How Do We Get There?

GPS or Map?

Everyone at my office knew about our plans to travel in our RV after I retired.  And, thankfully, they raised funds to buy me a related retirement gift, a GPS for RVs!  How great is that!

What made that GPS useful to traveling in an RV was the programming for low bridges and RV parks.  I would like to report that they are flawless.  However, I cannot.  I have to offer some advice that might save you some time and embarrassment.  First, you have to pay attention to when you are supposed to make turns.  The GPS usually gives you plenty of warning to prepare for that turn.  Sometimes not.  So, if you miss a turn, just know that an RV is not like a car.  You will need plenty of room to find a way to turn around or drive around the block or, in the country, drive around the section with a mile to the next turn.  Or, even worse, missing an exit on the Interstate.  The next exit might be ten miles away.

I have done worse.  I once took the ramp to the Interstate going the wrong way!  Please add 10 more miles to get going in the right direction.  Be patient with yourself and your spouse.  They may not be so patient.  Hey, you are retired.  Try not to be on a tight schedule.  You WILL make some wrong turns.

Main roads or back roads?

Your schedule is determined by where you want to go and when you need to be there.  The sites are why we wanted the RV.  However, we cannot see everything at once.  That is a hard lesson.  So, pick the main stops, first.  You can scout out the stops for the next pass in that direction.  I would suggest doing some reading or online searches for the areas in which you intend to travel.  That will make your travel that much more enjoyable.

To make good time, stay with the Interstate or major highways.  Some of the most scenic areas will NOT be along the Interstate.  That is why I suggest using a good Road Atlas.  Of course, most of us use the GPS as the main guide once we have a destination.  And, most of the time, that works fairly well.

I can site an example of an error on my new GPS.  We were making a stop at a fairly new and out of the way RV park near Belleview, Ohio.  I was given directions to turn, or so I thought, and I turned into a paved driveway that was the entrance to a farm house that set back from the road.  Lucky for me, the driveway had a large paved apron, where they must have parked farm equipment at some time.  So, I was able to turn the RV around after many up and back movements!  Whew!!!

Make the most of your travel

While some may think that the driving can be boring, we liked to energize our trip with some distractions.  Connie’s sister-in-law, Candy, was kind enough to put a notebook together with a listing of all the kinds of RVs she could find in an evening of searching online.  There were a LOT of them.  We were surprised as we looked through the list.  The sheets she put together allowed us to note when and where we saw one of them.  And, most of them we saw and identified as they were coming in the opposite direction on the Interstate.  Of course, we added a lot of notations in the RV parks we stayed at.  We also found that there were many more than what she had listed.  We had to ADD some sheets to certain letters of the alphabetized listing.  At last count, we had seen over 400 different types and models of RVs!

I like old barns and cattle.  So, I would have Connie take pictures, as best she could at 60 miles per hour.  Of course, there were many other places and buildings that generated a grab for the camera, as well.  So many new things and places to see!

Home at last!

After a long day of driving, there is something comforting about arriving at an RV park and getting the RV parked and hooked up to the utilities.  We always looked forward to seeing what we could get for local TV channels and relaxing in our recliners!

That first night, we usually try to find a restaurant that is a favorite with the local folks.  The RV office was usually a good source or a neighboring RV that had been parked a while.  Everyone in the RV park usually is in a good mood.  They are enjoying a fun way to live!

Next time, I will talk about our lessons learned on the way to New York and our honeymoon week near Niagara Falls!