Well, we finally did it. We rented an RV and went to the Cape to get a feel for the lifestyle and figure out if we might want to purchase one. As you might have guessed from the name of this post, I believe the answer is a resounding ‘YES’!
Many people who know me might be surprised to learn I was driving this glorified truck, cooking outdoors on a small propane grill, using the shower facilities on the campsite alongside spiders and other creepy crawlers, and generally embracing the rustic and casual lifestyle. My friends are more likely to imagine me spending a day at a Spa getting kneaded and waxed and primped. Come to think of it, so do I.
But I love nature. I love the outdoors. And I love the freedom RV’ing allows. Now, make no mistake, we had full hook ups, and all the other amenities one might expect in a new RV. I am, after all, not quite ready for a corn cob pipe and overalls.
Now about that RV. Wanna see the inside?
Here’s the Queen size bed. It was comfy and cozy, but upon seeing it I bowed to the Pilates Gods and thanked them for keeping me limber. Forget about making the bed every day. It’s almost impossible to tuck the sheets in. I just gave in to the fact things wouldn’t be perfect for a few days, while making a mental note to self *get an RV with full access around the bed*.
At night, we removed the table and watched countless episodes of Breaking Bad from this spot (best show EVER!!).
I never used the Barbie oven or stove top. No amount of Pilates would provide the flexibility I would need to cook in this kitchen. Practically NO counter space. There’s a little fold up table to the left of the sink, which, by the way, would rattle like crazy while driving if we forgot to put it up. And you see that little wand for the blinds above the sink? We finally figured out we needed to remove it while driving or that too would shake like a James Bond martini. And should I mention we each hit out heads on the cabinet door near the entry when we forgot to close it about a million times?
Here’s the bathroom, and I use that term loosely. A hobbit would feel claustrophobic in here. Which explains why I was happy to shower alongside spiders using the campground facilities. And did I mention there were spiders? Hah! Spiders would run from the insect I saw the first day I showered! There was a bug the likes I’ve never seen before, just making himself at home by my feet in the shower. This thing was at LEAST two inches long by about one inch wide. A lesser woman would have run with her feet touching her head, but I’m macho in case you didn’t know.
So there’s the penny tour. Our renting experiment was a great exercise is learning what *not* to buy. We’re thinking maybe something around 28′ with a slide-out would be just about perfect. We shall see.
One thing we did think was adequately sized were the windows. We found THAT out when we left the keys locked inside the RV and Fisherman had to boost me up with his hands while pushing me head first inside. And yes, the visual of my ass hanging out the window was every bit as funny as you might imagine.
Now let’s move on, shall we??
Now how about a blow-by-blow of our trip? You know you’re dying to hear all about it ;).
Here’s a shot I took of our neighbor across the street from our RV the night we first got there. Lots of people have park homes that are kept in this community year round and they come from places like Florida to spend the summers, or they live within a few hours and spend weekends almost year round.
So many of the park homes or RV’s had sheds, and from what I saw, this community knows how to do sheds right.
The homes ranged from permanent structures, complete with screened in porches, to freestanding RV’s like we had, to trailers that have add ons like this one. I did some research and found that some of these homes are being sold for anywhere between $7,500 for a basic, dated trailer to $60,000+ for fully equipped and modernized park homes.
The weather cooperated, and we were able to enjoy time on the beach…
with the seagulls…
and the hundreds, if not thousands, of horseshoe crabs that washed up to shore and met their demise.
On Thursday we did one of my favorite things. We took the short drive to the seaside community of Chatham, notable for being the easternmost point in the US and one of the Cape’s most well known and beautiful destinations, and took a walk around this lovely area. Here on the Cape understated elegance abounds, with weathered gray clapboard siding complete with white picket fences and window boxes filled with fire engine red geraniums.
These are the homes that make you want to leave the hustle and bustle behind, if only you had maybe a million or two…or three. In stark contrast to the opulent homes I posted about a few weeks ago in Newport, Cape Cod has a far more relaxed, livable and unpretentious vibe.
But don’t take my word for it. Come along with me on a walking tour!
Adding just the right amount of whimsy, neutral exteriors are often punctuated by a brightly colored door such as this. So charming!
Nestled amongst the casual and neutral colored exteriors of the homes in Chatham is this brightly colored storefront. Surprisingly, it didn’t look out of place or garish in any way, but rather cheerful and welcoming and a nice respite from the neutrality that abounds.
Our our last day there, we went to the beach and stayed till sunset. When the tide is out, you can walk for a mile or more before ever getting close to water. It was an interesting sight to see dozens of boats, almost as if they were shipwrecked and abandoned, simply waiting for the tide to come in and be called to duty.
