We got a rude awakening our first year on the road as fulltime RVers. We were on the Washington coast and discovered that if one doesn’t make reservations well in advance of summer holidays, especially in tourist areas, the chances of finding an available RV site are pretty slim. We called around and got the same answer over and over – “Sorry, we’re booked solid.” Finally, we found a campground that took pity on two greenhorns and found room for us to park in the back forty at the last minute, and they only charged us about three times their normal rate!
After that experience, we learned to be off the road well before the holiday arrived, and to sit tight until the working folk packed up their kids, dogs, and bicycles, put out their smoky campfires, and went back to their world.
That was before we knew about all of the free campgrounds, fairgrounds with RV parking, Elks and Moose lodges, and other places available to RVers. But we still try to be off the road before a holiday arrives.
Over the years, we’ve watched 4th of July fireworks in such varied places as a fairgrounds RV park in Wyoming, a campground near Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, and in a cousin’s driveway in Traverse City, Michigan, where we were treated to a free air show as the Navy’s Blue Angles flew overhead all day long on the 3rd, practicing for a performance over Grand Traverse Bay the next day. Perhaps our most memorable Independence Day was at a campground in the shadow of the Mackinac Bridge in northern Michigan, where we were treated to fireworks from Mackinaw City, Mackinac Island and Saint Ignace, across the Straits of Mackinac, with the fireworks reflected on the water. What a remarkable experience!
This year we are spending the Independence Day holiday at Elkhart Campground in Indiana, one of our usual hangouts. The city has canceled their fireworks display this year, due to budgetary shortages, but for the last week we’ve heard firecrackers going off in the neighborhood around the campground. That’s okay, we’ve seen a lot of skyrockets in our time. We don’t have any special plans for the holiday. We’ll just hang out here at the motorhome, and maybe fire up the grill and burn up some hotdogs. And we’ll take a few minutes to think about how fortunate we are to live in the greatest nation the world has ever seen.
So what about you? Where are you spending the Independence Day holiday? Are you in a comfortable RV park? Or maybe in a membership campground? Or are you parked in somebody’s driveway enjoying the company of friends and family?
Post a comment and tell us where you’re at and share your holidays plans.
Thought For The Day – Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
We will be spending the 4th here at Aransas Bay RV Resort in Aransas Pass. On Thursday we will be traveling to Whitsett, TX to go to our new Gate Guard Job…Wish us luck!!
Moose lodge lake city florida for 4th then family reunion outside gainesville florida.
As we are workamping in PA the 4th is just another day of work, and no we will not be going out to see fireworks. As retired workampers most all holidays are just another day and it is no big deal to us. Hope all have a great day and do remember our freedoms.
We are in a state park on the shores of Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin. There will be fireworks over the water tomorow night from a nearby town to ooohhh and ahhhhh over from afar. Nice thing about state parks is that they don’t allow the discharging of personal fireworks (firecrakers and bottlerockets) in the park itself… Which is very good for our two scardy cat shaking drooling shuddering doggies!
We are at home in Montana and it is way too hot and dry–our county as well as many other counties in Montana have banned fireworks–too dry especially with one 200,000 acre fire all ready burning. Have a great July 4 Nick and Terry.
We are at a Grange fairground in PA where we are parked for the upcoming Good Sam Samboree.
I get to spend the 4th in the air conditioned comfort of the RV museum (AC not working well at home) welcoming RVers who need something to entertain themselves, I will then, late afternoon, probably impose upon the hospitality of my several friends at the Elkhart Campground.
I’m a weekender and stay away from the Georgia campgrounds on holidays. My dad was born on the 4th of July, so we will have a birthday grill out and then go over to the American Legion for fireworks. God bless America!
I lucked out. Due to a last minute cancellation, I was able to snag three nights at the Kitty Hawk RV Park on North Carolina’s beautiful Outer Banks. OBX, here I come! 🙂
We are in Yellowstone NP as camp hosts.
We are parked at the Elks Lodge in Shelton, WA, an over-looked part of the state! Festivities in the area start tonight and end Saturday so we will be entertained from a chorale to fireworks. We will take pause to remember what the 4th really means! Happy Fourth to all.
Our membership park had fireworks Saturday night. We have not discussed our plans yet, but will probably go to a nearby town for the parade tonight and fireworks tomorrow night.
Whatever else we do (or don’t do), we will thank God that we can live in this great land and will think of those who have fought to preserve our freedom.
At Premier RV Resort in Cburg, Oregon, just North of Eugene. Been here almost 2 months; leaving for Waldport on the 13th.
Ain’t fulltiming fun?
We will be going to my niece’s house for the 4th she is hosting a big party for everyone with a barbeque and swim party. the person she is a nanny for has let her have the house for it. Then we will come back and get the rig ready to hit the road tomorrow and head to Iowa for the Winnebago National Rally in Forest City. Have a happy and safe 4th and remember what this holiday really means. We live in the greatest country in the world
We are sitting, scared, watching the Shingle Fire, located about 25 miles west of Bryce National Park, from our campground in Glendale Utah. Fortunately for us the fire has moved north and east, sad for all those folks who are in the line of destruction. We were going to head up to Provo and eventually to Glacier but the road is closed heading north. We watch, wait, and escape if we need to. Fireworks obviously banned in Utah!
