RV Home Yet?

Alaska turning 50!

This is the 50 year anniversary of Alaska statehood. If you are turning 50 this year, you could benefit from free offers. For example, you can ride free on the Alaska Railroad through mid-September.

A number of events are scheduled. In the case of the special deals, some apply to people turning 50 this year, others apply to all. See the anniversary section at the Anchorage Convention and Tourist Bureau Web site.

We have purchased an Alaskan TourSaver Coupon Book for the trip. It includes 130 buy-one-get-one free coupons on tours and lodging. We figure a couple of tours will easily pay for the cost. You can purchase your coupon book in Alaska at Carrs, Eagle and Safeway stores or online.

We are currently in Banff parked at the trailer court section of the campgrounds on Tunnel Road, planning to drive up to Lake Louise today to explore. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Border crossing and Lethbridge

Yesterday, we arrived at the Sweetgrass border crossing about 10:30 a.m. We were through the crossing by 10:35. We were asked a few questions: where were we from, where were we going, did we have alcohol, cigarettes, pets, more than $10,000 in cash (we wish!)?

After driving on I-15 through a beautiful gorge formed by the Missiour River, we were back to wheat country with low, rolling hills. That terrain continued to Lethbridge. We met our friends, Lynne and Fred Benjamin at the tourist information center, which has a free RV dump. After a cup of coffee, they showed us where the essentials are: Wal-Mart (many RVers camp there overnight), campground by Henderson Lake, bank/ATM, Safeway and Real Canadian Superstore for food, plus marked where a health food store and book store were on our map. We'll be seeing them again tonight for dinner.

We had eaten all our fruit and most of our vegetables in anticipation of the border crossing. We were not even asked about that. Lynne said provinces differ on what is allowed; British Columbia is more restrictive. A trip to the grocery store was in order - after a visit to the ATM for money. It takes a bit of getting used to the loonies and twoonies/toonies, nicknames for the $1 and $2 coins. Then get change at the campground for doing the laundry in the morning.

 Last evening we walked around Henderson Lake. The campground is across the street from the lake. It is very pleasant to walk around the lake. Crews were practicing for dragon races to be held July 4. One woman told George that they get only 6 practices. From the looks of most crews, this was #1. I'm curious as to whether they add a head and tail to the boats for the actual race. Looking at their Web site, it looks like, at least for the local crews, they do not.

This afternoon we again walked around the lake and visited the Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens. This is a meditation garden, thus no flowers, and is a symbol of Japanese-Canadian friendship. Canada too had internment camps for Japanese during WWII. Some were in the Lethbridge area during the war. Perhaps this  garden promotes peace and healing. It certainly is peaceful and restful to the eye. Tea ceremonies are held on Sundays. If you have time, it is certainly worth a visit.

We're off for dinner with our friends. Check out Lynne's book, Jacob's Tails. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak Photos by George Bruzenak

Book review: The Refuge by Sue Henry

The Refuge is the third in Sue Henry's Maxie and Stretch mystery series. Maxie is a 64-year-old woman who travels in a mini-Wini with her mini-dachshund, Stretch. They were first introduced in a Jessie Arnold story, Dead North.

In this book, Maxie leaves her homebase of Homer, AK, where she has just returned for a rest after nine months on the road, to fly to the Big Island of Hawaii to help an old friend. The friend Karen, widowed and in the process of moving back to Alaska, is a bit of an irresponsible flake. Odd things, like sabotaged plumbing, happen and Karen can't decide what to ship, what to sell. Finally, Maxie sends Karen back to Alaska so she can finish the job herself so she too can get home. In the meantime, she will now have the help of a new friend, a young man, also wanting to get back to Fairbanks where he had grown up.

There is an RV involved. The last three days before flying home to Alaska, Maxie rents a truck camper and she and her young friend take off to explore the Big Island and have more adventures than they planned for. Several surprises await the reader before everything is resolved.

This is a fun read. It's refreshing to read stories about a likable woman traveling by herself in an RV. I recommend it. Available from Amazon. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Put Off Retirement—Ward Off Dementia

That's what the article in Health News says. More and more people plan to work past retirement age, perhaps even start second careers, but there are health benefits too. A study, carried out by a team from Cardiff University and the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London, found that those who retired later developed Alzheimer’s at an older age than those who did not continue working. It says, "Each additional year of employment postponed the onset of dementia symptoms by about six weeks."(Doesn't sound much, does it?) Other researchers disagreed with their findings.

According to the article, "Dementia affects an estimated 30 million people worldwide. Because the disorder is triggered by a massive loss of brain cells, scientists believe that by maintaining active brain functions throughout life one could build a cognitive reserve and thus prevent or delay the onset of memory loss and other symptoms of the disorder."

