Full Time RVer's - One Year and Counting!

 August, 2018 - One Year Anniversary-Full Time RVers:  As we have passed our one year anniversary of as full time RVer's, I thought it was time to do some additional observations and comments:

Jordan Lake, NC Spring 2018

Cherry Hill, MD April 2018

We both agree we are very happy, everything is going well, and we look forward to many more years on the road!  That's not to say that it has always been perfect.  A few of challenges and many learning experiences along the way, but overall very satisfied and content.

To summarize our first year, we left Michigan in early September, 2017 and headed west.  After spending time in South Dakota, Colorado and Texas, we made our way east to North Carolina for the birth of our granddaughter in November.  We left the RV in North Carolina for almost a month and spent the Christmas and New Years holidays in Michigan.  After returning to North Carolina for a few days in early January, we headed south and stayed in Florida until late March.  We enjoyed being in Florida for the winter even more than I thought we would.  In late March we traveled back to North Carolina, then to Washington DC/MD, and back to Michigan.

Jordan Lake, NC January 2018

Ft. Myers, FL January 2018

 Miles and Gas:  During the first year, we traveled approximately 10,000 miles in the RV.  Additional miles traveled in the car when we reached our destinations. We spent approximately $4,200 on RV gas for the year.  Most States we were in had lower gas prices than Michigan and we took advantage of the Good Sam discount at Flying J/Pilot stations and other discounts when we could (i.e. Meijer gas, Shell Fuel Rewards).

RV Campsites & Parks:  This is always a top priority in planning.  I would like to say that we have been spontaneous in our travels including some "boondocking" along the way, but that hasn't been the case for us.  We almost always stayed in pre-arranged locations where we knew what amenities were available and had a guaranteed spot.  Fees have averaged around $800 per month.  A little higher than I would have liked, but it equates to approximately $27 per night.  This averages the high costs in FL over the Winter with free parking at Jim's parents and Dan's house.  In our experience, State parks are the least expensive, followed by some private parks - including KOA's, and then the "RV Resorts".

Fred Gannon St Park, FL - Feb 2018

Our goal for this next year is to look for more State parks, Corp of Engineer campgrounds, and other public campgrounds.  We found "KOA" campgrounds convenient especially when traveling from one point to another, and easy to find and reserve online. The down side is that the sites are usually pretty close together and often KOA's are located close to expressways (noisy).  Definitely an option to keep in mind; not always my preferred choice.

State Park in Tennessee - Oct 2017

State parks we have stayed in (MI, NC, FL, TN) are very nice; but most have limited services at your site.  Usually electric, sometimes water, but not sewer (dump stations available in central location).  Not a big deal, but if we have to move to dump our tanks, it means closing everything up, pull in the sides, retract jacks (leveling) and drive to the dump station; drive back and re-set up.  Most State Parks limit your stay to no more than 14 days.


 Cell Phone, Internet, TV:  I think I have covered this pretty good in previous posts.  Cell phone service and internet is pretty good with the exception of some areas out west.  Our cell booster investment has paid off, however, it is only effective when you can pick up a cell signal.  If you are in an area with no service, the booster will not help.  Using the cell phone hot spot for internet has been reliable when we have a cell signal.

We were originally pleased when our RV included a satellite dish mounted in a dome on the roof that would allow DISH RV service accessible anywhere.  It didn't take us too long to realize that if you like trees around your campsite, you won't be able to connect to the satellites.  We are now considering purchasing a small portable satellite dish that can be placed in a location better for locking on to the satellites.  DISH offers an RV package that can be turned off to save money if you cannot use the service for a period of time.  Some parks have cable available.

Domicile & Vehicle Registration:  We have completed the process to register our vehicles in the State of Florida.  It took about a month for the paper work to go through, but both the car and RV are now registered in FL.  We were able to do this by mail, after switching our insurance to a Florida policy and completing paper work that included VIN certification by a law enforcement officer. The Michigan registration for the RV would have cost $800 a year; the FL annual registration fee is $54.  There is also a significant savings on the car.  Florida requires a one time $225 fee per vehicle brought into the State which we only had to pay on the RV (fee was not applicable to our leased vehicle).  The Florida insurance priced out slightly higher than Michigan, but since we are claiming Florida as our domicile we will have no State income tax. All adds up to a nice savings.

When we get to Florida in November we will switch our drivers license.  Florida is in the midst of clarifying their voter registration requirements and we are waiting to register to vote until this is settled.  I am confident we will be able to complete the voters registration in the near future.

