Writer Carl Sandberg once said, “Nearly all the best things that came to me in life have been unexpected, unplanned by me.” No doubt that sentiment is echoed by scores of RVers who embrace adventure in their journeys. This month’s topic centers on that idea:
Describe an unexpected event or encounter you experienced during a motorhome trip.
We attend NASCAR races a couple times a year and stay at Logan Landing in Pell City, Alabama, for the Talladega race. After enjoying the race, I decided to place the tow bar back on our 40th anniversary Mustang for the trip to Upper Michigan on Monday, late at night. I forgot to put the pins in the hitch; only the padlocks were connected. The unexpected uncoupling came as we left the campground. We heard a thud, looked in the rear camera, and discovered the car was gone. My wife exclaimed, “There it goes, passing us on the right side!” I thought it would stop in the ditch, but oh no, it continued on until it hit two trees, wiped off the right power mirror, and incurred some other damage, but still was drivable. We hooked the car up again, and towed it on home. Now I leave the tow bar on, and it is pinned and locked.
Bruce and Carolyn Dodson, F17231
St. Ignace, Michigan
Traveling from Texas to Florence, Oregon, in early July, we were looking for a place to overnight as we passed through Burns, Oregon. It was nearing dusk when we spotted a truck stop with a large, empty parking lot adjacent to the highway on the west side of town. We pulled in and pointed the rig toward the highway for an easy exit the following morning. We had made the journey many times through this part of central Oregon, admiring the vast irrigated fields of vegetables and hay, often leaving a couple of windows open in the late afternoon to experience the fragrance of the delightful countryside. This evening, as dusk turned a bit darker, a few cars and pickups joined us until we were surrounded, all pointing at the highway. Out came chairs and coolers. As darkness settled in, just straight ahead of us, a magnificent fireworks display began, easily seen through our windshield. The aerial display went on and on. We were amazed as we realized it was the Fourth of July. This small town had done itself proud.
Bill and Deanie Hendrix, F761s
Erie, Colorado
At one of our stops on our way to Alaska, we met an RV couple from Idaho who were headed in the same direction. They told us to look them up when we got to Fairbanks, so we did. He had an 18-wheeler and they invited us to join them in taking a load of drilling sand, etc. to Prudhoe Bay. Back then, only trucks and buses could drive the Haul Road. What an experience: 500 miles of gravel road, beautiful mountains, lots of wildlife, even a grizzly bear. We watched the sun go down, and within a short time it was back up. Our 24-hour trip up and back is an experience we will always remember, thanks to a friendly RV couple.
Erv and Iris Ohman, F153399
Pelican Rapids, Minnesota
We were on a Fantasy RV tour through the beautiful Copper Canyon of Mexico. We had just completed our tour of Cerocahui, where we walked the little village, visited the children’s mission, and had a fantastic dinner at Hotel Mision. We were then bused back to our RVs at a train siding in Bahuichivo for the night. The next morning we waited for our train to come take us to Los Mochis, where we would unload the RVs and head south to Mazatlan. It was Valentine’s Day, and many had a romantic evening planned. After five hours, we were told that because of a landslide, we were stuck there until the next day. There was barely five feet of walking space between the tracks and the forest; however, we found a space where we all could gather. Quickly, we had the four security guards who travel with us gather firewood and start a campfire. In less than 30 minutes, we had tables set up, music playing, blenders roaring, and popcorn with all 32 caravaners sitting around a warm campfire. Next thing you know, a large potluck dinner was before us! We even had large heart-shaped Valentine cookies, compliments of the wagon master. At 6:00 a.m. the next day, our engine was there and away we went to the next exciting adventure. Yes, you can make lemonade from lemons.
Weta Berger, F205425
Brownsville, California
Future questions:
1. How do you work at staying fit during motorhome trips?
2. If you have time to use your motorhome only on weekends, what’s your favorite camping destination?