What will we do this Halloween?


This will be the first Halloween in 41 years when I didn’t spend weeks preparing for a big party complete with decorations, props, costumes, and… oh yeah, birthday cake.

RV Halloween Decorations

Having been born on All Saint’s Day – or Dia De Los Muertos to be precise – I have always enjoyed my birthdays in full costume. As I grew older, the parties I threw for myself got bigger and more elaborate. Last year, we made sure my 40th was the mother of all blowouts. It would be the last in our stick house, so we raised the roof and scared all the spirits away with the help of DJ Headcase and his special guest, none other than Buck Calhoun.

But enough about myself. I really wonder where we will be and what we will do this year without all our boxes of costumes and props we’ve collected and built over the years. Unlike a number of full-timers we’ve met, we did not bring our lawn ornaments along with us. I think it’s great, but ya gotta wonder where they keep all this stuff.

 Some RVers we’ve met mentioned how they have decorations for all the holidays. Since we began our trip, we have noticed all the twinkly lights on RV awnings – whether they be chili peppers, flamingos, or of the official NASCAR racing type. And we have admired the various woodcut name signs, gazing balls and carved bears welcoming guests to seasonal sites. But just recently we started to notice the pumpkins and ghosts coming out for Halloween.

Having seen so many farm stands and pumpkin patches throughout New England, I assumed our recent neighbors had stopped at one and carved their own Jack o’ Lantern. Then it laughed at me! I was surprised to discover these fun folks we met while Camping on the Battenkill had brought along their WalMart variety foam Jack. I was even more surprised to discover they kept it in a storage compartment dedicated for holiday decorations. All the holidays. If we can keep this trip going next year, we may just need a bigger rig.

Do you decorate your RV for the holidays? If so, how much stuff did you bring along? If not, do you miss decorating your home for the holidays? Share your favorite RV holiday tips below!

10 thoughts on “What will we do this Halloween?”

  1. Your post on Halloween in the RV brought back some fond memories… a few years ago I took a 2 year sabbatical, bought an RV, and spent about half my time on the road. Halloween and Christmas are my two big favorite Holidays, and I always made sure I had all the decorations when I was travelling around those times. Of course, everything was stored in my garage at home when I wasn’t traveling, so no need to worry about hauling around unnecessary decorations!

    That 2 years was probably the best time of my life. Even if you just put a little fake pumpkin in the window, you need to bring a little holiday spirit into the mobile life! 🙂

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  2. My family and I are part time campers, we have a 12 foot popup and storage is really tight. I can not imagine the full-timer trying to find room for all those decorations for every holiday, even in the large RVs. You could just go with inflatable decorations, they have them for every holiday and they come in all shapes and sizes. You might be able to store them, since they are pretty compact when not in use.

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  3. Thanks for the tip. Storage for lawn decorations is not something I had considered. Before I go out and buy a load of Christmas lawn decorations I’ll have to work out where I’ll put everything when they’re not being used.

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  4. I think evey RV should have it’s own gazing ball. They are great to stare at when you’ve had a little too much to drink.

    I looked at the posts after this one and never did see what you did for Halloween. How was it?

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  5. With regard to Dave Barten’s comments, David, you make Keith Richard’s liver shake with nervousness when you’re both on are on the same landmass. The term “party” wasn’t even a verb until you turned 18 as I remember those days quite well. How you kept getting Christmas cards from Seagrams every year thanking you for your continued support and business.

    How Bartles and James wanted to re-name their sugar wines “Barten & Gulp.” How every year you were flown first class to those Russian vodka coops for “tasting” approvals and endorsements; still to this day there are children wearing “It’s the drinkin’ not the thinkin’ that’s made me who I am” T-shirts.

    I remember when Mexico wanted to declare a national “Barten by the carton” drinking holiday in honor of your exceptional consumption and for making tequila it’s number one export.

    Eric

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  6. Jmbo, embrace the next decade with forward looking change, I’m talkin’ about a Al “use less not more” Gore kind of change, so what specifically do I mean?

    Let’s begin with a resource transmogrification initiative: first, the tires on the bio-wagon, go bamboo! China has made radical strides in developing a bamboo alternative, fire Firestone and go new-growth, you’ll make your hemp attired wife proud.

    Don’t push up the roof, cultivate it! RV is not enough, become the toast and not the roast and go RRV, Recreational Rainforest Vehicle! Consider a 12 inch mulch-rich layer on the topside with a light swath of timber (Doug Fir?), tomatoes, maze and possibly some snap-dragons or Mokihanas so as to make the ride a point of pride. And don’t lement the cement, take the Gerry for his walk in the park above the ceiling so he gets that au natural feeling.

    Let’s continue the show by going down below as you’ve been cooking with gas and that has to pass ‘cause we got bio-mass. Developed at MIT, roasted corn bones have been proven to keep your meals groovin’ as an alternative to other wasteful and limited renewable fuels. Roasted corn stems emit almost no smoke and stay warm through the storm as you’ll be the envy of many a pro-painer.

    Now let’s talk waste, let it cook and let it stew because the resultant gasses will see you though. Show your good taste by re-employing your waste with a tank under the domain housing your “tomane Propane”.

    So what about the Watts, the amps, and the volts? Deep cycle batteries should take care of you folks. You need to go solar before you get any older so turn off that channel and put up a panel. The Watts are waiting and Sun does shine so use what’s free and never pay a dime.

    You’ve got the bio-fuel down so when you drive through town it’s the stink of freedom fries with that same diesel sound.

    Regards,
    Eric Auckerman

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  7. Yes I remember your halloween parties / Birthday parties in the City a few years back… Good times…. SOOO,,,, you had the mother of all mother’s Halloween parties and did’nt think to invite your long lost pal’s from so cal… OK… I’ll remember that…How bout I send you and Jerry a Chihuahua for a little on the road Barkin Good Times…

    Happy Birthday Jim! Now be prepared… After 40 the Bdays seem to hit about once a month or so it seems…Rene – stop reading Jim’s Mail – Jim – Make sure you tell Rene what I said here – Jerry – Bark Bark, Woof ruff ruffg, wo woof Bark woof Bark, Bark Bark Bark ruff, rawrr rrrwrr arf arf.

    P.O.L.

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