# Increasingly, Retirees Dump Their Possessions and Hit the Road



## MULTIZ321 (Aug 30, 2014)

Increasingly, Retirees Dump Their Possessions and Hit the Road - by David Wallis/ Your Money/ Retiring/ The New York Times.com

"SOME call themselves “senior gypsies.” Others prefer “international nomad.” David Law, 74, a retired executive recruiter who has primarily slept in tents in several countries in the last two years, likes the ring of “American Bedouin.”

They are American retirees who have downsized to the extreme, choosing a life of travel over a life of tending to possessions. And their numbers are rising..."






Lynne Martin, with her husband, Tim, at Notre Dame in Paris


Richard


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## Dori (Aug 30, 2014)

Our growing contingent of full-time timesharing TUGgers here is a testament to this growing trend. Happy trails!

Dori


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## VegasBella (Aug 30, 2014)

This is great! I'm happy to see people enjoying retirement through traveling rather than being stuck in one place burdened by expenses.


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## DeniseM (Aug 30, 2014)

Among our friends, the retirees that I see stuck at home, are stuck because they have pets that they don't want to leave or board.  Don't get me wrong, we have had many pets over the years, but once we got closer to retirement and our last fur baby passed away, we decided not to get any more, so that we could travel during retirement.  

Our neighbors are a good example:  they both retired from professional jobs, and their house is paid off.  They would love to travel, but they don't because their pooch doesn't like to travel (even just for the weekend in their own travel trailer) and they don't like to board her.  So they sit at home...


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## puppymommo (Aug 30, 2014)

DeniseM said:


> Among our friends, the retirees that I see stuck at home, are stuck because they have pets that they don't want to leave or board.  Don't get me wrong, we have had many pets over the years, but once we got closer to retirement and our last fur baby passed away, we decided not to get any more, so that we could travel during retirement.
> 
> Our neighbors are a good example:  they both retired from professional jobs, and their house is paid off.  They would love to travel, but they don't because their pooch doesn't like to travel (even just for the weekend in their own travel trailer) and they don't like to board her.  So they sit at home...



I think about this a lot.  I am about 10 years from retirement and have 4 cats. When they are gone (all are at least 10 years old) I don't think I'll get any others.

As for the neighbors, what about the option of in-home pet sitting? My friend is a pet sitter. She doesn't do live-in, she mostly does home visits 1-2 times per day and sometimes she takes a dog into her home while the family is away.


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## vacationhopeful (Aug 30, 2014)

I have had 3 large dogs over the years. When the last one passed on, I decided NO MORE pets - I loved my dogs; great to have around; but travelling was expensive to board them. As for timeshare vacations, I can travel more and stay longer by being pet free.


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## presley (Aug 30, 2014)

I want to be a nomad, but my husband is a bit of a hoarder.  I plan on keeping my animals with me, though.  We have a local campground membership that gives us 2 weeks in and one week out.  I figure we could live there 2/3 of the time and use other campgrounds to fill in the blanks.  We could sell our home, buy a travel trailer and stay in our county and live comfortably for the rest of our lives.  When I talk about it to my husband, he starts talking about storing everything and that would pretty much defeat my entire plan since I want to get rid of stuff, not pay to store it somewhere until it rots.  Maybe he will feel differently in 5 or 10 years.


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## Passepartout (Aug 30, 2014)

As it happens, we are RV camping this long weekend, and are parked between two 'rigs' peopled with wha are called in the game, 'full timers'. Folks who have sold out or installed their kids in the family home, and begun a nomadic life. 

We are members of this park- kind of like timesharing, but we have unlimited use of the park during the 6 months a year that it's open. I'd guess that right now, close to 20-25% of the residents are full timers. Most have their pets with them. RV parks are all very pet friendly. The only places here that are not are the pool, and the clubhouse where breakfasts, pot lucks, crafts, etc. are held.

I'd guess, from my casual observation, that full time RVers would VASTLY outnumber all other 'downsized, adult nomadic travelers' put todether.

Jim


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## DeniseM (Aug 30, 2014)

puppymommo said:


> As for the neighbors, what about the option of in-home pet sitting?



We have taken care of their pet when their gone, but "she's not happy when they aren't there."


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## Nancy (Aug 30, 2014)

*No more pets*

When our last two pets went to Kitty heaven, we decided no more pets.  We'd almost always had a couple of cats and for a few years a couple of dogs also.  I miss them, but like the freedom of not having to deal with boarding or pet sitters, better.

Nancy


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## vacationhopeful (Aug 30, 2014)

My sister lives 1500+ miles from me. She has 3 cats ... the "in and out" type of cats; when in, they live indoors and when they go out, they live outdoors. She does one last kitty call before going to bed - if they choose to stay out, she doesn't worry about them.

When my sister travels, she has a neighbor down the block who comes down in the morning to put some food out and to let the cats out. She repeats that in the evening. But when hungry or lonely, all of my sister's cats go to her house and sit in the front yard. The one cat is there so much, almost all the neighbors THINK it is HER cat (she has a dog). The cat is very pretty and friendly that her visitors let this cat into the neighbor's house -- and the neighbor immediately puts it back outside. And she sits waiting to "help" the neighbor take out her trash or do yard work. Fortunately, they all live on a cu-du-sac with very limited car traffic. 

This was NOT the norm as my sister's husband was a fulltime house husband who the 3 cats followed around the house - until his saddened passing away less the 2 years ago. My sister was still working fulltime and the cats truly were grieving. Sis retired 5 months later (as previously planned) and is currently travelling about 1 out of every 3 weeks. She has told me, that as the cats pass on, she will not be replacing them. But meanwhile she loves her kitties (even if they are close to 10 years old).


