Roadrunner Reflections - Getting the Roadrunner Sold - Part 3 of 3

It was about a year ago that we were in final preparations to sell the Roadrunner.  We had numerous texts and emails with Mike and had things lined up to make the sale when he arrived in Jacksonville.
We were busy getting things ready for him.

We had spent December in the Keys and then traveled north to MacDill AFB/Tampa to finish final cleanup and enjoy a few more days of the RV life.  We attended the large Tampa RV show and had a good time in the area.

We saw some friends in the area and we worked on the coach.  The last couple of days I decided to replace the gasket on the toilet because the toilet bowl was not holding water.  That is a good indicator the gasket is failing.

It always is little hard to do because we have to cut the wires, disconnect the water, remove the toilet, turn it upside down then put the gasket in reverse sequence, turn it back over, reconnect the wires and hook everything back up.  Its a 20 minute job if everything goes well.  Ha!

It did not.

The water in the toilet was leaking out.  I got the gasket upside down.  Next, we disconnected everything, turned it over again, put the gasket in, tightened everything down and POP!
The ceramic toilet broke!  Yikes!

It was Friday and we were leaving Sunday for Jacksonville.  Now the pressure was really on!  We ended up replacing our ceramic electric toilet with a foot pedal model that worked great.  We didn’t know if it was going to work but it performed magnificently and we wished we’d have swapped it out
many years ago!

On to Jacksonville.  We spent a couple of days at the Jacksonville Navy RV campground and then parked the Roadrunner at Mayport Naval Station at Pelican Roost Campground.  Its one of the military’s best RV campgrounds (in my opinion.)

While there, we rented a small U-Haul Trailer, packed up almost everything remaining in the

Roadrunner, and then drove to Virginia Beach where we put all our stuff in temporary storage at our daughter and son-in-law’s place.

We returned in time to meet Mike at the airport hotel in Jacksonville.  Then we drove over to the campsite, did a walk-around and we answered all his questions.

He and I went for a short test drive and then got the paperwork together to finish the deal.

The bill-of-sale had to be signed and witnessed and he handed over a check. Then we packed up and left the camp ground with the Roadrunner and our CRV in tow.

Pam and I agreed to help Mike deliver the coach to an RV storage facility and thought it would be good to have him drive the Roadrunner while we were onboard.  We also answered more questions as he thought of them.

All three of us were going to Cordele, GA to the KOA where we had overnight reservations.

Mike got some time behind the wheel as we went up I-75 so it was a useful few hours.  We arrived at the KOA and then I showed Mike how we set up and get plugged into the electric and water and sewer.

We went out to eat together and then dropped Mike back off at the Roadrunner while Pam and I got a motel room in town.

The next morning, we drove back over to the campground, hooked up the CRV and then we drove to the Atlanta airport where Mike rented a car.  We later joined up at the National Indoor Storage facility in Lawrenceville, GA about 20 miles away.

Then we unhooked the CRV for the last time, shook hands and departed while Mike checked the Roadrunner into the storage facility for the next three months.

He was working as a civilian in Germany and would be back in May to pick up Roadrunner with his wife Joan.  They were then going to drive it to Alaska which was his next duty station.

Later we heard from them on their way to Alaska and they said the coach was driving ‘flawlessly’.  They did need to get some fuel filters changed out (which we discussed as a possibility after sitting in the storage facility for three months), but all in all it all went well.

It truly was a win-win.  We were thrilled to be getting the price we wanted and they were happy to get the Roadrunner.  Hopefully it will have another 10 years of happy camping left in it.

So, those are some of the high points in the story, “How We Sold the Roadrunner.”  It unbelievably happened almost a year ago.  It doesn’t seem possible.  I captured some of the sale here.

The last 12 months have flown by.

We remember our days on the road as Wonderful Times!  It was a magical time and we love reminiscing about it. Hopefully there will be more in store for us, but it will be different.  And that is OK.

Do we miss it?  Do we have regrets?

Sometimes I think about it and miss our time on the road but quickly remember it was perfect timing for us.  It was the right time to move on.  We are so glad to be here in Norfolk/Virginia Beach and have a wonderful “Post RV life.” We are very blessed to have our kids (son and daughter-in-law in DC, and our daughter and son-in-law and two grandsons 12 minutes away) near us.

Our house, neighborhood, church and new friends are a real blessing and we are so thankful!

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Roadrunner Reflections - How We Sold it - Part 2 - The German Connection

This is the second of three parts describing Pam and I came to the decision to sell our motorhome - The Roadrunner:

Today we discuss how we agreed to sell it to Mike who was in Germany.
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From July and into the fall, we continued our travels.  We left Williamsburg, VA and headed to  the Northeast.  We had stops at West Point, NY (it's a great place to visit and they have a terrific museum and Visitor Center), then made our way over to the Hudson River Valley before continuing on to Bar Harbor, ME/Acadia National Park and the state capitols of New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine.

After we left the Northeast, we continued planning for the sale of the Roadrunner and decided on another trip to Key West.  We were thinking we’d stay there for a few weeks before working our way up through Florida. Then, we were planning on putting it up for sale in the same town as the Tiffin Motorhome factory - Red Bay.  Red Bay is in the very northwest corner of Alabama.

We were targeting April to have it cleaned up and ready to go.
But things began happening sooner than we expected...

Initial contact with a buyer.
I looked back and it was December 31, 2018 when I got an email from our friends Dave and Pattie.  They had a Tiffin motorhome that was the same year, make, and model as ours and had just sold it.  Dave indicated a couple more folks had been interested in his and he asked if I wanted their contact information.

I said sure and and then I emailed both interested parties.

One (Mike) was definitely interested.   The other fellow was looking for a fire sale which didn't pan out.  Our back and forth emailing was happening over the course of the first few weeks in January when we were enjoying time in Key West.

Knowing this might be our last winter in the Roadrunner, we planned on being there in December and stayed a few weeks.  We concentrated on splitting our time between hanging out with friends, seeing favorite places again,  and cleaning the coach.  It was a relatively stress-free game plan.

