it's a | [Deb 01/28/2016] We attended a dinner Thursday night with about 26 SOWERs who just happened to be working on projects in the Rio Grande Valley for the winter. The question always arises, "Where do you originate from?" Using the word "originate" is common in RV circles as RV'ers say they are from everywhere! We usually answer, "Evergreen, Colorado." If someone seems more interested past the "Colorado" answer, I will also mention that Ken and I grew up in Ohio. |
At this gathering we were talking with Ralph. He was excited to know that we had been "Buckeyes." Apparently he hasn't run into many "Ohioans" in his travels. This SOWER was eager to share that he had been married in Ohio. "We were married in a little town in southwest Ohio...," he says, "... in 1964 in a town named Middletown." We were quite surprised. We had not run into anybody while on-the-road who even knew of Middletown.
Ralph went on to say that the church he was married in was First United Methodist Church! My jaw dropped as I told him I had grown up in that town and that we had been married in the very same church!
Ralph was electric! He eagerly introduced me to his wife, Julie. Her family had moved to Middletown while she was away in college so she didn't have much to share about living there. We really just talked about the church, "There was no center aisle ... One had to walk down the left aisle for the procession and back up the right aisle after the ceremony." Their minister was Dr. Whitmore who was still the pastor when I attended there in the 70's. He, however, had retired by the time Ken and I married there in 1979.
I was delighted to meet Ralph and Julie and to share this, "it's a small world," moment.
Ralph went on to say that the church he was married in was First United Methodist Church! My jaw dropped as I told him I had grown up in that town and that we had been married in the very same church!
Ralph was electric! He eagerly introduced me to his wife, Julie. Her family had moved to Middletown while she was away in college so she didn't have much to share about living there. We really just talked about the church, "There was no center aisle ... One had to walk down the left aisle for the procession and back up the right aisle after the ceremony." Their minister was Dr. Whitmore who was still the pastor when I attended there in the 70's. He, however, had retired by the time Ken and I married there in 1979.
I was delighted to meet Ralph and Julie and to share this, "it's a small world," moment.
"183 sleeps"
[Ken 01/22/2016] Just over six months ago we moved into Faith because we had to (everything in the Evergreen house had been either put in storage, sold, or donated). Deb will have to speak for herself, but I think I am safe in saying that these six months have been, to our pleasant surprise, more straightforward and uncomplicated than expected. After more than a year of planning, I think we both agree that [now that we are on-the-road] the transition from a stick-and-brick home to one on wheels has not been as much of a challenge as our minds-run-wild would have lead us to believe. Transitioning to travel and life in a 440sf box has for us been exciting, simple, enjoyable, and complete.
While, at the onset, Deb and I spent a chunk of time in the Denver area waiting for the closing on the house, my retirement date, and for the uber cute Ellie Howard to be born, we still managed to chalk up some whimsical statistics in the first six months of our adventure. Here are some factoids that <perhaps> are interesting only to us.
In our first six months:
While, at the onset, Deb and I spent a chunk of time in the Denver area waiting for the closing on the house, my retirement date, and for the uber cute Ellie Howard to be born, we still managed to chalk up some whimsical statistics in the first six months of our adventure. Here are some factoids that <perhaps> are interesting only to us.
In our first six months:
- Our longest motorhome driving day was 417 miles (Palo Duro to Gainesville)
- Our shortest motorhome driving day was 29 miles (yes … we drove for only about 40 minutes to get to our next campsite)
- The total motorhome miles driven [since leaving the Denver area] is 2132 miles
- The total Jeep miles driven [since leaving Denver] is 292 miles (according to the odometer ... cuz towed miles do not add up!)
