Biking Yosemite National Park
In RVers: How Do They Live Like That? authors Judy Farrow and Lou Stoetzer identify three styles of travel when RVers are in the initial or honeymoon stage of RV travel. They are:
- Meandering tourist
- Purposeful tourist
- Working tourist
The meandering tourist wanders with no definite plan in mind. If they get somewhere and feel like staying they do. If not, they move on. They enjoy an area for what it has to offer.
The purposeful tourist travels with a mission or focus to their travels. We’ve met RVers who wanted to visit every state capitol, see a game in each baseball stadium or research genealogy. Some RVers pick a theme for a summer such as follow the Lewis and Clark Trail, see Civil War battlefields, or visit Little House on the Prairie sites. Still others rotate visits among family members. Hiking or biking Rails to Trails can also give focus.
The working tourist works, either as they travel, or works or volunteers in a location for a period of time. While some RVers do want or need the income, others work or volunteer for the structure it provides or to stay busy. Or, they may believe in the organization and want to give back. Habitat for Humanity RV Care-A-Vanners or RVers who help out in disasters are examples. Staying in a location for a period of time allows a slower, deeper exploration of an area.
Does one of these fit your travel patterns, either now or in the past? Can you see where being a tourist, especially a meandering tourist, might not last before losing its charm? Authors Farrow and Stoetzer explain how, after 18-24 months, many RVers suffer “road angst” and reach a fork in their RV road.
Which type of RV tourist are you? Vote at PollDaddy.com and leave a comment too!
Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
Maybe a combination is best. Yes,the RV life is good however you live it!
Jaimie
Harold
I’m not sure what field we fall into, But I know we really really enjoy our life style. We’ve been on the road for the winters since 2000, sold out in 2004 to become fulltimers. We like most, follow the sun, north in the summer and south in the winter. Really enjoy making new friends where ever we travel.
I agree with Barbara LIFE IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
barbara kruger
I am a single retired female and for the past 3 years I have meandered but with many purposes. I head to at least one rally each year and stop to visit family and friends from Maine to San Diego as I go. Have to see my kids and grands a couple of times per year. I will be at a rally near Niagara falls in July and then hit new England for 3 months with at least 1000 posible stops researched. Always meander south of I 10 in the winter unless i hop on a plane. Life is good
Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
Interesting that most so far meander. Some RVers have a difficult time slowing down and taking their time.
For the long run do you think meandering works? Or do meanderers eventually get tired of it?
Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
Geoffrey Pruett
One of each, I can wander and stop at whim most times, Partner makes reservations during the deadest part of non tourist season “just in case”. When we have a destination I wear blinders and she wants to take a break so we balance out. Having our own pillows waiting takes the stress out of even traffic jams because the worst that can happen is we start recycling our “road music” CD collection.
Jim Whittaker
We always start with a location but allow some extra time for wandering. The wandering of an area generally presents numerous additional interesting sights that we would have missed.
Gerald Strickland
I guess we are “meandering” although we frequently have a specific idea of where we will go. This year will be our 11th trip and they last from 4 to 8 months. We live in South Florida and our plan this year is to be in Texas for a wedding; after that, we will head for the west coast but absolutely no definite route or time table. We may go via Colorado and Montana or perhaps via Phoenix. However, we do intend to stay in Astoria, OR for a week and if we enjoy it, we’ll stay longer. We’ve been there several times but only for a couple of days. There are all ways places or things that we want to see or do – if we get close to where they are located.
Dave
We are the meander type. We have traveled extensively in the British Isles and now that we are older have a Class A to travel extensively in the good ole’ USA.
We have so many beautiful places to see here and don’t have enought time to see everything so we meander from one great location to another, but we do plan a direction from the end of our driveway.
Sometime that changes from the house to the highway but we love the adventure anyway with our 2 furry kids.
Drew
I write down some points of interest to visit, but I meander mostly
Glen Odom
I guess I have to confess to being the purposeful style since we normally travel with a planned route with ultimate locations to visit. Even with that we do make sure we try to allow sufficient time to wonder on the side lines. Simply put we just love to hitch up and make a trip in the RV and enjoy the countryside.