So What Have We Learned....Life in a Tiny RV

Camping in an RV has been such a learning experience for us.  While we camped for years it was always in tents.  Almost three years ago when we made the leap and brought Little Red home we had no idea just how different it would be.  Life changing for us!  This pic is from Google Images and our campsite sure never looked like this.  There was usually lots of dirt...everywhere, so much heat and freezing when it was cold and rain....the rain is just too much fun!  Once we even brought an electric blanket with us on a particularly cold outing. That was life changing at the time.

Since we've been tiny RV campers we have made lots of mistakes and learned so much.  I believe this has made us a little better but we still have so much to learn. I guess that never ends and that's what makes it all fun and exciting.  Here are a few things I wanted to share that I wish I had known in the beginning.  Enjoy!  😆

1.  Always always unhook your chains before you pull your tow vehicle forward!  That lesson only took one try and Lucy and I were inside the camper when Greg pulled this trick.  It was quite a jerk...we're not a fan!

2.  Don't leave your sink running while you run outside to see the latest dog walking by!  I did learn that our little camper is sealed up pretty good.  The water ran down through the drawers and to the floor across to the dinette. It was an easy clean up but just don't do it!

3.  Be sure your spouse/significant other is out of the way when you are parking the camper.  Hitting this person or your dog with the camper can truly put a damper on the whole outing.  Luckily I move pretty quickly when necessary.  No more details necessary.

4.  Apologize profusely for your actions when you are backing the camper into a difficult spot.  Stay calm and take your time and remember that you have to camp with this person after you accomplish this task!

5.  Take alternative activities because many times even your cell phone won't get reception and if you're an addict (Greg) you won't be happy.  😛 We take a few games, books, cards, etc.  I know this sounds like simple stuff but I can't emphasize this enough if you're a new camper.  When we were younger we had kids to occupy our time.  As seniors it can get pretty quiet.  Scrabble is one of our favorites!

 6.  Don't take too much food...you can buy more most of the time and it's actually fun to visit local stores/markets.  We love to eat and get way too excited about meals and filling up the fridge and cooler as well and more.  In a small camper there isn't much room for dry goods and the fridge isn't that big either.  So we are constantly moving and shuffling food and then end up taking a good bit back home with us.  We are really working on getting this under control because nobody wants heavy canned goods falling on their head when their significant other is digging through the cabinets.  Lucy has no patience for that foolishness!

7.  BUG spray is an essential.  When we tent camped we knew this but somehow forgot with our RV.  For some reason I'm a bug magnet - Greg not so much.  A lot of the places we camp are inundated with bugs and that can really put a damper on things.  We have found Skin So Soft from Avon truly works and there are no dangerous chemicals, etc.  It smells pretty good too.  Greg goes for the industrial stuff that would knock a bug dead at 50 feet.  He stinks but it works.

8.  Leave stuff you don't need at hand in your two vehicle.  We have very limited space and trying to take shoes, too many clothes, too much food, etc. all in the camper at once makes for lots of irritability and falls getting to the bathroom in the middle of the night.  Now we leave everything that's not needed in the car and we get what we need when we need it.

9.  Don't spray lots of aerosol air freshener in a small camper....even if for obvious reasons!  It will set off your carbon monoxide alarm and that's just no fun!  It takes forever to clear it and make it stop.  Just don't do it!  Open a window. Buy some of this stuff - it works and doesn't cause a vapor.  

I think that's enough for now but we have made so many more mistakes that we can share.  Sharing is caring....😏  See you on the road.

Our Favorite Campground, Empty Nesting, Meal Planning and More....

Well we did it again....if I'm counting right this was our fourth trip to Myrtle Beach State Park!  This has become our favorite place to camp and our go to for relaxation.  If you haven't been you may want to put it on your list.  It's wooded, lots of cool breezes, short walk to the beach and so much more.  If you are not a fan of the hustle and bustle of Myrtle Beach but love the beach this is a great choice.  Once you are in the park you won't even know you are in the middle of a tourist city.  It's just amazing.  There are trails for adventuring and in the off season there are beautiful horses that you can ride on the beach.  Pets are allowed all year, different times in the busy season, but they are allowed all day in off season.  Lucy loves it and being with all of the other pups is so much fun for her.

Greg works a lot of hours and getting away to a place where we can actually relax is so important. We talked to our neighbors and they visit this campground for two weeks twice a year.  They also had a sweet dog that Lucy made friends with.  She loves the screened room with a breeze where she can dog watch. 