Mail Service:  We have signed on with a mail service in Florida - St. Brenden's Isle in Green Cove Springs, FL.  They provided a legal address to use for the vehicle registration, along with guidance and forms on becoming a Florida resident.  We will transition to using this address for most of our mail.  We can log in to our account, view mail we have received (they scan the envelopes), decide what mail we want to keep, and schedule the mail to be sent to us at a specific address we provide. We can also choose the shipment method.  Another option is for them to open the mail, scan the contents for us to view.  Reasonable monthly fee for this service.

Repair & Maintenance:  No real surprises here.  We spent about $4,500 on repair, maintenance and improvements.  This includes all regular vehicle maintenance as well as the RV steering stabilizer, fogged window repair, new bed mattress (sleep number), and the cell booster.  We spent $450 on propane this year.

Health Insurance:  We made a change in our health insurance effective 7/1/18.  We are now part of a health share group called Liberty HealthShare.  A little different approach than traditional health insurance.  Liberty Health Share is "a community of health-conscious people who practice longstanding Christian principles in sharing healthcare costs".  It may not work for everyone, especially with preexisting conditions, but we like the concept and wanted to give it a try.  Significant savings over traditional health insurance.  www.libertyhealthshare.org

Remote working:  I had success doing some limited remote tax and accounting work this past year.  Now, knowing the internet availability, I have committed to doing some tax work for my former employer.  They have made some technology changes that allows for remote workers.  I am anxious to give it a try and will be working remotely for them regularly starting in January through April 15th.  It's a great opportunity and a good fit for me.  Making the extra income with definitely support the lifestyle and I can work from where ever we are.  I hope to do this ongoing for several years. We are re-vamping the RV slightly to allow for a small desk/work area - I'll include a picture in a future post.

On The Road:  Traveling in the RV is pretty much what we expected.  It feels like home and we miss it when away.  I love the view from the front seat!  I have to admit we feel the bumps in the roads and are grateful when we are traveling in a State with good roads (SD, CO, FL).  Also, when traveling in very warm weather, the chassis - in dash air conditioner does not always keep up with the demand.  When we stop and hook up to power or start the generator, we can cool off quickly with the two rooftop air conditioners.

When we have to do a full day of travel to get somewhere, we prefer to go a maximum of 400-500 miles a day, depending on the type of road we will be traveling.  Always need to be aware of where to pull in for gas, food, etc. to make sure we can park and exit easily.  Sometimes we look for Malls and shopping centers to park in, even if we are just stopping to make a quick lunch.  Of course, highway rest areas have parking for RVs.

Getting ready to leave our friends and family in Michigan again doesn't feel any easier than it did last year.  We are excited for our new travels, but a tug on the heart to leave; quite a mix of emotions. 

As we begin our second year, we will leave Michigan around Labor Day heading west to Montana, Utah and Arizona for a couple of months.  Head back east to North Carolina for Ellie's 1st birthday and then on to Florida in mid November.  We will leave the RV in Florida this year and fly to Michigan for three weeks for Christmas/New Years.  Returning to Florida for the month of January.  Thankful for flexible plans, we changed our February plans so we can be in Maryland for the birth of another grandchild!  Kevin and Beth are expecting a baby in February!  Not sure yet, but we may head back to FL in March and stay until the end of April. With children and grandchildren in three states, we love having the flexibility to "made the rounds" and go where needed!

If you got this far in the post, you know we very much love the lifestyle and have invested a lot of time and effort into making the most of our travels.  Thankful for the opportunity to do this and plan to make the most it!  I will be making more frequent posts during our fall travels. 

Return trip to SD with Granddaughters & Michigan Summer

Love Michigan in the Summer!  Our time here is going by quickly.  We have been very busy spending time with family and friends and a big job of moving Jim's parents to assisted living at Silver Maples in Chelsea.  Glad it worked out to do this while we were here for the Summer.

We put a couple of Summer trips on hold, but recently returned from a trip with our granddaughters, Megan and Anna, to South Dakota.  When Megan told me that seeing Mt. Rushmore was on her "bucket list", I knew we would have to make the trip.  Since we were there just last Fall and fell in love with Custer State Park and the Black Hills area, we were happy to make the trip with them. It was a new experience to see it through their eyes.

