A Toad and the Tourist
My toad, a 2017 Ford Focus Titanium Hatchback towed all four wheels down behind my motorhome, has turned me into a sightseeing tourist. For awhile, at least while just hanging out at the same campground in Tucson for five weeks, I questioned what category of RV traveler I was. Some possibilities included snow bird, vacationer, tourist, vagabond or maybe just a wanderer. But nearly 7000 miles later I am able to call myself a tourist, at least for this trip, although I have also been labeled as a vagabond by a dear friend. During my journey...
read moreLate Start, Friends and a Toad
Winter hit home in Clarence early and hard, so I had the RV winterized, with the vague idea I might get on the road during a January thaw. I also had my car & RV setup so I can tow my car four wheels down. For my non RV friends it is affectionately called a Toad. I also contemplated why I was leaving. Was I a “snow bird” who just wanted to escape winter in WNY or do I really just do it for the traveling? Being retired does change my outlook on winter. My new car has remote start, my new house has a carport and I don’t have to drive to...
read moreHappiness on the Road
Happiness on the road can be a lot of different things, although the general theme revolves around the people you meet. The following is a list of things that made me happy last year. There is no particular order and the punctuation and grammar are just what they are. Check the gallery at the bottom for an assortment of pictures trying to represent some of the many things that have made me happy while traveling. Seeing beautiful sunsets and sunrises, more of the former since I tend to sleep in Meeting Lynn, Cecil & Becky in Florida;...
read moreTrials & Tribulations
There are plenty of blogs and specialty websites devoted to what you should or shouldn’t do as an RV owner. I have read blogs that list the negatives. positives, recommended practices, essential needs, newbie mistakes to avoid, the lists go on. My perspective is that you and only you can determine much of what is really important and that which is not. You learn from your own mistakes and experiences. Everyone has their own skill sets and capabilities. There are multitudes of types of RVs and they can be old, new or in between. Each has it’s...
read moreTexas is a Really Big State
When I think of Texas, I’ve always associated it with huge. We’ve all heard of Texas sized whatever: food products, meals, ranches and more. In my retail store, my spice vendor from Houston sold Texas sized versions of their most popular rubs. Texas is huge, the state covers 267,339 square miles, or 7.4% of the nation’s total area. If Texas were its own country, it would have the 12th-highest GDP in the World and it would be the world’s 7th largest oil producer. After a wonderful couple of weeks at Betty’s RV Park, I left on...
read moreMy Weather Obsession
Being from Buffalo, I should be used to all kinds of weather. Some sayings about the weather back home: “There are two seasons in Buffalo, July & Winter or “If you don’t like the weather now, just wait 15 minutes.” The term “snow birds” takes on new meaning when traveling in an RV during the winter. I continue to manage a BBQ Competition and Festival, Oinktoberfest, which is held annually in late September. Weather is always a factor when running an outdoor event at that time of year in WNY. Over the years I’ve obsessed over...
read moreBetty’s Web
Unique, eclectic, character, hospitality, diverse, friendly, active, crowded, basic, fun: what do all these words have in common? These are all words that describe the experience of staying at Betty’s RV Park in Abbeville, LA. Notice I used the word experience since that is what camping at Betty’s RV Park is all about. Even the weather can be an event, changing from a sunny 70+ one day to a below freezing 23 for two nights in a row, so cold that we disconnected from the water so Betty could wrap the faucets. When arriving at Betty’s, fellow...
read moreOn the Road Again
I finally did it. I’m on the road for the winter seeking out better places to be than upstate NY. Although the trip down south did have it’s cold moments. First night in a closed campground, the winds were gusting at 40+ and temps were in the lower 20s. The owner sent an employee to turn on the electric for the night. Second night was just as cold but no wind. I’m glad I got the water lines drained & blown out. Proving that some of people that you meet while rving become friends, I met up with Kevin who I had met with...
read moreHome Alone
There are worse things than coming home. Weather in this part of upstate NY is great in the Summer. My brother, my friends, my favorite chair, my home bed, familiar restaurants and stores are all here. You get the idea. We all have our comfort zones and for most people, that includes their home base. I’m not always a list maker, but this summer I’ve made plenty. In part to keep myself focused but to also recap all the things I need for another trek on the road in the new RV. If you have been following the blog, you will know I...
read moreCampgrounds, campgrounds, campgrounds…
There are campgrounds and then there are CAMPGROUNDS. There are an unending variety and types of campgrounds available to the RV travelers. From federal free BLM land with no amenities or services to high end resorts with all the amenities you can imagine including pools, hot tubs, garbage pickup every day, laundry, meeting rooms, library, etc. Some have character others do not. Reading most of the review sites would leave one with the impression that if the restrooms and showers weren’t perfectly clean the park was not that good or if...
read moreRandom Pics from the Blog
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- Fred from Fred’s Steakhouse
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- Sunrise
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- Sunset
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- The Bread Guy
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- Lynn
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- My Campsite
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- Great Breakfast Tacos
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- A Happy Pig
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- Best Menudo Ever
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- The Horseshoe Grill
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- Mt Lemmon
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- Whitetail Ridge
