It's been a while since we've blogged. Our aforementioned RV was finally ready for us in April. We drove to Las Vegas to complete the transaction and take delivery. In the meantime, Holly's mom had a recurrence of esophageal cancer (she beat it 9 years ago); same cancer, same place. We set her treatment in motion and set off for a quick 3 day trip to Las Vegas (with a stop at my mom's in Arizona).
We couldn't be happier with our new rig. We christened her "The Lula Mae" after our 13-year-old Poodle, Lula (as she love's to travel and is nearing the end of her life).
So - back to the trip. Or - let's regress and talk about the scheduling of the delivery. In December, when we purchased the RV (or put a deposit for it being built), there were two rigs to choose from. One had a standard be (didn't want that) and the other had a power-fold-down bed (that's for us). We chose the latter and were told it would arrive in late March. So - we started planning our March pickup as well as our April vacation to take our new rig to Washington State. However, as we got close, and no word of delivery, we were informed that there was a miscommunication. The "standard" bed RV was delivering in late March and ours was delivering in April. So - scratch Washington.
But - we had 2 weeks of vacation in April booked. So - no problem going to pick it up. However - at the end of the first week, still no work on when it would arrive. On the Sunday in the middle of our 2 week vacation, as we are at my in-laws following her port-a-cath placement, we got the call "it's here!!". Oh bother.
So - called Avis, rented a car and set out the next morning for the 8 to 9 hour drive. Arrived around 1pm, went to the bank for a cashier's check for the down payment, and finally arrived at the dealership (with all three dogs in tow). Very hot, so Holly waited in the care while I did my part of the paperwork, then we switched.
After all was done, we went to the Oasis RV resort near the dealer. The site was nice, very large, and packed. The amenities (restaurant, store, etc.) were perfect. So we slept the first night in our rig. The next day we returned to the dealer as the door was sticking (house door). The fixed it very quickly. Then we returned the rental car, and headed back to the park for a nap (still tired from the previous day's driving and purchasing activities). But - around 3pm or so we were ready to move on. We left and headed to Arizona (about 4 hours). We had dinner with my parents, spent the night in our rig (my dad had setup a 30amp plug just for our rig). We had breakfast the next morning and started the 11 hour drive home.
The delivery was confusing and exhausting. But - the dealer (despite the miscommunication) was awesome (Wagon Trail RV - think they might have changed their name recently). The RV itself....how do I say it....we LOVE it! Everything we wanted and more.
So - stay tuned. We plan to use the heck out of this thing.
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Saturday, December 16, 2017
RV Owners!
It has been a busy winter. Not with travel, but with our pursuit of an RV. We've done copious research, have rented RV's (as evidenced by our previous blogs). We know we like the RV experience (at least for the road and an occasional overnight). We know that we like the Mercedes Sprinter chassis for the handling and the technology. We know we like a dry-bath. We know that we like a little bigger version than the straight van model. We know we like the best quality and rarer vehicle.
All of this lead us to looking at the Leisure Travel Van Serenity. We were planning on renting a 2015 version through Outdoorsy.com, but the price per night (and the deposit) was cost prohibitive. Plus, the thought of driving to the East Bay to pick up and drop off wasn't appealing. By the way, why would an owner charge a $3,000 deposit? There is insurance!!
At any rate, we decided to start looking for our own Serenity. The problem we found with the 2017, is the table. It is not removable. Granted, it moves in many directions and can be moved out of the way to get from the front to the back, but it is always there. We only use the table one (or maybe two) times per day. Having it always there was an issue. They solved this in the 2018 model. A removable table!!
We found that getting one is harder to come by than we thought. There were only a handful of 2018 models throughout the country. We found that they don't make a ton of them (which is a good thing). Also - we found that the re-sale value holds very well. Go to RV Trader or RVT websites and look at the pricing for used models. We found a new 2017 in Davis CA for the same price as a new 2018. I think the reason is the low supply and the fact that some do not want to wait 9 to 10 months to order one.
We know that we want new. If we are seeing $140k for a used one and can get a new one (customized to us) for about the same price (or even $5k more) we are doing the latter.
We have one dealer near us. La Mesa RV in Davis, CA. Not impressed with our interactions. In fact, on one occasion I stopped by to look at the Serenity referenced above. Nobody greeted me. I walked into the showroom, walked around, sat down and played with my phone. Still nobody noticed or paid any attention to me.
So - we looked at other dealers. The closest are near Portland OR, or Las Vegas (plus some in So Cal). I found a 2018 on the Wagon Trail RV site in Las Vegas. It was perfect. But - apparently they have multiple dealerships across the US and this unit was in St. Louis. We started looking at the logistics of flying there and driving the nearly 2,000 miles home. But, alas, it was sold.
But - they had 2 on order that would be coming to Las Vegas (a much more manageable drive). And - we can customize it how ever we wanted as it wasn't built yet. We get the advantage of a custom order without the longer wait. We chose one that is due in late March.
We customized it and put a $2,500 deposit to make it ours.
Now - we wait. Well, actually we finalize the payment/financing/etc.
More to come in March. Here are some stock photos that represent what we are getting.
All of this lead us to looking at the Leisure Travel Van Serenity. We were planning on renting a 2015 version through Outdoorsy.com, but the price per night (and the deposit) was cost prohibitive. Plus, the thought of driving to the East Bay to pick up and drop off wasn't appealing. By the way, why would an owner charge a $3,000 deposit? There is insurance!!
At any rate, we decided to start looking for our own Serenity. The problem we found with the 2017, is the table. It is not removable. Granted, it moves in many directions and can be moved out of the way to get from the front to the back, but it is always there. We only use the table one (or maybe two) times per day. Having it always there was an issue. They solved this in the 2018 model. A removable table!!
