A look back at 2025 - People

We got to see lots of friends and family during the year of 2025...

Ginny, Evan, and Josh were in Phoenix to see Disney on Ice and stopped by for a visit at Venture Out in January.

Cousins Gary and Jenice came to visit and stayed in our guest casa at Venture Out for a week in January.

Neighbors and friends got together for the Valentine's Day Dinner and Dance at Venture Out

Friends Nancy and Steve visited our guest casa at Venture Out and took us out to Boyce Thompson Arboretum in February.

Son Scott and family came to stay in our guest casa in February and to see the Cubs in training camp games.

Daughter Joan and family came to stay in our guest casa in March and to see the Cubs in training camp games.

Friends Ed and Cathy stayed in our guest casa in March and we went on a hike at Usery Mountain Park.

Some of our friends from our Alaska Fantasy RV Tour got together to go to Barleens Dinner Theater in March.

There's always a good excuse to have a get-together on the patio at our RV -- this was instigated a visit by our friend Gayle who was passing through the area.

In July, we were in Nebraska and visiting our friend Celesta -- who took this picture -- with friend Kary -- but we forgot to get a picture with Celesta!

July also found us in Curlew, Iowa, visiting Venture Out neighbors Jerry and Liz.

Friends Melanie and Jim (and Teddy!) came out to stay at Paul Wolff Campground with us in Elgin, Illinois, July.

Carl got to visit his Mom, Verna, at her home in Carol Stream, Illinois, July.

We got to see grandsons Blaise and Thatcher in their summer camp production of Beauty and the Beast, Elgin, Illinois, August.

We got to go to Six Flags Great America with son Scott and grandsons Blaise and Thatcher in August.

Breakfast with brother Steve and Karen in August in DeKalb.

Son Steve and family, Lake Zurich, August

Son Scott and family at The Milk House, Pingree Grove, in August

On Great Western Trail with Candis and Greg, August

High five with youngest grand, Addi

Williams Family Annual Labor Day get-together, Paul Wolfe Campground, Elgin, IL, September

Cousins Sylvia and Ron at Village Pizza and Pub, Carpentersville, September

Friends Keith and Ruth Ann, Park City, Kentucky, September

Great nephew, Brent, Quinton, Virginia, September

Brother Jimmy and nephew Ricky, Charles City County, Virginia, September

Brother Jimmy and Regina, nephew Ricky, Ashby, Brent, State Fair of Texas, Doswell, Virginia, September

Friends Barb and Dave, Crossville, Tennessee, September

Sunday School Teacher Tommy and Ella, Tolberts Restaurant, Grapevine, Texas, October

Daughters Kim and Pamela, and Dylan, Blue Nile Ethiopian Restaurant, Houston, Texas, October

Daughters Kim and Pamela, Conroe, Texas, October

Granddaughters McKenna and Lianna, daughters Pamela and Kim, Conroe, Texas, October

Neighbor Barb, Venture Out Homecoming "Come Together" photo booth, Mesa, Arizona, November

Friends Steve and Nancy, Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, November

Friends Don and Linda, Thanksgiving day, Venture Out

We are so blessed to get to see so many friends and family through the year!

A look back at 2025 - Places

Looking back at 2025, the places we've gone...

We made fewer stops in the RV this year, stopping just 44 times in North America, generally staying longer at each stop than we have been accustomed to doing in the past...

 

... but we also took a Transpacific cruise in the spring, flying to Australia and enjoying a week around Sydney before boarding the Celebrity Solstice to visit several Pacific islands before leaving the ship in Honolulu.

Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, Sydney, Australia, April

Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia, April

Mystery Island, Vanuatu, April

Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii, April

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, May

We joined Nancy and Steve and their family and friends to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in May, South Lake Tahoe, California.

Colorado National Monument, Grand Junction, Colorado, June

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Montrose, Colorado, July

Crossing the Continental Divide, Monarch Pass, Colorado, July

Six Flags, Great America, Gurnee, Illinois, August

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, September

The State Fair of Virginia, Doswell, Virginia, September

Visiting "Big Tex" at the Great State Fair of Texas, Dallas, October

Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, November, with friends Steve and Nancy

 

Even though we made fewer stops, we still drove 7771 miles in Gracie (the RV), drove 11880 miles in the Jee-rage (Jeep) before we traded it in in December (and it was towed the 7771 miles that Gracie drove), and then we've driven 513 miles in the Honda CR-V since we got it the first of December.