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[honda03842]

After 315 days and some 25,132 miles on the road we are home in NH. We absolutely had a wonderful year seeing the USA again and meeting many wonderful people. Though this was our 5th loop of the USA, it was our best ever... there's always more to see.

We hustled home from NV covering 200 miles a day, a lot for us.

It's always interesting to return home. Initially there is a sense of loss and lost.

The sense of loss: the adventure is over, (at least for 6-8 weeks). Now there's less wonder in each day because most of our day will now be with the familiar.

The sense of lost: though ours is a small house it is 20 times as big as our Scamp. Ginny always walks about with a little glaze over her eyes when she gets home. The glaze is only relieved when friends and relatives begin to fill our home.

Ginny always says we come home for 'the people', not the home.

Other than for entertaining others, it is very clear that we can do with much less.

People always write about the small bed size in our rigs. At home we have a queen size however when I woke up this morning I found my self in the 'Scamp tuck position', firmly wrapped against Ginny's warm body.

Our short time home will be filled with others, our yearly doctor's appointments, and updating our Scamp for it's next trip. The update list has at least 40 items on it, some things we learned from others as we traveled, others we recognized from use.

Next year we plan to spend some time in FL and TX with a spring trip to Newfoundland thrown in, defintiely a shorter trip in duration and miles.

[Jon Vermilye]

I know what you mean! - I just returned home after 138 days & can't get used to a large refrigerator & full sized kitchen...

[honda03842]

Jon,

There is a simplicity to a full timing lifestyle that makes life easir and not as some think more difficult. In some measure being home is like being in a crowded room.

[Thomas G.]

Just as gazing through a camera viewfinder allows one to concentrate on a very small amount of visual information, living in small space heightens our ability to closely observe and appreciate the more mundane aspects of life.

[ericw]

Norm,

If you are willing, I would love to know what the 40 items on your update list are. I've greatly enjoyed your previous modifications and have freely borrowed some for our trailer.

Eric

[David B.]

What are the 40, and will we see you again this year?
Dave & Paula

[honda03842]

Dave and Paula,

We plan to head to Florida this year, leaving later than normal. We also hope to get to a TX rally. In the spring we're planning another trip to Newfoundland.

We'll probably do an extended trip in the fall of 2013 and certainly if we're in the area plan to hit the Superstitions (sp).

[Richard Hayes]

A spring trip to Newfoundland, eh? You are the brave ones...lol...

[honda03842]

Richard,

This would be our 5th trip to Newfoundland. On 3 of the previous trips we've gone in the spring so we can see the icebergs, the other trip was in the fall. We usually arrive in late May and leave around the beginning of July. Two months helps justify the ferry transit.

As some on the site know, it is my favorite place.

[Bonnie n Claude]

We were planning on going to Newfoundland this past August with our Boler with friends who own a Winnebago View but as they have a few minor mobility issues we wondered about the amount of walking. Would it be worth the trip for folks who can't walk over hill and dale?

[honda03842]

Eric,

I'll post the latest list of mods under Preparing a 1991 Scamp under the Modification section. Obviously I don't get to do them all but will probably do 80%.

[Richard Hayes]

Mine, too - that's why I've lived here all my life...

And I hear you re the ferry - we have a saying that Marine Atlantic fines ya $1,000 every time you leave the island...

Drop me a PM when you get some dates, and I'll book you in for a feed of fish and brewis...

[honda03842]

Richard,

Will do. Newfies are the best.

[Daniel A.]

Have loved following your adventure Norm and look forward to more.

[Gene Masse]

Norm/Ginny,
It was great to meet you as you passed through ND. Thanks again for the little tour also. Good to see you made it safely. All that and I forgot to take a picture or two. Next time! Next time I'll throw in some venison country sausage for your supper & not just cake.
Safe travels.

[honda03842]

"We were planning on going to Newfoundland this past August with our Boler with friends who own a Winnebago View but as they have a few minor mobility issues we wondered about the amount of walking. Would it be worth the trip for folks who can't walk over hill and dale? "

Bonnie and Claude,

Minor mobility??? Can your freinds walk a mile?

If so there are many short hiking trails in most little towns of interest, it really is traveler freindly with truly freindly people.

Ginny has a bum knee. She uses a good walking stick and we restrict our hikes to a mile or two. We are 70 years old. We rarely attempt anything too steep because of her knee.

Many of the trails have wooden walk ways and usually are in good shape.

There are many, many places to visit that do not require long distance hiking skills, though there are also many places where one can do real backwoods hiking.

I always suggest the spring for a visit because of the icebergs.

Two of the coolest places are Gros Morne Prov Park and Lans Aux Meadows. The 'meadows' do not require long hikes orr any hikes at all and is great. If you go ask me where to eat.

Gros Morne has one neat fiord ride that requires about a 2 mile hike, but there is so much to do in Gros Morne, you could skip this one.

Glad to bury you in info if you decide to go.

[monB]

So, what do you do with your home while you're gone? That's one thing that has me puzzled, not sure what to do with mine!

Mon

[honda03842]

Mon,

Our home was our summer home. It was a small 600 sq foot cottage at the beach in NH that we have expanded to 1800 sq feet; it is nothing special except to us. For the last 11 years we have left the house, keeping it powered when we are away.

Our house is heated by natural gas. We turn the heat down to 50 degrees. We have a $20 temperature monitor on the porch that turns on a Red light if the temperature drops below 40 degrees. This lets a neighbor know there's a problem. She can call the gas company and they come out and fix the problem. (We have a $130 a year contract with them for parts and service.) In 11 years it's happened a couple of times. Also beach houses are really close togther and the red light is obvious to her.

NH is a realitively safe state with the lowest poverty rate in the nation. Though there is crime in 25 years we've never experienced crime in our neighborhood. On our street of the 10 houses nearby, more than 1/2 are empty in the winter.

Our house does get some use while we are away, particularly in the summer. We probably have a dozen house keys out to various relatives. People will come for weekends to weeks.

Though electric, gas and water bills are minimal while we're away, it is expensive to have the home costing us about $10,000 a year to keep the home. It does make Ginny happy though 2 years ago she said I could sell it... maybe when the economy recovers.

When away in the summer we have someone cut the grass ($65), it's a small lawn. This year we have decided to pull out the flower beds so they don't get overgrown with weeds when we're away, turning these areas into grass making the lawn easier to cut and neater.

You can see we don't do much that's special.

[Scouter Dave]

I have followed your travels with great interest. There is a good book in there somewhere.
Many thanks for your updates. Good luck on your layover and perhaps we will see you down the trail.
Scouter Dave

[Bonnie n Claude]

The tourism bureau sent us information but we packed it away. After we return from our fall trip and Christmas with the family we will revisit the possibility of going to Newfoundland. Recently our friend had a cortisone shot in his back (same age as Claude and you) which has helped a great deal so we shall see. It's fun travelling with friends--hard to find like-minded people who don't drive you crazy at close quarters but when you do find them, it's wonderful!

Originally Posted by honda03842

"Minor mobility??? Can your freinds walk a mile? If so there are many short hiking trails in most little towns of interest, it really is traveler freindly with truly freindly people...Many of the trails have wooden walk ways and usually are in good shape. There are many, many places to visit that do not require long distance hiking skills, though there are also many places where one can do real backwoods hiking. I always suggest the spring for a visit because of the icebergs.

Two of the coolest places are Gros Morne Prov Park and Lans Aux Meadows. The 'meadows' do not require long hikes orr any hikes at all and is great. If you go ask me where to eat. Gros Morne has one neat fiord ride that requires about a 2 mile hike, but there is so much to do in Gros Morne, you could skip this one....