As gas prices inch closer to $5 a gallon owners of recreational vehicles are stymied to find the ways and means to take them on the road. Only last fall, when gas was over the $3 gallon mark, RV owners were still traveling across the country in their Bounders and Fleetwoods enjoying the sites and natural wonders along the way.
At an eye-popping $4.60 a gallon in California, many owners are now parking their beloved RVs. While it may not be possible to go the distance in a motor home or camper any more, it does not mean that these vehicles need to be dry-docked until the gas prices come down.
While trips to Florida, Montana or Canada may no longer be affordable, there are alternatives that die-hard campers can take to give them the camping experience away from home at a reasonable cost.
San Bernardino County has several regional parks with great camping facilities. Moabi, right across the Colorado River from Laughlin, NV and Lake Havasu, AZ, provides camping opportunities on finger peninsulas with waterfront views. With its prime location on the water, Moabi also offers boating and watersports. The park boasts 7 boat launches, a marina, gas dock and convenience store and beautiful scenery. It also features mobile home sites for those who wish to stay for awhile.
Calico Ghost Town is 146 miles away from Park Moabi. Established in 1881 during California's silver rush, one-third of the original buildings in Calico are still standing. The rest of the buildings have been restored to capture the same look as the original edifices. Calico Ghost Town is a throw-back to an Old West mining town. There one can walk history visiting the old one-room school house, touring Maggie's Mine and the Mystery Shack watching water run uphill. Walking up and down Main Street you will see the blacksmith's shop, the old fire engine and stagecoach, and Sheriff's office. There is a narrow-guage railroad train that one can ride around the town and you can try your hand at panning for gold, too. There are shops and food service at Calico Ghost Town and during the year there are several special events that take place in the town. This is an ideal place to camp. Calico offers full and partial hook-up options as well as cabins and bunkhouses.
Drive down 57 miles south of Calico and you will find the jewel of the desert - Mojave Narrows Regional Park. Located in Victorville, near Apple Valley, this 840-acre park is on the largest strand of riparian wetland along the Mojave River Basin. There are two lakes with year-around fishing. The park also rents rowboats and pedalboats. Drive up to the entrance of this park and you are met by grazing horses to the right and up a little further you'll see camels and even an alpaca! Horses and ponies are available for rent and can be taken for a ride on the park's equestrian trails. Mojave Narrows has scenic picnic facilities complete with barbeque grills and a nearby playground. The zero depth pool waterpark provides refreshing, wet fun for kids and adults alike. This park is getting national recognition for having over 15,000 varities of watchable wildlife.
Three regional parks within a total of 200 miles of each other can give the camping enthusiast a great vacation with a different experience in each park. Close enough to one another that the trip is affordable. By mapping a visit to these three parks, campers can still enjoy a recreational adventure closer to home yet still feel like they have gotten far away.
For more information about these and other San Bernardino County Regional Parks visit http://www.county-parks.com/
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