OK, so here we go again.....
I have been asked to include more details about our travels as some of our friends are just getting started with the RV lifestyle. Welcome aboard and get ready for the ride of your lives ! We have been "helpful" in getting several friends 'on the road' and have learned from them, now, as well.
We purchased a campground membership many years ago and now only have minimal yearly dues. Our sites are free at their parks so we use them a lot. Next month we elected to stay in a private campground in Lake Havasu so we could visit a number of friends that will also be in the area. Staying a month is usually more cost effective than paying by the night. (If we leave earlier than our scheduled 'out-date' it's almost always cheaper or at least a wash, cost wise.)
Right now fuel is our biggest cost. Staying for as long as is possible helps to keep that down. All of dates were set up months ago and on paper it looked great. I think we have extended our stays each time we move to a new area, though. Finding our way around is always an adventure....thank goodness for GPS ! About the time we get to know an area it's time to move on !
Each place has it's own peculiarities. Down here in the desert, it's so nice to wake up and know the sun will be out ! We live in shorts, tee-shirts and sandals and have enough 'dainties' so we don't have to do laundry for almost two weeks. (We don't have a washer/dryer in our coach. Opted for the storage instead. ) I've been known to wear the same shirt for more than one day...and Norm ?..... Well ? 
I love seeing the different cacti and plants. Having flowers blooming in Feb. & Mar. is such a treat. There are farmer's markets with all kinds of fresh locally grown fruits and veggies so salads and stir-fry for us. We were in the Artichoke Capital last month and ate our fill of huge, fresh artichokes. Local strawberries are at a number of roadside fruitstands along with grapefruits and lemons we pick right off the trees, here at the park. I think Norm has already told you about the dates from the palm trees shading our coach. ( Only eat one or two a day, folks ! )For the golfer's....Palm Springs has over 100 golf courses !
Evenings are spent talking to other RVer's . Just walk down the streets and somebody invites you to sit and share. This is where you learn the really GOOD stuff. This is our first time here so those who are in the know love to share all the great watering holes, restaurants, cheap places...Tues night Taco where it's $1.09 for three tacos ! things one must see, gardens, museums, lakes, hikes, bike trails, cool stuff for your rig... you name it ! We have a mail forwarding service so our mail gets to us once a week, I pay our bills over the phone .... anything big like insurances, etc is on auto pay. TV is satellite and we opted for an automatic roof mounted version. We had the portable dish and almost killed each other trying to get it set up each time ! Now, it's just a push of the power button. Tough way to go !
Jobs are available everywhere. If extra income is needed, part time or seasonal jobs can be found in any area or place you may want to stay for a bit. There are a number of resources ... Workamper... for one.
FUN is why we're out here ! We don't do anything if it isn't fun ! I have enjoyed my quilting, etc. so much and have so many projects in my head just waiting to get made ! Norm is still waiting to get to Yellowstone so he can fish... his passion ! In the meantime, we hike, bike, sightsee , do nothing at all and taste our way where ever we are ! We knew, this is what we wanted to do since we first got married ! Hope this helps those looking to join us out here !
"Those who wander are not always lost ..." ( my favorite quote !)
OK, much better. The pics are great & the blog is full of valuable info. If you are just getting into Full-Time RV'ing, Hold Onto Your Shorts for the Ride of a Lifetime is just beginning. And don't worry if you don't get to the East Coast or all around the country, you can spend a Lifetime of Adventure, exploring the western half of the US & never see the same thing twice. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree that this would make me want to be a full-timer, but alas, I already am and love every minute of it. I have talked to some that can't understand how we can live in our "little house on wheels" full time - don't you get in each other's way? Nope, we have different interests in some things but we both love this lifestyle and all it offers. The thought of going back to a house just doesn't appeal anymore. We have seen some beautiful country and now that we don't have anywhere we really NEED to be it's awesome. When we were younger we talked about it but thought it wouldn't happen, now we wonder what took us so long. We, as opposed to Norm and Chris, have a washer and dryer in our rig, so we are missing out on that storage but I like the availabilty of having it when I need it. We also have a campground membership that pays for itself yearly. It also has covered our initial costs in the years we've had it. All in all if anyone is interested in full timing - it's a great lifestyle and we got into it because the folks that wrote this blog......now I can blame them....LOL Thanks for getting us thinking about it all those years ago......I'm happiest when we are getting into country we don't know and now have the time to look around and see all the special sights in an area.....Sedona here we come.
ReplyDelete