Living Life Fully: inspiring you to live a life without regrets

Ever wished you could just pack up, hit the road and free yourself from the constraints of conventional life? Well, Patti and I did just that—we sold our worldly belongings, bought an RV and embarked on an unforgettable journey of discovery, adventure, and profound life lessons.

Our compelling stories about our nomadic life will take you from the awe-inspiring Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque to the mesmerizing sight of manatees in Crystal River. We share candidly about our fears, our triumphs, and the life-altering decisions we made along the way. We also recount the enriching encounters we had with unique individuals, like the remarkable family we met in Lake Mead, and the life lessons we learned from them.

This episode isn't just about our extraordinary experiences; it's about inspiring you to live a life without regrets and packed with rich experiences. So, whether you're a seasoned traveler or contemplating trading your house keys for a set of RV keys, our tales are bound to stir your spirit of adventure. We also delve into the practicalities of RV life, including picking the perfect campground and navigating the technicalities of maintaining an RV. So buckle in and embark on this inspiring journey of living life fully, nomad-style.

In this episode we mentioned:
Reno Air Races
https://youtu.be/A2B3AegXqgM

Albuqurque Balloon Fiesta
https://youtu.be/txMlqtDWXQs

Kelly Park Natural Spring In Florida
https://youtu.be/8wavXp6dY78

The Manatees
https://youtu.be/jTorEkk1W5k

Heceta Lighthouse
https://youtu.be/aBKQXNqXMNU

Exploring Through Our Lens  YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs2YjkNqfLAzB207o_QJ0xw

The Electric Bikes:  Kracken Adventure Bikes   
$400 off with Code: HUNT
Link : https://www.krackenadventurebikes.com/discount/Hunt

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Are you living your life? I mean really living your life to the fullest. This is the RV Life Podcast, and we're here to ask you today what experiences have you had in life that you will never forget? Today, patty and I will share our unforgettable experiences, and how it may not be what you think.

Speaker 2: 0:34

Today we are in Pennsylvania, in PA, dutch country, and it is beautiful. The trees are green, the air is hot, but it is just beautiful here, the rolling hills. I love it here.

Speaker 1: 0:53

Now that sound means it's time for today's fun fact brought to you by our friends at Open Road Resort 3 beautiful resorts One in Dallas, one in Wyoming, one in Montana. There are actually four of them. There's four of them yes and one is in Dallas.

Speaker 2: 1:13

Yes, and three are in Montana Utah area. Chase Becker spoke about these beautiful, incredible places. Actually, he was on the show just a couple of months ago, right and wow, when he talked about the beauty there. We cannot wait to go check out these resorts. His information is in the show notes and he actually is offering a discount.

Speaker 1: 1:40

Now if you are about to take your family on a vacation. Taking a vacation of a lifetime is about going to places that really care about their customers, and we found that Open Road Resorts are exactly that. Okay, patty. So what is today's fun fact of the day?

Speaker 2: 2:01

Well, I do have to say that today's fun fact isn't so fun, this fact that I found is sort of sad, but we're going to talk about it today because we want to change this percentage and what I found is 90% of people end up living their lives and then dying with regrets. The number one regret of people who are on their deathbeds is that they wish they had lived life that was true to themselves and not the lives that others expected them to live. That's pretty incredible.

Speaker 1: 2:42

That really is incredible. Now the number two thing there is I wish I had lived my dreams.

Speaker 2: 2:48

That was, yeah, the second regret that people had.

Speaker 1: 2:53

And number three is I wish I had chosen more meaningful work.

Speaker 2: 2:58

Wow, that's a big one for us. We made that choice. And last, I wish I had been happier and enjoyed life more, and isn't that what today shows really about?

Speaker 1: 3:12

It really is about. We're going to talk about our experiences, what we've done and how, hopefully, we've helped some other people break out of their shells and live their lives a little more to their experiences, and we'll be talking about all of that and more right after this break.

Speaker 2: 3:31

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Speaker 3: 3:48

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Speaker 1: 4:23

Now I want to ask you a question and I want you to give me an honest answer Is your life boring? Well, to be honest, our life was pretty boring. Right in the middle of COVID, we were living in Las Vegas. I just finished a meeting where I was told that the stages in Las Vegas were going to remain closed for at least a year. I was very depressed because most of our money was coming from a show that we were working on in Las Vegas. So Patty and I sat down and had a talk. We looked at the fact that we had about $5,000 a month going out and we were just told that for at least a year we'd have nothing coming in.

Speaker 1: 5:10

It was time to make a change and that's just what we did, and in the end we decided to sell all of our worldly belongings all the pictures on the wall, all of the little baby things and all of the little memorabilia stuff that we've bought from all the trips that we've taken all over the place, all the little elephants they're all gone because we sold them all. We had a garage sale. I sold more equipment for doing radio and television and movies and stuff. I was crying because people were offering me $10 for $50,000 light kits. I have to say, at this point in my life, I believe it was really, really worth it. We decided to sell everything. We decided to buy an RV and become NoVed, a life that we both now love.

Speaker 2: 6:02

Yes, we do, and today we're going to talk about our experiences in the time that we've been RVing and I'm just going to say it's not what you're thinking, so stick with us.

