We are tucked in our very rustic spot (with full hookups) at Mt. Magazine State Park, the highest point in the state of Arkansas. It's a small park with spacious sites that are woodsy and wonderful and cool and there are a zillion hiking trails. And when we're ready for a fine meal or a nice place to hang out, there's a reportedly beautiful lodge just around the corner. Internet and cell services are sketchy, and satellite is a most probably not.
It should be a nice, relaxing week!
Tonight we're celebrating an important first around our rolling home. At Hickory Creek, which we left this morning, we went eight whole days on 100 gallons of fresh water!
Yahoo!!!!
I'm the first to admit my general preference for a place to park this moose is a spacious slab of concrete with quality 50 amp power, full hookups and screaming wifi. But, every now and then we like to rough it. We'll go without sewer or water. We'll scale down to 30 amp. We'll park on gravel, grass or dirt.
It's fun!
For a few days.
Such was the case when we checked into Hickory Creek. We had good 50 amp at our lovely back-in site. No sewer. And, no water. But, no problem. We filled our 100 gallon fresh water tank on the way in. And, we were only roughing it for four days.
But, about Tuesday we decided that we liked Hickory Creek so much we wanted to stay a few more days. Our site was available, so we extended our stay until Sunday. A total of eight days. All was right with the world. Of course, we'd be using water like there was no tomorrow. Our fresh water tank read "two thirds". Suddenly, if we wanted to save ourselves a trip to the closest fresh water hose, we needed to conserve.
Our waste tanks were not the issue. They are huge. Together, they hold at least 25% more than our fresh water tank can. Our issue was running out of fresh water. And, while a trip to the water hose wouldn't be a great big deal, it would be a bit of a hassle. We decided to take on the challenge and see if we could make it.
We're not well versed in the art of water conservation. We own a couple of paper plates, somewhere. We love to cook. And, when we do we hardly give thought to how many pots, pans and dishes we dirty. We enjoy wine with most meals from genuine glass. No throwaways for us.
So, these last four days we've been careful. We've cooked almost everything on the grill. We ate out for lunch. We took navy showers. With our fresh water meter on "E" for the last two days, we started to wonder if we could make it.
But when the time came late this morning to head for the dump station before we hit the road, we realized our achievement. We were fed, watered and freshly showered. And, we had made 100 gallons of water last us for eight days. Every flush. Every wash. Every anything that required water.
We did it!
Tonight we're loving that we don't have to think about this anymore. We don't really miss the hum of our water pump. Tonight we made a big pot of spaghetti that cooked it a large pot of water. No worries.
Nope. We don't miss it. Not at all. But, now we know something we didn't know before. When it comes to saving water, we can do it.
Yeah! Of course, this week we do have to get by on just 30 amp. And, there's the whole lack of cell and internet thing.
Yep. We're still roughing it. But, we love it!
Showing posts with label Life As Fulltimers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life As Fulltimers. Show all posts
Texas Absentee Voting
In case you couldn't tell, Election Day is just around the corner.
Don't worry. This post isn't about trying to persuade you to vote one way or another. (We can hear the cyber sigh of relief!)
Rather, this missive is a quick lesson in absentee voting as a Texan. (So, if you're not a fellow resident of Rainbow Drive, you're officially excused from class. If you're in search of more interesting reading material, may we suggest you click on over to Bullwinkle's Travels? We've been busy bringing that neglected travel blog up to date...almost.)
A couple of years ago, as the United States prepared for the 2010 census, Escapees sent mailings assuring us that we would be counted. We never were. With the approach of this year's general election, we looked for absentee voting instructions to arrive in the mail from Escapees. They never did. So, we took matters into our own hands. It's one thing to miss being counted every 10 years. But, when it comes to exercising our constitutional right, we aren't going to let anything get in our way. And, we want to do what we can to help our neighbors with this process.
We submitted our requests for absentee ballots today. The process took longer than it should. With hopes that we can save our friends a few minutes, here are some step-by-step instructions.
1. Get/Check Your Voter Registration.
If you're not already registered, do it now! The deadline for registering to vote in this year's general election is October 9th.
To register, Complete a Voter Registration Application online. You must print and mail this form the voter registration official in your county. This form must be received prior to October 9th.
In Livingston, the Polk County official is:
Tax Assessor-Collector
Marion A. "Bid" Smith
416 N. Washington
Livingston, TX 77351
If you are registered, find your Voter Registration Card. It has an expiration date, but if that date has passed, don't worry. Your registration is probably current. To check the status of your registration, go to the Voter Information Search page. Enter the essential info and the site will tell you your status.
Don't put your registration card away just yet. You'll need it in a minute.
2. Print and Mail an Application for Ballot by Mail
Click here to open a PDF of the application.
Complete Page 2. Your completed application must be received by the early voting clerk no later than October 30th.
Provide all of the information requested. Here are a few helpful hints.
Before you fill in your address in Box 2, check your voter registration card. Print your address exactly as it appears under your name on the card.
In Box 3, fill in the mailing address where you want your ballot to be mailed. So, think about where and when you want to receive your ballot.
In Box 6, check "Expected absence from the county" as your reason for voting by mail.
In Box 7, check Address outside the county. (The address you provided in Box 3 needs to be outside Polk County.)
In Box 8, enter a date when you can receive mail at the address in Box 3. Remember, your completed ballot must be received by the early voting clerk (not postmarked) no earlier than October 27th and no later than 7PM on Election Day, November 6th.
Mail your completed application to the Early Voting Clerk in your county.
In Livingston, the Polk County Early Voting Clerk is:
County Clerk
Schelana Walker
P.O. Drawer 2119
Livingston, TX 77351
Your completed application must be received by the early voting clerk no later than October 30th
3. Watch Your Mail and Vote!
Don't worry. This post isn't about trying to persuade you to vote one way or another. (We can hear the cyber sigh of relief!)
Rather, this missive is a quick lesson in absentee voting as a Texan. (So, if you're not a fellow resident of Rainbow Drive, you're officially excused from class. If you're in search of more interesting reading material, may we suggest you click on over to Bullwinkle's Travels? We've been busy bringing that neglected travel blog up to date...almost.)
A couple of years ago, as the United States prepared for the 2010 census, Escapees sent mailings assuring us that we would be counted. We never were. With the approach of this year's general election, we looked for absentee voting instructions to arrive in the mail from Escapees. They never did. So, we took matters into our own hands. It's one thing to miss being counted every 10 years. But, when it comes to exercising our constitutional right, we aren't going to let anything get in our way. And, we want to do what we can to help our neighbors with this process.
We submitted our requests for absentee ballots today. The process took longer than it should. With hopes that we can save our friends a few minutes, here are some step-by-step instructions.
1. Get/Check Your Voter Registration.
If you're not already registered, do it now! The deadline for registering to vote in this year's general election is October 9th.
To register, Complete a Voter Registration Application online. You must print and mail this form the voter registration official in your county. This form must be received prior to October 9th.
In Livingston, the Polk County official is:
Tax Assessor-Collector
Marion A. "Bid" Smith
416 N. Washington
Livingston, TX 77351
If you are registered, find your Voter Registration Card. It has an expiration date, but if that date has passed, don't worry. Your registration is probably current. To check the status of your registration, go to the Voter Information Search page. Enter the essential info and the site will tell you your status.
Don't put your registration card away just yet. You'll need it in a minute.
2. Print and Mail an Application for Ballot by Mail
Click here to open a PDF of the application.
Complete Page 2. Your completed application must be received by the early voting clerk no later than October 30th.
Provide all of the information requested. Here are a few helpful hints.
Before you fill in your address in Box 2, check your voter registration card. Print your address exactly as it appears under your name on the card.
