Finding Pet-Friendly Spots On the Road

Dog-beach at Fort de Soto, FL...wet and wonderful!

In our house you could say camping has gone to the dogs…or the cats. Either way, camping is ALL about the pets for us. After all, what’s the point of being somewhere if you can’t share it with your furry friends, both the human and the animal version? So, when we’re on the road we do our prep work to make sure the places we go are pet-friendly, and our pets nod their approval with kitty-purrs and sloppy kisses. Here’s our favourite resources:

1. General Dog-Friendly Spots - http://dogfriendly.com/ and http://www.bringfido.com/ are our two of our all-time favorite online doggie sites.  A newer website which is growing and looks very promising is http://gopetfriendly.com/. These 3 sites list almost everything that’s dog-friendly everywhere, including city guides, parks, hiking, beaches etc. When we’re in a spot and looking for a place to take pooch, we go here.

2. Private Campgrounds – Although we tend to avoid them these days, most private campgrounds do accept pets, but some will have either size, breed or number restrictions. If you do your research you can find exceptional dog-loving spots, for example Four Paws Kingdom in NC and Winding River RV Park in CO (a Polly-approved spot), but unfortunately we haven’t found a good guide that sorts through all the choices. The sites from #1 have listings, plus there’s a couple of other websites out there (e.g. petswelcome.com and petfriendlytravel.com), but they’re generally spotty/incomplete. Of the big three GoPetFriendly.com seems to have the most promising listing directory. Given the trouble and our need for more open space and hiking we’ve ditched this option for #3, 4 and 5 below.

Taggart takes time to sniff the flowers at Curt Gowdy State Park, WY

3. National Forest & State Parks – If you asked Polly she’d likely wonder why we EVER stay in a private park, and I have to admit we’ve come around to her point of view. As opposed to private campgrounds, National Forest and State Parks rarely have any pet restrictions. In addition they tend to have plenty of space, dog-friendly hiking trails and (often) open spots/fields where one can go a little dog-nutty (as one does, on occasion). In fact we consider these areas 12 paws better than the real thing and haven’t stayed elsewhere in months. For National Forest check out http://www.forestcamping.com/, and http://www.recreation.gov/. For State Parks, go to the State webpage for your area.

4. Army Corps of Engineers - The Army Corps of Engineers is another pet-friendly group that manages over 2,500 recreation areas. We’ve tried quite a few of their campgrounds and find them right up our alley. They’re often centered around lake areas that’ll have an “unofficial” spot where you and doggie can enjoy the water together. The Corps publishes a book and also runs a website with their locations: http://corpslakes.usace.army.mil/visitors/

5. Bureau of Land Management - In addition to the official camping spots, our government manages a ton of other public land which is open to everyone, including our furry friends. Your home-grown RVer can easily find a nice, primitive campground here, while the more adventurous boondocker can search for completely-off-the-beaten-track camping spots. http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en.html

6. Hiking Trails – We are big paw-fans of the trails on National Forest and  State Parks, but if you’re looking for something more specific “Best Hikes with Dogs“ has created a website and guide books dedicated to the art of getting out in the wild with doggie. Check them out: http://www.besthikeswithdogs.com/

Hiking into the sunset at Cumberland Mountain State Park, TN

And that, as they say, is how you do it. You’ll notice National Parks are not on this list and for good reason. Despite the nature and open space, National Parks are rather dog-unfriendly and most won’t allow pooch on any of the trails (with very, very few exceptions). We’re quite happy with our somewhat off-the-track spots and are likely to go even more off-beat as time goes on.

So, on that note, may the rivers be plentiful, the squirrels abound and the paws be with you on all your travels….

