Oh, 2022, the year of two more COVID-19 boosters, more adventures (and a few misadventures), and more new places. Here’s my annual summary of what, when, where, and why, and probably more than you ever wanted to know about my year in numbers. If you want all the details of a full-time vagabond life in numbers, then this is the post for you.
Let’s dive into the year in numbers, starting with states and campgrounds and routes, then we’ll geek out on the numbers (miles, gas prices, and lodging costs) before finishing up with the highlights and lowlights of my 2022 on the road.
Related Link: See all my yearly Retrospective reports, from 2016 onward, via my Yearly Reports page.
Four New States!
So close to all 48 states after scoring Oklahoma and Arkansas, then Vermont and New Jersey in 2022. I’ve been to Nevada several times in my life, but not yet camped there, aso it remains the lone holdout in the continental USA. Someday, Nevada, some day…
I stayed in 23 states total in 2022, from coast to coast, yet again. Here’s a neat little map of my 2022 travels from Spot Trace, which I use to track my trailer movement (and highly recommend for its reliability and accuracy). I started in SoCal in Jan, was in NY by July and Florida by end of November. In between? Lots of stops!
82 Campgrounds!
This number was a bit lower than last year, but pretty much average for spending most of the year on the road. I bookended the year with long stays, which lowered the number of campgrounds for the year: two weeks (the maximum) at a couple of New Mexico state parks in January and February, then all of November and half of December in Gainesville, Florida. In between, I chose to do longer stays in one place and move between those stays with 1-2 night stays of 3-4 places in a row. (And, yes, I realize, only full-timers might be interested in the details of that strategy!)
I’ve been happy with my average miles/drive being lower the last few years. I’d rather drive 100-150 miles in a day and then stay somewhere for a night or two than drive for 250 miles and stay somewhere for four nights. That’s just me. Hitching up, actually towing, and then unhitching is all on me as a solo traveler, so I try to limit myself to something close to 3 hours driving per day.
My average “speed” is 50 mph, because rest stops and gas stops and such, so if I’m going 150 miles, that’s usually 3-4 hours worth of driving, which is quite enough for one day, at least for me. If you’re vacationing in your trailer, you might think nothing of going 300 miles in a day, but doing that over the long haul of months and years gets old fast; at least it did for me. I go slower now, mostly back roads and not interstates, and less miles, more stops.
My Alto 1743 has now traveled 65,000 miles (104607 km)! Safari Condo builds a sturdy little trailer.
Related post: My 5 favorite back roads of 2022
Oh, Those Gas Prices!
Ouch! That was pretty much my default reaction almost every time I pulled into a gas station most of this year. The highest price I paid was just over $5 as I slid out of California the first week of January, and I’m very relieved that nothing topped that mark through the rest of the year. I eventually got used to $3.50-$4/gallon prices, although it did make me rethink some of my routing. Mostly, I was glad I didn’t go all the way up to the Pacific Northwest and then have to go east from there, as that extra 1000 miles or so would have cost a lot in gas.
In the area of lodging, I’ve got to once again appreciate the discount I got with the New Mexico State Parks yearly camping pass. If you’re going for more than 30 days of camping in a 365 day period, that pass really saves money. That’s the sole reason that my Jan-Mar numbers are so low.
The other discount I try to use *a lot* is national parks camping, which includes the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) campgrounds, where it’s usually half-price if you have the National Parks Senior Pass (US citizens over 62). That saved me a serious amount of money throughout the year. I tend to look for USACE parks even before state parks now; price point and they are usually near water (paddling!) and with large campsites and well-maintained facilities.
Good Things in 2022
More time in the Northeast. I hadn’t been to this area since 2017, so I was long overdue for a visit and catching up with friends. I really enjoyed my time here, and I’m planning to be back sometime in 2023.
Family reunion in Arizona. The April gathering of the cousins was so much fun and I so enjoyed reconnecting with everyone. We even have a group chat now so it’s easier to stay in touch. Related Link: 1 Awesome Reunion (2022)
Windshield ding fix kit. Small thing, but those kits you can buy at Walmart to fix a small chip in your windshield can really do the job. I got dinged by flying debris on I-25 in New Mexico and followed the directions to the letter in applying the fix. It’s been 10 months and that repair has held up through both freezing and super-hot weather and tons of rain. Not bad for a $10 kit.
Not-So-Good Things in 2022
From tornado warnings to excessive heat warnings, the middle of the US was the wrong place to be in high summer. I ended up at hotels twice just to get out of my 98F Alto for a few days. Ugh. Note to self: no more middle of the country in middle of summer!
That last month before I got to Florida was a costly one. I broke a tail light (which is not just a plastic cover any more, it’s an assembled part, so $$$ to replace), got a dent in the Ridgeline’s quarter panel, and managed to flat an Alto tire. If you’re a believer that things happen in threes, well, maybe I’m done with costly surprises for a while.
Looking Ahead to 2023
More camping with friends, from South Carolina to New York State to Quebec, if plans hold. Staying east this year, although not sure where after mid-year because I’m not yet thinking/reserving that far ahead. We’ll see how things shake out though, since that feels a long ways away. Before going back on the road end of January, I’ll be hitting up the urban excitement of St. Pete (FL), then Chicago and Boston, traveling a regular tourist (hotels and airbnb places instead of hauling my Alto around). Whee!
Free Vagabond Tip
Amazon lockers/hubs are very handy, especially when that website has stuff you can’t find anywhere else, like propane hoses with weirdly specific endpoints or parts for a water pump.
There are days when I feel like I’ve seen enough, done enough, felt enough. When I call my wandering days over and slowly accept the quiet life from here on… But then the night falls and the morning rise and horizons are calling once again and I’m on my way.