I loved reading my hopes for 2018.

We learned how to be nomads and to live each day to the fullest. This past year gave us so many opportunities to witness and wonders to see. We made new friends who transcend location and we share our lives joyously on social media. We saw God's beauty at work in the most unlikely places. We learned to communicate with our hearts without saying a word and I realized, once again, that I'm sharing this adventure with my best friend and soul mate. How lucky I am. This year also saw my mom learn the joy and peace of our lifestyle as she shared a holiday with us.

As we start a new year, I'm excited to see what the future holds for us. We're loving our winter's rest - an opportunity to settle for a while and redevelop the sense of community that keeps us anchored in the real world. New friends are a treasure and fill my heart. Old friends are always, just a click away. We may not be together, but they are always in my heart.

The pain of being away from family was made easier with new technology. Although it pains us to be away from them, we hope that we're setting a good example of living our life's dream.
What will this new Year hold for us? Our word for the year is EXPLORE. Moving away from the tourist traps and learning about secret places is our goal. We want to continue to see this wonderful world in a new light and take something away from each experience. We hope that sharing our experiences will make this world a little better.

This season, we drove 4,173 miles and went through 12 states, before settling into our winter home in Texas. Some of our stays exceeded our expectations and some didn't.  We found areas of the country that we fell in love with and would go back to in a heartbeat.  South Dakota, we're talking about you!

Here is our Top Ten list.  It's totally subjective and based on the area, not just the campground.

10.   Holland, Michigan
Our first stop in Michigan and a scenic one.  We enjoyed the Dutch Village , and although we were too late for the tulip festival, the Windmill Island Gardens more than made up for it.  And the sunsets were incredible.

9. Apostle Islands, Wisconsin
The Apostle Islands were a beautiful addition to the grandeur that is Lake Superior.  Having never seen the Great Lakes before, it was an awe-inspring sight to behold.  Our private boat tour around the Islands was not anything I'm liable to forget!

8.
Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City started with a wonderful campground - Traverse Bay RV Resort.  It was truly a resort, with 12 ponds and beautifully landscaped campsites.  The MIssion Point Lighthouse and the Sleeping Bear Dunes were an incredible sight to behold.

​Of course, I'll never forget that Traverse City was where we got the Golf Cart stuck in the mud!

7.  Manistique, Michigan
No top ten list would be complete without our stay in Manistique.  Nestled on the banks of Lake Michigan, Manistique Lakeshore Campground is a City owned campground that was fantastic!  We listened to the waves crashing onto the shore every evening we were there.  The highlight of our stay there was the Pictured Rocks Cruise on Lake Michigan.

6. Sturgeon Bay/Door County, Wisconsin
Door County, Wi is well known for its scenic drives and country beauty.  It definitely did justice to the tales of beauty.  Every corner we turned brought into view another scenic village.  No trip through Door County is complete without a scenic drive on Hwy 42.

5. Orr, Minnesota
Our stay at Voyageurs Sunset Resort was completely different from anything we had enjoyed up to now.  A fishing camp, the sites were just a piece of grass with some hookups.  But what the resort lacked in resort ambiance, it more than made up for in getting back to basics.  The entire week we were there, we had no cell phone or wifi signals.  

But what we did have was a beautiful Ash River, leading out into the harbor.  Twice, we took a small boat out for fishing.  I caught my first fish, a walleye, and Dave caught several Pike.  We were able to take the dogs with us and they enjoyed the water as much as we did.  Rustic and homey, the Ash River will always hold a special place in our hearts.  And it made Dave's bucket list, who wants to go back up and go ice fishing.

Orr will also stay in my heart for the wonderful Bear Refuge located there.

4.  Dickinson/Theodore Roosevelt National Park

While Dickinson was not very scenic, it was the gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  Upon entering the NP, you feel like you've entered another world.  Between the landscape and the Bison, TRNP was truly one of our favorite Parks!

3.  Mackinaw, Michigan
Although towards the beginning of our Summer, our stay in Mackinaw was truly one of our favorites.  Our campground, Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground, blessed us on our first night with a fireworks show over the Mighty Mackinaw Bridge.

We enjoyed many long drives through the immense campground.  Our favorite day, though, was the day we went to Mackinaw Island.  Good fortune smiled on us as we learned from our breakfast server a novel way to tour the Island.  Instead of getting on the tourist trolleys pulled by horses, we went to a different livery and were able to rent our own horse and buggy.  Dave was able to drive the horse and buggy around the entire island and it was so much more fun to do it by ourselves instead of with 50 other people.  That server did get a big tip!

2. Wall, South Dakota

While the town itself was small, boasting only the infamous Wall Drug as its scenery, we fell in love with the Badlands National Park.  We loved it so much, that we decided to attempt our first Boondocking trip.  The scenery was incredible and I could have stayed there for days, on our ridge overlooking the beautiful Canyon.  But we ended up going back a day early because the winds were too strong - way too strong.  But I'll always have beautiful memories of our stay there and the possibilities of doing more Boondocking.  Yes, that bug has bitten.

1. Custer, South Dakota

I can't say enough about the Custer area.  We fell in love with it and would actually live there, if not for the winters.  The area abounds in natural scenery as well as many tourist attractions.  From Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse to Deadwood and Needles Highway, we stayed for two weeks and wanted to extend our stay another two months.  What an end to a glorious summer!  Sylvan Lake, the Custer State Park Wildlife Loop, the list is endless.

