Where new adventures begin…part 2

Remember the link I found to http://www.50plus.com/travel/new-years-resolutions-for-travellers/100887/? My imagination continues to ramble through the list as we consider plans for another mobile summer. Here are my thoughts on a few more suggestions:

Visit a World Heritage Site. In Central Alberta terms, this would be a National Historic Site. The park at Rocky Mountain House would be a good start. We discussed it last year but never went, so this would be a good summer to carry through on that. Last summer we took in the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin and the Remington-Alberta Carriage Centre in Cardston.

Cross a border. With the dollar close to par and several things on our “wish list”, we have been considering a trip to the U.S. for some time. There are friends we have not seen for many years that we would love to surprise with a visit. We would like to venture through the Black Hills, where we honeymooned 35 years ago. When the realities of budgets and time are considered, though, this one will stay on hold.

Travel vicariously with a book or movie. In the leisure time of rainy days in summer or snowy days in winter, there’s nothing like curling up with a good book or watching a favorite movie. Sometimes we connect the computer to the television and surf our dream adventures. “Streets and Trips” plots the road route with the mileage and time of the trip, the internet provides campground information to plan stopovers, and “Google Earth” or “Google Maps” give a good idea of the topography to expect. My computer contains the plans for many trips we may, or may not, take. But we have been there virtually.

Thank you, http://www.50plus.com/, for providing a list to keep me dreaming.

Baby, it's cold outside!

During the first couple months of housesitting this season, I had comments made to me from time to time about the warmer-than-usual weather we were enjoying. Most were to the effect of, “Well, you could have spent the winter in your RV in this weather!” to which I would reply, “But in Alberta you never know.”

I credit the commenters for their optimism, but the current cold snap has abruptly reminded us of why we store our home on wheels, even though it is “winterized”, and spend the winter months in a traditional house. It is not about the space, it is the weather.

It would not be impossible to stay in our RV through the entire year. Others do it. But when we compare the potential catastrophe factor and the unpredictable costs, housesitting wins. Here we can budget known utility expenses and have a garage to shelter our vehicle. We save the expense of insulated trailer skirting, metered electricity, campground fees, and unknown quantities of propane dependent on the weather. There are no hoses to insulate, no pipes to burst.

Perhaps in retirement years we will travel to a warmer climate, but while working in Central Alberta we will continue to do the shuffle. It doesn’t take a great deal of time to pull up to the curb and move a few clothes and groceries. It also gives opportunity to use larger appliances, like a standard refrigerator and a stove with oven capacity for more than six buns or a dozen muffins at a time.

And there is nothing that makes the decision look wiser than peering at a sheltered thermometer registering -36C. Baby, it’s cold outside!

100 days and counting!

Thursday, January 12, marks a milestone of sorts in my winter countdown. It is now 100 days until my husband and I head out for the next camping season.

Of course this means that the weather should be warmer. But more than that, it means that we will be moved back into our own home and back to the freedom of our mobile lifestyle.

Spending winter in a house is a blessing, given the cold temperatures and quantity of snow that Central Alberta can receive. We enjoy the space to use some of our items from storage, such as the breadmaker, and to assemble a jigsaw puzzle or two. I feel spoiled to have a garage to shelter my car from the harsh weather. We enjoy the opportunities of cable TV and unlimited internet time.

In spite of the comforts, when we think about spring we long to be back in the “fiver”. The space may be small, but it is our home. We are already discussing summer travels. Our first campground stay and yardsitting adventure are booked. The count is now down to double digits, when television and extended internet time will give way to campfires and long walks in the great outdoors.

The countdown is on!

Where new adventures begin…part 1

The countdown is on as we await our move home for the summer. Home, of course, is our home on wheels, the Genesis fifth wheel. Spring planning always involves decisions on things to do and places to travel, but most of our time is spent in one area while I continue to commute to work five days per week.

I came across a link on Twitter to a list of New Year’s Resolutions for Travelers. It bumped my imagination out of the routine to consider some new adventures. To see the entire article, visit  http://www.50plus.com/travel/new-years-resolutions-for-travellers/100887/. The following is my interpretation of the first three items.

Visit a new place in your hometown. I have lived in Red Deer for over twenty years and have visited many places, but the one that comes to mind that I have not yet visited is the Sports Hall of Fame. This summer I could make that happen. For visitors to Red Deer, my top recommendations would be Heritage Ranch, Bower Ponds, and if children are involved, Discovery Canyon.

Attend a free event or festival. This is a little more difficult with a husband whose health issues restrict him from attending these kinds of happenings. However, I have always been curious about the Street Performer’s Festival, so maybe this could be the year I check it out. The “pay” event that I always try to take in is the Canadian Gospel Music Celebration. A full evening of inspiring music is like a dose of good medicine.

Explore a small town. This is one of our favorite things to do when RVing. Most small towns have a quiet campground where one can base for a weekend and explore the area. Our summer circuit usually includes Wetaskiwin, Lacombe, Olds, Stettler, and Red Deer’s Lions Campground and Westerner Park campground. We have talked about visiting Devon, or going to Torrington and it’s Gopher Hole museum.