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## talkamotta (Aug 30, 2014)

Everyone has something they have to give up if they decide to travel a lot.  Mine was moving into a 55+ with yard care.  I love working in the yard (my body doesn't).  I love  dogs but no dogs for us.  When Jeff and I decided to get married we decided to 

"Collect Memories not Stuff"   The kids have to go with us or no memories and I hope no inheritance.   


Good for "US"  and all the seniors that want to live an adventure.  

This post made my day.


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## elaine (Aug 30, 2014)

We would like to travel 2X/year 5 weeks each. We have thought of the pet issue. We plan to "help" our oldest buy a house and the repayment is keeping our dog for up to 6 weeks a year.  We also are thinking of starting a pet coop at the retirement community where we would like to live--doggie play dates to see which dogs get along, then trading off having an extra pet for a week or two.


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## DaveNV (Aug 30, 2014)

Passepartout said:


> I'd guess, from my casual observation, that full time RVers would VASTLY outnumber all other 'downsized, adult nomadic travelers' put todether.
> 
> Jim




When I first retired from the Navy, I traveled in a motorhome for a year. We visited 13 Western states, meandering around, and we did about 5000 miles of driving.  It was outstanding.  (We spent three weeks at an RV park outside of Yellowstone NP.) I'd do it all again, and keep driving, never having to come home, if I could arrange it.

Then again, I'd also love to live on the beach in Hawaii.  Or in the red rock country near Zion NP.  Mexico comes to mind.  And then there's Australia...

I've decided I'm working at least another three or four years.  Not sure exactly what I'm going to do after that. 

Dave


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## taffy19 (Aug 30, 2014)

Nancy said:


> When our last two pets went to Kitty heaven, we decided no more pets.  We'd almost always had a couple of cats and for a few years a couple of dogs also.  I miss them, but like the freedom of not having to deal with boarding or pet sitters, better.
> 
> Nancy


We had a pet sitter for many years but you still always worry about them when you are away.  We miss having pets after so many years but the freedom feels great and not to worry.

The next best thing is to foster pets and treat them as furry "guests" so you try not to get too attached to them.  They need foster families badly for shelter pets or pet adoption organizations and you buy them time to stay alive and to get used to living with a family.

If you go away, another foster family will take care of them until they are adopted.  They will even teach you how to bottle feed tiny kittens and massage them like the mother cat does.

Cats will not survive outside in our area because of the coyotes.  They will jump an 6 ft fence to take a small pet out of your backyard.  It is that bad.


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## Luanne (Aug 30, 2014)

When we retired we downsized, then moved to an area where we wanted to spend time.

While the nomad lift might suit some, it's not for us.  We like the sense of community.

Interestingly enough, the couple who call themselves "American Bedouins" are from our city.


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## WinniWoman (Aug 30, 2014)

Had to put our 2 beauties (Golden Retrievers) down in 2011. I miss having dogs very badly, but not the work as we both still work full time. We did not get any pets since then because we can't handle it right now with working. We are going to do whatever traveling we can afford to now. When we retire in 6-8 years we hope to move to another state where our only child lives, then do less traveling, get one or two dogs, and hope that our son can watch the dogs when we do travel somewhere. We like hunkering down a bit- gypsy life not for us.


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## SmithOp (Aug 30, 2014)

We are going to sell the empty nest next spring and head out for adventure.  We knew a couple at work that did the RV life for quite a few years before buying a house again but still traveling half a year, that seems to be common, wanting a home base.

Some very good US travelogues from their journey.

http://www.cooljourney.net/index.html


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## taffy19 (Aug 30, 2014)

SmithOp said:


> We are going to sell the empty nest next spring and head out for adventure. We knew a couple at work that did the RV life for quite a few years before buying a house again but still traveling half a year, that seems to be common, wanting a home base.
> 
> Some very good US travelogues from their journey.
> 
> http://www.cooljourney.net/index.html


 This was always my dream to own a not too big travel trailer or camper and visit all the National Parks and some interesting cities and beaches on the east coast but my husband was never interested in that. I still would like to have a small base to come home to so you belong somewhere. Too late now.

When we are in Mexico, some of the families travel back and forward to the USA a lot but their pets live in Mexico all year long. They have pet sitters living in their homes or condos and one lady comes from California. This would be a nice way to travel too and she had been in Europe also but is single. 

Last time she had a friend staying with her and that was OK with the owners. That would be a nice thing to do and travel to some other countries and stay longer that way. She gave me the address of the organization but I lost it. I believe that a similar organization was mentioned here on TUG once too but you need to have good recommendations and references. I have heard of people doing house sitting too and they are nice homes mostly.


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## SmithOp (Aug 30, 2014)

I read about a program on here for English speakers, you stay at small resorts and locals learn by immersion, they pay.


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## chriskre (Aug 31, 2014)

I am only 49 and have already "retired".
I feel that waiting until you are 69 and 74 like the first couple in this article, to start living is a tragedy. 
They are trying to make up for lost time, I hope their hour glass doesn't run out with a health crisis.   

I've been traveling for the last 30 years as much and as often as i could.
Maybe being a nurse has affected my perspective on leaving things for later that may never come which 
has made me a working gypsy all these years.

I've still got a bucket list a mile high, but have ticked off so many places already, that hopefully when I do officially retire, 
it can be to an oceanfront condo for a permanent vacation with no regrets and with kitties in tow.