Our time in Key West was another memorable one because we met up with three other couples and had special times with each of them.  That year was a little warmer than our three previous visits to Key West. That meant the weather really great, and we had time to play tourist, hang out and do the things we like to do there.  One of my favorites is a daily bike ride around the island which is 13.1 miles from our campground.  I remember we also saw the Hemingway House again, the Key West Lighthouse, the Harry S. Truman’s Little White House, and participated in the annual Key West Open House Tour, seeing some $$$ homes.  Not for us, but very interesting nonetheless.

And we systematically started cleaning the coach again. We took off all the screens and hosed them down and washed them.  I did some touch up painting on the front steps and the Blue Ox tow bar, plus washed and waxed it good. Then I washed and waxed the Roadrunner inch-by-inch.  I never minded the washing and waxing.  It was good exercise and the price was right.  It usually took 3-4 days to get it done and this time was no different.

I have very fond memories of that specific visit to Key West as we were fielding questions and sending pictures of the Roadrunner to Mike.

It is always interesting when these possibilities happen when you are trying to sell your “house."  You don’t want to get ahead of yourself and I'm more likely to fight the feeling and daily remind myself, “Selling this motorhome is a long shot. It may may take a long time to get the price we want and to find the right buyer.  Patience. Be patient.”

As I was saying, Mike and I immediately developed a good dialogue and were in contact 2-3 times a week with texts and then emails.  I think I sent about 75 photos so he could get a good idea of the layout and what we had going on inside, outside, and on top of the Roadrunner.

I found out that Mike had previously owned a Class C and had lived in Alaska.  Both those events were coming in to play again.  In our emails back and forth I could tell he knew what he was looking for.  He had questions about how the unit drove and was doing some research on sway bars to see if they were needed in the Roadrunner.  He also asked if we had washer/dryer set up.  We did not, opting instead to have the storage space.  But we had the plumbing in place and I sent him pictures of where it was located and how it was set up.

After about half a dozen emails going back and forth Pam and I could quickly tell Mike was a serious possibility.  We began discussing how to make this happen.  Mike had an interesting situation that unfolded over the following month.

An out of country phone number.
As we corresponded, I noticed a different area code and country code from his text messages.  Bells went off and I became a little cautious so I asked him why the out of country number.  (One can't be too careful about such things and it pays off to ask questions early.)  He explained that he retired from the military and was working as a civilian overseas in Germany. We were relieved it all made sense and we continued to engage with Mike.

Since he was in Germany, he would have to fly to Florida and complete the transaction of buying the coach there,  if everything panned out.  He worked out a plan to store it until May and then he and his wife Joan were going to drive it to Alaska where they would be living.  Finding a place to store it proved to be a bit nerve wracking for a few days.  At first he was was thinking of buying it in Florida and then driving it to Georgia and leave it parked for a for a few months where his family could keep it for him.

We looked at the weather and knew that it could get pretty cold in Georgia in the early spring and even dip into freezing temperatures.  Also, we wondered if he was going to keep in plugged in or if he was going to winterize it and leave it parked.

Leaving the Roadrunner for a long period of time (months) and storing it, were two items Pam and I didn't know anything about.  The more we all talked, Mike decided to find an RV storage facility where it could be stored and plugged in to 50 amp power.

By the middle of January, we had left Key West and had made or way up to MacDill AFB FamCamp in Tampa. We were doing what we normally do at that time of year there and went to the Tampa RV show.  I remember we were there and got a text from Mike who basically said, "Yikes! I've looked for an indoor storage place for the past couple of days and 15 places along I-95 are full!"  Whoops.

My first thought was -- maybe this deal would not work out after all?  (Getting a little ahead of myself!) We both made a few phone calls and learned he still had options.  He could store it on a lot near Jacksonville near the base but it would basically be in the open with other boats and RVs.  It was still out in the open, but the weather was not likely to get down into freezing temperatures.  He could also winterize it (drain the tanks and water lines etc) if he wanted to go that route.

As we were looking into other options, he called back and said he had found a storage facility place east of Atlanta.  It turned out to be a good one.  It was a large indoor facility, and the folks there would regularly start the engine (once a week?  a month? -- can't remember) and it could be plugged in 100% of the time.

Another obstacle overcome.

This sale possibility was moving along swimmingly, but we hadn’t really gotten down to the actual specifics.

Time to talk turkey.
We'd only been talking a few weeks and we were getting into specifics.  I thought that this is great --- but things could still go sideways, we need to talk about the money.  We were asking $105K. ($100K was our bottom line - so to speak.)  We knew we had a couple of things going against us, namely the fact the Roadrunner was 10 years old and it had 133,000 miles on it.  133,000 miles isn't that much on a car or truck, but for a motorhome, I'd said it was a lot.

Good friends Bruce and Melody offered to let us put the Roadrunner on their lot in Red Bay and we talked to an RV broker friend of theirs. He said he didn't mess with any motorhomes over 5 years old or ones that had over 50,000 miles.  Hmmm.

Nice to know -- but we were outside of both those parameters by a long shot.  He noted Blue Book said our unit was worth about $85,000 - $88,000 and that the only thing dealers/brokers look at is age and miles on RVs. Whoa.

But what about all the upgrades, and modifications, and maintenance and upkeep?? "Only age and miles".   He said everyone says there's has been well taken care of, runs great, yada yada yada.
A couple of things were in our favor and I think justified our asking price.  We had in fact taken care of the Roadrunner and had a residential refrigerator, new MCD and RollEZE shades vs curtains, $700
x 6 RV tires 1 year old, and all our maintenance records.  Our friend with the same make and model as ours had sold his for more than what we were asking.  So we decided to stick to our price and see what happens.  His had significantly less miles than ours, but we felt it still was worth about the same price.

Gladly, when I we had the "purchase price conversation" we ended up at $100,000 and he said he was OK with that!  He asked if we could install a washer/dryer.  I said we couldn't do that, but we could help him with transportation and delivery of the motorhome to his storage place near Atlanta after the purchase.

