Full-Time Update and Questions

[MsBHaven]

(Hi Echo, I'm still here)

Update: House has for sale sign in the yard and have had one looker who unfortunately has a contract on another house - but if it falls through (house might not appraise well), then I think we might be their second choice. It went on the MLS listings Sunday. Supposedly have someone else coming to look at it soon.

Busy emptying drawers (16 so far) and one empty closet. DH has been busy putting up new shutters, painting, finishing installation of a new shower, etc. Lots to do. Plan to have a lot of garage sales - difficult to do as it is 18 degrees here today.

Have found three 2008 Tiffin Phaetons for sale; hope they are available when we have cash in hand from the house.

I've asked DH every day since he announced that he wanted us to become full-timers if he really wanted to do this or had he changed his mind. He says no, he is just anxious to get on the road and get to warm weather. I've never noticed one moment of hesitation from him about this.

Our goal is to "follow the weather", but I need some input on that. Since we don't know what month we will be leaving, I need general ideas of what are good states for the four seasons. If (winter) Jan-Feb-Mar is Florida, Arizona, and Texas (any more?) which areas of the country are good for the other 9 months? I want to avoid tornadoes, hurricanes, rain and snow. People are asking where we are going first - well, heck, I have no idea until I know what time of the year we're leaving.

I'm trying to update my blog frequently these days so if anyone wants to follow along on this journey with us it is www.rv-adventure.blogspot.com

[rvgrammy1953]

Margie.....glad things are going well there so far.....can't wait for you to tell us you are finally....FREE!!!

We've been full timing for 5 years now.....Our routine is North in the Summer.....(May thru Sept.) and South for the rest of the year.....You can't control the weather, but you can be pretty safe on that kind of thought......we do PA and the NE in the summer.....and have wintered in FL, GA, TX, and now a month in Mississippi............except for the cold in those areas this year, they have been great places to do the winter months.....We don't go North til May to avoid that rare late snow or cold weather....

Hope this helps....and hope you get to hit the road soon!!!

[Echo]

oh Margie I can just see ya now! Busier than 10 cats with 20 cat boxes!!! LOL

You will be so ready to go full time and start that long extended vacation when you get it all done!!!! You go gal!

[Bethers]

I'm sorry, but I'm laughing here when you included avoiding rain in there If you find a way to do that, please let me know. You'd need to spend the entire year in the desert - and still you'd get some rain.

That said, there are many areas to go to in all the different seasons - and there are even places in the south where winter isn't bad (you've got northern Arizona - all the mountain areas, etc). And I love spending time at the beach - even last winter here in TX - if close enough to the beach, you almost always have a breeze, and therefore not quite as hot. (I am a summer lover, tho, so hot doesn't bother me like cold does.)

The real trick is planning the travel to avoid the bad weather between the seasons. I spend as much time north as I can some years, which means I will be driving back south in some bad weather. And sometimes vice versa. Just remember, you do NOT have to drive when the weather is bad. Stop and wait. A day, a week, whatever it takes. I won't drive in high winds or bad storms, etc - so those happen and I find a place to pull over and stay - whether a parking lot, a rest area or an rv park - depending on where I am. The first time winds got me, I spent 3 days in a casino parking lot. I'm sure they were very happy to take my money at the tables

Have fun getting ready - hope the house sells soon and that you are able to get the rv you want at that time.

[Sparkle]

No matter how much you plan, life happens! Like abnormally high tides! It's all in how you cope. You can get one of those weahter alert radios. If tornadoes or hurricanes, blizzards and such are heading your way, you head out. Or as Beth said, if they are in your path ahead of you, then stay put. You have wheels...it's your choice. If you've paid for amonth most campgrounds will refund if you have to evacuate. Have some adventures. They make for good reading.

[carold]

They sure do Sparkle carold

[sharon]

wellll, let's see....don't believe I've ever taken a trip that I didn't get either wind or rain, but I do know that DH and I used to go to the Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas area in May until we figured out the reason we had tornados dropping down around us all over the place was because that was tornado season in that area. Switched our vacation time to Sept and didn't have any more problems....other than that piece of advice, I would suggest you come on out here to SoCal, no snow, tornado's,or hurricanes, just a little earthquake once in a while. Not very often and not to bad, just enough of a shake to tell all of your friends.....Wow, we just had an earthquake!

[islandmomma]

Well, not to appear biased, but Canada (especially British Columbia IMHO) is always nice and very pleasant weather in spring through fall... if you spend the money to bring your rig to the Island (Vancouver island), plan to spend at least a few weeks touring to make the expense worthwhile. You will likely need reservations at most places on the Pacific Rim coast (west), but most other places on the Island and on the mainland you can get into with little notice and we Canucks tend to be friendly !! I want to see all of those places you all mentioned but had to add that there are places further North that are also great LOL!! For that matter, the roads to Alaska are pretty good too...and that is a state that is incredibly picturesque (but not too different from BC coastal regions)!

jan

[avalen]

well Arizona is great except for June, July and August. But those are the times you
would want to be somewhere like Grand Canyon (go see Sparkle) or Payson, or any
of the other mountain areas where its cool. Hope your house sells quickly for you
and you'll be on the road in no time at all.

[mtngal]

Hope you can visit the Sierra Nevada mountains in the fall! Have fun planning......