We're home . . .

Just wanted to let you all know that we all made it home safe.  Darin (always refered to as the SIL) drove that "big beast" of a motorhome all the way home for us.  I know my dad would be so proud of him.  I know it was very intemidating for him to drive something that large and knowing that my dad was the only one that drove it, but he did great.

Annie is home safe with us and adjusting to her new home that is not on wheels.  She is beginning to eat and drink and "plump" back up.  She adores laying with the girls and sleeps at the foot of our bed every nite.  We are going to take her to get a hair cut and the vet for her shots this next week. 

Many of you have asked about a funeral service.  My parents wishes were spelled out for me very clearly and they do not want any kind of service.  I so appreciate all the nice gestures of people that would've attended.  However, they made it clear to me personally in years past and in a letter they left me that "you should go take the girls to Disney World instead."  So in time we will do just that.

All of your words about my parents have been so generous and kind.  We all appreciate it.  My husband and I read them together and it does help.  I will be taking one readers advice and turning there blog into a book for me and the girls to read someday.  I think that will be a nice keep sake when they get older to remember things grandma talked about and stories she told.  We always use to read it together when they traveled.  They loved looking at the pictures grandma took.

Stephanie

"Is this Heaven?"

I don't have much too add today; just an interpretation of my 5 year old Zoey.

As we were walking into the morturary in the Pismo Beach area Zoey simply asked "is this heaven?"  "Are grandma and papa here"  It made us all tear up.

Hugs to all for your nice words!

A big thank you . . .

I just wanted to give a very big thank you to all of your loving thoughts.  It has been so wonderful to hear stories and/or just know that my parents touched other people's lives.  They were very kind big hearted people that would do anything they could for anyone.  I know it would make my mom very happy to hear all your blog comments.

We arrived in Pismo Beach Sunday and have met some of the kindest people you will ever meet.  Detective Steven Crawford took excellent care of my parents personal belongings, motorhome, car and most importantly Annie (the schanuzer).  Detective Trimble who took time to come meet with us on Sunday when we arrived to just answer questions.  The loving people at Pismo Coast Village, the SLO Animal Shelter and the County Victims Advocate.  Everyone has been so gracious to us and all took care of everything to make it as easy as possible for us to handle the "details".

Again thank you all for your prayers!

from her family ~

To those of you that read my mom's blog I am Stephanie, her daughter.  I am writing on my mom's blog today to let you all know of a tragedy that has hit our family very hard.  As most of you know both my parent's were avid walkers; they walked multiple miles a day and enjoyed there talks together very much. 

This morning they were taking a typical walk in Pismo and someone driving a car struck them both down.  Unfortunately, neither of them survived this tragic accident.  We were contacted in Tumwater by the San Luis P.D. about this accident.  The individual was attempting to commit suicide and struck them where they walked.  The police are treating this as a homicide at this time. 

This is all the information we have at this time.  My brother, husband and I will be flying down to Pismo this week to take care of there affairs.  And definitely to retrieve our beloved Annie.

I know that all of you she met in her travels ment a lot to her and she enjoyed communicating with all of you through various blogs.  I will post more information when we return for our travels, as I know that is what my mom would want.

Don’t Look Now But The Sun Is Out !!

I have no clue if the sun will stick around for the rest of the afternoon, or if the coastal marine layer will move back in blocking out the rays.  The entire coast of California from us to San Diego has been covered by what they call here the “marine layer”.  That is actually just light, high fog.  Anything can happen weather-wise in Southern California during October.  One day could be over 100F and a couple of days after that you could have this marine layer move in and cool things off.

I jumped over to see the pics Rick and Paulette posted on their blog this morning of the brand new 5th wheel they took delivery of Thursday.  Ooooh, doggies!  That is one fine RV.  As I scrolled through the blog viewing the pics, I thought I could hear Rick singing……. (to the tune of Moving-On Up from the old TV sitcom The Jeffersons)

Hey, we’re moving on up…..

   to the Big 5.

A deluxe RV is in our drive….

Yeah, we’re moving on up…..

   to the Big 5.

Can’t wait to take this beauty for a ride! 

 

I could be mistaken, but I thought that was Rick’s voice I heard.  I’d be singing that way too, if that were my brand new rig.  It’s always fun to get a new RV and especially fun when you get to use it!  I don’t think that Rick will be painting a big eagle on his new rig like this motorhome is sporting.  We saw it this morning in the RV park.

