Retirement Year Seven
Year seven of retirement in 2023 went by so quickly! We saw some beautiful new areas of the country on an epic trip to the Pacific Northwest. However, the year was not without its challenges, particularly related to health. But, we and our family are doing well overall.
Retirement Year Seven Travel
Anyone who has read my blog knows that travel, mostly in our camper, is an enormous focus of our time in retirement. The goal is to do everything we can while still able. Fortunately, it was a very active year in this area.
Our Winter Getaway
Our winter getaway was a little more than six weeks in several Florida campgrounds.
Topsail Preserve State Park
Firstly, we had two weeks at Topsail, a favorite campground, near Destin, Florida. It has a private beach and great places to ride our e-bikes. We bought a cart Sophie and provided lots of treats, but she was not a happy biker. So, she stayed at the camper for most of our rides. We rode bikes almost every day!
The park is close to Destin with all its restaurants and shopping and is one of our favorite areas in Florida.
The beautiful beach at Topsail never gets old, particularly during sunset.
Presnell’s at Port St. Joe
Secondly, it was a week at Presnell’s and we loved our site that was right on the water. It is more expensive than State Parks, but, it has more amenities like a heated pool and clubhouse.
Every morning, there were egrets in the water right behind us and there were stunning sunsets each evening. The area has several nice restaurants, so not much cooking by me.
Eastbank COE
Next, we spent a week at Eastbank, Corps of Engineers. Our site was right on the water there as well and the views were spectacular. There is a nearby restaurant, The American, that we really loved. We visited it twice.
We took a day to drive into nearby Tallahassee to visit the State Capital and it did not disappoint. There is a historic building and right across from it is the currently used, ultra-modern building. It was quite the contrast! We toured both. There were films, exhibits, and artifacts, but no tour by a person. A nice lunch downtown at Harry’s completed our excursion.
Manatee Springs State Park
We just had three nights at Manatee Springs, but we loved being able to get in the water and paddle in a couple of rental kayaks. Two manatees were just hanging out where we put into the water.
We took a wrong turn on a bike trail and were a bit lost as the sun was going down. I was worried we might end up all night in the woods. Happily, we found our way out before it was too dark. It’s not good when neither of you have a sense of direction.
Hillsborough River State Park
The stop near Tampa at Hillsborough was primarily to visit our son and daughter-in-law. They took us out on a boat and it was glorious with the sun on our faces and breathing the sea air. Our dogs loved it too!
Problems with our Truck
It was a wonderful trip with mostly great weather. However, it ended on a sour note when our practically new Ram 2500’s transmission failed. The truck was under warranty, but we had to find a truck to tow our camper home. Then, we had to drive back to Ocala to pick up our truck after the new transmission was installed. It was all very stressful.
Camping with Friends
We have camped with a group related to our former camper for many years and were able to take a three trips with them this year. However, also we had three trips on the books that we had to cancel. One was because of bad weather, one because of our truck problem, and one because we contracted Covid.
Falls Creek Falls in Tennessee was a lively trip for us in early May. It is always a good time seeing the folks in this group, many of whom we have camped with several times a year during most of our retirement. They are an active group who hike, bike, and kayak every opportunity they can. (We do our best.) Later in May, we met the group at Monte Sano State Park in Alabama.
Lastly, in September, we camped with the group at Cloudland Canyon State Park in Georgia. I did a hike that was very challenging for me that I was proud to complete with my lung issues. I believe that it was close to four miles with a fair amount uphill. The views were certainly worth the effort.
The Pacific Northwest
The highlight of our retirement year seven was the trip to the Pacific Northwest. In fact, it was our most epic trip ever. We were gone for almost all of June and July and towed the trailer approximately 7,000 miles. This trip included four new states for us: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Colorado. It included six National Parks/Monuments, two State Capitols, and the Eisenhower Presidential Library. Upon retrospect, I believe this was our best trip ever.
Glacier National Park
Montana was not a new state for us, but we didn’t include Glacier on our previous visit because it was so far north. We made it a point to visit Glacier on this trip and it was so worth it. The Going-to-the Sun road into the park is only open for a limited time in the summer months because of the climate and opening day depends on current conditions. Coincidentally, it only opened two days before we were there on June 15th. We weren’t aware that it could be an issue when I planned the trip.
Idaho
I did not expect to love Idaho as much as I did. It actually blew me away. We had three very different stops and all were outstanding. In the north, we visited Farragut State Park, one of my favorite parks in all our travels. We also stayed downtown in Boise and loved our time there. If it wasn’t so far from family, I would love to live in Boise. We visited the State Capitol and the Territorial Prison. Lastly, while visiting out-of-the way Arco, we saw Craters of the Moon National Monument. It was very otherworldly. See my post, Idaho Camping, Summer 2023 for more details about this incredible state.
Washington
Our time in Washington included five different stops, a day trip to Seattle, Puget Sound, Mount Rainier National Park, and Olympic National Park. I was expecting it to be wonderful and it was. We did some dry camping at a couple of stops and all went well. Washington Camping, Summer Trip 2023 has more details.
Oregon
Oregon was another surprise for me. It was another favorite state. The most beautiful and memorable view on this trip of beautiful views was in Crater Lake National Park. At almost 2,000 feet, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the U.S. It was so beautiful that it felt like a religious experience to me. We also really enjoyed the little town of Prospect, which is near the park.
Another breathtaking area of Oregon is the Columbia River Gorge and the many falls along the historic highway. More information about our time in this beautiful state is at Oregon Camping, Summer 2023.
Colorado
Colorado was a world of its own with its unique beauty. We had three stops in the state with Rocky Mountain National Park as our ultimate destination. High elevation dominates most of the state. I did okay around five thousand feet, but in Gypsum, which had an elevation of 6,400, it was beginning to be difficult for me.
We traveled on to Estes Park Campground near Rocky Mountain National Park, but the elevation was over 7,500 and my blood oxygen levels were dropping too low. So, our three night stay became only one night. The National Park has elevations as high as 14,000 and I knew that would not work for me. So our only activity there was The Stanley Hotel., which was the inspiration for the movie, The Shining. For more on our time in Colorado, see Our 49th State, Colorado.
Our Dance Group
When in town, we still tried to meet with our dance group friends and dance a little. But, I am sad to say that with the infrequency of our dancing and declining health that our dance skills are poor. But, we still enjoyed the time with friends in this seventh year of retirement.
Sophie
Our sweet Sophie was a big part of daily life in our seventh year of retirement. She turned three at the end of the year and is such a good girl! Sophie went through e-collar training in 2023 and her behavior was taken to a much higher level. We love our baby!
Other Interests
I developed two other interests during retirement year seven. The first was Ancestry and I can literally spend hours working on it and the time flies. I have learned so much about my ancestors, some were quite impressive and some shocking.
My second new interest is the game of bridge. It started near the end of the year. I have joined the Birmingham Duplicate Bridge Club and really enjoy it!
A Wedding in Louisville
Our year ended with a beautiful wedding of a cousin in Louisville, Kentucky. Our hotel was downtown in a cool area and the wedding was on New Year’s Eve. So, we were able to ring in the new year with many cousins we adore. Win/ Win!
The wedding was wonderful and the venue was perfect for the night. We generally don’t go out on New Year’s Eve and often don’t even manage to stay awake. Most importantly, we were awake for it all. Retirement year seven ended on a high note.
Retirement Year Seven, In Conclusion
As I look back on these memories, it is clear that in retirement year seven we were very blessed. We have had some health challenges and are clearly slowing down, but we are still going. I’m so thankful for the year we have had and for the people in our lives!
Wishing everyone a wonderful ‘24!
