Wednesday, July 13, 2016

On Safari To Safari-land

In spite of all the predictions of sun, it continues to drip the wet stuff on our heads as I went off on safari yesterday morning.  There is an RV Park of sorts, requiring purchase AND membership, where you can stay year round.  Called Safari Association of Illwaco, you purchase a membership lot for X amount of dollars, depending on what the current owner has on his lot, then pay a rather inexpensive membership fee.  You can live there permanently or part time ... it's up to you.
In order to get there, you have to cross the continuously under repair Astoria-Megler Bridge, the longest continuous truss bridge in North America.  At least this time the entire top of the bridge is in good repair.  They were working on the side rails, and lucky for me, I hit it just right and did not have to stop, not that that would have been bad.  Some of the guys are pretty good looking -- a little OLD-lady eye candy!!
I'm headed to the other side of that point covered in clouds and MORE rain.  A little about the park ... you can have family or guests visit, but they cannot stay more than 30 days, and guests can only stay if you are there.  Probably a good thing!!  If you have a DOUBLE lot (and pay double dues), you can purchase another rig to use as a guest house.  Dues are around $1100 a year (that's pretty cheap living) which includes cable TV and WiFi which you must pay for whether you use it or not.  Electricity is extra.  It's a gated facility, so they keep riffraff and salesmen OUT.  
Here's an example ... the lot is 35 x 100, includes the shed and is selling for $16,500.  If you want a 50 amp service, you have to have it put in yourself, as this one is only 30 amp.  These people want out.  Most lots sell for around $30,000. 
There were a few oldies but goodies hanging out, including a couple of Silver Streaks from the 50's and this beauty!!  It's a two story Stuart Garner she said.  There's a bedroom and bathroom on the bottom floor with another bedroom and the living quarters up top.  How cool is THAT!!!
I'm not sure if I want to buy in here.  The price is right ... children (or grandchildren) are only allowed to stay for two weeks at a time and there is always someone willing to mow the grass for a few bucks while you're gone.  This isn't your Ritz Carlton park ... there's a mish smash of rigs old and new, but overall, very well kept with a lot of nice people.  I'm a little hesitant about the Board of Directors requiring approval on just about everything.  As with most parks, there are a LOT of rules ... not that I don't follow the rules you know!

I drove back home under even more clouds than when I left.  This is photography heaven, but I was on a mission to report back to a couple of people about the park.  I haven't made up my mind yet.  I keep thinking if I'm this hesitant, maybe it's for a reason.  FYI ... there are many lots available up and down the peninsula to park your RV, all of which have regulations about how many days a year you can stay.
When I arrived back home to Thousand Trails, I found this deposited at my door.  Sorry, I did NOT order a fire pit.  I called the Ranger, but since it still stands at my front door steps, they apparently don't listen to their answering machine.  My nice single neighbor, who apparently isn't single after all (we all knew THAT was coming) even went and reported it, but to no avail.  I'm dragging it out to the street ... maybe they'll get the message that way!!
This morning I'll drive all the way BACK to Tillamook, or rather Bay City where I'll meet my brother and his wife for lunch (they live in Montana and I NEVER see them).  Too bad they didn't call me when I was in Tillamook ... it would have saved me a long drive.  At any rate, I'll have a chance to stop in at a quilt shop in Cannon Beach on the way back ... and it's a GOOD one!!





8 comments:

  1. Hope you found some great fabrics at the quilt store in Cannon Beach! I found a few that I couldn't live without....
    That was informative about the "RV Park", never knew.
    Liz-Boise, ID

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    1. Unfortunately I didn't get to stop long enough Liz ... but I've got almost three weeks to get back there!!

