5 Weeks and 4000 miles

Well, as of tomorrow, it will have been 5 weeks since we left Reno on this amazing journey.

We have traveled approximately 4000 miles, been through all the Continental US time zones, and driven in 15 states (Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and now Georgia).  We have slept in 11 of those 15 states (not Arizona, New Mexico, Tennessee, or Mississippi).  I have taken nearly 200 photos and multiple videos on my phone, and we have loved almost every minute of it… (Not a fan of driving through the bigger cities with the RV – especially Salt Lake City and Memphis).

(Crossing the Mississippi River)

We have stayed in private RV campgrounds, at KOAs, in State Parks and in military RV campgrounds.  Our favorites thus far have been the State Parks.  These have all been impromptu stops where we have not had reservations or planned to stop, but thought, “Why, not?  We are here.”  Most of the State Parks are a little off the beaten path, but this time of year, they are not crowded, have beautiful views and trails for walking the dogs and are less expensive than many of the other campgrounds that you see along the highway, by at least a half, if not more.  

(State Park in Arkansas)

We also love the availability we have of using the military campgrounds.  (We can stay at these because of Russell being a Veteran.)  These are by far the cheapest campgrounds to stay at.  They still have full hook-ups, are very quiet, but are usually on a base and so not so scenic at times, although, I can’t say that about the one we are at here in Georgia.  Our view of the lake is amazing.  Russell is hoping to take some time and do some fishing while we are here, if it ever stops raining.

(Ft. Gordon, Georgia)

We have “boondocked” on 3 separate occasions (“Boondocking” is a term used for when you just park it overnight… usually in a Walmart parking lot, or some other available lot.)  We boondocked at a Walmart in Sheridan, Wyoming; at a National Guard post in Colorado Springs, Colorado and in a Jack in the Box parking lot designated for truckers in Oxford, Alabama.  These have all been pleasant experiences, and we haven’t run into any issues or felt unsafe in anyway.

Up until this stop in Georgia, the most time we have had Coco parked in any one location was when we visited Sarah in Montana for 5 days, back in the beginning of our journey.  It is nice to be parked and not be moving for a couple of weeks while we try to spend some time with Russell’s 3 kids here in Georgia.  I am hoping to get some creative time in while we are here too, as I have a number of projects from the new Seasonal Expression Catalog/Idea Book that I want to get accomplished before we move on again.

Oh, did I mention relatives?  Not only have we visited Sarah in Montana and my brother-in-law and sister-in-law in Wyoming; but last week we visited with countless aunts, uncles, cousins and even Russ’ 92 year old grandmother, Rema, in Oklahoma, and now we are on to visiting the kids in Georgia.

We’ve seen tons of animals along the way, as well.  It’s been like going to the zoo, without the price of admission: countless deer, antelope, elk, bison, a couple of bald eagles, two big horn sheep, storks, cows galore, a road runner, coyotes, geese, cardinals, woodpeckers, raccoons, possums, and of course squirrels and rabbits.  Additionally, we have seen kangaroos, camels, reindeer, and wild boar.  (A neighbor of Russell’s grandmother raises exotic animals.)  It’s always fun to see something out the window, point and say “Ooh, look at that!”

(Major with the cows in Oklahoma)

(We believe these are raccoon tracks)

We will be in Georgia and Florida for the next several weeks before we start heading back towards Reno with stops in New Orleans, San Antonio and Sedona.  If you have ever been to one of these places and have any recommendations of places to go or things to see and do, we would love to hear them!  Please share your recommendations with us!  

Until next time, and more crafting adventures,

Roberta

The Traveling Crafter