Celebrating 100,000 Miles in Our Winnebago EKKO!

Celebrating 100,000 Miles in Our Winnebago EKKO!
A “playlist” of places that stood out over many miles of smiles.

By: Noel Fleming & Chris Miller

It’s hard for us to wrap our heads around the fact that we’ve traveled more than 100,000 miles in our 2021 Winnebago EKKO 22A. In some ways, we still feel like we just picked it up for the first time back in July of 2021. After putting about 90,000 miles on our 2019 Winnebago Travato GL, we couldn’t imagine how many more miles we’d rack up, but we’re always up for a challenge, and FOMO runs through our blood!

How Do You Sum Up 100,000 (S)miles of RVing?!?

When considering how to approach an article to sum up our milestone, we went in many directions … much like our Winnebago adventures. First, we considered highlighting the “four corners.” Yeti, our Winnebago EKKO, has traveled as far northwest as Alaska, as far southwest as the Channel Islands, as far northeast as Newfoundland, and as far southeast as Key West. Yet, highlighting only the corners didn’t seem to do the journey of 100,000 miles justice. There are so many more destinations screaming to be celebrated. Don’t you agree? (Wink, wink.)

We next contemplated sharing our mod list and realized that the mods we have completed are actually quite insignificant. Although the Winnebago EKKO Owners and Wannabes Facebook group might have fallen in love with the posts of our trashcan, our entertainment projector, or our dimmable under cabinet lights, those mods did not change the mobility of the coach and weren’t even necessary. 

The mods themselves were simply temporary tinkering that upped our enjoyment of our rolling home. Overall, the Winnebago EKKO has been a champ at getting us to the places we wanted to go, hence the 100,000 miles.

Also under consideration for our article content was a list of purposes for travel and people we’ve enjoyed along the way. You may share similar road trip callings. Some of our “who” and “whys” include: traveling to weddings, helping friends move, marking births, honoring retirements, attending reunions, aiding in classroom setup/teardown, meeting for mods, participating as honorary band parents, teaching newbies to geocache, supporting family member’s convalescence, visiting former (now grown) students, and meeting with EKKO gonnabes at a Winnebago RV dealership.

All of this pondering led us to our playlist. Your initial thought might be, “Oh, no. They’re going to list their favorite travel tunes!” You might be thrilled to learn that our PLAYlist is actually a small compilation of where we have “played” over the last 100,000 miles. As retired teachers who spent decades playing with children, we have firsthand accounts of the value of play for kids of all ages. 

Top 100 Places on Our RV Travel PLAYlist!

For countless reasons “playing” deserves to be a core part of daily living. For us, the educational, physical, and emotional benefits are immeasurable. Fortunately, one of us has a genetic disposition to document our days with photos—tons of photos— allowing us to rePLAY our adventures.

Fasten your seatbelt, as we’re about to share 100 links to places from our PLAYlist! 

Animal-Inspired RV Adventures

1. Bears in Lake Clark, Alaska
2. Dinosaurs in Dinosaur, Colorado
3. Fishing in Homer, Alaska
4. Gators in Miami, Florida
5. Horses in Berlin, Maryland 
6. Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida 
7. Manatees in Orange City, Florida 
8. Elephant Seal Rookery in San Simeon, California
9. Whale watching in Ventura, California
10. Zoo in Fort Worth, Texas

Places We Enjoyed Unique Architecture

1. Cottonland Castle in Waco, Texas 
2. Gas Station Museum in Buffalo, New York
3. Fort Miles in Lewes, Delaware
4. Frank Lloyd Wright Westcott House in Springfield, Ohio
5. Hangar 25 in Big Spring, Texas
6. Lighthouse in Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
7. Buck Rock Lookout in Sequoia National Forest, California
8. Observatory in Penobscot, Maine
9. Office designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Racine, Wisconsin
10. Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown, Massachusetts 

