As we travel I occupy my time by calculating gas mileage, locating campgrounds for future stops, finding fuel stops and checking accessibility on satellite views, making notes in a journal about where we just stayed and occasionally writing and posting a campground review online. I use the Internet to look up places mentioned on signs, manufacturing plants we pass to see what they make, and sights to see that we aren’t stopping to see, and report the information I find to the driver. I also check maps for traffic information and the weather. And of course, I check email and social media to catch up on friends and what they are doing.
Our travels over the past 4 1/2 years have put us in the position to meet people from all over the world. Sometimes the meeting is a brief conversation about where folks are from, where they are going and how do they like their rig. Other meetings involve stories told while enjoying a glass of wine, and perhaps dinner. And some encounters involve traveling together that promotes friendships that endure. Facebook gives all of us the opportunity to see where some of our friends are, or where they are heading.
As we turned our wheels to the east I noticed that friends of ours were in Amarillo for the week on their trek home to California. They were leaving Amarillo on Friday and were planning to spend the week in Albuquerque. They were staying at the same RV resort where we were planning to stay. We had reservations for Thursday, and would leave for Amarillo on Friday. We would be ships that pass in the night... Or RV’s that pass on the Interstate. We could wave to each other! Since we aren’t in a huge hurry to get across the country, and knowing we still have a long way to go and taking breaks is what we said we would do, we added another night’s stay in Albuquerque so we could have a brief visit with Bill and Denise. And visit, we did. We talked, and drank, and had yummy food at the 66 Diner. The ladies had a show and tell; Denise showed the projects she has been knitting while on the road, and I showed the quilts I had on board. We laughed that one can not have enough yarn or fat quarters. The guys talked shop. They talked about brakes and driving in the wind, and fueling up and acceleration. The next morning we had breakfast, shared hugs and good-byes, and “see ya down the road!”
Those planned encounters happen, whether the planning happens weeks or months out... or a day in advance. But we have also had serendipitous encounters where we just happen upon someone. We have bumped into friends at campgrounds, rest areas and while driving along the road. While we were in Albuquerque it happened again. We had a blown headlight so proceeded to Camping World to get a new bulb. While waiting in line the lady at the next register looked very familiar. When she talked I knew it! There was Nancy, a woman we traveled with on a west coast tour two years ago. Nancy was on a Route 66 RV tour. We joined the group’s happy hour and had fun meeting more people and catching up with Nancy.
Such is the fun of RV traveling.
