MAZATLÁN HISTORIC DISTRICT & CENTRAL MARKET: Retirement Allows Time for Travel

We Spent Many Days Exploring Old Town Mazatlan

Pretty Houses on Angel Flores Street in Mazatlan

     Retirement has allowed us to spend as much time as we want poking around in places we love. Mazatlán is one of our favorite cities and we return there at least once a year. This year, since we don't have to rush back to work we have been to Mazatlán three separate times! We always stay for at least one week and sometimes for a month so we have plenty of time to relax and explore more of the Historic District. Each time we visit we discover something new and interesting. 

Fresh, Inexpensive Fruit and Vegetables at the Central Market

  To read more about our time in Mazatlán click the link below:
Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico: MAZATLÁN HISTORIC DISTRICT & CENTRAL MARKET     

MONEY AIN'T EVERYTHING!: Our Road to a Simpler, Healthier Life

Let's Get Serious About Simplifying Our Life!

There's More to Life Than Money!

     For more than five years we have had a goal of simplifying our lives and reducing our stress. We talked often about living a simpler, healthier lifestyle. We tried to simplify by downsizing into a condo, by cutting back to part-time work, and by taking longer periods of time off to spend the winter in Mexico or Ecuador. But, still we were bogged down with complications and "STUFF" we had accumulated over thirty years of trying to "make money" and to improve our life. We felt bogged down in the same old rut of work, pay the mortgage, taxes, and insurance, and still not have enough money in our retirement accounts. It was time to get serious about simplifying so we could retire early. Money ain't everything!

Parked on the Chetumal Bay in Mexico

     Last year, we decided to try living in our motorhome in Mexico for the six winter months from November to April. (See HealthyLivingandTravelinginMexico.blogspot.com ) RV life was a wonderfully simple and healthy lifestyle, living wherever we parked our motorhome, from the redwood forests of California to the beaches of Mexico. When it was time to return to living in our condo in the United States, we started asking each other, "Why?". Why return to condo living? Why return to working just to keep ahead of the expenses of living in stationary home and trying to fund our retirement accounts for the future? 

Did We Want to Go Back to Condo Living?

     Why not quit working? Money ain't everything! Jon decided to build one more custom home last summer and then figure out how to close down his construction business and retire. I worked for four more months as a pharmacist, then gave my two weeks' notice and quit my job so I could get serious about retiring, planning how to live a simpler, healthier life (and have time for my writing). I felt relief and freedom immediately!  It was time to start sorting our belongings and pack the motorhome for a year of traveling. 

Time to Pack the Motorhome for Full-Time RV Living

     We were still wrestling with whether to keep the condo for a while so we would have a home base to return to occasionally. But our answer was always, "Why?" Why not sell our condo unit and live in our motorhome full-time? That would eliminate the hassle and expense of keeping up a home. It would also eliminate the expenses of property taxes, homeowners insurance, homeowners' association dues, and home repairs. We could put that money plus the proceeds from the sale into Charles Schwab investment accounts and live off of the income, though we would have to live frugally. An additional benefit of selling the condo unit was that we would no longer be involved in managing the eight unit condominium that we had built during our retirement planning 20 years ago. That alone would reduce the stress in our lives. We made the decision to become full-time RVers and were immediately excited!

Our Bikes Loaded on the Back of the RV--Simpler & Healthier!

      Why not sell our cars and our pickup? We decided to sell both of our cars, our pickup truck, and three of Jon's construction trailers. We decided not to take a tow car with us for the first time. That eliminated the expenses of auto insurance, maintenance, and tolls on Mexican highways for a tow vehicle. It also allowed us to put the money from the sales of our vehicles into our Schwab accounts and boost our "Retirement Living Fund". We decided to ride our bicycles and walk places whenever we could for a healthier lifestyle. There are always buses and taxis available when necessary for longer trips or inclement weather. This simplified our life further. Going car-less was one more step in "Going Green", too!

     

Condo Living had Pared Down Our STUFF to a Few Favorite Things

     Our next decision was, "Why not load just what we needed into our motorhome and sell all of our excess STUFF?" This is when we hesitated a bit. This is where Jon and I had some differing opinions and the most frequent discussions. What if we didn't like living full-time in our motorhome? Some STUFF has sentimental value and we couldn't just sell it, give it away, or toss it out. We had already held at least five garage sales and sold many items on Craig's List in the last five years to downsize from our 4000 square foot home into a 1225 foot condo unit. We agreed that we would store our favorite treasures, enough of our best furniture and belongings for a tiny home, and sell the rest.

