It is December 16, 2013, and we are continuing south in search of warmer weather on our very first Snow Bird adventure. Neither one of us had been to Key Largo or beyond, so we are very excited to see what’s in store for us. We stayed at Key Largo Kampground & Marina (picture is of campsites along the water, each featuring its own tiki hut and dock) just a mile down from John Pennekamp State Park (which was full.) Welcome to Paradise! The weather is warm, dry and I am never going home. EVER!

While here, we started to entertain the thought of continuing our journey all the way to Key West. After all, we were only 101.5 miles from the end of the road. My only hesitations were based on the following; not of fan of bridges and there are 42 of them over water. Once we get to Dredger’s Key (Sigsbee Campground), there is a lot of dry camping (boondocking, meaning NO HOOKUPS) and the expense of staying in the number one tourist destination during the winter! Not having a car would make it difficult to get from Sigsbee to downtown KW, but we figured we could buy bicycles once we got there, and that would help a bit. So after 3 nights in Key Largo, we ventured down the road to Sigsbee Campground (for active or retired military only). It is the only affordable choice.

The anticipation seemed to make the drive go very slowly, but then again, you can only drive 45 – 55 mph the entire way to KW. The scenery was unbelievable, and with every bridge we crossed, my fear diminished. I couldn’t believe we were driving across the ocean to get to paradise! We arrived with a very sharp right turn to get thru the military gate, and then we missed the office! We ended up at the doorstep of the camp host, who then directed us back to the office for registration. We were lucky to get an ocean front site in the dry camp area, and there we sat with no electric, no water, no sewer! Thankfully, there is a gas station on base where we could fuel up as needed for our on-board generator (which could be run for electric 7am – 10pm). There is a dump station (because we don’t have a blue boy for waste) and fresh water available to fill our water tank. You get on a rotation list so that everyone gets a two-week time period of FHU (Full Hook Up) and you check the list daily to see your number get closer and closer to the top of that list. It’s like winning the lottery when you get your notice to move, especially when the weather heats up and air conditioning is so desperately desired! You also get really tired of water conservation. But hey, we got this!!

There is a bar & restaurant on base called the Sunset Lounge. We decided to walk over to the bar and see what it was all about. We started heading in the general direction of it, not knowing, there was water (the marina entrance) between our sites and the lounge. Newbies (Wonder if anyone was watching us??) We chuckled once we realized we had to walk all the way around. Once we got to the Sunset, almost every seat was taken around the bar, so we sat behind the beer taps on the corner, backs to the water. It is there that we met Our Yooper (natives of the Upper Peninsula of MI) friends, Fred & Diane, from Copper Harbor. We didn’t even know what a Yooper was at that time, but we have been friends since that very day! It wasn’t long before we met Cheryl & Dave from WI. Everyone was so friendly and happy that it was actually a euphoric evening. The bar opens Wed – Sun at 4pm, and we were there early enough the next evening to get a better seat at the bar, where we could meet more folks and learn the ins and outs of KW. We sat next to Cheryl & Dave, and once Cheryl learned our situation with no car, offered to drive us downtown to get the lay of the land, and join them for a Cuban breakfast sandwich at Sandy’s Café (Oh so good!) We took that offer and got to see the touristy hot spots in downtown; Mile Marker “0”, The Southern Most Point, Mallory Square and The Bight Marina, my favorite! After several trips to the bar on foot, Cheryl & Dave offered to give us a ride anytime they went to HH (Happy Hour). She explained that all we needed to do was stand out front by our RV at 10 minutes to 4:00 and they would stop to pick us up. If we weren’t going, just wave them by (no explanation needed.) And that’s how the party started every night! Like two little kids waiting for the bus, we’d stand out front at precisely 3:50pm for our pick up, and then be dropped off at the end of HH. The kindness of everyone we met is very indicative of KW and Island Time folks; Laid back, friendly, and will help you with absolutely anything you need! There’s no place else on earth quite like the people you meet there, and it is the people that keep you wanting to go back. Cheryl earned the title of “Event’s Coordinator” because she started the “Ladies Duval Crawl” and orchestrated getting us all there, and then meeting up with our spouses at The Boathouse for HH, and all having a return ride home. She was nominated for this position because she knew Algebra! (Private joke that still gets a laugh every time!!) She started the “IN CROWD” that every woman wanted to be with! As the group grew in size, more algebra was needed! Dave was a huge help with getting us hooked up with TV, since there is no TV without a purchased program of Dish or Direct TV. An antenna will get you a Spanish channel and a “Welcome to the Keys” channel that runs on a loop. If you’re lucky and the wind is blowing just right, you might get MeTV and watch the oldies! He also did a drug store run for me when I caught the crud that usually makes its rounds after the Holidays. I don’t know how you can survive in life without good friends!

December 23, 2013, Santa arrives a little early and we get these 2 beautiful bicycles to ride until our hearts are content (or our butts can’t stand it), whichever comes first! We haven’t ridden bikes for years, so I’m guessing our butts will give out first!

We road these bikes everywhere we went every day. We visited the KW Cemetery (a must see), KW AIDS Memorial, Higgs Beach, The Casa Marina (a Waldorf Astoria Resort where we drank $6 beers!), and to downtown events, like the Seafood Festival and Art Fairs, and shopping on Duval Street, of course. But we also made friends with so many people that took us by car to awesome places, such as; Ft. Zachary Taylor Beach, Bahia Honda State Park (where the Key Deer reside), Boca Chica Field & Navigator’s Bar, The Hurricane Hole, The Hogfish Bar & Grill, Boondocks on Ramrod Key, No Name Pub & The Flea Market on Big Pine Key, The Fish Camp on Geiger Key, Schooner’s Wharf, First Flight Island Restaurant & Brewery, and the Sigsbee favorite; The Boathouse, for numerous HH’s! These are just some of our favorites, but the list goes on and on. Advice for anyone visiting KW for the first time; DON’T get hung up on just the downtown area and Duval Street! Yes, it’s a MUST SEE & DO (Sloppy Joe’s, The Green Parrot, etc.), but there is so much more to KW than the downtown area. We have spent 5 out of 6 winters there since the start of Snow Birding. We now know it’s so fun to hang out with the locals and get to know how the real folks live and thrive on this truly magnificent Island Paradise! It’s what keeps us going back. Where else can you wave to someone face-timing with her Mother (who was in a nursing home at the time), say “Hello” to her Mom, and become best of friends from that time forward! True story.

We begin our travel Northward in my next blog, but we are actually traveling North in present time tomorrow as well, so my next post may be later than usual. I am excited to be heading home to see family and friends in our hometown, so hang tight…there’s more to come soon!

With three major trips now under our belts and many weekend Glamping trips behind us, lets talk about what has really been going on. It is time for me to get down and dirty with some of the details of traveling in the RV. The good, the bad, and the ugly of what is actually happening, and the slow changes to my life, behind the scenes.

