The $2 Million RV

“So, what makes an RV worth $2 million?”

Funny you should ask.

Yesterday we toured the Marathon Coach factory in Oregon where they build Prevost conversions. These buses are built in extremely small production numbers – only 70 are made each year. Loaded with residential-class materials, they weigh over 52,000 pounds (by comparison, our unloaded Airstream weighs about 7000 pounds). Their diesel engines are reputed to handle one million miles before they need major servicing. The Prevost bus shells themselves are built to withstand more than a decade of heavy, daily use.

So the next logical question is, “Who buys a $2 million RV?” Other than the Saudi Royal Family, the answer usually runs to corporations. Race car drivers like Danica Patrick and Michael Andretti have one. So do movie stars like Vince Vaughn and Tom Cruise. Or to be more accurate, their respective companies own one. The companies buy the Prevost, and its depreciation becomes a corporate tax write-off. Eventually they resell it. I suspect that once you do ALL the math, it ends up like financing one’s own hotel room (albeit a Ritz Carlton, not a Motel 6).

Of course, some wealthy individuals “with more money than time” make Marathon Prevosts their RV of choice. To these folks, I merely tip my hat and say, “More power to ya.” Everyone at Marathon was really great – friendly, informative, and down-to-earth. The fit and finish of these buses is immaculate and reeks of quality. The chosen materials are truly the best of the best. If you are in the market for a $2 million RV, look no further!

If, however, you simply want to create smiles and have fun, consider restoring a vintage Airstream instead. You’ll turn more heads, and save at least $1.95 million in the process.

Old Friends and New Friends

There’s an old Irish saying that says, “There are no strangers here; only friends you haven’t met.” That’s the way Portland feels.

This portion of our honeymoon journey has been about renewing old friendships and starting new ones. We met many fantastic people here in the Portland area who welcomed us with open arms. Along the way, we attended a Keb' Mo' / Robert Cray concert, enjoyed a scenic boat cruise, observed the best lunar eclipse OF ALL TIME, and consumed copious amounts of micro-brewed "Oregon Iced Tea."

Our blog videos are providing but a glimpse of the full experience. Many thanks to our old friends Gene and Paige, along with new friends Gary, Chris and Cheryl, Mark and Sharon, Andy and Elaine. Your hospitality will be long remembered.

The Airstream is hitched and we’re rolling south. Next stop: somewhere south!

Kitchen Fixin'

Better Late Than Never

After almost two months on the road, we FINALLY got a “longlonghoneymoon.com” sticker for our Airstream. I wish we’d had it when we started our journey, but we didn't...and there weren't a lot of sign shops in the Rocky mountains.

This honeymoon has been testing more than just our marriage. It’s also a trial run for an Internet “video travel show” project that’s shot, edited, and distributed on the fly. We've encountered a few technical glitches, but so far, so good.

Kristy and I enjoyed our lengthy respite in Seattle. But as Benjamin Franklin famously observed, fresh fish and houseguests begin to smell after three days. We have an amazingly tolerant brother-in-law (or else he's got a lousy sense of smell)!



It's past time for us to ramble on. Our destination today is Portland, Oregon, where we’ll be visiting an old friend.

Space Needling

An ancient Chinese proverb teaches us that “a needle is not sharp at both ends.”

Many Chinese fingers were pricked to uncover this nugget of wisdom.

Confessions of an Addict

The first step toward curing a problem is admitting you have one.

I have a problem. I am an addict. . . and my abused substance of choice is technology. It’s a horrible affliction that wreaks havoc on innocent credit cards.

For most of this honeymoon trip, I’ve been able to escape my illness. In wilderness such as Yellowstone, Glacier, Waterton Lakes, and Banff, stores are sticking with good old-fashioned caveman tech like firewood, knives, and blankets.

Then we arrived in Seattle -- the home of Microsoft, Nintendo, and Amazon -- and I fell off the covered wagon. Even the toilets here are Internet capable! For the past few days, I’ve been constantly exposed to Seattle's technological culture, cruising around town in my sister’s electronics-loaded new car with its lovely . . . GPS navigation system.

Our truck SEEMORE, being a big honkin' workhorse of a vehicle, doesn’t have such fancy gadgets. In fact, its pale green LED dash display has been carefully designed by Ford engineers to be completely illegible. For the past 10,000 miles, our only "navigation system” has been Kristy and a $10 map.

Until now. That smell is melting credit card plastic. Yesterday I surrendered to my basic instincts and bought a "personal travel assistant." This Garmin GPS will, hopefully, guide us home safely. Any device that enhances the safety of RV-ing is probably a good idea. I’ll let you know how we like it.

It’s only a matter of time before our brother-in-law kicks us and our Airstream out of Seattle. Then we’re off to Vancouver!

Seattle Slew