My wife and I recently returned from an extended RV excursion in the Desert Southwest. It was a good trip, but I did return with a couple less personal articles. Now I do admit that being on the downhill side of 50 years old I do forget things on occasion (okay – most of the time), but something or someone else was to blame for the two separate losses I experienced.
My first loss occurred in the Arizona desert. I had been out on an 8 mile hike and upon returning to the RV I thought it a wise idea to leave my hiking boots and socks outside the door of the RV to let’s say “vent” for awhile. Overnight the wind became a bit gusty, enough to flip the RV mat and the contents left by the door. Upon exiting the RV the next morning and returning the mat to its rightful position in front of the door, I realized one of my socks was missing. Blown away by the wind I presumed. However after a thorough search of the area and the numerous thorny cacti that would have snagged any wayward airborne sock, I came up empty. When we broke camp days later, the sock was still MIA!
My next loss of footware occurred in the California desert just east of the Imperial Dunes. It was a warm day and I was enjoying lounging around camp in my flip-flops. When the sun went down I started a fire and threw some pork chops on a grate over the fire grilling them to perfection. In the process I managed to drip some pork juice on my feet. Calling it an evening, I slipped off my flip-flops and left them outside to avoid tracking in those little desert rocks that like to stick in the soles. Waking to a beautiful sunrise the next morning I stepped out to greet the day only to find one flip-flop waiting for me. I quickly glanced around and under the RV only to realize it had happened again. A thorough perimeter search was a bust. No flip-flop and no signs of tracks, of either the four legged kind or the two legged kind!
So next time you find yourself boondocking in the southwest, beware of the foot fetish desert phantom. It is out there just waiting to abscond with your shoes and socks!
Camping with unknown visitors in the night, just another adventure in RVing.
Dave Helgeson’s many roles in the RV industry started before he even had a driver’s license. His grandparents and father owned an RV dealership before the term “RV” had been coined, and Dave played a pivotal role in nearly every position of an RV dealership. He and his wife Cheri launched their own RV dealership in the Pacific Northwest. The duo also spent 29 years overseeing regional RV shows. Dave has also served as President of a local chapter of the Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA), worked on the board of advisors for the RV Technician Program of a local technical college, and served as a board member of the Manufactured Home and RV Association. Dave’s reputation earned him the title of “The foremost expert on boondocking,” bestowed by RV industry icon, the late Gary Bunzer (The RV Doctor). When he’s not out boondocking, you’ll find Dave in the spotlight at RV shows across the country, giving seminars about all things RVing. He and Cheri currently roam in their fifth travel trailer, with Dave doing all the service, repair and modifications to his own unit.
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