^The Cramalot inn

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fiber_newWe've added new posts - 4/1/2023

fiber_newNearly Four Months In and Still Kicking

Well we've been on the road nearly four months now and I must say it has been far easier than anticipated. Oh sure, we've had a few surprises along the way and a fair amount of learning as well. But all-in-all it's been a pleasant time with little to no stress - perfect!

Finding places to stay

This year has been mostly about finding a location we'd really like to revisit again and again. We moved around a lot and tested out the "timeshare" parks we belong to. I have to say that, with one exception, it all worked like the salesman told us it would. The exception being how our stays at the premium parks work. Not a real big deal as we can only stay for one week in those parks anyway.

We didn't factor in Spring Break as we made our way along the Gulf through Alabama and Florida. We normally only book two weeks ahead are able to pull it off. This year we didn't always get the parks we wanted. Again, not an issue because the parks we did get were very nice and all had good reviews. It doesn't hurt that Denise is a master navigator - subscribing to a number of RV sites and apps for both locating and reviewing campsites and parks around the country. These things are a must in my mind.

Knowing the roads

Brother Mike hooked us up with a "truckers map" that shows all the truck routes throughout the country. When you're rig is a little over twelve foot tall, you really don't want to be on a road with an eleven foot six inch under pass. We also use a mapping program this year that allows you to enter your rigs dimensions and it keeps you on routes that will support your rig.

We have found that a physical map is an excellent tool for avoiding highways. When we're going to be in an area for a bit, we prefer to stay off the expressway. By doing this we have experienced many scenic views but also wound up on some narrow mountain roads that were not easily navigated. 

Staying ahead of the weather

We have been fortunate this season with weather... knock on wood, all the major storms have passed close by but not on us. We missed the storms in Kentucky and Tennessee on the way down and the tornados that blew through Mississippi just days after we left the area. Whew! 

Keeping to our budget

We learned from last year that eating out all the time can put a hole in your budget pretty quickly as well as wreck havoc on your waistline. This year the plan was to do a lot more cooking at home and limit the eating out to once a week and then only going to places that we couldn't go to anywhere. Local cuisine - mom and pop joints, that's where it's at for us. 

By prepaying our stays with the timeshare, we really saved on out-of-pocket expenses this year. Most of the places we've stayed have been in that system and were "free" for us to stay. The parks in the south are mostly located around Mississippi, which works out nice because we really like the area around Biloxi.

Takeaway

We've talked about this several times over the last four months and we believe that not treating it like vacation, it's not, and taking the attitude that this is our home, keeps us doing the same things we would normally do - except for shoveling snow.

We love this time on the road - brings us closer. Unfortunately, it takes us away from family and friends. Social media helps but it's not the same as being there. Regrettably, we've missed a lot of gatherings this year but we are excited to be planning for the trip back to Michigan and seeing everyone. 

We're hoping to do for many years to come.

Tom & Denise