Finally Heading Out
Updated: Feb 17
When I first moved into the RV, I opted to stay pretty close to family. You could call it an extended shake out period as I felt relatively clueless despite having watched a ton of videos (watching is never the same as doing). The entire first week was spent driveway surfing at my parents' house followed by a couple of weeks house sitting for my sister. By the time I was finally ready to head out, it had been a 6-week visit, and a real treat to have that extended period of time over the holidays while still having my own space. But shortly after New Year's, I was time to start my solo journey.
I still wanted to stay close to family as it helped me feel more comfortable knowing there was someone within a reasonable driving distance who could help me out should something go completely sideways. As a result, January was spent entirely in Florida (I've included links to all the stops made during that first month below). Fortunately, all went well, and I was slowly but surely gaining confidence. And given that this was January, I was also trying to avoid the winter weather. Unfortunately, that didn't go as well, and winter still found me. The snowstorm that hit the Florida pan handle in January of 2025 shattered the previous record sent in 1954. But thankfully, I was east of the worst of it and booked into a site at Topsail Hill State Park for the duration. I was nice and cozy when I didn't have to venture out to walk the dog. And since we are still talking about Florida, the snow was gone within a few days, and I was still able to get out and enjoy some hiking while I was there. When it was time to head out for my next stop, it was sunny and beautiful.
It was still a challenge to book sites on short notice despite the unusually snowy conditions as Florida is full of snowbirds during the winter - many of them spending the winter season in their RVs. And it's pretty common for folks who travel down seasonally to book a year in advance. With space limited, some campgrounds end up charging extremely high rates. I was quoted $245/night at one campground. Given the price, I didn't stay there, but I had to wonder if they had Perrier coming out of their gold-plated water spigots. Guess we'll never know. Unfortunately, I hadn't even tried to map anything out until early December, and It didn't help that I was still trying to figure out trip planning. There were times when finding a reasonably priced site was extremely frustrating, but I did get lucky several times as well. All in all, it was a good learning experience. Additionally, my internet solution was working well - thanks in large part to the connectivity details included with the campground listings on the RV Life website - which meant I was able to keep up with work while learning how to navigate life on the road. It was just the start of the journey I am still on, and I am truly thankful for how well things went during those first few weeks on the road. There were still lots of challenges and plenty of times I was totally terrified when on the road (driving is definitely VERY different in an RV), I'm still learning and adapting, but by the end of those first few weeks, I was feeling like this RV lifestyle was going to work out for me. And I was glad I'd decided to give it a go.
I've posted some photo highlights from those first few weeks to my Instagram account (@dandelionroadtravel), but I can also say that there isn't one "best" experience. What I was finding out then (and still proves to be true now) is that there is always something new and surprising down the road. So while there is no one favorite experience from those first few weeks on the road, there are still a couple of things that stand out:
Waking up to see the sunrise from my bedroom window at Gamble Rodgers state park and the "Got Slushed" winery in Flagler - how can you not love it!
Being chased by the guinea hens at the Lake Seneca farms winery. They really are great watch dogs. And it was so funny to watch them run the other way when challenged.
Lunch at the Riverside Cafe in St. Marks, Florida. That was definitely one of the best fish sandwiches I've ever had along with a truly spectacular spot by the river to overnight.
Mist rising up from the Suwannee river when staying at Suwannee River Rendezvous (had the old/primitive part of the campground nearly to myself).
Hiking at the 2 Florida state parks I was miraculously able to find a spot at.
And all while still working full-time. The only real question at this point was where to go next!
January 2025 Stops:
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