- The number of states visited was four (CO, NM, TX, OK)
- Number of diesel fill-ups is 3 (our average MPG is 7.5; our typical speed is 62mph)
- The number of contiguous nights slept in the motorhome is 183 nights
- The number of nights stayed in public campgrounds is 44 nights
- The number of nights stayed in private campgrounds is 63 nights
- The number of nights stayed at a Lewan warehouse is 11 nights
- The number of nights stayed in parking lots is 3 nights (Cabella’s, Les Schwab, and the Gainesville Factory Outlet Mall "Campground”)
- The number of books that Ken has read is 4 books
- The number of on-the-road restaurants we’ve eaten at is 2 (we drive a mobile kitchen!)
- The number of different churches we have attended is 8 (seven of them in Texas)
We didn’t have it all figured out, however. We admit to a few on-the-road surprises as new full-time RV'ers. For example, a 42,000 pound motorhome does not fare so well in mud. By the time that we scraped our way out of this roadside pull-off, we had lost our rear mud flap. No great loss, I guess (it had been damaged in Forest City at the Winnebago Rally a couple years back). We pitched it into the first dumpster that we saw. Lesson One: Stay off soft ground!
Here are some more things that we have learned on-the-road; I’ll pass these on in case you might someday become similarly intrigued by the mobile lifestyle:
Here are some more things that we have learned on-the-road; I’ll pass these on in case you might someday become similarly intrigued by the mobile lifestyle:
- We brought way too many clothes with us. I have worn only three dress shirts since we left Denver; I brought ten of them. I also brought ten polo shirts and ten work T-Shirts and ten sweaters and ten pairs of pants. I brought one winter coat and three jackets. In a good week, I will wear only two pairs of pants. I have worn only one sweater. I have worn only two polo shirts. I wear all of the jackets just because I want to give them equal opportunity to get out of the closet every-now-and-then. I have at least ten times as many clothes as I have been able to wear between laundry days; too many shirts and pants are “…along just for the ride.”
- GAWR vs. GVWR. Related to the first item, we had Faith weighed while in Livingston about a month ago. With all water and fuel tanks full, we were over-weight by about 975 pounds. All of it on the passenger side of the motorhome. Too many tools, perhaps? Too many craft supplies? Too much food in the fridge? Or too many books, games, and DVDs? We solved the problem by dumping our fresh water tank. Who needs all of that water, anyway?!?
- “What day is it?” Sometimes it is me asking the question; sometimes it is Deb. We lost our weekends when we retired (every day is “Saturday,” now) so we have no weekly reference point. We honestly do not know what day it is most of the time … until we check our Mobile Calendar Devices (smartphones).
- Time off for Vacations. When you are full-time RV'ers, when, where, and how do you take vacation? We used to look forward to planning and taking vacations. Now, like weekends, we don’t seem to get vacations, either. <SAD FACE>
- Sunday mornings. Do you realize how hard it is to be brand new in a community and have to pick a church on Sunday morning just by looking at its website? And there is no lack of churches to choose from in Texas! Fortunately, we have had only one less-favorable experience. Most of the churches we have visited have had great worship and strong messages (we are in the buckle of the Bible Belt, I am reminded!).
In our first leg of this adventure, there have not been any meaningful sacrifices. We have been affirmed at every campground and by every other RV'er we have had the pleasure to meet. And now that we are here in the lower Rio Grande Valley, like the many thousands of other RVers with whom we are sharing the Valley this winter, we are overwhelmed by the gracious welcome offered to all “Winter Texans.”
I saw a billboard along Interstate 2 the other day. It read, “Life is Better under a Palm Tree.” Even though I had high expectations, our trip to the Rio Grande Valley has been more fun than I had dreamed (if you can imagine that!). We have met a lot of great, fellow RV'ers (we all share at least two hobbies, of course), and even had the opportunity to attend several social events “along the road” designed exclusively for RV'ers.
I saw a billboard along Interstate 2 the other day. It read, “Life is Better under a Palm Tree.” Even though I had high expectations, our trip to the Rio Grande Valley has been more fun than I had dreamed (if you can imagine that!). We have met a lot of great, fellow RV'ers (we all share at least two hobbies, of course), and even had the opportunity to attend several social events “along the road” designed exclusively for RV'ers.
