Mary and I left Olympia on January 2, 2010 and returned home on April 15, 2011. It was quite a trip. We covered 44 states and put almost 50,000 miles on the truck (we estimate about 25,000 on the 5th wheel).
Here are some observations:
- The infrastructure stimulus money has vastly improved many thousands of miles of local, state and federal highways. We ran into road projects everywhere.
- Northeast & New England roads are in the worst shape. The highways and surface streets were bumpy, rutted and full of potholes.
- Asphalt is usually a smoother ride than concrete.
- Turkey vultures and blue herons are everywhere (much to our surprise).
- Raccoons are the most prolific road kill in all areas of the country. We did see many species though including a bear and a cougar.
- Florida has the most specialized license plates – about 100.
- There is a lot of empty land everywhere!
- Bob likes wandering more than Mary.
- There is a lot of potential in this country for wind energy.
- Highest speed limit – 80 mph – west Texas I-10.
- Canadian customs will take away your 22 rifle.
- US Customs will take away your grapefruit.
- There are wild bears in Florida.
- Cougar warning signs are in most wilderness areas throughout the country, but the only one we saw was dead on I-10 in the California desert.
- Best Burger chain – Five Guys.
- Bridgeport CA (Hwy 395) had the country’s highest priced fuel ($5.39 diesel in April 2011).
- Safeway is our favorite large grocery chain.
- All “City Limit” signs should include population and elevation.
- All deserts and most mountains used to be sea floors.
- The desert really does feel like the ocean when you consider the wide open spaces and immensity of the landscape.
- The large monolithic rock formations of the desert are like the whales of the ocean.
- It is less scary going up than coming down.
- A lot of trees seem to be having trouble and are dying.
- The air, water bodies and landscapes are generally cleaner now than 30 years ago.
- American architecture is better now than 40 or 50 years ago.
- Old towns are usually more interesting than new towns.
- Some places haven’t changed in 40-50 years.
- The recent economic strife is visually evident almost everywhere.
- Waffle House is fun to say, but is not a good place to eat.
- There are still ashtrays at every table in some Kentucky restaurants.
- Retail workers in western states seem happier and have a better customer service attitude than most other places.
- It can be very difficult to nearly impossible to find a good latte in the vast majority of North America.
- The quality of your RV park and space matters at least as much as where it is.
- No matter where you are, or what you have, there is always something better, and there is always something crappier.
- There is no place in the USA that is dark enough to see all the stars.
- People are usually less scary than they look (they’d have to be).
- Outdoor tiki bars are a lot less fun when the temperature is below 50 degrees.
- Sailing really is more interesting than motoring.
- With a decent guide book and the internet it is often quite easy to know more than the locals.
- We missed our hairdresser and chiropractors more than we could have imagined.
- The more time you spend in one place, the less you remember what you did.
- Almost everyplace has an “historic downtown”.
- The eastern mountains may not be tall, but they are certainly steep and rocky!
- Boats and horses appear to be the most under utilized but well taken care of assets in America.
- Monthly expenses to travel the country in an RV are about the same as living in a house in one place.
- RV parks range in price from $25-$125 per night, but average around $40.
- The size of our rig made it comfortable for us to live in it for over a year, but limited the places we could stay, especially in state or federal parks.
- Many people told us it was their dream too, to travel the country for a year.
- Political campaign ads on TV are nasty in all states.
- There are very few places with good weather in the winter.
What’s Next?
Our trip made us realize that what we had missed spending the last 21-36 years in the Pacific Northwest was sunshine, hot weather and warm, clear water. We really appreciate Puget Sound, the forests, lush vegetation, and of course, our beautiful mountains.
Our journey allowed us to discover the wonderful beauty and clarity in the desolation of the desert, and to savor the freedom and pleasure of leaving for the day and not having to make sure you have a coat nearby. We thoroughly enjoyed the day-after-day sensuality of feeling the sun and warm breezes, and realizing that it can be warm even after the sun goes down.
Upon arriving home we spruced up the house and it is now for sale: http://www.nwwf.com/search/detail.cfm?cou=Thurston&ln=233896
We are not absolutely sure where we will end up, but we are thinking Southwest Florida, somewhere between Clearwater and Ft Meyers, most likely the Sarasota area and maybe even Longboat Key. The specific attraction of Southwest Florida is the accessibility of the salt water and the boating and sailing possibilities. Florida also provides easy access to the Caribbean. What Florida does not have is topography. There are NO mountains (or hills) and the hiking is mostly limited to nature trails in parks and wildlife refuges (at least in southern Florida). Beachcombing will have to replace hiking, biking will also be a good option, and we will have to make it a priority to get on (and into) the ocean often.
The fifth wheel will still be in the picture to help us escape from Hurricanes or possibly the humid heat of late summer. The road trip showed us that there are a thousand places in North America to explore warmly in summer, but there are only a few nice and warm winter escapes.
We love Puget Sound, but we are ready for a new chapter, and we are confident that friends and family will visit often, and that we will be able to help them explore new areas of the country.
The photos are Mary at a NW beach and Bob in SW Florida. Where do you want to be?