Workamping or working on the road could, then, have these same benefits. I'm thinking that even purposeful RV living would make a difference. If you have hobbies and activities and purpose to your travels that would keep you both physically and mentally active and involved with other people, then you might experience the same benefits that those working do.

My experience is that most people who choose the RV lifestyle, whether full- or part-time, are the active sort of people. If they wanted to sit around and watch the boob tube, they could do that anywhere and would not need to go to the effort to find and purchase an RV. That may give us as a group, a leg up. Besides, isn't life more fun when you are engaged? Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Miner cabins to millionaire mansions in MT

Yesterday we drove to Helena, capitol of Montana, with a mission of grocery shopping at Real Foods, an organic market. The market, along with most businesses, was closed. Safeway was our fallback position. And, we took a little time to explore.

We visited Reeder's Alley, the oldest intact piece of early Helena. Helena began when four prospectors found gold in a small stream down the hill, which they dubbed "Last Chance." The population exploded. Louis Reeder, a mason, bought and developed this property, building stone miner's cabins. Most structures in gold mining boomtowns were hastily constructed of available logs and wood, so these are fairly unique. The Yee Wau cabin (pictured, below right) is one of the log cabins built near the end of the gold rush. It was occupied from 1876-86 by the Yee Wau brothers, Chinese merchants. Many Chinese lived below this area, having been brought in to construct the railroad.

When open, you can tour Pioneer Cabin. The others are rented to businesses. A couple of restaurants and  an antique shop occupy the area; the rest are professional offices. The entire property is now run by the Montana Heritage Commission.

We also drove through the mansion district. Early in its history, Helena boasted they had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the U.S. Interspersed among newer houses we saw many huge beauties. Friday evenings during June, July and August, you can take a walking tour through Last Chance Gulch and the historic downtown. Call 406-447-8357 or 406-457-8246.

Our mail came today so tomorrow we will head back up to Helena, get on I-15, and then go to the border. We'll probably stay one night in Shelby or Sunburst and hit the border crossing early Thursday. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Alaska bound - hills and headwinds

Day two of our trip to Alaska could be classified as hills and headwinds. Most of the day through Wyoming and Montana on I-25 and I-90 we went up one hill, then down the next. That and a headwind through most of Wyoming significantly dropped our fuel mileage.

The scenery was gorgeous though. Spring green grass covered the hills. Mountains with snow loomed off in the distance. We saw so many pronghorn antelope today. In fact, we probably saw more antelope than cows. Prairie dog mounds dotted many hills, though we didn't see more than a couple until we got to Little Bighorn Battlefield.

 After reading about Custer's Last Stand from many perspectives, it was impressive to stand on the hill and view the Little Bighorn River and the far-reaching vistas. An Indian Memorial was added under Bush, Sr., and individual granite markers for fallen Indians in 1999. The Monument lies within the Crow Reservation.

We are parked at the Billings, MT KOA. This is the first KOA! The KOA concept began more than 40 years ago here on the banks of the Yellowstone River. We decided to treat ourselves to a soak in a hot tub. Our late afternoon soak was quite nice. This evening we shared the small hot tub with 3 adults and probably a dozen children from a little over a year to twelve years or so. argh..... They were part of a large group here for a religious convention.

We could have easily dropped down to Yellowstone today to visit our friend Betty Prange who is driving yellow buses at Yellowstone National Park again this year. However, we are focused on heading north so kept on track, even though we were tempted. Tomorrow, we head to Townsend, MT. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Alaska bound - day 1 (again)

This morning we left Colorado Springs. Since it was a sort of staging stop, today feels like the first day of our trip. All the mail and packages we were waiting for came. Last night we had a lovely dinner at Ted's Montana in Colorado Springs with George's son and daughter-in-law.

Our last real task was stopping at a Verizon store and turning on Canadian plans for our cell phones and the Aircard. We know we won't have coverage for a good portion of the Alaska Highway, but we should have coverage in some areas. You definitely don't want to pay roaming charges in Canada! It took us an hour and one-half. Doing the cell phones and Aircard together caused a problem; once the Aircard was updated separately, it worked.

We followed I-25 all day. Denver traffic was a bit heavy but not bad and we breezed right through. Just  before the CO/WY border, we saw the first of several huge cutouts perched up on hills along the interstate. Number one was a buffalo. Others - about an hour apart - were a cowboy, an Indian on horseback and a dinosaur. With not much to look at other than rolling hills, cows and occasional pronghorn antelope, they offered an interesting break in the scenery.

We fueled up at Flying J and fixed lunch at the nearby welcome center. We thought Flying J only gave a fuel  discount if you purchased an item in the store, but that was not the case here. We did receive a one-cent/gallon discount with our card. Both WY reststops have had RV dumps but do not allow overnight parking.