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## Timeshare Von (Aug 31, 2014)

I would love to live the RV life full time after retirement.  It won't be our dog that keeps it from happening, but rather Mr. Timeshare. He really doesn't like the nomad lifestyle.  Not adventurous enough.

When I started talking about it a couple of years ago his first response?  "Where will I get my mail?"  LOL  It's not like we get much mail; and most of what we do get is tied to owning a house.

I love the adventure and just traded in my Sebring convertible on a Santa Fe that I can car camp in.  It also has a hitch, in the event that I pick up a small trailer someday 

I have moved away from the timeshare variety of travel; we do it some, but it's not the main way we get vacation.  I don't see it as a viable lifestyle, for "living" day to day . . . at least not for us.


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## Tia (Aug 31, 2014)

I'd like to see more on the financial budgets/costs for this and  the variations. Looks great but what would the true costs be is my question.


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## Timeshare Von (Aug 31, 2014)

Tia said:


> I'd like to see more on the financial budgets/costs for this and  the variations. Looks great but what would the true costs be is my question.



"True costs" may be difficult to come by as everyone's travel style is very different.

We have done Alaska by RV, but our budget & costs are very different than what others may incur due to several factors:

*  Cost for the RV use (we have a friend . . . rental prices vary significantly based on when you book
*  Where you camp . . . we don't mind roughing it without hook-ups (low to no cost if you boondock)

*  Food costs . . . what you are willing to cook (or not) and eat

*  How much actual driving you do . . . in other words do you stay put in one place for a few days or are you moving every day/night

Some of these people are doing quite extravagant traveling . . . internationally.  For me, I would keep it in North America . . . nothing further than Canada & (maybe) Mexico.


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## DeniseM (Aug 31, 2014)

Tia said:


> I'd like to see more on the financial budgets/costs for this and  the variations. Looks great but what would the true costs be is my question.



There are two Tuggers living this lifestyle and they have active blogs, that discuss budgets a lot - they post here often.


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## Passepartout (Aug 31, 2014)

Actual costs can be whatever ability and necessity allow them to be. One can choose to backpack, live in a tent with the occasional hostel, and hitchhike or ride the rails between places, or one can fly first class and live in resorts and take limos to dinner at 5 star restaurants. Or somewhere in between the extremes.

However one chooses to persue a nomadic lifestyle, best to try it short term for a while, and even that requires some serious planning and preparation for unexpected events.

RVing and putting the home in the hands of an adult child or other relative is likely the least disruptive because of a network of facilities and the sheer numbers of people doing it. Hard to imagine stopping anywhere for more than a night where you wouldn't cross paths with another RVing full timer.

Jim


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## simpsontruckdriver (Sep 1, 2014)

Another thing to think about when traveling after retirement: Medicare. Most Medicare Advantage Plans require you to get medical care in your home area (ER is covered nationwide). A Medicare Supplement is more per month (better than a PPO), but allows you to get non-emergency medical care nationwide, some add foreign insurance.

For instance, say your mailing address is in Melrose MA, but you want to drive an RV to Yellowstone NP. On the way, you get Strep Throat. It's not an emergency, but you need antibiotics. With an MAPD, you must go to the ER (where you may wait a few hours due to severe health concerns being treated first); with a MedSupp you can go to an urgent care office and maybe wait 5-15 minutes.

TS


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## ronparise (Sep 1, 2014)

DeniseM said:


> Among our friends, the retirees that I see stuck at home, are stuck because they have pets that they don't want to leave or board.  Don't get me wrong, we have had many pets over the years, but once we got closer to retirement and our last fur baby passed away, we decided not to get any more, so that we could travel during retirement.
> 
> Our neighbors are a good example:  they both retired from professional jobs, and their house is paid off.  They would love to travel, but they don't because their pooch doesn't like to travel (even just for the weekend in their own travel trailer) and they don't like to board her.  So they sit at home...



They say true freedom comes only after the kids leave home and the dogs die.  We just lost one of ours to Cancer  last  week  The other is 14 years old. so our time to travel is not too far off, but we are already talking about the puppies we will get to fill this hole in our hearts.    Pretty sure an RV is in our future.

I hate to be a downer, but this is all Im working with right now...this pic was taken at the vets the day she died


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## presley (Sep 1, 2014)

ronparise said:


> They say true freedom comes only after the kids leave home and the dogs die.  We just lost one of ours to Cancer  last  week  The other is 14 years old. so our time to travel is not too far off, but we are already talking about the puppies we will get to fill this hole in our hearts.    Pretty sure an RV is in our future.
> 
> I hate to be a downer, but this is all Im working with right now...this pic was taken at the vets the day she died



Ron, I'm so sorry to hear that.  The mourning of pets is so awful that we didn't even have any for a long time because I didn't think I could deal with the loss.  

Now, we have so many that my plan was that when one died, I'd still have bunch to keep me happy.  Not sure if that will work, but that is what I am hoping.  A very large reason why we will buy a travel trailer is that we can take some of our dogs with us.  I'm just happier being with my pets than I am traveling without them.


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## MuranoJo (Sep 2, 2014)

Ron, so sorry to hear about the loss of one of your pets.  All I can say is I relate.

We've had dogs all our married life, usually two at a time, one older than the other.  Then when we lose one, we've always gotten a new pup.  This time around we haven't replaced the older one, thinking it's so hard to go through all of this sadness when we lose them--as well as the issues with travel. Plus, we've always had athletic dogs (i.e., German Shorthairs), so is it fair to the dogs as we slow down?  And add in the cost of house sitters since we don't board them.

