RV Parks – Live Laugh RV

A Visit to the Big City

September 13, 2020September 24, 2020by Ingrid69 Comments

I love my time in nature. It’s my happy place, my church, my way to recharge and reflect, but there’s still a city gal lurking in me that requires a little hustle and bustle every now and then. Okay, maybe not too much hustle and bustle, it’s more about the shopping that’s at the real core of my city longings.

I grew up in the Chicago suburbs near one of the largest shopping malls in the United States, and as a newlywed, Al and I lived near the second-largest mall in the state of Illinois. I’m used to having lots of stores at my disposal and that includes grocery stores.

Obviously, with online shopping, the need to have shopping facilities in close proximity isn’t as much of a priority in my life as it once was, but it’s still nice to have choices especially when I’m on the hunt for something specific and can’t or don’t want to wait for delivery. Truth be told, I’m a hands-on kind of shopper.

Visiting Duluth, Minnesota

Spending the summer in the Northwoods of Wisconsin with the nearest town being a thirty-minute drive away (not too far), and boasting a population of less than 3,000, does not bode well for a city gal and her shopping desires.

So, two to three times a month, I hop in the truck and head for the nearest city located ‘a little ways’ away, and in less than two hours, I’m crossing a bridge taking me from Wisconsin into Minnesota and the city of Duluth.

With a population of less than 100,000, there was a time when I’d consider Duluth merely a town, but all things are relative, and these days, she’s the closest thing to a big city for my shopping excursions. Duluth does offer all the big box stores which allow me the ability to stock up on supplies and shop for those specialty items that I just can’t find in the small town of Hayward, WI.

Shopping aside, Duluth has some of the prettiest parks offering an abundance of lush vegetation and lots of trails to walk/hike.

Enger Park

One of the parks that I always make the time to visit is Enger Park. This park is a gem and one of my favorites. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and include a small Japanese Garden, a large climbable tower type of structure honoring land donator, Bert Enger, and at the opposite end of the park is an overlook showcasing an amazing bird’s eye view of Canal Park and the historic Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge.

Great place for a walk, picnic, or merely sit and relax.

Sidewalks and trails are a joy to stroll.

Japanese Garden

The lush gardens are beautiful.

(To enlarge a photo in a gallery, simply click on any image.)

Enger Park Tower with fall colors, Duluth, Minnesota — Tower at Enger Park

Rose Garden – Leif Erikson Park

Next on my list of must-see parks is the gorgeous Rose Garden. The Duluth Rose Garden is an extension of the Leif Erikson Park and offers a stunning arrangement of more than 3,000 rose bushes and other flowering plants. The park sits high above the lakeshore offering a beautiful view of Lake Superior.

Beyond the rose garden are trails/walkways leading further into the park and connecting to the Waterfront Trail near the shores of Lake Superior. According to some locals I spoke with, the best time to visit the Rose Garden is in July when the roses are blooming in abundance.

Canal Park

No visit to Duluth would be complete without a visit to Canal Park. Canal Park is the entertainment hub of Duluth. The old warehouse district has been converted into an attraction offering an array of restaurants, shops, cafes, and hotels. The building conversions began in the 1980s in an attempt to promote tourism. In my opinion, they’ve done a great job, and if crowds are any indication, I’d say the project is a huge success.

Along with the usual tourist type of shops, there’s one store in particular that I like to visit; the Duluth Pack store. A Duluth Pack is a specialized type of backpack made of heavy canvas and leather. The packs are a traditional portage pack which are nearly square in order to fit easily in the bottom of a canoe.

We still have our son’s Duluth Pack safely tucked away in our storage unit. For me, it’s always a nostalgic walk through the store which conjures up fond memories.

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Minnesota — Al and our four-year-old son, Logan, head out into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota for an overnight. Logan carried his own Duluth Pack filled with camping essentials – cheerios, marshmallows, and juice boxes. Summer of 1991.

Some of Canal Park’s attractions include a 4.2-mile long lake walk, a lighthouse pier, the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, the Great Lakes Aquarium, a floating ship museum, and the famous Aerial Lift Bridge, Duluth’s landmark. Watching vessels from around the world enter/exit Duluth’s port is interesting to watch. You don’t realize how huge these ships/barges are until you stand near one.

canal park, Duluth, Minnesota, Aerial Lift Bridge — A ship going under the Aerial Lift Bridge. To the left of the bridge is Canal Park. Cross over the bridge to the right and you enter Minnesota Point.

