It's been another busy and beautiful week here at Kelly's RV Park in White Springs, FL. There have been a few nights where the temperatures dropped down to 32, but the days have been in the high 70s with clear blue skies. Glorious weather that has contributed to almost constant gatherings around the campfire ring. Some days the fire is burning from 7 in the morning until midnight. It's a great place to relax and share good times and good food. The picture above shows Richard, the owner of the park, preparing a breakfast of bacon and eggs over the fire. It's a nice perk here to be able to enjoy a cup of coffee around the fire on cold, crisp mornings.
Other than work and enjoying the fire, there's not much new going on around here except the arrivals of a few more long-term residents. But in between completing other tasks, I came across these recent news items that may be of interest to anyone in the RV lifestyle.
- Overnight Parking Bans at Walmarts: In a posting back in August, I wrote about a couple who is suing Walmart after the husband shot and killed a man who was attempting to break into their RV while they were parked in a Walmart lot in Utah. The family was not harmed, but they decided to sue Walmart claiming that the company did not protect them properly during their free stay and that they are now suffering from mental and emotional stress due to the ordeal. As I and other RV full-timers predicted, one of the outcomes of this lawsuit is that many Walmarts are now prohibiting overnight parking in their lots. Included is the Walmart we shop at in nearby Lake City.
- Runaway Bull Shot in Campground: A one-ton bull took refuge in an RV park in Cedaredge, CO and was ultimately and killed after other attempts to control the animal failed. It was feared that the animal would access the grounds of a nearby elementary school. I hope the park residents enjoyed a really big barbecue after the unfortunate incident.
- State Parks Closures:In an effort to address growing budget deficits, many states have already closed, or are planning to close, their parks. A large number of these parks include RV campsites. Colorado is currently looking at closing four state parks, opening others up to oil and gas drilling, plus allowing of corporate sponsorships of parks as ways of saving money and generating money for a park system that is expected to receive no funding next year. A similar situation is facing California after voters defeated a proposition that sought to raise vehicle license fess by $18 per car for state park finances. As a result, the closure of many California parks is certain in the near future.
- Free Alaska Travel Guide: There are very few people we meet who haven't already been to, or are planning a trip through Alaska. There is now a free North to Alaska travel guide that can be viewed online or mailed to you. You can find it at www.northtoalaska.com.
- Permanent RV Discounts for Veterans: On Nov. 10th of this year, Carefree RV Resorts announced that it will offer permanent, 50 percent nightly discounts to active and veteran military servicemen and women and their families in its 35 parks in Florida, Texas, New Jersey, North Carolina and California.
Until next time, Happy Trails everyone.
Copyright 2009-2010 Lane A Geyer
Photos by Deb
