How we made our adventure - Part 4

 

Springtime, morning on the condominium patio

Part 4 - Discovering the "Lily Pads"

After that initial Florida trek we began looking for our retirement location(s). We had some ideas, and health issues dictated a warm place for the winter. Ultimately we wanted mild summers and mild winters. By mild, I mean daytime temperatures in the range 55F to 90F. 90F is comfortable at low humidity. 

We were well aware of the fact that such moderate conditions made a single locale unrealistic.  We had done a lot of weather research and we had ruled out both coasts. In other words, it was a solid "no" to pleasant San Diego. Of course there were also financial considerations. 

We had a list of criteria.  We weren't interested in becoming boondockers, although short periods off the grid is acceptable. We love the outdoors, but we also enjoy museums and exploring different cuisines.  G and I are good cooks, so we enjoy dining out for the things we seldom make.  Ramen soup, for example, authentic Indian food, Mexican food, Thai,  etc.  

We had no specific schedule to do this, and we initially didn't have much time to devote to non-business travel.  But we were aware of our mortality, the increasing popularity of RVing, and the never ending numbers of baby-boomers who were retiring. We concluded that campsites in some locations might be popular and scarce. So we went about this with some urgency.

With research in hand, we continued where our earlier driving and travel trips left off.  But now we had the Roadtrek and we could expand our research to include resorts and campgrounds. We began our serious exploring in 2014 with the objective to set up our retirement lifestyle. We had done previous travel via auto and airplane, and we had some general ideas.  We began slowly as time and budget allowed. I continued to work for another 5+ years, gradually reducing my work load and hours. G retired before me. So, each year we took some time to go on treks and figure this out. We desired to get the winter location handled first, but the universe intervened.

To make this possible I made the decision to delay retirement.   However, by 2017 I was no longer working full time.  Actual retirement did not occur until 2019-20. Yet, even today I do perform some part-time work.  I've been working and filing tax returns since 1963. LOL. The advantages of delaying retirement and living a phased-into-retirement lifestyle well beyond Social Security Full Retirement Age (FRA) is a  story unto itself.

We began with our "home base" which is ideally suited and situated in the Midwestern U.S. While we began trekking we lived in a condominium within a train ride's distance from Chicago IL.  Our location is in a really wonderful town, but Democrat financial malfeasance and the never ending migration from Chicago has changed the character of the town and made leaving desirable.  This is a big country, and there are places the Democratic locusts have not yet destroyed. Furthermore, there was the winter weather to contend with.   From 2015 to 2019 we trekked with a purpose of establishing and using "lily pads"where we can spend time away from "home base".  In fact, we have lived in the Roadtrek for up to 110 continuous days while we explore. We have established  a summer and a winter location.  We are now for all practical purposes full-time trekkers and RVers.  The original "home base" will soon be only a memory.

In November  2020 we had our first dusting of snow and this was the view from the kitchen window of the condo; soon the stream will be shut down:

Our condo is now no more than a stop along the way.   It will soon end. To make the HOA functional I served on the board for 8 years, until September, 2018. That too made leaving difficult.

Exploring Arizona, January 2015

We wanted to determine the winter location first, so in January 2015 we drove to Arizona.  We had researched potential locations. We avoided Phoenix are as we had concluded it was too dense. We wanted to investigate a RV resort as a possible winter location. In January 2015 we had been delayed by my work duties.  Here's the view from the condo at dusk on January 11, 2015 while we waited for a winter weather break. 

 When an opportunity arose, we departed on January 21.

We headed southwest but a nasty winter storm was in the Rockies and was moving southeast.  It would be difficult to avoid it. G was navigator most of the way. I had added a full-time backup camera to the Roadtrek, which is in the photo. 

G as Navigator

Sunset, leaving frozen Texas, approaching New Mexico.

January 23, dawn in Roswell NM, about 5F - BRRRR!

On the road, headed to warmer weather

Approaching Tularosa, NM:

Arriving in Tucson at sunset January 24.

D-M military base

We spent a  week plus at the resort and explored the area. We visited museums, and all sorts of activities. We would have stayed longer, but no site was available. We looked at RV sites and Park models at the resort to determine what might be suitable as a "lily pad".  We even experienced a shower and rainbows on  February 1.

We like the resort and were ready to make it a place for next winter. But, we knew getting a reservation with my somewhat uncertain work schedule would be a problem.  So we looked for a covered site before leaving which we could rent for a longer period in the winter 2016-2017, but none were available.  We wanted an annual lease so we could come and go at any time during the year. Flexibility was essential with my work schedule and other commitments.

We departed Arizona and returned to our condominium and our "working" lives. 

As usual, we made a list of what worked, what didn't and what we would improve. Some involved the Roadtrek. Simple things like buying an electric blanket, and other, more complex things like modifying the macerator hose.  

Original material http://roadtrek210.blogspot.com/