"Unattended Store" Turned Stuff into Cash Under My "Magic Carpet"

     Reducing the volume of our STUFF was hard work! I could not face holding another garage sale. I had to find other ways to get rid of the STUFF that was weighing us down. Craig's List was our friend -- we sold lots of construction equipment, tools, and odd stuff that way. We took carloads of our clothes, toys, yard tools, and other stuff to the Goodwill. But my favorite way to sell the treasures that I could part with was to have an "Unattended Store" on my front porch. I actually had fun seeing my old treasures and small kitchen appliances go to new owners.     

Lots of STUFF for Sale

          Here is how my "Unattended Store" worked: I priced each item with a price tag that read, "Please place money under doormat. $X.00 Enjoy!" Then I arranged it attractively on my front porch and went inside to continue packing and sorting for an hour, then write another chapter of my book. It was so much fun to go out to my porch every couple of hours and check under my doormat. I would find dollars, coins, sometimes up to $75 at a time. I made a game of trying to figure out what had sold, where the hole in my merchandising was, then fill it with a new item from inside my house. I began to jokingly call my doormat my "Magic Carpet" because it produced money almost every time I lifted the corner to look underneath. Sometimes I even found notes from the people who had adopted my new treasures! The best part about this kind of sale is that there was no dickering involved. If an item didn't sell after a couple of days, I would mark the price down with a red pen and move it to a new location. It usually sold that day!

Price Tag Read: Unique Birdhouse $2.00 Enjoy!

      When I needed a break from packing or writing, I would peek out my front window to see what was happening in my store. Once I saw a young woman excited to find a food processor or KitchenAid mixer in good condition for such a low price. Another time, I saw an older woman take one of my birdhouses after leaving a note under my doormat that she would be back with the money. The next day the money was there with a Thank You card telling me how much she enjoyed my birdhouse. She came back every day and purchased more of my yard ornaments and always left me a Thank You card. She even gave me her address so I could walk by and see my treasures in her yard. I did, and it made me smile to see my birdhouse, fairy, and dragonfly welcome plaque in their new home, knowing that someone else would have a turn enjoying my things.

Time to Sell the Artificial Christmas Tree!

     I decided to sell our artificial Christmas tree and all but a few of our favorite Christmas ornaments to a young man with three sons. He said his boys would enjoy everything, especially wearing the lighted reindeer antlers. For the past five years, I have avoided the commercialism and stressful activities that surround Christmas. I hadn't put up the Christmas tree or looked at the ornaments for several years, so it was fun to unpack them in October and decorate my front yard with the Christmas tree sitting next to my Halloween witch and jack-o'-lantern. Our neighbors even enjoyed the festive tree and told us they were disappointed when it was sold and gone. But, it was time to let someone else enjoy these pretty things. We would be in Mexico by Christmas that year and we would enjoy everyone else's holiday decorations all over town. That further simplifies our life! I felt so much more free, escaping the frenzy of decorating, attending Christmas parties, shopping for just the right gifts, planning for the festive meal, and all the other crazy, busy activities we put ourselves through in December in the U.S.A. Instead of that hectic, expensive ritual, we now enjoy attending the Children's Christmas Shows in our community in Mexico and donating money for their families' Christmas dinners.

We Packed Our Goldfinch Feeder in the RV--Simple Pleasures

     It felt good to recycle our Stuff, passing it to people who would reuse it and enjoy it. I packed a few bird feeders, solar yard lights, a tabletop water feature that doubles as a bird-bath, and a few other small, lightweight decorative items into the motorhome. These few simple items bring the birds and turn our RV site into home wherever we settle. Simple things for a simple life...

We Still Filled Two Storage Units With STUFF!

     Even after many garage sales, Craig's List sales, my "Unattended Porch Store", and several trips to donate things to the Goodwill, we still had two storage units full of Stuff, a total space of 10' X 40' jammed full. I've decided that we humans are naturally pack-rats and it is very difficult to let go of everything. We kept enough furniture and housewares to start over in a small home if our plans changed in the future. And, of course, we kept boxes of tax records and our children's schoolwork and a few treasures. Then we closed the door on our Stuff (whew, what a relief!), got in our motorhome, and went to visit our family before heading to Mexico.

