We are about to embark on a grand adventure. As the name of our blog implies, M&T - that's us - are gearing up to entertain you with tales about our travels in our Alpine motor coach.
It has been our dream for a number of years now to devote more time to travel and leisurely vagabonding around the country. The dream first made its tentative suggestion when during our travels in the Rialta we began meeting folks who had sold their homes and now lived and traveled full time in their RV's. And from what was apparent, they were having a lot of fun, meeting lots of folks and spending time in various favorite destinations.
Some of the folks we talked to were full-timers, which means that their large motor coach is their only home. Of course we did not meet or talk to anyone who tried full-timing and did not like it and quit. But the ones we did meet never looked back and had been doing this for as long as 15 years. That always surprised me when folks told me how long they had been living this fancy-free lifestyle.
Others are half-timers or 3/4-timers, spending half or 3/4 of the year away and half or 1/4 back at home.
The idea of not having a home to worry about while traveling for extended lengths, or of having to return home so that it did not remain empty for too long, began to sound very appealing. As we traveled about in our Rialta, discovering more spots to visit along the way, and learning about the history and culture of the places we went to, we were always disappointed to have to leave and head home. We also realized that if we were to be away for longer periods of time, our petite 22-foot Rialta with limited storage capacity would no longer be the right size vehicle, particularly if we ever did decide to full-time. And so for a number of years, we have been researching all the options available for larger RV's. We also went to many RV Shows to look at all the various manufacturers, types of RV's, and floor plans. We each made a list of all the "must-haves" we like.
And that is how we targeted an Alpine Coach as our dream home on wheels.
We continued to keep our eyes open for an Alpine Coach and found one listed not too far from where my parents live in Maryland. Because we were going to travel to Poland to meet baby Klara and spend time with Michelle and Piotrek in Krakow, we decided to plan our trip with a stop on the east coast first. This gave us the opportunity to see the Alpine coach. Which we did, then flew on to Krakow.
The owners, a really lovely couple who obviously took very good care of the coach in every way, accepted our offer. When we received the email in Krakow, it was at once with glee and sheer panic: What on earth had we done?!!!
Then, as the realization slowly sank in, it was with excitement that something we had dreamed about and been planning for years, was finally about to commence.
We don't know what kind of "timers" we will be. But we are now poised to begin the trial period. Our petite Rialta is about to be replaced by luxurious Alpine. And in every sense, it is perfect for two oldies like us with everything we need: a queen walk-around bed, a shower, hand basin, toilet, combination washer and dryer (yes!), a very comfortable kitchen, a dining table and four chairs, ample storage inside the coach and also in the "basement" below. The storage is important if we are to be on the road and in different climates. And as long as there is also room for at least one sewing machine and some fabrics to work on projects, I am one happy camper.
The deal is scheduled for tomorrow. Our plan is to drive our new home on wheels to an RV Park conveniently located just a couple of miles down the road from my folks. We will take a few days to become familiar with Alpine's inner workings, and stock it with some bare-bone essentials we will need to see us through the rest of our journey to Washington State.