In Box 3, fill in the mailing address where you want your ballot to be mailed. So, think about where and when you want to receive your ballot.
In Box 6, check "Expected absence from the county" as your reason for voting by mail.
In Box 7, check Address outside the county. (The address you provided in Box 3 needs to be outside Polk County.)
In Box 8, enter a date when you can receive mail at the address in Box 3. Remember, your completed ballot must be received by the early voting clerk (not postmarked) no earlier than October 27th and no later than 7PM on Election Day, November 6th.
Mail your completed application to the Early Voting Clerk in your county.
In Livingston, the Polk County Early Voting Clerk is:
County Clerk
Schelana Walker
P.O. Drawer 2119
Livingston, TX 77351
Your completed application must be received by the early voting clerk no later than October 30th
3. Watch Your Mail and Vote!
Remember, your completed ballot must be received by the early voting clerk (not postmarked) no earlier than October 27th and no later than 7PM on Election Day, November 6th.
That's it! Hope this helps.
The College Vibe
This latest series of posts has sparked some dandy comments. We always like comments, but we're especially appreciating the most recent efforts of our lovely readers. Y'all seem to be approaching this new chapter of our adventures in the spirit in which it's being written: with fun. We feel like we're in good company. Thanks so much!
Before we get too far into today's subject, we wanted to address a couple of items from recent comments.
Our buddies Sue and Doug asked about landing in one of our favorite spots -- Gunnison, Colorado -- and bugging out during those 30-below winters.
We love Gunnison so! And, we have thought about the possibility of becoming snowbirds. But, as much as we love our favorite high-altitude town, we are more in love the idea of having a place where we could stay all year, if we so decided. We plan to do lots of extended traveling after we find our home base, but we don't like the idea of being forced to hit the road by Mother Nature every year. So, for now, we'll look for a place that's livable year-round. (And, you can bet Gunnison will be a frequent stop on our summer travel schedule!)
Now that we've put some of our critical criteria out there, we certainly welcome your suggestions for spots worth considering. ArkTravelers offered up Fayetteville, and we're so pleased to report that Arkansas is on our itinerary for this fall. We've been meaning to spend some significant time in The Natural State for awhile, but life kept getting in the way. We are looking forward to our visit to Fayetteville and surrounding areas. We'll definitely keep you posted.
The Odd Essay (I can so relate to that!) asked about how "when" we land might impact "where." And, that's a great question. This quest feels like such a moving target (no pun intended), it is certainly subject to change. At not quite 55 years old, we're not ready to hang out where most retirees retire. Our current criteria feels like it should appeal to us for at least the next decade or so. If not, I guess we'll move!
Jessica and Harry, who are currently "practicing" for their fulltime RVing adventures, made an inquiry that inspired the subject of this post. Thinking they might have missed the answer, they wondered about our fascination with college towns. And, we haven't said. (Or, at least I don't remember!) But, here goes.
There's something about college towns. For us, anyway. It's tough to put a finger on exactly why. But, we like the vibe. The seasonal injection of knowledge-hungry students gives a community a boost of energy. On the flip side, their summer exodus gives a community an annual cue to slow down, spread out and relax.
With a college town, you tend to get better and more fun restaurants. And, there's lots to do. Most college towns offer as many cultural activities as many bigger cities. In a college town, the whole place just seems to have a higher IQ. And, with an ongoing influx of new 18 and 19-year-olds, the community gets an annual dose of fresh energy.
For nearly a decade we lived within shouting distance of the UC-Berkeley campus. Of course, there's nothing "small" about Cal or Berkeley, and a lot of it is a bit over the top. But, there was a lot we enjoyed about football Saturdays, cool concerts and restaurants featuring cuisines from around the world.
In our travels, we've noticed how college towns stand out. Alpine could easily be a remote West Texas town. But, thanks to Sul Ross University, the place is buzzing. Among other things, it is home to a fine dining establishment that's a sister-restaurant to a 5-star place in Fort Worth. Missoula is definitely a crossroads town in western Montana. But, the University of Montana brings a cool vibe to town that made us think about moving in! And, we felt the shift in our beloved Gunnison last Fall when the 2,300 students came back to Western State College. The town came alive!
And, of course, there's our own college town. As we've said, Lawrence, Kansas is a place we might love to call home. Imagining life in the shadow of our very favorite University is easy, indeed!
All this said, we know well how life among college students can grate on your nerves. We had an uncanny ability to schedule a trip to the grocery store on the Sunday night before a new semester. Our local Safeway was crawling with kids who were three or four to a cart loaded with Ramen noodles, mac-n-cheese and Red Bull. Still, it was fun to be a part of it all.
So, that explains our infatuation with college towns. We'd love to be part of one again one day.
But for now, we need to wrap up our stay here in Kansas City. Tomorrow will be a day filled with tearful goodbyes and getting ready to roll.
We can't wait.
Before we get too far into today's subject, we wanted to address a couple of items from recent comments.
Our buddies Sue and Doug asked about landing in one of our favorite spots -- Gunnison, Colorado -- and bugging out during those 30-below winters.
We love Gunnison so! And, we have thought about the possibility of becoming snowbirds. But, as much as we love our favorite high-altitude town, we are more in love the idea of having a place where we could stay all year, if we so decided. We plan to do lots of extended traveling after we find our home base, but we don't like the idea of being forced to hit the road by Mother Nature every year. So, for now, we'll look for a place that's livable year-round. (And, you can bet Gunnison will be a frequent stop on our summer travel schedule!)
Now that we've put some of our critical criteria out there, we certainly welcome your suggestions for spots worth considering. ArkTravelers offered up Fayetteville, and we're so pleased to report that Arkansas is on our itinerary for this fall. We've been meaning to spend some significant time in The Natural State for awhile, but life kept getting in the way. We are looking forward to our visit to Fayetteville and surrounding areas. We'll definitely keep you posted.
The Odd Essay (I can so relate to that!) asked about how "when" we land might impact "where." And, that's a great question. This quest feels like such a moving target (no pun intended), it is certainly subject to change. At not quite 55 years old, we're not ready to hang out where most retirees retire. Our current criteria feels like it should appeal to us for at least the next decade or so. If not, I guess we'll move!
Jessica and Harry, who are currently "practicing" for their fulltime RVing adventures, made an inquiry that inspired the subject of this post. Thinking they might have missed the answer, they wondered about our fascination with college towns. And, we haven't said. (Or, at least I don't remember!) But, here goes.
There's something about college towns. For us, anyway. It's tough to put a finger on exactly why. But, we like the vibe. The seasonal injection of knowledge-hungry students gives a community a boost of energy. On the flip side, their summer exodus gives a community an annual cue to slow down, spread out and relax.
With a college town, you tend to get better and more fun restaurants. And, there's lots to do. Most college towns offer as many cultural activities as many bigger cities. In a college town, the whole place just seems to have a higher IQ. And, with an ongoing influx of new 18 and 19-year-olds, the community gets an annual dose of fresh energy.
For nearly a decade we lived within shouting distance of the UC-Berkeley campus. Of course, there's nothing "small" about Cal or Berkeley, and a lot of it is a bit over the top. But, there was a lot we enjoyed about football Saturdays, cool concerts and restaurants featuring cuisines from around the world.
In our travels, we've noticed how college towns stand out. Alpine could easily be a remote West Texas town. But, thanks to Sul Ross University, the place is buzzing. Among other things, it is home to a fine dining establishment that's a sister-restaurant to a 5-star place in Fort Worth. Missoula is definitely a crossroads town in western Montana. But, the University of Montana brings a cool vibe to town that made us think about moving in! And, we felt the shift in our beloved Gunnison last Fall when the 2,300 students came back to Western State College. The town came alive!
