RV Home Yet?

Welcome!

We- Alice and Jaimie - invite you to participate in our new blog. Our intention is to have lots of good information and interesting tidbits on the RV lifestyle. We'll be happy to answer your questions too. Both of us have been full-time RVers in the past, though now both travel part-time. Jaimie is an expert at RVing for dollars. She is the author of Support Your RV LIfestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road. Alice has written Taking the Mystery out of Retiring to an RV. Together we have written RV Traveling Tales: Women's Journeys on the Open Road, The Woman's Guide to Solo RVing, and Taking the Mystery out of RV Writing. We invite you to check out our website RVLifestyleExperts.com  for all sorts of informative articles, recommended books and fun things for the full-time RVer. Whether you have already hit the road or are a wannabee, we have something to offer. We look forward to conversing with you on many aspects of the RV lifestyle! Jaimie and Alice

Whitehorse

Oops- this is out of order. I thought I'd published it already!

Whitehorse is the capital of the Yukon Territory and its largest city. It is where people working in Skagway do a lot of their shopping. Since we worked there in the late '90s, it now even has a Wal-Mart. We stayed at the Pioneer RV Park just south of town so we could get WiFi.

During the gold rush, it was at the end of the treacherous Miles Canyon rapids and sprang up for stampeders to regroup and recuperate before pressing on to Dawson City. Now travelers do the same before heading onto the last leg of the Canadian portion of the Alaska Highway or following the Klondike Highway north to Dawson City.

Whitehorse has some excellent museums. We went to the MacBride Museum, which has a fascinating new exhibit "Gold to Government." The photo to the right is Sam McGee's cabin. Robert Service used his name with permission  in his famous poem, "The Cremation of Sam McGee." Sam McGee never lived it down.

Beringia, which interprets when there was a land bridge between Asia (Siberia) and Alaska, has wonderful displays of huge creatures like mammoths, short-nose bears, giant beavers and others. Though I had learned in school about this land bridge, I must say my mental picture was far from accurate. Miners in Dawson City and other areas uncovered many of the fossilized bones preserved in the permafrost that scientists have studied. After the movie, there was an atlatl demonstration. I gave it a try and I have to tell you, the tribe would have starved if they were dependent on me- I'd need a lot more practice to be a Clan-of-the-Cave-Bear girl! George, on the other hand, threw it the farthest. We visited the transportation museum next door as well, also full of interesting exhibits and a  half-dozen short films.

Another interesting tour is the one of the S.S. Klondike. It has been beautifully restored and speaks of a time when that was the only transportation between Whitehorse and Dawson, as well as to many other locations like Teslin south of here.

We tested the waters at Takhini Hot Springs, north of town. The pool is divided into two sections: one is quite hot, the other very warm. The facilities are older but we had a  lovely soak. Their plans include adding some more natural looking pools and building a new bath house to upgrade the place.

Also fun, we hiked with RV friends Ron and Ginny Norton down Miles Canyon to the Canyon City ruins. The river is now dammed so the rapids are no more (see top left photo), but standing at the Canyon City site, with tin cans, depressions, a few boards and wires, you can imagine hundreds of stampeders working up the courage to go down the rapids. Actually the Canadian Mounties checked the rafts out first and made sure there was a capable pilot. Many stampeders portaged their belongings down below the rapid rather than risk losing them and lined their raft down or paid someone to take it through the rapids.

We made the mistake of trying to find lunch in Whitehorse on a Sunday. One that had been recommended for its salmon bake was closed as were nearly all the others. We ended up at a diner on Main Street- Lil's Place. Maybe we hit it on a bad day, but the service was beyond dreadful and the food not worth the long wait or much of a wait at all. If anything else appealing had been open, we would have left. However, just down the street a few doors is Mac's Fireweed Books. That's definitely worth a stop. They have a very nice selection of books. Whitehorse also has a nice little health food store, Riverside Grocery. It is amazing what things they have crammed on those shelves in a small space!

