Taking a Home With You

  With the almost endless options of travel destinations available today it's kind of funny that the means to get to these places remains the same. You may get on a plane to leave for your trip but you will eventually get into some form of vehicular transportation to actually get out and enjoy your vacation. Even on a cruise many of the shore excursions will be accessed by vehicle. That's just the way it is. But have you actually taken a vacation where your vehicle is your transportation, hotel room, and your source of food? If you have then you've probably owned or rented a recreation vehicle.
  They come in a variety of shapes and sizes from small vans to behemoth buses. Of course we've all seen them bounding down the highway as we blast past them before the next steep grade climb to avoid being stuck behind them but did you ever stop to think whether an RV was an option for you? Yes they are big and can be intimidating but they really aren't that difficult to drive. All it takes is a little patience.
  To me the RV is a great option for my ATV trips to the mountains and deserts. I have a clean bed that I know who's been sleeping in it, a private bathroom complete with a shower, and the all important kitchen. Some people even have satellite television beaming to their rigs but to me that's going a little too far (the point is to get away from civilization and video games after all.) Okay so cooking on vacation may not sound like a vacation for the cook in the family but this is your opportunity to involve everyone in the family to participate and I promise you that camp food is always better than eating out. Trust me when my group goes out we eat foods that we don't regularly eat at home like deep fried turkey, rock salt prime rib, and dutch oven rolls and cobblers. It's delicious. Of course an easy burger and dog meal is always good too.

    There's something to be said about having a familiar bed after a long day of exploring. If there's one thing I don't like about hotels it's that I can't get a good nights sleep until about the third night (probably because by then I'm too exhausted not to sleep.) I guess what I'm trying to say is that my little motor home (not pictured anywhere here by the way) is my home away from home. Are there negatives to the RV? Of course but there are negatives to everything but I don't have time for them.
  Another fun fact about RV's, you will meet some of the nicest people in RV parks. You will find some strange ones too but over all they're good people. They share your interests and are more than willing to lend a hand to someone in need. In special cases if you return to a place multiple times you will get to know the owners/operators of the parks and other "regular" visitors and you can become a little mini family who gets to reunite every year and catch up on times past. It's truly interesting to see this work. If you're wondering why I know this it's because we've spent over ten years staying at the Riverside Oasis RV park in Moab, Utah during the Easter Jeep Safari and many others have done the same. It's a rare thing but again, it's special.
  I encourage you to not rule out taking an RV vacation. There are many options to rent so you can't use the "I don't own one" excuse. No these kind of trips aren't really for everyone but you won't know unless you try. Oh, and to be fair to yourself and to the things that you're trying, you should always try something at least three times before you decide if you like it or not. It's the only way to be sure. Let's hit the open road folks. Be safe this week and I'll be back on Friday!

Brandan