HOW DID THIS WACKY IDEA COME ABOUT?

Janell and I got the idea, “the bug” if you will, to see the USA at pavement level, one state at a time, quite some time ago; maybe 10-15 years ago.  The concept was to do a deeper dive into the places, people, and experiences around the USA than one can do on a weekend visit or a two week vacation.  After quick trips or vacations to interesting places around the country over the years we always felt that we didn't have time to see or do all the things we would have liked.  So, our notion in retirement was to travel at a more leisurely pace to experience this vast and varied country in a more thorough fashion, to ultimately explore each of the lower 48 states.

A couple of experiences with motorhome vacations spawned the idea of doing this on a larger scale in retirement. We rented a 28’ Class C coach for a week-long trip to Oregon when our sons were young, and in 2008 we borrowed a 31' Class A coach from our in-laws for a ten day trip through the National Parks of the Southwest with our Finnish friends. We realized that a larger motorhome would be required if we were to live in it, non-stop, day after day, month after month for over 1,000 days…

We recognized that there was a risk in going "all in" by renting out our home and hitting the road as full-timers for several years, having had only those two experiences with motorhomes. This awareness influenced our thinking as we began our motorhome research. We attended the annual RV show in Pleasanton, CA almost every year for about ten years to learn about brands, configurations, and features, ultimately deciding on Tiffin as the brand we would purchase.

By early 2018 we had finalized our retirement timing for 2019: March for me, and June for Janell. With this timing in mind, we wanted to purchase the motorhome with ample time to learn how to operate and maintain one, to get comfortable with driving and maneuvering it, and to flush out and address any deficiencies that come with buying a new coach (i.e., warranty repairs) before we hit the road for our full-time adventure.

In January of that year, at the Alameda County Fairgrounds RV show, we pulled the trigger, purchasing the Tiffin Allegro Red 37PA, affectionately known to us as “The Beast”. At almost 40' long The Beast is bigger than what a first time RV owner would typically purchase. We did so hoping to minimize the possibility that Janell and I would, in a matter of weeks or months, feel cooped up and get on each other's nerves (or worse, at each other's throats!)  We banked on the premise that a more spacious coach would buy us ample time (2-3 years) before we felt compelled to get off the road and return to our bricks and mortar home in Livermore, CA.

Meet The BEAST!

Having ordered our new baby in January, 2018 we waited until May 5th for delivery by Tiffin from Red Bay, Alabama.  We received a very thorough three hour orientation from Jim at Happy Daze RV in Livermore, CA. Our son Matt accompanied us to video each of the “tutorials” as Jim took us through our new coach from stem to stern. Boy, did those videos come in handy down the road!  When Jim was finished it was time to drive The Beast off the lot. Can you say “anxiety”….?

Thankfully it was only a three mile drive home. The Beast is much bigger and longer than anything I had driven previously, plus it had been ten years since I last drove a motorhome. Rating my anxiety level of driving the coach home on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being terrified and 10 being "king of the road"), I was a slam dunk 1!

We took The Beast out on seven different overnight trips in Northern California over the coming months, (one to three nights each).  We also figured out our TOAD situation (a tow car is known in the motorhome community as a “TOAD”), purchasing a 2014 Honda CRV (red in color which, by coincidence, matches one of the prominent colors of The Beast.)  Janell gets naming credit for "Little Red".

By the end of 2018 we were reasonably comfortable with the machinations of RV parks, driving and operating The Beast (though far from expert), and still confident in our retirement adventure plan.

In the Spring of 2019, shortly after my March retirement, I embarked on my first retirement bucket list adventure, that being a solo bike ride across the USA (from San Francisco, CA to Yorktown, VA).  I returned home on July 5th, after 2.5 months away, during which time Janell, while still working through mid-June, orchestrated the rental of our home effective August 1st and began to work on vacating our home.

By August 1st the house was empty and spotless for our new renters, and The Beast was fully stocked and ready to roll!  It was a VERY hectic 3.5 weeks!

That brings us to the start of our adventure!