This lifestyle is ubiquitous in the RGV. The local population welcomes the migration of RVs with signs and events. Believe it or not, there are industries, communities, churches, and clubs that cater to the mobile life-style of the Winter Texans who are reliably here, like birds migrating south for the season, every year. Local stores have coupons and sales for Winter Texans. A couple weeks ago we attended a sizable church whose primary mission is to hold worship services for RV'ers during the months...
...from December to April! I guess I don’t need to mention that the temperatures down here have been in the mid-70s to low 80s most every day, huh? (I wrote most of this blog sitting outside in a T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops). I don’t know if life is any better under a palm tree (or two), but we have certainly had an enjoyable time culminating the first six months of our adventure in the tropical belt of Texas!
[Ken 01/04/2016] This is our first time to visit this remote part of the country. We are southwest of the town of Mission, Texas, about a half-mile from the Rio Grande River. The locals simply call this part of the lower Rio Grande Valley, "The RGV.” It is tropical here in the southernmost counties of Texas – they are certainly as tropical as south Florida. That is a little hard for us to get our heads around as we had never imagined any part of Texas as being "tropical." Several kinds of citrus, cotton, and sugar cane are the primary crops here.
Just about as far south as you can get before stepping into Mexico, we are camped at the Bentsen Palms/Retama Village RV Resort while we wait for our call from our SOWERs' group leader (our first mission project starts in just a couple days right down the road). This is a very nice place to hang out -- the sites are spacious and the streets are lined with palm trees. Each site also includes a storage shed for those Winter Texans who RV here for three and four months at a time.
Bentsen Palms/Retama Village RV Resort is a gated, country club type community (our site is being comped to us -- more on that later) featuring lots of vegetation, fountains, and extensive landscaping. In addition, there are two complete weight rooms, five swimming pools, a craft center, pool tables (outside under the palapas), a pickle-ball court, horseshoe pits, garden plots for all of the campers, yoga classes, a shooting range, a pontoon boat on the river, a couple of club houses and all of the regular resort amenities that you would expect. Best of all, Bentsen Palms also includes a full wood-working shop for the long-term RVers to use while they stay here!
Just about as far south as you can get before stepping into Mexico, we are camped at the Bentsen Palms/Retama Village RV Resort while we wait for our call from our SOWERs' group leader (our first mission project starts in just a couple days right down the road). This is a very nice place to hang out -- the sites are spacious and the streets are lined with palm trees. Each site also includes a storage shed for those Winter Texans who RV here for three and four months at a time.
Bentsen Palms/Retama Village RV Resort is a gated, country club type community (our site is being comped to us -- more on that later) featuring lots of vegetation, fountains, and extensive landscaping. In addition, there are two complete weight rooms, five swimming pools, a craft center, pool tables (outside under the palapas), a pickle-ball court, horseshoe pits, garden plots for all of the campers, yoga classes, a shooting range, a pontoon boat on the river, a couple of club houses and all of the regular resort amenities that you would expect. Best of all, Bentsen Palms also includes a full wood-working shop for the long-term RVers to use while they stay here!
Rio Grande Valley State Park backs up to our site. The State Park is eight hundred acres of natural Texas. It is what Texas looked like before the rest of the land was cleared for ranching and agriculture. The Park is full with paved and natural trails; no automobiles are allowed. It is home to the World Birding Center which amazingly boasts 500 different kinds of birds who habitat there. We quickly rode our bicycles through the Park this afternoon and were amazed at all that we saw -- we are definitely going to need to go back for a "slower" visit. The colors on many of the birds are as vibrant as the brightest green, orange, yellow, and red flowers. If an overwhelming variety of birds is not enough, adjacent to the Park and the Bird Center is the National Butterfly Center.
In addition to all of the hike/bike paths around the area, there is kayaking in the Rio Grande (if you don’t mind the alligators -- and they don't mind you). The Gulf Coast is less than an hour to the east on Interstate 2. There is "international" shopping right across the river in Ciudad de Nuevo Progresso. Regardless, this place is an "end of the road" destination -- you don't drive here unless you are coming here. That makes the RGV very unique, peaceful, and quiet.