   

We’re all hoping the sunshine will last through the weekend here in Pismo.  The 64th Annual Clam Festival kicks off tonight.  The main activities start tomorrow morning and there is going to be a parade at 10:00.  I think we’ll have to walk down and see that and then walk further to the pier area.  Street parking will be a nightmare this weekend and that is another great thing about Pismo Coast Village where we stay, we can walk to everything from here.

                                     This is one of the figures painted on The Splash Café downtown.

                                                  And another one…..

                                            And still another one.

I don’t have much to share today.  We’ve been sitting around waiting for the sun to come out.  We have had a guy walk through out site two different times today, cutting through to his own site behind us and over a couple of places.  How rude.  I can’t figure out what is wrong with some people to have such little regard for another person’s space.  It does happen here from time to time and I hate to say it (but it’s true) it is always the weekender’s that do it.   Hellooooooo people!  Have you no courtesy for other people?

Bruce did talk to the guy across from us yesterday.  You remember….the guy with all the rugs spread out around his entire MH.  He now has a FOR SALE sign in the RV window.  If he can get a “good offer” he’s selling it to buy a 5th wheel.  He has a mobile home in Oklahoma and wants to stay there half the year and take the 5th wheel someplace and leave it for the other half the year.  The motorhome is a 2005 Fleetwood DP and I say good luck trying to sell in this present economy getting the good offer he wants to receive.  Maybe he will.  Bruce didn’t ask about all the rugs, darn it!

Hope you all have plans for a great weekend, wherever you are!  Travel safe and enjoy the view.

Until next time…..so long for now!

Who Took The Sun???

I’d like to welcome new “Followers” to my blog.  Welcome Aboard and THANK YOU…

Ellen

Carol Kerr

I appreciate both of you signing on to join my group and I hope you find something of interest here.  Feel free to leave comments whenever you’d like.

The Pismo Beach Clam Festival is coming up this weekend.  It should be a whole bunch of fun for everyone….but somebody stole the sun!!  It’s been cool, overcast and foggy for a couple of days.  Today the fog is thicker than it was the past couple of days.

                                            I know the ocean is out here somewhere. 

On our walk this morning the nearby beach condos had no view of the beautiful Pacific Ocean at all.  The central coast of California gets frequent fog banks moving in during the fall and winter months, so this is really not surprising. 

                                            And somebody paid extra for this ocean view room !!!  

Before lunch Annie and I walked down to the dunes just out the gate from the RV park.  I wanted to see if any of the fog had lifted from down at the pier.  Annie was happy to trot along and check it out.  At least I didn’t have to carry her for her “walk” today.  If I do, then I guess I could say that I took her for a “carry” and not for a “walk”.  Today she managed on her own power.

                         A quick look toward the pier showed me that the fog was still hanging around.

 

                                            I left Annie so I could see the ducks for a quick photo.

                                            There were a few out in the creek.  Nothing special.

The Clam Festival is set and the RV’s are really moving into town.  I’m sure when we take a walk tomorrow morning we’ll see that some of the local motels and hotels have already begun filling up.  By Friday evening most everyone will be in town. 

Fog or no fog, we’ll go down to the pier area Saturday and see what’s going on.  It could be interesting.

Until next time…..so long for now!

You Get What You Don’t Pay For With These Funnies

When we visit different towns I usually look out for those small free newspapers that are left around for tourists and visitors.  You can normally see some interesting stuff if you give them a look-see.  Sometimes they have restaurant coupons or ads for a car wash or something that we could use.  Maybe a crossword puzzle.  Sometimes not.

We found two of them the other day here in Pismo Beach.  These had columns with “police logs” in them and I’m thinking the writer of these columns is a wanna-be comedian or something.  It was very witty writing that was good for a few chuckles.

                                         Boardwalk trail from Grand Avenue back toward our RV park.

Here are some of the funnies we read:

“Trespassing: police were called to a church to evict some sinner who’d trespassed against them, while pursuing the temptation of digging through their trash bin.”

“Squatter: police were called to a park on Third Street because there was someone in the bathroom.  He’d been flushed before officers arrived.”

“Medical aid:  police and paramedics were called at 11:30 pm for a fellow who was so drunk he couldn’t stand.  He was conscious but unresponsive, also called plastered.  He was taken to the hoosegow to sleep it off.”

                                            View from the boardwalk.

“Cats:  a real animal lover complained to police about a man feeding apparently stray cats.”

