Why We Travel the RV Way
Some people just don't get the RV lifestyle, and wonder why we enjoy our motorhome so much. When we tell them about the fantastic people we meet on the road and the fun we have at rallies, their eyes kind of glaze over, and if we are lucky, they make some sort of intelligible sounds.
Well, the other day we received one of those, "If I had to spend two days couped up with ... much less five months, I'd go crazy and probably kill her" comments. Then the big question, "What do ya'll (we're Southern) get out of it"?
Of course, "it" is our summer travel. So for him and anyone else who might be interested, here is my explanation for why we want to spend our summer in about 400vsquare feet of traveling home.
Something you must learn about Pat and me is we like to eat varied and unusual foods. Well, they don't have to be so varied or unusual. I guess you can say that we like to eat. To give you an idea, while in NewFoundland, Pat fell in love with a dish made from salt cod, mashed potatoes, onions and bacon. It tasted great but was cholesterol city, better known as instant heart attack.
Before last summer's foray to the Outer Banks, Pat heard on the NPR show, Splendid Table, about the best Bar B Q in North Carolina, so we checked it out on the way down. This pulled pork wasn't the best I had eaten, so we didn't try any more Bar B Q in North Carolina.
I have always been a history buff, thanks to Mr. Barfield in high school. At one point in our lives, we would stop for every roadside history marker, but now, due to the size of our rig, we only stop where there is room or when we are in the towed. It never ceases to amaze me about all of the history we are not taught in school. This is one of the reasons we stay on the back roads, so that we can get some of this historical flavor. It may take us longer to get somewhere, but we really enjoy the journey.
No matter where our ultimate destination is, we always start by going to visit Pat's family and our friends living in Indiana. To some, it is weird, this thing we have for traveling 400 miles, making a U turn and then heading out for a destination a thousand miles away.
We have also made a number of friends in the RV world, so it isn't unusual to detour for a visit. It is funny how many good friends you can make at rallies and campgrounds. The RV experience has taught us the importance of stopping to visit friends when you have the chance. Some things just shouldn't be put off.
This last one was tough to put in order of priority, since it sometimes sneaks up on us. I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I can't help be amazed by some of the places we go. Some of the most fantastic sunsets I have ever seen were in Monroe, Louisiana, and some of the most awesome storms were on the Outer Banks. Bear in mind, we haven't been all over the country yet, so the best places list may change. We love waterfalls and mountain overlooks, so we don't pass many of these by. By the way, does anyone keep count of the waterfalls that are billed as the highest east of the Mississippi?
There are just so many things that can't be seen or sampled from an airplane or traveling on President Eisenhower's road system, so we go by RV. Perhaps we are just gluttons for the sensual pleasures this mode of recreation offers or perhaps we are just experiencing what life has to offer, if you are willing to look for it.
That 400 square feet looks really good right now.
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