To most of you, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise that Mark and I are frugal people. It’s not that we don’t have any money, or that we don’t make any money; we choose to only spend what is needed to live comfortably and eat healthy. This allows us to work jobs we enjoy (generally speaking), where the wages are inferior to our flexibility and satisfaction. The less money you spend, the less you have to make, and therefore work. 😊
Our past house-sitting lifestyle guaranteed we never paid for rent or utilities. Our biggest expenses this year involved our camper van Zesty. Setting him up to live off the grid (we still have to work more towards that) and travel full-time will provide savings in the future. We prefer boondocking (“dry” camping for free, usually without facilities and preferably in nature) to RV parks and official campgrounds. I compare it to anchoring on our sailboat, as opposed to staying in marinas, which we rarely did, for similar reasons. We prefer privacy, natural surroundings, and spending no money on camping (or mooring). In the year we have owned Zesty, we have paid twice for a “bare bones” campground without hook-ups, but with toilets, trash receptacles and a dump station. Once in Zion National Park last October, and once on this two-week RV trip.
Boondocking or camping for free doesn’t mean suffering or being uncomfortable. With the following overview of where we stayed at night during our recent RV trip, I hope to show you why we opt for this kind of accommodation. Yes, the money part is the most important stimulus, but the privacy and locations aren’t bad either. We find all these campsites on the free app/website www.freecampsites.net
El Malpais National Monument
From this quiet location, with covered picnic benches, trash cans and vault toilets, we could bike to most sites. We stopped here for one night after picking the camper up in Arkansas last summer, and looked forward to return.
El Morro National Monument
One of our favorite New Mexico campgrounds, where we wished we could have stayed longer. Work (internet connectivity) called, however. From this free and shady campground with toilets, trash bins and picnic tables, it was less than a mile to the park entrance.
Painted Cliffs Rest Area
On the way to Petrified Forest National Park, we spent one night at this rest area with picnic benches, toilets, water fountains, trash, and cell service. It’s on the border of Arizona and New Mexico and accessible from both sides of the interstate. Usually not a fan of rest areas, we were pleasantly surprised with the quieter than expected road noise, because the parking area we chose was set back from the highway. The honking of freight trains – while not too bad – was the main negative about this place. Tent camping is not allowed.
Petrified Forest National Park
Right outside the south gate of this national park are two souvenir stores with big parking lots that allow free camping, up to four nights. The one we stayed at sported a few covered picnic tables, the only shade you will find at this hot, desert destination. No toilets are available, but there is a trash container.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Because the gravel road took us much longer than anticipated to reach this destination, we decided to spend the night at the only campground in the park, for $16. Toilets, trash and uncovered picnic benches are provided. There’s also a dump station with non-potable water. The visitor center of the park has a spigot with potable water. A short trail at the campground offers a view into the past, with petroglyphs and ruins of Indian dwellings.
Angel Peak Scenic Area
Mark and I spent two nights here, to take a break from sightseeing. This free campground has nine spaces, offers amazing views into the canyon, is well-taken care of, and contains vault toilets and (covered) picnic tables. We even had cell service. No trash disposal is allowed.
Mesa Verde National Park
A mile from the park entrance is a chunk of BLM land on a hill, where a dozen or more numbered spaces are available to camp. No facilities here, but the views are nice and some shade can be found. Like the others, it’s quite dusty in the spring.
San Juan National Forest
After months of desert living, Mark and I craved time in the woods and picked this national forest in Colorado, near the border with New Mexico, to spend a couple of nights. Because of the extreme fire danger, some forests (like the ones around Santa Fe) were closed in June. This one remained open with a higher level of caution. This meant more rules, and rangers keeping an eye on campers, fires and smoke. Theoretically, we were not supposed to park within 10 feet of any vegetation (how do you do that in a forest?), but, as responsible people, we were allowed to remain in our spot, if we parked on a patch of dirt cleared of all pine needles. We happily obliged and appreciated the rangers being strict about this.
