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Old 08-24-2019, 06:04 PM   #1
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Ask me anything after 8k mile/6 wk/26 state road trip

We finally did our six week road trip, and really learned a lot. This time last year, we had never owned an RV. In an effort to pay it forward for all the help I received from this forum, I’d like to share and help other campers. Ask me anything about my experience. I know there are plenty of full timers with this some of experience here and appreciate all their input too. Hopefully this is helpful to fellow greenhorns, newbies and dream planners.

We towed a TT from SoCal and focused on the beaches of the east Coast. We took 6 weeks and traveled over 8000 miles through 26 states. From roads to avoid to ferry crossings to the Chesapeake bay tunnel to maneuvering in NYC, we’ve done it. Getting gas with a TT, grocery runs, overnighting...what works, what doesn’t, what to avoid and what surprised us.

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Old 08-24-2019, 06:25 PM   #2
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Did you find any Widow Jane 12 bourbon?

I bet you had a blast, we just returned from a 10K mile 10 week trip from FL to Seattle and most of the NPs out west.
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Old 08-24-2019, 06:33 PM   #3
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Did you find any Widow Jane 12 bourbon?

I bet you had a blast, we just returned from a 10K mile 10 week trip from FL to Seattle and most of the NPs out west.
Not yet! It was so HOT I had to drink my bourbon with dr. Pepper! Also, too many state liquor stores which have limited selections.

If you hit grand Teton, that was a favorite for us. What are some worthwhile NPs in the Seattle area?

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Old 08-24-2019, 08:09 PM   #4
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Not yet! It was so HOT I had to drink my bourbon with dr. Pepper! Also, too many state liquor stores which have limited selections.

If you hit grand Teton, that was a favorite for us. What are some worthwhile NPs in the Seattle area?

North Cascades NP and Olympic NP.
Also Deception Pass SP, Mt Rainier, Mt St Helens.
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Old 08-24-2019, 10:11 PM   #5
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Not yet! It was so HOT I had to drink my bourbon with dr. Pepper! Also, too many state liquor stores which have limited selections.

If you hit grand Teton, that was a favorite for us. What are some worthwhile NPs in the Seattle area?

Yes, we hit the Grand Tetons, beautiful.

Actually, we did not camp in Seattle. We camped at Blackwell RV Resort in Couer d’Alane in Idaho.

Left camper and drove to Space Needle. DW and I had our first anniversary dinner at the revolving restaurant at the top in 1971. We were stationed at Ft. Lewis. You can’t go back. It’s like Disney World now...lol.

We did go to Paradise Inn at the base of Mt. Rainer located inside the national park. That is a beautiful National Park. If you liked the Grand Tetons you would like Mt. Ranier.
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Old 08-25-2019, 12:01 PM   #6
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If I were to take that trip I'd take 6 months. Too much to see and do and an average of 4.3 days per state just isn't enough time

I used to drive a lot in my work. Now I'm going back to some of the places I passed through in the rush to get to my next stop and thoroughly exploring.

The places you mentioned are beautiful. As for Seattle, some parts are more like the "Bar Scene" in Star Wars than like Disneyland. I started my adult life in Seattle and what a change. Went there last Thursday for the first time in a decade. I think I'll wait two decades before I go back
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Old 08-25-2019, 01:13 PM   #7
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We are still on our Florida to Seattle and back trip. Left in April, back at end of September. Went by way of San Antonio, El Paso, Albuquerque, Denver, salt lake City Utah, Wyoming, Boise, Seattle, through the redwoods, now in southern California. Heading home through Phoenix.
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Old 08-25-2019, 01:22 PM   #8
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If I were to take that trip I'd take 6 months. Too much to see and do and an average of 4.3 days per state just isn't enough time

I used to drive a lot in my work. Now I'm going back to some of the places I passed through in the rush to get to my next stop and thoroughly exploring.

The places you mentioned are beautiful. As for Seattle, some parts are more like the "Bar Scene" in Star Wars than like Disneyland. I started my adult life in Seattle and what a change. Went there last Thursday for the first time in a decade. I think I'll wait two decades before I go back
Yea, we did not go anywhere else in Seattle but the Space Needle. It reminded me of all the attractions in Orlando. Wall to wall people, rope lines, photographers taking pic you won’t buy, over priced junk food at the top. When you come down they dump you right into the gift shop before you can get out. Obviously it has been almost 50 years when we first went but the top had a classy restaurant. A dress up type of place but nobody dresses up these days but it was still disappointing. Like I said, you can’t go back...

