Adventures on the Road

Yes, I know you clicked on "Daily Updates" but these updates will only occur when I have the time to post. :)

Might be too tired to post after having all the fun we're having. Posts will be in chronological order with the most current on top so start at the bottom if you want to see them from the beginning. Updates might happen daily, multiple times a day, or once a week. Who knows? But they'll always be real. I'll tell you about the good, bad, and the ugly. I'll include a few pictures in my posts but you can see more pictures in the "Pictures" tab.

Final Thoughts, Full Circle, or Whatever You Wanna Call It

Got crazy busy when we got home, so it took me a while to get to writing. I wasn't even sure where to start, and I was overwhelmed trying to figure out how to put the last year into a post. Here's my best attempt. I apologize in advance for the length but I hope you find it to be worthwhile. I'd never even read a blog before I started this one. Figured it couldn't be that hard so I'd do some research and give it a try. Honestly, it was harder than I thought to get start

May 145 min read

Newport Beach, CA. April 29th - May 1st

We're back in California! I'm writing this as we spend a few days at Newport Dunes RV Resort. It's literally 10 minutes from our home. In the area, this resort gets talked about like it's the greatest place. The resort is fine but it still has dirt sites, and that's a big issue with me. Yes, it has a concrete patio but the sites are so tight that you have to put half your tires on the patio and the others in the dirt. With slides out and windows open you can talk to you

Apr 302 min read

La Quinta, CA April 23rd - 29th

Here's part two of La Quinta. Let's just start with three days at Stagecoach. Anyone remember the Men's Warehouse commercial that said "What a difference a day makes"? That applies to Stagecoach this year. We've been to Stagecoach several times but we've always stayed at a hotel and then shuttled to the venue, so this was our first year doing Uber. All good since we got picked up right at our RV site. Then we got dropped off at the venue and realized we had to walk a LOO

Apr 283 min read

La Quinta, CA April 13th - 23rd

I haven't posted in ten days because we've been busy, but this will be part one of our stay in La Quinta, CA. I have to start with my thoughts on Motorcoach Country Club. Wowza! I didn't even know places like this existed. This is a special place! Beautiful grounds with all the amenities you can imagine. Pools, hot tubs, tennis, pickle ball, bocce ball, dog parks, great fitness center, very nice restaurant & bar, etc. Additionally, there's waterways in the resort where

Apr 243 min read

Lake Havasu City, AZ/CA April 9 -13th

The drive to Lake Havasu was much more enjoyable than the drive to Sedona. Three hours across the desert but the weather was great for driving. Lake Havasu is 46+ square miles formed by the Colorado River to the north and the Parker Dam to the south. The lake serves as a natural border between California and Arizona. After the dam, the river continues south with lots of boating activities along the "Parker Strip". I spent a lot of time in this area through my college yea

Apr 172 min read

Sedona, AZ. April 1st - 9th

One word to describe Sedona...Beautiful! First, a quick overview of Verde Ranch RV Resort. It's a great resort that can be easily navigated by bigger RVs. Almost 400 RV sites with full hook-ups. 16 Cabins. 10 "glamping" wagons and safari tents. Nice clubhouse with game tables, pool table, shuffle board, arcade, a well equipped gym, and large areas to just relax or do some work. Big heated pool and two hot tubs. Small lake surrounded by grass. Two dog parks. And a shad

Apr 84 min read

Drive to Sedona, AZ

I decided to break up my Sedona post into two parts. This will be the first part, which is just about getting here. I'll post about Sedona and the surrounding areas later this week. The drive from Angel Fire to Albuquerque was nice. Back through some mountain roads that followed along the Rio Grande River. Actually quite beautiful. We only stayed one night at Route 66 RV Park located about 20 minutes west of Albuquerque. Nice park. Nothing special but it served it's pur

Apr 52 min read

'Ritas with Rita

Hey y'all. Rita here. If I had time to write a weekly blog, I'd call it 'Ritas with Rita. I'd drink margaritas all day and then pick up the pen to see what happens. Wait...what? No, not the ganja pen, the writing pen. Jeez! Well...actually, that could be entertaining as well. 🤣 I started hitting the sauce early today and haven't stopped so here goes. First things first - I want you all to know that I'm fine. We saw this sign a lot in Angel Fire. I'm part Chihuahua (t

Apr 33 min read

Angel Fire, NM. March 24th - 31st

Since our original plan was to just visit Taos, I'll give my two cents about Taos. Taos, with a population of about 6,500, is much smaller than Santa Fe, which has a population over 80,000. But the topography and buildings are similar. Almost all brown, adobe style. Taos has a little more "funky" to it. Free spirited and laid back. Both Santa Fe and Taos have a growing homeless problem due to significant increases in rent prices, lack of affordable housing, high poverty

