Campground Expenses: September 2016

Alternate title for this post: Breaking The Bank In Just Over Four Weeks!

Flagstaff views

We spent a lot (for our budget) on campsite fees in September. I'll attempt to justify the cost below, but first, here's a breakdown:

Sunflower River farm (August 26 - September 4): If you haven't read about our WWOOFing experience, click here for what worked and what didn't. One important benefit: our stay at the farm - which included a 20 amp electric connection, interactions with interesting people, lessons in organic farming, and access to separate facilities - was free.

Cost: $0

American RV Park (September 4 - 25): As Trent explained in a recent post, we loved this park. The facilities were clean and well maintained, it featured a swimming pool that our son used almost every day, breakfast was included in the cost of stay, and the park was centrally located for our many Albuquerque adventures. But the campsite rates reflected all of those perks. At $223 a week, it was definitely at the high end of our budget... and we stayed for three weeks.

Trent said to say that it was worth the cost, and I tend to agree. Our experience here was excellent. We would go back. (We'd probably stay for four weeks the next time and take advantage of the monthly rate, which is more cost efficient.)

Cost: $669

Flagstaff KOA (September 25 - October 2): I'm ambivalent about this park. On one hand, our site was exactly as advertised with respect to hookups. The electric, water, and sewer connections worked perfectly. The campground is shaded by tall pines and has a pleasing woodsy feel to it, and Sam loved the playground setup. The biggest plus was that this KOA offers on-site access to some of the most beautiful hiking trails in Flagstaff.

On the other hand, it is so very expensive - even with our 10% membership discount - and at peak times it feels a bit like an overcrowded parking lot. There's no pool (which makes sense, given the climate), and there's no free breakfast (Trent said to mention that, too... You know, for all you all-included-breakfast fans).

In short, we probably wouldn't stay here again. There's nothing wrong with it, but even in an expensive town like Flagstaff, there are other options.

Cost: $251.64

Total campground expenses for September: $920.64

Comparison: our combined June/July costs came out to $565 and our August total was $503. YIKES.

A bit of a justification:

First, we didn't use our Thousand Trails membership in September. TT doesn't have any campgrounds in New Mexico. I suppose we could have bypassed the state altogether, but that would have been sad - we would have missed out on so much. As for Arizona, there's a TT property near Sedona, but it was booked solid at the end of September. 

Second, $920 seems insanely expensive until you start comparing that to the cost of a decent hotel room for the same period of time or, say, the monthly rent on an apartment. (For fun, we looked up apartments in Flagstaff. They appear to go for $1000 and up.)

Third, we had fun and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, so... that was worth it.

October should be easier on the wallet. We are at a Thousand Trails site for the first week of the month, and then we've got plans to take advantage of our Escapees membership. I'm betting we'll come in above the summer totals but well below September's campground expenses.

American RV Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Trent will be your driver for this post.

It is easy to get to the park from I-40. We saw some huge rigs get in and out without a problem.

We stayed at the American RV Park for three weeks in September, 2016. Our original plan was to stay for a week. It turned into two weeks after a few hours in the park and turned into three weeks when we realized toward the end of the second week that we were not ready to leave the RV park or Albuquerque.

The Verizon signal was strong here without using an extra antenna or booster. I forgot to determine a download speed average but it was plenty fast enough for the video files I send and receive for work and for watching Netflix.

Bedroom window view

Spot 49

"Heated" pool

Two features Sam and I really like about this park are the "free" breakfast and the pool.

The breakfast (8-10 a.m.) was not gluten-free or vegan friendly (but also that was not expected) so Susanne was out of luck. However, they had bagels, toast, hard boiled eggs (some days), yogurt (most days), two types of cereal, cow milk, mini-donuts (some days), small pastries, OJ, teas, and Folgers coffee.  Sam and I went almost every day.

The pool was great. The pool went what seemed like about two weeks without being vacuumed but was otherwise filtered and clean. They did vacuum or sweep the bottom in the days before we left - probably in a push to get ready for a wave of arrivals coming in for the Balloon Fiesta. There was "warm" water that flowed into the pool from four vents. The pool water was always warmer than you would expect based on the air temperature but never warm. Most days it felt perfect. There was a hot tub in a separate building but since those under 14 were not allowed in it, we didn't use it.

