2023 travel route

Let’s look back at our coach travel in 2023. You may also want to check out the 2022 travel summary and the 2021 travel summary.

We bought our 2017 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40SP diesel pusher motorhome on September 2, 2021, and other than a few times when we’ve been out of it during servicing appointments or flying vacations, we’ve lived in it full-time since then.

When we bought the coach, it only had 5,161 miles on the odometer. In 2021 we drove it about 2,300 miles. In 2022 we drove another 8,772 miles. In 2023 we added 9,945 miles, so have driven it 21,017 miles on our adventures so far, for a grand total of 26,178 on the odometer.

One of our goals is to visit every state in the US. In 2023 we stayed in 11 new states: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida. These join Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas in 2022, and Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, California, and Arizona in 2021, for a total of 23. Not quite halfway! (We only count states visited since purchasing our coach.)

We also revisited several states last year, as we headed back to our Pacific Northwest domicile. So all the states we visited in 2023 — in order — were Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida; a total of 20 in the year.

Here’s a map of our coach travels and stays in 2023, via the excellent RV Life Trip Wizard website, using a variation of their maps that more clearly shows the state borders and color-coded time zones. We started the year in southern Texas, then the route headed north then west to the California coast, north to Washington, east to North Dakota, south to New Mexico (a detour for the Balloon Fiesta), then east to Alabama (barely), south to Louisiana, and finally east to the panhandle of Florida, where we finished the year:

Map with time zones

Another variation of the map, with more detail:

Map

Here’s the route map with the travel in 2022 and 2021 also displayed in different colors; our 2023 travel in purple, our 2022 travel in blue, our 2021 coach travel in green, and our 2021 Yellowstone rental trailer trip in brown:

Combined map

The same map as an animated GIF, adding each year:

Route map GIF

We actually revised our route a few times from what we planned for 2023; here’s an animated GIF that compares what we had originally planned (as shown in last year’s 2023 travel plans post), and what we ended up doing (as above):

2023 maps

Fascinating!

Travel from Amarillo, Texas to Choctaw, Oklahoma

We drove our coach 284 miles, about 4 hours of driving, from Amarillo, Texas to Choctaw, Oklahoma.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Route

An interactive map:

Departing the RV park:

Departing the RV park

Texas likes to have frontage roads with onramps to freeways, which is actually a good system:

Texas service road with onramps to freeway

I-40:

I-40

Cadillac Ranch:

Cadillac Ranch

RV Ranch:

RV Ranch

Amarillo overpass, with boots in the name:

Amarillo overpass

The Big Texan Steak Ranch:

The Big Texan Steak Ranch

VW Slug Bug Ranch:

VW Slug Bug Ranch

VW Slug Bug Ranch

Big cross:

Big cross

Leaning water tower of Texas:

Leaning water tower of Texas

Old building:

Old building

Wind turbines in a row:

Wind turbines in a row

Wind turbines in a row

Rest area:

Rest area

The rest area on the other side of the freeway had an underground shelter:

Rest area

Cotton field:

Cotton field

Welcome to Oklahoma:

Welcome to Oklahoma

Welcome to Oklahoma

Dinosaur:

Dinosaur

Our coach at the rest area:

Our coach at rest area

Elk City:

Elk City

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

A stop at Cherokee Trading Post:

Truck stop

Cherokee Trading Post

Cherokee Trading Post

Super-relaxed Paladin:

Paladin

Oklahoma City:

Oklahoma

Interesting bridge art:

Interesting bridge art

Interesting building:

Interesting building

Air Force One:

Air Force One

Air Force water towers:

Air Force water towers

Our destination, the KOA entrance:

KOA entrance

Koi pond:

Koi pond

Guided to our site:

Guided to our site

Guided to our site

Travel from Tucumcari, New Mexico to Amarillo, Texas

We drove our coach 99 miles, about 2 hours of driving, from Tucumcari, New Mexico to Amarillo, Texas.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Route

An interactive map:

Leaving the campground (and taking out the trash):

Leaving campground

Heading to I-40 east:

Heading to I-40 east

I-40:

I-40

Leaving New Mexico:

Leaving New Mexico

Texas state line:

Texas state line

Entering Central Time Zone:

Entering Central Time Zone

Welcome to Texas:

Welcome to Texas

Rest stop:

Rest stop

Fuel stop:

Fuel stop

$321 of diesel:

Fuel

Roadworks blocked our access to the campground; we had to detour through the Loves truck stop:

Roadworks

And duck between cones:

Duck between cones

Our destination:

Our destination

Oasis RV:

Oasis RV

Oasis RV

Our site:

Our site

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

We drove our coach 139 miles, about 3 hours of driving, from Moriarty, New Mexico to Tucumcari, New Mexico.

A rare nighttime drive! Our coach was finished being fixed at the end of the day; we could have stayed overnight again, but we were keen to get back on schedule. So we decided to head out, even though we normally avoid driving at night. It helped that we were familiar with the route, having done it (both ways) recently, plus were familiar with the destination RV park, since we stayed there on the way to Albuquerque.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Route

An interactive map:

On the road again, back along I-40:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Not sure what that truck on the left is hauling:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Clines Corners truck stop:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Flying C Ranch billboards:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

We stopped at Flying C Ranch again:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Sunset:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Lots of swag:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

DQ for dinner:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Back to our coach:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Sunset reflected in our coach, plus a sliver of moon:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Driving in dusk:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

The cameras weren’t overly useful when driving in the dark:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Going past the rest area where we were stuck for a couple of days:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Arriving at the KOA:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Paladin on the passenger chair:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

In our site:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Our coach was towed 65 miles, about 1 hour of driving, from Santa Rosa, New Mexico to Moriarty, New Mexico, to a truck service center that could fix our seized brake (see the previous post for details).

Here’s a map showing our route, heading west:

Route

An interactive map:

The heavy-duty tow truck arrived:

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Preparing:

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

The front tires were lifted off the ground; the best way to tow our coach, since we have independent front suspension (being on a lowboy trailer would be even better, but not feasible when the wheel wouldn’t turn):

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

The drive shaft was removed, so the rear wheels would freely turn:

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

The mudflap was held up, so wouldn’t scrape on the road:

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Heading out:

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

We stopped on the side of the road about halfway along, as the strap holding a front tire had broken. Not ideal:

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Re-secured, we started again:

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Not a huge amount of clearance; our coach is 12 feet 7 inches feet high, plus lifted a foot or so:

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Paladin wasn’t thrilled to be in his carrier in the truck:

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

Arrived at the truck repair shop:

Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico

A somewhat nerve-wracking process, getting our home towed, but done professionally, with no damage (and paid for by Coach-Net, our roadside assistance service). Stay tuned for the continuing story….