I will be celebrating with friends from Operation Gratitude in Woodland Hills CA. Operation Gratitude just completed the summer patriotic drive sending care packages to military personnel deployed in hostile areas, wounded warriors and children of military personnel deployed.
The host and hostess have a great bbq followed by safe and sane fireworks accompanied by patriotic music.
We’ll be on our gate in the brush of southern Texas this 4th of July. Gate Guarding doesn’t allow a lot of “festivities” so we’ll probably do some grilling and thank our lucky stars we live in this great country!! I’m proud to say my hubby served this country. We know how good we’ve got it here!! Have a safe holiday everyone!!
We are parked in my youngest Daughters driveway in Two Harbors, MN. Will watch fireworks with family then finish getting ready for Daughters wedding in Aug
We’re parked at the Lake Tawakani Thousand Trails park east of Dallas. We’ll probably grill out and maybe go over to the lake to watch fireworks, or not.
We are at the 1000 Trails park @ Newport, WA. People have told us about fireworks at nearby Diamond Lake & at the Calispell Indian Res in Usk. Probably just stay home. Haven’t decided.
Like Janna, we are in Montana parked in son’s driveway. Fireworks have been banned because of the dry conditions and the fact that Montana is on fire. However, there are two fireworks shows planned for the area.
We will be with family and friends watching the fireworks in Long Beach WA from a friend’s front lawn. We will be fortified by homemade cobbler and ice cream so we can stay up late since the sun doesn’t go down until 9:10.
Spending the holiday parked where we have been since May 31st, in the driveway of my sister’s home on South Hill in Spokane. Will be heading over to Lake Coeur d’Alene for fireworks tomorrow evening. Enjoying the low humidity and comfortable temps in the 70’s and 80’s.
Clarke and Elaine
We are dry camping at The Mill Casino in Coos Bay,Oregon.Their fireworks display starts at 10 pm when it finally gets dark.We are from Texas,so we are almost too cool,with highs in the 60s each day.But I guess that’s better than 102 degrees.Fulltiming is great!
We are in Williams Az and enjoying reasonable temperatures. Are planning on riding the train to the Grand Canyon tomorrow, the 4th, there is a special steam engine excursion for this trip. And if we are not too tired afterwards will drive to see fireworks. Nick and Terri hope you have a wonderful holiday.
Ray & Virena
Bob & I are parked right on Resurrection Bay in the City of Seward (Alaska) campgrounds. We too have learned to “park it” early & then stay put till the last smokey campfire is cold.
Celebrate our nation’s special heritage by reading out Constitution.
We decided to stay in Arizona this summer. Wednesday is our day volunteering at Kartchner Caverns so we will be guiding tours and welcoming visitors for the day. Park is having a pot luck for the volunteers and staff for the holidays. No fireworks since it’s so dry. The Cottonwood Fire (8 miles south of us and just outside Kartchner) has been contained.
I thank my grandparents in heaven that they had the courage to come here from Europe over 100 years ago so I could be born in this great country. What sacrifices they made for me!
And I thank the troops and public servants who have courageously sacrificed from before 1776 to the present to make and keep this nation great. On July 4th, I am especially grateful and humbled by all the gifts given to me simply by the good fortune of having been born in the USA.
We are in Reno, NV where I am doing my summer job as crew chief on a firefighting aircraft. Fireworks are banned in NV. A barbeque with all the trimmings is planned at the fire station. We also want to give thanks for the gift of being a citizen of this great country..
We are continuing to work on getting downsized, into our storage unit and ready to leave this house at some point this summer. Getting ready for the next part of our life as hubby just retired. Might meet up with friends in the evening.
The Minnesota Orchestra plays in our city park tonight ending with fireworks timed to the 1812 Overture. We haven’t yet decided whether or not to brave the record-breaking heat and the mosquitos to attend this year. In the meantime we are laying low with the A/C running.
Spending a toasty fourth at Raccoon Valley SKP park in Tennessee. There’ll be a cookout at the park. I’m thinking they won’t need charcoal. Just put the hotdogs on the pavement. 🙂
Now that Canada Day is safely past, we plan to leave Skagway tomorrow morning (heading north, thankfully, since the entire town is closed for the festivities) and spend the day/night in Whitehorse, YT. We figure why wait around since they probably won’t start the fireworks in Skagway until midnight or so, when it finally gets dark enough!
North Pole, Alaska, where we will watch a parade near Santa Claus House and probably see a fly-by with US Air Force jets from nearby Eielson AFB.
Republic Wa. just moved from the state park at Curlew Lake to another park just down the road,……hailed 3 times today plus one downpour.
Just for the record, the Elkhart City fireworks display was not cancelled due to budgetary problems but because of the burn ban due to dry conditions. They have announced they will move the display to Labor Day! So those of you in the area at that time can still enjoy a good show.
Dale
We are in Bluff Utah, busu rv park, two rigs.
We are at Whispering Oaks Campground in Robinson, IL. with friends from our park in Florida. It has been so hot and dry that fireworks all around have been cancelled. We will have dinner together then sit out and watch the moon come up.
Wish to thank all those who have served our country and know that we do appreciate the great sacriface that is made for our freedom. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!!!!!