RV Lessons I've Learned

It's been quite a journey thus far. Donna and I sold our house on July 23 and actually began living in our Rockwood on July 27. So, we've been RVing for about 3½ months now. We've covered quite a bit of territory in that time. Here are some stats:

• Total miles traveled (trailer miles only - does not include side trips in truck): 3,522 miles
• Fuel costs (pulling trailer only - does not include side trips): $1,361.23
• Camp site rental costs: $2,431.51

We've learned a lot about RVing during this short time, and we have much more to learn. But here are a few things we've picked up so far.

1. Get the right rig for what you plan to do. Donna and I purchased our trailer while we were still working. Our plan was to simply take it out on weekends, vacations, and holidays. We never intended to stay in it longer than 2 weeks or so, and we certainly didn't plan to be in it for as long as we have now.
   
   Though nice, our rig is simply too small for full-time RVing. It lacks storage more than anything else. We simply have no place to store all of the clothes we need. Our kitchen also lacks cabinet space, so our pots, pans, and dishes are limited, as is storage for canned goods. The fridge has limited space as well.
   
   Living space is a bit cramped, too. Even with a deep slide, we have limited limited floor space.
   
   Again, for short trips, the trailer is fine. For full-time living, it is inadequate.
    
2. Just because your RV is on wheels, you don't have to constantly travel. Traveling from RV park to RV park after staying only a few days is much more expensive than staying put in one place for a month or longer. Here are the rates for Fernbrook RV park outside of Longview, Texas, which I recently reviewed. These rates are for "standard" sites.
   
   
   • Daily: $33 
   • Weekly: $155
   • Monthly: $350 plus electricity, usually less than $75 per month
   
   Thus, if you stay a week, you actually pay only $22.14 per night, and for a month, you pay only $11.67 per night plus a charge for electricity.
   
   Although you will always have times when you travel long distances over a short period of time and stay in various parks, the best plan is to find a park, stay a month, visit all you can in that area, then move down the road and spend another month. Not only does this allow you to reduce lodging costs, but it allows you to thoroughly comb an area and visit all points of interest there.
   
   For our travels, we have averaged a nightly cost of $22.94. That doesn't seem to bad, but it actually comes out to a monthly fee of $688.20. If we had averaged the $11.67 figure I quoted above, we would have saved $1,194.62. That's a significant sum.
   
   So, should we continue this lifestyle, we will select a handful of destinations and plan to spend a month or more at these. Now, not all parks offer rates like Fernbrook, but if you look diligently enough, you can usually find a good park with reasonable rates. We will try to keep the parks close enough together so that we can go from one destination to the next in a single day, thereby keeping fuel costs down as well.
   
3. Donna and I have decided we just cannot function without a reliable Internet connection. If we continue RVing full-time, we will look for some sort of connection, perhaps an air card. It has been our experience that half the parks that offer WiFi do not deliver on their promise. Although most parks offer this service for free, many charge a fee, sometimes as much as $5.99 a day with reduced rates for longer terms.
   
   Of course, I like a good connection to update my blog and web page. But we also use the Internet for so many other things, from finding RV parks to locating the cheapest fuel prices around. When we don't have a connection, we feel lost.

These are probably the big three items we have learned. Of course, there are numerous smaller lessons. This is a good life. If we decide to continue living this way, these lessons will make it even better.

The Boats

Donna and I enjoy gaming. So, while in East Texas, we made a short trip over to "The Boats" in Shreveport/Bossier City. Because of recent play, we had a few free nights at the Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City. We jumped at the chance to get out of the trailer for a few days.

There are 5 Las Vegas style casinos in S/BC, all located along the Red River near downtown Shreveport. We've visited them all at one time or another over the past 10 or 12 years. There have been lots of changes in that time.

Shreveport is home to 2 casinos, Sam's Town and the Eldorado. Sam's Town occupies the facilities formerly owned by Harrah's while the Eldorado occupies the facilities formerly operated by Hollywood.

