Let the Good Times ROLL!
NATIONAL PARKS ACROSS USA -
Since September 28, 06, we have seen the following National Parks:
Badlands National Park – South Dakota
Big Bend National Park - Texas
Crater Lake National Park – Oregon
Great Smoky Mountains National Park – North Carolina
Mount Rainier - Washington
Mount Rushmore National Memorial – South Dakota
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument - Washington
Redwoods National Park - California
Saguaro National Park - Arizona
Sequoia National Park - California
Yellowstone National Park - Wyoming
Yosemite National Park – California
National Parks and/or Monuments seen on previous vacations:
Jefferson Expansion National Memorial – St. Louis, Missouri
Lincoln Memorial & Washington Monument - DC
Everglades National Park – Florida
Grand Canyon National Park - Arizona
Haleakala National Park - Hawaii
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park – Hawaii
U.S.S. Arizona Memorial – Hawaii
National Parks we hope to see:
Death Valley National Park - California
Mesa Verde National Park – Colorado
Carlsbad Caverns National Park – New Mexico
Bryce Canyon National Park – Utah
Arches National Park – Utah
Canyonlands National Park – Utah
Zion National Park - Utah
Grand Teton National Park - Wyoming
______________________________
Wednesday, July 18 - We packed up and 
drove from Yakima, WA on I-82. Road was great, and I-90 was fine until about 20 miles, then the roads were under construction and the rains started. Not good driving conditions for a car, let alone an RV. The hillsides have no vegetation except sage brush. Granite hillsides and lack of rain. We did encounter beautiful streams along the way.
We arrived at
Wolf Lodge Campground
in 
Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho and found a pleasant surprise. The park is laid out with tons of space between sites for either an RV, group campers in Tepees, or groups with tents. There were several groups around us with kids and chaperones for summer recreation. The Coeur d’ Alene lake is very close to the park and several groups would leave with tubes and lots of other water toys and one would assume they went to the lake. The park allowed camp fires so the smell of wood fires was in the air at night. A river also surrounds the park but did not see swimming.
Coeur d’ Alene is a beautiful city and the lake is absolutely remarkable. A lot of activity and spectacular yacht basin.
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FULL TIMING
FULL TIMING? Our first thoughts on such a monumental change of direction in our lives started with the purchase of a 32' Toy Hauler-KZ 5th Wheel early 2006. We took a vacation in May and traveled the mountains of North Carolina. We liked the fact we had our own bed to sleep in and could see surrounding areas either on our Honda Gold Wing or GMC truck. However, during the vacation, we found that the KZ 32' 5th-wheel was entirely too small, even for a long weekend. We wanted to trade up. One thing led to another and we started to question the next three years before Marsha was scheduled to retire.After much soul-searching, prayer, and financial calculations, Marsha requested early retirement for personal and physical reasons.Full timing meant we were saying "goodbye" to all that is familiar. Everything happened so quickly we didn't have time to contemplate that aspect much. We research everything thoroughly before we purchase. This would be our new home and we wanted all the "bells & whistles" within our budget. Lazy Days in Seffner, Florida had a new National, 2006 Tradewinds motorhome available at the right price. It has a 400-HP Turbo diesel engine and many amenities. We did get the "cart before the horse" purchasing the RV before selling our home. It was the worst time of year to sell a home in Florida. We sold with only a month before closing! Thankfully, we had our new "home on wheels" in our back yard for preparation.
It became clear that our personal craving for travel and adventure overcame our requirement for a traditional home with all the things that seemed so important.Getting rid of clutter can be liberating. We did not want to pay for storage. Collectibles such as our Fenton glass, sets of crystal glass, or ceramic pieces were handed over to family members or close friends for their enjoyment. We had a two-day garage sale and anything remaining went to charity. We feel the flexibility and comfort of RV travel far outweighs any pinch felt at the fuel pump. Let the Good Times Roll!
drove from Yakima, WA on I-82. Road was great, and I-90 was fine until about 20 miles, then the roads were under construction and the rains started. Not good driving conditions for a car, let alone an RV. The hillsides have no vegetation except sage brush. Granite hillsides and lack of rain. We did encounter beautiful streams along the way.
in 
Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho and found a pleasant surprise. The park is laid out with tons of space between sites for either an RV, group campers in Tepees, or groups with tents. There were several groups around us with kids and chaperones for summer recreation. The Coeur d’ Alene lake is very close to the park and several groups would leave with tubes and lots of other water toys and one would assume they went to the lake. The park allowed camp fires so the smell of wood fires was in the air at night. A river also surrounds the park but did not see swimming. 
Coeur d’ Alene is a beautiful city and the lake is absolutely remarkable. A lot of activity and spectacular yacht basin. 
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