Ken and I started considering RV life with the idea we would be camping in our RV. Exploring the great outdoors and enjoying wildlife and forests. And that is great. We love camping. On Armadillo Tail’s about-page we mention our extensive outdoor experience. Camping in some form has always been an important part of our lives and has provided many lasting family memories. In our dreaming and planning conversations, Camping and Traveling were both used synonymously.
Camping or traveling
So, we are pleasantly surprised to discover we are enjoying traveling. Not camping. The term Explorean seems to fit better. No sitting by the fire every night, no grilling all our meals, no showers in the bathhouse, or sand in our bed. Have we done some of those things? Yes. But camping is not what we spend most of our time doing. If I could impress one thing on anyone who is considering a travel trailer or RV, is the difference between camping or traveling. Deciding what you want to do with your RV is important.
Make a list
Making a list of your ideas should be the first place you start. This list can help you discover if you are a camper, a traveler, or a combination of the two. Some things you may want to list are:
Where do I want to go? Do you want to visit every National Park in the country? What about spending time alone, gazing at a starry sky in a pristine forest? Or maybe you love wooden roller coasters and want to ride every one in every amusement park in America. Put your dreams on paper. Make your bucket list.
How much time do I have to do this? If you live in a stick-n-brick home, then your time may be limited to vacations and weekends. Time and location may limit what activities you can do. Those limitations could also allow you to dip your toes into the RV lifestyle.
Will I bring children along? Camping can provide lasting memories for a young family. Campfires and room to run-and-play are the stuff children live for. And alternatively, there are amusement parks, ski-and-snowboard slopes, and museums like the Smithsonian in Washington or the Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
With your list complete, the lens will become clearer whether you are camping or traveling. But they are not exclusive to each other. Industry terms, like “campground”, has perpetuated the myth you must like the outdoors, woods, fires with s’mores and showers in the bathhouse, or none at all. (I will admit that I did, for the first time in my life, take a pay-shower. I kept asking Ken for more quarters. Seems my pay shower ended-up being very expensive.)
Traveling in an RV is far from that myth
Travel trailers and RVs have all the amenities of a home. If you don’t want to sacrifice any amenities, you do not have to. If you can drive, you can find the right rig for you. Don’t limit your life because you don’t like camping. Be a traveler who stays in campgrounds.
Using the RV to explore our world has been an eye-opening experience these last two and a half years. Our eyes have been opened to a different, more flexible way of living — an enjoyable, inspiring, and relatively safe way of life. If you would like to travel with others who share your interests, there is a group for that. Women can travel alone and feel safe with an accompanying support group. Budget-conscious seniors have Facebook groups, YouTube videos, and web blogs to help you keep your expenses to a minimum. RVing is a great way for someone who has medical issues or a handicap, to get out, go places, and do it safely and comfortably.
Can you tell we love traveling? I hope you have been convinced this may be a way to work on your bucket list. Where will you go?
Until next week…
Always Grateful👫