New Adventure begins

[Elisabetta]

Next Saturday Moon and I will be heading to Stanwood, Washington. I was born in Tacoma so it will be nice seeing my homestate as I never got the chance. Being a Military Brat my dad got stationed the day I came home from the hospital and shipped off to Athens, Greece.

This is Moons first experience with me and we are absolutely thrilled however bittersweet as we will be leaving our place we've called home for many years. Moon being born and raised in Virginia.

Last Saturday Moon proposed to me up at the Roanoke Star located in Roanoke, Virginia. While Moon and I are already married we will be renewing our vows hopefully in Stanwood, Washington.

Bring on the fun adventures and I'll also be working on writing a book called Rufus the Traveling Pup.

[denimini]

Congratulations and good luck with your new adventure. I had to look at a map to understand; Wow that is a big move, it looks all very green, on Google Earth, in Washington State as well as Virginia.

[Faldaguy]

Congratulations on both counts! Maybe we can meet, we will be in Cathlamet for the winter, and a number of others are in the Pacific NW.

[Elisabetta]

Congratulations on both counts! Maybe we can meet, we will be in Cathlamet for the winter, and a number of others are in the Pacific NW.

We can work something out I'm sure. Have to get over there and get situated. We'll let you know.

Thank you!

[Elisabetta]

Congratulations and good luck with your new adventure. I had to look at a map to understand; Wow that is a big move, it looks all very green, on Google Earth, in Washington State as well as Virginia.

Thank you! Yes it's a big move.

[moonshadow]

Congratulations and good luck with your new adventure. I had to look at a map to understand; Wow that is a big move, it looks all very green, on Google Earth, in Washington State as well as Virginia.

2700 miles... it's a big ol' ride for sure...I estimate three, possibly four days on the road. Driving clear across the rust belt, Iowa, South Dakota, a little corner of Wyoming, clear across Montana, across Idaho and finally across Washington.

I'm a little nervous about it honestly.

[Kirbstone]

Moon and Eliz. God speed.....

Tom

[Elisabetta]

Moon and Eliz. God speed.....

Tom

Thank you!

[Elisabetta]

Congratulations and good luck with your new adventure. I had to look at a map to understand; Wow that is a big move, it looks all very green, on Google Earth, in Washington State as well as Virginia.

2700 miles... it's a big ol' ride for sure...I estimate three, possibly four days on the road. Driving clear across the rust belt, Iowa, South Dakota, a little corner of Wyoming, clear across Montana, across Idaho and finally across Washington.

I'm a little nervous about it honestly.

We're going to be just fine!

[Grok]

Four days sounds like the right ball park. From the states listed it sounds like you will be using Interstate 90. Once you reach South Dakota the towns start to become few and far between. Drove that route decades ago when I moved from Iowa to Washington State.

[Faldaguy]

If you've got a few days to spare, take 'em -- there is some fantastic country on the way, you may regret passing up the opportunities by rushing. Are you using a U-Haul, moving company, or both of you driving to bring the RV too. Hiring company paying for the move....whatever, seems a shame to miss all the territory and history in route.

Bon voyage

[moonshadow]

If you've got a few days to spare, take 'em -- there is some fantastic country on the way, you may regret passing up the opportunities by rushing. Are you using a U-Haul, moving company, or both of you driving to bring the RV too. Hiring company paying for the move....whatever, seems a shame to miss all the territory and history in route.

Bon voyage

This go 'round we'll be towing our small camper trailer where we have made arrangements at a RV park in Stanwood WA. We'll winter over there and after things thaw out in the spring we plan to fly back to VA to pick up my Kia (Jax) and drive him over.

The RV rent is cheap compared to more traditional digs, and so we plan to make use of the savings in combination with my pay raise to pay off some of my debts, by that time we should know if Washington will be a state where we will hang out hat for years to come or shall we move on down the line?

If we decide to stay, we'll procure a more traditional home and we'll fly over once more to load our stuff on a proper Uhaul and bring it to the west coast. As for now, we're not listing our home, in fact, it's not even packed up, we're just taking our essentials in our travel trailer for now.

This is a classic "try it before we buy it" situation. I admit to getting a fair amount of sticker shock at the cost of housing. I have to get over there and determine what my realistic buying power will be, in addition to perhaps sniffing out some good housing bargains (if they even exist)

Another option if we absolutely love it [Washington] is to simply muddle along paying rent or whatever until I retire then just return home to Virginia where housing is much more affordable. (I don't fancy working and paying on a mortgage until I'm 120 years old)

But regardless of what happens, we'll be sure to log many, many years of experiences and memories, and you just can't put a price tag on that!

[moonshadow]

Four days sounds like the right ball park. From the states listed it sounds like you will be using Interstate 90. Once you reach South Dakota the towns start to become few and far between. Drove that route decades ago when I moved from Iowa to Washington State.

You are correct about I90. It looks like that will be our path for most of the journey.

[Jim]

2700 miles... it's a big ol' ride for sure...I estimate three, possibly four days on the road. Driving clear across the rust belt, Iowa, South Dakota, a little corner of Wyoming, clear across Montana, across Idaho and finally across Washington.

I'm a little nervous about it honestly.

Please don't push driving when you are tired. My son died that way.

[Grok]

While I was driving westward on I-90 I decided to take a few hours to visit Devil's Tower, Wyoming. It was worth it; Devil's Tower is a long ways from anywhere, and I will very likely never venture out that way again.