To tell the truth, we're still considering another pup.


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## patty5ia (Sep 2, 2014)

We have always had pets and we travel a lot.  I think it is a matter of how much you are willing to pay to have great care for your pets when you are traveling.  We are willing to pay for our dog to stay at home while we travel. Money makes it all easier.


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## topmom101 (Sep 3, 2014)

Ron, so sorry for your loss.  I have been thru a similar loss and understand how you feel.


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## hethcock@mho.com (Sep 4, 2014)

*Pets keeping us from using our timeshare...*

I too find myself not travelling because I don't have someone good to watch my two (was 3) dogs when leave town.  

The solution would be for timeshare resorts to recognize this as a major issue and allow multiple units that are pet friendly.  The high end hotels have pet friendly rooms, why cant timeshare resorts.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 4, 2014)

Many of my resorts are DEEDED FIXED WEEKS and FIXED UNITS. I like my units, have been a cat & dog owner over the years.  BUT my pets never lived or slept on my furniture or beds. Some lived outside year round. 

And there is, IMHO, a very small percentage of owners who train their pets to STAY on the floor. If a resort is totally floating units - it might be acceptable - if I could see when booking that unit is a PET UNIT via charging 35% more in points or a mandatory $300 extra cleaning fee.


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## BigRedOne (Sep 4, 2014)

The one thing that will probably keep me from traveling a lot after retirement (about 5 years away) is kids and grandkids.  I love being around my family and friends as does my wife.  I do hope that my retirement income will be enough to take a couple of trips a year, maybe one of them being a cruise or even an all-inclusive somewhere.  I live in a rural area in Central Missouri and there is an abundance of rivers and lakes with plenty of recreational opportunities (I like to fish).


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## Rent_Share (Sep 4, 2014)

I am 59, my DW will be 58, I am trying to close down the zoo, and she doesn't seem to want to agree.


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## bankr63 (Sep 4, 2014)

I guess I am blessed that DW and I share a similar retirement vision.  We camp as much as possible in the summer, we have a very nice Camper that is now about 6 years old.  Our timeshares are for winter use.  When the time comes, that camper gets upgraded to mid-size 5th wheel RV.  Summers will be spent here in Canada, and winters exploring the Southern US (maybe 2 or 3 different destinations per year for extended stays).  All of it will be in the RV; we aren't to materialistic (although we may need a double wide fridge for the whole hot sauce collection) 

At 51, I hope this comes sooner than later, but then as an IT consultant, what I do can be done anywhere with an Internet connection.  I may never fully retire.  DW is a teacher and has a bit less than 10 years to full retirement.  As for pets, if our two girls are still hanging on, the may come along.  DW really wants another dog too, if that happens it will be introduced to the nomad life at a very early age.


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## lprstn (Sep 5, 2014)

My in-laws plan on doing a bit of both. They are purchasing a camper or one of those conversion vans that will allow them to take their dogs with them most places but won't be too over the top on gas. They are even able to stay overnight at some Walmart parking lots at no cost. In addition they have about 2 months of timesharing planned through out the year of their travels, a month at each of their 4 kids homes, and 2 long cruises. They sold the house and car to do this. Of course I kid them that they have taken my ideas and putting them to action.

Another of my friends also did an 'early temporary retirement' by selling everything and moving to Hawaii. She's in her mid 50's and plans on taking a year off.


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## topmom101 (Sep 5, 2014)

I am getting a lot of good ideas reading this thread. Now I just have to explain it all to my husband who doesn't take to "change" very well. lol


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## taffy19 (Sep 5, 2014)

Ron, I am so sorry for your loss.  I hope that you have many happy pictures of your dog that will help you forget this sad picture.  Your little dog will always stay in your heart.

An RV sounds like a great solution for traveling with your dogs plus timeshares that allow pets.  It makes them happy too.


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## icydog (Sep 5, 2014)

vacationhopeful said:


> Many of my resorts are DEEDED FIXED WEEKS and FIXED UNITS. I like my units, have been a cat & dog owner over the years.  BUT my pets never lived or slept on my furniture or beds. Some lived outside year round.
> 
> And there is, IMHO, a very small percentage of owners who train their pets to STAY on the floor. If a resort is totally floating units - it might be acceptable - if I could see when booking that unit is a PET UNIT via charging 35% more in points or a mandatory $300 extra cleaning fee.




Boy, I'm glad I'm not you. How can you leave your dogs out 24/7 all year long.  $300 cleaning fee, 35% more in points? I love my pets.  They sleep with me. I hire pet sitters who come to my house to take care of them because I love them and they are my responsibility. 

Ron, I'm very sorry to hear of your loss.  I've been through it and I don't envy you.  When my dog Icy died a little bit of me did too.  She was my constant loving companion and I miss her still after all these years.  I have a new dog who I love very much and I feel for Ron because if anything happened to her I know it would hit me very hard.


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## Quiet Pine (Sep 10, 2014)

DeniseM said:


> Among our friends, the retirees that I see stuck at home, are stuck because they have pets that they don't want to leave or board.


 Reminds me of a favorite joke:

A Catholic priest, a Protestant minister, and a Jewish rabbi were discussing when life begins.

"Life begins," said the priest, "at the moment of fertilization. That is when G~d instills the spark of life into the fetus."

"We believe," said the minister, "that life begins at birth, because that is when the baby becomes an individual and is capable of making its own decisions and must learn about sin."

