Fairgrounds Aren't Just for Ferris Wheels
09-23-2015
Author: in RVing Ruminations by Russel
How would you like to find a place to hook up for the night that had two hundred acres of lawn freshly mowed by someone else, many beautiful old trees for shade and benches to sit on and rest or enjoy the view all to yourselves? At a price usually less than an RV Park or Resort,with perhaps a variety of entertainment available at the venue depending on the time of year? If you answered yes, then fairgrounds might be just the place you are looking for.
Most of us probably think of county fairs, rodeos and carnivals when fairgrounds come to mind. It is true these things are still the staple business of these community owned facilities. But as times have changed, many fairgrounds managers have seen the revenue producing possibilities of hosting all kinds of other events and activities—from horse and dog shows, to private affairs such as weddings and anniversary parties and yes, even RV rallies. They soon learned that many participants and spectators for these events traveled in RVs. So with that in mind, many of them set about improving the amenities for such visitors. Then when they realized that these RV facilities were sitting there vacant when there wasn't an activity, many began to rent those hook ups to individual campers.
Most fairgrounds are located in the country seat. The availability of sites is usually dependent on what other activities are going on at any given time. County Fair time itself is usually not the time for a visit as many vendors travel in RV's. Most fairgrounds have websites with information on them, although it is always a good idea to confirm the information by telephone before hand. Here is one in Oregon, http://www.expo.deschutes.org/rv; California, http://www.montereycountyfair.com/rv-park/about-the-rv-park and Washington http://www.evergreenfair.org/142/RV-Park to give you an idea. Google of course will lead you to one in the area you are considering.
A note here about facilities. They do vary. All the way from state of the art, like you may find in any regular RV Park to a place in the dust with a plug in on a power pole that is not designed for your big rig's requirements. Being prepared with a variety of converters is a good idea. Frequently only sewer dumps instead of individual hook ups are available. Water pressure may vary considerable as does the connection. And many places if you ask about a level spot, they may just laugh at you, so it is a good thing to have leveling devices aboard. Remember that many were originally designed around livestock and they may do such things as board horses year around. Some have stock car race tracks or baseball diamonds. These are some of the things that you may come across. Wi-fi connections are usually not available but there is usually enough real live action taking place to make up for that. Registration at many fairgrounds is quite informal. Even if you arrive after business hours, they rely on the honor system that you will visit the office and pay in the morning.
On the upside, depending again upon the time of year you are there, some may have elaborate flower gardens tended by the finest gardeners in the community. Some of my favorite fairgrounds have great collections of old farm machinery or other historical things like refurbished gold mines and sawmills. Some are located very close to interesting museums. Among my favorites is a Mining and Mineral Museum.
.jpg "Antique steam engine tractor at Amador County Fairgrounds")
The variety is endless at these repositories of local culture and make a great way of supplementing the exploration of any area. Be wise and do your homework before you go and discover this rich source of Rving gold. Then, please share your experiences in the comment section below.
Until next time, walk in beauty and keep it between the ditches.
Russel
About the Blog Author
Russel Micnhimer is retired after twenty-five years of full time RVing. During that time he was a sales representative for Southeast Publications selling advertising on Site Maps (aka Guest Guides) for RV Parks and Resorts and Fairgrounds. He traveled in a pickup truck and travel trailer primarily in the Western United States logging nearly 500,000 miles. In his blog he shares many experiences and insights in hopes they will be helpful to others who pursue the RVing lifestyle.
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Author: Russel Micnhimer
