CONTENTS

The "highlighted" link is the one most recently modified.

CURRENT FINDS -

LATEST ADVENTURE

Workamping Without a Tow Car -

Alternate Vehicles

Sightseeing - Updated 3/5/2012 to show National Route 66 Museum
      
Locations With Public Transit -

Places Where You Can Bike or Walk  

Stories from Others Who Don't Tow a Car 

Emergencies and Creative Situations -

Enterprise Rental Car 
Updated to add options in Raleigh, NC

SIGHTSEEING

NATIONAL ROUTE 66 MUSEUM, Elk City, Oklahoma

Visited National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, Oklahoma.  There aren't any good places to park an RV.  Just cross your fingers you are there on a "low visitor" day and you can park your RV across 10 parking spaces, like I did.  It helps if you have AAA Motor Club, because you can get in for $4 as opposed to $5. 

FOUR CORNERS, USA
The Four Corners Monument ($3 entry fee) has a place to boondock in your RV.

US SPACE & ROCKET CENTER - HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA

There is a small RV park (phone number 256-837-3400) within a brisk walk from the US Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Prices as of this writing are relatively reasonable, $18 a night for water/sewer/electric only, no additional amenities. The RV park doesn't require a credit card deposit to make a reservation, although reservations are recommended. In my case, I did have a reservation, but the park ended up overbooking. So, they let me plug into a 20 amp connection on the side of their office building and charged me $5. It wasn't very level, but for $5, I couldn't complain.

AIR FORCE ACADEMY - COLORADO SPRINGS, CO

My nephew graduated in 2011 from the Air Force Academy.  Graduation was on May 25, 2011.  This worked out perfect for me! I stayed at Fountain Creek RV Park , which was about 1 mile from the Enterprise Car Rental place.  Enterprise delivered a car to me, no problem!  I got to attend my nephew's graduation.  It was wonderful!  THREE HOURS LONG, but it was very special!  The Thunderbirds entertained afterwards.  Also, I was very impressed with how employees of the Academy directed traffic.  Once I got back to my rental car, I got out of there very quickly! 

 PIKES PEAK - MANITOU SPRINGS, CO (near Colorado Springs)
If you stay at any of the following three campgrounds, public transportation is the way to go to get to the Cog Wheel Train!

Fountain Creek RV Park - Colorado Springs, near shops, banks, and restaurants
Garden of the Gods Campground - in Colorado Springs (very close to Manitou Springs)
Pikes Peak RV Park & Campground - in Manitou Springs, very close to shops

Don't try to take a car to the Cog Wheel Train, parking is crowded and limited. All three of the above campgrounds are located on Mountain Metropolitan Transit Route #3. You can take a short ride on this transit route to the Cog Wheel Train. Ask the bus driver to let you know which stop to get off. The bus stops where there is a sign directing you to the Cog Wheel Train. However, after you get off the bus, there is a bit of a hike (a smidge over half a mile) UPHILL to get to the Cog Wheel Train. I took the train, on the day I went, we could only go up to 13,000 feet due to too much snow at the top. They gave us a discount on the ticket price because of this ($25 instead of $32). The picture on the left is the perma frost that the train traveled through. The picture on the top right is at 13,000 feet, from the back of the train. The picture on the bottom right is at the "tree line" (the elevation where trees can't grow), somewhere between 10,000 and 11,000 feet. When you come back from Pikes Peak, you can explore Manitou Springs, a very cute tourist area, before taking the bus back to your campground.
MASSACRE ROCKS STATE PARK - AMERICAN FALLS, IDAHO
This state park has spectacular views of the Snake River, and has good fishing (trout, sturgeon) and some great hiking trails.



NATIONAL CORVETTE MUSEUM - BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY
For those that like corvettes, the National Corvette Museum is in Bowling Green, Kentucky. I didn't stop to visit, but I did drive through the parking lot and noted that there are spaces in back of the museum to park your RV.

PIONEER PLAYHOUSE - DANVILLE, KENTUCKY
Danville, KY has a small summer stock theater (Pioneer Playhouse) with an RV park nearby. Apparently, one of John Travolta's first acting jobs was here. At the age of 15, John Travolta played a doctor and had one line. Also, Lee Majors (under his birth name of Harvey Yeary) and Jim Varney have also appeared here. The RV park has about 25 spaces, some with electric only, and some with water and electric. The RV spaces are somewhat cumbersome to navigate into, but what the heck, the price is right ($18 as of this writing) and for $27 (as of this writing) you get dinner and a delightful theater show. I saw the show "Lend Me a Tenor."


LAKE CUMBERLAND STATE PARK, and KENDALL RECREATION AREA - JAMESTOWN, KENTUCKY
Lake Cumberland Resort State Park near Jamestown, Kentucky has camping places, a store, mini golf, a pool, and the Lure Lodge. All you would need, to include hiking trails. You won't have to travel anywhere. Lure Lodge features the Rowena Landing Restaurant. The word from the "locals" is to get the lunch buffet as opposed to ordering off the menu, it's much faster.

Kendall Recreation Area is near the Wolf Creek Fish Hatchery, and features good camping spots. The recreation area is six miles from the entrance to Lake Cumberland State Park Resort, and the amenities to the State Park Resort are another six miles in from the entrance. I rode my E-bike from Wolf Creek Fish Hatchery (where I workamped) to the Lure Lodge inside the State Park. This was 12 miles one way. My E-bike gets about 25 miles on a charge, and I was able to ride the full 24 miles round trip.
MAMMOTH CAVES NATIONAL PARK - KENTUCKY
Mammoth Caves National Park has a variety of cave tours. There are plenty of places to park your RV while you go on a tour. Get there early if you are in an RV. If the car parking area gets full, the cars start parking in the RV spaces. If you are there in the middle of the day and have pets with you in the RV, be mindful of them, and make sure they are able to stay cool in the RV. I left my vents open and left an ice bag in the RV with my cat. Kitty did fine. Also, you are not allowed to take any bags in the cave tours. They mean it! I thought purses didn't count, but apparently, they do! I had to rent a locker to keep my purse while I toured the caves.

KENTUCKY STATE FAIR - LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY
At the Kentucky State Fair, RV's can park in Lot F. You have to drive through the main gate, and pay both Admission and the parking charge. Then, you proceed to Lot F, where you check into an office and pay an additional $10 (as of this writing), to stay overnight in the RV lot. No hookups, but generators are allowed. Basically, I had to pay $16 to park my RV (the $6 daily parking charge and the $10 RV overnight charge). This fair is huge! Lots of horses, as well as other animals. Also, the "community" area has lots of interesting booths. I had a good time attending this fair.

