In 2016, we plunged into the world of RVing. By spring of 2017, without having mastered the art of hookups nor the skill of guiding our Rockwood Mini travel trailer into camping sites, Sue and I climbed into our Toyota Tacoma and headed to Arizona with only one other definite stop: Charleston, West Virginia, where we visited our son Chris and his girlfriend Gail.

The tow police questioned our choice of trucks. Some asked, “How does that tow for ya?” when they actually meant, “You’re towing that with that?” But Taco never let us down and actually became quite attached to Minnie, aka Mini.

Recognize these places? Sedona, Bowie, Chiricahua, Saguaro, Asheville, Warm Springs, Badlands, and Charleston, South Carolina? There were many more highlights. We used our hiking shoes often and Minnie’s favorite spot was South Dakota’s Black Hills (Can’t you tell in the photo above?).

In the Hill Country of Texas, we rode out a tornado warning in Taco, where we buckled up for safety. He thanked us for not leaving him alone by running to the restroom to ride out the storm in a shelter with a foundation. We learned the art of reverse hookups in Texas, when the sewer, water, and electric hookups were on the opposite side, meaning we had to somehow string pipes and wires under Minnie. They barely reached.

After twenty-five states, 9,833 miles, and 61 days, I wrote:

“Was it easy? Absolutely not, but the best trips have challenges. Call us crazy, but we think overcoming hardships is part of the joy of travel. Towing a trailer into a hard wind is no fun, but the smell of coffee from your own kitchen each morning is a dividend.”