Apr 33 min read

Changes in Altitude, Changes in Attitude

That's my twist on Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude by Jimmy Buffett. 😁 Angel Fire RV Resort sits at an elevation of 8,600 feet. For comparison, Deer Valley, Utah is 6,500 feet. Mammoth, CA is about 7,900 feet. I was a little nervous about how Betty would handle the altitude and steep grades. I'm happy to say - no problem! I'm really impressed with the 7.3L gas powered Ford engine. Yes, there was a slight drop in power as we got higher, but never any issue. An

Mar 262 min read

Santa Fe, NM. March 19th - 24th

Brown...that's the best word I can think of to describe Santa Fe. I kept trying to convince myself that it had some beauty but I just couldn't get there. The historical plaza is nice with lots of upscale shops, museums and art galleries. But it's still brown. Santa Fe has strict building codes that require authentic Pueblo style adobe houses and buildings, so that's the look of everything. It's a very dry climate with almost no grass. Just keeping it real, it's not for

Mar 252 min read

Amarillo, TX. March 17th - 19th

Can you actually say Amarillo without singing George Strait's Amarillo by Morning? I mentioned in my last post that we made a one-night stop in Wichita Falls. I wasn't even gonna bother writing about that stop, but I gotta say a couple things. Crossroads Luxury RV Resort is nice. All grass and concrete. No gravel or dirt. Fishing pond, pool, pickle ball, etc. Bar on-site and easy access on/off the highway. But the coolest part was the overly accommodating staff. They

Mar 213 min read

Love...in distinctly different ways!

Betty and Lou were in Dallas for eight nights so this post should be about Dallas. Right? Well...it's not. You wanna know what I saw in Dallas? Lake Shore RV Resort, which is actually in Garland, TX about 20 minutes from Dallas. That's all I saw! And I only saw it the night we arrived and the night before we left. It's a nice resort. Very new and clean. Level, concrete sites with full hook-ups. Nice clubhouse with a beautiful pool and hot tub. Well-kept city park ju

Mar 183 min read

Austin, TX. March 1st - 7th

Note: This post was supposed to go out last weekend but was held up by some technical difficulties with the website. A few stops ago in Crystal Beach, TX, our stay at Margaritaville was to just chill and have some downtime. That was NOT the case in Austin. We had people to see, places to go, and things to do. More on all that in a minute but first a few quick thoughts on Austin and Pecan Grove RV Park. Austin has the coolest, urban, and hip feeling of any city we've visit

Mar 116 min read

Marble Falls, TX. Feb 27th - March 1st

Two posts in 24 hours! Crazy huh? I think I did that once earlier in our adventure. I've been a little behind, but I'm caught up now. I know what you're thinking: Where the heck is Marble Falls, TX? Never heard of it. Honestly, neither had we until our good friend, Kristi, built a home there. It's about 2 hours north of San Antonio and an hour west of Austin. Pretty much on our way so we couldn't pass up the chance to hang out for a few days. Kristi just finished bui

Mar 41 min read

San Antonio, TX. Feb 25th - 27th

I hope I don't sound like a broken record, but we had a great time in San Antonio! For complete disclosure, we didn't explore San Antonio, only the River Walk and a brief visit to The Alamo. We found a wonderful woman through Rover to watch the girls for a few nights. We found the Texas Air Museum through Harvest Host, and that's where we parked Betty. Then we checked into our room with a balcony overlooking the River Walk at the Omni Hotel La Mansion. Adult time! Let's g

Mar 32 min read

Port Lavaca, TX. Feb 23rd - 25th

Port Lavaca was just a two night stop to break up the drive from Galveston to San Antonio, but it was an enjoyable stop. Our drive reminded us of just how large Texas is. Haven't seen this much open land since we left South Dakota. Personally, I found South Dakota to be prettier. We stayed at the KOA Matagorda Bay, which sits on the Gulf of Mexico. It's a beautiful bay and is considered one of the cleanest in Texas. We had a waterfront spot with full hook-ups and a patio

Feb 281 min read

Crystal Beach / Galveston, TX. Feb 13th - 23rd

Howdy partners! Welcome to Texas. Another first on our journey. Neither of us has been sick at all, but we were both under the weather for a few days on our stay in Crystal Beach. Nothing crazy, but enough to slow us down just a little. Fortunately, our stay at Margaritaville Crystal Beach was planned as a week of laying low and enjoying the resort. And since we arrived four days early, we had plenty of time to do just that. The resort is fantastic!! 150+ acres (some u

Feb 233 min read

Breaux Bridge / Lafayette, LA. Feb 9th - 13th

Lafayette wasn't necessarily a place we circled on our map when we were deciding where we may want to visit. It was a half-way point as we were heading from New Orleans to Galveston, and it had a Margaritaville Resort. So why not spend a relaxing week. That being said, the city was fine. Nothing special that I feel like writing about but nothing bad either. Now for the interesting part... We loved the Margaritaville Resort we stayed at in Pidgeon Forge, TN and I wrote ab

