Dale & Debbie Part 42 - East Coast New Year

23rd Jan 2024

Happy New Year Everyone!

We had another great year of traveling in our motorhome! Last June 13th marked our 9th anniversary of full-timing. These years have gone by very fast. Below is a map of the route we took in 2023, beginning at our winter stop in Apache Junction, AZ. We drove 6854 miles in our motor home and many more in our jeep.

For those of you new to our blog, we wanted to slow down long enough to introduce ourselves!

Who are Dale & Debbie?

Full-time RVers for the past 9+ years
AB Lifestyles feature bloggers for 3+ years
Originally from Chesterfield, VA. Now residents of South Dakota for travel purposes
Dale retired from a career with Verizon.
Debbie was a mortgage underwriter until we had children, then became a homemaker and volunteer (which I loved).
Two grown children, Brian in New York and Lisa in Virginia
Sold our home 9+ years ago and moved into our 40 ft. Winnebago
Have visited all 50 states (all except Hawaii in their RV) and also traveled parts of Canada and Mexico
Favorite aspect of full-timing: The ability to go wherever we wish while always having a clean place to stay and everything we need.
Biggest challenge: Debbie - Getting my hair cut the way I want! Dale - scheduling RV maintenance and repairs.
Favorite place visited: If we have to choose just one, it's the Grand Canyon.
Favorite Activity - Hiking!

Now on to our latest adventures...We are wintering in LaBelle, FL on the Caloosahatchee River (where Dale’s hoping to do some fishing).

Christmas week was spent with our kids in North Redington Beach, FL, about a 2.5 hour drive north of us. We didn’t have great beach weather, but did see the sun pop through a handful of times. On our best weather day, we hiked at a nature preserve and came across some pretty wading birds.

Lisa’s Christmas sand snowman!

Decorating cookies, cooking meals, doing puzzles, reading books, and watching movies occupied our indoor time.

On our best weather day, we hiked at a nature preserve and came across some pretty wading birds including white pelicans, white ibis and a wood stork.

We enjoyed our time together! Below is a brief update on our kid’s lives.

Brian and Dana purchased a house in Brooklyn last year. It was built in 1910 and has many original features that have been meticulously maintained, along with some modern updates. They’ve been enjoying their charming home and the neighborhood. Brian continues to work on his company, Outward Intelligence. It has been very successful and they are now working with international companies. Dana left her full-time job and is now freelance writing. They are both avid readers, love what the city offers, and like to drive upstate to hike and explore small towns.

Lisa continues to thrive in the Richmond, VA area. She loves practicing at the dental office where she’s been a hygienist for the past 5+ years. 2023 was a year full of adventuring for Lisa. Some highlights were visiting us a few times and a trip to Costa Rica, where a local restaurant prepared some blackfin tuna she caught. She enjoys fishing, hiking, and exploring at every opportunity. Lisa also volunteered at several dental mission projects in Virginia last year. She loves staying busy and spending time with her black lab, Nika!

May 2024 be a prosperous one! We wish each of you a healthy, happy, and successful year!

Peace and best wishes,
Dale & Debbie

Coming up next...

We're gonna backtrack a little and catch you up on some of our 2023 adventures including Great Basin National Park, Thompson Springs, Utah, Dinosaur National Monument and more. Stay tuned!