Older motorhomes come in various states of operational maintenance and my guess is that Mike had seen a lot of different older vehicles and he had a pretty good idea of what he was looking for.  We were asking more than Blue Book value which was about $85K.  But Blue Book value is a guide and not the only metric to use.

We thought we had put a lot of money into the Roadrunner over the years so it remained in a high operational state.  We didn't shy away from spending a few more dollars to keep the maintenance up and we thought it was a good idea to update the rig with lots of operational and living enhancements.  So we felt we could make the case it was worth at least $100K.

The two biggest things that were going against that were the age (10 years old) and the high mileage (133,000).  133,000 doesn't seem like a lot of miles on a car, but for an RV it is getting up there.  I spoke with a broker that did not deal in units that were over 5 years old and had over 50,000 miles.  But we stayed with it and Mike agreed to the price.

As we progressed in our discussions we were more excited about the possibility.  But we knew it was  still that -- only a possibility until we signed the paperwork and transferred the money.

We will talk more about that next time in Part 3 - How it all came together.

Thanks for joining us together on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Roadrunner Reflections: How We Sold It - Part 1

This is the first of three parts describing how we came to the decision and went through the process of selling our motorhome - The Roadrunner:

Here’s how we broached the subject in the first place:

Introduction

We sold the Roadrunner in February and I wanted to remember as much as I could about it all.  We started talking about the possibility over the 4th of July weekend about seven months before we sold it.  And it kind of happened...I don’t think we intended to end up there that evening but we did.  We are glad we did...it was the right time for us...and now we have some fantastic memories and stories to tell.  Like this one.

Since the time when we handed over the keys, we’ve been in touch with the new owners (Mike and Joan)  a few times. Apparently it is still running great.  We will keep our fingers crossed. We are thankful for what we’ve heard so far.  I asked if we could tell the story of how it all happened with the new buyer(s) and have their permission to do so.

If you'd have told me that we'd find a buyer in Germany, who wanted to put the Roadrunner in storage for three months, and then drive it to Alaska, I'd say that scenario was a little far fetched.
Read on.

It all started with a conversation.
We opened the door of possibility one evening during 4th of July (2018) weekend.  That is the first time that Pam and I remember seriously mentioning getting off the road. I suspect we had both been thinking about it for some time before we actually talked.  It is one thing to wonder about a possibility and quite another to say it out loud.  Part of me was questioning whether I was alone in thinking about it and another part was I was guessing Pam was ready to consider it.

I will never forget that evening. We were enjoying our time at a campground near Williamsburg, VA when we pulled out the camp chairs after dinner and just talked.  And then it kind of crept out and one of us asked if it was getting near the time to start thinking about getting a place in Virginia Beach.

Once those words seeped out, I knew things were going to change.We both basically said, "I think so... but maybe not just yet."  We then brainstormed about what it might look like for us to do that.  I remember saying,  "I would be sad if we sold the Roadrunner and completely quit RVing.”

We both agreed the wonder (see what I did there?) of this 10 year adventure has been a highlight in our lives and we'd hate to completely close the book on RV camping.  We love it too much.  We look forward to the day when we can take our grandkids and their folks with us on camping trips.

We talked about getting a smaller, used RV and continuing to travel.  We talked about the pros and cons and thought perhaps we’d sell the big unit and get a much smaller RV.  Maybe a Class C or a travel trailer could be our next RV.

Then I thought about how much money we could save if we tent camped again instead of getting an RV.  The possibilities were growing and it was fun to just dream and brainstorm and talk for a while. It was reminiscent of what we’d done the couple of years before we started full-timing.

After going down the path of tent camping fees and all the new amenities and camping gear available today for tent campers, we came to the realization our aging bodies might not comfortable with that.  "What about the middle of the night when we get up and have to pee?"  Hmm.  No problem for me...but I knew we didn't want to set ourselves up to be trotting off to the bathhouse a few times in the middle of the night.  So that idea went to the back burner.

We realized we didn’t have to solidify any plans then but I think we settled on the notion of the Class C.  We weren't ready for a travel trailer and liked the idea of learning about Class C's.  At any rate, this was a major milestone and the horse was now out of the barn.  Our time together that night gave us a new direction and some thoughts to ponder about our future.

Our last summer on the road.
After Williamsburg, we were headed off to for another adventure to the Northeast for the rest of the summer.  Our destination was Acadia National Park by way of Pennsylvania, Vermont, Connecticut. We had been once before, but it's one of those places you can visit many times and never get tired of. This time, we wanted to see as many state capitols (New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine) as possible and also to reconnect with friends along the way.

We did that plus got to know New York a little bit better. We especially liked seeing West Point again, the Hudson River Valley and western New York. I remember how much I loved the sights in the Hudson River Valley.  It was new to us and there are all kinds of things to see in the way of National Parks (FDR) and museums.  We also loved our time in the Finger Lakes area seeing Watkins Glen and Seneca Lake. We loved the scenery and learning about a state we knew little about.

Throughout the late summer we had more conversations about selling the motorhome and thought it would be good timing to sell in the spring.

More about that, in the next edition, but for now I want to wrap it up. Stay tuned in the days ahead for  Part 2 -“The German Connection”, as we continue telling the story of how we sold the Roadrunner.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Happy New Year to You!

Happy New Year!  

Before the year comes to a close, I want to send out some greetings.  I love this time of the year and look forward to getting some things done during the holiday lull before we get back into the regular swing of things.

I hope you had a really good holiday and are revitalized for the new year.  Someone posted that thought that the Roaring 20’s are upon us!

One thing I like about the holiday season is that I always manage to find some time for reflection and planning for the new year.  I love that.

By all measures this has been a momentous year.  We thought it would be big and it has turned out to be more epic than we imagined.
At the beginning of the year, we were into our “one last hurrah” with the Roadrunner in Key West. It was there we found out the possibility of selling the Roadrunner was actually turning into a strong possibility.  In a few short weeks we managed to systematically give the Roadrunner a deep cleaning while traveling through the Keys and up to the Tampa area.  It was wonderful seeing friends in Naples, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers, Tampa and St Pete.
After that, we traveled over to the Jacksonville area where we agreed to meet the buyer.  We left the Roadrunner there and  rented a small U-Haul and drove it to Kelly and Jon’s place in Virginia Beach.