 I'm looking forward to Greg retiring so that we can take trips like that. Working towards retirement is something I would like to touch on here too.  Greg will more than likely need to retire at 62 due to his health.  He may be able to do some part time things that I hope will be mobile so that we can travel and he could still be able to work.  Life is short and we know so well how fleeting it can be.  After the last year and a half, we look at things differently and our priorities have definitely changed.

Meal planning is something important that I need to focus on.  Since I am already retired I hope to take on that project with Greg's help.  I've never been good at planning - I would just wing it and we ate out way too much which is such a huge expense.  So...I hope to share some of what I learn on that subject.

We are now empty nesters and for the first time in our lives we are living alone together.  I had two little boys when Greg and I got together and we raised them along with the two we had after we married.  This is so new and different for us and we are celebrating our 34th wedding anniversary in May and we have been together 36 years.  Holy cow...I have not lived without at least one of our kids since 1978.  Truly!!!  It's an adjustment for sure but we are going to be fine....I hope.  If we can just figure out the thermostat and WIFI.....😊  Oh and scrabble matches are saving our brains ...at least we can hope!

Changes, Camping and More....

In the last four months we have been through lots of changes and we find ourselves in a bit of a new reality.  That's not always a bad thing and we are working to embrace our new day to day.  Life changes quickly and if there is anything we have learned it's to embrace each and every day, enjoy life, and don't waste time on things that just don't matter.  I'm posting this rare picture of us here because we want to come out from behind the camera and let everyone know that we are the face of senior life and the challenges it can include. 

We are in that now common position where our parents have been our responsibility and concern in day to day life.  In the last few months we have lost my Mother and Greg's Dad.  Now Greg's Mom is alone and that is a daily worry.  She is very independent and self sufficient but loosing a partner that you have spent more than 60 years of your life with can bring on all sorts of dilemmas.  The loss of Greg's Dad was quick and somewhat unexpected and has left a hole in our family.  My Mother was ill and in long term care for over a year and a half and while expected, it was much sooner than anticipated.

In the midst of all of this Greg has suffered a long chronic illness which resulted in his loosing a job that he loved.  This has been another death of sorts for him and has been a process to begin to move forward from that.  We have been stalled and having difficulty in moving in that direction but we are now on the road and hoping to keep plodding ahead.

Another event that has definitely effected our lives was the loss of our beloved 14 year old Beagle Jack, Beeger.  He was the most loyal and sweet boy and his favorite person in the world was Greg.  He never left his side when he was home and he was happiest in the yard helping out.  He had been declining for quite a while and also had dementia.  We had to make the very difficult decision to put him down four days before Greg's Dad died.  We could not allow him to suffer any longer.  He talked to us until he drew his last breath.  He was never able to camp with us due to his health but he was so happy to see us each time we returned.  Understandably this has been very hard on Lucy as well.  She knows that he is gone and she is alone with out a sibling for the first time in her life.  Hopefully at some point we will find another rescue the she loves like she did our sweet Beeger aka BJ!

What's the point of sharing all of this??  We hope that others out there who are suffering similar difficulties in life can see that it is possible to find joy even in the midst of pain and loss.  We have felt that we have been hit by a landslide of loss lately but as the clouds clear away we are left with a glimmer of bright light and hope for our future.  We are so excited to be welcoming our very first Grandchild this month and the joy and anticipation of his arrival gives us hope for brighter days ahead.  We are so very fortunate to have four beautiful grown sons and their wonderful spouses!!  And...we know that all of these events are part of life and endured by us all.

We are looking forward to a camping trip hopefully next week before Greg gets back to work in a new and different job.  A little time spent in Little Red always gives us perspective and brings us back to whats important in life.  Stay tuned to see where we travel to.  Spring is usually beautiful in South Caroling!

Little Red Traveled Back to Devil's Fork...

We actually spent a whole week in one spot - first time for us and we loved it.  I didn't want to leave but of course it's always nice to get home.  Lake Jocassee is a beautiful back drop and it was just steps away from our site.  We camped on #1 this trip and we had made reservations back in October of last year for this visit.  This campground is very busy during peak times so make your plans early.  Even the tent sites fill up.

Lucy loved the lake and actually went swimming this time.  Her favorite thing to do was sit out in the screened room in front of the fan and chill.  As usual she didn't love the drive but the car seat did help.  She spent about half of the trip in her seat and slept and looked out the window..  That is a huge improvement and made us very happy.  Thanks so much to the camp host at Table Rock State Park for that idea!!