OREGON CAVES NATIONAL MONUMENT - OREGON
The road up to the Monument is very steep with a lot of banked hairpin turns. It is not recommended to take RV's and travel trailers up there. However, I did observe smaller RV's (24 feet or less) drive up there. Also, you can take a Josephine County Transit bus from Grants Pass to Cave Junction, but there is no public or commercial transportation up to the Monument. There are two ways you can visit the monument without having a tow car:


A. Stay at a park/campground near Cave Junction and ride a bike or scooter up the road. This web site will give you a list of campgrounds about 8-10 miles from the monument. Personally, I don't recommend doing this option unless you are Lance Armstrong. Even on a scooter, it would be tough, as there isn't much of a shoulder to ride on, and the curves are blind. The road up to the monument is narrow, steeply graded, and full of sharp hairpin turns that are banked. These two pictures are an example of the type of turns. However, these two pictures are not the worst areas for turns and steepness, they were just the two places I was able to photograph. The worst hairpin turns and steep areas were in the shade and there wasn't enough light to photograph them.

B. If you are staying in Grants Pass, there is an Enterprise Rent-A-Car, where they can deliver the car to your location. If you stay at either Jack's Landing RV Resort or Rogue Valley Overnight, the location is within walking distance. If you have AAA Motor Club, you get a 5% discount on the rental. I rented a car, no problem. However, keep two things in mind:

1. When you get to Cave Junction, make sure you have at least half a tank of gas. I had a quarter tank, and I started to drive up (17 miles from Cave Junction). I got 2/3 of the way up, and the gas tank was almost empty! You do not want to be stranded on that road, as there are no shoulders to pull off on, and there are many blind curves. I managed to get turned around, put the car in neutral, and coasted the car all the way back to Cave Junction. I got some gas and drove up again.

2. The road up there has so many banked hairpin turns that I was quite nauseated when I got up there and did not take the tour. When I drove back to my RV in Grants Pass, I was still nauseated.
TILLAMOOK COUNTY, OREGON
If you stay along Highway 101 in Tillamook County, Oregon (anywhere from Pacific City, south of Tillamook, to Cannon Beach, north of Tillamook), you can ride a bus anywhere up and down Highway 101 between these locations. Here is the route schedule. Keep in mind, depending on the location, there are only 3-6 routes a day, daytime hours, and Monday through Saturday. However, within the city of Tillamook, there are many "town loop" routes during the day for sightseeing (such as, the Tillamook Cheese Factory) within Tillamook. There is an RV park right across the street from the Tillamook Cheese Factory. I didn't stay here, if you want reviews of this park, check with RVParkreviews.com. I stayed at one RV park south of Tillamook (Pleasant Valley RV Park) that had a bus stop at the entry way. I did not get an opportunity to try out the bus line, I am just noting that it is available.

FLIGHT 93 - SHANKSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA
The Flight 93 Memorial Chapel (left) can accomodate an RV if no one else is parked in the parking lot. I managed to park and go through the beautiful memorial garden in the back.

The Flight 93 Memorial (right) is easily accessed by RV's. The actual memorial has plenty of room for RV parking as long as there aren't any tour busses at the time you are there. I parked in the "tour bus" area.

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK - UTAH
You can either take your RV in to the Visitor's Center (RV parking area) and ride a bike up to the Park Avenue hiking trail (the cars are required to share the road with bikes), or you can take your RV to the Park Avenue hiking Trail. There are some RV parking places at the Trail Head. The road is paved, but it is narrow with some switchbacks. There isn't much shoulder area on the road. Those kinds of roads scare me, so I didn't take the RV up. However, I did ride my EGO and made it just fine. Here is a map of the trail area. I made it to the Control Towers.

FORT CASEY STATE PARK - COUPEVILLE, WASHINGTON
This is a small state park that is located near an old Army Fort, and includes a beautiful lighthouse that is open for tours. The old Army Fort area is a wonderful area for children with an imagination to play in.  The park itself is good for learning how to dry camp as  there are no hookups. The best thing about the park is it's proximity to the Keystone Ferry dock.  There are spectacular views of Puget Sound, and you can watch the ferries come and go.  Plus, if you have ferry reservations, I highly recommend staying  here the night before so you don't  have to get up early and rush to get there.

This is the view from one of the campsites.  You can see the Ferry arriving near the dock. 

MT. ST. HELENS - WASHINGTON
If you stay at Mt. St. Helens RV Park, you can bike or ride your scooter to the Mt. St. Helen's Visitors Center. However, Coldwater Lake and Johnson Ridge will require cars or some other transportation arrangements. (However, there is a Mexican restaurant right off the exit. I don't recommend eating there. The food server charged me 50 cents more for the item I ordered than the price shown on the menu. The item I ordered showed that if you ordered beef it was $9.50, chicken was $9.75. When I got the bill, I had been charged $10.25. When I asked why, I was told it was because "chicken was more." I said, I was aware of that, but the chicken price on the menu was $9.75, not $10.25. Food server still insisted that "chicken was more." I argued, food server agreed to reduce the price. However, when I asked for a receipt, I found I was still overcharged. Food server had charged me $9.95 (twenty cents more). I didn't notice it until I got back to my RV. This was a blatant attempt to extort and see if anyone notices.....

OUTLET MALLS

TANGER OUTLET MALL - LOCUST GROVE, GEORGIA
I stopped at this Outlet Mall in Locust Grove, Georgia in February 2012 while I was visiting a friend in Georgia.  This is one of many Tanger Outlet Malls around the country. I drove there in a rental car from Enterprise Rental.  There didn't appear to be good places for RV's to park, unless you parked across two head to head parking slots.  However, I wouldn't try this as this mall appeared to be very busy even though it was a Wednesday.  Good, easy access off the freeway.



TANGER OUTLET MALL - WILLIAMSBURG, IOWA
I stopped at this Outlet Mall in Williamsburg, Iowa. This mall has practically every store you can imagine. Apparently, this is one of many Tanger Outlet Malls around the country. Although I didn't find any special area for RV's to park at the Iowa outlet, I was able to park my RV comfortably across two facing slots. Good, easy access off the freeway.

NEBRASKA CROSSING OUTLET MALL - GRETNA, NEBRASKA
I stopped at this Outlet Mall located off Exit 482 on Interstate 80 near Gretna, Nebraska. This mall didn't have the wide variety of Tanger Outlet in Iowa, but had some decent stores. Again, I didn't find specific parking for RV's, but was able to park comfortably across two facing slots in the parking area. Easy access on and off the freeway. 

