A Question Are you limited to life on pavement

[down_home]

How many Americans and others ,how many RVers have not touched a blade of grass, went fishing or hunting or exploring or gotten more than 200 ft from the pavement, sidewalk etc, or tourist spot. How many have ventured beyond the noise of the road and the airport, flight paths and the train and heard and experienced only themselves and nature?
Our daily lives do not involve much except from our Rvs to Wal Mart and restaurants and life in our vehicles. The only recreation available to many is jumping i the car and to the store, stop at fast food ,or restaurant and back home or to the RV.
When I was young and Dad's Cousins families in Va now live life such that the house is a place to get out of the rain and snow, sometimes, a place to sleep sometimes..The out of doors was for living not inside under the tv or in the car to and from a store, since there are few parks, in the urban landscape or cityscape, or even in the country today.
THIS IS NO WAY TO LIVE, limited by ho much money can we sped to recreate.

[pnichols]

Cloud Dancer wrote:
pnichols, that's too perfect. I would've kept it a secret. Don't mention the name.

Willie ... thanks for the encouragement to keep it's name and location under wraps ... I will!

I posted about it A) as proof that "getting out in real nature" is indeed possible without having to backpack or tent camp (which we have done plenty of), and B) as proof to CA-bashers that one doesn't have to leave CA in order to experience spectacular places to get away from it all without having to make reservations.

By the way the last time we went this past June, we fired up a generator and used an electric deep fat frier to cook some of our large trout fillets, along with potatoe slices, so as to have Fish and Chips for dinner right there in the campsite next to the lake where the trout came from that day.

[Tvov]

I'm with others thinking you are "preaching to the choir" here... most everyone I know who "RVs" is much more "outdoorsy" than a lot of other people.

When our kids were, well, actual kids and camped with us all the time, we did a lot of the "resort" campgrounds because of the activities... which the vast majority were outside! And we also went to places like Acadia, Maine, to spend most of a week hiking and biking in a gorgeous park. We had a rule of No Electronics, which my son (now mid-20s) still sticks to when camping and/or visiting friends cabins out in the woods.

As the kids got older, we started camping more to explore historical sites (Gettysburg, Plymouth, etc) which again mostly consisted of being outside. We also relaxed the electronic rules for the kids, so on "downtime" at the campsite if my daughter wanted to watch a movie, play a video game, check her phone... that was fine - it kept her camping for that much longer.

Now, mostly wife and I, we always look for "rustic" campgrounds to act as a base for exploring an area and for hiking. Well, at this stage, more like nice woodland walking... lol!

My favorite relatively nearby state park, Macedonia Brook, has no hookups, no dump station, and there are actual hand pumps to get water from dug wells. It is nice to return from hiking to a comfortable camper with... a shower!

Enjoy camping, however you define it!

[Cloud_Dancer]

pnichols, that's too perfect. I would've kept it a secret. Don't mention the name.

[pnichols]

colliehauler wrote:
I camp next to the BWCA wilderness area. Notice I say next to not in. Hard core nature lovers get a limited number entry permit and camp using a tent and canoe carrying in and out all their supplies. I stay in my RV with HVAC and gel memory foam mattress. I take the pontoon boat out on the lake that permit motorized boats not a canoe. The difference no man-made structures and limited number of people allowed to enter into the wilderness area and no motorized vehicles permitted.

BWCA is over one million acres in size along the Canadian border for a hundred and fifty miles and adjacent to Canada's Quetico Provincial Park.

FWIW, the state and/or the NFS have set a great example by doing it right at our favorite Northern CA lake to RV camp at:

- Three beautiful campgrounds in the trees with no hookups (just centralized water faucets) and all sites are blacktop surfaced ... there is one centralized shower building shared by the three campgrounds for tenters or RV'ers who don't want to shower in their rigs.

- Campsites are well spaced apart for a wide open feeling when camping.

- Two of the three campgrounds are on the shore ... where you can leave your boat pulled up right on the beach for easy access day after day.

- A couple of boat ramps.

- Motorized boats permitted, but speeds must be kept slow.

- No water skiing or other water sports permitted ... sightseeing and fishing only.

- A beautiful pristine forested shoreline with no developments permitted on or near the shoreline anywhere.

- A lot of bird life everywhere along the the shores.

- Several little coves along the shoreline to anchor in and fish or just sit in the boat and enjoy.

- A beautiful mountain view in the skyline opposite the campgrounds.

- Fishing is carefully groomed and maintained to be for trophy trout ... my most recent catch while trolling in our small boat included a trout of over 22 inches.

- The lake's altitude is not too high or too low at just under 6K feet ... this provides mild temps combined with clear air and deep blue skies.

- The surroundings are super quiet on the lake and around the lake.

The lake and it's setting may be unique in the state - or in several states at least with respect to RV camping use ... the camp hosts know of no lake in CA with this unique set of characteristics.

