Chasing Fall Colors In The Ozarks – Our Next RV Adventure!

As you read these words, we’ll be loading up and finishing our preparations for our next RV adventure!  We’re heading out this weekend with our 35′ 5th wheel (and the dogs) to a new destination:

The Ozarks!

With the flexibility that retirement affords, we’ll be spending October chasing the Fall colors.  We’ll head out on a Southern Leg through Mississippi before turning North toward the Ozarks, followed by an Eastbound leg back through Tennessee.

Today, I’ll share the plans for our latest RV adventure.  Per my standard practice, I won’t be writing while traveling, so follow me on The Retirement Manifesto’s Instagram or Facebook page to see photos during our trip.

We’re chasing Fall Colors in our RV! We’re heading out this weekend to spend some time in the Ozarks. Share on X

We’re hoping to take in some Fall colors in an unexplored part of the country, though we’ll likely be a bit early based on this map.  No worries, it’s just a convenient excuse to head to a part of the country we’re interested in exploring, at a perfect time of the year (goodbye to summer heat!).  We can view the peak Fall colors when we return to our Appalachian mountain town if we’re too early in the Ozarks. 

Either way, we win.

We spent a few nights at some Arkansas State Parks on our trip to the Pacific Northwest in 2019 and were impressed.  We’ve wanted to spend some time in the area, so we made it the focus of our 2024 RV Adventure.  We’re taking it slow, averaging 164 miles on our driving days and spending a minimum of two nights at every stop.

A map of our trip is below:

Here are the highlights:

Laurel, MS:  We’re fans of the TV show Home Town, and decided to visit the quaint southern town.  It’s a fun excuse to make it part of our loop, though I do hope I get a chance to see Ben’s woodworking shop.  Who knows, maybe Ben and Erin will be in town and we’ll be lucky enough to get a selfie to share in a future post…

Vicksburg, MS:  I just read the excellent book The Battle Cry of Freedom (Amazon Affiliate link), and was fascinated by the Battle of Vicksburg.  After years of trying to break the Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River, General Grant finally defeated the fortress after a grueling 180-mile circuitous hike and a 47-day siege.  I enjoy tying our trips into at least one educational opportunity, and I’m blessed to have a wife who allows me to indulge my passion by spending a day hiking around Civil War battlefields.

The Ozarks:  Once we reach Arkansas, we’re slowing down to enjoy our time in several State Parks.  Starting at Degray Lake State Park, we’ll proceed to Lake Dardanelle State Park before staying a few days at an RV resort in Bentonville. Then, it’s across the Missouri border for a few nights on the shores of Table Rock Lake, then on to our last Arkansas stop at Lake Charles State Park.

Tennessee State Parks:  For our Eastbound drive home, we’ll stop at Chickasaw State Park near Memphis, then on to Tims Ford State Park in Winchester.  From there, it’ll be an easy 158-drive home in late October.

Things We’ve Learned About RV’ing In Retirement

We’ve camped in our RV every year since I retired in 2018 and learned some things along the way.  I shared those lessons in my article How To RV in Retirement.  Here are a few of the lessons we’re applying to this trip: 

The 330 Rule:  We limit our drives to 300 miles, and try to stop by 3:00 pm.  If we have a 300-mile day, we always stop for a minimum of two nights after the “long” drive.  For this trip, our driving days will average only 164 miles, and our longest drive will be 272 miles.

Book In Advance:  We’ve found it more enjoyable to book our trips in advance.  Some will argue it takes the spontaneity out of travel, but we’ve found that eliminating the stress of finding a campground at the last minute is worth the loss of flexibility.  We also build in downtime (minimum 2 nights at every stop) to allow us time to get back on schedule in the event of any issues along the way.  Fortunately, we’ve never had to use that buffer.

No Writing:  As per our standard practice, I won’t be writing while we’re traveling.  It detracts from my ability to be “Present” as we’re traveling, and we all need to find a way to take a break.  We’re returning home in late October, so you should see my next post sometime in early November.  If you’d like to see our photos en route, follow me on The Retirement Manifesto’s Instagram or Facebook page.

State Parks For The Win:  We travel with our dogs and have found State Parks (and Army Corps Of Engineer campgrounds) to be the best “fit” with our type of travel.  They’re always located in an area with scenic beauty (why else would there be a State Park there?) and they always have good hiking trails.  We start and end each day with a nice hike with the dogs.

In closing, if you’re new to my blog, here’s a summary of our major adventures since retirement:

Conclusion

We love the freedom of taking an RV Adventure whenever we want.  After years of work, the flexibility of retirement travel is a hard-earned benefit we plan on taking advantage of for years to come. We’ve found our RV is a perfect fit for our lifestyle, and have found a blend of short Monday – Friday “local” trips works well with an annual “longer” trip.  This year, we decided to skip our trek North to visit family, instead taking two trips to different areas we wanted to visit.  In April, we did an AirBnB trip through the Mid-Atlantic states, and now we’re heading West to spend some time in the Ozarks.   

Next year, we’ve got even bigger plans.  For now, I’ll give you just a hint…

…Greenland!

Stay tuned, I’ll provide all of the details before we depart on that “once in a lifetime” trip that my wife and I just booked.  We’re beyond excited.  Isn’t that what travel in retirement is all about?

I’ll be back in November.  Until then, I hope you find a way to…  

…Slow down.

…Smell the roses.

…Look at the leaves.

Your Turn:  What travel have you done this year, or are you planning for 2025?  If you camp in State Parks, which one is your favorite (and why)?  I look forward to hearing what you’ve been up to and getting your input on State Parks for future trips…