When we first asked Mark and Lonnie Almeida if we could interview them for this newsletter, they very modestly thanked us “for thinking we’re interesting enough to want to do an article about us.”
Nothing could be further from the truth. Currently RVing in the Florida Keys, Mark and Lonnie have led the most remarkable lives. During the past two years, they’ve continued to do so with their work as Fantasy Ambassadors.
“We like to jump into things,” says Mark. And they certainly did. When they both retired in 2014, they had never RV’d before, but that didn’t stop them. They sold their home in Connecticut and their Vermont ski house, and bought a used 1997 Class C motorhome. Wanting to escape before another New England winter, they loaded it up and made their way to Florida along with their two large dogs. While camping near Tampa, a fellow camper suggested that they might be more comfortable in a larger rig with some slide-outs. They headed to the Tampa RV Super Show, “just to look, we weren’t going to buy anything,” says Mark. They left with a 36’ Tiffin Open Road motorhome, with two slides. “The new rig really turned our trip around,” says Mark. “We were a lot more comfortable with more space. It’s been the biggest thing I can attribute to us staying on the road.”
The Almeida’s planned to stay on the road for a year and a half. They got a little side-tracked, starting with a trip to Alaska in 2017. “We attended a seminar at a campground on how to travel safely in Alaska,” says Lonnie. “Mark wasn’t sure about it, but we signed up for a Fantasy Alaska Tour. We just had so much fun! I decided that this was what I want to do – I want to be the person who brings these people on these amazing trips.”
Mark still wasn’t convinced. “By the time we got to Alaska, we really liked the lifestyle, but I wasn’t really prepared to take on responsibilities for people. However, when we left Alaska, Irma hit our Florida campground and it was demolished. We were already on the west coast so when Lonnie said let’s go to Fantasy training, I said OK. She was ready and waiting – poised to click the “yes” button on the computer.”
After completing their training, they realized they would be staying on the road longer and putting more miles on the motorhome, so they upgraded again to their current RV, a 44’ Tiffin Phaeton. Mark and Lonnie initially went on the road in a sales capacity for Fantasy, working at RV shows throughout the country. They also found time to work several trips, including the Made in America Music Tour, Florida Sunshine Getaway and the Autumn Harvest tour. They just returned to Florida after working as WagonMasters on the 2019 Autumn Harvest tour, hosting 25 guest rigs. Their planned 1-1/2 year RV trip has evolved into travel to 49 states and three Canadian provinces. “When we’re in the Keys, we pick up local jobs, and right now we’re doing some bartending,” says Mark. “It all kind of evolves on a daily basis. It’s so nice to have the freedom to choose when we want to work and what we want to do. As long as we keep having fun, we’ll stay at it.”
Life has certainly changed for the Almeida’s. Back in Connecticut, Mark worked a Business and Sales Manager for Snap-on Tools, covering Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts territories. Lonnie was initially a bookkeeper and office manager, then bought a Snap-on Tools franchise territory in Massachusetts. The couple have been married for 11 years, and Mark has two adult sons and two grandchildren.
Mark and Lonnie are looking forward to their Fantasy 2020 assignments, where they’ll be crisscrossing the country with their Heinz 57 rescue dog. They hope to see many Fantasy friends along the way.