where we've been...
The Adventure Continues - On the Road, Year 2
It's been so much more than we imagined it would be, or could possibly have hoped for! Living on the road fulltime is a choice, and not for everyone. It's unique, at times challenging (especially since COVID arrived on the scene), most times very rewarding, occasionally frustrating, but always with a sense of excitement and anticipation as we explore this magnificent country.
It began after selling our home, liquidating almost everything we owned except what would fit in our motorhome, and hitting the road. This was October of 2019. We headed south out of Wisconsin, toured the Natchez Trace with some RV friends on the way to Alabama, settling in for Dec `19 - Feb `20 at Pandion Ridge RV Resort on Orange Beach, AL. We had spent the three previous winters there so knew what to expect - time with friends and all the things you do in a beach community during the winter. It was a great start!
On Mar 1, 2020 we left Alabama, turning our attention to the west. Crossed Mississippi, Louisiana, into Texas. Began a visit to the Gulf Coast from Port Arthur to Corpus Christi, over to San Antonio, up to Kerrville and Fredericksburg in Texas. Next was a visit to Carlsbad, NM to see the Caverns. Continuing west we headed slightly south to a pleasant little desert town called Rodeo, just an hour north of the Mexican/US border. This was just about the time COVID was becoming our daily focus. And we were on our way to attend the FMCA Rally in Tucson the last week of March. We left Rodeo, NM arriving at Kartchner Caverns State Park in Benson, AZ later that same day. That's when the bottom fell out! The rally was cancelled, no one was really sure what was happening due to COVID, everything began to shut down, or it was being considering.
We paused long enough to consider our options, opting for a trip to Ajo, AZ, and planning to hideout at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument until things cleared, or hopefully stabilized. Neither happened! In fact, after five days at the RV Park in Organ Pipe we were given notice to leave the next morning - the park was closing due to COVID.
We were at a loss - the world we knew had gone insane, we had our entire summer of plans and reservations cancelled. Not knowing when or what was going to happen due to COVID, we had to scramble for a place to hunker down. We recalled our stay in Rodeo, NM and decided to give it a shot. We had fallen in love with the place, liked the locals and hoped the owner of Rusty's RV Ranch would take us back in. She did! We returned to Rodeo and Rusty's Ranch for the month of April and loved every minute of it. The early summer heat was the only thing that drove us out of there. To cool down we snagged a site at Eagle Creek RV Resort (7,800' elevation) in Alto, NM, just up the mountain from Ruidoso. Again, another love affair. Beautiful, cool, lots to do and see, and no COVID to speak of, just great people. Weathered the COVID storm for two months - May & Jun, 2021.
All things eventually change, at least for us they do, and the time came for us to move on. It was fast approaching a year since leaving our family and friends back in Wisconsin. We became highly motivated after four months of almost total quarantine to get back home for a visit.
Our journey back to Wisconsin was all we expected and more. Starting from Ruidoso Jul 1st, we made stops in Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Minnesota over a six week period. Visited family in Aurora and Boulder, CO. Boondocked around Wyoming with a final stop at Devil’s Tower, which was awesome given our fascination with “Close Encounter of the Third Kind”! Visited friends in Spearfish, SD just a week before the Sturgis Rally. To the Twin Cities spending a weekend with a couple of the grandkids. Stops in the Wisconsin Dells and Milwaukee before arriving in Wausau for the last two weeks of August. Annual medical checkups, dental, optical, and hearing appointments over two weeks through the end of the month. We did have a few free days so made a quick visit to the UP of Michigan for a couple of relaxing days on Lake Gibson at the Jarvis Family Farm in Crystal Falls. Karey is the Jarvis Family connection through her mother.
Once the “medical” stuff was taken care of, we headed out, resuming our fulltime travel September 1st. Our only goal was to arrive in Orange Beach, Alabama by January 1, 2021. to spend the winter at Pandion Ridge RV Resort. We were still somewhat undecided where to go from Wisconsin, so we just started driving west across northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, to Idaho. Spent a week or so exploring Glacier National Park with Karey’s brother Rick and sister-in-law Anne. Moved on to Idaho, only to realize smoke from forest fires west of us were making conditions almost unbearable. Despite the air pollution, took our time heading south with stops in Boise to visit my niece Caitlin, down to Salt Lake, then over to Flaming Gorge. Decided our next major stop would be Kanab, UT as a base for a month to visit the National Parks of southern Utah. Explored Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Kodachrome State Park, and many stops in between. Loved the area and will definitely plan a repeat visit. The off-roading and remote dry-camping opportunities are almost unlimited. As cold weather began to set in at the higher elevations, we said our goodbyes to Utah, making our way down to St. George, Bullhead City, Lake Havasu, Quartzite, Gila Bend, Catalina State Park in Tucson, a few days in Green Valley, then headed back north to the Superstition Mountains near Apache Junction, arriving in time for Thanksgiving in the Phoenix area with family and close friends. December was the beginning of our journey east through New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Joined RV friends in Ocean Springs, MS. Five couples traveled together to Meaher State Park in Spanish Fort, AL for Christmas week, then we all headed down to Pandion Ridge RV Resort, arriving New Year’s Day for our winter three-month stay in Orange Beach, AL.
