Category: travel

Extreme Cheapskates: How to Save TONS of Money While Camping

Post author By No Place Like Gone
Post date April 1, 2023
No Comments on Extreme Cheapskates: How to Save TONS of Money While Camping

Time to read:

7–11 minutes

Since our blog, “Quick Money Hacks” (link below), did so well, I am back again with even more insane hacks to save you money while camping.

https://atomic-temporary-195534999.wpcomstaging.com/quick-money-hacks/

Before we get started:

Please subscribe to stay in the know:

(We hate spam too & promise not to bombard your inbox!)

Advertisements

Without Further Ado … How to Save Money While Camping:

1. Recyle Your Dryer Sheets

You can use dryer sheets more than once. Pop them bad boys into the dryer for a load of clothes as normal. When your laundry is done and the sheet is dry replace it in the box to reuse next time! You can easily get three or four loads of great smelling laundry from the same sheet this way.

2. Save on You Energy Bill

When you leave on vacation, or for a weekend escape, unplug all of your small appliances like your Alexa, TVs, alarm clocks, and anything else you can reach! Don’t pay for that “phantom” energy.

3. A Gourmet Date

Next time you go on a date with a potential cutie pie, make sure to split the meal & the check. This saves a TON of money!

Advertisements

4. Stock Up on Sauces & Utensils

Next time you are at a local restaurant or order takeout, make sure to get extra napkins, utensils, and sauce packs in your bag to take home. Why buy this stuff at the grocery store when they are giving it away for free?

5. Old Fashion

If you have found yourself gaining weight and those old pants do not fit you anymore, don’t worry about buying a new pair. Instead, leave them unbuttoned & just use a shoe string to hold them onto your waist! No need to zip the zipper or button them up, or to waste money on the newest fashion trends!

6. It’s Raining Cats and Dogs!

Is your car looking a little dirty? Time for a wash? Check your local weather channel for the next time it will rain. When it does, run out there and wash your car with the assistance of Mother Nature! No garden hose required. This also applies for your pets, or yourself for that matter.

Advertisements

7. Got Junk?

You don’t need to buy trash bags – EVER. Instead, save grocery bags when you go shopping and use them for all of your trash needs! They’ll fit the majority of your small bathroom, & office trash cans. For the kitchen & larger bins, use these mini-bags to take trash out in smaller portions – this will keep your trash can from piling up too.

8. Re-wear Clothing

You can rewear the same outfit at least 3 times before you truly need to wash it. Especially if you aren’t sweating or doing any intense work! Jeans & thicker materials can go even longer.

9. Movie Popcorn

Advertisements

I’ll admit that I stole this one from a story Rachel Cruze of the Ramsey Show told, but it’s brilliant. Order a bag of popcorn from the movie theatre and enjoy your movie! When you leave, fold up the popcorn bag and put it in your pocket. Next time you see a movie, bring the used popcorn bag, pop it open, & get that free refill at the concessions. This hack allows you to only pay for that over-priced movie popcorn once with unlimited refills!

10. Restroom Etiquette

The rules for the bathroom goes as follows: if it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down. This saves thousands on your water costs.

11. Ziplock Baggies

Don’t keep buying these bad boys. After you use one, rinse it out in the sink and let it air dry. Next time you need to store your favorite snack it’ll be clean like a brand new bag.

Advertisements

12. Interior Designer

Visit a couple of your local hardware stores and request free paint samples in a multitude of colors from each. Take the samples home and use them to paint your walls a new, lively rainbow – for FREE! Who said HGTV has all the tricks? Stay tuned in here.

13. Spooky Season

Right after Halloween, during the first two weeks of November is when they mark down all of the candy that didn’t sell. Stock up on all of your favorites at 50% off – or more. You can then use the leftover Halloween candy for Christmas stockings! The same concept applies for Valentines’ Day chocolates & Easter baskets.

14. Water Isn’t $3 a Bottle

After you have a nice Aquafina or Dasani bottled water bottle, refill it with tap water as much as you want instead of buying a fresh bottle. This works even better at a public place like school or work, where you don’t have to pay for the water yourself – FREE refills.

Advertisements

15. Hang Paper Towels Up for Later

Why keep buying those pesky paper squares if you can re-use them again later? Hang paper towels up to dry & then re-use them – you can easily get three of four uses out of paper towels before they begin to tear.

16. Wash Your Clothes in the Campground Shower

You can skip the laundromat after camping by just washing your stuff in the bath-house shower before you leave. Better yet, take a shower with some of the clothes on and you’ve slayed two birds with one stone.

Advertisements

17. Store Campground Water to Drink Later

You will have a water hook-up spigot at almost every RV campsite. If not, there’s definitely a water fill-up somewhere near the dump station. Make sure to fill up a few gallons of water in your left over water jugs & bottles for later. This saves you a few million dollars every week.

18. Free Coffee While Traveling

Stop into a local hotel to get some free coffee in the lobby. When you enter, you should see it sitting right out in the breakfast area. Just walk in, grab a cup, add sugar the way you like it, and head off. If they ask, you’re in room 301.

19. Who Uses Trash Bags, Man?

Advertisements

Next time you’re at the local dog park or see doggy relief stations, make sure to snatch up a few bags. You can use these for your dog later, as a food storage bag to put things in and tie closed, or as miniature trash bags – for FREE.

20. Try Carpool Trash Service

We’re pitching a new idea here – carpool trash service. Consider this a new service where you can drop off your trash and bags at your neighbor’s doorstep and they’ll take care of it bringing it to the dumpster for you. They have to go at some point anyway, so might as well save yourself the extra steps & effort.

21. Share the Warmth

Is it cold outside and you find yourself needing some warmth while camping? Check which of your neighbors left some firewood stacked outside and grab a few logs. This will help you stay warm, and they won’t mind – sharing is caring!

22. Luck o’ the Irish – FREE drinks

Did the neighbor leave out their cooler? Check what’s on tap – it might be a tasty new cider or a banger of an IPA. You never know. They won’t notice a few bottles missing & you’re getting to try out new beers you may have never had.

Advertisements

23. Be the Campground DJ

How much did you pay for your last concert ticket? Probably close to $200 per person, right? Why should you make everyone pay that much when you can become the campground DJ? Break out the bluetooth speaker, blare your music at full volume, and save your neighbors the concert ticket fees.

24. Puppy Play Day

We just had this happen to us at a campground and loved it. When you leave for the day to go sight-seeing, driving through the city, or doing a local hike, make sure you leave your camper windows wide open back at the park. Fido needs the fresh air and will also provide a free alarm system for your neighbors. This works best when your dog is a constant barker – keeping your neighbors safe by barking and keeping an eye out for danger.

25. Family Showers!

Have everyone wear bathing suits and shower together as a family so that you can save money. Why shower four separate times when you can do it all in one? Let’s preserve the environment & save some water for the fishes, man.

Advertisements

26. More FREE Water

When you’re out hiking and see a running source of water like a creek or river, plop your bottle down in there to refill it. If it makes you feel better, grab a Life Straw to help filter the water extra for drinking. Nature provides all that we need!

27. What’s the Wi-Fi Password?

You could buy an expensive Starlink for $699 or a T-Mobile Inseego Hotspot for $399 to get internet while on the road. But why do that? Surely someone at the campground has a network without a password – hack in & surf the web for FREE.

28. It’s On the House

It’s always beer-30 when you can find a great ale in the neighbor’s cooler like we mentioned above. But we’re not savages – be sure to recycle. Once you drink their beer, take back the bottle and leave it for them. I’m sure they care about the environment too, and in places like California, you can get them 5 cents back per bottle – win-win for everyone!

29. Make Your Own Path

Advertisements

Why follow the sidewalk to walk all the way around your campsite and the neighbor’s to get to the bathroom or shower house? By walking straight through their campsite, you can save on steps. Going through their campsite will also allow you to scope out their stuff for potential sharing opportunities.

30. Clearance Sale!

Amazon has frequent sales on outdoor furniture, but why pay for anything? It’s always on clearance over at your neighbor’s campsite. Eye something you fancy that they have – like that zero gravity chair? Bring something you have & swap out. Trading your $5 bag chair is a great way to upgrade and it can’t be stealing if you leave something behind for them to enjoy – it’s a fair trade.

Advertisements

APRIL FOOL’S DAY!

If you’ve gotten this far, we want to personally thank you for your time & hope this brought a smile to your face & a chuckle to your heart. It’s April Fool’s Day after all. If we made you laugh would you consider SHARING this blog with a friend? Use the buttons below or copy the link provided!

Copy this link: https://atomic-temporary-195534999.wpcomstaging.com/extreme-cheapskates/

For even more (real) camping & travel content, follow us on social media here:

We do write (actual) quality content too – here’s some recents posts to check out:

Antelope Canyon: the Most Photographed Canyon in the World

by No Place Like Gone October 4, 2023

Start a New Page in Page, Arizona at These Can’t Miss Destinations

by No Place Like Gone September 27, 2023

Campground Review: Under the Redwoods in Fort Bragg, California

by No Place Like Gone August 22, 2023

Ecopsychology: A Catchy Gen-Z Word or New Field of Science?

by No Place Like Gone June 2, 2023

The Best Camping Grills for This Summer

by No Place Like Gone May 25, 2023

Tags frugal, hacks, Lifestyle, money, rv, tips and tricks, travel, vanlife

Adventure travel

Newbie’s Guide to Campgrounds

Post author By No Place Like Gone
Post date March 29, 2023
2 Comments on Newbie’s Guide to Campgrounds

So you just got yourself a brand new (or new to you) RV and want to start exploring the world. Or maybe, you just grabbed a cheap tent and some cases of beer with your friends at the local Wal-Mart. Either way, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve got a guide to help you out with all of the different types of campgrounds.

There are plenty of options for camping that range from roughing it in the middle of the woods, to resort and glamping experiences. Prices and amenities vary heavily depending on where you stay, and you can easily overpay. In this blog we’re going to go over camping options for every budget and also tips & tricks for saving big.

Estimated time to read:

8–12 minutes

Have any questions about the nomadic lifestyle? Message us on any social media platform below:

If you like what you read today, make sure to consider joining the [gone] community. We’ll provide you with the newest updates to travel, minimalism, van life, and much, much more. (And don’t worry – we won’t send you any spam.)

Advertisements

State Park Campgrounds

According to a study in 2009, there are over 6,600 state parks within the United States. These parks sprawl over a total of 14 million acres of land. State Parks are fairly common across the US and are VERY popular during the spring & summer months. I’ve seen typical rates for dry-tent camping sites ranging from $15-$25/night and RV/hookup sites ranging from $30-$50/night.

State Parks highlight beautiful & ecologically significant locations – they typically include bodies of water and trails sprawling through the local topography. Prepare for a great time in the woods with any of these campgrounds. Spots are typically spacious with a few trees in between you and our neighbors. Another trade mark of the State Park system is the eclectic on-site camping stores. Here you can grab stickers and t-shirts to say that you’ve been there and any essentials you may have forgotten last minute for your weekend in the great outdoors!

Keep in mind, not all State Parks offer camping. Some of them are just day-use, meaning you can have a picnic there, hike trails, swim in the lake, etc. but are expected to leave the park right before dark. Rhyming will definitely be my fall-back job one day if this doesn’t work out. What do you think about me rapping about campgrounds?

Advertisements

National Park Campgrounds

There are 423 National Parks in the United States says the National Park Foundation. These are your big hitters. When you think of iconic spots for nature and camping, you think of places like the Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone National Park. These are premier destinations that people travel to from all over the world to see.

Typically, these are near IMPOSSIBLE to get a camping reservation for, unless you are an extreme planner who is ready to book a year in advance – or more. These campgrounds are usually remote and don’t include hookups, or even cell service in many cases. But being in proximity to some of the most beautiful places in the world is well worth the lack of traditional amenities. If you have the chance to snag a spot at any of our National Parks – take it!