And, of course, there's our own college town. As we've said, Lawrence, Kansas is a place we might love to call home. Imagining life in the shadow of our very favorite University is easy, indeed!
All this said, we know well how life among college students can grate on your nerves. We had an uncanny ability to schedule a trip to the grocery store on the Sunday night before a new semester. Our local Safeway was crawling with kids who were three or four to a cart loaded with Ramen noodles, mac-n-cheese and Red Bull. Still, it was fun to be a part of it all.
So, that explains our infatuation with college towns. We'd love to be part of one again one day.
But for now, we need to wrap up our stay here in Kansas City. Tomorrow will be a day filled with tearful goodbyes and getting ready to roll.
We can't wait.
Critical Criteria
One of the things we thought about during our "down days" as bloggers (But, have you noticed how things have suddenly "picked up"?) was what we want in the town in which we choose to land and set up our home base. Until very recently, we would simply immerse ourselves in each town and get the feel of the place. Kerrville felt good. Santa Fe didn't. (Though it's an awesome place to visit!) Gunnison felt very good, in the Summer, of course. With each town we've visited over the past three years, we've departed with an intuitive sense of whether or not that destination was a place we'd like to settle down in someday. The whole process has been loads of fun, but far from scientific.
Until now.
Since about the time we crossed back over the Mississippi River last month, we've been working on our list of "must haves" for the town we will choose as our home base. The first on the list was that our place will be west of the Mississippi River! Of course, there are a multitude of wonderful places we love to visit east of that big river. But, one thing we've learned in our travels is that we are, at our core, Westerners.
With that little piece of self-discovery, we narrowed our search from "anywhere" in the country to "somewhere." Over the last few weeks, we've added to the list of criteria. Heck, I even put it on a spreadsheet. Yesterday, I looked online for a bit of help.
Find Your Spot.com features a quiz designed to help you find cities and towns that are most likely to appeal to you, based on your answers to an eight-part quiz that inquires about everything from the weather to culture, education, medical care, transportation, recreation, size, safety, location, home prices, taxes, faith and personal fit. Before you click on this link to the quiz, let me warn you, after you take the quiz, and before you get your list of 24 recommended locations, the site asks for a bunch of personal information, which I opted not to submit. Even without getting the answers, I like the quiz for the things it make you think about. Once we know what we want, we don't really need a list. We'll have great fun finding the place that's right for us on our own.
I'll share some of our critical criteria here, but I want to make it clear that these are the factors that appeal to us, and only us. Any list like this will be unique to each individual going through this process. There's no right or wrong to it all. And, like our travel plans, our list is definitely written in chalk, subject to change at any time.
With that disclaimer out of the way, here's a look at some of our criteria, such as they are today.
We'd like to "land" in a town that:
We have a few other items on the list that are a bit more personal. But, this gives you an idea of the kind of things we're thinking about and looking for. We think it's a pretty nifty list!
In our travels, we've noticed a handful of states where we really feel at home. Kansas is obvious. There are parts of our adopted state of Texas that speak to us, but we haven't been there in Summer! Colorado is another. We've always liked it, but last Summer we absolutely fell in love with Gunnison. It's not livable (by our standards) in Winter, but there are several other places in the state that we are eager to explore and consider.
We're heading to one of those places in a week or so. Fort Collins is a town we've only driven through. But, we're looking forward to spending a month there this summer and checking it out. Whether or not it makes the cut doesn't really matter. Either way, we know it will be a lot of fun.
Meanwhile, we'll keep working on our list.
Until now.
Since about the time we crossed back over the Mississippi River last month, we've been working on our list of "must haves" for the town we will choose as our home base. The first on the list was that our place will be west of the Mississippi River! Of course, there are a multitude of wonderful places we love to visit east of that big river. But, one thing we've learned in our travels is that we are, at our core, Westerners.
With that little piece of self-discovery, we narrowed our search from "anywhere" in the country to "somewhere." Over the last few weeks, we've added to the list of criteria. Heck, I even put it on a spreadsheet. Yesterday, I looked online for a bit of help.
Find Your Spot.com features a quiz designed to help you find cities and towns that are most likely to appeal to you, based on your answers to an eight-part quiz that inquires about everything from the weather to culture, education, medical care, transportation, recreation, size, safety, location, home prices, taxes, faith and personal fit. Before you click on this link to the quiz, let me warn you, after you take the quiz, and before you get your list of 24 recommended locations, the site asks for a bunch of personal information, which I opted not to submit. Even without getting the answers, I like the quiz for the things it make you think about. Once we know what we want, we don't really need a list. We'll have great fun finding the place that's right for us on our own.
I'll share some of our critical criteria here, but I want to make it clear that these are the factors that appeal to us, and only us. Any list like this will be unique to each individual going through this process. There's no right or wrong to it all. And, like our travel plans, our list is definitely written in chalk, subject to change at any time.
With that disclaimer out of the way, here's a look at some of our criteria, such as they are today.
We'd like to "land" in a town that:
- is west of the Mississippi River, but not in California
- is part of a medium-to-small SMSA (300,000 people or less)
- features natural geographic beauty
- has lots of opportunities for outdoor activities (hiking, biking, geocaching)
- is livable year-round
- is within a short drive to a major airport
- is within a day's drive of Kansas City (It can be a long day's drive.)
- is a college town
- is within a short drive of friends and/or family
- has quality services (medical, vet, shopping)
- offers safe and affordable living
We have a few other items on the list that are a bit more personal. But, this gives you an idea of the kind of things we're thinking about and looking for. We think it's a pretty nifty list!
In our travels, we've noticed a handful of states where we really feel at home. Kansas is obvious. There are parts of our adopted state of Texas that speak to us, but we haven't been there in Summer! Colorado is another. We've always liked it, but last Summer we absolutely fell in love with Gunnison. It's not livable (by our standards) in Winter, but there are several other places in the state that we are eager to explore and consider.
We're heading to one of those places in a week or so. Fort Collins is a town we've only driven through. But, we're looking forward to spending a month there this summer and checking it out. Whether or not it makes the cut doesn't really matter. Either way, we know it will be a lot of fun.
Meanwhile, we'll keep working on our list.
We're Flip Floppers
Whew! I can't tell you how much better I feel. It's so good to have come out of the closet on thinking about the end of our fulltiming adventures.
I want to remind you dear readers, we're just thinking about it at this point. We still have many miles ahead of us in this journey. Heck, we have tentative travel plans well into next year. And, along the way we will continue to think about and look for that place where we want to land and establish our home base. From that place, wherever it may be, we will continue to travel -- sometimes for months on end -- and continue to enjoy this amazing lifestyle. As so many of our commenting readers alluded to, that will be the time when we will enjoy the best of both worlds. We can't wait. But, we will.
As we search for our perfect landing spot, we know we will have our challenges. Chief among them is this simple fact: We're flip floppers.
(Thank God we're not running for office!)
But, it's true. We are. We will fall in love with a place in a heartbeat. We'll convince ourselves "this" is the place for us. Then, in a nanosecond, we'll talk ourselves out of it. We move down the road and find another spot with which we fall in love. It's a vicious, but really fun, cycle.
This flip flopping is most obvious while we're here in our native Kansas City. It would be a piece of cake for us to settle here. The fact that the area is filled with friends and family and we know our way around practically with our eyes closed makes the idea of settling here a real no brainer.
Then, in the same breath, we can talk ourselves out of it. It's too easy. It's not really our favorite place. It's too big. Too familiar. Too hot. Too humid. Too cold in the Winter. We want to be somewhere different.
See how we flip flop?
See how this process of finding our home base might take us awhile?