We found that getting one is harder to come by than we thought. There were only a handful of 2018 models throughout the country. We found that they don't make a ton of them (which is a good thing). Also - we found that the re-sale value holds very well. Go to RV Trader or RVT websites and look at the pricing for used models. We found a new 2017 in Davis CA for the same price as a new 2018. I think the reason is the low supply and the fact that some do not want to wait 9 to 10 months to order one.
We know that we want new. If we are seeing $140k for a used one and can get a new one (customized to us) for about the same price (or even $5k more) we are doing the latter.
We have one dealer near us. La Mesa RV in Davis, CA. Not impressed with our interactions. In fact, on one occasion I stopped by to look at the Serenity referenced above. Nobody greeted me. I walked into the showroom, walked around, sat down and played with my phone. Still nobody noticed or paid any attention to me.
So - we looked at other dealers. The closest are near Portland OR, or Las Vegas (plus some in So Cal). I found a 2018 on the Wagon Trail RV site in Las Vegas. It was perfect. But - apparently they have multiple dealerships across the US and this unit was in St. Louis. We started looking at the logistics of flying there and driving the nearly 2,000 miles home. But, alas, it was sold.
But - they had 2 on order that would be coming to Las Vegas (a much more manageable drive). And - we can customize it how ever we wanted as it wasn't built yet. We get the advantage of a custom order without the longer wait. We chose one that is due in late March.
We customized it and put a $2,500 deposit to make it ours.
Now - we wait. Well, actually we finalize the payment/financing/etc.
More to come in March. Here are some stock photos that represent what we are getting.
Sunday, November 26, 2017
October 2017 - RV Trip
RV Trip Through Oregon - October 2017
In April, we decided we like using an RV. The one we rented then was too big and unwieldy. So - we went a little more upscale and rented a B-Class RV (RV Van) built on a Mercedes Sprinter. So, basically, we were driving a Mercedes Van that was converted into an RV. I'll review the RV later. First - the trip.
Day 1 Thursday 10/5- pick up RV
We had booked the RV for Thursday 10/5/17. We booked through Outdoorsy.co (which became Outdoorsy.com while we were on our trip) and happened to pick the RV that was rented by one of the founders of the rental website. I'll review the rental website later.
The website had the pickup/drop-off in Mill Valley. However, when we finally were able to speak with the owner the day before, it was changed to San Francisco....downtown San Francisco....around noon. This was 104 miles from our home, which is about the same distance as Mill Valley, but with much, much more traffic. The drive in took more than 2 hours and the drive home took 3 hours.
We arrived home and cleaned the RV that evening (more on that in the review).
Day 2 Friday 10/6 - Drive to Myers Flat
We had booked an RV park in Myers Flat California as our first stop. See my review of Giant Redwoods RV Camp on Tripadvisor. We stayed the night in the small RV and it wasn't too bad. Definitely at least as comfortable as the previous one.
But - the drive was a night-and-day difference. The Mercedes (2017) chassis was a dream to drive. It handled like a nice truck, had lane-assist and all the bells and whistles. We had cut the drive times down considerable but probably didn't need to. We decided right then to only consider the Mercedes Chassis.
This was basically just a stop over until we got to Oregon. Decent place, but not much to see.
Day 3 Saturday 10/7 - Drive to Reedsport, Oregon
From Myers Flat, we were along the coast the entire way to Reedsport. The coast drive was beautiful. The weather was clear and sunny. The drive took a little longer than expected due to at least 6 times we had one-lane traffic due to construction/repair of bridges along the route. No matter - the driving was easy and the scenery divine.
That night we had our one night out for dinner. After checking into the Best Western Salbasgeon Inn & Suites of Reedsport (see our review on Tripadvisor), we were given a tip about a restaurant nearby, Harbor Light Family Restaurant. It was great (see review on Tripadvisor). We had decided that since we gained 5 pounds on our last trips in April and May, we would eat sensibly - which entailed bringing our own food for the majority of our meals. Holly prepared our sandwiches in the RV just like at home. And she brought our Home Chef meals for dinners (minus one, which was when we ate out tonight). We did have Subway for lunch twice too, but still ate sensibly...and...no weight gain!!
Day 4 Sunday 10/8 - Drive to Vancouver, Washington
We departed Reedsport and the coastal area of Oregon and headed toward I5. We began through the Umpqua River Valley and as we drove we both uttered "Wow" at nearly the same time. It was a beautiful area of river, rolling hills and valleys, mist on the hill tops, Elk grazing. This is they type of area we are looking for - lush, green, interesting.
Once on I5, the drive allowed us to see the central area of Oregon. We stopped in Eugene, drove through Salem and Portland, and landed in Vancouver. We stayed at the Double Tree for the night.
Day 5 Monday 10/9 - Drive to Bend
We left Vancouver early, went on Highway 26 through the mountains into the high-desert area of Oregon. Before getting to Bend we drove to Prineville to look around. We then headed to the Bend/Sister Garden RV Park (see review on Tripadvisor). We loved this place (had a RV spot and a fully-furnished cottage adjacent where we had a real kitchen to cook our meal).
Day 6 Tuesday 10/10 - Drive to Medford
We left Sisters, OR and drove down 97 toward Klamath Falls. We took a detour and went to Crater lake (added about 90 minutes to the drive - at least, as we drove around the east rim. Very beautiful. We stopped in Klamath Falls for lunch and headed across 140 to Medford. We detoured near Medford to look at some areas we had seen with property for sale. We finally arrived at the Comfort Inn & Suites for the night.
Incidentally - it was at this time that I learned of the fires in Northern California (Santa Rosa and close to my work town - Fairfield, CA). It was a terrible time back near work.
Day 7 Wednesday 10/11 - Drive Home
We left Medford and began the drive home. We took 99 through Chico to avoid the fires on I5 (weren't sure but had heard that parts of I5 were involved. We found out later that this was erroneous information). We stopped in Chico for lunch and made it home in the early afternoon. We emptied out the RV and cleaned it.