Advertisements

COE’s (Army Core of Engineers)

In our opinion, these campgrounds are some of the best, at least for how we like to camp. They usually have plenty of sites available at these campgrounds, ranging between 100-250 sites each. Often a portion of these spots are primitive (meaning no electricity, water, or sewer hook ups.) These are your cheap options to tent camp or boondock with your camper, typically ranging from $15-$25 per night to stay.

The other portion of these sites are for campers and RVs. These are usually electricity only, but they do a great job of positioning water fill-up and sewer dump stations near the entrance of the campground for camper use. These sites are usually between $20-30 per night making these some of the cheapest options to have access to electricity, water, and a dump station while you are enjoying the great outdoors. We’ve stayed for as cheap as $18/night at a COE with electricity.

Another great benefit of COE’s is that they are typically located on a large body of water like a lake or river where you can swim, kayak, or fish. These parks are very well thought out by Army engineers. They also offer shower houses and kid’s playgrounds in most cases.

Advertisements

KOA’s (Kampground’s of America)

KOA sign leading to campgrounds. — KOA sign – You can’t miss it!

KOA's offer activities for the whole family at their campgrounds. — KOA sign – You can’t miss it!

When it comes to KOAs, these are located all over the place. There’s about 480 of them spread across the United States and a few in Canada as well. See the comprehensive list of KOAs here if you want to plan your next family camping trip at a KOA.

They have done a great job of placing KOAs near a lot of the major travel destinations. Places like beaches, National Parks, and mountain ranges will typically have a KOA within driving distance. It’s hard to miss one of these kampgrounds with their highlighter yellow signs on the road. In our experience, it’s pretty costly to stay here. We’ve seen prices around $60-$100/night to stay here. KOAs typically offer amenities such as wifi, full hook ups, a pool to swim in, and dog parks. If that wasn’t enough – they’re espeically geared towards children and will include host activities, theme nights, and kid zones too.

Advertisements

Private Campgrounds

You can find GREAT private campgrounds all over the place. These aren’t affiliated with the parks system or government (city, state, etc.) in any way. They’re basically like you or I opening up our own campground and making our own rules and campsites how we like them.

A great example here is Hollywood RV Park which is where we recently stayed right outside of LA in Hollywood, California. It’s a super cool place that actually houses many film makers and production set workers for nearby film studios. It’s about $90/night in a place like this – mostly because of the prime location in one of the hottest real estate markets in the world – Los Angeles County.

Advertisements

These private campgrounds can range all the way from $25/night hole-in-the-wall type of experience, all the way up to $150/night for your more premium look and locations. Sometimes, they even include things on site like yoga, church services, community events, art classes, or concerts.

Flamingos at the Hollywood RV campgrounds.

Hollywood RV Park Sign located at 7740 Balboa Blvd.

Resort “Glamping” Campgrounds

Typically, “resort” or “motor-coach clubs” campgrounds revere themselves for being top notch. Sometimes, they only allow RVs or campers in their park that are models within the last 10 years (2013-2023), or may dictate the type of RVs welcome, to keep up with curb appeal. You will definitely be paying a pretty penny for these – let’s say $90+ and easily into $120/night. These are going to have the most amenities and activities and offer a resort-like experience.

Let me share a little secret with you. If you ever end up in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, then one of the best kept secrets is Ocean Lakes RV Resort. It’s incredible – and well worth the price of admission. Book early, because they generally fill up incredibly fast – months in advance.

Boondocking (BLM Land)

BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land is for staying over night with NO hook-ups. This land is actually provided by the government, for very small fees, to be used for camping off-grid or in the wilderness. Basically, if you want to get the hell out of society – you can grab a camper and have a blast in the great outdoors. These are most common out west, but can be found across the country.

Bureau of Land Management map showing public land that you can camp on. — BLM map provided by the Bureau of Land Management.

Advertisements

A great resource to use for this is FreeRoam, it’s an app and also website that you can download on the App Store. With this, you’ll be able to pop up a map for finding the nearest off-grid land for you to rough it out in.

Harvest Host (+ Boondockers Welcome)

Harvest Hosts: An RV membership program that allows self-contained travelers to overnight at unique locations around the country including farms, wineries, museums, breweries, and more! With 4773+ of host locations inside of the ever-expanding network, there’s an amazing experience waiting for everyone.

Boondockers Welcome: Enjoy truly unique stay experiences often without any sacrifice to comfort as 70% of Boondockers Welcome hosts offer hookups. Escape the crowded and noisy campground in favor of a private spot on beautiful property and a meaningful connection with a friendly host.

We have a great partnership right now with Harvest Hosts and also Boondockers Welcome. We can save you 15% right now on EITHER subscription. They’re normally $100/year for each of them individually, but we can get you down to about $80/year. Make sure to click the green text above to get the discount! Important: You may have to use code BWFRIENDS15 at checkout for Boondockers Welcome to work!

Advertisements

Military Campground/Army Camps/AFB

These are generally a cheaper place to stay, although you often have to be affiliated with the U.S. military in some fashion. These generally are your “on-site” living for most of the military branches: Army camps, Air Force Bases, etc. If you’ve heard of a family living on base in an RV with the member of their family that’s serving, that’s what this is.

You’ll typically see rates near $20-$25/night which is VERY inexpensive per night for full hook-ups and amenities. You can check with the local base campground if you can stay there not being military, but generally it’s for military and government personnel only.

Not Campgrounds – Wal-mart, Cracker Barrel

Oh, the glorious Wal-mart and Cracker Barrel. If you have ever heard of people living in a RV, you’ve probably heard of these two being common places to stay. We have stayed at a Wal-mart, but unfortunately not a Cracker Barrel – yet. If you are trying to save money and have a lower cost of living, than these are your best bets for the occasional stay.

Advertisements

Make sure that you ask the local Wal-mart or Cracker Barrel managers if they are OK with you staying overnight. Sometimes, they will not allow this and may even have signs posted in the parking lots about no overnight stays. You probably don’t want to get that knock on your door by the police in the middle of the night!

Campground Costs Breakdown and Averages:

Types of Campground	Average Price ($/night)	Notes
State Park	$35	Generally hard to get into without 2-3 months out reservation
National Park	$40	Sometimes takes 6 months – 1 year in advance to reserve
COE (Core of Engineers)	$20	Easy to land a spot often
KOA (Kampgrounds of America)	$70	Somewhat easy to get into
Private Campgrounds	$60	Plenty of availability as there are so many options and price points!
Resort Campgrounds	$90	All of the luxuries you would expect at most hotels nowadays
Boondocking (BLM land)	$50/monthly	Small fee to use them, no hook-ups
Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome	Yearly subscription	Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome are separately $80/year
Military Campgrounds/Army Camps/AFB	$30	Generally have to be in the military or branch that the campground belongs to
Other (Walmart, Cracker Barrel, etc.)	FREE	Sketchy at times, be safe out there!

This chart shows different type of campgrounds costs and descriptions.

Thanks for reading! As they say in French, au revoir!

Advertisements

Now that you’ve finished this great read, I ask kindly that you follow us on Instagram so you can keep in the loop of our travels! You never know, we may be the inspiration you need for your next destination 😉

See our latest posts below:

Did you like this beginner read about campgrounds? Ready to learn more? Jump in to these similar blogs below:

RV Necessity List

by No Place Like Gone April 27, 2022

My Plan to Travel the US in an RV

by No Place Like Gone March 17, 2022

Turtle Season! 🐢

by No Place Like Gone July 11, 2022

My FIRST Roller Coaster?

by No Place Like Gone September 30, 2022

Advertisements

Tags Adventure, camper, campground, camping, rv, travel, vanlife

Adventure Finance travel

Nomad Jobs: Get Paid While Traveling

Post author By No Place Like Gone
Post date March 24, 2023
No Comments on Nomad Jobs: Get Paid While Traveling

The kids are back at it again, living in the van down by the river without a care in the world. “What the heck do they do for money?” you might ask. The answer is different for everyone. Some nomad jobs include camp hosts at campgrounds, have customer service jobs, work as insurance agents, or if you’re of the new-fangled age of kids, you can work remote freelancing. That’s what we’re going to focus on in this blog today! As always, I’d like to thank you for your time today. You’re in good hands!

Estimated time to read:

13–19 minutes

Real Quick …

Before we jump in, I’d like to remind you of the fact that money will not buy you happiness. Even nomad jobs can not produce happiness. It is merely a currency that allows us to exchange for products or services. Money really just is a tool – and it’s up to you to decide whether you want to have good, or bad, intentions with it. You tell your money what to do.

Get connected with us on social media:

– Table of Contents –

Advertisements

1. Fiverr

Plenty of people are talented in their own right, and Fiverr is the platform for them to grow and create their own business. It’s the first on the list of nomad jobs.

Fiverr is a great choice for nomad jobs.

With Fiverr, you can search for just about any computer-type task that can be done. These range from: trip planning, video editing, graphic design, accounting, etc. You pay a basic fee for a service, enter your requirements and criteria, talk to the seller, and then they’ll return a finished product to you quick! Don’t forget to be nice and tip well.

As a seller you can work as much (or as little) as you’d like and Fiverr allows you the flexibility to work when you want to. With their huge categories of jobs available currently to work, feel free to jump in and start earning a commission today!

2. UpWork

Are you looking for another alternative to the above Fiverr? Introducing UpWork! We recommend this one as well because there are plenty of other jobs available.

Advertisements

You can create a seller account to sell your services to others as a 1099 contract employee, and work when you want to. The only “boss” you have is UpWork’s guidelines, and a different client to work for every time.

3. Start a Blog!

Plenty of digital nomads nowadays have a blog, course, YouTube channel, or something similar. It’s basically the work of the digital world – teaching others how to do very specific or niche skills.

I have seen quite a few of them to claim to make into the $10k-$30k per MONTH range. I obviously can’t back this one up with evidence as we aren’t a blog that huge (yet?), lol.

Regardless, if you are creative and love sharing your thoughts with the world, a blog should be as second nature as journaling is to most people.

4. Become a Freelancer Writer

You can write about anything, especially if you’ve got a knack for any given niche genre. If you know how to write, and have knowledge to share with others, this is the sign for you!

There are people who make a living reviewing video games and news, others who write scientific research papers, and the occasional blog-writer (that’s us!)

You can write about pretty much anything, as knowledge goes for a pretty penny when sold to the right mind.

Advertisements

5. Become a Bookkeeper

It’s easy to go online and get certified as a bookkeeper in little time at all!

Plenty of businesses are thriving yet need someone to help manage their numbers. That’s where you come in. Get certified, take invoices and expenses and help them know their numbers.

Websites like National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB) offer plenty of options for educational materials, exams, and getting you certified to help businesses in no time. You can save $50 right now and then the certification bundle becomes $449.

*We are by no way affiliated with the NACPB, we just want to help provide you guys with the most resources that we can.

6. Be a Virtual Assistant From Anywhere!

This is one dear to my heart because it’s what my girlfriend currently does. She’s been helping multiple business owners get crucial tasks done while we’ve been on the road.

Advertisements

A personal (or virtual) assistant would traditionally book flights, plan events, get in contact with bill companies, hunt down clients for payment, and many, many other daily tasks. Here’s a website listing statistics and more information.

This is a very practical job, because everyone from CEOs to small-business owners need help handling billing, taxes, conferences planned, and so many other routine tasks.