And don’t get me started about the traffic between Seattle and Tacoma... it’s beautiful out there but they can have it...
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Old 08-25-2019, 04:24 PM   #9
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How did you get through the Chesapeake tunnel carrying propane? We
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Old 08-25-2019, 04:51 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by Beachbourbon View Post
We finally did our six week road trip, and really learned a lot. This time last year, we had never owned an RV. In an effort to pay it forward for all the help I received from this forum, I’d like to share and help other campers. Ask me anything about my experience. I know there are plenty of full timers with this some of experience here and appreciate all their input too. Hopefully this is helpful to fellow greenhorns, newbies and dream planners.

We towed a TT from SoCal and focused on the beaches of the east Coast. We took 6 weeks and traveled over 8000 miles through 26 states. From roads to avoid to ferry crossings to the Chesapeake bay tunnel to maneuvering in NYC, we’ve done it. Getting gas with a TT, grocery runs, overnighting...what works, what doesn’t, what to avoid and what surprised us.

Ask me anything




So what was your biggest surprise?



we have done two major trips (major = over 4000 miles taking at least 2-3 weeks) - one with a highwall popup and one with our hybrid travel trailer. Learned on the first trip to Yellowstone that i had neglected to account for time zones in my schedule which was not an issue going west, but east..... it made those travel days where we crossed a zone seem so much longer... LOL (we are not retired, and could not afford the time to just stop where ever we felt like it - we had to keep to the schedule).
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Old 08-25-2019, 05:13 PM   #11
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If I were to take that trip I'd take 6 months. Too much to see and do and an average of 4.3 days per state just isn't enough time

I used to drive a lot in my work. Now I'm going back to some of the places I passed through in the rush to get to my next stop and thoroughly exploring.

The places you mentioned are beautiful. As for Seattle, some parts are more like the "Bar Scene" in Star Wars than like Disneyland. I started my adult life in Seattle and what a change. Went there last Thursday for the first time in a decade. I think I'll wait two decades before I go back
You are soo right - not enough time. We were able to see enough of the country for a pre-retirement list of places we will return to for more time. We also crossed some places off our list. DW is tired of California, and wanted to see options. We saw options without beggars, homeless, high taxes, crippling regulations, crumbling infrastructure and rude drivers. We also saw some places as oppressive as California. Unfortunately, everywhere has pros and cons.
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Old 08-25-2019, 05:21 PM   #12
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Went to the space needle when going thru 11b AIT at Ft Lewis. That was a long time ago, about 52 years
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Old 08-25-2019, 05:22 PM   #13
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How did you get through the Chesapeake tunnel carrying propane? We
You turn the propane tank valve to closed. Then pay $24 at the toll both. When they ask if your propane tank is off, say yes. It was really this easy. We were surprised at how easy it was and how expensive it was!

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Old 08-25-2019, 05:26 PM   #14
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Propane in Bay-Bridge Tunnel

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How did you get through the Chesapeake tunnel carrying propane? We
Not sure about the OP but when DW and I went through on our way to Joint Base Charleston, only needed to close valves. Attendant asked if we had had off and that was it; right through.
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Old 08-25-2019, 05:37 PM   #15
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So what was your biggest surprise?



we have done two major trips (major = over 4000 miles taking at least 2-3 weeks) - one with a highwall popup and one with our hybrid travel trailer. Learned on the first trip to Yellowstone that i had neglected to account for time zones in my schedule which was not an issue going west, but east..... it made those travel days where we crossed a zone seem so much longer... LOL (we are not retired, and could not afford the time to just stop where ever we felt like it - we had to keep to the schedule).
So many surprises! I-90 to New Orleans was recommended to avoid I-10, but turned out to be the worse freeway we ever traveled. Nonstop wash board. So rough it shook sand out of our clean carpet onto the kitchen floor in the slide out!

It doesn’t cool down on the east coast, so if you have to turn off your generator and AC at 10 p.m. you will sweat to death. You can’t sleep outside either because bugs will eat you alive.