It is September, 2013, and we have just completed our fabulous Northern trip to Mackinac Island in the UP of Michigan, and traveled the pristine coastline of western Michigan. Roger and I are both still maintaining normal jobs, a sticks & bricks house on over 2.5 acres of land, and a large garden. It feels like my life couldn’t get any better after 3 years into our relationship. However, we are not spring chickens anymore, and speaking for myself, I am getting weary from the preparations of all these trips, packing everything into the rig, unpacking when we return, the endless cleaning of both house and Tin Lizzy, all while maintaining the garden, cooking, and my job.

For anyone that has not traveled in an RV, there are 3 or more steps to get up into a Class C, and 5 – 7 steps for a Class A. Thankfully, our house was a ranch with no major steps, but it is simply exhausting packing an RV for a weekend or for several weeks. There are your personal items (clothes, toiletries, shoes, coats/jackets, hats, etc.) There are fresh bedclothes, towels for the kitchen & bath, stocking up on paper/plastic ware, cleaning supplies, food, dry goods, beverages, and the list goes on and on. When you are part-time RV’ers, you constantly work on accumulating two of everything so that the RV is always in ready-to-go mode, but this was still a work in progress for us, and it is expensive to do. For the RV; I already had a smaller set of pots & pans, silverware, plastic dishes, plastic glasses/wine goblets, coffee mugs, steak knives, etc. However, I would pack additional items; crock pot, coffee maker, microwaveable items, laptops/cords, cameras (no smart phone yet!) ice trays, etc., all items that I did not have two of. That is just the inside items. Roger takes care of all the outside stuff; portable grill/propane, firewood for local areas, lounge chairs, coolers, tools, jumper cables, etc. This is a huge process of loading in and out of stuff, far greater than packing a couple of suitcases for a trip by Plane or bus! The house also had a list of things-to-do before leaving it. We would get all the laundry done prior to leaving, garden weeded and give away many fruits and vegetables (which means visiting your friends & neighbors), put lights on timers, pay bills, and all the usual steps one takes before leaving your house. I was beginning to feel like we were moving with every trip. Keep in mind, we still don’t have a car with us on any of the trips thus far. It is easy to say just pick up what you might need along the way. But definitely easier said than done! It is in these moments that you think to yourself, living in two places is complicated. 

This is how the addictions start very slowly. The addiction to travel has already started to affect your everyday life. You look forward to a weekend away from yard work/housework. You look forward to seeing new places you’ve never seen before. You look forward to meeting new people. The excitement of each new adventure begins to take over your mind, and so you think about your next trip, you plan for it, you pack for it, you prepare your RV/house for it, you tell everybody about it, they envy you and your lifestyle, and the addiction slowly takes over. Before you know it, returning home is like returning to work on your worst Monday morning; depressing. Unpacking brings extra chores to your routine. It seems like all you do is yard work, clean, cook, laundry, and go to work. You have to make an extra effort to do simple tasks because you are exhausted and nothing is nearly as fun as when you’re traveling. Yes. Congratulations! You are now addicted to traveling in your RV! Does this sound familiar to my fellow RV’ers? This feeling explains the popular motifs we all see so often: Happy Campers, Life is Better When You’re Camping, What Happens at the Campground, STAYS at the Campground!

So, late in the camping season of 2013, Roger and I are camping at a local CG and the discussion begins. He had told me a story of long ago, that when he got out of the service, his dream was to buy an RV, take it out west, and work for food and parking at a ranch doing whatever tasks they needed to survive. As intriguing as this all sounded to me, this was not my dream, and certainly not at this age did I want to chuck everything I owned to become a ranch hand. Surely, they would have made me their kitchen bitch, since my neck/back would not have tolerated riding a horse all day!! (Not to mention my ass!) As much as I love the outdoors and a great pair of boots, I’m no Cowgirl! Nope. Not for me. What other ideas do you have? Part two of this discussion was geared around using the RV for longer trips instead of days or weeks. The words Snow Birds came up, and Roger asked me “how long do you think you could be away from your job without actually losing it?” I wasn’t sure, but I would definitely be finding out! Since Roger was a landscaper, his job was already seasonal and would work out perfectly for going away all winter. I was selling jewelry at the time, and leaving in the winter months is not exactly what retailers have in mind for seasonal! Nonetheless, my boss said that I could be gone for just under six months if I were to go seasonal status, and not lose my job. Snow Birds. I thought that was only for old people? But this could definitely be easier than packing/unpacking all the time! Not to mention, getting away from the 385 feet of driveway that Roger had to keep clean from snow in the winter! Maybe this could work. “Okay! Count me in!” I am officially addicted to RV life.

So where would we go for the winter? When would we leave? When would we return? Would we kill each other after five months in a 31′ Class C? Stay tuned for the answers to all these questions in my next blog. You will not want to miss our first ever Snow Bird adventure!

 

If you’ve been following my Blog, you already know that heights are not my thing. So far, I have survived walking across The Mile High Swinging Suspension Bridge on Grandfather’s Mountain (228 foot across). You survive the fear of being on a moving bridge with wind whistling thru each metal step and suspended over a gorge! Once you reach the other side, you turn around to look at your accomplishment while trying to catch your breath. You then realize, as your legs still feel paralyzed, that you have no choice but to walk those 228 feet again! It’s like being pushed out of the plane twice! I also survived the steep grades through Logan Canyon in Utah while traveling thru the Bear Mountain range. So why not cross one of the most feared and scariest bridges in the United States? The Mackinac Bridge is currently the 5th longest suspension bridge in the world. The total length is 5 miles and towers 199 feet above deep water at mid span. Sign me up for another dose of torturous anxiety! Mackinac Island here we come.

Being that we are a couple of Ohio Buckeyes, this trip did not score us any points with our family, nor friends! Anyone reading this blog knows that since the beginning of time, there has been a rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State fans. I didn’t know I could actually receive gentle hate-mail on Facebook for this vacation, but it did ruffle a few feathers! Nonetheless, on September 7, 2013, we started our trip North to Michigan. The plan was to cross the Mighty Mack Bridge, visit Mackinac Island, cross the bridge again, and travel as much coastline that we could squeeze in before returning home on the 13th. I LIVE for waterside towns! There are always friendly local people, fun places to eat & drink, and of course, the awesome views!

We took the Ann Arbor approach toward Flint and Saginaw, and arrived at our first CG at Bay County Pinconning Park. It is located on the Saginaw Bay, and we had a very nice waterfront campsite. I woke up the next morning with the thought of crossing that damn bridge to get to the Upper Peninsula (UP). We took I75 N up thru the center of the state to arrive at the Mighty Mack, and I was very happy that the weather cooperated with very little wind and no storms in site. This would have been a deal-breaker for me! No one could have warned me just how majestic this span of steel across so much water actually looks as you approach the entrance! It is quite breath-taking, literally! I couldn’t breathe, but the adrenaline takes care of your heart, and the pounding increases with every breath you manage to take. I grabbed my camera and took a few pictures, and then recorded the entire crossing on video, while Roger drove Tin Lizzy across. There are only 2 lanes in both directions, and this little cement curb on the passenger side (my side) with a green guard rail that you can see right through! If that isn’t scary enough, the inner lane (11 foot wide) on both sides is NOT CEMENT! You can see right through the metal grating and you can hear a big difference immediately! Holy CRAP! I am here to tell you folks, this bridge is as scary to cross for the average scared-of-heights person as it gets! But it is equally as beautiful, and well worth crossing to get to the Upper Peninsula! DO NOT let your fear stop you from making this trip to God’s Country! You will not regret it and have a story to tell for the rest of your life!

