"Where's Everyone Hiding???"

BankShot checking in. Tons of new members to the forum lately but nary (make that hardly) a posting on the board for some time now. Come on folks, post something so BankShot can get in his daily readings...... Mike, Dutch, Darrell, Jason, Ron, and all those that contribute on a regular basis, let's get with the program and put a post up for everyone's viewing and reading enjoyment. If I don't see a post from someone soon I think I may have to send the RV police out to find you all...............

Seriously, hope everyone is well and in good health. We are hoping to get outta here during the summer months ahead but right now there's no place to go that we enjoy going to due to facilities being closed and other COVID related obstacles getting in our way. We've both had our second vaccine shot and are really anxious to get the "beast" rolling again. I have to keep moving it back and forth on its parking pad at the house so the tires don't flat spot. Don't like bumpy tires........ Okay, I'll end this on that note but I will be watching the forum very carefully and will say that the first one to post wins. Wins what you ask? Why the recognition of being the first to get off their duff and post of course...................

Be safe and stay in good health, Bankshot.............(aka Terry)

 

We're doing fine hiding out from the cold weather here in Florida. We've been bouncing from state park to state park, with a couple of weeks at one of our favorites, Salt Springs Recreation Area in the Ocala National Forest, thrown in. We haven't given a thought to heading north again yet. To paraphrase that PA rodent, we're looking forward to at least 6 more weeks of warm weather here before we even consider it.

One thing I have noticed both last week and this week, is the large number of empty sites at the parks. I suspect much of it may be related to cancellations and no-shows due to weather issues. No problems here other than being a little cool and rainy at times though.

 

I am both happy and envious for/of you Dutch. Sounds wonderful to be doing what you are currently doing down there in Florida. Many of our favorite haunts out here on the west coast are open however they have limited the use of the facilities for the most part. In addition, most of the restaurants and little cafes that we enjoy eating at are either offering just outdoor seating or limited inside seating which means standing in a line and waiting longer than we care to. So for us right now we are just staying home and hoping things will lighten up by summer. Take care, enjoy what you are doing and if you happen to like a margarita now and then by all means sip on one for me next time you are in the mood for one..............

Best regards, Terry.............(aka BankShot)

PS: You win,, you were first to post..............

 

We're both in our late 70's and likely won't be able to get the vaccine until we head back north and settle in for awhile, so we're being as careful as we can be about COVID-19 exposure. We haven't eaten out in months, although we do get take-out once in awhile. For grocery shopping, we really like using Walmart's free pickup service where we order online and at the selected time go to the designated parking area where they bring everything out and load it in the back of the car for us. With usually well spaced campsites and little interaction with staff, we find the state/national parks are excellent places to self-isolate. Most of the public attractions are closed, but hiking trails, etc., are open, so I keep pretty busy checking out the local flora and fauna. My wife's health keeps her pretty well tied down though, so she spends a lot of time reading books, playing online games, watching TV, etc. All in all, we're quite content and enjoying the warm weather and life in general.

 

Simply because there is not much going on while we hibernate , there isn't much to be said by us. We are enduring a phenomena that we believed would have been unknown for quite some time. A Canadian Winter. Had the border been open to us, we would have been sharing the milder climate of Florida this winter with NYDUTCH and since we are fans of State parks, could very well have been close to him. Us unlucky Canadians have had the misfortune of a political blunder. Our vaccine shipments are almost non existent If some ever arrives, we expect to have our shots in the fall. With luck, the border will open by then and we can continue enjoying warmer winters again. To all of you out there. Say safe and stay warm.

Darrell

 

We're also in our 70's and have stayed put at our site in Rockport TX for an entire year. Fortunately, the free medical clinic we volunteer at was able to get some vaccine doses for us so we could help get the clinic back up and running. It has been virtually shut down because most of its volunteers are elderly folks like us. It feels great just to be able to go out and do something!

We've now had both our Pfizer doses and can now risk being a bit more out and about. We're still wearing masks when out in public and my wife gowns and gloves when dealing with patients at the clinic, although admittedly we're doing more telephone consults than in-office visits.

We're hoping to get the MH rolling by summer so we can go east and visit grandchildren. Hopefully, things will continue to improve.

