Shopping for Spirits

One of the interesting challenges we’ve encountered on the road is restocking our liquor cabinet. We haven’t had to do it all that often! But, here in Arkansas we’re reminded we’re not in California anymore.

In California, buying booze is a no-brainer. There you can walk into any grocery store and choose from a wide variety of domestic and imported wines or spirits. You can pick up your favorite beer, too. Prices vary from place to place in California, but with a plethora of vintages produced within the state, the marketplace for adult beverages is pretty competitive.

Here in Arkansas, you can buy wine in the grocery store, but only if it is produced by a small winery in Arkansas. Needless to say, the pickin’s are slim. So, if you would like an out-of-state wine or any spirits, you’ll have to locate a liquor store and make you purchase there. But, never on Sunday. You can treat yourself to a scotch and water at a restaurant and then drive home any day of the week. But, you can’t buy a bottle of scotch to enjoy a cocktail in the comfort and safety of home on a Sunday.

Go figure.

Another element of the challenge for us fulltimers is choosing the state to make your liquor purchases. Prices can jump or fall as you cross a border. And, when you do, you face a new set of rules.

Today we stocked up on the spirits we’d hoped to buy yesterday. While we were making our purchase, we learned more about the quirks of liquor laws in the razorback state. The clerk asked us how long we would be in town and where we were headed next. When we told him we were heading out to Mississippi in the morning, he encouraged us to stock up.

He said it’s crazy down there!

Paper Texans

Our drive from Monett to Little Rock was a bit longer than we like, at about 280 miles, but it treated us to something we’ve seen precious little of: Sunshine! By afternoon, the sky was cloudy once again, and rain was in the Little Rock forecast. Oh boy! The rain seems to be following us everywhere.

When we pulled into Maumelle Park, a Corps of Engineers facility in northwest Little Rock, we were greeted by two cheery park attendants who were eager to check us in. One of the first questions we were asked was our address, city and state first. When we replied Livingston, Texas, she asked another question.

“Are you real Texans or paper Texans,” she inquired with a smile.

“Paper Texans,” we replied in perfect sync.

“So, where on Rainbow Drive do you live?” was her next question. We gave her the remaining details, then her cohort added: “There are a lot of people who live on there on Rainbow Drive.”

“Yep,” said Paul. “It’s a really crowded place.”

The rest of our conversation centered around fulltiming, and our newness at the lifestyle. They gave us some welcome encouragement and sent us off to our lovely riverfront site.

As we settle in for the next few days, we’re embracing our new moniker. We’re not just fulltimers. Now we know we’re also paper Texans!

Wonder how long it’ll take for us to acquire our paper Texas accents?

Hunkered Down

This is one of those days they don't tell you about in fulltiming school.

If you look at a radar map of the Great State of Missouri today it's covered in shades of green, yellow and orange. Here in the southwest corner, we're under a Flash Flood Warning, which makes sense because it's been raining non-stop for the last 22 hours. It's supposed to keep raining for the next 22, too. And, we're not talking wimpy sprinkles here. No, this if full-out drenching rain. Yep, it has poured all day.

Thankfully, this is one of the things we practiced while we were still weekending. Last Halloween weekend we packed the cats, dvds, books and chili fixin's and spent a rainy weekend in the moose. And, in February, we spent another rainy weekend in a campground that turned our site into a small lake. That was all great fun, of course. But, we're here to tell you, that was wimpy Northern California rain! Here in the Ozarks, we're talking about rain that gives you something to talk about.

We haven't left the cozy confines of our rolling home today. Well, unless you count Paul flying out the door in the rain this morning to check on our slide topper.

Paul was preparing breakfast and the cats and I were (what else?) watching it rain. In the blink of an eye, the wind kicked up. Suddenly, autumn leaves were falling to the ground...with branches attached. As the wind howled from Bullwinkle's stern, it whipped the canvas topper on our full wall slide into a frenzy. I started to ask Paul when it would be time to pull the thing in. I got as far as the word "time" in that last sentence and he yelled, "NOW!"

In what Paul estimates were 50 mph gale forces blowing, we set into motion in a routine that would have made the Keystone Cops look like mere amateurs. We cleared throw rugs and a chair out of the way of the "big ass slide", as it is affectionately known. Paul fired up the moose, I headed for the slide control panel and the wise kitties in our house headed for cover. The slide came in with the ease, but the topper was still whipping in the wet gale force wind. Something was wrong.

Like a brave knight off to battle, Paul charged out the door into the severe storm. Just as he made his way around to the street side of our coach, I heard a loud POP. Only one of two things could have happened. Either the spring tension rod had finally managed to pull in the soggy topper, or the topper was gone. In weather like this, either was possible.

I said a quick prayer that it was the former and not the latter. Then I watched from the bedroom window as my knight stood in the pouring rain and blowing wind to quickly survey the situation. As quickly as he left he dashed back into the coach. He was absolutely soaked. But, he was happy to report, the slide topper looked fine. Amen to that!

After breakfast the rain continued, but the winds subsided. We fired up the moose again and Paul headed outside to watch as I extended the "BAS" once more. Thankfully, everything worked as designed and the slide topper appeared to still be in one piece.

