Archive for October, 2009

Our friends at Hiburrito brought up an interesting poll which asks the question: How long do you want to live? There is a "forever" answer at the end but who wants to live forever?

Since I am a baby boomer on the near side of 60 my answer was "till around 90" but only if I could remain in good health and still be RVing when St. Peter calls me to that great RV park in the sky. (full hookups there!)

I suspect that the reason most of the votes went for the "till around 80" mark was that mostly youngsters voted in this poll so far. So I said let's throw it over to the baby boomers for a different perspective.

From Fountain Hills to Payson, AZ where I live, is one of the most beautiful drives in the southwest. Along the way are some spectacular stands of Saguaro cactus as you start a gradual climb from almost sea level to 5,000 feet, arriving in Payson and "Rim Country" an RV enthusiasts playground.

RV Country

Two lanes of divided highway route you through a pristine desert landscape of reservation, state and national forest lands undisturbed by development practically until you arrive in Payson, a community of some 15,000 full-time residents, situated among tall Ponderosa Pines. Just a 1.5 hour drive from Fountain Hills, it's a section of AZ 87 known as the Beeline Hwy, where, on any given weekend, you will see RV's, such as pop-up campers, fifth-wheels, travel trailers and motorhomes, every size and description, traveling to the Rim Country. Besides Payson, they are bound for places with names like; Strawberry, Pine, Christopher Creek, Show Low and Sunrise, and where they will find some of the best hiking, fishing, camping, cool temperatures, and scenic forests in the Grand Canyon State.

It's a steady climb from Fountain Hills to the Mt. Ord turn-off, or what is sometimes referred to as the pass, it being the highest point between Ftn Hills and Payson and where some of the larger RV's will struggle. Carry extra water, camping accessories, and take your time. Once past there it's an easy ascent to into Payson where you will find everything you need to stock the RV pantry.

Some friends kept insisting that I share some of the video that I have shot along that scenic road, specifically areas where ancient Saguaro cactus dominate the landscape, giant cactus that always look different depending on the seasons, natural light and time of day. I finally put some of my best footage together, (you still need to drive it yourself!) found some cool music to go with it, loaded it on YouTube, and I hope you enjoy it;

I have to be careful when I am in an RV park, settling in, BBQ fired up, cocktail in hand, not to crank up the tunes too high. There are others to think about besides me.

But it's tough because rock n roll was meant to be played loudly, and classic rock is my choice of music, not this stuff they call hip-hop, sorry guys it's just not for this boomer.

I don't like using headphones unless I am in my bed at home, safe from the dangers we unfortunately hear about all the time, I need to know what's going on around me.

But when I am bushwhacking and no one else is around to be disturbed by a zillion decibels of Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd, I can definitely go loud. Our question in today's boomer world opinion poll is who do you think was the greatest band?

Rumors abound about our Social Security system about how it will be bankrupt when the baby boomers have bled it dry?

This boomer happens to believe that he earned the money that will someday be paid out in tiny little monthly amounts and that he will never live to see what he paid into it.

My wife just retired at age 62 and it was a mutual decision for her to start collecting SS benefits. One reason was, we needed the income, and another was why wait, on our country's present economic course you never know what might happen.

Our readers want to know what you plan on doing when you get close to the eligible age. Will you wait or will you take the money and run?

There is a consensus out there among RVers that the majority of them started out RVing with a travel trailer, 5th wheel or pop-up camper to get a feel for the type of RVing that they were leaning toward after retirement.

Most of the motorhome owners I have spoken with had an RV of some sort, small fifth-wheel, or travel trailer before they decided to upgrade to a larger, self contained rig like a Class C motorhome but RV dealers have a different opinion. They say that most of the people who buy the bigger more fancy motorhomes are first-timers and I find that hard to believe. Have you ever driven one of those monsters?

So that is the question for our poll today, did you start with a motorhome first or did you work your way up?