SP Campground Rating – Fort De Soto, Tierra Verde, FL

Getting back to reviews on some of our most recent campgrounds. We stayed here for 10 days. A lovely beach nearby, but very, very tight and a tad pricey.
Link to campground here: Fort de Soto, FL
Link to map here: Fort de Soto, FL

1. Site Quality = 2.5/5
   I must say this is probably the single tightest campground we’ve been to in our cross-country tours. The sites themselves are decent. They’re flat compacted dirt (no issues there), in general quite long, have decent hook-ups (20/30/50AMP and water), but there’s *lots* of low-hanging trees which means many of the sites are extremely tight for access (tight trees in the road with some sites at almost 90-degrees), plus some simply don’t have the clearance for big rigs. For smaller campers this is no issue, but for a beast like us it can be really tough to get in, and nothing on the website mentions this or indicates height or rig-size/access restrictions. In the pet section the sites facing the open water, in general, have a relatively nice “sitting area” and view of the lagoon, but sites along the back are tightly forested, have noise from the road and dead pools of water behind them (not good for mosquitoes). In the non pet section the waterfront sites are the nicest. Pull-throughs are tight.
2.  Facilities = 4/5
   Facilities are OK. They’re older, but kept decently clean and the showers are a good size with good water pressure and temperature. The campground itself has a small on-site store, a playground area, washer/dryer and a very small section of beach-front in the non-pet section (near the tent sites #9-28). There is water-access for kayakers at all the water-front sites.
3. Location = 4.5/5
   Location is where this place gets bonus points. You come for Fort de Soto Park, and although it’s not directly accesible from the campground (it’s a short 15-min bike-ride or 5-mins in the car), it’s absolutely true that the beach is lovely. You’re also close to other beach towns in the area including St.Pete and Treasure Island which have shops and restaurants.
4. Pet Friendliness = 4/5
   Pet friendliness is mxed here. On the positive side there’s a pet-specific-section in the campground, and they offer poo bags. However you’re not allowed to walk the pets around the non-pet section and the area to “hang out” with doggie is limited unless you’re lucky enough to get a water-front site, plus dogs cannot go in the water at the campground. The biggest bonus is the nearby off-leash dog-beach (1.5 miles away) which not only has a gorgeous stretch of beach, but also has 2 large enclosed dog-parks and rinse area for doggies.

Overall Rating = 3.75
BONUS ALERT = Lovely dog beach only 1.5 miles from the campground

Summary: Overall I have to admit we were slightly dissapointed in this campground especially given all the hype it seems to get, plus the elevated price. There’s no doubt the nearby beach (a few miles away) is lovely and the fact there’s a gorgeous off-leash dog-beach is a huge bonus, but the campground itself was not all there. It’s clearly an older park and the palm and oak trees are well overgrown which means lots of low-hanging branches, tight roads and difficult access for big rigs, despite long (and in general spacious) sites. It took us 40 mins to get into our first site (#93) which was almost at 90 degrees to the road with very tight trees and, once squeezed in, we got a standing ovation from the crowd that had stopped by to watch the show. In the pet section the beginning (sites 87-103) are the tightest and I wouldn’t recommend them for any big-rig. The road and sites are easier to access nearer the back (site numbers 109-116) and on the right-hand lagoon arm (#128-138). Also, I would definitely recommend booking water-side. The back pet-section sites are up against a dead stream and heavy in mosquitoes, and the pull-throughs tend to be very tight. On the positive side there’s decent hook-ups (20/30/50 AMP and water) and for the sites facing the water you have a really nice “sitting area” and view of the lagoon (where the sun sets too). The park does get fully booked on week-ends with locals, and a tad noisy, but is very calm during the week. The rest of the Island is also quite nice with lots of areas to kayak, miles of gorgeous beach and picnic areas. Overall, I would say we loved the dog beach, and we thoroughly enjoyed sitting in front of our RV and watching the sunset on the lagoon, but the tight acess took a few years off my life and for the price it doesn’t get into our favorites.

 Extra Info:  Verizon aircard worked flawlessly. AT&T was weak, but worked. Sites are reservable $40/night for water-front with 20/30/50AMP & water. Separate pet section. On-site dump station. Laundry.

Our second site (#95) was a very tight squeeze. We were unable to pull further back due to tree limbs on the site.

Another site with low-hanging limbs (#97). We wouldn't have clearance to get in here.

Yet another site with low-hanging limbs (#103)

View down main road of pet section (near site #100)

The green "sitting area" in front of our first site (#93)

View of the lagoon from pet section (near front of site # 113)

Memories of Turkey in the RV

Paul and his dad proudly display the turkey

It’s been a few days since Thanksgiving but the left-overs are still teasing us from the fridge and, let’s face it, the memories of turkey are as fresh as the day the bird left the fryer. So, in that light I feel justified in sharing a few pics of the big day, despite the delay. It was, indeed, a day of firsts. Our first time spending Thanksgiving in the RV, our first deep-fried turkey (at least for hubby & I), and the first celebration for Polly (our doggie) who was simply beside herself with the aromas of the whole thing.

