How we pick Parks:
How often do you look at a map and wonder ~ where should we go from here and how do I find campgrounds to stay at?? Should we just up and start driving with no destination in mind, or do we plan a trip based on where we want to go and the specific campgrounds along the way. When we first started our full time adventure, we had a destination as we worked at campgrounds for the first few years. But now that we have decided that we no longer want to work, we have to decide where we want to go, how long should we drive per day, where are we going to stop for the night, and now long are we going to stay at our next destination.
I usually plan our summer trips based on what we want to see, and then plan the trip from there. This summer (2020) we were going to head west into northern California (there are lots of Thousand Trails campgrounds in northern CA), but when the Covid virus hit, we cancelled those plans and decided to stay out of California.
My first plan of attack is to decide where do we want to go. In 2019 we headed east to Florida, then north up the coast all the way to Maine, then back through Ohio, Indiana and back to Texas. I usually pick the campgrounds first by seeing what Coast-to-Coast campgrounds there are to stay at, as well as Thousand Trails and Encore Resorts (these are the clubs we belong to), then Passport America campgrounds, and lastly Escapees and Good Sam parks. I also look for county parks, and private campgrounds. I use the RV Parky app a lot because you can put in a zip code and it shows all the parks in that area. I also use Campground Reviews to look at campgrounds in the area to see what other people have to say about the campgrounds. RV Parky also has reviews of campgrounds, so looking at both of the reviews helps with picking a park.
Finally, I use my Zee Maps campground list to decide which campgrounds we want to stay at. Zee Maps allows me to map all the different types of campgrounds in the United States, which allows me to map our route from Point A to Point B. On my map I have all OCP properties, Coast to Coast, Thousand Trails, Passport America, Good Sam, Escapees, state parks, and just regular campgrounds that do not offer discounts of any kind, all color coordinated, so I know what color each park represents. The light blue are Passport America, green are Escapees, fuscia are Coast to Coast, blue are Thousand Trails, yellow are Good Sam, and the purple are Encore Parks. For me, it's a great way to map our trip.
How often do you look at a map and wonder ~ where should we go from here and how do I find campgrounds to stay at?? Should we just up and start driving with no destination in mind, or do we plan a trip based on where we want to go and the specific campgrounds along the way. When we first started our full time adventure, we had a destination as we worked at campgrounds for the first few years. But now that we have decided that we no longer want to work, we have to decide where we want to go, how long should we drive per day, where are we going to stop for the night, and now long are we going to stay at our next destination.
I usually plan our summer trips based on what we want to see, and then plan the trip from there. This summer (2020) we were going to head west into northern California (there are lots of Thousand Trails campgrounds in northern CA), but when the Covid virus hit, we cancelled those plans and decided to stay out of California.
My first plan of attack is to decide where do we want to go. In 2019 we headed east to Florida, then north up the coast all the way to Maine, then back through Ohio, Indiana and back to Texas. I usually pick the campgrounds first by seeing what Coast-to-Coast campgrounds there are to stay at, as well as Thousand Trails and Encore Resorts (these are the clubs we belong to), then Passport America campgrounds, and lastly Escapees and Good Sam parks. I also look for county parks, and private campgrounds. I use the RV Parky app a lot because you can put in a zip code and it shows all the parks in that area. I also use Campground Reviews to look at campgrounds in the area to see what other people have to say about the campgrounds. RV Parky also has reviews of campgrounds, so looking at both of the reviews helps with picking a park.
Finally, I use my Zee Maps campground list to decide which campgrounds we want to stay at. Zee Maps allows me to map all the different types of campgrounds in the United States, which allows me to map our route from Point A to Point B. On my map I have all OCP properties, Coast to Coast, Thousand Trails, Passport America, Good Sam, Escapees, state parks, and just regular campgrounds that do not offer discounts of any kind, all color coordinated, so I know what color each park represents. The light blue are Passport America, green are Escapees, fuscia are Coast to Coast, blue are Thousand Trails, yellow are Good Sam, and the purple are Encore Parks. For me, it's a great way to map our trip.
How long do you want to drive in one day? Some people put a mileage limit on their trip and others a time limit. I see a lot of people on the Facebook RV sites talk about driving 300 miles in one day ~ that's about 5 to 6 hours of driving. If you have a limited amount of time for traveling, maybe that's what you want. But we try to drive about 150-200 miles per day. That puts us on the road about 3 to 4 hours. What's the rush? We're retired ~ we don't need to bust ourselves driving all day. It's much nicer to get an early start and find a place about 2 or 3pm and get set up and relax.