Strap in: it’s gonna be a long one. We’ve had issues…..
Now that I have your attention….nothing serious!
As I write this, we’re within one month of having been on The Big Adventure one year; December 28th was when we hit the road, and I thought it would be a good time to look back, and talk with you about just na few of the amazing things that have happened, some amazing places we've seen, activities we’ve done, and places visited, and share some thoughts about the next steps along this path.
Our bottom line?
We have loved it! The sights, the oddities, the great people, have made all the effort, all the hassle, well worth the effort. Just a few scenes along the way…
The Beast and The Burrow!
Enjoying a November day!
Have there been some rough spots?
Sure, but whether we lived in our sticks’n bricks (which just set us back almost $5000 to replace the well pump), or in the trailer (where we've had a few rodents-eating-expensive-hydraulic-hose issues), things happen. That’s just life.
Best to check the time, and relax….:)
When we began this plan eleven months ago, we labored under no delusions that it was going to be a cakewalk. We had done a huge amount of studying, through books, articles, Youtube videos, and talking to our friends who’d done a bit of full-timing. We felt reasonably well-prepared to jump into the lifestyle, and by and large, that assumption has been accurate.
With the benefit of hindsight, we began the trip pretty well-prepared. There were a number areas where we hadn't found much information and it wasn't really a result of us being underprepared, because we didn't do as much research: it was an effect of people reporting ‘the good’ of full-time RVing, and not reporting “the bad.”
On many websites, folks tend to gloss over the not-so-good, or they are so over-the-top with effusive praise, it can sometimes be tough to discern if they were just ticked, or their praise/bad reportage was accurate. Those details became more apparent as we spent more time on the road.
Details like how ineffective many RV apps are, especially how much of the information reported about places (like freecampsites.net) is really out-of-date.
Other details turned out to be a bit more opaque, and nothing but actually being there would help: things like where to find local laundromats, the cheapest places to buy propane, and where to find affordable shopping. All those details aren't contained in a guide, but only are arrived at by exploring the area, and talking to other nomads.
Some apps simply are too complex to use, and ofttimes, overlap the functionality of other easier-to-use apps, so in the early process of implementation, we eliminated a number of them.
Another issue we discovered is how sites, like Reserve America and Reservation.gov, though used by many state and Federal parks, are remarkably inconsistent in how the app works across various websites. Nowhere in our research was this ever mentioned, or we certainly never found any mentions of it. It’s one of those cases of, till you jump out of an airplane, no amount of reading about it fully prepares you for the reality of the leap.
Again, that's much of life, isn't it?
We found one of the most valuable things to do was to preplan our routes: where to fill up, where to take occasional rests, and where to overnight. We do try to limit our travel days to no more than 5 hours, and ofttimes, 3 to 4 hours. We’re in no hurry, and when towing a rig this size, the amount of extra concentration really adds up, resulting in making us tired at the end of a travel day. That, and one NEVER wants to arrive at a stop, only to have to set up in the dark!
Another useful method is looking at various campsites on Google Earth: this can be a trove of information, about the terrain, an important consideration for a rig this size. We also will use the same technique for site evaluation as we do for backing up: G.O.A.L.
Get Out And Look!
So, back to the experiences: we have had so many adventures, so many sights, so many people that have made the journey a delight, I thought I’d show a just a few photos for your pleasure.
More info, here…
https://captured-wings.fandom.com/wiki/C/n_6430
Chicago is a GREAT city! Shoutout to our new friend, Maralyn, who graciously took us on a tour of the city: we’ll be back!
These are but a few of the amazing, astonishing, unexpected delights we have had during this first year of—ready for it?
ADVENTURE!
Like Carl and Ellie, we will keep finding our adventures, and hope you will all follow along!