It was a little strange as we got the price we wanted and then delivered the Roadrunner to a climate controlled storage facility outside of Atlanta.  After that, we drove to Virginia in only our Honda and on to new life.  We were able to stay with Jon and Kelly as we did some house hunting.

It took us a few weeks, but in March, we found a place 12 minutes from the grandkids. We signed a contract and had three weeks until closing, so we took a road trip in our F-150 out to Tucson.  Along the way we saw friends and family in Maynardville TN, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque, Fort Worth TX and Denver NC.

When we got back to Virginia Beach the first week of April, we started on major renovations to the house.  After three months of renovations (new bathrooms, kitchen, roof, windows, inside doors) and complete interior paint job, we moved into our new home in Norfolk the last part of June.

But even before then, Pam and I put in a 12’ x 25 garden that has been a real joy.  The boys helped with the spring and fall planting. It was fun watching them run to Grandma’s Garden every time they came to visit.  They wanted to see how the peas or corn or pumpkins were doing.

In August we took a road trip in the truck to Canada, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. While in Canada we were given a couple of bird feeders that were tucked away in a cabin.  We brought them back to life and have enjoyed watching cardinals, blue jays, finches, and hummingbirds off the back deck. The simple pleasures of life.

We love our house.  Our small house. It is perfect for us.  And we have some great neighbors. We also found a great church which we absolutely love. We’ve become fast friends with many folks and it has been a source of inspiration, a place to volunteer and has a very strong sense of community.

All of that was made even more evident when Pam went in for a routine mammogram the middle of October.  Two weeks later we learned she had stage one breast cancer. Thankfully it was caught early and slow-growing. The church surrounded us with help and support which was touching.  After surgery and 10 rounds of radiation, Pam was declared cancer free.  Hallelujah! Praise be to God!

We had a terrific time over Christmas watching Brooks (almost 5) and Harry (almost 3) enjoy the big day.  It was great.  Their sense of wonder is precious.

In the new year we hope to continue on getting more healthy and exercise more.  We are off to a good start with some effort in that direction that last few days.  Pam has plans on a little bigger garden with a different assortment of produce that is a little different than last year’s bounty.

We also intend to play a little more golf, dive into some tent camping, and will no doubt be taking some trips during the New Year.

“That’s a wrap!” as they say ` hope you all are healthy, happy and looking forward to 2020!

P.S.
In the coming week(s) I should have a book coming out....watch for the details.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Roadrunner Reflections: Completing 9 Years of RV Living

Our 9th Year on the Road began in Virginia Beach and here we are again in Virginia Beach.  I still remember that back-porch conversation Pam and I had when we were considering full-timing.  I said, "If we are really going to do this, sell the house, buy and RV and all that, we should at least plan on doing it for 5 years."  Pam thought otherwise.  She said, "I was thinking more like 10."
And here we are.  Living the RV dream in year 10.  It has been quite an adventure.

The adventure has had so many facets to it, it is a little hard to explain.  But I am going to do my best.  I'm writing a book.  Writing a book almost like running a marathon. I've run four of those.  It took me a few years to decide I was actually going to run one and then commit to all the miles and hours preparing to go 26.2 miles.  Writing a book is a bit daunting.  Especially if you want to do a credible job.  I have the first draft under my belt and will probably have drafts two and three before I am ready to take the next step.  The halfway point of a marathon is about mile 20.  Seems as if the last 6.2 miles were as hard as the first 20.  I think the halfway point of writing a book is somewhere beyond draft two.  10 chapters, 50,000+ words, it is coming together.  We will see.  Stay tuned.  I'm shooting for a fall release.

So that is one major aspect of year nine - I became a 'writer'.  I have been a blogger for over 10 years now and have taken it seriously as various times.  Sometimes it seems like a lot of work to be a hobby.  Other times, the words and motivation are there and it comes fairly easy.  Somewhere along the line last year, I was reviewing a friend's manuscript (Wes), who had a collection of short stories he formed into a very readable book.  He has a masterful grip of storytelling.  Me, not so much.

Somewhere along the line he suggested I write a book.  I don't even remember the conversation to well.  It reminded me of running a marathon.  It took me years, literally years to wrap my head around the idea and then actually take steps to get it accomplished.  About that time I enjoyed running and remember it being a fad.  Lots of people were 'jogging'.  For some reason the idea of 'jogging' never resonated with me.  I decided I was always going to be a 'runner'.  Pace or speed had nothing to do with it.  It was a mind set.  I was a runner.

Other personal challenges included getting my Master's degree.  I remember thinking about it, dabbling in it with a few night classes and then finally one day decided, "I'm going to get this done." It took me over two years and lots of studying on Sunday afternoons, but it paid off.

And I think becoming a writer and changing the mindset from dabbling it in putting together a credible effort will be rewarding as well.  I haven't got the interest in a novel and writing engaging stories, but I do have 10 years of thinking about RV living and writing about it.  I have thousands of pictures and memories to fill up 10 volumes.  (At this point I have plans for 10 volumes.)  Why not?  I like doing it, it is a challenge and we will see.  There is one change in Year 9.  I became a writer.

We have plenty of other reflections about that last nine years and the last year in particular.  The biggest events over the last couple of years are the arrival of our two grandsons:  Brooks and Harrison.  These two little guys are game changers!  Being away from them four or five months is a special kind of tug that we want to figure out.  Maybe the better way to travel and come back to Virginia Beach is to go on two or three month trips and come back to see them for a couple of months at a time.  They grow up quickly.

We are very fortunate to have a daughter and son-in-law that are insistent we be involved in the grandkids lives.  We are glad to do so and are figuring all that out.  It's been a real joy to be around them and help out and we surely will do more of that in the days and years ahead.  Their presence on the scene has caused us to reflect and consider the next step in our RV living...

