Fall of 2010

I like going camping with the kids. Not that “anyone” ever said anything, but I know having your mother-in-law sleeping on the pull out in your camper isn’t the “cats meow”, but I’m always welcome. They like me 🙂
David is NOT a camper. To this day and forever he will tell you he does NOT like camping. David and I have NEVER had a campfire and probably never will. David’s description of a camper is someone that sits around a campfire toasting marshmallows. If you could toast potato chips David would probably be a camper, but he doesn’t like marshmallows.
David IS a vehicle-aholic and a shopaholic. So one day he says to me “If I buy you a camper, would you drive it? This way you could go with the kids and not have to stay in their camper.” Without hesitation, I answer “Of course”. Inside I’m thinking learning to drive an RV should be a “trip”!!!
David was on a mission. He loves to set a goal and then research, research, research. He figured out exactly what he wanted and how much he should pay. He only looked at two and then we met Old Bessie.
We drove up to New Hampshire to check her out. It was love at first sight. She was a 20 year old, 28 ft, class C with only 45,000 miles on her. She had a queen size bed in the back, bunk over the cab, table and couch that converted to beds. She slept eight, all the grand kids could camp with Gramma!! She had pink carpet, upholstery and curtains material was pink with big baby blue flowers.. She was made just for me.
Rita, a sweet little old lady that had lost her husband a few years back was selling her. Old Bessie had four new tires and maintenance records that went back twenty years. Rita’s was getting up there in age and her family had talked her into not driving Old Bessie anymore. Rita was tough on David negotiating the price and got close to her asking price. She sold us Old Bessie lock stock and barrel … Pots, pans, sleeping bags for the grands, a set of horseshoes, even a wooden God Bless Our Camper plaque.
When we got her home David went through her top to bottom. he replaced all her hoses, caulked her seams and even pulled up the pink carpet and put down a hard wood floor. I made new curtains and slip covers. Old Bessie was cute as a button and was going to be more fun than a barrel of monkeys!
David and I are avid drag racing fans and have traveled all over the country to different NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) National events. We spent our honeymoon in Indianapolis, Indiana at “The Big Go” Nationals. All the events have areas set aside for Campers. They are not campgrounds with beautiful facilities, they are usually some farmers fields, but they are walking distance to the track.
When Old Bessie was all prettied up and on the road, David says “Want to try taking her to the drags at Reading (Pennsylvania)?”
That’s where David fell in love with RV-ing. No more waiting in bumper to bumper traffic getting in and out of the track. No more flying, renting cars, eating track food or finding restaurants to eat at 9:00 at night. First thing in the morning when the sportsman start racing David is sitting out on a lawn chair, drinking his coffee and listening to the cars run and the announcer calling the stats. I get to stay in bed and listen 🙂 This is the way to enjoy the drags!
Then the adventures began. We started “traveling”. In 2011 we were planning on going back to Indy and David said “Let’s keep going west after Indy.” I say “sure” and we haven’t stopped “RV-ing” since. We retired Old Bessie after taking her cross country and have upgraded twice since. We mortgaged the farm last year and now travel in a 36 foot Tiffin with four slide outs. It’s like a small condo. You only live once, why not enjoy it 🙂