RV travels around the USA
Final Days as Full-Timers – Our incredible last three years as full-time RVers is quickly coming to an end! We are now in the few final days to obtain possession of our home in Radford, Virginia. At some point, I will need to write a post about the highlights of our travels. That post will be very difficult since we have seen so much. Kind of like determining your favorite kid. Anyway, that is for another day.
It seems like it has been a long time since my last blog update – and it has been! There have been many activities and achievements and there has also been some long periods of not much of anything. This update will try to summarize all the main events of the last month. At the top of the list is we now have a new (to us) home to use as our home base for continued RV travels. Plus some other stuff to include as well.
Travel Prep to Begin Soon – We are continuing to enjoy our Florida oasis where we have been for about 2.5 months now. When all the mandates came out about sheltering in place we decided that Clermont Florida was the best of all our options. And it has proven to be that. Covid cases have been very low, excellent healthcare systems, and some great weather from March to mid-May. And then somewhere around mid-May it suddenly became hot and humid. It seems paradise does have a small downside. It’s about time to prep for travel!
I’ll start out this update with the weather. That is always a good starter. The weather has actually been kind of boring. I start to take it for granted until we talk to family or friends Up North. Our days have been mostly sunny and in the mid 80’s. But the weather in the New River Valley of Virginia has been very mild with the exception of a couple nights down at freezing. Okay, the weather update out of the way…
One day last week, I took the car out to top off the gas tank with some of this cheap fuel. It only took about $7 worth as we are rarely driving during this stay at home order. Groceries are all delivered right to our door at the RV park. Pat has become very good at the Publix and Walmart online ordering. This just may be the way of the future.
To keep the battery charged, I decided to drive the 14 miles straight north on US-27 to Clermont and take a closer look at the Citrus Tower. We have driven by it many times, but never stopped to check it out when it was open. Alas, it is closed along with all the other non essential businesses in Florida.
The tower is just off the highway and rises up to 226 feet tall (equivalent of 22 stories). You can see it for miles going in either direction as it is also located on top of a small hill.
From their website, here is a full description: One of Florida’s first “attractions,” the Citrus Tower was built in 1956 on one of the highest hills in Florida’s ridge section. The original plans specified a tower 75 feet high, but when completed, the Citrus Tower rose to a lofty height of 226 feet .
The Citrus Tower stands unrivaled as a majestic and monumental tribute to Central Florida’s famed citrus industry and its lush subtropical groves. With the area’s changing economic climate, the Tower serves as a beacon guiding a burgeoning new business and population base to the scenic South Lake County region.
The glass-enclosed observation deck allows visitors to enjoy the panoramic view of the rolling hills of Florida’s ridge section and hundreds of spring-fed lakes in the surrounding 8-county area.
The cost is $10 to take a tour and may include the elevator to the top. We may have to check it out if it opens before we leave in mid-June. Then again riding a small elevator up 22 floors with some strangers may not be the best idea right now. Maybe a view from a distance is best.
Stay safe, take care and God bless.
Since we hit the road three years ago, the travel phase of our retirement dreams have been largely fulfilled. To be a fulltime RV traveler with no home base to tie us down. To explore each new state in a slow, no hurry mode. To seek out the lesser known local attractions, diners, and pubs. Hmm, sounds like the Star Trek mission. Anyway, now here we are at a bit of a crossroads. Our journeys have led us to 26 states and we have so much we would still love to explore. But with the current virus situation it is time to make that decision.
I thought it would be interesting to take a virtual RV trip to our previously planned summer destinations. While I was staying in and hunkering down. These were our 2020 plans before we cancelled the entire summer due to the lockdown. So grab a beverage and fasten your seatbelt as we take our summer trip. Our stops will be to Virginia, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. The virtual trip should have some great fuel mileage!
Clermont, Florida – The winter travel break is a time to kind of relax from the chores of being on the road. Don’t get me wrong. We still love the travels all over this great country, but there is a small downside in the stress of relocating the 41 foot beast of a fifth wheel trailer to new and unknown destinations. During the 3-4 month winter season, in the southern warm climates, we do get the chance to just relax, but we also tackle any annual maintenance, begin on the new spring/summer/fall travel plans, and some other stuff thrown in as well.
Continue reading “Clermont, Florida – Annual Maintenance, Travel Planning, & Other Stuff”
Next up in our southward journey is the vacation mecca of Myrtle Beach, SC where we had some RV maintenance done, took a couple of down days, and meeting with some friends. This is the time of year to visit the MB area. Not many tourists so the crowds are down and the temperatures are great in the upper 60’s and low 70’s!
Taking a Washington DC night tour on a sightseeing bus is something that Pat has wanted to do for some time now. We were never able to work it into our busy schedule until this trip. The RV Resort arranges the whole thing and they pick us up and drop off right at the front office! The tour was from 6pm to 11pm and stopped at all the major monuments. Most were well lit and awesome to see after dark.