All at the table and ready to eat!

The beauty of it all is that it went so smoothly. We set-up the deep-fryer on the grassy area between our two RV’s (Paul’s dad’s and our own), collected the family, including Paul’s 90-year old grandfather, and spread out luxuriously in the massive space of green that we have here at Markham Park. Add-in some tunes, a good portion of beans and rice (gotta have the Cuban touch, after all) and a few glasses of wine, and the whole thing was really most festive. I can honestly say the turkey was delicious (deep-frying is definitely the way to go), and the company excellent. After an experience like this, why would you want to spend Thanksgiving anywhere else? I’ll be back to more gripping RV tales on the blog tomorrow, but in the meantime hope you’ve have a delicious week-end!

A Day of Thanks

Thank you for all the beauty in life

Well, we’ve made it to Thanksgiving. This year, for the first time ever, we’ll be spending it in our RV, together with Paul’s dad who’s rolled up in his own “beast” right next to us at Markam Park, FL. It’s the time of year when the turkey comes out, pumpkin reigns supreme and we take a few moments to think of the things we are thankful for in life.

I never knew what all this Thanksgiving business was about until I moved over to the US. It’s a new-world tradition that roots back to the time of the pilgrims and a harvest feast that was shared in  1621 between the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians. Over the years the feast became a tradition and in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.

So, here we are, and in the midst of a world that seems to thrive on sensational and negative news, I really like the idea of sharing thanks for the things we feel are positive in life. I’m reminded of a scene in “Joe vs the Volcano” where Joe Banks, shipwrecked and close to dying sees the glorious moon-rise and breaks down with the heartfelt words “Dear God whose name I do not know, thank you for my life”.  So, here I go;

Thank you for all the beauty
Thank you for all the sunsets
Thank you for all the breath-taking views
Thank you to those I meet who enrich my life
Thank you for the people I love and those who love me
Thank you for those moments that take my breath away
And above all….
Thank you so very much for my beautiful life

Have a wonderful turkey-day everyone!

A West-Coast Sunset in the East

Sunset on the West Coast of FL

Florida is an eclectic mix of a place. It sticks out oddly into the Atlantic, a bit like a big hook nose at the South-Eastern end of the US. This unusual shape and position makes it a unique natural ecosystem with a semi-tropical weather pattern (perfect, as it so happens, for growing citrus fruit), and literally oodles of rivers, coast and beaches (~11,000 miles of waterways and ~2,276 miles of tidal coastline in fact). It’s along this massive coastline where the daily rhythm of the tides mixes fresh-water discharged from underground aquifers (water-bearing limestone layers and Florida’s main source of water), with salt-water from the ocean, supporting all the variations of wildlife and unique flora which that very strange marriage entails.

Paul and Polly wade in bare feet, mangroves and warm ocean

What this means, apart from an almost infinite supply of oranges, of course, is that you can watch the sunrise on the East Coast, paddle fresh-water rivers and go wildlife spotting for lunch, and finish your day surrounded by mangroves and soaking in the sunset on a beach the West. There’s literally no-where else in the US where you can do that and it’s one of the many reasons Florida is such a hot winter destination for “snowbirds” and tourists.

We’ll be spending a bit of time here in the South, “wintering” as they say, while the Northern areas enjoy the big freeze. The cold will make it here, eventually, but in the meantime we’ll be walking the beach and watching the warm sunset in our flip-flops. There’s more coming to this story…..

Going “Water-Green” = Conserving Water on the Road

Water, our most precious resource

Water = the giver of life, liquid of the Gods, precious gem of the universe. We tend to take it for granted, especially when it’s so easily reachable by the handy tap that magically purveys it into your house.

