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. It sounds like you are going to have a great time with your kids visiting, and that’s great. But if I’m not too nosey, I have a question. You keep saying “our kids” and I seem to recall that you and Terry have only been married about 20 years. Are they your (Nick’s) kids or Terry’s?
A. Terry and I celebrated our 23rd anniversary last January. Travis and Tiffany are my children from my first marriage, but neither has a relationship with their biological mother. To them, Terry is their Mom.
Q. I know you said in your blog that you won’t be doing any free drawings while your kids are visiting, but why not? All you have to do is announce the prize on Thursday and then the winners on Sunday. How hard is that?
A. There is a lot more that goes into a prize drawing than that. Every day I have to go in several times a day and approve entries from people who have not entered before. And I also have to delete duplicate entries and spam entries. Sometimes I have to block somebody who blatantly breaks the rules by entering multiple times. And then there are the people who have a question about the prizes. You would be surprised by how many people want me to look in our archives to see if they won that same prize last month or last year, or those who ask if they can exchange it for something else or have the equivalent value in cash instead. And once I draw a winner, about 15% of the time, my e-mail to them telling them they have won bounces because they used an old address or one they never check. That all takes time that I want to spend with my kids.
Q. We plan to travel extensively in our RV starting this summer. We have a large, lovable Rottweiler and have been told that some RV parks do not allow them. Is this true?
A. Yes, some RV parks, usually because their insurance companies demand it, do not allow certain dog breeds that are considered aggressive. Even though your Rottie is more likely to lick someone to death than attack, it’s a case of the few spoiling it for everyone else. My advice would be to call ahead and make sure your dog is welcome before arriving.
Q. The weatherman says it’s going to be another active hurricane season? Do you and Miss Terry have plans to bug out if things get bad?
A. We are taking a wait and see attitude. During our first year here on the Central Florida coast we left twice for hurricanes. Since then, none have been close enough to be a threat to us. But we’re not foolish, if it looks like danger is approaching, we will get out of Dodge.
Q. I have always wanted to get into Ham radio but never had the time. I want to do it now that I am retired, but I also want to travel at least several months a year in my RV. Is there a way to combine the two? I don’t see how I could carry a portable antenna tower with me.
A. I have met several RVers who are also amateur radio enthusiasts. Check out the Amateur Radio RVers group on Facebook.
Q. I loved your Dog’s Run and Return To Dog’s Run books. Do you plan on doing a sequel to those?
A. I think Dogs Run is probably my personal favorite of my mystery books, with the sequel, Return To Dog’s Run, coming in as a close second. At this time I don’t have plans to do a third book in the series. But then again, I had not planned on the sequel either until it came to me during a long sleepless night, so who’s to say what the future might hold?
Q. I know you and Terry are not RVing anymore, but have you heard from people who still are? We are approaching retirement age and have talked about hitting the road, but I keep hearing that there are so many new RVers out there that getting into a campground is almost impossible without making reservations months in advance. Do you think this is true, and will the trend continue?
A. From RVers I hear from, as well as helping administer John Huggins’ Living The RV Dream Facebook group, it does seem like it is getting harder and harder to travel spontaneously like we did during our years as fulltimers. Especially in prime locations like the Pacific Northwest coast or New England. However, don’t forget that there are many alternatives to traditional RV parks and campgrounds. Many Elks and Moose lodges have RV hookups or at least a place in their parking lot for traveling members to park, as do some VFW posts for traveling members. There are also options like fairgrounds, many of which have RV sites available. Maybe it’s time for me to rerun my blog post about different camping opportunities. I think I will do that soon.
Thought For The Day – I don’t try to hide my weirdness. I like to wave it around for all to see. It scares off the boring people, and it’s like a beacon to my fellow weirdos.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!