From here we leave the Alaska Highway to take the Klondike Highway north to Dawson City. We'll take that section of the Alaska Highway on our return trip. For now, we are following the trail of gold. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Photos by George and Jaimie Bruzenak

To the end of the AK Highway and beyond

From Chicken, we headed west to rejoin the Alaska Highway. Our next stop was Tok. Tok is a junction city. You can continue north to Fairbanks or turn west to Anchorage. In any case, after the drought of grocery stores and with usually a filthy rig, most people spend at least one night in Tok. This is a good place to get mail too, so we allowed two nights. Getting mail in Canada is chancy and can take a long time. Not a good plan. Chicken only gets mail delivery and pickup two times a week, so that is not a good choice either. Tok was also better for fuel than Chicken, which had been more than $4/gal for diesel.

We decided on Tok RV Village. As soon as we checked in, we got in line for the RV wash. While not  free, you could take 45 minutes and they provided a bucket and long handle brush. We had a bigtime buildup on our taillights. The whole 5th wheel and truck was a mess. The $15 (based on length) was worth it.

We did pick up our 1/4 pound of free fudge at the All Alaska Gifts and Crafts Shop using our coupon from the Great Alaskan Tour Saver. Hey, we want to get our money's worth from our coupon book! Our mail was here; we stocked up at the grocery store and general store, which carried some health foods we like and we were on our way north.

A camping neighbor in Tok said he had seen 8 or 9 moose the evening before coming to Tok. We did see glimpses of a few. A mama moose was standing out on the side of the road, assessing the situation. As we approached, she fled into the woods. When we got up there we caught a brief peek of her twin babies! The photo did not turn out.

Of course we stopped at Delta Junction, the official end of the Alaska Highway. The highway becomes the Richardson and continues on. The whole drive between Tok and Fairbanks is beautiful. The road is not in super condition but not horrible. That's probably relative! Yes, there are bumps, dips and frost heaves but no huge potholes to fall into- or at least we missed them.

Towards Fairbanks, the highway follows the Tanana, a wide braided river. We ate overlooking the valley at a pullout. 

Coming into Fairbanks, you pass North Pole, Alaska. A huge Santa towers alongside Santa Claus House. We'll go back later for postcards for the younger grandkids and a couple of July birthday gifts.

Fairbanks has about 21 hours between sunrise and sunset. Sunset is around 12:30 a.m. and sunrise about 3:30 a.m. Of course, it is not totally dark that whole time either. We are east of Fairbanks at Riverview RV Park on the western edge of North Pole. It's an easy drive into Fairbanks, but not the noise and traffic of downtown. A couple we met in Teslin had recommended it. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Photos by George and Jaimie Bruzenak

Complete chicken dinner for $1.50 in Chicken!

We left Dawson, following the Top of the World Highway, destination Chicken, Alaska. Yes, there really is a town called Chicken. That wasn't it's original name.

The Top of the World Highway has pretty awesome views. We had thought about boondocking somewhere on top but with cloudy, threatening weather, we decided to go right to Chicken. The border crossing was no problem. The road is mostly gravel but you'll want to take your time to take in the 365 degree views of boreal forest with some peaks above treeline. 

Oh, and if you are hankering for golf, you can stop and play at the 9 hole golf course, Top of the World Golf, a few miles up the road from the Yukon River ferry.

For the traveler who has navigated the windy, downhill stretches that the woman George quoted called a nightmare, Chicken isn't much of a relief. There is nowhere to wash your vehicle. In fact, the RV parks have only electric. We stayed in "The Town of Chicken" RV park. You could fill your water from a tank; dump, even if you were staying at the RV park, was $15. The other RV park, Chicken Creek RV Park, charged $12 if you weren't staying there and $6 for guests. Both are Passport America parks and The Town of Chicken RV park also has a coupon for a 2nd night free in the Great Alaska Tour Saver book.The Town of Chicken RV Park offered three-hole golf. Frankly, the course did not look in playable condition even though they supplied the clubs and we saw no one using this free attraction. (It did rain, though, which could discourage the hearty.)

There is a good reason for the charge, however. Because of the permafrost being only 6-12" below the surface, Chicken does not have a way to process sewage nor can they put in septic tanks. Sewage must be hauled to Tok.

Other than a post office and the two RV parks, the only other shopping in Chicken was what George  humorously dubbed "The Mall." This was the big time! In one building was housed the Chicken Mercantile Emporium, the Chicken Liquor Store, the Chicken Creek Saloon, the attack chicken and companion duck, and the Chicken Creek Cafe. The cafe offered the special, "Complete chicken dinner for $1.50." Visions of chicken, potatoes and peas danced in my head. However, a fellow New Horizon owner we'd met in Dawson Creek spoiled the surprise. It wasn't even a chicken wing. The complete chicken dinner is a hard boiled egg! (See bottom right on menu.)

