FREE RANGE RVer's

Just a thought:

A sign on the front license tag of an RV in our campground says, "FREE RANGE HUMAN".  I've heard about free range chickens and thought, now that could very well describe many RV'ers!  A full time RVer's general lifestyle provides the freedom of traveling from one place to another (think outside the box, er coop).

FREE RANGE CHICKEN

FREE RANGE RVers NEED THEIR SPACE

 Some Free Range RVers  make lots of advance preparations about what to do tomorrow (OCD RVers), but just as many seldom make carved-in-stone plans because they like that tomorrow may bring many different decisions, opportunities and considerations.  Free Range RVers are rich in time and fulfillment.  They come from all walks of life. Some are young and some are old, retired or still employed, experienced RVers and inexperienced RVers, age nor size matters,  but a good attitude is helpful, and maintaining a good sense of humor is a plus.  Could you be a Free Range RVer and not even be aware of it?

FREE RANGE RVers are A Friendly Bunch

Free Range RVers - Lots of Opportunities to Get Together

Free Range RVers Try to Stay Healthy With Exercise 

Free Range RVers  - Roosters and Hens

Most Free Range RVers have the attitude that if we don't like the weather, our neighbors, the dogs next door, or the way the sun sets in our front window, we just move.  Just like that.  We can move if we're not enjoying the scenery, or even if we want a change in scenery.

Free Range RVer Pet

Free Range RVers - Lots of Opportunities to Meet Friends

Vintage Free Range RVer Coop

Free Range RVer Fire Pit

 Some Free Range RVers are so sociable they have enough chairs by their RV they could have an old time camp meeting in their front yard.  Some Free Range RVers have an ongoing fire in the grill or the fire pit,  just in case their new best friend stops by.  Some Free Range RVers display flags that designate their citizenship, their university, their state or even their family crest (or possibly their favorite beverage logo flag).  Most will go to the trouble to place a table cloth on their picnic table (if a table is provided), and maybe even seat covers.  A flower arrangement for the table is a nice touch, but not mandatory.

Free Range Rver  Setup

Patriotic Free Range RVer Setup

Free Range RVers Have S'More Fun!  

Free Range RV Patriotic Display at Halloween 

Free Range RV Flags Displayed

Some Free Range RVers have LED lights displayed outside for the nighttime enjoyment of all their neighbors. They don't necessarily have to be colored lights programmed to music. They can be rope lights that distinguish their campsite property line and helps keep the wild animals and critters out of the yard at night. Free Range RVers don't usually put the neon palm tree, flamingo, or shotgun shell hanging lights on the awnings in the evening because it takes entirely too much time to put them up and take them down. These items are normally displayed only on special occasions.

Non-Free Range RV Light Displays

Non-Free Range RVer Football Fan Display

Free Range RVer with Interior Neon Light Display

Free Range RVers may not know the day of the week, the time of the day, what time zone they are in, what month it is, but they know how many years they've been carrying on like this.  We met one couple that have been Free Range RVers (full-timers) for over 30 years and are still in love.  We're in our 6th year of being Free Range RVers and we're considered RV babies.

Free Range Canadian Geese Family

Free Range Road Well Traveled

 

Free Range RVers never have to say, "I can't wait to back home in my own bed!" after a trip.

Free Range RVer Bed 

As we began writing about this subject, the possibilities Free Range RVers face on a daily basis are endless.  That's another good part about it.  It's part of the Free Range RVer spirit (*knuckle bump*)!

May you be open to possibilities

May you be courageous and create history and 

May the Force be with you!

WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD!

Were we really in Michigan since June 1?  While in Michigan, every summer day felt like a fall day to us.  Recently, we traded the Great Lakes for the Tennessee River and the Wilson Dam, in Florence, AL.  This weekend was an important bass fishing tournament.  Around 7:00 AM this morning at least 100 boats were roaring down the river.  Also, instead of 1000 foot tankers in the Great Lakes, we are seeing tugboats pushing huge barges in both directions on the Tennessee River.

Florence, AL and the Tennessee River

McFarland Park - Florence, AL

Getting ready to catch bass at 7:00 AM in the morning!

 We treasure the memories of  the past few months.  We've missed our family and friends, and they have missed us as well.  RV full-timing involves such a small window of your life and we know this isn't going to last forever, but so far it has been 6 years of an interesting and wonderful lifestyle.

