We are off on our next adventure!

Joe spent last fall pouring over online maps, researching potential stopping points and planning our 2020 van trip. On last year’s trip we ping-ponged around the American Southwest and racked up over 10,000 miles by the time we returned to Michigan. This year our intention is to travel from point to point in more or less a straight line. We do have one caveat: weather permitting.

We left the day after our 32nd wedding anniversary. Loaded lighter than last year, we pulled out of our driveway around 10 am on Friday, January 3rd. After overnight stops to visit with friends in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, we made our way to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Forecasted high winds closed the Blue Ridge Parkway, so we re-routed ourselves to South Carolina’s coastline. Currently we are enjoying our morning barefoot beach walks and the sound of the surf as we watch brown pelicans fly low over the Atlantic Ocean waves.

We’re slowly making our way to Florida to visit Joe’s parents in their new full-time Sunshine State residence. After Florida we will head west toward New Orleans, Louisiana. Then continue through the great state of Texas with stops in Galveston and Big Bend National Park. When we run out of coastline we will motor across New Mexico and Arizona, maybe up into Utah. We plan to linger in Southern California before driving up the West Coast to Seattle, Washington. The last leg of our journey will bring us back to Michigan with stops in Idaho, Montana, South Dakota and Minnesota. Our planned shortcut will take us from Wisconsin, across Lake Michigan via a car ferry. We will disembark just a few hours from home. I know Joe will want to linger and stretch out our last day in the van, but after this six month in the van I will be ready for home.

Our 2020 route covers about 10,000 miles and 20 of our nation’s states before returning us to Michigan. We hope you follow along, or if time permits, join us on our journey.