Speaker 1: 6:15

Now, the first story that I want to tell is a story that really has not a lot to do with us. The only thing it has to do with us is that every night, patty and I take a walk around the campground after dinner and just kind of get our steps in for the day. If we hadn't already done it, we ran into a family on this one night. We were in Lake Mead, right outside of Las Vegas. It was very hot there too and this was a family with two kids and a mom and a dad and a minivan, just like the minivan that Patty and I used to have a long time ago back in Philadelphia when we lived in Philadelphia. It was just such an inspirational story and it is stuck with me for the years that we've been on the road, because this little guy that we talked to and there was him and an older brother, I think there as well, right, patty?

Speaker 2: 7:06

Yes, yes.

Speaker 1: 7:08

We stopped and we were talking to him and then the mom came over and we saw the dad was busy working in the front seat of the car, had his computer and internet set up. And he was busy working in the front seat of the car but here in the middle of COVID, their class was talking about the Grand Canyon and this little boy came home to his mom and said mom, I can't believe that anything is that big. So that mom was inspired to pack up their minivan, pack up everything that they possibly could into this van, so they could live out of the van for the next two or three or four weeks. I don't know how long they were out for, but they were living on the East Coast right.

Speaker 2: 7:53

Yes, yes, like North Carolina.

Speaker 1: 7:55

So they were living in North Carolina or something. They got in the car and they came all the way across the country and we met them a few hundred miles from the Grand Canyon and it was just so inspirational to see this kid's eyes telling the story that I'm going to go there tomorrow. I'm going to see it for myself. It was just. It just made my heart weep. It was probably the greatest family story that I have come across in all of my years.

Speaker 2: 8:27

And this again is one of the experiences that have really touched us and we're going to definitely remember it because, you know, hearing this family and what an inspirational mom, what an inspiration. She just said, hey, we're getting in the car and going, and it was just incredible and, as you could hear from Dan, it's something we won't forget.

Speaker 1: 8:50

Now something that you, just you, when, when something like that happens to you and you become a part of it, even it, it's just something that stays with you forever.

Speaker 2: 9:00

It absolutely does. Now let's talk about something else that really touched me in a different way than people would expect. So Dan had said let's go to the Reno air show and air races, I think it's what it's called and my thought was I kind of like airplanes, but I don't know that I want to spend four days at the Reno air show. But I thought, okay, it's an experience, Let me be open, and that was the big thing. I think that happened. I was open, what, what could be there that I would you know, see and enjoy. And I'll tell you it was absolutely a memorable experience.

Speaker 2: 9:43

Not just the races and the show, because there's actually an air show that goes on, but we met some incredible people. We hung out with them for the four days we were there and just had a great time. Again, it was, you know, just one of those things I didn't expect. I didn't expect that I was going to really enjoy it. I was going for Dan. This was something that he really wanted to do and I just kept myself opened. We met incredible people that we were never going to forget that.

Speaker 1: 10:22

Eric Tucker.

Speaker 1: 10:23

That's yes, yes, Stunt pilot that just does some some amazing things. He lands his airplane on top of an ambulance, rolling down the runway at the same speed that he's going. It's just an amazing story, an amazing family that we met with the Tucker. You know the kids, the wife we met. We just became a part of their family for the four or five days that we were there. Now I have to say that the Reno Air Races is something near and dear to my heart.

Speaker 1: 10:54

My father was a pilot in the military and he took me to the Reno Air Races as a little kid many, many times. He even got an award once at the Reno Air Races while I was there and I was so proud to be with my dad, who just got this big gold trophy. It's just something that becomes a part of who you are. So it's it's, you know, a part of being alive. It's a part of doing things with your family and then being able to bring that back and do it with my now extended family.

Speaker 1: 11:38

It was just an amazing experience for me, and I will tell you that when those races are going on and the jets are going by and the Thunderbirds are flying by, you feel it. It's not just that you're there, you feel it being there, because they are right on top of you, coming over you at 50 feet. It was a really, really, really amazing, amazing experience and we, patty and I, have been lucky enough or, or you know, grateful enough that we have been able to do things like the Reno Air Races and we left the Reno Air Races and made our way to Albuquerque, new Mexico, for the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Patty, do you remember the feeling that you had when we first took off in that balloon on day one?

Speaker 2: 12:35

I, I do and I'll be honest, I think it was fear and I think that, again, the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is something that people talk about all the time. People put it on their bucket list. I am so grateful we had the opportunity to go to the Balloon Fiesta and not only be there but to go up in the hot air balloon. And for me, I'm actually afraid of heights. So this was a big, you know, getting past my fears. And, as I've said to my six year old grandson, he was afraid to go play soccer one day and he said, you know, he said, mom, I'm, I'm, I'm afraid. And I said, I understand, I said I'm afraid too sometimes, and he was shocked.

Speaker 2: 13:24

And so I guess the message I want to let people know is, even though I was afraid, even for my grandson, even though I was afraid, and even as an adult, we have fears that I was so glad that I overcame it. So I know we have on our YouTube channel a video of me when we took off, I believe, and the look on my face was I was in awe. You could watch all the videos on it you want. You could watch my face, you could watch how we took off, but I was in awe. It was just such an incredible experience, and letting go of the fear and just feeling this freedom like you've never felt before is the best way I could describe it. And that is, you know, one of the highlights of the things that we've done, that I'm just so glad we you know we had the opportunity to go.