Today we had the great pleasure of spending some time in a town that's at, or near, the top of our potential home base list. Lawrence, Kansas sits just 45 miles - and a few light years - away from Kansas City. This quaint little college town on the banks of the Kansas river is home to our alma mater, The University of Kansas. It serves up a heap of history with a nice side of modern conveniences. It's town and country. It's business and academia. It's the best of everything.
Yep. We love it.
One of our hundred nieces and nephews (O.K., it's really not that many!) has expressed a passionate interest in attending the KU School of Journalism. Even though this particular niece still has a couple of years of high school left, as a couple of proud alums, we jumped at the chance to show her around.
We spent the day in our favorite college town. As we hiked around campus, we poked in stately buildings that were familiar and new. At one point in the day, we enjoyed a 360-degree panorama from our 10-story perch on top of the hill. As we took in the sweeping views of the university, the town, the surrounding neighborhoods and not-too-distant farms, we sighed in unison.
"We could live here!"
Oh, yes! We could.
As we left the Lawrence city limits, our niece was dreaming of her future as a Jayhawk. And, we were talking ourselves out of our love fest for the town. You see, we have other places to see and explore. It's too soon for us to declare our old college town our new hometown.
And so we flip flop.
When it comes to finding our new home base, we know we'll know it when we see it. It might be a brand new town, or familiar stomping grounds. Who knows?
For now, these flip floppers will just keep looking.
I want to remind you dear readers, we're just thinking about it at this point. We still have many miles ahead of us in this journey. Heck, we have tentative travel plans well into next year. And, along the way we will continue to think about and look for that place where we want to land and establish our home base. From that place, wherever it may be, we will continue to travel -- sometimes for months on end -- and continue to enjoy this amazing lifestyle. As so many of our commenting readers alluded to, that will be the time when we will enjoy the best of both worlds. We can't wait. But, we will.
As we search for our perfect landing spot, we know we will have our challenges. Chief among them is this simple fact: We're flip floppers.
(Thank God we're not running for office!)
But, it's true. We are. We will fall in love with a place in a heartbeat. We'll convince ourselves "this" is the place for us. Then, in a nanosecond, we'll talk ourselves out of it. We move down the road and find another spot with which we fall in love. It's a vicious, but really fun, cycle.
This flip flopping is most obvious while we're here in our native Kansas City. It would be a piece of cake for us to settle here. The fact that the area is filled with friends and family and we know our way around practically with our eyes closed makes the idea of settling here a real no brainer.
Then, in the same breath, we can talk ourselves out of it. It's too easy. It's not really our favorite place. It's too big. Too familiar. Too hot. Too humid. Too cold in the Winter. We want to be somewhere different.
See how we flip flop?
See how this process of finding our home base might take us awhile?
Today we had the great pleasure of spending some time in a town that's at, or near, the top of our potential home base list. Lawrence, Kansas sits just 45 miles - and a few light years - away from Kansas City. This quaint little college town on the banks of the Kansas river is home to our alma mater, The University of Kansas. It serves up a heap of history with a nice side of modern conveniences. It's town and country. It's business and academia. It's the best of everything.
Yep. We love it.
One of our hundred nieces and nephews (O.K., it's really not that many!) has expressed a passionate interest in attending the KU School of Journalism. Even though this particular niece still has a couple of years of high school left, as a couple of proud alums, we jumped at the chance to show her around.
We spent the day in our favorite college town. As we hiked around campus, we poked in stately buildings that were familiar and new. At one point in the day, we enjoyed a 360-degree panorama from our 10-story perch on top of the hill. As we took in the sweeping views of the university, the town, the surrounding neighborhoods and not-too-distant farms, we sighed in unison.
"We could live here!"
Oh, yes! We could.
As we left the Lawrence city limits, our niece was dreaming of her future as a Jayhawk. And, we were talking ourselves out of our love fest for the town. You see, we have other places to see and explore. It's too soon for us to declare our old college town our new hometown.
And so we flip flop.
When it comes to finding our new home base, we know we'll know it when we see it. It might be a brand new town, or familiar stomping grounds. Who knows?
For now, these flip floppers will just keep looking.
We're Evolving
I'm the first to admit my enthusiasm for blogging has waned over the last few months. It's been tough to find things to write about. I really didn't have much to say. At first, I didn't understand exactly why. But, today it occurred to me.
We're evolving.
I'm not trying to steal any headlines here. Really, it's not that. But, what it is is a change in how we are as fulltime RVers. And, truth be told, I was afraid to write about it. Until today.
Today I remembered why we started this blog. We wanted to chronicle the story of our fulltime RVing journey, from before the beginning to the very end. And, from the beginning we have been painfully honest about what we're thinking and feeling. We have always told it like it is, the good and the not so good, for a couple of reasons. First, we wanted to chronicle our story. Second, we hoped our doing so might inform and/or inspire folks who were thinking about following us along this path.
In the beginning, it was so easy. We'd hatched this dream and started a blog about it all. The preparations were as exciting as they were stressful. Then, finally, we hit the road. Every day was a new and exciting adventure. It was all so compelling we just had to write about it, whether anyone wanted to read it or not. As the months and miles passed by, we became more comfortable as our mobile lifestyle became not-quite-so new. We started to slow down, relax and stay awhile in some places. Life was good, but blogging material became harder to find.
As we approach our third anniversary as fulltimers (in a month or so), something has changed. And, like I said, we haven't had the courage to blog about it. Until today. So, here goes.
We're thinking about the end.
No, we're not talking about the Mayan calendar. We're thinking about the end of our fulltime RVing journey. And, in the same spirit we've written every word of this humble little blog, we want to be honest about the process as we transition from fulltime RVers to anytime RVers.
I've been perusing the blogs of many former fulltime RVers lately, and I've noticed a theme: Folks are happily hopping across the country until one day they stop, never to blog again.
We don't want to do that.
Today we decided that we want to be up front and personal about this part of our fulltiming journey, too. So, we shall.
When we started this blog, we laid it all out. Here's an excerpt from our very first post, from July 2008:
From the beginning, we knew this whole fulltiming adventure for us was a "temporary gig." Nearly three years in, that's still true. That whole "perhaps as long as three" thing makes us smile. That sounded like such a very long time to be on the road back then. We can't believe how quickly the time has flown. Today when folks ask us how long we plan to be doing this, we have a simple answer that reflects our new perspective.
It feels like we're about halfway done.
(Of course, that's subject to change at any time!)
But, these days, it does feel like we're about halfway done. We have a list of places yet to see, and places to go back and visit again. We're enjoying it all, of course. But, in the back of our minds, something is smoldering. We are starting to yearn for a home base: A place to call home; A real address that isn't a file folder in a warehouse. Someday, we want a proper kitchen, a real bathroom, a lovely patio and a yard. (Anyone who's following my Pinterest boards has probably already noticed this!)
We've given it a lot of thought. And, we'll share some of that, if you're interested. The bottom line is our travel plans are now including spending time in some of the places we might like to call home one day. And, that might take us a year, or two or three to find.
Who knows?
We'll definitely keep you posted.
We're evolving.
I'm not trying to steal any headlines here. Really, it's not that. But, what it is is a change in how we are as fulltime RVers. And, truth be told, I was afraid to write about it. Until today.
Today I remembered why we started this blog. We wanted to chronicle the story of our fulltime RVing journey, from before the beginning to the very end. And, from the beginning we have been painfully honest about what we're thinking and feeling. We have always told it like it is, the good and the not so good, for a couple of reasons. First, we wanted to chronicle our story. Second, we hoped our doing so might inform and/or inspire folks who were thinking about following us along this path.