SEASIDE FACTORY OUTLET MALL -  SEASIDE, OREGON
I drove past this mall, didn't stop.  If it's not busy, you could park your RV in a "head to head" spot, but it appeared to me that the parking area wasn't really set up for RV's.

PLACES WHERE ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR DELIVERS CARS

ENTERPRISE Rent A Car will either pick you up and get you to their office, or they will drive the car to you. Click here and enter the city and state you are currently located to get office hours for your location.

The only issue I have with Enterprise is that their current practice is to pass your phone number to a third party that will contact you after your rental for "market research." When I rented a car in Spokane, I screamed and stamped my feet and said, "I don't want the call" and I never got it. When I rented in Grants Pass, I tried to scream and stamp my feet and I was told, "we don't have any control over this." My understanding, under the DO NOT CALL rules, is that if you insist that you are on the DO NOT CALL list, and you insist that you don't want to be called, they are obligated to honor that request. I sent a formal complaint to the Regional Office, and I was told I was put on their internal "Do Not Call" list. However, the manager who did this for me didn't know whether the internal list covered nationwide, or whether it covered just that Region.

NORTH CAROLINA

RALEIGH, NC

In December 2011, I stayed at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds on Blue Ridge Road.  There is a branch office right around the corner on Hillsborough Street.  It's 2/3 of a mile to walk to this office if you are in the mood to walk.                  

COLORADO

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO

In May 2011, I stayed at  Fountain Creek RV Park in Colorado Springs.  The branch office is on the same street as this campground.  Car got delivered to me, no problem.  The office was a couple miles from the campground.

OREGON

GRANTS PASS, OR

There is a good selection of RV Parks in Grants Pass ( http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/Oregon/Grants_Pass.html ) where cars can be delivered to you. The two closest RV parks are Jack's Landing and Rogue Valley Overnighters.
NEWPORT, OR

There is an Enterprise site in Newport. Here are some RV parks available. I haven't personally stayed at any of these sites, just noting that it's there.

WASHINGTON

ANACORTES, WA
You can stay at either:
Fidalgo Bay RV Resort
or
Pioneer Trails RV Resort
and have Enterprise deliver a car to you for the duration of your stay.

SPOKANE, WA

If you stay at Riverside State Park, there is an Enterprise office at 1426 East Francis Avenue. This office indicated to me that they were the closest to the State Park and can pick you up. I tried this option. I called in advance and THOUGHT I had made a reservation, and was even quoted a final price, but somehow I didn't get a confirmation number. I called on the day of pickup and found out I didn't have a reservation, but no problem, plenty of cars, they will redo the reservation. I showed up and called for them to pick me up. They picked me up, no problem. I got to the office, and STILL no reservation, but no problem, plenty of cars, they will give me a car for the price quoted. Despite the reservation snafu, I got a car, a PT Cruiser. THEN! I show up at the State Park. Park Ranger tells me that the rental car is ok, as it is within the "one RV and one car" allowance. However, the Camp Host told me that since I did not TOW the car in, it was considered an "extra vehicle" and I would have to pay the "extra vehicle" fee. NO WAY! The Park Ranger over-ruled that one! Other than the snafus, everything went fine. I returned the car the night before I left, and left the next morning.

Latest Adventure

THIS   SECTION   IS   FOR   THE   PLACE   I'M   CURRENTLY   WORKING:

PLACES WHERE YOU CAN BIKE OR WALK

New additions will be shown at the top in green, then later moved down to alphabetical order, by State, then by city.

MONTANA
Fairmont Hot Springs

Fairmont RV Park is open May 15 - October 15, and is located on Exit 211 off Interstate 90.  The park is located within a short walk to Fairmont Hot Springs Resort,  which is open year round. 

 

C O L O R A D O

COLORADO SPRINGS/MANITOU SPRINGS, CO

These three parks  are within walking distance of a lot of things:

Fountain Creek RV Park - Colorado Springs, near shops, banks, and restaurants
Garden of the Gods Campground - in Colorado Springs (very close to Manitou Springs)
Pikes Peak RV Park & Campground - in Manitou Springs, very close to shops

At Fountain Creek RV Park, you are close to a really cute "older" area of Colorado Springs, with shops. This park is one block from some fast food restaurants, and a brisk walk to the Safeway grocery store. You can also walk to some banks.

At Garden of the Gods Campground in Colorado Springs, there is a Mexican restaurant across the street. However, there are no sidewalks in this particular block, it's dicey to cross the street. Some banks and a Safeway grocery store are a few brisk blocks down, but you have to be very careful as it takes three or four blocks before you get an actual sidewalk.

Pikes Peak RV Park & Campground is actually in Manitou Springs. You could walk to shops if ou are ambitious, or take a short bus ride (see "Places with Transportation" section).

I D A H O

CALDWELL (Sand Hollow), ID

This location is a little stop just west of Caldwell, off Exit 17. Country Corners RV Park is a small park, very inexpensive. The owner brags that in the summer, he has a vegetable garden and guests can pick what they want, no charge! I wish I had stayed here in summer! If you don't feel like cooking, there is a small cafe withhin a very short walk from this park. Good for an overnight stay while enroute on Interstate 84.

COEUR D'ALENE, ID

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho has become quite the resort town. If you stay at River Walk RV Park, you are close to the North Idaho Centennial Trail, a good place to walk or bike. It's a brisk walk, or a short bike ride to the Riverwalk area where you can get to the trail.

MOUNTAIN HOME, ID

Mountain Home RV Park is located within a short, but brisk walk from a very large Wal-Mart. Just remember, if you are walking, don't buy more than you can comfortably carry, or else you will be lifting weights while you walk back. Mountain Home RV Park is a lovely park, great for full-timers. And, if you need a mailing service and want to use an Idaho address, UPS Store is conveniently located also within that short, brisk walking distance. Also, next door to the park is a Chinese restaurant that the RV park hosts highly recommend.

O R E G O N

BEND, OR
If you stay at Scandia RV Park (no web site), along the south end of Business 97, you can walk to fast food restaurants, pizzeria, and a good supermarket (Fred Meyer, which also has a gas station if you need). There are signs along Business 97 indicating bus/transit service, but apparently, transit service is a "political hot potato" in Bend right now. The transit service was started around early 2007 even though voters voted "no" twice. Then they had problems with the busses. As of this writing, I couldn't find the web site for the transit service, and didn't see any busses running.
DEPOE BAY, OR
If you stay at Fogarty Creek RV Park or Sea and Sand RV Park along Highway 101, you can walk to the beach. There are also a couple of restaurants and a good grocery market within walking distance. The city of Depoe Bay is two miles south from these RV parks. There is a bike path along Highway 101, which is a pretty busy and well-traveled highway, so be careful!


