Who will be camping this winter?

[leslie]

I am wondering who plans to camp throughout the winter, and what part of the country you will be. South Florida is great with beautiful spots to camp, which would be good to hear about, but I am sure there are many other options.

[shovelhead]

I'm just about ready. Probably November the 1st I'll be on the white sand beaches of the gulf coast.  Mostly at the state parks.  Mid and South Florida gets hard to find without reservations.  I choose to wing it and if worse comes to worse a free boondock site at Wally World, Flyin J , or Cabelas will work.

[fasteddieb]

Our plans got changed, and we're now planning to tow our 21BHS to Lake Placid, FL, in mid-January.

We'll visit a Light Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, and probably the big RV show in Tampa. Then return home, leaving the trailer at a friend's in Lake Placid.

Tentative plan is maybe a couple of trips down over the winter, to travel to various FL locations.

We'll see how it all works out.

[mitch]

Living up here in upstate NY I think that saying you will be on the gulf coast does not really qualify as winter camping. Can you tell I'm jealous and somewhat bitter?

[leslie]

Mitch - Come on down! Unless you have to work... My husband is trying to get a 2 week vacation in January. Now that we have this nice camper, he is regretting just a bit that he didn't retire in May like he promised.

[aznighthiker]

In Arizona you camp at the higher elevations for cooler weather and lower elevations for warmer weather depending on the time of year. We enjoy camping in the desert during the winter but it can get quite cold. One trip at Kartchner Caverns the overnight low was 17 degrees.

[leslie]

Aznighthiker, we're you camping when the temp went down to 17? We're you in a Quicksilver popup?

[aznighthiker]

On that trip we were using the Eureka Equaldome tent which is 10' x 10'. We were planning on backcountry camping (4x4 access) near the Dragoon Mtn. but opted for the state park instead since tours were available to the caves.

[mitch]

Next year when my wife retires maybe we can do some nice long trips during the winter.  This year ,sadly, the camper is already winterized and I'm forlornly staring out the window.

[spot1]

We are spontaneous when camping in the SE region. If the 10 day forecast looks good for an area, we go camping. Will probably camp at the following campgrounds up thru November:

Stone Mountain SP NC, South Mountains SP NC, and Lake Wateree SP SC.

For December will camp @ Hunting Island SP SC for a week.

For January may head to FL State Parks on the Gulf Panhandle or Hunting Island SP SC will see....

[leslie]

How are you able to find a Florida state park in January on short notice? I was told they are booked up. Do you have a secret? I am wondering if some state parks have a few sites that they hold back for first come, first served basis that I do not know about.

[spot1]

We can get a site at the last minute for a couple reasons. Since our camper is so short, the longer sites normally book first. Once we find a good "weather" window for camping, check a camp ground daily for openings. Normally seems to be late cancellations, too. Since retirement, we are flexible and able to take open dates, since we don't have to schedule time off work anymore!

[pinstriper]

We will be camping this winter, but without the trailer. We will go "motel camping" with the dogs on the OR coast 2 or three times from November to March, when we can recomission the trailer again.

[walt3]

Me and the wife will be going to the Texas Renaissance Festival the weekend after Thanksgiving and looks like we will try and hit up East Texas the Second weekend of December.

[jeeps]

Are you kidding?  We will!  We can hardly wait to get through the holidays so we can hitch up and go again!  Even in the rainy NW....we'll probably hit the beach (Oregon coast) sometime in January because it's close and convenient.