“Loitering:  music critics on Blank Street complained to police about a man in his 60’s who was sitting outside a business playing a guitar for tips.  The day before, presumably the same man was set up outside another business playing his guitar.  Both times he hit the road…..Jack”

“Trespassing:  police were called to the Social Security Office because a homeless taxpayer was sleeping by the back door.”

                                            Peek-a-boo view of the beach and ocean.

“Arrest:  police were called to a downtown street where some sot was chasing a woman around trying to bum cigarettes.  He was shown to the no-smoking iron bar hotel to sleep it off.”

“Theft:  police responded to a Catholic prep school where a theft was reported.  The rascal better hope police find him before the nuns do.”

“Disturbance:  police were called to Beach Street where a man was walking around and yelling…”It’s not fair.”…Well, duh buddy!”

                                            Driftwood, dunes and trees. 

You can probably tell we had a quiet day today.  Bruce made a repair to our water filtration system and I worked on Zoey’s photo album.  Gray and overcast skies again today so nothing new to take pics of.  It was a wonderful and boring day at the beach.

                                     I stuck almost 80 little flowers to this title page for the album.

Until next time…..so long for now!

An Empty Nest

This morning the overcast and high fog hasn’t left the beach area.  Up on the hill by the outlet mall and into Arroyo Grande the sun is shining brightly.  We ate at McDonald’s and then went grocery shopping at Albertson’s and it was too warm up there in the sun.  We got back here to the beach area and it was still cool and foggy. 

We don’t mind the sun going away for a day or two.  Fine by us.  The hot sun is one reason I could never live full time in Florida or even stay there for a whole winter like many snowbirds prefer.  Too much sun and heat for me.  Florida is a great place to visit, and we have several times, but not a place for planting roots.

When we took a walk after lunch today, I didn’t take the camera because of the fog and poor visibility.  I’ll stick some pics in here from walks we’ve taken over the past couple of weeks.  Annie had us up at 5:30 this morning and when she was done with her walk, we took off for our 1-hour walk.  It began in the dark since it was so early.

                                            Ducks on Pismo Creek in the early hours last week.

We haven’t been here to Pismo Beach in the fall since 2008.  That was our first trip after going out as true full timers.  It was a strange trip.  We got here around the 7th of September and had planned to stay until the first week in November.  Although I was fully prepared to join the ranks of full time RVer’s in 2008, the transition seemed weird.  I felt like something was missing.  What was it?

                                            Foggy weather last week, too.

I sort of missed the family back in Tumwater, but it was more than that.  I finally figured it out in early October that year.  It was the empty nest feeling.  Why empty nest you might ask since our kids had long since flown the coop.

What it boiled down to was no more responsibility of caring for our parents on a daily basis.  It was like suddenly we had our own time.  We could do what we wanted and when we wanted to do it.  We didn’t have to consider anybody else’s needs except our own.  My Dad had lived with us for a few years and traveled extensively with us for the last 2 years of his life.  When we RV’d as the Three Musketeers (as I called us) we had to consider what he could do.  If we wanted to go on some outing, could Dad do it?  We had to make sure he got to a lab or clinic once a month for blood work.  There were things that had to be done.  He had passed away on November 2, 2007 and I was still feeling the loss a year later.  After his passing, we had a busy time of getting our house ready for sale, getting it sold, and preparing for a full time lifestyle. It was all a whirlwind of events that moved fairly quickly.  The empty nest feeling was because my Dad was no longer with us. 

                                            Joggers and walkers on the beach in the early hours.

Sitting down here in Pismo Beach that fall seemed lonely and empty.  I wasn’t totally happy.  I guess I was still grieving.  Wise man that he is, Bruce suggested that we bail out early here in Pismo and head back up to Tumwater.  He knew by being around the kids and Grands it would make me feel better and less empty.  So we packed it up and left here around the 20th of October. 

                                           Gazebo at one of the hotels on the bluff above the beach.

That was all it took and, over the next couple of months that year, the empty nest feeling left.  Time does heal most things.  Our nest seems full enough now with just the two of us Musketeers remaining.  Maybe Annie can fill in the third spot as a Musketeer.  This year we won’t be leaving Pismo Beach until November 1, and there is no urge to bail out early! 

                                 This bikini clad lady was on the beach yesterday….NO, it is not me!