Disney World requires more public transportation from your parked car than most cities for the privilege of standing in line an hour for a 5 minute ride. Also grown women at Disney without kids will cut in line in front of kids.

Maryland has beaches, and they are nice!

The east coast does NOT have better seafood prices

Racism still exists in blatant forms in the south AND the north.

The New York subway is so old, it looks like it belongs in a Dickens novel.

There really are great places in this country we had not yet experienced.

More later...
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Old 08-25-2019, 07:13 PM   #16
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You are soo right - not enough time. We were able to see enough of the country for a pre-retirement list of places we will return to for more time. We also crossed some places off our list. DW is tired of California, and wanted to see options. We saw options without beggars, homeless, high taxes, crippling regulations, crumbling infrastructure and rude drivers. We also saw some places as oppressive as California. Unfortunately, everywhere has pros and cons.
When you get ready to pull the pin, give some extra thought to places that treat people better with property taxes. Some states don't reasses for taxes every year or two like my state does. When you buy the value is set and it doesn't change until the next sale. I believe AZ is like that.

Here, my local Assessor sends me a new valuation just about every year and that's followed with a new tax bill. These increasing taxes tend to drive people out of their homes, especially the elderly.

As for crippling regulation, that depends on whether or not it affects you. Usually atrocious levels of regulation drive businesses out of the state but for a retiree, it's usually just property tax and hurts the most.

To add, no matter where you choose to live you'll always have to consider the annual enema we get from the IRS.

Of course one could just sell off everything, buy a nice RV, and travel the country with a stash of gold coins hidden somewhere in the vehicle (perhaps a secret compartment in the black tank). Of course figuring out a way to get your retirement pay without the IRS taking their cut might be difficult.
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Old 08-25-2019, 07:16 PM   #17
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Went to the space needle when going thru 11b AIT at Ft Lewis. That was a long time ago, about 52 years
I used to ride a bus to work past the yard where the steel columns for the Space Needle were being bent.

Took a girlfriend to dinner there right after the World's fair and it cost me a week's pay for the two dinners. In my lifetime I've been there three times. I paid twice and someone else paid the third time. Prices are just as high as the structure itself
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Old 08-25-2019, 07:20 PM   #18
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You turn the propane tank valve to closed. Then pay $24 at the toll both. When they ask if your propane tank is off, say yes. It was really this easy. We were surprised at how easy it was and how expensive it was!


Only about a buck thirty per mile. As some tolls go that's probably average.

Here, the Toll HOV lanes can cost you up to $10 at peak hours to go just 3 miles.
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Old 08-25-2019, 08:22 PM   #19
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When you get ready to pull the pin, give some extra thought to places that treat people better with property taxes. Some states don't reasses for taxes every year or two like my state does. When you buy the value is set and it doesn't change until the next sale. I believe AZ is like that.

Here, my local Assessor sends me a new valuation just about every year and that's followed with a new tax bill. These increasing taxes tend to drive people out of their homes, especially the elderly.

As for crippling regulation, that depends on whether or not it affects you. Usually atrocious levels of regulation drive businesses out of the state but for a retiree, it's usually just property tax and hurts the most.

To add, no matter where you choose to live you'll always have to consider the annual enema we get from the IRS.

Of course one could just sell off everything, buy a nice RV, and travel the country with a stash of gold coins hidden somewhere in the vehicle (perhaps a secret compartment in the black tank). Of course figuring out a way to get your retirement pay without the IRS taking their cut might be difficult.
California has prop 13 and is insulated from rising property taxes, but I hear you and agree with you. I know folks in Texas happy about no state income tax, but bellyaching about rising property taxes. We all have to look at the pros and cons and choose what works best fo us. For example, I cannot live in a state that is mostly toll roads like New Jersey, but people do it every day.
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Old 08-25-2019, 08:32 PM   #20
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More surprises

More surprises- New Orleans French Quarter was not upscale and sophisticated as I imagined, but had a low brow college kids on spring break and drinking in the street vibe. It had multiple “daiquiri stores” up and down and encouraged a drunken rowdy atmosphere

The French Quarter RV Park is worth every penny.

DW thinks being a co-pilot and navigator is accomplished by being a back seat driver

Florida was so hot and humid that it changed me into a half naked shirtless lunatic that finally understood episodes of Cops in Florida and the “Florida man” phenomenon
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