Christmas Recollections

I asked various RVers about their Christmas memories. Many go home to be with kids and grandkids or are visited by them. After a few Christmases, however, they often find it just too difficult to maneuver around their children’s busy holiday schedules and flights in and out of snow-bound northern areas. Some celebrate Christmas by attending church and/or enjoying a Christmas party or dinner with fellow RVers wherever they land.

Nancy and Howard Rex left Durango, Colorado, in 1993 to explore the world of full-time RVing. They discovered the ultimate freedom. They could go wherever and whenever at their own pace.

In Biloxi, Mississippi, they loved the warm temperatures of an ocean-side campsite and visiting friends. They were charmed by the magnificent antebellum houses, the many casinos, and a visit to the home of Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States. A side trip to New Orleans took them aboard the steamboat Natchez for a Mississippi River port cruise and jazz session. And nobody visits the historic French Quarter without enjoying the original beignets (doughnut-like pastry smothered in powdered sugar) and café au lait at Café Du Monde. In the city built below sea level, they were fascinated with the old cemeteries and aboveground tombs.

The main guest at Christmas dinner was a deep fried turkey prepared by their friends. A hypodermic needle filled the unfortunate fowl with hot sauce. It made for a delicious meal, and Nancy said, “It wasn’t greasy like I thought it would be, but I prefer just plain old roasted turkey.”

Christmas Down Under
Geri and Bill Richards had a memorable Christmas in Australia in 1994 after attending their son’s wedding. After parking their rig in California, they first flew to Auckland, New Zealand, requiring a stop in Tahiti that thrilled them even though it was only a fuel stop. The ferry ride across the very treacherous Cook Inlet took them to explore both North and South Islands. They flew to Sydney, Australia, and then boarded a train to Perth for the wedding.

The happy couple took off on their honeymoon and Bill and Geri stayed with their son’s new in-laws for Christmas. As their daughter-in-law is Lebanese, the family Christmas dinner was also in the Lebanese tradition and included noisemakers at each table setting.

Geri remembered, “The church people and my son’s new in-laws took us to see every sight possible until we finally cried ‘Halt.’ We were exhausted!”

With December being Australia’s summer, a huge crowd of people and a large choir gathered in the city park on Christmas Eve. Chairs were set up with a candle placed on each one for lighting at the end of the service. A local TV station anchor narrated the Birth of Christ using local participants and living animals.

Feliz Navidad
Early in their full-time RVing years, Mary and Gail Pelley arrived in New Mexico. Quite serendipitously, they became a part of Christmas week activities in the town of Mesilla. Mary recalled, “During The Fiesta in Honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the locals held candles and sang in Spanish as they proceeded to the mountaintop to place the Virgin Mary on a lighted alter.”

Now swallowed up by Las Cruces, the Mesilla Plaza was a major stagecoach stop 150 years ago between San Antonio, Texas, and San Diego, California. On that same plaza is the San Albino Church, active since 1855. Mary says, “On Christmas Eve lighted luminaries were all around the plaza as we sang carols and went to midnight Mass. It was awe-inspiring. We went to Mesilla with no expectations, but their faith and celebrations brought back what the real Christmas is all about.”

Cold Days
Paul Sherwood says that he and his wife, Evie, had a memorable Christmas at an RV spot they rented on the island at Lake Havasu City, Arizona. He said his wife “wrote to her cousin and friend who were coming for Christmas, reminding them to bring swimsuits so they could swim at the city pool. By the time they arrived, the weather had turned frigid. They didn’t bring any winter clothes so I supplied them with jackets. They never once went swimming.”

The island that Paul mentions was created by a man-made channel in the Colorado River. The multi-arch bridge leading to it once crossed London’s Thames River and was fast sinking into the ground. In 1968, it was dismantled and reconstructed in Lake Havasu City over the Colorado River. Beneath it are water tours, paddlewheel boats, unique shops, and restaurants. Near Christmastime, the city promotes an evening lighted boat parade contest.

Christmas in Mexico
Diane Beattie and her husband stayed in a lovely campground in Guadalajara, Mexico, with avocado and citrus trees and green grass around the level sites. It was perfect. She said, “Hugh was asked to play Santa Claus at the Salvation Army orphanage. When he donned the Santa suit, he discovered the beard was really yucky so he went with his natural mustache. The children noticed right away that he didn’t have a full beard. They were all very well behaved, well dressed, and so excited with the presents and fruit we gave them.

“Later we walked through the gate that separated our campground from a tiny village and it was like walking into another world. The houses were more like shacks but the children were very excited seeing Santa and Mrs. Claus. One sweet little girl wore a very special gown. It was a long slip with lace along the bottom but she felt she was dressed like a princess. A world of difference going from the Salvation Army orphanage and our perfect campground to this scrubby little village only a gate away.”

Finding an Alternative
When Maralyn and Jim Kimmins started full-timing, their blended family of five children was not pleased that this would end the traditional family Christmas. But the Kimmins decided they weren’t going to hang in the ice and snow of their native Michigan when they could be wintering in warm country.

Jim explains, “We developed a new plan. Now we finish our gift buying and wrapping by October first, then we have exchange time with each family or sometimes combined families. This ‘gathering’ includes dinner, whether it be a cook in, restaurant fare, or even one of our RV campsites with hotdogs and beans. I grab my guitar and we sing carols wherever our festivities take place.”

There you have it, Christmas memories. I hope you make good ones, whatever your situation. God Bless.

Autographed copies of Revised RVing Alaska and Canada ($16.95); Adventures with the Silver Gypsy ($14.95); Full-Time RVing: How to Make it Happen $14.95); In Pursuit of a Dream ($8), and Freedom Unlimited, The Fun and Facts of Full-timing ($9) are available through author Sharlene Minshall, Box 1040, Congress, AZ 85332-1040, www.full-time-rver.com or Amazon.com. Postage and handling are $4 for one book and $1 for each additional book.