I watched an interesting news report this week. One of our area parks is having electrical problems. It seems that so many "campers" bring their computers, air conditioners, televisions, etc. to the lake, that there was a blackout and everyone complained. Now the park managers are looking at ways to increase the electrical service. However, with requirements for underground utilities, it is going to be very expensive. What to do? What to do?
In our younger years Gary and I were seriously into the outdoor lifestyle. At first we camped in a tent and our luxuries were anything we could throw into the back of our Blazer. We even hiked into the wilderness with our camp supplies on our backs. As we had children our camping evolved a bit. We rented a motorhome a few times. We borrowed a trailer. We bought a van with a few simple amenities. Then we bought a van conversion that I suppose would qualify as a motorhome. It had a stove and oven, table and seating area, bathroom/shower, and a big bed. Yes, we had a portable b/w TV and even an Apple IIC I plugged in occasionally. (During that television report I spotted a satellite dish on one of the travel trailers!)
During those years I wrote for several of the camping/RV magazines. I interviewed people. We went to a lot of trade shows and RV gatherings. There were three types of campers: 1. Wilderness people who considered dried food to be their "luxury" and spent most of their money on incredibly sophisticated backpacks and sleeping bags, 2. Men with children, and a little money, who needed secure shelter and reasonable kitchen/bathroom facilities so their wives didn't divorce them the day after they returned from vacation, and 3. Retired people, with money, who had decided to live most of their remaining years in a "home on wheels" Gary and I experienced #1 and #2, and aspired to be #3, but I don't think we will now.
When we had our motorhome there were places we weren't allowed to stay. There were campgrounds that didn't have hook-ups, or spaces long enough to accommodate our RV. There were, and I suspect still are, camping areas for all three types. The wilderness folks probably still wander well-maintained trails through the National Parks and other preserved areas. The camping families still enjoy their days at the lake. RV people still play bingo at the recreational hall in their "mini-towns" across the US. But why does any park feel like it has to accommodate all three types of campers? Why does some little wilderness campground in our area feel pressured into meeting the needs of a "camper" who wants to sit in his air conditioned RV and look at the lake out his window during the commercials on HGTV? I don't get it. But maybe that's because I'm no longer the outdoor type at all. My "vacation" this year will be three days in OKC to visit my brother, the History Center, and the zoo. And yes, we'll stay in a motel. LOL
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