We made it safely to St. Ignace to our CG called Tiki RV Park (another beautiful water-view site), which is conveniently located within walking distance to catching the Mackinac Island Ferry. We took that ferry tour the next day, and what a wonderful ride UNDER the bridge it is! This is when you get to see right up and thru the open grates that you drove across in that center lane! On one side of the bridge is Lake Huron, and the other side is Lake Michigan. I highly recommend that on your first visit to the Island, that you take a horse-drawn carriage tour. It is the best way to see everything, and get a lay-of-the-land before you walk or bike ride, because there are no motorized vehicles on Mackinac Island. We rode in a carriage pulled by our team named “King” and “Corkscrew.” Highlights were: The Governor’s Mansion, The Grand Hotel (1887 & home to the world’s longest front porch), Wings of Mackinac Butterfly House, and the famous Arch Rock (formed by nature). We enjoyed our lunch at Horn’s Gaslight Bar, the Island’s favorite spot to hang out. This visit to the Island was absolutely a lovely experience and I highly recommend it to anyone, not just fellow RV’ers! It is a bit touristy, and with that said, touristy prices, so be prepared if you have a family. I loved all the colorful foliage, flowers, and the architecture of the buildings!

Now that we have conquered the Mighty Mack challenge, it’s time to relax and see as much coastline that we can along the western shores of Michigan. We head to Cross Village and take the scenic route on Hwy 119 through the Tunnel of Trees. Please remember, back in 2013, we didn’t travel with a tow car (TOAD). My recommendation on this route; You can do it in a small RV, but if you have a toad, absolutely take the toad! It’s basically a one-way road with no middle line and very narrow. You constantly have to pull off to the side of the road to allow vehicles to pass by you (NOT fun in an RV and takes forever)! Next, we are on route to Traverse City. On the way, there is a very cute Waterside town called Elk Rapids where the people are super friendly, even if you’re a Buckeye. We arrived safely to our CG called Holiday Campground for another wonderful waterfront site. While we were in this area, our goal was to see and visit the Lighthouses and Wineries on the Old Mission Peninsula that divides the Grand Traverse Bay into East Arm and West Arm. A few recommendations: Chateau Grand Traverse Winery & Grand Traverse Lighthouse. Then we went as far North as you can go to Leelanau State Park, which is gorgeous! We stopped at Boone Docks Spirits & Edibles in Glen Arbor for a fabulous lunch, and visited Frankfort’s Sleeping Bear Dunes & Scenic Drive, which includes a 19th Century Farmhouse in Oneida Rural Historic District. Lastly, we traveled down the West coastline thru Manistee, Ludington, and Pentwater (recommend Village Café & Pub in Pentwater, and street-side shopping). Special note: There is approximately 8 miles of coastal shoreline between Ludington Harbor and Ludington State Park that you won’t read about in any tour books, and you won’t believe your eyes when you see the beauty of this coast! I have never seen a more pristine coastal view in my life! It’s as beautiful and blue as any ocean view, but crystal clear lake water! Our last stop was in Muskegon at the Duck Creek RV Resort before heading back to the land of Buckeyes.

This trip was amazing and memorable and not that far to travel to from Ohio! Sorry Ohio State Fans, but I LOVED visiting Michigan and continue to do so! Do yourselves a favor, and make the journey to the state with the longest freshwater coastline in the US! I promise you, if you love waterside towns and coastal waters, you will thank me for the recommendation! On a different note; This trip was also the very first time we met RV’ers that mentioned they were Full Timers. Up and to this point, I always wondered how so many folks could have these huge, beautiful Buses (Class A Coaches) with a color-coordinated Toad following behind, and afford to do all this travel to beautiful places. My husband used to say “rich bastards” as they went past us in our little Tin Lizzy and we’d just laugh! It never once occurred to me that their big beautiful Coach is their home! It started to make a little more sense to me how so many people could afford this not-so-cheap lifestyle. I never imagined that one day, someone would be referring to us as the rich bastards driving by in a Big Bus. Still makes me laugh whenever Roger says the words! Join me for some more RV humor in my next Blog and stay safe out there my fellow RV’ers…

Did you know that the position of a bears ears, whether they are back or forward, tells you if they are just curious or about to charge you? If they are about to charge, don’t stare them in the eyes, as this is a sign of aggression. You are supposed to back away slowly, because running at this point means imminent attack. But if the ears are forward, make lots of noise, as they are only curious, and most likely will get out of your way. So, my question is; if you surprise a Grizzly Bear by walking into its territory, who in the Sam Hell has the nerve to stand there long enough to figure all this out?

It was a dream come true when Roger and I decided that our next adventure would be to travel out into the wild wild West, with Yellowstone National Park as our primary destination. I started doing a ton of research for the best RV routes, best Campgrounds for our over-night stays along the way, all of the attractions that were a must-see, best way in and out of Yellowstone, etc.. During my research of Yellowstone is when all the Grizzly information popped up, as we would be heading into Grizzly territory (Wyoming, Montana and Idaho). Along with all of that, I got a real education on the extreme weather that can come up quickly in the Fall, and learned there are entrances into Yellowstone that are better than others, regarding steep high terrain. (Average elevation throughout the park is 6500ft). FYI; there are 5 ways to enter the Park. The South and West entrances are the most kind to RV travelers. The Northeast entrance thru Beartooth Mountains is the steepest grades and most serious switchbacks, followed by the East entrance thru canyons, cliffs and Sylvan Pass (8350ft). I’ll take their word for it because we took the West entrance. If you are planning a trip out west, take advantage of my suggestions and enjoy some of the highlights of our 14 day trip in this blog. WE did not have a tow vehicle yet (referred to as a “toad” or “dinghy” by RV’ers) so you have to do a little extra planning to make things convenient, but all worth it in the end. Enjoy the ride and be careful in Grizzly territory!

We left on September 8, 2012, deliberately after Labor day to miss the before-school-starts crowds, and before the cold weather hits Yellowstone National Park. We booked thru Ohio and Indiana (as we’ve been there, done that, many times) and continued to our first over-night stop at Champaign Sportsman Club in Mahomet, IL. We had a very pleasant stay, but day 2 was the beginning of unknown territory in Iowa, which is always more exciting. We stopped at the Iowa 80 Truck Stop for lunch, which is advertised as the world’s largest Truck Stop and extremely busy, but worth stopping at. Our 2nd CG was Lake Anita State Park, IA. Weather was great, and scenery was very rural with more windmills than I’ve ever seen in my life! 3rd stop was in Mitchell, SD at Famil-E Fun Camp (close to the Corn Palace for sightseeing). So far, so good, which always makes me think that something’s due to happen. Not because I’m a pessimist, but more like a realist.

