Back in February or so, Dave was so sick of winter here in Montreal, that he decided to book us a place to spend some of winter ‘23. He went ahead and booked an Airbnb (with no possibility of cancellation, which, having booked so far ahead, might not have been the best idea, but hey!) near Puerto Penasco, in the Bahia de California, about an hour past the border, south of Phoenix. It looks amazing on paper, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed that it is as good as it looks. Apparently, many people from Phoenix go to the area for vacations and claim that it is quite safe.
After much discussion, we’ve decided to drive there (Dave’s suggestion!) so that we can bring the dog, who can’t fly because of weight restrictions etc. I had balked at the idea of leaving him for 2 months, plus I wasn’t sure who we could saddle him with. So, for awhile the plan was simply to take the car and drive, staying at hotels on the way and maybe camping when the temperature permitted.
Then I got the bright idea of picking the brains of a colleague of mine who retired shortly before I did. She and her husband had bought a trailer and had driven to Arizona, among other places, so I thought she’d have some good tips about long-distance travel with a similar trajectory. By the end of lunch we’d started thinking that we should look into buying a second-hand trailer (good new ones can’t be found without a two-year wait these days.) and using that for accommodations. That way we can take our time coming home and explore the beautiful west of the US, along with lots of other places on our way. Their enthusiasm for the RV life and the amazing things to see in that area was infectious. So, as soon as we got home we started checking Kijiji as well as FB Marketplace, eventually finding a great-looking trailer, an Alto 1713R by Safari Condo, made here in Quebec. It’s expensive, even as trailers go, but the company has a great reputation so it’s the one we landed on. It’s also small, which was a prerequisite since neither of us have any experience at pulling trailers, so anything bigger is too intimidating, and too heavy for our Subaru Outback to pull, anyway.
The deal isn’t quite done yet, so we may back out if the person inspecting it finds anything major wrong, but if not, we’ll be taking possession in a few days. It’s both exciting and terrifying. I thought it might be good to lay out all the reasons I stay up at night worrying that this is a crazy idea.
- First of all, pulling a trailer in winter. Yes, it’ll be for the first 2 days mostly, before we get below the frost line. We have some flexibility, so if the weather looks bad, we can leave early or a bit late. We’re keeping our fingers firmly crossed on this.
- Driving through the US. With all the political craziness down there, it makes me nervous. Enough said. My friend told me, in Florida (for instance), yes they’re on the other end of the political spectrum from us, but you don’t really notice it in the day-to-day. Hope that’s true.
- Driving into Mexico. Many people find the idea scary, not just me! It’s only a short way into the country, and apparently a fairly safe area, but still.
- The expense of the trailer. Is it completely nuts? When I think of the adventures we could have next spring, summer and fall with it, I feel better. So many places to see, and having a trailer will make traveling more affordable in the end. I think. Plus, when~ we sell it we can make some of our money back in the end.
- Learning everything there is to know about the trailer and its systems. A bit intimidating!
- Learning to pull the trailer and back it up, etc. Maybe this should have been #1….
Those are my major worries but there are lots of minor ones too. I’ve never packed for a 2-month trip before, for instance. I vacillate between being excited about the adventure and terrified about all the unknowns. Our first stop is already planned, though! We’re stopping in Pittsburgh to see a good friend and former colleague, so that’s pretty cool. That already makes the trip seem more tangible.
Wish us luck!
This just in: We’re taking possession this week! Gulp!!
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