"You're both wrong," said the rabbi. "Life begins when the kids leave home and the dog dies."


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 10, 2014)

icydog said:


> Boy, I'm glad I'm not you. How can you leave your dogs out 24/7 all year long.  $300 cleaning fee, 35% more in points? I love my pets.  They sleep with me. I hire pet sitters who come to my house to take care of them because I love them and they are my responsibility.
> 
> Ron, I'm very sorry to hear of your loss.  I've been through it and I don't envy you.  When my dog Icy died a little bit of me did too.  She was my constant loving companion and I miss her still after all these years.  I have a new dog who I love very much and I feel for Ron because if anything happened to her I know it would hit me very hard.



Icydog,
I have had dogs bred for sporting or guarding. My extremely smart pointer  was like talking to a 4 yo kid. High energy. My other dog was a Doberman who always slept on the floor between me and the door. And my outdoor cat lived over 10 years- she would kill full grown rats for sport - was offered $100 cash for her in 1962 by a lady whose raised show quality JUMPERS (horses); her husband's company later was the technical consultant and produced videos of water scenes for the "Hunt for Red October" movie. Do you think I should have SOLD my pet cat for the money it cost to feed our family (my parents and us 5 kids) for almost a month?

I grew up in a farm community on multiple acres of land. I still have 3.5 acres where I now live. There is another 100+ acres of farm land still in the family. Now I might have a security system; back then, you had a yard dog or two. We always had yard cats to keep the rats and rabbit population down - poison is just not a good idea if you have a well for drinking water.

I am glad you like your dogs and your pets are inside pets. Mine are MORE outside pets and when inside, they stay off furniture, out of certain rooms (even when the doors are open) and never think to get food off the counter.


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## Icc5 (Sep 10, 2014)

*Home Base*



BigRedOne said:


> The one thing that will probably keep me from traveling a lot after retirement (about 5 years away) is kids and grandkids.  I love being around my family and friends as does my wife.  I do hope that my retirement income will be enough to take a couple of trips a year, maybe one of them being a cruise or even an all-inclusive somewhere.  I live in a rural area in Central Missouri and there is an abundance of rivers and lakes with plenty of recreational opportunities (I like to fish).



I recently retired and my wife will in a year or two.  We plan on traveling a lot more but we too like being around our kids,granddaughter, and family.  My Mom is still going strong at 93 and I have 4 siblings (3 close by).  My wife's 2 brothers also live close by and we all do many local things together plus have done some timeshareing together.  Yes, 10-12 weeks of travel a year will be just about right for us and each time returning to the house we truly enjoy.
Bart


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## JudyS (Mar 20, 2015)

I know this is an old thread, but it discusses something that has been on my mind lately: how to take care of one's pets when one travels. 

My two 20-year-old cats died recently and I'm not sure what to do about getting more cats. My life just doesn't seem complete without pets. (I was never able to have children.) But I really want to travel, and I never liked being away from my cats for extended period, even though we had an excellent pet sitter (an experienced vet tech) who came to our house once a day. 

One thing I've been considering is buying a travel trailer. (I see many others on this thread have considered this, too.) Almost all RV campgrounds allow pets (some have size or breed restrictions for larger dogs). However, I really love the space a timeshare unit gives me, having laundry available in the unit, having a full kitchen and maybe a jacuzzi, etc. I'm worried that after a week or two in a travel trailer with my husband and two cats, I'll get "cabin fever." 

So, what do people think of this idea: I could get a travel trailer to use in Florida or another warm-weather destination for a few months each year. When not in use, I would probably put the trailer in storage in Florida, rather than towing it all the way back home to Michigan. When I was in Florida for the winter, I'd spend a one or two weeks at a time in the travel trailer with DH and the cats, probably in areas (such as Captiva) where timeshares are hard to get. Then, I'd move the trailer to a campground near a place with lots of timeshare availability, such as Orlando.  DH & I would stay in a timeshare near the campground for a week or two, spread out and relax, catch up on laundry, cook some full-scale meals, etc.  While we were in the timeshare, the cats would stay in the travel trailer at the campground, and we'd visit them every day or two. The travel trailer would be hooked up to electric service and would have heat and air conditioning, so the temperature would stay OK for the cats, and as a back-up we'd have an alarm that called us on our cell phones if the heating or AC failed. 

To do this, we'd need cats that were OK with traveling by car, so we'd adopt young kittens for our next pets and make sure to drive them around so they got used to it. We have a vet who makes house calls (really, we do!) so the cats wouldn't associate car rides with going to the vet. (For anything more than an office visit, such as spaying/neutering, the vet could come to the house and sedate them before bringing them to her office. We used to do this with our old cats when they needed procedures at the vet's office.) 

Also, whether we were staying at the travel trailer or not, the cats would need some outside exercise. Most cats don't like walking on a leash, so we'd probably get a "Kittywalk" enclosure (www.kittywalk.com) big enough for them to run around in. These are portable, but larger ones take up to a couple hours to set up, so we'd set it up each time we went to a new campground, then leave it up until it was time to move. 

What do people think of this? Would it be mean to have the cats spend some of the time by themselves in the travel trailer? Would it be dangerous for them? (We wouldn't go more than 48 hours without visiting with them and feeding them.)