In the beginning, it was so easy. We'd hatched this dream and started a blog about it all. The preparations were as exciting as they were stressful. Then, finally, we hit the road. Every day was a new and exciting adventure. It was all so compelling we just had to write about it, whether anyone wanted to read it or not. As the months and miles passed by, we became more comfortable as our mobile lifestyle became not-quite-so new. We started to slow down, relax and stay awhile in some places. Life was good, but blogging material became harder to find.
As we approach our third anniversary as fulltimers (in a month or so), something has changed. And, like I said, we haven't had the courage to blog about it. Until today. So, here goes.
We're thinking about the end.
No, we're not talking about the Mayan calendar. We're thinking about the end of our fulltime RVing journey. And, in the same spirit we've written every word of this humble little blog, we want to be honest about the process as we transition from fulltime RVers to anytime RVers.
I've been perusing the blogs of many former fulltime RVers lately, and I've noticed a theme: Folks are happily hopping across the country until one day they stop, never to blog again.
We don't want to do that.
Today we decided that we want to be up front and personal about this part of our fulltiming journey, too. So, we shall.
When we started this blog, we laid it all out. Here's an excerpt from our very first post, from July 2008:
How long will we be "gone"? At least a year. Maybe two. Perhaps as long as three. Who knows?
At the end of the road we'll settle down in a new spot. Right now, we're thinking it may be our old college town. But, again, who knows?
From the beginning, we knew this whole fulltiming adventure for us was a "temporary gig." Nearly three years in, that's still true. That whole "perhaps as long as three" thing makes us smile. That sounded like such a very long time to be on the road back then. We can't believe how quickly the time has flown. Today when folks ask us how long we plan to be doing this, we have a simple answer that reflects our new perspective.
It feels like we're about halfway done.
(Of course, that's subject to change at any time!)
But, these days, it does feel like we're about halfway done. We have a list of places yet to see, and places to go back and visit again. We're enjoying it all, of course. But, in the back of our minds, something is smoldering. We are starting to yearn for a home base: A place to call home; A real address that isn't a file folder in a warehouse. Someday, we want a proper kitchen, a real bathroom, a lovely patio and a yard. (Anyone who's following my Pinterest boards has probably already noticed this!)
We've given it a lot of thought. And, we'll share some of that, if you're interested. The bottom line is our travel plans are now including spending time in some of the places we might like to call home one day. And, that might take us a year, or two or three to find.
Who knows?
We'll definitely keep you posted.
Carefree!
Today was one of those rare days that has us basking in the glow of successfully conquering one of those curve balls our rolling home occasionally tosses our way.
Woo hoo!
Before we mix up our celebratory cocktails, let me explain.
Back in Kerrville, we got whacked with a 56 mph wind gust that did a number on the topper on our not quite big ass slide. A couple of days later, Paul popped it back into place. We've been super careful with it since. Here in Santa Fe, we've pulled it in on a few super windy days, just to be safe.
Yesterday, the front end of the topper was flapping in the breeze. Something was wrong...again.
Neither of us is really mechanically inclined, especially when it comes to dealing with 16-foot long high-tension spring rods. As long-time homeowners, we've become just skilled enough at things like plumbing and electrical work to be dangerous. But, this is just our second rolling house. Slide toppers are just supposed to roll in and out when we push a button. Beyond that, we're clueless.
So, our first choice was to call a mobile RV tech. Paul found the website of Carefree of Colorado, the manufacturer of our slide toppers and awnings. Just our luck, there isn't a Carefree dealer in Santa Fe that makes service calls. And, if we can't pull a slide in, we can't exactly get it to a dealer.
Our next choice was to call Carefree for help. But, that's not possible. You see, their phone number is nowhere to be found on their website! Paul found the owner's manual and some schematics for our slide topper and started studying. Before long, he had diagnosed the problem. Today was the day to try to figure out a solution.
As frustrated as we were that we couldn't get immediate help, we realized that what we did have was time, and plenty of it. With two weeks before we're planning to move this moose, we had all kinds of time to make this a DIY project.
Shortly after breakfast, Paul was on the job. He formulated a plan of attack. The first step was to send an email to Carefree explaining the situation and asking for guidance. We both figured we wouldn't hear back, but much to our surprise Paul received a response within the hour. With that he had the information he needed to give this thing a shot.
After all, what's the worst that could happen?
Taking extra special care to avoid flying parts and protect valuable fingers, Paul went to work. Before long the slide topper cover was off, screws were flying (just kidding) and he was muscling the tension rod like a pro. When questions came up, we put our heads together. When we weren't sure of the answer, Paul shot off another email to Carefree. Each helpful response came within minutes. With each step we learned and grew increasingly confident in our ability to repair our rolling home. In the end, the slide topper was restored to its pre-56 mph wind gust state. Heck, it could be that it's better than it's ever been.
All is right with our world.
There's something extra sweet about conquering the problem ourselves. And, it's not just the big bucks we would have shelled out for a service call. We're learning that if we take our time, do some research and get help straight from the horse's mouth, maybe - just maybe - we can be good caretakers of our moose.
Cheers!
Woo hoo!
Before we mix up our celebratory cocktails, let me explain.
Back in Kerrville, we got whacked with a 56 mph wind gust that did a number on the topper on our not quite big ass slide. A couple of days later, Paul popped it back into place. We've been super careful with it since. Here in Santa Fe, we've pulled it in on a few super windy days, just to be safe.
Yesterday, the front end of the topper was flapping in the breeze. Something was wrong...again.
Neither of us is really mechanically inclined, especially when it comes to dealing with 16-foot long high-tension spring rods. As long-time homeowners, we've become just skilled enough at things like plumbing and electrical work to be dangerous. But, this is just our second rolling house. Slide toppers are just supposed to roll in and out when we push a button. Beyond that, we're clueless.
So, our first choice was to call a mobile RV tech. Paul found the website of Carefree of Colorado, the manufacturer of our slide toppers and awnings. Just our luck, there isn't a Carefree dealer in Santa Fe that makes service calls. And, if we can't pull a slide in, we can't exactly get it to a dealer.
Our next choice was to call Carefree for help. But, that's not possible. You see, their phone number is nowhere to be found on their website! Paul found the owner's manual and some schematics for our slide topper and started studying. Before long, he had diagnosed the problem. Today was the day to try to figure out a solution.
As frustrated as we were that we couldn't get immediate help, we realized that what we did have was time, and plenty of it. With two weeks before we're planning to move this moose, we had all kinds of time to make this a DIY project.
Shortly after breakfast, Paul was on the job. He formulated a plan of attack. The first step was to send an email to Carefree explaining the situation and asking for guidance. We both figured we wouldn't hear back, but much to our surprise Paul received a response within the hour. With that he had the information he needed to give this thing a shot.
After all, what's the worst that could happen?
Taking extra special care to avoid flying parts and protect valuable fingers, Paul went to work. Before long the slide topper cover was off, screws were flying (just kidding) and he was muscling the tension rod like a pro. When questions came up, we put our heads together. When we weren't sure of the answer, Paul shot off another email to Carefree. Each helpful response came within minutes. With each step we learned and grew increasingly confident in our ability to repair our rolling home. In the end, the slide topper was restored to its pre-56 mph wind gust state. Heck, it could be that it's better than it's ever been.
All is right with our world.
There's something extra sweet about conquering the problem ourselves. And, it's not just the big bucks we would have shelled out for a service call. We're learning that if we take our time, do some research and get help straight from the horse's mouth, maybe - just maybe - we can be good caretakers of our moose.
Cheers!
Tasting and Feasting
We love Davis Mountains State Park! It’s a state park with full hookups (50 amp and cable, too!) that will accommodate our 40-foot moose. Nestled in the mountains of West Texas, it’s very scenic. Sitting here at an altitude of 5,000 feet, it’s nice and cool. There are hiking trails just steps from our front door. There’s even a full-service restaurant on site that served us a mighty fine breakfast this morning. With our freshly purchased Texas Parks Annual Pass, we get all this for about $20 a night.