A Family Visit Before Leaving for Mexico

    No, money ain't everything. But, we do need a little money--enough to buy birdseed to fill the goldfinch feeder, sugar for the hummingbird feeder, and gas to move us from Oregon to Sayulita, Mexico and back to see our family. We need enough to go out for dinner three or four nights a week because good food is one of our favorite pleasures, especially when we don't have to prepare it or clean up the mess afterward. We need enough to buy several eBooks per month for our Kindles from Amazon.com (one of our bigger budget items).  And we need enough to pay the fee when we park in a campground or RV Park. So, yes, we need a little money to live on and we are glad we were able to scrape enough together to retire early and live comfortably in our motorhome in Mexico where our money goes a long way. A simple, relaxing life, healthy food, plenty of exercise, good weather, our dog, time with family, and the freedom to do what we want, when we want--that is everything.

New Moon, New Beginnings 

     The day we left our old life behind was November 25, 2014. There was a new moon in the sky and I thought, "New moon, a new beginning" and we started our new life. Life is simpler and we are happier. To view some of our adventures in Mexico, see: www.HealthyLivingandTravelinginMexico.blogspot.com .

     

I invite you to read my book about our adventures. Read the free sample at: "Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico" eBook on Amazon.com

BRIERWOOD GOLF CLUB: Visiting Our Son & His Family in Shallotte, NC

Retirement Means More Time to Visit Family

     

Beautiful Brierwood Golf Club in Shallotte, NC

     We finally made it to Shallotte, North Carolina to see our son, Kevin, his new family, and his golf club, Brierwood! We've been planning this trip for a year now, since before we retired. Now that we have quit working and are living in our motorhome full-time, we have more time to travel to where our children live and hang out with them. 

We Drove our RV 2300 Miles from Mazatlan, MX to Shallotte, NC

     When our granddaughter, Brooklyn, was born in February, we had left our working life in the United States behind and were living at Mar Rosa RV Park in Mazatlán, Mexico (View by clicking: "Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico Blog -- Mazatlán RV Parks" ). We were almost 2300 miles away and it was time to plan our route to North Carolina to see the new daddy, Kevin, the new mommy, Denae, and baby Brooklyn. We couldn't wait to meet the new family members!

So Happy to See Kevin, Denae, & Our Granddaughter, Brooklyn

     When we arrived at Brierwood Golf Club in Shallotte, NC, Kevin was excited to introduce us to Denae and Brooklyn, of course! He was almost as excited to show us around the Brierwood Club House and Golf Course so we could see all of the improvements he had made in the past year. He has done an exceptional job of upgrading both!

The 18-Hole Brierwood Golf Course Looks Great!

     One evening after the golfers were finished on the course, Jon, Bella (our dachshund), and I took a walk on the cart path through the first nine holes of the golf course. What an enjoyable place to get some exercise with its many ponds, streams, plush green fairways, and beautifully groomed grounds! The people who live in the homes adjoining the golf course have a wonderful backyard view of this park-like setting.

10th Hole at Brierwood Golf Course

     When we reached the 10th Hole, we considered continuing our walk but we had reached our 10,000 steps for the day, so decided to wander over to the club house instead. I wanted to see if I could get a photo of Charlie the alligator, the star of the restaurant, Charlie's Grill, but he was away at the time. I did manage to see Charlie's Angel, as Kevin has named her, hanging out under the restaurant's balcony.

Charlie's Angel Hangs Out in the Club House Pond

     Charlie's Grill, the new bar and grill at the Club House is a pleasant place to relax after playing golf. It has a newly remodeled, air conditioned dining area, bar, and a large balcony overlooking the pond and golf course. Lunch is included with each round of golf, with the menu changing daily. One evening, after the club and restaurant were closed for the day, Kevin gave us a tour of the new kitchen and high-tech draft beer cooling system, and then decided to demonstrate his grill. He marinated and grilled some tasty chicken and flank steak for gyro sandwiches (he has always been a better cook than I am). We admired the state-of-the-art club house kitchen and helped him assemble the vegetables, meat, dill sauce, and pita bread for the sandwiches. Yum!