Several places looked like interesting stops since the Oregon Trail passed through here. Ft. Laramie National Historic Site was one. You can see ruts the wagons left on their journey west.

Today was a long day. We drove a little more than six hours, counting breaks and lunch, to Casper, WY. We are at Casper East RV Park. The ad in the Trailer Life Directory made it sound a lot better than it turned out to be but it will be fine for an overnight stay. The spa isn't open yet and the owner wasn't sure about the WiFi, though we have good speeds with our Aircard and are using that.

Time for an after-dinner walk for me. Six hours is way too much sitting. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Catch-22 for would-be RV buyers?

According to an article in the South Bend Tribune, RV dealers are discounting their inventory big time. One dealer is selling a 2008 Crossroads Seville, a 36-foot towable that would retail for $57,119, for $39,995. That's more than $17,000 off or about a 30 percent reduction. It's hard to pass up on a deal like that. Many consumers would also be able to deduct the sales or excise tax for this unit - up to the first $49,500 of the vehicle's value.

However, the catch-22 is that banks are less likely to lend money. They want larger down payments, shorter terms (larger payments) and better credit. One couple who would like to begin Workamping found an excellent deal on their dream RV. Even though they have good credit, they could not get a loan and had to let the deal go. They were so disappointed.

According to the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, or RVIA, RV shipments in the first quarter fell 63 percent to 30,400 from last year. Is it any wonder? All three legs of the sales cycle must operate. With lowered prices, demand increases and more consumers are willing to buy. But without financing, those deals sit on the table and RVs stay in the lot. Thus dealers won't order more units from the factory. At some point things will probably pick up, but then will the deals still be there? Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Alaska trip start photos

In "Chinese Tire Made it 61 Miles," I related how our 5th wheel tire blew only one hour up the road. We had to change the tire on AZ Hwy 87, a two-lane road. That stretch had no traffic but was fortunately straight and there wasn't much traffic. We then continued to Winslow to the O'Haco Tire Shop where George decided to buy four new tires rather than worry about the others going bad too. Grabbing all my stuff plus George's, I left my camera on a chair in the waiting room. I called and Harold had it and kindly overnighted it to Colorado. Here are a few photos from the day.

 

 

#1 Getting out the hydraulic jack- tire almost off the rim. Jack didn't work!

#2 Hazard triangles to warn motorists. I stood out back of the 5th wheel when traffic came to make sure we were seen.

#3 Coming into Winslow AZ and old Rt 66.

#4 O'Haco Tire Shop- putting on all new tires. They did a great job.

We've been staying at friend's in Colorado Springs while we got mail, a replacement Mohr/Ryde shock which Jim and George successfully put on, and my camera. We head north on Thursday. We want to be north of Denver before Memorial Day. Our next official visit is Townsend, MT. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Earn more or spend less?

If Your RV lifestyle or RV retirement income is less you have two choices: earn more or spend less - or a combination of them.

There are some tools for calculating retirement income. One I came across recently is "Am I ok?" which helps you look at your expenses relative to your income. The calculator divides expenses into four types:

• Non-discretionary Expenses:Things you must pay for such as food, mortgage, utilities, etc.
• Lifestyle Expenses: Things you pay for to maintain your lifestyle such as a modest vacation, cable service, better car or RV, dining out, etc.
• Aspirational Expenses: Things you would like to have in retirement like an extravagant vacation, making extra charitable contributions, providing an inheritance, etc.
• Extraordinary Expenses: Things you dream of doing in retirement like buying an island, owning a jet or setting up a foundation.

This helps you to see what items are necessary and which are not or could possibly be eliminated. Of course, for RVers, you have more choices when it comes to some non-discretionary expenses like housing costs. Purchasing a used RV could eliminate payments; boondocking, at least part of the time, can reduce costs for an RV site. You can have more control over the non-discretionary expense category. Using a solar oven on some days, for example, reduces your expenditures on propane. You might also decide to add to your nest egg and/or reduce expenses further by working or volunteering as you travel. See "How to Get Started Workamping or Working on the Road" for steps to get started.

Another article might give you some ideas for frugal living. "Fabulously Frugal: Living Well on Less Money" by Elizabeth Pope in AARP Bulletin Today. The subjects of the article chose less income and a more frugal lifestyle to live their values. Many RVers make this choice too. If you are not yet living the RV lifestyle, you might find encouragement from seeing the choices these couples and one solo made.

It is all about choices, isn't it? RVers can't accumulate "stuff" like those in stix-n-bricks dwellings - no room. However, even in living the RV lifestyle, there are many choices to make daily on how much money to spend - how far to drive? where to stay? eat in or out? hike/bike/sightsee or go to a paid attraction? What are yours? Jaimie Hall Bruzenak