After a quick family visit, the RV lifestyle is calling

Nostalgia can be a powerful force and these days we’ve been fondly recalling our time on the road living the RV lifestyle. Sure, we love our new home base in Seattle, but on a recent trip to Leavenworth , Leslie definitely felt the pull of the road. Here’s her road trip tale.

Family visit: Life is good, the social calendar is chock full these days and the ability to reconnect led me east of the Cascades to visit my dear Auntie Eileen and brother Chris. First up, a bockwurst at Leavenworth Sausage Garden where those German-style classics are made by a local company called Cured. Oh, boy! So good.

After checking into my go-to home-away-from-home while in the Bavarian Village – The Blue Elk Inn – I spent the afternoon catching up with the sweet and sassy older sister of my late father, the woman who has always been like a mother to me. She’s now 90 and has been an enthusiastic cheerleader for our Going Mobile mission. Her steadfast message to us: Life is short, go for it while you can. To which we say, Roger that!

Leavenworth has long held a special place in my heart, as home to my grandparents who landed there in the early 1920s after leaving their native South Dakota. Many relatives followed and when I asked my aunt to give me a head count of all the family members in Leavenworth, she lost count by the time she hit 200.

Things have changed dramatically over the years as deep-pocketed West Siders bought up the real estate and squeezed out the working class. (Sound familiar?) Still, I cannot help feeling a deep connection to the area. Prime example: When my brother and I took a walk down by the river after dinner, there was cousin Rob stepping up to bat during the weekly softball game. Of course, he got a hit, we had a hug after he scored, and then Chris and I continued our stroll. That was a perfect snapshot of life in a small town — and I savored every moment.

Side note: When we’re staying in the area in the RV, we love camping at Icicle River RV Park and Lake Wenatchee State Park .

On the way back west the next day on U.S. 2, I noticed the steady parade of RVs heading east. Every manner of rig whizzed by from the deluxe class As to the humblest DIY vans. This is prime time for camping and I was suddenly struck by a serious case of FOMO.

So, as soon as I got back home, Johnny and I started planning where we should go next. We’re grateful for our comfy home base, but come September, we are heading north to explore Vancouver Island. (Please send us your favorite spots if you have advice: goingmobile@spokesman.com ).

We do sometimes sorely miss full-time RV life. Then again, maybe it’s the hazy glow of nostalgia dulling the sharp reality of dealing with stuff that breaks and bumps in the road. We’re still figuring out this new chapter, but after all the twists and turns we’ve taken, we feel up to the challenge.

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We’re posting photo updates on Facebook ( Facebook.com/goingmobiletravel ) and Instagram ( Instagram.com/goingmobiletravel ). You’ll also find all of our content at Spokesman.com/going-mobile, along with stories from our globetrotting buddy, Dan Webster.  Dan recently posted about a memorable trip to Albania .