With so many people spending most of their days at home, it’s not surprising that spending weekends or vacations in nature is booming this year.
RV sales are growing at a rapid rate and RV parks are reporting peak demand now.
Typically, things slow down in September when kids go back to school but with online instruction, a number of parents are opting to do home schooling while they live and work on the road.
Not every family can afford a fully equipped RV.
If you have limited funds you can still have a lot of fun tent camping at some beautiful state or national parks.
You might also consider buying a van and converting it into the perfect vehicle for camping on a budget.
After spending much of the last six months at home, spending time in the beauty of nature is a perfect antidote to our all too troubled times.
Find the Best Campgrounds and Parks
When you are looking for the perfect outdoors spot to spend a weekend or week, you can always ask friends and family where their favorite places are.
You can also go online and do your research.
There are wonderful sites and guides you can access through the internet.
You will be able to see descriptions of the sites, find out what it costs, read reviews, and even see what cellular providers offer coverage there.
Get a Used Van for Your Camping Adventures
Before the pandemic a lot of families had to have two cars so they could commute to work and take the kids to all their afterschool activities.
Now with lots of people working at home you might want to consider selling one of your vehicles and buying a used van that would be perfect for camping.
If you are planning on selling your car and getting a van you can use an online window sticker tool to reproduce an original Monroney Sticker.
This original window sticker, available for most vehicles model year 2013 or newer, will show you exactly what model, trim, options, and packages a vehicle has.
Go Boondocking
If you are an intrepid adventurer you can leave the organized campgrounds and parks behind and go boondocking.
With boondocking, you camp for free on open land that generally is more isolated and has few if any amenities.
The Bureau of Land Management and other government agencies have millions of acres of public land available for dispersed camping.
You’ll be able to sleep out under the stars and wake up to enjoy incredible moments immersed in nature.
Typically, you can stay in a site for 14 consecutive days.
Purchase a National or State Park Pass
The National Parks are truly amazing and provide millions of people with vacation memories that last a lifetime.
Best of all, for $80 you can buy an America The Beautiful annual pass that gives you free admission to all the National Parks.
If you are a senior over the age of 62, you can pay a one-time fee of $80 for a pass that lets you in for free for the rest of your lifetime.
Individual states also offer incredible deals on their annual State Park system passes.
For instance, in Florida you can get a Family Annual Entrance Pass for $120 that covers day use park entry for up to a total of eight people entering together as a group.
California beach lovers can buy a California Explorer year-long day use pass that covers most state parks and the Southern California beach parks for $195.