Breakfast

We were able to get level at our site without much trouble using blocks and it seemed like most sites were flat or close enough.  The water pressure and water taste were both good. The electrical (30 amp) hook up was good.  We did lose our power briefly on some mornings seemingly around the same time when our surge protector cut off power and indicating a high frequency error. After the built in delay on our system, the power came back on the rest of the day and worked just fine. I didn't talk to anyone about this so I don't know if it was a widespread problem or just a problem at our electrical post.  The sewer hook up worked as expected.

The park has two different laundry facilities. We only used the one at the office but looked in the other one and that site had the same type of machines and looked good. 

Laundry at the park office.

Working change machine and change given in the office!

There were bathrooms and showers available in the park. We didn't use the showers but checked them out and they were very clean. All the bathrooms I used were also clean and in great shape.

Dump station.

Another type of dump station in the park.

They have a park wide WiFi system and it worked sometimes. I would not suggest relying on it if you need the internet for work. I often could not connect when trying to test the system. When I was able to connect I got anywhere from the low single digits to almost 40 Mbps. There system would probably be fine if you just needed it to check non-work related email and surf the web with the knowledge that you might not be able to connect when you want.

The park offers cable but we didn't ask about it so we can't comment on it. However, our TV antenna was able to pick up a couple of the major networks and a bunch of local type stations. We didn't watch much broadcast TV so I don't know how stable those signals were.

Random shot in the park

Coyotes ran by the back of the park each evening.

The park also has a gift shop and a decent amount of RV supplies for sale.  Bottom line for this park is we would absolutely stay here again if visiting the Albuquerque area. Since there are so many things to see and do in the area, I know we will be back.

Red Barn RV Park in Roswell, New Mexico

Trent is your driver for this post.

We stayed at the Red Barn RV Park in Roswell, New Mexico in August, 2016 for just under two weeks. Our original travel plans had us here for a week but after a few days we realized we loved the park and wanted more time to explore Roswell.

Red Barn RV Park HQ

Back entrance to the Red Barn

The Verizon coverage (15-21 Mbps) here is great without an antenna or booster and the park, as advertised, really does have fast Wifi (~20-50 Mbps). If you work online using Verizon this is a great park because you will have two great ways to get online. It's always nice knowing you have a backup in case your primary system has problems.

The Red Park RV park is small. There are just 14 rv spots and a place for one or two tents. Lee, the women who runs the show here, is super friendly and the small size of the park means she stays on top of everything (in a good way) and keeps it looking great.

RV park in distance from dirt road on farm behind the park.

Our spot for the first week

The sewer, water, and electrical hook ups were all in good condition and worked as expected. The sites were all flat as far as we could tell. We used two spots and were level right off the bat on both. There is one coin-operated front loading washer and dryer that worked great.

There is a nice lounge/working area in the "Barn" with a TV, books, and a few games. There are also some snacks and drinks you can buy at any time using the honor system where you just drop money in a lock box. I worked in this area almost every day. The internet was stable, fast, and free with the stay. The park does offer free cable with a deposit on the required cable box; we didn't get the cable since we were able to pick up Olympic coverage with our antenna and that's about the only thing we watch on broadcast TV.



The owners of the park are friends with the farmers that own the fields around the park. This allows guesting staying at the park to walk on the dirt roads in the fields behind the park. It was nice to have a good place to walk and look for aliens at night.




The bottom line for this park is we would go out of our way to stay here again.

Things We Saw On The Way To The Activity Center

Our current RV campground stretches for about a mile between the entrance gate (where the pool and laundry are located) and the shores of  Lake Medina (close to the campground activity center). Today, Sam and I braved the heat and hiked from our campsite near the pool down to the activity center and the lake. 

Along the way we saw some really big trees...

 

And the lake itself...

 

And lots of deer...

 

And, in the activity center, a Tony Little workout video circa 1991. As seen on TV, of course. 

 

Texas does not disappoint. Obviously.