All that changes when you move into an RV, especially if you “dry-camp” or “boondock” (i.e. camp without direct water hook-ups) for any length of time. We’ve developed a renewed appreciation for this wonderful resource over our past year of RVing and although we started off as relative amateurs we have now become avid water-conservationists and Masters of the Tap. No longer do we blow through our 100 gallon water tank in a few days, but find that it now easily stretches to 2 weeks and could probably go longer with a little extra effort. In going RVing we’ve gone “water-green” and here’s the low-down for others looking to do the same:

How Much Water do you Really Need?
The average westernized person uses ~123 gallons (466 liters) of water/day at home (per The World Almanac). That’s an astounding amount of water and you wouldn’t last a day as a dry-camp RVer with that usage. Most of the waste goes to flushing the toilet, long showers and washing dishes. In reality a gallon/day of water will cover essential needs while 2 gallons/day should cover basic needs. We use just a couple of straight-forward conservation methods and run ~3.5 gallons/person/day. If we’re feeling luxurious and going all-out (full showers and all) we’ll use ~8 gallons/person/day. Any RVer should be able to do just fine on 4 gallons/person/day going down to 2 gallons/person/day for the more conservative lot.

Conservation Tips
Water conservation is really pretty basic stuff. Don’t let the taps run, use less to flush the loo, use any local camp facilities  and so forth, but here’s a few extra tips that help the mobile mover as well:

1. Dishes -> Wipe before you wash. When you wash your dishes, do a quick wipe with a paper towel to get off excess grease & bits before you put them in the sink, then save up your dishes so you only wash once/day. When washing do a sponge-on in a tub, and quick rinse off after. Never let the tap run.
One Step Further: Some people go further on this one by using disposable paper plates & cups which they trash at every meal (and thus avoid clean-up altogether). We prefer our real china and don’t like the excess trash, but it’s another idea for those who need it.

2. Loo Flushing -> Less is more. When flushing out the toilet a quick flush does just as well as a longer one. Some people keep a pail of external water handy and use that. Others only flush for #2′s. If you’re at a campground that has an on-site toilet, using the camp facilities obviously  helps to save your tanks.
One Step Further: If you’re way “out there” using the great outdoors and pooing in the wild (as long as it’s done properly) can also be a big saver. You don’t need much to cut back on this one.

Bathing with a washcloth can be...well...almost exotic

3. Bathing -> Go Navy-style or get out the sponge. If you’ve ever backpacked any length of time you know it doesn’t take much to get you clean. If you use the shower in the RV, the simplest thing is to go Navy-style and turn off the shower while you’re “lathering up”. Then, just rinse and dry. If you want to conserve further ditch the shower and use a sink/pail of water with a sponge or wash-cloth. Sponge, lather, sponge and dry. If you’re out boondocking in the wild it can be quite romantic to do this outside with your partner .
One Step Further: For the ultra-conservationist, baby wipes will do the job on all the “necessary bits” and they’ve kept me usably clean while backpacking many-a-time.

4. Washing Hands -> Switch to hand sanitizer. We waste a lot of precious water by washing our hands. So, instead of running the tap, buy a hand sanitizer dispenser and use that instead.

5. Brushing Teeth -> Use a cup. Instead of letting water run for brushing teeth, put some water in a cup and use that instead.

6. Drinking -> Get a portable container. Drinking water is the one area where you don’t want to conserve unless you’re absolutely forced to. So, drink as much as you fancy and supplement it with an external, portable container. We have a plastic 5-gallon jug that we fill-up before we go off. You can buy collapsible containers too.

7. Recycle -> Re-use your grey water. For those folks looking to extend even more you can re-use your grey water. When you wash the dishes, cook your veggies or brush your teeth, save that water and use it to flush the loo.

As you get more savvy in water-conservation you’ll find yourself limited much more by your grey tank (your waste water) filling up, than how quickly you use the main water tank. There are lots of ways to “stretch your tanks”, as we’ve covered previously, but in the end good water conservation is good for everyone, and with a little bit of creativity it can even be fun too.

30 Years and a Few Hairs Later….

Paul & Freddie...two peas in a pod

One of the things I love about RVing is the ability to go off and reconnect with old friends. In fact, RVing is all about community in my mind whether it’s the cool people you meet on the road, the connections you make in the campgrounds or the friends and family you hook up with along the way.