Notice the changes in the light, all within a relatively short time span.
We changed in the RV and went to dinner before heading back to the camp grounds for the night, something that certainly can’t be done in a car. On Saturday, we reluctantly said goodbye not only to Cape Cod, but summer. Inevitably, Autumn has taken hold here in Massachusetts. How about where you are? Are you putting on your flannel jammies yet?
In other news…I’ve been busy booking us into a few places in Florida for the months of January and February. We’re spending January on the east coast and February on the west. Those two months can be the bleakest here in the Northeast, and it will be nice to get away for an extended period of time. Something we haven’t done in a very, very long time.
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Jann Olson says
Oh my friend, this is the life for me! I love the outdoors and cooking out on a camp chef is my hubbies favorite thing to do. We don’t get out camping hardly ever anymore, but use to a lot when our kids were young. We’ve talked about buying something when hubby retires. Sounds like a wonderful adventure! Loved the cute pic of you and hubby out on the beach. Those homes were absolutely lovely. So cozy and quaint even though some were not small they still just had a cozy look about them. The blue door had me drooling! So glad you had fun and can’t wait to see if you get a new RV!
hugs,
Jann
Doreen@househoneys says
It’s funny Jane, but we never went camping with our daughter. While at the RV park I couldn’t help but think how nice it would be to be a kid and spend summers there. Sorta like being in camp but having more flexibility and your parents right there! Well, maybe grandchildren someday ;).
Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow says
Looks like fun and I enjoyed all of the photos 🙂
Cooking…I went back and found this link. Karen is a quilter, on the road this month with her husband, and she’s always making cookies, this that and the other in a dutch oven outdoors…she shows how in this post since so many readers were curious. In this link it was lasagna…http://karensquilting.com/blog/2014/09/dutch-oven-lasagna/
Denise says
I’m so glad you started your RV life this way. Cape Cod is one of my favorite places on earth and Chatham is my home away from home, having vacationed there for over 20 years! Looks like a fabulous trip. I’m so glad you and Fisherman had a terrific time. Oh to be retired! I dream of it.
Cecilia says
Oh Doreen! Thanks for letting us come along. I love the weathered shingled cottages, the cute sheds, the beautiful beach. Sigh…
We actually got some rain and temps down to the upper 60’s – not quite flannel pj weather but definitely a promise of cooler weather on it’s way! So yes, I’d say Fall is here. Bye bye 100 degree weather!
Hugs
Cecilia :o)
Jane says
What a great trip! Hubby and I have talked a lot about renting an RV. We both grew up camping (in tents!) and actually did it with the kids before we bought the lakehouse. I don’t know if I could go back to that but seeing some cool parts of the country this way would be an amazing experience. I hope you find the RV of your dreams! And I would get a can of Raid and spray the perimeter of the RV as well as the bathroom where most bugs love the moisture. Ugh!
Cape Cod is on the Bucket List. Your pictures are beautiful! I love the one of you and hubby…frame it! The homes are simply wonderful, I love the little charming ones as much as the big ivy covered ones. I had to laugh over Downton Shabby!
Thanks for sharing your trip. I could definitely love the same thing.
Jane xxx
Doreen@househoneys says
You should do it Jane! And when you do, come to New England. I’ll leave the porch light on for ya’!
xxx
Manuela@A Cultivated Nest says
So glad you had a great trip! Those sheds are the cutest! I guess the good thing about buying a camper is that you can get exactly what you want and I know they come in all sizes with tons of different amenities. Did you tow your car or did you use the RV to drive around?
Doreen@househoneys says
We used the RV Manuela. Since it was a rental, I don’t believe we would have been permitted to tow anything, but also that would have meant buying a hitch, making things a lot more complicated and expensive. Since the RV was small, we were able to go most places that we wanted with it, although that’s not to say it wasn’t without it’s challenges!
Vashti Quiroz-Vega says
Hi Doreen! Sounds like a terrific trip! I love the pictures of the homes, they’re great!
Shirley@Housepitality Designs says
You are one brave woman!!!….I do not think I could have shared a shower with a large creepy bug that I could not recognize and then the spiders which do not agree with me!….I love those little sheds…so very cute and some so very creative in design…enjoyed seeing the houses and so glad you had a good time in spite of the bathroom not fit for a Hobbit…and who wants to cook on vacation????
I think I will stick to the hotels!…did my share of camping and using those campground showers when my son was young and to say that I was a “happy camper”???…not!!..Glad you are home safe and sound and have lots of great memories!
kimberly says
Wow, you look like you are having a fabulous time!
