Sunday, January 8, 2017

2016 By the Numbers


Just one year ago, Tim and I loaded up the Dawntreader and embarked on a new life as full-time RVers.  What a wonderful year it has been!  A look at the numbers we racked up in 2016 gives us a helpful review of where we've been and what we've learned.  So here goes!

Number of miles the Dawntreader traveled:  15,000 miles


Stafford, KS to Dallas to New Orleans to Carrabelle, FL to Fellsmere, FL to Indiantown, FL to Fort Myers to Vicksburg to San Antonio to Santa Fe and back to Stafford


Stafford, KS to Badlands to Mt. Rushmore to Devils Tower to Theodore Roosevelt Nat'l Park to Glacier Nat'l Park to Grand Tetons to Yellowstone to Sheridan, WY to Stafford, KS


Stafford, KS to Louisville to Nashville to Washington, D.C. to Key West to Fort Myers to Orlando

Humanity builds in which we participated:  7
Fellsmere, Indiantown, Fort Myers, Hobbs, Santa Fe, Sheridan and Fort Myers once again
Fellsmere, FL

Construction skills learned (in my case) and honed by Tim: Installing baseboard, cabinets, soffits, sinks, windows & doors; framing, roofing, painting & landscaping.  Almost everything!

Campgrounds where we stayed: 28

KOA at the entrance to Devil's Tower National Monument
Overnights at Walmart or Love's Country Store:  Too numerous to count since we generally stayed at a Walmart for a quick overnight while traveling to the next build or national park.  No need to unhook our towed Jeep!

National Parks visited: 10
Hot Springs, Great Smoky Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns, Badlands, Wind Cave, Theodore Roosevelt, Glacier, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain



Other NPS monuments, memorials or historic sites:  14

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Budget for 2016:  We stayed within our budget, even though we exceeded the maintenance category for the 15-year-old Dawntreader.

Best adventure

Parasailing off the Florida Keys


Favorite beach

St. Augustine, FL

Best sunrise
Logan's Peak at the top of Going-to-the-Sun Road
Glacier National Park
Best sunset at the beach

Key Largo, FL
Best sunset at the mountains

Grand Teton National Park


Favorite restaurant
Bella on the Riverwalk, San Antonio

Best Key Lime Pie
A toss-up between Hog Heaven Bar & Grill in Islamorada, FL and Sundowers in Key Largo

Favorite National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
Two of our favorite hikes

  The Black Hills
Mills Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

Most beautiful church
Memorial Presbyterian Church, St. Augustine
Our favorite bike trail was too close to call

Grand Teton National Park

George S. Mickelson Trail in the Black Hills

Most inspirational place:

Grand Teton National Park

It's been an amazing year and we're grateful for the wonderful people we've met and the opportunities we've had to see this magnificent country in which we live.

8 comments:

  1. Thank you for posting this recap of your 2016! It's fun for me that I got to see you in two states during that year! (Florida and then in Kansas) —Terri

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    1. Lucky for me, too! Someday I hope to see your home out in the country.

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  2. We enjoyed following your adventures this past year even with your ministry providing service to "Habitat for Humanity " the opportunities to see this great country reads like places you must see as a travel magazine! We look forward to seeing you both hopefully this year❤

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    1. Later this spring, we're thinking of coming through Virginia Beach and Williamsburg. I'll keep in touch and hope it works out.

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  3. Great post! Patty and I just purchased a much smaller "Class C" motorhome, and we look forward to hitting many of these same places.

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    1. A plane! A RV! Do you have a yacht, too? Seriously, I hope you are able to visit all the places on your bucket list. We've been awed by the grandeur we've seen.

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  4. It was fun to review your year via the numbers. The only thing missing was your favorite sunset from Kansas - ha! Sorry that we've missed you on your latest trek back to Kansas. I told Randy that we're going to have to wear name tags at church after missing three weeks!

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  5. Congratulations! Great post and I like the way you picked some favorites. You really covered some ground and helped a lot of folks along the way. Wow - 7 builds (plus the beet harvests in Kansas). Best wishes for a terrific Year 2!

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