Is it the People or the the Places?

[Water-Bug]

When we first started RVing in the mid 70's, we were drawn to the lifestyle by the places we could see. Forty years and 45 states later, it has become more and more about the people we meet and not the places we see. It could be that we've seen so many places or the fact that there are so many people we have never met. Or it could be a maturing perspective on life. Why do you RV.

[ams1130]

Places, for us.

RV'd with our kids and those years were spent seeing family-friendly attractions.

Now it's just the two of us; both still working. We enjoy hiking and museums. We're shy (I know, seems weird to all you extroverts!) so if we meet us, or others like us, on the road, know we're not jerks.

[toedtoes]

dup post

[toedtoes]

wa8yxm wrote:
However it is the people who keep me in the Motor home..

This could go either way... 🙂

[6_7_tow_rig]

We keep to ourselves and enjoy the scenery. In 25 years of camping I bet we have struck up a conversation with only a handful of people. We camp with family though too, so maybe since we bring the "people" with us we dont go out looking

[wa8yxm]

I think many of us started out listening to the Chevy Commercials back in the 60s (See The U S A in your Chevrolet) (So, I drive a Workhorse with a Chevy engine).

However it is the people who keep me in the Motor home.. RVers tend to be nicer than non-rvers on the average.

Plus I seem to have friends most everywhere I park..

[noe-place]

Presently our grandson travels with us during the summers so for us it's all about the places. But I do meet a few really nice people everywhere we stay. I think people see how old I look and are drawn to talk to the "old guy" in the next site. :B

[MrWizard]

It depends, if it's a Rally...it's people and activities

If it's straight up camping , it's the location

We are prepping for Quartzite , that's people and activities

[garmp]

We go for the places, but the plus side is the people we meet. Not only in the campgrounds, but the local communities, eateries and sites of interest we seek.

[toedtoes]

bukhrn - I didn't mean to imply that this is the case for everyone. Just that it is common for retired folks to "search out" more social settings because they find they don't have enough for their happiness once they leave the jobs and kids behind.

I also think that for many people, being alone is very difficult. The more people around them, the happier they are. I suspect you are not one of those (neither am I).

[bukhrn]

toedtoes wrote:
I don't think it's a matter of maturing as much as it is a matter of where you are in your life.

Odds are, if you are currently working, you are spending most of your days dealing with people. Having a young family is that much more demanding on your "socialness". People are everywhere you turn, all the time. Finding a moment to yourself is difficult, if not impossible. Going out to meet and socialize with even more people is not likely to be at the top of your list.

However, if you are currently retired, you don't have those days filled with people wanting/needing things. Kids are grown and gone, and so are the social requirements that go along with having kids. So your socialness has been reduced to a great extent. Going out and meeting new people is a more enjoyable thing.

I can't agree with this, I've been retired for several years, and we go for the places & sites, we never go just to meet people, we've been to campgrounds full of people and never said more than hello to any of them, (I'm sure that didn't bother them either). We enjoy the sites, hikes & each others company, we are not total hermits, (though I have been called anti-social), if someone want to chat, we will chat, but we don't go seeking them out.

[4X4Dodger]

Given the number of posts on this forum complaining about other campers and their habits, and the fact that many of those same posters are advocating bad behaviour of their own Me-first isms then I would have to say:

ITS the PLACES hands down....:)

[Cloud_Dancer]

For me, it's about the enroute adventures plus the destinations. And, it's about the comfort and convenience of the mode of transportation. A large diesel pusher, "the only way to go". Yes, it's all a matter of personal opinion.

[Dick_B]

For us it's the places primarily because we never spend more than a week at any one place; and are gone most of the day in each place.

[rockhillmanor]

It was places for me for the first few years of full timing.

Then I found myself gravitating back to the same ole CG repeatedly during the summer months where I had met some very nice snowbirds that stayed there year after year.

Sometimes it's nice to go where as the song goes 'everybody knows your name'! :B

[scbwr]

For us, and we're retired, it's all about seeing new places and exploring this great country. At the same time, meeting and talking to folks from all around the country is just a great bonus to a lifestyle that we have enjoyed since 1984 when we took our first popup out with our 4 & 8 year old boys!!