7. Sell Handmade Products (Etsy, Farmer Markets, Facebook Marketplace)

Do you have a knack for creating knick-knacks? Can you sew, paint, carve wood, make jewelry, or anything else creative? Of course you can – and we won’t settle for anyone saying that they have no talents or skills. Everyone knows how to do something. Everyone has something that excites you. Maybe you like how things tick, maybe you really like people, or possibly you are great at organization.

Combine your passion with some crafting skills, then you’ve got a solid business model for markets like Etsy.

With Etsy, you can get super creative products from a small business and makers. Plus you are supporting a single person or merchant most of the time, and not a corporate shill seeking profit. I kind of like the feel of that personally.

8. Become an Educational Tutor

Not every student learns in the same way. Some are auditory learners, some are hands-on and learn by doing, and others need to hear information in a different way than their teachers will present it. That’s where you can come in as a tutor!

If you’re good at any subject, or even have the credentials of a teacher already, you can start helping students today! The Tutor website seems to be a great resource for this.

There’s potential for tutoring in any subject: math, science, English, Spanish, music, and plenty others. Get started helping kids grow smarter now!

Advertisements

9. Learn Graphic Design

Have you dabbled with Adobe Photoshop creating memes in the past? How about self-learning how to use a platform like Canva for social media graphics? Regardless, the world is your oyster in this category.

If you have an eye for logos, creating graphics, flyers, social media posts, or virtually anything else, you’ll thrive here. It really is a build-your-own adventure sandbox software. You can design flyers for a business, wedding invitations, social media posts, logo designs, and anything else you can possibly think of. Canva is amazing – I’m not paid by them to say that, we just use them for everything design-wise.

There’s always something that a business needs to look good in this marketing driven world of today.

10. Online Marketing

It’s no surprise that businesses are easier than ever to start with the rise of the internet. Basically, anyone can pop up a shop with platforms like Shopify and get started selling a product right away.

Advertisements

A core thing you need with any business is an audience, and a brand worthy of them telling their friends about. You have to be eye-catching, humorous, a great product, and also stand on good morals.

A marketing agent is someone who comes in and focuses on developing your brand, colors and schemes, designs, and more. They help make your product look better and better, and bring it to new heights, and eyes.

Is Van Life as Glorious as Instagram Lets You Believe?

Could you imagine living on the road as a digital nomad? Do you want to see different states, countries, and parts of the world? Are you bored of the sameness: sitting at the same desk, driving the same route to work, talking with the same people, doing the same old routines?

I know that I was, and that’s when we set out on this adventure. We’ve lived in 15 different states over the last 10 months. Literally. We sold our house, cars, and live full-time in a Class C motorhome. It sounds CRAZY! But, that’s the life that we have chosen to live. As awesome as this all sounds, we want you to see the realities of this life as well!

If you would have asked me before writing this blog if I believed that being a social media assistant was a real job, I would have been baffled. But, here we are.

Yes, there are literally people whose entire jobs are to schedule posts, engage with comments, share their content on the internet, and run customer service fronts. Now hows that for making the list of nomad jobs?

I’m personally amazed at some of these jobs on the list as they’re all unique in their own way, but this one has me chomping at the bit. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that this work is easy, or bad. I just want to snatch this job for a huge company like Skittles or something. Sponsor me!

12. Website Designer

It’s no question that with the rise of the internet, websites are more important than ever. To get your name or business out there, you have to have an online presence. Eventually, brick and mortar stores limit you nowadays. Not to mention that the majority of people look up a business online to see their Google reviews before considering a visit.

The internet helps you quickly connect to anyone, anywhere, in the world. The better your website is designed, the more people will be likely to find it and stay engaged with its contents. Don’t skimp too much on this front, as you want a great product.

Find a great web developer right now on Fiverr to get started. You can actually learn a website builder like WordPress or Wix to help jumpstart your career in web development. To become great at it though, you definitely need to learn C++ and web coding at a later point.

Advertisements

13. App Developer

It’s no question that with the rise of the internet that website designers and app developers are more important than ever.

Apple offers plenty of resources from software development kits, digital textbooks to learn from, video explanations, and more. Although, some of these require a small yearly fee to get involved in their programs.

Every great app starts with a great app developer. Learn today, or commission someone on UpWork to help you turn your brilliant idea into reality. You never know what’s waiting for ya!

14. Get Paid to Walk Dogs

We’ve all seen that one person walking down the street. They’re walking six different dogs, and you are left perplexed by this. Most likely, they are probably walking dogs for a living, literally!

Yep, you heard me right. You can get paid to board dogs, babysit them for the day, and even walk them with apps like Rover. For what its worth, the name Rover is incredible.

Next time you find yourself planning a vacation trip or have to work and can’t plan to be around your doggos for a while, you can hop on the app and schedule someone to help you watch them.

This functions similar in the way that AirBnB works, where you open the app, find a local dog sitter and see their reviews, then contact them. Usually, when you go to drop off you will be able to meet the people and chat with them about all of their policies and vet (hah – good joke) if you want to use them!

15. Life or Career Coaching

It goes without being said that not everyone has ended up in a great spot in their current life. Sometimes we need help and we might turn to a friend, family member, pastor, or even advisor/counselor.

Advertisements

There exists plenty of certifications online if you’d like to get them as well, that offer to train you in the ways of helping people and their largest life decisions. The one I found online by the Certified Life Coach Institute claims to be $995 for the initial course and certification.

There is a lot of grey area in places like this, because you don’t technically need any kind of degree or training to be a “coach”. But it really gets down to the brass tax when you see the experience the coach possesses, which is much more important.

16. Create Online Courses

I know a fantastic woman who has various years of experience and certifications in dog behavior and psychology. Not only does she offer consulting one-on-one to help teach dog owners, but she decided to launch a course.

By viewing her course here online, you can get the majority of the educational information and what she teaches, but at a lower rate and at your own pace. It’s not personalized for you like the one-on-one opportunities are, but that’s kind of the point with the course is to learn the general skills for your pup at a cheaper price point.

Desiree uses a very wholistic method of training – not strength and dominance.

Teaching a course is always a great way to help others learn a new subject or skill they didn’t have before. Udemy is a great resource for courses online, and I’d also recommend SkillShare (who is giving a free month trial RIGHT now).

17. Edit Videos like a Pro with Final Cut Pro

Everyone needs video edited for social media – specifically YouTube and TikTok nowadays. Whether it’s an individual person who doesn’t have the time to string together all of their travel vlogs, or a company needing to edit together promo videos. Oh, and if it wasn’t implied – yes, some people are making money from their videos!

Advertisements

You can get started for free editing videos by using iMovie on Apple products. There’s also HitFilm which is free but has optional upgrades.

Once you get into the upper echelon, the majority of people use Sony Vegas, Final Cut Pro, or Premiere Pro as they are the top of the line softwares jam packed with movie-quality features.

18. Uber or Lyft Driving

Did you know you can become an Uber or Lyft driver even without owning a car? Let’s say you are a digital nomad like us, wandering across the USA, and you only have a motorhome (which is not fit for driving around city streets picking people up – trust me). Uber will let you rent a car through a partner company like Hertz for as low as $260/week. That’s discounted well below how much it costs to rent a car normally – usually double that number.

In larger areas like LA, Atlanta, New York City, you can rent just about any car that you want. Feel like driving people around in Mercedes-Benz luxury? How about saving the environment with an EV like a Tesla Model 3? You can get them all as a rental car, and make sure your passengers are safe, sound, and happy!

Another great thing about Uber and Lyft is that you get to pick when you’d like to work. Feeling sick today? Call out and sit home! Want to pick up three shifts tonight? Hop on the app and get going in your car! They make it seamless to transition from work-mode to chill-mode.

19. Uber Eats, GrubHub, PostMates

The barrier for entry here is low, as you just need a car, a phone, and some gas money (that’s the most expensive part). When you swipe one of these apps on, you can start driving to a store to pick up food for a customer.

You don’t have to cook the food, pick the order, shop for groceries, or anything. Usually, you arrive at the restaurant or store and go to the delivery pickup counter where the order should be ready for you.

This works on base pay plus tips, so treat your customers well to make BIG MONEY!

Advertisements

20. Instacart, Shipt, DoorDash

Feel like delivering groceries and other quick convenience store runs? You can often deliver prescription medicines from CVS, Walgreens, and other big box stores directly to a customer.

There’s plenty of people wanting grocery delivery straight to their door. They place their order on the app, you go shop it, and you get paid to hand deliver it to their door.

Me over here grinding at my third job once upon a time.

These apps make it so easy to hop on and do a few deliveries, then shut off the phone and take a break at any time. Your pay is heavily dependent on tips the majority of the time, because base delivery pay is usually not the best here.

Budgeting is Also Very Important

Although we’ve equipped you with plenty of ideas to work and make money, the fact still stands that you need to know how to handle your money. We have a sample RV-life budget with actual numbers, not made up, within this read below.

https://atomic-temporary-195534999.wpcomstaging.com/10-tricks-for-the-perfect-trip/

Thanks for Giving Us [Your Time]

We know how valuable your time is, and that’s why we don’t want to waste a second of it. We want to help you build a quality life which begins with deciding how you want to live. By finding new ways to make money, you can afford to create this new life full of your passions, goals, and dreams. We aren’t here trying to sell you anything. We simply want you to be better off after every new read here on our blog. Thanks for reading today!

See you later – ciao!

Advertisements

Join the [gone] community to receive the newest blog updates about travel, money, mental health, and more.

10 Tricks for the [Perfect Trip]

by No Place Like Gone March 16, 2023

What’s Your [Camping] Type?

by No Place Like Gone March 9, 2023

Turn Your Car Payment into a Million Dollar Retirement

by No Place Like Gone November 8, 2022

Is Van Life as Glorious as Instagram Shows?

by No Place Like Gone January 28, 2023

Tags Adventure, Lifestyle, money, Remote work, travel, vanlife, Work from home

Adventure travel

10 Tricks for the [Perfect Trip]

Post author By No Place Like Gone
Post date March 16, 2023
No Comments on 10 Tricks for the [Perfect Trip]

Estimated time to read:

<img alt="Matt with

Matt with
No Place Like Gone

Hey! I’m the man behind the magic – A.K.A. the camera and blog. I’m also a purveyor of craft beer, grill master, and chief RV driver.

Instagram

[Table of Contents]

Have you been pushing through grueling 60 hour work weeks at the office, struggling to keep up? Has life been keeping you busy with the new baby, endless social obligations to show up at, and constant notifications blowing up your phone? Maybe you need a break, and a road trip sounds like a nice respite. Regardless of your reasons – planning the [perfect road trip] begins with having a destination in mind. Where do you think you want to go?

If you are lucky enough to be a resident in Florida or California then you are probably enjoying the ability to soak up the sun and hit the beach during this winter. Consider yourself among the lucky bums! But if you live in one of the 48 other states then you’re probably freezing right now. How about an escape to Las Vegas this winter? Maybe you just need some warmer weather – because seasonal depression definitely exists.

Yes, it’s 80 degrees almost everyday in Tampa, FL. While the rest of the country is experiencing below freezing temperatures, the people of Florida-land stay warm!

Advertisements

I’m going to let you in on the best tricks around for planning out the [perfect road trip]. Whether you’re just planning a one week vacation, or ready to take off on the cross-country road trip of your dreams (something we’ve recently done and still going strong,) you are in the right place with this blog!

Before we jump in, one last speed bump in the road – I ask that you subscribe to our email list below. It’s 100% risk-free, and if you aren’t happy with your purchase – we’ll refund all of your money. 😜

P.S.: We won’t send you any spam mail. We will only update you about the BEST experiences to have, RV life, and much more!

First, start with the right [tools]

Google Travel: This wonderful tool from our friends at Google can pretty much do it all. In addition to road trips it can search for flights, hotels, and vacation rentals; you can search for the best deals around with multiple options by using this tool. This travel tool combined with the powerful capabilities of Google Maps, will allow you to plan each piece of the puzzle for any trip. And you have the freedom to decide if you want to drive, fly, or take a cruise for your vacation.

