We’ve been gone from home for three weeks today and will be back home day after tomorrow. For not being nearly as connected all of the time as some folks, it’s been a little rough sometimes not being able to be connected at all.
We’re used to being able to go on-line at any time and connect with family and friends via e-mail or chat. We’re used to being able to pick up the phone and – with our nation-wide calling plan – be able to call anyone we want to whenever we want to.
However, going camping – even camping with in a fairly nice fifth wheel camper – means sometimes doing without connecting, at least for now.
Granted, sometimes you have internet access in some of the campgrounds, and, more often, phone service is available fairly often as we travel.
We were in one location that was fairly remote in a hollow in Southeastern Minnesota that had wireless internet access – no phone, but we did have internet. That was a little unusual.
We’ve stayed at two KOA campgrounds on this trip. We had internet and cell phone service at both.
We’ve stayed at two members-only campgrounds near large cities, Kansas City and Omaha. Neither campground had internet access and phone service was marginal, with calls liable to be dropped at any moment.
While we were in Nebraska, Karen sat in a parking lot at a recreational area talking to her sister while I walked around taking pictures. Later that day, I just happened to check my phone while we were wading in the Platte – something I hadn’t done in 40 years – and I had service, so I decided to call our daughter to tell her what we were doing. Since I was also carrying my camera and a camara bag, that wasn’t a smart move… kerplunk!
Fortunately, it was the cell phone and I grabbed it before it had gone more than 6 inches deep. (If you know the Platte, in most places, 6 inches is deep!) Believe it or not, the phone is still working.
So back to withdrawal from being connected… We’re sitting in a branch of the Mid-Continent Public Library east of Kansas City that has wireless internet access. Karen has finished with all of her e-mail and on-line forums and is waiting for me to get done – she’s a typist and I hunt and peck. Hunting around to find someplace that has wireless internet is not something that I would want to do on a regular basis.
This trip is almost over and we’ll be back home soon, with no connection problems, unless it storms. On our next trip, we’re currently considering making a stop in Montana to get a internet satellite system, along with training on how to set it up, and then it’ll be easier to stay connected – when we want to be connected.
(Note: I posted this first on the RV Forum.)
Note: This “lost” Haw Creek Out ‘n About post was recovered from the Internet Archive WayBack Machine.