FLORENCE, OR
If you stay at Heceta Beach RV Park, you can walk to the beach. You can bike in to Florence. I rode my electric bike down through Florence and got a flat tire. I had to walk my bike 6 miles back to the RV park. Flat tires on a bike/scooter are no fun!
GARIBALDI, OR
Garibaldi is a cute small town with a harbor and plenty of fresh seafood. If you are a deep sea fishing enthusiast, there are several charter boat trips you can try. If you need a cup of coffee and a donut to get you going for those 4:00 AM charter rentals, Bay Front Bakery opens at 3:00 AM with coffee and great donuts; and you can purchase sandwiches for your charter boat trip.
Three RV parks are located in Garibaldi that are within walking distance of the harbor and the charter boat trips, or anywhere you would want to visit (restaurants, grocery store, pharmacy, museum):

- Biak By The Sea

- Harborview Inn & RV Park

- The Old Mill

All three parks are along the harbor. The first two parks are near a Weyerhaeuser lumber plant, and could be quite noisy during the day. If you don't want the lumber mill noise, stay at Old Mill. Personally, I'm not saying any of the parks are better or worse than the others (I stayed at Harborview during my visit). These are the parks available if you just want to kick around Garibaldi, and all are within walking distance of anything in Garibaldi. Regardless of where you stay, you must walk to Fishermans Korner for the best Fish & Chips you have ever had!

If you want to spend more than a couple days in Garibaldi, but want to venture out, you can catch a Tillamook County Bus in Garibaldi and ride up to Cannon Beach or down to Tillamook. There are 6 routes a day, Monday - Saturday (excluding holidays), and daytime hours only.

GRANTS PASS, OR
If you stay at Jack's Landing RV Resort, you are within walking distance of lots of restaurants, both fast food and sit down. Jack's Landing is a nice place to relax for a few days. Grocery store is about four blocks down. 6th and 7th Avenues, which are bothone way streets and are "main drags," have bike lanes if you wish to journey further. Another place you can stay is Rogue Valley Overnighters. I walked past this place, I would only use it for exactly as the name says, "overnight."

Most of the surface streets of Grants Pass have bike lanes.

MANZANITA/NEHALEM, OR

If you stay at Nehalem Bay State Park in Manzanita, you can walk right to the ocean! You need reservations to stay in Loop A (closest to the beach), even in the winter time, even if it's not full. In the off season, you can stay in Loops B and C without reservations. On the other hand, the state park is maybe a couple miles from town. If you need supplies, you may need to walk or ride a bike. If you are willing to take a brisk walk, you can walk to a restaurant on Highway 101.

S O U T H D A K O T A

MITCHELL, SD

If you decide to overnight in Mitchell, South Dakota, there are some good options:

Exit 330 off Interstate 90: If you stay at Lake Mitchell Campground, you are within a brisk walk of a good grocery store, ShopKo, and some pizza restaurants.

Exit 332 off Interestate 90: You can dry camp overnight at Cabellas. There is a no cost RV dump station in the Cabellas RV Parking section. (Here is information with directions from FreeCampgrounds.com) You can walk to Wal-Mart.

UTAH

MOAB, UT

If you stay at CanyonLands Campground, which is located at the south end of Main Street in Moab, you can walk to most anyplace in downtown. I didn't get to stay there, but just observed it in passing.

W A S H I N G T O N
BIRCH BAY, WA
If you stay at Birch Bay State Park, you can walk to the little town of Birch Bay. It will be a hefty walk, but it can be done if you are in reasonably good health.

CASTLE ROCK, WA
If you stay at Mt. St. Helen's RV Park, you can bike, or ride a scooter around. The side of the road has a small narrow shoulder lane that bikes could ride along. In fact, at this park, you are about 4-5 miles from the Mt. St. Helen's Visitors Center. On the other hand, if you want to go to Coldwater Lake or Johnson Ridge, those will require a car.
CLARKSTON, WA
If you stay at Granite Lake RV Resort (which is now part of Premier Resorts, http://www.premierrvresorts.com/ click on Locations, then Clarkston), you are within walking distance of a Costco warehouse, and an Albertsons grocery store.

CLE ELUM, WA

Cle Elum, WA is a cute little town just east of Snoqualmie Pass on Interstate 90 across Washington.  There is a great little RV park called Whispering Pines.  Even better, this park is next door to an RV service and repair establishment.   This park is within walking distance of Cle Elum, but you do have to walk on an overpass to the freeway.  There are some good restaurants, and a Safeway grocery store.  And, if you need to "lighten your load," there is a great thrift store where you can donate used goods.

MARBLEMOUNT, WA

There are a couple of RV parks in Marblemount, but the best one to stay at is Alpine RV Park. However, this park is two miles east of Marblemount, kind of a hefty walk. Right now, the prices are pretty cheap, and even include free WiFi. Rumor has it that the park is under new ownership and the new owner has grandiose plans for the park. Right now it's just a relaxing "getaway." If you have bicycles or scooters, you can ride into Marblemount. However, US Highway 20 tends to be somewhat busy as it's the gateway to the Cascade Mountains. Marblemount doesn't have much to do, but there are a few restaurants if you don't want to cook. The best one is Buffalo Run. During the summer, they have outdoor dining.

PORT TOWNSEND, WA

Port Townsend is a quaint Victorian town. If you stay at Point Hudson Marina and Resort, you can walk to downtown Port Townsend. I did not get the pleasure of staying there, as it was completely booked, but I drove around it. The park is at the end of Water Street, but you do have to do some weasling around some narrow streets to find it. Also, my impression is that the RV slots were pretty close together, like a big parking lot. But you do stay at the marina and have a view of the bay.

- Fort Worden State Park

If you stay at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend, no need for a car for a few days as long as you are stocked with food. This is a beautiful state park that used to be an Army installation. It is now used as a conference center, to include two great RV campgrounds: one "upper" campground in the trees, and one down on the beach. You can buy food cards in increments of $5 and use them at the "commons." It's highly recommended that you try the "Sunday Brunch" which is offered first Sunday of each month.