Google Travel is 100% free, and so is Google Maps.

The only downside is that Google is using every one of us as a product to market out to other companies. It’s no surprise that when you start looking at vacation packages online that you will soon start seeing advertisements popping up all over your Facebook and Instagram feeds from travel companies. That’s how their tools remain to be the great price of “free.”

Here’s a video tutorial for how to use Google Flights within Google Travel by Insider Tech.

Advertisements

RV Trip Wizard: This is OUR go-to. We use this in combination with Google to search for and plan out each leg of our roadtrip route. Of course, we are full-time RVers so we are constantly driving from city to city, state to state, and staying at new campgrounds along the way. RV Trip Wizard is a wonderful tool for roadtrip planning, especially when you have a camper or motorhome. Also, it has a solution for all of those low bridges, narrow city streets, and dirt roads – it’ll route you around those based on your vehicle’s dimensions within account settings. It also alerts you when it’s time to fill up with fuel. Not only is the software powerful enough to let you plan a trip, add multiple stops, and plan out your safest route with your big rig – it can also help track your trip expenses. This financial tracker includes everything you’ll need from campground fees, fuel, maintenance costs, food and entertainment costs. Check it out today!

The interface for RV Trip Wizard might look confusing at first, but it’s not too bad once you jump in. You can see all kinds of useful information about our road trip in this screenshot.

RV Trip Wizard costs $59/year, and gives you an RV Life Pro account which will unlock access to RV Trip Wizard planning, RV Life app, and also RV GPS routing. They also have plenty of wonderful blogs on their platform for newbies. You can’t go wrong here!

Advertisements

Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome: This subscription allows you to have [free] destination-stays along the way as you plan out your next road trip.

Right now, you can get 15% off a year of unlimited overnight stays at wineries, breweries, farms, and more! The Harvest Host stops may become your favorite stops along the way of your next trip. For only $85 per year, a Harvest Hosts membership will give you access to trip-planning tools, $1500 worth of Member benefits, and 3000+ overnight RV stays for a whole year. Start a membership today and see where the road takes you.

P.S.: We were able to stay on a working farm and bottle feed baby llamas with our membership – if you love animals definitely check this out!

Boondockers Welcome is a sister program to Harvest Hosts and opens up another whole world of camping opportunities. Escape the crowded and noisy campgrounds in favor of a private spot on beautiful property, a coveted city parking spot, and, if you’re lucky, a meaningful connection with a friendly host. City spots can be hard to come by when you’re parking an RV but with BW, you won’t have to sacrifice comfort as 70% of Boondockers Welcome hosts offer hookups. Branch out of your comfort zone and make new friends with Boondockers Welcome, here’s 15% off with our link – make sure to use code BWFRIENDS15 at checkout to apply the full discount.

Advertisements

Now that you have the tools, here’s a step-by-step guide for using them:

1. Select a Destination.

It’s as simple as that. Where do you want to go? For how long? Nail down these specifics so that you have an end goal in mind and parameters for your trip. Every good plan starts with direction (nice pun, lol.)

2. Search Google for Activities in the Area.

You can Google simple terms like:

And typically the best places to look for great attractions quickly are here, after a little scrolling down the search page:

The red outline sections are recommended because they will immediately show you the best rated things to do around the area that you’re traveling to. Sometimes these are free like parks or shopping, and other times they cost admission like a museum.

Look for “Tripadvisor” and “Top sights” – these are always super useful to me. Search through these two sections and links to get activity ideas and local recommendations of things to do. Now, based on how much time you will have in the area, you can make a list of things you want to do while you are there.

Advertisements

3. Make a Schedule or Calendar

Now I know – not everyone likes to plan ahead and make schedules or to-do lists. But if you do, you’ll optimize your trip because you’ll have the freedom of knowing what you’re doing – and when. Plan your time wisely, with a great balance of activities and plenty of rest. Don’t feel like you have to plan every minute, just block out times for the major events of the day and leave time for spontaneous adventures in between.

Whether you fancy old fashioned paper, or making an excel sheet, it ultimately doesn’t matter. Throw together a quick calendar like the below image so you can make the most out of the time on your trip.

I recommend something even as simple as this, or using the Calendar app on your iPhone. Whatever works for you to keep track of times and activities on your next trip is fine.

4. Look for Discounts!

Check places like Groupon that offer travel discounts to save money on activities and restaurants. Checking with a local tourist information office can also be a great resource. It only takes a little time, and often you can save big! Ask for any discounts they offer with local activities, and also what they recommend to do in the area! You never know what exciting new thing you’ll find out about.

5. PACE Yourself. No, Really.

I feel like every time you talk to someone who just got back from vacation they’re exhausted and say they need a vacation from the vacation. They’re emotionally and physically drained, and there is no way in heck that they can smoothly transition straight back into working right away. Who would ever want to go back to work anyway?

Many people try way too entirely hard to do every possible thing that they can on vacation. Of course you have to go snorkeling, dolphin watching, to the gift shops, paddle boarding, on a sunset boat ride, to a nice restaurant, to see your family in the area, to take family portraits, to the museums – you get the point. You can’t possibly do it all, and you’ll wear yourself out quickly trying to. Vacations are meant to be enjoyable and relaxing for the most part – not jam packed with too much stress!

6. Set a Budget for Vacation

This one might blow your mind away because the concept of a budget and limiting your spending on vacation may seem a little ludicrous! The truth is, if you set a budget and stick to it, then you will have a gauge for what you can afford and won’t add extra stress upon your return. The activities, tours, shopping, and restaurants quickly add up. Often times, there is way too many things to do in a short vacation timespan anyway, so it’s wise to only plan for what you have time and money for so you don’t break the bank. The money experts at Ramsey Solutions have super helpful guidance on this.

I’ve Created a Realistic Budget:

Type of Expense	Amount ($)
RV Payment	$600 ($87k purchase price, 180 months @ 3.5 APR – with 10% down payment ($8,700))
RV Insurance	$100
Campgrounds	$1800 (Assuming $60/night for 30 nights)
Gas + Propane	$350
Groceries	$700
Health Insurance	$300
Internet	$270 (Starlink $150/month, Verizon $65/month, T-Mobile $55/month)
Other Things	$1,000/month OR SO (depends heavily on each person)

Grand Total	$5,120

Sample RV-Lifestyle Budget

Advertisements

7. Don’t Book the First Flight, Hotel, or Vacation Package That You See

We all get excited to take off on the glorious vacation trip. But, don’t let your impatience ruin your chance of getting a much better deal in the long run! Check various places when you are ready to book the trip.

For us, we check between RV Trip Wizard (shows quick stay options all around your planned route), Recreation.gov (great for finding cheap Core of Engineer parks), Google (for finding campgrounds in a big city or town), and Harvest Hosts (when we plan to stay short times at breweries, farms, and unique stays).

Here’s a general search for hotels in Las Vegas, NV to help you get started with your million dollar winnings at the slots!

If you are booking flights and hotels, I’d definitely check out Hopper, Hotels.com, or Kayak. I also personally recommend Cheap Caribbean for pretty inexpensive, all inclusive vacation packages to travel to the Caribbean and other tropical places. We’ve used this platform for three separate out-of-the-country trips and loved every one of them. They do a great job helping you travel plan and stay informed about what to do next when you arrive in a foreign country.

8. Plan Your Trip Far Ahead of Time

When you plan far ahead, you have the option to book anywhere you want to be. Sometimes you can even get an “early-bird” discount. The longer you wait, the more expensive the trip will be. Not to mention that most vacations or stays end up getting booked within 6-12 months in advance most of the time.

9. Reduce Your Dining Budget

I know as a foodie myself, it’s almost impossible to resist eating out and trying new restaurants, especially while traveling. I’m not saying you can’t eat out at all, but, eating out is a great luxury. If you need to save money, then cut the dining out from your trip budget. It’s significantly cheaper to make a sandwich or pop open a can of soup at your Airbnb instead of going out for every single meal. Save money by eating at “home,” especially if this allows you to do more experiences!

10. Bring Your Pet Along!

Our pretty girl Luna, almost 2 years old!

Don’t leave Fido at home this time! The truth is, plenty of hotels and condos nowadays are willing to make accommodations for a dog companion. And no, they don’t even have to be certified as a service animal. There’s also plenty of options on Airbnb and Vrbo that allow pets. So come on, and bring your fluffy friend!

A great experience we suggest is always related to the great outdoors. Look at camping, renting a RV, and other nature-related trips. You can almost ALWAYS bring a pet along on these types of trips. This way, you don’t have to make a plan for someone to watch them, or board them for a price at a local vet.

Advertisements

[Make Memories]

The most important part of your vacation trip is to ENJOY it! After spending weeks, or even months planning, make the most of your time and make memories that will last you a life-time. There really is [no place like gone] and we’d love to see your travel pictures – tag us on social media – @noplacelike.gone. I’ve put a link button below, and also our latest posts on Instagram so you can quickly find us.

Advertisements

Tags Adventure, destination, Lifestyle, tourist, travel, tricks, trip, vacation

Adventure travel

What’s Your [Camping] Type?

Post author By No Place Like Gone
Post date March 9, 2023
No Comments on What’s Your [Camping] Type?

There’s A LOT of options on the market for camping. You can get as simple as a tent, but if you aren’t a purist then you probably aren’t tent camping very often. For the rest of us, your options are typically between truck camper, travel trailer, fifth wheel, camper-van, motorhome, or a self-made conversion. Warning: If you’ve never RV camped before, you’ll be shocked by how small these are compared to the average home of today. Fair warning!

The different types of RVs (recreational vehicles)

We’re No Place Like Gone and we’ve been full-time living and traveling in our Class C motorhome for 9 months now, nice to meet ya! We’ve driven from the East coast to the West coast during our trip so far and have got to see 15 different states along the way! We are currently camping in the country of California. (That’s a joke – because California is HUGE and it’s literally named the Republic of California.)

Here’s the most common variety of campers and the likes:

Advertisements

Are You Ready to Hit the Road?

Before ya do, follow us on social media so that you don’t miss our next adventure. We post camping advice, hiking trails, nature photography, and stories from our travels, click below:

Truck Campers

Earthroamer SX – build shown is close to $1,045,000 (yes, $1 MILLION)

Starting off with a beauty, Earthroamer is in the upper echelon of truck campers. Priced as a luxury vehicle, they are self-contained and include all of the necessities that you need, while also including all of the things that you want. If you’re looking to go off-roading in style, while doing it self-sufficient and off-grid, this bad boy is for you.

Advertisements

Lance truck campers are at a great price point, starting as low as $25,000 brand new. They’re available for Chevy/Dodge/Ford/GM trucks whether they’re short or long-beds. They have them for select Toyotas and Nissans as well. You get the modern luxuries in a very small package, that is still just an extension of your truck.

There are PLENTY of other truck campers on the market, for every size and shape of truck. We’ve even seen plenty of people that have custom built their truck camper, if you’re a handy type of person. You do sacrifice quite a bit of space over the likes of campers and motorhomes, so I’d recommend truck campers for 1-2 people and rarely more. There’s also options of truck campers with 1,2,3 slide-outs that help gain A LOT of space and storage for these. Expect to spend a little more money on these larger-sized $50,000-$100,000.

Pros: If you already own a truck, you just need to buy the camper portion to get started. For recreational campers, you can easily detach the truck camper and leave it at home while you still commute to work like normal. Truck campers detach and can be self-contained on most surfaces, just like any other camper. This makes your truck still usable if you want to leave the camper portion behind and go explore. Otherwise, it’s small and easy enough to drive with for any adventure. No pesky backing in a trailer or motorhome. No hitching or unhitching required

Cons: Not much storage, plus you sacrifice the truck bed to live in this monster! This is a difficult space to live in full time because of the tiny space and minimal storage.

