Campground Review: Pellicer Creek Campground

City/State: St. Augustine, FL
Season: Year round
Rates (as of 2014): Full hookup sites (water, sewer, 30-amp electric): $40; 50-amp electric service sites are $45
Website: http://www.pellicercreekcampground.com/






Pellicer Creek is beautiful. Having the opportunity to see and take photos of this awesome black-water creek, was worth missing some of the family-friendly amenities that other campgrounds offer. Besides, we planned on taking our boys to the St. Augustine beach for their first look at the ocean, so we didn't really need a lot going on at the camp site.

Initial Assessment
We chose Pellicer Creek because it participates in the Passport America camping club, which means the nightly rate was only $20. It was also close to the beach and the highway--two big pluses when you're traveling cross country during the family vacation. Pellicer Creek was easy to find and peaceful. In fact, aside from the owners, I don't think we saw any of the other campers during our overnight stay.

This campground is small (only about 30 sites) and doesn't have all the amenities you'll find at a lot of others. For example, since there are no on-site restrooms, Pellicer Creek only accommodates RVs equipped with their own. My first impression was that this was no place for kids. If we weren't in St. Augustine and heading for the beach, I would have felt bad for bringing the kids to a campground where there was nothing outside our camper to do.

The Campground
Despite its small size and minimal amenities, Pellicer Creek is one of the most beautiful places we were able to see on our trip from Ohio to Florida and back. There is a quaint swing overlooking a small dock. Both provide an excellent view of the sheet of black water. The dock is open for canoers and boaters who want a closer look at the creek.

Before we headed out, I took the boys down near the water, and we rocked on the swing and absorbed the tranquility. Then, we walked around the campground's paths a few times to stretch our legs and check the place out. We stopped at the main building, where we chased some little lizards inside. Pellicer Creek does offer a laundry room and large hang-out space behind its office. Patrons can enjoy free wireless Internet and cable television during their stay.

Local Attractions

The owner was great at providing minimal-turn directions to a public beach. We couldn't wait to take our boys for their first view of the ocean, and we could not have picked a better place to do that. St. Augustine beaches are beautiful and big. There was enough space to settle our family in to play in the sand and water without imposing on other families' activities. It also allowed us to keep a bit of distance from the edge of the water for this nervous mom's peace of mind.

This Florida town has much more to offer than beaches, even if we didn't have the time to do everything. Pellicer Creek is close to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, Ripley's Believe It or Not museum, outlet malls and other attractions. It's also just about 45 minutes to Daytona Beach, just in case you want to head down there for some races.

Conclusion
When you're looking for an inexpensive place to park your RV while you enjoy all that St. Augustine has to offer, take a look at Pellicer Creek. When you return from a day of doing this and that, and eating there, and rounding up the family for that, the relaxing atmosphere at this campground may be just what your family needs to get back to center.

Camground Review: New River Campground

City/State: Gauley Bridge, WV
Season: Year round
Rates (as of 2014): Primitive tent: $26 per night; Full hookup sites (water, sewer, 30-amp electric): $31 rear or $34 riverfront for up to four people
Website: http://www.newrivercampground.com/





On our first cross-country summer trip in the RV, our very first night was spent at the New River Campground in Gauley Bridge, WV, about 5 hours from our home in Cleveland. Despite being a bit off the freeway and not participating in our camping club, I originally chose New River Campground because of its proximity to the Cathedral Falls. My 3-year-old son loves waterfalls, so I figured this was a great way to kick off our first official family vacation.

Initial Assessment
Our GPS took us through a small town along Route 60. We had a few eyebrow-raising moments through residential areas as our 26-foot travel trailer and hitch creaked and screeched at the sharp turns and quick, steep ups and downs over railroad crossings. Although we were staring at the GPS as we neared our destination, the sign came out of nowhere as we rounded a corner and passed a gas station. Unable to make an immediate stop or fast turn, we overshot the driveway and had to travel up the mountain a bit to find a place to turn around. Fortunately, there was a small drive that we could back into to turn around and go back down the hill. Otherwise, that would have been a long, long trek because there was nothing but two lanes and guardrails winding through the hills.

When we did arrive, the staff was friendly. We backed into our site and got to work hooking up our water and sewer hoses. The riverfront site was beautiful. We were level with the New River. A big tree shaded our site from the river's edge. Across the river, treetops climbed upward along the hills. Looking up or down the river meant more tree-covered rolling hills. We couldn't wait to see the Cathedral Falls, and it was everything we hoped.

The Campgrounds
New River Campground offers typical amenities: Wi-Fi, small playground, dump station, propane and store. It was clean and quiet all around. Although we stayed that one day, we had absolutely no complaints about anything, except that the playground equipment was covered by dead bugs. I suppose you'll have that in a campground next to the river.