Speaker 1: 14:25

Yes, having the opportunity to do some of the things that we've done. Now I will say that at the Reno Air races we signed a deal with an e-bike company, so we had brand new e-bikes. When we got to the balloon fiesta we were staying at a harvest host location that was about five miles away from the balloon fiesta. So I had this great idea We've got e-bikes, we're going to beat the traffic, we're going to take those e-bikes every day down to the balloon fiesta.

Speaker 1: 14:54

And then one of the things I didn't realize at the time was that the balloon fiesta was in the morning and in the afternoon, and in the middle of the day everybody goes back to their RVs and sleeps. Well, we were parked five miles away and we were on bicycles. So I very casually mentioned to Patty that we were going to ride the bikes down at 4.35 in the morning and then at 10 o'clock, when the break started, we're going to ride our bikes back up, we're going to take a nap and have lunch and then at three o'clock we're going to ride our bikes back down the hill into the balloon fiesta and then at 11 o'clock in the night, after the fireworks, we're going to ride our bikes back home again, so it was about five miles.

Speaker 2: 15:44

Yes, now, this was I'm going to interject this was another one of what I thought was Dan's crazy idea and I think the one day we thought about driving we've realized the craziness of the traffic and I just went with it.

Speaker 2: 15:59

So, yes, we got up at 4.30 am, got out, got on the bike and you know, you could sit and say, oh, my goodness, this is the worst experience, or I could really take in the cool air, the beautiful site from where we started on the bike, driving down the hill Wow, so driving down the hill towards the field, albuquerque is just for me, a beautiful place and then getting to the balloon fiesta and watching the sunrise. Now, I'm not one to often watch the sunrise, but again, I mean an experience of watching some, of watching some rises is just, is just Dan likes his sound machine is just an incredible thing to watch. And it made a difference in the whole experience being at the balloon fiesta, riding back and forth my legs were sore, don't get me wrong, but it did add to the experience and we certainly were able to beat the traffic being we were off site.

Speaker 1: 17:16

Yes, it was an experience of a lifetime meeting the people that we met flying with the crews that we crewed with. We were actually able to get on the crew of the balloon freedom of America and be be the ground crew for that crew. That for four of the five days.

Speaker 2: 17:37

Yes, that was a great experience as well. Dan loved the idea of crewing for them. I don't think that was their name, but I'll check that and put it in the show notes. Shout out to Tom. He was the pilot. He was just amazing. Again, great friendship we developed there. But now let's talk. I want to move on to Crystal River.

Speaker 2: 18:02

We went out on a boat in Crystal River. It was a punctume boat. It didn't matter what kind of boat, but we got up in the morning Nine o'clock in the morning, got out on the boat and I, when people say what's your favorite experience, this is really up there for me because being out on the water was just beautiful. We were, we were, you know, just going around and we saw manatees. So Crystal River is kind of north in Florida and there are areas that there are manatees all over. You can see them and when you go into the water they actually come near you. They're huge but they're like puppies and that that experience was another one of those unforgettable, incredible experiences being out on the water for the day. Never forget it.

Speaker 1: 19:05

And we were lucky enough to have a local captain take us out. So he took us out to all the great spots, just had a wonderful, wonderful day, a little scary, you know. I had one of my underwater cameras out and Patty said these manatees are like puppies. Well, this one little guy came up. He wanted to know what that camera was all about. He came right up to it and smelled it and sniffed it. Do manatees sniff?

Speaker 2: 19:30

Do they smell? I think they do. Do they have noses? I think they do, I'm not sure. Could somebody fact check that and send this a message on our social media at RV Life Podcast? I want a marine biologist or something to tell us. They must have some sense organs. I'm going to say that, but anyway I'll tell you why.

Speaker 1: 19:52

I'm going to try to get Patty to put the video of that little guy coming right up to the camera. And he nosed right up to it, scared the heck out of me. I got it. I'll be honest this manatee is bigger than I am.

Speaker 2: 20:03

Yes, he's saying little guy, but he was way bigger. They are huge, beautiful animals. Now we also then, while we were down there, went to the springs. Now I also found out that there are warm springs, which we did in California. That was amazing, the warm springs, those were hot springs in California Hot springs, that's it.

Speaker 2: 20:26

There are no warm springs, so they're hot or they're just springs. And these were springs in a park in Florida and we floated on our raft and what an it's like the biggest pool you've ever seen Clear water. They're really great people we met there, but I love that. That was great.

Speaker 1: 20:50

Now Patty's going to put links to all the YouTube videos, because almost everything we do we document over on our YouTube channel, exploring through our lens, and so Patty will put a link to those. Hot springs were just incredible. We went up to the mouth of the springs, or the feeder part of the springs, and were able to take some pictures down into where the water was actually bubbling out of the rocks. It came out at a constant 78 degrees. How great was that? So you could just jump right in that water. The kids were having the time of their life. It really really was something special and it was just so incredible how crystal clear that water was. I mean, it was just incredible to see water that clear. Now we're talking about some of our experiences that we've had, and that's all because we made the decision to leave our life behind and just get out and start exploring and start living and doing the things that, deep inside, I've always wanted to do.

