Virtual Summer RV Trip

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!

Virginia

This would have been our first destination for the month of May after leaving our final winter spot in Florida. Our part of the state is in the southwest corner among the Blue Ridge Mountains. A beautiful location especially in the spring.

The plan was to stay at Claytor Lake State Park for a week then move a few miles to a private RV park for three weeks. The month would give us time for any doctor appointments and see our two children who live in this area. Plus we could catch up with all the friends back home. We also planned to take a few days driving over the DC to see our son and daughter-in-law.

This would have been our longest stay back in our old home area since retiring three years ago.

Summer 2020 Travel Map

Indiana

One of the highlights of our summer was to spend the month of June in our native state of Indiana. To attend a large Little family reunion, visit all the old haunts, and connect with high school friends. I even planned to do some genealogy research in the small Indiana town my father was from.

Our family reunion was to be held in June in the small resort town of French Lick Indiana. It has been about 4-5 years since we have had a reunion of the family. Although we have been very fortunate to have seen all of Pat’s brothers and sisters in our travels and many of the nieces and nephews too.

Pat and I would be able to spend time with our moms, who are both doing very well in their seclusion. We would also see my brother Kevin and his family near Indy.

Michigan

The next six weeks were to focus on the western shoreline of Michigan. The small resort towns of South Haven, Frankfort, Traverse City, Mackinaw City, Sault Ste. Marie, Munising, and Escanaba Michigan.

We had not been up to this area and had asked friends and family for some input on places to go. Many very popular tourist locations for the summer. We were looking forward to a cool summer.

South Haven – With a population of 4,403 and its position on Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Black River, South Haven has always been a port city. During settlement, major ship lines stopped there, both passenger and freight. In the early 1900s South Haven became a resort town, sometimes referred to as “The Catskills of the Midwest”.

Traverse City Mi – In 2009, TripAdvisor named Traverse City the number two small town travel destination in the United States. In 2012, the city was listed among the 10 best places to retire in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

Mackinaw City Mi – Is this most popular tourist city in the state of Michigan. From Wiki: The population was 806 at the 2010 census; the population surges during the summer tourist season, including an influx of tourists and seasonal workers who serve in the shops, hotels and other recreational facilities there and in the surrounding region. Mackinaw City is at the northern tip (headland) of the Michigan’s Lower Peninsula along the southern shore of the Straits of Mackinac. Across the straits lies the state’s Upper Peninsula. These two land masses are physically connected by the Mackinac Bridge, which runs from Mackinaw City north to St. Ignace. Mackinaw City is also the primary base for ferry service to Mackinac Island, located to the northeast in the straits.

Sault Ste. Marie – Located on the extreme northeastern end of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and has a population of 14,000. Supposed to be very scenic.

Wisconsin

Our small Wisconsin tour is only about two weeks focused on the towns of Oshkosh and the Wisconsin Dells. Will have to get back to this state one of these years, but by now it is late August and time to begin our journey south. It is a long way to the southern tip of Texas.

Wisconsin Dells – from Wiki: with a population of 2,678 people, the city takes its name from the Dells of the Wisconsin River, a scenic, glacially formed gorge that features striking sandstone formations along the banks of the Wisconsin River. Together with the nearby village of Lake Delton, the city forms an area known as “the Dells”, a popular Midwestern tourist destination.

Southbound

It is about 1,900 miles to our winter 2020-21 destination of Mercedes Texas from our northernmost point of Sault Ste Marie. That is a long haul for our preferred slo-mo method of travel. Our goal is about 200 miles or less per day and stay for enough time to really explore the area and live like the locals.

That would be about 10 weeks at our preferred travel rate and place us there at about mid-November. Right on time to keep in the 70-80 degree zone.

Well, that was the original plan. Our reservations have mostly all been cancelled now, except for a couple of places. Let’s all hope that by July we can get back to a new semblance of normal. Whatever that is anymore. Take care of yourselves and God Bless.