SS Badger - Lake Michigan

SS Badger - Lake Michigan

SS Badger Ferry - Crossing Lake Michigan:  We decided to add a little adventure at the beginning of our trip and reserved a spot on the SS Badger to cross Lake Michigan at Ludington to Manitowoc, WI.  Yes, they take large RV's and commercial vehicles on the ferry.  We made a reservation and drove to Ludington the day before the crossing in order to be at the ferry by 8:30AM.  We were a little nervous when we were told to drive the RV to a certain area of the parking lot and they would drive it onto the ferry - backwards no less.  We watched as they drove it onto the ferry and we departed promptly at 9AM for the four hour journey.  Unfortunately, the Lake was rough that day and we did not enjoy it as much as we would have on a nicer day.  Glad for the experience and to know that it is an option.  A little pricey to do very often, but an adventure to start the trip.

Badlands National Park

Yellow Mounds - Badlands NP

Badlands National Park:  After a couple more days of driving, we arrived at Badlands National Park.  Megan discovered she liked "rock climbing" and this was a great place to try it out.  Anna joined her and they climbed to several vantage points.  A new and different landscape to look at.

Badlands National Park

We arrived on a very warm and windy day; we came back in the evening when it was a little cooler to check out more areas of the park.  There are warning signs on the trails and walkways for rattlesnakes which freaked Megan out a little, but we never saw one and that was fine with us!

Wildlife Drive - Custer S.P.

Custer State Park - Black Hills:  I said it last year - this park is a gem!  We got to enjoy the Wildlife Drive and saw Bison (Buffalo), Burrows, Pronghorn Antelope and Long Horn Sheep.











Mt. Rushmore:  A short trip to Mt Rushmore was a highlight.  A very popular attraction with a nice museum exhibit in the visitors center as well as a bookstore, theater showing a film on Mt. Rushmore, and of course gift shops. 



We discovered "TJ" ice cream. Apparently President Thomas Jefferson was instrumental in bringing ice cream to mainstream America, as noted in the ice cream/snack bar that overlooks Mt. Rushmore.

Needles Hwy. Custer S.P.

Needles Highway in Custer State Park is a 14 mile winding hilly drive that take you through a picturesque area of forest and granite rock formations, one resembling the eye of a needle.  There are a couple of one car tunnels along the way as well as beautiful vistas.

 Megan and Anna enjoyed a morning horseback ride at Blue Belle stable located inside the park.






Custer State Park:  Grace Coolidge Campground:  A good location in the middle of the park.  Easy access to all the attractions.  We were even visited by a group of long horn sheep who spent time blocking the road behind our campsite.

Elkhorn RV Resort, Spearfish SD

Wyoming Welcome Center

Spearfish Canyon:  We wrapped up the trip in Spearfish, SD located northwest of Custer State park about 15 miles from the SD/Wyoming boarder.  We stayed in a very nice private park, Elkhorn RV Resort.  This is another interesting area that includes popular destinations like Deadwood and Sturgis.

Center of the Nation - Belle Fourche SD

Wyoming Welcome Center

 We visited the Wyoming Visitors Center - just across the state line and discovered "the center of the Nation" on our way, in Belle Fourche, SD.  That's right, when taking into account Alaska and Hawaii, Belle Fourche, SD is the geographical center of the nation.

Back in Michigan

All in all, a great trip.  Hopefully a trip the granddaughters will always remember. We traveled over 2500 miles, did a lot of cooking in the RV, had campfires and s'mores; lots of ice cream and laughs.

Back in Michigan - Spring 2018 Update

All three Granddaughters - Anna, Ellie, Megan

Back in Michigan:  We arrived in Michigan on April 15th.  Not exactly the weather we were hoping to come back to since an ice storm the night before knocked out the power at Dan's house.  It came back on later that evening, so we got settled and enjoyed being with Dan, Christie, Megan and Anna. The main reason for our mid-April return to Michigan was Anna's Confirmation the following week that the whole family was present for. 

Always another RV living lesson to be learned, as we had an issue with the RV set up in Dan's driveway.  We had no problem last summer when we parked there for a few days, but with the soft rain saturated ground, the back corner of the cement driveway could not hold the weight of the RV when leveled with the hydraulic jacks.  Unfortunately, that section of the cement broke and caved in.  No harm to the RV, but felt pretty bad about Dan's driveway. To his credit, Dan took it well and we plan on having it fixed.  (Note - we usually use pads under the jacks to help disbursement the weight.)

