Interesting Lifestyles

Saturday, September 24, 2016

The group of people we’ve met so far at this rally seem to be a little younger than those we’ve encountered in the past (but not as young as we are!), and definitely more adventurous!  They are pretty clever too, as evidenced by some of the license plates displayed. 

Here are a few stories about some people we’ve met:  Karen and Allen retired and spent 9 years living on a boat, cruising along the east coast, Panama, Mexico and Venezuela.  They had fascinating stories about life on the water, including the price of diesel fuel in Venezuela (7 cents per gallon) but he was willing to pay double by making a deal with the proprietor to buy more than the 1000 gallon limit for foreigners!  They talked about having to anchor overnight and move due to the pirates!  They ended up coming to shore because Allen needed two knee replacements, and a few years later sold the boat and bought a motorhome, and now are living full time in their motorhome, travelling around.  They said RV life is easier than life on a boat!

Bruce and Sharon, a computer guy from Silicon Valley, and an elementary school teacher, retired and bought their first motorhome April 15, 2015.  They sold their house and have been on the road for over 500 days, and this is the farthest east they’ve been!  They decided to explore the country and decide where to make their home.  Interesting that they “took the plunge” immediately and have done so well with their first motorhome.  They talked about flying to South Dakota to move their PO Box (and residence) for a tax advantage. 

One single lady from Florida owns her own motorhome, and boasted that she’s been 6 months without a speeding ticket! (Hmmm…glad I’m not riding with her!)  She brought her dad along on this trip—he’s a regular at these rallys.

What an interesting group of people, each with a unique story.  Part of the intrigue is to figure out why people do what they do!

We ventured out this morning and were planning to drive to Pikes Peak to see what the race drivers contend with when they race up the mountain.  But, on the way a low tire indicator light came on, so we stopped to get the tire repaired…the front right tire had a nail it in—it was not quite flat but would have been soon.  Glad that it happened when it did.  Not good that it happened on a Saturday because it was so busy, but Discount Tire took good care of us and got us in and out in less than an hour and a half (with no charge!!!!). 

We decided to go down to the Riverwalk in downtown Pueblo and discovered the annual Pueblo Chili Festival.  It is a HUGE festival, with lots of chili peppers, booths, a farmer’s market, entertainment and riverside brews. It was shoulder to shoulder people walking through the streets.   They were roasting huge drums of chilies, and people were buying them by the bagfuls.

You could buy strands of chilis…real or glass!  And you could buy just about everything else from antlers to tshirts. 

We strolled along the riverwalk which was enjoyable with entertainment along the way.  Spot was glad to find a doggie drinking fountain on the path!

We grilled salmon for dinner and then attended the Rally opening concert featuring Grammy nominated Verlon Thompson, a country singer who ended up being quite a storyteller and played a mean guitar, but kept everyone up past our normal bedtime!