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## rapmarks (Mar 20, 2015)

Judy I don't think you appreciate how popular Florida is in the winter.  Our friends have a travel trailer, and have a very hard time getting a space for even short periods in Florida. This year they got about 3 weeks, and spent the rest of the time in Alabama.   Other friends paid $5000 to rent a space for a few months in Naples, nowhere near the beach or prime areas.  The camping areas are full and expensive, and I don't know of anywhere on Sanibel or Captiva for trailers.


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## WinniWoman (Mar 20, 2015)

JudyS- I have the same issue. My two Golden Retrievers passed in 2011. I have had dogs all my life, but because I am older, work full-time (total 11 hours per day taken up by work, commuting, etc.) I have not gotten another pet. Plus, we go away at least 4 weeks )(this year 5). 

Seems like you want to buy a travel trailer for the cats. I don't know- I guess it's a plan. For me and my husband- we have thought about RV's and such and we decided it was a big hassle, another thing to maintain and we would actually feel burdened by driving and lugging around everything- car in tow, etc. Too much work for us! We like the freedom of just packing some clothes, throwing our prepacked supplies for the timeshare in the car and just going! I like space and luxury. If the toaster breaks, I call the housekeeping and they come up with another one- if you know what I mean. I am not a camper- that;s for sure!

That said, I miss my dogs terribly and when we are away in Vermont I am envious of the locals who are walking their dogs, etc. I almost came home with a Golden puppy a few years ago as the owner of a winery there wanted me to given him to me! Being in the vacation/dreamy mindset- I don't know where I got the strength to resist! I was crying! 

But- even taking pets with you to hotels or timeshares that allow them can be a hassle, as the animals are in a different environment- some get hyper. Then, you get leery of leaving them in the hotel room. You have to worry about getting back to walk and feed them. 

And- as rapmarks states , you could have a hard time getting a site and they are expensive. A coworker of mine plans to retire to his summer home in Maine and do what you have planned- a travel trailer to Florida. But I don't think he realizes it's not so easy or the expense of it.

But- maybe you could make this work. For me, I am resigned to the fact that I will not have any pets anymore for a very long time -but I do have a stuffed animal (dog) named Max Wilson!

Maybe when and if I can ever retire I will volunteer at a local animal shelter to get some animal contact.


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## rapmarks (Mar 20, 2015)

our community in SW Florida has 966 homes, and I am sure there are 500 to 600 dogs.  Only one family walks their cat, in a specially made stroller.


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## topmom101 (Mar 20, 2015)

Hi Judy, I understand your need to have your cats...I am also an animal lover and have always had dogs and cats that we love with all our hearts.  We presently have two small breed dogs (doxies) that have us completely wrapped around their little paws. Lol. I truly hope you can make your plan work but you asked for opinions and here's mine.  I think your plan is too much work and requires too many complexities. Listen, we all realize that having a pet is a  burden especially for people like us, timeshare owners who travel several weeks per year and arranging care for them can be challenging. But we do it because, well, what choice do we have? But your pets have passed (so sorry) and I am not sure that I could endure another 15-20 years of future challenges, especially if the plan is to retire and increase travel weeks.  Perhaps you could fulfill the need for a pet by offering to sit for a friend's pet or volunteering at a shelter. Good luck with whatever decision you make and happy traveling.


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## Fern Modena (Mar 20, 2015)

Judy,
Have you thought about fostering cats for a local pet rescue agency? Would that fill your needs? 

Fern


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## rapmarks (Mar 20, 2015)

nice ideas from Fern and Topmom


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## JudyS (Mar 20, 2015)

Thanks for all the responses. About fostering cats, I've love to do that, but I don't think I could bear to give them up. They'd quickly become my permanent cats! Twenty years ago, when we adopted a pregnant stray cat, I planned to keep just the mother cat and one kitten. Instead, I kept the mother cat and *all *the kittens--two of whom lived for twenty years. (My husband says he's just grateful there were only three kittens, instead of say, six.) 

The Kittywalk system I was referring to is a portable outdoor enclosure that's enclosed on all sides with heavy mesh. It's sort of a Habitrail for cats. (I've tried walking cats on leashes, and I know it doesn't work well!) 

I do realize there would be a lot of expenses if I got a travel trailer. For starters, there would be the cost of the trailer. (I'd probably buy a used one, and could maybe sell it a few years later for 50%-75% of my original purchase price.) Then, there would be the cost the cost of a campground when we were using the trailer. RV site rental starts at about $125 a week in the less populated areas of Florida and goes up to over $100 a night at Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground (and the Disney sites are hard to get!) If I stored the trailer in Florida when I was back in Michigan, there would be a storage fee (starting at maybe $60 a month.) Also, I'd need a vehicle strong enough to tow a travel trailer. (Renting a pickup from U-Haul for moving it would be possible, but a hassle and an additional expense.) Plus, there would be fuel costs, both for the trailer itself and for towing it. 

Also, I'd have to actually be able to book an RV site where and when I wanted. Captiva was probably a bad example, as I didn't expect to actually be on the island -- just hopefully within a reasonable drive. There are some state campgrounds in the Keys, though. Booking far in advance would definitely be necessary for winter, although luckily cancellation charges are pretty low, even at the last minute (about $25-$50 per reservation is what I've found so far.) 

Whether a travel trailer would be worth it or not is something I'd have to carefully consider. If I spent most weeks in a timeshare, then probably it would be too big an expense. If I spent at least half the time in the travel trailer, though, it might become more feasible. The trailer would complement the timeshare stays in several ways -- as a place to go (and store perishables) when I have a 10 am check-out at one resort and a 4 pm check-in at another, for example. Plus, depending on the design of the trailer, I might be able to store clothes and such there. That way, I wouldn't have to move everything when I changed timeshares -- once the weather warmed up, I might be able to store my coat and other heavy clothes in the trailer. Plus, some of the state campgrounds look very nice, with lakes or beaches, as well as lots of nature activities. So, going to the campground might be enjoyable in itself, rather than a chore. 