Speaker 2: 21:56

But I have to interrupt here because I think that many years ago I would have said this and I could hear our listener saying this. But I can't do this and I just want to back up. You told the story about how we were in Las Vegas and we decided to sell everything and go in an RV, and that was a huge leap of faith. That was a huge jump. It was scary as heck. We didn't have much experience. Well, we had no experience really. It was a crazy idea that Dan had and I'm grateful for his crazy idea.

Speaker 2: 22:31

But if we go back for I guess four years before that, I was a teacher or a high school teacher. I had been a teacher for 20 years. I was at the top of my level of education, almost had my doctorate degree, and I decided to quit my job. I had had enough working with the system and loved the kids and decided to quit my job. And so anybody that's saying well, you can't change your life or you can't do something, or you just work until you get to end of life and have regrets. We're hoping in this podcast to inspire people and, believe me, we're not suggesting you just quit your job, we're not suggesting you just sell everything and buy an RV. But I think we are saying that there are so many things out there to enjoy, the simple little things like the springs and again, I think it was Kelly Park and I'll put exactly where we were it cost $5 to get in and we spent the whole day there the simple things that you just stop and say, hey, I'm just going to enjoy this.

Speaker 1: 23:47

Now it's not all great times out there. There are times where it just doesn't seem to be working. I remember going through Phoenix into Albuquerque and into Texas where we had a problem with our cooling system. We pulled into a shop and the guy said $5,000,. No problem, we can fix that.

Speaker 2: 24:08

Yes, that was a horrible little day there.

Speaker 1: 24:10

So it's not all roses and cherries, but I'll tell you what. It's a pretty good life. Now you might hear some buzzing in the background, and this is one of the issues here. We are in Pennsylvania Dutch country, pennsylvania, lancaster, pennsylvania. We're at a campground called PA Dutch country and the humidity is upwards of the 90% every day here. So it's warm and it's very, very humid. So we are doing our podcast today from our newly renovated RV, which we absolutely love, and it's a little bit hot so we have to keep the air conditioner on. So every once in a while you hear that thing popping in behind. I want to talk about one of these other things that I'm really, really grateful for. We were able to actually put our feet in the water in the Pacific Ocean and then in the Atlantic Ocean just within one month, within one 30 day period.

Speaker 2: 25:16

And that might have been a little crazy.

Speaker 2: 25:18

It was cool, but I think we hightailed it across the country, right, that's what we and some of the things that I can't remember, but some of the things that are really cool and interesting and special. For you might be different for me. I mean, I remember that trip. I think I was kind of tired and again, it was cool to be on both oceans across the country Wow, and you know some of the traveling that we did.

Speaker 2: 25:50

I think I also want to let people know we always say enjoy the journey. We end our videos with enjoy the journey and, to you know, recognize that you're on the Pacific coast and in the same month you're on the Atlantic coast. Cool thing to be able to do and I think getting there is when we went to Sedona. I really want to talk about Sedona because that wasn't what I expected it to be. I'll be honest, I always heard about Sedona and I heard about these amazing places to go and people talk about it being spiritual and just this really amazing, cool place and I think one of my favorite things was that sunset.

Speaker 1: 26:39

Oh, my goodness.

Speaker 2: 26:39

Coming out of Sedona. We stayed in Cottonwood coming out of Sedona and that sunset and the other thing was Alcantara Vineyard and Winery. You would think I have a vested interest because I tell people about it all the time. So if I had a dollar for everyone I recommended, alcantara was one of those places that was truly magical for me. We rode in with our electric bikes, we were riding around the campground, we were in Verde Valley and we were riding around the campground and Dan again had this bright idea to go through a gate that I'm not sure we were supposed to go through, but somehow or another we ended up at the front of this vineyard and winery. It was like out of a movie.

Speaker 2: 27:29

So imagine I'm going to take you on this journey and see if you could imagine what this looked like Two stone posts with a wooden gate and it said Alcantara, and they were opened and we drive in and there in front of us is this building and there was music I swear I heard because it was like. It was like almost a dream and this building I felt like I was transformed to Tuscany. I mean that is what it was like. And as we went through this place and Dan and I really don't drink, so it wasn't about the alcohol and we weren't drunk. But we went into the place, we talked to the guy who manages the place and the stories he told and everything they do there. It was all I could say is it was magical. I'm going to say that again.

Speaker 1: 28:25

If you want to take a weekend and change your life, alcantara winery is the place to go. I got to tell you you can have a wedding there at where they call the convergence of two rivers that come together and you're standing there joining in holy matrimony at the convergence of two rivers as well. So you're converging two families together, but at the same time, you're doing it in such a magical place. It's just something. You can get a massage in the wine vineyards. They actually have masseuses that take tables out into the middle of the wine vineyards. They have star watching gazing nights where you can go out in the middle of the vineyards with chairs and just watch the stars, and it's like a firework show every single night there.

Speaker 1: 29:21

This place is just outside of Sedona. It's called Alcantara, it's in Cottonwood, arizona, but I have to tell you it isn't horseback riding. They have jeep rides around the area. They have horseback riding through the vineyards. You can't live this way. I'm telling you. It is a life-changing experience and the people there are nice, they're friendly, they're real, they're not there to gouge you. They really, really care about your experience and that's why this place is so incredible. We love that place and had a really, really, really good time there. Now you want to talk about really, really, really good times. Well, in the two or three years before we decided to hit the road, we lived in Philadelphia. Then we had moved to Las Vegas, so we had spent maybe about an hour with all nine of our grandchildren's total. And you know, when you have grandkids, the kids kind of get pushed aside. So we do have five kids out there.