Travel Trailers

Where do I start with travel trailers … when there’s a MILLION different layouts and options available.

As a beginner, many opt to get the smallest travel trailer – and that’s reasonable. It looks scary to drive a freaking 18-wheeler- length rolling home. Most people will aim to get between a 25 and 35 foot travel trailer, especially if you have kids or any pets. Although, you can definitely exist in a much smaller space if you are willing to be minimal about your camping.

Advertisements

There’s plenty of very, very small options that are well under 20 feet as well, but I know that scares most people away when they actually see how small it is, these are things like Tabs. In this small of a vehicle, you’re sacrificing a lot over your traditional at-home living and I’ll admit that.

We personally accepted that we want a smaller space to save money, and to pair down into a more minimalistic lifestyle. We have a 26 foot Class C motorhome, don’t tow a car, and it’s been a dream for us. Camping, and life in general, really is a “choose your own adventure!”

Pros: You can pretty much pick your dream floor plan, with as many slide-outs and storage as you want. They literally have thousands of options here. Another good thing here is that if you already own a truck or large enough SUV, you’re pretty much ready to buy a trailer and take off!

Cons: If you’ve never driven a big truck or pulled a trailer, then be prepared for a learning curve. Also, backing in a travel trailer is somewhat frustrating for newbies – expect fights with your spouse (LOL). Difficulty of hitching, unhitching, setting up levels and chocks.

Fifth-Wheels

Fifth-wheels are pretty common nowadays, and for great reason. You combine the great size of a Class A motorhome with the ease of use of a travel trailer. Not to mention that you get to also include the space above your truck bed as additional living space, which travel trailers just can’t match. The turning radius on these bad boys is quite large too, much better than your pull-behind campers that can jack-knife (turn too hard and the trailer and hitch will crunch in on itself).

Finding a fifth-wheel for just about every price point is practical, with floor plans to appeal to everyone. Slide-outs here can almost double your living space in some cases.

Advertisements

Pros: Gain the space over your truck bed as a living quarters, compared to travel trailers losing that. Quite easy to level and balance out once un-hitched from a truck. Can get these as large as a Class A motorhome, basically 45 feet of usable floor plan PLUS slide-outs and storage underneath.

Cons: Price, usually between $50,000-$150,000.Very bulky and usually between 25 and 45 feet. Harder to drive especially for newbies if you’ve never pulled a trailer. Hitching, un-hitching, and setup is more than a smaller travel trailer or motorhome/van. You must have a special hitch to connect to your truck.

Camper-vans

These are sometimes called Class B motorhomes (see below motorhome section), although not always. Sometimes simply called vans, these things are literally a mini-van that you sleep in. You can see the yellow VW below and this thing is beautiful.

1976 Volkswagen Westfalia – man, we’d love to have one of these!

Because of the size of these, you obviously won’t get very much storage space. Not to mention living space, which is basically non-existent. You usually have the front seats to drive, bench seating that converts to a bed (or in the case of the VW you can sleep in the pop-up camper top portion), a mini-fridge, little camping range, and a few cabinets. That’s about the extent of what you get here with vans.

A huge mention here is that these will not typically include a bathroom of shower, some of the most crucial luxuries for many of us. Expect to use the campground showers and toilets!

Of course, you can spend much, much, more on the higher end Class-B motorhomes. These would be camper-van conversions such as the Airstream Interstate, Thor sanctuary, and the Storyteller Overland.

Advertisements

There’s a wide differential in prices of camper-vans, and there really is a different vehicle for everyone. They all vary widely with features, sizes, bed types, and more. If you’re considering one of these, make sure to do your extensive research and expect to pay a pretty penny. You’ll spend between $25,000-$225,000 whether you want a used little Dodge Promaster that’s been partially renovated, or a brand new ready to live in beast like the Winnebago Revel.

Pros: These are as small as your basic SUV or truck that you’re probably driving already. Picture a plumbing or construction work truck, but converted into a living space. Can be 4WD or lifted for plenty of driving clearance.

Cons: Basically zero storage – you’re living in a van, man. These rarely even can fit a shower or toilet. You’ll either have to use the camping bathrooms, or opt for a composting toilet and outdoor shower spray wand.

Advertisements

Motorhomes

Very important to note that this “class” system does not jump from A, to B, to C depending on length or price by any means. In general, Class A motorhomes are the largest and most luxurious or expensive. Class C motorhomes are a budget version of that, and in much smaller form factors. Then, you have Class B motorhomes which are heavily improved camper vans with all of your modern accessories, usually at a smaller package than both Class A and C motorhomes. I know, it’s pretty confusing, but I didn’t create this system!

Class A: The “Crème de la crème” (French, literally means cream of the cream, or translated further to mean cream of the crop, or the best of something) of motorhomes. These bad boys are usually starting at $50,000 for a VERY used model. You can expect to pay close to $250,000 for a decent motorhome here, and easily up to $1 million dollars for some of the top of the line options like Prevost.

Prevost, top of the line of motorhomes. This thing is like close to $1 million brand new.

These Class A motorhomes have all of your luxuries of a modern home, albeit in a much smaller package. They have sprawling living spaces, slide-outs to add additional space, king beds, dual-vanity sinks in the bathroom, and huge residential refrigerators (RV fridges are typically much smaller than a home/residential fridge). Expect to pay quite a pretty few pennies for these though.

Another super important thing to note is that Class A motorhomes can range from the smallest at about 22 feet, all the way up to 45 feet of living space.

Pros: More space than you should ever need. Easy setup: you pull-in, park, use your auto-levelers and hook up power, water, and waste. That’s basically it! You can tow almost any car, truck, or SUV. These things are beasts and way a ton, plus have massive diesel engines capable of pulling just about anything.

Cons: These motorhomes are huge and when you see them out, they’re usually 35-45 feet long. You’re basically driving a school bus with much more weight and features inside. Most engines here are diesel – expect HIGH fuel prices especially in these hard times. Good luck parking this thing anywhere, as its too large to fit in a lot of places.

Advertisements

Class B: These are also lumped into the “camper-van” category quite often. In reality, Class B motorhomes are larger and considerably more upscale over the traditional camper-van. Usually Class B motorhomes have a bathroom and shower, even if they’re tiny and hard to use, where as camper-vans almost always do not. The length of a Class B motorhome caps out at about 22 feet in most cases, so these are typically easy to maneuver and drive anywhere!

Pros: Very small and easy to drive, not much of a difference from your daily commuter. You can park it just about anywhere, standard parking spots are big enough. Most of these vans are available with 4WD making them beasts to go off-roading or onto a beach.

Cons: Very small space, good luck with storage, because you don’t get much. Usually your dining table/dinette converts into your bed. Although, in certain models you can definitely use the front driving seats as your dining space. Vans or Class B motorhomes are VERY expensive … usually starting at $100,000 and exceeding well above that!

Class C: This is where WE fit in! We have a Class C motorhome, and it’s a 2022 Coachmen Crosstrail XL 23XG. Yep, that’s a mouthful – why do they name these things like freaking extraterrestrial planets?

Advertisements

Class C motorhomes vary greatly between about 22 feet and 33 feet, and you can’t get much larger than that. Once you step above that threshold, you’re looking at either a travel trailer, fifth wheel camper, or a Class A motorhome because each of these have options to go much larger.

Pros: These offer a nice blend between the Class A and the Class B, which is why I’m baffled why it’s called a Class C. (I guess Class C was the third thing invented by combining the other two?) Budget friendly for the whole family, and Fido!

Cons: These cap out at about 35 feet, so if you want larger you’ll have to get a Class A or travel trailer/fifth-wheel. Very low ground clearance – expect to scrape a lot when driving. Not the most luxurious, if you want that instead: look to Class A or B.

The Others

We’ve seen just about everything on our trip over the last 9 months of full-time RV living. We’ve seen plenty of music festival-goers basically living in their vans and school buses. I spotted a Honda Element with a pop-up rooftop camper once. Plenty of SUVs like Toyota 4Runner, Subaru Outback, and others that people have slapped a rooftop camper top on. We’ve even seen a few people using “Camp mode” on their Tesla as they sleep in it at their campsite pedestal charging overnight.

“Life really is about creating your own adventure.”
-No Place Like Gone, 2023

We’ve Had Fun Today – Did You?

We can only hope that you had a blast reading our blog today. We love camping and traveling full-time so much that we have dedicated our time to help others do the same. It’s truly a lifestyle fit for just about everyone, with many, many options to suite your needs. The experience of camping is how you can live simply, see plenty of beautiful landscapes, and experience the world through your own lens.

Advertisements

<img alt=" Matt with

Matt with
No Place Like Gone

Hey! I’m the man behind the magic – AKA the camera and blog. I’m also a purveyor of craft beer, grill master, and chief RV driver. Connect with me on social media below:

Check out these related reads:

Is Van Life as Glorious as Instagram Shows?

by No Place Like Gone January 28, 2023

Amazing Camping Stays for Virtually Free!

by No Place Like Gone October 27, 2022

RV Necessity List

by No Place Like Gone April 27, 2022

My Plan to Travel the US in an RV

by No Place Like Gone March 17, 2022

The Valley is on Fire!

by No Place Like Gone February 8, 2023

Tags Adventure, camper, camping, Lifestyle, money, rv, travel

Adventure travel

Campground Dos & Donts

We’ve been on the road for about 8 months now and we’ve driven all the way from the east coast (South Carolina) to the west coast (California). The memories, adventures, and laughs have been worth every second. And that’s a lot of sitting in a campground. We have a 26 foot Coachmen Class C motorhome with no slide-outs (basically an oversized camper van), and it’s perfect for us. We’ve camped at national parks, COE campgrounds, fancy pants RV resorts, an amusement park, private RV parks, and state park campgrounds (and in a Walmart parking lot that one time – that was fun). Below is an overview of things we’ve learned about camping along the way. Some of these may seem like common sense – common sense isn’t always common, though.

Our 2022 Coachmen Cross Trail XL 23XG sitting in a campground. — Our 2022 Coachmen Cross Trail XL 23XG

This is what we’ve learned on our cross-country roadtrip:

Are you just getting into #vanlife or RV travel? Maybe you just bought your new camper and are ready to hit a nearby campground for the first “shake-down” trip? Or maybe you’ve been camping for a while and you’re seeking ultimate relaxation?

We know camping can be a scary thing … you’re literally deciding to go sleep in the woods and become one with nature. (Bears, coyotes, snakes, and bugs live out here!)

Well, step 1 is to read this blog & learn how to camp like a pro. Step 2 is to unplug from all of your devices so that you can embrace the great outdoors and enjoy your camping trip! Let’s get started.

Advertisements

The Dos and Donts of Staying at a Campground:

Do:

Do make a list before you pack up: If you don’t, you’ll end up forgetting something – and it’s usually something super important. Checking off items on a list helps keep you organized so that you won’t miss any of the important items you’ll need in the woods to survive.
Do say hi: Be sure to say hello to your new neighbors for the weekend (or longer depending on your stay). If you’re an introvert, wave at your neighbors when they look over. If you’re an extrovert, strike up a chat when someone walks by. You never know what you could learn from someone new. Do keep in mind that some people like camping to get out in nature (and away from people) though – don’t be overbearing.
Do act like the neighborhood watch committee: Keep an eye on your neighbor’s stuff, especially if they leave for the day. Most of the time there are no problems, but some campgrounds can be hotspots for thieves. Be sure to lock up bicycles and anything else that can “grow legs” and if you see someone fishy in your neighbor’s spot, report it. You’d want them to do the same for you, right?