I loved watching the Aerial Lift Bridge rise and then a 750-foot ship glide through the canal. Be warned … those horns are loud!

Minnesota Park Point

Park Point is the largest freshwater sandbar in the USA. The narrow Park Point extends 7 miles out from Canal Park and offers miles of public beach for everyone’s enjoyment.

More parks and waterfalls

I never seem to have enough time when I visit Duluth. I’m usually visiting just for the day and running errands which limits my explorations. When I have overnighted, I was able to explore more, but not enough. I’m still left with a list of parks I’d like to see, especially one’s with waterfalls. And let me tell you, there is no shortage of waterfalls in this neck of the woods.

On my Duluth list yet to visit are Lester Park, Congdon Park, and a tour of the Glensheen Mansion and her beautiful grounds. Did you know, you can even arrange to have lunch delivered to your picnic spot on the grounds of Glensheen? How cool is that! Visit their website for more details.

Hmm, perhaps I can squeeze in one or two more excursions to Duluth before we leave for the season.

Where to stay when visiting Duluth

There’s no shortage of lodging around Duluth. Peak season usually runs from mid-June to mid-August, and thus, prices can vary … a lot.

Last September, my daughter and I enjoyed a last-minute overnight at the Inn on Lake Superior located in the heart of Canal Park. We loved the location. From the hotel, we were able to walk to the Aerial Lift Bridge, stroll the local shops, dine at a couple of different restaurants, photograph the lighthouses, and stroll along the lakeshore.

Providing we choose not to stay in Canal Park, I think next time we would consider a vacation rental on Park Point or maybe stay at the Two Harbors Lighthouse for a unique experience.

The lodging choices are endless, and there really is a little something for everyone.

RV Parks – We’ve enjoyed camping at the Burlington Bay Campground located in the town of Two Harbors. It’s an easy thirty-minute drive east of Duluth, but for those wanting to stay as close as possible to Canal Park, consider staying at the Lakehead Boat Basin. Unfortunately, it’s parking lot style RVing. The sites are close together and depending on where cars are parked, it could be a challenge to maneuver. But it’s all about location at this place.

Another popular Duluth option for RVers is Indian Point Campground. It’s located on the west end of Duluth near the zoo and along the shores of the St. Louis Bay. It’s in a wooded state park kind of setting. Sites are a mix of gravel and grass. Huge bonus; near proximity to great hiking/biking trails.

Duluth DrivingTip

Navigation – Most cities have some form of a congested traffic area with interchanges. In Las Vegas, it’s called the Spaghetti Bowl. In Phoenix, it’s called the Stack and the Mini-Stack, and here in Duluth, it’s called the Can of Worms, and it really is a can of worms.

This Duluth interchange, I-35 and Highway 53, is one of the busiest in the region. It can be congested and confusing to navigate and more so with an RV. This series of bridges and ramps are sometimes single lane with little room to merge or change lanes. I highly recommend using the aid of a GPS during your first time or two driving through this area. Construction to try and fix this mess begins soon making it even more fun for us to navigate with RVs. Yippee! (she says with sarcasm) By the way, I didn’t find the west end of the city (I-35 and Hwy 2) any easier to navigate due to short on-ramps.

Final thoughts!

I’ve become quite smitten with this scenic city nestled on the shores of Lake Superior, the world’s largest freshwater lake. Pristine forest, rocky cliffs, waterfalls, and nice shopping make Duluth an ideal place for any getaway. This ~~little~~ big city continues to pull me back time and again nudging me to explore more … with camera in hand, of course!

#authenticDuluth #visitDuluth

Arizona

Why I miss a Home Base | A Major Decision

February 16, 2020February 17, 2020by Ingrid144 Comments

The life of a nomad can appear glamorous. All you have to do is spend a little time on social media and the stunning images will have you longing to live a life of full-time travel. Yet those beautiful photographs don’t usually tell the whole story. I know I’m guilty of sharing predominantly the upside to RV living. Let’s face it, most people prefer to hear and see the positives of those living the nomadic life and ignore many of the realities.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told we’re living the dream which always makes me cringe. Ah, photographs, videos, and stories might appear like many nomads are indeed living a dream (and many feel they are), but in reality, there are days it’s far from a dream and more like a nightmare.

single lane tunnel in rearview mirror — RV won’t fit in that tunnel.

