I have mulled over a lot of different options for what to do this coming summer, including the option of staying in Ft Myers all summer. I think the plans are taking shape. Here is the brief synopsis:
- I will go north, to Massachusetts, but only for about a month.
- I will attend my 55th high school reunion in Wisconsin after Labor Day.
- I will not haul the RV north. This will be a long road trip in the Toyota.
The decision to not take the RV north was driven primarily by the lack of a place to stay. Based on my experience last year, if you want an RV site for the season in New England you had better book early. I certainly didn’t want to return to the miserable Quabbin Pines campground. My brother-in-law Ray offered me his house in Worcester and that made the car trip option more appealing. The fact that diesel prices have gone through the roof solidified the decision.
So I will leave Ft Myers early in July, will arrive in Worcester in late July (with a stop in Virginia to visit Jett’s sons), will leave for Wisconsin around Labor Day and will return to Ft Myers by early October. The exact routes and stops are still evolving, but it is a lot easier finding a place for a single man with a dog to stay overnight than it is to find a site for a 42-foot fifth wheel.
The challenge will be to pack for this trip. I have not had to pack for a long road trip in 10 years. The closest would be the 28-day transatlantic cruise.
Because I am leaving the RV in Florida during hurricane season I will have to contract with a company to move it if and when a hurricane approaches. I will also have to make sure that my refrigerator/freezer are pretty empty because if the RV is moved anything in the refrigerator will be lost.
I will be blogging my travel experiences, even though it will not be in an RV. The trip north will be designated TN8 (8th trip north) and the trip south via Wisconsin will be designated TS8 (8th trip south).
One other trip will be required by this plan: a short RV trip. I don’t want to let the RV sit idle for a year – the brakes might rust and I generally need to keep the RV in trip-worthy shape. So I think I will take a short RV trip within Florida in April. Maybe just a weekend trip to Cape Canaveral, where I have never been. This will be a “quick trip” so I will designate it QTF – Quick Trip in Florida.