   

The foggy weather will probably clear up in a day or two.  The town is gearing up for the Clam Festival coming up this weekend.  The RV parks and all the hotels will be jam packed with visitors.  Could be an opportunity for some great people watching. 

The town is never at a shortage of surfers every day.  Some old, some young….in foggy weather or sunny weather they will be here.  We saw some yesterday on our walk.  They were getting ready to leave the parking lot.  They had their boards stowed on the roof racks and had wet suits hanging from the cars.

                            Mini vans and SUV’s seem to be the modern day “Woody” for these guys.

Hope everyone is having a good week so far.  I’ll be checking out your blogs to see what’s going on in your neck of the woods! 

Until next time…..so long for now!

Sunset With Margo Dodd

Several days ago we did drive a couple of miles from our RV park just to watch the sunset.  We stopped at Margo Dodd Park which is in the Shell Beach community.  By the time we got there, several people were standing around or sitting on the park benches waiting for the same thing.

                                        Just a few of the folks waiting for the daily event of a sunset.

This park is high on a bluff overlooking the ocean.  There are homes across the street and they have unobstructed views of the Pacific.  The park has a gazebo, playground, several benches, a walking path, restrooms and plenty of parking.

                                        I took a look back toward the mountains above Pismo Beach.

                                            The big fiery ball was dipping lower into the horizon.

                                Hard to see, but there are some birds flying across in front of the sun.

                                            Pink color reflected in the water and in the sky was pretty.

                                            Hey, it’s almost gone now!

                       A couple of seconds more and we’ll have to wait another 24 hours for a re-run.

With the usual breakfast at McDonald’s, scrapbooking work, and Bruce washing the rest of the roof, today was business as usual.  Laundry got done and Annie got some walks and that’s the end of that for today!

Until next time…..so long for now!

Jalama Beach For A Picnic

I’d like to welcome Jim and Sandie as new “Followers” to my blog.  I appreciate you giving us a bit of your time and say THANK YOU for signing on!  Hope you find some fun stuff about our RV lifestyle within these blog posts.

I try to keep us with new Followers but it can sometimes be tricky.  If my total Followers number on my dashboard doesn’t change, I may miss seeing an addition to the group.  Sometimes a Follower will take off and “Un-Follow” my blog and if that happens when a new Follower logs on…..the number stays the same.  So, if you are a newer Follower and I haven’t welcomed you officially, I’m sorry.  I try to catch every new person and let them know I appreciate them signing on.

Friday we got out of the RV park for a while and went on a little day trip.  We had a few options on where to go and we settled on Jalama Beach County Park.  We took Pacific Coast Highway, which is a right turn out of our RV park and headed South. 

This route takes you through agricultural areas and some small towns like Guadalupe and Lompoc.  After you go past Lompoc it is a short 4 or 5 mile to the Jalama Beach Road.  This road winds through hilly terrain of agriculture and cattle lands.

                                            Fields already harvested I assume.

                                          These guys are eating their own lunch.  Dry grass, yummy!

We were surprised on this small road how many cars and RV’s were driving in both directions.  Since we had never been to Jalama Beach previously, we didn’t know exactly what we’d find out there.  Heading out on a “mystery road” is always an adventure for us. 

                                            Jalama Beach is a Santa Barbara County Park

Some of this area was part of a settlement of the native Chumash Indians for centuries.  Then as the surrounding area became more populated the local people began using Jalama for leisure time activities.  This is a public park on land that was donated to Santa Barbara County by Atlantic Richfield Oil Company in 1943 (ARCO).  All surrounding area is privately owned.  

The view as we came upon the park from above was beautiful.  There are campsites, showers, rest rooms, picnic areas, restaurant and store.

                                     We saw all sorts of RV’s and campers here at Jalama Beach Park.

We stopped at the gate and paid a Day Use fee of $8.00.  We found a parking area by some picnic tables on the beach.  Dogs are allowed if they are kept on leash.  It was a nice day and we enjoyed the ocean view while we ate our lunch.

                                            You can’t beat this view with a stick!

                                   We saw some surfers on this beach, as usual here along the coast.

After we finished eating, we got into the car and drove around the campsite areas looking things over.  We saw a few 40-foot motorhomes here as well as small rigs and lots of tents.   There are 117 dedicated campsites with some of them up on a bluff overlooking the ocean.

                                            This is the view from the upper camp area. 

                                                This gull stood very close to me as I took his picture.

