Traveling from Colorado to Minnesota to work the Sugar Beet Harvest is a long travel in a short period of time. At least it is for us. We are not fast travelers. We enjoy our downtime and our goal in traveling is not to see how quickly we can get there.
On the way up to our beet workamping this year, we stayed in three Walmart parking lots and one Flying J Truck stop. They were not too bad, for parking lots. Our best night sleep was actually the Flying J Truck stop, tucked away in between two tractor trailers.
But our best decision was to book an RPI campground for six days before the beet harvest campground. At first we questioned our decision to book another campground as we were already over budget on campsites for the year.
However, we quit questioning our decision when we arrived at the quiet, maintained Forest Hills Golf & RV Resort in Detroit Lakes, MN. Wow! After parking lot boondocking for four days, this campground was the answer.
We assume the campground for the Sugar Beet Harvest, although full-hookups, will not be as nice as the Forest Hills Resort. I have plenty of walking area around the campground. However, I could also work out in the gym, if I were so inclined.
We have plenty of downtime to catch up on shows and reading before working the long twelve-hour shifts of the Beet Harvest. And, we cooked and froze a lot of food for the two continuous working weeks that we anticipate.
The $10 a night with an RPI membership is worth the relaxation and preparation we enjoyed while sitting at this campground. We also met a couple who sat for a few days before they head to their Beet Harvest in North Dakota. Windell also gained new adventuring ideas from them.
The older we become, the more we realize that we require downtime and relaxation. I know many couples, both young and old, who push themselves. They travel faster than we enjoy traveling. We met one older couple in a Florida rest stop. They drove sixteen hours and were continuing to their campground in Florida. Of course, they couldn’t sleep in their bed as they could not access it in travel mode. So, they just kept driving.
That is not us. I am not sure if we are lazy or just cautionary. But pushing ourselves to get to a destination is just not our ideal way of traveling. We enjoy relaxation and yes, even anticipation. Although sometimes we do get bored sitting at campgrounds, we become really frustrated and grumpy if don’t take some downtime for a little while.
So, here we are at this beautiful campground, preparing for our Sugar Beet Harvest workamping. We are thankful for our RV memberships and our relaxation. If you, like us, also need some downtime, be sure and take it. No one receives a prize for getting to the destination faster. Know thyself and what makes you truly happy.
As for us, we have already decided to book this campground again next year if we work the Sugar Beet Harvest. After six days of resting, cooking, and cleaning, we are ready to face those twelve-hour long shifts!