Canada Fulltimers: Almost in Canada

It is Friday evening, May 6, and we are 45 minutes drive from the US - Canada border. We are wallydocking at a Walmart in Fredonia NY, as we did last night at Anmoor WV. This far north on our route, there are few campgrounds open at this time of the year, and no Passport America parks. Walmart is a great alternative for an overnight stop. We hate paying $40+ for the privilege of parking in a muddy camping resort for a few hours. We use the Allstays Walmart ONP Android app, which lists the stores which may allow overnight RV parking, and also has user reviews of the location.

We are quite comfortable and self-contained. We get power from our truck-mounted generator, and we are usually able to park in a location distant from the store, that will allow us to extend the slides on the driver side. We have all the conveniences of a nice hotel room, for the cost of $3 generator fuel. Having done this a number of times, we get a feel for where to park so as not to interfere with traffic, then we go into the store, seek out a Customer Service Manager, and request permission to stay. We have never been refused.

If a park is available, preferably at a Passport America rate, we will prefer the park, but wallydocking is a good second choice. There are three basic rules: Don't block traffic flow, Always ask permission, Use the parking for overnight only (no awnings, camping, etc.)

After leaving Mount Airy NC, we drove north on I-77 to Beckley WV, then took US19 through Summersville and Muddlety (funny name), and joined I-79. We then continued north to Anmoor, stayed overnight, then went around Pittsburgh, through Meadville, and joined I-90 in Erie PA. East along I-90 brings us to our present location, the Walmart at Fredonia NY.