Posts Tagged With: road trip across america

Maine or Bust 2022: Around The Country Roundup

The state of Nevada stretches out ahead of us on our marathon drive home.

It’s been nearly a week since we arrived home, enough time to feel as though we never left. Funny how that works. Although we’ve made two other trailer trips across the country, this was by far our most ambitious, spreading from as far south as Sedona, Arizona and north into the state of Maine.

For years Reg and I discussed the wisdom of a truck and trailer purchase. It’s nearly impossible to justify the cost, so when we finally decided to take the plunge, we promised each other we would use it…a lot.
In the 6 years we’ve been trailer owners, we’ve done a pretty good job of keeping that promise. Thinking back through all our trips we figure we’ve spent the equivalent of 14 months worth of nights snuggling in a bed that is really just a little too small to be truly comfortable.

So, how did we fare on our 2022 road trip? Not bad considering all the doom and gloom reports of high gas prices (they were) and limited campground availability (they weren’t).

March 9 – First day on the road.


● Number of days on the road – 107

● Number of nights spent in campgrounds – 84

● Average cost per night – $58.00

● Miles traveled – 13,000

● Number of gas fill-ups – 45

● Total gallons purchased – 925+/-


Our cheapest gas was in Amarillo, Texas where we filled up for $3.40 per gallon on April 5.
Our most expensive gas was at Stove Pipe Wells in Death Valley where we paid a whopping $6.09 per gallon. Needless to say, we added just 6 gallons, enough to get us back to civilization and a somewhat more palatable gallon price of $4.69.

Our most affordable campsite was in Ozark, Arkansas, an Army Corp of Engineers site that set us back $9.00 a night. We spent two nights.
The biggest campsite splurge was in Williamsburg, Virginia where we were promised a lovely, large, quiet campsite for $108.00 (!) per night. When it turned out to be an equally short distance from a busy highway and a train track that ran commuter trains at all hours, Reg complained and got us a bit of a refund. This is all part of the fun…

53 days of hikes or walks for a total of 222 miles.

5 days of bike riding for a total of 79 miles…We had hoped to do more.

In the 6 years we’ve been trailer camping, we’ve visited 44 of our 50 states. It’s not likely we will add Hawaii to our list. Will we ever add North Dakota, Florida, Delaware, Rhode Island and Alaska? It’s hard to say. For now, Minnie is taking a well-earned rest, parked in Ashland, Virginia where she awaits our return to take her on another tour of the eastern seaboard.

Categories: Maine or Bust 2022 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Maine or Bust 2022: I’m Tired and Ugly

After several marathon days along the road home I decided to hold a little pity party. “I’m tired and ugly,” I complained as we crossed yet another state line. ”My hair needs cutting, my bum is sore from all this sitting and I’m bored!”

The road home is a long one.

Not that I’m complaining about our trip. It’s been a great trip. We’ve seen so much of this big, beautiful country of ours and we’ve visited with family and friends, so I know how fortunate Reg and I are.

It won’t be long now…but if only we could just blink and be home.

Categories: Maine or Bust 2022 | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Maine or Bust: When will we arrive?

Reg is all smiles and in his happy place as we set off on another road trip.

Winter decided to make a comeback (with overnight lows in the mid twenties…well below freezing) just days before our planned takeoff, causing us worry about the recently de-winterized water system in our trailer. In an effort to outsmart Mother Nature, we loaded up and headed south before the potentially freezing temps put an end to our trip before we could start.

We’ve made several unsuccessful attempts at planning a Maine trip, however this year is looking extremely promising. Reservations have been made, friends have been contacted and we are on the road. We are excited to reach the place that has adopted the moose as its state animal, but our June arrival date leaves plenty of time to pick and choose our route. After a scheduled two-week stop in Sedona, Arizona, the open road awaits. Where will it lead us?

Categories: Maine or Bust 2022 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Backroads Across America: Rafter J Delivers

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The Rafter J-Bar Ranch, pictured above, is one of our favorite campgrounds. In the Black Hills of South Dakota, it offers wide-open spaces, every amenity a family could want (except most sites do not offer TV service), in a setting that rivals the best state parks.