Speaker 2: 30:39

Yeah, dan keeps. Every time we talk about this, dan keeps moving the kids down Like they have been downgraded, because they'll say, well, you know quality time with nine grandkids, and I'm like we have five kids that four of them had those nine grandkids. So I really have to remind him. But I think that for both of us, the family time and I know I cut you off the family time that we've spent I'll let you finish your story Well quality time.

Speaker 1: 31:07

with the grant, I mean we were able to go and stay and bend Oregon for a week or so and take care of the kids and let our kids actually go out on a second honeymoon for three or four days. They hadn't got away in a couple of years.

Speaker 2: 31:26

Yeah, they got a chance to go camping and we stayed with the kids and we've been back and forth across the country and we've gotten to stay with all of them and, again, really quality time. It's not like you just show up and it's necessarily just vacation, but being with them is. And again, these things I got to say aren't in any order, because if they were, certainly the family and the kids would be at the top of the list. I think that is one of the big push, one of the big reasons that we do what we do is so that we can be with our five kids and our nine grandkids.

Speaker 1: 32:08

And you know, I just want to remind everybody. Patty cut this out of my script today, but I'm putting it back in. Time is your most valuable asset. That's what I believe is my most valuable asset, and I think about that fun fact for today and think about people passing and the number one regret is that they didn't live their life the way they wanted to. Well, if time is your number one asset, spending time with the kids and the grandkids is really really important and taking that time to do it. Now I'm going to tell you another little secret here. Patty's going to hate me for this secret, but the next adventure that we're going to talk about was one of my favorite.

Speaker 1: 32:58

We spent the afternoon and walked maybe two miles up the hill to Hedica Lighthouse in Oregon, and until that day, I hated lighthouses. I thought that was stupid. It just walked someplace and it didn't really do anything for me. Well, I will tell you you, being at Hedica Lighthouse in Oregon was again one of those highlights of your life. When you look out over the ocean and the ocean cracking on the rocks and that small beach there with the bridge in the background, it was incredible. It was really, really beautiful. And again, there's one of those things where, over on exploring through our lens, we had our cameras with us. We took you along with us. We have a video on exploring through our lens, Patty. We'll put a link to that into the show notes.

Speaker 2: 33:57

Okay, it sounds like I'm going to have a lot of work to do and, again, the whole premise of this show and the whole reason to do this show is because we want to inspire people to get out and what? And we're getting all mushy gushy, you know, talking about the show, so it may as well continue down that road. What inspired me to come up with this show idea is because, as a lot of you know that listen my mother passed about two, almost three weeks ago now, and just hearing her now, she was 87, so she lived a very long life, but she also shared a lot of regret she had. So in their last several months that we were together, she loves the fact that she had three children two of them, you know, have spouses and five grandchildren and great grandchildren and and you know, that was her life. But she also had a lot of regrets of the things that she didn't do, the places she didn't go. She was very encouraging, you know, for us getting out there and seeing things and encouraged us to go out and enjoy life. And you know, I think I'm making her proud. I hope so. So this is why we wanted to share these things with you. And again, family, not just kids and grandkids, but brothers and sisters, and you know, now we have, I have no parents left, but it's I think about the fact that we talk about.

Speaker 2: 35:45

Life is short and again dad said script. But there is no script. There is. This is all just from our heart. We do have a list of the places we wanted to talk about, and a head of the lighthouse for me was was again one of those, I'm going to say, magical experiences. It, yes, I was, it was. It was a straight up like two, two miles, but when we got to the top looking at the Pacific Ocean I grew up on the East Coast. The Atlantic Ocean is way different. It was truly an experience and we did set the cameras down. We just sat down, watch the sunset and took in the moment, and I think that's what excuse me, that's what makes a difference in all of the things we're talking about. Just getting all choked up, just being present and being in the moment of things. That's the big thing to keep in mind.

Speaker 1: 36:49

Being in the moment. You know, take time to put that damn cell phone down and look at where you are, look at the beauty that's all around you each and every day. I really, really want to say don't have regrets. Go out there and do and show the your younger ones, the people that look up to you, that there is no such thing as I can't. There's no such thing as I can't. There's. Maybe I don't want to, but it's worth it to get out there and live your life. What Patty and I have been able to accomplish in just a two and a half short years that we've been out on the road is incredible, and the experiences that we've had, the people that we have met, I just can't say enough. Yes, we left some really good friends behind.

Speaker 2: 37:55

Well, I'm going to, I'm going to just jump in and community is so important, friends so important, and you're saying we left friends behind. I think for me we had really really close friends in Las Vegas. We had close friends in Pennsylvania, but I feel like they're still close. We're not physically in the same place, so it I think we're still very close. I mean my friend Jen, who was on the podcast.

Speaker 2: 38:31

She is a health coach. She started out as our health coach and she's now one of my dearest friends where we're on the phone a short two and a half hour phone call today and she was part of the inspiration for this podcast as well, because she said when she coaches people and she works with people, she talks about us and how we just gotten an RV and took off and she's working with people on mindset and you know they always say, wow, that's cool, I wish I could do that. You know that wish that you could do something and you can, and I guess that's what we want to get across. You can do it. It is scary. Sometimes You're going to fall. Sometimes we had that major RV problem, $5,000 RV problem. You're going to have those things come up. But we picked ourselves up and we just kept going. It's not all, as Dan said, roses, but having a community is also one of those things that has really touched me in this journey.

