[Steve-arino]

When I retired, I decided to take a 6 month RV trip around the country. I bought a brand spanking new Winnebago View RV. My kids were my bookends (Boston and Berkeley, CA) and I visited lots of National Parks in between.

I had never driven a truck before, and barely knew what an RV was (a hose hookup? Really?). I can't tell you how freaked out I was the first time I had to empty the black water tank. But that's another story.

All was well for the first couple of months! I washed the RV every chance I got. It was just a beautiful vehicle.

I got to Redwoods National Park in California at night and had no idea how dark dark could be. Long story short, while I was backing into my spot I hit a large branch sticking out from a tree which made a 2 foot hole in the roof and otherwise dinged the top of the RV pretty well. No rain that night and I had a lot of duct tape with me so I patched the roof up best as I could and got it repaired a month later, but it was never perfect like new. And I didn't feel the need to wash it so much.

When I think back on that trip, I smile and realize that the hole in the roof was just a distraction; Acadia, Zion, Bryce, Redwoods, Crater Lake, Glacier, Yellowstone, Yosemite, etc - they were the highlights that I remember most.

But now thanks to this post I'm thinking about the hole :-). Just temporary I hope.