Day 8 Thursday 10/12 - Return RV
On Thursday we arranged to return the RV in San Francisco. We went to the gym in Vacaville to work out (by the way - we were able to get a work out most days on our trip utilizing each hotel's gym - minus the Myers Flat and Bend//Sisters RV parks). We spent 2.5 hours driving into San Francisco (caravan with RV and Prius) and 3 hours driving home. The smoke in the bay area made it look apocalyptic - very surreal as the smoke blew south from the Santa Rosa area.
Overall Impression of Oregon
We had seen much of Oregon on this trip (except for the extreme East and North-East corner (Joseph - which is more for an Idaho or Washington trip).
We loved the areas just off the coast, in the river valleys. We did not like the high-desert areas of Bend and Klamath Falls - reminded us of High-Desert in Arizona. Our next trip will narrow down the search of a place to live (if we decide Oregon is for our retirement). But who knows - there is still Washington to survey.
RV Rental
Rental website - Outdoorsy.co(m)After our last rental in April (see our blog), we found Outdoorsy.com. The website is very well done, showing private RV rentals similar to AirBnB. We had been looking at the B-class Mercedes models online and found one in Mill Valley. The booking was very easy. When we booked, it included insurance (liability) as well as roadside assistance. Very turn-key experience.
The RV - 2017 Mercedes Coachmen Galleria.
We really liked the driving experience of the Mercedes Chassis. The only thing that took away from this was the actual RV part of is. The drawers in the galley would not stay shut. The first good turn I took, a drawer slammed open and broke my cocktail glass. Later in the trip I stopped by Walmart and bought some suction cups and bungee ties to secure the drawers. Also - the lav doors would rattle if you didn't shut them just right. The bed was a twin in the back with boards to put down with cushions to make a full-size. It was an awkward setup with the boards down (one was broken and taped). We definitely found we don't like the bathroom in the mid-area and we don't like a marine bathroom. This means we will have to look at the B+ models with a dry bath. We also found that the sliding door was not to our liking. If you didn't open all the way and catch, it would come sliding closed on you.
At least 10 days prior to the pickup, we began to IM the owner through the Outdoorsy website. No response until literally the day before our rental. We were trying to plan when we would pick it up (and where). When it was changed to SF, that was a big let-down due to the traffic we knew would be there for us. Also - we had to meet in the parking lot of the Best Buy as there was little room elsewhere to pickup the RV. Not a pleasant area. Finally, the RV was 45 minutes late getting there. Apparently, on the last renting there was an issue so they took it to the shop to have it gone through. Understandable but annoying.
As I drove it home, I could smell the refrigerator (that unplugged, moldy smell). When I got home, I realized there was mold in the refrigerator. I had to take out all the railings and holders to wash, then thoroughly clean the entire RV (it was dusty, dirty all throughout). We took all of there "extras" out (bedding, dinner ware, etc) and used our own. After this cleaning, careful use, and another thorough cleaning afterward, the RV was definitely better when we returned it.
Thursday, June 15, 2017
2017 - Houston Space Center
In May, Holly had an ICU nursing conference in Houston, Texas (NTI for her CCRN certification). We took the opportunity to visit with my parents just outside of Houston. We had a wonderful visit, seeing their new home in Fulshear.
After our visit, we checked into our hotel downtown (Hilton Americas) and Holly commenced with her conference. We were, however, able to squeeze in a visit to the Houston Space Center. We booked a VIP tour and my parents were able to join us for the tour.
We stumbled onto the VIP tour by accident, but couldn't have been more pleased. Rather than joining the masses (including lots and lots of school children) and piling into a crowded, open-air tram - we were part of a group of 9 people that had a nice, air-conditioned coach and a private guide for nearly five hours.
The tour started in a hanger in which a full-size Apollo Rocket was on display. After this we traveled off-property to the underwater training facility. Interestingly, there were two astronauts training in the water while we were there! It was a great experience.
Next we went to the current day Mission Control, where the were monitoring the space station. We were told that one of the astronauts had just completed an unplanned space walk to fix a faulty device outside the station. We then went to the historic, 1960's Mission Control area, replete with the exact equipment used in the 60's to monitor and control the Apollo missions.
Finally, we were treated to a rare chance to visit the Shuttle Simulator. It was an actual-size, fully functional Shuttle in a hanger. If it had wheels, it could fly. We were told that every astronaut had to train on this device prior to going into space. Also, when a shuttle was in space this simulator had a crew operating the entire time, mimicking the actions and trying solutions prior to the actual shuttle in space trying them. We were able to sit in the cockpit and see all the controls used to fly the shuttle!
I was born in Houston. I have visited my parents many, many times. This is the first time we had visited the Space Center. A great trip!!
Here is a slideshow I made of our trip, including footage of the Apollo missions from the 60's to start it off.......
After our visit, we checked into our hotel downtown (Hilton Americas) and Holly commenced with her conference. We were, however, able to squeeze in a visit to the Houston Space Center. We booked a VIP tour and my parents were able to join us for the tour.
We stumbled onto the VIP tour by accident, but couldn't have been more pleased. Rather than joining the masses (including lots and lots of school children) and piling into a crowded, open-air tram - we were part of a group of 9 people that had a nice, air-conditioned coach and a private guide for nearly five hours.
The tour started in a hanger in which a full-size Apollo Rocket was on display. After this we traveled off-property to the underwater training facility. Interestingly, there were two astronauts training in the water while we were there! It was a great experience.
Next we went to the current day Mission Control, where the were monitoring the space station. We were told that one of the astronauts had just completed an unplanned space walk to fix a faulty device outside the station. We then went to the historic, 1960's Mission Control area, replete with the exact equipment used in the 60's to monitor and control the Apollo missions.