Taos Center
On our last night before returning to Santa Fe (to deal, once again, with our windshield, which appears to finally be fixed), Mark and I parked Zesty on the edge of town, where overnight camping for RVs is allowed. There are public restrooms and trash cans in town. It was easy to reach the center of Taos by foot, for live music and people watching on the square. The highlight was meeting a like-minded British couple our age, that is touring the world in a pop-up truck camper.
Taos Plaza
To read about part one of this two-week adventure, “Rocks and Petrified Wood”, click here. To check out part two, “Indian Pueblos and Culture”, click here.
Split Locations
At the moment, Mark is staying with his family in Newburyport, Massachusetts (USA), while I am visiting my relatives in Belgium for three weeks. Zesty is stored at our last house sit location in Santa Fe, NM for six weeks. In the right column of this blog, you can always find our current location.
June 28, 2018 at 14:11
Sounds like you found some great places to camp. It has been so dry and dusty here in AZ that I’m truly missing the lush vegetation found in the Midwest…. that’s a rarity for me. I don’t usually miss the Midwest. Because of such severe drought conditions, several national forests throughout AZ have closed off camping including campgrounds. Can’t take a chance with fire danger being so high.
Hope you have a great visit on the other side of the pond!
June 29, 2018 at 02:56
I hear you! We heard earlier this month that many forests and forest campgrounds in AZ had been closed, especially near Phoenix. Same is happening around Santa Fe – we had to stay a night at Sam’s Club back there, due to closed BLM and NF lands. Colorado was still “open”, but their risk level kept going up. In that heat and under those conditions, full hook-ups are probably a blessing. 🙂 With the ignorance of most people and campers, closing those areas down is, really, the only way to prevent fires.
Nice, but busy times in Belgium. 🙂
June 28, 2018 at 14:20
You and Mark really walk your talk, live your beliefs, Liesbet. It’s impressive.
I hope you’re having a wonderful and relaxing visit with family in Belgium.
June 29, 2018 at 02:57
Thanks, Karen. The relaxing part could be better, but no complaints about the company and the social times. 🙂 My parents sold their house and are moving in a month or so – lots to do! And, no more childhood home after this visit.
June 28, 2018 at 14:24
Thanks for the catch-up on your comings and goings! I can see why the out-of-way places appeal to you (and it’s hard to beat the price!). Enjoy your time in Belgium!
June 29, 2018 at 02:59
Thanks, Janis! I hope you are enjoying Mexico. Not too hot? The weather in Belgium is ideal, after a relatively chilly first week.
The price for these camping spots certainly is right. Let’s hope we can keep it up. Our most recent house sitting months have been all but cheap (for our standards).
June 28, 2018 at 15:17
Great work scouting out all those great free campsites! I know how much effort that takes sometimes. We also enjoy staying ree with Harvest Hosts (wineries, farms, museums) and Boondockers Welcome hosts (private individuals with space to camp). Can’t wait until you get back on the road!
June 29, 2018 at 03:03
Mark and I should look into Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome Hosts, Leslie. Thanks for bringing that up. Do you ever bring gifts for those hosts, or feel obliged to buy something in their business/shop? I think if we feel social, we might give camping like this a try, but often, we like the ease of just pulling in somewhere, not worrying about etiquette, spend the night and leave.
We’ll be hitting the road again on July 26th. We can’t wait either. 🙂
June 28, 2018 at 15:25
Some nice free spots. I am confused about the pine needles. Does it mean you are not allowed to park on pine needles but if you sweep them away you can then park? And why would this be? Fire hazard maybe??
June 29, 2018 at 03:10
Hi Susan, and welcome to Roaming About!
When the fire danger is as high as it is in these areas right now, you are, indeed, not allowed to park on pine needles. The ranger dropped off a sheet with rules, and the part about vegetation was the most important one for us, since, for example, we don’t have a gun or old-fashioned chain saw, which are also fire hazards. By getting rid of dried vegetation, like pine needles, the chances that a spark from the exhaust of the vehicle or generator sets the forest ablaze diminishes.
