The Aha! Factor

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Ah, the pull of the open road. . . Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel by RV across the continent, stopping for the night wherever and whenever the mood strikes?  I have known people who travel that way, and I find it fascinating.  They have the freedom and flexibility to travel at their own pace, and they never have to worry about finding a decent hotel, because they bring their bedroom with them!

I’m a little too OCD for that kind of unstructured travel, but luckily, my guest blogger today can tell you all about it.  Her name is JJ Dippel, and she is a solo RVer.

Solo Traveling by the Seat of My Pants (the Aha! Factor)

When preparing to make a major purchase, one should thoroughly research all options and develop a decision matrix with weighted factors and be guided by that.  But do I ever do that?  Nope!  For each home I have owned, I purchased the first house I saw, despite looking at 20 other dwellings to talk myself out of the first one.  In each case, the first house I viewed gave me the “Aha!” factor.  Same with automobile purchases.  All of a sudden, I get a “feeling” that it’s time for a new car. When this happens, I go looking, and within 24 hours I purchase the car that gives me the “Aha!” factor.  (Yes, I do try to “wheel and deal” it….)

This same “Aha!” factor is how I purchased my first RV.  During 2004, I hated my job and just wanted a change in my life.  I saw an RV, a Class C type, go down the road.  Suddenly, I felt the “Aha!” feeling and decided I wanted an RV.  I toured RVs at three dealers and ended up buying the first RV that I initially saw, a small 24 foot Class C, good for camping in mild weather.  I kept my first RV for a year.  Then I traded up to a larger Class C with a cold weather package.  Again, it was the “Aha” factor.  And with this RV, I travel year round, even in cold weather!

I use the same “Aha” concept on RV travel.  I’m not a big fan of making reservations.  I prefer to just drive and drive until I see a place to stop.  From my experience, the times when lack of reservations can be “dicey” occurs around three major holidays:  Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day.  Either you make reservations or you take your chances.  Other times, even in summer, you can always find that out of the way place that is special only to you.

One of my best “Aha” memories is when I was traveling in my RV through Missouri and did not see any sign of an RV park.  Even my written and online sources showed nothing.  I had been driving all day, and I was desperate!  I took a turn off the Interstate, on a lark, and ended up in Craig, Missouri.  I found a small RV park, on grass, with seven spaces.  Price was cheap ($15 at the time).  Local townspeople assured me I would be safe.  Okay, the park was near a train track, and the ground shook when the train passed by, but for one night, at this price, and in a safe town, I could tolerate it.  And guess what? There was a community “fish fry” that night, which I attended!  The “Aha” factor at work!

My favorite time to travel is in the fall, when it’s not too hot and not too cold.  I love to just take off, with no particular plan as to where I will go or where I will stay.  If I do not feel the “Aha” factor, I stop for a night somewhere, boondocking (no hookup) if possible, and continue on in the morning.  When I do feel the “Aha” factor, I stop for three nights.  Sometimes it’s just three nights of a peaceful time parked next to a river, not close to any towns, and sometimes it’s three nights of stopping in a town where I can explore.

Although I have had many “Aha” stops, my most memorable times are:

Myrtle Creek, OR – I stopped at a lovely RV park along a river.  There was no wi-fi, and TV reception via antenna was a little spotty.  However, this ended up being a very peaceful three-day stay, at a time when I needed this.

Massacre Rocks State Park, ID – I originally stopped here with the intention of traveling on in the morning, but it was so peaceful, I had to stay another day!

Danville, KY – I stopped here on a lark and found Pioneer Playhouse, which is a small summer stock theater with a small RV park attached.  What a concept!  Some very well known actors (such as John Travolta) have performed here.  This place offers combination RV park/dinner theater specials.  It’s not luxurious, but if you like theater, this is a great stop!

Allowing yourself to be guided by the “Aha” factor when traveling by RV can be a great way to see more than you expected and to discover those places that will be meaningful to you.

JJ Dippel is a retired federal auditor and occasional substitute teacher who has been traveling solo by RV since 2004.  JJ blogs about RVing without a tow car at her website, RVing Toadless.  She has also contributed articles to the soon-to-be-published Retire to an RV by Jaimie Hall Bruzenak and Alice Zyetz.

Photo credits: “Lamar Valley Sunset” by Doug Letterman, “vroom” by rkimpeljr, Creative Commons.

Bio photo: JJ Dippel.