Camping with Pets

 Camping with Pets 

According to data provided by Statistica https://www.statista.com/statistics/416001/share-of-campers-traveling-with-pets-us/ up to 53 percent of people always or sometimes camp with pets. While dogs are the most common travel companions, we have seen cats and even a pet duck.  Most campgrounds are well aware of the popularity of camping with your pet and have certain accommodations and rules concerning these very important travel companions. A list of simple do’s and don’ts should make your camping trip with pets more enjoyable and safe for all concerned.

1.       Do know your pet and their preferred travel habits. Our dog has a place in the motorcoach she likes to ride that also works well for us. We have found she does not have a queasy stomach so feeding the day of the trip is fine. She expects to go outside every time we stop, so we are most careful to have her on lead before we open the door.

2.       Do pack for your pet like any other member of the family. While animals will not need an extra pair of PJs they may need a longer lead, bedding, a new chew toy, medication and food for the journey. Items from home help your pet feel more secure in new surroundings. While you are at it consider what activities, you will be doing on the trip. A pet friendly dining location or a local hiking trail may add to everyone’s enjoyment.  

3.       Do practice safety first. Pets have no business in the driver’s lap or under their feet near the brakes. Riding harnesses or pet carriers are a good option if your pet likes to roam when you are driving. Remember the risk of hot vehicles when you stop for a needed break. Keep pets on lead and under control in a new location and around areas with lots of traffic.  

4.       Do think about the reason your pet is part of your trip. Are they a first line of defense against intruders at the campground or in the woods? Are they hunting with you or a foot warmer in the middle of the night? Do they enjoy hiking in the woods off lead and does your destination allow for this activity? If you are taking your pet along because you have no one to watch them, it’s expensive to board them, or they are unmanageable with strangers, you may need to make plans to minimize the problems they might cause when camping. It’s important not to leave these pets alone for long periods of time. That may impact some of your planned activities.  

5.       Do be familiar with rules in place in most camping areas. The most basic include cleaning up after your pet relieves themselves and keeping animals on lead.   While this rule may not always be posted, you should not plan to leave your pet tied up outside when you leave the campground. Excessive barking is also something that can generate a visit from the campground host. If a campground restricts certain breeds or large animals find a different option for your stay and avoid the disappointment of being asked to leave.

6.       Do look for dog parks-both on your trip and at your final location. Although not all pet owners are great at cleaning up in these areas, most parks have good parking and offer a safe place for your pet to run, explore and get some exercise. We also have found that finding parks can make the trip more interesting when your GPS takes you through historic downtown or a place for lunch away from traffic. Meeting local people is rewarding well.

7.       Do consider using a tracking devise or having your pet micro chipped.  While a pet may not need tracking in their own backyard, these options can help if your pet gets lost in the woods.  

 

 

 

As to the Don’t’s  Here are a few suggestions we have found helpful.

1.       Don’t expect children to be able to handle a larger pet in a strange location. Other dogs, a squirrel or even an unfamiliar human can get a relatively docile pet excited in a hurry.

2.       Don’t assume other animals are friendly or will welcome advances by your pet. It’s better to steer clear and ask for permission to approach. This is also true for people who want to touch your animal or avoid them completely.  

3.       Don’t take untrained or high maintenance animals into crowed situations. Holiday weekends are some of the busiest times of the year at campgrounds. If your large dog tends to bark at every stranger this may not be the weekend to bring this pet along.

4.       Don’t leave animals unattended in a tent. Tents are not designed as a space of confinement and you do not want to return to a structure that is ripped or has a broken zipper not to mention that your animal is now on the loose.

5.       Don’t be afraid to ask for help or get information prior to your trip. If your animal gets loose and does not return quickly having others keep an eye out for them is a good idea. If your animal gets ill during the trip campground owners and managers likely know a good vet in the area. By calling ahead you may find a location has a place to park your stock trailer or they may even have a barn.  

6.       Don’t plan on taking pets into a pool area or allow them to swim in a pool with out permission.

7.       Don’t assume all animals like water. They may not want to go over a bridge or spend time on your boat. They may even need a life jacket if there is a good chance they might go overboard or end up in the water.