And then it hits! Literally! We are driving thru South Dakota on our way to the Badlands, when the winds became very severe. It truly felt like you could blow over (which obviously, if you’ve watched the news lately, it does happen!) Our drive time became much slower and we came upon construction, to make matters worse. Roger was driving between two cement barriers with a semi in front of us, and I was shittin bricks on the passenger side, when the semi was blown into the berm, throwing all kinds of debris up on us! Suddenly, what appears as a small boulder, comes flying up right towards Roger’s head, hits the windshield, and sounds like it just broke something with a very loud crash! There was nowhere to pull off and check for damage until we got past all the construction, but adrenaline was running high. We suffered a cracked windshield, which was better than if it had hit the fiberglass cab-over above the windshield, so we kept going, but missed seeing the Badlands National Park, due to losing so much time. We did, however, stop at the famous “Wall Drug Store” that we saw billboards for from Mitchell to just before Rapid City. Miles and miles of signs to see this place, and it is nothing like what you think it’s going to be! When someone says the “original”, it sounds like the old building that was first built in 1931. It’s like an outdoor mall with shops and eateries, and very expensive, I might add. But hey, well worth the stop because there’s nothing else out there, so why not? Our 4th stop is at Ellsworth AFB in SD. Roger is retired military, so fortunately, we are able to stay at military bases anywhere they have Family Campgrounds (FamCamps) available. We were exhausted and the winds gusting near 50 mph for the next 48 hours, so we extended our stay and decided not to backtrack to the Badlands.

While we were in SD, we rented a car so that we could drive into the areas that were not RV accessible. We saw Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, the Black Hills (Custer St. Park) and Needles Highway. While we were driving in some pretty high elevations, our rental car started making some crazy noises every time Roger used the brakes. “Hmmm, what’s up with that”, I said? Roger figured it was the brakes (rotors or something). So, we started feeling a bit uncomfortable with it and returned the car that evening, but all was well.

Day 6, we are on our way to Sturgis, SD to see the famous Full Throttle Saloon (the original location before it burned completely to the ground on September 8, 2015). We got there in the morning hours, and to our surprise, it was open for business at 10am for the vintage bike run to happen that day. We took our pictures, I got to get in the pole-dancing cage for a photo-op, fed Emmett some crackers, the famous Ass (donkey), and off we went to see Devil’s Tower National Monument in Wyoming. WELL worth the stop, but it put us into Billings Montana much later than planned. We got to our KOA CG safely and we were up-graded to the equivalent of a “Suite” in hotel talk. One of the most beautiful CG’s we have ever stayed at! All level and paved, beautiful brick pavers on the patio side, swing, fire chimney (which we couldn’t use, due to high fire risk), umbrella table & chairs, and beautiful flowers and landscaping! Too bad we didn’t arrive sooner to enjoy it longer! We said “Cheers to another safe day of travel” which has become a tradition now to say at the end of our travel days!

One more tip about driving out west during very dry high-risk fire conditions; DO NOT stop your RV on the side of the road, or your tail pipe might just set the tall grass on fire!! Yes, this happened, and yes, Roger stomped it out before setting the place on fire! Be sure to stop only in places that have plenty of pavement around your vehicle’s exhaust pipe.

I will continue with the best part of our trip, Yellowstone National Park, on my next blog entry, as it deserves the entire article! So stay turned for Camping with the Grizzlies Part Two…

 

 

 

If you have been following my blog since the beginning, you know my husband and I are living in our Class A Motorhome full-time. Have you ever wondered about packing up your belongings once you’re retired, and spending your golden years gallivanting around the country? How many people actually do it? What do you consider full-time? How long would you do it before you’re too old? Well, you wouldn’t be alone pondering these questions, so I thought before I continue with our travel experiences that I would address this debate.

There is no exact number out there, but there are a lot of estimates. Based on research that started in 2012 and during the housing market bust, many folks were forced out of their homes and moved into trailers, RV’s, and various other small structures, which complicated record keeping. It is also incorrect to classify people who live stationary in a mobile home, park model home (that is moveable) or tiny house type homes (moveable on trailers) into this number. A full-time RV’er is a classification all of its own, and so this is the number I will discuss. It is estimated that well over 1 million people of all ages have gone full-time in a Recreational Vehicle, and that is only counting the adults, not their under-age children. (YES, there are a lot of families doing it!) Speculation is, that it is a far greater number in reality, but there is  no way to get the exact numbers, due to these folks using mail services and claiming domicile in a particular state, of which they hold driver’s license, vehicle insurance and voting privileges in, without actually owning property.

There are all sorts of reasons as to why this lifestyle has gained so much popularity, but in my opinion is, it’s a trend or a fad, like anything else in life, that will one day fade slowly away. How do I know this? I don’t, for sure, but, I have a very strong opinion about it after speaking with and knowing so many people doing it. I feel I can make an educated guess, and no one can dispute a guess! Everyone has a reason. Financial is probably the most assumed reason by people who have never had an RV or have never known anyone living in an RV. They couldn’t be further from the truth, but because of the most recent recession that started in 2008 that drove people with high incomes to living in tents, it’s usually the first thought that comes to mind. The truth is, financially, you are trading one thing for another. Your house payment, insurance, maintenance, utilities, and all the other hidden joys of owning a home are equally traded for RV payment, insurance, maintenance, lot rent, utilities and the like. If you have a lot of money and do not have an RV payment…that dispels the financial myth right there (unless you’re Cousin Eddie)! Also, think of what it costs to take a family vacation. I have compared similar trips we have taken for the same length of time; one with the RV, to one without. Whether you fly or drive, hotels, eating out, tours, etc. compared to RV fuel, tolls, campsites, food, and tours all add up! It’s not about saving money, it’s all about which method you like the best! One of the biggest pros with an RV is having your own clean bed with you ALL the time, and not having to deal with check ins/check outs! But I do admit, that there are some people living in their RV’s for financial reasons, but they are usually stationary 90% of the time, not traveling.

Speaking of stationary, let’s discuss the Full Time (FT) vs. Part Time (PT) debate. FT’ers are usually defined as; living in their RV without a sticks & bricks (S & B) home, all of their possessions on-board (not stored) being mobile most of the time, but can be stationary at times. PT’ers are defined as; having a S & B home, but travel for long periods of time in their RV, such as snowbirds wintering in warmer weather, but returning to a home in the summer. We sold our home two years ago this June, 2019. We sold, gave away most, but travel with all remaining possessions (nothing in storage except a few near & dear items with family). We travel anywhere we’d like to go, but return to one of two main bases. We are Florida residents because we DO own land and domicile in an RV Resort, which guarantees us a snow bird destination, or we can rent it out. We are FT’ers by definition, but Uncle Sam still gets a bit of property tax from us.