Our home - Allegro Bus

  We enjoy receiving and reading blogs from other RV'ers...sometimes people who just reflect on their retirement, or they may share drop-dead gorgeous photos they take of American treasures.  One blog really meant something to me.  The blogger wrote about making an effort to be a positive part of someone's day - just by extending a smile, a positive gesture, and seeing where that leads.  We agree, because sometimes, unknown to us, we have had encounters with people we would never have met.   Sometimes when we make the first move to meet people, it may be the nicest gesture anyone has made that day.  For instance, RV always says, "Welcome to the neighborhood!", when someone arrives. We may not have been set up more than 30 minutes ourselves (but they don't know it), and it always brings a smile to their face.

On the way to the next adventure!

 To say we've met some of the most interesting people since we started full time RVing is an understatement.  Some of our new friends are retired, some are leading up to retirement, and some still work but can travel.  Some have 5th wheels,  vintage trailers (Sisters On The Fly), travel trailers, and others like us may have a Class A motorhome.  We've met new friends who have brought us dinner, given us beautiful handmade gifts, asked us to visit them in their homes, given us buckets of just-picked field peas, peppers and okra, and shared their technical knowledge of RVing with RV.

Getting together with friends in Traverse City, MI

Tent Campers in Michigan

Vintage Serro Scotty - Sisters On The Fly - Michigan

Travel Trailer Campers

The Whitney's at Indigo Bluffs - Empire, MI

Vintage  Class A Motor Home - 1970 GMC

 If we are in northwest Alabama, close to Tupelo, MS, then we are most likely getting ready for our annual visit to the coach manufacturer, Tiffin Motorhomes, in Red Bay, AL.  We haven't had any major issues this year with the coach, so nothing is being held together with duct tape (Alabama chrome) or zip ties.  After getting some sexy new tires and some minor repairs and modifications, we'll leave this area after Labor Day.    

CANADIAN WILDERNESS

From our campsite at Aune Osborn Campground on the St. Mary's River, we could look across the water to the sister city of Sault Ste. Marie, MI to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.  We decided it would be a shame to come this far north and not cross over into Canada.  Many people we talked with suggested we take the popular 1 day Agawa Canyon Tour Train.  We made reservations and began reading about what we would need to do to cross over into Canada for the day as well as what to expect on our trip of 114 miles north into the Canadian wilderness.

We were to pick up our tickets at "will call" before 730AM, so not knowing what to expect at the border crossing, we left our campground about 6:00AM.  After crossing the International Bridge into Canada, the train station is easy to locate because of all the signs, and we arrived about 6:30AM.  Needless to say we were the first ones in the parking lot, but as RV always says, "If you're not 10 minutes early, you're 20 minutes late."

The train departed promptly at 8:00AM with about 8 cars full of travelers from all over the world.

The Agawa Tour Train is equipped with many creature comforts to make the tour more comfortable such as commentaries at important points of the trip, including history of the region and stories of the Ojibway (Chippewa), fur traders, explorers and entrepreneurs that opened up this vast wilderness.  The diesel  locomotive has mounted digital cameras so passengers can see the engineer's 'eye-view' over flat screened monitors installed throughout the coaches.  The dining car was the next car to ours and was open until we were almost back to the train station. 

About 4 hours later, at Mile 114, we arrived at the Agawa Canyon Park and were given an opportunity to hike around the park, view Black Beaver Falls as well as Bridal Veil Falls, or just sit on a shaded bench and watch the Agawa River flow peacefully by. 

We packed a picnic lunch and spent the next hour and a half enjoying the incredible beauty that Northern Ontario has to offer.   Anything that lives here leads a rough life when you consider an annual snow fall exceeding 15 feet. 

Our return trip was the same showcase of rugged beauty and we moved to the other side of the aisle.  We saw panoramic views of parts of Lake Superior, and skirted the shores of northern lakes and rivers.  The unending mixed forests of the Canadian Shield seemed to open for the slow pace of the train.  The gentle movement of the train made it easy to nod off to sleep and just about everyone took catnaps throughout the trip.  We arrived back in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario at the Algoma Central Railway Station about 6:00PM . The day was extremely enjoyable, relaxing, and we would do it all over again.  

It was a comfort to cross back over into the United States, and we can check one more thing off our bucket list.