Great Art Along Our RV Travels

1. Dr. Seuss Museum in Springfield, Massachusetts
2. Comics Museum in Metropolis, Illinois
3. Arts Festival in Reston, Virginia
4. Friday Art Walk in Rockland, Maine
5. Crystal Bridges Gallery in Bentonville, Arkansas
6. Farmer’s Market in Durham, North Carolina
7. Street Art Murals in Ajo, Arizona
8. Centennial Park in Nashville, Tennessee
9. Sculpture Garden in Minneapolis, Minnesota
10. Trolls in Boothbay, Maine 

Top Entertainment During Our Travels

1. Blue Angels Air Show in Fort Pickens, Florida
2. Barns Venue in Vienna, Virginia
3. Cape Smokey Gondola in South Ingonesh Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada
4. RV Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Indiana
5. Skyline Drive in Luray, Virginia
6. Hippodrome in Waco, Texas 
7. Magnetic Hill in New Brunswick, Canada 
8. Circus Museum in Sarasota, Florida 
9. Becoming a Junior Ranger with the National Park Service 
10. Ryman Theater in Nashville, Tennessee 

Memorable Food Along Our RV Routes

1. Apple Picking in Contoocook, New Hampshire
2. Sierra Nevada Brewery in Mills River, North Carolina
3. Cafe Mir in Fertile, Iowa 
4. Hattie B’s Chicken in Nashville, Tennessee 
5. Koontz Coffee Pot in Bedford, Pennsylvania 
6. Magnolia Table in Waco, Texas
7. Iowa’s Largest Frying Pan in Brandon, Iowa
8. Rooftop Lookout in Nashville, Tennessee
9. Dr. Pepper Museum in Waco, Texas
10. Magnetic Hill Winery in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada

History-Inspired RV Travels

1. African American Museum in Washington, DC
2. LBJ Library in Austin, Texas
3. Iditarod in Anchorage, Alaska
4. Nine Memorial in Little Rock, Arkansas
5. Sequoia in Three Rivers, California
6. Watson Lake Signpost Forest in Watson Lake, Yukon, Canada
7. John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza in Dallas, Texas
8. Trail of Tears in Echota, Georgia
9. Viking History in L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, Canada
10. Wooly Mammoth in Waco, Texas

Top Outdoor-Lovers Destinations

1. Botanical Gardens in Durham, North Carolina
2. Dantes View Peak in Wallace, Idaho
3. New River Gorge Bridge in Glen Jean, West Virginia
4. Kartchner Caverns State Park in Benson, Arizona
5. Stewart Crossing in Yukon, Canada
6. Golden Driller Monument in Tulsa, Oklahoma
7. Falls in Niagara Falls, New York
8. Wheeler Peak Hike in Great Basin, Nevada
9. Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park
10. Wildflowers in Austin, Texas

Sports-Inspired RV Trips

1. Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico
2. Baseball in Durham, South Carolina
3. Biking in Bentonville, Arkansas
4. Bobsledding in Park City, Utah
5. Bowling in San Francisco, California
6. Kayaking in Santa Barbara, California
7. Mountain Biking in Tucson, Arizona
8. Sand Sledding in Alamogordo, New Mexico
9. Skydiving in Eloy, Arizona
10. Ziplining in Canon City, Colorado

Water-Focused Places to RV

1. Bats Under the Bridge in Austin, Texas
2. Boats in St Anthony, Newfoundland, Canada
3. Beaches in Rodanthe, North Carolina
4. Ferry Ride in Port aux Basques, Newfoundland, Canada
5. Harbor Hangouts in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
6. Ocean Views in Noel, Nova Scotia, Canada
7. Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada
8. Sailing in Key West, Florida
9. Mineral Springs in Saratoga, New York
10. Enjoying the wharf in Camden, Maine

Other Unique RV Destinations

1. Antiques in Le Claire, Iowa
2. Browsing books in Kingston, New York
3. Glacier Hike in Glacier View, Arkansas
4. Mining in Kennecott, Arkansas
5. Cold War Relic in Naples, Florida
6. Neon Sign Park in Casa Grande, Arizona
7. Roadrunner Statue in Las Cruces, New Mexico
8. Space Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama
9. Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs, Florida
10. Water Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Where to next?! We’d love to know what you have on YOUR playlist! We are certain you have recommendations for our next 100,000 miles.

Everybody wants more smiles to the gallon!