With the morning excitement behind us, we went about the business of hunkering down on a super soggy day. We worked on the computer, made a phone call or two, read a bit and napped. It was all very relaxing.

Like I said, the wet stuff is supposed to keep falling until sometime tomorrow. Then, guess where it's headed? Where we're headed! Tomorrow all of these storms are supposed to blanket the Great State of Arkansas. So, we've decided to delay our departure until sometime Saturday. We don't need to be driving in this stuff.

Plus, we could really use a little time to dry out!

First Quarter Report

We hit the road three months ago today. As we look back on our first quarter of fulltiming, in many ways we can't believe it's been three months already. But, when reflect on all of the places we've been, things we've seen and people we've met, we can't believe it's only been three months. That's the kind of relationship we have with the calendar these days!

With hopes of providing some helpful insight to future and fellow newbie fulltimers, we offer a brief report on our first quarter on the road. Knowing also that there are many folks who pass by these parts who have been at this lots longer than we have, we welcome their comments, too. If it looks like we're heading toward a ditch with any of this stuff, please let us know!

Executive Summary

• It's all good!

The Places We've Been

• Nine states in three months, and we don't feel like we're rushing.
• Nine lovely quilt shops.
• Four National Parks!
• Speaking of National Parks, Crater Lake is, without a doubt, stunning.
• The rest of the West Coast...it's prettier in Oregon and Washington.
• Ferrying off to Canada was a very fun day.
• It's really something to stand where Custer last stood.

The Things We've Seen

• Sunset on the Pacific.
• Sunset over Canada.
• A gorgeous big Montana sky.
• A black bear popping his head out of roadside bushes to say hello.
• Endless miles and miles of highway across Wyoming.
• A 40-foot motorhome towing a 40-foot boat.
• At least one geocache in every state we've visited.

The People We've Met

• We haven't met any bad people, that's for sure!
• RVers tend to be a friendly, helpful and fun bunch!
• And, they have really fun friends!
• People who seem nice online are even nicer in person!
• You just gotta hang with da Godfadda!

The Things We've Learned

• Two back-to-back one nighters is our limit.
• One month in one place is our limit on the other end. (And we have six weeks booked in Kansas City....when it's cold!)
• 250 miles is a perfect travel day. 200 is better.
• Some of the best places to park are public - not private - campgrounds.
• We can live simply - and quite happily - on what we use to spend on our mortgage.
• Everything takes longer than you think.
• So, never, ever be in a hurry.
• If you're ever in a pickle, just stop, get out and look around.
• Stuff is just stuff.
• Cats, or at least our cats, can adapt to this lifestyle quite well.
• Our mistakes have been our best teacher.
• It feels great, and we mean great, to slow down and relax.

Looking Forward

• We can't wait to see Hilton Head and the Great Smokey Mountains, which are coming up on our agenda.
• Spending the holidays with family and friends in Kansas City, while we keep our fingers crossed that the temperatures are reasonable.
• Becoming winter Texans.
• Hanging with da Godfadda in Idaho, family in South Dakota and attending our first Grand National Rally next summer.
• We know we'll stop this one day, but we can't imagine when that might be!

The smartest thing we've done so far on this journey is make (and keep) our pact to not make any big decisions about life on the road for the first six months. Sure, it's tempting to think about buying a new diesel pusher (especially when you're climbing to 7,000 feet in Wyoming), but we think we're smart to wait. And, after working for 30 years, it's not hard to resist jumping right back in. But, we do think about what work will look like next. What a treat to give that six months to stew. Who knows what we'll come up with. People have asked how long we'll be at this, and our response has been "until we don't want to do it anymore." What we know for sure is we don't have to think about any of this for the next three months, at least. Right now, we're just going with the flow.

Here's to another great three months. Thanks so much for joining us on the ride.

DirecTV

This morning I needed a needle and thread. That simple need launched an all-out assault on the very spacious but very difficult to get into storage area under our u-shaped dinette. I had bench cushions and other stuff spread all over the place! An hour or so later, I had my sewing box in hand and the storage area was completely reorganized. My sewing box, by the way, has found a more readily accessible home.

Yes, we've lived here almost three months (already!) and we are still settling in.

One of the ongoing sagas in our settling in process has been transitioning our DirecTV subscription from a fixed to mobile account. How something we thought could be handled in one short phone call turned into a 90-day affair is mind boggling. We've talked to a dozen or so DirecTV representatives in the last three months. Together they have been the source of much misinformation and frustration. Except one.

Our arrival at Worlds of Fun last Thursday afternoon gave us a clear shot of the southern sky for the first time in a month. So, it was time to confirm that DirecTV had activated our Distant Network Services (DNS). We pushed a button, found a satellite and quickly discovered that we had no DNS. Yet another call to DirecTV was required! I picked up the phone and began the all-too-familiar journey through DirecTV's audio response unit. Finally I reached a human being. His name was Doug.