All in all, this is a beautiful, often overlooked, part of the country. Fortunately, since our first SOWERs' project is so close by, we will be in the area for the rest of January and have time to explore the RGV more closely. I am surprised by how much I am enjoying this most-remote section of the United States.
All in all, this is a beautiful, often overlooked, part of the country. Fortunately, since our first SOWERs' project is so close by, we will be in the area for the rest of January and have time to explore the RGV more closely. I am surprised by how much I am enjoying this most-remote section of the United States.
NOTE: It's not hard to miss all of the Border Patrol activity in the south part of Texas -- there are large off-road trucks, dirt bikes, ATVs, boats, and helicopters making routine patrols seemingly around-the-clock. The area has such an effective police presence that it is ranked the seventh safest city in the United States.
is it 2016 already?
Happy New Year, friends and family! Deb and I had a busy but fabulous 2015; it is our hope that you did, as well. We finally got "On the Road Again" (thanks, Willie!) the first weekend in December -- almost five full months after moving full-time into Faith. It was a life-changing year for us. I had to wrap up my last [ever] projects at the office, which went a little longer than expected. We also had the blessing of the birth of an absolutely fantastic granddaughter (which also went a little longer than expected). We rejoiced that with these two things checked-off our Colorado "To Do List," we could put up the jacks on Faith for the last time in Colorado and head for Texas.
[Ken 01/01/2016] December was an unanticipated blur. We drove almost 2000 miles to get just about 1000 miles from Denver. We toured many small towns as we traveled the remarkable blue highways of Texas on our way south. In Waco, we even checked in with a realtor -- seemed like it might be a good community in which to settle down. In every town, in every campground, we met great people. But most importantly, we became official Texans with new drivers' licenses and getting both vehicles registered in Polk County (Livingston, Texas). We also took a few days to be tourists and hike/bike in Palo Duro Canyon and a visit to the Alamo.
Deb and I look forward to a whole new year of entirely fresh experiences for us. It is going to be very exciting; it is our hope that your 2016 will be equally "new" and amazing. Exposure to new adventures will only make your life journey more meaningful and more fulfilling. Always be pondering about what your next new opportunity might be -- and be ready to JUMP when the chance presents itself. Remember that you can't move forward by looking backwards. Try something NEW this year. Step out and do it. Think BIG -- our God is not a small God. There is so much of life yet to unfold in front of you. You know it, so, Go for it! If you won't do it, nobody is going to do it for you!
As they say in the RV community, "Keep it between the oceans, shiny side up, and rubber side down." We hope for you to experience Something NEW in 2016!!!
\ken
[Ken 01/01/2016] December was an unanticipated blur. We drove almost 2000 miles to get just about 1000 miles from Denver. We toured many small towns as we traveled the remarkable blue highways of Texas on our way south. In Waco, we even checked in with a realtor -- seemed like it might be a good community in which to settle down. In every town, in every campground, we met great people. But most importantly, we became official Texans with new drivers' licenses and getting both vehicles registered in Polk County (Livingston, Texas). We also took a few days to be tourists and hike/bike in Palo Duro Canyon and a visit to the Alamo.
Deb and I look forward to a whole new year of entirely fresh experiences for us. It is going to be very exciting; it is our hope that your 2016 will be equally "new" and amazing. Exposure to new adventures will only make your life journey more meaningful and more fulfilling. Always be pondering about what your next new opportunity might be -- and be ready to JUMP when the chance presents itself. Remember that you can't move forward by looking backwards. Try something NEW this year. Step out and do it. Think BIG -- our God is not a small God. There is so much of life yet to unfold in front of you. You know it, so, Go for it! If you won't do it, nobody is going to do it for you!
As they say in the RV community, "Keep it between the oceans, shiny side up, and rubber side down." We hope for you to experience Something NEW in 2016!!!
\ken
