Week 859 - Elks Lodge Update 2023 - 01-29-2023

Elks Lodge Update 2023

The first thing we tell any full time traveler is "Join the Elks!" In the last 17 years we have stayed at 126 Elks lodges. This has saved us over $25,000 in RV parking fees. The lodges turn our donations into their donations to the local community. It's a win-win. And the Elks members are always very hospitable giving us the low down on their town. "Join the Elks!"

Every Elks lodge is different. Some are just a meeting hall like ours in Atascadero. But it has 14 full hookup sites. Some lodges have just a small building and a parking lot with no RV hookups. And then there are lodges on lakes, on rivers, with golf courses, bowling alleys; the variety is endless. But they all have welcoming members and are a joy to be with.

These are the lodges we have stayed at.

As you can see from the following list, a good number of these lodges have no RV hookups. When you call a lodge don't ask "Do you have RV hookups?" Ask "do you have RV parking?" Many will respond "we don't have hookups, but you can park here." Eight of these lodges pulled out an extension cord to provide power to keep our batteries up. Nice! Some of our best visits were those without hookups. Don't skip them.

Louisville Kentucky Elks

$donate - These did not not have a published donation, suggested $10 03-15-17 Reno NV Elks Dry (2.5) $donate 07-17-12 Rifle CO Elks Dry (2.5) $donate 07-14-12 Ely NV Elks Dry (2) $donate 08-25-11 Louisville KY Elks 2 (3) $donate 07-11-11 John Day OR Elks Dry (2) $donate 02-12-10 Escondido CA Elks Dry (2) $donate 04-17-09 West Sacramento CA Elks 2W (2) $donate closed 06-22-07 Warren NJ Elks 2 (2.5) $donate 12-09-06 Huntington Beach CA Elks Dry (2.5) $donate

Salisbury Maryland Elks

$free - These lodges would NOT take a donation, just happy to have us 08-16-11 Jeffersonville IN Elks 3 (3) $free 09-26-10 Sonora CA Elks Dry (2) $free 08-12-09 Polson Elks MT Elks Dry (2) $free 07-20-09 Valdez AK Elks Dry (2) $free 06-27-09 Eagle River AK Elks Dry (1.5) $free 04-29-09 Bellingham WA Elks Dry (2) $free 08-30-08 Pueblo CO Elks Dry (1.5) $free 09-14-07 Casper WY Elks Dry (1.5) $free 09-01-07 Milwaukee WI Elks 2 (3) $free 06-07-07 Salisbury MD Elks Dry (2) $free 06-05-07 Dover DE Elks Dry (3) $free 05-28-07 Pawleys Island SC Elks 2 (2.5) $free 04-02-07 Carlsbad NM Elks E (1.5) $free 03-27-07 Silver City NM Elks Dry (2) $free

Sacramento California Elks

$4 to $8 - Some dry camping only, others with power 01-10-13 Gila Bend AZ Elks Dry (2) $5 12-06-10 Yuma AZ Elks I (2) $8 closed 12-05-10 Casa Grande AZ Elks W (2) $5 08-28-08 Colorado Springs CO Elks Dry (3) $5 08-15-08 Silverthorne CO Elks E (2) $5 08-10-08 Pocatello ID Elks E (1) $5 04-14-08 Sacramento CA Elks Dry (2) $5 04-23-07 Panama City FL Elks E (2.5) $5

Cape Girardeau Missouri

$10 to $12 - Facilities varied 05-08-22 Gallup NM Dry (3) $10 01-11-15 Glendale CA Elks 2 (3) $10 3W is more 03-14-12 Palm Springs CA Elks Dry (2.5) $10 05-19-11 Willows CA Elks 3W (2.5) $10 09-09-11 Kansas City MO Elks 5W (2.5) $10 02-18-11 Sun City AZ Elks Dry (2) $10 09-17-09 Eugene OR Elks 3D (2) $10 04-07-09 Roseville CA Elks 2W (2) $10 12-19-08 Bakersfield CA Elks E (1.5) $10 10-19-07 Redbluff CA Elks EW (2) $12 08-01-07 Cape Girardeau MO Elks 5 (4) $10 05-21-07 Charleston SC Elks Dry (3) $10 04-09-07 Del Rio TX Elks E (2) $12 04-01-07 Roswell NM Elks EW (2) $10 03-31-07 Alamogordo NM Elks EWS (2) $10

