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G has a "swell" time kayaking

G has a "swell" time kayaking
G has a "swell" time on Lake Michigan in an inflatable canoe

Dawn on the Gulf of Mexico

Dawn on the Gulf of Mexico
Dawn on the Gulf of Mexico

Warren Dunes Sunset

Warren Dunes Sunset
Warren Dunes Sunset
Showing posts with label Still Smiling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Still Smiling. Show all posts

Friday, July 1, 2022

June 2022 Summary

 

Sunset - June 24, 2022 - Raton, NM

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It has been a high travel month.  June Summary:

  • Distance: 3,932 miles
  •  Average Speed: 54 MPH (peak 80+)
  • Trip (Driving) Time: 73h 25m
  • Average MPG: 16 MPG

Elephant Butte, NM

We arrived at our final destination yesterday. We are currently in Southwest Michigan, at the shore of Lake Michigan.  This morning we walked along the Michigan Dunes.  We were at the shore early and so we beat the July 4 revelers.  There is rain in the area, and it is a pleasant 81F.

Looking North, on the shore of Lake Michigan

Looking South

(c) N. Retzke 2022


Sunday, April 17, 2016

More on Class B Extended Living



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"We have a 5th wheel........We are considering a Roadtrek as an adjunct to our fifth wheel since there are a lot of spots in US and Mexico (particularly Yucatan) where a large fifth wheel will not go.......Reed and Elaine"   That's a reader's April 17 comment to my post of February 24, 2015.

We began with the Roadtrek, Reed and Elaine are taking the opposite approach. However, they know where they want to go. When we began our planning we weren't so sure. We wanted real experiences to validate our ideas and assumptions. We also wanted the possibility of setting up "bases" in several places in the U.S. where we could stretch our legs and relax, and use the Roadtrek for the explorations from these places. Because we had a nebulous plan, we really weren't sure of how it would turn out. But we decided the explorations would come first in the Roadtrek. We would learn from our experiences and discover the locations for our bases.

And so it has been. About 18,000 miles later we know where in the Midwest and where in the Southwest we will be. We are no longer tied to our sticks and bricks condo. Our bases provide mild summers and mild winters within short distance of so much to see and do. As one said "Getting there is all the fun" and there are a lot of choices in RVs and we researched just about all of the Class Bs and Cs out there. We decided that most important was to get something that would work for the intended purpose and our intended lifestyle. We wanted a 3-1/2 season exploration vehicle designed for use on paved or gravel roads. We intended to use it to create our future. Because we had so little practical experience we first rented a Sprinter based van and I've published some detailed information about that on my personal blog. However, these are all personal observations viewed from the lenses of our personal intentions.

We never expected to live in the RT for extended periods, although an Alaska trek is on our list of possibilities. Such a trek would require about 6 weeks. Our recent 90 day trek stretched to a 110 day experience which certainly tested our concept. There are "tiny homes" and the Roadtrek is miniscule by comparison. However we are still smiling after that 110 day experience.