Exploring the country

They love their RV

Teri and John Vallevand have big plans for when he retires, but in the meantime they are enjoying what they do have time for in their RV. Teri answered some questions about their RVing activities.

Are you long-time RVers? What do you like about your current RV?

Like many we started out tenting and worked our way up to our current motorhome. We bought a new Class C 28-foot motorhome in 2002 and I was shocked. I never thought we would have anything like it. My husband takes really good care of it and has added solar panels, which let us go without power. We are totally self-contained. We can even sit out in the woods and watch movies.

Are you able to spend much time RVing?

I have recently retired, but my husband is still working. So we only have four weeks vacation each summer.

How has your time allowance affected your travels?

In 2003 we travelled across the country to Prince Edward Island. That was a fabulous trip, but it took so long that returning we had to travel hard and long because we only had the four weeks.

Do you have one memorable trip?

Each one has been so unique. Probably our first trip across the country, because we had never been that far east before. The highlights of our trip included seeing Niagara Falls, clam digging and even looking up the records of our ancestors who had landed in Halifax.

The fabulous thing about RVing is you are always home, wherever you go. We celebrated Thanksgiving a few years ago at Elk Island National Park with our daughter Erin and her dog Paris. It was too cold to eat outside, but the furnace kept it warm inside.  My RV oven cooked a great turkey. We even had some bison walk alongside the motorhome while we had dinner—so exciting.

Do you plan your trips in advance?

We do a bit of planning and look at travel magazines to make sure we don’t miss things along the way. We pick them up before we leave. We never, ever reserve a campsite, but are always able to find a beautiful place by mid-afternoon and it works out well.

Do you have any special plans for when John retires?

We have big plans for when my husband retires. We are looking at travelling Route 66 and are so looking forward to it. To do it we need a lot of time and our four week vacation each year isn’t enough. We are looking at taking most of a summer, starting in June and going on until August, and have friends who may join us.

Any advice for others who may be thinking of starting to RV?

Plan a little, be flexible and relax. Go where it takes you.