So if not financial, what are all these people doing out on the road with 3 kids, 4 dogs, and a cat, living FT in a 28′ travel trailer? This is a fact! (Go ahead and ask me how I know this.) Because I hear it and see it every day! I belong to several closed groups/social media sites for FT RV’ers and I live among them! I truly believe in the fad theory because the more people who do it, the more they talk about it, and the more they talk about it, the more that are doing it! It’s almost become a challenge. I hear things that make my head spin! I think some are absolutely crazy! I think that a lot of folks that say they are home-schooling their children are NOT doing such a good job. The adults can’t follow simple rules in a campground, yet they’re teaching their children to be good citizens? Huh!! I definitely do not think it’s a good environment for raising boys and girls due to privacy issues. I’m just gonna spill it out right here folks! You HEAR and FEEL every movement, so you can’t have sex without your kids knowing it because there’s NO privacy folks! Behind the door just means they can’t see you, but certainly know what is happening! I hope they are sending them outside to take the dogs for a walk is all I can say!

I know everyone has different reasons for living this life. Retirement travel is one thing, but raising families on the road gives them no stability or structure. I believe some people are running away from their dysfunctional families or their unhappy past lives. I think some people are loners and can’t be around a lot of people. I think some are truly running from the law and perhaps some nights, I could be sleeping next to a “Breaking Bad” RV! Yikes, that is no joke! There are those addicted to travel and can’t see enough. There are some that must brag constantly about where they have been and what they have seen one-upping everyone else (The Narcissistic traveler). As for me; I am just searching for the best retirement destination, and what better way to know than to live in an area you might desire before you buy into it.

So would you do it? Part ways with most of your material belongings, pack an RV, and set out on the open road until your heart’s content? If you decide you want to try it, people will tell you to take a few trips to make sure you can get-along before you make the commitment. That is good advice, but doing it is still much different from trying it for 5 months. I can tell you, it will test you in ways you never dreamt of, and it is definitely NOT like camping! But what’s that old saying…”what don’t kill us makes us stronger?” Or it can stress you out to your breaking point. You have two rooms: your bedroom with a bathroom close to it, and the other room that is your living area and kitchen area, all combined. You have nowhere to go when you can’t sleep without waking the other person. If you go open the frig, or use the microwave to make some tea, the other person will be awake now too! If you are sick, you have nowhere to go cough. If you want to read? Lights on will wake up the other person. Close the door, you say? There is a latch to keep them secure while traveling that will WAKE UP THE OTHER PERSON! You can’t do anything without waking up the other person unless they sleep like a rock!

Some people have an exit plan and some people don’t. Remember, I am the person that always needs a plan B. I won’t be doing it until I die, as many fellow RV’ers we have known have done. Most of the people who were doing it when we first started are now living in S & B houses again and only RV’ing part of the time. I would never be the one to tell you’re going to love it or hate it. But I am the one to say, have a Plan B! It’s a fad, and it will fade away as all trendy fashions do. 

 

 

So, getting back to our very first RV experiences, we carried on with the weekend warrior Glamping at mostly local State Campgrounds in our 31′ Sunseeker. We called her Tin Lizzy and we both continued to learn the do’s and don’ts with RVing. We both learned not to trust our GPS, as Gypsy (my name for it) didn’t know we were a large RV back in 2011, and got us into a little trouble now and then. Like for instance, the time Gypsy told us to make a right instead of a left, and took us into downtown Mifflin, OH on Maine Street. An extremely small town with a very low clearance bridge that scared the bejesus out of both of us! We were in traffic and Roger didn’t want to slam on the brakes, so he crept under it slowly while I cringed, expecting our air conditioning unit to be ripped from our roof, only to land on the poor guy behind us! Then, in rush hour traffic, we needed to find somewhere to turn Tin Lizzy around and go under the same bridge to go back to where we started from! ALL good times, and we felt we were now ready to tackle a big trip and decided to go North to Maine in September that Fall.

Just to jar your memories a bit, a Hurricane by the name of Irene occurred from August 21st – 28th, 2011, and was Vermont’s worst National Disaster since 1927. It caused $15.8 billion in damages to the state of Vermont alone, not to mention NY, which was the 1st destination on our route, followed by Vermont! But hey, we have Gypsy to help us navigate, Roger is getting more experienced in getting us out of tight jams, and my nerves are getting more experienced in lessons of narrow and winding roads! Right? It’s settled, we’re still heading North into the ravished areas of Irene!

Since we were approaching the “big time” in the world of RV trip planning, I decided we needed 3 lists. One for Roger, one for me, and one for Tin Lizzy preparation. I noticed our fresh water wasn’t smelling oh too fresh lately, so upon investigation, we needed to cleanse the fresh water holding tank with Clorox. Looking back, I’m surprised I ever left the driveway without knowing how to do this, but the germophobe part of my brain finally kicked in once my nose detected an odor. We did tons of research for the best routes to get to our points of destinations (Bar Harbor and on to Bangor just to say we’ve been there), and the nicest campgrounds to stay at along the way. At this point in our travel life, keep in mind that we didn’t have smartphones yet and relied totally on a GPS. Computer/Wi-Fi was spotty at best back then, because we didn’t travel with a jetpack or hot spot device either. All the real work had to be done in advance to be certain of anything, including reservations being made in advance. But September 24, 2011, we rolled out of the driveway, bright and early, like two kids on our first vacation!

First stop: The Finger Lakes Region of NY, then on to Petersburg, NY. It is here at Aqua Vista Campground that we first start hearing about and seeing first hand, the damages of Irene. We needed to re-route ourselves thru Vermont, as the scenic route we had chosen was closed due to flooding and washed out roadways. We made it to Shelburne, NH, with only some minor bridge closings, delays & detours, and stayed at an awesome CG (campground) called Timberland along the Androscoggin River. While walking that evening, we got to see the raging river running nearly over its banks, but the sunset behind it made it all so beautiful! We were learning more and more what it meant to be “Happy Campers”. We continued to Rockland, Rockport, The Villages of Walpole and Christmas Cove. But one of the most exciting stops was Bar Harbor CG, because it is closest to the famous Bar Harbor, ME,  over-looking the ocean area where L.L. Bean does the photo shoots for their catalogs. We had a beautiful ocean view and the temperatures were cooperating at a comfortable 70 degrees! I got to eat fresh Lobster, which for me, was one of the best parts of our trip! Roger doesn’t eat fish or most seafood, so the enjoyment was ALL MINE for the taking!!! We made it all the way to Bangor before heading back South, and so far, so good. But if someone tells you it’s a MUST that you see Christmas Cove on Rutherford Island, South Bristol, ME, you MUST take a car, NOT a 31′ RV! Just trust me on this one (we didn’t have a tow car at this point).

