From San Antonio TX, to Mesa AZ, in 2 days

Yeah, we broke it down.

On Monday, we drove 9-hours to El Paso TX, and crashed in one of those secure roadside RV parks.

You really need to use these sometimes, even though they cost a little more at times.

We were only 2-3 miles from the Mexican Border in Ciudad Juarez,, which is just outside of El Paso, so we went for the extra security.

Early the next morning (Tuesday), we pulled out for another long drive of almost 8-hours, and we were in WACO TX.

I went straight to the Camping world there, and started the process of getting my Fridge checked out and beginning the approval process for the Insurance company.



The idiocy of the process required by the insurance companies is at a level that would try anyone's patience, but we are hanging on.

This time, I git a little smarter, and while the CW technicians jumped through the appropriate hoops to prove that the Fridge was indeed bad, we went over and checked into our campground.

This proved valuable later as we could go over to the CG, and do laundry, take a shower, and just overall kill time.

Now, here it is, Friday, and the inspector has sent his report to the insurance TODAY, and now we must wait for Monday for the insurance company rto approve the purchase of the replacement Fridge body.

Then we have approximately two weeks before it is delivered for installation.

Installation will take 6-hours, and then another overnight functional test before we can leave AZ.

I have to re-schedule my reservations in California, yet again, but we have accepted the situation, and are now going through a lot of Maps and Visitor guides to put together a plan for taking our Jeep out into the Deserts (just a little ways) and north to the Mesa/mountail areas.

I hope to get some really good photo's over the next week.  Can't wait!

Right now?

Well, we had a great lunch at a Restaurant/Saloon called the Dirty Water Saloon, and are back at the RV catching up on our web sites and mails, ans a little bill paying.

Later, when it cools down (97F at the moment), we will take another walk around the CG

See Ya!

Not Full-timers ----- Yet!

We are not Full-Timers Yet!

W want to be, but we have certain Health constraints that we are working very hard at managing so we can be Full-Timers for a few years.  We have mentioned the Health conditions we both have, and I feel that all of them are manageable if we planwell and set-up everything just right.

We have met a lot of people that are Part-Timers, and they tend to define that as taking one 3+ month trip a year, plus a couple of short 1 or 2 week trips. 

Helen and I call ourselves Most-Timers, because we return to our home in Myrtle Beach when we need to tend to Doctor Visits, Our House, our Cars, Legal Issues, or most importantly our Family in Virginia and NorthCarolina.  You think about it:----- two people, with Dentists, GP Doctors, both with Orthopaedic Doctors, my Nephrologist, add Colonoscopies, Eye Exams, my new case of Diabetes, and we are going crazy to get on the road and heal, if nothing else.

The wanderlust sets in after about 3-4 weeks at home, and we really try to get things done and wrapped up as quickly as possible, so we can hit it again.

So, Most-Timers it is, for us, for now, with a steely eye on Full-Time RVing.

Campground Cliques

We are still staying in the CG Southern Aire, near Tampa.

We have become accustomed to the CG, and the people here, who are mostly, by the way, older than us, and have their own cliques.

Actually, there are three distinct groups of people here, it seems.

First, there is the group who set up their camper or trailer on a lot ten to twenty years ago, added a sun room, and settled down to the good life in Florida.  They keep mostly to themselves, are in charge of most of the clubhouse activities, and are distantly friendly.

The second largest group (or, so it seems) is the group of winter workers.  These people have nice campers, fifth wheels, trailers, motorhomes, etc. and are the source of the noise you hear from 6AM to 7AM as they fire up their cars and go off to their seasonal job.

Many of them are full-timers, and as you already know, this provides them withthat extra income they need to pretty much travel the contry and enjoy their retirement.  Usually, you can tell their sites, because they are decorated very nice, with enough stuff that it will obviously take them more than a couple of hours to pack up to leave.

The third group, are those like myself.  We come down here to Florida for the winter in our RV, and stay at one or more sites, each for a month or more, and have a home base somewhere in the US that is sitting vacant until we get back there after it turns hot, and the mosquitos come out, here in Florida.

Of course there is the sprinkling of those RVers who come in for a period of a day to a week, generally just passing through on their way to somewhere else.

The people coming down to Florida for a week of vacation, with or without kids, are not evident here.  This CG just does not have the entertainment or facilities that would draw them here.

I use the Gym, Pool, and walk the streets for exercise, and the Laundry is clean, well lit and everything is functional.  Other than that, we are enjoying the privacy, and will be here until the 30th, and then we will go over to the TT in Clermont.

Y'all have a good day now! Ya Hear!

Don and Helen