Finally, we were treated to a rare chance to visit the Shuttle Simulator. It was an actual-size, fully functional Shuttle in a hanger. If it had wheels, it could fly. We were told that every astronaut had to train on this device prior to going into space. Also, when a shuttle was in space this simulator had a crew operating the entire time, mimicking the actions and trying solutions prior to the actual shuttle in space trying them. We were able to sit in the cockpit and see all the controls used to fly the shuttle!
I was born in Houston. I have visited my parents many, many times. This is the first time we had visited the Space Center. A great trip!!
Here is a slideshow I made of our trip, including footage of the Apollo missions from the 60's to start it off.......
Sunday, April 30, 2017
2017 - Desert RV Trip
2017 - Desert Trip
Day 2 - Friday April 14, 2017
360 Videos out back with poodles (click and drag on video to look around):
Day 4 - Sunday April 16, 2017 (Easter Sunday)
We set out relatively early to head east to New Mexico. We gassed up in Flagstaff and braved the windy desert freeway for 6 hours. When we arrived in Albuquerque, our hotel was near the airport. In fact, you had to actually enter the airport property to get to the hotel. When we checked in we asked where to put the RV (as it takes a lot of space). I was surprised when they told me to park it up front under the check-in awning for safety. I asked if I should be concerned and was told that they had an attempted break-in involving a moving trailer and a sign at the desk mentioned the same issue. We were a little road weary and didn't have interest in trying to shop around Albuquerque. We found that a pizza place would deliver and we took advantage.
Day 5 - Monday April 17, 2017
We took the relatively short drive to Santa Fe, taking the back road on the "Turquoise Trail". Our hope was to see something worth stopping for along the route to perhaps find some jewelry. Unfortunately, we didn't see anything that didn't look like a tourist trap and continued to Santa Fe. Our hotel was about 15 minutes north of Santa Fe at the Buffalo Thunder Casino property (Homewood Suites). We had lunch waiting for our room to be ready, settled in, left the dogs in the room, and headed to downtown Santa Fe. Two things became painfully clear. First, there was little to no parking downtown for a large RV. We had a few tight spots in which I had to learn quickly how to maneuver a 30' RV in tight spots. Second - we found that on Monday (the day we planned to shop) the main attraction we sought was closed (Palace of the Governors). We decided to find parking for the next day and do our shopping then. But - parking was the problem. We would later find that perhaps we could park at the cathedral, but the convention center had nothing but a parking garage much too small for us. We returned to the hotel property in low spirits. We then found that the hotel had a shuttle going downtown!! Problem solved. We had a nice dinner at the casino, Holly won about $60 on a slot machine and we packed it in for the night.
Day 6 - Tuesday April 18, 2017
We caught the shuttle to the downtown area. We were a little early and shops didn't open for an hour (10am). We walked around window shopping and getting a lay of the land. When shops were open we perused the jewelry offerings and other shopping opportunities. We came away empty handed but were able to at least see what was available. Instead of waiting for the shuttle, we used Uber to get back to our hotel. We checked out and started on our next leg of the trip - heading to Monument Valley, Utah.
We took the scenic route through North West New Mexico, passing over a small dam. We had the option of seeing the Four Corners monument but decided not to stop but power through. The last 100 miles was tough. That little leg on the map that goes straight north was painful. It was about 96 miles in high winds on a 2-lane highway in disrepair. After watching me white-knuckled, trying to keep the RV on the road in the wind, Holly mentioned I should have driving gloves. As luck would have it, one of the jackets I brought had finger-less work gloves. I put them on and didn't have to wipe the sweat from my palms anymore. We arrived in the dark to the Goulding's RV park in Monument Valley, Utah. This was our first, true RV experience. We checked in, pulled into our spot, hooked up to power, and settled in for the night. In the morning, I dumped the black water and we hit the road for our next destination.
Day 7 - Wednesday April 19, 2017
We saw the most unique and beautiful mountain scenery as we drove through the middle of Utah. We saw all the monuments, arches, and formations despite the windy mountain passes (the gloves made all the difference). We stopped in Moab for lunch and continued on through endless mountains, still capped with snow. We finally arrived in Salt Lake City during 5 o'clock traffic. We made our way to our hotel and settled down for the final night on our trip.
Day 8 - Thursday April 20, 2017
We loaded up early and hit the road. It was our longest leg (618 miles) of the entire trip. We fought through the wind all the way through Nevada. Once past Reno, the wind was gone and we enjoyed going through our home-state mountains with which we were very familiar. There was still lots of snow on the mountains and the relief with pulling into Roseville was palpable. We unloaded and went straight to our much-missed bed. The next day we cleaned up the RV, gassed it, emptied the tanks, and returned it.
RV the life for us?
We found very early on in the trip that we REALLY like this. Not this particular RV (too big, unwieldy) but rather the concept of being self-contained. Having a toilet on the road and a place to sit and eat or stretch out for a few minutes made the long drives more tolerable. No longer did we have to stop to use the bathroom (even when we had to fuel). There were stretches in which I drove for nearly three hours without stopping. Plus - the poodles had room to stretch out.
We are still in the evaluation stage of which RV is for us. We know that the larger Class A are too big. The Class C are probably not for us either (don't really need the overhang sleeping area). Next trip we will rent a Class B and try the Mercedes chassis to see how the handling compares to the Ford chassis we rented (we suspect the results will be obvious).
Then will come the decision to rent or buy. A good, recent used Mercedes model runs about $85k. We would have to RV at least 3 times a year to make buying better than renting. Then there is storage. If we can't park it at home, the costs go even higher. More to come after our next trip to the Oregon Coast this fall.
Renting an RV
When we decided to rent we researched our options. There seem to be only two nationwide companies that rent RVs: El Monte and Cruise America. While they have some actual company locations, most seem to be similar to U-Haul in which they franchise to local businesses that have other operations (such as a service station). In the greater Sacramento area there was one El Monte franchise and two Cruise America franchises. Let's start with the El Monte franchise.