Across the river in Bossier City, what once was the Isle of Capri is now Diamond Jacks and what once was Casino Magic is now Boomtown. Only the Horseshoe has not changed its name. However, it has changed ownership. Formerly owned and managed by Jack Binion, it is now part of the Caesar's Entertainment Network and their Total Rewards program.

All of the casinos in S/BC are riverboats, but they vary in size and appearance. We have always thought that the Eldorado and the Horseshoe had the best physical facilities. Their casinos seem larger, and they certainly have higher ceilings, which helps reduce the smokey environment that the smaller casinos sometimes seem to have. In all the casinos, the hotel is located on dry land while only the actual casinos are on the riverboat. At the Horseshoe, there is a lengthy walk from the hotel section to the casino, requiring guests to pass the million dollar wall.

For convenience, we enjoy staying at the Eldorado. This location allows us to get out of the casino and visit Sam's Town if we like as the two casinos are next door to one another. We can also visit the businesses beneath the Texas Street bridge, such as Nicky's Mexican Restaurant and the Blind Tiger. The three casinos across the river are rather isolated from other businesses, so you must either eat on site or hop in your car to visit area restaurants. Dining in the S/BC casinos for the most part is expensive and comps don't flow as readily as they do in Nevada. I wish the casinos would put in some inexpensive delis. Most casinos in Nevada have places where you can pick up cheap hot dogs and nachos for just a few bucks, and since comps are rather liberal there, you can usually comp your meals with decent play in a short time.

We enjoy getting out and sampling local restaurants. Some of our favorites in the area are Indigo Indian restaurant (8660 Fern Ave Ste 110 in Shreveport; the buffet has limited options, but is tasty) and Yeero-Yeero (Greek restaurant at 4511 Youree Drive in Shreveport). There used to be a Greek restaurant on Line Drive, but we've not eaten there in years, so I don't know if it is still there. The restaurant scene changes constantly, so visit the Shreveport - Bossier City Convention and Tourism website before your visit to see which restaurants are available.

These days, we tend to play at the Horseshoe more because it is part of the Caesar's Entertainment Network. This allows us to build comps that we can use all over the country. Our game of choice is video poker, and the S/BC area does not have a strong VP inventory. The Horseshoe does have some lower denomination games in the 99% plus category (Bonus Poker Deluxe at 99.64%, Jacks or Better at 99.54%, and Bonus Deuces Wild at 99.45%), as does Diamond Jack's (9/6 Jacks or Better). Opportunities at the 1$ or above level are a bit more prevalent, but they are often on triple or five play machines, requiring a significant bet per hand. For a complete inventory, check the Gulf Coast section of the VP Free website. Louisiana law sets a ceiling at 100%, so no games in the state can exceed that return. We do miss Nevada for gaming.

For more information on the S/BC casinos, visit the American Casino Guide.  This site provides data regarding number of hotel rooms, size of casino floor, and related information as well as reviews. Take the reviews with a grain of salt. People tend to vent more when they are unhappy and tend to remain quiet when they are happy. Also, comments are not always factually accurate. In the review of Sam's Town, for example, one reviewer was actually describing the Sam's Town in Vegas, not in S/BC.

Fernbrook RV Park, Longview, Texas

Fernbrook RV Park is possibly the best RV park we have ever visited. I highly recommend it.

Fernbrook RV Park is located in the middle of a triangle made up of Longview, Kilgore, and Lakeport. It is about 2 miles south of Interstate 20 on FM 2011, near the old community of Peatown.

I could tell I was going to like this place from the moment we pulled into the park. The entrance makes a great first appearance. A white rail fence fronts the road, and the office sits just inside the fence. There is plenty of room to pull in and park at the office.

Entrance to Fernbrook. Notice wide entrance and paced roads.

All interior roads are paved, and all sites have cement pads. The pad is roomy enough to allow parking the trailer and to still have room for walking, sitting, etc.

Roomy concrete pads easily accommodate rigs of all sizes.

All utilities are grouped together. I like this, but many parks spread their utilities over a broad area, making hookups difficult and messy. If you've followed my blog, you've seen my comments on this topic in other reviews.

From left to right: water, sewer, and electric/cable. Very convenient setup.