Custer and his army stayed here in 1874 and it later became a stagecoach stop during the gold rush. Some of the original buildings remain. It later became a working ranch until it was converted to a campground in 1964.

For us, it was a nostalgic stop last weekend — we stayed here with our sons in 2001. That was one of our best family trips.

We sit in our trailer this evening in northwestern Montana at a tiny RV park wedged in a river valley surrounded by forested mountains. (I should also add I-90 and the railroad are here too.)

So, it seems like a good time for some notes from the trail:

Beautiful as advertised: Montana. We entered just north of Sheridan, Wyoming and drove the I-90 corridor across the state. Stunning mountain scenery, forests, rock formations and prairies. There were great views of the snow-capped Bighorn and Rocky mountains.

European RVers: In South Dakota, we were suddenly seeing many new Minnie Winnie motor homes, on the road and in RV parks. They seemed to be everywhere, no license plates yet. We found out that Winnebago advertises in Europe for fly-and-drive RV vacations. The renters get the RV for a few weeks at a much-reduced rate and the company gets the motor home delivered to a client. The renters can drive it as much as they want, but agree to deliver it to a city by a certain date.

Driving challenges: Driving a motor home or pulling a trailer can be exhausting. You have to choose your stops carefully. Some gas stations and cafe parking lots won’t work. I’ll take a country road, even if it has small-town stops, over a busy interstate anytime. Winds above 15 miles an hour, unless they are pushing you, are not easy. So, we watch the weather. We stayed an extra day once when 40-mph winds were forecast.

Is it worth it? We say a resounding “Yes!” When we compare RVing to long motel trips and eating out day after day, this life wins. Our own bed, bathroom, kitchen, food. No living out of suitcases. For us, the benefits far outweigh the driving hassles and work of setting up and taking down at each RV park.

Gas costs: Prices were lower once we left the west coast. California was the highest, Texas ($1.98) the lowest. We usually paid about $2.25 a gallon. Also, the cash and credit card prices were the same most of the way. No 10-cent charge for using credit.

Car brands: Once we left the west coast, we saw far fewer Priuses and Subarus.

Flags: We saw the Confederate flag frequently in the South.

Welcome: Twice in the South, when people found out we were from Oregon, they said, “Welcome to America!”

Categories: Backroads Across America | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Backroads Across America: Scenes From the Rearview Mirror

Today was a turning point…literally.  This morning we headed left out of Hickory Knob State Park Campground, where we spent the last two nights, and watched as South Carolina disappeared behind us.  Today marks the point of our trip when we get serious about heading west and eventually returning home to Oregon.


Hickory Knob was a perfectly fine place for our two night stay, although neither Reg nor I could put a finger on why we didn’t love it.  Our site (pictured above) was tidy and spacious, surrounded by trees – I assume some were hickory trees – and the bathrooms were clean.  I gave my hair a good sudsy wash and powerful blast from my blow dryer, which was a real treat!  


From our campsite, we  walked nearly all of the 7-mile Lakeview Trail Saturday morning, following a part of the shoreline of (controversially named) Strom Thurmond Lake, a 71,000-acre reservoir forming the border between South Carolina and Georgia.  The sheer size of the lake is unbelievable and it appears to be a fisherman’s paradise.  It felt good to lace up the hiking shoes and follow the blue markers along the dirt trail.  As a reward for our enthusiasm, we lazed around the campsite for the rest of the afternoon!


This morning, on a road as straight as an arrow, we aimed for Asheville, North Carolina where we hope to stay dry during our four-day visit.  As South Carolina vanished in the rear view mirror, we wondered what new adventures await us on the return trip.


Categories: Backroads Across America | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Backroads Across America: Painting the Sky

IMG_0282

The sun set on our Arizona adventures and we moved on to El Paso, Texas. El Paso is not our favorite place, but it is conveniently placed between Bowie and Carlsbad. Plus, we found an RV park where, if folks opened their windows, we could shake hands with our neighbors without stepping out of our trailer!

 

Categories: Backroads Across America | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Blog at WordPress.com.

%d bloggers like this: