3/11 A Lot of Nice People!

One of the very pleasant things about all the traveling I have done is the interesting people I meet.  So how do you meet people “on the road,” so to speak?

Well, the first is through blogs.  There are several popular blogs online, but one in particular that attracts women like myself who have the travel bug and either have or are planning to get RVs.  When I first started to think about selling my condo and taking off to travel the country, I relied on a lot of advice from these very friendly ladies.  And over the past years, I have met quite a few of them at planned get-togethers where a group meets somewhere for a few days of food, friendship, and fun.  Here is Liz, Tina, Carol, and Irmi.

Liz is helping Tina blow up her two kayaks, but one had a leak, so I ended up renting one.  Liz has a 13 pound graphite canoe!

In addition, many of us from the forum meet on twos and threes and even fours occasionally when we happen to be in the same area.  I had a bunch over for lunch last month, and they took me out kayaking.  Obviously, a lot of us congregate in places like Florida and Arizona during the cold weather. 

 

Another way of making friends is taking a walk in the late afternoon or early evening.  Usually mine involves a trip to drop off my garbage and get some exercise.  They are putting the trash dumpsters a long way away from campers in some places to keep the animals away from people.  

Often, people are sitting outside in lawn chairs or walking along doing the same thing you are doing—getting exercise and dumping the trash off for the evening.  Walkers look at license plates and often will start friendly conversations.  (Except in my case they want to know where I am from in Ohio and if I went to Ohio State.  Grrrrr!)  I will ask people from places I plan to visit what I should see there and for recommendations on campgrounds. 

The funniest thing is that after a while, you see a lot of the same RVs, so you are convinced either you are following someone around or they are following you around.  And, lately, because of the number of snowbirds in Florida and the fact that those of us who like state and COE parks have limited places to go, I have several times bumped into the same people! 

So far in this small campground over the past three days, I have met a couple from Australia who owns their motorhome and stores it here while they go back home each year; a couple from North Bay, Ontario, where I am headed in July; a couple from Massachusetts next door who like to travel light even though they own a gorgeous 34’ Class A motorhome; and Diane and Bill from New York and who I met a couple of months ago at Gamble Rogers State Park.  The Aussie guy next door is convinced I need help parking, so he comes running out to direct me each time I come back. Mostly, I thank him and then ignore him.

Most of the above are snow birds and have been waiting to be sure it is going to stay warm up north before they head home.

And don’t let anyone tell you your RV has to have wheels to be a “camper.”  Earlier this afternoon a small cabin cruiser on a trailer pulled into a spot down the way.  Clever idea, right?