As full-timers, one of the more curious statements we hear from RVers is how they seek to “make time”. What is “making time”, you ask? It is a mindset about traveling. In the RVing world, in terms of driving, “making time” involves getting from Point A to Point B in the shortest amount of time:

• It can be consistently driving above the posted speed limit.
• It can be driving long hours in a day, for example, driving 10 – 12 hours at a stretch.
• It can be making infrequent stops – just long enough to go to the bathroom, fuel up, and/or grab something quick to eat.
• It can be leaving a campground at 5:30 in the morning or driving overnight to avoid the most people on the road.

Sometimes traveling is about the destination, for example, going to a family reunion. These travelers want to spend as much time as possible with family at the destination, not on the road getting to the reunion. So, they want to “make time” to arrive at their destination quickly.

Or maybe they have traveled a particular road many, many times and feel like there is nothing new to see or experience. This is the experience of many Winter Texans or Snow Birds. These are people who live in the northern part of the country and go to Texas (Winter Texans) or Florida (Snow Birds) for the winter. There are people who make this trip on the same route, year after year after year. It seems like there is nothing new to see. So, they “make time” from one location to the other.

Variations on Making Time

There have been many occasions when we have used the “making time” traveling mode. We probably did this more before becoming full-timers. In our day jobs, both Dave and I worked 4 days per week, having Friday, Saturday and Sunday off from work. Our version of “making time” was to leave home after work on Thursday and arrive at our destination before dark. When we woke up on Friday morning, we were already at our destination! No traveling for us! We had the whole day to relax and/or explore.

Another variation of “making time” includes arriving at a campground in the late afternoon and pulling out of the campground the next morning. Frequently, we will find a campground with pull through sites, and we won’t even unhook the Jeep for the night. For services we will hook up only the water and electric. It saves time if you don’t hook up the sewer when you are just passing through. All black and gray water tanks hold different amounts and are used more when traveling with a family vs. just two people. Hooking up the sewer and unhooking the next morning are personal preference calls.

When we have been making time, meals are on the go, occur quickly in a rest area parking lot on the interstate or while refueling. A sit-down meal is a luxury if your goal is to make time.

Also, the campground for making time has to be easy off and easy on to the interstate. Driving 15 miles off the interstate trying to save a few dollars on the campground site doesn’t make sense if you are trying to make time. These easy off and easy on campgrounds frequently do not have a lot of amenities. And you probably aren’t looking for any if you are only there for less than 24 hours! Your campground may even be a parking lot at Wal-Mart, Cabella’s or Cracker Barrell!!!

Stopping to “Smell the Roses”

For travelers not trying to make time, the exciting part is what lies BETWEEN Point A and Point B! This method of travel may include literally stopping to “smell the roses”, or maybe the cherry blossoms in Washington DC!!

This is our favorite kind of traveling. Dave and I prefer driving the yellow striped two-lane highways, exploring as we go. For example, sections of Route 66 or the Route 98 Scenic Byway on the east coast of Mobile Bay.

The pace is much slower, the expectation is different. We are retired, so “getting there” as quickly as possible isn’t nearly as important as what we can experience along the way. We will stay in an area for a day or two, or a week or two.

Lunch is probably going to be at some family-owned local place that focuses on regional foods, for example, shrimp and cheesy grits at Cape Fear Seafood Company in Wilmington, North Carolina or lobster rolls at McLaughlin’s Seafood, Bangor, Maine!

The campground may be called a resort with many amenities, for example, a swimming pool, a tennis court or a playground. On the weekend there may even be pancake breakfasts! Or the campground may not be a commercial campground at all! You may choose to stay at:

• a state park, for example, Buccaneer State Park in Waveland, Mississippi
• a country campground, for example, North Beach Campground in Burlington, Vermont
• an Army Corp of Engineers campground, for example, Clear Spring Campground in Texarkana, Texas

“The Combo”

This is our go-to option for longer trips. This option includes quickly driving through states we feel we have explored to get to the states that are new to us and that we want to spend more time in!

In a recent 2,764 mile trip, we used this style. About 1/3 of our trip was devoted to making time, with stays at a convenient easy off and easy on campground. The other 2/3 of our trip was about taking the yellow line highways and stopping to smell the roses. It was a pleasant trip.

Take-away Point

One of the great things about the RV lifestyle is that there are many ways to be an RVing Nomad. You will find your rhythm and style, just like we did. And that style can change with the situation with every trip. Also, check out our blog Destination Or Journey, What’s Important To You?

Your partners in travel,
Kathryn, Dave and Lucky
RVing Nomads

It’s a lifestyle

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