El Monte
The location was in the southern industrial area of Sacramento. We knew from the address it was going to be interesting. We stopped by on a Saturday a while back to check it out. It was in an industrial park as part of an antique car business. I entered the facility and Holly stayed in the car as we had groceries and the area was a little sketchy. I was greeted by an older lady and could see a man attending to a young family who was renting an RV. She showed me the antique cars while I waited and then took me out to look at some RVs. When the man was finished, Holly joined me. We looked over the RVs and had no issues. One problem we did have was the non-refundable rental deposit of $150. No matter what, if we cancelled we lost the deposit (more of a rental fee than a deposit). The larger problem was regarding which model year we would get when the time came to pickup the rental. Their fleet has some older models and our research showed that some reviews stated that at the time of rental the reviewer was presented with an old model with no recourse. With this in mind, we asked if we could reserve a newer model (3 years old or newer). We were told that we would have to reserve it. Then we could call to see which model was assigned and see if we could get a newer one. What?? Why should we have to do the leg work??? We moved on to Cruise America.
Cruise America
There were two locations, one of which was much closer than the El Monte, located in Citrus Heights at Pastor's service shop. We stopped by and the owner was manning the counter. He showed us the 30' and smaller model. For the price we had decided that the 30' would be a better value. There was a deposit that was refundable (yea!). The attitude of the proprietor wasn't that great however. Even though their fleet was newer overall (3 years old or newer, Holly asked if we could reserve a newer model. He flat-out said "we don't do that" and continued to state that even customers renting for long periods and long miles (i.e. more money for them) he didn't do that. When we said it was a reasonable question he retorted "and I gave you a reasonable answer". Despite getting off on the wrong foot, we had little choice but to rent from him. We did get a little satisfaction, however. I asked if we could rent online or directly from him. He said that either is possible but if we rent directly from him they get a better commission. We rented online.
We had a wonderful trip. It was a grueling 2600 miles and 43 hours of driving through mountains and high winds but we were able to see the desert regions in all of its glory.
One last video clip of the late Robin Williams and the trials of using a rental RV
As we are now both officially in our 50's, we have been contemplating whether we are "RV" people Our neighbor has a large RV and uses it prolifically (sometimes for 6 months out of the year). To avoid the mistake of buying an RV only to find out we made a mistake, we decided we would rent to see if we like it. At the end of this blog I will write about our adventures in finding a rental RV.
We also wanted to visit my mother in Arizona so we decided to make a road trip with the RV through the deserts of Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. Holly has always wanted to visit New Mexico to hunt for turquoise and liquid silver jewelry. After reserving the RV and some hotels along the route - our trip began on our 9th anniversary (and Holly's birthday).
As you will read near the end, we rented a Class C from Cruise America. We picked up the 30' RV that sleeps 7. Probably over-kill (definitely over-kill), but it gave us an idea of the concept of RV-ing.
Overview of Route
Day 1 - Thursday April 13, 2017
Today was one of two, very long driving legs of the trip. We drove from our home in Roseville to Henderson, NV. The route was 575 miles and drive time was slated for 8 hours 16 minutes. Coming into Nevada we encountered our first experience with wind and a high-profile vehicle. The RV's steering had a little play and for the last 2 hours of the trip I was white-knuckled keeping the RV from being blown into the adjacent lane or shoulder.
We left at around 8am and arrived about 10 hours later to the hotel (Hampton Inn & Suites). We encountered the first challenge of our trip - where to park this beast in a hotel parking lot. After talking to the front desk staff, we took four parking spots, unloaded all of our gear (we weren't sure about the safety of the RV overnight and didn't want to risk losing anything valuable), got some dinner (PKWY Tavern), slept, worked out, and hit the road for our second day.
Here is a 360 look at having coffee in the hotel room with the poodles (click and drag on video to look around):
Here is a 360 look at having coffee in the hotel room with the poodles (click and drag on video to look around):
Day 2 - Friday April 14, 2017
After gassing up, we headed to Arizona. Our first stop would be the Hoover Dam. Taking the RV along the winding roads was challenging and the Dam was very (extremely) busy. We are thinking spring break crowds but aren't sure. We did not stop. Once we made it across the Dam and back we had seen enough and could check off this location in our "been there" book.
We continued through the wind toward Williams Arizona to visit my parents.
Day 3 - Saturday April 15, 2017
We had a great visit, just hanging around the house and chatting. I was able to float the drone up in the back yard and get some great video of there place. We had lunch downtown at a nice pizza place on Route 66.
Drone footage:
360 Videos out back with poodles (click and drag on video to look around):
Day 4 - Sunday April 16, 2017 (Easter Sunday)
We set out relatively early to head east to New Mexico. We gassed up in Flagstaff and braved the windy desert freeway for 6 hours. When we arrived in Albuquerque, our hotel was near the airport. In fact, you had to actually enter the airport property to get to the hotel. When we checked in we asked where to put the RV (as it takes a lot of space). I was surprised when they told me to park it up front under the check-in awning for safety. I asked if I should be concerned and was told that they had an attempted break-in involving a moving trailer and a sign at the desk mentioned the same issue. We were a little road weary and didn't have interest in trying to shop around Albuquerque. We found that a pizza place would deliver and we took advantage.
Day 5 - Monday April 17, 2017
We took the relatively short drive to Santa Fe, taking the back road on the "Turquoise Trail". Our hope was to see something worth stopping for along the route to perhaps find some jewelry. Unfortunately, we didn't see anything that didn't look like a tourist trap and continued to Santa Fe. Our hotel was about 15 minutes north of Santa Fe at the Buffalo Thunder Casino property (Homewood Suites). We had lunch waiting for our room to be ready, settled in, left the dogs in the room, and headed to downtown Santa Fe. Two things became painfully clear. First, there was little to no parking downtown for a large RV. We had a few tight spots in which I had to learn quickly how to maneuver a 30' RV in tight spots. Second - we found that on Monday (the day we planned to shop) the main attraction we sought was closed (Palace of the Governors). We decided to find parking for the next day and do our shopping then. But - parking was the problem. We would later find that perhaps we could park at the cathedral, but the convention center had nothing but a parking garage much too small for us. We returned to the hotel property in low spirits. We then found that the hotel had a shuttle going downtown!! Problem solved. We had a nice dinner at the casino, Holly won about $60 on a slot machine and we packed it in for the night.