Advertisements

Do arrive before sun set: Ideally you’ll arrive right at check-in time and be able to maximum your trip, but at a MINIMUM arrive before the sun goes down. I can’t emphasis enough how important it is to actually be able to see while you setup your campsite. Arriving on time also lets you to enjoy the sunset from your new campground spot. If you arrive after dark, good luck – you will be getting frustrated…
Do share your location: Let your family and friends know where you are staying and your plans for the trip. This is especially important if you expect your phone won’t have signal, you never know what can happen out in the boonies. If you’re in a more developed area tools like Apple’s “Find My” are a great way to share your location with loved ones.
Do make a plan for your pooch: Most campgrounds will allow pets buuuuut, some don’t. Sometimes, you’ll have to pay an extra fee to bring your pup with you or there could be breed restrictions. Pets are not allowed on any trails within a National Park – so be sure to plan accordingly for a safe spot for your pup (DO NOT leave your dog in a hot car). Some campgrounds will even have dog parks on site – just make sure to check the rules beforehand and plan accordingly. Oh – and pick up your pup’s poop!!!

Advertisements

Do observe fire safety warnings: Sometimes, especially out west, there are fire bans in place. These aren’t because they don’t want you enjoying s’mores by the campfire. Bans are because conditions are so dicey that devastating wildfires can begin from just a single hot ember. Decade-long droughts and strong winds create conditions that can spread wildfires in the blink of an eye causing millions of dollars worth of damage and potentially loss of life for animals and humans in the area. If you do have a campfire, pour water on it to put it out, stir with a shovel, and then douse with even more water to completely smother the flames. This is the only, and best, way to make sure the fire won’t reignite and become a problem. Make sure you listen to Smoky the Bear and check local conditions before starting any fire.
Do check the weather: With today’s technology and weather apps available in the palm of your hand – there is no excuse for not knowing if storms are coming through. Check the weather multiple times before your trip and then again each day during your trip. A weather radio can be especially helpful in remote areas. It may seem tedious, but while camping you are especially exposed to the elements without the protection of a sticks-and-bricks home. Keep in mind that large bodies of water like lakes or oceans can make conditions worse. We learned this the hard way while tent camping on a point in Georgia during a hurrican-ado (hurricane-tornado, lol). Conditions can change QUICK, so be alert.
Do pack extra layers: Bring extra clothes, you’ll need them. Temperatures can vary widely between daytime and nighttime – it’s usually colder outside than you realize at night. You’ll also want an extra pair of shoes and socks in case yours get wet (no one wants to hike in wet socks).
Do enjoy the great outdoors: Ultimately, you booked this trip to get outside and experience nature. So, enjoy your time! There may be bad weather or bugs, but if you embrace it all with a smile on your face you’ll have memories to last a life time.

Advertisements

Don’t:

Don’t forget the necessities: There are thousands of gadgets and all types of gear for camping. Those are great, but don’t forget the basics. These are food, water, shelter (tent or camper), and a first aid kit. Making a list before you pack is helpful to ensure you don’t forget a single item.
Don’t bug folks during set up: We encourage you to say hi to your neighbors. But pleaaaaseeee don’t smother a fellow camper the second they pull in – no matter how cool their rig is. After a long drive, people need time to settle in and set up – give them time and space. After they’ve set up their temporary home, let the friend-making begin.
Don’t be the campground DJ: Blasting music assuming the whole campground wants to party is a no-no. Your site is your space & your music shouldn’t be audible beyond it. Keep in mind that your fellow campers may have small children, or consider your music offensive. A lot of people camp to enjoy the peace and quiet of nature – not Miley Cyrus’ newest hit blaring through your bluetooth speaker.
Don’t let your dog be a nuisance to others: We’ve yet to see an off leash campground – campgrounds require your pet to be leashed or confined to your space. This is for their safety and yours.

Advertisements

Don’t keep everyone up: If it’s past quiet hours – be quiet. Quiet hours usually begin after 10pm at most campgrounds and end around 7am – be sure to review your check-in paperwork for specific instructions. This includes generators, kids, dogs, and anything else that emits sound.
Don’t be trashy: Use the dumpsters and recycling bins provided by the campground. Don’t leave trash all over your campsite, or overnight where animals may get into it. Nature isn’t a trash can for our garbage – we have to preserve its beauty so that we can continue to enjoy it.
Don’t feed the natives: While they may be fuzzy and cute – wild animals are meant to be just that – wild. Don’t feed any wild animals and don’t leave food out where animals can get into it either. Be on high alert in areas that bears frequent. You can usually tell if there’s been a problem with animals searching for food if there are heavy-duty-bear-proof trash cans or locking food boxes on site.

Advertisements

Don’t leave your awning out overnight or when you’re away: Very often, strong winds or rain can come in unexpectedly (which is why we recommend you check the weather often). Your RV awning or stand alone pop-up canopy cannot withstand winds over roughly 20 mph (miles per hour). We also learned this lesson the hard way when our 10 foot x 10 foot tailgate canopy crumbled in the Colorado desert during a sandstorm that blew in randomly in the middle of the day with 50-60 mph winds.
Don’t cut through spots: Use marked pathways to get around the campground and be sure to keep an eye on kids playing. They may unintentionally run through your neighbor’s spot and get the “Hey you stinking kids – get off my lawn!!!” talk.
Don’t burn firewood from another location: Typically, the rule is don’t bring firewood from further than 50 miles away from the campground you are staying at. The reason for this is that you may unintentionally introduce new harmful species of bugs or plants that aren’t native to the area. This can severely hurt the wildlife and ecosystem of the new area you’ve brought the wrong wood to.
Don’t camp alone: Camping is always better (and safer) with friends – the more the merrier! With the right prep work, solo camping can be a restorative time in nature but we recommend always having a buddy with you. Be sure to bring camping buddies with you to enjoy the great outdoors safely; you may even help your friends discover a new hobby in the process. At the very least, make an Instagram post after your trip to share your adventure and the things you discovered during your time outside to get your followers curious about the great outdoors. Sharing is caring!

Advertisements

What Did You Learn From This Blog?

We’d love to hear your feedback. What did we miss? What are some of your campground do’s and dont’s? We are always looking to improve our quality of content so that we can help newbies and veterans of camping alike.

Join the [gone] community for more blogs about traveling the US, camping tips and tricks, and travel hacks.

Get plugged in with us by clicking the links below:

Here’s some more great reads if you’re interested! 🤙

Tags Adventure, camper, camping, rv, travel, vanlife

Adventure travel

The Valley is on Fire!

Runnnnn Forest runnnnn – quickly! The valley is on fire in Nevada at Valley of Fire State Park! A short one hour trip from the bustling city of Las Vegas will land you here in an appealing, yet unsure, landscape. It’s part desert & part Martian planet – including cacti who love the harsh heat and out-of-this-world sandstone formations towering above in all directions. The combination of wind, rain, and natural erosion over millenia have created this perfect (albeit HOT) little paradise at Valley of Fire State Park.

Advertisements

We’ve organized all of the sections & park highlights below in alphabetical order. There’s also a handy table of contents to help you navigate around this read quickly! We hope that you put Valley of Fire State Park on your list if you ever happen to be around Las Vegas, Nevada!

Advertisements

If the threat of fire hasn’t scared you away yet…

then let’s proceed into the Valley of Fire, but prepare to get burned.

A shot of the road that runs through the center of Valley of Fire SP, Nevada.

Advertisements

Here’s a map to help you navigate your way around the park!

This is literally the same map we used to get around the park and plan our day trips. There’s no cell signal in the park so be prepared to go “old-school” and use your paper map & navigate like Lewis and Clark. You can conveniently download this map by clicking on the image above.

If you check out the map above, you’ll see you can enter from either the East or the West side of the park. Either way, there’s a park ranger operated pay gate at each end of the park so that you can pay the admission fee to get in. We also recommend asking for all of the paper resources they can give you. Usually this will land you the above map, detailed trail guides, recent local wildlife sightings, and things to do in the area nearby. Park rangers are your friends!

Advertisements

Atlatl Rock

Atlatl Rock is the name for this naturally-occurring rock formation, and there’s good reason. An atlatl (pronounced at-latl) in history, is a stick used by some indigenous peoples of North America to propel a spear or dart. What’s even cooler is that this formation includes scaffolding built by the park which allows you to get up close and personal with petroglyphs (ancient rock carvings by native tribes). These figures are one of the major pieces left behind by the ancient cultures who once resided here – potentially thousands of years ago.

Advertisements

Beehives

What’s that in the distance? BIZZZZ! Oh, wow! I didn’t know that bees could survive and thrive in the desert. On closer examination, they’re not beehives. But they do look just like them!

Over time, the wind has eroded these rocks into nature’s “perfect” shape – a circle. At this stop, you can literally park your car and hop right out to see them – with no athleticism required at all. The beehives are located directly inside the western entrance gate and make a great first stop in the park.

Advertisements

Campgrounds – Atlatl and Arch Rock

We saw multiple big-horn sheep walk through the campground, they seem used to campers and generally uninterested in our presence. I was lucky enough to capture this shot of them grazing on the mountain top the next morning. Although they seemed quite benign, be sure to keep your distance from them and their big horns to avoid a potential “ouch”!

Two big-horned sheep on the mountain top!

We stayed at Atlatl campground, which is first-come first-served. Yep, they don’t take campground reservations. There are a few spots with full RV hookups (and these go quick!) but most are “dry-camping” – this means no power, water, or sewer connections – a.k.a. “hike-in” or primitive camping only. This probably doesn’t interest most people who like to plan their trips months in advance or go “glamping” but hey, when you live life on the edge, the reward sometimes outweighs the risk. And we knew the reward of Valley of Fire certainly would be worth the small inconvenience. The pictures of this hotspot destination look incredible online.

We were, however, unlucky enough to watch the last RV spot get taken. We ended up squeezing into a site with no water or power, but that’s fine because we are set up for boondocking (camping without any hookups & being self-sufficient – almost like you would in a tent).

Advertisements

I considered sleeping underneath this rock shelter here. Quite spacious compared to our RV. (lol)

Arch Rock campground is definitely geared more to your purists. We didn’t stay here, but I can tell you that tent camping or #vanlife is recommended at this site with most sites being hike-in only. Not only do they not have any hookups, but the spots are much smaller here as well. Either way, the views are incredible in either campground and you will be surrounded by incredible sandstone formations.

Advertisements

Oh, and we left a small surprise behind:

It’s probably been found by now, but we left some hidden “artifacts” from our brand among the formations in the Atlatl campground. Good luck hunting!

Hidy Holes

Listen, this section was titled this way intentionally. How else would you name this? lol.

Through the looking glass…

Maybe my girlfriend, dog, and I are just Luna-tics (Hah! Our dog’s name is Luna) but we found plenty of cool looking “hidy holes” all over the park. You can’t miss them. You’ll see them on every hike, every trail, and in most little sections of rock if you keep your eyes peeled. They’re plenty of fun for you to take EPIC pictures in and take a break from the intense heat.

Advertisements

Elephant Rock

Ever seen an elephant in a desert? No? Well us neither, until today.

Dad joke of the day: How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.

Advertisements

Ready, Set, Action! 🎥

You can’t avoid how beautiful and “other-worldly” feeling this place is. Of course, being near Las Vegas and Hollywood, many big names have been attracted here from all around the entertainment industry. Plenty of film scenes were shot within the valley:

Viva Las Vegas starring Elvis Presley had multiple shots filmed in the park for the racing scenes in the movie.

The above brick wall is the only prop that remains from the shooting of The Professionals in 1966.

The outside Mars scenes from Total Recall starring Arnold Schwarzenegger were almost totally shot in Valley of Fire.

