I’m back with more questions from blog readers about RVing, what’s happening in our lives since we hung up the keys, and all kinds of other things. While I try to answer all questions individually, I also share some here occasionally.
Q. We are watching the news coverage of Hurricane Eta and are really worried about you two. Are you in a safe place, or do you have one to go to if you need it?
A. We appreciate your concern, but we are fine. It’s actually a tropical storm at this point, and it’s on the Southwest side of the state in the Gulf of Mexico, while we are on the Atlantic coast much further north. We’re getting wind and rain, but the forecast doesn’t show it gaining strength and coming across the state to us. We are safe and just enjoying watching the rain coming down.
Q. We are snowbirds who usually go to Yuma for the winter, camping out in the desert in the LTVA for a couple of months. With COVID, we are concerned about traveling. Do you think it’s safe to do that, Nick? We really do not want to spend the winter here in Kansas if we can avoid it. We have a comfortable house here, but we would rather be in our RV with the sun shining on us.
A. I know Rvers who are traveling, but it’s not something I would be comfortable with right now. Once you’re in Arizona and boondocking, you can distance yourself from people. But what happens when you need to go into an RV park on the way to Arizona? Or if you have a breakdown along the way? I wouldn’t do it.
Q. How did you go from owning a newspaper in Grays Harbor (Washington) to a paper in Arizona?
A. I have long connections to Arizona and had lived there a couple of times before. When we left the Pacific Northwest, we returned to Arizona, and after a few years in Tucson, I moved to the White Mountains. I had not planned to go back into the newspaper business, I was looking at buying a retail store. But when I called the newspaper that was already there, which was owned by an out of town company, to ask about advertising, they blew me off. In talking to different business owners in the area, they all complained about how hard the newspaper was to work with and how often they messed up ads and did not make it right. I saw an opportunity to do it better and I took it, opening up a competing paper.
Q. Nick, I know you’re a gun guy, and from what I’ve heard, gun prices are through the roof right now. Is this normal or just a reaction to the election?
A. Every time there’s an election, there’s a big panic and people start hoarding guns and ammunition. A few months from now, when they realize that nobody is going to take their guns away, things will calm down again. I’ve seen this happen every election since the 1970s. It hasn’t changed and probably never will. The companies who make guns and ammunition, and the gun stores who sell them, all love it because they can’t keep up with the demand.
Q. I know this sounds crazy, but is it true that there is a place in Quartzsite, Arizona, where nudists hang out or is it just an urban myth? My husband keeps teasing me that we’re going to go boondock there this winter.
A. Yes, it’s true. They call it the Magic Circle. I don’t know what the turnout will be like this year, but in past years I’ve known quite a few people who went there to be free in the sunshine. I was going to go once, but they took up a petition and were rather demanding that I not show up.
Q. We are headed to Tucson for the winter and want to go to Nogales, Mexico to get some dental work done. Do you know if the border is open for things like that?
A. I’m sorry, I don’t, and I think things could change at any time. I would check locally or at the U.S. Department of State for current information. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/us-mexicoborder.html
And finally, with Christmas coming, remember that heavy traffic and crowded stores are not the only things to be aware of when doing your Black Friday shopping. It changed one man’s life forever. Read all about it here.
Thought For The Day – I don’t always go the extra mile, but when I do, it’s because I missed my exit.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
In response to the lady who wanted to go to AZ this winter. As a campground owner and an RV’er most campgrounds do contactless check in so you do not even have to go into the office. You can live your life the same way this winter in AZ as you do at. Home, just social distance will in AZ.
Our trip to FL so far this winter has been contactless in many ways, from the campground offices to using fruit and veggie stands.
Don’t do a disservice to those mom and pop businesses who NEED our support.
If you don’t go this year than many of those businesses will NOT be there next year. Support local small businesses NOT the Corporate businesses.
Just for some perspective. In 2019 in Brevard County (population about 600,000) which is just south of you Nick 616 people died of flu and pneumonia. No one wore masks, no one closed down the economy, no one did ANYTHING unusual. So far in 10 months in Brevard County in 2020 392 people have died of CoVid-19 aka SARS- cov 2. Last week a nurse at our local hospital said there was maybe 1 person in the hospital with CoVid. They were not yet sure the person has CoVid. So to the person who asked about traveling I would say go for it UNLESS one of them has an immuno-compromising problem. 87% of the people who have died in Brevard County were 65 and older with secondary problems (average of 2.6 according to the CDC). We should protect the vulnerable and let others live their lives. Enjoy each day, today does not come again.
I have two comments related to today’s blog. First, we are traveling in our truck camper and believe that we can be as safe as if we stayed in Vermont. In Vermont or traveling we have to buy groceries and fuel. We are fully self contained with solar so do not need to stay in RV parks. We do use some state parks or places where we can be parked away from people but do not use the bathrooms or showers. When we have to dump or get water, we may go into a campground or RV park and pay to dump and get water and then leave or use something we find at truck stops, etc. We always wear gloves and masks and wipe down with 190 proof alcohol when done. I hope you’ll share this approach so people who want to travel in their RV can see ways to do it if they can follow our way of doing it.
If you are a member of the Escapees RV Club, there is a Birds of a Feather (BoF) nudist group. It started as a joke when someone put up a sign up sheet at an Escapade and a whole lot of people signed up.