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