The weather became very wet and dreary on our return thru New Hampshire and prevented us from taking the tour of the famous White Mountain (6288 feet and highest in northeastern U.S.). Once again, we cut our time in Vermont also, due to the rain and washed out roads. So we had a reservation at a CG in NH area, and upon arrival, we find a very narrow wooden bridge that you have to cross to enter the grounds with swift waters running approx. 6 inches below the surface of the bridge. My heart skipped a beat and Roger stopped the RV. He looked at me and said, “Well, what do you think?” Simply put, I said “NO!” His reply, “Yep, I’m good with that”. So I pulled out the CG directory and started looking for a Plan B! I found only one place within 30 minutes or so on back roads from where we were, and we were cutting it close to running out of daylight. So I made a quick call, they said they were not flooded, and off we went to East Otis, MA. It was a narrow windy drive with a lot of rain and one-lane bridge delays, but we made it just before dark to a place I will never forget! CREEPY CAMPGROUND, here we come!

When I say creepy, I am talking a scene right out of your worst nightmare kind of CREEPY! We had to knock on a door that was locked as we made our way to the front entrance (keep in mind, they knew we were on our way, so why the locked door?), and after knocking a couple of times, finally, we heard someone coming down a flight of stairs to open the door. An older Lady with wiry, un-kept, medium length grey hair, with hard-cold staring eyes, opens the door and stared deep into my eyes, and murmured a hello. I couldn’t hardly speak, but both of us mumbled out a hello in return. She finally opened the door after we told her we had called, and we stepped into a reception area. She walked behind a counter and grabbed a form and a pen to take our information. It was then that Roger asked her where the restrooms were, and she directed him to it (out the back door and to the left). He exits a door out of necessity, and I am left alone with this witchy-looking old lady! She asked me for our address and the words could hardly escape my lips, but I managed to say “Cleveland. Cleveland, OH”. No street name, no street #. Just Cleveland! She stared me down as if she could see the fear now in my eyes. I said nothing more, but I remember that was like the longest pee Roger ever took by my internal clock! Next thing I see, I can never un-see! A truck pulled up near the front entrance and a very large man gets out. He is wearing a bright yellow work vest with a glow-in-the-dark iridescent white stripe, with large stains in the front (appearing to be reddish in color, like blood stains!). He walks in and approaches the Lady from behind me and walks behind the counter to join her, and looks straight at me. His right eye was very noticeably scarred as he peered at me with the left eye sort of squinting. He stood at least 6′ tall with grey, bushy-like hair and spoke a “hello” at me. It was at this moment that the hair on my arms stood up, and I felt as though my legs were noticeably shaking, and I also really had to pee! Roger finally walked back in, saw what he also remembers to be a scary scene from a movie, and put his arm around my shoulder and asked, “how ya doing baby?” I barely muted out “okay“. So Roger takes the registration part from here as I quietly stand there shaking. The “Ogre” as I now call him, asked Roger if we wanted a spot in the back where it’s nice and dry, to which Roger replied, “What about that spot right there” as he points out the window to the very first row of parking with an unoccupied spot. This is where we parked Tin Lizzy for a freaky evening of unidentifiable noises and with questionable safety for the night. We set up by putting out our one slide out, awning out, 2 folding chairs, and I made us two cocktails. It was during this usually joyous occasion that Roger asked me if I was okay. I said “NO” and tears started to well up in my eyes. We talked about calling his daughter to tell her where she could find our bodies if we don’t make it out of this CREEPY place alive. When Roger actually called her, this is the moment that you know if your husband feels unsafe, you have something to be scared about!! WE agreed to eat, sleep and get the hell out of this place first thing in the morning, if we live till then! (Keep in mind, we are in East Otis! There is nowhere else to go or we would have gone!) Even though we were surrounded by other campers, there were no lights on, not a single person outside (because I’m assuming they are ALL dead), yet we hear unexplainable noises throughout the night. Some sounded like fingernails on a chalk board, and I am NOT kidding! BUT, we did survive the night of hell and left as we said first thing at dawn. As we are getting ready to pull away, I made Roger stop so I could take a picture of the place I will never forget. In that moment, Roger looked in his mirror with a strange look in his eye that I caught out of the corner of my eyes. So I too looked in my mirror also to see what he is looking at. And there’s the money shot of the scary movie we are in! An older decrepit-looking, hunched over lady, was dragging two half-full garbage bags, one in each hand, walking towards a dumpster! Holy Crap, get me the hell outta here!!!!

And so I call these our Live and Learn times because we lived to tell this Creepy Campground story to many of our traveling friends. We have learned never to go off the beaten path that far ever again for an over-night stay into unknown territory, or there might not be a next time! I left out the actual name of this CG purposely because I wouldn’t want it to get a bad reputation because of our first impression. Hind-site, my guess would be; they are a very nice old couple and she fell asleep while watching the news about the Hurricane ravaged areas. We woke her up when we came to the door and her husband was out checking for a dry spot for us. The empty campers were probably seasonal campers that left everything to get out of harms way just a week before, during torrential rains. The decrepit old lady that was dragging the garbage bags? Well, I am trying to imagine she was just taking out her garbage and too frail to fill up the bags completely! NOPE! I am sticking to my story and I will give you the name if you want it so I can warn you NEVER ever to go there!!! THE END.

The best part of this learning experience was the words BAR & RESTAURANT on a big roof advertising on West I90, at the exit we got off of, for the last night of our trip! We drove a short distance thru farm areas to “Riverforest Park Campground” (about 64 miles East of Rochester). To my amazement, there was a fabulous bar and restaurant on the premises within walking distance, called Corrado’s! Awesome place with home-made foods and bread, with the friendliest locals to eat with! This one, I do share the info because it was an awesome spot to visit after a near-death experience camping!

 

 

 

Before I continue on with any more stories of living Full Time in an RV, let’s talk openly about the subject of Full Timing for a moment. If you have ever been curious about this lifestyle, or know someone who lives it, you have probably rolled your eyes a few times thinking silently to yourself, crazy! You laugh at the very thought, immediately picturing “Cousin Eddie” standing outside in his underwear, dumping his black tank into the sewer, verbalizing “shitter’s full!” from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation! Trust me, I still laugh at the thought of it! All things concerning the black tank are open for RV discussion no matter where you go, no matter who you talk to, because that shits just funny!

Since the tiny house ideology started back in 2012, it has become more and more popular for people to downsize their entire life’s possessions enough to fit into about 400 Sq Ft with the ability to move their entire house from place to place, therefore, never becoming bored with the scenery. Owning a motorhome or RV is the equivalent of the tiny house movement, only more convenient for moving around the country on wheels towing a car behind or pulling it with a truck. Some people are intrigued by the idea of it, and others, simply put, believe dementia has set in and you are slipping off your rocker! So let’s talk about a few things.

If you Google the top ten reasons why people live in tiny houses or RV’s, you’ll come up with something like this: 10) Save tons of money, 9) your pets love it as much as you do, 8) Save tons of time with less to clean, 7) Liberate yourself from too much stuff, 6) Make room for nature with more to see, 5) Take your home on the road and escape bad weather or neighbors, 4) Inspire your creativity, 3) Have it all your own way, 2) Kiss the mortgage scam goodbye, and the number 1 reason is; 1) Connect with your loved ones. So, lets look at each one of these and break it down to my version of playing Fact or Myth. I love this game, because I’m never wrong. These are just my opinions, therefore, I can’t be wrong!

