Last updated on September 22nd, 2023 at 03:56 pm
Before 2017 comes to an end we wanted to look back on this year’s favorite travel destinations, campgrounds, and adventures.
This year we visited 10 states and stayed in 11 campgrounds and 7 hotels. This tally doesn’t count the trips Sean went on for work alone.
Campgrounds
Our top 5 favorite campgrounds this year were:
Our stay at Midway RV Park Millington, TN was an unplanned trip as a result our of evacuation from Hurricane Irma, but it ended up being a wonderful surprise. We enjoyed the quiet beauty of the local area and went on excursions to nearby Memphis.
We were stationed at MacDill AFB Tampa, FL the last 2 years of our military careers, so it was like going home. Tampa is one of our absolute favorite cities, and the base is in a perfect spot surrounded by water.
Jonathan Dickinson State Park Jupiter, FL ended up being our only state park visit this year. We had to cancel a few others due to Hurricane Irma. In addition to the terrific activities inside the park itself, we really enjoyed Blowing Rocks Nature Preserve only 9 miles away.
What’s not to love about Disney World? Fort Wilderness Kissimmee, FL is a massive campground with tons of activities, many of them free. If money was no object, Julie would want to live here.
Not only is Fort Belvoir, VA in a fabulous spot overlooking the Potomac, it is in close proximity to Washington DC. The best part to us is that fact that our oldest son and future daughter-in-law live nearby!
Other Travel
We also travel quite a bit outside of the RV as well, primarily for Sean’s work. Our favorite trips without the RV were:
Florida’s Nature Coast
The area is often referred to as “Old Florida” because the attractions have been here long before Disney.
At the heart of the area is the Weeki Wachee River, fed by the deepest naturally-formed spring in North America, with over 100 million gallons of crystal-clear water a day. If you want to read a funny story, check out my misadventure on the Week Wachee River here.
Mesa, AZ
We traveled to Mesa for Sean’s graduation from A.T. Still University. Then the newly minted Doctor of Health Science took me for one of America’s most scenic drives on the Apache Trail.
It is full of hair pin curves with no guard rails and not for the faint of heart. If you have a driver with nerves of steel and are up for a little adventure, I highly recommend it!
Las Vegas, NV
We love Las Vegas and visit at least once a year. This year we rented a car to spend some time away from the strip at Red Rock Canyon and Lake Mead.
Looking Ahead
We have the first half of 2018 planned. After attending the RV Super Show in Tampa, FL we are heading to Pensacola, FL for two weeks. Then we’ll make our way to Texas for a 3 month stay. We’ll be in Fredericksburg for a month, and San Antonio for 2 months. Next we’ll go to Colorado for a brief visit before driving back to Northern Virginia for our oldest son’s wedding in June.
Let us know if you think our paths may cross; we love to meet fellow travelers! This year we were fortunate enough to meet several other full-time RVers including Kevin & Maria of From Paris to Roam; Mike & Dawn from Random Bits RV; Robert & Jessica of Exploring the Local Life; and Shane and Alexi from The Simple Nomads. Let’s add you to the list in 2018!
Don’t Forget Our Books
We also added “author” to our resumes this year and wrote two books to share our knowledge and research with others.
