Campground may offer all comforts TRAVELWISE A YEAR and a half ago, we made a purchase that has forever changed our way of travel — a 19’ van conver- sion, dubbed the “Durn fine lookin’ rig” by other campers on our first short trip. Campers we weren't. I'd never slept in anything other than a regu- lation bed in my life and Brian’s boyhood experiences under soggy canvas he'd permanently mind- blocked. Just ask any former pas- senger on the Poseidon how they feel about cruising and you'll get the idea. So there we were — proud owners of a big (to us) white vehi- cle that I prayed wouldn’t turn into an elephant. This machine doesn't come close to real camping —- it has no rocks under its king-sized bed and if it snows we turn on the furnace. It’s air conditioned, carpeted, plumbed and has 2 microwave, stove, fridge, automatic coffee maker and cable TV. The interior design is mostly my own and | can haul around one helluva tot of cargo, From green-as-grass, timid trav- ellers we've progressed to fairly adept gypsies. We've discovered that we can tolerate each other for fairly long periods of time in very close quarters. We function like a smooth team when it comes to set- ting up, cooking, making the bed, chogsing routes and getting on the road in the morning. Every guide we read about buy- ing a camper suggested that you rent a unit first ta try out the lifestyle. We didn’t, and I'm glad. In fact, had we done that we'd probably have scrapped the idea. 11 takes time to become familiar — and comfortable — with any piece of equipment‘and rentals are so temporary. Neither of us is com- fortable for long with mismatched or grunge decor, either. In your own rig you can surround yourself with equipment that suits you, Different styles There are two kinds of campers. Some haul themselves to a conge- nial resort area, put down roots and stay there for the entire vacation. These include the snowbirds who haul condos on wheels, often pulling a second vehicle when they aren’t hauling a fifth wheel outfit. These also include the families in tents, tent trailers and other small outfits that take a two-week run to the lake every summer. These campers rarely mingle — different lifestyles, you know. And then there are the gypsies, like us. They are one-night-stands, always on the go. Their camp- grounds are like motels — close to highways and usually utilitarian. There may be pools, game rooms, laundries and small convenience stores but hiking trails, boat rentals and other recreational facilities aren't expected, or used much, So, what have we learned? Campgrounds: Don't leave home without ich "(t" is a copy of Trailer Life's Campyround Guide, a2" thick volume covering every campsite in North America. It costs about $20 and is available mostly in campground convenience stores, It lists everything — including affiliations with clubs such as KOA and Good Sam, size of camp- ground, how to get there, approxi- inate cost and amenities such as laundries, stores, propane and recreational facilities such as pools and game rooms. We use it exclu- sively and it hasn't let us down. We try to be off the road by 4 p.m. but if we're running late, we use the book to choose 4 site and phone ahead. In every case a spot has been held for us, Another campground feature that I found quite amazing is the honor system that is in place in many. If you arrive fate you may find a sign on the office door invit- ing you to choose a site, record it on the envelope provided and drop it, including fee. in a mail slat. Amenities The average cost of an overnight in all campgrounds seems to be rising — we expect to pay anywhere from $14 to $22, averaging about $18 — up about five bucks over what we were told when we bought our van. The list price is the same in both Canada and the U.S. Facilities always (unless you're in a national park) include an elec- tric hook-up. There is usually a sewer connection on each site but if not, there’s usually a dumping area. A really good campsite wil} have a paved pad, grassy patio with a picnic table, full hookups including cable TV and (very rarely) a storage shed, Washroonis in a good campsite are spotless. They have showers, sometimes free but more often metered. You get about six minutes for a quarter, but it's wise to carry extra money. And, it’s wise to have a close look at the showers when you arrive — there have been some that | wouldn't wash a dog in and that's a discovery you don't want to make at 7 am. Also, another unpleasant sur- prise is finding that the meter takes four quarters (1) instead of the one you've pot. 1 wear rubber sandals in most community showers and I ree? off a handful of paper towels to dry my feet (grab before you get into the stall), f made myself a terry cloth robe with elbow-length sleeves, scoop neck and big pockets that hold my soap dish, shampoo and money. Avoid taking clothing into showers — the floor is always wet. We do have a shower and flush toilet in our van but these are for emergencies only. Travelling ina small van is a lot different than being in fifth wheel. Try to avoid buying anything at campground convenience stores —- these, too, are for emergencies only unless you enjoy paying dou- ble. The supplies are usually limit- ed so don’t expect to find much besides a few cans and milk — you may even be out of luck for bread. Dangers “I guess you have to be pretty careful in campgrounds —- espe- cially American ones,” a non- camping friend remarked. Not any more careful than you'd be in a motel. Sure, thefts .can occur but don’t leave your wal- luton the picnic table. “Careful has a grizzly connotation, almost as if’ you expect to find the places bristting with handguns, Not in our experiences! A more. law-abiding group of people you'd rarely