For a period of travel predominantly dictated by where we had to be, rather than where we wanted to go, there were many more hidden gems in the mix than we expected to find. Come examine them with us?
The very short version of the story is that attempts to fix my left shoulder kept us in Texas. Attempts to fix the RV sent us to Indiana.
The same description applies to both situations: we’re not exactly sure what’s wrong, but something definitely isn’t right. Both are being examined and treated by experts; we just don’t want to publicize details on either until we can include the end of the story — or at least see it from where we stand. Stay tuned.
RV miles traveled this quarter: about 3143
(Map does not reflect exact routing.)
Texas
Our home base for most of October and November really was a base, namely Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. The RV park there is safe and spacious, convenient to our doctors and my family, and easy on the budget. Tim served for 25 years, so military bases feel like home to us no matter where they are.
That said, the noise level at Fort Sam is a little high (frequent trains, occasional choppers) and the scenery really isn’t… scenic. So when we had longish breaks between appointments, we went AWOL with a few side trips.
We liked it so much we’ve booked a return stay in May, for a Dallas-area wedding.
Side Trip 3: Crane’s Mill Park, Canyon Lake
More on that below, in the “Where to next?” section.
(Photo credit: Medina River Winery)
Finally, on December 1, we were bound for somewhere outside Texas.
Destination: the DRV Factory Service Center, in northern Indiana. I know. Everyone’s favorite winter vacation spot. Don’t be jealous. It was the opening they had, and we needed it, so we took it.
But first, we stopped in… Texas. Big state. And if we’re heading north or west from San Antonio to get out of it, we end up stopping for the night within its borders.
A short walk down the embankment behind our site yielded this view of the dam along Hwy 91, just north of the Texas border.
Kansas
When Tim was evaluating various routes to Indiana, he discovered that we could stay in yet another Eisenhower State Park. And since liking Ike that much would allow us to add another RVisited state to our list, we made a reservation at the Kansas version.
Indiana
After a stop at MORryde in Elkhart for a suspension check, we then had 3 nights available before our service appointment at DRV in Howe the following week. We could have split the stay between the two parking lots and paid nothing, but we seized the opportunity to go somewhere quieter and prettier.
We found lots of RV sites available in December, there on the southern shores of Lake Michigan. Surprise?
The trails were nearly deserted, and the weather was chilly, but sunny enough for hiking on our first couple of days.
Tennessee
Our 3-night stay at Harrison Bay State Park was far more enjoyable.
Florida
For the holidays, we’re moochdocking in a friend’s driveway near Pensacola. We’ve stayed here before, and we were greeted by the same cat, who just happens to bear the same name as our late canine companion, Lola.
Where to next?
After a quick run back to San Antonio in January, we plan to spend a significant part of early 2021 in Georgia and Tennessee, doing service work with A Year To Volunteer. When we met founders Phil & Shar in November, we knew right away that their mission meshed well with our own values, so we registered for three of their upcoming projects. After so many rewarding stays in state parks over the years, we are excited by this opportunity to give back — with what sounds like a lot of sweat equity.
I’ll try my best to blog about each project individually, and as ever, you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter for updates as we go.
We are traveling a lot less than we normally would, and as often as possible we choose destinations that offer ample outdoor opportunities, and are unlikely to be crowded.
When we gather with friends or family, we keep our numbers small, and we request honest communication beforehand about their comfort level.
We continue to wear masks in public and wash/sanitize hands frequently, and we limit our outings.
~ The rrrrOHHHHRRRerrrrs, March 2020 – ?
We started full-timing in August of 2015, but I didn’t think to do an annual review until the end of 2016, and it was just a listing on Facebook of places we’d visited. After that, I started using a quarterly format.
- 3Q 2020
- 2Q 2020
- 1Q 2020
- 4Q 2019
- 3Q 2019
- 2Q 2019
- 1Q 2019
- 4Q 2018
- 3Q 2018
- 2Q 2018
- 1Q 2018
- 4Q 2017 (doubles as 3rd installment of our Amazon Camperforce write-up)
- 3Q 2017
- 2Q 2017
- 1Q 2017
- 2016
Ya know, not too shabby, considering! I sure hope you get the kinks worked out of both the RV and the shoulder. We’ll have to compare early 2021 routes to see if we cross over in Georgia. It would be great to see your real faces or even just the eyes!
Yes! We’ll have time to kill before and after the state park project, so I’ve already added info from your Savannah post to my list of maybes.
Always enjoy your adventures! Hoping your shoulder issue gets resolved fast! Happy New Year!
Michele
And I always enjoy hearing that you’re still along for the ride.
I’ve recently joined a virtual book club of RVing friends, and I think of you and our VBCH crew every time we “meet.” Such great memories!
We enjoyed those areas in Texas last winter while volunteering at LBJ State Park. You seem to enjoy Harvest Hosts and we need to try them again.
We do enjoy our HH membership, although adapting our travel day routine has been a challenge.
We like to arrive late to and depart early from our overnight stops, but part of what makes HH so wonderful is being able to support the host’s business by buying their product or paying for a tour as thanks for the free accommodations. And that means pulling off the road earlier than usual.
But we do indeed respond well to the respite, so we’re trying to make it more of a habit, which in turn means we get more value out of our membership fee.
The link in this post will give you 20% off when/if you’re ready to sign up again!
Love your adventures and oh all the places you go,,,
Maybe one of those places will be next to your house!