We are Full-Timers!

March 26, 2025 / marniesteve / 3 Comments

Never once when we started RVing five years ago would I have believed we would ever be full-time RVers. Life is so unpredictable! As of February 28, 2025 we no longer have a “sticks & bricks” home, opting for our home on wheels (at least for the time being).

We began considering this change last year, since we were spending so little time at home in Prescott. After many trips to a new 10×20 storage unit and some sad goodbyes with our beloved neighbors, we sold our townhouse to my cousin Mitch and hit the road.

Our final celebration was dinner to celebrate Will’s 7th birthday. Our timing was great, as a big storm hit Prescott right after we left!

During our first month on the road we experienced fabulous Arizona desert sunsets, delicious wines and dinners at various Harvest Hosts across Arizona and New Mexico, and great music at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Texas.

While in the Texas Hill Country we also looked at townhouses and RV properties, but nothing wowed us (except Buc-ee’s)! We’d love to find a winter home that’s comparable to our summer place in Traverse City, MI, so we’ll keep searching.

We’ve spent the last ten days at the beach in Port Aransas, TX. The stay was made so much better by a visit from Steve’s brother Brian, his family, and their new puppy Charlie.

We loved hanging out with the kids, exploring Port A via golf cart, and enjoying dinners out.

Even Bob (sort of) enjoyed spending time with his new “cousin” Charlie.

So far, our full-time RV adventure has been great. We’ve got lots of travel ahead of us that includes a few marathons, horses, and some bourbon. We’ll do our best to keep you posted.

Highlights from Five Months on the Road

February 29, 2024 / marniesteve / Leave a comment

We are about to arrive home after a five month road trip that has taken us over 10,000 miles through 14 states. There have been highs and some lows (thanks, COVID), and we continue to focus on the highs and the tremendous opportunity we have to explore our country while towing our home behind us.

Camping in Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Canyon, Texas

When we travel towards home, we always reflect on our journey and discuss our personal highlights. Here’s what we came up with this time around. Details about each can be found in earlier blog posts and we’ve linked to those where possible.

Marnie’s highlights

Kentucky’s Horse Experiences – From a semi-private, backstretch tour of Churchill Downs to meeting some of the world’s most famous (and expensive) stallions at Claiborne Farms, our time in and around Louisville and Lexington was unforgettable.

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta – Attending the world famous event is a bucket list experience for most RVers. From early morning launches of hundreds of balloons to evening glows, we took it all in from every angle.

Taylor Swift’s Era’s Tour Movie with Brynn and other kid activities – Spending time with our nieces and nephews is always fun. We went to soccer games, basketball games, tumbling practice, to the golf course, Top Golf, and the shopping mall. Thanks to Lydia, Nate, Brynn, and Hudson for letting us hang out! The most memorable for me was seeing Taylor Swift’s concert movie with Brynn and sharing the excitement with her.

Steve’s highlights

Kayaking Fishing in the Florida Keys – Most mornings while we were in the Keys, Steve took his fishing kayak out around the bridges of the Overseas Highway. On most mornings he’d snag (and release) at least a dozen or more fish. Being on the open water, under the sunshine is a paradise for him.

Completing Four More Marathons – Races often determine our itinerary. This year we spent the fall passing through Indianapolis, Louisville, Huntsville, and Jackson to explore each city and for Steve to run 26.2 miles. Including this trip’s races he has now completed a marathon in 34 states and 44 total marathons. Races are always a highlight!

Bourbon Tasting – The first thing we did when we got into Kentucky was to buy the Bourbon Trail Passport book and begin to check the distilleries off page by page. We visited 15 distilleries and tasted at least four bourbons at each facility. You do the math. Steve says his favorite bourbon is the one in his hand!

A five-month trip, of course, has many memorable moments. The big events and the little moments all make this lifestyle so rewarding. Between seeing great RV friends in Tampa, discovering wonderful restaurants in the Keys, watching sunset over Mobile Bay, and visiting with family, this has been a great journey.

We’ve been RVing almost full time for almost four years. A lot people ask us about the details of our travels. Just for fun, here are some stats about this winter’s cross-country adventure.

Nights in the RV: 153

Nights parked in the family’s driveways: 10 (thanks Brian, Heidi, Gary, and Kristy!)

