2019 in Review: Full-Time RVing

2019 In Review. Where do we start to share the adventures we went on? 2019 was our first full year of living in our 2018 Tiffin Allegro Red 33AA Motorhome. To begin with, here are some interesting facts:

Looking back on 2019 in review, we are so blessed to have reconnected with family and friends, became first-time grandparents, met so many fellow travelers, and saw many amazing things in the US (and Mexico too)! Here are highlights of what we enjoyed most in 2019.

January – Arizona

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Let me tell you, Arizona in the winter is great, especially if you have spent most of your life in Minnesota! January highlights include the Lake Havasu Balloon Festival, attending our first RV Rally boondocking in Quartzsite, and exploring Joshua Tree National Park during the 2019 government shutdown.

February – California and Arizona

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In order to dip our toes in the Pacific Ocean, we traveled to San Diego and camped with Mark’s brother Peter and his wife Janna at Sweetwater Summit Regional Park. We convinced them to also join us for boondocking at Pilot Knob BLM (Winterhaven CA) and Kofa National Wildlife Refuge (Yuma AZ). At Kofa, we had our very own saguaro cactus out our front window! After that, we ventured to Phoenix and stayed at Lost Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction. The Superstition Mountains add an excellent backdrop to any campsite!

March – Arizona

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We truly love the area around Tucson! To explore Saguaro National Park, we camped among the giant saguaro cactus at Gilbert Ray Campground. Next, we found San Pedro Resort Community (a Passport America park) in Benson. Heidi connected with a quilting community here and they stay in touch on FaceBook. By the way, if you want to save 50% on camping fees, join Passport America. At the last minute, we decided to attend the 59th National Escapade at Pima County Fairgrounds in Tucson. Escapade is the largest gathering of the Escapees community and is a great way to learn about the RV lifestyle. We met some pretty amazing people there too!

April – Texas and Alabama

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Before leaving Arizona, we decided to hike up Flatiron Trail in the Superstition Mountains. Not sure how we talked ourselves into this hike as it was basically rock climbing up for 1 mile. It was rewarding to reach the top and look out at Phoenix below! Since Destiny (our RV’s name) was still under warranty, we headed to Red Bay, AL, where Tiffin Motorhomes are built. We traveled across New Mexico, Texas, and Arkansas finding state parks, Harvest Hosts, and even a Cracker Barrel parking lot to stay at! While at the Tiffin Service Center, we waited five days until we could get into a service bay. Luckily, our technicians provided excellent customer service and we were happy with their work. We even had the opportunity to meet Bob Tiffin, president and CEO of Tiffin Motorhomes!

May – Mississippi and Missouri

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In the month of May, we spent time in several Army Corps of Engineers parks. The sites are spacious compared to most RV parks and the prices are lower too! Next, we experienced Quilt Town USA in Hamilton, MO! There are 12 quilt shops in town, all owned by Missouri Star Quilt Company? Heidi also met Jenny Doan, co-founder of MSQC, at a quilting trunk show. What did Mark do? Fortunately, a new RV park just opened a half mile from the center of town and he kept busy working on maintenance projects.

June – South Dakota

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Since we are South Dakota residents, we wanted to spend an entire month exploring the east side of the state. To do this, we stayed at three state parks in and around Sioux Falls: Big Sioux Recreation Area, Lake Vermillion Recreation Area, and Palisades State Park. We fell in love with Sioux Falls, especially Falls Park and all the hiking trails! It was sad to see the damage the spring floods did to the farm land surrounding Sioux Falls.

July – Minnesota and Alaska

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July allowed us to spend quality time with Heidi’s Mom and Dad and our daughter and son-in-law in Minnesota. They let us “moochdock” on their property! The best time to visit Minnesota is in the summer! We also flew to Alaska to spend time with our other daughter and son-in-law. While there, we enjoyed lots of hiking, ate lots of salmon and caribou, and helped around the house. We even rented a boat and fished and camped in Blackstone Bay, a gorgeous fjord located south of Whittier. Every time we go to Alaska, we experience the long days of sunshine and beautiful mountains!

August – Wisconsin and Minnesota

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August was a special month for us as we became first-time grandparents to our grandson! Before he was born, we helped with the chores on our daughter and son-in-law’s farm. Heidi took care of the 90+ chickens they have. Mark helped with several house projects. When our grandson arrived, we couldn’t believe how our lives changed in an instant! We are thankful for FaceTime so we can see how he changes from month to month. In August, we also took a couple of trips to Wisconsin. One to Washburn to spend time with Heidi’s cousin Nancy and Matt and one to Hartford for a family wedding. It’s fun to bring our home with us!

September – Minnesota

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Coming out of retirement was something Heidi didn’t think she would do, but when the opportunity to work for a month at the new Apple Mall of America store presented itself, she said, “Yes!” She enjoyed getting to sell the new iPhone 11 to customers too! In September, we enjoyed spending time at Lake Byllesby Regional Park. The park is currently going through quite a renovation. It will be fun to see the park finished in the future!

October – Minnesota and South Dakota

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We stayed in Minnesota until our grandson was baptized. This was a special time for us to be with family and to see our grandson’s smile emerge! We headed to Sioux Falls to deliver a quilt Heidi made for our niece who attends Augustana University. When the weather turned cold and windy, we pointed Destiny towards Texas. When traveling cross country, we search for Harvest Hosts locations, Passport America parks, and boondocking locations to stay at. We write reviews of our stays in the Campendium app which also provides us with ideas on where to stay.

November – Texas

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November was a busy month for us! Heidi attended the Houston Quilt Festival which had everything related to quilting. Then, it was off to Galveston to attend Full-Time Freedom Week where we were one of the speakers! It was featured as the “largest online event for RVers.” We got to hang out with event hosts Julie, Camille, Lindsay, and Liz at the live event. After the conference, we headed to San Antonio to tour The Alamo and Missions. Then, we went to Fredericksburg for the debut release of “The RVers, a new TV show!” We met several YouTube influencers: The RV Geeks, Gone With the Wynns, Technomadia, and more! Lastly, it was time to go to Big Bend National Park with our friends Camille and Bryce from More Than a Wheelin. We ventured to Boquillas, Mexico and got to ride on burrows into town! Another bucket list location checked off!

December – New Mexico and Arizona

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With the holiday season in full swing, seeing cactus’ decorated with lights and Christmas decorations was quite interesting! We checked off two additional bucket list locations: Carlsbad Caverns National Park and White Sands National Park. Both were absolutely breathtaking and unique! We returned to San Pedro Resort Community in Benson so Heidi could meet up with her quilting friends! Then, we headed to Catalina State Park north of Tucson. While there, we hiked the Romero Pools trail which was 6.5 miles and had over 1,100 feet in elevation! For the holidays, Heidi took a flight to spend Christmas with family in Minnesota and to see our grandson. Mark stayed at the North Ranch Escapee’s RV Park in Congress. Fortunately, the weather was good for Heidi to fly back in time to spend New Year’s Eve together!

Thanks for coming with us down memory lane for our 2019 in Review! We can’t believe what we did in 2019 and can’t wait to see what adventures 2020 will bring us!

Finding Joy in the Journey – Heidi of Loving the RV Life