My First Blog

     We love to travel in our motor home - besides our kids and grandkids, it’s the first hobby my husband and I both enjoy. There are lots of reasons we like to travel that way but the most important one is because it’s easy to take our dog, a golden retriever we call Archie.

We got our coach about a month before Archie became a part of our family, so he’s used to traveling in it. He’s been in 26 states and we hope to take him to a few more, if gas prices ever come down.

     One time, we were almost home, after being on the road for six weeks, when I mentioned to my husband that Archie would probably not want to get close to the motor home for awhile. I was so wrong because the next day when we started to unpack, Archie came running and got into the RV to make sure he wouldn’t be left behind. If you knew our dog, you’d realize, that was quite an achievement because he rarely makes it up the stairs without a lot of encouragement.

     I don’t know if people are more drawn to golden retrievers or if Archie is just a people magnet, but he rarely gets out of the RV before someone comes over to give him a pet, make an observation on his size or just get a golden retriever fix. It’s amazing how many people out there own or have owned the breed and, if they have left their pet at home or recently lost it, just need to pat his head or give him a hug.

     My husband, Mike, has had Archie out for walks when people have asked to have their picture taken with him. Why do people want to have a picture for their memory book of themselves with a dog they just met? I haven’t figured that one out yet. Once, on the streets of Solvang (a Danish-themed town in California), so many foreign visitors asked about Archie, requested hugs and pictures with him, that Mike felt he was walking with a rock star. Luckily, my husband doesn’t seem to mind the attention either.

     So, check back for more Archie tales. You might also learn about places you’ll want to visit, RV tricks and just thoughts about life on the road. Viewer warning: after reading my blog, you may find yourself looking for a golden retriever of your own and an RV, too.