This post was written by Robert Williams
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It is hard to believe we are near the end of July. We are not sure what to make of this summer here in Ontario... not the best one for sure. But then again, who are we to complain when Leg #1 sheltered us from snow and ice? However, it is true that the weather has been topsy turvy in this part of the country; even the season of summer itself is lazy to show its warm and fun self to us.
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It is hard to believe we are near the end of July. We are not sure what to make of this summer here in Ontario... not the best one for sure. But then again, who are we to complain when Leg #1 sheltered us from snow and ice? However, it is true that the weather has been topsy turvy in this part of the country; even the season of summer itself is lazy to show its warm and fun self to us.
We have settled in at our current location for the summer and will be extending our stay until mid-September. It is so quiet here and this suits us just fine. The pool is nice to use when it is too hot, it's a good perk to have. We found out, during our travels, that RV "resorts" are not really our thing. We don't care much for pool and spa, cable hookups, rec room and activities. We prefer woods, trees, fire rings, hiking trails and being away from too much activity. We splurged on a tennis membership 10 minutes away, because the "tennis court" here just won't do (it is in terrible shape).
We have commented many times to each other over the past two months that it has been difficult to stay in the same place. This is not what RVers do. Is it? Our campground here is filled with many types of dwellings: pre fab homes, restored mini cottages, converted trailers sitting on bricks, class B vans fitted with gazebos outside, and seasonal fifth wheel vehicles planted at sites with decks and sheds and rock gardens built around them. They are beautiful, unique and cozy, most with creative name posts with custom carved welcome messages at their driveways. The park is fitted with narrow, winding gravel lanes that snake leisurely from one neighborhood to the next, with quaint street names of birds to guide slow moving vehicles back and forth. Some of the residents here have told us that they have driven and explored enough; now it is time to rest and stay put. But for us, the feeling is different. As much as we may have missed familiar back yards, we are anxious to move on. And see more. Lots more.
We have been pretty quiet, both on Facebook and here. There isn't much happening, other than day-to-day living and working. But there is still the gentle, familiar habits of camping that keep us going. If not RVing, then why not camp? Cook outside, start a fire, walk a trail, take pictures, listen to the breeze tickle the leaves of trees above us... these are not just tools of comfort, these are the signposts of simple pleasures, accessible to everyone, but closer to those - such as RVers and campers - who thoroughly enjoy nature, whether in motion or not.
We have been planning our route for Leg #2 and it will be the total opposite to what we have experienced in Leg #1! The SouthEast was compact, full of attractions and distractions. The SouthWest should be - although I reserve the right to be totally wrong - more spread out and isolated. The next ten states we visit will be almost three times the size and scope of the previous twenty. The roads will be long and lonely at times; the landscape and scenery will be breathtaking; and the camping options will be often too many to choose from. We hope to feel more like pioneers this time around, and less like wide eyed tourists.
We also have a few other plans in mind. To start with, we will be ditching this blog platform here, before the domain is up for renewal in January. My biggest complaint is that you - our followers - are unable to leave a comment directly on a post. We have an alternate solution and that means a bit of work for me, but soon, I will be launching the new blog. Stay tuned.
Also, we plan on spending only 5 months in the SouthWest, instead of the 6 months we are allowed. Why is that? Alaska! Yes, once we reach British Columbia, Canada, we will consider driving up to Alaska. It is difficult to plan for a long trip that promises many impulsive and unexpected twists and turns; does every RVer out there gamble when they cross the US border? Do they wonder how long they will be permitted to stay? In our case, we are sacrificing a month in the South in the hopes of being allowed into Alaska for a sixth month, although we have been told to stay in British Columbia for at least 30 days before making the attempt; not because of the cold weather in spring, but rather because of border crossing regulations. Wherever we decide to go, there will always be a pair of dice rolling along with us.
But we are getting way ahead of ourselves at the moment. Let's just savour the rest of this summer, recharge our batteries and live in the moment!
Hope you all are having a great summer. Thank you for reading!
Chantal & Robert
