Free camp fail (Charles City, IA)

So many free campgrounds are changing to pay, largely because of the continued gutting of taxes for the rich and corporations, causing federal, state and local governments to have to raise money somewhere to pay to maintain the parks. Cowell County Park near Charles City, IA has fallen victim to this. It used to be 2 weeks free according to Freecampsites.net. Now it's $10/night. Not free at all. Ouch!! I wonder how much money they are actually getting, since no one was there.

When I got there, I didn't take the sharp right turn as I entered. Instead, I continued straight due to the trailer and a fence post that would have made the curve difficult. So, I missed the self pay box and $10/night sign. Instead, I went and got myself stuck on soft, grassy ground. After getting myself unstuck and inspecting the ground elsewhere, I moved. Then I walked Lucy, only then discovering the fact that it's now paid. FAIL!!!!

So I packed up and left. I hurried across Iowa to get to this damn park, only to find it was no longer free. Yeah, I wasn't very happy. I no longer hurry to anywhere. I'll get there when I get there. After Lamar, MO's park no longer being 3 nights, only 1, Pittsburg MO's public use area changing to paid in 2019 from free, and now this? We can thank BOTH political parties for screwing 99% of the country for the past 38 years for  this. Never trust that any free campground is still actually free.

Certainly never hurry to one if it means using your fuel budget up, much like I did to get here.

The rut from getting stuck. 

The pay station I missed when I got there, having entered on the road here in the background.

Mason City, IA

I stayed around the Mason City, IA area a couple of nights.

One day, somebody called the cops on me at a park in the middle of the day. Grown people act like frightened children anymore. "OMG call the cops, somebody in an RV is at the park!!!!!! PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!".

He did his duty, checking out the bogus "suspicious person" call by running my license, then going on his way. I get that they have to investigate, so I don't blame the officer. He was polite and civil.

It actually happened again in another (but smaller) Iowa town the next day or two after. I left the truck and trailer in a park, with an extension cord plugged in for a fan for Lucy, then walked to a nearby grocery store. As I was returning, a sheriff's dept SUV was cruising through the park, approaching me. Asked if that was my trailer, if I asked to use electric, blah-blah.

I said no I didn't ask but it was a warm day and I just have it for a box fan for my dog, I figured if anyone hated it that much, they could unplug it. He didn't fuss about it anymore though. The main thing I always get asked in most city parks is "you know you can't stay here overnight, right?". This time was no exception. ("No, I just fell of the turnip truck and didn't know that!").

So anyway, I had used the public pool there in the park (it had a nearly unmarked RV dump station, go figure!) for the $4 or whatever it was and got to briefly shower, enough to wash my hair at least. He ran my license then left, same as in Mason City. He did cruise around a bit longer while I was out walking Lucy, but I wasn't bothered anymore.

But back to Mason City: I happened across a small car show! The 1950 Studebaker Starlight was the highlight car for me, the only one I bothered taking pictures of.

Over on the east side of town, I spent a day at the park there that has this old steam train engine. The cotton trees (?) were molting like crazy, it looked like it was snowing, so much was falling and blowing in the wind.

Tombstone and Texas Canyon rest area

I rolled in to Benson a couple days ago and spent one night in the truck lot at Love's. For those of you on T-Mobile/MetroPCS, data is horrible at Love's, but in the main town of Benson, it's great. It's also very fast in Tombstone, which is where I spend part of yesterday.

I left kind of early and got to the Texas Canyon (AZ) rest area around 3pm and stayed until around 7am.

I'm sitting at the park in Willcox, just killing more time. It's warm and sunny, so Lucy is enjoying just laying in the grass.

Jim Kortsen West Pinal Park

Spending a fair bit of the day at Jim Kortsen West Pinal Park. It is located a few miles just north off of the exit for AZ-84 from I-8.

It has free day use, as well as $10/night for dry camping. They have porta potties and one trash dumpster. I'm not sure if tents are permitted. The picnic shelters are quite nice and the dirt roads are compacted and well maintained.

Sundance Park

I woke early, headed into Buckeye and had a shower at the 24hr gym. Then I headed over to the nice dog park, spending a couple hours there.

Quartzsite 2016

I rolled in to Quartzsite a few days ago. The cell data speed (T-Mobile) is so bad from so many users, I haven't been able to do much online. The library wifi is excellent, which is how I'm posting so much tiday to catch up.

I'm still going through stuff and getting rid of more. I got a $15 ice chest and a $10 2 gallon water cooler. They take up a lot of space but I needed them. Honestly, more clothes probably have to go as much as I have it. I just can't justify so many shirts, as nice as many may be.

I also bought a "not working" Coleman 440 stove. After 75 cents in parts, it's working for the most part. It only seems to have "high" though. Im not sure if that's a generator or valve problem. In any case it does function. It might also need a new pump but the I've it has is working currently.

Oh and in the name of downsizing, I bought a smaller coffee percolator. 5 "cups" fills my insulated travel mug, so it's a better coffee ot to have than the larger 7 cup one that's much larger.

Some pics at the park......

Lucy digging in snow pile

Shastice Park in My Shasta, CA.

Oak Grove Regional Park

Way delayed post. Sorry. It's so easy to put off. I'm going to try to keep up with my posts.

I had planned to visit Sutter's Fort but I skipped it after all. Instead, I stopped off at the nice, paid admission Oak Grove Regional Park just north of Stockton, CA.

Lucy had a blast digging after rabbits(?). There is a video if that, at the end of this post.