Feb 163 min read

New Orleans, LA. Feb 2nd - 9th

Not even sure where to start about New Orleans, but sit back and enjoy the highlights. Our timing was perfect because the first week of Mardi Gras had started, so lots of activity in the city. Add perfect weather (we actually slept with the windows open a few nights) and you had a receipt for good times! Let's start with accommodations. The best thing about French Quarter RV Resort is LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. It's a ten minute walk to the French Quarter! It's a smal

Feb 104 min read

Biloxi, MS. Jan 26th - Feb 2nd

Chilly! That's the first thing I'll say about our stay in Biloxi, MS. Average high temperatures for this time of year are in the low 60s but we had a few days that never got out of the 30s. We went to bed one night that was 23 degrees but felt like 9. A few of the dog walks were pretty damn cold! 🥶 However, we had no rain so we were happy about that. Plenty of sunshine! And the heater in the RV worked great so we spent more time inside than usual. We even did our fir

Feb 43 min read

Navarre, FL. Jan 19th - 26th

Obviously, our stay in Navarre, FL started a little unconventional since I had to fly home for several days after getting Melissa settled in. It was nice to get back to her and the dogs and take a few days to decompress after a tough trip home. Santa Rosa RV Resort was the perfect place. The resort is on the water and looks across the bay at Navarre Beach. Mature trees throughout the resort provide nice shade and all sites are level, concrete pads with full hook-ups. Ver

Jan 262 min read

Tough One To Write

This blog is nothing more than a way to capture our adventure and share it with friends and family. So I've tried to keep it fun without getting too deep or personal. But I've also tried to keep it real, so today I hope writing helps me in a healing process. I'll keep it short. We left Port St Joe a few days early so I could get to an airport and fly home. My mom passed away on Monday and the world lost an amazing woman! I know those of you who knew her would agree. She

Jan 222 min read

Port St. Joe, FL. Jan 14th - 21st

Port St. Joe, FL was exactly what we expected; a laid-back, beach town. A hidden gem on the "Forgotten Coast" of Florida. It's referred to as the Forgotten Coast because it 's one of the few remaining Florida coastlines with pristine beaches that remains relatively undeveloped. Nice homes but no high rise buildings. Port St. Joe only has about 3,500 permanent residents and a quaint downtown that caters to locals and tourists, especially in summer months. Presnell's Baysid

Jan 212 min read

Just a Little Fun

This post is nothing more than the start of something new. I've decided to throw in something random into some of my posts. It might be one of my favorite sayings (I have a lot) like the one I included in my Newport Beach post: The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They make the best of everything. It may be something thought provoking, funny, purely entertaining, or whatever's on my mind as I write. So, here's a few just for fun. One of the best signs

Jan 171 min read

St. Augustine, FL. Jan 7th - 13th

Here's a fact I didn't know when we started exploring: St. Augustine is the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the US. Which technically makes it the oldest city in America. It's true. Look it up. It's also home to the Fountain of Youth. I'll save you the history lesson and let you look that up as well. The city sits on the Northeast coast of Florida and downtown has a very cool European/Spanish feel to it. Very walkable with lots of hist

Jan 142 min read

On The Road Again!

Hello All - I know. I know. I said I'd post while we were home for December but I also said that I'd only post when I had the time. 😛 We had a great time seeing friends and family for the holidays but I didn't do a very good job of taking pictures while we were home. I did post some in the "Pictures" section. Include a few of Melissa's son, Kenyon, proposing to his girlfriend, Natalie. She said yes! Woohoo!! Funny story: On Christmas Eve, we had a gas leak in the h

Jan 102 min read

Orlando, FL. Nov 28th - Dec 3rd

Sorry. This post is long overdue! Just been crazy busy. Our drive from Ft Lauderdale to Orlando was just under 4 hours. When we're on our way to a new resort/park, Melissa will check to see if there's anything we should be aware of at the next place. For example: tight turn into the park, low hanging trees, easier entrance around corner, etc. So we're rollin' down the road and she starts to check on Kissimmee RV Park. The conversation goes something like this: Melissa:

Dec 14, 20253 min read

Fort Lauderdale, FL. Nov 21st - 28th

Of course I have to start this post by saying "Happy Thanksgiving". Hope you all got to spend time with your families! We weren't home for Thanksgiving but we're flying home later this week to spend December with friends and family. I put a link in my last post for Yacht Haven Park & Marine. We LOVED our stay! Staff was fantastic (more on that in a minute). We had a wonderful waterfront site with plenty of shade and turf for the girls. Nice pool area and a decent fitnes

