Oh Boy! One year on the road

It was April 16, 2004 that we turned the key and left our Fort Lauderdale home of over 20 years. I feel like we're just now really getting settled in. We can 'stow and go' in 15 minutes now and be confident that everything is secure. I am more comfortable in my 255 sq ft motorhome than I ever was in a 1700 sq ft house. All that space to clean! And a yard too. Now we get a different yard every few days. Right now our yard is Zion National Park. I still marvel at the fact that we are 'at home' in such grand places. And we both love to look at the map and plan our next moves. We hope to be living this way for many years to come. Here is our one year route: And, here's some stats: Total Days: 365 Total Miles: 14,363 Total gas cost: $3,726(.26/mile) Avg miles/gallon: 7.4 Lowest $/gallon gas price: $1.639 (12/10/04 New Mexico) Highest $/gallon gas price: $2.729 (10/15/04 Barstow, CA) Total campsite rent: $1,860 (average 5.00/day - includes lots of free time) Avg Campsite rent: $17 (average of sites where we had to pay) Total RV maintenance/upgrades costs: $9,297 # of States 27: Florida, Georgia, S Carolina, N Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, S Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Utah Total # of National Parks: 13 (Badlands, N Dakota; Devil’s Tower, WY; Grand Tetons, WY; Yellowstone, WY; Redwoods, CA; Yosemite, CA; Grand Canyon, AZ; Petrified Forest, NM; Carlsbad Caverns, NM; Saguaro, AZ; Death Valley CA; Zion Canyon UT; Bryce Canyon UT) Southernmost Latitude: 26.1N in Davie, FL with a close second of 26.2 for Mission, TX Northernmost Latitude: 46.1N in Missoula MT Easternmost Longitude: 74.2W in Long Beach Island, NJ Westernmost Longitude: 124.2W in Crescent City CA Highest Elevation: 9666 over Bighorn pass Wyoming. Interesting - this was our FIRST mountain pass of the year! Lowest Elevation: -282 Badwater, Death Valley NP

The Ice in Bryce is Very Nice

What a remarkable day. Today was beyond what I dreamed when I was dreaming of living on the road. I couldn't conceive of having a job that we could both work from our motorhome and then be in such exotic places. We started out today doing our 'normal' work. Phone calls, email and some computer database work. Then we took off about 1pm and visited 2, count 'em ... 2, National Parks today. Zion and Bryce. We decided to take the car to visit Bryce rather than stopping there with the RV later. That way we avoid driving the motorhome on the steep twisted roads and thru the narrow 1.5 mile tunnel. We took Odie with us today even thought he's not allowed on any National Park trails. We figured we'd be in the car most of the time and then just stop at the scenic overlooks. It worked out well. Here's the tunnel. If you're in a motorhome, you have to pay a $10 fee and have an escort because you'll only be able to drive thru the middle. We planned on seeing spectacular sights today. What we didn't count on is **snow**. Bryce Canyon National Park isn't a canyon at all, but a very high ridge with spectacular views. Odie didn't even seem to notice the snow - even tho this was the first time he'd ever seen it. The formations at Bryce were phenomenal: But the fact that we could see all the surrounding land for miles and miles and miles was what really struck me. A little photo in this blog just won't cut it, so click on the link to see a 'stitched' panorama. stitch%20hoodoos.jpg Gotta have one photo to prove we were really there! Jim and I switched roles today ... I drove and he took the pictures. I guess he thought I'd never let him have the camera again ... he took 112 pictures today. So, here's one more!

Utah is on the Map

It's been a long time since we've added a new state to our map. Texas was the last one back in November! So, it's very exciting to add Utah. And just look at those mountains in the background. We're right at the park boundaries of Zion National Park. And, here's a picture from the drive in. It's also been a long time since we've seen this much rushing water. Just walking around the campground is an awesome experience. Bye for now - gotta go explore!

What it's all about

The stuff that dreams are made of ... These last couple days are what I dreamed of when I dreamed of life on the road. Happening on a place that you like, and staying a few days. Here is where we are. Number 787. This map comes from the Datastorm Users group. I try to keep it updated whenever we move. So you can always see exactly where we are here. We got here Monday evening. Now it's Wednesday and we haven't moved on yet because, well, because we haven't moved on yet! It has been so pleasant here. Only a handful of other RVs. Good water and electric hookups, good satellite Internet, warm weather. So, we get up Tuesday morning and say ... wanna stay another day? Ok. Get up Wednesday morning ... wanna stay another day? Ok. Maybe we'll leave tomorrow. and maybe we won't.

Las Vegas and Beyond

I had a wonderful weekend. I got my 'fix' of girl-talk. Melinda and I really did talk for the better part of 58 hours! What a treat to spend time with someone you've known for over 27 years. It's important to keep up with people like that! You don't want to have to cover 12 years at a stretch! Much better to catch up once every year or two! Sunday afternoon, I asked Jim to come pick us up and we all went to Red Rock Canyon. A spectacular sight, just outside of Las Vegas. I wonder how it got it's name?! In addition to the extraordinary RED rock, it is also a spectacular valley. We took a little walk, and reveled in the warmth of the sun when you could get out of the wind. Other than that one foray into nature on Sunday afternoon, we either stayed in our room (geez, how I love room service!) or we partook in the sights of Las Vegas. This picture is a little blurry, but, then again, I'd say it's pretty accurate! After leaving Melinda this morning, we packed up the motorhome to get back on the road. We studied the map and decided on a destination about an hour and a half away. A town called Overton. When we reached the RV Park, we saw a big sign in the window saying 'No Pets'. Well .. we didn't like the looks of the park anyway! So there! We kept on going and just took our chances. We entered Lake Mead National Recreation Area. We knew that there would be places to park, but we really needed to have electricity, that appeared an unlikely prospect. But, hey, it was still light. We could afford the time to go to the end of the road and turn back if needed. What we found was just perfect. Wide open spaces ... peace and quiet (we were in the airport's flight pattern in Las Vegas). Not only is there electricity here, but if you look closely, you'll see cell phone towers! We haven't had phone service this good since ??? Hey Melinda! Check out this moon we have tonight.