We may never leave.
We saw our new friends, and their welcome mat, off yesterday. Before they headed out toward Carlsbad, we enjoyed a tour of their rolling home over coffee and more laughter-filled conversation. We exchanged the names of “don’t miss” spots as well as places that can be easily passed up. Warren and Carol’s list of places to go in the next six months is long. With a goal to visit 49 states before they return home in September, they hope they’ll fill in their map. What they’re realizing is they are just scratching the surface.
“We have to remind ourselves that we’re just tasting the country on this trip,” Carol surmised. “We can’t be feasting on this go ‘round.”
Tasting and Feasting. What perfect words!
As “tasters”, these full-time travelers on a deadline have to make tough choices as they make their way. Though they are often tempted to linger in a spot they love, like this park, they know they must keep moving along. They are saving loads of great places to see later. And, although they’ve missed a lot in this first round, they have seen so much. They are, after all, on the journey of a lifetime. To spend a year on the road visiting 49 states is one of those things many folks dream about but only a few make real.
Now that we have these wonderful words, we see that our first year as fulltimers was definitely a “tasting” year. We saw a lot and didn’t linger long in any one spot. We weren’t on a deadline, per se. But, we weren’t sure how long we were going to pursue this nomadic lifestyle. We got a healthy, coast-to-coast and border-to-border taste of this wonderful country. And, it tasted great!
In our second year, especially the second half of Year Two, we are happily feasting. Our three-month stay in Kerrville provided us a chance to enjoy everything Texas Hill Country has to offer. We could imagine what it might be like to live there. In fact, we started to feel like we did! Just about a year ago, we scooted across West Texas in two days. This year we’re taking three weeks! By feasting in West Texas we were able to happily discover Davis Mountains State Park and add it to our very flexible itinerary. With plans to spend the next five months in basically two states, we think this is a great change of pace.
Right now, 2012 is shaping up to be another “tasting” year. With possible plans to go from the Gulf Coast to Alaska and down the West Coast, we won’t linger...much. Of course, all plans are subject to change. But, we love the idea of cycling between times of “tasting” and “feasting”.
We’re just hoping to avoid gaining any unwanted pounds in the process!
Do the Math
Now that we're a few days into Daylight Savings Time, here's a reminder. If you haven't changed your smoke detector batteries this week, do it now. We didn't do it on Sunday. And, guess what happened very early Monday morning?
Chirp. Chirp. Chirp.
That's right. We got the "middle of the night" reminder! There's nothing like a groggy search for a 9V battery at 3:00 a.m.!
With fresh batteries installed, we'll be heading to Big Bend later this morning. And, yes, we're taking the moose. That's the answer to one of the most common questions around the park this week. It seems most folks here make Big Bend a big day trip. And, we're talking BIG day trip! Most do the 300-plus mile round trip just once during their stay. So, although it's a very full day, it hardly seems worth the trouble of packing up the RV. But, we're looking forward to doing some hiking and exploring. And, heck, we have the time. We're going to take it! So, we're going in the coach.
Paul was in the laundry yesterday when another camper asked if we had been to Big Bend. He explained that we were heading out today. And, yes, we were taking the motorhome. The fellow camper replied that he thought the parks down there were too expensive. So, he was planning to make three day trips from here.
To each his own!
As he put the laundry away, Paul started to do the math.
If you stay at this park a week, the nightly rate is $29. If you spend three nights at the closest RV park to Big Bend, it's $27 a night. So, that's a wash.
It's 84 miles between the two RV parks. We paid $3.79 (gasp!) for diesel the other day. And, our moose gets about 9 mpg. So, our 168-mile round-trip will cost us 19 gallons of fuel valued at $72.
Much more of this fancy math is going to depress me!
But, what about the day tripper? Make that 168-mile trip three times and that's another 504 miles on your odometer. Let's assume you're driving a toad that gets 25 mpg using gas, for which we paid $3.59 (gasp!) a gallon here in Alpine. What will those three long days of driving cost you? You guessed it: $72!
And that money just gets everybody to Big Bend National Park! How much time and money you can spend driving around that 1,250 square-mile expanse is anybody's guess.
So, in terms of cash, it's pretty much a wash. But, with your RV parked just outside of this big national park, the daytripper would save about four hours a day. Two extra days of driving means at least eight extra hours.
What will we do with our "extra" eight hours at Big Bend? Stay tuned!
Searching and Researching
First things first, we're pleased to report the missing book has been found. And, order is restored in our rolling home. We continue to be amazed at the the little hidey holes in this house.
We're having a great time hanging here in Alpine. We've decided to stop for a few days in nearby Fort Davis on our way back from Big Bend, so our sightseeing agenda here has been abbreviated. That's given us more time to do one of our favorite things and to try something new.
We love to go geocaching. But, it just never seems like we have time to go in search of caches. This year, we've set a goal: to find 250 geocaches this year. Before yesterday, we were up to - eh - five . (Really, we have no excuse!) We picked up the pace yesterday and found three caches around Alpine. This isn't exactly a cache-rich part of the world, but the three we went in search of and happily found gave us a 360-degree tour of the town and one steep and rocky climb. Going 3-for-3 and getting in a nice hike made it a very good day.
Today, we made our maiden voyage into a bit of genealogy research. We don't really have much interest in this pursuit, but it turns out that Paul had a great uncle who lived in Alpine for awhile in the 1930s. So, we were curious to know if we had any peeps here in town. We made quick stops at the public library and the tax assessor's office. The latter pointed us to the archives at Sul Ross State University. There we found a most helpful librarian who set us up for our search. She knows a couple of newbies when she sees 'em. And, she cautioned us that there was probably just a 50-50 shot that we'd find anything.
With our expectations in check, we started looking. Within minutes we'd made a discovery. Turns out the great uncle owned a couple of restaurants back in the day. In the days way before Starbucks, the ol' uncle had the hottest coffee spot in town. We got some dates and saw a helpful old photo or two. Even the librarian was excited about our finds. After that, the trail ran cold. But, we had learned something! That's where, we think, people get hooked on this whole genealogy gig. But, not us. We'd rather be out hiking hills in search of geocaches than sitting with our noses in old books in the library. But, it sure was fun.
We might try it again, someday. But, for now, we have 242 caches to find this year!
Rituals
Well, our first travel day of 2011 is in the books. Actually, it isn't literally in the book...yet. Somehow, we've misplaced Paul's travel journal. In this handy dandy missing book, he captures the essential info for each travel day. It's in here somewhere. We'll find it...eventually.
Our event-free day reminded us of a couple of things. First, after sitting in one place for three months we're really rusty at this "get up and go" thing. After we landed today, I was scratching my head trying to remember my set-up routine. When I find myself wondering how to push the button to start the satellite search, I know I'm rusty!
The other reminder du jour is how we've come to depend on our travel day rituals. What some may call a "rut" has become our very comfortable travel day routine.
Travel days actually start the night before. Neither of us tends to sleep very well on travel day eve. So, with precious little sleep (Three hours for me last night and a couple more for Paul.) we're up early. We always allow a nearly decent amount of time for leisurely coffee. Then, it's time for our traditional travel day breakfast: Jimmy Dean Sausage Biscuits. These things are loaded with calories and fat. But, they're quick, easy and don't dirty any dishes. They're very satisfying and keep us going well into the afternoon. Our travel day lunch is usually late but very simple. We'll stop at a rest stop or Walmart parking lot and split a sandwich. Today, we noticed that our lunch stops are considerably faster than our fuel stops. They're lots cheaper, too!
