RVing: To Hook Up Or Not To Hook Up?
Mari
Motorhomes are designed to be fully self-contained. Such that us RVers could drive into the wilds and have our home away from home, right?
With careful water consumption, I reckon we could comfortably last at least five or six days without hookups before needing to refresh. We have a generator, LPG heating system, battery backups – it’s all here.
So, why is it I felt stymied recently when Ty and I boondocked (no hook ups) for just two nights in the heart of Yosemite National Park?
We planned the trip this way. Yet, without 30-50 amps of incoming electricity for consistent (and quiet!) power and, more significantly, no internet access (due to being too remote), I felt a tad lost.
We had to park at Hodgdon Meadow Campground, a good 75-minute drive north of Yosemite Valley. After arriving late in the day to the Valley, we discovered every one of the 1,000+ campsite spots were fully booked! Yep, sure is a popular area - below is a shot we took of one of the maxed out campgrounds in the Valley. Tight quarters!
Hodgdon Meadow was clearly designed for tent campers and very small RVs, with their small and hilly sites. Our 34 footer seemed to dwarf everyone else, and it took us a while to get even slightly level.
The following morning we drove our toad (tow car) back into the Valley and enjoyed an incredible hike up the Mist Trail and John Muir Trail to Vernal Falls and view of Nevada Falls.
It felt great to be in the “wilds” (though everywhere we went was swarming with people, which is fine – it’s just that you never feel “away from it all.”)
When it came time to head back to our coach at night, I had this strange feeling of discontent. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sit in front of my beloved computer and check in with my community and the world at large.
There’s something magical about having the complete freedom to live and travel anywhere… yet only be a mouse click away from my friends.
Do I have withdrawal symptoms without sufficient email and internet contact? Yes. Tim Ferriss is right. IF you want to “kick the email habit,” you have to go cold turkey.
Well, the point here isn’t so much about hook-ups then… as it is about Mari needing reliable internet connection, even in the sticks! Hmm.
We continued our travels over the magnificent Tioga Pass to uniquely beautiful Mono Lake with her giant tufas (naturally forming calcium-carbonate spires and knobs - see pic at left).
Then, one overnight at Annett’s Mono Village in Twin Lakes (an awesome complete getaway place!) with very tame deer… five of them came right up to our neighbors and ate right out of their hands!
Now, we’re in lovely South Lake Tahoe, docked at Tahoe Valley Campground with full hook-ups and decent internet signal! Yeah!
The park has 400 sites, but there are just 12 of us parked here now, as it’s off season. Lovely and peaceful, though kinda chilly at night.
We’re headed north to Seattle area by early December for a Facebook conference I’m attending. If we can get up there at lower elevations and stay out of any overnight freezing, we’ll be delighted!
I’ll leave you with this thought-provoking quote:
"People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the sea,
at the long courses of rivers,
at the vast compass of the ocean,
at the circular motion of the stars,
and they pass themselves by without wondering."
~ St. Augustine of Hippo
P.S. Ty and I saw Into The Wild last night – an incredible movie inspired by a true story about a bright young college grad who walked away from a promising future and walked into the wilds of Alaska. Deeply poignant story. I highly recommend you watch it. (We’re headed to Alaska summer next year - but sure won’t be doing the trip like this guy!) Let me know if you see the movie - I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Posted on: Thursday, November 1, 2007 at 10:39 pm 
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Wow - I feel like I’ve stumbled upon a blog that will take up a lot of the time I was wanting to save..not reading blogs! I saw your comment on Caroline Middlebrook’s blog, and felt an immediate connection. I’m a Brit now living in Canada (since ‘03), and am researching buying a fifth wheel and moving my office on the road during our wonderful 5-month winters. I’m also feeling a move towards simpler living coming on. We seem to have a lot in common, and I’ll be following your travels from now on - picking up tips on a lot of things, I hope.
A great, informative and motivating blog - thank you!
November 4th, 2007 at 3:33 amHeather,
It’s great to meet you in blogland!
Wowee, sure sounds like we do have a similar path. I look forward to staying in touch and sharing the mobile lifestyle with you - maybe we’ll get to meet up on the road! 
Meantime, I can recommend an excellent source of RV information at the Escapees forum http://escapees.com.
As you may know, there are pros & cons to each choice of motorhome. We opted for class A with a tow car and it’s working out great. While Ty’s driving, I can pop back to grab us a quick snack and suchlike. Hooking/un-hooking is a cinch. But, gas mileage is probably better on a Class C or Fifth Wheeler. It’s all a personal choice.
Cheers,
November 5th, 2007 at 10:20 amMari
[...] Of course, there’s always drydocking (or boondocking, as it’s known) - to hook up or not to hook up. [...]
December 20th, 2007 at 2:13 pm