Filling Our Cruising Days with Fun

You can define F-U-N with snippets…these are what I found in dictionary.com: enjoyable, makes you smile/laugh, makes you feel happy; not necessarily free-spirited or structured, ordinary or out- of-the ordinary or just lighthearted or deeply intense, or simply the first time and pioneering or repetitive and memorable, or alone or with someone, depending on who you are or who you are with.  I made a bucket list of things to do and places to see before I die! The list was filled with stuff that’s fun 

It has ordinary things I have not done before like flying a kite and riding a bike.  Bill’s has things he thoroughly enjoyed before like flying a plane, diving under a sea, and skiing on a mountain. Or it may contain things you greatly enjoy doing together like dancing and hiking, things you enjoy doing with others like karaoke sessions or those that don’t cost much like potlucks!  I even asked myself what will be my priorities during the end days?  And included the answers!

As far as places to visit, the list would include places I have not seen (like Yellowstone or Glacier National Park) or were different from places I had been to (so, if possible, no more hot springs, please…) or I thoroughly enjoyed before (like Yosemite or Key West).   If you look at my below, you will see what I mean.  In other words, the only criterion is ENJOYMENT, not wealth production, not knowledge generation, and certainly not reputation building.

You may say that the list is the same whether you are in a cruising lifestyle or not.  The big difference is  that one can definitely work his list a lot faster while cruising, especially in an RV, and most especially in Phase 2! Why?  This is because you easily can have the resources and facilities for any of them, there are many available people of like interests around, and you are already in places that are ideal for such activities! More importantly, you not only seem to have the time but you make it!

The campground we are in right now, Green Mountain Park in Lenoir, NC, has a 9-hole golf course, a tennis/pickleball court, two mini-golf courses, billiard tables, horseshoe courses, two pools, and all the board games you can think of at the adult lodge.  Each site has a deck around it for easy entertaining.    What Three Flags Resort in Wildwood, Florida lacked in facilities they made up for in organized activities: jam sessions, poker and other card games, craft times, karaoke, concerts, potlucks, etc. every week. 

On the other hand, The Oaks at Point South in Yemassee, South Carolina had neither facilities nor activities but Savannah, Hilton Head Island, Beaufort and Charleston were all within an hour’s drive from it. So it worked out well that we could tour our visiting friend from the Philippines from there.  Sometimes, a campground has all three, like Orlando Thousand Trails Resort! It was our base for the Disney and Universal Studios tours, days of spas and fitness exercises, and hours of dancing and singing.

Needless to say, it is a huge bonus if the campground is also near spectacles of nature! Like when we found the Big Sur State Park on a cliff right next to the glistening Pacific Ocean! Or the campgrounds right inside Yosemite, Joshua Tree or even Everglades National Park.  The one we cannot forget is Big Pine Key Resort at the Keys.  It was surrounded on three sides by water, a bus ride away from Key West and beside the forest where rare Key (mini) deer roamed. 

Yes, cruising in an RV is made for endless fun-filled days! Unbeatable.

So as not to forget, this is my matrix of fun things, cells all filled in, like thus:

                                     Alone                         With Someone

Free-spirited     Writing blog                 Tubing, canoeing or kayaking

                          Taking photos               Hiking a little known trail

  

Structured        Attending a talk             Playing bridge, poker, etc.

                         Hearing a good homily   Performing a choreography

                                                                                      

Ordinary          Planning/cooking meals  Having cocktails  

                         Reading a book             Dining potluck style

                         Sketching scenes/faces   Sitting around a campfire

                         Watching American Idol Working out at the gym 

                             DWTS, or a movie                                      

Un-ordinary   Planning trips                     Lstening to a great concert  

                       Finding a bargain/treasure Watching a great play           

                       Putting a party together      Riding a motorcycle

Lighthearted Riding a carousel                Having a picnic

                      Surfing on the net                Dancing/karaoke/jam session

                      Playing video games            Managing a complex project

  

First-time      Flying a kite                        Posing at the Arctic Circle

                      Riding a bike                       Riding a helicopter

Repetitive    Seeing bright yellow flowers Visiting family & friends

NEXT THOUGHTS: Keeping Fit while Cruising