Well, the last few weeks it’s been Paul’s turn. Imagine if you will, two Cuban boys growing up in Miami (where else) and making mischief as boys do.  There’s a whole book of stories in there and when they meet up 30 years later, all that really separates los hermanos is a couple of wrinkles and a few less hairs. Other than that it’s really just like old times.

Julie & Lucky hanging at Dog Beach in Fort de Soto

In an odd turn of events both boys married tall white women, left Florida and travelled around. There’s a few differences and surprises of course….Paul now speaks French and Freddie had 2 beautiful girls and became a Deacon no less, but old memories are strong stuff they re-bonded happily like two old pigs in mud.

So, we’ve spent a great few weeks hanging with Freddie and Julie, getting to know the girls, playing with the dogs and frying up steaks on the grill. It just goes to show that whether you’re apart for just a few years or a few decades, good friend are a lifelong gift. And all that despite a few less hairs on the head. So, cherish those you love,  and may we meet again soon!

SP Campground Rating – Alafia River State Park, Lithia, FL

Another very relaxing stop, with some mountain biking thrown in for fun!
Link to campground here: Alafia River State Park
Link to map here: Alafa River State Park

1. Site Quality = 4.5/5
   This is a very new park and the sites reflect that. They’re all long, paved flat sites with nice grass “sitting areas” and good separation between campers. All have picnic table, fire-pit, 50Amp and water. Selection of back-in and pull-though, plus sites for horse-camping in the Lonesome Lake loop.
2.  Facilities = 4.5/5
   The facilities are spacious, brand new and cleaned daily so they’re very nice. Their only ding is that they only built one shower per restroom (one men’s and one women’s) so if it’s occupied you’re out of luck to get clean. The surrounding area is a playground paradise with a picnic pavilion, grassy play area, lakes, over 20 miles of horse-trails, 17 miles of bike trails and hiking. There’s also on-site dump station and potable water.
3. Location = 3.5/5
   I have to give this campground bonus points for the huge mountain bike and hiking area that’s next to it, plus the lovely lakes. Lithia is not exactly a “destination” location so there’s not a lot to see in the surrounding town, but the park itself has plenty of activity to keep you busy.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Another great pet-friendly location. Lots of space in the campground, plus plenty of hiking in the surrounding area (trails can be accessed directly from end of Lonesome Lake view)

Overall Rating = 4.4
BONUS ALERT = Bike some of the raddest mountain bike trails in FL!

Summary: We chose this stop mainly to visit one of Paul’s old buddies and ended up really enjoying our stay. This is a very new campground located on 6,000 acres of natural land with over 20 miles of horse-trails, hiking, fishing, kayaking and some of Florida’s most challenging mountain bike terrain (as accredited by the International Mountain Biking Association). The camping sites are laid-out in an open grassy area and are large, flat, paved sites with 50Amp/water and nice separation between campers. Most have an open view of the grounds plus a select few (#27, 4, 5, 6) with lake views  There’s a lovely lake and playground area in the middle of the two camping loops. During the week this place clears out and you have an entire wilderness area to yourself. It tends to fill up with locals and horse-campers on the week-end. Lithia is not exactly a destination location, but I have to admit the mountain biking here (built on an old phosphate mine) is an unique draw. We spent a lovely week hanging out by the lake, biking on the trails and spotting wildlife (gator, wild boar and birds). A very cool place and we’d definitely come back to stay.

 Extra Info:  Verizon data worked flawlessly, AT&T cellphones worked barely. Sites are reservable, $22/night for 50Amp electric/water with selection of back-in and pull-through. On-site dump station.

View of our site (#21)

View down Alafia Lake loop showing pull-through site #18 on the left

One of sites with lake view (#4)

Another view of Alafia Lake loop (site #30 on left)

View of lake between the 2 camping loops

Playground area and facilities

The Story of the Big Tree that Wouldn’t…

Paul poses w/ the victim of our tree encounter

It was a dark and stormy night….

Well, OK maybe I’m just being overly dramatic and wishful. It was more like a perfectly clear, windless and very bright sunny day. With ne’er a weather forecast to blame the young enthusiasts left their campground in the giddy knowledge that all could be handled. After all, the intrepid voyagers had been on their trip for many months, had bounded great mountains, crossed hair-raising ridges and penetrated deep forests. In other words they were Experts, Kings of the road, Masters of the wheel and so on. You get the picture…

All that stood between them and their next adventure was a few turns and a couple of trees. Now, granted the trees were a tad tight, and I’ll begrudgingly admit that a few of them were even somewhat worrisome, but after all these were mere trifles for the WheelingIt Gods.

