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April 7, 2008
Way back when I was still a working class hero, I used to sit and wonder what life would be like as a retiree. I always sort of pictured myself having plenty of time to putter around the house looking for “make work” projects to keep myself occupied. I don’t think either Margo or I pictured retirement being quite like it’s turned out. Ever since hanging up our full-time RV hats and moving into a house, we’ve been so busy that we don’t have time for being retired, at least not in the way that I always pictured. To back up just a bit, I need to explain how we found this house and the town it sits in.
It all started when we took our problem plagued Monaco motor home to the Monaco Service Center in Wildwood, Florida for some rather extensive warranty work. Since we needed to leave the coach in the shop for a couple of weeks, we decided to take a Caribbean cruise out of New York City. To get there we purchased round trip tickets on Amtrak. It was on the return trip to Florida on the train that we discovered our new hometown,
It was around 2:30 in the morning and the train was running about 4 hours late. We were sound asleep in our sleeping car, when for some reason I can’t explain I woke up to the feeing of the train slowing to a stop. Wondering why we were stopping, I decided to take a quick peek out the window to see where we were.
And there it was, the town of my dreams. I’ve always wanted to live in a small town with a “Mayberry” feeling and there it was sitting right outside of my Amtrak View-liner window. From my bed on the train I could see a beautifully restored vintage train depot bordered by a row of quaint shops. There was also a vintage movie theater that appeared to be in fully operational condition. I couldn’t believe my eyes it was as though we had gone back in time. I was mesmerized by the sight of this quiet, spotless little town bathed in the soft glow of streetlights. I was determined to find out exactly where it was, even if I had to take the train the other direction in order to see it again. As the train pulled out of the station I was looking for any sign that might identify the town when I spotted a sign on the end of the train depot identifying this as “Southern Pines”.
But Southern Pines where? I thought it must be somewhere in South Carolina judging by the time of night, but I didn’t realize how late we were running. Next morning I couldn’t wait to tell Margo about what I’d seen. I was really excited about seeing my dream town. After listening to me go on and on about the place she opened the Amtrak Time Table to look up the Southern Pines stop. A quick check revealed that it was in North Carolina. Wow, North Carolina! Just like Mayberry.
All the way to Florida and even after we got back to Wildwood I couldn’t stop talking about Southern Pines, so we decided that we would have to go back in the RV to check it out. Margo was somewhat skeptical but decided to humor me anyway. I didn’t say anything to her but what if I was blowing this whole thing out of proportion? What if my memory was clouded from waking up from a sound sleep? Oh well, we were on our way to North Carolina. Tomorrow I’ll tell you what we found when we got there.
April 8, 2008
Our first stop out of Wildwood we discovered that our front air conditioner/heat pump had quit working. We tried different things to get it working, but it refused to blow cold air. One day out of the Monaco Service Center and already we were having another problem.
Not wanting to go back to Wildwood, we stopped at a Camping World in St. Augustine to see if there was anything that they could do to help us. One of their technicians tested the unit and determined that it needed to be replaced. That would mean another week wasted while a new unit was shipped in and installed. The fact is that I didn’t want to wait a week. I wanted to get up to Southern Pines! This was a frustrating turn of events, but all we could do was grin and bare it. To pass the time we decided to make the most of our stay in St. Augustine by doing a little sightseeing.
St. Augustine is a great little tourist destination, having a very picturesque light house and wonderful coastal scenery. St. Augustine is also the location of the Fountain Of Youth. Since we’re not getting any younger, we decided to swing by to check it out. It’s a little touristy but fun. We drank some of the water from the underground spring that promises eternal youth and it works; Margo and I both look and feel years younger now. (If you believe that then we have some wonderful Florida swampland and large toll bridges that we’d like to sell you.)
For food and drink we found a funky waterfront hangout called “Hurricane Patty’s” that served great burgers and cold beverages, which we enjoyed. But the fact is, we really wanted to get going back out on the road towards North Carolina.
Finally the new air conditioning unit arrived at the Camping World store and was installed without drama. Time to get back on I-95 headed towards North Carolina.
The Southern Pines area only has one real RV Park that we could find and it’s located in nearby Pinehurst. Once set up in our space we drove over to Southern Pines to see if it was everything that I remembered it to be. This was the moment of truth.
We entered town only to find that there was a street fair going on and the main drag was occupied with artist’s booths and loads of people wandering around enjoying the day. Darn, there was too much activity going on to see the train depot or to get a general feel for the place. It was a little frustrating as I was dying to see the train depot and the area that I had spotted from the train. So we parked a few blocks off of the main street and walked back down.
After a short walk past the street fair we saw it, the train depot looking exactly like I remembered it. So it wasn’t a dream after all! The depot, the shops, even the movie theater were exactly as I remembered.
