I’ll share a bit later on my broken back recovery, but first for the big news. Drum roll… Dave and I just purchased another RV (yes another one). And no, we didn’t sell our luxurious (to us) 5th wheel.
Why you ask? Are we going through some mid-retirement crisis? Well, the answer is more of a practical (boring) answer. We really want be nimbler for next year’s travels and bought a smaller travel trailer
Why is being more nimble important? You have spent the last two years exploring in the Solitude. Well, we plan to travel to Alaska next year. There are many RV’ers who travel to Alaska in 5th wheels or even the large motor homes. To us, the trip up through Canada and exploring around Alaska would be easier in a smaller RV. As you travel on the Canadian highways, you can often just pull off in a turn out and spend the night rather than finding a campground. When you camp without any connections, i.e., water, electric, or sewer, it is called boon docking. From our research, Dave and I have found there are a plethora of boon docking opportunities in Canada & Alaska augmented with stops in campgrounds every 3 or 4 nights to fill up our much smaller water tanks and dump the black (sewer) tank.
Here’s a few pictures of our new to us smaller RV, we have named “Mini-T”. It is an Imagine 17MKE, 22′ overall (our 5th wheel is 35’ overall). It even includes a Murphy bed! We have already taken Mini-T out for a few local overnights and have planned several Florida camping trips this winter.
We will be leaving Florida in April and expect to cross into Canada mid-June, drive almost 2,000 miles up to Alaska, returning to the lower 48 in mid-September. Then we head to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, and further south to explore Utah’s “Mighty 5” national parks in early October.
We are excited to be joined on our Alaskan adventure with Greg & Helen, who we first met on the Great Loop and then rode the Erie Canalway trail along with St Pete friends. We also explored Slovenia on a bike trip with G&H. The four of us hope to be joined by one or two other couples we met on the Great Loop for our Utah trip. It will be so fun to reconnect.
We are looking forward to our 2024 RV adventures and sharing the fun with you.
As for a back update, I had an x-ray and a visit with my neurosurgeon at 6 weeks post-accident. He said I am progressing well, and I must continue to wear the brace for an additional 6 weeks. Ugh. My L2 vertebrae is 30% compressed along with the burst fracture and my L5 is 40 % compressed along with its more severe burst fracture. The compressions will not ever regain their height but he thinks I can still maintain all activities once the fractures are fully healed. Dave, Murphy, and I do get out for daily 2-mile walks. I look at my yoga/Pilates mat and my bike longingly. Soon I’ll be back!
Getting used to a smaller RV (for a year?) Brenda, Happy to be doing RV upgrades Dave and I love, love, love camping Murphy
you do get around
Wow would love to have a decent RV for traveling. One that lasts. Maybe I will get one soon.
I have had two prior.