We spent many a day fishing in the Parks and once we landed in Black HIlls National Forest, we knew we had to see it up close.  So, off we went to the local Ace Hardware, bought a tent, sleeping bags and other needed items and we spent two days camping in the Park.  Dave will never forget eating his own fish he caught and I'll never forget watching the Chipmunks at play and relaxing in my own hammock.  The Black HIlls Wild Horse Sanctuary and Bear Country USA were places I'll never forget.

Custer had its own charm.  We celebrated our Anniversary at one of the Steakhouses in town, sitting on the Upper Deck and looking out at the mountains.

Custer was our favorite stop this season and we look forward to going back, sooner rather than later.  If you've not been to the west side of South Dakota, then you're missing out on one of Nature's most beautiful scenes.

What's up next after our winter in Texas?  Hopefully New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado.  Any don't miss suggestions are welcomed!

The December moon

I decided to drive down to South Padre Island today, with the purpose of seeing the Sandcastle Christmas Village.  My new friend, Cathy, decided to join me and we had a great day of lunch, sightseeing and collecting shells on the beach.  It was great to see the ocean again and the shells were plentiful.

Since they allow dogs on the beach, I foresee us spending time down here with the kids.  All in all, a great day!

We took a drive up to Falcon State Park last weekend, to look for a good fishing hole for Dave.  The quest was not a success, but the moodiness of the water, and the birds, struck me.

​I also saw my first roadrunner!

We've been here, in Mission, for nearly a month and have settled in.  We've made new friends and have had a great time.  The kids also love it and Sage loves driving the golf cart.

Chacho's been a real Daddy's boy today and I just caught him kissing.

"Twenty-eight years ago, the City of Hidalgo started a tiny festival to bring the Spirit of Christmas to South Texas.Hidalgo Festival of Lights has evolved in to the largest Christmas light display,
visited by hundreds of thousands of people throughout the course of the month-long festival. Every year, throughout the month of December, you can tour our Christmas Light Displays with more than 5 million lights and over 500 illuminated displays."

What a great time we had on Monday!  The RV park, along with most of the other RV parks in the area, put together a package - dinner, a tram ride through the Festival of Lights, capped by a children's mariachi band for entertainment.

Dinner was good - roast beef, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, roll and a cookie.  After dinner, we boarded the tram for what I thought would be a short drive throughout the block.  Imagine my surprise when the ride took close to 45 minutes and we saw the most incredible light show.  There were a lot of themes - Christmas around the World, the 12 days of Christmas, Fairytale Christmas, just to name a few.

The beautiful lights were enhanced by the atmosphere - we were also treated to a Christmas carnival with different rides, to include a ferris wheel.  Dave kept wondering where they store all this stuff after Christmas.

The children's Mariachi band was wonderful to watch.  We were kept in stitches by a young man who looked like he wanted to make singing to the ladies a career move.  Dave also found a taco stand, so he was a happy camper.

All of this cost us $12 a person; a steal, in my opinion.  I hope the RV park continues this tradition in the future.  It was well worth every penny we spent.

I was very sad when I got home, to realize that only a very few pictures actually were decent enough to show.  I was seated in the middle, and the constant movement made most of them blurry.  I hope, though, that these select few will give an idea of the grand scope of this event.

We've almost finished decorating for Christmas, and what fun we had!  Below are some pictures of the decorations.  In the near future, I'll also take some video of the outside lights and golf cart.  I think we outdid ourselves this year!

We've settled into our winter home here in Mission, in the beautiful Rio Grande Valley.  We're already starting to feel very much at home here, and are enjoying meeting our new neighbors.

Yesterday we rode the tram through the beautiful Rio Grande Valley State Park.  Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly.  Right off the bat we saw another javelina and so many spectacular birds, including the vibrant Green Jay.  Hawks were also plentiful.

We continued our wildlife trek today with a Pontoon Boat ride down (up?) the Rio Grande.  Right before we left for the cruise, we followed a truck that had TN plates.  The owner, Cheryl, is from Chattanooga, and it turned out that she was also going on the Boat ride, so we had a very pleasant chat about home.

The other couple that joined us on the boat cruise are avid birders, so we learned how to spot birds and also learn a few of the species that fly around here.  

As we rode, we learned a little about the river that joins the U.S. and Mexico, right in the middle.  We saw numerous parks on the Mexican side, as well as some houses, to include one very nice mansion that had been confiscated by the Mexican government because the owner is serving time for dealing drugs.  Although we saw several Border Patrol vehicles on the U.S. side, there were only a few people on the Mexican side, mostly doing construction work.  Our guides pointed out bright plastic along the shore line, that were rafts used to cross over to the U.S.

The ride was very enjoyable, although a bit chilly.  I neglected to bring my bigger camera, so the bird pictures I took today were not the best.  In addition, it was very overcast and gray and made it harder to get quality pictures.  Next time we go, I'll be sure to bring my other camera to see these flying beauties up close.

My mom and I bought Dave a cute little Christmas cactus when we were at the Weinachtsmarkt in New Braunfels.  This morning, it bloomed - two blossoms!  So pretty!