There are some water and electric sites at Jalama and there is a dump station on site.  The cost for camping ranges from $20.00 for a basic no hook up site (off peak season) to $35.00 for a W/E site (peak season).   As usual for beach front campgrounds, the sites are close together. 

                                            RV’s of all types and lengths were in residence on this day.

After driving around, it was time to leave.  The Jalama Beach Road ends at the beach so you have no option but to return by the road you came in on.  We saw a few RV’s passing us on our way out.  I guess the new batch of weekenders were arriving.  With miles of sandy beach to play on, surfing possibilities, seasonal whale watching, fishing and bird watching, it is a good place to spend a few days.

              We passed some beautiful scenery on the way home, including a grape vineyard or two.

It was another great day, just scouting around in a new area.  I keep an atlas where I highlight every new road we travel on either in the RV or in the car on a day trip.  This trip gave me a new road to highlight in that atlas.   We enjoy finding those new mystery roads when we travel.

Until next time…..so long for now!

Just An Ordinary Saturday

We took a nice drive yesterday to a picnic spot, but I’ll save that post and pics for tomorrow perhaps.  Today has just been an ordinary Saturday around here. 

A lot of great comments were left after the post yesterday on “Top 5”.  Seems like many of us have a few of the same places on our lists and it was fun to read about a few places we’d never heard of.  Might have to check those out one of these days.  I’d have to add Niagara Falls to my list as #6.  I just couldn’t fit it in with only 5.

                                            Many people out on the beach enjoying some sunshine.

I read in a post today that Rick and Paulette have become the proud owners of a brand new 5th wheel.  And, WOW, it is really a beauty.  I checked out the link Rick left on the website for the RV manufacturer and also inspected his pics on the blog, and I can see why they selected that one.  Go and give it a look!

I also saw that Sam made it safely to Pennsylvania.  He’ll be there for a month helping his sister, Wendy, recover from some upcoming surgery.  I know Riggs will be missing him.

                        We see this fuzzy plant on our morning walks.  Any ideas on what it is called?

Bruce did get back up on the MH roof this morning to do some minor cleaning.  He thought it was time to get the road dirt, grime and gunk off.  He finished half the job before calling it quits for today.  He’ll finish the rest up next week. 

Annie has been a bit lethargic the past 2 days.  Since she can’t talk, we are left playing a guessing game.  She ate her breakfast and took a couple of nice walks, so I think it is just a case of old-age this time.  I know how she feels.

I caught up with Wild Blue Yonder and saw the pics posted about their recent trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.  Looks like SD had a great time and the weather was cooperative.  That’s always a good thing.

                                  If it is the weekend, there will be plenty of surfers.  (weekdays too)

If you have the desire to work hard at a pumpkin patch and maze, be sure to head on over to see what Kimberly and Jerry from Hit the Road Jack have been doing lately.  They are working in California until the pumpkin job is over and then they are moving on.  Sounds like a good idea to me.

This evening after dinner, we’re going to head on over to a park on the bluffs in nearby Shell Beach to wait for the sunset.  Even if the sunset won’t be fantastically beautiful, it will still be a good one.  In our opinion, every sunset you get to see…..is a good one!

    Last week by the RV park, this guy was drinking some orange juice waiting for the sunset to arrive.

Even with an ordinary, non-blog-worthy day, I hope you enjoyed the pics.  Ordinary photos on an ordinary day, must mean we are pretty ordinary people.  Hope everyone else had a better than ordinary day.  Take care!

Until next time……so long for now!

The Top “5”

Most of us who travel by RV, as a part-timer or a full-timer, don’t want to sit in just one, single place for an entire year or more.  That is, of course, unless you are working a job in that location.  I’ve read some blogs that mention a “bucket list” from time to time. 

It got me thinking about what were the “Top 5” places we have already been to and glad we didn’t miss.  It also got me thinking about the “Top 5” we still have on our list of must-see places.  We have a lot more than 5 places that could be put on both lists, but we have to set a limit for blog purposes.

                                            Almost sunset on the path by our RV park.

So I’ll give your both of our lists and then maybe you can share with everyone a place or two that may be on your list, too.

                                            Pismo Creek and dunes as sun begins sinking.

“Top 5” places we are glad we saw and did not miss: 

1.  Nova Scotia, Canada – We spent 7 weeks there in 2007 and it was phenomenal.   We covered as much of the entire province that we could possibly see with my 82-year-old Dad with us, which was still a bunch!  We did get to all the main areas from top to bottom and side to side.  Cape Breton area and Halifax were probably our favorites.

