My wife is a very hard woman to shop for, because she doesn’t want very much in the way of material things. Whenever I ask her what she wants for Christmas, her birthday, our anniversary, or whatever, she always says she has everything she wants.

Once in a while, she’ll let me buy her a bottle of perfume, and I’ve managed to get her a few pairs of earrings over the years, but that’s about it. I guess I should be grateful, she’s not only easy on the eyes, she’s easy on the pocketbook.

I, on the other hand, am easy to shop for. I want everything! I’m like a chimpanzee in a department store. If it lights up, makes noise, goes fast, or tastes good, I want two of each. Why do you think my friend Brenda Speidel calls me Gadget Boy?

I love wandering through the tool section at Lowes and Home Depot, even though I know it’s kind of like going to one of those stripper joints. Most of what I’m seeing I have no idea what to do with, and I’d probably just end up hurting myself if I tried.

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Of course, living in a motorhome (not to mention being of modest means) does put some restrictions on my wants and desires. I really miss my hot tub, from our life before fulltiming, but I just can’t figure out where to put one in a Winnebago.

Actually, there really is very little I want, and nothing I need, that I don’t have. Most of my wants are not things, but rather experiences. I really want to do some kayak fishing, someday I want to catch a fish from an ocean pier, I want to take a cruise, and I want to see Alaska one of these days.

But, if I had to choose one material thing I’d like Santa to bring me, assuming the big guy could figure out a way to slide down the chimney our motorhome doesn’t have, I guess it might be a DVR so I could record some of my favorite television programs. I know a lot of people don’t care all that much for television, but after a lifetime in the small town newspaper business, I’m a news hound and I like to watch the news, if for no other reason than to see who we’re at war with this week. And there are several silly sitcoms, and a drama or two that I enjoy watching. It’s kind of like junk food for the brain.

Of course, it wouldn’t do me any good to get a DVR anyway, according to Dish Network, who told me last week that you can’t watch TV in an RV! 

How about you? What do you want for Christmas?  A new RV? A flat screen TV? A GPS unit? Maybe a new laptop computer?

Or are you like me? Does your wish list include more experiences than things? Tell me about some of them.

Thought For The Day – Whoever said money can’t buy happiness simply didn’t know where to shop.

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We have a Campground Reviews section on our website, but I thought I’d share our Top 10 Favorite Campgrounds and why we feel that way, and see how they compare to yours.

1. Elkhart Campground, Elkhart, Indiana – Every year when we pull into Elkhart Campground, we feel like we have arrived back home. We know most of the regulars and see many people we know passing through every year. The campground is huge, and our regular site has 50 amp electric and water, and we usually don’t have anyone parked on top of us. Owners Bob and Gita Patel have become very good friends, and they have allowed us to work on several upgrade projects on the bus while we have stayed there.

2. Sumter Oaks, Bushnell, Florida – We always get a friendly welcome at this Escapee park, we love the huge live oak trees that shade the park, as well as the indoor pool and opportunity to see so many of our Escapee friends.

3. Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama – This is another favorite Escapee park with us. The sites are huge, there is a lot to see and do on and around the Gulf Coast, and we enjoy the laid back feel of the area.

4. Tra-Tel RV Park, Tucson, Arizona – There is nothing fancy about Tra-Tel, the spaces are a bit tight, but we usually spend a month there every year. Everybody is very friendly, they always make us feel welcome, and we have family in Tucson we enjoy visiting.

5. Country Roads RV Park, Lake Delton, Wisconsin – Owners Terry and Terri Michael are good friends of ours and whenever we visit their campground we feel like we are part of the family. The park is very clean and has every amenity we could ever want or need.

6. Thousand Trails Colorado River Preserve, Columbus, Texas – This membership park has over 125 full and partial hookup sites, an activity center, pool, hot tub, and lots of wide open spaces. A huge herd of deer live here also and are frequent visitors to the campsites. We spend a lot of time just enjoying the wildlife.

7. Thousand Trails Verde Valley Preserve, Camp Verde, Arizona – This membership campground has 265 full hookup sites, beautiful views, and is convenient to everything in central Arizona. Since the campground sits down in a bowl, we are glad we have our Wilson Trucker antenna and booster to get good air card coverage there.

8. Toad Suck Ferry Corps of Engineers Campground, Conway, Arkansas – Don’t let the name fool you, this is a wonderful campground located right on the Arkansas River. From our site we watched riverboats push barges through the lock and dam.  Our site had 50 amp electric & water, a central dump station, and did I mention the great views?

9. Ray Behrens Corps of Engineers Campground, Monroe City, Missouri - We have never been to a Corps of Engineers campground we have not liked, but this is a favorite. Huge spaces, some with full hookups, very clean, and it is situated on Mark Twain Lake.  The only drawback was very slow air card service.  

10. Turkey Creek RV Village, Hollister, Missouri - This Escapees Club RV park is our favorite place to stay when visiting Branson. The park has 68 full hookup sites, clean rest rooms, a laundry, club house, and a beautiful setting on Lake Taneycomo. Turkey Creek is just minutes from all the attractions of Branson, yet laid back and peaceful.

So there we are, our own Top 10. What about you? What are some of your favorite campgrounds, and why?

Thought For The Day – Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.

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