After your trip you may need to check your animal for fleas, ticks, injury, rashes  or matted hair. They may be out of their normal routine and it can take a bit of time to adjust to the regular work-day again. Camping with your pet is in general very rewarding and they are great subjects for pictures with their owners and along the trail. Happy camping everyone.

If you liked this blog, check out conkercamping.com for pod casts and blogs about the great outdoors.

Our First Motorcoach -REVA

 

Our First Motorcoach- REVA

For several years I was practical- buying a motorcoach for recreational use makes no sense financially. Adding up the cost of the unit, gas at 5 miles per gallon, insurance, maintenance, and campground fees you could go to a resort twice a year and probably still be ahead financially. But you do not really buy a motor coach as a practical matter. Our purchase was related to perfect storm. I got a large bonus from work, our daughters each lived over 1000 miles away and we found the type of unit we were looking for- it just all came together.

We decided on a motor coach primarily because I did not enjoy long trips in a car or truck. Being the mom, I always seemed to have important items at my feet and there was never enough room to really spread out. In addition, we always tend to travel with our dog. When the animal takes up much of the back seat and their head is at your shoulder, it leaves one feeling anxious. I liked the idea that in a motorcoach, I could stand up or go to the back if I needed something.

When it came to style and layout, we had a few definite ideas. Having gone to many RV shows over the years, we knew the difference between a class A motor coach that was a large bus like vehicle that ran on diesel or gas and a class C that was more like a large van. My husband had a diesel driven pick up previously and wanted gas due to the lower purchase price, noise and the easy of finding fuel. Class C models are generally smaller and more truck like up front leaving little room for maneuverability. Campers and fifth wheels offer lots of space. They are less expensive than vehicles containing engines but have none of the advantages of riding in a motor coach.  

We spent much of our shopping focus on the layout. Did we want a captain’s chair up front? Where was the best location for the bathroom? I really liked the unit we found. It had a pull-out sofa and futon style love seat facing each other that made for good conversation when travelling with guests. The unit had three tv’s. The kitchen area was across from the table. There was one large slide that increased the space for the kitchen and living area. The bathroom was further back and opposite a large closet. The bed was in the back. Although the unit was used, it had only 30,000 miles and did not smell bad when you walked through the door. My mother always contended that smells in campers were from cooking indoors. She may have been right, but I knew that an off putting smell in a used camper was a deal breaker for me.

 While we were selling ourselves on this great option, we were mostly unaware of a major consideration when buying a motorcoarch- driving the darn thing. They are big, boxy, and noisy. Gas units, in particular, have the engine up front and insulation from the noise is not idea. Roads in many parts of the country are rough, which was different from our original test drive. So, with little experience in the area, we took our new RV home. We named her REVA because we knew we would be talking about the new purchase often.  Motorcoach was too long and RV too impersonal. My husband jokes I wouldn’t let him name it REBA because I would get jealous.

REVA inspired all kinds of new thoughts and ideas. We thought of at least 20 places we would like to visit including many of the larger state fairs. There were trip ideas about autumn leaves in New England, trips to the beach and a tour of Texas. We kept a journal account of our early trips and it was fun writing about what we saw and did.  I do remember that one of our early trips to a nearby state park took us on a route through winding back roads to reach the freeway. More than once, we hit low lying branches and the mailboxes seemed very close, particularly from the passenger side.  I can drive the RV and found it easier to drive than a truck with a large trailer,  but I limit myself to freeway driving with minimal turns. We bought a dolly to tow our small jeep behind REVA. It really is nice to have a tow vehicle with you to accommodate a quick trip to town or area sightseeing. The dolly was sometimes very low to the ground. Our new set up is with a tow bar that we much prefer.

After getting our feet wet on a few local trips we were ready for our first cross county drive. Our daughter in Colorado was engaged and this trip was to make wedding plans and shop for “the dress.” It would take about three days to travel. We did not plan to do much on the way but once we arrived there would be a good campground close to her location.