2.  Washington D.C. – As our nation’s capital, they have a lot of great stuff to see.  The museums and the monuments are fantastic.  It’s a great big, busy city, but worth the time.  We went there with our kids in the 80’s and Bruce and I had even gone there again, with an RV, in January of 1994.  Gee….the city was almost empty of tourists. 

3.  The Everglades in Florida -  We finally got our chance to spend some time down in the Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve in 2009.  It was terrific and I posted a lot of pics from those visits (archives May 2009).  This is probably not a place where we would care to make a return visit, but are so glad we did see it.  Lots of gators! 

4.  Maine – This is one of our favorite states of them all.  We have visited many times and will certainly plan another trip in a couple of years.   The remote state parks in 1997 and 1999 were our favorite camping areas.  We only had a 30-foot MH at that time and it was easy to park in smaller sites.  We took my parents on an RV trip to Maine in October of 2000 to see the fall foliage display.  Mom had terminal cancer and it just seemed like a great idea!  In our opinion, all of the areas in Maine are worth checking out.

5.  Alaska – Need we say more?  We took my Dad up there in 2006 and we spent 7 weeks in our biggest state.  Alaska is so huge and the scenery is so beautiful it is almost indescribable.  Too bad I wasn’t blogging back then.  Our favorite 2 places in the state were Homer and Haines (although there was no disappointing place).  Don’t know for sure if we will ever go back.  It is awfully expensive up there, so, time will tell. 

                                    Cupola over the restaurant and clubhouse building at the RV park.

“Top 5” places we would like to visit, tour or just see:

1.  Glacier National Park – This national park is very close to Washington State (our state of residence) and we have never been there.  We had planned a car trip there with our parents in the summer of 2003, and that was when there were some wildfires in the area.  We changed the plan and went up to B.C. and Alberta instead.  So, it remains one of those “we must see it” places on our Top 5.

2.  New York City – Yeah, I know this is just a great, humongous city with a zillion people but it is a place we have wanted to visit for a long time.  I actually saw NYC in 1980 when I traveled to New Jersey to visit family and Bruce stayed home to work.  We took a quick day trip over and the kids and I saw a couple of places in the city, plus a Yankees game, but not near enough.  So, Bruce and I have this on our list and we want to see everything.  Someday.

3.  Churchill, Manitoba, Canada -  We would like to go up to Churchill to see the polar bears in the wild.  That would be more than awesome.  This, like NYC, will have to wait until Annie is no longer traveling with us due to the logistics of getting to the area where the polar bears live. 

4.  Gaspe Peninsula, Quebec Province, Canada – In 1998 we took a 10-day cruise that went from Boston to Quebec City.  We traveled on the St. Lawrence River to Quebec City and ever since then we have wanted to go back to see the area known as Gaspe Peninsula which is on the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  It is a very rugged area and it just seemed like one of those places we want to see because it is there.  Sort of like the answer for climbers when asked why they climbed the mountain….’because it was there’. 

5.  Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico – We had planned to take my Dad here in 2008, but he passed away before we could get him here.  We would like to stay in the area for a few weeks and visit many of the pueblos in that part of New Mexico. 

                                                       Lone duck on the creek.

                    Not a great sunset on this night, but I did see a couple of birds flying toward me.

It’s really difficult to only pick a “Top 5” for both of the lists.  Whenever I look at the atlas I can pick out dozens of places we’d like to visit.  I just hope we have time to get around to everything before we get too old to go there without a caretaker taking us. 

So, what places are on your lists of favorites, most impressive, awesome or terrific?  Give us all some inspiration on new places to experience and enjoy.

Until next time…..so long for now!

What Is It Worth?

I read blogs, websites and the various forum sites during the evening hours.  I can keep one eye on a TV program, if it is worth seeing, and one eye on the monitor to read stuff.  And, boy, there is a lot of stuff out there. 

Much of what I read pertains to a fulltime RV lifestyle, since that is of particular interest to me as a fellow fulltimer.  I am always interested in people, their opinions, their particular outlook on FT living, the thoughts for their future, and how they are holding up in these tough economic times we are in.

                                                           Avila Beach on a recent trip (about 5 minutes from Pismo). 

Some have given up their fulltime dream even before it got completely started and some have left the fulltime lifestyle after several years to settle back into a stix-n-brix.  Some others are hanging onto their dream of this lifestyle in hopes of better times ahead. 

