Sherman Heads South

We’re at the Navy Lodge in Fort Worth, TX and waiting for our laundry to finish drying. I thought this would be a great time to post an update while we have reliable Wi-Fi.  Please forgive if you find a typo or an incomplete sentence…today, it is what it is. 

To sum up our experience so far I would have to say that things are going swimmingly as we march Sherman toward the sea. Our Cruise America RV is nicely equipped with a sink, microwave, stovetop, shower and bath.  There is a double bed above the cab which is plenty big enough for me and the dining table converts to a single bed which Helen (adorable wife) claims since her knee won’t let her climb into the big bed. It’s cozy in here, but it works well for us.

This “spur of the moment” trek began when a friend suggested that we rent an RV to see if the lifestyle was made for us. Our friend, Otto, a fraternity brother from college days and one of the really great guys, told us about Cruise America as a source.  I went to the website and noticed that there was a special deal for those willing to relocate new RV’s from the headquarters in Chicago to a dealer in Los Angeles. The rates were very low, and we had almost three weeks to deliver the vehicle. To top it off, the delivery point was 20 miles from our son’s house in the Los Angeles area. When Helen learned that this trip would include a grandmother visit, she was all in. 

I drove a one-way rental car to Chicago and picked up the RV and drove it back home the next day.  We spent most of the following day loading the RV while giving tours to almost every neighbor that walked by. We should have issued invitations to an open house and offered cocktails…it was a lot of fun. Since we were taking the RV to the Pacific coast, we named it Sherman (as in General Sherman) and planned our march to the sea. In honor of our friend who gave us the idea, we named the cute little dog pictured on the side window “Otto”. 

We left on a Sunday morning.  Our destination was the Family RV Camp at Maxwell Air Force Base near Montgomery, Alabama. I drove while Helen did a little organizing inside the vehicle. I had installed an XM radio, turned up the volume on some 60’s music and drove south. We arrived about six hours later. Driving a vehicle this size took a little getting used to. The large profile meant that the wind and passing semi trucks affected the handling, but it was not bad. Changing lanes required a little concentration, but, again, I managed. My days of hauling construction equipment helped.

The RV camp was very nice.  Our Sherman was probably the smallest RV there.  After a quick trip to the commissary on base, we parked next to some huge fifth wheel campers and set up for the night.  We had reserved a pad near the entrance and after backing in, I hooked up the electrical, water and sewer connection.  Prior to leaving, I had watched the orientation video about four times to make sure I did it correctly. I was ecstatic when I flipped on the lights and flushed the toilet and everything worked…it’s the little things that matter in life.

We prepared a dinner of soup on the stovetop and sandwiches we had prepared early and, with nothing else going on, read our books until bedtime. I thought the sleeping arrangements would make for a challenging experience, but, if it did, I slept right through it. 

The next morning we showered in the really clean bath facility in the campground. There weren’t many campers stirring, but from looking at some of the RV’s there wasn’t a reason to be out of them.  I’ve seen many homes that are smaller and far less luxurious than these monsters.

Well, our laundry is finished and it’s time to be Easin’ Along.  I apologize for the clunky writing, but not much time to edit.  There are a few pictures here (I hope) and we’ll write more later. Besides, Otto is hungry…