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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Dreams of traveling by RV remain strong

It’s field of dreams time again.

This is the weekend to peruse the newest recreational vehicles be they Class A, B, C, trailers, fifth wheels, teardrops and everything in between at the annual RV Show at the fairgrounds. And although my husband and I look at all the rigs for fun, Class A is our preferred mode of travel.

I never thought I was much of a land traveler until the mid-’90s when we had the audacity to own two Class A motor homes, albeit not at the same time.

Our first was a 32-foot beauty. We were newbies to this field of endless driving dreams and although our rig was basic and pre slide-out, to us it was the cream of the crop. We traveled to the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and Las Vegas one summer which may sound like a lot of miles and long hours behind the wheel but that’s the beauty of a Class A. Not only is food and drink at your disposal but also the breathtaking scenery from the rig’s large windshield is phenomenal. Think of it as watching a movie at a theater as opposed to home. You don’t get this same view in any other vehicle – believe me, we’ve tried.

At one point on this journey, we crossed into Arizona as the sun was setting, casting a glow on the sparkling sandstone hills of red, yellow and orange. An amazing scene that hasn’t tarnished despite the passage of 20 years, and one we would have never seen from an airplane.

The second rig was bigger and purchased just as the slide-out trend began. It’s surprising how three extra feet can add so much room. This gem took us to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, Lake Tahoe, Methow Valley and Crater Lake among other places. While visiting Oregon, we pulled into an RV park one evening about 50 miles from Crater Lake. The next morning, I awoke, brewed coffee and before diving into a juicy novel, pulled open the windshield curtain for some sunlight. Before me was a fly fisherman in chest waders casting his line while standing in the crystal clear river that was rushing past the front of our rig. It was a picture postcard moment that, like Arizona’s sandstone hills, remains vivid in my memory.

By 1999, both rigs were replaced with needed cars but our Class A travels remained in our thoughts. We noticed that every long-distance trip in our Jeep brought about memories of our Class A adventures. We laughed at the blunders made and smiled at the beauty discovered. The more we talked, the more we realized this was the life we wanted to lead. This was our field of dreams.

A couple of years ago, just to test the camping waters while watching the budget, we purchased a trailer with oodles of goodies packed into its 18-foot frame. Since then we’ve traveled to several national parks as well as local ones, and that same feeling of freedom and adventure is with us on each trip.

We’re nearing retirement now and, perhaps our dream is a bit out in left field, a little off kilter, but we hope that with a lot of luck and determination, we’ll be hitting the road permanently in the Class A of our dreams.

After all, life is but a dream. Live it.