We cannot say how long we will be full-timing.  But our thinking has definitely changed to where we are actively discussing other arrangements.  We have no timeline in mind and we have one more year before we hit the 10 year mark.  I remember asking the question on an RV forum before we hit the road, "What is your exit plan?".  Most people responded as if I was nuts and if I was already thinking about an exit plan, maybe full-timing was not for me.  What??

I think I wanted to see if there is something worth considering before we started, that would make it better when we moved to part-timing or some-timing.  The bottom line is that I decided just like we figured out how to transition to full-timing, we could figure it out when the time for us to change and 'settle' down.

Not sure what to call where we are now, but we are definitely in a different phase of RV Living - "No Man's Land".

It reminds me of deciding to leave my current job for another one and not telling anyone yet.  I was in that situation after I retired from the military.  I had decided to leave, was actively pursuing new employment, but I wasn't in a position yet to discuss it with anyone but Pam.  I continued to work hard at my current position and I determined the date I needed to offer my resignation.  It was "No Man's Land".

That term may be a bit overly dramatic but we are in a different phase of Living the Dream.  After 9 years of living this life, we know that our life is probably going to change in the next year or two.  We're not sure exactly what that is going to look like but it will probably be settling down here in Virginia Beach.  Our son and daughter in law live in Fairfax VA and work in the Northern VA/Washington DC area.  Our daughter and son in law and two grandkids live here in Virginia Beach.  It makes sense for us to be in Virginia if we want to be near them.

This phase is almost like starting out all over again.  At this stage, I want to do all I can to avoid a big financial mistake.  We are now at Social Security retirement age and on a fixed income. Unless my book(s) are wildly successful and we come financially independent.  😳  Like playing the lottery, I don't think that is a very sound financial retirement plan.

Thinking about getting off the road and brainstorming sets off a whole set of uncertainty, curiosity, changes, risks and research.  While we enjoy our time on the road, we will be working the next phase in the background/behind the scenes.  We will see what happens.  Meanwhile, part of reflecting on our ninth year is a recap of some of the travels we've had over the last 12 months.

We started out going to Ohio and up to Michigan before returning to Virginia Beach for the holidays. After the first of the year, we drove south on I-95 to Florida and then headed west on I-10 and into California.  We saw friends in the San Bernardino are and landed in Arizona for the winter.  It was mostly warm and a great time.  We love Arizona!

We found ourselves doing a lot of things this last year that we did in Year 1 of our adventures.

We saw museums and state capitols, worked for Habitat for Humanity on a couple of gigs, went to Canada, went to Mexico and spent a lot of time in the Tucson area:

Museums/Zoos/Parks

• Virginia Zoo (Norfolk)
• National Historical Site at Kitty Hawk (Wright Brothers)
• Columbus Zoo (Ohio)
• Jack Nicklaus Museum (Ohio State campus)
• Noah's Ark (full size display and museum near Cincinnati)
• Creation Museum (Petersburg, KY not far from Cincinnati)
• Red Bay Museum (Red Bay, AL)
• Kentucky Horse Park (Lexington)
• Cultural Heritage Center (Pierre, SD)
• Pony Express Museum (Marysville, KS)
• Loretto Memorial Chapel (Santa Fe)
• National Museum of the American Indian (Washington DC)
• Ford Theater (Washington DC)
• Dodge City (KS)
• Natural Bridge (Virginia)

State Capitols

• Columbus, Ohio
• Lexington, KY
• Pierre, South Dakota

Volunteering

• Gold Manor (major renovations at daughter and son-in-law's/Virginia Beach
• Habitat for Humanity/Care-A-Vanner, East Lansing, MI
• Habitat for Humanity/Care-A-Vanner, Sioux Falls, SD

Other

• Solar Eclipse (An event Pam put on the calendar many months in advance so we could see a 100% coverage in Nebraska)
• Golf in Arizona (Played more this year than I have in many years)
• Hiking (Sabino Canyon and Catalina State Park -  Tucson)
• 100,000 miles - we passed the 100,000 miles in the Roadrunner a few weeks ago.  

As we look back on our 9th year, a number of things have changed since we first got interested in RV living Full-Time:

Observations: 

• Facebook - It seems to me Facebook is exploding with RV groups and information.  It is so easy to ask a question about RVing and one only has to wait minutes before a multitude of responses flash on the screen.  
• YouTube - A close second to Facebook is YouTube that has about every kind of video you would want to see on the lifestyle, RVs and "How To" on all kinds of RV subjects.
• Kindle - this device was fairly new 9 years ago and it was not nearly as common as it is today.  Most people (me included) read books on Kindle or the Kindle app on smartphones.
• Travel Trailers - There seems to be a lot more travel trailers on the road.  New RVers are getting the less expensive models and it seem to be much more common to see them in the campgrounds.
• Gas vs diesel Class A's - I would guess that the gas engine Class A is gaining
• Price of fuel - Not nearly what I thought it would be after 9 years of RVing.  Diesel seems to be hovering around the $3.00/gal and I thought it would be over $5.00/gal.  Back in 2008/2009 it was making a steady climb and I expected it to stay at the high cost.  We paid over $4.00/gal years ago, but thankfully that did not last long.

Maintenance on The Roadrunner and tow car (Honda CRV)

• New headlights
• Replaced pitted/corroding air horns on top with aluminum air horns
• New carpeting throughout
• Repainted all bay doors
• New tires 
• Replaced Driver Side (DS) front window that took a rock 
• Alternator in car

I am surprised we have not had to replace our front windshield.  It had a number of chips and small cracks that were repair after they occurred but I thought that it would only last a couple of years.  Not so.  Here we are, many years down the road and the windshield is still doing good.

Each year I pause and reflect and try to note where we are in the RV Living adventure.  We are still loving the lifestyle and yet know it is going to change in the next few years.  We will see what it looks like and embrace that stage of Living the Dream.

Meanwhile, you all, our loyal, frequent and interested readers.  Interaction with you has been one of the huge bonuses of this journey and I thank you. It has been amazing!

Thanks for checking in on this edition on the Roadrunner Chronicles. 

Roadrunner Reflections: One Month of Roadrunner Travels Dec 2017-Jan 2018

Its feels like we have been on the road for at least six months.  Christmas with Kelly and Jon and the grandkids seems like ages ago.  Time with Adam and Melissa even seems longer.