Travel fatigue, decision weariness, and sensory overload are real things.

My RVing friend, Laura at Chapter 3 Travels, recently wrote an article about travel burnout and the realities of living in an RV full-time. It’s a great read, and I would encourage any RV newbie or wannabe full-time RVer to read it.

Laura says … Because RVing has gotten so popular, and because a bunch of yahoo bloggers are all “blah, blah, blahing” about it online, there are more RVs on the road than ever before. What has not kept up is the supply of campgrounds. Ergo, supply and demand doing their thing means prices are going up and competition for choice sites is tougher than ever. Even worse, back in the olden days, there were plentiful options for boondocking on public lands. Now, many of those places are so overrun with RVers that public lands are actually closing down.

I couldn’t agree with Laura more and I accept the title of yahoo blogger knowing that she’s standing alongside me sharing that title.😁

Yep, traveling in an RV full-time ain’t what it used to be! Long gone are the days of traveling on a whim without reservations. Oh sure, Al and I still wing it when transitioning between locations, but we’re also willing to overnight in parking lots when campgrounds are full. (Walmart, Cracker Barrel, Cabela’s, Casinos, Truck Stops, Rest Stops) Those transitional travel nights are the only time we wing it.

Unfortunately, all the planning and scheduling that’s necessary has taken some of the fun out of RVing and that sense of freedom has changed. RVing full-time can be very stressful!

Why we got a year-round RV site

We’re in our seventh year of living the nomadic life … living in an RV full-time. A lot has changed over the years, including us. We’ve changed the way in which we travel. We’ve changed our goals and priorities. We’ve definitely slowed down as our equipment and our bodies have aged. Say it isn’t so! But to be honest, we’ve always traveled at a slower pace than a lot of other full-time RVers. Perhaps that’s why travel burnout has taken a little longer to hit us.

Even at our slow pace, we feel downright tired. Tired of planning. Tired of making never-ending decisions. Tired of researching. Tired of wondering if we’ll break down. And tired of worrying.

Now mind you, we’re not done with RV travel. Nope, not even close! We still love the adventure and socializing with like-minded friends, but we feel even the most adventurous need a break from a steady diet of travel. This is why many full-time RVers, Al and I included, start missing a home base … a place to go back to on our terms and regroup. A place we call ‘home’.

Sandhill cranes standing in reflection water — We love hanging out with like-minded friends.

Over the past several years, we’ve actually put contracts in on a few houses but were always relieved when negotiations stalled. We soon realized, we weren’t quite ready for the commitment of a sticks and bricks dwelling and that’s when the thought of an RV lot came to mind. We first heard about RVers owning their own lot several years ago through the Escapees organization.

At the time, we were relatively new to Full-time RVing and the thought seemed ridiculous to us. After all, the whole point of RVing is to travel. Why would anyone want to sit in an RV Park for months at a time? Well, after years of living life on the road, we finally get it! And now we’ve decided to rent a year-round RV site.

Why we chose the Pioneer RV Park in north Phoenix

Since our children live in Phoenix, Arizona this is where we spend the most amount of time throughout the year, and because of that, we made Phoenix our legal domicile several years ago.

Considering Phoenix is a winter hot spot for snowbirds, having a reservation in this entertaining city is an absolute must, especially during the most popular months of January, February, and March. Also, prepare for the city to explode in population during those prime months making traffic potentially difficult, but the good thing is with that influx in people, there’s no shortage of like-minded folks to mingle with and meet, and personally, we like that … just another upside to Arizona.

This is our third winter camping at the Pioneer RV Resort near Anthem, Arizona and it feels like home. It’s now our home base and a place we have the freedom to come and go without concerns of reservations or fears of backing in the RV. We know exactly which site is ours. It’s a place we can leave our second vehicle and a place where we feel a sense of community.

We decided to contract for an annual site last spring after our first six-month stay at the park. Six months in one location? Wow, we didn’t think we’d last that long without hitch-itch setting in, but we did. We also felt more relaxed than we had in years. Renting a year-round site seemed to solve most of our travel fatigue without making a long term commitment.

