After 2 decades, couple still loving the RV life

Celebrating 20 years of full-time traveling in their motor home has Lew and Barbara Shattuck full of tales from their "happy trails."

They've surpassed their initial goal of traveling for 14 years that they set in September 1990 when they first left home in a 20-foot recreational vehicle. Barbara has kept a diary and log of the more than 283,000 land miles the couple has driven to all 50 states and 1,024 campgrounds. They've flown to some destinations including Australia and New Zealand, where they rented motor homes and learned to drive on the left side of the road.

When they left Feb. 3, it was their 14th trip to Hunting Island State Park, one of their favorites. The park reminds Lew of where he grew up near the ocean in Long Island, N.Y. While at Hunting Island, the septuagenarians enjoy shelling, riding bikes on the beach and painting. They plan to spend the rest of February and March at state parks in Florida.

They don't just travel in their cozy motor home, they recommend taking vacations outside of it such as cruises in Alaska and around Hawaii. A 13-day white water rafting trip down the Colorado River over Lava Falls is one of their most memorable adventures. They've enjoyed Glacier National Park and its Going-To-The-Sun Road as well as the Oregon Trail.

Seasickness kicked in while riding in their motor home on a ferry boat across the Sea of Cortez during an RV caravan across Mexico. Their motor homes were loaded onto flatbed railroad cars where they traveled by rail into Copper Canyon, also known as Mexico's Grand Canyon.

HITTING THE ROAD

The Shattucks were veteran campers prior to their full-time traveler status. They had started camping with their three children in the late 1960s.

"We decided if we ever retired we would sell everything and travel," Lew said.

The couple took early retirement -- she was a registered nurse for an orthopedic surgeon group and he a computer manager for a utility company -- and sold their home for one with wheels. They've bought a newer and bigger RV every four to six years.

"We always had itchy feet," Barbara said.

The earlier years of their rambling found them taking many snow skiing trips and playing golf, but Barbara's knee replacements have slowed them down to mostly square dancing, which they learned during a four-month stay in Mesa, Ariz.

"We've adapted our life to fit the things we want to do," Barbara said.

In the beginning, both missed their family, and Lew missed the fresh vegetables and his love of gardening. Lew also was afraid he would miss working at a job he loved, but they have found they enjoy the freedom of the road. For the first year of traveling, they kept their New Jersey home, but decided there was nobody to watch over it so they sold it.

"It was very freeing," Barbara said of selling the house. "You have the freedom to come and go as you want."

TIPS FOR TRAVELERS

Married for 52 years, they advise others with similar dreams to make sure they plan a lot of things to do together. They also look for nice weather, though it doesn't always work out that way.

They experienced their most severe weather their first year -- a brush with "the Storm of the Century," a massive front that came in along the coast and brought tornados into Koresha State Park in Florida where they were staying.

A key to their travels is seeking out uncrowded places and special events such as hot air balloon festivals or spending July 4 in Alaska, home of daytime fireworks. They try to avoid popular spring break destinations.

They will often rent a house at a vacation destination for family reunions. Frequent trips are made to visit their three children and six grandchildren for birthdays and holidays.

"I have to get my grandkid fix every so often," Barbara said.

Technological changes during the past two decades have made traveling easier. When they started living the mobile lifestyle, they didn't have a cell phone, GPS or laptop. Now they rely on technology to keep in touch with family and for entertainment.

The Shattucks plan to keep traveling until 2025.

"I'll be 90 then," Lew said, smiling, "and maybe it will be time to settle down."