Margo and I have been married for 32 years and we know each other well. I knew if the town was as good as I thought it would be, that she would fall in love with it too. We ended up talking to a local realtor and within one week we had a house under contract. The rest is history. We are now part of this amazing town and we love it.
April 9, 2008
For the past few days I’ve been talking about how we came to give up the full-time lifestyle and settle here in Southern Pines, North Carolina. As you can see it wasn’t planned. One thing that people close to us know is that we’ve moved a lot. In fact one friend asked another if Margo and I were in the Witness Protection Program. I don’t think he was kidding.
We’re originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, which as most people know, is a land of very high home prices. One day a realtor came to our door and told us that if we wanted to sell, he could get us x-number of dollars for our house. We didn’t believe him and basically told him to put up or shut up. Within a couple of weeks he not only had a buyer for us, but they ended up paying more money just to be sure that they got the house. They even paid top dollar for our furniture thus leaving us with some personal belongings and our vehicles, but nothing else. Luckily we still owned our Sandpiper 19FD travel trailer so we weren’t totally homeless!
Even though we loved the Bay Area we were getting increasingly tired of the political squabbling and the crowding that seemed to have no end. In some ways we were sad to go, but in other ways we couldn’t wait to get out. It was scary to quit our jobs, but we had faith that we would find new ones somewhere else. This was our chance to find a place where we would be happy; a dream town, which existed only in our heads.
I won’t go into details but after leaving the Bay Area we lived briefly in Southern California, Indianapolis, Orlando and Las Cruces. Each area had things we liked and things that we didn’t like, but with the exception of Las Cruces, we didn’t feel that any of them were our ultimate retirement place.
We bought our house in Las Cruces to be a “home base” for our RV travels. A place where we could keep our belongings and where we could occasionally stretch out in front of a big screen TV for a few weeks at a time before extended RV trips. But we started to like it a lot and thought that maybe this was the place that we had been looking for. We were even planning on buying a new place there that would be better suited to our retirement. That was before we took that train ride to New York City and spotted Southern Pines.
So far the only drawback we see in this area is the extreme pollen that falls from the pine trees this time of year. We’ve never lived where there were trees like we have here, so this came as a total surprise. They say that it lasts for around a month then goes away. We hope so as anything left outside quickly becomes covered. I have to say that it’s a small price to pay to live in a dream town.
April 14, 2008
It’s been a few days since our last post here because of a lack of time to sit down at the computer. It’s been a very busy time for lots of reasons, which goes back to my original thoughts about retirement. It can be a very busy time for people that choose to remain active. I think we’ve all heard stories about someone who sits down in a rocking chair after retiring only to die within a year because of inactivity. I guess that can happen, but since we’ve made it well past the first year of retirement we must be doing something right.
Aside from taking delivery of our new little travel trailer (see our current RV Blogs), we’ve had some issues with the sale of our 2003 Mini Cooper. The Mini has been a great little car, but since we’ve come off the road it pretty much just sits. So we made the decision to sell it, which would not only free up some garage space, but would also save us some money on registration and insurance.
We’ve sold a lot of vehicles over the years, but we thought that selling a Mini Cooper in a small town like this might be somewhat of a challenge. Local resources for selling vehicles are pretty much limited to the newspaper classifieds, which are quite expensive, to papers like the “Auto Trader”. So we decided to list the car on the Internet using Cars.com and the online version of Auto Trader. Both of those websites allow sellers to post large numbers of photos as well as plenty of add copy. Both also offer different selling options depending upon how much money the seller wants to spend.
After the car was listed all we needed to do was sit back and answer the phone. To our surprise most of the serious calls came from out of state. To make a long story short, we ended up selling the car to a man in the Midwest. He trusted us enough to pay for the car before receiving a Bill-Of-Sale or a signed title. Once his funds cleared our bank, we sent him both documents and the legal transactions involved in selling the car was complete. Now came the part where he transports the car back to his home state.
Margo and I thought that there might be some snags here, but we assured him that the car would stay secure in our garage and that no one would operate or move the vehicle until it was picked up. We were assured that an auto transport company would be picking the car up in just a few days and our transaction would finally be complete.
After waiting several weeks without hearing from the transport company, we finally had to put our foot down and insist that the car be picked up. From the buyer’s point of view, his only option was to have the car stored locally until it could be picked up and transported.
So yesterday Margo and I drove the car a few miles over to an indoor storage facility where we said our goodbyes to the car for the final time. As we pulled out of the storage company’s parking lot the Mini seemed to be saying, “Hey, you forgot me!” It was sad but the car is going to a good home.
The final question is would we sell another vehicle using the Internet? The answer is “yes”, but only if it was a local sale. We will never do another long distance transaction again. It’s just way too much hassle.
