6 Months on the Road

Camping stops during first six months click this link to open the map

It's our six month anniversary since going full time. We might celebrate just not with the usual champagne toast. Seems we neglected to pick some up the last time we were in a civilized area and we won't likely find some anywhere near our current location in Rodeo New Mexico. Heck we needed milk yesterday but the nearest store wasn't open until today. A $7 gallon of milk is still cheaper than driving 50 miles to find it at lower price. That's just the price one pays for desolation I guess.

Our plans to continue west along Interstate 10 as we head to Quartzsite AZ have been going pretty well. One thing we can definitely say is Texas is one BIG state. We camped a total of 35 nights in Texas and only within the last week have we gotten beyond its borders. Some more stats from the last 6 months:

• We have spent 184 nights in the motor home.
• This has included camping in 17 states.
• We have stayed at 37 different locations during that time.
• If we remove the 9 overnight stops in Walmart etc from the mix, our average stay per location is a little over 6 nights.
• We have traveled 5900 miles in the motor home.
• On travel days we average 161 miles.
• Averaging about $0.28 per mile in the motor home.
• Our average cost per night remains $27.
• We have driven the Jeep about 8600 miles.
• We have found 1091 geocaches in 19 states plus DC, Canada and Mexico.

I have changed the way I show our travel map by including the route in between our stops. This should help to show roughly where we have been even if it isn't the exact road we took to get somewhere. The following map shows each state we have camped in and how long we were there.

We have discovered that the Newmar Kountry Klub (our motor home manufacturer's social group) is having a rally in the desert for the Quartzsite RV show. Over 100 rigs are signed up to be there. We likely won't know anybody else there but it will be nice to hang out with other Newmar owners to swap stories. Since it will be our first true boondocking experience, having others there to share knowledge and advice will be nice.

We are getting better at meeting our neighbors at campgrounds. Many of the people we are running into now are also either full timers or are at least snowbirds escaping the cold and snow up north before they head back home in the spring.  It is easier to talk with these folks since we have more in common with them. When we are camped in a state park in the middle of August, the majority of our neighbors are simply out for a weekend camping trip and many of them cannot believe we do this full time. We had a nice discussion with one couple that were staying at a motel adjacent to our campsite. They were very interested in the whole lifestyle of full timing. They asked lots of good questions and we tried to help answer them as best as possible. Maybe we will see them on the road sometime in the future.

So what lessons have we learned since starting?

• We have too many warm weather clothes. We have been experiencing a bit more cold weather than we may have expected. We both should have kept one of our warmer coats. Layering 6 short sleeve t-shirts only goes so far to keeping you warm on a cold day's hike.
• There are lots of places where having any over the air TV reception is a pipe dream. Watching the evening news had been our way to stay in touch with what is happening in the rest of the world. Heck the evening news was how we knew what day of the week it is!
• We miss Wegmans (our grocery store back home). Most normal grocery stores don't compare and when you get to some small town they seldom have good fresh fruits and vegetables. So far we haven't stayed put in one place long enough to become familiar with the store's layout so shopping is a hide and seek game for Chris.  Good thing she is a geocacher.
• I need to do a better job of rotating my clothes inventory. Since we have been in locations where we can run the washer and dryer and since there isn't infinite space to store dirty clothes (like there seemed to be at home), Chris has been keeping up on laundry. Thus the top layer of shirts, socks, etc keep getting worn over and over.
• We are pleased with our motor home choice. 38 feet seems to be a good length. We still may want to add solar panels, wifi and/or cellular boosters, and water softener to make more situations pleasant. But probably won't add a satellite system for TV. Nor do we see the need to upgrade to some 45 foot, bath and a half model.
• It is easier to say we are going to travel more slowly than it is to actually do it.  Maybe by the time of our next update, we will have picked a place to stay a whole month.

Highlights of the first six months:

• Most unexpectedly interesting stop - Bob Evans Farm in Rio Grande Ohio. Only intended to be a location to get geocaches in some less traveled counties in Ohio. Turned out to be a neat spot with quirky charm. May not be someplace we need to visit again but worth the stop for a day or two.
• Great little county park - Hagan-Stone Park near Greensboro NC. Small campground area but lots of hiking trails in this beautiful little park. 
• Favorite campground - Davis Mountain State Park in Fort Davis Texas. We never have picked a campground based on the amenities. It is nearly always based on location. This place is surrounded with beauty. Lots of hiking. It also helped that this state park had full hookups and cable TV.