At the time of our camping in San Juan NF, the rangers still allowed vehicles to park near vegetation, but the next step would be that you’re only allowed to park on gravel, sand or asphalt, at least 10ft away from vegetation. The step after that is that they’ll close the forest or forbid camping in it. As of now, campfires haven’t been allowed for months either. When we were there, rangers put red flags in the fire rings, since not everyone reads the signs upon entering the forest. 🙂
June 28, 2018 at 15:36
Yay, the windshield is fixed! Hope you are having a great time with your family.
June 29, 2018 at 03:10
It’s always nice to be back, Anabel. This visit is special and a bit tough, since many changes are in the air for return visits.
June 28, 2018 at 16:04
I laughed at your first line, Liesbet! There’s certainly nothing wrong with being frugal. I so enjoyed your lovely photographs. Enjoy your time with family…it’s the best!
June 29, 2018 at 03:12
Thanks, Jill. Being frugal is what keeps us doing what we do. 🙂 Spending time with my family means getting spoiled rotten!
June 28, 2018 at 18:06
I’m just amazed yo find so many places for free.
June 29, 2018 at 03:13
Hurrah for the internet when it comes to resources about free camping, Alex. When Mark and I took a truck camper to Central America for a year in 2006, finding places like these (and ideally with electricity for AC, because we had two big dogs with us) was not so easy… 🙂
June 29, 2018 at 01:45
Love the free campsite approach to travel. We use home exchange extensively, especially in places like Europe and the U.S where accommodation would be unaffordable to us particularly for extended periods. For example, we recently visited family in Chicago and had a two week exchange which came with a car as well – now that was a great way of saving $ for us.
Love your sustainable waste not approach to life.
Peta
June 29, 2018 at 03:17
Home Exchange sounds like such a perfect way to immerse yourselves in a new area and have a home base when traveling (or visiting family), Peta! Not that Mark and I could ever do it, without our own house… I doubt anyone would like to trade a stay in their comfy place for a week or two in Zesty. 🙂 But, that’s what house sitting is for as well.
So nice that a car was included! Especially when home exchanging (or house sitting) internationally, that is almost a requirement, unless you are located close to public transportation, like in European cities. Well done on saving $$$ on your recent visit to the US. With good planning and researching, so much is possible!
June 29, 2018 at 06:19
Thank you for introducing me to Zesty. Your caravan reminds me of my husband’s, a GMC conversion van which he uses to transport a 4′ x 7′ easel and sound equipment for his art/music performances. We have discussed putting in a bed after he no longer does shows, certainly a frugal way to travel.
Thank you also for evoking pleasant memories of visiting the Petrified Forest and Zion National Park. I raise my glass to more adventures and safe travels, Liesbet!
July 1, 2018 at 08:07
Yes, Marian, put a bed in your husband’s conversion! So much easier to go camping in! 🙂 We have friends who have a pizzeria in Oregon, and they have converted their van, initially bought to buy pallets of flour, into a camper for weekends away and cross country trips. It’s a blast. Cheers to more adventures for both of us! 🙂
June 29, 2018 at 16:35
What fun you have! I refuse to waste money which drives a lot of ‘friends’ nuts. I like your attitude.
July 1, 2018 at 08:11
Thanks, Jacqui. All the waste in this world, whether it is money, water, electricity, or garbage, drives me crazy. But, we can only start with ourselves. One of my wishes is that people – in general – could have more respect for Mother Nature and consciously do something about maintaining its beauty. As far as a waste of money goes… anyone can do what they want, of course, but I really see no use in doing it, especially if it’s on stuff you use once, or never, and that fills up your house. All those resources to produce it, the materials to make it, the space it requires, and the garbage it will turn into when the children or grandchildren have to clear out the house in a few decades…
June 30, 2018 at 11:55
I like the idea of you being spoiled rotten by your family, and the reunion with Mark is something to look forward to. Have fun, lovely lady 🙂 🙂
July 1, 2018 at 08:14
Thanks, my friend! The family needs to maintain the “spoil” factor, or they fear I won’t ever return for a visit. 🙂 Yep, I’m savoring it.
