Parking lot RVing ~ When do you stop?

[Big1]

Yes, I like your plan KYCAMPER, I am thankful this and other are posted so I can get a feel on what to do when the wife and I make our 1100 trip this summer.

[Cdash]

DW and I are 45 with kids of 11 and 13. When we go, it's for the destination, and not as much for the journey, especially for the long trips out west or along routes we've already traveled and seen a lot of the sites.

We push hard to get to where we are going in order to maximize our time at the destination. In our case, we are usually on the road 14 to 16 hours a day and pulling into Cracker Barrel or Walmart (or others) at midnight, crawling into the camper and passing out. Get up the next morning and do it all over again. Wife is fine driving, especially with the new Ford, so that helps making those long days work easier. We've done rest areas and truck stops in the past, but they are darn noisy and I always feel bad using up a truckers spot for the night.

I understand that we all do things differently, and what we do works for us and not for others. I'm sure that after the kids are gone and time opens up, we'll probably change our habits a bit.

[Gman1372]

I've been to my Walmarts. I don't like them. I don't care for the clientele that shop there. Yep I said it. Walmart draws a crowd inside and out that make me shake my head. Yes I've shopped there before but it's usually parking on the side and speed walking in through the garden center entrance and bolting right to the item I need, then walking twice as fast to the same entrance to pay. I tend to stay away from Walmarts. We've all seen "Walmartian", right?

[RPreeb]

Originally Posted by Gman1372

I've been to my Walmarts. I don't like them. I don't care for the clientele that shop there. Yep I said it. Walmart draws a crowd inside and out that make me shake my head. Yes I've shopped there before but it's usually parking on the side and speed walking in through the garden center entrance and bolting right to the item I need, then walking twice as fast to the same entrance to pay. I tend to stay away from Walmarts. We've all seen "Walmartian", right?

I guess I'd better leave the forum then before I drive you off. I don't much care for Walmart as a store, and I've never parked overnight at one, but I sure wouldn't avoid them because of "the clientele that shop there". My 93 year old father-in-law shops there, as do my wife, and most of my friends. We shop there because it's the only reasonable option for us. I may not like the place (I have other reasons for that), but I certainly don't fear it or the customers.

[TaftCoach]

I guess I've seen those same people in restaurants, at church, at other stores, I work with them, am related to them, and some are my friends. I even bumped into my doctor at one.

[TCNashville]

Walmarts are OK, just don't make eye contact with anyone except the greeter and you'll be fine. In the summer, we usually drive about 10 hours, [9am to 7pm] and what's the best thing after we park? A much needed belt of 12 year old GlenLivet!

[Gman1372]

Look it up. "Walmartians" hope she don't wear that to church I could post others but Norty would probably throw me another infraction

[koko]

We agree with The Logans' post. We never want to look like we're "camping", just "parking for the night". We have stopped as early as 5 pm and didn't feel guilty about it. Walmarts are usually very good about overnight parking. We always buy something at either the Walmart or a fast-food place within the Walmart. We like to stay in Walmarts that are in small towns. We'd never stay anywhere (even a paid campground) that was in a dangerous area of a city. We love Cracker Barrel, and we always ask first and then either eat dinner, breakfast or both while we're there. We don't make it a nightly habit to park at a store, but sometimes it's the best and/or safest option when on a long road trip.

[TaftCoach]

Originally Posted by Gman1372

Look it up. "Walmartians" hope she don't wear that to church I could post others but Norty would probably throw me another infraction

[emoji3] No doubt that with millions of customers you can find pictures like that. You should stay away if it scares you that you may be in the same store with someone dressed like that.

I've also seen outrageous outfits at concerts, beaches, city streets, bars, etc. I don't mind. I love the vastness of the human experience. This reminds me of someone i worked with who felt that anyone with living arrangements on wheels was "trailer trash". A million dollar coach just meant the trailer trash won the lottery. [emoji3]

[dewey02]

As far as when to pull into an overnight parking lot, do what fits your travel routine.
We normally try not to travel for too many hours each day, so about 400 or so miles is the most we ever go in a day, and usually less depending upon look-see stops and stopping to eat.

Therefore, when stopping to overnight at Walmart, etc. we usually pull in during late afternoon or early evening and then walk to a nearby restaurant for our evening meal.

As to the clientele that shops at Walmart, I have never had a bad experience with any customers while shopping at Walmart. There are all sorts of people in the world and sometimes the most rude and unfriendly ones shop at the ritziest places. And it seems we have at least one of those who posts here on the forum.