[mdcamping]

down home wrote:
How many Americans and others ,how many RVers have not touched a blade of grass, went fishing or hunting or exploring or gotten more than 200 ft from the pavement, sidewalk etc, or tourist spot. How many have ventured beyond the noise of the road and the airport, flight paths and the train and heard and experienced only themselves and nature?
Our daily lives do not involve much except from our Rvs to Wal Mart and restaurants and life in our vehicles. The only recreation available to many is jumping i the car and to the store, stop at fast food ,or restaurant and back home or to the RV.
When I was young and Dad's Cousins families in Va now live life such that the house is a place to get out of the rain and snow, sometimes, a place to sleep sometimes..The out of doors was for living not inside under the tv or in the car to and from a store, since there are few parks, in the urban landscape or cityscape, or even in the country today.
THIS IS NO WAY TO LIVE, limited by ho much money can we sped to recreate.

As mentioned, no correct answer to this :C

80% of our trips are still based on exploring the outdoors, but comparing it to what some outdoor folks do we are still indoor people

20% of our trips are still based on staying at resort type places, but comparing it to what some indoor folks do we are still outdoor people

Mike

[ppine]

Most of my life has been spent off the pavement. I plan to continue as long as possible. I have already looked at some off road wheel chairs and handicapped camping spots.

[colliehauler]

I camp next to the BWCA wilderness area. Notice I say next to not in. Hard core nature lovers get a limited number entry permit and camp using a tent and canoe carrying in and out all their supplies. I stay in my RV with HVAC and gel memory foam mattress. I take the pontoon boat out on the lake that permit motorized boats not a canoe. The difference no man-made structures and limited number of people allowed to enter into the wilderness area and no motorized vehicles permitted.

BWCA is over one million acres in size along the Canadian border for a hundred and fifty miles and adjacent to Canada's Quetico Provincial Park.

[free_radical]

down home wrote:
How many Americans and others ,how many RVers have not touched a blade of grass, went fishing or hunting or exploring or gotten more than 200 ft from the pavement, sidewalk etc, or tourist spot. How many have ventured beyond the noise of the road and the airport, flight paths and the train and heard and experienced only themselves and nature?
Our daily lives do not involve much except from our Rvs to Wal Mart and restaurants and life in our vehicles. The only recreation available to many is jumping i the car and to the store, stop at fast food ,or restaurant and back home or to the RV.
When I was young and Dad's Cousins families in Va now live life such that the house is a place to get out of the rain and snow, sometimes, a place to sleep sometimes..The out of doors was for living not inside under the tv or in the car to and from a store, since there are few parks, in the urban landscape or cityscape, or even in the country today.
THIS IS NO WAY TO LIVE, limited by ho much money can we sped to recreate.

Youre stil a city slicker compared to this Rover 😄
https://youtu.be/Z0wAPztOO2U

[mockturtle]

A chacun a son goût.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

Sometimes, an RV is the smart compromise between a couple, one of whom is an avid outdoorsperson, and the other who prefers the great indoors 🙂

[Cloud_Dancer]

Not exactly. We have a few places where we go to camp and fish. I tow the boat trailer with the motorhome, and my wife follows driving the 4x4 GMC Envoy. I drive off the paved road, and take a non-paved road to the camping site (no hookups). I use the 4x4 to launch the boat, from a gravel bar which is suitably sloped. We usually camp and fish for 3 days.

[ncrowley]

We experience both by pulling our Jeep Rubicon. We park in a nice RV park, and then take the Wrangler out and explore the great outdoors. We hike, bike and 4 wheel.

[Lantley]

I guess your overall point is many do not enjoy the great outdoors which may have some validity.
However I think you are preaching to the wrong crowd. RV'ers in general spend more time outdoors than most.
While I'm not suggesting all RV'ers are hiking, and fishing. I do think they spend more time outside vs. your typical fly in motel traveler.
One of the few things RV'ers have in common is the outdoors.
WE all have to deal with the outdoors, be it making a campfire or setting up in the rain.Rvers spend their fare share of time outdoors vs. the public at large

[down_home]

Boon Docker wrote:

Lantley wrote:
Rv'ers sure love our stereotypes. We try to frame everyone into some sort of box.
Resort Rv'ers have their noses in the air!
If your not touching a blade of grass you're not a real RV'er?
For the record, I don't consider hunting a sport or a challenge until we find a way to arm the animals so they can shoot back.
Shooting a defenseless animal for sport is not a sport or my idea of fun.
I do have many friends that hunt and I don't have any animosity towards them or any hunters. But hunting is not my thing.

X2

Hunting an fishing while accurate was rhetorical. So many have lost connection with reality outside the box they live in which includes all the urban sidewalk and corner cafes and shopping malls. Tehy consume the total days of many.
As per hunting and fishing spent many day and walked countless miles in the wild not shot or caught a thing. The pursuit and the quiet and nature God's green earth was enough. Let many deer just walk by ore even up to me. Visited many places we would call houses where Ancestors lived ad hunted from and soon. Didn't shoot anything, many times but found what I was hunting.

[jplante4]

Veebyes wrote:
avoid any CG with "resort" in the name

Don't believe the resort part. I've been to a few that didn't say "resort" but were way better than a few I've been to that did. It's a pretty loosely used marketing term, kinda like "heart healthy" and "partial zero emissions vehicle".