Speaker 1: 39:37

We have met some absolutely incredible people. We told you about the family that we met from North or South Carolina Just a great story. Right here where we are in Pennsylvania, dutch country. We were here a year ago and we did a campfire conversation with a family that was camping right next to us. What a great, inspirational story they have, and we will have more inspirational stories right after this.

Speaker 3: 40:11

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Speaker 1: 40:41

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Speaker 2: 41:15

You want to talk about community and people that we've met. I have to talk about the people from National Indoor RV Centers. They have six centers across the country but why we talk about them. What we love is they are truly amazing people Brett the owner, chuck, angie, matt at National Indoor outside of Washington. These are real, true human beings I don't know how else to say it. They are incredible. They were very helpful and supportive while we were in Virginia taking care of my mom and they're just amazing people and we have met so many amazing people while we've been on the road. But I do have to give a shout out to the people at National Indoor RV Centers.

Speaker 1: 42:12

Absolutely incredible, inspirational people. If you are going to be looking at an RV, I strongly, strongly encourage picking up the phone and calling National Indoor, because they become a part of your family, and when you have an RV, things can go wrong, trust me. We've had a new refrigerator, we've had a new bed, we've got a new floor, we've got tile that doesn't seem to ever want to be clean. It is an adventure at best, and they are there helping you all the way. So we can't talk about anybody as much as we could talk about National Indoor.

Speaker 1: 43:00

Brett, you are an amazing individual, an amazing human being, and I will never forget the night that I first met you in person. We were at an event that would have had about 500 people and you walked around and shook everybody's hand and then, at the end of the night, you stood at that door and said goodbye to everybody and remembered everybody's name. I wish, I want to grow up and be Brett David. I want to grow up and be just like Brett, because that is a man that I look up to, and I can't say enough about National Indoor and the community that he has created there, and their RV group is called AIM.

Speaker 2: 43:50

It's called AIM and that is man you're putting me on the spot now. All inclusive motor homes. It's been a long time and I just call them AIM, but I will put the details in the show notes because it is an incredible group and, as Dan's talking about, Brett Davis is the owner of National Indoor RV Centers. We call it National Indoor for short. The only thing I don't think they'll clean the tile floor, so I just want to. They might, but I'm not sure about that one, so just don't want to put something out there. That's not right.

Speaker 1: 44:32

Well, they are incredible people. I think that they could get somebody to clean that tile floor if we ask hard enough. Now, one of the things I wanted to point out is you know it is the competition and we don't usually throw the competition a bone on our show, but Chuck and Angie of National Indoor have just started their own podcast just in the last few weeks. That's not competition, so you might want to jump over and check out their podcast. I'm going to put a link to their podcast. It's available on the Apple podcast, Google podcast, Spotify, just like the RV Life podcast is. It's available out there everywhere. Chuck and Angie are incredible people. It just they have the stories from the inside of the community and if you want to get more information about RVs, besides listening to Patty and myself, you do want to listen to Chuck and Angie.

Speaker 2: 45:30

And it is called RV 360 podcast. We love and support them. They are great people to work with.

Speaker 1: 45:42

Now, you know, while we're giving plugs out there, let's go ahead and give one more plug to the people out there at the TV show from National Training Center RV.

Speaker 2: 45:54

Unplugged. Rv Unplugged.

Speaker 1: 45:55

That's what it's called.

Speaker 2: 45:56

See, this is this is what I'm saying. It's not. We are not scripted and I don't often know what is going to come out of his mouth, so I have to be on my toes. So RV Unplugged is.

Speaker 1: 46:09

They're shooting their second season right now.

Speaker 2: 46:11

No, in January, oh, january.

Speaker 1: 46:12

It's not till.

Speaker 2: 46:13

January yeah.

Speaker 1: 46:15

Oh, I thought they were shooting the second season we're plugging it early. Plugging it early, so it's going to come out in January, but they're.

Speaker 2: 46:20

No, they're going to shoot it. I thought, oh, it's coming out in January. Okay, so again, this show is not scripted, we just come up with the stuff. But yes, the if you haven't watched season one of RV Unplugged, it's on YouTube, right, and it was just a fun, funny show of five RV couples that got together and did all kinds of competitive things. From what I understand, they've already picked the contestants for season two and maybe they are shooting it now. I might be wrong. It was fun, it was a great show and we had Tony and Todd from the directors and producers of the show.

Speaker 2: 47:08

Yes. And they're also from RV Training Academy.

Speaker 1: 47:13

Training Academy right.

Speaker 2: 47:14

It's hard to remember all the letters, but these are also great guys. So, as we talked about, sometimes stuff happens on your RV. A if you want to learn how to fix your own RV or be trained to fix other people's RV, Now I will put a shout out we do need an electrician right now, right.

Speaker 1: 47:33

We do.

Speaker 2: 47:34

If anybody's listening, they're at PA Dutch Country or in the area we need an electrician. So it's not all roses.

