Simply Schricks- Destination Unknown Again

Twenty-six months on the road! How crazy is that? What started as our escape from California has turned into the adventure of a lifetime! If you had asked me two years ago if I’d want to travel full-time in an RV, my answer would’ve been a definite NO! I had never even considered the idea. We originally planned to travel in our RV until we found a home to buy. Little did I know, I’d end up falling in love with this lifestyle and enjoying the most amazing adventure of my life.

We rang in New Year’s 2023 at Cumberland Mountain State Park in Tennessee, enjoying a peaceful evening reflecting on our past travels and all the things we hoped to accomplish in the year ahead.

The following day, we headed to Raccoon Valley RV Park near Knoxville, where we stayed for a month. During our time there, we made a trip to California for a retirement party, and Kristie also flew out for a work commitment. While in the Knoxville area, we had the chance to visit friends who had recently moved there from California, which was a wonderful bonus!

At the beginning of February, we decided to explore Sevierville and Pigeon Forge. We stayed at The Ridge, and wow, what a place! We had the entire campground to ourselves, and our RV pad even had its own hot tub!

From Tennessee, we made our way to North Carolina, with stops including Chimney Rock State Park, Ebenezer Park, Grove Winery (a Harvest Host location), Mason Jar Lager Co (another Harvest Host spot), and Raleigh Oaks RV Park. While in North Carolina, we had the chance to visit Bobby’s sister, Virginia, and her family, which was a wonderful highlight.

Next, we headed to the Outer Banks, and wow, what an unforgettable place! We stayed at The Refuge, Oregon Inlet Campground, Resort Rodanthe KOA, Ocracoke Campground, and Cedar Island Ranch. It quickly became one of my favorite places to visit, and I often dream of living there one day. Check out my post about the Outer Banks for all the details!

On our way back to Tennessee, we stopped at Carolina Beach State Park, Jones Lake State Park, Plankowner Brewery (a Harvest Host), Hard Labor State Park, and Fall Creek Falls State Park. We also took some time to visit the USS North Carolina, which was a great experience.

At Fall Creek Falls State Park, we had the honor of being camp hosts for the first time. We absolutely fell in love with camp hosting! As we took on this volunteer role, we thought about what it meant to be a host. Back when we had a house, hosting friends and family meant making them feel comfortable and helping them enjoy their time with us. We applied that same mindset to our camp hosting duties. We loved meeting park visitors and making them feel welcome. Our responsibilities included hanging up reservation tags, cleaning campsites, and being available to answer questions. By the time our stay was over, we were sad to leave. It was such a fun experience, and we met so many wonderful people!

In May, we headed south and had a fantastic time! Our first stop was at Holiday Travel Park, where we were lucky enough to catch up with friends from California and enjoy a concert together. After that, we stayed at Roosters Market (a Harvest Host location), Jail Creek Farms (another Harvest Host), and Skidaway Island State Park in Savannah. I absolutely love Savannah! While we were there, we had dinner with our niece and her husband, as well as some friends from California. Back at the campsite, the guys jammed for a bit, which made for a perfect evening. During our time in Savannah, we had lunch at my all-time favorite spot, Olde Pink House, and also enjoyed the Crab Shack on Tybee Island—both were amazing!

Before we knew it, we were back on the road, heading west. Our journey took us to Southern Grace Farms (Harvest Host) and White Oak Pastures (Harvest Host) in Georgia. Then, in Alabama, we stayed at Gunter Hill COE and Oak Mountain State Park in Birmingham. While in the area, we had a blast visiting the Barber Vintage Museum and enjoying some incredible BBQ. Next, we headed north to Muscle Shoals and stayed at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame (Harvest Host). While there, we toured the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, the Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House, FAME Studios, and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. We also got to visit a friend from California! I absolutely loved this area—it was such a memorable experience!

Next, we headed to Mississippi, with our first stop at John Kyle State Park. From there, we made our way to Arkansas, where we stayed at Maumelle Park COE. While we were there, we had the chance to visit our daughter and her husband and attend one of her baby showers, which was such a special time.

Our next destination was Missouri, where we checked out Branson and stayed at Table Rock State Park. After Branson, we stayed at Horseshoe Bend COE and then Zuna Suir Alpacas (Harvest Host). While at the alpaca farm, Kristie remembered her family roots were in Jay, OK. She looked up local cemeteries and discovered the one where her great-great-grandparents were buried. We drove out there, and sure enough, we found their graves. It was a pretty incredible experience.

We continued our journey north to Kansas, where we stayed at Elk City State Park, Cheney State Park, and Gunsmoke RV Park in Dodge City. From there, we made our way quickly to Colorado, stopping at Lathrop State Park and KOA Journey Pueblo. While in Pueblo, we had dinner with Kristie’s friend from high school. Our next stop was Pagosa Springs, where we stayed at Sportsman’s Camp. It’s been quite a journey so far!

Next up was Yellow Car Winery (Harvest Host), followed by some epic boondocking at Valley of the Gods. While we were there, we explored the Four Corners, Moki Cutout, and Monument Valley, taking in some truly stunning sights.

Then it was off to Utah! We stayed at Sun Outdoors Moab Canyonlands, where we went white-water rafting, drove through Canyonlands, hiked in Arches National Park, and spent a lot of time relaxing by the pool.

Our travels continued with stays at Rowley’s Red Barn (Harvest Host), Wendover KOA in Nevada, Iron Horse RV Park, Desert Rose RV Park, Sparks Marina RV Park, and Nevada County Fairgrounds.

In July, we spent some time at Black Oak Casino and Sugar Barge RV Resort before heading south to Sun Outdoors Paso Robles. After that, we stayed at a friend’s house for a bit before moving on to our camp host position at Bolsa Chica State Beach.

What a journey it’s been!