Winter--make that Summer Texans!

[timandsusan]

We live in San Antonio so we are full time Texans! But this past week we were in Rockport for a little fun and it was very interesting. Alot of Winter Texans are becoming Summer Texans because they cannot afford to return home. There was a story on the TV where they interviewed a few RVers in Rockport-Fulton area--they are still here due to diesel prices. Some have stored their RV's and took off for home. The RV park owners are already worried about who will be there this summer and who will return in the winter.
In both Rockport and Port Aransas, the shop owners said the Memorial Day crowds were the largest they have ever seen. But the week after, there was no one around. We wanted to take a sunset cruise on the bay and the boat owner could not get enough people to go to pay for the trip. Alot of Texans just reserve a spot in a RV park and put the RV and boat there all summer--costs about $250/mon park fee + about $135/month electic. Not a bad choice.

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Tim,

I have such roaring emotions about this entire subject.

I can see why some would rent an RV site for the entire year, leave the unit and not have to pay for toting it back up north.

I can see the flip side, wanting that unit up north for summer use, emergencies, etc.

I know there are a number of MOC members who take exception to the statement that it is too expensive to tote the unit home, or not have enough $$ to do so.

I guess it all comes down to comfort levels, what seems to work best for your own case, $$ and emotionally. What your individual situation is, kids, stick built or not, work part time in retirement or not, life styles, do you like to eat out a lot, or stay at only the bestest campgrounds??

AHHH, the choices of life, more and more difficult considering the economy these days.

And, it is changing all too fast to even try to figure out what to do to protect yourself, or stay even. Dare we think the ideal, get ahead??

[RC and Samantha]

I hope I'm not off topic here, but may be. I fear & see many campgrounds closing due to all this & those that remain open being very costly.

I hate making decisions, always have! Often in hind site they seem to have been the wrong ones.

If it were us, I think if we wanted to reside in Texas for the winter & still had a sticks n bricks home we'd leave our Sky in Texas. Not that we wouldn't want to use it in the summer months but one has to be thinking about what the price of fuel may be come next winter time? No way to even make a good guestimate at what it may be.

My heart goes out to all of those people who fear their retirement dreams may be up in smoke. Or for those who will have their RVs sitting somewhere parked cause they can't afford to move them to use them anymore. The likelihood of selling their RV's without giving them away is a horrible prospect too.

These are hard times to say the least with no immediate relief in site.

My only suggestion is to remember our fellow RV-er and all Americans/Canadians in our hearts & minds. Say prayers for all of them. I don't know what else we can do.

Patty

[padredw]

Here is something I have observed this year which seems counterintuitive: campgrounds are fuller than we have ever experienced.

We usually go to St. Andrews State Park near Panama City, Florida in May. For the first time this year we were unable to get a preferred campsite even during the week (we have often had to move to a 'second choice' site on the weekend). On the way to Florida, we usually do not make reservations and have never had any problem in finding a campsite along the way. This time, when it was getting late in the afternoon, we called the camp where we had planned to stay. To our surprise the response was "We are full". We had to drive another couple of hours to the next suitable campground.

Last point: this last weekend (which was Memorial Day), we were in a large campground in the Houston area. We had made reservations some time before since we had to be in the area on that specific date. The campground was full.

What's going on? My opinion (based on a few specific observations) is that many of these "campers" are 'local'. They are reserving campsites near their homes, driving very short distances, and staying longer. That may not be the whole story, of course, but it surely seems to be a big part of it.

BTW, the St. Andrews campsites are being reserved for 2009 as soon as they become available (must be within 11 months of the first day reserved). We may not even be able to get a preferred site for next year.

[dsprik]

I am going to call our winter CG in FL Monday to see how everything is going. I cannot see us being summer Floridians, as our roots (grandkids, kids, siblings, dad) are all up here in N. MI. We would love to be in a position to do this, but we can't.

[levietta]

Here is 2 cents more. Up here in Maine it gets cold in the winter, just like all the other northern tier states in the u.s. We heat our house with #2 heating oil. The price of this commodity follows right behind the price of diesel fuel. If I ever thought that I hadn't enough money to travel south for the winter, I now think I don't have enough money NOT to travel south for the winter. It is less expensive for us to pay the fuel to travel to Florida and pay the park rent than it is to remain in Maine and pay to heat our home comfortably.

[timandsusan]

Well-it looks like the first hurricane Dolly is heading for the Texas coast -- somewhere between Brownsville and Corpus. Winter Texans don't have to worry about these storms--but if you stay on the Texas coast long enough in the summer and early fall--one of them will SHOW UP! I hope everyone who did not leave due to high gas or diesel prices is paying close attention to where this storm is heading.

[Waynem]

Y'all have plenty of warning when a 'cane is brewing. Be forewarned that evacuating needs to take place AT LEAST 72 hours before predicted landfall. I live in Texas City, 14 miles from Galveston and 40 miles from Houston. When Rita came in I was having work done on the house and my soffits were all open. It delayed my by 3 hours. I left at 3 p.m. instead of noon. 15 and 1/2 hours later I was 150 miles north. Not a good idea to delay an evacuation.

Now, I resettled to Texas City in 1984 after retiring from the USMC. My wife is a native Texan and her family lives there. November of 1983 was the last major hurricane to hit Texas City. (Alicia) I'm hoping it goes another 20+ years before there is another thread. But it is just a matter of time.

Not like tornadoes and other disasters, hurricanes offer plenty of warning.

[osofine]

We put 13,000 miles on the Monty so far this year because it was our first year of retirement. We have only been home here 9 weeks this year. This winter we are going to the RGV early (Sept) by way of S. Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico arriving in the RGV around Nov 1st. We plan to stay until April and leave the Monty on a lot in Misson, TX or store it down there and drive home without it. That does means we can't go anywhere all summer But we have to get our stick house ready for sale anyway - so we really do have to work hard next year to get it all painted and upgraded so maybe someone will buy it