oOur plan had, initially, been to head back to Florida after this year's summer in the Upper Mid-West, culminating in South Dakota. We had also planned to head out west next summer. We hadn't finalized where we were headed, but we knew it would be out west.
We started looking at the route and realized that if we headed back to Florida, with a stopover in Tennessee for a month, we would be adding over 2800 miles to our journey this coming year. In terms of miles, gas and wear and tear, this made no sense at all.
We discussed our options with our VA doctors and they assured us that we could visit a clinic out west for a year for our annual visits. So, that obstacle was removed.
The only obstacle left is our family and friends. We've spoken to several family members and they all agree that it wouldn't make financial sense to come back East. Not seeing Kate and her parents in person will be difficult, but luckily, they're great at Facetiming with us, so even if we can't hug her, we can still see her and hear what's going on with her. It will be difficult not seeing them for two years, instead of one year, but we just can't do it.
So, what do we plan on doing? When we leave South Dakota in September, we're heading directly south and will spend Oct and November in Castroville, just outside San Antonio. It's a 5 star resort that was so much more reasonable than Florida rates. My mom will fly down and spend Thanksgiving with us.
In December, we'll be in Port Aransas at Gulf Water Campground. This is our Christmas splurge. We'll be right on the gulf and Dave will be able to actually ride the gold cart on the beach. And the dogs are allowed on the beach as well.
January through March will be spent in Mission at Bentsen Palm Village. There are tons and tons of activities there and we'll have fun staying busy. It's also very warm there, so I'm looking forward to some quality pool time.
Once we hit the road in April, we'll be headed west, through NM and Arizona. Right now, we're discussing going to the National Parks in the Tri-state area - Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, Arches and all the rest. But we may change our mind. Who knows.
But our winter plans are firmed up. Texas will be our home for the cold months this year. We'll miss seeing everyone, but we have to think of what's best for us and our finances.
We started looking at the route and realized that if we headed back to Florida, with a stopover in Tennessee for a month, we would be adding over 2800 miles to our journey this coming year. In terms of miles, gas and wear and tear, this made no sense at all.
We discussed our options with our VA doctors and they assured us that we could visit a clinic out west for a year for our annual visits. So, that obstacle was removed.
The only obstacle left is our family and friends. We've spoken to several family members and they all agree that it wouldn't make financial sense to come back East. Not seeing Kate and her parents in person will be difficult, but luckily, they're great at Facetiming with us, so even if we can't hug her, we can still see her and hear what's going on with her. It will be difficult not seeing them for two years, instead of one year, but we just can't do it.
So, what do we plan on doing? When we leave South Dakota in September, we're heading directly south and will spend Oct and November in Castroville, just outside San Antonio. It's a 5 star resort that was so much more reasonable than Florida rates. My mom will fly down and spend Thanksgiving with us.
In December, we'll be in Port Aransas at Gulf Water Campground. This is our Christmas splurge. We'll be right on the gulf and Dave will be able to actually ride the gold cart on the beach. And the dogs are allowed on the beach as well.
January through March will be spent in Mission at Bentsen Palm Village. There are tons and tons of activities there and we'll have fun staying busy. It's also very warm there, so I'm looking forward to some quality pool time.
Once we hit the road in April, we'll be headed west, through NM and Arizona. Right now, we're discussing going to the National Parks in the Tri-state area - Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, Arches and all the rest. But we may change our mind. Who knows.
But our winter plans are firmed up. Texas will be our home for the cold months this year. We'll miss seeing everyone, but we have to think of what's best for us and our finances.