I’ll admit, paying the monthly rent on an RV site all summer while we were away, did grind at me, but when put into perspective, it’s not so bad. Let’s face it, if we had purchased a sticks and bricks house, we’d be paying property taxes and all the other things associated with homeownership every month including the months we are away traveling. So, this is no different and our monthly rental cost is significantly less expensive than most monthly expenditures for real estate.

For now, this works and solves some of our weariness. And with a mere thirty-day written notice, my rental obligation is nullified. This is the perfect solution for two people with location commitment issues.🤣 Perhaps if we didn’t have children, we might have chosen a place to purchase real estate by now. Or maybe, we’d still be drifting around. One never knows!

A lot of our RV friends that hit the road full-time when we did have either come off the road altogether or have gone part-time or have purchased lots at the Escapees parks or other similar parks. Then there are others who rent annual lots at various RV parks throughout the country as we’ve decided to do.

This changes everything!

So, with a monthly commitment, Al and I won’t be rolling much in the next year or two. We know we’ll be spending 6-8 months living in Phoenix, and during the hot weather months, we’ll escape the heat by traveling north. We’ll probably spend 3 months this summer back in Hayward, Wisconsin doing a repeat of last summer. We enjoyed that visit with family so much so that we’re already looking forward to this summer’s trip.

Will I miss our winter travels? Absolutely! But the travel downtime and the knowledge of knowing where we’ll be sleeping is very much needed at this stage in our journey. 2021 might look the same or we might shake things up. Aren’t choices wonderful?

So, now you know our plans. We’re always open to connecting. So, if you
find yourself in the Phoenix area, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Happy trails!

(Thank you for shopping my affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases and very much appreciate your support ❤)

Lasko Ceramic Space Heater
Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Frontier Soups Homemade in Minutes Variety Pack

Texas

Quacking Carolers

December 21, 2014January 30, 2015by Ingrid60 Comments

I think its obvious based on my last few posts that hubby and I enjoyed our month on Galveston Island immensely. Hopefully I’ve done the island justice by sharing our discoveries and adventures.

The one thing left for me to share is where we stayed. Galveston Island offers everything from high end accommodations like the San Luis Resort, to vacation home rentals, to a State Park, and everything in between.

Al and I knew we wanted to spend a month on the island therefore a RV Park would be our best option. After a bit of research, we booked a reservation at the Jamaica Beach RV Resort located 10 miles south of the town of Galveston and only 3 miles from the state park.

Texas RV Parks — checking in at the Jamaica Beach RV Resort, Galveston Island, Texas

Once we arrived and were all hooked-up, I realized this was the first time in 6 months that we had full hook-ups. Talk about luxury! However, there are always tradeoffs. I may not have had the need to worry about water usage, but I no longer had any fabulous views out my RV windows. I will say the RV Park was lovely and the sites were nicely spaced in comparison to other RV parks.

The Jamaica Beach RV Resort had plenty of amenities as well as an onsite Pirate themed mini golf course complete with Dora, the turtle.

Just across the road was the beach access. With its close proximity to the state park and the beach, this turned out to be a great place to call home for the month. However, the wildlife was a problem…. wink, wink.

A problem instigated by moi, I might add. It all started accidentally. Al and I were reorganizing the basement and the corner of a small bag of bird seed tore spilling some seed onto the pavement. Not interested in continuing to store this bag, I spread the rest of the bird seed into the grassy area. Huey, Dewey, and Louie loved it and thought this would become a regular event.

From that day on, every morning I could hear them singing (in a rather quacky way) as they waddled down the street. The serenade would continue at our door. “Oh, how cute… Quacking Carolers”.

However, I don’t think they were quacking “Deck the halls” as much as they were saying “Feed us more, Miss Ingrid“.

They looked under fed, don’t they? Gosh, I could practically see their ribs. That’s exactly what these three little beggars would have us think.

They do know how to endear themselves and made their rounds throughout the RV Park regularly.

Since we no longer have a dog, I found myself quickly bonding with Huey, Dewey, and Louie… they’re rather cute, I’d say.

