So this is retirement

Oct. 28—I never thought too much about retirement. I mean, I thought I would play golf and write, two things I do at home, when I have time. I’ve found that retired people are very busy! We don’t seem to have enough time to get done everything we want to do.

In the motorhome, time gets really screwed up. I’ve been jotting notes on what time we leave a place, the mileage, cost of diesel, and places that we visit, but it seems that even that is not enough to keep events straight (especially if I get dates confused!).

When I was younger, I never had the opportunity to take real vacations. Forty-four years ago, my first husband and I took a two-week drive across country to California. We also drove down to Atlanta once, to visit his parents. I took a week’s vacation down to Kentucky with my second (short-term) husband. Other vacations? As a single mom, I took my kids on a few trips to amusement parks. I never took a real vacation by myself, except to visit my parents, who were living in Arizona. I don’t consider visiting relatives a “real” vacation.

So here we are, Jim and I, in our motorhome, driving across the Carolinas, free to do whatever. And that is what Jim has in mind. This is a new experience for me. It’s not unpleasant; it’s just new.

After leaving Raleigh Monday morning around 11 a.m., we drove until around 4 p.m. We did stop for lunch and ate Carolina barbeque. (I had smoked beef brisket, not pork like Jim had.) We decided to play golf the next day, so we stayed two evenings.

Golf was so-so. The best I can say was that thanks to Golfnow.com, it was cheap ($12 each).

On Wednesday, we got under initially at about 8:45 a.m., but we only drove a few miles. Jim spotted a sign advertising the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, N.C. The museum is located on the site of what was once Southern Railway Company’s largest steam locomotive repair facility. It has an authentic train depot. Antique autos, and a 37-bay roundhouse that includes 25 locomotives, dozens of rail cars, and other exhibit areas. The facility had its hey-day up the 1950s, when diesel locomotives were adopted by the railroads. Diesels didn’t require the maintenance of steam engines.

The highlight of the self-guided tour, however, was a “ride” on the roundtable.

The facility was spread out; we got a good walking workout.

Lunch was really good barbecue.

We finally got underway at 2 p.m.

That’s the way retirees vacation.

Until next time,

Your Reluctant RoVer,
Linda