# Camping Plans for 2009.



## kiteri (Jan 12, 2008)

I know that my OCD is going to show here... but has anyone else planned anything for camping season 2009?

I have a cabin reserved for Memorial Day, and campsites for July 17th weekend, and July 30th weekend. I also reserved a cabin for Labor Day weekend, but don't know if I will keep that reservation.

I know it seems early... but I have such picky criteria for sites that I have to reserve early. I like campsites close to the bathrooms for middle of the night potty runs. I have to get campsites that are not ADA sites, because the ADA sites have those two feet tall fire rings where you can't see the fire at all when you sit around it.

I have a particular site that I like at Prince Gallitzin State Park and I go into the reservations system and reserve it 11 months in advance when the system opens reservations. YUP... I am OCD... but the site is AWESOME. Trees for my hammock, lots of shade, close to the bathroom, very short walk to swimming and eyeshot to the playground.

Anyone else as nuts as me?


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## mark (Nov 8, 2008)

yep, I'm guilty.. although I don't usually make reservations, I have the maps of my favorite campgrounds with my preferred sites circled, so I don't forget. 
I've been reviewing them for the last few weeks planning which will be the first trip of the season, which ones I haven't been to last year, etc. 
Ricketts Glenn is a must, I love hiking the waterfalls. And of course I have to make it to the Pa. grand canyon this year.... So many campgrounds, so little time !
But you mentioned Prince Gallitzen, which I've never been to, and is close to where I live now... I'll have to look it up and find out some information, maybe that will have to be one of my "long weekends" this year too. Yep, definately a camping "nut" lol.


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## l2l (Jan 27, 2008)

Guilty here too, so far we have 7 trips planned over the course of the summer, I can't wait :icon_smile_bbq:


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## ctfortner (Nov 16, 2007)

Wow, yall are better at that than we are. We usually wing it, like Wednesday we decide to go camping on Friday. We do usually plan on Memorial day and Labor day though. Its kind of funny really, because every other trip we take I plan for months and really over think everything, but for some reason camping is different.


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## bodawg (Dec 4, 2008)

I plan on camping a bunch again this year and gas prices will dictate how far away we go. I'd like to make a trip to the Oregon Dunes this fall but I don't see that happening unless I do something crazy like get a job!


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## roycedevon (Jan 23, 2009)

I don't even some economic experts don't think that any type of bail out will really work. The root cause of this current recession is overspending. You can not fix that overnight and it takes a while for people to have money to spend again.


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## cagemaja (Jun 21, 2008)

This is only our 2nd summer with our trailer and yes, I have reserved already too! We'll stick to camping close to home (up to 2hrs away) for the weekend jaunts. I have not reserved for those trips, but for our summer vacation I've reserved 2 full weeks where we spent only one night last year...it's about 10 hrs away from home, a gorgeous lakefront site at a private campground. Now to wait until the end of August for that trip.......


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## bighabsfan11 (Jan 7, 2009)

Not so much. Had plans fall through, though. We were supposed to be headed to British Columbia's interior, to the Shuswap Lake. One of the best spots in all of Canada...however, my little sister is graduating from high school that Monday just before Canada Day (when we were supposed to go). She's 17 years behind my graduation. Yikes, I'm getting old.

Anyway, we also kind of wing it, usually 2 weeks out or so. We do have two weeks planned at the lake (where there's actual buildings), hopefully the trailer will be a part of that trip, too.

Mom really wants to hook up and go down to South Dakota...don't know if that'll be happening this summer, but it would be excellent, in my books, to do it one day soon!


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## bassin (Jan 19, 2009)

We have plans for the 4th of July only so far. We do more spontaneous weekend camping based on the weather. We've tried planning ahead, and more often than not, we get stuck with the worst weather of the season. We might schedule something for Memorial day also, but that's it. Other than that, I just watch the weather forecasts religiously, like I always do, and plan accordingly.


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## kiteri (Jan 12, 2008)

Wow... I wish I could be more spontaneous on the weekend trips.

The one campground we are trying to get into books EVERY single site from Memorial Day to Labor Day. They let campers reserve their site year after year. The only way you get a spot is to mail a letter and get on the waiting list. If a camper lets go of his/her spot then they contact people on the waiting list to have it. Needless to say, there are people that pay the $25 a night and keep the site, even if they don't intend to camp on it.  It makes me so mad, because that is a site me and my kids could be utilizing!!!!