And Chatham is a beautiful community-love those houses.
Relax and have fun, Doreen!
kelly says
That looked like a great trip! I would love to get to go to the Cape some day. We once had a pop up camper, but then sold it. We may get a nicer bigger one when we get a bit older. We have friends that camp out a lot and it would be fun to go with them. I think the way you rented one was a good idea! We learned the hard way by buying one first.
Feral Turtle says
I love this post. I love the outdoors too but not so much without hookups! The RV you rented is fantastic! Beautiful pictures of your trip. Looks like an amazing place to visit. We went from summer to winter within days. One day it was warm and beautiful, and the next morning I woke up to 6 inches of snow on the deck. It’s all melted now and we are back into better weather but I agree that summer has bid us farewell!
Amy @ StowandTellU says
Loved your RV tour, thanks for the giggles! What a gorgeous place to visit. I think the clapboard siding is one of my favorite features of the Cape Cod home (not that I’m an expert by any means). I had no idea that the boats are tied up and grounded during the tide change, but now it makes sense. It must have been a little slice of Heaven to visit ,and you go on driving that RV, Doreen!!
Julie says
Hi Doreen, what a fun way to travel in a RV! It looks like you had a great time! I would love to visit Cape Cod some day! Thanks for taking us on the tour with you. Your are so brave – I hate spiders. We used to camp with my family and cousins when we were little in tents and those were the best times. It’s getting cool here now and loving it! Take care.
Julie xoxo
SharonFromMichigan says
Oh my, you’re a girl after my own heart! I love camping. A small pop-up camper is on our wish list. I would actually like a structurally sound one that I can rip everything out of and re-do my own way. I also love the vintage trailers that are gutted and re-done. There’s quite a trend in gutting old Airstreams and refurbishing them in unique ways. Ah, to dream! LOL
Doreen@househoneys says
Hi Sharon! Good to hear from you! I agree completely about gutting and redoing a trailer. That would be so much fun, but I don’t think that’s in the cards for us, at least not now. I’m focused on getting something and hitting the road ASAP.
Believe it or not neither me nor my husband had ever camped much before. There were a few rafting trips many years ago, but that’s about it. I think I’m more of a ‘glamping’ kinda gal ;).
Poppy says
Your excellent RV adventure is definitely a prelude to a potential purchase! Your energy, bravery and adaptability make you the perfect candidate for such travels, and how smart of you to take this little escape to test out all the different conditions and situations that one may encounter during a trip like this, that along the way, will assist you in your final choices. The best ‘data’ that you have collected, besides the photos of those adorable clapboard houses with the shingle roofs and flower box beauty, is the snapshot of you and your Fisherman – frame it, my friend, for those smiles are all the proof you need to guide you to you next getaway!!
xoxo
Poppy
P.S. That ‘Downton Shabby’ sign is priceless!
Doreen says
The jury is in and the verdict has been spoken…I’m framing that photo!
(I love that sign too (adorable!)
xxx
Amy @ Ms. Toody Goo Shoes says
Thank you for this post, Doreen, because I have been saying for a few years that I’d love to rent an RV and see what that experience is like! I thoroughly enjoyed getting your perspective! Now, like you, I’m an unlikely candidate, most would think, but I think I would really enjoy the simplicity of a vacation like that. I love the Cape, too.
Vicky Hunt says
I so enjoyed your RV adventure,…so fun! Such charming homes, both in the RV Park and the gorgeous houses! Have fun planning your Florida trip…:)
Blessings, Vicky
Sue says
A slice of heaven, that is what this whole trip you shared with us is. I enjoyed the story and all the photos.
andi says
Breaking Bad IS the best show ever! And how apropos that you should watch episodes in the RV!!! You were really cooking up some meth in there, weren’t you?! Yeah science, b!tch!! You’re braver than me with the RV. I don’t think I could take it… 🙂
-andi
Doreen says
As Walter White said to Hank, ‘ya got me’ 😉
Angela says
Wow! What a fabulous trip!!! My hats off to ya, girl…..I really don’t think I could do the RV experience!!! It sounds like it was a perfect way to draw a close to summer! Now, when are you heading to Texas???!!!!~~Ang
Lisa says
What a great adventure! I love to camp. We have a camper stored at the beach and id never have it any other way now. As for the smaller bed, We have a full br in ours but for the small room my daughter uses, we will sometimes just opt to lay her sleeping bag on it. I hate making those beds.! thanks for sharing. Lisa