RV across the USA

On The Road Again

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It’s August in Georgia.

Yes, it’s Hot.

That means it’s time for our annual trip to someplace cooler.  We’ve done it every year since I retired (except 2022, when COVID canceled our plans).  Our biggest trip was our Summer In The Pacific Northwest (when the photo above was taken on our way through the Colorado Rockies). 

Here’s a log of our annual trips:

We’re keeping it simple this year, a one-month trip to visit family in the Midwest, living in our RV en route (yes, we still have the same rig shown in the photo above, and we continue to love it after 5 years).  As you read these words on Monday morning, we’ll be loading the 4 dogs into our truck and heading out.  I trust you’ll understand if I don’t engage with comments on today’s post, that would be hard to do while pulling that 35′ beast down the highway. 

We're heading out today on our annual RV trip. Here's what we're planning... Click To Tweet

On The Road Again

Here’s the map of our planned route, starting with tonight’s stay in Cove Lake State Park outside Knoxville, TN:

We’re taking it easy this year, with our longest day being the 300-mile drive from Brown County State Park to Southern Michigan.  If you do the straight math, we’ll be averaging less than 70 miles a day.

Ah….slow travel.

Time to visit family and enjoy some interesting State Parks on our way.

As is my routine, I won’t be writing while underway.  I find it difficult to write while traveling, and it distracts me from being “present” in the moment.  My wife and I will be doing a lot of hiking with the dogs, spending time outdoors, and enjoying quality time with the ones we love.  I’m also packing my mountain bike and hope to get some rides and swims in along the way. I suspect there will also be some campfires and s’mores in store. 

Camping with our 4 dogs in Michigan’s Upper Penisula – 2020

(If you’d like to see some photos during our travels, follow me on my Facebook or Instagram page.)

We love the freedom that retirement provides.  Freedom to drive North when it gets hot in the South.  Freedom to spend a month away from my computer.  Freedom to be on the road again, whenever we please.

Freedom to live life.

I’ll be back online sometime in September when the heat of summer gives way to the first hints of Fall, my favorite time of year.

Time rolls on.

And, starting today, so do we.

Enjoy the remainder of your summer, I look forward to reconnecting in the Fall. 

29 comments

  3. There is nothing better then life on the road. My wife and I did this full time for three years (while I was still working). Now that we are both retired we want to do it again. Enjoy.

  5. Say hi to Nashville, IN for me. It was one of our stops on our honeymoon 35 years ago today. Safe travels.

  6. I am a new follower and newly retired as of July 31st. I hope you all have a safe and enjoyable trip.

  8. Hi Fritz,

    The best way to travel when you have the time which there is plenty of in the retired life. Hey to Jackie.

    David and Mary

  9. That’s crazy- I’m from Southington- around that area! My family founded the town in the early 1800’s. I hope you have a blast visiting your family.

  11. Looks like fun, enjoy. One of my favorite vacations was driving down the Pacific Coast Highway in California, from Mendocino to Santa Monica (we stayed in bed and breakfasts along the way).

    1. They all travel great in the “crew cab” rear seat. We fill up the footwell with gear and cover the (now level) area with dog beds and blankets. We have a cargo net hanging behind the front seats to keep them from climbing into the front seat. Works like a charm!

  14. Wonderful! Enjoy! My husband and I have started living aboard our boat and are currently cruising the Maine coast. It’s a semi-retirement, because he has the ability to work from the boat online, so it’s nice to still be receiving that paycheck a few more years while also enjoying the freedom of moving around and seeing the coast as the seasons change. We did the Keys last winter. And eventually, we want to head over to Europe. I’m still not sure how much longer hubby will continue working, but it’s hard to say goodbye to that paycheck and health insurance, so we’re still doing our retirement calculations with all the guidance you’ve so generously provided and making the best of what we currently have. I highly recommend the boating life to anyone if you can swing it!

  15. Fantastic! I still work, but got saavy paying attention to “quality of life” by creatively organizing and managing my work schedule to tight, compact periods of time. This opened up the rest of my free time, i designed and built out a custom Ford Transit and hit the road with my deaf cat Jax for indefinite, periods of time to be present in the meaning of life’s moments to me. My point is one can do this working or being retired, but may require some creative management. No one knows where i am at any given time nor is it anyone’s business where i get my work done. I have also joined some RV groups, one of which is a working group, just on the road. They are so inspirational, so much fun, so very helpful and either work part or full time. Life is way too short and this world is way too vast to not find a life balance that fills your heart and your bank account.

  16. Have a nice trip. If you need company in Louisville, drop me a note. You can stop by for lunch or dinner!

  17. Have a great trip Fritz! There is nothing like being able to “go and do, and getting up and doing it!”

    That is what makes retirement so awesome, it’s the time we have, and the importance to live in the moment. It is so amazing to live like a kid again.

  18. Enjoy your trip Fritz!! See you’re stopping in the “Dale”. We’re heading to Glen Arbor Saturday for a week in beautiful Northern Michigan. Travel safe!!! Marc

  19. Fritz

    Plan a visit to the Rock and Roll hall of fame in Cleveland, Ohio. You won’t be disappointed. Have a safe trip!

  20. I think I see Cleveland on that map! 😉 If you’ve got time, hit me up and maybe we could do lunch or something. It would be great to see you again, my friend!

    In the meantime, we’re getting prepped for our first RV trip – and a big one at that. I might need to hit you up for some tips and tricks for this one!

  21. Safe travels and please don’t cause any wild fires. There are enough of those as is already :-(. You may think that your fire is contained in a safe fireplace, but those fire ashes fly.

  22. Have a safe and wonderful trip! Love your articles and hearing all about how you are living life to the fullest! xoxo

  23. Welcome! I see you will be in my neck of the woods — Fort Wayne! I firmly believe we are an underrated, midsize city with a (relatively!) low cost of living. There is lots to do here. Enjoy wandering through Indiana!

  24. Have a good time…

    I am suspecting there is something in the DNA of the citizens of the tiny FIRE country…
    that constantly pushing the people toward a new “Shiny Object”.

    We were going to stay in this remote land and teach English to the high school children until the second week of September.

    But then as the kids are preparing to go back to school, we decided to cut short the summer English classes, and booked our tickets to Japan 2 weeks earlier than planned.

    Tokyo’s weather will be nice and cool than the VERY HOT and HUMID here on the highland of Vietnam. And most importantly, we can’t wait to watch those fat and traditional SUMO wrestlers slam each others.

    Have a safe and fun trip! Hopefully, the trip will stimulate your brain for additional “thought provoking” topics for your blog.

  25. And the trip againnnnn! Even if the trips are slow-going as you say and you are taking it easy, it is still cool and inspiring, telling as a traveler myself 😉 and also visiting family is crucial. Spending time with ‘em and other relatives is sometimes such an adventure itself hahahha.

    I am gonna take a trip to Virginia, have never been to this place before. Hope to find some interesting things there, and been thinking of taking it slow, too. Don’t wanna rush in the last month of summer, gotta enjoy every moment before fall comes to our country.

  26. Enjoy your latest RV trip Fritz! We’ve done three fun RV trips this year…FL Keys, Nashville, TN, and Kerr Lake, NC. I also finally started building our RV/Tractor/Hobby barn in June, that we briefly discussed after your build. We’re expecting granddaughter number two in about a month, so we’re probably staying close to home for the remainder of 2023 (but we may sneak a short RV trip in late Fall). I hope to be able to share some barn pictures with you soon!

    Safe travels!

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