Seriously, when we woke up the next morning and I looked out our RV window, all I could think was: "This is a spectacular start to our cross-country trip." I cannot emphasize how refreshing it was to wake up to something other than the sounds of tires on pavement, the television or lawnmowers. To look out the window and see ducks floating down the river. Of course, we had to dip into our stash of hotdog buns so that the boys could lure the ducks to our shore.

After breakfast, we took a walk to the edge of the campground and back. There was a huge boulder sticking out into the water a little ways down, so I took the boys out there and we tossed sticks and stones in. Then, we packed up and continued on in our journey.

Cathedral Falls and More

Cathedral Falls was a 3-minute drive from the campground, with a small parking lot for convenience. Despite toting a whiny 3-year-old and a just-turned-1-year-old and our DSLR camera, we decided to climb the rocks and water to get closer to the falls. It was worth it. The boys had so much fun playing in the running water and the falls were incredibly beautiful.

There are actually some other falls nearby that we didn't have a chance to see: Kanawha Falls. Also, the New River Gorge Bridge looks like a site to see, but we didn't have time to stop there either. The New River Campground website provides a list of local attractions.

Conclusion
If you're traveling through this part of the country, definitely stop by New River Campground and the nearby Cathedral Falls. Whether you're in a tent or an RV, you'll get the full feel of camping as you gaze around the beautiful landscape.

Saving and Paying Our Way Across the Country

As I spent more time on RV message boards, fantasize about retiring on the open road, I was excited to learn that there are plenty of ways to manage money so as to cover your essentials. It was nice to realize, through all of this daydreaming, that I can apply some of this to saving for our summer trips until, you know, we can retire.

Free Overnight Parking
First, take advantage of FREE. While traveling to your next destination, certain businesses allow you to "camp" overnight in their lots, including Walmart, Cracker Barrel, Sam's Club, Costco, Pilot Flying J and Kmart. I put "camp" in quotation marks because an RVers' code of conduct applies when taking advantage of free overnighting.

• Rule one: Get permission. Call ahead or get there in time to talk to the manager. Although this is not required, it is a courtesy that you should always give for their generous free lodging. 
• Rule two: Don't really camp. That means no awnings, lawn chairs or outside fires. Unless given specific permission, do not connect to electric or water, and keep your stay to a single night. 
• Rule three: Patronize the business in the morning. Pick up some essentials before hitting the road again.

Check out Overnight RV Parking for places to park and Frequently Asked Questions to keep you in compliance with the "code."

Free Camping on Public Land
FreeCampsites.net offers a database of free campgrounds and places where you can boondock, or dry camp (no hookups). Because some sites require permits, you'll need to plan out your trips. Most free sites have a time limit for how long you can stay, but there are some that allow for long-term stays. RV Camping on Public Lands has a more than adequate list of resources related to this topic and how you can locate public land for boondocking.

Workamping
While I don't expect this next tip to be useful until we actually retire, I plan to one day be a full-time workcamper. When an RVer workamps, he or she works off their site rental by performing tasks around the campgrounds. You hang out there for a month or so, and then move on to your next job. Trade-offs might also include discounted food or other perks. You contribute the skills you have, travel the country and get to live the dream. Wow. I can't wait.

Workamper News, an online magazine, has a lot of useful information about this retirement career, including webinars and forums.If you're ready to jump in, find jobs at WorkampingJobs.com, Work Camping (yeah, some spell it the correct way), and Work for RVers and Campers. While you're at that last site, check out its Bad Workamping Jobs: 10 Warning Signs from Negative Workamper Experiences article.


Freelance Your Skills
What I'm doing now is what I do best - writing. I contacted my old boss (current friend) and asked if she had any writing jobs to contract out. She's been throwing me a job every week or so for writing, PowerPoint template set up, locating images and other odd tasks.

To fill in the time between those jobs, I applied to and write for Demand Studios. Now, you'll read all kinds of pros and cons for writing for a company like Demand Studios, but, right now, there's only one pro that matters - extra money in my savings account for our trip. In one month, I pulled in an extra $500 writing short articles. Sure, I'm staying up late to do this work, but, when we're hitting the open road this summer, I know it will have been worth it.

There are, of course, plenty of freelance sites out there to help you find gigs, including eLance and Guru. Craigslist also had a lead for me, but I never actually needed the extra work since the above two jobs keep me busy at night.


Other Resources:
FreeCampgrounds.com: Resources
RV.net: Workamping Forum
CampingRoadTrip: How to Become a Workamper
Travels with the Blonde Coyote: Boondocking 101: How to Camp for Free in Beautiful Places