Our set up this time was awesome.  We had the screened room and our site was right beside the path to a little beach area on the lake.  That kept us from having to walk down to the main swimming area, although we did just about every day for ice and ice cream....of course.  😀  There are so many trails
and areas to walk in this park and plenty to do.  On this trip the campground was fairly packed and bustling.  We met so many people and dogs of course.  Lucy made all kinds of friends.  We have to shout out to Charles and Ashley and their dog Katie - they left us their awning on the lake and it was awesome and we left it for some kids who were there when we left.  We also met the most awesome little dog named Bud...Lucy was in love with him and he tolerated her.  He was quite the Man! 

This was the most moderate weather we have experienced so far and we cooked outside every day.  The bugs were minimal and the sun was beautiful through out our visit.  We could not have ordered a better week.  It was also our 32nd wedding anniversary mid-week so we celebrated by going into Seneca and having dinner at the local Fatz restaurant.  It was excellent and so much fun.

Our youngest and his girlfriend came down and spent the last few days with us in a tent and we all had a blast.  They canoed some and we all went to an awesome local Mexican restaurant for lunch on Friday.  We found the neatest little general store and picked up some goodies there.  It is stocked with unique canning jars, Lodge products, handmade goodies and so much more.  If you are in the area do stop by The Burgess General Store and visit with Mark and Krystal.

We love this area and will definitely visit again.  From here out until Fall this campground is super packed and hard to get reservations.  Be sure to plan ahead if you want to camp here.

So far we are still loving Little Red and he has been very reliable and very little issues - always caused by our lack of knowledge or human error.  The only thing on our list down the road would be a little larger camper - possibly a 177 or a little bigger.  A walk around bed would so nice but we still love our little 166 and we can easily tow it with our Ford Edge.

As far as gadgets on this trip we used our Coleman grill every day and it actually works better than our big gas grill that we use at home.  We would highly recommend it to anyone who camps or tailgates ....or just needs to be mobile.  The other real life saver on this trip was the "Pooper" - this was our first use of it because we were staying put for the week.  We were so happy to have it.  Being in one place and having relatively small tanks on the 166 it really made our stay so much easier.  This is something we would also highly recommend if you camp a lot where there are no full hook-ups available or you just don't want to pay extra for them.  It was quick
and easy to attach to the back of the car and drive down to empty.  It also made it easier when we left and dumped the tanks.  

We have more pics of the lake on Greg's DSLR camera and we will put those up as soon as we get them transferred.  Not sure where our next trip will take us but we'll keep you posted.  See you on the road....

Happy New Year and Gifts for Campers

We had a wonderful Christmas and New Year around here and we received some awesome camping goodies!!  Most of our family members are well aware that we love camping....probably because we talk about it all the time and there is this cute little red camper in our drive way and all.  The kids were so thoughtful and really set us up for our next trip.

This is the gas grill that we had hoped for and of course it's red.  It folds down and you can actually pull it along like a wagon.  I don't know if we will be able to wait to use it.  We had seen one of these in action several years ago and knew it would be perfect.  They gave us the converter so we can hook it right up to the extra gas bottle we travel with.  We love it!!!  You can find them here.

Also on our wish list was the portable black water collector or as we affectionately call it "the Pooper".  In a small trailer having extra holding space for black water really helps out if we're camping more than a few days.  That way we don't have to take the whole shebang down to the dump station or worse, risk an over flow.  Not fun by the way.  The only color I have seen these in is usually a poopy brown so I was pretty excited that our son found this blue/grey one.  It has a nice strong handle for pulling and he also grabbed a neat box of gloves that has a dispenser that adheres inside the storage area.  This guy is going to make for less trips to the bath house.....and believe me old people have to go a lot.  😀  These are located here.

Next up were warm Snuggies for us both.  In our small space we try not to take anything unnecessary inside the trailer and big coats stay out in the car.  I would never have thought of these but we just love them and they are lightweight and easy to carry and just perfect for hanging out in our camper during colder months.  They even have a little pocket up front which is perfect for the remote or any needed snacks. So much fun at home too.  You can find them here.

I also received the most wonderful socks.  I wear socks all the time in cold months and try to take my shoes off whenever I'm in the trailer.  Two types that I completely recommend are the Cuddle Duds pictured here and also the Fireside Socks which are aloe infused and lined with fleece.  They are super comfy and it doesn't hurt that really cute too! 

We also received our little Camper Elf, Peppy, and we are excited to see what he and Lucy will get into on our next adventure.  We are hoping to get down to Edisto Beach Campground sometime in January.  It's a beautiful area and beach and should be be peaceful this time of year.  Our wish list for trips this year include Tybee Island, Asheville, some upstate campgrounds and hopefully some along the North Carolina coast as well.  Wishing all a Happy New Year and many wonderful camping adventures. 