Day 6 - Tuesday April 18, 2017
We caught the shuttle to the downtown area. We were a little early and shops didn't open for an hour (10am). We walked around window shopping and getting a lay of the land. When shops were open we perused the jewelry offerings and other shopping opportunities. We came away empty handed but were able to at least see what was available. Instead of waiting for the shuttle, we used Uber to get back to our hotel. We checked out and started on our next leg of the trip - heading to Monument Valley, Utah.
We took the scenic route through North West New Mexico, passing over a small dam. We had the option of seeing the Four Corners monument but decided not to stop but power through. The last 100 miles was tough. That little leg on the map that goes straight north was painful. It was about 96 miles in high winds on a 2-lane highway in disrepair. After watching me white-knuckled, trying to keep the RV on the road in the wind, Holly mentioned I should have driving gloves. As luck would have it, one of the jackets I brought had finger-less work gloves. I put them on and didn't have to wipe the sweat from my palms anymore. We arrived in the dark to the Goulding's RV park in Monument Valley, Utah. This was our first, true RV experience. We checked in, pulled into our spot, hooked up to power, and settled in for the night. In the morning, I dumped the black water and we hit the road for our next destination.
Day 7 - Wednesday April 19, 2017
We saw the most unique and beautiful mountain scenery as we drove through the middle of Utah. We saw all the monuments, arches, and formations despite the windy mountain passes (the gloves made all the difference). We stopped in Moab for lunch and continued on through endless mountains, still capped with snow. We finally arrived in Salt Lake City during 5 o'clock traffic. We made our way to our hotel and settled down for the final night on our trip.
Day 8 - Thursday April 20, 2017
We loaded up early and hit the road. It was our longest leg (618 miles) of the entire trip. We fought through the wind all the way through Nevada. Once past Reno, the wind was gone and we enjoyed going through our home-state mountains with which we were very familiar. There was still lots of snow on the mountains and the relief with pulling into Roseville was palpable. We unloaded and went straight to our much-missed bed. The next day we cleaned up the RV, gassed it, emptied the tanks, and returned it.
RV the life for us?
We found very early on in the trip that we REALLY like this. Not this particular RV (too big, unwieldy) but rather the concept of being self-contained. Having a toilet on the road and a place to sit and eat or stretch out for a few minutes made the long drives more tolerable. No longer did we have to stop to use the bathroom (even when we had to fuel). There were stretches in which I drove for nearly three hours without stopping. Plus - the poodles had room to stretch out.
We are still in the evaluation stage of which RV is for us. We know that the larger Class A are too big. The Class C are probably not for us either (don't really need the overhang sleeping area). Next trip we will rent a Class B and try the Mercedes chassis to see how the handling compares to the Ford chassis we rented (we suspect the results will be obvious).
Then will come the decision to rent or buy. A good, recent used Mercedes model runs about $85k. We would have to RV at least 3 times a year to make buying better than renting. Then there is storage. If we can't park it at home, the costs go even higher. More to come after our next trip to the Oregon Coast this fall.
Renting an RV
When we decided to rent we researched our options. There seem to be only two nationwide companies that rent RVs: El Monte and Cruise America. While they have some actual company locations, most seem to be similar to U-Haul in which they franchise to local businesses that have other operations (such as a service station). In the greater Sacramento area there was one El Monte franchise and two Cruise America franchises. Let's start with the El Monte franchise.
El Monte
The location was in the southern industrial area of Sacramento. We knew from the address it was going to be interesting. We stopped by on a Saturday a while back to check it out. It was in an industrial park as part of an antique car business. I entered the facility and Holly stayed in the car as we had groceries and the area was a little sketchy. I was greeted by an older lady and could see a man attending to a young family who was renting an RV. She showed me the antique cars while I waited and then took me out to look at some RVs. When the man was finished, Holly joined me. We looked over the RVs and had no issues. One problem we did have was the non-refundable rental deposit of $150. No matter what, if we cancelled we lost the deposit (more of a rental fee than a deposit). The larger problem was regarding which model year we would get when the time came to pickup the rental. Their fleet has some older models and our research showed that some reviews stated that at the time of rental the reviewer was presented with an old model with no recourse. With this in mind, we asked if we could reserve a newer model (3 years old or newer). We were told that we would have to reserve it. Then we could call to see which model was assigned and see if we could get a newer one. What?? Why should we have to do the leg work??? We moved on to Cruise America.
Cruise America
There were two locations, one of which was much closer than the El Monte, located in Citrus Heights at Pastor's service shop. We stopped by and the owner was manning the counter. He showed us the 30' and smaller model. For the price we had decided that the 30' would be a better value. There was a deposit that was refundable (yea!). The attitude of the proprietor wasn't that great however. Even though their fleet was newer overall (3 years old or newer, Holly asked if we could reserve a newer model. He flat-out said "we don't do that" and continued to state that even customers renting for long periods and long miles (i.e. more money for them) he didn't do that. When we said it was a reasonable question he retorted "and I gave you a reasonable answer". Despite getting off on the wrong foot, we had little choice but to rent from him. We did get a little satisfaction, however. I asked if we could rent online or directly from him. He said that either is possible but if we rent directly from him they get a better commission. We rented online.
We had a wonderful trip. It was a grueling 2600 miles and 43 hours of driving through mountains and high winds but we were able to see the desert regions in all of its glory.
