One of the major problems Vanlifers face is overnight parking. The question of “Where am I sleeping tonight?” is on many minds as we travel around. Sometimes the answer is at a campsite in some of the most beautiful natural sites you’ve ever seen. Sometimes the answer is in a Walmart car park. Other times we go for stealth parking. Charlie, well she’s not well suited to stealth parking. Too many windows.
On Saturday afternoon I tried to find a nature trail where I was hoping to park up overnight. I chose one which had some nice Google reviews and headed that way. But when Google told me I had reached my destination, there was no car park. Not even a layby. I was on a residential street. It was a nice looking place; detached houses, set back from the street, each with its own driveway and trees lining the street.
I pulled over in a large space, as there were some cars on the street in addition to those on the driveways. I figured I’d eat my supper before seeing if I could find this nature trail. And I was just finishing my supper when the car pulled up to the drive of the house I was parked in front of. Figuring I wouldn’t want some random car parked outside my house, I jumped out to introduce myself and ask if they were okay with me parking there overnight.
I had the good fortune of parking in front of the house of the loveliest people in the city. They were fine with me staying, grateful that I’d checked with them and let them know what was happening.
The lady, let’s call her Jean, I haven’t asked if I can use her name, so I won’t. She noticed that the t-shirt I was wearing was a staff shirt from Lake Louise, where I’d spent the winter as a Ski Instructor. We got to talking about the area around the Lake, and about the prairies in Saskatchewan where she’d grown up. She invited me in for a cup of tea. Given I currently have no way of heating water in the van, I wasn’t in a position to decline such a generous offer.
I met her cats, and she showed me around her garden and her many fruit trees and bushes. We talked about so many things. She and I have several hobbies in common, and her son who is living in a different city sounds like he has lots in common with me too. She let me use the bathroom and told me that I could come over the next morning too.
Bright and early the following day, I knocked on the door and was treated to bathroom use and another cup of tea. The cats were warming up to me and we sat in the garden and chatted for quite some time. (Jean and I chatted, not me and the cats).
We both have an interest in fabrics and fibers, though in slightly different areas. I enjoy crochet, knitting, lacemaking, embroidery, and other fancy but often slightly impractical things. She enjoys dressmaking and quilting. She told me about a fabric store she used to work at that specialised in natural fibers. And she showed me a beautiful quilt that her colleagues had made as a wedding present. Each square on the quilt made by a different friend. She also had a couple of dresses and jackets that she had made, which were quite lovely. She is far more skilled as a seamstress than I am!
Eventually, she took me on a walk on the trails I had searched for on Google. I don’t think I would have found them without a local guide. They appeared between the houses as a path about 1.5m wide, and once behind the houses opened up into beautiful sunny parks. There were shady trees and plenty of children playing while the parents rested on blankets. We followed the paths which she said were the most shaded and we had a very pleasant walk.
That evening Jean and her husband gave me the name of a local mechanic whom they recommended, as I mentioned that I needed the brakes fixing on Charlie. I stayed parked overnight a second time outside their house and they allowed another use of the bathroom on Monday morning. After a final chat and thanks, we exchanged phone numbers and I left to call the mechanic.
I am very grateful for the good fortune that landed me on the doorstep of such lovely people. I am also glad that I took the initiative to go and introduce myself. Not only did I feel that it was only polite to do so, but it worked out better than I could have hoped; being offered tea and bathroom facilities.
Should I need overnight parking on a residential street again in the future, I will be sure to always check in with the residents. I don’t expect to have such a reception again, but I do feel that letting people know who you are and why you’re there will set their minds at ease. They don’t have to peer through the curtains at this strange van and wonder if I’m just waiting for them to leave before I rob them!
