Rosie, good segue into a slightly different RV topic. I look forward to following both. I'm rather opposite you. My husband and I are in our 60s, both retired, one dog, two adult children. We live in a rural area (minimum lot size is 5 acres, we own 15), but were both raised in cities. I don't have much interest in exploring city life, museums/galleries, sidewalk cafes, or other points of interest (not in a bad way, just not for me). I like to travel to experience the lay of the land, which changes so quickly and at times drastically. We usually travel on red, black or gray roads (we still use paper maps) and avoid urban areas. Logging in miles is not as important as just enjoying the changing scenery. When traveling, our RV is our home on wheels, and we like to camp where there is some amount of separation between rigs. Boondocking is not unusual for us. At camp, we enjoy day hikes (as long as the elevation gain is not too extreme), sitting by the fire, and being on water of some sort. My husband is much more outgoing than I am, and he always returns from a walk-about with the names and life stories of most fellow campers. I'm content to stay at camp, read a book, or do some crocheting. It works for us.
Two publications I can recommend for those of my persuasion: 'Off the Beaten Path' which is a state-by-state glimpse of little-known treasure spots. I can attest that the ones on the west coast have proven mostly accurate. 'Free and Low Cost Campgrounds' - self explanatory, senior discounts and/or primitive accommodations. Many would not work for large rigs. We are at the moment very small (8' camper on a pickup) but do plan to upsize to something in the mid-20' length.