One last video clip of the late Robin Williams and the trials of using a rental RV
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
2016
This year we decided not to travel abroad due to Holly's BSN program completion and Adrian's hectic schedule at work with a new Medical Fitness Center launch, Imaging Center move, and new PET/CT program.
We celebrated our 8th anniversary 4/13/2016. Here's a video commemorating it:
We celebrated our 8th anniversary 4/13/2016. Here's a video commemorating it:
Oh - and by popular demand, here is the video I shot seven years ago of our house. I need to make a new one as we've updated nearly every room (including a recent kitchen remodel in 2019 - plus, we've had Atticus (not shown) for nearly 6 years).
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Paris & London - April 2015
Our 2015 Trip to Paris (with a day in London)
This year we did something a little different. We have so many places we want to go and some bucket-list places that are more "check off the box" visits than earnest desires. Paris is one of those destinations that has never drawn us but seems a necessity to visit due to its rich history and unique culture. Additionally, my mother turned 70 in 2014 and it has been my childhood dream to take her to Paris. So - Paris for 2015.However - I wanted to make it a surprise for my mom. She has never traveled outside the U.S. (with the exception of an across-the-border visit to Nuevo Loredo from Texas in the 1960's), so I needed her to get a passport to go on a trip with me and Holly (and dad, of course). Another important piece was my mother is deathly afraid of flying. But she was a good sport, got her passport and endured the periodic "clues" I would send her. Finally, on her birthday in November we broke the news that Paris was the destination. They were to board their dog and be at our house the evening of April 13th (my wife's birthday and our anniversary, incidentally - you may notice we like to travel around our birth-a-versary).
Tuesday April 14, 2015
The creatures of habit that we are, we drove from Roseville to the San Francisco Airport, dropping the poodles at Francesca's in Dixon, parking in long-term (sort-of...it was full and we were re-routed to Lot D - but basically the same thing). We were driving the Navigator due to having my mom & dad and luggage (and poodles half the way). Like last year, I was offered an upgrade to Business Class and jumped at the chance. The great service of Air France was reinforced by another fabulous flight. We modified our normal habit of only bringing carry-on luggage for this trip. Since last year we had to check our larger carry-on (due to the weight restrictions) and since we were staying the entire time in one hotel, we decided to each bring a larger checked bag and one carry-on backpack. It worked great.Wednesday April 15, 2015
We arrived in Paris just before noon. Unlike last year, no connecting flight - just get the luggage, go through border patrol, and meet our transfer that should be holding a sign with our name on it. Luggage, check. Border Patrol, check. Transfer.....not so much. I must admit at this juncture that I did a lot of research on the best way to get from the airport to our hotel. Do a search online for transfer from Charles De Gaulle to downtown Paris and you will see volumes of posts (most on Trip Advisor) regarding this topic. Many people suggest skipping a pre-paid transfer and just getting a taxi. However, I was determined to make it work as we were four travelers, each with a large and small bag and we didn't want to negotiate with broken English regarding the fare, etc, etc. Been there. So - I'm looking at all of the drivers holding signs, looking for my name. There are lots of them. I review my email from Discovery Mundo which was good enough to tell me exactly where to meet after exiting the airport (I was there). Still no driver. I called the numbers given by Discovery Mundo (to their partner company in Paris) and neither worked. I emailed them hoping that someone might be watching the email. This, or fate, or just waiting did the trick. A frantic young man came running up with my name on a sign. Crisis averted. Sort of. We had to drag our bags quite a distance to where the driver had been relegated to park. He was pleasant and loaded us up. As we were navigating our of the airport, he stopped at one point to say "hello" to a fellow driver. Not a problem if it was a "bonjour" and move on. He talked for five minutes. Then, after we were on the way again he turned to me and asked if it was o.k. if he stopped for fuel (I was sitting in front). Really? I looked at the gauge and saw he wasn't joking. What could I say "no....you go without fuel"? So, we stop for gas. Eventually, we were back on the road and less than an hour later we were at our hotel.
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| Outside Hotel Ares |
We stayed at the Hotel Ares Paris. I have to start by saying what a wonderful hotel this ended up being. More about that later, but we would seek this place out in the unlikely event we went to Paris
again. We didn't have anything planned this evening (due to the travel) but settled in, wandered out for some dinner (had a burger at Les Burgers du Pere Claude), and went to bed.
Thursday April 16, 2015
We learned something very important on our first morning in Paris. Nothing opens until 7am (at the earliest). The only (and I mean ONLY) negative I had to report about our hotel was that c
offee was not available until 7am. I wrote a review (a glowing one) but mentioned the coffee. The management reminded me that I could have had the night desk person get us some. True....the first morning. Gorges was great. He got me some coffee and I sat waiting for the others (this is after I walked out to see if a cafe was open at 6am). More on the coffee later. We had breakfast at the hotel, but for the 18 Euro per person price tag it was the only time we ate here. Decent food, but nothing special for being 5 Euro more than the other regular cafes.
We had booked a walking tour at 9am with Wego Walking tours (ranked #1 on the travel site). It started at the Notre Dame Cathedral so we took the metro for the first time (nothing exciting). After
the Notre Dame, we walked along the river (La Seine) and saw the interesting bridges (pont neuf, etc) and made our way to the Louvre. We walked around it and then back to the river area. Next stop was the Invalides area (more on that later). We finally wound our way between the Eiffel Tower and the Military Academy. The tour was absolutely wonderful. The best way to start our visit in Paris and see the areas we wanted to focus on later.
We spent the afternoon wandering the city, finding the grocery store (Monoprix), and eating some great food (had dinner at La Gauloise.