 

Hey Mike, Glad to hear your first foot surgery is coming along well and that your planned second one will put you back on your feet and in great shape as quickly as possible. And Joel, KUDOS to you and your wife for what you have been doing at the clinic. It's folks like you that are helping to get the country back to some form of normal again. You both deserve a lot of credit for this. And to everyone who reads and/or responds to this thread, be well, remain in good health and keep the old RV ready and primed to get back on the road again. Well, that doesn't apply to Dutch as he's already on the road and sipping his favorite beverages down in Florida. And he won the gold medal for responding first in case the rest of you didn't notice Unfortunately I didn't have enough bucks left to buy a sliver and bronze one for second and third pace but hey, one medal is mo betta than no medals, right...

Waiting patiently to get on the road again ourselves, Bankshot.............(aka Terry)

 

We're making all kinds of plans and just hope to get a spot when things open up. Between the weather & Covid. Speaking of which our state is a little slow. DW & I are in early 70s, both with respiratory issues, but we are on the list to be put on the list to get a date. Gotta love it!

 

I'll just add that as full time RV'ers, I guess you could say we're always "on the road" in a way. We did spend a lot more time than usual last year hooked up at our Upstate NY site next to our family cottage in the Adirondacks, but we never moved out of the motorhome.

 

Hi, Why not buy a piece of land where you can go RV camping. It's safer and practical in the long run. You can also let someone rent it out.

 

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Sorry Wild Wild SouthWest but I am not quite understanding your post above. Can you explain what your point is in my buying a piece of land as that is not what I was talking about in this thread. But I guess if someone wanted to own their own RV property then it would be a good suggestion on your part...

BankShot

 

Sorry for the confusion. I was too focused on the safe place part of the post. I assumed that to be safe, we can opt to buy a piece of land for RV camping, that is if someone wanted to own their own RV property

 

Okay, now I understand where you were coming from and thanks for the explanation. Hopefully in the very near future we will all be able to get fully back to doing what we all enjoy.......RVing!!! And with no worries about parks and campgrounds being either closed or having most all of their facilities shut down, etc. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this will happen shortly...........

Regards, BankShot..............(aka Terry)

 

We headed south after the first of the year, and have been able to stay pretty well isolated as we move from state park to state park with a national park thrown in to break things up. We've had very little problem with check-ins that were either done remotely or outdoors in most cases. The rare times we've needed to go into an office to sign in, there's typically been one person limits with plastic barriers and masking requirements. Our grocery shopping has been done primarily using Walmart's free pick-up service that lets us order and pay online, and then at the appointed time an associate brings our order out and loads it in the back of our car while we stay seated in front. That also cuts way down on impulse buys, so it's good for the budget as well...

 

Well done Dutch! I'm taking notes. We hope to winter in Florida next season (if all goes well). We like State Parks and I know you do as well. I'm wondering if we need to start reserving ASAP? We would probably hit Florida mid Novemberish. What do you think?

 

Definitely start reserving NOW! We're working on our Florida state park reservations for next year starting in January as fast as the 11 month windows open, and we're finding limited choices already. Georgia state parks have a 13 month reservation window, and we've already booked our favorite park there just over the Florida line for January and March next year. The really tough ones for scheduling are the national parks that only have a 6 month window. If you can't get in where and when you want, finding alternates at that late date can be difficult.

 

I was afraid you were going to say that but it was not all that unexpected either. We will be checking your reviews and booking accordingly ASAP. Thanks for the heads up.

For all others reading this thread and thinking about heading to Florida.........Dutch is only kidding!! You have plenty of time to book. Perhaps you should consider waiting a couple of weeks!!

Darrell (grinning)

 

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Shame on you Darrell, that is so wrong........ Hey folks, watch out for this guy, he wants all the good places for himself. Hope you luck out and get the places you want to stay at reserved and have a great trip when they let you out of Canada. That might be a problem once they find out who it is that is trying to escape..............

All the best to you and the 'boss'............ Terry...............(aka BankShot)

 

Hi Terry,
I haven't been to the forum in a few years, but we are staying at Winchester Bay RV Park for the month and it made me think of you. I know it used to be one of your favorite parks. March is a pretty quiet month here. Most of the exterior sites get taken on the weekends but during the week there are usually ~30 occupants.
I stopped visiting the forum when we retired and started traveling more. You'd figure I'd visit more often with the extra time on my hands but who would have thought that retirement would be busier than working?
I hope all is well with you all. I see that many of the regular visitors to the forum are still here and I wish them well too!