April 17, 2008
We’re sitting here all excited about taking the new trailer on its first outing. We plan to leave tomorrow morning and return back home on Sunday afternoon. It will be a three-day weekend of sorts. Our plan is to make this trip both a shakedown run for the trailer, and a chance for us to visit with old friends who live in Hendersonville, NC.
So today has been a day of stowing essential items aboard the trailer and getting it ready to roll. Back when we first started RVing, we made up checklists for both our personal affects and for the RV items. We don’t do that much anymore and, knock on wood; we’ve been pretty good at not forgetting anything.
April 18, 2008
With everything loaded, about all we needed to do this morning was to hitch up the trailer, lock the doors to the house and take off. Our destination today was the Lakewood RV Resort www.lakewoodrvresort.com, located in Flat Rock, NC. The park is located just a few miles to the south of Hendersonville, NC and only about 30 miles south of Asheville. We’ve stayed at Lakewood several times before and we always enjoy ourselves there. The park has nicely groomed spaces and plenty of pull-thrus. It also has WiFi and many spaces with a clear view of the southern sky for satellite dish use. It’s a clean and quiet park and we recommend it if you are ever in the area.
This trip is a shakedown for the new trailer, but it’s also a chance for us to visit with old friends who live in Hendersonville. Like us, our friends Charlie and Sharon, are California transplants. Charlie and I have been friends since we were kids living together in the same neighborhood. We have many fond memories of riding our bikes together and building model trains. Sharon was Charlie’s girlfriend in high school and I’ve known her since I was sixteen years old. Needless to say they are more like family than friends at this point.
The drive over to the RV Park in Flat Rock was 283 miles from Southern Pines. It has been over a year since we last visited Lakewood RV Resort and it was good to be back. We like this park and always look forward to staying here. Once we were set up in our space, we called our friends to tell them that we had arrived and to let them know that we were on our way over.
I have to tell you that Charlie has turned into somewhat of a home improvement guru. We never know what to expect when we visit him and Sharon. After exchanging our hellos, we were led into their nice two-story home, where the first thing we noticed was new woodwork and moldings throughout the living room. There was new chair rail and nice new paintwork everywhere.
Charlie had told us that he had done a complete makeover of the guest bathroom, but we weren’t prepared for what we saw. It was absolutely gorgeous and looked, as though a professional decorator had planned out the space. The level of workmanship was also amazing; everything from the tile work on the floor to the sink and fixtures was just beautiful.
Next Charlie led us downstairs to the family room, where he showed us a complete bookcase/entertainment center that he had built along one wall. He designed it around a 52” flat-screen TV, that they have yet to purchase. Oh, and there was also a new bar along the back wall also designed and built by Charlie.
Charlie’s last project and my personal favorite, involved his wife Sharon. Sharon has some physical challenges that make it hard for her to climb the stairs from the main living area to the bedrooms and family room downstairs. No problem for Charlie, he just whipped up an elevator for her! He had tried to describe it to me over the phone, but I just wasn’t prepared for how professional it looked and operated. The elevator car is wood paneled and the ceiling is illuminated. Up and down operation is controlled by a wall-mounted switch. The only thing missing is Muzak! When I jokingly mentioned that there was no elevator music, Charlie told me that he would get right on it.
After our home tour we all retired to the living room where we spent several hours catching up on things and reminiscing. The evening was capped off with a delicious Italian dinner prepared by Sharon.
April 19, 2008
Today was taken up with more visiting and with trying to evaluate our new travel trailer. In a giant case of brain-fade, I had forgotten to bring along a water hose, and there were only a few gallons of water in the trailer’s tank. Our Monaco motor home had the hose built in and was operated by a power reel, so I guess I just forgot about having to bring one along. Margo and I ended up making a trip over to the local Wal-Mart, where we picked up a new 25’ drinking water hose, but when we got back to the trailer I remembered that we would also need a water pressure regulator. We finally made one last trip out to buy a pressure regulator and we were all set, or so we thought. Once everything was set up, we discovered that the new Wal-Mart RV water hose was defective and leaking. With that, we filled the trailer water tank and ran off of the 12v pump for the remainder of our stay.
That evening we went out to dinner at the Cracker Barrel with our friends, then said our goodbyes until next time. It was a wonderful visit.
Tomorrow we’ll be heading back to Southern Pines.
April 20, 2008
North Carolina is a wonderful state but doesn’t have much of a highway system. Margo and I are used to California, where we would jump on the freeway and get to where we were going with little fuss. North Carolina is different; there are a few major highways crossing the state, but many of the trips that we make are on two lane roads. While driving in this state can be challenging, the scenery never fails to impress.
Our trip home was uneventful and we had a great time except for some towing issues with the trailer. This trip was a shake down for the trailer and we found out that it will work beautifully for us once we get it to tow better. Our visit with our friends was wonderful and we enjoyed being away from the house for a few days. We can’t ask for any more than that.