I’ll admit, it was kind of nice being greeted by these three entertaining chaps upon our return from a day of explorations. Numerous times, we found the green headed characters napping under our RV. A regular washing down of the RV site quickly became a necessity 😉

Mallard Duck — The Duck whisperer…. How to train your duck!

The three Amigos did add some enjoyment to our stay at the RV Park and made up for any lack of views. I guess I’m easily entertained these days.

We would stay at the Jamaica Beach RV Resort again and feel comfortable recommending it.

With the state park just 5 minutes away, I did spend a fair amount of time strolling around that park. I think if we were to camp at the Galveston Island State Park, we would stay at the campground on the bay side. It seems a little more protected from the winds than the ocean side plus the birding is better.

bird photography — Will sing AND dance for food …. coochie, coochie!

We also checked out Dellanera RV Park and Tiki Tom’s. Tiki Tom’s seems to be geared more towards anglers and kayakers while Dellanera RV Park is geared towards beach goers.

All and all, our month on Galveston Island was a great experience. We’d return 🙂

Jamaica Beach RV Resort — I’m outta here ….. That lady scares the crap out of me!

Campgrounds, Colorado

Alternative Options

July 7, 2014July 6, 2014by Ingrid78 Comments

We’ve hit our one year anniversary of moving into the RV full-time. It’s been an eventful and enlightening year. But before I post a recap of our highs and lows of the year, and oh yes, there were plenty of lows, I’d like to share where we’re currently camped and the best part of this lifestyle; the new folks we meet everyday.

Al and I have come to realize there’s a common bond amongst RVer’s and a willingness to share or help. We share tales of our travels via our blogs, over drinks, and through our photos We share favorite campgrounds and those to shy away from. And then we share the places to camp that require thinking outside the box; a friends driveway, boondocking in the wilderness, parking lots, and organizations with camping facilities.It was through new friends that we met via the Escapees RV Club that we learned about parking at Elks Lodges. Al and I went into research mode and started the membership process during our winter stay in Phoenix, Arizona.

Al was unanimously approved and is officially an “Elk” which opens up alternative options of places for us to park the RV.

Lodges located in major cities rarely have room for RV’s while other lodges, especially in the west, actually have an onsite RV Park complete with hook-ups.

Most offer the ability to park in the parking lot and some of these lots even have electric hook-up. Each lodge facility has varying amenities, but most lodges have a restaurant, bar, and the friendliest folks around.

We’ve been happily camped at the Elks Lodge in Westminster, Colorado, for the past three weeks – just 15 minutes northwest of downtown Denver. Our daughter lives only 5 minutes away, allowing lots of visits with mom and dad. This mama is a very happy camper being able to see her ‘favorite’ daughter on a regular basis.Aside from regular visits with our daughter, we’ve had the pleasure of socializing with neighbors, bloggers, and fellow Elks members.

The Westminster Elks Lodge does have an onsite RV Park with different types of hook-ups. They have everything from full-hook ups (sewer, water, electric) to electric and water, to their temporary sites offering electric only. The later is where we find ourselves camped.

Our original plan was to stay here for ten days. However, we seem to keep extending that stay. We’ve had several opportunities to move to a site with full hook-ups, but Al and I are content with our level parking lot site with electric only. We don’t normally like camping in a sardine can scenario, but the pluses FOR US seem to be outweighing the minuses. Gosh, how many options does one have to park a RV in a major city like Denver? So, no complaints here. That said, I’m not sure how much longer we’ll stay …. perhaps until the daughter says, “Isn’t it time for you guys to move on?”

Did I already mention the nicest folks we’ve been meeting? Last week Jim and Chris from the blog Geeks on Tour pulled in just a site over from us. We’ve enjoyed visiting with them and they even gave me a copy of their book; Beginners Guide to Picasa.

Thank you …. it’s enlightened me on a few features I didn’t know about. Now I’ll be checking into a few of their other products. Perhaps they can enlighten me further on the use of my phone that’s too ‘smart’ for me LOL.