All sites are located in a sea of grass. Although there are few mature trees in the park -- except along the south boundary -- trees have been planted around the park. In a few years as the trees mature, these trees will offer plenty of shade.

One of 4 streets in the park. Nice paved streets, paved sites, grass, and trees. Playground is on the left.

The park offers various amenities, including a pool and playground. The laundry room is great, with plenty of machines in great working order and plenty of room for folding clothes. There is even a change machine in the laundry. Restroom and shower facilities are roomy and clean.

Office on left and laundry/restrooms on right

The park provides 32 Direct TV channels. WiFi is included in the price with two access points in the park. We had good connectivity during our stay.

There are 3 hosts who live in the park, and they stay busy and are very visible. We needed propane during our stay. We were told to leave our tank at the edge of our site and they would fill it up and deliver it. What a great service! A tank of propane cost $17.50, one of the best prices I've had on our trip.

Probably half the residents are long-term residents; they are located mostly along the southern sites where the mature trees are. We also saw a daily stream of travelers in many sites around us. Since the park is only 2 miles off the interstate, it is a convenient overnight stop for east/west travelers.

The park is highly rated, and their prices are very fair. About the only thing I didn't like about the park is that it is located about a mile from a gun club. Occasionally -- especially on Saturdays -- I could hear shots in the distance, but the sounds are so far away they are not a problem at all.

Tyler State Park: October 2012

We recently spent 3 nights at Tyler State Park (October 15 - 18). It was just about a perfect time to be there. We arrived on a Monday and left on Thursday, so we avoided the weekend hordes that descend on the park this time of year. One of the great advantages of retirement is visiting places when everyone else is either in school or working.

We visited this park for a few days last spring when the dogwoods were first appearing. It was nice to be here in autumn for a different look. We were too early for real fall color in this part of the state, but the temps were perfect. Below is a link to my previous report on this park.

• Tyler State Park, March 21 - 24

We were able to get the same spot this trip that we previously had, site 54 in the Big Pine Camping area (see map). This camping area is restricted to recreational vehicles, no tents. While we were there, probably only 6 to 8 sites were occupied. The nights were quiet and dark. Firewood was available near the restroom; cost is 3 logs for $1 with proceeds going to the park. There has been quite a bit of clearing lately, so there was an ample supply of firewood available. You can also purchase firewood from the store across from the entrance to the park, but you will pay considerably more. I'd rather give my money to the park. By the way, the Pilot gas station at the Interstate has some of the lowest priced gas around.

Big Pine Campground. Some trees have been cleared, but I don't know why.

 

Donna enjoying a late afternoon fire

We were busy with personal business during our stay there, so we didn't do any of our usual park activities, such as hiking. However, we did enjoy a good fire each night. The first night, 2 racoons approached our camp. Last year, we watched as a couple of coons raided our neighbor's campsite. Squirrels were also numerous, and various birds, including cranes and ducks, visited the lake.

The lake at Tyler State Park

This is really a good park, and it is well-known among mountain bikers for its bike trails. Cyclists from all over visit the park, especially on weekends and Spring Break, to ride the trails. As a result, if you enjoy hiking, visit the park during other times, like during the week. There are at least 3 fishing piers if you're an angler. A variety of camping is available, including tent camping and shelters in addition to RV camping. There is also a very good group camping area.

Perhaps when the colors of fall are richer, Donna and I will return to the park for a short visit.

Where in the World Are Donna and Keith?

Just a quick trip update on October 18, 2012 . . . .

We left Big Spring early Monday morning (October 15) and made it to beautiful Tyler State Park just north of Tyler, Texas, for 3 nights. This morning, we moved to Fernbrook RV Park just north of beautiful Peatown, Texas. This is a nice little park, and I think we will enjoy our stay here.

WiFi service here appears to be very reliable, so I'll be working on catching up on this blog. I'll post a trip report for Tyler State Park, then provide a review of Fernbrook.

It's good to be back in East Texas at this time of year. There is a hint of color in the woodlands, and the temps are almost ideal. After being in so may desert areas, it's good to see lush landscapes again.

