We are, with out a doubt, newbies in the RV world. Just when we had mastered the art of Space-A travel and long distance walking we find we have began a new recreational activity. Long distance travel in a Recreational Vehicle (RV).
With all the travel bands Covid-19 brought and as we relinquished our 2020 travel plans a new idea struck us. Why not see the USA? We had always had this on our bucket list but felt we should see as much as the world while we still could so. Not to imply that RV travel is only for the elderly because it is not. It takes a bit of work to run your rig but once some of the basics are under your belt this proves to be a lovely way to travel and experience the USA.
We agreed to meet up with some of our friends in Montana in September. Our grand daughter was getting married in August so why not combine the two? We needed a little extra time to familiarize ourselves with this kind of travel. I mean, who knew you could have an app that tells you where to buy the cheapest diesel gas, where to dump your…stuff to dump and which farms, wineries and breweries would let you park on their property for free?
We began our experience by sleeping in our driveway a few nights and then once we had that down we moved on to bigger and better things like the RV Park down the street, which was about a mile from our home. Here we practiced all of our hook-ups and disposals. We set the balancing jacks, ran the generator, made coffee and had a meal. We were officially beginners!
Our first day we stopped at our daughters’ house to visit. It was an all day event but we finally made it by dinner. Really, who was keeping track of the mere 204-mile distance anyway? We plugged ourselves in to their power but opted to sleep inside because of the over 100-degree weather. In the morning we were on the road again.
Now we began to use our apps to find diesel fuel and a place to stay along the way. I am happy to say both worked wonderfully and we were able to get diesel fuel in Nevada for a mere $2.15/gallon! We stayed in a lovely park in Winnemucca, which was a first for us. We felt rather small while sitting next to the 40-plus feet diesel pushers but very happy with our cozy home.
The next day we had another lesson in the RV life. We had a flat tire on a desolate road in Jordan Valley, OR. We pulled along side the road while we waited for AAA to help us and had a delightful lunch! We made it to Boise a little later that we had planned but had a lovely weekend as we celebrated our grand daughters wedding. We enjoyed a few days along the Boise River before we headed out again.
We have a checklist of things we do each and every time we move and we are getting the hang of this gypsy life. And, as Tom’s been saying, if all these other old people can do it so can we! Back on the road again!
Carpe Diem!
Tom and Nancy’s Journeys 