Why Do We Camp???

Why do we camp....this is a question we hear a lot - especially way back when we tent camped.  I can't answer this for anyone else but for us it is our reset button.

Why would you want to cook outside, use bug spray like it's hand lotion, hover over a hole in the ground to do unspeakable things???  Also - there is lots of discussion about what is really camping and what is just staying somewhere else other than home.  Some say if you use an RV then you aren't really camping.  Others call it Glamping.  For us our little camper is a safe haven.....we still cook outside, still use the bath house at campgrounds and spend a good deal of our time outside the camper.  But I am the first to admit that we are not the hard core campers who are out in the woods in a tent with no running water.  We are old and those days, for the most part, have passed us by.  I like knowing that I have a place to go if I need to use the bathroom at night and its dark outside.  I like having a hot shower in the bathhouse and I like the combination of the comforts of home along with the experience of staying in a campground.

Now why do we do this - well here is a list of our reasons - I am sure there are others but these are the ones that come to mind.  I love knowing why others enjoy it too.  We have met so many people along the way and we share our stories and we find so much more in common that we could imagine.  It is an awesome community!

1. It is a reset - a back to simple things trip that gives us time to do things that we just don't take the time to do at home.
2. It makes us thankful - for running water, hot showers, a clean place to sleep, and good food to eat.  When we get back home we are ever more thankful for the ease of life there and we appreciate simple things so much more.
3. The nature - I can't say this enough.  We have seen things at campgrounds that we would never experience at home.  Having a  young deer lick your hand and look you right in the eye is something I will never forget.  Seeing a little family of raccoons scamper up a tree and sit and watch is was just amazing.
4. Walking....we walk and exercise so much more than at home.  We drive less and force ourselves to do things and we actually like it.  If you knew me then you would know that is quite the accomplishment.
5. People - campers are just the best.  We meet the most remarkable people and they teach us so much. We meet their awesome dogs and learn about where they are from and what camping means for them.
6. The food - you just learn a new appreciation for how to make things over a fire or on a small grill.  You learn to combine the skills you use at home with making the best of what you have on hand.  When you sit down to enjoy that meal you just created it just tastes better, smells better and you linger over your meal and enjoy the experience.
7. The atmosphere.  One of my favorite things is a walk around the camp at dusk when there are smells in the air of fires and dinners being prepared.  Lights of all sorts and types glow around the campsites.  Kids are playing outside and you hear laughter and joy.  I so enjoy seeing the different setups, tents, campers and more.  
8. Travel - camping allows us to travel and is so much more affordable.  Exploring our state and neighboring ones is something we otherwise would not be able to do.
9. The stars - you can't see stars in many places like you can in a campground or out away from light pollution.  We had never seen anything like the evening sky show we glimpsed each night on our last trip. 
10. The sounds - the chirping, croaking, humming, singing of nature is magical and so very peaceful for us.

Now I am sure there are many more advantages that don't come to mind but these are the highlights for us.  I
love discovering the joys others find.  In my mind camping is not just a leisure activity but a healthy habit.  Already planning our next adventure. 

The Litte Red Retro ~ Our Road Warrior

Well - we finally did it!  After 30 plus years of wanting and wishing, we took the plunge and got ourselves a tiny sweet little camper.  As old tent campers this is an awesome refuge from the heat and more.  We are in love!!  She is a Riverside Retro RV and very light making it possible that we can pull her with our Ford Edge.  We took her out on her maiden roll a week ago and it was awesome - more on that later.

This little unit is so compact but packs a punch in details and comfort.  It has a roof top air conditioner that will absolutely blow you out with cold air.  It has both heat pump and gas heat, gas stove and a wet bath.  There is a full size queen bed and dinning area and tons of storage spaces and cabinets.  It also includes a little dinette reminiscent of the 50's and 60's canned hams.  We had thought for years that we would try and rehab an old original one of these but one day when we were out and about we saw a couple of the Retro's at a local dealership and we were hooked - it was love at first sight!

There are different sizes and models of the Retro and we chose the Model 166 based on weight and affordability.  Their web site linked above gives the floor plans and pics of them inside and out.  Down the road if we change up vehicles, we may opt for a bigger model of RV.  For now this one is a dream come true and we are hoping to schedule one camping trip per month.

We will rate the sites we visit and offer tips and info on senior camping and what makes it easier, harder and just plain enjoyable.  For me, I have always loved the atmosphere of the campground and seeing all of the different campers and set ups.  It's an awesome community and we are so excited to be a part of it.  Join us as we roll through South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina on our first adventures.  By the way we live in South Carolina.