At 08:19 PM 5/17/01, Tom Salicos wrote:
Seems
that during the winter, you could park really close to the Christmas
Trees in the parking lot and, if you parked really close, you could
pretend you were in a real forest. Would save a WHOLE LOT of
gas!
I've held back all morning, but now I can't. I do not like Wal-Mart
offerings, policies, or customer service myself, so I don't shop
there. If you do, then go ahead and shop. This is just my
personal belief and is not intended to change anyones mind. As far
as camping goes, I have parked in *many* strange places over the
years. Truck stops, Wal-Marts, back streets, rest stops, and
industrial parks have all been called home for the night. I have
never had a major safety concern, but I have been given the "bum's
rush" a few times.
For me it comes down to the lesser of evils. I will drive an extra
hour to a formal camp site most times, and always with the girls.
They seem to need a place to blow off steam and run around for a bit
before we hit the road again. With them the journey is as enjoyable
as the destination. It has taken us 3 days to get from St. Louis to
Chicago once, and it was the best family trip we've had yet.
When I'm driving alone, miles are the goal. Often I will spend
every other night where there are showers and a friendly smile to the
westy. If it's late and no where near a campground or cheap motel,
I'll park almost anywhere to grab a few Zs. Not being a fan of
Wal-Mart I'm even happier to spend the night there, using their taxed
property for my sleep and not giving them a dime. Sort of why I
like McDonald's. They have clean restrooms. I don't choose to
eat there, but I have no problem stopping in one to "take care of
business".
As far as safety goes, I lock doors at night, sleep light, and be ready
to move if I get spooked (it's happened *very* few times).
TGIF
Chris Smith