See those gashes? Beware the tree....

All went well of course. Turns were conquered, trees glided by and much self-congratulation was in progress….right up until the tree that wouldn’t. You see, it was the last turn, the last curve and just a few inches to the left of where it should have been, and the darn thing wouldn’t move. It just wouldn’t! It wasn’t even the bottom that was an issue, it was a sneaky curve at the top where the tree was hanging lazily into the road. There was a heavy crunch, a sound a bit like fingernails running down a blackboard and a nice, long squashed metal bit (formerly not squashed I might add) spinning off to the side.

Paul jerry-rigs a temporary fix on the awning cover

Yes, after many faultless months yours truly had just encountered our first collision and our back left slide-cover was the victim. Apparently we weren’t the only ones who’d done this. This particular little devil of a tree showed ample evidence of other RV encounters with multiple big gashes on the side. Despite the company, however, our egos deflated like great, big popped balloons and we were left gaping stupidly at the damage.

Now, overall it wasn’t too bad and I could say the lesson let us off easy. It was only the outer metal cover of our slide awning that was crushed and we can order the parts online, but the impact on our egos was everlasting. There’s probably many excuses I could make, but in the end it was simply the result of overconfidence. The tree that wouldn’t has taught us to look up and always, always have a spotter on the road.

So now, when we see other RVers missing bits of their rig rather than chuckle privately about their mistake, we humbly commiserate and go over to share our story. After all we’ve been there…and chances are we might be there again.

P.S. I’m sure you’re dying to know who was driving. As an honest woman I can’t possibly give such a sensitive and painfull piece of information away, but I’ll just say it wasn’t me…..

SP Campground Review – Silver River State Park, Ocala, FL

A relaxing stop along the Silver River in North-Central Florida
Link to campground here: Silver River State Park
Link to map here: Silver River State Park

1. Site Quality = 4.5/5
   This is a newer park and the sites are lovely. Very large (huge in fact), perfectly flat, packed dirt pads with tons of separation between campers and a nice “sitting area” with picnic table, fire-pit and grill. All sites are surrounded by forest, have 30 Amp (a few with 50 Amp) and water. There’s a selection of back-in as well as huge pull-throughs.
2.  Facilities = 5/5
   Lovely, new facilities here. Bathrooms are huge with large showers, good water pressure and kept nicely clean. Laundry and dump station on-site too. The campground itself also has picnic areas, a museum, and rentable canoes.
3. Location = 2.5/5
   North-Central FL is not really a “destination” location, but given the area the campground is really nicely located. It’s close to the “city” (Ocala and Silver River), but feels very remote and natural. A good selection of hiking trails, biking and even kayaking/canoeing along the river.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Good place for pets. Plenty of space in the sites plus lovely hiking trails all around.

Overall Rating = 4.25
BONUS ALERT = Canoe along the pretty Silver River (and maybe spot a gator)!

Summary: This is one of the newer Florida State Parks and I consider it a bit of a hidden gem. The sites are huge (enormous), perfectly flat and with wonderful separation and all the roads are large, paved and with easy access even for the biggest rigs. The park is set alongside the very pretty Silver River which provides canoeing, hiking and biking (no swimming because of the gators however). It’s only a few miles to Ocala and the surrounding towns & shopping yet it feels very remote and peaceful. The only negative is that the area (North-Central FL) doesn’t have alot of attractions so it’s not exactly a destination locaton. The lack of people does, however, mean the campground is pretty empty most of the time. We spent a nice quiet few days here exploring the park, hiking the trails and visiting the on-site museum. A very nice stop and we’d definitely stay here again if we were driving by.

 Extra Info:  Verizon data and AT&T cellphones both worked here. Sites are reservable, $24/night for electric/water with selection of back-in and pull-through. On-site laundry and dump station.

View of our very spacious site (#22)

View along our loop showing roomy access & lovely site separation

View of pull-through site (#18)

View of facilities...these are nice and new

The very pretty Silver River