On the other hand, if you need to travel into nearby Port Townsend, then you may need some type of transportation.
SEQUIM, WA
If you stay at Gilgal Oasis RV Park, which is right in town, you can walk or bike to most businesses you might need! There is a good QFC grocery store and a Les Schwab Tire Store one block away. There is a Costco and a PetCo (for Pets) within biking distance. Also, if you have a pet and need medical service for it, there is a Veterinarian ( http://www.greywolfvet.com/ ) less than a mile away.
TWISP/WINTHROP, WA
If you stay at Riverbend RV Park, which is two miles north of Twisp, you can bike to either Twisp or Winthrop. Keep in mind, Highway 20 is pretty busy! Walking might be a bit much. There is a good grocery store in Twisp. Also, if you have a pet and need medical attention for it, there is a Veterinarian two miles south of Twisp, and another one in Winthrop. My cat suffered a medical emergency and the Twisp Vet, Dr. Dan Deweerts of Valley Veterinary, took care of my cat on a Saturday even though the clinic was closed.

W Y O M I N G

In Southern Wyoming, along Interstate 80, there aren't a lot of campgrounds. In April 2009, I was driving along I-80 in horrible fog, you could not see five feet in front of you. I tried to stop at Curt Gowdy State Park near Cheyenne. The park was 12 miles off the freeway, and once I found it, I couldn't find the "hookup" area. So, I got back on the freeway. I tried to stop at Arlington Outpost, because it was mentioned in a Wyoming tour guide, but once I saw it, I decided I would rather keep driving in the fog. Larmie, Wyoming has only a KOA available during winter months. However, I will not stay at KOA's because I got junk mailed (by the KOA organization) after staying at one. But I thought I would mention it for anyone else. Decided to keep on driving in the fog. I ended up at Rawlins dealing with an oncoming snow/wind storm.

RAWLINS, WY

These three campgrounds are located in Rawlins:

Western Hills
RV World
Rawlins KOA

I also saw one called "Golden Eagle" Campground, but I couldn't find a web site for it. I stayed at Western Hills, but RV World is also close by. Both parks are within walking distance of a restaurant. However, reviews of this restaurant that I found in the internet were just so-so. After the snow and fog cleared, I rode around the area. Both Western Hills and RV World are very close to an urgent care clinic and a hospital, if you need medical services, but Western Hills is closest. I didn't get a chance to see the KOA.

WORKAMPING WITHOUT A TOW CAR

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UPCOMING WORKAMPING ASSIGNMENTS:




WORKAMPING ASSIGNMENTS I AM APPLYING FOR AND HOPING TO GET:

Summer of 2012:  An assignment with either North Dakota State Parks or Minnesota State Parks, hopefully somewhere near Grand Forks, North Dakota (I have a special reason for this)

Winter 2012:  A paid job with Amazon.com for their Christmas rush.

Previous assignments I have completed:

*Gingko/Wanapum State Park near Vantage, WA (May 2009, March 2010, May 2010, March 2011).

This is a beautiful but small (50 spaces) park in the middle of Washington State along Interstate 90.  May 2009 was the first time I had camp hosted EVER. The nearest town, Vantage, didn't have a grocery store, just a "convenience" store. Nearest grocery store was 30 miles away. I stocked up on food before I got here, and had WAY TOO MUCH. Also, this State Park didn't have laundry facilities, so twice I had to unhook the RV and drive 3 miles to Vantage to do laundry. Little bit of a pain, but not bad.

This park gets a lot of business from people who attend concerts at the Gorge. If there is a concert, the park is usually booked full. The weekend of May 15, 2009 featured the Grateful Dead (along with Doobie Brothers and Allman Brothers) at the Gorge. Park was full, but wasn't bad for duties. I survived the "Deadheads." On the other hand, Memorial Day weekend was also packed, to include people attending "Sasquatch Festival," and I was very busy!

Duties were:

- Sell firewood
- Fill ice bags and sell ice
- Campground surveillance (extra vehicles, any problems or issues) of campground, boat ramp, and day use area
- Trash Pickup

The crew here was wonderful, a bunch of really fun people!

My only complaint was that I couldn't get FOX (or other channels) on my TV Antenna! This was desperate! I had to watch Jack Bauer save the world on the last three hours of "24!" (Note to self: Next time I camp host, bring CD's and DVD's in case I can't get TV stations.) Ended up downloading the last three episodes of "24" from the FOX website. Each episode took 400 mg on my air card. Not bad. Didn't exceed my 5 GB limit. UPDATE:  During my March 2011 hosting stint, I actually was able to pick up some Spokane channels! 

Also, if you host at this park, it does get windy.  During the time I was there for May 2009, I endured 9 windstorms of from 20 mph to 40 mph. Some lasted 12 hours, starting at 7:00 in the evening and going to 7:00 AM the next day. But, the crew was so wonderful, I ended up camphosting there again in March and May 2010.


When I hosted in MARCH 2010, I had a bit of a "challenge." For the first couple of weeks in March, the park was in "winter" mode. This means they were open weekends only, and NO WATER HOOKUPS! There is a "winter water fill" near the park entrance. With a little planning and conserving, I was able to go five nights on one 45 gallon freshwater tank.  I had to unhook and drive to the winter water faucet (about 50 yards) for water. 

On the other hand, having to unhook, and drive once in awhile is probably a good thing.  I'm parked on a gravel pad.  Even after you get your RV "level," the RV still  tends to "sink" a bit in the dirt/gravel.  Having to drive for the water every few days gives me a chance to "re-level" the RV. 


On March 17, 2010, the rangers put the water faucets back on.  YAY! Rest of the month was pretty uneventful, not much wind that I can remember (although it can get windy here!).

When I hosted again in MAY 2010, I endured four days in a row of extreme wind (common for this area).  This time the wind was so bad it knocked down two tall Russian Olive trees in one of the campsites.  The trees fell over, knocked right out of the ground, roots and all!  Fortunately, it was a weekday (not too many visitors) and no one was in the campsite.  After the Ranger chopped it up, I helped haul it to the chipper shredder pile.

Also, during this time, I decided to see if I could drive my  laundry to town on my E-Bike.  On May 6, it was a beautiful day (no wind!), and partly cloudy, about 65 degrees. I straddled my laundry bag between my legs and rode to Vantage (3 miles).  It  was cumbersome, but I did it!  Sure beats the pain of unhooking the RV, putting things away so I can drive, etc.



* A two month VOLUNTEER assignment in Kentucky workamping (for free camping only) with US Fish and Wildlife at a Fish Hatchery in Jamestown, KY.

I left my home on June 20, 2009, arrived on July 7, 2009. Stayed until September 8, 2009. This picture on the left is my RV spot at the Wolf Creek Fish Hatchery. NICE! The picture on the right is how close the deer come to the campspots, both in the morning, and the evening. There are five RV's here volunteering, I got the "end" spot (which is the PRIMO spot!). The RV spots have good spacing between them, so I can blast my favorite CD's (any JOSH GROBAN fans?) and don't have to worry about annoying the others. I am ten miles from Jamestown, a bit far for my little e-bike. However, I can unhook and go somewhere on my days off.