But now, we are in the middle of our winter travels.  We look at the map and it seems as if we have been racing across the country.  But not really.  We wanted to see friends and family first before we settle in for a few weeks at a couple of different places.

When seeing friends and family, its not unlike other visits in that we don't want to overstay our time.  Most people are working and we are not.  At least not full time. A few days is usually enough time to catch up and check in with folks.

And we've had plenty of adventures and time for pondering the future and the past.  In three months we will have completed nine years on the road.  We have a ton of memories and recollections from a thousand corners of the country.  It's been quite a ride.  We have no idea how long we are going to be able to do this but the over-riding feeling from it all is:  thankfulness.

We are so thankful to be doing this.  A gentlemen echoed those thoughts a few years ago as when he said, "We are lucky to be doing this".  True words.  We are truly glad we navigated through all the uncertainty and took the risk to jump into this life style.

It has been rewarding and growing time for both of us and we have loved it.  If we were to step away from this life, we'd miss it for sure.  Gladly, there is no end in sight for us and we are happy to work through timing and our feelings of how much time to spend with family and friends.

We're off to a great start in our first month of traveling for the 2017-2018 season.

Thanks for joining us on our 2018 Roadrunner Travels!~

Roadrunner Reflections - Great Plains to the High Mountain Desert

In the last few weeks of travel we've been able to see the Midwest, central plains and now were here in God's country — the High Desert or northern New Mexico not far from where I grew up.  Every couple hundred miles, the landscape changes significantly and I wish I could take a snapshot in my head and replay it later.  Such are the memories that we make and try to remember.

Our Route the Last Couple of Weeks:  SD to NM

(A.) Sioux Falls, SD

(B.) Farm Island SRA, SD

(C.) Randall Creek SRA, SD

(D.) Seneca, KS

(E.) Dodge City, KS

(F.) Tucumcari, NM

(G.) Albuquerque, NM

Pam and I left our campsite in Dodge City, KS (E.) about 8:00 a.m.  We were up early and took showers, emptied the tanks, hooked up the CRV, said a prayer and got ready to pull out. About then daughter Kelly called and we spent a few minutes talking to her and grandson Brooks.

Nice way to start the day.  We had already picked our route to Tucumcari, NM where we had called the day before to make overnight reservations.  We made our way out of town past the feed lots and onto the Highway 54 toward Liberal KS. I had forgotten that Liberal was the hometown of Julie Garland in the movie 'Wizard of Oz'.

The secondary roads have been a fun way to travel over the past few weeks.  They have been quite good for the most part, plus we like getting out there and seeing more of the backcountry of America.  One thing that astounded us was the sheer number and magnitude of grain elevators across the prairie.  Apply nicknamed, "Prairie Cathedrals" these majestic structures seemed to be dotting the countryside every 10 miles.

Another mystery at times were the crops.  We recognized the corn growing in various degrees of health from South Dakota to Texas.  It seemed South Dakota they were in need of more rain while the corn was more robust and healthy in Kansas which had a lot more rain.

Then there are beets.  In fact, there was lots of beets and corn.  Some of the farmland was wheat, and there was lots of hay.  And a new one we didn't recognize -- turned out it was sorghum.  Pam guessed that one and looked it up on her iPhone.  Sure enough that was it sorghum with the distinct tassels on top.

A little over a week ago, we finished our Habitat for Humanity build in Sioux Falls we traveled to Pierre, SD.  That drive was uneventful and we got a chance to see the Missouri River and some more of the Lewis and Clark Trail.  We are big fans of that and love learning about those explorers.  We found out about the small town of Pierre (pronounced ~ PEER).  For a population of about 13,000 and no major highway near by, it has a pretty good operation going.

While in Pierre, we experienced a little of the remoteness and hilly plains of South Dakota.  Driving from there to our next stop at Fort Randall State Recreation Area, we came across a lot of small towns and wide open spaces.  That stop was a bit too remote from us.  We were isolated with no cell phone or internet access.  We stayed below the dam in an area with lots of trees.  Next time we will camp upstream on the lake portion.

While there for a couple of days, we took in a guided tour of the dam itself which was a first.  We also drove over to Yankton SD thinking we'd see some more history.  It was a fine way to spend the rainy day, but it again was pretty remote until we got into town.  We drove out to the dam and lake and took in some more of the Missouri River.  We found another nice campground on the Missouri River.

Whether it is a day trip or getting from one destination to another, we love seeing different parts of the country and different parts of each state.  Each area has a special uniqueness all its own.

And so it has been the last few weeks since we left Sioux Falls.  We love the miles and miles of rolling hills through the farm land of South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas.  Each area is a little different.

Leaving Randall Creek State Recreation Area (SRA), we found highway 281 that runs north/south through the eastern and central part of Nebraska.  We followed it for hours through the cornfields and back country.  It was beautiful and again, the roads were good.

Then we came to Grand Prairie NE, where we took a rock which broke the forward double paned window on the driver's side.  Yikes!  Fortunately, we were able to tape it and continue to our night's destination in Seneca Kansas.

Notwithstanding a broken window, I love driving the Roadrunner.  The ride is very smooth and comfortable and purrs along a steady 62 mph.  It could go much faster, but that seems to be a good cruising speed.  At that, we get 7.4 mph which is pretty good and normal for our 400 hp Cummins engine.  Most days, I drive a couple of hours and Pam takes over for an hour or two and then I'm good for the rest of the way.

A normal day for us is about 250-300 miles.  We use a planning factor of averaging about 50 miles per hour which includes time for Rest Stops to walk around and also for fuel stops.  Our tank holds 150 gallons but I usually start looking for a place to fill up at about the halfway point.  Which means we can go over 500 miles between fill ups with no problem?  Traveling the back roads of the Plains might seem to be an issue, but there were plenty of truck diesel stations all along the way.

Once we passed through Nebraska and just across the border into Kansas, we went through the small town of Marysville.  We saw that there was a historical marker for the Pony Express and in fact we were on the Pony Express Highway.  Cool!  We had a friends travel the whole Pony Express route on his motorcycle a few years ago and here we were on a stretch of it.

