RVing? Globetrotting? Glamping?
Discover the Road Less Traveled ~ for Less
Looking to explore off the beaten path and save some money while you’re at it? Check out these resources with great tips from fellow travelers!
Global, eco-friendly, 29 areas of traveler needs
iOverlander is a free global non-profit site and app to help eco-friendly, globe-trotting campers find services. Donations appreciated. Sort by 29 selections to find reviews, photos and amenities to make choices.
Search on rarity in this area, big rig, tent or pet friendly, artisan goods, ev charging, recycling and more. Our most popular search is wild camping. That’s how we discovered the visitor center in Douglas, N.M, and enjoyed drinks and dinner at the amazing beautiful, historic Gadsden Hotel (lobby shots below). If you are into architecture in the Old West, the architect was Henry Trost who also did the Gage Hotel in Marathon, TX, and Hotel El Capitan in Van Horn, TX, among a long list of special places.
Established campground | Informal camp site | Wild camping | Hotel | Hostel | Fuel station | Propane | Mechanic, parts | Water | Sanitation dump | Short-term parking | Eco-friendly | Restaurant | Tourist attraction | Shopping | Financial | Wifi | Medical | Pet services | Laundromat | Showers | Customs & immigration | Checkpoint | Consulate/embassy | Vehicle insurance | Vehicle shipping| Vehicle storage | Warning | Other
Free places to overnight between stops
Sometimes on the way to a destination, you just need to stop to sleep for the night. Campers with self-sustained units can stay for free at rest areas, visitor and welcome centers, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Cabela’s, Camping World, Bass Pro, truck stops and Cracker Barrel restaurants. Check restrictions. If a Walmart isn’t 24/7, you may not be able to stay. Check in with store personnel to get permission and see where they want you to park. Even if they allowed it at one point, they may not any longer.
Overnight experiences for RVs who “dry camp” or “boondock”
RVs that are self-contained, meaning they don’t need hookups to electricity, water or sewer connections. Here are 3 different organizations that facilitate camping experiences for dry camping.
Free with membership: Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome
These two membership models list various farms, wineries, museums, breweries and attractions that permit one overnight stay for free. Sometimes two, depending on the property.
Members of Harvest Hosts (aff. link) pay $99/year to 2834+ properties and the potential for some wonderful experiences, far beyond a truck stop with engines of semi-trucks running all night. You can add golf clubs to your memberships to tailor the package.
We’ve enjoyed stays at a rice farm, a brewery and two wineries. The slideshow above from Hummingbird Estate Winery shows off the mountain and vineyard view. Enjoy wine or a brew by the fire. Then watch as it gets even better at night to see the lights of the valley. We had a chance to discover some places, food and people we would not normally come across.
If you are interested in Harvest Hosts, use my link to get 15% off the membership. This is an affiliate link where I make $15 for referrals. You can get your own referral link when you sign up!
At $50/year, Boondockers Welcome recently joined Harvest Hosts, offering 2948+ places to stay in the U.S. and Canada, but remaining separate, but is an add-on for Harvest Hosts members.
Hip Camp’s site lets you find longer stays with landowners where the venues charge. Their business model is to take a share of the cost (9-18%, minimum $3). Set up a tent, park your RV, try a cabin, treehouse or glamping. Select city, state, camping region, style of camping (beach, lake, etc.) Choose from 19, 930 parks, 33,198 campgrounds, 368,810 campgrounds in the U.S, D.C. and Puerto Rico.
