Back Home-less in Indiana (& Illinois)

With Winnie at the paint shop for the entire month of May, where would I spend the month?  Well, I knew for 2 of those weeks I'd be visiting with family in Chicago (and checking in with my oncologist for my first annual follow-up visit).  The first half of May was still a blank slate, though.

I considered taking a vacation or cruise somewhere, but nothing really excited me enough to spend the big bucks.  I found a few interesting AirBnB condos to rent-- one was even one of those "tiny houses" snuggled into the trees of the Smoky Mountains.  But, just as I went to book it, I decided to check out extended stay hotels in northern Indiana first.

My New Winnie View!

I've still got some posts to write about my travels from Arizona to Illinois this past spring, but wanted to jump ahead to real-time today and introduce you to my new Winnie View!

No, I haven't cashed in my retirement savings or gone into debt for a new model.  But, for only about 5% of the cost of a new 2017, I took my tired-looking 2007 View to the master craftsmen at Mike's Custom Painting (in Bremen, IN near Elkhart), and 4 weeks later, this shiny new-looking RV was ready to roll!

Before I show you all the cool before & after photos, let me step back and explain what lead up to this decision.