Back to the beginning of our day yesterday, we had called ahead the day before and made reservations at a decent overnight stop in Tucumcari NM.  That was about 250 miles and 5 hours.  We like to get into the campground no later than mid-afternoon when we are traveling if possible.  We were making such good time that we were near Tucumcari about 1:00 PM and we gained an hour.

With less that three hours to go, we decided to press ahead and get to Albuquerque.  It made for about a 450 mile and 8 hour drive but we were both feeling pretty good and it was worth it.  We gained another day in there to relax and  see my brother Reid and wife Amy.

As we left Tucumcari and headed west on I-40 I was struck by how big the sky was.  Wow -- the vistas went for miles and miles.  Reminded me of Montana and Wyoming.  It was beautiful!  Breathtaking.  The other thing we noticed about the landscape is that is no longer farming country.  Ranching and cattle is the name of the game out here.  That started to change as we went through Oklahoma and into Texas.  

From Oklahoma and into Texas and as we made our way into New Mexico,  the dirt was more visible and had a reddish color instead of the dark brown.  The cornfields and soybeans of the Great Plains were now a picture of mesquite, cedar, scrub brush, tumbleweeds and green grasses of the desert and High Desert.  The grass is quite different from the prairie grasses of South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas.  And I don't ever remember the country side and pastures being as green.  You could tell it has been raining quite a bit in the last couple of months.

The last hour from Santa Rosa, past Clines Cornes, Moriarity, Tijeras Canyon and into Albuquerque seemed to come quickly.  We pulled into the Kirtland AFB Security Gate off Eubank Boulevard and were told from now on, entrance for our RV was available only through the Truman Gate.

They let us through this last time but next time we'll have to travel around town and enter over by the Airport at the Truman Gate.  There apparently was some change in the security posture that happened earlier in the day.  Maybe next time, we'll call ahead and see if the Eubank Gate is open.  Going around to the Truman Gate is going to be a longer trip and not nearly as convenient.  The FamCamp is within a stone's throw of the Eubank Gate.

So here we are for a few days in Albuquerque.

We'll take a day trip up to Santa Fe again and spend some time with Reid and Amy.  And eat way to much Mexican food (promise!).

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Roadrunner Reflections: Our Travels in 8 Years on the Road

After eight years on the road, things run together a little bit.  We launched the Roadrunner about this time of the year.  We have covered a lot of ground over that time.  We can usually remember if we've been to a place and sometimes remember the year -- but often times it is a guess.

I have wanted to put a map together showing our travels for some time but it was only recently that I learned how to use some of the map overlay features in My Maps (Google).  I am limited in entering only 10 locations per overlay.  Once I put a couple of overlays together, i have a couple of sets of locations A-J.  It's a little bit confusing on that point but it conveys the general idea.

If any of you out there have a better way I can represent this on a map, please advise!

First six months:
May to December 2009:

It was only seven months, but we went coast to coast, border to border.
Some notable places we saw in our first six months on the Road:

1. Home of Chet Atkins, Kenny Chesney and Pam's sister and brother-in-law.  - Maynardville TN.  Their place became the location of the Roadrunner RV Resort and Campground (private).
2. Lake Huron/Bruce Peninsula/Tobermory Canada - Beautiful summer cottages on Lake Huron and Miller Lake Campground
3. Mackinaw Island, Michigan - most popular tourist attraction in all of Michigan
4. Winnebago Factory Tour - Forest City IA
5. Mount Rushmore/Crazy Horse Monument/Black Hills - SD
6. Badlands of South Dakota and Wall Drug Store
7. Habitat for Humanity build - Santa Fe NM
8. Volunteering with NOMADS - Pontiac IL and Galveston TX
9. Tiffin Motorhomes Factory Tour - Red Bay, AL
10. Desert Trails RV Park - Tuscon AZ
11. Tombstone, AZ
12. Christmas in San Diego Area

June - December 2009

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1st Full Year on the Road:
2010 January to December

We also went coast to coast, border to border again for the second time.
Here's some highlights:

1. 29 Palms / Joshua Tree National Park - stark beauty
2. Boondocking in Quartzite AZ and La Posa Bureau of Land Management - got to do it at least once.
3. Crossing the border into Mexico at Yuma AZ - Dental work and interesting place
4. NOMADS Disaster Relief in Galvestion TX - Katrina followup still
5. Haas Lake outside of Detroit MI - nice place to spend a few months

It was a tough year with the passing of our daughter-in-law Meghan, at the age of 28.  She lived in Petrolia Canada and our son moved to Michigan to be with her during her last few months.

January - December 2010

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2nd Full Year on the Road:
2011 January to December

In our third coast to coast, border to border year, we went from Key West to Vancouver, British Columbia.  Here are some other highlights:

1. Moss Point MS - More NOMADS Disaster Relief Volunteering
2. Big Bend National Park - Long way to get there but a beautiful place
3. Habitat for Humanity Volunteering in Santa Fe NM - my hometown
4. Salt Lake City UT - beautiful town and state capitol
5. Glacier National Park - need to spend a week there at least
6. Pacific Northwest: Vancouver BC - Stanley Park is great
7. Victoria BC - fun ferry ride and beautiful
8. Mount Rainer National Park - picturesque
9. Spokane WA - Reunion with my brothers and wives 
10. Key West - can't beat the Sigsbee Campground at the Navy Base for a few weeks.  Lots of history in KW

January - December 2011

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_________________________________________________________________________________
3rd Full Year on the Road:
2012 January to December

Once again we went as far south as we could, but this time, we went to Northern Maine and into Canada.  Some highlights:

1. Savannah GA - great place to see and the best shrimp and grits I've ever had!
2. Boston MA - so much history
3. Bar Harbor ME/Acadia National Park 
4. St. Augustine FL - the local bus trolley tour was great!
5. Habitat for Humanity Build - Macon GA
6. Everglades National Park FL

January - December 2012

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4th Full Year on the Road:
2013 January to December