Palmer-Wasilla Alaska Elks

$15 to $19 - The most popular donation range 10-20-17 St. George UT Elks 5wD (3) $15 04-20-16 Burbank CA Elks 3W (3) $15 08-05-15 Brookings OR Elks 3W (3) $18 08-02-13 Santa Cruz CA Elks Dry (2.5) $15 closed 05-03-13 San Jose CA Elks 3W (3) $19 10-30-12 Canoga Park CA Elks 3WD (3) $18 01-01-12 Hesperia CA Elks 3WCD (2.5) $18 07-21-11 Spokane WA Elks 5WI (2.5) $15 03-08-11 Parker AZ Elks 3W (2.5) $15 01-05-11 Santa Clarita CA Elks 3WC (2.5) $15 05-30-11 Paradise CA Elks 3WS (3.5) $16 10-17-10 Needles CA Elks 5WS (3) $17 09-24-10 Oakhurst CA Elks 3W (3) $15 09-17-09 Florence OR Elks 5WD (3) $18 07-08-09 Soldotna AK Elks 2 (2) $15 06-23-09 Palmer/Wasilla AK Elks 3W (3) $15 03-23-09 Tempe Elks AZ 3WS (3) $17 01-21-09 Oxnard CA Elks EW (2.5) $15 10-19-09 Springfield OR Elks 5WI (2) $15 09-14-09 Newport OR Elks 3WC (2.5) $15 09-13-09 Oceanlake Camp OR Elks 3W (2.5) $18 closed 09-11-09 Kelso-Longview WA Elks 3WC (2.5) $15 04-25-09 Burien Elks WA 5W (2.5) $15 09-29-08 Tucumcari NM Elks EW (3) $15 08-21-08 Westminster CO Elks EWS (2.5) $16 07-01-08 Ocean Shores WA Elks EWS (2) $15 06-15-08 Lodi CA Elks EW (3) $16 06-13-08 Tracy CA Elks EWS (2) $15 08-04-06 Chico CA Elks 3WD (3) $16

Coeur d'Alene Idaho Elks

$20 to $24 - All these had power, some had more 05-07-22 Show Low AZ Elks 5WS (3.5) $20 11-07-20 Ridgecrest CA Elks 5WS (3.5) $20 11-15-18 Rancho Cordova CA Elks 3WD (3) $22 11-06-18 Jackson CA Elks 3W (2) $20 10-14-18 Gilroy CA Elks 5W (2.5) $20 03-23-18 Santa Ana CA Elks 3WD (3) $20 closed 03-30-17 South San Francisco CA Elks 3W (2.5) $20 08-29-16 Coeur d'Alene ID Elks EW (2) $20 07-30-16 Vancouver WA Elks 5 (3) $20 07-17-16 Bend OR Elks 3 (3) $20 08-13-15 Walnut Creek CA Elks 3W (2.5) $20 06-25-15 Santa Maria CA Elks 3WD (3) $20 10-14-14 Grants Pass OR Elks 5WS (2.5) $20 04-07-14 Lancaster CA Elks 3WdC (3) $20 10-03-13 Oceanside CA Elks EWD (3) $20 10-02-13 El Cajon CA Elks 5WDc (3) $20 08-18-13 Modesto CA Elks 3Wd (2.5) $20 04-11-12 Fresno CA Elks 3WD (3) $20 04-09-12 Palmdale CA Elks 3WD (2.5) $20 04-21-09 Redding CA Elks 5WDC (3) $20 01-11-09 San Luis Obispo CA Elks 3WD (2.5) $20 02-16-07 Prescott Valley AZ Elks EWS (2) $20

Napa California Elks

$25plus - The highest donations requested 09-08-22 Vista CA Elks 5WS (3) $38 07-08-22 Prineville OR Elks 5 (3.5) $25 05-20-22 Fort Collins CO Elks E (2.5) $25 09-03-20 Florence OR Elks RV Park 5WD (3.5) $25 11-17-18 Atascadero CA Elks 5WSC (3.5) $35 11-04-18 Placerville CA Elks 3W (3) $25 11-03-18 Carmichael CA Elks 5W (3) $30 11-01-18 Nevada City CA Elks 3W (3.5) $25 03-29-18 Redlands CA Elks 3WD (3) $25 03-21-18 Chula Vista CA Elks 3WSC (3) $27 01-15-18 Indio CA Elks 3WD (3) $25/20 11-06-17 Santa Clara CA Elks 5WD (3) $30 10-24-17 Napa CA Elks 3WS (3.5) $30 10-10-17 Boulder City NV Elks EWS (3) $25 10-06-17 West Covina CA Elks 5WD (2.5) $25 03-09-17 Lake Havasu AZ Elks 5WS (3.5) $25 09-24-15 Santa Barbara CA Elks EWCD (3) $25 09-21-15 Oceano CA Elks 3W (2) $25 08-05-15 Eureka CA Elks 3W (2.5) $25 07-29-15 Petaluma CA Elks 53WS (3) $25 07-23-15 Monterey CA Elks 5WD (3) $25

Use this list and you can predict today's donation based on the date we visited.

You can find other lodges by launching Elks.org. Under Lodge Locator click on Find, then use the search fields. Once a lodge is chosen, click on Facilities to see if they have RV parking. But, if not listed, we still call and a majority of lodges tell us we can dry camp.

As we now live at Palm Creek Resort from October thru April, we will update this list annually. Most likely our summers will be spent visiting family in California and revisiting Elks lodges.

With love, Pete, Ellen and Mandy

Photos from all years