Five Years RV Living and Traveling Full-time

By Published 2023, Black Hills of South Dakota

With my truck backed under my fifth-wheel RV, it was early on the morning of June 15, 2018 that I pulled out of the Kentucky Horse Park Campground in Lexington, Kentucky and began this journey of living and traveling fulltime in my RV.

My house was sold, the vast majority of my belongings gone and I was retired. The overwhelming uncertainty was only slightly masked by an uncomfortable confidence. I jumped in with both feet, knowing I had a vague back-up plan that would involve reversing everything, buying another house and settling down somewhere along the way.

On that first day about 175 miles after leaving Lexington, Kentucky, I landed in Bloomington, Indiana. Over the next few days of traveling, the momentum was gradually building like slowly ascending a clanking roller coaster. Eventually I settled in and the swift downhill slope of the roller coaster took over. I was getting used to living and travelling in an RV. I have been hanging on tight ever since and just enjoying the ride.

Fulltime RV life has not really been exactly as I planned or imagined. My journey quickly took on a life of its own, constantly evolving to take advantage of the next interesting adventure. I may occasionally tap the rudder, but typically I try to simply follow the winds and the current. Occasionally I get grounded, but more often than not, I just go with it and things have a way of working out.

Roman philosopher Seneca once said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” And with my slight twist, I have been open to taking risks when opportunities present. My sails are always wide open to the prevailing wind. Sometimes I fail spectacularly, but frequently I am lucky enough to stumble into adventures where I immerse myself in unique and unforgettable experiences.

I am grateful for my family, old friends, new friends, and the renewed friendships; all who tolerate and mostly even encourage my nomadic lifestyle. I may weave in and out of your daily lives, but I value each of you. Not everyone may want their names and photos posted on TikTok or here on my blog, so as always I remain respectful of that, and I’ll stick to generalities in that regard.

Thanks to everyone who has followed my blog here on RVingRevealed during the last five years. And if any of my 40,000 TikTok followers make their way over here to the blog – it’s been a fun journey sharing my adventures in short-form video over the last two and a half years. Thank ya’ll for coming along for the ride!

What’s Next?

Oh, if there was any doubt – I’m staying on the road! I’m volunteering at Custer State Park through the end of July, and then I’ll be on the road to find my next adventure.

Five Years of Travel

Here’s a few of my favorite experiences during the last five years…

By the Numbers:

  • 110,000 miles driven
  • 27 States
  • 2 Foreign Countries
  • 13 National Parks
  • Over 50 State Parks
  • 700 miles hiked on the Appalachian Trail
  • 2 times seeing the Northern Lights
  • 4 flat tires
  • 5 Presidential Libraries
  • 1 total lunar eclipse

Best Wildlife Encounters:

  • Moose in Isle Royale National Park, Lake Superior, Michigan
  • Snorkeling with Manatees in Homosassa Springs, Florida
  • Buffalo in Custer State Park, South Dakota
  • Sandhill Crane migration in Nebraska
  • Synchronized Fireflies in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
  • Bald Eagles at Lake Guntersville State Park, Alabama

Best Hikes:

  • Appalachian Trail – 700 miles from Amicalola Falls State Park, Georgia to Roanoke, Virginia
  • Black Elk Peak in Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota
  • Mount Leconte in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee
  • Huginnin Cove in Isle Royal National Park, Lake Superior, Michigan

Best Museums:

  • Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas
  • National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning, in Columbus, Georgia
  • The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan
  • Terry Redlin Museum in Watertown, South Dakota

Best Kayaking:

  • Robertson Millpond Preserve, North Carolina
  • Congaree National Park, South Carolina
  • Sylvan Lake, South Dakota

Best Mountain Biking:

  • Tanglewood Park, Clemmons, NC
  • Chewacla State Park, Auburn, AL
  • Pennyrile Forest State Park Resort, Dawson Springs, KY
Inside stage at the Black Hills Playhouse before a performance.
Since 1946, students come from all over the country to live in the Black Hills of South Dakota for the summer and present live theater at the historic Black Hills Playhouse located in Custer State Park.
A pond along Grace Coolidge Creek reflecting trees along the bank.
Several ponds were created along Grace Coolidge Creek to promote trout fishing in Custer State Park.
Beautiful stone and wood cabin built by South Dakota's first Poet Laurette, Badger Clark in Custer State Park.
The Badger Hole was the home of the first Poet Laurette in South Dakota. It is preserved just as Badger Clark left it in 1957. He was known as the Cowboy Poet and is perhaps most famous for his poem, A Cowboys Prayer.
View of the Black Hills beyond the rock granite behind Sylvan Lake.
The Sunday Gulch Trail provides views beyond Sylvan Lake into the Black Hills.
New earning opportunity with bounty for subscription boxes

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