2015 Summary

2015, another busy year. We’ve driven approximately 8500 miles with our coach and 3000 with the Jeep. We went through 19 states. Total generator hours 238 for 2015. 118 days of boondocking. We figure it costs $4.97/day for boondocking (generator fuel), and some of those sites had fees. We paid $2240 for campground fees.

In January we were still at Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort with our workamping job, so less traveling and fuel and campground costs. We did go to South Padre Island and Mexico in January when Dean and Valerie flew out to spend a few days with us. At the end of March we left Mission and moved up the coast and then took the Natchez Trace from Mississippi up to Nashville. From there we went to Virginia and spent some time with our kids, did some house remodeling and sightseeing in Washington, DC. At that time we found out my dad had colon cancer and decided to head to North Dakota and find out what was going on. So that was a quick trip on interstate highways (which we usually don’t drive on) through many more states. We were in North Dakota for about two months (surgery went great) and spent time with lots of family (including a family reunion). After that to Minnesota with kids and granddaughters, South Dakota, back to North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon and ending the year in California.

Some of the National sites we saw were:

• Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park in Texas
• Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee
• Stones River National Battlefield in Tennessee
• Chattanooga National Military Park in Tennessee
• Washington DC
• Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Montana
• Yellowstone National Park in Montana, Wyoming
• Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming
• Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho
• Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument in Idaho
• Hells Canyon National Recreation Area in Idaho, Oregon
• National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Oregon
• Redwood National Park in California
• Yosemite National Park in California
• Death Valley National Park in California

We also drove the Beartooth Highway in Montana/Wyoming, saw BASE jumpers jump off the Perrine Memorial Bridge, saw more Oregon Trail history at Three Island Crossing State Park and sand dunes at Bruneau Dunes State Park in Idaho. We toured the Old Idaho Penitentiary, World Center for Birds of Prey, and saw an AKC dog show. There were murals and covered bridges and a dead whale on the beach. Cape Blanco State Park, lighthouses and lots of redwood trees, and now the desert sun (and some wind). Wow.

What’s in store for 2016?  Other than boondocking in Arizona in January, and sometime heading back to North Dakota and Minnesota, we’re really not sure yet.