What to do this spring

TT, KM and RPI are all commercial RV parks.

We are in Texas and TT members, also Trail's Connection and RPI.

I don't forsee anything like happened in Pennsylvania where commercial RV parks were ordered closed.

But even there - residential use of the campgrounds is allowed.

I do know that TT has been waving the length of stay limits for some people on their contracts. The company wants to accomodate their base membership for as long as possible. They know that this is a stressful time for everyone, looking at the future.

None of my reservations have been cancelled. We are mainly staying in the Dallas area. In fact, I've modified my reservations to be in TT parks for times that my COE reservations have been cancelled.

I would say that Thunderbird would be a bad idea to try to get to, or Tall Chief. Chehalis and Paradise are more isolated with only small communities around.

If you are interested in Crescent Bar or Leavenworth, try to make a reservation if your booking window allows. Since they are across the Cascades from the Seattle area, they should not be in the virus hot spots.

Expect heavy usage of parks like Sunset - but that is normal every year. Personally, I prefer Long Beach over Sunset. But my very favorite, Whaler's Rest, is also very hard to book any summer. Bend is often busy in the summer.

Those of us who use TT as our major parks each year tend to want our bookings at the start of our individual reservation window.

This is an uncertain time right now. Try not to stress out too much over the uncertainty. In a few weeks, the situation will stabilize a bit more.

By mid-May, we should know what to expect over the summer months, and into the fall and next winter.

Remember shutting down campgrounds at the state level isn't just impacting RVers. That also means shutting down motels, hotels, casinos and such. It is a huge economic disruption.

As much as I hate to say it, the country cannot be completely locked down, even for a major epidemic. People will start to starve in their homes, and parents will take action rather than watch their children die. Grandparents like me also.

God will see us through this. Maybe the full-time, maybe even the part-time weekend warrior, RV lifestyle will disappear. We will get through it. No one every promised the world won't change. Hate to see that happen. No idea how the money would work out for us, but we will do what has to be done.

We are going to be in the Dallas area until at least mid-June, even though summer and 90+ temps usually start in mid-April. That is a commitment to some other people. And we are expecting a new great granddaughter in July. the lengths some people will go to in order to make me suffer through July and August in Dallas. :-(

So I have four TT and 2 RPI campgrounds open to me. In June, I expect to be able to go to Tennessee and Mammoth Cave. Have a little hope and faith.

Last time we were on the west coast in the spring, campgrounds and roads were being closed almost daily due to flooding. Our reservations got completely redone and itinerary modified several times to deal with the uncertainty. The folks at the reservations center did a wonderful job of finding openings for us, sometimes juggling six bookings to make the trip work.

I'm sure they are doing things like that now.

Next time you are on I-10 near Pascagoula, MS, stop by the reservations center and say Hello/ Thank you. We did. And a big plate of cookies and brownies, even from the local Walmart, was greatly appreciated.

My take would be find a campground in the south already open and plan to stay for a duration. Heading to a northern State campground not yet open would be high risk. Would not be good to arrive during opening week only to find they plan to stay closed. Campgrounds I called are not saying anything other than they are keeping a close eye on the situation. TBD probably by the State not campground.

Let us be honest, campgrounds are community social places that comprise of people from many different States. I imagine restrictions will be forth coming from the flu police for those campgrounds not yet open.

The correct name of the various is Covid-19. Any use of a derogatory term suggesting ethnicity just shows people's innate bigotry.

Oregon State Campground closures might make finding good camping spot more difficult. I usually used the State Campgrounds because they were larger/private than typical private campground which I avoided even b4 the virus.

Well the Oregon Parks reportedly just announced they are closing starting in early April thru sometime in May. That was the point I was making, those states will probably have a lot of closings and that is a reason to go elsewhere.

Not that you would catch the WuFlu

"We're only at the top because a convalescent center was hit..."

Agreed. When test kits are available I believe WA will not be "at the top."

ScottG is right. You should be more concerned about what places might be closed or open more than anything else. Oh....and finding toilet paper along the route.

agesilaus wrote:
I would not go up the WA/OR area until the Wuhan hysteria subsides. Washington state is in the top three for WuFlu cases.

We're only at the top because a convalescent center was hit with it. All of those souls were were extremely compromised to start with and any new illness would have been devastating to them. Take those cases out of the equation and the stats aren't nearly that bad. You have no more chance of getting the virus here than anywhere else.

I would not go up the WA/OR area until the Wuhan hysteria subsides. Washington state is in the top three for WuFlu cases.

Always be places to dry camp/boondock IMO.