The Outdoor Life
Story by Bob Kaspar | Photos by Kim Nussbaum

Michael and Susan Hasting, along with their dog, Rocky recently located to Possum Kingdom Lake from Arizona.  They are enjoying life in their 43’ Monaco Diplomat Diesel Pusher while they build their new home in The Ranch.

Possum Kingdom Lake, one of the premier outdoor destinations in all of Texas, is reaping the benefits of a recent boom in outdoor tourism.

Phrases such as “the great outdoors†and “the freedom of the open road†help illustrate America’s shared love of nature, wide-open spaces and endless horizons, and thanks to technological innovations, increases in home prices and shifting work patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the outdoor tourism industry has experienced a big jump in popularity.

From weekend warriors to young professionals and modern-day nomads, Americans are taking to the country’s wild places in record numbers, and PK Lake’s picturesque steep cliffs, famed crystal-clear water and abundance of local campgrounds have plenty to offer those adventurous souls.

According to Kampgrounds of America (KOA), camping accounted for 40 percent of all leisure trips in 2021. There were 9 million first-time campers last year, and a third of them said the pandemic motivated their decision to try camping.

The proliferation of “glamping†(camping in a tent or cabin, with luxurious amenities such as hot tubs and pools, and even private chefs) has also driven growth in the outdoor tourism industry by making camping more accessible. Though it may not appeal to tent-camping purists, the global glamping market generated $2.68 billion in 2021, and by 2030 that segment of the industry is expected to more than double, to more than $5.9 billion.

Recreational vehicles, or RVs, also are enjoying a surge in popularity. According to the RV Industry Association, RV sales are up 30 percent from pre-pandemic levels. In previous generations, RV camping was seen to as a luxury typically reserved for older people, whose pensions allowed them to spend their retirement traveling across the country.

All of that changed in 2020. In the aftermath of the global pandemic, many families began to choose outdoor destinations for their vacations over theme parks and big cities, and RV owners are also getting younger, with some young professionals seeing the rise of telecommuting as an opportunity to live a nomadic lifestyle and travel across the country. Currently, 34 percent of RV owners are between the ages of 18 and 55.

These market trends and shifting demographics have prompted RV companies to innovate. Manufacturers now offer floor plans with office spaces, complete with eco-friendly swivel chairs, solar-powered espresso machines and multiple USB ports to upload their customers’ latest nomadic-existence experiences to the internet.

According to the latest research, more than 9 million Americans households now own an RV, with 1 million of them calling an RV their home.

Michael and Susan Hasting are currently calling their RV their home while they build their permanent home in The Ranch.  The Hasting moved here from Arizona, not knowing anything about Possum Kingdom Lake.  They never had Texas on their radar, but when their kids relocated to Texas, they were quick to realize they needed to “chase the grandkids.†

While they were contemplating a move, The Hasting were making their way from Florida back to Arizona and stopped to check out Possum Kingdom Lake.  They stayed in a VRBO and met up with local Real Estate agent, Ronda Gibson who helped them find land to build on. During the build, they are perfectly content in their 43’ Monaco Diplomat Diesel Pusher that contains three pull out slides, with the curb side being a full length slide out.  

Susan Hasting’s favorite feature is the full-size washer and dryer.  The RV boasts a comfortable living area, large TV, fireplace, office, full kitchen, 1.5 baths and a king size master bedroom.  The couple is fully content in their RV, which they expect to be in for a year and a half while they build.  “There is only one drawback,†Michael Hasting said.  “The bed is way too high, other than that, everything is perfect.â€

Susan Hasting has all the amenities she needs in her RV while she and husband, Michael, build their permanent home in The Ranch.

Michael and Susan Hasting enjoy all the comforts of home in their 43’ Monaco Diplomat Diesel Pusher.  The couple are currently building a home in The Ranch and plan to live in their RV throughout the build.  

For Graford native Rose Jordan, moving into an RV full time was a matter of practicality. She and her husband, Brandon, have been living in an RV at Lake Mineral Wells State Park for the past year and a half.

“We sold our house in September of 2020,†Rose Jordan said. “We looked for a house for nine months, and we couldn’t find anything. The couple of things that we put an offer on would get outbid. Then, in May of last year, I saw that the state park posted on their FaceBook page that they were looking for park hosts.â€

Park hosts are volunteers who work part time at Texas’ state parks, doing maintenance or helping with outdoor education programs. In return, the hosts get a free RV camping site and utilities.

For the Jordans, it seemed like an ideal fit. The day after Rose Jordan saw the post, she and her husband were on the phone to the park staff to find out more – and within 24 hours they decided to make their move into an RV permanent.

With the recent boom in popularity, though, finding a camper wasn’t easy.

“It was almost as hard finding a camper to do this as it had been finding a house,†she said.

For the Jordans, life now is more peaceful and less complicated – and their lakefront location is hard to beat.

“We love being right there at the water, so we can go kayaking anytime we want,†she said, adding that the reduced overhead “lets us save more, lets us travel more and it just gives us more financial freedom.â€

Another major perk of RV life is the people she meets, Rose Jordan said.

“I’ve noticed that camping people are just out there to have fun,†she said. “They’re not caught up in politics and they’re not all fussing about things to be offended about. They’re laid back and relaxed. They just want to chat and tell their stories.â€

Living in an RV did require some adjustments, however.

“Making the bed is not fun, and you’ll hear that from a lot of people, too,†she said. “It’s just so tight. It’s a real pain.â€

Storage also is a challenge. When the Jordans made the transition to RV life, they had to get rid of as many of their possessions as they could.

Still, they have no regrets.

“Right now, we have no intention of buying a house,†she said. “In fact, what we’re really thinking is, here within the next few months, we’re going to trade ours in and upgrade.â€

The back-to-basics immersion into the natural world that camping offers has a way of awakening the senses. Suddenly, treading water in the lake is more refreshing than any spa treatment, the food from a charcoal grill deserves a Michelin star, and the jokes told around a campfire are the funniest thing anyone has ever heard. Spending the weekend in a tent or camper makes it easy to put the focus where it should be: on friendships, family and natural surroundings.