The scenes from Planet Veridian III from Star Trek Generations were shot here in 1994.

Advertisements

🔥 Fire Wave 🔥

This wouldn’t be a top-notch blog unless I squeezed in one of my childhood passions, RuneScape. If you didn’t play this browser based game 10-15 years back then you just simply will not understand the phenomenon. RuneScape was one of those types of games that kept you coming back for more. There was constant progression, hundreds of quests, over twenty skills with branching paths of gameplay, and also it was multiplayer. You could talk with friends and new people on the internet all the time … and this was early at the dawn of the 2000’s (notably 2004-2007) where we used AOL (America On-Line) dial-up internet and AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) to interact. Oh, how times were different. Many of the younger generation are already forgetting how hard it was before the internet! Some of my favorite child hood memories came from playing this game along with plenty of friends, and grinding away as a teenager. Man, what a feeling it was to escape reality … try out Old School RuneScape today if you know what’s good for you! 😜

Advertisements

Anyways, back to the main point of this section … Fire Wave! Fire Wave is a medium-level fire spell in RuneScape that does decent damage to armored foes.

The Fire Wave spell from RuneScape:

Video games aside, these IRL (in real-life, an internet gaming term) fire waves were incredible to see:

Advertisements

Doggie Adventures in the Valley 🐶

Whenever we go on a hike we love to take our pup with us (when permitted); luckily Valley of Fire trails are dog friendly! If you do decide to bring your pup on trail at Valley of Fire be sure to check the temperature of the ground and rock as the high temperatures in the valley can quickly cause damage to their soft paw pads. Doggie boots are also a great option for hot days. We did our hike in the early morning so temperatures weren’t a problem for us. But the most important thing to consider is WATER. Bring lots and lots – way more than you think you need for yourself AND your fury friend(s).

Here’s our cutie, Luna – she’s a year-and-a-half old chocolate Labrador Retriever crossed with a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. If you aren’t familiar with her breeds, she is basically known as a “duck dog” or “sporting dog” because of her natural instinct to retrieve ducks and other waterfowl when hunting. Do we hunt? No, not really. Does she hunt everything that moves? Yep, pretty much. She has more energy than three espressos and a bag full of sugar … and constantly keeps us on our toes. Taking her on hikes with us is a great way to let her get her energy out and let her “hunt” in nature – no ducks were harmed in the making of this blog.

Advertisements

Mouse’s Tank

These incredible rock carvings, are expected to date back as far as 2,000 years ago.

While this area has a strange name, the story behind the name is even more obscure. A Southern Paiute Indian renegade who went by the tribal name, “Little Mouse,” used this area of Valley of Fire as a hideout in the 1890’s. He was accused of gunning down two prospectors along with many other crimes in the area. This natural oasis held two pothole”tanks” of water and provided a natural hiding spot for him to escape his captors. He was eventually found in the valley and killed while trying to escape his pursuers.

Petroglyphs all over the park paint the ancient languages of. a past society who lived here.

Advertisements

Natural Arch

Few things are as awe-inspiring as a natural arch in the desert. Towering high above the rocks below, this arch is a highlight of the park. I’ll let you & the scientists try to figure out how the inside of the arch has managed to disappear leaving the remaining arch shape intact. Somehow, this shape has managed to survive thousands of years without losing the battle its duking it out with – gravity.

Advertisements

However Dark the Night, Tomorrow’s Light Always Follows

Thanks to the lovely iPhone 11 Pro Max I have (yes, I know there are three year’s worth of newer iPhones now) I was able to capture this amazing shot from our spot at the Atlatl campground one night. Look closely to see a rock balancing on the top of the formation. It’s amazing to see the capability of technology even in this remote wilderness.

Within this image, you can count the individual stars in the night sky – just like the once great philosopher Plato did. And I promise that this picture isn’t edited, it’s shot raw with the iPhone 11 Pro Max night-mode feature. You can definitely see the night sky beautifully at night here, and we highly recommend camping at least one night to witness it.

While we were there, the moon was almost full, so we could see fairly well at night; well enough that we were able to do a few short hikes around the campground without flashlights or other artificial light sources.

Advertisements

One Punch Man!

Have you seen the rants and raves about the anime One Punch Man? No? It’s fine, I’ll give you a quick summary here!

One Punch Man defeats all of the bad guys in the world by punching them – one impactful time. The anime is a hilarious comedy about saving the world, but looking cool while doing it.

I’ve recaptured in perfect detail how to defeat someone with one punch. Look at my form, and the velocity of punchy-ness. Spot on. I showed that rock who’s boss … and who says that heroes wear capes?

Advertisements

Petrified Logs

Millions of years ago, it is understood by scientists that the entire valley (and most of the continent) was covered in lakes, trees, and animals. Now, very desolate – as it is now a desert climate – not many trees or animals can be found here. Small bushes are sparse and most animals spend the hot days underground.

A petrified log is just what it sounds like – and it’s kind of freaky too. Instead of being wood like you expect normal trees to be, over time the trees that were found here have transformed into fossils.

Advertisements

Petrified wood is indeed a fossil, like animals bones. It forms when plant material is buried by sediment and protected from decay due to oxygen and organisms. Then, groundwater rich in dissolved solids flows through the sediment, replacing the original plant material with silica, calcite, pyrite, or another inorganic material such as opal. The result is a fossil of the original woody material that often exhibits preserved details of the bark, wood, and cellular structures.

Some specimens of petrified wood are such accurate preservations that people do not realize they are fossils until they pick them up and are shocked by their weight.

Advertisements

Petroglyphs

Petroglyphs represent an ancient language of yester-year .

On close inspection, you can see big-horned sheep (I put pictures of some of the sheep we saw in the Atlatl Campground section of this blog), a family or tribe, water, and many other depictions of the natural environment found here thousands of years ago. Scientists have done extensive research here to decode these drawings to understand the people that once lived here.

It makes you wonder what future generations will think of the English language and the notebooks with pen and paper writings we will leave behind.

Advertisements

Potato Chip Rock?

Someone call Lays … I think their potato chip ran away! What appears to be a distorted sandstone potato chip is actually a very thin rock holding on for dear life. Nature often finds ways to make things uniquely beautiful – all it takes is a little imagination. This is a wonderful depiction of that.

Advertisements

Our First Slot Canyon

Slot canyons are a fun phenomenon commonly found out west. Being from the east coast, our tourist hearts leapt for joy when we found this one along the White Dome trail. Simply put, slot canyons are spaces between two rock faces where the rock on each side narrowly misses touching each other. They’re nature’s playground and many enjoy hiking, climbing, and squeezing through these tight spaces. Sometimes you can find hidden areas to explore like waterfalls or caves.

Advertisements

Luckily for our first, this one was pretty easy to walk through and only required a few side-steps near the end – no squeezing necessary. Although, it was beautiful every single step of the way and we enjoyed geeking out over the rock stratification. Something about looking up and only seeing a narrow stretch of blue sky is mesmerizing.

The entrance to the slot canyon

So … You Made it Through the Fire?

Valley of Fire State Park got it’s name for obvious reasons – it’s hot, the sandstone is bright red, and at sunset the entire place glows a warm red, as if the valley were on fire. But there’s something else hidden in this valley.

It’s sense of whimsy, of curiosity, and child-like play around every corner. Each turn of the trail beckons, “What will you discover next?” There’s incredible vistas, slot canyons, dry falls, petroglyphs, towering bee hives, unique plants, rock formations, miles of hiking trails, and incredible creatures to discover.

We often say that nature is mankind’s’ playground and this park has been one of the coolest we’ve explored so far. If you’re in the Las Vegas area, step away from the glitz and development and see what lies just an hour up Interstate 15. It makes sense that over half a million people visit each year to discover the wonder of nature within – and we’re glad we got to be some of them.

Advertisements

Look here for similar reads:

Is Van Life as Glorious as Instagram Shows?

by No Place Like Gone January 28, 2023

My FIRST Roller Coaster?

by No Place Like Gone September 30, 2022

Amazing Camping Stays for Virtually Free!

by No Place Like Gone October 27, 2022

My Plan to Travel the US in an RV

by No Place Like Gone March 17, 2022

Tags Adventure, Las Vegas, Nevada, rv, State Park, travel, Valley of Fire, vanlife

Adventure travel

Little Painted Desert County Park

Post author By No Place Like Gone
Post date December 12, 2022
No Comments on Little Painted Desert County Park

We were luckily enough to speak with a veteran park ranger at a local campground here in Arizona where he gave us some insider details on the most adventurous things to do nearby! We would have had ZERO clue that there is a beautiful work of art right around the corner from the campground where were staying at the time.

A quick 20 minute drive away from Winslow, Arizona is how you get off the beaten path to this excellent wonder of Mother Nature. What is Winslow, Arizona known for you ask? If you’ve heard of the famous song “Take It Easy” by The Eagles, then you are in good company. Not only is merchandise available all over the town for the infamous Route 66, but also you can get yourself wonderful pictures by Standin’ On The Corner.

Standin’ On The Corner – Winslow, Arizona

Advertisements

What is the Painted Desert like?

100% worth it. It’s a little sketch though, I won’t lie. Since the county and state authorities have given up on maintenance and taking care of this park, you’ll be greeted by potholes and graffiti all over the place. Heck, the ONLY other person that we saw there was sleeping in their car… but they didn’t bother us the whole time! No big deal for us.

Seriously, though. This place is worth the views. And even if you don’t want to get out of your car, you can drive around most of the rim and get excellent views without walking. Now the roads are pretty awful and falling apart, so you might feel better driving an SUV or truck, but definitely not required.

Here’s some images we got there:

Advertisements

Advertisements

Advertisements

You can’t deny that the views of this place are magnificent. It’s so unfortunate that the park isn’t funded and taken care of by the government anymore. However, if you are planning on swinging by the beautiful town of Winslow, Arizona then now you know this place is a hop, skip, and a drop away!

Plan your trip of the Little Painted Desert County Park today! The address to plugin your GPS is: Painted Desert Rim Dr, Winslow, AZ 86047.

Do you want exclusive camping discounts to stay nearby Winslow, AZ?

Check out my partners for 30% off of signing up right now:

Harvest Hosts: Celebrate the season with 30% off a year of unlimited overnight stays at wineries, breweries, farms, and more! For only $69.30, a Harvest Hosts membership gives you access to trip-planning tools, $1500 worth of Member benefits, and 4000+ overnight RV stays for a whole year. Start a membership today and see where the road takes you. Hurry, the sale ends on 12/31/22!

Use my exclusive link here for 30% off of your yearly Harvest Hosts subscription. You must use the code FRIENDS30 at checkout for the discount to apply!

Boondockers Welcome: Boondockers Welcome opens up a world of new camping opportunities. Escape the crowded and noisy campground in favor of a private spot on a beautiful property and a meaningful connection with a friendly host. Enjoy truly unique stay experiences often without any sacrifice to comfort as 70% of Boondockers Welcome hosts offer hookups.

Use my exclusive link here for 30% off of your yearly Boondockers Welcome subscription. You must use the code BWFRIENDS15 at checkout for the discount to apply!

Want our latest travel updates, tips and tricks, camping hacks, blogs, and more sent to you frequently? Get connected with us below by clicking on our social media buttons!

Tags Adventure, Arizona, camping, Little Painted Desert County Park, nature, travel

travel

Amazing Camping Stays for Virtually Free!

Post author By No Place Like Gone
Post date October 27, 2022
No Comments on Amazing Camping Stays for Virtually Free!

With Harvest Hosts, you can choose many incredible stays that come with unique experiences, privacy, or even life on the farm! Boondockers Welcome is a nice partner program to stay with locals and use their hookups for the night! Keep reading for more.