State-of-the-Art Kitchen at Charlie's Grill

      "Retirement before the age of 59" is allowing me to spend more time visiting my children and grandchildren. Living full-time in our motorhome allows us to go to where they live, stay at their home, parked in their driveway. We can pop into their house to see them often without intruding too much in their space. Our kids can pop into our motorhome to see us and even leave the grandkids with us to babysit! 

Kevin and 4-Month Old Brooklyn

     I enjoyed babysitting 4-month old Brooklyn while the guys worked on the golf course granite markers and Denae had some time for herself. I'm glad I didn't wait until I was 66 to retire and do this--grandchildren grow up so fast and I want to see them often while they do! My son, Kevin asked me several times, "What does retirement mean, Mom? You are not even 59 and you quit working?" I told him, "For me, it is freedom to go where I want, when I want, and to see my children and grandchildren often. This is what "Retirement" means, Kevin! I'm so happy that we were able to spend time with you and your family and to see Brierwood Golf Club!"

I Got to Babysit My 4-Month Old Granddaughter, Brooklyn!

"Hasta Luego!" --See You in Oregon in the Fall!

For more information on Brierwood Golf Club see: http://www.brierwoodgc.com/index.htm

For more information on our travels and living in Mexico, see: www.HealthyLivingandTravelinginMexico.com

FLORIDA BOONDOCKING & STATE PARK CAMPING: RV Life is a Simpler, Healthier Life

Retirement Means Time for Walks in the Parks with Jon & Bella--That's Healthy Living!

Bella Enjoyed Boondocking in Destin

Destin, Florida
     The beach resort town of Destin was our first stop in Florida. We decided we wanted to boondock (dry camp for free) in this town so we could walk to dinner at one of the restaurants overlooking the white sand beaches and emerald green water. The parking lot of the Destin Fishing Museum and Old Destin Post Office was our free, peaceful campsite that night. 

Old Destin Post Office Museum

   

     We parked, dropped our leveling jacks, opened our bedroom slide, and set out our lawn chairs--life doesn't get much simpler than that! We took a walk around the grounds to visit the Old Destin Post Office, and then sat down in our chairs to read and let Bella enjoy laying in the soft green lawn for a while before dinner. 

Boondocking at the Destin Fishing Museum

     Jon and I had a nice quarter-mile long walk to the Harborwalk area in Destin where we decided we had saved enough money by boondocking that we could go out to dinner at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville®.  Destin was a much more touristy vacation town than we realized until we arrived. The area was very pretty and looked like a fun family area with pirate ship rides, fishing, shopping, and other amusement activities for the kids. We enjoyed the food, margaritas, and view of the bay, sailboats, and fishing boats while dining at Margaritaville®. The people-watching was entertaining, but the frenzy of tourist activity left us feeling we were ready for some peaceful Florida State Park time.

Beautiful Tree Carving at Destin Margaritaville Entry

Florida State Parks
    The Florida State Parks along the coastal areas that we visited were beautiful, interesting, relatively inexpensive, had water and electric hookup, and, surprisingly, had laundry facilities in good condition! They provide a multitude of opportunities for walking and bicycling, contributing to our goal of living a healthier lifestyle. Many of the state parks had white sand beaches, swimming areas, rolling sand dunes that are strictly protected, nearby restaurants, and nature walks through wooded areas and saw palmettos groves that we could enjoy with Bella.
St. George Island State Park 

St. George Island Walkway to the Beach

St. George Island White Sand Beach

     We arrived at St. George Island State Park the end of May without a reservation since we like to be flexible about where we decide to land our motorhome for the night. It is highly recommended to have a reservation at the state parks during the summer vacation months, but we were always lucky enough to pull in at between 5:00 and 6:00 in the evening and get the last RV site available. Most likely we were given a site that someone had reserved and then cancelled at the last minute. The park rangers were very friendly and helpful in each State Park we camped in. Our biggest complaint was that dogs were not allowed on the beaches within the State Parks so we had to take Bella to a beach outside of the parks for our walks.
Manatee Springs State Park 

Manatee Springs State Park Swimming Area

Manatee Springs Feeds the Suwannee River

     I have to admit that even after camping in four Florida State Parks, I never did get comfortable with watching for snakes and alligators on our walks. Manatee Springs State Park was one of the most beautiful, but the signs warning to watch for alligators and the two snakes we saw on our walk there were enough to keep us out of the swimming area. We enjoyed the long stroll on the boardwalk through the swamps to see where the Manatee Springs water joined the historic Suwannee River, hoping to see one of the endangered Manatees that live in the river, though we never did.
Gamble Rogers Memorial State Park, Flagler Beach