It's been so much more than we imagined it would be, or could possibly have hoped for! Living on the road fulltime is a choice, and not for everyone. It's unique, at times challenging (especially since COVID arrived on the scene), most times very rewarding, occasionally frustrating, but always with a sense of excitement and anticipation as we explore this magnificent country.
It began after selling our home, liquidating almost everything we owned except what would fit in our motorhome, and hitting the road. This was October of 2019. We headed south out of Wisconsin, toured the Natchez Trace with some RV friends on the way to Alabama, settling in for Dec `19 - Feb `20 at Pandion Ridge RV Resort on Orange Beach, AL. We had spent the three previous winters there so knew what to expect - time with friends and all the things you do in a beach community during the winter. It was a great start!
On Mar 1, 2020 we left Alabama, turning our attention to the west. Crossed Mississippi, Louisiana, into Texas. Began a visit to the Gulf Coast from Port Arthur to Corpus Christi, over to San Antonio, up to Kerrville and Fredericksburg in Texas. Next was a visit to Carlsbad, NM to see the Caverns. Continuing west we headed slightly south to a pleasant little desert town called Rodeo, just an hour north of the Mexican/US border. This was just about the time COVID was becoming our daily focus. And we were on our way to attend the FMCA Rally in Tucson the last week of March. We left Rodeo, NM arriving at Kartchner Caverns State Park in Benson, AZ later that same day. That's when the bottom fell out! The rally was cancelled, no one was really sure what was happening due to COVID, everything began to shut down, or it was being considering.
We paused long enough to consider our options, opting for a trip to Ajo, AZ, and planning to hideout at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument until things cleared, or hopefully stabilized. Neither happened! In fact, after five days at the RV Park in Organ Pipe we were given notice to leave the next morning - the park was closing due to COVID.
We were at a loss - the world we knew had gone insane, we had our entire summer of plans and reservations cancelled. Not knowing when or what was going to happen due to COVID, we had to scramble for a place to hunker down. We recalled our stay in Rodeo, NM and decided to give it a shot. We had fallen in love with the place, liked the locals and hoped the owner of Rusty's RV Ranch would take us back in. She did! We returned to Rodeo and Rusty's Ranch for the month of April and loved every minute of it. The early summer heat was the only thing that drove us out of there. To cool down we snagged a site at Eagle Creek RV Resort (7,800' elevation) in Alto, NM, just up the mountain from Ruidoso. Again, another love affair. Beautiful, cool, lots to do and see, and no COVID to speak of, just great people. Weathered the COVID storm for two months - May & Jun, 2021.
All things eventually change, at least for us they do, and the time came for us to move on. It was fast approaching a year since leaving our family and friends back in Wisconsin. We became highly motivated after four months of almost total quarantine to get back home for a visit.
Our journey back to Wisconsin was all we expected and more. Starting from Ruidoso Jul 1st, we made stops in Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Minnesota over a six week period. Visited family in Aurora and Boulder, CO. Boondocked around Wyoming with a final stop at Devil’s Tower, which was awesome given our fascination with “Close Encounter of the Third Kind”! Visited friends in Spearfish, SD just a week before the Sturgis Rally. To the Twin Cities spending a weekend with a couple of the grandkids. Stops in the Wisconsin Dells and Milwaukee before arriving in Wausau for the last two weeks of August. Annual medical checkups, dental, optical, and hearing appointments over two weeks through the end of the month. We did have a few free days so made a quick visit to the UP of Michigan for a couple of relaxing days on Lake Gibson at the Jarvis Family Farm in Crystal Falls. Karey is the Jarvis Family connection through her mother.
Once the “medical” stuff was taken care of, we headed out, resuming our fulltime travel September 1st. Our only goal was to arrive in Orange Beach, Alabama by January 1, 2021. to spend the winter at Pandion Ridge RV Resort. We were still somewhat undecided where to go from Wisconsin, so we just started driving west across northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, to Idaho. Spent a week or so exploring Glacier National Park with Karey’s brother Rick and sister-in-law Anne. Moved on to Idaho, only to realize smoke from forest fires west of us were making conditions almost unbearable. Despite the air pollution, took our time heading south with stops in Boise to visit my niece Caitlin, down to Salt Lake, then over to Flaming Gorge. Decided our next major stop would be Kanab, UT as a base for a month to visit the National Parks of southern Utah. Explored Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Kodachrome State Park, and many stops in between. Loved the area and will definitely plan a repeat visit. The off-roading and remote dry-camping opportunities are almost unlimited. As cold weather began to set in at the higher elevations, we said our goodbyes to Utah, making our way down to St. George, Bullhead City, Lake Havasu, Quartzite, Gila Bend, Catalina State Park in Tucson, a few days in Green Valley, then headed back north to the Superstition Mountains near Apache Junction, arriving in time for Thanksgiving in the Phoenix area with family and close friends. December was the beginning of our journey east through New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Joined RV friends in Ocean Springs, MS. Five couples traveled together to Meaher State Park in Spanish Fort, AL for Christmas week, then we all headed down to Pandion Ridge RV Resort, arriving New Year’s Day for our winter three-month stay in Orange Beach, AL.
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