24/7 Chat About Anything

[maki2]

It is surprising that any Walmarts allow overnight parking. It made sense years ago when Walmarts used to stay open 24 hours a day. But the Walmarts all stopped the open 24 hours routines when Covid showed up and staffing and health restrictions got all screwed up. So in a way you can actually blame the beginning of the end of the era of Walmart overnight parking on Covid as that really did create the biggest impact on its loss. The city parking ordinances could not stop people parking in the lot and shopping all night when stores are open but they can stop people parking in the lots of stores that are closed under the category of public health and safety, crime reduction, etc.

 

[maki2]

My plan to get an early departure to my next campsite to avoid towing in the stronger winds got delayed due to lack of wind. The NFS is conducting a large prescribed burn a few miles NW of Bellemont AZ and last night after the sunset and the wind died down the smoke came down tot the ground level like a thick fog. This too shall pass by the time I finish breakfast and finish securing stuff. But I will wait to hitch up a while longer to avoid breathing in the worst of it and so there is good visibility out on the Interstate hwy.

Fortunately no prescribed burns near my next campsite but it is likely to be crowded there on Memorial Day weekend.

 

[Happy Camper]

My plan to get an early departure to my next campsite to avoid towing in the stronger winds got delayed due to lack of wind.

Thank you for that. I actually laughed when I read it. Needed that this morning. Keep on keeping on, and stay safe.

 

[maki2]

This afternoon I made it to one of my favorite summer season campsites by the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and found it occupied by friends I had let come camp there with me in previous summers. Fortunately it is a large enough area for all. They all just went into the park to do laundry so at least for now I can unwind after my drive.

There was a lot of smoke by the town of Williams. There is no way anyone should try dispersed camping at the NFS dispersed camping area just north of Williams as there is way too much smoke there. Even the town itself is very smokey. It is decidedly unhealthy to camp on Garland Prarie road NFS dispersed area or at the Kaibab Lake NFS campground until they are done with that burn. I do not know if the burn will continue on through the holiday weekend. But at least there was plenty of NFS camping available near the town of Tusayan. Barely any tourist were hanging around the stores and eateries in Tusayan. Now I just need to finish the unhitching chores.

 

[maki2]

My campsite is relatively close to the Grand Canyon park entrance and it is very peaceful here in camp as the weekend campers are all inside the park or waiting in line to get into the park. I just hang out at camp on the weekends and let them suffer the lines. You can see by the webcam shot at the park entry station the line is likely more than 2 miles long. It is 4 northbound lanes heading into the toll booths near the entrance but narrows to 2 northbound lanes just over that rise in the distance. These people are most likely driving in from places at a further distance to be arriving this late in the day. That is okay, the town of Tusayan and the park need the business. Most of these folks will be staying in motels in Tusayan, Flagstaff or Williams. But there is as bunch of “glamping” in yurts and domes down by Grand Canyon Junction, formerly that small village was called Valle.

 

[Gr8ful]

WOW too many people for me!

 

[maki2]

^ that is just because of the 3 day holiday weekend. It is not normally like that on weekdays. My campsite is very peaceful although the coyotes were howling a short while ago.

 

[maki2]

Hooray! A whole week of sunny weather with high temps right at 80 degrees looking ahead and no strong winds!

Unfortunately this forum has now “gone to the dogs” with most of the new postings being made in the new forum section titled politics and controversy. Exactly the kind of stuff I never want to look at in a forum that is supposed to be about Van Living. So I will leave this newly minted version of the forum to those who enjoy daily dog fights in their lives because that absolutely is not my idea of a peaceful, happy Van Life.

 

[Camper]

I've quit donating to this forum for that reason.