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A new way to see America - RVanning
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There’s a “new” way to travel which has been around since we were kids, but is now much easier because of a few high-tech helpers.
Our friend Sandy has cleverly dubbed it “RVanning” because it’s “RV-ing” in the family Van rather than a 40-foot “road giant”. But it really is just “loading up in the family station wagon and hitting the road” that we did back when we were kids. No reservations. No real schedules. Less stress. Just get in the car when you’re ready to go – and GO!
When I retired in September, my wife and I just loaded up “Monroe” – our family mini-van (“Van Monroe” – Google “Vaughn Monroe” if you don’t know who he is) and drove across America ultimately seeing 18 states, 11,000 miles, 55 days, 3218 photos, and countless memories. 
I’ll be sharing details of that trip with you as time goes on, but we’re planning on hitting the road again tomorrow – to head to New Jersey for Christmas – and I’ve been marveling at how *un*stressed our departure is turning out to be – because we really don’t have to plan ahead and keep to plans.
I’ll be sharing details of that trip with you as time goes on, but we’re planning on hitting the road again tomorrow – to head to New Jersey for Christmas – and I’ve been marveling at how *un*stressed our departure is turning out to be – because we really don’t have to plan ahead and keep to plans.So. Why a mini-van instead of a full-blown RV? Primarily it is one of flexibility and cost. The mini-van is much cheaper to buy in the first place, gets double or triple the gas mileage of the big rigs, doesn’t require us to handle driving – or parking - a big rig, and doesn’t require us to tow a “local driving” vehicle behind us in order to have something to drive locally after setting up “The Rig”. Also, when it’s time to service the van, we can pull into any mechanic/dealer and get service – as opposed to having to schedule time in the places which have the equipment to handle a 40-footer. I’d like to hear counter-arguments from those of you who love the RV life – since we’ve never done that.
Of course, the downside is that we really can’t comfortably sleep in the van, so we just get hotel rooms every night. That isn’t as expensive as it sounds, however, given that we get heat, light, big bathtubs and running water, maid service, comfortable, large beds, and free breakfast with most hotels – and we use technology to help us get good rates on hotels – even when we don’t book in advance. Remember that parking an RV isn’t free – usually $15-$40 per night just for a parking space with hookups. We managed to average hotel rooms for $70 per night, so the real cost for us is only about $40/nite – with all of the other benefits. In addition, an RV can’t travel overseas. And we're not depreciating an RV even when we're not using it.
Now. Technology.
Everybody now has heard about GPS units and I love ours so much that I’ve named her “Leila” and talk to her as she guides us through Interstates and city streets alike. Actually, her name is “Leila” because she has a delicious British accent which matches the character “Leila” on a favorite TV program. But if you’re traveling without a GPS system, stop right now, and GET a GPS system. Perhaps I’ll do a whole article on GPS systems in the future.
The other HUGE helper for us is the combination of a laptop computer and an “AirCard”. The AirCard plugs into the laptop and uses cellphone-like connections to put you on the internet at almost-broadband speeds so we can be traveling the Interstates at 70MPH and be *on* the internet, using Expedia or Travelocity or Hotwire – to book our hotel for that night. It allows us to be very flexible, drive through a day, stop at anything which seems interesting, and then, only when we have a good idea of how far we’re going to get – pick a hotel for the night and still have the benefit of a competitive-rate analysis AND book online so we just show up at the hotel and they have our room ready – without having to even make a phone call. Of course, having the internet while moving also allows us to look for attractions which are coming up – or even to read interesting articles on “Examiner.com” while we’re driving (smile). Highly recommended.
So. If you want to go see America, then just pile into the family SUV/van and GO. No advance reservations. No extra charges to check bags. No intrusive searches or X-rays. No missed connections. And with the price of gas back down, the costs are low!
We’ll be hitting the road tomorrow morning – heading up good-old I95 to “greater New York City”. Come on back and ride with us.
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