Boondocking - May 5th, 2012

Yes, I've been quiet for quite some time. Combination of going to two rallies in two different states in two weeks and having some stomach problems. (Too yucky to go into!) BUT two things happened today to inspire me to post.  You know the feeling you get when you're returning home from a great vacation?


The kind of down, sad or depressed feeling as you think of returning to work? Well Bob and I both experienced it today about an hour apart as we cruised north on Hwy 95 after leaving Vegas this morning. What a great feeling to then realize we don't have to go to work on Monday! WOW
We decided to put some of what we learned at the RV-Dreams rally into action. Save money by boondocking. There are several definitions of this but here's just one for you non-RVers. (Camping without hookups. The term is also used among campers who like to enjoy nature at its fullest, regardless of the terrain, and avoid commercial campground fees)  Now this isn't a new concept to us but one we haven't tried very hard to put into action.  First our solar/electrical system was screwed up and later it was easier to just book places with full hook-ups that were big rig friendly. But after finding out how much our tax bill was we began to take a hard look at our finances. As a result, the need to reduce costs is at the forefront of our minds.

That's how we ended up here at Walker Lake, 20 miles north of Hawthorne off Hwy 95, camping without hookups for FREE!  Now, picking the spot to camp was just a bit stressful. I had read reviews about this campground and followed the suggestions to go left at the tee as we would be able to turn the rig around at the end of the road. So we did, but then we turned off the solid gravel road toward the lake (after getting out and checking out the condition of the dirt road). We spied a large flat area that looked good.  It wasn't long before Bob realized the dirt had turned to sand.

The Rig at 20 Mile Beach

I thought no big deal just put it in 4 wheel drive. Too bad Bob had already done that! We decided to back up and get out of there. Luckily the truck did it's job (gotta love the torque of Max n Al) and we made it back to the gravel road and picked a new spot.

We leveled the rig, put out the slides, opened the door and some windows and the happiness set in! That's the second thing that happened today. Happiness! We are nearly all alone but for one other motor home about a mile away. It's Saturday, the first weekend in May, and nobody's here! Willie's outside by himself!  Running around without a leash or tie out. It's a cool 65 degrees.

Find our rig in the center

Walker Lake

What the heck am I doing sitting inside pecking away at a keyboard? I tell you I'm inspired to share the joy!

Let me bring you up to date on where we've been.  We left New Orleans on March 28th and headed to Arkansas where we stayed over three weeks in three different places and attended the first rally. Then off to Texas to visit a Mr. Paul Tesch and his wife Judy before going to our second rally. More on Paul and Judy in a future post except to say it was great to see them again!

Paul and Kim, good friends!

Tried to leave Texas on April 29th but had to stop for one night before we made it.  That damn state is just too BIG! Spent a couple of nights in Benson, Arizona and three nights in Vegas. (Hi Steve, we love you!)  And here we are, one night from "home", even though we keep saying home is where the rig is.

We should be in Sparks for a couple of weeks.  Looking forward to seeing everyone!