Nov 28, 20253 min read

Fiesta Key, FL. Nov 17th - 21st

We did four nights at Fiesta Key RV Resort and I have mixed feelings about the resort. They advertise that they have a waterfront restaurant and bar. Well...they do have both of those but neither is operational. Apparently they both have been closed for a few months as they work through new contracts. That's one of the reasons we chose the resort, so definitely disappointing. Paved roads throughout the resort but their RV sites are ALL gravel. No grass what so ever. Gr

Nov 22, 20253 min read

Key West, FL. Nov 6th - 17th

We spent 11 nights in Key West so it's been awhile since I posted about somewhere we stayed. Let's start this post with a one question quiz. How many keys are in the Florida Keys? Take a guess and I'll give you the answer at the end of this post. No cheating by Googling it. Now let's talk about Key West. Boyd's Campground is actually on Stock Island but it's the closest RV Resort to Key West. We'd heard good things about Boyd's and it lived up to expectations. No hot t

Nov 18, 20253 min read

Updated Itinerary & Unsolicited (Sort of) Advice

We started our adventure on Cinco de Mayo with our first stop in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bar Harbor, Maine was our farthest Northeast stop. Now we're in Key West, Florida, which is our farthest Southeast stop. Seemed like a logical time to finish up our itinerary so... The second half of our USA tour has been set. Tickets will be on sale soon! Ok...let's don't get carried away. We're rolling in Betty, not a tour bus. 😁 But here's a picture of our updated map and you can c

Nov 14, 20252 min read

Miami Beach, FL. Nov 3rd - 6th

Public Service Announcement : It was brought to my attention that I had an issue on the website. When you clicked on a post, you couldn't navigate directly to the "Pictures" section. Frustrating! Rookie mistake as I continue to learn how to do website development. The issue is resolved now, so you should be able to navigate to all sections of the website directly from any post. Remember, if you view the website on your phone, click the three bars in the upper right corne

Nov 7, 20252 min read

Fort Myers, FL. Oct 30th - Nov 3rd

Let's start by saying it's nice to be in Florida. No, this is not where the political commentary starts. This is definitely not a political blog. The weather has been fantastic and it looks like it's gonna stay that way for awhile. And people in Florida actually drive the speed limit. In SoCal, New York, Boston, and a few other places, you'd get rear-ended if you drove any thing less than 10 mph OVER the speed limit. It just feels like a slower pace here. I just starte

Nov 3, 20253 min read

Cedar Key, FL. Oct 27th - 30th

Cedar Key is located on the northern gulf coast of Florida. I guess you can say it's a small town since it has of population of around 650 residents. 😛 It's so small that it actually has a legitimate community garden. It's probably best known as a fishing town for clams and oysters. The town got hit pretty hard by Hurricane Helene last year and there are still plenty of places that are closed or under major repair. Not exactly a place you'd go out of your way to visit.

Oct 29, 20251 min read

Miramar Beach, FL. Oct 22nd - 26th

We are having soooo much fun! Miramar Beach, FL has BEAUTIFUL beaches. White sand and crystal clear, emerald water that is just as nice as beaches we've seen in Tahiti and Cayman Islands. My pictures won't do it justice. Year round population is only about 10,000 residents but it's a major destination for tourists and snowbirds. High-rise condos and beachfront houses along the 2-lane road that runs along the coast. Beach bars and eateries as well. There are upscale dini

Oct 26, 20254 min read

Orange Beach, AL. Oct 16th - 22nd

I'm pretty pumped up about this post! This was week one of approximately seven weeks that we'll be on the coast of Florida. Yes, technically we were in Alabama but Orange Beach is only 6 miles from the Florida border and it's a laid back coastal city. Lots of high-rise condos on the beach with beautiful homes lining the waterways and canals. A few luxury waterfront hotels as well. Very clean and safe. Really fun town with plenty of restaurants and eateries to choose from

Oct 22, 20253 min read

Florence, MS Oct. 14th - 16th

I wasn't even gonna post about Florence, MS since it was just a brief 2-day stop on our way to Orange Beach, AL. However, we really enjoyed our stay so here's some notes. Florence is a town of less than 5,000 residents about 15 minutes south of Jackson, MS. Wendy Oaks RV Park looked like a nice place with full hook-ups and they have an 8 acre lake. The park itself is a little more rustic than we normally like but it turned out to be a great stop. We chose a pull-thru, lak

Oct 17, 20252 min read

Memphis, TN. & Tupelo, MS. Nov 7th - 14th

Relatively mellow stay in Memphis. We stayed at EZ Daze RV Park in Southaven, MS which is about 15 minutes outside of Memphis. We liked it so much that we decided to stay another day. Ok...the park was fine but that's not why we stayed another day. More on that in a minute. EZ Daze's website says it has a "spa-like environment". That's definitely a stretch but it's clean with paved roads, concrete sites, full hook-ups, plenty of thick grass, and some shade trees. The p

Oct 14, 20254 min read