Speaker 1: 47:44

It's not all roses. Sometimes things just don't work. Right now, the whole right side of our RV is not working properly. The left side works just fine, but they tell me a card burnt out in the back and we're just not able to. It's above my pay grade, so we're trying to work on that and get that fixed, but it's just something that always happens.

Speaker 1: 48:09

If you're an RVer, you know what I'm talking about. There's always something to do. But I want to point out the silver lining here. When you owned a home, when I owned a home, there was never a day that I sat down on the couch and said everything is done, I have nothing to do, everything is perfect. It never happened that way. There was always something breaking, always lawns to be cut, always flowers to be watered, always, always, always something. So it's not that much different If I don't like my next one, even though I can just put the keys in the ignition and go. Now, patty, that's how it means. It's time for today's question of the week, and I believe our question this week is from social media. Actually, it's not.

Speaker 2: 49:03

Actually, this is a question I decided to put in here that you and I get asked all the time. Just today.

Speaker 2: 49:11

On social media today, the manager of the campground we were speaking with. We get asked when we're speaking in front of an audience. We get asked when people recognize us in the middle of, say, the Hershey RV show. We are asked this all the time and that is what is your favorite campground? What is your favorite campground, wow, can you please stop pushing buttons? And my answer always is it depends. And what does it depend on? It really depends on where I want to be and what I'm looking to do. So let me explain.

Speaker 2: 49:50

If I want to be, say, in Las Vegas and explore the strip, explore Mount Charleston and the Hoover Dam and go to Red Rock Canyon and all that that area has, then my favorite campground for us is the Las Vegas campground. It is a thousand trails campground and Dan and I are thousand trails members and we mostly stay in thousand trails campgrounds. But again, a favorite campground when people are trying to decide where they want to stay and what kind of campground is really what they want to know. It just depends what you're looking for. So we are going to be in Florida in December. We will be staying at the thousand trails Orlando.

Speaker 2: 50:38

The family is getting together. I think they're 12 plus of us to go to Disney as a family. Can't wait, so at the time that's going to be my favorite campground and they do have nice level spots and a lot of them are cement here in PA, dutch country. I'm loving it here. It's rustic, we are in the woods, they are gravel spots, but there's big beautiful trees in the area is perfect. So that's the answer to that question.

Speaker 1: 51:12

A lot of times too, it's like what's around the campground that makes a big difference. You know you talked about Orlando. I was able to take the bike up to the grocery store because it's just right at the corner. Now the grocery store here is about five miles away, but there is a really nice giant right up the street. It's a really nice target right up the street, and for us availability to internet is really, really important. So we had that last year. This year Not so much. Our Starlink service is not 100% here. This year we're back in the trees a little more than we were last year.

Speaker 2: 51:54

Yeah, and that sounds like a question, a comment. Maybe we could bring an expert on about internet, which reminds me we want participation from our listeners. If you go to our social media either Instagram or Facebook, RV Life podcast and ask a question, let us know what you want to hear. If you think you'd be a good guess, send us a private message, tell us what kind of things, what kind of questions, we could ask it as the question of the week we can bring an expert on, but we really want to hear from you. We do get a lot of private messages with people asking questions and just letting us know things that they want to hear or things that they're struggling with. And we really, really appreciate our community because that's what drives us. That's why we do this and just to try and help our RV community give information that's helpful.

Speaker 2: 52:58

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Speaker 1: 53:45

Now, you know, we're in Pennsylvania, which brings me to it's almost Hershey time, and the reason we're in Pennsylvania right now is because it is almost Hershey time and we are speaking for RV Life at Hershey, and one of the things that we love about RV Life is Patrick Buchanan, because not only is he the producer of this show, but he comes on each and every week with his RV Life pro tip of the week, and right now we are going to try to find the RV Life pro tip of the week.

Speaker 4: 54:29

RV Life has added landscape mode during navigation for the RV Life mobile app, both for Apple and Android. Yes, you can finally turn your phone to landscape mode if you prefer. When using the RV safe routing provided by the RV Life app. Landscape mode works for trips you plan with Trip Wizard and for routes you choose within the app, both in iPhone and Android. Tablet users can use landscape mode for navigation too, but remember tablets only work properly if they have their own cellular data plan For RV Life. I'm Pat Buchanan. Pat Buchanan.

Speaker 1: 55:04

Thank you, Pat, and we appreciate you coming in every single week with RV Life pro tips of the week. We do not move our RV one inch without first putting it in RV Life. Now I will also very proudly say that we have all the way until October, I think right, or November, October, October. We have it all planned out in RV Life Trip Wizard. If you don't use RV Life Trip Wizard, you should be Now. It's only $50 for the year. Wait.

Speaker 2: 55:41

I got it. I got to interject. It's actually $59. This show is airing. You're hearing this on 719 or later. Hopefully you're hearing this before August 1st, because August 1st the price is going up and because you are a listener, you will get 25% off your first year. That $59.25% off, I believe. After August 1st it's $65. I've got to double check that, but I think that's what the price is going up to. And here's the beauty of it you will be locked in at that year's price every year. So as long as you have it, dan and I are locked in at a $49 price and every year it's $49. It is worth it.

