Hi there. I’m late again, as ever these days. As busy as we were in Q3, that shouldn’t be surprising. Click on in if you are interested in seeing what we were up to.
You can check the latest and greatest info on the Track Our Progress page.
First, the numbers:
Net Worth:
- End of Quarter 3 Balance: $1,639,288 Up $79,0696 from Quarter 2.
- Year to Date (YTD): Up $307,450 (23.1%)
- Since January 2018 (this is when I started tracking our net worth): Up $1,334,288
Portfolio:
- End of Quarter 3 Balance: $1,342,285 Up $89,063 from Quarter 2.
- YTD: Up $305,099 (29.4%)*
- Since January 2018: Up $1,102,285*
*This is total value as opposed to an internal rate of return.
Road Warriors
We really put in some miles in Q3. In July we took the RV down to the Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky. The campground we stayed at was Hillman Ferry, and we quite enjoyed it. Our campsite was nestled below tall pine trees and there were plenty of opportunities to ride the e-bikes and explore. The highlight of the trip; however, was renting a pontoon boat and spending a day on Kentucky Lake. The boat traffic was shockingly light considering it was a holiday weekend (right after the 4th of July). Everyone loved tubing behind the boat. We also visited the Elk and Bison Prairie and got some great photos with the wildlife. With this area being less than 4 hours drive from St. Louis, we almost certainly will be back again.
Later in July, we took the year’s BIG ROADTRIP. A 900-mile voyage to Charleston, South Carolina with the RV in tow. We knocked it out in 2 days of driving on the way there… but did it in a single, LONG, day on the return home. Whew! By completing the 900 miles in a single day, our eyes have been opened to future trips to points further (specifically to the west).
Charleston, itself, was amazing. The history of the area surrounds you wherever you are. We toured the Provost and Exchange Building, strolled through White Point Garden, and walked down Rainbow Row. But perhaps my favorite part was taking a ferry out to Fort Sumter. You can feel the significance of the place when you are there. From seeing the cannonballs still stuck in the walls, and seeing the fingerprints in the bricks by the children who formed them. Our kids got the opportunity to lower the flag at the fort, which put this tour over the top.
Another highlight was touring the Yorktown and Laffy at Patriots Point. These floating exhibits were done well. As in the City, the sense of history on these boats could not be avoided. Even those among us who are not really into “history” left impressed.
Beyond the history we very much enjoyed a kayaking tour of Shem Creek and enjoyed the unique beauty of the swamp with a visit to Cypress Gardens. And let’s not forget the food! I greatly enjoyed the local cuisine and personally tried several versions of shrimp and grits and seafood stew. Yum!
In August we jaunted down to Branson with the RV for a three day weekend in a Corps of Engineer campground on Table Rock Lake called Indian Point. The main goal of this trip was to enjoy Silver Dollar City, which we did. I hadn’t been there in nearly 30 years and I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint. Our favorite ride was Time Traveler, but I personally most enjoyed the tour of Marvel Cave. If you get the chance to take the cave tour… do not skip it! Another fun activity was go-karting. My extended family on my dad’s side used to have a yearly vacation to Branson and one thing we ALWAYS did, was race each other at The Track. This was the first time either of our daughters had the chance to drive go-karts, and they thoroughly enjoyed it.
In late August we FLEW (shocking, I know) to Nashville for Mrs. HoF’s 40th Birthday party with two other couples. We stayed in the Five Points neighborhood in East Nashville, and enjoyed our AirBnB there. We took in the nightlife on Broadway, and dined at some tasty restaurants near where we stayed.
For Labor Day, we hooked up the RV again and headed south to Sam A. Baker State Park. The weather was a bit hit and miss, but we did get a good day hanging out on the St. Francois River. As spread out as this park is, it is a great place to break out the e-bikes and so we did.
Last, but not least, we took the RV to Columbia, MO for our annual MIZZOU game. We bit the bullet and bought passes to one of the tailgating lots and absolutely had a blast. The game was a sellout and a real nail biter, with the Tigers surviving Vanderbilt after 2 overtimes, and the weather just barely held out long enough for us to enjoy it.
With all of this traveling, I don’t have a whole not more to say about Q3, honestly, other than to emphasize that these trips are WHY we track our net worth and save.
Coming Up in 2024 Q4
We have only one remaining RV trip set in Q4 and then we will get the rig winterized and put away until spring (always a bittersweet feeling).
There is also one last vacation: Staying in a cabin in the Smoky Mountains with my extended family.
The holidays will dominate the latter portion of the quarter, and we will be doing a little book keeping on some year-end financial matters. And of course, we will start planning and booking next years RV adventures!
Thanks for reading!
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