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  2. Yeah looking at your second picture of the cutie,, yeah the guy is cute
    Although I had to ask my girlfriend because I'm not allowed to say guys are cute it's not a Manly thing
    But he must have a lot of relatives because I used to see him all over the country but I will admit he's a pretty hard worker
    Some H OA's a pretty good some HOA xxx
    I could show you the 25 pages we have for our park
    As the rule for doing a security ( approval )check on you you need to request a security check copy of everyone that is in the park as well if they have the right you have the right to know who's around you as well
    Just show them your CCW card It's equivalent to a background check as well
    If you took the 16.5 and use that for camping per month
    16500$ Divided by $500 a month for RV space,for a campground that's 33 months Worth
    Yeah the either thing is do you get to own the land and who pays the taxes
    do you have to pay a registration fee for the unit and do you pay taxes on that as well
    If you have city water do you have to pay for it when you're not there known as a service fee
    if you have city septic system there's a good chance that you have a service fee with the water
    Here in Florida if you live in unincorporated area another words outside of town and have your own septic system you only pay for water
    here at the park you pay for water and the treatment plant cost for septic you pay for septic even if you don't use either
    Same way with electric even if you don't use electric you have a service fee


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  3. if you move up to Seaview right around the corner from the park is another quaint little park I know you're probably not interested in old trailers but The people in the park have taken some pain staking time to rebuild some silversides trailers and they like to show off you work so I sent you the website. And yes you can ride your bike to ithere ( no hills )

    http://www.souwesterlodge.com/

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  4. Hi Nancy, I have been reading your blog since last summer when you attended the Long Beach Kite Festival.

    We own two lots at Safari Association of Ilwaco and live there part time. We have one empty lot and one lot with a park model on it. Safari is a great low-cost gated park membership park with an excellent location on the popular Long Beach Peninsula.

    In my opinion the current Board of Directors has done a good job with encouraging people to clean up their lots and to remove junk, moss, and weeds, and in modernizing the office and financial procedures. These are all volunteer positions and these people work hard on behalf of Safari.

    Background checks were put in place last year and have been successful, in that some of the unsavory types don't even bother to apply for membership when they find out that a background check is needed.

    To answer some of Mister Ed's concerns:

    We do not own our lots and we only pay property taxes on our lots only after they have been improved by installing a park model, permanent trail or RV, etc.

    We pay no registration fee, just the yearly membership dues (billed twice a year). We pay no service fee for electricity if no electricity is used. BTW, the electricity rates are quite cheap here on the Peninsula. We do not pay for water or sewer/septic and there is no service fee for either. Those utilities, along with garbage and the on-site caretakers, are paid for out of the membership dues.

    Let me know if you would like more information about the park.

    Carol

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    1. Thank you, thank you Carol. That is GREAT information that makes me feel much better. It IS a perfect location and very neat and tidy ... much more than the last time I saw it. I met several very nice people there, all out walking their puppies. I think I hesitate because I would only be there 4-5 months, but paying for 12. Maybe I'll see you at the Kite Festival??

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  5. Sorry, make that installing a "TRAILER" not a "TRAIL" on a lot!

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  6. Please forgive me for stepping in here. To Carol K,
    To answer some of Mister Ed's concerns:

    We do not own our lots and we only pay property taxes on our lots only after they have been improved by installing a park model, permanent trailer or RV, etc.

    Good morning Carol K,
    It sounds like you have a co-op type set up where you do not own the property
    It sounds like it was a RV park at one time, but taken it over by One person(s) and leasing lots out as permanent residence Status as dues pr, year

    As for paying property taxes Using a hypothetical situation
    The city town or county they could exempt the old unit, but they can't exempt the land tax that it sits on however if you put a say a a $75,000 park model city town or county is going to charge you a tax for that unit as property tax or if you place a $100,000 RV on it, city and county will find a fee for it as of property tax so because of the new value of the unit you're paying the property tax to the association which reduces their overall expense yearly which is beneficial
    So all in all sounds like a pretty good deal it sounds like you're all partners in trust tenets
    And the more people in the park improve their unit lots helps keep the dues and check
    To Nancy
    Do they put out a financial status sheet every year of the expense
    What are the rules governing the dues
    And how often have the dues got up and the last say five years
    Note
    A lot of places here in Florida you do not own the land but you pay a really high lot rental
    Pretty close to $500 a month in some cases even higher paid to a corporation
    At our park we own the land we are the association we all have a say in what goes on in this park and that also goes for the dues which go up about every five years we just went up $10 this year which brings it to $70 a month and that was only because of the inflation for future work and projects in the park
    To keep the dues down as owners we pay all our utilities
    Our Dues cover park Maintenance beautification pool security and park recreation
    Our park rules cover everything from alligators to zucchinis
    You can't eat one but you can grow the other
    Enjoy your day










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