"SAINT DAVID, FRIDAY
February 20, 2004
Well, as promised, the RV was done late Sunday and we were glad to get out of El Paso on Monday and into Saint David from whence we depart on the Mexican leg of this trip. We are going in a caravan and thus, we meet our tour group in Nogales on Saturday morning. It is no big journey but from what we have head, it is an adventure in "rough roads" at least the last14 miles into the resort where we will spend the bulk of our stay.

Our week has been spent in doing laundry, cleaning and preparing for our adventure with Ken packing spare tools and parts for handy access should they be needed during our brief travel below the border. He has installed a safe in the RV for safe keeping of valuables, a lock on the gas cap of the car, cleaned the coach and car and reorganized his "basement". What a busy buddy!

It occurred to me during this week of "non events" that some of you might wonder what the RV lifestyle really encompasses. I thought that this might be a good time to give you a "birds eye" view of life with the Burns' on the road - or as Ken calls it our "nomadic life".

First, let me make it clear that there are different levels of RV life. There are Gwelda (first class) parks, medium priced parks and parks with minimal facilities but with water, electricity and sewer. In addition, for those occasions when one really wants to enjoy America's natural beauty, there are camping places in National and State Parks. Though many of the parks that we have visited have had water and electricity most are primarily "dry camping" (outside toilets, cold showers and bare bones amenities).

We own a membership in a RV Resort Association which has 26 different locations throughout the United States. The business plan is similar to a time share except it is ownership in a RV resort which shares its space availabilities with twenty six other RV resorts owned and operated by the Association. Most of these member parks provide extended services and amenities but some can be somewhat "rustic". As a member of the Association, we can stay for two weeks, be out a week and then go back for another two weeks anywhere within our association of parks. . For us, as recreational RV'ers, the value of the membership means that we can space our travel for a week or two in one of our member resorts which allows us to catch up on the laundry, do our deep cleaning and relax before going on to our next destination. We have visited 12 of the 26 resorts to which we have "membership privilegs" though it is rare for us to spend more than a few days at any site.

When we are on the road we tend to stop at parks that extend special rates as a result of our "membership affiliations" and not all of them meet our Gwelda "measuring stick". However, these are usually one nighters and I rarely leave the coach during these stop overs. When we are in an area that we want to spend some time, relax and enjoy the surrounding area, I prefer a "Gwelda Park" which has all of the amenities complete with continental breakfast and first class service as well as facilities. These tend to be "pricey" so a visit to what Ken calls a "Gwelda Park" tends to be a special treat for me or one chosen for the specific area and its "entertainment value".

Our destinations tend to be membership or affiliated parks. We provide our itinerary to Terri and she forwards our mail to a specific park for our arrival. Our overnighters tend to be budget oriented with a simple place to pull off the road and rest. We have even been known to spend a night in a roadside rest (in States where an overnight stay is permitted), Walmart parking lot (Walmart is extremely accommodating to RV'ers), Elks lodge or similar "RV accessible" parking facility.
We are completely "self contained". We have refrigeration, microwave/convection oven, television (satellite) and cell phone. We turn on our generator, power up the batteries and zippo all of the conveniences of home. We have 100 gallon of water, two holding tanks, hot showers and a queen bed. If we are en route from one destination to another, it does not make sense for us to stop, connect and go to all of the trouble of setting up camp only to fix a bowl of soup, watch the news and go to bed. However, since our trip to Canada last summer, I have laid down some 'travel law". No more than 300 miles per day - roughly translated depart by 10 and stop b y 3. Under these provisions, we are more alert to RV facilities and our travel is guided accordingly.

When we visit National or State Park sites, we generally plan to spend a few days visiting the park and enjoying the beauty of the locale. Park sites tend to be more roomy, private and relaxing but the parks are as expensive as staying in a medium priced resort and usually, with fewer amenities.

