The Independent – Veness Travel Media

A Year On The Road in The Independent – Pt 12 (The Finale)

Arriving at Walt Disney World’s Fort Wilderness Resort, the 84th and final
stop on our great Year On The Road RV adventure

All good things come to an end, as Chaucer once wrote, and, for us, it was arriving at Walt Disney World’s Fort Wilderness Resort on the 52nd and final week of our grand A Year On The Road adventure across the US (and back) by RV. It was the culmination of a 12-month odyssey to discover more about the country, and expand our travel-writing horizons beyond merely Florida. It was successful in that aim in every aspect, and it was exhilarating to finally be back in our home town, and enjoying the inimitable Disney hospitality (especially at this rural and laid-back resort that most Disney guests never see).

*Our campsite set-up in Fort Wilderness, in truly idyllic rural surroundings*

We had started our final month in Biloxi, Mississippi, and traveled east and south via Gulf Shores and Mobile in Alabama, and then Navarre and Tallahassee in Florida’s “Panhandle,” the extreme north-west of the state, which is full of fabulous beaches and eye-catching coastline. The final 270-mile drive south from Tallahassee took us back into familiar territory once again, and the iconic signage that lets visitors know exactly where they are…

*Gateway to “The most magical place on Earth,” Walt Disney World Resort, Florida*

Having set out from home on May 14, 2023, we walked back through our front door again on the exact same day a year later, having traveled more than 35,000 miles in our combination of Winnebago Sightseer and Ford Fiesta (our trusty tow car), a journey involving 23 states, 16 National Parks and a lifetime of memories. In many ways, we’re still processing where we went and what we saw (it was a LOT), and we still have the appetite for more, albeit it won’t be for a while! The full trip gave us more food for thought than the previous 10 years combined, while also serving to underline the benefits of home and the myriad of places that are right on our doorstep.

*It would probably amaze most Magic Kingdom visitors to know that this is the vista little more than a metaphorical stone’s throw from the theme park!*

Of course, having completed the journey meant we were duty-bound to conclude our exclusive journal series for the travel pages of The Independent newspaper, a roughly 17,000-word diary of road-going exploits across the most remarkable country in the world. It was a real pleasure being able to highlight the month-by-month narrative of our RV exploits, especially the awe-inspiring scenic nature of most of it, and we hope people enjoyed riding along with us, and are also inspired to try some of it for themselves, especially by RV. This truly is The Big Country, and there is so much more to see apart from the obvious. For now, it is time to relax and reflect – but we WILL be traveling again in future! To read the final part of our Independent series, see this link: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/north-america/usa/road-trip-usa-mississippi-alabama-disney-b2688413.html

*Our spacious and blissful campsite at Fort Wilderness, surrounded by nature*

If you would like to go back and enjoy the previous 11 instalments of our epic trip for The Independent, check out these links:

Month 1, Florida to Minnesota: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/north-america/usa/american-road-trip-usa-florida-minnesota-b2369256.html

Month 2, Minnesota to Montana: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/north-america/usa/american-road-trip-usa-minnesota-montana-rv-b2398864.html

Month 3: Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/north-america/usa/american-road-trip-usa-yellowstone-glacier-national-parks-b2415050.html

Month 4: Montana and Wyoming: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/north-america/usa/american-road-trip-usa-montana-wyoming-b2438975.html

Month 5 Idaho and Utah: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/north-america/usa/american-road-trip-usa-idaho-utah-b2467275.html

Month 6: Nevada and Southern California: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/north-america/usa/great-american-road-trip-nevada-southern-california-b2503940.html

Month 7, Arizona: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/north-america/usa/great-american-road-trip-arizona-b2533875.html

Month 8, Arizona to New Mexico: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/north-america/usa/american-road-trip-arizona-new-mexico-b2598440.html

Month 9, New Mexico to Texas: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/north-america/usa/road-trip-usa-texas-new-mexico-b2622047.html

Month 10, Texas to Louisiana: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/north-america/usa/road-trip-usa-texas-louisiana-b2638398.html

Month 11, Louisiana to Mississippi: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/north-america/usa/road-trip-usa-louisiana-mississippi-b2669174.html

*RIP Ruthie, our faithful canine traveling companion*

A Year On The Road in The Independent Pt 11

*The Mississippi coast proved a true delight to travel along, with its long fringe of gorgeous beaches*

Louisiana and Mississippi proved to be the perfect territory for the later stages of our epic Year On The Road RV adventure, providing rich cultural and recreational influences. From laid-back Lafayette to surprising Biloxi, we took the road less traveled and reveled in the sights, sounds and tastes of this pretty Gulf Coast region. And you can read all about it in the latest instalment of our exclusive series for The Independent, a story of crawfish, beignets and beaches:

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/north-america/usa/road-trip-usa-louisiana-mississippi-b2669174.html

Waveland, Mississippi, was Ground Zero for Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and these steps are all that is left of the home that once stood on Coleman Avenue, where only one building survived the storm surge

This is the penultimate instalment of our unforgettable 35,000-mile road trip, which opened our eyes about much of the country and underlined the fact that the only real way to SEE America is to travel, widely, and off the beaten track. We would never have discovered places like St. Martinville, Kaplan and Waveland if we hadn’t been in our trusty Winnebago, and we absolutely adored this close-up view of the country and its many attractions. Stay tuned for Month 12, and a grand finale in our home stomping ground in Orlando…!

*Like Louisiana,* *Mississippi served up some delicious food, like this succulent barbecue plate from the rustic The Shed in Ocean Springs*

A Year On The Road in The Independent, Pt 7

Regular blog readers will know our grand year-long RV adventure is being serialized in the UK’s Independent newspaper, and the latest instalment is now online.

It covers the northern part of our Arizona travels, and you can find it on this link:

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/north-america/usa/great-american-road-trip-arizona-b2533875.html

A Year On The Road – Month 6 in The Independent

The latest instalment of our exclusive series for The Independent newspaper in the UK is now online, highlighting our travels through Nevada and Southern California, including the Mojave National Preserve, Valley of Fire State Park, and Greater Palm Springs.

This section of our Year On The road adventure took us deep into desert territory – both the Mojave Desert of much of Nevada and the Sonoran Desert that runs from Mexico up into Arizona, including part of SoCal.

*Our view of the Hoover Dam from our travels around Las vegas*

We spent much of the month in Nevada, either from our base in North Las Vegas (the fab Hitchin’ Post RV park) or further south in Laughlin, where Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort & RV Park provided the perfect base to explore along Route 66 and down into California, where Joshua Tree National Park was another highlight.

There were scenic wonders aplenty, and a chance to see why both one of the Star Trek movies and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Total Recall were filmed here and, for as bright as it shines, we honestly felt the scenery around Las Vegas actually glittered brighter than the city itself.

Read all about it here: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/north-america/usa/great-american-road-trip-nevada-southern-california-b2503940.html

We also want to offer our sincere thanks to both Travel Nevada and Greater Palm Springs for their help in ensuring we saw the best of their areas, as there was a LOT to see!

The Ultimate U.S. Road Trip – Part 5

The latest instalment of our excusive series for The Independent featuring our “Year On The Road” RV adventure is now online, highlighting Month 5 as we reached Idaho and Utah, and the incredible scenery of places like Craters of the Moon National Monument and Bryce Canyon State Park.

You can see the whole story on this link:

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/north-america/usa/american-road-trip-usa-idaho-utah-b2467275.html#