Traveling the Wide-Open Driveway

For as long as I can remember, I have had a burning desire to take a trip in an RV. Or at least sleep in one. I think it stems from the fond childhood memories I have of road trips with my mom and dad and three siblings.

We took car trips to Colorado, Canada, Niagara Falls, and Florida to name a few, in our un-air-conditioned Oldsmobile. My younger sister on my mom’s lap in the front seat and my older brother and sister and I in the back seat with my feet propped up on a cooler full of Hawaiian Punch, Fritos, Twinkies, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

With no cell phones or tablets to distract us, we sang songs, played games, and talked to each other. Or just looked out the open windows with the hot wind blowing in our hair and wondered what the swimming pool was going to look like at the motel we were headed for. It was so simple and so fun.

Unfortunately, I was unable to find anyone else in my family who shared this camper craze. So, I have lived a very unfulfilled RV life. Until last Saturday.

As my 70th birthday was creeping up, the kids asked me what I wanted to do to celebrate. It dawned on me that this was my golden opportunity to fulfill my dream. I asked if we could find an RV and park it in the driveway for a night and pretend we were camping at the Grand Canyon. And that’s just what happened. (See the pics.)

For 24 hours I traveled the wide-open driveway, rather than the highway. I introduced my grandkids to a house on wheels. (They thought it was amazing!) And I finally slept in an RV.

Well kind of. Let’s just say the reality of sleeping in an RV didn’t quite match up with my fantasy. I ended up in my own bed but with a big smile on my face and an imaginary twinkie on my nightstand.

Joan