10) Saving tons of money. There is a wide variety of makes, models, classes and so on when it comes to Recreational Vehicles. In RV lingo: TT = Tow Trailer (aka pull-behind), 5er = Fifth Wheel (trailer pin drops into a center hole in a truck and pivots), Class A = Bus or Truck chassis (flat front powered by gas or diesel), Class B = Conversion or Camper Van, Class C = Truck/Van chassis with box truck-like cabin with cab-over sleeping area above front seats. (For the purpose of this conversation, I did not include pop-up campers, as I would put them in the tent category, and I think you would have to be nuts to live in one long-term). Class A is the category we are in and you will find them to be the most expensive. Our Tiffin Allegro RED model in 2018- MSRP was $278,197.00. That is cheap compared to the Luxury brands that often run into the millions and that is NO joke! Google a Newmar King Aire 4553, Newell, Prevost or Marathon Coaches, and you will not believe your eyes. If you have that kind of petty cash lying around, you might not have a so-called house payment. If not, be prepared to fork out a down payment or have a trade vehicle to get the cost of financing to an acceptable amount. Banks don’t give you as generous of an income-to-debt ratio when approving a loan, and many banks won’t loan more than 10, 15 or 20 yrs. Then you have to insure it for replacement value and full-time occupancy! So it costs as much as a house, but the same rules don’t apply. Then there is the constant maintenance/upkeep, repairs, diesel/gas fuel costs, etc. I am not sure about everyone else, but speaking for myself, NO, IT’s NOT saving us tons of money. It is trading one form of house and responsibility for another. MYTH!

9) Your pets love it as much as you do. Well, we don’t live with or travel with any pets or children, so I can only guess they would enjoy it, as long as you provide properly for them. However, I can speak to dealing with everyone else’s pets. PLEASE be RESPONSIBLE pet owners! I get so tired of dogs barking, peeing and pooping in our immediate area (especially on our tires) and I don’t want to have to confront people on this issue. It’s non-negotiable. I love pets, but I don’t travel with them for several reasons. You would not permit your neighbor in a regular house living next door to you to let their dog out to do their business in your yard all day/every day. It’s no different. FACT!

8) Save tons of time with less to clean. I definitely laughed out loud when I read this! MYTH, MYTH, MYTH! It is constant work and sometimes harder to do, so size is not the issue, it just gets dirty quicker. Clutter 24/7, 365, if you don’t deal with it on a daily basis. Almost ALWAYS harder to change the bed or even make the bed daily. And, don’t even get me started about cooking! Every single thing you do is a process of taking everything out to get the one thing you need, then put everything away to use that one thing, and after you cook and wash it, you take everything out again to replace that one thing, and then put everything back the way it was. This goes on every single day that you need something that is not sitting right out in front of you, no matter how organized you are. If it takes you 20 minutes to clean your RV, Momma didn’t teach you how to clean! Period, the end of discussion.

7) Liberate yourself from too much stuff. FACT. You simply have to get rid of it all because it’s not going with you. It’s liberating until the day you decide this life may not be right for you. Then you will spend the rest of your life wondering why you did it, because you won’t live long enough to acquire that much stuff ever again! But you find out you really don’t need as much as you once had, and that is a good thing for your children when you die. They will thank you. You’re welcome.

6) Make room for Nature with more to see. FACT. BUT, Mother Nature can be extremely cruel and threatening to RVer’s! Just watch the news when they discuss tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding or severe storms of any kind, and picture yourself in an RV anywhere near it. This is where you learn to take the bad with the good and hope you live to tell the story when it’s over. I’ll share Hurricane Irma in a later blog.

5) Take your home on the road. Great to get away from crappy neighbors or bad weather. BUT, if you paid for a week or a month? Easier said than done. Once you’re assigned a spot, you may find there is no changing it, so I am on the fence here. But what I think they are trying to say is, you pick the view you want in a state that suits you and find a place to park where you have that beautiful view. Therefore, I say FACT on this one. The travel is incredible as long as your RV gets you safely from point A to B, it is a dream-come-true! Honestly, we have experienced some incredible views!

4) Inspire your creativity. FACT. You will find yourself challenged every single day that you travel, so it keeps you on your toes! You come up with all sorts of ideas to deal with whatever the road throws at you. You also come up with ways to earn extra money, or new hobbies to keep you occupied when the weather traps you inside. This is definitely an upside to the RV life. I believe you find ways to have more fun than the average aging adult and challenge your brain with multi-tasking daily. You push yourself harder and it keeps you healthy and young.

3) Have it all your own way. Not sure what this means, but I believe the word is freedom. Well, personally, I’m not sure you can ever have things your own way, especially if you’re married (LOL). But in my experience, you have to abide by rules and regulations, even if you are out in the middle of BLM (Bureau of Land Management or Public Land) there are do’s and don’ts. Campgrounds have them, resorts have them, Wal-Mart has them, etc. I often hear folks talk about freedoms when you live on the road (You know them, the ones that say “peace out” no matter what’s going on around them), and I don’t understand any of it. You have no more freedom traveling than you do in a neighborhood. We have laws, and we abide by them. We have bills and we have to pay them. MYTH.

2) Kiss the mortgage scam goodbye. Again, unless you buy a cheap recreational vehicle or have a lot of cash lying around to buy an RV outright, you still will have a payment. This is only a downsize when you are considering the size of the space you occupy, not necessarily what you spend on it. If you sold your house, as we did, and then you spend the money all on an RV (NOT recommended), maybe you have no payment. But we put that money aside and into a safe investment to have when we settle down (when we’re ready to sit still or have to). This is not a death till we part arrangement for us, but for some Full Timers, an exit plan is not in their vocabulary. I always need a Plan B. So I call MYTH.

And the number one reason: 1) Connect with your loved ones? We are in a slightly larger than 400 Sq Ft space nearly every day. Do I need to say more on this issue? I am definitely laughing! Every noise you make, every breath you take, the other person hears it! Every move you make, the other person feels it! Think about that every time you sneeze, blow your nose, cough, belch, fart, poop, etc. EVERY single bodily function does not go unnoticed. You are about as connected as two human beings can be! FACT! You have to love this lifestyle for a marriage to survive. It’s all good for just a vacation, or even snow-birding for 5 months a year (because you’re so damn excited about the great weather, you’ll do anything!) But living in an RV is not for everyone. The people who say differently, just stop! Quit telling everyone “You’ll LOVE it! Just DO it!” Nonsense! How can you be so sure? Not everyone is going to like it! I talk truth and I don’t love it every day. But I am the person that needs a Plan B. The day I no longer FT in my RV. Not sure where we’ll settle down yet and when, but one day, an RV will only be for short trips or vacations and that’s a FACT.

