Hi from Durham NC! My husband and I have been following Howard and Linda since last summer. This site has given us so much information and good advise. We are still in the heavy-duty research mode with a fulltiming target date of 2010.
I would just like to thank all the participants in this forum for all their wisdom. We have many lists derived from info given by all of you. This is, by far, the most friendly and "respectful" forum I have found. Howard and Linda deserve much credit for keeping it that way.
I hope that someday we will be able to contribute something that may help someone else :)
TheBobGuy said
08:12 PM Mar 15, 2007
Hi there and welcome to the forum! It's always nice to hear from some East Coast folks and we all love Carolina girls!
Welcome! Molly & Bob
Tylersamma said
08:19 PM Mar 15, 2007
As you do your research, you will be able to provide answers to the future newbies! The answers change, especially with technology, so I would say keep up with the research - it will benefit yourselves and others. Personally, we are less than 6 months from fulltimers, after researching since the year 2000 !!!!!!!!
Ken Cindy Ditka and Sox said
08:20 PM Mar 15, 2007
Hi Gypsy,
Welcome to the forum!
Years back we were once your neighbors in Oxford, NC.
Love your part of the country.
I agree wholeheartedly with your statements about this forum. We all seem to be of a kindred spirit here!
Don't be so sure that 'someday' is so far away. It seems that once we've started our planning things are just falling into place!
We hope to make one of our early part-time trips back to Tarheel country!
btw...sorry about the early Duke loss tonight!
Papparazzi said
09:00 PM Mar 15, 2007
Welcome to the forum,
We lived in Raleigh from 1989 - 1995 and though we spend most of our time in Florida we will be spending more time in NC since our daughter had our first granddaughter last year and now our son, his wife and our grandson recently moved there. We bought a house in Holly Springs last year to have a place to hang our hats when visiting the kids and grandkids because the Triangle area is not the most RV friendly. Other than the state parks it is slim pickings if you are looking for a decent campground.
We are moving into our motorhome here in Florida March 31st as I leave corporate life and we're hitting the road for quite a bit of travel the next couple of years. We'll be in and out of the Triangle in our Florida Condo on wheels :)
As you said this forum is great because of the people and mostly because Howard rules with a big stick (just kidding Howard). The difference I have found here is that no question is a dumb question, people are willing to jump in and help and not chastise or make you feel dumb (like I have seen in other forums).
Anyway welcome and maybe our paths will cross one of these days.
-- Edited by Papparazzi at 22:03, 2007-03-15
Gypsy Turtle 2 said
04:48 PM Mar 16, 2007
Thank you all for such a warm welcome! See, I knew you were great folks!
Molly and Bob, I'm not sure I technically (not a native) qualify as a Carolina girl but consider that a compliment We've lived in NC for 15 years.
Tylersmama, congrats on the 6 month countdown! I envy you being so close. We have to hang in there for 3 more years due to health insurance. I can "officially" retire then and I'll be able to keep my health insurance.
Ken and Cindy, no need to apologize about the Duke game We are diehard Tarheel fans so you know that Duke loss didn't bother us one little bit
Papparazzi, you are so right about the Triangle not offering much for campgrounds. This will create a problem for us also when we return to visit. Guess we'll deal with that when the time comes. Congrats on your upcoming move and retirement. I know you're anxious to get that Florida Condo on I-95N
I hope to meet up with all of you one day on the road.
~g
RickV1955 said
05:24 PM Mar 19, 2007
I'd like to welcome you as well. We are from Massachusetts and, like you, we will be retiring in February of 2010. Been following Howard and Linda for only about 6 months now, but we've found this forum to be the friendliest on the web...and so much information is available from everyone. We are also in the "research" stage....although we haven't made our minds up 100% as of yet, we are leaning heavily toward a fifth wheel...... Soooo, welcome aboard and, yes, we hope to meet many of these great people out on the road.....just a couple of short years away.
Rick and Debi
Gypsy Turtle 2 said
09:20 AM Mar 20, 2007
Hi Rick and Debi,
We, too, are leaning about 95% toward a 5th wheel. When we first began this journey, we were 100% sure we wanted a Class A DP. We didn't even want to look at 5th wheels! We have learned, in our research, never say never I think we'll be very happy with one.
My DH is now learning everything he can about MDT's. That is another education that is overwhelming at times. I don't know how Howard and Linda did this in such a short amount of time. I think we still have a couple more years of research to do...the more we learn, the more we realize how much more we have to learn! As much as we're anxious to get out there, there are days I'm grateful we have all this "prep time". I don't know if it'll help us in the end, but I figure it sure can't hurt
I would just like to thank all the participants in this forum for all their wisdom. We have many lists derived from info given by all of you. This is, by far, the most friendly and "respectful" forum I have found. Howard and Linda deserve much credit for keeping it that way.
I hope that someday we will be able to contribute something that may help someone else :)
Welcome!
Molly & Bob
We lived in Raleigh from 1989 - 1995 and though we spend most of our time in Florida we will be spending more time in NC since our daughter had our first granddaughter last year and now our son, his wife and our grandson recently moved there. We bought a house in Holly Springs last year to have a place to hang our hats when visiting the kids and grandkids because the Triangle area is not the most RV friendly. Other than the state parks it is slim pickings if you are looking for a decent campground.
We are moving into our motorhome here in Florida March 31st as I leave corporate life and we're hitting the road for quite a bit of travel the next couple of years. We'll be in and out of the Triangle in our Florida Condo on wheels :)
As you said this forum is great because of the people and mostly because Howard rules with a big stick (just kidding Howard). The difference I have found here is that no question is a dumb question, people are willing to jump in and help and not chastise or make you feel dumb (like I have seen in other forums).
Anyway welcome and maybe our paths will cross one of these days.
-- Edited by Papparazzi at 22:03, 2007-03-15
Molly and Bob, I'm not sure I technically (not a native) qualify as a Carolina girl but consider that a compliment
Tylersmama, congrats on the 6 month countdown! I envy you being so close. We have to hang in there for 3 more years due to health insurance. I can "officially" retire then and I'll be able to keep my health insurance.
Ken and Cindy, no need to apologize about the Duke game
Papparazzi, you are so right about the Triangle not offering much for campgrounds. This will create a problem for us also when we return to visit. Guess we'll deal with that when the time comes. Congrats on your upcoming move and retirement. I know you're anxious to get that Florida Condo on I-95N
I hope to meet up with all of you one day on the road.
~g
We are from Massachusetts and, like you, we will be retiring in February of 2010.
Been following Howard and Linda for only about 6 months now, but we've found this forum to be the friendliest on the web...and so much information is available from everyone.
We are also in the "research" stage....although we haven't made our minds up 100% as of yet, we are leaning heavily toward a fifth wheel......
Soooo, welcome aboard and, yes, we hope to meet many of these great people out on the road.....just a couple of short years away.
Rick and Debi
We, too, are leaning about 95% toward a 5th wheel. When we first began this journey, we were 100% sure we wanted a Class A DP. We didn't even want to look at 5th wheels! We have learned, in our research, never say never
My DH is now learning everything he can about MDT's. That is another education that is overwhelming at times. I don't know how Howard and Linda did this in such a short amount of time. I think we still have a couple more years of research to do...the more we learn, the more we realize how much more we have to learn! As much as we're anxious to get out there, there are days I'm grateful we have all this "prep time". I don't know if it'll help us in the end, but I figure it sure can't hurt
~g