As my mother always says 'there are more ways than one to skin a cat'. Why she said that I don't know but the expression is an old one and the thought is still true. There are many ways to get something done.
Camping is no exception to this rule and there are more ways of enjoying your RV that one. We are what are known as 'Boondockers', folks who want to stay off the beaten path in wilderness areas where we are completely off grid and independent.
Boondocking means that you are usually traveling down a dirt road, bumping over a rough patch or two and living without any hooks ups. When Boondocking you are limiting your stay to the length of time it takes to either use all the fresh water in your tank, or when you have filled your gray and black tanks. The length of time depends on how you use these resources and the number of people in your party.
So far we have discovered that we can do a week comfortably and that even ten days is not really difficult. You get much better at using very little water but with the right gear it is not really a hardship. For example brushing your teeth does not require you to leave the tap on. One feature that has made life much easier is the addition of an oxygenics shower head. This is a shower head that uses air to build water pressure while actually using very little water. It makes showering much nicer and less wasteful.
Since we like to be out in nature and go exploring Boondocking is a nice way to go.
Although we enjoy the Boondocking aspect of travel now that we are closer to the East Coast the large National Parks and National Forests that we can camp in for free are fewer and further between. This means that we are forced to go to a variety of RV parks and camp areas. There are many ways to reduce the cost of staying in an RV park such as having a Passport America Membership (we do) or Good Sam's or even just AAA. All of these benefit cards will provide at least some discounts int he RV parks. It is a big change staying in an RV Park after being in the wild so much. First you can have a nice long shower and not worry about filling your tanks or using up the water you have stored. To me this is true luxury. I believe the true definition of 'Glamping' is staying in the luxury RV resorts but to me the simple amenities of an RV park like water, electricity and a dump port is glamorous enough.
Imagine my delight when our last stop had a hot tub and a swimming pool. Neither were new or even beautiful but they were a lovely relaxing addition to staying in the park. I think it will be interesting to see how over the next few weeks as we travel toward our home base in Florida we will utilize different camping areas. Maybe I'm not truly 'Glamping' but I am enjoying the extra time with hot water. Over all I'd still rather be out in the wilds looking at nature and not my neighbors front door but for now I'll take my comforts where they come.