The plan is to move into the motorhome in mid-March; the apartment lease is up April 1. I'm putting much of my stuff in storage because #1, it took me a lot of trial and error to create a look I love, and #2, it would cost me a fortune to replace my furniture etc if this nomad thing doesn't work out.
The plan is to car trip until mid-September, then come back and get the motorhome and head south for the winter. So far our itinerary is Louisville, KY for a week; on to Belton, TX for a month; up to Lincoln, NE for a month; from there we head west to Utah and Wyoming for a few weeks; then two weeks in Rapid City, SD before we head back.
I'm finding some great lodging deals, so that's pretty exciting. In Belton we're staying in a rental cabin on Belton Lake, with full kitchen and tons of space, for what I pay in rent now. In Lincoln we'll be in a cottage at a campground, again with full kitchen and amenities (also for about what I pay now in rent). We prefer campgrounds and such over hotels because they're just nicer and we enjoy the outdoor recreation. I'm narrowing down my choices for Rapid City, but that's going to be quite a bit more expensive for what we want. Technically we can afford it but we're both cheapos and are wavering on how much we want to compromise. In Louisville we'll be at a Ramada Inn in a quite spacious room, but still....Ramada Inn.
I've been an Elite (dahling
) member of La Quinta rewards for several years, and I rack up free nights fairly quickly. I also became a Wyndham rewards member, and they have a large selection of hotels in their network. We are Good Sam members, which saves us 10% at many campgrounds, and we have another camping membership that I don't remember. However, the best thing I ever did was choose Monello as my running buddy (for more reasons than that he's cool and fun and smart and I'm madly in love with him). He is retired Navy, and has access to lodging and campgrounds on military installations all over the world. The facilities are usually pretty sweet and way less expensive than civilian accommodations.
We require at least a mini fridge and microwave for our dining needs. Eating in restaurants gets old fast, plus it's more expensive. When we're back in the motor home eating won't be a problem because pretty much anything you can cook in a gourmet kitchen, we can make at the campsite with our setup. (Ask about my Artie Bucco Pork Chops and Vinegar Peppers!)
I am fortunate to be able to work from the road, so internet service is my first consideration when it comes to where we'll be staying. I have a mobile hotspot with lotsa gigs, but if I can use the hotel/campgrounds wifi for casual surfing that will eliminate me having to budget my usage and freaking out about limits. I'm considering a small printer for billing and other incidentals. Everywhere we stay will allow us to use their office printer, but it might be nice to have my own. I'll have to see how that goes....
I have a bunch of great stuff for sale in the classifieds - household items and a wicker daybed. Once I get my act together and start sorting through everything I'm sure there will be more.
I can't wait until we hit the road and I'm so glad I made the decision to just do it. There are always a million reasons to put off your dream, but in the end you have to just decide you want to live that dream now instead of "some day".
The plan is to car trip until mid-September, then come back and get the motorhome and head south for the winter. So far our itinerary is Louisville, KY for a week; on to Belton, TX for a month; up to Lincoln, NE for a month; from there we head west to Utah and Wyoming for a few weeks; then two weeks in Rapid City, SD before we head back.
I'm finding some great lodging deals, so that's pretty exciting. In Belton we're staying in a rental cabin on Belton Lake, with full kitchen and tons of space, for what I pay in rent now. In Lincoln we'll be in a cottage at a campground, again with full kitchen and amenities (also for about what I pay now in rent). We prefer campgrounds and such over hotels because they're just nicer and we enjoy the outdoor recreation. I'm narrowing down my choices for Rapid City, but that's going to be quite a bit more expensive for what we want. Technically we can afford it but we're both cheapos and are wavering on how much we want to compromise. In Louisville we'll be at a Ramada Inn in a quite spacious room, but still....Ramada Inn.
I've been an Elite (dahling
) member of La Quinta rewards for several years, and I rack up free nights fairly quickly. I also became a Wyndham rewards member, and they have a large selection of hotels in their network. We are Good Sam members, which saves us 10% at many campgrounds, and we have another camping membership that I don't remember. However, the best thing I ever did was choose Monello as my running buddy (for more reasons than that he's cool and fun and smart and I'm madly in love with him). He is retired Navy, and has access to lodging and campgrounds on military installations all over the world. The facilities are usually pretty sweet and way less expensive than civilian accommodations.We require at least a mini fridge and microwave for our dining needs. Eating in restaurants gets old fast, plus it's more expensive. When we're back in the motor home eating won't be a problem because pretty much anything you can cook in a gourmet kitchen, we can make at the campsite with our setup. (Ask about my Artie Bucco Pork Chops and Vinegar Peppers!)
I am fortunate to be able to work from the road, so internet service is my first consideration when it comes to where we'll be staying. I have a mobile hotspot with lotsa gigs, but if I can use the hotel/campgrounds wifi for casual surfing that will eliminate me having to budget my usage and freaking out about limits. I'm considering a small printer for billing and other incidentals. Everywhere we stay will allow us to use their office printer, but it might be nice to have my own. I'll have to see how that goes....
I have a bunch of great stuff for sale in the classifieds - household items and a wicker daybed. Once I get my act together and start sorting through everything I'm sure there will be more.
I can't wait until we hit the road and I'm so glad I made the decision to just do it. There are always a million reasons to put off your dream, but in the end you have to just decide you want to live that dream now instead of "some day".
You can find some pretty good deals when you are looking for out of the way places. I found a couple of places I am interested in renting in Moses Lake WA this summer, and some more on Puget Sound.