Spending the winter in Florida would also be more feasible if DH & I rented out our house while we were gone. We live in a major university town (Ann Arbor, home of U of MI), and the winter semester runs January through April, so renting our house w/furnishings for one term (to a visiting professor, say) might be a possibility. 

Definitely, I would have to research this a lot before committing. I would want to rent a travel trailer before buying one to see how DH & I (and the cats, when I get some) would like it. 

My real question is whether it would be OK to leave two cats in an air-conditioned travel trailer for up to 48 hours at a time. I think that, as long as the cats have plenty of food and water, and we play with them and give them exercise every couple of days, it would be fine. People leave cats alone all the time. My husband, though, worries we'd get arrested for pet neglect. What do people here think?


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## topmom101 (Mar 20, 2015)

Judy, it sounds as if you have given this a lot of thought and are prepared to go thru with it.  If your only concerm is whether you can leave the cats alone for 48 hours, I'd say no problem at all. Go for it.


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## WinniWoman (Mar 20, 2015)

Our son has a cat and lives in a very small apartment. He has to travel for work and he leaves the cat for a week or two sometimes, with just a friend looking in on her once or twice, so I think you will be fine.


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## rapmarks (Mar 20, 2015)

Judy,   our friends try to book at state parks in Florida.  you can book one year exactly ahead.  they both get on all devices and are shut out a lot on campsites, couldn't get down near us this year, and were shut out for last year until very recently getting in in March, but not January or Feb. but there are a lot of really nice state parks,just not easy to get.


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## moonstone (Mar 20, 2015)

Judy you should have a look through the camping forum; http://www.rv.net/forum/ - there is a lot of info there. Sections for full-timing, camping cheap (boondocking) as well as discussions on different types of RVs and many other topics. Its a friendly bunch of people!

Good luck!

~Diane


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## MuranoJo (Mar 21, 2015)

I'm not sure about the Kittywalk thing with the mesh enclosure.  I guess the biggest risk would be if a dog got away from its owner or was a stray and would bother them.

Cats are known for their independence, but don't they also get used to human interaction? Perhaps it depends on the cat's personality.  Just asking, as we've always had dogs so I'm not sure.  I do know my sis has had someone come in and check on her cat when she's gone for a week or so, but I believe they go in every day and give the cat some attention.

I empathize with your situation, though--yearning after new pets after you lose the ones you had.  We have an older dog and DH keeps talking about a new pup, but as another poster said, you have to consider a new pet may be around for another 15+ years, and will you want to deal with it then?


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## WinniWoman (Mar 21, 2015)

The other thing- and I admit I don't know much about cats- is that cats tend to not like change (at least they don't adapt as well as a dog might- not that dogs like change either). They like to stay in the environment they are used to from what I understand. So you might want to consider that changing them from the house to the camper than back to the house- they might not like it. But- l have never owned a cat- just relaying what some cat owners have told me. When a friend of mine moved to a new condo, her male cat started spraying everywhere, ruined her furniture, etc. things like that.


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## rapmarks (Mar 21, 2015)

this made me think of all the years we brought our cats back and forth from Florida to Wisconsin and also on trips to my daughters.  We had to allow about an hour to get them in the car. and it was a battle!  when we finally got here, we couldn't get the little one out of the car. when we finally got her in t he house she would explore all over.  They always loved the outdoor lanai i Florida.   I never understood it, but when i got to a turn about two miles from our house, they always got real excited, stood up by the windows . somehow they knew they were almost home.


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## JudyS (Mar 22, 2015)

rapmarks said:


> Judy,   our friends try to book at state parks in Florida.  you can book one year exactly ahead.  they both get on all devices and are shut out a lot on campsites, couldn't get down near us this year, and were shut out for last year until very recently getting in in March, but not January or Feb. but there are a lot of really nice state parks,just not easy to get.


Thanks for the heads up, Pat. I looked at the booking engine for Florida campsites. It seems that campsites in the central and northern areas of Florida are easy to get, at least if booked far in advance, but the campgrounds in Southwest Florida and the Keys are sometimes completely full even before the booking window opens. This makes me suspect that the rules for the Florida campgrounds permit "walking" a reservation, and that people are "walking" reservations for hard-to-get campsites.

I have never "walked" a reservation but I have read several discussions of it in regards to the Disney Vacation Club. "Walking" a reservation means making a reservation for earlier than one actually wants -- for example, booking November if one is actually trying to get January. Then, one keeps changing one's reservation, moving it forward as the reservation window opens, until one gets the reservation one wants. If you Google "walking a DVC reservation" you will see instructions on exactly how it's done.

I haven't verified whether "walking" a Florida campground reservation is possible -- it costs money to make and change a reservation in the Florida State Park system -- but I would definitely look into campground booking & availability before committing any money. 




moonstone said:


> Judy you should have a look through the camping forum; http://www.rv.net/forum/ - there is a lot of info there. Sections for full-timing, camping cheap (boondocking) as well as discussions on different types of RVs and many other topics. Its a friendly bunch of people!


Thanks very much, Diane!


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## JudyS (Mar 22, 2015)

MuranoJo said:


> I'm not sure about the Kittywalk thing with the mesh enclosure.  I guess the biggest risk would be if a dog got away from its owner or was a stray and would bother them.


