Wrap up by the numbers

We left on our first big motor home trip August 2, 2011 and got back to Salt Lake City December 6, 2011.  Here’s a wrap up by the numbers:

Length of trip: 126 days

States visited: 17  

Miles traveled: 6,180 

Most expensive campground:  Lake Pontchartrain RV Park in New Orleans at $56 a night.

Least expensive campground (besides the free places):  Leith Run National Recreation Area near Marietta, Ohio at $10.60 a night.

Average spent on campsite (does not include nights at my mom’s or at friends):  $19 a night.

Top five expenses in order, starting with the most expensive: RV gas; campsites;  RV repairs, groceries; eating out.

We stayed overnight (and longer) at 33 places:

16 state parks

4 private campgrounds

2 wineries

2 homes of family

2 National Recreation Areas

1 BLM land

1 WalMart

1 Indian Casino

1 friend's home

1 military base

1 Army Corp of Engineers campground

1 hotel

And now some subjective thoughts:

--Most picturesque towns:  Port Gibson, Mississippi and Marietta, Ohio.  During the Civil War General Grant supposedly said Port Gibston was “too pretty to burn”; Marietta is on the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingham Rivers and has lovely old mansions.

--Most interesting historical sites:  Lincoln Boyhood Home; Vicksburg, MS National Military Park; and the Marietta Ohio/Parkersburg, West Virginia area.

--Favorite single place we visited:  Hard to pick, but Bev says the Henderson home in Parkersburg, WV.  Jim says the Gulf of Mexico as he’d never seen it before and he likes the beach.

--Best “wow” moments:  Looking at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers near Cairo, IL; how the flooding of the Missouri River impacted Niobrara,NE; and every time we crossed a bridge spanning the Ohio or the Mississippi Rivers.

--Least favorite park:  Chain of Lakes, Indiana, but only because it was the last weekend before school started -- so it was crowded and everyone was noisily getting in their last hurrahs.  It would likely be wonderful in the off season,  especially with a kayak.

--Favorite foods:  Beignets in New Orleans; the Mexican food in Deming, NM; the cod and mussels at Sandy and Carl’s; and anything my mom makes.

--Nicest campgrounds:   Leith Run near Marietta, Ohio, because it was small (only 19 sites), we were so close to the Ohio River and our fellow campers made it feel like we were living in a friendly neighborhood; Balmoreah, TX because it is a watery oasis in the desert with white adobe buildings and red tile roofs; Rockhound State Park in NM because of the views, stars, cactus and large campsites; Muscatine, IA Army Corps of Engineers site which was right on the Mississippi.

--A place we could probably move to:  Tucson, AZ

We’re having fun at home in Salt Lake City (but it's cold!) and will resume our travels and our blog after the holidays.