2023 in Review

2023 marked the second year of our full time travels in our Georgetown motorhome. It’s hard to believe we’ve been doing this for two years and harder to believe what we have experienced over that relatively short period of time. As I sit here on New Year’s day 2024 shaking off the celebratory evening, I reflect on our past year and just how magnificent it was on so many levels.

We’ve always heard about all the snowbirds heading to southern Arizona and wondered what the draw was. Well now we know. As if the perfect weather isn’t enough there is just so much to do and see in this part of the state. We also learned that wintering in a 55+ resort doesn’t mean slowing down… not at all. We even learned how to play pickleball and I brushed up on my golf game.

We were amazed by the incredible beauty of Utah and northern Arizona. Words can not describe what mother nature has provided us in this part of the country. We’ve seen pictures of these amazing places but standing in these spots and experiencing it first hand was something else. It’s no wonder there’s five National Parks in Utah, and don’t ask me which one is our favorite.

We learned that Georgia is not the only state for great peaches and Napa Valley doesn’t own the wine market. Western Colorado, in it’s own chilled and mystic ways does a pretty good job of both and a whole lot more.

Idaho was such an unexpected surprise. The Snake River is like the blood that brings the the Sawtooth Mountains to life. We learned that it’s not always the visual experience alone, some places bring a feeling that draws you in. Idaho is one of those places and we will return again.

The magnificence of Montana and Glacier National Park is over the top. It’s epic on a whole different level. We learned that Going to the Sun Road is as advertised and there is just so much to see in this massive National Park that even three weeks can’t cover.

We are gracious to our neighbors to the north as we ventured into Canada. We visited five National Parks in Alberta and British Columbia. We walked on a 13,000-year-old glacier and saw lakes snuggled in rugged mountain terrain with colors that there are no words to properly describe.

We learned how fun it is sharing this lifestyle with good friends as we traveled with fellow RVers for over a month. Who says you can’t choose your neighbors! It seems that this lifestyle brings out the best in people.

We found that it’s OK to go back and revisit some of your favorite places and we are proud to say that the Tetons and the Black Hills area of South Dakota are still two of those favorites. Returning during different seasons was, in some ways, like experiencing it again for the first time.

We learned that when your house is on wheels, friends and family are never far away. We enjoyed meeting up along the way and returning to Texas to connect with many more.

We experienced over and over what artist like John Mellencamp and Jason Aldean mean about the comradery of a small town and have been welcomed in many of them, including our new favorite, Pearce Arizona.

Our 2023 travels of 9,136 miles has taken us to 11 different states and 2 provinces. We stayed at 45 amazing places and visited 15 National Parks across the US and Canada. As we sit here on January 1, 2024 with the smell of black eyed peas and cabbage enveloping the coach, we set our sights on the year ahead. We hope you continue to follow along as we head down the road a piece to explore all new adventures in 2024. Happy New Year to you and yours!