Hi. We are Marilyn and Larry Vanstone. Our story begins in 1980 when I am the new Sales Manager and she is the Controller for an RV company in Edmonton Alberta. We were the hot office romance and now 31 years of marriage later, I still think she’s pretty hot.
In close to 35 years in the RV industry I have talked to hundreds, no, thousands of people who had such great plans once they made their million or their ship came in,or when they retired.
There are a lot of obstacles in this life, and we all face them.
I have only met a few who actually turned these dreams into goals and then made those goals their reality. I realized that they are always the truly happy ones. We decided we would be the lucky ones. We would welcome opportunity with action.
Our first goal was that when the kids left for school we would take a year off and travel.
In 2001, with our son attending Ryerson University in Toronto, our daughter announced that she too was off to Ryerson. We sold our townhouse in Langley BC, bought our first motorhome, hit the road and wound up in the Baja for the winter.
We had talked for years about travelling but had never once considered what we would do when it was time to go back to work.
In the spring of 2002 we drove the coach to Ontario to see the kids and decided we would settle in and go back to work for the summer.
Over the next few years, still in Ontario, we sold the coach, bought a town house and went back to life just like everybody else.
In the winter of 2007 my doctor suggested I make some changes in my lifestyle. I don’t listen well, but we made some plans and moved back into an RV preparing to travel. In August 2008 I had a couple of small strokes. This time I got the message.
October 2008 we hit the road and spent the winter in Mexico on the Caribean Sea. We made it down as far as the Mexico/Belize border before we turned back north.
In 2009 We went back to work in the summer and then headed down the west coast of Mexico, getting as far as Mazatlan before we decided to sit for a while.
2010, back to work for the summer, back to mazatlan for the winter.
For 2011, it was back to work for the summer for Larry. For Mar it was some great forward strides in her painting and Grand kids. We are currently on our way south.
We’ll figure out “where to next” later.
We live a pretty simple life; work summers, play winters and repeat. We love it.
From April until October you will find me helping my customers find the perfect RV at Sicard RV in Smithville, Ontario. If you have any questions about recreation vehicles I will do my best to answer them for you. Remember, I have over 30 years experience in the industry and we both live and love the lifestyle. I ask you; In the whole wide world Who could you find better to help you?
Here comes the salesman in me: We can and do deliver anywhere in the world.
While I’m working at Sicard’s you can find Marilyn either painting or working in the Accounting office at Marineland in Niagara Falls.
Please watch for us on the road. Our Ontario plates read VSTONE on the motorhome and VSTONE2 on our little reddish truck. Come on over, introduce yourselves, We’d love to meet you. Maybe our dogs can meet your dogs and we can trade some stories while they play.
In the meantime, drop us a line, tell us wht you think. Just send us a comment.
ps; what’s with the Amazing Vanstones part you ask? Whenever we tell people what we do and where we go they almost always reply That’s amazing!
Why not check out my RV Related website: RV Questions.net
Hi Larry&Marilyn,
We have some connecting points to your life story…
We bought our first 5W+Truck in Edmonton from a private party in 2002,later in 2005 we traded the old 5W in Grove RV & Leisure next to Edmonton.
My mother (88) is a painter and has some paintings in Jerusalem,Shanghai Museums and I think we all love RV ,good company and beer.
Hope to meet you guys.
Be well and do not do anything I wouldn’t.
Regards
Daniel. Add to the list: Our son and daughter-in-law own a Dance Studio and both teach.
We’re interested in traveling to Mazatlan and wanted to ask where you stay when you are there? Also is it safe? We keep reading about how bad the situation is in Mexico and wonder about it.
Thanks -
Dave and Jen
This is getting more and more interesting…I added it.
We so enjoyed meeting you two at the Friday happy hour at Friendship Hall, and also chatting with you a bit at the New Year’s Eve party at the Ranch House. Your blog looks interesting and you have a great sense of humor. As people who have traveled extensively in Mexico, both mainland and Baja, for years (but not recently) we are pleased to see how much you like it down there too. We really hope to meet up with you at another time and place and share stories and adventures.
Happy New Year!
Mary & Elaine
I enjoyed your blog and thought I’d subscribe but I can’t find a button for RSS feed that works…. the one in the meta box doesn’t do anything.
cheers,
Peter
Hi Guys,
I enjoyed your blog.
Brother Bob and Marjorie are currently traveling the Gulf route with you. You will enjoy the coastline.
Our RVing has spanned decades and countries and has always brought new insights to how we look at life.
Enjoy your travels, live life and keep doing good things.
Happy trails!
Dave and Margie
Thanks for the kind words Dave. You’ll be happy to know that Bob’s doing a great job of looking after us.
We arrived in San Antonio an hour ago, it’s March 17 and we are heading out looking for a green beer or two. Wish us luck!
I am sitting here at work, enjoying your blog. It seems since we decided to winter in Mazatlan this next winter all we do is read books, and wish the time away…We plan on staying at Tres Amigos starting in November 2012. We have a 28ft 5th wheel and a little dog named Jackson (who could be your dogs cousin). I work in an office and my husband is an commercial artist. We traveled for a year in 1994 when we decided we needed a break from life. It was the best thing we ever did. Now it’s time again. I found your blog through another blogger, Contessa. Maybe we will meet somewhere. We live in Penticton, BC so the summers here are very nice. Anyway I just had to leave a comment and say hi.
Hi Marilyn and Larry Vanstone,
I accidentally came across your website. My mother-in-law’s maiden name is Vanstone. It’s not a common name & I’m trying to do a family tree. I have sourced the name to come from England. Our grandparents were Ed&Lois Vanstone> his parents: Bert&Daisy Vanstone> his parents were from England but that’s all I know. Bert’s brothers were Sam & William. If perhaps you know any details that would be exciting. Just in case… thought I’d post. Our Grandpa Vanstone just passed away last year at 93 ~ we loved his character!!
Hi Marlene.
My grandfather’s name was Frank. I think he was from Winnipeg but lived in Vancouver. My father’s name was Fred, his brother was Jim (probably James). I always had the impression that my family was from southern Ontario (after England) but can’t confirm that. Have you been to the Facebook page “My name is Vanstone but you probably don’t know me?” Our son did a a family tree in his last year of high school (14 years ago) and decided that some of our ancestors were pirates, a fact I personally am very proud of.
Larry