* A 30 Day Hosting during July 2010 and July 2011 at Sun Lakes/Dry Falls State Park near Coulee City, WA .

This is a larger park with two camping areas, the  main camp area with 100+ tent and RV sites, and the smaller Bretz campground with 30 RV utility sites and one group camp area that holds up to 100 people.  The good news is....  I get free laundry here!  YAY! I  don't have to unhook and go somewhere.

As for  my Verizon Air Card:
- In 2010, I had a 3G Verizon Air Card, and it didn't work at all.  My cell phone barely got a signal.  But, the park had a "courtesy DSL connection"  for hosts with laptops.  Bit of a pain to drag my laptop down to the office every day but it worked for me.

- In 2011, I had a Verizon 4G Air Card, and it worked VERY SLUGGISH.  If it got windy, I got no signal at all.  My cell phone faded in and out. My newest wireless device, "Home Phone Connect" from Verizon, was pretty dependable, even if the signal was weak.

There is a nearby resort (part of the state park, but operated on a concession permit) within  walking distance that has a store with most of the food basics (overpriced, but still....).  If you don't tow a car, you can easily get by hosting here and not have to worry about going anywhere for laundry or food.  Plus, there are peddle boats and canoes to rent.  The park has swimming, boating, golfing, and mini golf.  Plenty do do!  Don't have to go anywhere as long as you have enough food.

There are four hosts here:

Main Campground Host - gets free phone and free hookup, and is in a shady spot, but jammed in close to other RV spots. Can easily do this without a tow car.

Day Use Host - gets free hookup over near Ranger Residences.  Can easily do this without a tow car.  The worst thing about this volunteer opportunity is perhaps shoveling "goose poo."

Bretz Campground host - gets free hookup, has a spot away from the campground, but has no shade.  Can easily do this without a tow car.

Camp Delaney (Environmental  Learning Center for groups)  - gets free hookup, but is way out about 2 miles from the park.  This is a neat hosting assignment, but I would not do it without a tow car, too isolated. 

Also, volunteers at the interpretive center get free sites.  I'm glad I didn't volunteer for the interpretive center.  It's 3 miles from the campground.  I could get there on my bike, but if I HAD to ride the bike every day to get there and I got a flat tire, I would be hosed and have no way to get there but to walk.  Being a campground host at this park, having my bike is a plus, but not a necessity.

This campground is very busy in the summer.  I would recommend anyone who wants to host here have previous hosting experience SOMEWHERE.  If it's your first time camp hosting, you might want to come in early Spring or Late Fall, or ask for Bretz or Day Use.  Bretz or Day Use might be better for "first timers."  If you host here in the busy summer without having done this before, it could be a little overwhelming.  The picture below is the Bretz campground.


* A Five Week Hosting Assignment at Alta Lake State Park near Brewster, WA.

I was here from August 12 - September 17. This is a beautiful park in the Cascade Mountains.  There are three camping loops, one loop is close to Alta Lake.  If you get a tent spot on the lake, you are allowed to anchor your boat at your tent spot (after launching at the boat launch).

There are 120 sites or so, consisting of both tent and RV.  Basically, at this park, I just pick up litter, clean fire pits, and answer questions. There are two camp hosts here, but they only use two during the busiest part of the summer.  I met the other host couple, they were getting ready to leave, as I was arriving.  One of the camp host spots is in a woodsy area, very spacious, lots of shade, gets a decent signal on the Verizon air card, but the down sides are that it's next to the restroom building and the spot is somewhat cumbersome to get into.  The previous camp host couple was in a Travel Trailer in this spot and even they had difficulty.  The other camp host spot is in the lake loop, easy to back into, good view of lake and Day Use area, but the down sides are no shade and can't get a Verizon signal.  Take your pick!  I spent the first week at the Lake host site, until the electrical box fried.  Fortunately, no damage so far to my RV.  I moved to the other camp host spot.  Toward the end of my stay, I moved back to the first spot because the Rangers wanted to close the other loops down.  The electrical box still wasn't fixed, so I parked midway between the camp host spot and the next one over, and plugged into the next one over.

No laundry facilities here, the closest town(s) are Twisp, 30 miles one direction, and Chelan, 30 miles the other direction.  I was told the better laundry facilities are in Twisp.  This is my experience doing laundry while I was here:

- Weeks 1, 3, and 4:  I went to Twisp.  The laundry facilities are near a gas station and a nice grocery store.  Very nice laundromat, but somewhat pricey at $2.50 per wash, despite having the large front loaders.  The dyers gave you 8 minutes for each quarter.  I had to park next door at the grocery store ( Hank's Harvest Foods ) which had plenty of room for a few RV's.  If you do laundry here in Twisp, be sure to buy some stuff from Hank's Harvest Foods if you use their parking lot.

- Week 2: I drove to Chelan, 19 miles away.  If you are NOT towing a car, I do not recommend this option.  The laundromat was ok, $2 to wash, large capacity top loader washers.   However, there was no good place to park the RV. I finally parked next door in front of a small "nutrition" business.  I don't think they appreciated it.  I scraped my rear tire against the curb (not a good thing for tires!) trying to park close enough so traffic could get by. I had to pull in  my driver door mirror.  While I was parked, some "person"  (comments withheld) had the nerve to drive their car on the sidewalk (ok, it was a "dirt walk") next to my RV! 

I did not take my e-bike on this trip, left it at home.  

This picture below was taken from my RV while I was in the lake loop host site, and is of a few of the tent sites.

* A One Month Assignment in Idaho: During October 2010, I completed a one month assignment at Farragut State Park in Idaho.  Farragut State Park in Athol, ID is a beautiful park, very woodsy.  There are four campgrounds (Waldron, Gilmore, Snowberry, and Whitetail) with two to three hosts per campground.

I hosted during October, so only one campground was open (Waldron).  Since it wasn't busy that month, I was the only camp host.  Normally, each campground area has 2-3 hosts who trade off.  The good news is, the park has laundry facilities for the hosts.  The bad news is.... it's not within walking distance.  Also, my Verizon air card didn't work here even though my Verizon cell phone did work (barely....).  So, the challenges here were laundry and Wi-Fi.

There is a Wi-Fi that can be accessed up near the park facilities shop area, but it was a Wi-Fi service that you have to pay for.  It apparently works in any Idaho State Park that has the service.  One price gets you access for a year.  At the time, the Wi-Fi was offering a price of $21 for the rest of the calendar year.  I thought about it, but decided not to.   

