If you look at the map that we’ve recently been including, you’ll notice that we seem to be making a beeline in a general northwest direction from our start in Florida. No loitering in any specific area, just a few days stay here and there, always NW when we move on. This is because our first “milestone” stop was the Winnebago factory in Forest City, Iowa, for a long list of warranty work on Sybil, mostly minor but a couple of significant issues we need to get resolved. We made the appointment many months ago and, after a few minor adventures getting this show on the road, we made it on time and relatively unscathed. We’re holed up in a motel while the work is taking place, so this seems like a good time to look at what we’ve done so far.

  • We pulled out of Brevard County 40 days ago. It seems much longer when you’re doing new things every day.
  • So far we’ve averaged just under $28/night for our spots. Our first year goal is under $50/night. Whoo-hoo!
  • We’ve covered 1,869 miles averaging 7.5 mpg. That sounds pretty bad, but between Lady Sybil and the F150 we are over 40,000 lbs rolling down the road. I’m satisfied. Fun fact: our mileage has improved since leaving Florida. We seem to gain more fuel efficiency coasting down these hills/mountains than we lose going up them.
  • We have risen roughly 14.5 degrees in latitude. 90 degree weather is far, far behind us and the days are noticeably longer. (As I type this, the day’s length is 13 hours 30 minutes in Cocoa Beach. Here in Forest City, it is 14 hours 38 minutes.)
  • We have crossed one time zone, which initially complicated matters. We missed several TV shows before we got used to prime time starting an hour early. We’ll be crossing another shortly after pulling out of here. More confusion ahead.
  • We’ve taken close to 500 photos. Many are what I refer to as being snapshots or memory shots, but there are some gems in there too. I’m happy to be shooting more frequently and I can’t wait to head west into truly target rich environments.

So there ya go, some numbers for you. Stay tuned for our tales of the west which we’re sure will include adventures in mountain driving, big skies, family visits and who knows what else. We sure don’t.

The Town Square, Forest City, Iowa, 5/13/10

A quite modern Veterans Memorial, Forest City, Iowa, 5/13/10

An older veteran, Forest City, Iowa, 5/13/10