We were all set for the big day having scouted out several bridal salons in the Denver area. My husband was the designated driver with the bride, two bride’s maids and mother- in- law on board. We had champaign and a variety of brunch like snacks. It was going to be great. Looking back, I don’t know how my husband managed to take us where we wanted to go. The first location was not too bad- he dropped us off and found a large school parking lot further up the road. Location two was in a very trendy area- lots of lovely plants, narrow streets and plenty of traffic. Somehow, we got to and from the location. As we might have guessed the dress was in the last store we visited. The parking lot was the first one of reasonable size and we made quite an impact when we pulled up out front. The dress was just what our daughter had been looking for made all the more special by her Dad’s gift of driving the RV through Denver that day.

We returned to Colorado several months later for the wedding in the mountains near Estes Park. Flooding meant most guests had to travel an hour out of the way to get to the venue, but we were able to find a spot close by for REVA giving us a base camp for the day’s events. One of the nice things about having a motor coach is lots of people being able to travel in one vehicle. We used this feature when initially visiting the wedding venue. It has also been great for tailgating and trips to the beach.  I also love the big front window with its wide views and sitting high above traffic with the dog at my feet.

REVA is now retired from the road having found a new home at our campground as an accommodation for longer term guests. As a used unit she has needed certain major and minor repairs during her years of service. Air conditioners and leveling mechanics have been the major expenses. It also turns out she needed a major engine repair. We have been told this may have been from lack of regular time on the road since sitting unused for a long period of time is not easy on engines. At one point we even repainted the swooshes on the sides of the unit since they had faded with time. We had to tape off each area and spray paint each space. It took several days to complete the project, but we did a good job at staying in the lines.  I also must admit, it was hard not to have motorcoach envy when shiny newer units would be parked alongside us at the campground. I coped by remembering the cost of our unit and how much I liked the floor plan.   

For us REVA was much more than a major purchase. The coach inspired us to pursue owning a campground and building remarkable family memories. Thanks to our early experience, we now  own a new motorcoach that has been great for long distance trips and weekend getaways. Camping with grandkids has worked out very well. I have my modern conveniences; they have new places to explore and Mom and Dad get some good down time.   So, if you are up for a new adventure where getting there is part of the fun, a motorcoach could be your ticket to the open road. Enjoy.

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Conker Camping

Conker Camping

 The plan has always been to develop our campground as a family business. This year, the newest member of our team- Beth- is now working at the campground fulltime. She and her husband Joey bring a new energy to the campground as well as many new ideas for us to explore. Among them is their social media presentence as Conker Camping. They do weekly pod casts and publish camping blogs. Instagram is  also a platform for fun photo's and posts. There is still a lot we want to do with video, but we are taking one each project one step at a time. 

One of the ways we will be using this space is to post the Conker Camping blogs our guests are likely to enjoy. We will also sharing the link to the Conker Camping Podcasts( Conker camping)
.  We are excited to include new camping perspectives in this space as well as sharing past camping experiences. Whether we are working on a new project or taking a trip to see what others are doing, the camping industry is a dynamic place to work and enjoy the outdoors. 

 This spring we are taking advantage of the good weather to determine what we like to do best and think more about what still needs to be done here at Lake Eufaula Campground. For me a new passion is landscaping. We have lots of wooded areas to enjoy and explore but we also have several spaces that would look better with new plants. shrubs and bushes.  Not everything grows well in sandy soils with very warm summer months but we are slowly discovering what works best. 

Rick and Joey are all about building and other projects that improve the facility. Visitors will notice a clearer path to the creek down by the point, more definition at the prayer labyrinth and soon a new look to the office and shed areas. 

Beth is bringing to the campground her love of design and style. She has an appreciation for clean lines and open spaces. She made the decorating choices for the new tiny house and has a new vision for the current office space. 

We have already had a very busy spring and we expect this trend to continue as more people get a COVID vaccine and life gets more mobile again. Scheduling our own campground get- a-ways has become more important as reservations are filling up quickly up at nearby campgrounds.  So plan ahead if you plan to come see us. Happy Spring!