I explained to Doug the reason for my call. Now, DNS is something that DirecTV has a history of being somewhat stingy with. I guess they want to make sure you have a valid reason for not having any local channels. So, for the dozenth time I began to explain how we don't have a house and we're traveling the country fulltime in our RV. Usually, this is the point where I lose my friendly DirecTV representative. But, Doug was different.

"I understand," he said. "My parents do that."

Those simple words brought immediate comfort. Someone at DirecTV actually understands what we're doing! This son of a couple of fulltimers stepped carefully through a process that brought the major network feeds from New York and Los Angeles to our screen. He looked through our account and took care of a couple of other odds and ends. Along the way, we discussed everything from motorhomes to RV parks to mail forwarding services. Finally, he put everything in place for us to take care of the very last little bit of business we need to tend to when we return to Kansas City. At last, all is well between us and DirecTV.

If you find yourself having to call DirecTV, we have a piece of advice. Ask for Doug!

Windy Day

Growing up in Kansas City, we've experienced wind. Lots of it. So much, in fact, that the only time we're concerned about it is when it accompanies dark clouds, thunder and lightning, and tornado sirens.

After sitting in our hometown an extra night to rest up and avoid storms along our route, we were ready to go today. The sun was shining in a beautifully clear October sky. It looked like a great day to travel. I checked the Weather Channel on my phone and noticed the "severe weather" icon was illuminated. With a quick click I discovered the National Weather Service had issued a Wind Advisory for the day. The statement warned of westerly wind gusts of up to 45 mph, and advised travelers on north-south routes to take extra precautions, like not driving. With our straight shot to the south in mind, I checked the forecast of towns along our route. There was wind in their forecasts, too, but nothing severe. So, we opted to get our rolling billboard on the road and out of the wind advisory area as soon as possible.

Paul took the wheel of the moose prepared to fight the wind. And fight he did! Like most of the other high profile vehicles on the road, he kept our speed down and we took our time. As a result, Paul skillfully kept us between the lines. He assured me it was not as bad as it seemed. All I can say is, I'm glad he was driving! If I had been behind the wheel we'd still be in Kansas City.

Our 200-mile drive took about an hour longer than we anticipated. The gale force winds were at our back for the last 30 miles or so. We joked that we could have just turned off the engine and sailed to our destination. As we settled in to our campground, we gave thanks for our safe arrival and are considering a new addition to our travel commandments:

Thou shalt not travel during a Wind Advisory.

Worlds of Fun

With our month in Kansas City behind us, we weren't really sure how our day would shape up.

We had a 9:00 a.m. date with Midway Ford Truck Center on the Missouri side of the state line for an oil change and front end alignment. Ford recommends that owners of their F53 chassis (that's us) have the front end aligned once a new motorhome is fully loaded. We'd yet to make that happen, and we've noticed Bullwinkle pulling to the right a bit, so this was a must-do for us before we head out.

Our early morning date meant that we were up and moving before dawn. I was worn out from yesterday's field trip with 60-some third graders. Plus, Mother Nature sent several waves of wind, rain, thunder and lightning our way overnight. There's nothing like waking up tired on a travel day!

The rain let up just in time for us to make the morning rush hour trek through downtown Kansas City. I led the way in the squirrel and Paul followed in the moose. The traffic gods were with us, too, making the 19-mile trip quick and hassle free. The folks at Midway Ford welcomed us and said they'd need the morning to get the work done. So, we loaded ourselves and the cats in the Jeep and kept ourselves entertained.

The first item on our time-filling agenda was to check out an RV park just around the corner. Worlds of Fun Village is a cabin, cottage and RV resort that's adjacent to a 235-acre amusement and water park. Worlds of Fun opened when we were both in high school, and it's been nearly 30 years since we've visited the place. There are more towering coasters and rides than we remember. The RV park, which opened 2005, is lovely.

With plans to stay in southwest Missouri for a week starting tomorrow, we needed a place to stay tonight. Unsure of how long our service work would take, we drew up three scenarios: drive the 200 miles and arrive in our park down south a day early; find a spot half way for the night; or spend the night at Worlds of Fun, if we liked it. The afternoon forecast called for high winds and isolated thunderstorms: Not exactly the kind of weather a couple of tired travelers should tackle. So, we quickly opted for scenario #3. As we approached the registration office we had our fingers crossed. You see, this is NASCAR weekend in Kansas City. We weren't sure if there was a site to be had on the eve of the big races. Lady Luck was with us once more, and there was room for us in the village. Yeah!

By midday we were back at Midway to retrieve our rolling home. We were very pleased with the service we received. And, although the drive to our spot for the night was a short one, Paul found the handling of the moose noticeably improved. We feel great about finding some helpful service folks in this part of the world. We'll definitely be back.

Within minutes from our departure at Midway, we were settled in at Worlds of Fun. We're getting the rest we need and the cats are happy to be out of the Jeep and back home. The sky is dark this afternoon, we've seen a bit more rain and the wind is rocking us some. I just checked the radar and saw a line of thunderstorms passing south of here, right along the highway we'd be traveling on right about now.

Turns out our choice was a good one. Instead of fighting wind and rain on the road, we're happily having worlds of fun!