We asked RVtravel.com readers to tell us about themselves. Here are a few responses.
We are the Nilsons of the Midwest and have been full-timers for 2 1/2 years. So far we have traveled the Midwest states meeting and exploring different “Glamping” campgrounds. The winter months will find us down on the Mississippi Coast staying away from the snow and cold weather. We’re also chapter leaders of Illinois for the Heartland Owners Club in which we enjoy meeting people from all across the country. The irony of it all is we never thought that retirement would be in a 5er, but we’re enjoying it!
Hi to all. Mark and Peggy Baker here. We met 30+ years ago in Seattle. We both knew we wanted to travel and see the world so this couldn’t have been a better fit. As a Singer/Songwriter and now Ukulele Instructor I had traveled most of my young adult life. Peggy had been to Europe several times and shared stories that sounded amazing.
We bought our first RV when we were building our beach house on Whidbey Island. It was a 5 meter Argosy. We stayed in it until our house was complete. Our two children had a ball. That was 30 years ago. Then it wasn’t until 2010 we bought a 17’ Casita TT. We had so much fun traveling the entire USA, and for 4 years putting around 37K miles on it. Then we upgraded to an Escape 5.0 TA 5th wheel and again loved every minute of another 4 years. It was then while living in Sun City, AZ, we decided to travel full time. So after many months of due diligence we found our new (to us) 2004 Monaco Dynasty 38 Tag, sold our home in March, and have been on Sanibel Island, FL, since July. We are here through October. We hope to meet many of you down the road. If you want to check out my website, click here. Here you can listen to a song I wrote while riding Solo and unsupported Cross-Country on my bicycle. It’s called “Till The Highway Turns To Sea.” [Editor: Please listen to this. Mark’s great!]
Hi, I’m Vicky! Number one on my bucket list was to travel the U.S. in an RV until I didn’t want to do it any longer. Fast forward 8 years and I’m still traveling the U.S., but at 72 now, I limit most of my time to Vegas during the winter, and 4 months on the coast of Oregon during summer with a couple of spare months to visit my family in San Diego County. It’s just been me and my pups. I belong to Thousand Trails, the Elks and resorts of distinction. It’s been one of the best almost nine years of my life. So many wonderful memories and friendships to carry with me for the rest of my life. I just upgraded from a 33-foot class A to a 38-foot class A, and always tow my car.
We are Brad and Martha Boyer from Camillus, NY, at the edge of the Finger Lakes. Brad is a retired Director from the old NY Telephone and I’m a Travel Advisor. After many years of research (and life finally allowing us to), we purchased a new Grand Design 303RLS, 32′ 5th wheel. We weren’t planning on it so soon, as we’d planned on continuing our travels around the world then RVing when it just became too hard. (Nothing worse than international flights!) COVID flipped those plans on its head, so here we are! In less than 5 weeks we’ve stayed at 4 great campgrounds (private and NYS) and one Harvest Host. Have several more lined up and find ourselves getting so antsy when we’re home for a few days! Traveling with our two remaining pups – Tank (“Bouncy Boy”), a Jack Russell mix, and Gunner, a chihuahua – who seem to enjoy it.
Hi, we are Brian and Elonora Barrett, (retired) and we live in Western Australia, a new subscriber to RVtravel but familiar with your country. My wife and I returned from the U.S. last December after a 3-month stay, visiting our daughter who lives just east of Seattle. Whilst in the states this visit we completed a 57-day road trip around your wonderful country, passing through 44 of the lower and edging into Canada but having visited California, Nevada and Alaska on previous trips. Leaves us North Dakota and Michigan to investigate. Our intention was to take in the scenery during the fall and we were not disappointed. Would still like a look at Yosemite National Park, maybe when travel restrictions are lifted. Meanwhile, we are about to undertake a 14-day “wildflower tour” in our caravan (travel trailer), around 500 km north of here. There are 12,000 varieties of wildflowers here to discover. We live in a small town, a 2-hour drive south of Perth, our state capital, (did I mention that Texas fits into my state 3.69 times?). We have a lot to look at here. Next visit to the states we will seriously consider hiring a camper for more flexibility when touring and to camp in your parks.
Hi, I am Rayne (rain) and I have 2 four-legged co-pilots, Timmy and Miki! We have lived in our truck camper (TC) full time for the last two years and had planned to travel the country and see all of the beautiful sites last seen as a kid with my parents in their TC back in 1971. However, as a widow, I have discovered it is not much fun traveling alone with no one to share the sights with. So, I have instead ended up using Boondockers Welcome and stayed with hosts from Virginia to Georgia, and in family and friends’ driveways and quite a few state parks in between. I have also experienced a large learning curve even though I have been part of an RVing family my entire life. I have now purchased a 2012 Bighorn 40 ft. 5th wheel and have it parked in a beautiful campground in NC long term while I see where this COVID-19 is going to affect the full-timers like me that want to be on the road. It is a welcome change to have lots more space for me and the boys for a change in case we end up back in lock-down again in NC too. Still keeping the TC for times when I want to go exploring or hit the road and head back up to beautiful Central NYS, where I originally hailed from too!
From Jay and Leslie Pederson. We have been full-time traveling for 4.5 years after a cancer diagnosis that caused us to realize life is too short to be anchored to “stuff”. Jay is retired after 36 years in the oil business. Leslie is a retired firefighter and EMT. We travel in our fifth wheel with our deaf boxer, Sunny. We also have discovered volunteering as camp hosts once in a while.
Meet our readers from last week’s issue.
We’ll introduce you to more RVtravel.com readers next week!
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Please tell us about yourself by using the form below. Include a photo, too (of you, preferably, but your RV will do).
Love meeting fellow readers and discovering some of their talents. Mark Baker, I visited your website and am now listening to your music clips in the background. One day I want to be a neighbor sharing a camp fire!