We were disappointed to find out we had just missed Chickenstock - Chicken's music festival. That would have been fun.

Our Great Alaskan Tour Saver book included a coupon for a free gift at the "Town of Chicken/Gold Panner" store - chicken key rings. My sister spotted a coupon for a gift when she was checking out Chicken online to see where we would travel. We printed those off the Web site - your choice of bumper stickers. Here is a photo of our bounty. The cinnamon roll George is clutching was not free. Chicken Creek RV Park actually had the nicest gift store of the lot, a place that sold coffee and pastries. Their competition with the cinnamon roll was a cinnamon roll scone. George sampled both. Well, I did too- a tiny bite of each.(Of course the cinnamon tasting was done in the name of Lloyd.)

So that was Chicken. We did have WiFi so got a little caught up and rested before heading back to the Alaska Highway and north again. Oh, and by the way, Chicken was originally named Ptarmigan - also known as the snow chicken, but no one could spell it! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Photos by George and Jaimie Bruzenak

Dawson City: City of Gold

Dawson was called the city of gold because of the millions of dollars worth of gold mined in nearby claims. That gold often changed hands as the saloon owners and other entrepreneurs "mined the miners." Parks Canada offers several tours where you can visit some of these buildings or learn as you walk around the historic district.

One we did was the program at the Palace Grand, a theatre built by Arizona Charlie Meadows. They provided all sorts of entertainment, much of it vaudeville. A blend of luxurious European Opera House and a boomtown dance hall, the whole oepration concentrated on its goal: separating gold from the miners. The bulk of the audience sat on wooden kitchen chairs on the main floor. The millionaire miners would purchase more expensive box seats well above the regular folks - to see better and to be seen. After three hours of entertainment, the chairs were pushed aside and it turned into a dance hall. The girls would insist her partner buy her a drink. We also saw the rooms the women stars stayed in. They theatre has been nicely restored and sometimes hosts local productions.

Also from the gold rush era is the paddle wheeler Keno. Plus walking around town, you are looking at historic buildings. We had a little fun with some of the old buildings that are now leaning because of the permafrost underneath melting. (Would someone come relieve me?) Restored buildings are now built up on pilings so when the building is heated, it doesn't affect the permafrost.

On Eighth Avenue are located the Robert Service cabin and the Jack London cabin (left). Don't you love the grass growing right on the roof! The Robert Service cabin is one of the Parks Canada tours. Once a day, an interpreter talks about Service's life and recites some of his poems. Our interpreter was ironically named Sam McGee! He did an excellent job and was quite entertaining. Robert Service became a millionaire from his poems, unusual for a poet. Jack London lived near Dawson City for just over a year but some of his best known books, Call of the Wild and White Fang came out of this experience.

Across the Yukon River reached by walking to the back of the provincial park where we stayed is a trail to the sternwheeler graveyard. More than 250 sternwheelers plied the Yukon waters from 1896 to the mid-1950s. Each winter, they pulled the boats out of the water so they would not be crushed by the ice. One spring the boats were not put back into the river. Those remains have been there for 50-some years and are now mostly a pile of boards and scraps of metal. You can still make out the name "Seattle" on one - in November 1897 it returned from Dawson City with $800,000 in drafts and securities and 35 lbs of gold. There must be six or more of these once magnificent boats. You can make out pieces.

This trip we did not go out to the gold fields near Bonanza Creek but you can tour the dredge and pan for gold. Quite interesting. They are still working those claims, especially as the price of gold goes up.

Lucky for me, Dawson had an Internet cafe, The TastyByte Internet Cafe. Good coffee too, plus they do computer repairs. We also had delicious arctic char (a fish) at the Jack London Grill located in the Downtown Hotel.

Dawson is a unique city. It's bulding code means all buildings stay historic so wherever you walk, you get a flavor of its gold rush days. Unless you take the Marine Highway, we recommend that after leaving Whitehorse, one way you take the Klondike Highway to Dawson City and when traveling the other direction take the Alaska Highway via Haines Junction and Kluane.  Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Photos by George and Jaimie Bruzenak

"Just couldn't get up any speed"

There are times I suppose, when it's acceptable to be less-than-sympathetic to a fellow traveler. Yesterday, June 28th provided one such example. Some background first.

