CREATIVE HOBBIES FOR RVers
Those who own a recreational vehicle know the freedom of the open
road, the delight of meeting new people and discovering fascinating
new places. It is not uncommon in America today for a retired couple
to head out on four to six-month adventure vacations that take them
across the continent and back.
Most RVers use have specific destination points in mind, such as a
string of relatives to visit on route, or various tourist attractions, such
as Mount Rushmore, Busch Gardens, or Yellowstone National Park, or
specific RV parks that provide familiar friends and pleasant scenery.
Being able to indulge in one's favourite hobby while on route is an
added benefit of this nomadic lifestyle. Here are three hobby
suggestions.
(1) FAMILY HISTORY
Traveling across the country lends itself very nicely to the writing of a
family history book because you can phone ahead and make plans to
visit specific relatives on route. Personal interviews with some of the
elders in each branch of the family can provide some interesting
stories and background to the family tree. In addition, they are more
likely to show you pictures from the family photo album and permit
you to borrow photos while you have them copied (at Walmart) or
scanned into your computer. Bring a clipboard or tape recorder to
record the interviews, a camera to take recent pictures of relatives,
and filing system to keep all the materials separate. This process could
take several summers, but would result in a memorable tribute to the
family.
(2) PHOTOGRAPHING A THEME
Rvers more than any other type of vacationer get to see most of the
famous national sites as well as some of the most beautiful scenery on
earth. Capture those moments with a film or digital camera with the
ultimate goal of publishing a coffee table book on America or
publishing a website on the Internet. The critical concept in this hobby
is to consider both a specific theme to photograph and well as an end
product. For example, suppose the theme is "The Beauty of the
American Countryside." Both you and your spouse can be on the
lookout for the best scenic shots of mountains, lakes, winding country
roads, etc. This will focus your photographic efforts and heighten your
awareness of the beauty that nature provides.
(3) KEEPING PHYSICALLY FIT
There are three clusters of activities that can enhance your health and
well-being while traveling. The first includes taking advantage of the
facilities provided by the campsite grounds. They often have outlets
for trail walking, badminton, swimming, and perhaps baseball. The
second is to bring your own bicycles and use the stopovers to go biking
and see the country closeup instead of just from the window of your
mobile home. The third is to consider taking up golf. Virtually every
community in America had an inexpensive public golf course close by.
This would be a great way to get some fresh air and exercise at the
same time as well as meet some of the locals.
Family history, nature photography and keeping physically fit are
three of the active and creative hobbies that you might consider
adding to your next cross-country adventure.
Copyright @2004 Rob Kelley
Those who own a recreational vehicle know the freedom of the open
road, the delight of meeting new people and discovering fascinating
new places. It is not uncommon in America today for a retired couple
to head out on four to six-month adventure vacations that take them
across the continent and back.
Most RVers use have specific destination points in mind, such as a
string of relatives to visit on route, or various tourist attractions, such
as Mount Rushmore, Busch Gardens, or Yellowstone National Park, or
specific RV parks that provide familiar friends and pleasant scenery.
Being able to indulge in one's favourite hobby while on route is an
added benefit of this nomadic lifestyle. Here are three hobby
suggestions.
(1) FAMILY HISTORY
Traveling across the country lends itself very nicely to the writing of a
family history book because you can phone ahead and make plans to
visit specific relatives on route. Personal interviews with some of the
elders in each branch of the family can provide some interesting
stories and background to the family tree. In addition, they are more
likely to show you pictures from the family photo album and permit
you to borrow photos while you have them copied (at Walmart) or
scanned into your computer. Bring a clipboard or tape recorder to
record the interviews, a camera to take recent pictures of relatives,
and filing system to keep all the materials separate. This process could
take several summers, but would result in a memorable tribute to the
family.
(2) PHOTOGRAPHING A THEME
Rvers more than any other type of vacationer get to see most of the
famous national sites as well as some of the most beautiful scenery on
earth. Capture those moments with a film or digital camera with the
ultimate goal of publishing a coffee table book on America or
publishing a website on the Internet. The critical concept in this hobby
is to consider both a specific theme to photograph and well as an end
product. For example, suppose the theme is "The Beauty of the
American Countryside." Both you and your spouse can be on the
lookout for the best scenic shots of mountains, lakes, winding country
roads, etc. This will focus your photographic efforts and heighten your
awareness of the beauty that nature provides.
(3) KEEPING PHYSICALLY FIT
There are three clusters of activities that can enhance your health and
well-being while traveling. The first includes taking advantage of the
facilities provided by the campsite grounds. They often have outlets
for trail walking, badminton, swimming, and perhaps baseball. The
second is to bring your own bicycles and use the stopovers to go biking
and see the country closeup instead of just from the window of your
mobile home. The third is to consider taking up golf. Virtually every
community in America had an inexpensive public golf course close by.
This would be a great way to get some fresh air and exercise at the
same time as well as meet some of the locals.
Family history, nature photography and keeping physically fit are
three of the active and creative hobbies that you might consider
adding to your next cross-country adventure.
Copyright @2004 Rob Kelley