1. Savannah GA - 
2. Augusta GA and the Masters Golf Tournament - lifelong dream
3. Florida Gulf Coast - Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, Destin
4. Texas Hill Country - Fredericksburg TX/LBJ Ranch
5. Monterrey CA - Aquarium, nearby John Steinbeck Museum
6. Redwood National Park CA
7. Pacific Coast - California/Oregon
8. Cheyenne WY - Frontier Days - 

January - December 2013

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5th Full Year on the Road:
2014 January to December

1. Quartzite AZ - Gathering of thousands in BLM  
2. Organ Pipe Cactus National Park - magic of the Sonoran Desert
3. Tucson AZ - hiking Sabino Canyon / Catalina State Park
4. Sedona AZ - more Arizona beauty
5. Phoenix Botanical Gardens - wonderful Chihuly glass sculptures
6. Grand Canyon - still the most scenic of them all
7. Fort Worth - reunion with my brothers and wives 
8. Mt Airey NC - Andy Griffin's Mayberry
9. Monticello VA - seeing Jefferson's plantation home

January - December 2014

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6th Full Year on the Road:
2015 January to December

1. Lancaster PA - Amish Country
2. Myrtle Beach SC - golf 
3. Charleston SC - lots of history here
4. Nashville TN - State Capitol and Country Hall of Fame
5. Mesa Verde National Park - Cortez CO
6. Monument Valley UT - Fantastic setting of scenes from the Old West/ Gouldings John Wayne Museum
7. Zion National Park - hiking and biking
8. Bryce Canyon National Park - hoodoos and pictures
9. Capitol Reef National Park - beauty in the canyons
10. Arches National Park - arches and formations near Moab

January - December 2015

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7th Full Year on the Road:
2016 January to December

Some highlights:

1. Cedar Keys FL - quaint fishing village with history
2. North Fort Myers - Another memorable Habitat for Humanity build
3. Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks - 
4. Arnold CA - Reunion with my brothers in the Sierras  
5. Big Trees State Park - giant Sequoias
6. Oregon Coast - scenic to say the least
7. Lewis and Clark encampment - Astoria OR
8. Columbia River Gorge/Multnomah Falls OR
9. Little Bighorn National Park - Custer's last stand
10. Memphis TN - Graceland and Gibson Guitar Factory

January - December 2016

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8th Year on the Road
2017 - January to June

So far in 2017 we've spent our entire time in Virginia Beach.  This makes the longest time we have stayed in one town.  We've moved campsites and campgrounds a couple of times to be here with our daughter, son-in-law and two grandkids.  The second grandson was born in January and we stayed for  post birth surgery our daughter needed to remove a tumor.  Thankfully it was not malignant and she is fast on the mend.

We'll be hitting the road toward the end of June, stopping in Red Bay AL again for some upgrades and repairs.  Then on to see some state capitols and participate in a couple of Habitat for Humanity builds.  One is in Lansing MI and the other is in Sioux Falls, SD.

Thats a quick summary of some of the places we've seen over our travels.  It took 1200 blog posts so far to describe our life the last 8 years, with another 100+ posts I started and haven't finished.  At any rate, the maps give an idea of the routes we've taken.

Those of you that have been along for the entire ride - Thank you!  And those of you that recently found the Roadrunner Chronicles, hope you find something useful or entertaining or interesting.  Or all three.

Thanks again for joining us as we begin Year 9 in the Roadrunner.

Roadrunner Reflections: The RV Lifestyle - 10 Things You Can Do for Your Wife

It has been a wonderful journey with no end in sight.  We love this lifestyle.  One thing that I have heard some people mention that might be hard is the close proximity, the need for some 'space' at times.  One friend has said more than once over the years, "We could never spend everyday all day, 24 x 7 with each other.

I agree - some people may not be cut out for this kind of life.  I think one thing that helps is showing mutual respect for each other.  We talk about 'pink jobs' and 'blue jobs', but in my book, I should know and be able to do all the jobs.  She likes navigating.  We both do the travel planning and picking dates when we want to be at places.

There are things that we are both good at and like to do and others not so much.  But we talk about it and get it all done.

Last thing we want to do is take each other for granted.  I can't tell you how lucky I feel with Pam doing so much.  No and then we see one or the other do 90% of everything.  I think it helps when both are pitching in.

I know I don't show Pam enough appreciation at times and thought maybe there are some of you out there too (and I need to remind myself) who could use a few ideas on letting your wife know how special she is.  I thought of 10 things I try to intentionally do to let her know I cherish her.

1.  Take out the trash often and without being asked.
2.  Empty the tanks often, especially the grey tank. (Nothing worse than having her taking a showing and the drain - grey tanks - are full.)
3.  Buy flowers for no good reason a couple of times a year.
4.  Wash the RV so its something she's proud of to live in.
5.  Make the bed.   (How many guys do that I wonder?)
6.  Let her drive the motorhome from time to time.  (Why hog all the fun?)
7.  Wash the dishes every night.  (Hey if she does all the cooking, its a pretty fair trade I'd say.)
8.  Help clean the inside of the RV from time to time (dust and polish the wood, do some sweeping and vacuuming.)
9.  Laundry.  Pam usually does the laundry but from time to time I do it just so she won't have to.  I am thinking the guy doing the laundry is not all that unusual.
10. TV - let her pick the programs.  I have some favorite shows and we both generally agree on the programs.  She loves baseball so we watch a lot of that.  If there's something I like I tape it and can watch it another time.
11.  Pay the bills. What few bills we have we electronically so it is easy for me to keep up with them and pay them online.
12.  Order mail.  Ordering periodic mail is not a big deal but its something I can do quickly so I do it and its one less thing for her to be concerned about.
13.  Make the campground reservations.  We have a lot of campground reservations.  And we often have changes in our plans.  I usually make the reservations and update it on the calendar so we both know what is still 'planned' and what has been actually 'reserved'.

There are some ideas that work for us.  We are still on our honeymoon (38th year in February) and I thought I'd share some ideas that seem to be working for us.

You probably have some great ideas that are not listed here -- please share them with the rest of us!

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!