Jaimie and I began our Alaska trip on May 11th, and crossed into Canada on May 28th. That's a fair amount of time to travel from Arizona to Lethbridge in Alberta. We took our time, stopping and visiting with friends along the way. It's taken us another month to travel through Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon Territory and arrive at the first place most stop when entering Alaska, the intersection town of Tok.

We spent about an hour washing the mud and dust from the truck and trailer at the RV park. The trip from Dawson City to Tok was via the "Top of the World Highway." Newly graveled on the Yukon Territory half, and all gravel on the Alaskan side, any RV is going to get muddy and dusty, no matter what speed you travel at. And that's a guarantee. But then, we expected no less and weren't disappointed.

After washing our rig we parked at a full-service spot for a two-day stay. While setting up, a truck and fifth-wheel pulled into the adjacent site. I was outside when the driver came up to me and commented on our clean trailer, and asked about that. I looked at his, and there was a smidgen of dust and mud here and there, not worth a trip to the wash. I should mention that the truck was a 2009 and the trailer looked very new--no obvious war scars.

He asked me which way we were traveling--I told him. He then told me that they had come in on the Alaska Highway from Kluane and he "just couldn't get up any speed." He said that about three times before I took the hint and inquired.

His story was that the highway in was rough and he "just couldn't get up any speed." "Too rough," he repeated. When I asked if he had done any reading or research about the trip, I got a blank stare and another repeat of "just couldn't get up any speed." I mentioned that roads and highways in the north are always in need of repair. I got another blank stare. With that I excused myself and avoided him the rest of our stay. His negativity cast a dark cloud. 

Before Tok, we spent two nights in Chicken just touring the town, eating a cinnamon bun or two and enjoying the quiet ambiance of a small, off-the-beaten track stopover. The clouds had broken and the sun began to shine, enough so that we could open a window. Outside, two couples were discussing the road from Dawson City to Chicken, and I heard one woman say at least twice, "that road is a nightmare."  After the second repeat I closed the window.

I love talking with other RVers, those that enjoy. Enjoy the scenery, the trip, the weather, the people met, the towns visited. I'll talk about those all day. What I won't do is commiserate with those who don't or won't take the time to first research what they're getting into when considering a trip such as this. It's just a waste of time. These will be the same people, who when asked about the trip will tell all who will listen about the "nightmare" roads and "just couldn't get up any speed" experiences and more than likely exaggerating the woes.

My faith in our fellow RV'rs was somwhat restored in Tok. I was under our trailer, just checking things out when I was interrupted by a voice asking, "Need any help?" I crawled out and met an older man. "When I see someone under their rig, I always ask," he said. I assured him I was just checking and thanked him for his courtesy. Just before we left Tok I spoke to the man in the next site as we were both getting ready to leave. He had been in Alaska for a month and was returning to Washington state to work at an RV park. During the course of the conversation he mentioned that he had travelled north on the Cassiar Highway early in the travel season. Others we've talked to had complained about its condition. "No problem," the man stated. "I just travel slow and look at the scenery."  That's something we all should do.

North to Dawson City

Whitehorse to Dawson City can be driven in one long day but we decided to break it up into two and stop at a couple of places along the way. Also, the Klondike Highway North isn't as good as what we had driven on the Alaska Highway up to Whitehorse. We heard from  Ron and Ginny that the AK Hwy from Whitehorse through Kluane to Tok is awful, though, so this may have been a better choice. The Alaska Highway south of Whitehorse has wide mowed areas on each side of the highway. It is much narrower on the Klondike Highway. You have to keep your eye out for frost heaves and potholes plus a number of stretches of gravel rather than pavement. There were some pretty stops and spots though.

Not too long out of Whitehorse, we stopped at Five Finger Rapids. These rapids were a challenge for  the stampeders and, even more so, for the paddle wheelers that soon moved people and freight up and down the river. Navigating through the huge rocks could be treacherous if you did not hit it just right. Eventually a cable was strung which the huge boats could use to guide and help pull themselves up through the rapids. We hiked down to an overlook above the rapids. Be warned - there are 230+ stairs and lots of mosquitoes!