Number of KOA campgrounds visited: 6
(Grants, NM; Nashville, TN; Orlando, FL; Sugarloaf Key, FL; St. Petersburg/Madiera Beach, FL; Shreveport/Bossier City, LA)

Number of Harvest Host overnights: 6
(Fireside Winery, Marengo, IA; Epiphany Farms, Downs, IL; Corbin Farms Winery, Calera, AL; Lane Southern Orchards, Fort Valley, GA, NRS Ranch, Decatur, TX; Sierra Blanca Brewing Co., Moriarity, NM)

Nights camping on a landfill: 7 (during the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta)

Number of state parks visited: 10
(My Old Kentucky Home, Bardstown, KY; Gulf State Park, Gulf Shores, AL; Paynes Prairie Preserve, Micanopy, FL; Jonathan Dickinson, Jupiter, FL; John Pennekamp Coral Reef, Key Largo, FL; Little Manatee River, Wimauma, FL; Fort Desoto, Tierra Verde, FL; Meaher, Mobile, AL; Palo Duro Canyon, Canyon, TX; Homolovi, Winslow, AZ)

Number of books read by Marnie: 24 (favorite titles include Between Two Kingdoms by Sulieka Jaouad, Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult, Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe, America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray, and Horse by Geraldine Brooks)

The first photo in this post is from our stop at Palo Duro Canyon, where we stopped on our way home. Here’s roughly the same photo from the next morning. We experienced ash and smoke in Amarillo two days ago from the massive Texas fires. Now it’s snowing just 30 miles south of Amarillo. RV travel never ceases to surprie!

We’ll be at home in Arizona for awhile to repair, refresh, and renew ourselves and the RV. Stay tuned as we have some pretty incredible travel plans ahead.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

October 10, 2023 / marniesteve / 3 Comments

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is considered the most photographed event in the world and we now know why! Warning: Photo dump to come.

Our weeklong excursion in the heart of the Fiesta was supported by Fantasy RV Tours, which supplied our campsite in a lot within walking distance of the festivities, along with power, trash service, meals, and several additional activities. We loved having a close by home base from which to take in this massive event, along with a built in set of fellow travelers with which to enjoy every minute.

Our crew in the Fantasy RV group: Kathi, Sharon, Steve, Doug, Jacqui, Steve, and Dwight

We started this “once in a lifetime” experience with a tour of the Balloon Museum, where we learned about the sport of ballooning including its history, the mechanics of ballooning, and the details of the Fiesta.

The 51st annual Fiesta began before sunrise on Saturday morning where we joined over 100,000 others on the field for Dawn Patrol and the Mass Ascension. Before we got here we didn’t know what any of that meant, but now we do! After making it through the gates we took in the early morning drone show followed by the inflation and launch of the first dozen balloons, Dawn Patrol, who test the winds for the other balloons that will follow.

The line to enter the park on Saturday morning at 5:30 a.m.

The Mass Ascension occurs on the weekends of the eight day Fiesta and involves the inflation and launch of over 500 balloons. We were able to be on the field and up close to the balloons and their crews. We selected one balloon and watched the detailed process of setting up the balloon, inflating it, and launching it.

The Mass Ascension is an overwhelming spectacle whether you watch it from the field, from the borders of the field, or from afar. We spent Saturday morning on the grounds of the Albuquerque Balloon Park and Sunday outside the park on our bikes. Every angle is incredible!

On other days we stayed in the campground and the balloons came to us! Our accommodations in the South Lot were the perfect place to watch the balloons land and chase crews rush to provide assistance. Look how close they got to the RVs!

Evenings at the Fiesta are fun as well, with the evening glow and other activities. During the glows, the balloons do not launch, but rather inflate and then light their burners in a synchronized way. Again, we were able to get close enough to hear the burners and feel the heat. Wow!

The evening we attended the glow was special because they also launched gas balloons as part of the Gordon Bennett balloon race. These balloons run on hydrogen and are designed for long-distance flights. They come from all over the world and can travel thousands of miles. The goal is to travel further than your competitors and as I write this several days later many are still in the air on the other side of the country. Hosting the Gordon Bennett race this year was a unique feature of this year’s Fiesta.

Balloon Fiesta Park is filled with fun photo ops during this event. Besides balloons there are sky divers, drone shows, chainsaw carving, and even Darth Vader sightings.

In addition to the balloon activities, we spent a little time on our bikes exploring the miles of trails that weave through the city of Albuquerque. We also had the opportunity to connect with my cousin Jon and his wife Monja for dinner to catch up on family affairs.

And, when the balloons weren’t flying, Fantasy RV Tours took us to other fun places in ABQ like Old Town where we visited the Breaking Bad Store and Museum, among other shops! As you can see, we had perfect weather all week.

The Balloon Fiesta is all about photo ops, so we’ll finish this post with a photo dump of our favorite balloon photos and a nudge to you. If you ever have the opportunity to attend the Fiesta, jump on it!