And, for the first time ever on a visit in Belgium, you are right on the second account as well. I am looking forward to a reunion with Mark after three weeks. I usually need this me-time, wishing it would last longer, to be away from all the frustrations and stress, but, this time, with a brighter future together on the horizon, I’m happy to return. 🙂
June 30, 2018 at 19:03
You gave me some good ideas, Liesbet, about camping free. I supposed if we were to stay for more than 2-3 nights then drive the truck around to various locales, then I would opt to stay at a park with hookups. Now, at the delta, there are no hook-ups, so we have our own water, a 100Watt solar panel (so we can charge our mobiles). Everything runs on gas, and we can shower with hot water if need be. Our windsurf campground has electrical for intermittent use, decent portapotties, and strong wi-fi. I’m intrigued about staying in rest areas–for some reason I thought you could not stay overnight.Your lovely photos are making their siren calls beckoning me to go visit next winter!
July 1, 2018 at 08:19
Hi Terri! At the delta, do you stay without hook-ups for longer periods of time, or for 2-3 days? It sounds like there are a few amenities you could use for prolonged stays. WiFi is important – except when on a getaway – and solar on the camper is helpful as well.
Our experience is that you can stay 24 hours in a rest area, unless specifically mentioned you can’t stay overnight. We haven’t come across any of those signs yet this last year, though. Other places you can usually spend the night is a Walmart or Sam’s Club parking lot. They are louder and more annoying than rest areas, though. And, some Walmarts have signs up you can’t park overnight (like the one in Santa Fe, NM and several in Florida). Your trip this winter will be awesome!
July 2, 2018 at 08:35
Hi Liesbet – I enjoyed reading your adventures with Zesty. The national parks are wonderful places to visit and explore. Hope your stay in Belgium is filled with fun.
July 3, 2018 at 04:15
Hi Natalie! National Parks are the highlights in this country, I think. I’m hoping to “plan” our future adventures around them (and some Canadian ones). 🙂 My stay in Belgium is focused on wrapping up what was left of my life here, Natalie. It’s bittersweet. At some point this summer, we really hope to have fun again!
July 2, 2018 at 13:05
You are pros at this point, but do you ever wonder where your next night will be or whether you might not find a spot? Your size does seem to make you more flexible, which our son and fiancee are not right now in their larger RV! Have a great time in Belgium!
July 3, 2018 at 04:19
To live and travel the way we are doing right now, Lexie, there is little planning. We have an idea of where we will stay that nights, and probably a vague idea about the following night. And, there is hope to visit certain areas, but we usually don’t check the camping situation until that day approaches, knowing that out west, there are plenty of options to camp. If we were to travel in New England, we’d have to plan a bit better, I think. right now, our focus has not totally been on adventures again, but I hope to spend more time in the future to research and read up about destinations and logistics.
Being small certainly helps, as does having 4WD or high clearance, which is absent in Zesty. Does your son have a travel trailer or a fifth wheel? Some of the campsites we’ve been would not have worked for that, but often, there are pull-throughs. Few sites are totally level from the start.
July 3, 2018 at 08:24
They have a large RV and they are towing a small car (I hear this is called a tadpole – I love it)! They are total newbies but seem to be doing well so far. I think they would probably have preferred to go smaller, but they were going from house to RV with two dogs (one large) and that seems to be the progression for some people. They need a pull-through site for sure but seem to be finding them either free or at decent prices most places. They are only doing this for 6 months or so. I will meet up with them this coming weekend as I drive north, so I’ll get to see the rig!
July 3, 2018 at 11:07
So funny that you don’t need a special driver’s license for those buses (called class A’s) in the US. In Belgium, you’d need a “big vehicle” license to be driving around in them. Same with boat licenses. How exciting you get to spend time with your son and his fiancee, and see the rig. I assume they have a spare bed in there? Have fun in New England!!
July 2, 2018 at 14:28
Great round-up of camp sites Liesbet! Enjoy your time with family in Belgium.