Have you been scrolling Instagram looking at all of those hippie kids living their happiest life in a van down by the river? Or maybe you’ve seen our top notch social media posts about full-time RV life and it looks like what only happens in dreams. Either way, we want to help you get into living your best life as a digital nomad – or a traveling financial minimalist.

If you weren’t enticed already about outdoors experiences, how about the beautiful face of an Alpaca?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by No Place Like Gone 🌙 (@noplacelike.gone)

Two Roots Fiber Mill (Harvest Hosts member) – Greeneville, TN

Advertisements

OK, now that I’ve got your attention

One of the best things about owning a motorhome or camper is that you get to set up home wherever you desire next! Are you tired of seeing the same mountain every day? Well, pack up and head to the beach!

Whether you are new to the camping game, or have been doing it for years, there’s so many different ways to experience this lifestyle. The thing I hear from campers the most is that they want new fun ways to stay in the great outdoors, but they also are fed up with packed campgrounds and overpriced nightly rates.

I have the answer!

With Harvest Hosts, you can choose many incredible stays that come with unique experiences, privacy, or even life on the farm! The great thing about Harvest Hosts is that once you pay the yearly subscription, which you can save 15% off with our link here, you don’t have to pay additionally for camping at every stay you choose. It is recommended to buy something from the farm, winery, or museum that you stay at, though. What a small price of admission for an amazing stay.

So what kind of stays can you expect? Well, I can tell you first hand what we have done so far! Scroll through the pictures below to see.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by No Place Like Gone 🌙 (@noplacelike.gone)

Roos and Coos Farm – Plant City, FL (Harvest Hosts)

Advertisements

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by No Place Like Gone 🌙 (@noplacelike.gone)

Haystack Farms – McAlpin, FL (Harvest Hosts)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by No Place Like Gone 🌙 (@noplacelike.gone)

Northfield Vineyards – Sparta, TN (Harvest Hosts)

These are just a few of the unique stays we have got to enjoy with Harvest Hosts! There’s so many more though. Recently, we’ve discovered a missile silo that offers tours, a bison ranch, and even a ski resort!

Advertisements

So how does all of this work?

Harvest Hosts normally costs $99/yearly as a subscription.
You can get $15 off yearly subscription with our code here, just use discount code HHFRIENDS15 at checkout for instant savings!
Stay at over 4300+ hosts with no camping fees.
Pick from stays at museums, farms, wineries, attractions, breweries, and more.
Over $1500 in exclusive member discounts to companies such as Goodyear, Jackery, Thousand Trails, and more!
Easy to use Harvest Hosts app you can download on iOS or Android.
Check hosts availability within the app or website anytime.
Plan stays along your travel route with trip routing features within the app/website.

Harvest Hosts – exclusive camping experiences are only a click away!

Boondockers Welcome – safe overnight stays!

There’s also a partner program called Boondockers Welcome

Want to stay at even more places? Maybe you want to stay closer within a big city, or need hookups so that you don’t have to run your generator all night. Boondockers Welcome is a partner program with Harvest Hosts that allows you to stay at even more places!

Advertisements

What’s it like?

Boondockers Welcome normally costs $79/yearly as a subscription.
If you have Harvest Hosts already, and purchase Boondockers Welcome, you save $10 making it $169/yearly to combine the two.
You can save 15% off your Boondockers Welcome subscription with our exclusive link here, just use discount code BWFRIENDS15 at checkout to save instantly!
Stay at over 3000+ places overnight, next to someone’s house or land, so that you can feel safer overnight not being alone!
Hosts can provide unique experiences, tell you about local things to do, and so much more!
Over 70% of hosts provide electrical hookups on site, so no pesky generator needed in most cases.
Small donations are recommended to give to the host if you enjoy your stay.

Take-aways:

We have thoroughly enjoyed our stays with both programs Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome. Between the wineries, museums, and lovely farms, there’s something for everyone. It’s not just the location, but even more so, it’s the people that you get to interact with during your stays. You will get to meet farmers who work their butt off every year to provide food to society. You will see beautiful animals that you don’t even see in many zoos. The kids can enjoy awesome museums and learn about history! Or maybe we can find you at a winery or brewery, discovering your favorite new drink!

We’ll see you at the next farm! 😄

Disclaimer: I am affiliated with Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome, which is why I am able to provide 15% discounts to both services.

Here’s some similar reads to keep you up to date with RV’s:

RV Necessity List

by No Place Like Gone April 27, 2022

My Plan to Travel the US in an RV

by No Place Like Gone March 17, 2022

Financial Minimalism

by No Place Like Gone February 24, 2022

Tags boondockers welcome, camping, harvest hosts, rv, travel, vanlife

Lifestyle travel

Turtle Season! 🐢

The year is 2022, and I’m not sure what the hell is going on with American politics anymore. Regardless, 4th of July is always a great time to party and drink a lot… I mean, celebrate the freedoms we have here in America! We invite you to come along on our journey!

Happy Birthday America – original song by NoPlaceLikeGone

We spent our week dressed in red, white, and blue at the beautiful Edisto Beach State Park located on Edisto Island, SC. We don’t have enough to say about this lovely, quaint place. As a South Carolina resident myself, I’ve actually never been to Edisto. Traditionally, I’ve vacationed at Myrtle Beach or Charleston because of the vast amount of things to do in these places. They are super touristy, and if you’ve ever been there then you know! Sometimes it’s nice to really take a step back and relax away from the craziness of the world. Especially in these “dark” times (considered by many…). Edisto Beach might of just been the place for us!

The second we got into the campground, we were enjoying beautiful views of the marshlands, and could hear the ocean right near by. Our spot actually had a point right on the marsh where we could sit out and let Luna (our puppy) play! Instant highlight for us. She’s a Chesapeake Bay Retriever mixed with a Labrador Retriever, and let me just say that she loves water and hunting any type of bird or duck. We had campsite #74 which is right at the entrance of the beach campground, across from the Camp Host. If you don’t know, a Camp Host is someone who typically volunteers to help campers as they come into the campsite with any questions or information, often in return for themself getting to stay free on the campground for weeks, or months at a time. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the common sense to look at the map and drove around aimlessly looking for our spot which we passed multiple times! It happens.

Advertisements

Campsite #74 – Has a point right on the marsh!

Oh, another thing I should mention, CRABS! 🦀 There are hundreds of those little pinchy monsters. You will discover that they live all over the marsh and at most of these sandy campsites. Luna spent the majority of her time chasing them like the hunter that she is. I will say a good thing about the crabs is that they scatter the second you get near them. This is a major upgrade over ants 🐜 and constant annoying bug bites at other places that we are used to being at!

Pinchy pinch Mr. Krabs. PS: Luna did not eat this one.

If you have dogs and are worried about fireworks here during the 4th or New Years, we didn’t hear a single firework. They truly take the rules seriously here. HUGE WIN! They did have a fighter jet fly over by the military, and a golf cart parade going on. Again, no crazy BOOMS for the doggos.

Don’t get me started about the beach. WOW doesn’t even do justice for this one. If you are tired of tourists and being crowded on your vacation, Edisto Beach State Park has over a mile of private beach you can enjoy. No tourists and hardly anyone there (even during the 4th of July!) If you are used to beaches like Myrtle Beach, SC or Panama City Beach, FL then you know that crowded is an understatement. Spring Breakers come to these places quite often to PARTAY! We did not get that vibe with Edisto even in the slightest.

Can you find the “hot dogs” in this picture?

Advertisements

Another super exciting thing to us is that Edisto Beach is known for turtle nesting. From the months of May-October you can walk down the beach and see hundreds of Loggerhead turtle nesting areas. There are local DNR and Turtle rescue volunteers (I know what you’re thinking, no not Ninja Turtles) that help track and locate all nesting sites where proud mama turtles lay their eggs.

Typically they do a guided tour at night to walk the beach and witness all of the turtle nest areas, with the chance of seeing baby turtles hatching and making their first journey into the ocean. Although they were not doing the tours while we were there, because it was only certain days of the week. We took things into our own hands and went out at 2am with our red light and walked the beach for an hour looking for baby turtles. I think we found one site that was close to hatching because of how it was staged by DNR, but no luck actually seeing them!

Hundreds of these nesting spots can be found on Edisto Beach

Let me say, it honestly felt like ghost hunting this late at night with a tiny red light in the darkness. Definitely do not recommend this to the feint of heart. Not to mention that the moon was behind the clouds, and there’s no ambient lighting anywhere. Total. Darkness. Except. You. And. The. TURTLES! That we didn’t see. We will be back to find them!

2am turtle hunting – it’s Spooky Season!

In Conclusion – Edisto Beach

We have nothing but great things to say about Edisto Beach, especially if you crave the most natural experiences possible. There isn’t a ton of touristy things to do like rides, shopping, or museums in our experience. However, you will enjoy your well sought after relaxation nonetheless. We hereby name Edisto as a word meant for natural relaxation, baby turtles, and pure Southern beach bliss.

Advertisements

Tags beach, travel, turtle, vacation, vanlife

Time to read:

Before we get started:

Without Further Ado … How to Save Money While Camping:

1. Recyle Your Dryer Sheets

2. Save on You Energy Bill

3. A Gourmet Date

4. Stock Up on Sauces & Utensils

5. Old Fashion

6. It’s Raining Cats and Dogs!

7. Got Junk?

8. Re-wear Clothing

9. Movie Popcorn

10. Restroom Etiquette

11. Ziplock Baggies

12. Interior Designer

13. Spooky Season

14. Water Isn’t $3 a Bottle

15. Hang Paper Towels Up for Later

16. Wash Your Clothes in the Campground Shower

17. Store Campground Water to Drink Later

18. Free Coffee While Traveling

19. Who Uses Trash Bags, Man?

20. Try Carpool Trash Service

21. Share the Warmth

22. Luck o’ the Irish – FREE drinks

23. Be the Campground DJ

24. Puppy Play Day

25. Family Showers!

26. More FREE Water

27. What’s the Wi-Fi Password?

28. It’s On the House

29. Make Your Own Path

30. Clearance Sale!

APRIL FOOL’S DAY!

We do write (actual) quality content too – here’s some recents posts to check out:

State Park Campgrounds

National Park Campgrounds

COE’s (Army Core of Engineers)

KOA’s (Kampground’s of America)

Private Campgrounds

Resort “Glamping” Campgrounds

Boondocking (BLM Land)

Harvest Host (+ Boondockers Welcome)

Military Campground/Army Camps/AFB

Not Campgrounds – Wal-mart, Cracker Barrel

Campground Costs Breakdown and Averages:

Real Quick …

Subscribe for blog updates:

– Table of Contents –

1. Fiverr

2. UpWork

3. Start a Blog!

4. Become a Freelancer Writer

5. Become a Bookkeeper

6. Be a Virtual Assistant From Anywhere!

7. Sell Handmade Products (Etsy, Farmer Markets, Facebook Marketplace)

8. Become an Educational Tutor

9. Learn Graphic Design

10. Online Marketing

Is Van Life as Glorious as Instagram Lets You Believe?

11. Social Media Assistant

12. Website Designer

13. App Developer

14. Get Paid to Walk Dogs

15. Life or Career Coaching

16. Create Online Courses

17. Edit Videos like a Pro with Final Cut Pro

18. Uber or Lyft Driving

19. Uber Eats, GrubHub, PostMates

20. Instacart, Shipt, DoorDash

Budgeting is Also Very Important

Thanks for Giving Us [Your Time]

We need friends on social media 🙂

[Table of Contents]

First, start with the right [tools]

Now that you have the tools, here’s a step-by-step guide for using them:

1. Select a Destination.

2. Search Google for Activities in the Area.

3. Make a Schedule or Calendar

4. Look for Discounts!