Perhaps you are wondering who our fellow travelers are? Mostly retired people from all walks of life. We recently heard the CEO of our Resort membership relate a story that he shares with business people with whom he is negotiating. "The professional retiree with a four million dollar estate and the retiree with a couple of hundred thousand dollars in their 401 K have one thing in common. How much does it cost and what am I getting for my money? When I retired I suddenly became aware of the fact that my 'earnings" were no longer based on my ability to produce income but rather, I was suddenly subject to a "fixed income" dependent on our money management skills. It was a sobering thought and one that cannot be cast aside. I think the retiree is constantly alert to "how much do I have" and "how much will I need". These are sobering thoughts and retirees must gear their lifestyle to their means. In our explorations around the country, we have met retired school teachers, professional people, military, government employees and business owners. We have met people with small van conversion vehicles to the ultimate million dollar rigs such as the Prevost. Our common bond is travel and a shared wanderlust. I have been surprised at the number of "full timers" that are on the road. These are people who have sold everything, invested in their RV and taken to the road.

To me one of the most interesting observations of RV life is the "old boy" network that flourishes within. Common "getting to know you" phrases run from "How do you like your ____ (name of coach - in our case Allegro)? What kind of motor to do you have? How many miles to the gallon? From there, a full background evolves about the questioners rig, where he has been, where he is going, how long he has been Rving, what he did in the past and whether or not they are full time or part time. These conversations can lead to a refreshment or just a visit.

In our club parks where people are apt to be residential for a week or so, there are planned activities, BBQ's, Bible study, arts and crafts as well as pools, jacuzzi's and exercise rooms. It is neither "poverty oriented" nor class distinct. It is the nomads of retirement satisfying their curiosity about their country and their urge for travel. Most of them are examples of the good people that have worked all their life for this brief moment of retirement and they reflect the values of America, as I knew them in my childhood. I have yet to see a single "mooning" or bare bather. But then, I haven't looked, either.
To sum it all up, RV travel is interesting, you meet all kinds of people and there is no shortage of stories. It is neither the "be all to end all" nor distasteful. It is a way of life and like life itself, one settles in. I guess I have settled in but I still look forward to going home and catching up on what is happening amid the comfort of my "adobe". Suffice to say, I have no urge to be a full timer.

On Friday the 20th, we arrived at our departure point in Nogales Arizona Friday. We learned that there would be 18 rigs in our caravan into Mexico and we were directed to the Walmart parking lot where we "dry camped" for the night. Saturday morning we all met the "wagon master" and "tailgunner" for preliminary briefings and completion of paperwork before climbing into our respective "toweds" and heading 20 miles to the "port of entry" to file our Mexican paperwork for travel into Sonora. Two fellow "caravaners" rode with us as we fell in behind the "wagon master" at 1030AM. Once we had completed our paperwork, at the entry point, our group chose to proceed back to the "rally point" and not wait for the "wagon master" who had to wait for everyone to complete the process for entry. As we came through the Mexican town of Nogales on our way back to the border we misread a sign and followed a road through a Mexican neighborhood that we soon discerned was not the USA. We quickly returned to the highway , convinced that our attempt to save time had probably made us the last to arrive back at the rally point. We arrived back at 130P, a full hour or more ahead of all the others. Our mornings effort accomplished two things. We completed and filed the paperwork necessary for entry into Mexico thus, getting it done prior to a travel day and we experienced an indoctrination into the Mexican lifestyle. We learned that one needs to stay calm, keep cool and be flexible.

After lunch and completion of the rest of our paperwork, we met for a group meeting and discussion of our travel itinerary for the next day, exchanged our dollars for pesos and met our "fellow travelers" for the next seven days. There are 42 of us in total, including the "wagon master" and his wife and the ""tail gunner" and his wife. There are two couples from Kansas, two couples from Colorado, two couples from Colorado, four couples from Oregon three couples from Washington. The wagon master and the tail gunner are both former "captains" of charter boats and I am sure by the end of the week, I'll have a lot more details about our "comrades on tour". In the meantime as I write this, we are relaxing in our "living room, watching television, charging the batteries and preparing for our 7 AM departure in the morning.
Have a good week and, hopefully, next Saturday when we return to the States, I will be ready to post a summary of our next seven days. In the interim, have a good week. Our thoughts and best wishes are extended to our friend Bruce, who will undergo surgery on Tuesday and to my nephew, Steve, who is recuperating from back surgery.
Until next time adios.