find. Every campsite we've visited has been safe and dead quiet. By 10 p.m. you'd be hard pressed to hear a sound — no boom boxes, no drunks, no screeching kids, no rowdies. The only times we've encour- tered poor campsites is when we've not used the book and pulled into a place from a road sign. Even then the worst we've dealt with is horrid washrooms, ' In one site there were bikers — . Jots of them and the washroom was hosting a meeting of the “chicks” — scary looking ladies with tat- loos, grimy spandex and purple lip- stick, They ignored me. We got the hell out of there by seven the next morning. A dead giveaway to 4 poor campsite is the presence of ratty- locking trailers set up for perma- nent residence. If you’ve got an option, go get your money back and move on. Otherwise, stay inside, lock up and go to bed early so you can get out fast. If you’re in a camper without a washroom, go to the public ones carefully, and in pairs. But, this _ happens so rarely it’s hardly worth. mentioning. : In a couple of weeks, we'll be putting our camping skills to a real test — two months on the road. Our destination is Nova Scotia, the Atlantic coast of both Canada and the United States and a return through places like Nashville. Our house sitter is all set to give the cats plenty of TLC and we’ve paid our bills. Travelwise and Budget Beaters will carry on as usual: written in the van and faxed. drain travel allows time to enjoy passing scenery THE ASTUTE TRAVELLER er ALL ABOARD)! Air travel may have replaced rail travel as the quickest and cheapest way to reach a destination, x but the passenger train is finding new life as the scenic, romantic way to go. Close to home, both Via Rail and the privately operated Great .», Canadian Rail Tour Co. do the Rocky Mountains. Via travels the northern line, Vancouver to Jasper. Great Canadian’s Rocky Mountaineer has two routes: the original, southern transcontinental track from Vancouver to Banff and Calgary, and the northern course to , Jasper. Via's service is year-round and offers sleeper cars, while the Rocky Mountaineer’s season is from late May to early October. It has no sleepers, but trains stop overnight in Kamloops. Via’s surmmer rates start at $139.10 one way. Rocky \ Mountaineer’s price for a two-day, one-way trip is from $399 to $499, including Kamloops accommoda- tion and most meals. For more information: Via Rail, toll-free 1-800-561-8630; Great Canadian Railtour Co., 984-3315. Another close-by option is the Spirit of Washington train, which uses vintage carriages from as far back as the 1930s and includes on- board gourmet dining and stops at wineries. The 34-hour round trip departs Renton, 24 km southeast of Seattle, daily from June to mid-September. Cost is US$57 to US$68 (higher for the dome car). Weckend lunch trips are US$47 to US$59. For more information: Spirit of Washington Dinner Train, P.O. Box 835, Renton, Wash. 98057, |-206- 227-7245, Oregon's Mount Hood Railroad follows the route of the historic Oregon Trail from the dramatic Columbia River Gorge to the foothills of snow-capped Mt. Hood. Trips depart from Parkdale, 100 km east of Portland, twice daily from June through September, Tuesdays to Sundays. The cars are restored Pullman coaches of the 1910 ta 1926 era. Cost is US$19.95. For more information: Mt. Hood Railroad, 110 Railroad Ave.. Hood River, Ore. 97031, 1-503-386-3556. Overseas, Switzerland's Glacier Express crosses 291 bridges as it races through mountain gorges and skirts alpine lakes on the 74-hour trip between Zermatt and St. Moritz. A one-way ticket in summer is $131 to $215. An cight-day Swiss Pass starts at $265. For more information: Rail Europe, toll-free 1-800-361-7245. - Even more exotic is the Zastern & Oriental Express, connecting Bangkok and Singapore. This luxu- ry train, with air-conditioned, 1930s-style carriages and an onboard chef takes 41 hours (two nights) to make the 1,943-km jour- ney. Cost is $1,571. For more information: Tradewinds Tours and Travel, 1295 Marine Dr., North Vancouver, B.C, V7P 1T3, 980-1877. Bea The rushing waters of the Babine River in B.C.’s Interior Now through some of North America’s prime grizzly bear habitat. Vancouver's Canadian Outback Adventure Co. has raft trips down the Babine that Iet participants visit the ruins of Gitskan villages along the river's edge and then (froma safe distance) watch grizzlies come down to the shore to scoop stecl- head salmon from the water. The rafts travel through some Class HI whitewater, but Canadian Outback’s Jamie Corbett says, “We've taken 12-year-olds as well as seniors.” The seven-day trips depart Photo submitted THE PRIVATELY owned Rocky Mountaineer passenger train makes two-day trips to Banff or Jasper from Vancouver. Smithers on Sept. 11 and 18. Cost is $1,695. For more information: Canadian Outback Adventures, 106 - 1110 Hamilton St., Vancouver, B.C. V6B 282, 688-7206 or toll-free 1-800- 565-8735. Business-class passengers trav- elling to London from Vancouver on British Airways can now take advantage of the airline's elegant arrival lounge in Heathrow Terminal 4. With 23 private shower cubicles and a complimentary valet service to steam wrinkles from clothes, the lounge lets BA cus- tomers freshen up betore they head into the city or onto another air- plane. The lounge is already popular with passengers arriving on early- morning flights from Asia, Africa, and Australia. In April, its closing time was extended from noon to 3 p.m., which lets passengers from the west coust of North America use it. (The Vancouver flight arrives at 1:15 p.m.) The lounge supplies breakfast — including freshly squeezed orange juice —- and has phones, faxes, and a photocopier. For more information: British Airways, toll-free 1-800-247-9297.