ON THE ROAD AGAIN

March 15 , 2020 /

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

These lyrics, from Willie Nelson, could be our theme song:

“On the road again
Goin’ places that I’ve never been
Seein’ things that I may never see again
And I can’t wait to get on the road again
Here we go, on the road again
Like a band of Gypsies we go down the highway
We’re the best of friends
Insisting that the world keep turnin’ our way”
We have traveled independently for some 20+ years, covered much of the United States, eastern Canada and the Maritime Provinces, and many parts of Mexico.  Over that period of time we had six different motor homes of various sizes and models and for the past two years have enjoyed the combination of truck and travel trailer which you see in the accompanying image.  Having the right equipment and amenities for life on the highways is important although there are other things equally important such as where we’re going, what routes we’re going to take and where we want to spend some time.  Sometimes it’s interesting to follow a less popular route and avoid the traffic.  We listened recently via audible.com to a book we read a long time ago, “Travels With Charley” by John Steinbeck and it brought back so many good memories.  I also remember “Blue Highways” by William Least Heat Moon, first published in 1982.  Steinbeck’s book was 20 years earlier and much has changed in these United States since those years including the increased population of people in the RV world.  Those changes include many who are living full time in every imaginable conveyance from converted school buses and ambulances, high end, expensive motor homes that cost well over a million dollars down to the more reasonable vans and travel trailers such as ours.
There are several classes of RV’s from the 5th wheel trailers pulled by a large truck, travel trailers such as ours, pop-up camping trailers and some teardrop, retro and casita trailers including a small Airstream variety.  Treilers come in all sizes, lengths, weights, some with slide outs, and expanded living and sleeping spaces.  Then there are the self-propelled Class B vans from various makers, vans that have been converted on the inside to compact living, cooking and sleeping spaces; larger Class C campers usually on a larger truck frame and then to the Class A diesel pushers that range in size from 32 to 45 feet.  Most all of these have connections to shore power. have their own 12V system, equipped with the latest electronics. Many have solar panels that provide constant electrical charge. They also have freshwater connections and storage tanks as well as gray and black water tanks for waste water.
If you’re curious about RV life, whether part time or full time, the kinds of vehicles that are most popular and information of all kinds, here is a list of the top 100 RV sites and blogs: https://blog.feedspot.com/rv_blogs/
Pick one that seems to appeal to you and see what you can learn.  We learned that we prefer to be on our own schedule and timetable rather than depend on crowded and often inconvenient public transportation.  If you want to try it out, we recommend renting an RV from a reputable source and see first hand what’s involved.
Our current excursion is not the longest or farthest by any means, just a two week trip from New Mexico which has been our home base for the past 25 years with a couple of years in London, another two in California.   We are exploring, and considering, southern Arizona, another southwestern, desert environment with mountains and exquisite natural beauty.  We are currently at Sunflower Camp for a week, near Tubac, about 40 miles south of Tuscon. Our plan is to return and spend several months here while deciding if this area could be our next residence.  Here are some things we’ve learned while on the road.
  1. Travel is a great learning experience whether we want to explore history, geography, natural beauty and the environment, or special destinations and places that are known for being engaging and appealing.
  2. There are friendly, helpful people everywhere and talking with them about their work, their lives, and their families makes any trip more interesting and colorful.
  3. Taking time away from ordinary routines to experience the extraordinary elevates body, mind and spirit and provides a refreshing experience that carries us forward to more such times ahead.
  4. We experience a profound sense of gratitude for being able to take these trips, to enjoy the sights and scenery, and to have opportunities to go wherever we want easily and comfortably.
  5. Travel not only expands our views and our thoughts.  It also includes a rich diversity of people and experiences.

Regardless where we live, we will continue to travel as long as we can.  If you have questions about our travel experiences on this continent, or would like any specific information or details, feel free to be in touch.

Happy Trails to you……

 

 

Comments (1)

  1. I love to hear that you’ve been on the road when so many aren’t leaving their houses. Just canceled an upcoming adventure in April. By the way, my sister-in-law wrote an RV blog for a while. Learned from her that the people in the RV community LOVE it (which may be an understatement) Sadly, they sold theirs.

    Appreciate your lessons here. When I travel, in so many ways, I feel like it feeds my soul. Whether it brings. me near water or into a new city to explore, there is so much to feel and learn and experience. If we stopped traveling long term, well… I don’t want to even think about that. Travel is a breath of fresh air that I don’t want to ever live without.

    Alli

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