April 24, 2008
I returned home from running an errand this afternoon, only to find that our front lawn had been freshly mowed. I had noticed earlier that our neighbor to the left of us was out with his mower doing yard work, so I’m assuming that he was the culprit. People do things like that for their neighbors in this part of the country and we’re still trying to get used to that fact. On the one hand it seems so unusual compared to some places that we’ve lived, while on the other hand it just seems so right. This was just another reminder that we made the right decision in moving here.
Earlier today another of our neighbors from across the street came over to invite us out to dinner. He’s a US Air Force Para-rescue jumper just home from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. We don’t see him, much as it seems he’s always away on a military deployment. After a short chat we accepted his kind offer and agreed to meet up at a local restaurant in Southern Pines.
The restaurant is called Squire’s Pub and is very popular with the locals. It always wins awards as one of the best restaurants and watering holes in the area. Margo and I have been curious about the place ever since we moved here, so this was a good excuse for us to try it out.
When we arrived at Squire’s we spotted our neighbor and one of his Air Force friends sitting at the bar nursing drinks while waiting for us. The friend, who we had never met, flies Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters. These are the type of helicopter that our neighbor jumps out of while on rescue missions. After introductions all around, we were seated at a table where we enjoyed some appetizers and before-dinner drinks.
As a side note, I’ve always wondered why appetizers are called “appetizers” when they only serve to spoil the appetite of some people. I’m thinking that they should be called, “Pre-Dinner Tidbits Designed To Take The Edge Off Of Your Hunger Before The Real Food Arrives” or something like that. I guess the word “appetizer” is just a whole lot easier and everyone knows what it means. Anyway, I only had coffee and an English muffin for breakfast (and no lunch), so I was starved, appetizers or not. Margo and I both ordered the Fish & Chips, which were excellent, while our friends ordered something very British sounding. Overall, we thought that Squire’s Pub lived up to its reputation.
During the course of our meal Margo and I got a chance to learn some of what life is like for these guys when they’re deployed to Afghanistan. To our surprise they have access to some very civil and normal activities such as TV, video games and email, but their other off duty activities are very limited. They do get four meals a day and they said that the “chow” was pretty decent. The other side of the coin is that they never know when they might be called upon to lay their lives on the line while performing rescue service. One thing is for sure; our hats are off to them and the rest of our men and women serving in the military.
April 25, 2008
The area of North Carolina that we live in is known primarily for being the “Home of American Golf”. Moore County boasts of having forty-three golf courses within a fifteen-mile radius! Recently we read that the number of courses was now up to forty-four with another seven under construction. If you like golf then Moore County is obviously the place for you.
Moore County is also known for its large number of horse farms and horse training facilities. One notable training facility is the Pinehurst Harness Track located in the town of Pinehurst, NC. This facility is the winter home of many northeastern horses that are brought down in the winter to train, then are shipped back north for the summer racing season.
The track is close to our home in Southern Pines, but we’ve never paid much attention to it until recently when we got to know a couple who keep their race horse there. The folks, Larry and Debbie, are local business owners who we got to know as patrons of their business. Over time we’ve become friends and they often talk about their horse, “Lucy”. They have been asking us to stop by the track stables to see Lucy, so a couple of weeks ago we finally went over on a morning when we knew Larry would be there.
When we got there Larry was in the process of getting her ready to train out on one of the three tracks and was busy equipping her with the many harness and other bits necessary for her to pull the sulky cart with him aboard. He explained a lot of what he was doing, but I have to confess to being a complete neophyte when it comes to anything horse related, so much of it went right over my head. I have to say that I had no idea of how much gear it takes to get a harness racing horse ready to hit the track. Knowing how to rig the horses, how to train them, and how to care for them must be a huge challenge for their owners. It was obvious to us that this was a labor of love for Larry.
Within a few minutes Lucy was all rigged up and ready to hit the track for her training session. Each of the stables has direct access to the track, so it was only a matter of a few seconds before Lucky was out there on her warm-up session.
As we stood by the edge of the track watching Lucy and the other horses train, I don’t think either of us was prepared for how powerful and fast these horses are. Once warmed up and in their stride, they can really move. From our vantage point at the edge of the track, we could hear them breathing and snorting as they passed by as well as hear their hoofs pounding on the track; it was exciting and wonderful. I only regretted that I hadn’t brought the camera to take a few pictures.
So this morning, knowing that Lucy was about to be transported north for the summer racing season and that this was to be her last day training at Pinehurst, we grabbed the camera and headed over to watch her train and to say goodbye to a really beautiful and awesome horse. Be sure to check out Lucy’s photos in the photo section. Good luck Lucy and have a great racing season!
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