Campsites Overlook the Atlantic Ocean

Good Kite-Flying Weather at Flagler Beach

     Gamble Rogers Memorial State Park in Flagler Beach is a very popular, small campground so we were fortunate to get a site. We would have liked to stay longer, but one site was available for two nights due to a cancellation, so we happily accepted it. Every campsite has a view of the ocean. The beach stretches for miles, though we had to walk a ways down the public sidewalk to reach the public beach where we could take Bella. She satisfied her hunter's need by sniffing and digging in a few sand-crab holes in the sand. The weather was hot and breezy in late May, a perfect day for kite-flying in the state park. I especially enjoyed the galloping white horse kite that flew above the RVs. 
Anastasia State Park, St. Augustine

Bella Kept a Close Eye Out for Any Critter That Moved

     Not all of the wildlife was scary in the Florida State Parks. We enjoyed the many turtles munching grass along one path we walked in Anastasia State Park. Bella, our dachshund, is a natural born hunter and thought the turtles were something that should be chased when they ran. She never understood why we wouldn't let her. The brilliant red cardinals and curious tree squirrels kept her entertained while she was tethered in our campsite. 
    Most campsites in the state parks had natural sight-screens from neighboring sites with large shade trees, tall saw palmetto plants, and other vines and brush (full of spiders and their webs). Each site had electricity and water hookups, but no sewer. We had to drive to the dump site to dump our sewer after three or four days, so that's when it was time to move on to the next State Park. Maybe by not providing sewer hookups in the campsites it keeps people from staying too many days in a stretch and gives more folks a chance to stay in the State Parks. We were just glad they provided electricity so we could run our air conditioning. By the end of May, it was too hot for us to boondock in Florida--we would have had to run our generator all night to keep our motorhome temperature down to 75 degrees.

Walk from Anastatia State Park to the St. Johns Pier Park

Music By the Sea & Volleyball at the Pier Park

     We stayed for a week at the Anastasia State Park because it was in the city of St. Augustine and there was plenty to do and see. It was a pleasant walk along the beach to a good selection of restaurants around the pier. We caught some of the "Music by the Sea", a free concert series at the St. Johns County Pier Park where there was good rock 'n' roll and lots of dancing. Dinner at the restaurant, Salt Life, across the street provided good food, more live music, and a view of the beach volleyball games at the Pier Park. 
   

Free Beach Bus to Historic St. Augustine

      One day we walked about a mile from the Anastasia State Park to the trolley stop at the Alligator Farm to catch the free shuttle to the Old Town Trolley for a tour of the historic district of St. Augustine. The tour was well worth the price as we got an informative overview of the history of St. Augustine in a short amount of time. We learned about the many extravagant hotels that Henry Flagler built in the late 1800's to bring tourism to Florida. Then we walked around the downtown, saw a reenactment of a colonial day battle, and had a nice dinner at Meehan's Irish Pub overlooking the Matanzas River.

Hotel Cordova, a Henry Flagler Hotel from 1888

Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse in the U.S.A.

Reenactment of a Colonial Battle

Drawbridge on the Matanzas River & Horse-Drawn Carriages

     Of the four Florida State Parks that we visited, Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine was our favorite. In addition to all of the places we were able to walk, there was a lake ideal for swimming, wind-surfing, and kayaking. The campground was far enough from the beach and town that it was an ideal area for bicycling. We rode our bikes a few miles from the state park into town one day for haircuts and color at a very professional salon called "London Looks Hair Design". Anastasia State Park and St. Augustine had all the services we needed and the area was great for our healthy RV lifestyle! Any town where we can walk, ride our bike, or ride a bus anywhere we want to go is our kind of town!

Anastasia State Park Windsurfing & Kayaking Area

Our Florida Beach Route

     After Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine, we were on our way to Jacksonville where we had tickets to the "Florida Country Superfest"! We had purchased our tickets months ago and were anticipating a great show. More on that later...
     See more of our adventures in the United States and Mexico at www.HealthyLivingandTravelinginMexico.com .