We have been contemplating moving to a different park so we thought we would see what was out there that was comparable. Rick had found one advertised on the Internet that sounded promising so we took a drive to Surrey, part of the greater Vancouver area, to check it out.

The Pacific Border RV Park is right on the border between BC and Washington... literally. You can actually watch the transport trucks going through the customs clearance process right from your RV if you want and apparently there are cameras overlooking the park at all times. The park itself is really very nice, provides all the amenities offered here including the heated indoor pool and hot tub but for a lower monthly rate. If we made the move we could save up to $350 a month so it was a serious consideration, however the distance from Vancouver presents a problem. It took us almost 50 minutes to get back into the city to where Karley and Ian live and that wasn't during rush hour. Our sole purpose for wintering here this year is to be near Karley, Ian and the new baby and a 50-minute drive really defeats that. By the time we factored in the cost of gas and the time spent commuting, the Burnaby-Cariboo RV Park will be just fine.

We have come to the conclusion that the owner here is sitting on a real goldmine. This park has 217 sites, most which are occupied even now and the winter rates vary from $140 to $150 a week. The store is one of the best-stocked park stores we have seen; we pay an additional $2.50 weekly for a landline and if you wanted cable that is also an additional $2.50 a week. Hydro is included provided you only use 60 kw per week, which so far hasn't been an issue for us. There is an apartment here that he rents out and the park is sitting on some prime real estate. In the summer months the vacancy rate is mostly non-existent and the weekly rates increase to $205 up to $215. We seldom see him, as he lives off site but he has an office manager and maintenance manager who seem to run the place and there are about seven employees in total. After running a resort for 12 years, employing 40 staff and accommodating 200 guests a week with all meals and activities included, we can't help but wonder what we were thinking!