Friday April 17, 2015
This morning is when the coffee thing really came home. Georges was off and another guy (honestly I didn't get his name and after a few nights didn't want it. He wasn't bad, but he wasn't as attentive as Georges. He literally slept on the floor behind the front desk). My dad and I went to Le Suffren for breakfast at 7am but they weren't ready to seat anyone at 7:10am. We went next door to Cafe le Piquet and ordered breakfast. Apparently they weren't serving eggs yet so we had the breakfast francais (as opposed to anglais which includes eggs). It was a lovely slice of baguette, buttered; a delicious croissant; some coffee and juice.
Eiffel Tower Day! Our tour on the previous day ended at the Eiffel Tower which was 5 minutes from our hotel. We had booked a "behind-the-scenes" tour of the tower and it worked very well. We met by Mr. Eiffel's statue and there were about a dozen in our group. The tour guide was o.k., nothing to write home about, but adequate. Our first stop was to walk away from the Tower and go into an underground bunker to learn more history about the Tower and its role since being built.
Coffee - solved! I went to the Starbucks (I know....) to see if they had those little freeze-dried, instant packets to make a cup of coffee. The did not. So, I went to the supermarket and voila! I bought an electric kettle, instant coffee, and individual creamers. We now had our own in-room coffee service. The kettle was only 30 Euros and I would have paid $100. My initial thought was to get a Verissimo from Starbucks like I have at home (they sold the pods) but they didn't have one and I couldn't find where to get it. The kettle worked just as well and was far cheaper.
Saturday April 18, 2015
Breakfast at Le Suffren at 7:30am. Best breakfast and only 13 Euros (just give them time to open up).
We had booked a tour of the Louvre and Orsay museums for Saturday. We met at the Louis 14th statue near the pyramid and met Belen. She was to be our tour guide, just for the four of us. She is an artist that does her own exhibits but just started being a tour guide recently to supplement her income. Lucky us! She was an Argentine-born Italian working in Paris.
Her knowledge was superb and while she took us to the famous exhibits, she made sure to tell us why they were famous (or shouldn't be - like the Mona Lisa) and showed us how to view the art. With sculpture, she showed us the best place to view certain pieces and showed us how the other views detracted from the artist's intended vision. She showed us how the painters used different colors to effectively bend the light to give perceptions at a certain viewing distance. After 3 hours at the Louvre, we were off to the Orsay. Of course, we had a stop at a wonderful patisserie for a snack. We ended up visiting here again later. The Orsay was also divine and not as overwhelming. We spent another 2 hours here before wrapping up the tour.Sunday April 19, 2015
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| Napoleon's Tomb |
lides (or the museum and living quarters for the military wounded/disabled). This is where Napoleon's Tomb is located. It was the largest collection of military artifacts that we have ever seen. The suits of armor, weapons, and everything in between were located in this sprawling museum. Very interesting but exhausting.
Monday April 20, 2015
London! We booked first-class tickets on the EuroStar from Paris to London. We left early and took the metro to the Paris train station. After navigating the station and going through U.K. passport control we boarded our train. It went very fast but we were able to enjoy the countryside of France. 
We went through the tunnel under the English Channel for about 30 minutes at 100 MPH. Once in England, we were at the London station in about 40 minutes from the channel. We had booked a private black taxi tour for 4 hours. The tour was perfect. He took us to all of the major sites, letting us out when we wanted and picking us back up later. We were able to see the 11am changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. We were at the Big Ben tower when the clock struck 12 noon. The only part we could have skipped was the drive through the "posh" area where he pointed out nice cars. Other than that - great tour! He dropped us off in a shopping district (tourist trap) and we took the Tube back toward our train station. We had some fish and chips and headed back to Paris later that evening.Tuesday April 21, 2015
Last day in Paris. Our 2nd down-day with nothing planned. We wanted to tour the Notre Dame Cathedral and it was awesome. Then we went our separate ways and walked around the city a lot. We had our final Paris dinner at a great restaurant (La Casse Noix) and prepared to leave the next day.Wednesday April 22, 2015
Departure Day! I had confirmed our transport to the hotel (especially after our incident in arrival). Our flight leaves at 10:40 am and the company suggested picking us up at 7:40am (3 hours before departure). First mistake. Then, the driver was nearly 20 minutes late. Second mistake. Traffic was as I would expect on a Wednesday morning at 8am in a major metropolitan city - busy. But - we made it to the airport by 9am. So far, so good. We made our way to check our bags and the lines were long and the area was confusing. The Air France check in portion had a handful of areas and we were directed to go to areas 3 through 5. We went to 3. As we were in line, we saw the police cordoning off a piece of luggage that looked abandoned. A few minutes later as were were about to check our bags, a military man with a gun started shouting in French. I said "English, please". He said "we are evacuating this area. Move to area 4". We did. Got in line. Then that area was evacuated to area 5. Then to area 7 (apparently there is no area 6). But, area 7 is for priority customers. We weren't flying home business class, so we weren't a priority. Hundreds of us were crowded near area 7 waiting for about 30 minutes until they disposed of the bag. In the meantime I went to a kiosk to print the labels for our luggage. Once it opened back up we went to the self service check in and we were helped by a nice Air France lady. Of course, now we were passed the time to check bags but she overrode this and got our bags through and we rushed off to security. It wasn't bad but it took a bit. When we finally go through and got to our plane, we were the last to board at about 10:30am (yep - 10 minutes before departure - we were the last ones on). We breathed a sigh of relief, hoped our bags made it (they did) and settled in for the nearly 12 hour flight. The flight was uneventful and arrived in San Francisco on time. We picked up our luggage, headed to the shuttle and made our way back to the car.
Epilogue
Now that we've been to Paris, we are so glad we went. As I mentioned before we had never had a personal draw probably because of all of the myths and urban legends you hear from people that have never been. Bottom-line, we really liked it and could have spent a little more time there soaking up the culture. But - on to the next adventure. Where? Not sure yet. We'll keep you posted.
Au Revoir
VIDEO OF OUR TRIP
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