 I'd only put the cats in the Kittywalk when I or my husband were outside with them. They'd be in the Kittywalk for, say, a couple of hours on a nice day when I was sitting nearby reading a book. I agree that a Kittywalk would not be secure enough to protect cats from dogs or other animals. 





MuranoJo said:


> Cats are known for their independence, but don't they also get used to human interaction? Perhaps it depends on the cat's personality.  Just asking, as we've always had dogs so I'm not sure.  I do know my sis has had someone come in and check on her cat when she's gone for a week or so, but I believe they go in every day and give the cat some attention....





mpumilia said:


> The other thing- and I admit I don't know much about cats- is that cats tend to not like change ..


Cats do vary a lot in their personalities. Some are independent, some like being with other cats, and some need a lot of attention from people. One of the cats I recently lost, Yummy, wanted tons of petting -- but only from me. (Well, she let my husband pet her a little.)  When the cat sitter tried to pet her, she would run away. I worried that she was lonely when I was gone. In fact, she died while I was away on a short trip in Florida, and although I know her age (20 years old) was the main factor causing her death, I still feel guilty that maybe she was lonely and perhaps that contributed to her death. So, if possible I would like to find a way to travel with cats in the future, rather than leaving them home with a pet sitter coming in once a day.

As for cats not liking change, I think that is true of most cats. However, if they get to used to moving around when they are young, they may be OK with it.  Many years ago, when I was a junior in college, I saw a stray kitten and adopted her. Because I was a student, I lived in various off-campus apartments, when home for the holidays, moved to go to grad school, etc. My cat went everywhere with me. She was fine about traveling on cars and in planes.

I know that cats vary a lot, and I won't be able to predict what my future cats will want. Maybe they'll be fine with traveling; maybe they'd be independent cats who'd be happier staying home. My goal right now is to figure out what sort of situations cats would have to get used to if they traveled. Then, I could train any new kittens I got in the hopes they'd adapt to traveling. But I would need to see how well the cats' training worked, and what sort of personalities (purrsonalities?) they had, before making any decisions about traveling with them. 

I'm also finding that there are more pet-friendly timeshares in Florida than I realized. The Westgates allow one pet (the fee is $170). Vacation Village at Parkway and Vacation Village at Bonaventure allow pets for a fee. Pets are also allowed at the Merriweather in Fort Lauderdale, the St. Augustine Townhouses, and the Caribe Beach Resort on Sanibel Island. (I haven't checked with any of these resorts; I'm just going by what I've read online.) So, maybe staying in timeshares with one or two cats would work better than the travel trailer idea. At the least, I'd probably try staying a few weeks with the cat(s) in timeshares before buying a travel trailer. Then, if it all worked out, I could maybe spend a month or so each winter in pet-friendly timeshares, and a month camping in the travel trailer, alternating between the two so I don't get cabin fever.


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## Joe33426 (Mar 22, 2015)

I've thought about the travel trailer or RV thing and when I did a bit of research it seems expensive and a lot of work.  I got as far as grey water and the procedures that need to be done before long-term storage and I thought that it was too much for me to learn.  And I don't mind learning things...

The pet issue is a real concern.  We lost our cat about 4 years ago and although heart-breaking, these last four years have been amazing as far as travel.  We're both on board for not getting another pet for awhile.  

I'm slightly pessimistic about traveling when in retirement.  I've seen too many family and friends wait until retirement for travel, just to have compounding health issues that make travel impossible.  

My thought is to get as much traveling done now, before retirement.  In retirement I'm planning a home in South Florida for winters and then maybe a small place in the coastal Carolinas for summers, then we will only have to make two long trips a year by car, to and from Florida.  AND a ton of pets that can travel by car....


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## WinniWoman (Mar 22, 2015)

Taking the cats to  timeshare that accepts them sounds like the better plan to me. Again, you will have to experiment- make sure they don't ruin anything while you are out, etc. 

I'm with Joe- I think, despite what we are led to believe, it will be harder to travel long distances as we get older, although, of course, many people do. Very long drives or long airplane trips- heck- I don't like that now! I feel if I can just get one decent trip to Europe- my first- into my life before I retire at 67 (ugh!), I should consider myself lucky. Even then, I only see maybe being able to afford Italy, with a short bout to Switzerland. Would like our young adult son to come with us (he would be a help, as well) Then, just a few more National Parks here in the USA.Maybe the Caribbean once. We hope to be able to move to New Hampshire someday, but- who knows what will be? Mostly will use just our Northeast home resorts in summer and spring or fall, like we do know as our money is going into updating our current 28 year old home. And then, when we have to give up traveling- a pet at home once again hopefully.


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## rapmarks (Mar 22, 2015)

Judy,   many stay the winter at the Weston resorts,  they have an 8 week maximum and they don't cost that many tpus.  you could really plan a winter sojourn with your pets, int he warmpart of the state.

This had been the heaviest traffic season we have ever seen.  I have heard there is a 30 percent increase.   houses are getting bidding wars when they go on the market.   usually they sell within hours of the listing.   renters are begging for a place to rent.


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## simpsontruckdriver (Mar 22, 2015)

As a side note, GIANT RECREATION WORLD in Florida offers a lifetime warranty on most of their RVs. Others may also do it. GRW's warranty is for many of the most expensive repairs on the vehicles.

Basically, the only requirement to buy one is 10% down and over 700 credit score, as well as a willingness to do a long-term loan (15 years is the max).

TS


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