On the Road: Santa Rosa, NM, to Big Spring, TX

We awoke early on Friday, October 12, to the sound of rain. We wanted an early start so that we could get to Big Spring at a decent hour, but we didn't want the rain.

We secured everything in the trailer, then waited hoping that the rain would stop. It didn't. I donned my rain gear and went outside to prepare the trailer for the trip while Donna brought in our slide and finished securing the inside. In a few minutes, we were ready to pull out.

We drove down the street to the local McDonald's for breakfast, then stopped for gas. We headed south on US 84 towards Fort Sumner, a favorite haunt and burial site of Billy the Kid. It continued raining on us for the first few miles, then we were able to break out of the rain and leave it behind us, though we watched lightning to our west and southeast for a while.

At Fort Sumner, we turned east towards Clovis, New Mexico, near the Texas border. We soon passed through Clovis and had Texas in our sites. The state line separates the communities of Texico, New Mexico, and Farwell, Texas. After 2 months, we were back in Texas.

We stopped in Sudan for gas, then turned south on US 385 at Littlefield, hometown of Waylon Jennings. This is familiar country to us, as we lived in nearby Olton in the late 1970s. In fact, our daughter was born while we were in Olton.

We passed through Levelland, home of South Plains College, on our way south. I was reminded of a song by one of my favorite artists, "Levelland" by Robert Earl Keen. Despite the lyrics of the song, Levelland is really a nice, progressive community.

From Levelland, we passed through Brownfield, which was our shopping town when we lived in nearby Wellman in the mid 1980s. While passing through, Donna suggested we detour through the small community of Wellman, which is 12 miles southwest of Brownfield. Our daughter began her school career in this town, and I have very good memories of teaching there. So, we took the extra time to pull our trailer through the narrow streets of Wellman, looking at our former home and other sites.

The remainder of the trip was uneventful. We stopped in Lamesa for gasoline, then crawled into Big Spring and secured a site at Texas RV Park, where we stayed about 2 months ago. We set up the trailer, then cleaned up and went out for a meal. We would spend the next few days visiting our daughter and her family before heading to East Texas.

On the Road: Laughlin, Nevada, to Santa Rosa, New Mexico

We left Laughlin in the dark on Thursday, October 11, heading for Texas. We hoped to make it to Albuquerque, New Mexico, by the end of the day. That is a distance of 502 miles, which is a long day when you are pulling a trailer.

Our 617 mile route

From Laughlin, we climbed up and away from the Colorado River towards Kingman, Arizona. At Kingman, we stopped for gas, then hopped on I-40, which we would follow east the rest of the day. The area around Kingman is mountainous.

As we headed east, the terrain gradually grew more mountainous, and the mountain slopes became dotted more and more with pine and other trees. As we neared Williams, Arizona -- the gateway to the south rim of the Grand Canyon -- rain set in. Clouds settled around the mountain tops as the rain came down. At Flagstaff, we stopped again for gasoline.

The skies cleared as we headed east from Flagstaff. At Winslow, we detoured onto old Historic Route 66 for a look at the "corner in Winslow, Arizona".

Donna standing next to a flat bed Ford on a corner in Winslow, Arizona

From Winslow, we passed through Holcomb, Arizona, then crossed into New Mexico, where we soon crossed the Continental Divide. We passed by the small towns of Gallup and Grants, then set our sites on Albuquerque. I had found a couple of RV parks on the west side of Albuquerque, and I planned to stop at one of them for the night. However, when we pulled into the first one, we discovered that the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta was underway. RV sites were outrageously priced, if you could find one at all, so we quickly decided to continue heading east. On the eastern outskirts of Albuquerque, we stopped again for gas, then hopped back onto I-40 for another 100 mile stretch to Santa Rosa, where we stayed about 6 weeks ago.

After stopping at the local McDonald's in Santa Rosa for a couple of salads to eat once we were settled for the night, we headed to the RV park and secured a site. It was dark as we pulled into the site. We left the trailer hooked up to the truck, and only hooked up electricity and water for the night. After getting settled for the night, we enjoyed our salads.

It had been a long 600+ mile day