Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2007 14:27:25 -0500
Reply-To: Bryant Baecht <bbaecht@SUNFLOWER.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bryant Baecht <bbaecht@SUNFLOWER.COM>
Subject: Re: Sleepiing/Rest stops.
In-Reply-To: <000b01c7a784$3d7be580$0919e442@dhanson>
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I like to stay over at the Walmarts for the same reasons you noted.
Although, I was camping out in the Scranton, PA Walmart ( on the NE side of
town, new strip mall ), and had an interesting situation arise. In addition
to me, there were 2-3 other groups of cars / people and a pickup / camping
trailer. One of the groups was a guy hollering at his kids and I didn't pay
much attention other than just stay away from them. So after about 30
minutes or so, I notice a wrecker truck pulled up at the parking lot
entrance. It shuts down and just sits there. Slowly the 2-3 other groups
of cars eventually leave. Still the wrecker is there. So after waiting
another 20 minutes or so, I leave, and sure enough, the wrecker follows me
out. The pickup / camping trailer didn't leave. So I don't know if that
Walmart didn't allow overnighters, or what, but I wound up going to a state
camp ground and having another adventure there. I survived and enjoyed the
rest of my vacation which included a trip to Steamtown.
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
Of Don Hanson
Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2007 10:15 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Sleepiing/Rest stops.
I've done the California trip down Interstate 5 and 99 a bunch of times. I
go via 395 if I have a little extra time this time of the year..But the
"rest stop" sleeping method does work ok on the interstate, too. I prefer
'informal' rest stops..there are many truck stops, cafes, gas stations and
Wal Mart parking lots that are usually a bit less "transient" than the
actual interstate stops. Wal Mart seems to allow RVs to park overnight
everywhere and they are ubiquitous. They also often have a coffee shop
inside. I try to purchase some forgotten items from them after spending a
night there..
When I travel into urban areas, or overnight in 'iffy' suburban settings,
I am glad I have along (usually) my large male Chesepeake Bay retriever and
my 357magnum. Only once in 40 years of roadside camping have I ever needed
the pistol. One time, when on the way through Texas to windsurf at Corpus
Christy, some idiot climbed up onto the top of my van while I was
overnighting at a highway rest stop..probably looking to take a bicycle or a
sailboard..Dunno what he was thinking..climbing onto a van in a rest stop
out of town..Had to know someone was probably sleeping inside there...
I simply hollared out from my bed, "Get the ---- off my roof, or I will
blow you off! Listen carefully and you will hear my Dan Wesson 44magnum
(Dirty Harry was being shown at the time) being cocked"..which I did, he
did, and the next sound was "feet beating" as he ran off...
There is a nice campground near Grants Pass, right on the Rogue River
just off I-5..My favorite Wal Mart is in Willows, Ca..just north of
Sacramento.
Don Hanson
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