Ten Ways to Support Your Favorite RVer

Dear Non-RVer,

We write this particular post for you, the sensible person who did not choose to sink tens of thousands of dollars into a box on wheels, who does not have close encounters with poop water on a near-daily basis, and who is probably not living within 10 feet of a cat litter box at all times (but also, your house probably doesn't expand at the touch of a button, so we win on that front).

So you're not an RVer, but you likely know someone who is. You may even know some younger folks - people in their 30s or 40s, or even 20s - who are taking to roads that just a couple of decades ago were dominated by retirees. Perhaps you're wondering, What can I do to support this favorite wanderer of mine?

A few ideas:

1. Limit the number of times you remind us how crazy and weird we are. It's fine to tell us this a few times; after all, we're a little crazy and weird. We get it. We can take the ribbing. Two or three or four times is acceptable, but ten is maybe a bit over the top.

2. Do not assume we're financially irresponsible. Unless you're our accountant and have seen strong supporting evidence, you don't know much about our money situation. Most RVers are in fact responsible, frugal, and creative with their money.

3. But also don't assume we're trust fund babies or that we won the lottery. Maybe that's the case for some people, but that's certainly not the case for us! Like most of you, we work, and like most of you, we're just trying to make enough to pay the bills, travel, and provide our child with some cool opportunities.

4. Offer your recommendations! If we're heading to a place you've visited, let us know what you think we should see and do - and what we should avoid. We had a fantastic time in Austin in large part because friends gave us the inside scoop on what's worthwhile and what's overpriced and/or overhyped.

5. This one's mostly for the relatives: if you're wondering what to get us for birthdays and holidays, gift cards are the way to go. Avoid purchasing physical objects that will take up room in our small space. This goes for kid's gifts, too. Who wouldn't love a cool Lego replica of the Millennium Falcon?... And yet, the Millennium Falcon has no place in Clark. Appropriate gift cards: any camping store, Amazon, Starbucks, KOA, Southwest, Panera... etc.

Alternatively, write us a sincere card/letter and send it to our mail service. That is a perfectly acceptable gift choice. We care about relationships. We don't really care about stuff.

6. If we happen to stop in or near your city/town, come hang out with us! We'd love that.

7. If you know of any easy-to-prepare recipes, share them with us. Cooking in an RV (especially an RV with a small kitchen) can be way different than cooking in a regular house. We're always looking for yummy food that doesn't take a lot of time, space, or ingredients to make. (I guess I can only speak for us on this one... Maybe other RVers prefer more complex recipes.)

8. If your favorite RVers run a business, support it if and when you can. Going back to #3, we do work. But many RVers work on contract or run their own small businesses. Your support means a great deal to us. (Shameless plug: I'm developing a health and wellness coaching business, and Sam has his online store.)

9. If you hear of a remote job we're qualified for, an opportunity to work camp, or a similar  nomad-friendly gig, let us know. (See #3 and #8.)

10. When things get difficult and we get frustrated, remind us of the good times and why we started doing this in the first place. As an RVer, you never know how a day will go. You never know when the A/C will break, or you'll lose your car keys or wallet, or your kid will get sick in the middle of nowhere. It's possible that this will be the day that your tire blows out on a highway with no shoulder. The unpredictability can be a blessing and a curse, and dealing with unexpected surprises is not always fun. Your encouragement when the going gets rough will mean a lot to us.

Views from McKinney Falls State Park

After wrapping up our Austin house sitting gig, we decided to hang out in this city a little longer and set up camp at McKinney Falls State Park. It's located near Austin's airport, but except for the occasional plane overhead, you'd never know that you're close to an urban area unless you looked at a map.

For electric and water, we are paying $20 a night; however, our Texas residency landed us a half-off-the-second-night deal, so for five nights we're paying $90. The sites are all large and private, unlike many of the parking lot-style places we've stayed at so far. We have good Verizon coverage here: Internet access via our JetPack is no problem.

 

The park is fantastic as it features a gorgeous running/biking path, a stream, waterfalls, and two natural pools in which to swim.

 

 

 

 

In other words, two thumbs up for this park. We'd recommend it to anyone traveling through the Austin area.