Marathon Road Trip 2024, The End!

 Two months, seventeen states and over 7000 miles, we are home!

That was after driving through the prairies and hills of Kansas, where we stopped in the Swedish town of Lindsborg to visit with Cousin Joy and Shannon, and also with Cousin Faith whom Captain had not seen in over 50 years.

State # 16

And through State # 17,

and back through State #1, Illinois.

Take aways from this whirlwind trip,

·        RV travel is a good practice of intentional living, especially when boondocking. With limited waste storage space, no electrical connection and limited fresh water supply, we have to constantly be aware of the resources we use. And we have to seriously consider the clothing we pack, the food we bring, and our creature comforts. After 2-3 months on the road, we have a great appreciation for long showers, waking to a warm house, push button coffee, high speed internet, reliable cell service, TV (for captain,) our air fryer, and all the other conveniences that our home provides.

·      Maybe the Kentucky stereotype is changing. When answering the question, where are you from, we got a lot of aww…, bourbon country. Of course, European travelers gave us a blank look, so we clarified with “south of Chicago.”

·        Recycling wasn’t as universal as on previous visits. At the RV Park in Washington, only aluminum was recycled. The KOA in California didn’t recycle, an Illinois rest stop recycled only metal, aluminum and glass, recycling bins in Kansas clearly stated “no plastic”.  So we collected and recycled whatever was excepted.

·        Road travel makes us acutely aware of the diversity in our country;  in the landscape, the agriculture, natural resources, industry, economy, culture and even in the English language (ABN got a few comments about her accent.)

·        Driving more than three days in a row is not a good idea.

 

Neither of us is ready to stop traveling, but we think it might be time to change the style. No, we do not plan to hang up The Wanderer’s keys, but will keep her travel closer to home. More about our future travel pans as they develop.

Now that we are home, let the next race begin!

Up next is completion of stage 2 of our home renovation and stage 1 of the garden redesign before our planned winter trip.