Funny, I kind of like hitting a small stint of traffic during a long day of driving. It gives me a bit of a mental break that I enjoy, just slowong down a bit.

I am younger, so I can’t take trips for months at a time, but spring has been nice so far. We just completed a week long stay down in Amelia Island, FL at Sandpiper RV Park. It was very nice, quiet, affordable, and the spot was very level. Highly recommend looking them up and speaking with Lynn if you are going near NW Florida. Good beaches there, this was a family vacation (my folks live down there). The weather was perfect We did this drive in two ~545mi days. I’d love to have had the time to do each way in three days, but it wasn’t in the cards. Anything more than 400 miles in a day is a little exhausting.

We also flat towed the pickup truck for the first time which went well. Fuel economy took about a 20% hit and it was harder to maintain 60mph but it was great having the truck down there.

This was also the first long trip with my Wife, and I’m happy to report that she loved it. She does not drive the coach and she initially said she thought she would feel trapped sitting in there driving for so long (she flew mostly growing up, for vacations). But within an hour departing Chicago she was loving it. It was great having someone around while driving to refill my drink or grab a snack, and just generally hang out with. Having an RV has always been a dream of mine and I do feel blessed that she enjoys it with me. We had hoped to bring our two cats with us but:

1. They have not spent enough time getting used to driving in it
2. I do not have a reliable enough way to keep the coach safe and cool 24/7 (yet) which worries me in warmer states

And in just 2 weeks I’ll be turning right back around and heading to Myrtle Beach, SC with my younger brother for a week of golfing. Barth trips with him are also nice because he likes to drive, which gives me time to relax in the back.

Before then I’m tackling a few projects, installing a Dakota Digital cruise control kit (thanks Bill for the write up) and removing, resealing, and replacing the front upper marker lights as they started leaking. I’m half way through that job now.

Sounds like things are coming together. Motorhomes can be a lot of fun!

We have travelled with two different cats. Neither had any problem with the coach. The current one lived in our Monarch all winter and had no problems. We put about 40k on our Regal with the first one and another 40k on the Monarch with the second one. Now he seems to really like the loft in the park model, spends a lot of time sleeping up there.

Tom and Nancy Johns, and Nick and Donna Cagle are former Barth owners who travelled all over together. We met them in 2011 and enjoyed their company many times. They both upgraded to Foretravels a few years ago. Nick had a 300 mile/3 o'clock rule. That gets you settled in time for cocktails. 500+ is a long day. We decided a corollary rule that if you go longer than 500 you have to skip a day to recover. Good rules!

You will find the Cruise control a major help. I had the Dakota Digital in the Regal, used it all the time.

It has been different this year without the coach but we will be heading to Minnesnowta in May.

Have Barth, will travel

Nice to have a younger couple take an interest in having a Barth! Enjoy!

Projects almost complete. Skirting all around, steps and porch and more skirt. Rain gutter over porch. Pavers almost done. Gardens are coming along. It was almost one year ago the house was delivered.

Liz has done a lot of work on the gardens. Mostly native plants so they should survive. She put some big potted plants by the corner, people kept cutting right next to the house!