No matter how far we go on a travel day, we set a simple rule for ourselves: We cover at least half of the day's distance before noon. That pretty much keeps us to under 300 miles a day (Today was just a few miles more.) and gets us to our destination by 3:00 p.m. Once we're settled, we take a much needed stroll around the park and/or neighborhood. And, by 5:00 we're ready for happy hour. Just like our travel day breakfast, dinner is equally predictable. We have a favorite brand of frozen pasta in a bag. It takes just one skillet and 15 minutes to make a tasty hot meal. We pour a glass of wine, toss a salad if we feel like it and toast a successful day on the road.
After dinner we're usually running on fumes. (Lack of sleep and a couple hundred miles will do that.) So, it's generally early to bed for us. The last, and perhaps most precious, travel day ritual takes place the day after. As much as we can, we make the day after a "down" day. We don't schedule a thing, and just let our first day in our new locale unfold on its own.
Generally, we're pretty spontaneous people. But, with all the things that can go sideways on a travel day, it's so nice to have some familiar rituals to count on, no matter where we land.
Now, if we could just find that damn book!
Myth #5 - Fulltime RVing is Your Exit Strategy
We’ve saved the last for last.
It happens to all of us. At some point down the road it’s time to stop traveling down the road. Then, whatcha’ gonna’ do?
For realists in the fulltiming world, you move on to whatever’s next. You get to put a great big checkmark next to “Go Fulltiming” on your list of life’s to-dos. You hang up your keys and use the money you saved for your post-fulltiming life to move on to your next spot, whatever and wherever it may be. Whether you’ve traveled fulltime for six months or sixteen years, you’ve done what most people don’t do. And, you’ve done what you wanted. Yeah for you!
But, if you follow the advice of so-called experts selling RV dreamsicles, “fulltiming is your exit strategy”.
Myth #4 - Fulltime RVing is a Carefree Way of Life
That’s right! Every day is paradise...Not a worry in the world...Everyone you meet is friendly....There’s a gorgeous sunset at the end of every day. And, if anything about the place where you're parked isn't perfect, you just move on down the road.
Now, stop right there!
Utopia is a very small town in Texas. And, despite what you may have heard, fulltiming isn’t Utopia. As we’ve said, there is a lot to like about this lifestyle. In fact, we love it. But, we’re going to dig a little deeper into the parts of fulltiming that aren’t exactly carefree.
Myth #3 - Fulltime RVing is The Only Way to Go
There’s a lot to like about traveling the country fulltime in an RV. So, it’s easy for folks considering the lifestyle - and those who are living it - to think that fulltime RVing is good for everybody. And, anything short of selling the house and most of your stuff, loading up a big RV and hitting the road fulltime somehow doesn’t “count”.
It reminds me a bit of when we were single. As our friends got married, they started a chorus of telling us how great married life was and that we should do it. Heck, they thought everybody should do it! After we were married, it seemed like everyone we knew was having a baby or two. And, like married life, we heard an endless chorus of the joys of parenthood. It was as if once they crossed that point of no return they
Myth #2 - Fulltime RVing is the Ticket to an Early Retirement
To toasty workaholics, nothing sounds better than leaving the rat race for a permanent vacation. And, the earlier the better. Right now, you are just clicks away from countless stories of people in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s who have made the break and hit the road. Some are working, but many others have decided to eliminate that four-letter word from their vocabulary.
As enticing as these stories are, fulltime RVing isn't the ticket to an early retirement. The real solution is
Myth #1 - Fulltime RVing is a Cheap Way to Live
You could buy a 15-year-old trailer, park it down by the river and sit. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) Chances are you would reduce your expenses. But, that’s not exactly living. That’s existing. After all, RVs have wheels. They are designed to move. And, people are meant to live. Moving and living both cost money.
How much fulltime RVing costs depends on many factors. The biggest is the answer to this question: “Why do you want to fulltime?” If your objective is to visit 49 states and Canada, you’re going to have to move. And, that will cost money. If you want to experience local cuisine across the continent, that’ll cost you. If the reason you want to fulltime is to save money, chances are you’re going to sit. If you want to visit 49 states and save money,
Special Report: Analyzing the Dream
We received a comment the other day from fellow blogger I.M. Vayne. Curious about this new visitor, we checked out his profile and found his blog, RV-Dreamers :) :) :). This shiny new blog had us rolling on the floor laughing. We happily added this tongue-in-cheek journal to our blogroll. We look forward to reading more about I.M. and Nilda’s mostly mobile adventures.
What we love most about this blog, besides its disdain for smiley face emoticons, is how it pokes fun at the notion that fulltime RVing is like living a dream. And, speaking as a couple of tried and true fulltime RVers, sure it is.
What we love most about this blog, besides its disdain for smiley face emoticons, is how it pokes fun at the notion that fulltime RVing is like living a dream. And, speaking as a couple of tried and true fulltime RVers, sure it is.
Except for when it’s not!
Truth is. We are, first and foremost, living. There are those dream-like days that are filled with amazing adventures. There are days that are calm and quiet. There are days where it seems nothing goes right. And, there are days when everything goes our way.
That’s life, right?
We love this lifestyle. Right now, it fits perfectly with who we are and what we’re up to. And, we’re not “giddy teenager in love” with it. We’re more like “25 years of marriage in love” with it. And, while we love the lifestyle, we’re the first to say it’s not right for everybody. Heck, it’s not right for most people. We’ll even go out on a limb and say it’s not right for a lot of people who dream of doing it one day.
Seriously. Any way you look at it, selling a perfectly good house and most of your stuff, leaving your job, family and friends and packing yourself into a 300-square foot fiberglass box on wheels is a crazy idea!
But, that’s the thing about dreams. Once you have your heart set on one it’s hard to see things any other way. You’ll go out of your way to find information that supports your dream. And, there are folks out here in fulltiming land that will happily serve up a great big helping of dream candy on a stick. Some will ask you for money, because it turns out they need to make a living on the road and can’t find any other way to do it besides seducing folks into this dreamy lifestyle.
Everyone means well, probably. But, just as it’s easy to think your hometown, neighborhood, school or place of employment is the best thing ever and everyone else should be there, it’s easy to sing the praises of this amazing lifestyle and forget that’s it not for everybody.
With all this singing and dream candy, some myths have developed. The purpose of this “special report” is to spend the next few days taking a realistic look at these common misconceptions. Our intention is to inform and inspire folks who are dreaming about life as fulltimers to pause and take a good hard look.
The Myths
Fulltime RVing is...
... a cheap way to live.
... the ticket to an early retirement.
... the only way to go.
... a carefree way of life.
... your exit strategy.
We hope you’ll stick around this week as we analyze the fulltime RVing dream. It should be interesting to see what our new commenter I.M. Vayne will have to say!
(Meanwhile, I.M., we're wondering: Do we know you???)
Truth is. We are, first and foremost, living. There are those dream-like days that are filled with amazing adventures. There are days that are calm and quiet. There are days where it seems nothing goes right. And, there are days when everything goes our way.
That’s life, right?
We love this lifestyle. Right now, it fits perfectly with who we are and what we’re up to. And, we’re not “giddy teenager in love” with it. We’re more like “25 years of marriage in love” with it. And, while we love the lifestyle, we’re the first to say it’s not right for everybody. Heck, it’s not right for most people. We’ll even go out on a limb and say it’s not right for a lot of people who dream of doing it one day.
Seriously. Any way you look at it, selling a perfectly good house and most of your stuff, leaving your job, family and friends and packing yourself into a 300-square foot fiberglass box on wheels is a crazy idea!
