Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.
—Brad Paisley
Hello, RVing friends! The year has turned over and another 12 months of RVing, photography, hiking, and birding has crept by.
I tried to squeeze in all of the things I didn’t get to do this year into the last remaining days of 2021. Truth be told, we weren’t able to do a lot of things.
We can all agree this was a year like no other, at times feeling like a refugee from reality.
Who is pumped for 2022???
(cicadas chirp loudly)
Yeah, that seems to be the general vibe. While a new calendar year typically means exciting new opportunities, a chance for a fresh start, 2022 feels like it could just be another disappointing sequel to 2020 and 2021.
It makes sense—we’re all beaten down. We’ve socially distanced, worn masks, Zoomed into important events for what seems like an eternity. And each time we made progress toward normalcy a new variant came along and pushed us back into the Twilight Zone.
As each new variant arrived, lockdowns and quarantines returned. We circled back to the same old, same old, expecting different results.
Related: Best of 2020: Top 10 RVing Articles of 2020
I don’t have a feeling next year is going to be different, better.
Some day in the future, this thing will transition into an endemic virus and we can go back to talking about all the things we talked about before COVID, like…yeah, I forget too.
As the year mercifully comes to a close, RVing with Rex celebrates the must-reads that you loved the most over the past 12 months. I’ll start off by doing a sincere thank you so much for reading this year and returning frequently to read my latest articles. Thank you for your continuing support!
The End is almost here!
This is article # 1,065 since my first post on January 16, 2019. Okay, the end isn’t near, but the end of the year is almost here, and it’s time to think about wrap-ups as 2020 draws to a close. The end of the year is the traditional time for doing a summary and some reflection.
Looking back there were certain events and articles that kindled reader interest.
Related: Top 10 RV Travel Tips of All Time
It’s always fascinating to look back and see what stories enjoyed the most readership and interest that year. The results often confound my expectations.
I check my readership data for several important reasons. First and foremost, I want to keep my finger on the pulse of what my readers actually want to read. While it’s tempting to assume I know what you want to read—my gut and personal preferences have some definite opinions—but the data is the reality.
This is actually a relief as it gives me a concrete direction on what types of content to focus on going forward. I can’t always provide the content that’s most wanted as I attempt to keep the blog well-rounded and offer something for all RVers—and wannabes—but the readership data is a fantastic guide.
RVing with Rex would like to wish its readers a safe and happy New Year.
Here are the top 10 most read and most popular RVing with Rex posts of the year, listed in the order of their readership numbers.
The top 10 most popular articles of 2021 were…
10. Absolutely Best Road Trips from Houston
Texas lends itself well to adventure
Originally Posted: March 17, 2020
9. 10 Amazing Places to RV in January
RV travel allows you to take the comforts of home on the road
Originally Posted: January 4, 2021
Related: Top 10 States with the Best Winter Weather
8. The Real Florida Comes Alive at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
This state park offers many opportunities to observe the Real Florida and its wildlife
Originally Posted: January 13, 2021
7. The Pros and Cons of Buying a Travel Trailer
A travel trailer offers the amenities of a home with the portability of a trailer
Originally Posted: August 8, 2020
6. The Absolutely Best State Park Camping for Snowbirds
If you’re planning on snowbird RVing this winter consider one of these state parks. They all offer warm weather and beautiful views of the Gulf or Technicolor deserts.
Originally Posted: January 5, 2021
Related: Top 10 State Parks to Visit
5. The Essential Guide to Eating Texas
Everything a foodie should know about the Lone Star State
Originally Posted: January 20, 2021
4. National Monuments Feature Places for Reflection and Hope
From the legacy of ancient peoples to Colonial times
Originally Posted: January 18, 2021
3. THOR Buys Tiffin Motorhomes: What Happens Next?
THOR Industries Buys Tiffin Motorhomes
Originally Posted: January 16, 2021
2. Announcing the Absolutely Best Campgrounds and RV Parks for 2021
Explore this guide to find some of the best camping locations across America
Originally Posted: January 3, 2021
And the most popular article of 2020 is…
1. Absolutely Best Road Trip from LA to the Grand Canyon
This road trip goes from Los Angeles to Joshua Tree National Park to Prescott to Williams to the Grand Canyon to Mojave National Preserve and back to LA
Originally Posted: July 26, 2020
A Happy New Year to all my readers. Best wishes for 2022. Find what brings you joy and go there.
May the months ahead be filled with great RVing experiences! Remember, the journey, and not the destination, is the joy of RVing. Everything in life is somewhere else, and you get there in an RV.
Happy Trails. Life is an adventure. Enjoy your journey.
Worth Pondering…
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light,
The year is dying in the night.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow,
The year is going, let him go.
—Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892)