Indian Creek CG-Jumping Pillow-Megan

Indian Creek Campground

We were able to stay at Dan's for a couple of weeks and enjoyed some nice family time since the rest of the family was in town for Anna's Confirmation.  Dan and Christie live in a subdivision with an HOA, so we knew we needed to keep the time with the RV parked there short.  We pushed the limit with our two week stay, so at the end of April we moved to a campground south of Saline, near Tecumseh, Indian Creek Campground. With full hookups and a good location, we made additional reservations to stay there again later in the summer.  Anna and Megan will be able to come out during the summer to enjoy the pool and other kid friendly activities.

Chelsea - Jim's parents property

Most of the month of May we have been staying in Chelsea.  We were able to set up the RV on Jim's parent's property and it has been working very well.  We are able to use water and limited electric from the house and then drive over to Waterloo Recreation Sugarloaf campground to dump our waste tanks about once a week.  With a Michigan State Recreation Passport you can use the dump stations in the State Parks free of charge. 

We have been in Chelsea to offer assistance as needed with aging parents and Jim's sister who recently had knee replacement surgery.  With the help of family, Jim's parents have been able to stay in their home well into their late 80's.  It is nice to have this time with them; couldn't ask for better in-laws!

 Due to numerous factors, we have postponed our planned trip to Maine.  We decided we would rather go there when we have more time to enjoy the area; maybe next year.  We have to remind ourselves that we don't have to do it all the first couple of years - we hope to have many years to travel.

We will be traveling to northern Michigan this summer as well as a return trip to South Dakota with Megan and Anna.  In the late summer we will leave Michigan and head west again; this time to Montana, Utah and Arizona.  Then back to North Carolina by early November and on to Florida for the winter; however we will be in Michigan for the Christmas & New Year's holidays.

RV Living:  A few updates on our RV living:

Florida Residency:  We are in the process of claiming Florida as our domicile.  We will have a Florida address, diver's license, voters registration, and vehicles registered in Florida.  This is a common practice among full time Rver's as FL has no State income tax and very low vehicle registration fees. We will be using a mail forwarding service out of Jacksonville, that will provide the legal Florida address.  They will also receive our mail and forward it to us when requested.  Since we do not own property in Michigan (or any other State), it makes it easier to claim FL as our domicile. 

Heath Insurance:  We are also looking into other options for health insurance.  While we have had a policy in place through US Health Group that provides nationwide coverage, it hasn't quite lived up to our expectations, especially for the high cost.  With Florida residency established we will have some additional options to consider.

More Advanced Planning: Working on reservations in Florida for next winter already!  I have found that since SO many people head to Florida for the whole "winter season", a lot of private parks are set up to handle these seasonal reservations first and count on people coming back year after year.  Since we are not ready to stay in one spot for that long, we are left to piece our stay together with spots that are available for shorter stays - a little harder to find.  Some popular parks and resorts in south Florida stated they were completely booked for the 2018-19 winter as early as March 2018.  I have secured our spots that will include locations similar to last winter - south Florida (Ft Myers Beach and Bonita Springs), the panhandle - Destin area, and Lakeland in March. 

Observations:  We are still loving the adventure and freedom; flexibility to change plans; ability to visit our spread out family and we really enjoyed the winter in Florida.  A couple of negative things - rising gas prices and the fact that there are not many choices to park and stay around the Ann Arbor/Saline area - especially with full hookups. Feeling great and very happy as we are about to conclude our 1st year.  Excited for future travels and more adventures.

I will update again later in the summer.  Thanks to all for your support and interest.

Tiger Town, Leaving FL - Spring in North Carolina & Maryland/DC

We're coming to see you Ellie!

Leaving Lakeland Florida - March 21st

Preparing to leave Florida the first full day of Spring, we wondered if it may be a little too soon to head north!  We were heading to NC and actually delayed a day due to possible snow in the Raleigh area.  Luckily when we arrived, after a stop over in SC, there was no snow, just a couple of cool days.  It warmed up quickly and we enjoyed some nice weather and time with Cheryl, Darren, and our beautiful granddaughter Ellie.

Lakeland - Tiger Town:  Before leaving Florida, our last stop was in Lakeland - Tiger Town.  We stayed at Sanlan RV & Golf Resort-RV Park about seven miles from Joker Marchant Stadium.  A large park with a mix of permanent winter homes as well as RV lots with full hookups.

Tigers vs Yankees - St. Patrick's Day Joker Marchant Stadium

We enjoyed three Detroit Tiger spring training games; the best being against the NY Yankees on St. Patrick's Day.