But, that’s the thing about dreams. Once you have your heart set on one it’s hard to see things any other way. You’ll go out of your way to find information that supports your dream. And, there are folks out here in fulltiming land that will happily serve up a great big helping of dream candy on a stick. Some will ask you for money, because it turns out they need to make a living on the road and can’t find any other way to do it besides seducing folks into this dreamy lifestyle.
Everyone means well, probably. But, just as it’s easy to think your hometown, neighborhood, school or place of employment is the best thing ever and everyone else should be there, it’s easy to sing the praises of this amazing lifestyle and forget that’s it not for everybody.
With all this singing and dream candy, some myths have developed. The purpose of this “special report” is to spend the next few days taking a realistic look at these common misconceptions. Our intention is to inform and inspire folks who are dreaming about life as fulltimers to pause and take a good hard look.
The Myths
Fulltime RVing is...
... a cheap way to live.
... the ticket to an early retirement.
... the only way to go.
... a carefree way of life.
... your exit strategy.
We hope you’ll stick around this week as we analyze the fulltime RVing dream. It should be interesting to see what our new commenter I.M. Vayne will have to say!
(Meanwhile, I.M., we're wondering: Do we know you???)
The Best Laid Plans...
...are subject to change!
Our plans to escape from Kerrville have gone through the wringer today. And, we're blaming it all on a bunch of cowboy poets.
With plans to leave Kerrville on Friday, our first destination was a week in Alpine, TX. I looked up the RV park we planned to stay in there and gave them a buzz. I asked for a week starting Friday.
"Uh, we're not going to be able to do that," said the voice from Alpine on the other end of the line. "Everybody needs to be out by Wednesday."
Why?
The 25th Annual Cowboy Poetry Gathering! That's why!
Apparently, this is Alpine's big gig. And, as a result, all the parks are booked for an extended weekend. No problem, I thought, we'll just flip Alpine and Big Bend and everything should work out just fine. Well, no. Not really. We can't get back to Alpine until Monday, which would mean 10 days in Big Bend and.... Suddenly, this was feeling like work!
So, we went back to the drawing board. The result was a completely re-worked plan that has us in Santa Fe when the weather is pleasant and Zion when things might be a bit too warm but definitely better than we originally planned. And, of course, we'll still make our date with John and Sandy in Moab.
The net result is an itinerary that has us enjoying some of our favorite parts of the Southwest when the temperatures are much more to our liking. And, what's the price of this new, improved plan?
A couple more weeks in Kerrville!
We were told our site would be occupied by another lucky Buckhorn camper on Friday the 18th. So, I went to the office to see if there was a spot we could move to and accommodate our new, improved travel plans. Much to my surprise, it seems the future residents of our site had cancelled their reservation. So, this cozy space is ours for the duration.
We thought we'd be leaving March 1st. After further discussion, it looks more like March 8th. We are oh so relieved that we've given ourselves the gift of more time to get the stuff done that we need to do before we hit the road. Besides, the weather is getting pretty darn nice around here. After the cold we've endured, we're ready for some well-deserved payoff!
So, it looks like our stay here in Kerrville, which was originally planned to be one month, will somehow extend to three. Is that magic, or what?
Ya know what? We think we're finally getting the hang of this fantastic lifestyle. To be able to go when we want, or kick back when we don't is simply fantastic.
More soon from Kerrville.
Neighborhood Bloggers
The new week started with sunshine, pleasant temps and no wind, which made it a perfect day for sightseeing. Leslie and Mike piled into Rocky with us and we headed to Fredericksburg. After filling up on jams, jellies, salsas, peanut butters, dips and such at Rustlin' Robs, we wandered Main Street. We especially enjoyed the sunny side of the street! We ran over to Luckenbach to see what there was to see. Turns out there's not much, but it was fun. Then, we were back to Fredericksburg for an awesome brewery burger and a beer. We topped everything off by stopping at an absolutely decadent chocolate shop.
Having so much fun in one day, you think maybe I could add a post or two to Bullwinkle's Travels. We'll see!
Today's extra special (and calorie-free) treat was one of those freakishly small world experiences. As I perused my morning blogs, I found my way to a few new-to-me blogs. When I clicked on America by RV I saw a very familiar sight. The top post was about our very own Buckhorn Lake Resort. A photo showed the spot where these blogging fulltimers are parked -- just three sites away from us!
Back from our high-calorie day trip, Paul and I wandered over to meet our blogging neighbors. Darren and Joyce were a delight to talk with. We compared stories of past travels and future plans until the setting sun cooled things off and sent us all to our rolling homes. We look forward to chatting with them again during their visit.
Sometimes the best things on the world wide web are just a few doors away!
Stickered Up
Alert the media! We DID something today!
We've enjoyed a long string of calm, quiet, relaxing days. Not exactly ripe with blogging material, but definitely most enjoyable. Today was different, though. We actually had a job to do.
As Texas residents, both of our vehicles are registered in this great state. For the privilege, we are required to renew our registration and get the moose and squirrel inspected each year. We took care of the registration a couple of months ago. It's a piece of cake. A few clicks online and the deed is done. Our inspections were due this month. That's a wee bit more complicated. We have to present our vehicles at our choice of official state vehicle inspection station, cough up 15 bucks and let the inspector go to work. (A special note for our fellow Livingston residents: You don't have to have your inspection done in Livingston. Anywhere in Texas will get the job done.)
Rocky required one pre-inspection to do. Back in Iowa, when we were returning to Forest City to pick up the moose, a stone flew off a brand spankin' new Tour headed out of Winnie Town and smacked our squirrel's windshield. The next morning the sizable star turned into a big ol' crack. And, here in Texas, if you want to pass a vehicle inspection you need to have a crack-free windshield. Paul found a local auto glass company here in Kerrville that made quick work of the job. On the way home from getting the new windshield, he spotted an inspection station and whipped in with the Jeep. Rocky passed with flying colors and came home with a new inspection sticker on his pristine windshield.
Bullwinkle's inspection took a bit more coordination. First, we had to find a place that inspects RVs. Our RV park provided a couple of recommendations. Paul scoped them out and found one that would definitely work. Next, we had to find a day where we could make time in our oh-so-busy schedule to load up and go. (Stop laughing!) Wednesday sounded good to us. So, Wednesday morning Paul called our chosen inspection station and learned the inspector had called in sick. Yesterday's cold temps and gusty winds were enough to keep us from venturing out, with or without our motorhome. When this morning revealed sunny skies, calm winds and moderate temperatures, we were ready to roll. Paul called the station and they encouraged us to come on in.
Why does the very idea of packing and moving suddenly sound like such a big deal? I must confess to doing some first-class procrastinating. But, I can't tell you why. After all, we do this all the time! And when we do, it's no biggie. But, for some unknown reason, today I was definitely dragging my feet. After six weeks off the road, I'm out of practice, perhaps?
Whether you're driving your motorhome ten miles or 200, the task of packing is the same. Despite my foot dragging, we got the job done. By early afternoon, it was slides in and jacks up and we made the 15-minute drive. We pulled into the inspection station, where we spent more time waiting than actually being inspected. Before long, Bullwinkle was all stickered up, sporting new registration and inspection stickers on his Imax windshield. Within 90 minutes of our departure, we pulled back into our familiar and comfortable site.
As we started the process of settling back in, we freed our happy cats from the confines of their crates. They went through their very familiar end-of-a-travel-day routine, hopping up on the windshield and checking out the place. All it took was a quick glance. They turned around in perfect sync and gave me a look that said, "Really? After all that we're back here? What in the heck was that all about?"
With our not-so-big travel day behind us, we're ready to get back to the business of having fun in Hill Country. With friends close by and more on the way, I'm sure we can find something blogworthy to do around here...
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