July 3, 2018 at 04:20
Thank you! It might be a while until I/we will be back, so I am cherishing a LOT of time with my parents and their grand-kids.
July 2, 2018 at 20:12
You are a wealth of travel info for sure Liesbet. So glad you’re having a timeout back home. But surprised to hear Mark went back to Mass. I thought you said he was ok? Are you guys ok? 🙂 x
July 3, 2018 at 04:25
If you ever need to know anything about being frugal (or packing light :-)), you’re at the right address here, Debby.
Both Mark and my (US) residence is in Massachusetts. This is where we return for health check-ups – together once a year in the summer (I’ll be back there for two weeks after Belgium to take care of all that) and Mark by himself a second time. Of course, when other emergencies are happening, we need to be back more, like earlier this year with his mom… We might as well live there, I often think. But, we don’t want to. 🙂 As of now, we are both OK. Thanks for asking. We will get everything checked out later this month and know more then. While we live a simple life on the surface, some things are a bit more complicated.
July 3, 2018 at 08:19
Thanks for sharing more insight into your living situation in the US LIesbet. Funny I always see you as a west coast girl with all your travel stories. And besides, Mass. winters are brutal, I don’t blame you for wanting to travel to warmer climates.
I’m glad you’re both checking in on your health and you’re visiting your hometown now in Belgium. Enjoy the summer my friend! 🙂 <3
July 3, 2018 at 11:05
We have a complicated “living situation”, Debby, between the two countries, the house sitting across the States, life in Zesty, running a business, and having my freelance pursuits. I don’t think anybody can keep track of us easily. 🙂 While our residency is in Massachusetts, we actually never lived there. But, we need an address, which has been the one of Mark’s parents since Mark and I met (yes, in California!!) 14 years ago, and we call it our “home base”. As of now, I still have my residency here in Belgium at my parents’ place as well, but they’re moving the end of this summer…
Have an amazing summer as well, my friend. Ours doesn’t really start until we get back to Zesty the end of July. So looking forward to that. Unless some other drama happens.
July 3, 2018 at 06:56
Boondocking is great. We always enjoyed finding free campsites. They were often more interesting than the regular ones.
July 3, 2018 at 10:55
That’s a good description for free campsites: interesting. 🙂 I think the fact that we’re not all on top of each other is a major plus for us.
July 8, 2018 at 13:26
In British Columbia, there are many free campsites, and we often stay in them. The province is rugged and sparsely populated, and the free “Recreational Campsites” tend to be on out-of-the-way lakes, ocean shore, or up in the mountains, away from the main cities and tourist areas. Typically, they are primitive sites with picnic tables, fire pits, and outhouses. We have a 4 wheel drive pickup truck and camper that allow us to access backwoods locations easily.
Jude
July 9, 2018 at 02:06
All those places sound perfect for us. Zesty’s clearance is not ideal and we don’t have 4WD, but I’m sure most of these recreational campsites would be just fine. We can’t wait to get up there this summer. I already know that we will run out of time… I do miss having a pick-up truck at times, since our fist RV was a truck camper and we could reach some rugged places, never scraping the bottom.
July 9, 2018 at 09:34
Zesty certainly has taken you to some great places in comfort and style. Fabio and I have been tossing around the idea of doing some land travel by RV at some point when we drop anchor and your land lifestyle has been inspirational. In this post, you say ‘Our past house-sitting lifestyle guaranteed’ – are you done with housesitting? I will need to go look at the link.
July 12, 2018 at 06:13
You know, the plan to travel in an RV again started while we were still sailing on Irie, being anchored in Huahini, about six months before selling Irie. It seems like an easy and intuitive transition from boat to RV. Less indoor space, but much more freedom. 🙂 We do miss the seascapes, peace and wildlife, though.
We’re not totally done with house sitting. We hope to combine it with camping (when we need a break or a doggie time or extra tools to fix Zesty :-)), but plan to mainly make Zesty our real home. And, go traveling full-time again!