We liked the ease of getting to the ballpark, parking, and the smaller crowds.  With many improvements made to the Stadium over the last several years, it's a great atmosphere.  Since we were there later in the the spring training season, we saw a lot of the regulars play the first 5-6 innings and then they would start subbing some of the minor league players.

The crowd seem to like it when in the middle of the 1st inning they did a weather report on the big scoreboard, highlighting the Lakeland weather compared to the weather in Detroit.

Great lunch with Susan & Gale

While in Lakeland, we were able to meet up with good friends, Susan and Gale, from Michigan.  They were staying in Port Charlotte, so we met them in Bradenton for lunch.  So good to see them; opportunities to meet up with family and friends is always welcomed!

Kennedy Space Center - Cape Canaveral FL

Rocket Garden - Kennedy Space Ctr

Kennedy Space Center:  Even though it was a two hour drive from Lakeland, we drove to the east coast of Florida to the Kennedy Space Center.  It has been quite a few years since we were there and we were not sure what to expect.  Nice to see they still draw a good amount of visitors and have updated and added exhibits.  There is an admission fee of $50 per person (there is a discount for seniors and kids), $10 parking fee; and bus tours available for an additional fee.

Space Shuttle Atlantis

A highlight was the new Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit.  The way they set up the display within the new building is impressive. Other buildings house various space exhibits and theater presentations; there are bus tours of the launch sites, Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), etc.  It's worth a visit if you are in the area.



 

Jordan Lake - Poplar Point Campgrounds

Campfire by moonlight

North Carolina - Jordan Lake:  Back in North Carolina for a couple of weeks and one of our favorite spots - Jordan Lake.  This time we are staying in the Poplar Point campground.  Not too many people here when we got here, so we had our pick of spots.  The Park got busier around Easter weekend and the following week.

Cheryl & Ellie visit

Cheryl and Ellie came out to the Park for a visit.  Ellie's first visit to our house on wheels.  We had some relaxing days here; a couple of nice bike rides, campfires, and Jim did a little fishing.  The Spring pine tree pollen was coming on strong while we were there coating everything with heavy yellow/green dust.  A small price to pay for some nice Spring weather.

Cherry Blossoms - Tidal Basin

Maryland/Washington DC:  Our trip to Maryland and the DC area was planned around our daughter, Beth's, birthday and with the hope of seeing the cherry blossoms in bloom.  We made advanced reservations at Cherry Hill Park located about 4 miles from Beth & Kevin in College Park, MD.  A large park that fills up this time of year as the Cherry Blossoms draw the crowds!

The National Parks Service updates "Bloom Watch" on their website estimating the timing for peak viewing.  Due to a mild winter followed by a cold March, they had to revise their estimated date numerous times.  At first we thought we were going to miss it completely, but as it turns out we hit the peak.  With Kevin and Beth's help, we were able to maneuver the crowds and spent a nice afternoon enjoying the walk along the Tidal Basin near the Jefferson Memorial as well as other sites along the Mall. I understand there is another display of cherry trees at Arlington National Cemetery.

Kevin & Beth -Tidal Basin/Jefferson Memorial

There are several different varieties of Cherry Trees; some with a more pink flower and others are mostly white.  A much longer story is involved, but 3,000 cherry trees were a gift from the mayor of Tokyo in 1912.  President Taft's wife (Helen) was instrumental in bringing the idea to plant them around the Tidal Basin to fruition.

Cathedral of St. Matthew

Cathedral of St. Matthew:  We attended Mass at the Cathedral located about seven blocks from the White House.  Construction of this building began in the late 1800's and was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1974.  It was the site of the funeral Mass for John F. Kennedy in 1963.  There is a commemoration of this in the floor in the front center aisle. 

Smithsonian Botanical Gardens - Orchids

Conservatory

Smithsonian Botanical Gardens located on the Mall near the Capital was our last stop for the day. The outdoor gardens were not fully in bloom yet, but the Conservatory provided an indoor walking tour of plants from around the world as well as an amazing Orchid display - over 5,000 specimens.  Admission to all the Smithsonian Buildings is free of charge.

RV Note:  We purchased a cell signal booster while we were in NC.  Jordan Lake was a good place to test it since the cell signal was not very good there.  The "WeBoost" model we purchased is made for RV's and we could tell immediately that it will make a difference in places where we have a weak signal.  Very happy with this purchase as it improved call quality as well as hot spot speed for the internet.

Heading back to Michigan soon; sure hope it warms up there!  Revised our plan to visit Arcadia National Park in Maine; will now be going there in June.