Thursday, January 27, 2011

Walmart RV's

I overheard a conversation in one of my other classes about a girls father, who has retired and decided to travel the US in an RV.  Something I think I'd like to do one day, but there was one caveat.  Her dad is only stopping at Walmart's.  Yes, apparently there is a whole sub-culture of folks who travel around in a "Walmart RV Community."  Walmarts are all over, and they have huge parking lots, they make a natural, and free, place to stop.  Doing some quick internet research shows there are some pages that offer strategies:



"Many Wal-Mart stores now have "No Overnight RV Parking" signs. Be sure to circle the lot and check ALL parking lot entrances"

"If you have a wife like mine (Wal-Mart road atlas in hand) she always needs something from the store. If we stay in a Super Wal-Mart we always hit the deli for a good chicken dinner with potato salad and cole slaw."

"We didn't need swimming pool, showers or any other amenities that come with the fee or the extra time it takes to get checked in. So, it's not always a matter of $$. As in this case, sometimes it is just more convenient."

Apparently the 5 minutes to check in at a hotel is quite inconvenient, so instead, I'm going to buy an RV (not cheap), and fill it up with about 3,203 gallons of gas, because it's easier.  I'm all for interesting travel and road trips - in fact, I'm totally into the Tin Can Tourists of old, but avoiding the national parks, avoiding the parks in general, avoiding main street, and causing a crapload of extra traffic is not very sustainable, IMO.