So now you know that meeting a guy back in October of 2010 is how my first-ever glimpse into the RV world began. That guy’s name is Roger and he became my best date and best friend over the next several months. The RV was in storage over our first winter while dating, and I never laid eyes on it until the late Spring of 2011. When I finally saw it in his driveway, I was curious about absolutely everything and thought it was so cute! It was a 2009 Class C Sunseeker, 3100SS floor plan, and was 31′ long with a single slide out. This was Roger’s first motorhome, and to this point, he had very little experience with it himself. He had taken several of his friends out for joy rides just to drive it, but no actual overnight camping. He took some family members to lunch in Southern Ohio’s Amish Country, but again, no overnight camping. His first ever camping experience with it was a guy’s weekend to the Mid Ohio Races in the summer of 2010 before we met. He knew enough about it to answer most of my questions. He showed me how the cabinets and drawers all locked with a latch, therefore, a bit tougher to open and close than your normal ones in a house. The refrigerator & freezer also had locking mechanisms to both open and close them, so they don’t fly open during travel. The toilet flushes with a foot pedal, not only to flush whatever down, but to fill it back up with fresh water. (I’m sort of a germaphobe, so a foot pedal was a neat thingy to me!) I also noticed that there was very little space between the full-sized bed and the wall on both sides, which could be challenging while changing the sheets or making the bed. (experienced RVer’s are laughing!) The small sofa could open out to a bed, called a jack-knife sofa bed. The table could drop down and the seat cushions could convert it to another bed. And, of course, being a Class C, you have the cab-over area above the driver & passenger seats which can sleep 2 more people. I was told it sleeps a total of 8 people and thought to myself, Good Grief!! It’s like National Lampoon’s Vacation going on in my head right now!!! And then there was the important stuff like “How does the fridge keep everything cold while driving down the road?” and so “How does the refrigerator know when you are plugged into electricity and then what happens when you’re not?” How much poopy or yucky used water can the tanks hold, and how do you dump the tanks?” “What about the toilet paper? Will it clog up the tank?” I learned that the “black” tank holds the poopy stuff and the “gray” tank holds all the dirty/used dish water and shower water. I learned what self-contained meant (complete, or having ALL that is needed, in itself), and how to start the generator when not plugged in to “shore power” (electricity!). I was eager to head out camping and was sure I could learn everything I needed to know, so let’s plan our first weekend CAMPING!!! After all, who doesn’t love a weekend camping?

So I needed to make a list. I actually made one for Roger and one for me. He would be in charge of all the outdoor activities: grilling, bonfires, necessary tools, chairs, etc. I would be in charge of all the indoor activities: mainly food, towels, bed-clothes, everything needed to cook the food, everything needed to eat the food, all the beverages to drink before & after the food! Well, you get the picture! It’s just like being at home, for the most part. The man lights the grill and cooks the burgers, but the woman does everything else! We filled the fresh water tank, made sure we had enough propane in the tank, filled up with gas and headed out for an exciting weekend at Mohican Adventures Park along the Mohican River in Ohio for a long three-day weekend!

My first ride in the “big rig to me Class C”! It was so cool, but a bit intimidating with all that sizable stuff following behind us. I felt a little too big for the small winding country road at times, but the adventurous side of me was quite thrilled over the whole experience! We arrived safely at the Campground, got registered at the gate, and found our spot. Hmmm. Another first. Gotta back this big sucker in to what seemed like a very little spot, but really close to the river and had a really great view! So Roger tells me to get out and help him back it in with a few hand signals and we’ll be good to go. Hmmm. I have never done this before with a vehicle this big. Honestly, big enough to run me over if he’s not paying attention to where I am! Can he see me good enough in all his mirrors? Okay, I thought, just do it!

Now, for anyone that has ever been the “spotter” (the person directing the driver into the spot), you know that there is always an audience for this part of the adventure. It’s a phenomenon of parking an RV. You get out of the vehicle and take that quick look around, and It feels like someone has announced on a megaphone in the surrounding area; “Here comes another one folks! Grab a seat and watch for your camping entertainment! If it’s a Fifth Wheel, you might want to top off your drinks before the festivities begin!” This is fact. So, out back I go and start with a come on back wave of my hands. Maybe a little more left, pointing left. No, A LOT more left! OK. Much better. A little further back. Now, a little to the right, now pointing right. Just a bit more…better check and see what’s going on up front there on your right with a wait-a-minute finger up…I think we’re good. Both hands up, STOP!  No problem. Never had to speak a word, just my wonderful hand motions. Easy peazy! Roger gets out, checks to see if we are good to go, and informs me that he could not see me too good in the mirror. “Oh” I said? “Yes” he said! You need to be visible in my mirror at all times!” Well, huh, maybe that should have been my first lesson in RVing, to make sure I am visible in his mirror at all times and what hand signals he wants me to use. Thankfully, we didn’t hit anything and other than my slight embarrassment, all is good! Let the camping fun begin!

Night one. So now the unpacking of all the stuff begins. He’s a busy beaver outside and I’m a busy bee inside. I made us cocktails and we share a few laughs over our parking skills and he informed me exactly what he needs me to do the next time to help him park. We’ll get better in time. For now, let’s cook up some burgers! I resumed the food prep jobs inside and he digs out the grill and chairs outside. It wasn’t too long before he came inside and informed me that the grill won’t be working tonight. When I asked what happened, he informed me that he forgot the propane regulator at home. I almost laughed out loud, but I had my own unpleasant announcement to make… I had forgotten the hamburgers! We laughed, but both of us a little pissed and weren’t sure what we were going to do, but I had already met our next door neighbors and they seemed pretty nice. So, I went outside and struck up a conversation and admitted what our current situation was. Their names were Pork and Woody! (You can’t make this stuff up!) So they invited us over to their campfire and we put some brats on their open-fire grate that we had packed for night two, and got to know Pork and Woody! Ended up being a really fun time.

Night two. We bought ourselves a little charcoal grill for the steaks we did remember to bring, and planned to have an awesome candle-light dinner for this evening. The charcoal was Kingsford Match Light, which are supposed to burn without the need for lighter fluid (one less thing to buy in an expensive camp store!). Well, the bag must have been old or damp because once they got started, they kept going out! Our steaks were probably on the grill for over 30 minutes before our neighbor on the other side of us came to our rescue with lighter fluid! We ate our steaks, which you can only image, were not the greatest, but edible if you’re hungry enough and we had drunk enough wine not to care. All in all, another great night of good times and making memories.

Night three was a total success! After an extremely long canoe ride down the river during the day, we had hot dogs, baked beans, potato chips, and happy hour with all of our new camper friends! I loved the smell of bonfires in the air, the marshmallow smores and a great night’s sleep! I learned how important it is to make friends with your fellow campers, how to operate all the necessary switches and levers inside the RV, how to take a short shower, so as to conserve fresh water usage. I even learned that making the bed, although a bit challenging, was not too bad. I learned that Weekend Warriors all come into the campgrounds early Friday evenings and depart by 10am on Monday mornings like a trail of ants marching towards home. I also learned it is an exhausting ritual of packing everything in before you leave the house, and unpacking everything out when you return to the house. But after-all, this was much better than tent-camping! I learned that I was doing a thing called “Glamping” a form of camping involving accommodations and facilities more luxurious than those associated with traditional camping. So life is good! I am now a Glamper!