I’ve been a member of the Boondockers Welcome community since its inception in 2012. This is a fantastic resource pairing folks looking for a place to park overnight with folks who have a place to park overnight. I listed Haven even before I spent any time here!
A few days ago, I got a message through the site from a lovely lady from western Washington state who is driving across Canada to Nova Scotia with a friend and who was wondering if I could accommodate their 17″ Roadtrek. Through messages, I learned that they were going to visit Grasslands National Park, putting me right on their route east. Finally, someone ignored the ignorant instructions to drive through Saskatchewan as fast as they can and are seeing one of the prettiest and least known parts of this country!
I could have offered power and water, but they are self-contained, so there really wasn’t anything to do but give them a level and quiet place to park. I’m working late and so didn’t have much time to socialise. They appeared tired and content to just stay in for the evening anyway, plus it’s been raining on and off so it’s not like we really had any place to sit and chat anyway.
Even if they are my only Boondockers Welcome visitors ever, at least now I feel that I’ve started to pay forward all that hospitality given to me by so many of you lovely strangers who read my blog and invited me to park Miranda in their yard!
Thank you, Rae, for for this lovely post and for being such a great Boondockers Welcome host.
Sometimes folks ask about joining as a host when they’re not really on “the tourist route” and may not get many visitors. We generally respond to say that many RVers are not looking for typical tourist stops all of the time. Travel can be fun but also exhausting. They may just want to catch up on their rest for a day or two. Who wants to pay for an expensive campground just to sleep and sit inside the RV and read until the rain passes?
Hope you are well and enjoying your Saskatchewan “haven”.
Cheers,
Marianne, I suspected you might have BW on some sort of alert! 🙂
I’m exactly the kind of person who likes to park somewhere and just rest for a bit. That’s pretty much what these folks did, although they got a much earlier start than I would have expected considering I told them they could stay a few days if they wanted to.
I’m well and enjoying Haven except for the lack of decent internet service…
Oh no!!! How can you live without decent Internet? I hope the Digital Canada 150 initiative will include your neck of the woods!
I can’t. Which is why I won’t be here long this summer and will never be back for more than the odd short vacation. Leaving Canada pretty much for good in the next month or so.
Whaaaat? I’d better read backwards on your blogs and get caught up! Knowing you, I’m sure you’re on to some great new adventure.
Nice that you have the space to offer travelers.
That was not accidental! 😀
They stayed with us on Sunday night, unfortunately with it beginning a long weekend we were busy with our campground chores to be able to spend any time with them! I think this was our second time hosting for Boondockers Welcome. We ourselves have use it a couple of times too, it is a great resource.
Yes, she mentioned staying at your park. She thought you were lovely hosts. 🙂
Marianne, you do have a lot to catch up on. 🙂 Heading to Eastern Europe for the summer, who knows where for the winter, then only coming back to Canada next year long enough to apply for a Mexican residency visa and pack up my stuff.