My life on the road - From the beginning!

There have been plenty of good times in my life and as I sit here and reflect, there was always an RV involved somehow.

Even in the EARLY 80's we cruised around this country in swanky orange and brown fashion circa 1979 - in a 1979 Titan motorhome that is!

We fell in love with its dark brown booth dinette that folded into a bed (Which cushions - to my moms chagrin - we used to steal, put vinyl side down, and sled down the stairs with at our first home) and it's cumbersome roman shades and strange dutch-doored bathroom.

I can recall with surprising detail a rich history of friends, family, tradition, bonding, and overall happiness - all thanks to life on the road.

In the early 90's, my parents upgraded to a 1989 Winnebago Elandan 38' MHA. We left the rich browns and oranges of the 70's and soothed ourselves in the blues and pinks of the 80's. We caravaned with our friends, we boated on the Colorado river, we rode roller coasters at Six Flags, we rode our bikes through Lake Almanor until we couldn't even feel our legs anymore, and it was awesome. (Actually, note the picture below where I broke my leg on above said bike, but we were so dedicated to vacation we stayed...)

Life was an adventure all thanks to our motorhome!

There was no such thing as a slide-out in those days, which leaves me baffled as to how 2 parents, 3 teenagers (me, my brother, and sister) and 1 infant (15 years our junior, little brother) made it across this expansive country in essentially a giant hallway without killing each other! Actually, you know how we did it? My dad would gear up for the drive and our littlest brother would snack and nap, and we would do what you do in an RV- ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO!

We pretended we were surfing...
We played cards at the booth dinette...
We watched movies on the back bed (Yes, all 4 of us at once!)...
We listened to our CD players (This was before iPods!)...
We clamored at the window to take pictures of the buffalo blocking the road in Yellowstone...
We sang, we tried to get truckers to honk as they passed us, we ate more candy than should be legal, we microwaved and ate hundreds of chicken chimichangas from Costco... and we really truly LIVED...!

We stopped at strange things we saw along the road...
We read books and journaled our stops and compared the different pins and patches and stickers we had purchased...
We tasted crisp clean air as we took pictures of Lake Louise in Banff...
We giggled uncontrollably as we exchanged our allowances for Canadian money...
We ate the best ice cream EVER at an RV park in Montana...
We shopped until we literally dropped at the 4 story mall in Vancouver...
We plotted and planned our attack on Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon and Zion...

And I can't imagine my life if any one of those memories were missing.

Since then, my parents have upgraded to a 1999 Newmar Dutchstar with 1 slide! I'm 30 years old and you know what I enjoy? RVing... My older brother and sister have married and moved away, but that doesn't deter me one bit. Just recently, I called my mom and dad and little brother (Who is now taller than me!) and said "I want to go on an RV trip!" They eagerly obliged and just 2 months ago we set off over Thanksgiving vacation for Las Vegas! This time we brought the dogs and the adventure started again!



I read books, we watched movies, we had in motion satellite and internet, I worked on my laptop, and I realized that life is just SO SO good.

It's no mere coincidence I found my true calling in the RV industry. Thirteen years and three days later and I still get fulfillment and excitement from these homes away from home. If I could only explain to you, dear reader, that no matter what the cost or the maintenance or storage or the EXCUSES we tell ourselves - how WORTH IT RV ownership is, my life would be complete.

My past has always involved an RV and you can bet your bottom dollar my future plans involve one too! See you out there... on the road again...!

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Marisa Horton is an RV enthusiast who started at Paul Evert's RV Country January 10, 1997. She currently manages their website (www.rvcountry.com), transportation department, and helps with advertising. She loves her little dog, is always looking for her next opportunity to travel, and loves EVERYTHING related to the RV Industry.