We spent the night about 20 miles north of Carmacks at the Tatchun Creek Provincial Campground. We snagged one of the two sites you could drive through. Provincial parks are a great deal at only $12/night in the Yukon. We then drove back to explore Carmacks. George Carmack was one of the discoverers of gold on Bonanza Creek that sparked the Klondike Gold Rush. Carmacks was originally a trading post established by him at the confluence of the Yukon and Nordenskiold Rivers. Pictured is looking across the Yukon at Carmacks.

As we approached Dawson City, we saw mounds and mounds of gravel on both sides of the road. After the stampeders left for home or other gold strikes, dredges came in and worked the claims. The gravel tailings, looking like a mole has tunneled underneath, are the result.

We picked another provincial park to stay in right across the Yukon River from Dawson City. The park has a number of pull-through sites that easily accommodated our RV. Politicians opted not to put a bridge across the Yukon here. We were told that #1 it would have been very difficult and  #2 it would have meant that the Americans would have had to keep their side of the Top of the World  Highway open all year and they did not want to do that. So, there is a rather small on-demand ferry that continually runs back and forth (as long as someone is waiting). It can hold 2 or 3 RVs - usually - plus some other vehicles and passengers. The photo shows our rig driving off the ferry on the provincial park side.

Dawson City is a well-preserved gold rush town with lots to see. More on that tomorrow. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Photos by George and Jaimie Bruzenak

Following the gold rush trail north

Though it was overcast, driving the Klondike Highway from Skagway to Whitehorse was still beautiful. I've driven it many times because we shopped in Whitehorse when working in Skagway and each time marvel at the stunning scenery.

The officer at Canadian Customs asked a few questions. A new one, after seeing our Sioux Falls, S.D. address, was, "Do you have a home there or are you full-time RVers?" We later read at the Boomer BB that recently a Canadian was turned back by U.S. Customs from entering the U.S. because they were full-time RVers and had no fixed address. They had to rent an apartment in order to cross into the U.S. What I've noticed over the years is that, when the U.S. cracks down on certain things, Canadian customs reacts in kind. So maybe that's why we were asked - and maybe he gets a lot of full-time RVers who reside in S.D. so that's why he asked. We've never been asked that before.

From the border crossing to Carcross, there are gorgeous lakes and mountains and virtually no sign of  houses or development other than the remains of an old mine and a few tiny cabins. Scenery like this in the U.S. would be either developed or have to be in a state or national park. This photo showing Bove Island in Windy Arm would be even prettier had it been sunny, but that's the way it goes. On both trips, the day was overcast.

 Carcross has the world's smallest desert, so they say. It is tiny. Hard to imagine a desert in the far north, but there it is. It was originally covered by a glacial lake. Strong winds from Lake Bennett have constantly worked this sand, making it difficult for vegetation to become established.

We have cinamon buns on the mind. I was on the lookout for a small shop north of Carcross with a big sign, "Get Your Buns in Here!" It had been for sale back in 1999 so I expected it to be gone. We drove right on by, but it was still there. Sorry, Lloyd. No report.

Emerald Lake is another awesome sight. Again, on a sunny day, the emerald green of the water shows up much better. The beautiful hue of green comes from "marl," or calcium carbonate from dissolving limestone and shells of diatoms.

We were also lucky enough to see another black bear. This one wanted to cross the road and was sniffing the air to determine if it was safe.

Next stop, Whitehorse. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Photos by George and Jaimie Bruzenak

The competition: Dyea and the Chilkoot Trail

Skagway was a hub of activity during the gold rush and with the advent of stops by cruise ships, once again is a bustling town. Its neighbor Dyea, where the Chilkoot Trail started, was equally busy during the gold rush, but now only a few rotting timbers remain.

The Chilkoot trail was a trail used by the Tlingit natives for centuries as a trade route to the interior. It was eight miles shorter than the White Pass Trail out of Skagway, but steeper. It was called the poor man's trail. Horses could be used on the White Pass, but people carried their own gear on the Chilkoot. They could hire native packers, but many carried their own outfit the whole way.

 A stampeder would have to make about 40 trips up and down the trail. That was because the Canadian Mounties required each person to bring a year's supply of food. That amounted to about 2000 pounds a piece. The policy saved many lives, but it made getting to Dawson City a much harder ordeal. Thousands poured over both trails, built boats and rafts at Lake Bennett, and then, when the ice broke up, floated down the Yukon River to Dawson City.

