We had a few special visitors at Paradise earlier this week! Super Bowl Champion QB Jim McMahon rolled into the resort in a 40-foot Monaco Knight, along with his wife Laurie and their traveling buddies, NHL hockey star Jeremy Roenick and wife Tracy.
The king of the Super Bowl Shuffle, well known for his entertaining personality both on and off the field, played in the NFL for 15 seasons before retiring in 1996. He spends much of his time traveling the country to appear in celebrity golf tournaments, but decided to take a different kind of trip this summer.
“We travel SO much by plane, and realize how much time we waste,” shared Laurie. “From checking your bags, getting through security, and flying, you can drive there in a shorter amount of time! We thought it would be a lot of fun to get out on the road and go do different things we’ve never done before. You can go see everything at your leisure. You can wake up when you want to, you go when you want to go. It’s very American!
The first-time RVers started out in their hometown of Scottsdale, Arizona, heading west toward San Diego. “We were at a state checkpoint, and the border patrol guy said, ‘Oh my gosh, my two favorite athletes in the whole world—Jim McMahon and Jeremy Roenick,’ she added. “We thought, what are the odds? The road trip has begun. Big Mac driving a big Mac.”
Driving the beast has been an adventure in itself! “I’ve had to learn how to keep this big rig in one lane,” said McMahon. “It takes up the whole lane, so I’m constantly looking in the mirrors to make sure I’m not weaving. I was worried about getting into some of these parks with tight corners, but the staff here was really helpful and helped back me in.”
Since arriving, McMahon has enjoyed hitting the beach and having friends come visit. “Your beach access is really easy, and everything is so clean,” he said. “We really like it. We have friends in La Costa, so our first night here they brought us tacos and guacamole, and we watched TV outside. And now we know for next time we need a little hibachi grill!”
From Paradise, the group headed to Camp Pendleton to visit injured soldiers being treated at Wounded Warrior Battalion West. The rest of their road trip includes stops in Santa Barbara, Carmel, Big Sur, Half Moon Bay, Napa, Utah to see friends and family, then St. George and Mesquite, before heading back down to Scottsdale.
So does the RV world have a new fan? “Yeah, this could be a yearly thing! Maybe a week or so,” said McMahon. “You get to see whatever you want. It’s a great way to see the country, instead of just flying over it.”
“We’re thinking of doing some tailgating with RVs at games now,” adds Laurie, who runs a sports marketing company with Roenick. “It’s different and fun, and a great way for fans to connect with Mac. “
When you’re out on the road, you just may be sharing some pavement with football royalty. Give a honk to Mac!
You can follow McMahon and Roenick on Twitter @JimMcMahon @Jeremy_Roenick.
~Jenna