Then there’s fellow Coloradans, Rick and JoAnne of Rick and JoAnne’s RV Travels. We shared a very enjoyable luncheon visit just days before they were heading out for Yellowstone National Park. We’ve also taken the opportunity to reconnect with some long time friends that live along the Front Range

And then of course are the every day meet ups with the folks coming and going. The Elks Lodge restaurant and bar makes it very convenient for congregating and socializing over drinks during happy hour. Keep those $3.50 margaritas coming!We do have plans to stop socializing and drinking just enough to get out and about to take in some of the sights. For now, here’s a couple of photos snapped while enjoying the bicycle trail that passes right by the Elks Lodge ……

P.S. Here’s my latest RV kitchen purchase – a collapsible salad spinner …. now why didn’t I think of that?

Prepworks from Progressive International CSS-1 Collapsible 4-Quart Salad Spinner

Arizona

Backyard beauty

November 3, 2013October 26, 2013by Ingrid54 Comments

I believe I left my heart in Moab, Utah. The awe-inspiring red rock formations, the huge arches, deep canyons, and ever vast vistas are indelibly etched in my memory. There’s a beauty as well as a harshness to this intriguing land.

Weather extremes are common but sandblasting 40 mile per hour winds couldn’t keep this gal from enjoying the sights around Moab. With the help of friend and fellow blogger, Cheryl, I found myself in some very unique spots.

balancing atop Landscape Arch in Arches NP per Cheryl’s lightroom talents.

Balancing atop ‘Three Gossips’ in Arches NP

We met Cheryl and hubby last winter while boondocking in Quartzsite, Arizona. Cheryl has an infectious sense of humor as evidenced by her photos. She sent me these photos letting me know it was fun putting me in some dangerous places. Al and I could not contain our laughter and I just had to share the images. Thanks, Cheryl 😆 Apparently, in addition to all my other talents, I’m a skilled rock climber. Even better, no rock or vegetation was harmed during my endeavors.

Ah….that was Moab back in September. We were camped at a BLM Campground with no services. We were surrounded by views and nature. Although I don’t have any serious complaints about our current location in Phoenix, it just doesn’t offer the same feel or inspiring scenery I’ve become accustomed to; scenery so stunning and motivating I can easily take over 400 photos a day. Don’t get me wrong, the RV ~~Park~~ Resort is beautiful. There’s plenty to do based on one’s interests. Me personally, my interests lie in nature. Thus, I have to work a little harder to scope out the hidden beauties while staying in the RV Park.

I find myself drawn to this little spot in the Park routinely. The Blue Heron was a pleasant surprise. Hum, I wonder what other treasures I can find……

Colorado

Golden, Colorado

August 26, 2012by Ingrid12 Comments

Prairie Dog — Hey, where do you think you’re going?

It’s yet another hundred degree day in southern Colorado. This summer has been extremely hot and dry. Al and I haven’t been hiking since our trip to Crested Butte. Even then, our hiking was minimal due to Bear’s limitations.

Last summer we enjoyed a hike or bike ride along the Arkansas River almost every morning. Al and I were feeling pretty good and even lost a few pounds (needed and planned). We’re fortunate to live next door to a State Park, as well as able to travel. Thus, no excuses for our lack of activity or weight gain 😦 Ah, well sh*t happens!

We decide it’s time to escape, or at least try to escape this summer heat and in the process visit with daughter. Our destination Golden, Colorado. Daughter lives about 20 minutes away allowing us to visit as much as her schedule will allow. We stay at the Dakota Ridge RV Park. It’s a bit on the pricey side but offers all hook-ups and plenty of amenities, but most importantly a fabulous location. And very dog friendly.

We get settled in. Not as much real estate as we like – a little more room between rigs would have been nice, but we’ve got exploring to do so we won’t be spending that much time hanging around. The hill in the background provided some great exercise opportunity for the three of us. Bear surprised us with his ability to climb and walk around the “mountain”. Yes, it’s merely a hill, but to fourteen year old Bear, it’s a “fourteener” and he was eager to rise to the challenge each morning.

Not only is it normally 5 to 10 degrees cooler in the Denver area than the Pueblo area, a mild cold front has come through bringing in some lovely 78 degree temperatures….just what Al and I were searching for. Now that we’re all set up at the RV Park, it’s time to take a drive and get a quick overview of the town of Golden. Since this trip was done on a whim without much planning, we’ll assess the area and gather info and then we can plan our stay and activities for the next few days……….

Tag: RV Parks

A Visit to the Big City

Visiting Duluth, Minnesota