We were at the Pisgah Campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway last August, when near nightfall one evening a couple in a similar Winnegabo View pulled into a spot near us. We had been there a couple of weeks by then, entrenched in our routine of blueberry-picking, hiking, preparing meals, conserving water and tank space, advising newbies about nearby trails and the quickest way to the laundromat. We asked this couple in the similar View how long they were staying, and the lady quickly exclaimed, "Oh, we're not campers, we're travelers." They put out their slide, but that was about it. No awning, no chairs, no cute hanging RV trailer LED lights. They walked to the restaurant for supper after she'd cringed at talk of actually cooking in their RV. And sure enough, first thing in the morning, they were gone.
SInce then we've met a few other fellow RVers who fit the description of travelers. They've criss-crossed the country a dozen times; in Colorado for Thanksgiving and in Florida with the folks by Christmas. We've also met their opposites; ones who stay at a particular park for six months, then move to another for another six. I figure we'll be somewhere in the middle. We definitely like to get to know an area, and if we like the campground we'll stay a couple of weeks. But we also move on if the "vibe" doesn't hit us right. We won't be staying six months, at least not until we're hopefully quite a bit older, but we have discovered over the past year that we like putting down a couple of roots at a place. Neither of us likes driving all that much, and the thought of packing up every single morning and hitting the road in a 26' RV with 14' trailer isn't very appealing. I honestly don't know how they do it. If anything, it's looking like I might have a little trouble getting Check to want to move along sometimes. When he likes a place he'll start talking about being able to stay for months in the winter if we wanted and I'll say "Yeah, but we don't, right? Right?" We have too much to see, and so very many places we both want to go. And that's what gets us moving again.
So, kudos to the travelers. We'll wave as you go by. And we'll also be the ones waving goodbye to the six-month campers. Maybe we'll call ourselves Trampers. Sounds fitting.