The state park campgrounds also have limited sites with electricity, so if you want a site that has power you have to reserve in advance. 11 months in advance sometimes. Like the site we prefer at Prince Gallitzin State Park... it consistently books as soon as the state park reservation system opens up reservations. It is a great site though!!! When does spring get here?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?


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## bassin (Jan 19, 2009)

I googled Pa campgrounds to see how dispersed they are. Based on what I saw, I'd assume that you live in the central part of the state where the camgrounds are kind of sparse?!? 
With the campgrounds being so booked up, maybe you should open one up yourself and make a killin'$$$.
I keep telling myself "Spring is right around the corner".
Dan


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## l2l (Jan 27, 2008)

kiteri, people do the exact same thing up here in our Provincial Parks, they will book 1 to 2 weeks and then cancel out what days they way later just so they can have their site of choice on their desired 3 day weekend (Usually Long Weekends) pisses me right off :bang:

I wish there was a way to stop this behaviour cause in the end its the parks that lose when they have vacant lots for 4 and 5 days during the week simply because some greedy bugger booked it 6 months ago with NO intention of using the extra days.

At least here we are only allowed to book 6 months in advance but I really dont think it helps to fight this problem.


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## kiteri (Jan 12, 2008)

Yes... I am in central PA. The campgrounds are sparse and the sites at those campgrounds with electricity are even more sparse!

I would LOVE to open my own campground! Just need to win the lottery... but that is a different thread! 

Our State Parks only charge a $10 fee to cancel the unwanted days, so people book up all the electrical sites for two weeks to include the good weekends on the 11 month mark and then call back and cancel their unwanted days for a $10 fee. It really does make me mad!!!!


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## bassin (Jan 19, 2009)

I'm surprised that the campgrounds haven't changed their policies, after all, it's money out of their pockets. Maybe, if you keep bugging them about it, they'll make some changes!
Dan


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## bassin (Jan 19, 2009)

Actually, I've thought about opening my own campground that would facilitate the wintertime campers, for us northerners, by having a huge steel building embellished with an outdoor theme. I have no idea, on a monitary basis, if this is even conceivable, but, it's good to dream.


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## kiteri (Jan 12, 2008)

You go Dan!!!! Dream Big!!!!!!!


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## antigua (Dec 17, 2007)

This year we decided to park the trailer at one of our favourite campgrounds. Vacation timing and our working hours are all screwed up this year for some reason so this was the only way we could go camping, anytime we want all summer long without making reservations and hoping that the weather is going to be ok. So we eliminated the stress of all that and we can enjoy our summer. I'm going to miss going to some of the other campgrounds that we like to visit but there's alway next year.


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## l2l (Jan 27, 2008)

Well at least you will still be camping Shane :thumbup1:


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## kev (Jan 8, 2009)

My son and I are planning a 12 mile over night hiking camping trip. 

My wife is going to drop my son and I off close to some national forest land. My son and I will then hike around 6 - 8 miles, set up camp next to a creek and spend the night. the next morning we will finish off the 4 - 6 mile hike back to our pick up location.


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## bighabsfan11 (Jan 7, 2009)

kev said:


> My son and I are planning a 12 mile over night hiking camping trip.
> 
> My wife is going to drop my son and I off close to some national forest land. My son and I will then hike around 6 - 8 miles, set up camp next to a creek and spend the night. the next morning we will finish off the 4 - 6 mile hike back to our pick up location.


Just a quick math question, Kev...cuz I'm confused. How can you hike 6-8 miles in, and then 4-6 miles back. Unless it's 6 in and 6 out, I'm not computing. :scratchhead:


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## happiestcamper (Mar 6, 2008)

I've done the same thing before - in a loop. Why go back the way you've been, when you can go a different route and see something different?


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## bighabsfan11 (Jan 7, 2009)

happiestcamper said:


> I've done the same thing before - in a loop. Why go back the way you've been, when you can go a different route and see something different?


See, I wasn't thinking Geometry-just basic math. Duh. Circle! :smack-head:


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