Hi levi2, I am just down the road from you, I-40 near Hickory. You are welcome to visit and look around and "talk" Airstream if you wish. I have been camping in the AS trailers for more than 25 years. Mom and Dad were not campers, so they deprived me of an enjoyable childhood. We travelled for vacations in a car and stayed in motels. Questionable cleaning practices and noisey TV's from neighboring rooms are memories I had rather forget. Mom and Dad always said not to talk to strangers. In motels, it seems, everyone is a stranger. I have met some really great neighbors as I camped. Shared many campfires, potlucks, fishing poles, and bicycles, with complete strangers that I ended up being friends with at the end of a weekend. Get started, great memories await.
OK, We're coming. My daughter works at John C. Cambell Folk School, so we'll stay in Brasstown, NC with her & come over for lunch & the home show. Many thanks. Oct 26th it is then..............
Wow, look at all the responses you got since yesterday and they almost all say the same thing! Glad you'll be joining us on the 26th of October. Our group will be on the side of the Highway opposite the main entrance to the Fairgrounds and offices. I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself and meet lots of friends you didn't know you had. We're in site #48 so drop in to see us. Happy hour starts at 5:00...doesn't it? Of course Jimmy always sez it's 5:00 somewhere.
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2006 30' Safari - "Changes in Latitudes"
2008 F-250 Lariat Power Stroke Diesel Crew Cab SWB
Family of Disney Fanatics
WBCCI# 4821
We just spent 4 days (during the week) at the Kerr Reservoir near Wilkesboro NC AND THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE THERE!
Consider buying a pair of Honda 2000s with the kit to connect them to run your AC.
Another great place is Brazos Bend State Park south of Richmond, TX....widely spaced campsites and great trails.
Plus...if you make reservations 3-4 months in advance for a weekend (no kidding!) you can visit the onsite observatory...largest telescope in the US that is open to the public.
__________________
Bob (K5RPS) and Gail (MAAAA)
31' 1981 Excella II
2001 F-250 7.3D Crew w/8'bed and Pullrite 180degree
"Ask the Man Who Owns One" (Packard, Of Course)
or
"Ask the Woman who lives with one...or more!" (Gail)
'
Check out the State and County Parks, and especially the Corps of Engineer campgrounds at the dam/lake projects! They always have water and electric, and bath houses, and the sites are wide. They are away from the highways. If you don't like kids, then don't go camping anywhere in June, July, or first two weeks of August. Better yet, join a WBCCI unit and camp with them. Or, check out some of the local units own parks that are just for Airstreamers. We have traveled all over the country, and two provinces of Canada, in tents to Class A's...and sometimes it's noisy, just don't go back, or leave earlier than you planned. Generally the bugs will run most noisy people inside before 10 or 11 ish anyway. Don't give up a great way to get away, just because of a particular survey or ratings group...Enjoy this great country of ours !!!
__________________ DW always tells me to "take the high road"...
2006 23' Safari
2007 F350 Lariat Crew 4X4 PSD
AIR# 21875
WBCCI# 3778
Region 3, Unit 144 (Eastern North Carolina)
Oh yeah...almost forgot...the Corps campgrounds (t flood control dams) are free (first come first serve) during the fall to spring...so you can "dry camp", or "boondock", whatever we are calling it these days ! And they have security going through all the time...so it's not bad at all.
__________________ DW always tells me to "take the high road"...
2006 23' Safari
2007 F350 Lariat Crew 4X4 PSD
AIR# 21875
WBCCI# 3778
Region 3, Unit 144 (Eastern North Carolina)
Who said you have to park in big private RV parks. Smaller state and federal parks as well as just finding a nice spot somewhere might be more of your likeing. Airstreams come with water tanks, holding tanks and batteries. I say, use them!
You could go to Big Bend National Park in the western part of Texas. It's about 600,000 acres with not a lot of people. I sure hope you don't give up based upon what an RV magazine says. Keep in mind that many people that go to RV parks wouldn't survive without full hookups.
Don't give up because of what others say. How many times have you read movie reviews written by experts to only find they were way off base! We have some friends who have one of those SOB fifth wheel things and could never stop talking about this one RV resort. On and on they would go about how wonderful it is. First, if it is listed as a RV Resort figure 50% are not what you want. Anyway, we finally decide to join them for a long weekend. The $82 a night should have sent up red flags! YUK! Half of the place was filled with fulltime trailer trash. Golf carts running amock, three giant pools, game rooms, TV rooms, organized activities, live bands etc. This is not for us and probably not for you either. Last year we traveled over 7K miles on just one trip and we never stayed at one of those RV places. Found lots of very nice smaller camp grounds all across the country. Get out there and explore and you will be amazed at what you find. Look for a local WBCCI club to hhok up with and do some rallies and caravans. You can go to Disney World (not) or a local riverside state park (yes).
__________________ J. Rick Cipot Sandi Gould NEUNew England Unit Airstream Life Magazine WBCCI #3411 AIR #17099
Levi2, Hello from Marshall-just minutes away from you. Feel free to get in touch and if you need help in looking at an AS to buy, just hollar, 649-0400. Will be glad to help you inspect one or more. We are not experts, but have had quite a bit of hands on with our '68 Overlander. It needed more work than anticipated, but we got it figured out and consider all the effort as time will spent.
As for Falluminum, don't miss it. Lot's of information, good folks and a lot of shiney aluminum. We made it over there last spring, but the dates don't work out for us this fall.
You can go to Disney World (not) or a local riverside state park (yes).
Don't knock it until you've tried it. We've been four times in the first year that we have owned our Airstream and never had a bit of disturbance and didn't spend all of our time in the theme parks either. In fact, one trip we didn't even go into the parks at all. Oh, did I just admit that.
__________________
2006 30' Safari - "Changes in Latitudes"
2008 F-250 Lariat Power Stroke Diesel Crew Cab SWB
Family of Disney Fanatics
WBCCI# 4821
Maybe you should rent a motor home for a shakedown cruise before you decide one way or the other. While I lived in Europe we rented a small motorhome and drove to Sweden. That trip made it easy for us to buy a VW camper and we have never looked back. That was in 1970. A week rental is not all that expensive. And you can then concentate on which kind of camping you want to do. I prefer to find the free camps that don't have amenities for a couple of days, then take one night at a full facility to do the laundry, watch TV, etc.
Don't give up!
regards