Kicking off 2026 at the Bottom of the World

We are the Vancaskeys and I am Bob and my wife is Hillary. We just drove 750 miles from Charleston and we unlocked a brand new state right here in Key West Florida. It is the southernmost point in the US and our goal is to hit all 50 states by the end of 2026. We are taking the long way north from here to Prudhoe Bay Alaska.  We have 39 states left to go. We carry around this yellow lemon box everywhere we travel. We stay for free at least one night in every state and we have a lemon moment in every state too. We pulled a challenge from the box today because we got new subscribers and likes and comments. It was the Lemon Lounge challenge. That means we get a self care reset with clean clothes and a good meal and long showers.

The Most Expensive RV Park and So Much Rain

That challenge was perfect timing because we just booked the most expensive RV park we have ever stayed at. It is the Sugarloaf Key Key West KOA and I cannot believe how well that lined up. Rain just follows us everywhere and it poured on us so hard right after we went to Mallory Square. We saw the USS Maine gun site there and learned about the wreckers who salvaged shipwrecks and then we ate peanut butter and jelly in the van. We paid $567 for two nights at the KOA and that was even with my 10 percent veteran discount. It is basically $280 a night. You get a lot for that money though; a nice patio space, a fire pit, tall privacy bushes all around the van, and a pub right across the street.

We went to Fort Zachary Taylor in the rain after that.  A park ranger told me the Civil War cannons there are original because they put them inside the concrete walls as rebar. They covered them in concrete to protect the fort instead of shipping them off to melt down. I love military history and learning how places came to be so that was super interesting to me.

Clean Water and Cold Beaches

I hooked up our new gear from Etrailer because setting up at the KOA was easy but I needed better water flow.  We got a new filter and a 25 foot potable water hose that is 5/8 inch thick. The flow is so much better now and we have safe drinking water but you have to flush it for four minutes first. Hillary cooked sheet pan chicken for dinner while it kept raining on us under our awning. We still went to the hot tub in the downpour anyway. The next morning was sunny and beautiful on the private beach. The sand is super fine and it is supposed to be from parrot fish eating coral and pooping it out. Hillary dared me to jump in the water so I took off my shoes and ran in. It was so cold and I thought it would be warm but I touched the bottom and I did it. We are heading to the Tampa RV Super Show next week to hang out at booth 900 with Noovo.