Speaker 2: 56:35

So we talk about Trip Wizard, we talk about the navigation system, and now you could turn your phone in. It's on landscape. So planning, rv Safe, gps, campground reviews, rv maintenance, rv masterclasses there is so much included with the RV Life Pro suite of products. I mean I can't say enough about it. Dan and I have been using it for over three years. We love it and that's the only reason we talk about it on our show.

Speaker 1: 57:06

Well, not the only reason. Well we're going to be at Hershey talking about it.

Speaker 2: 57:11

Well, yes, that too, we got to talk about that. You could try it for seven days for free. Now let's talk about Hershey, because Dan is so excited. He keeps saying are we going next month? We got no, it's in September, september 13th to the 17th Hershey in Hershey, pa. It is an RV event, but it is not just for people who are looking to buy an RV. And on next week's show we have the Border Hookups. They are full-time RVers, they are fantastic performers. And let me tell you about the exclusive private RV Life event and that is on Thursday, the 14th, from 6 to 10. And again, I'll put the details in the show description, but that's an event. The Border Hookups will be performing, dan and I will be giving away amazing prizes, like giveaways, I'm talking about Electric bike $2,000.

Speaker 2: 58:16

I'm not talking about one of these cheap Costco electric bikes, no offense. But this is a $2,000 electric bike.

Speaker 1: 58:23

I love Costco.

Speaker 2: 58:24

I do too, but not their electric bikes. A $500 open road diesel card.

Speaker 1: 58:32

Everybody needs diesel. I'm going to keep that one myself.

Speaker 2: 58:36

Not everybody needs diesel. There was a couple other things that are big prizes. Somebody just gave a surprise, I can't remember. Oh, the car generator. Yes, we just talked to him yesterday. He is going to give away a car generator that will charge your RV batteries. Yes, we're going to have him on to explain that, because I honestly don't totally understand it. But you've got to be at the Hershey event next week. Border Hookups are going to talk about why an RV event like Hershey if you're not looking to buy an RV, and there are lots of reasons. Obviously, I'm getting excited.

Speaker 1: 59:15

Stuff. You can buy stuff, rv stuff they have lots of RV stuff, but community too.

Speaker 2: 59:21

Community is huge, the people that we met, got together with and don't forget, at the Hershey event, the seminars Dan and I will be speaking about trip planning Education Every day. Education is huge, meeting people, what new things are coming out. You know, events are so much fun. We look forward to them every year. Okay, I think I've said enough.

Speaker 1: 59:46

I'm going to go back to the question of the week and say what's your favorite campground? I think my favorite campground is a group of campgrounds and we've stayed in quite a few groups where they have a bunch of crabcrumbs around the country but the Thousand Trail system has saved us so much money we really, really enjoy. We're staying in one right now. We had a wonderful afternoon with a manager and assistant manager here at PA Dutch Country speaking with them. We've done some great videos about this place. We're really, really, really happy overall with the Thousand Trail system. This membership has allowed us to stay on the road.

Speaker 2: 1:00:34

Full time.

Speaker 1: 1:00:35

Full time for the last two years. I don't know that we would have been able to do it if we were paying retail for campgrounds.

Speaker 2: 1:00:42

No, no way, and it's funny. I got to, I got to bring this up and again we're going on here because there are no script. Somebody left. We did do a, a, just a review of our thoughts on Thousand Trails. It's not for everybody. Nothing is for everybody. We love Thousand Trails, but we got a message today that just said I don't like staying in parking lots. And I assume they're thinking you know Thousand Trails campgrounds, because that's the you know where they put their comment. And the thing is we're staying right now in a campground that has beautiful trees. It's far from a parking lot Trees are blocking my starling.

Speaker 1: 1:01:29

Yeah, a little bit of his starling, so he's not happy.

Speaker 2: 1:01:31

I think he'd rather be in a parking lot. But there's different campgrounds. I mean, they have 82 campgrounds within the Thousand Trails and if you add on the Trails Collection there's over 200.

Speaker 1: 1:01:45

Yeah, some may look sort of like parking lots, but and the best part is, you know, we pulled in here. We're going to be here for seven days, I think we just extended another seven days. So 14 days total. So we're going to be here for 14 days total and our total bill is a big fat zero.

Speaker 2: 1:02:06

Okay, so we've talked about Thousand Trails. Anybody that wants some information? First of all, last week we had Jim and Brandy who are the membership specialists that we talked to when we first started with Thousand Trails. You could hear our story of how I was totally against Thousand Trails. We talked to Jim and Brandy. They were not salesy at all. They gave us the information. They said, quote unquote do what works for you guys, and that is what they've always encouraged us to do. And you could hear Jim and we just talk in general about the good, the bad of Thousand Trails and a lot of the misconceptions. So that was last week's podcast. You could listen to that. And then, if you're interested in just getting more information, we do have a form in the show notes as well as Jim's phone number. You could call him or text him and say hey, I want to talk.

Speaker 2: 1:03:02

I want to talk about Dan and Patty sent you yeah certainly, but they will take good care of you and give you the best promotion that's available.

Speaker 1: 1:03:13

Well, we're coming up on talking to you for about an hour and two minutes right now. So I'm going to say you're listening to the RV live podcast. I'm Dan Hunt with my incredible wife, fatty Hunt, and we are your host and we love that you listen to us each and every week. So, thank you so much. Change that attitude and have no regrets. I'm Dan Hunt saying have a great rest of today and an even better day tomorrow.