Seems to me in most all of the stuff I’ve read, the folks are very realistic about their options.  They seem to be   content to forge ahead and follow their plan.  The freedom of living a life in an RV with wheels to move them about is still of great importance to them.  It is to us, as well.

                                                           A main street in Avila Beach with shops and restaurants. 

I can only speak for our situation and it may be different from other fulltimer’s goals and dreams.  Like so many others, we’ve experienced diminished savings due to the recent recession and stock market disaster.  The economic climate begs the question….”what is this lifestyle worth?”  What is it worth to you to be able to keep going as you’ve been doing?  How much are you willing to change to hold onto your dream?  What can you give up?  That is…of course….if any change is needed at all.  There are many RVer’s with good pensions, savings and retirement benefits to carry them forward, which is all good.  What to do, then, if a change is needed?

Workamping is an option a lot of people use as a way of meeting financial needs.  The younger set of fulltimer’s I read about are using workamping to keep them afloat.  Volunteer positions at state and national parks can get you a free campsite in exchange for your work.  This helps with the rent budget.  If you stay in one location to be a workamper or a campground volunteer you aren’t driving around burning up fuel, which is a savings.

                                                           Another beach view at Avila and many people enjoying the sunshine.

But what about the rest of it?  Most of the fulltime RVer’s who are under the normal retirement age were tired of the rat race involved with a 40-hour work week.  They searched out a new lifestyle.  Perhaps it is a healthier lifestyle for themselves.  A lifestyle that allows them to see the country while they follow a dream.

That can come with a price which is where my post title “What Is It Worth?” comes from.  If you have elected to bail out early on the career path (as we did) there may be some compromise to be made at some point.   In our case, in order to not have to go out and work for earned income, it means we rarely go out to a sit-down restaurant for a meal.  We like to reserve that money for times when we meet a fellow blogger, or friends or family and go out for a meal.  We have a very, very small entertainment budget, we don’t buy a lot of new tech-gadgets or gizmos (OK…NONE), we will drive our present car for many years, and we do not go to high-end RV parks as they are too expensive for our budget. 

                                                           Restaurant with outdoor seating in Avila Beach.  

If you’ve been used to playing golf twice a week, going out for restaurant meals 4 to 5 times a week, buying every new gadget and gizmo that comes out, going to the movies often, going to live concerts or theater productions, having his and hers vehicles in your parking spot, and staying on top of the fashion trends, are you willing to give any of this up?   Would you be willing to put an end to any of these things in order to continue and maintain your fulltime lifestyle?  Those can be some big decisions if any of those expenditures are very important to you.

If you are just struggling to put food on the table, pay your vehicle insurance, pay for medical insurance, and buy life’s necessities while you are living this dream, again, is it worth it?  The stress of a difficult work week may now be replaced by the stress of keeping the dream together.  This is a very tough decision that many people are facing right now.  I am really wondering how it will all play out.  Are any of them going to have to put the dream aside and settle down with a full-time job again?   There is a high unemployment rate out there and good jobs may be difficult to find.  Most of us with a fulltime RV dream have to compromise somewhere with something in these tough times.  I am cheering on each and every fulltimer out there, as I sincerely hope you can hold on during these tough times. 

                                                           Outdoor chess set at a small hotel in Avila Beach.

Fulltime RV living isn’t stress free or problem free, but it certainly has some great benefits that may, or may not be, tangible.  I remember very well a blog post written by Al of the Bayfield Bunch several months ago.  Part of what he wrote had to do with a “sack full of problems”.  I can’t quote him directly but it was something about  when we live in the stix-and-brix world we may have a sack full of problems to deal with relating to that home.  If we move into an RV fulltime we exchange the previous sack of problems for another sack of problems.  We still have a sack of problems, but it is just a different sack.  Anyway, I thought it was a great post and I think about it often when we are faced with some problem or another.   

The same theory can go along with being in the working world.  We may have hated our corporate, or 40-hour plus workweek and decided to chuck it all, but we still have to find some sort of income to just be able to survive.  That’s where I ask myself the question, “Is It Worth It?”  For us, personally, the scrimping, cutting corners, being thrifty, having great limits on all spending is completely worth it. 

NOTE:  This post was intended to explain our philosophy about the fulltime lifestyle, the give and take of it, and is in no way intended to reflect an opinion on other people’s choices.

Until next time…..so long for now!