The New Retirement. Jan Cullinane
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all the many ways to travel, RVing may be the most flexible. You can stay in a cozy RV park in the city, in a friend's driveway in the suburbs, in a beautiful national park, a full-amenity recreation complex – or something as unglamorous as a parking lot anywhere along your way.
Phil and I did all of those things in our year-long trip around the United States. We also “cheated” and stayed in a beautiful National Park Lodge or even a cabin by a lake when we were tired of doing the camping life. The beauty of it is that the choice is yours and you are always ready for whatever may come your way. We traveled in a small Class B RV, so we had total flexibility to park downtown or under a tree and call that home for the night.
We recommend having some goals for your trip – see all the state capitols, all the National Parks, something quirky in each state, hiking a famous trail in each area – whatever strikes your interest. Those goals will help shape the planning for your trip.
My sister called it traveling with “our shell on our back,” which is an apt expression because you have everything you need with you. That was a major appeal to us versus taking a car on our long trip. On more than one occasion, being able to pull over at a rest stop or a park and heat up last night's leftovers for lunch proved to be one of the unexpected things we enjoyed – we were always prepared for an impromptu meal. Another plus was that you were always prepared for a “pit stop” – no more looking for the rest area or dying until you got somewhere. This was especially handy when we were stopped in summer construction – sometimes for an hour or more.
Choosing the type of RV that you want to travel in is one of the most challenging aspects of your planning. You have to think carefully about your own driving abilities and desires, about your mechanical adaptability, and what kind of a trip you are planning. If you are planning a mostly urban experience, a 45-foot Class A “bus” would probably not be your first best choice in New York City or Chicago. On the other hand, if one of you is adept at driving a big rig, knows the ins and outs of mechanics and you are planning a week at a time in a beautiful RV park or National Park, then a big rig may be perfect for you. The smaller sized RVs are great for maneuverability, fitting in tight spaces (city parking), and stopping at an auto repair place when something doesn't sound right (most are built on some type of truck chassis). The other option is, of course, a towable – either a trailer or a fifth-wheel that attaches in the bed of a truck. The advantage of this arrangement is you can disconnect and take your vehicle with you and not your entire “house.” Depending on your trip plans, that can be very handy. Towing a car behind a larger RV is also an option that might serve your needs.
If you are planning a long trip, we recommend that you don't overplan it. If you've made reservations ahead and something happens, which it will, then you have all those plans to undo. Have an itinerary of roughly where you want to be when, just to keep you on track, but please don't try to plan it all ahead – most of the fun is the whimsy of each day. Some days we traveled 5 miles, some days a hundred, but our longest day was 380 miles to meet up with some traveling friends. Just let your trip unfold in front of you. Because you have an RV of some type, you can always sleep in a parking lot and if you have a small rig, many “full” RV parks can tuck you in someplace. We had some of the best RV spots that way. They once put us on a tennis court near Zion National Park on a busy holiday weekend with an extension cord for electricity. Fun!
RVing is a great way to meet people, see our country (or another!) and have the time of your life. We were never at a loss for something to talk about from every state (we are part of only 2% of our population who has been to every state) and travel enriches and informs your life forever. Don't wait. Do it now while you have your health. If you need more direction to begin planning your dream trip, grab a copy of our award-winning book, Live Your Road Trip Dream.
Some other options:
Cruises. Someone else cooks, serves, cleans, makes your bed each day, provides entertainment and enrichment programs, and transports you from destination to destination. What's not to like? Obviously, the pandemic affected the 2020–2021 travel season, but in 2019, there were 30 million cruise passengers with more than half coming from North America. Ships range from the mega (almost 7,000 passengers) to the intimate. Having cruised quite a bit, I've noticed over the years that some people never disembark at the ports because they have been on so many cruises (and they tend to win all the Trivia games since they've heard all the questions before!). Recent welcome additions to many cruise ships include dedicated solo staterooms, so a single doesn't have to pay the dreaded “single supplement.”
Escorted Tours. Ann and John B. love escorted tours through OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel). My spouse and I took an OAT tour to Israel/Palestine and absolutely loved it. It included visiting residents' homes, and having an open political dialogue with both Israelis and Palestinians. Hotels, transportation, transfers to the airport/hotel, most meals and some sightseeing are usually included in escorted tours. (OAT also offers exclusive women's tours.) Brian P., who is single, loves Smart Tours, which are all-inclusive and pride themselves on being affordable. Brian is a worldwide traveler and we value his advice, and indeed my spouse and I took a Smart Tour to India and loved it. Steve and Debbie L. did a bike tour in Europe through Backroads Rhine River Cruise Bike Tour, riding bikes through four countries in eight days while also enjoying the food and luxury of a small AMA Waterways ship along the Rhine. Those on the trip decided how many miles they wanted to ride during the day, and were transported back to the ship when ready.
Singles' Travel. The travel industry is finally recognizing that not everyone is coupled. Check out the all-women Oh Solo Mio (www.ohsolomio.travel) or male/female Singles Travel International (www.singlestravelintl.com). Many companies will help match you with a suitable roommate if you want one, using a questionnaire to match up like-minded travelers.
African American Travel (www.Africanamericantravelers.com). This company was founded in 2013 by Lawrence McLean to “broaden the reaches, horizons and perspectives of our community by bringing them to the world.”
LGBTQ+ (Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer or Questioning, and the + represents inclusion of all people). If you've cruised, you may have seen “Friends of Bill W” or “Friends of Dorothy” listed in the daily cruise activity program. Although many might know that “Friends of Bill W” is an invitation for Alcoholics Anonymous members to meet, “Friends of Dorothy” is an opportunity to gather with LGBTQ+ persons. The large cruise companies offer these get-togethers, and more cruise ships are tailoring itineraries and sailings to various groups.
Educational Travel. It's almost an oxymoron – all travel is educational, in my opinion (even if it's learning how to make a trendy alcoholic drink on a cruise ship). However, there are some companies, such as Roads Scholar (https://www.roadscholar.org/) (formerly known as Elderhostel – the company wanted to eliminate the word “elder”), National Geographic Expeditions (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/expeditions/) and Smithsonian Journeys (https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/) that really shine with their emphasis on learning. Greg T. went on a tour to the Amazon with National Geographic, which employs professional photographers, regional specialists, and naturalists. He learned so much about the flora and fauna of the area he felt he should have earned four college credits for a lab course in Biology.
Voluntourism. Travel with a noble purpose? That's what a volunteer vacation should be. There are a large number of organizations that sponsor travel nationally and internationally, but there are a few cautions about this type of travel. Some experts say it would be better to pay for those who live in a village to perform work (such as digging wells) than have unskilled people who fly in from another country for a week to do the labor. And, it's been documented that sometimes orphanages, a popular voluntourism destination in some countries, aren't always what they seem; some places have “created” orphanages