added another feature that is a deal-breaker for him. If you have to pay for a shower......fuggedaboudit! Some places have it set that you have to put in a quarter for a 3 minute shower and if you're not through, you have to come out of the shower section into the dressing section to add more quarters. Charge him another dollar a day, but DON'T be making him pay for shower minutes!!

We'll do the sightseeing and explore the forests and beaches in our car.......then return to our luxuries in the evening, thank you very much!