For Wi-Fi, the rangers suggested driving to Bayview, ID (four miles from the park) to a place called Ralphs.  Ralphs is a coffee shop, with a laundromat, and free Wi-Fi.  I tried this the first week I was there, and found no adequate place to park the RV.  I finally drove to Rathdrum, ID and found a laundry place, which was also within range for my Air Card.  I sat outside in my RV and used my computer while my laundry was in progress.  Did I mention that the laundry prices were expensive? $2.50 for a wash! 

For the remainder of my stay at Farragut, I used the laundry facilities at the park.  The park had a very nice washer that could take large loads, and a very good dryer.  Better than paying $2.50 for washing at a local laundromat!  But I still had to drive my RV to a nearby town once a week so I could sit in a parking lot and use my Air Card.  This took a lot of planning.  I had to write down a list of things to do on the computer (download this bill, pay that bill, check email, post on boards).  This required coordinating billing dates and dates bills were available online with the weekly trip. 

This was a bit of a pain, but I wouldn't let that stop anyone from camp hosting at Farragut State Park.  This is a beautiful park, and the Rangers were great to work with.  Since I hosted in October, I was the only camp host.  If you host in the summer, there are other hosts.  October is a very relaxing time to host at this state park, if you don't mind being the only host. 

Also, since it was October, the Rangers shut down the water about mid-month.  The Rangers, bless their hearts, tried really, really hard to find a way to leave my water faucet available.  But it didn't work out.  The Visitors Center had a working faucet on the outside of the building.  On the days I drove to Rathdrum to check email, I stopped at the park's Visitor's Center on the way back and filled my tank.  I appreciate the effort the Rangers made to make my stay comfortable and fun! 

The top picture is my spot.  The bottom picture is where the other two camp hosts would be if there were three camp hosts in this loop.

* A One Month Assignment at OCEAN CITY STATE PARK - Ocean Shores, WA

I spent December 2010 and September 2011 at Ocean City State Park in Ocean Shores, WA.  This is a great park on the Washington State coastline and is open year round for camping.  There are four loops, but during winter, only two loops are open. The picture above is the road through one of the loops.  The other two loops were flooded.  During December it rains a lot.  The Ranger told me that about 40% of their business during winter is winter time activities, especially clam digging.  The first weekend I was here, I was surprised at the number of people who came to clam dig!

DECEMBER 2010:  Temperatures are in the 40's/50's.  This is a FUN time to camp host!  It might be BRISK out there in 40 degree temperatures, but this is a way to REALLY be RVing and see to what extremes you can do in your RV!  I was there through Christmas and New Years.

SEPTEMBER 2011:  Temperatures were in the 50's and 60's.  All four  loops were open, and I got to see what the previously "flooded" loops look like when they aren't flooded!  The first three weekends were pretty busy and full with Labor Day, and then special events the next two weekends. The last weekend wasn't as full, and it started to be misty and wet.

At this park, an independent vendor supplies wood.  At your option, you can sell the wood, and you get a 10% commission from the vendor.  I made  $100 in commissions!

The staff was great and very helpful. 

When I was here in December 2010, I had a 3G Verizon Air Card.  It fluctuated, the signal fades in and out. I have to "catch it when I can."  I wonder if air card signals go in and out with the ocean tide......  When I was here in September 2011, I had the 4G Verizon Air Card, and it worked GREAT!

I found out that there is a bear that likes to run around this place at night.  I noticed a trash can had been overturned, and I KNOW it wasn't windy the night before!  One of the park staff told me about the bear.  Oh well.  Guess it happens. 

The picture at the right is my camp hosting spot.  It's a very spacious spot and my cat was entertained from looking out the windows!  The host spot is located next to the community dump station, but I wouldn't let that stop you from hosting here.  Besides, you can always talk to the people using the dump station and ask them if they had a nice stay!  The trash can mentioned earlier that was knocked over by a bear, well, it was the one at the community dump station.  That close and I didn't even hear it! 

Duties at this time:

-  Pick up litter along entrance road, beach trails, and campgrounds

-  Lightly sweep the two restroom buildings in use

-  Check toilet paper

-  Shovel out firepits after campers leave

-  Check arrival campsites to be sure the campsite is clean and free of debris

-  Answer questions

Also, I'm learning about standards for hazardous materials exposure.  Further, since this park is on the Washington coastline, there are posters about rip tides and Tsunami warnings.  During  my September  2011  hosting, we had a Tsunami drill.  Camping Guests could ignore  it, but I had to "duck and cover" or whatever it was.

This park is only 1.5 miles from Ocean Shores, WA.  The only issue for me here is laundry.  There is a laundromat in town.  I can ride my laundry to town on the EGO bike, similar to what I did at Wanapum State Park. I discovered the laundromat doesn't open until 10:00 AM, and guess what, it's closed Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  I think this is their winter schedule.  Darn it all, Wednesday is usually my laundry day.  The Rangers prefer you take a day off in  mid-week (at this park it's Tuesday or Wednesday) for laundry, which is reasonable.  The Ranger was good about letting me "flex" my day off a bit to accommodate the limitations in laundromat hours.  The other option was to unhitch the RV and go to Hoquiam, which I would like to avoid.  

Friday, December 10, 2010:  I went to town for laundry.  YIKES!  $3.75 for a wash! Ok, the machines were double loaders, but YIKES!  The dryers were 25 cents for 5 minutes.  Took $1.50 (30 minutes) to dry.  $1.50 to dry is about average everywhere.  If you wash 3 loads, plan on spending around $16, or prioritize your clothes and laundry! On this trip, I lost one washcloth, somehow I didn't come home with it.  Hate it when that happens.  I ended up making myself go two weeks between laundry times. 

But, while I was doing laundry, I did discover a nice little consignment shop.  I bought two gently used DVD's cheap.  Paid about what you would pay to rent a DVD for one night.  There is no TV reception via antenna (I'm too cheap to go satellite). 

* A Six Week Assignment at SEAQUEST STATE PARK - Castle Rock, WA

I  served here in January - February 2011.  During winter, part of the park is closed off.  But for wintertime camping, this park features fabulous Yurts. These yurts are quite roomy, have bunk beds, and heat!

Also, this park has a washer and dryer that hosts are allowed to use.  Plus, my Verizon Air Card worked just fine.  As long as I didn't need to shop for any food, I won't have to leave.

Speaking of food, on 30 day assignments, I usually pack way more food than I need, and have more than enough for a 30 day assignment (typical for Washington State Parks).  However, I will be at this one for 42 days (middle of one month to middle of next month).  I did wonder if my food supply would last 42 days.  However, the Yurt host offered to take me grocery shopping and I did that after 23 days.  I believe I did have enough food to last 42 days (barely) but I appreciated the grocery shopping trip and picked up some "nice to have" things. 