So why is Dyea no more? An avalanche on April 3, 1898 killed somewhere between 50 and 75 stampeders and packers. People were afraid to use the Chilkoot Trail and used the White Pass Trail out of Skagway instead. When the White Pass & Yukon Route narrow gauge railway was completed - after the gold rush was over - travelers chose that route and Dyea faded away.

Today you can follow a walking trail through the historic townsite. This doorway has been propped up, otherwise a few piles of timber are all that remain. Dyea has long tidal flats that stampeders had to haul their supplies through to the town. The photo shows the remains of the long piers that were built out into the mud flats. The  difference between extreme high and low tides is around 26 inches so at low tide, that translated to a long walk to shore if the tide was out - about a mile. The crew on ships that brought the stampeders would drop off their belongings into the mud if they could not hire a flat bottomed boat or packer to haul it in for them. Now the land has risen due to glacial isostacy, or glacial rebound. The land is about 8 inches higher now than it was during the gold rush. The water came much closer to the townsite then, but you can still get the idea.

When working in Skagway, we camphosted out in Dyea. Our macerator came in handy those two summers! The irises were in bloom and the chocolate lillies. And, we even saw a bear scamper across the road. When working here, we knew bears were here - campers would report seeing them walk through the campground - but I never saw a one. So this was a treat.

From here, we will follow the trail to Dawson City and gold only we'll take the Klondike Highway. It's incredible to think of the journey the stampeders took with no Gortex® or fleece or sturdy boots. What a time that must have been. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak  Photos by George Bruzenak

Gold rush town of Skagway

Having worked in Skagway in 1998 and 1999, I wanted to show George the town and see what had changed. We'd had lovely weather to that point, but not the best as we headed down Klondike Highway South. In fact, while there we had cold, wind and drizzle, though half the day the clouds lifted and we could walk around. We also had one sunny morning for a hike.

These days, there are more cruise ships coming into port. Three cruise ships at a time was a big day when I worked there. Now three days a week there are four huge cruise ships! Ugh... makes the streets crowded, as George's photo shows - actually our first afternoon it was even more packed than this - especially when you consider less than 900 people live here year round. It was almost deserted after about 5 or 6 o'clock when the streets cleared.

One other thing my Skagway friend Barb told me; there are something like 30-32 jewelry shops in town! During the gold rush, they joked about the shops mining the miners. Now they hope to mine the cruise ship passengers!

The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park has a new film they produced. While it doesn't go into some of the interesting details that their old film did, it gives a good conceptual view of what happened. We also went to the visitor center for a showing of "Charlie Chaplin and the Gold Rush." This silent film was a hoot to watch and beyond silly, but it was good entertainment.

We did hike up to Lower Dewey Lake and around it. This hike goes about 3/4 mile up the side of the hill in a series of switchbacks. You can get a nice view of the town in a couple of places and then arrive at a lovely lake. We hiked the trail around it, though I must warn you, about half the back section is a scramble over rocks. Mostly locals and seasonal workers hike this trail as a way to escape the madness in town.

The weather was too iffy to do the other hike I had hoped we could do. That was the train/Laughton Glacier hike. You take the morning train to the trail head, hike, then meet the afternoon train on its way back for a pickup to go home.

It was fun to come back to Skagway. It is a neat town. The huge rhubarb are still there and the historic buildings. A couple of additional historic buildings have been donated to the park to be restored and preserved. On days when four large cruise ships are in port, you can get a feel for the hustle bustle during the gold rush when 10,000 or more stampeders on any given day crowded the streets, headed to the Klondike. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Is this really camping?

Here's an interesting article about campgrounds adding services and amenities titled, "At Some Campgrounds, 'Roughing It' Means No Expresso." Some do food delivery - and yes- some do have expresso bars. At others you can have the use of a golf cart. Of course all of this comes with a price. For the campground owner, it can be an easy way to increase the bottom line. And, it does appeal to families, in particular.

“We’re campers in name only at this point,” says one guest at the Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA. And, staying at a campground like this is still cheaper than going to a hotel with similar amenities.

Campgrounds like these are not in our future but they do provide a nice contrast and do appeal to some. These campground owners have found a profitable niche and, I say, more power to them. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak