Camping in San Diego County

[oregontocal]

Those of us who can’t afford the steep fees or just don’t want to live at RV Resorts are being pushed farther and farther out. San Diego County Parks had a 40-year lease with the Helix Water District to operate Lake Jennings Campground, a pretty decent place where many of us fulltimers have been staying for three weeks at a time, switching to another County Park for three weeks, then going back to Lake Jennings or Sweetwater, where I am now. Although it isn't cheap at $20/day for partial hookups, it can be done with boondocking during the times when money is scarce. That lease has now expired and the water district is taking over operation of the park in January. Not only are they raising the daily camping fees (up $6 per day for partial hookups, with a $5 reservation fee, per reservation) but they’re imposing a limit of one week for stays and requiring campers to wait 6 months between stays. Right now there’s a three week limit with one week between. So, it looks like a lot of us will be spending more and more time out in the desert boondocking and trying to find fairly inexpensive places to stay between workamping jobs. Sometimes I really do miss living in one spot, but unless I win the lottery or something, won’t be possible in the near future. I just can't afford to pay at least $700/month for a spot in a glorified parking lot. Oh, and I’d also have to buy a lottery ticket, I guess. <g> As much as I love Southern California, I'll most likely need to move out of the state. I'[m sure they'll fix up the park nicely for tourists.

[retiredhappy]

One of the reasons I left San Diego when I retired was that I couldn't afford to stay there on my retirement salary. Here in Texas, the park I'm in for the winter charges $395 plus electric. They have 3 laundries, 3 pools (one indoors), free local phone service, free Wifi, and they're close to a Walmart. Last February they went from $350 to $395. Not sure if I'll stay here if they raise the rates again altho its still less expensive than my mortgage payment was.

Chris why do you have a mop in front of your face on your signature?

[oregontocal]

Why the mop? It's my new hairstyle? Actually I'm trying to grow my hair longer. No, the mop was a gift at the lodge the beginning of the season, replacing an ancient one. Adam got a whole lot of new pans and stuff he'd ordered also, so we felt pretty special at the time and I felt like hamming around a little. Will probably replace the picture tomorrow.