I do not have the bike with me on this trip.  The starter shorted out while I was at Ocean City State Park during December 2010.  My fault, it rained the whole month and I didn't put the cover on. So, my bike is currently getting repaired in Port Townsend at Townsend Electric.  Colin of Townsend Electric was highly recommended.  It appears that this business repairs all kinds of electric items, to include the EGO bikes.  It would have been nice to have the bike while here, as the city of Castle Rock is 5 miles away, an easy ride.

SeaQuest State Park is across the street from the Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center.  Camp Hosts are allowed free admission in order to inform camping guests about this facility.  

Since this is winter, I'm the camp host.  But normally, this park has 3 hosts:

-  Yurt Host:  Yurts, Group Camp, and Day Use

-  T1 Host:     The "T" Loop, the North Loop, and restroom check in Mid Loop

-  T5 Host:     Mid Loop, South Loop, Dump Station

The wintertime activities are the hunting crowd during hunting season and anyone who wants to camp in the Yurts for a unique experience.  

Basically, my duties are to just do some "cleanup" of the camp sites.  Scoop out firepits, rake the leaves off the campsites, clear out fallen limbs, and pick up litter.   

* A Six Week Assignment at Eleven Mile State Park - Lake George, CO

My hosting stint was May 1 - June 15, 2011.  The elevation here is 8600 feet.  This park features nine fabulous campgrounds, but only two of them are hosted.  The two "hosted" campgrounds are Rocky Ridge (144 sites, some electric only, some dry camping) and North Shore (81 dry camping campsites).  Rocky Ridge has breath taking views of the mountains and the reservoir, gives you good shield from the frequent winds, but is a bit of a ways from the fishing area. North Shore features wonderful campsites right on the reservoir.  You could throw your fishing line out from some of the campsites!  But the bad news on North Shore is is that if the wind comes up, you are SLAMMED.  In my camp hosting spot in the A loop of North Shore, when the wind came up, it was ROCK AND ROLL!  I had to pull my slides in.  Not to mention the crazy weather, it snowed a few times during MAY!  Got down to the teens and my water pump froze.  Memorial Day weekend had great weather, except for the wind! 

The staff here was great to  work with.  The requirement was only 20 hours a week, SWEET!  The Ranger told me that they prefer you do your 20  hours on Fri - Mon, then you get  Tues, Wed, and Thurs to explore Colorado!  Well, I don't tow a car so where am I going to go?

This park has laundry facilities, $1.50 to wash, and $1.00 to dry for 60 minutes.  The wash is cold water only.  Other than that, the nearest laundry facility I found was n Woodland Park, about 35 miles from here.  Woodland Park has a public parking area for RV's, but the laundry places themselves had NO room to park RV's.  

The closest town is Lake George, 11 miles from the park.  Lake George has a post office.  This park would not allow mail to be forwarded to the park, so I used General Delivery at the Lake George post office.  I had to unhitch the RV once a week to get my mail.  Worked out pretty good, gave me a good excuse to reposition and re-level the RV.  Lake George does have a very good family owned pizza restaurant.  But nothing else.  

For groceries, there is a grocery story in Divide, CO (about 20 miles from the park) called Divide Venture Foods.  They sell the BEST salsa I've ever had, made by Cripple Creek Salsa Company.  If there aren't too many cars in the parking lot, you can fit a 32 foot RV in the parking lot, but not much bigger.  If there are a lot of cars in the parking lot, well, don't try it.  Farther away in Woodland Park (35 miles from Eleven Mile State Park), there is a very nice CityMarket, which is part of the Fred Meyer/Kroger chain.  Your Fred Meyer/Kroger cards work there, and you can get gas discounts. Plenty of room to park the RV.  I had to travel to Woodland Park for some personal business on one of my weekly trips out.

My Verizon Air Card (4G) worked a bit sluggish. My Verizon cell phone, and my newest wireless device, "Home Phone Connect" from Verizon, worked fairly well!   

* A one month Assignment at DAROGA STATE PARK - Orondo, WA

Daroga State Park in Orondo, WA is a BEAUTIFUL state park!  I hosted here in August 2011.  The RV sites and tent sites have plenty of acreage between sites.  It is difficult to get a hosting job here, because the hosts tend to come back year after year.  I managed to get a slot because another host cancelled.  I had put my name on the list a year earlier.  

At this park, all you have to do is sell wood and ice, twice a day.  The Ranger insists that will keep you busy enough, and the Ranger was right.  It did keep me busy, and I did learn a lot about "inventory management," but still had plenty of time to enjoy this beautiful park.  I got a State vehicle to drive around in.  The vehicle had STANDARD transmission.  The last time I drove a stick shift was 1984!  I almost forgot how!  

No laundry facilities at this park.  The closest is to go to Wenatchee, about 20 miles away. Wenatchee is a small city with major box stores where you can get groceries.  However, when I tried to go there for laundry, I found the following issues with the four facilities I found:

-  2 of the facilities did not have room to park the RV

- 1 facility had room for the RV, but I didn't feel safe in that area

- 1 facility was across the street from a Park & Ride I could 

              have parked at, but getting into that Park & Ride in 

              the RV was cumbersome

So, I ended up driving to Chelan, WA.  I had used this place before when I hosted at Alta Lake State Park in 2010.  Chelan is a small tourist kind town, but does have a major grocery store for shopping. 

My Verizon Air Card (4G) worked great here!  WHEE!!!!!! A good signal!  My Verizon cell phone, and my newest wireless device, "Home Phone Connect" from Verizon, worked fairly well!  On the other hand, TV reception via antenna was lousy.  All I got was a very snowy FOX channel out of Spokane.     

* A one month Assignment at   Stephen C. Foster State Park - Fargo, GA



STEPHEN C. FOSTER STATE PARK  in FARGO, GA.  I hosted here in November 2011.  Temperatures were in the 70's and 80's.  YAY!  This park is far away from everything.  My Verizon cell phone BARELY got a signal, but my Verizon HOME PHONE CONNECT worked fine!  I barely had a signal on it, but it worked fine!  On the other hand, my Verizon Air Card didn't work at all.  


 


As for laundry, there are laundry machines here, CHEAP!  $1 to wash, $1 to dry.  The park has a way to reimburse you for your laundry costs, so your laundry is essentially free. 

If you host here, you get some GREAT perks!  You can go on the swamp tours or rent a boat FREE, space available.  Ok, on the down side, you have to clean bathrooms.  '


There are two host positions, but at the time I was there, I was the only host.  I had to take care of 68 sites in two loops.  It wasn't too bad.