Ron,
Thanks for the good trip write-up and the photos. You do things the way I do when it comes to documenting RV trips.
I learned to fly in the West Palm Beach, Florida area in 172's and 152's. I started my RV-9A project in October 2002 and completed it in June 2005 with the first flight on June 9, 2005. The phase one testing was completed on July 2nd and the airplane went into the paint shop on July 5th. I got it out of the paint shop on July 23rd and took off on my first LONG cross country trip the next day - - TO OSHKOSH and beyond! The story of the 8-day trip begins here:
http://www.n2prise.org/rv9a151.htm
During my pre-RV days of flying Spam-cans, I would always be back at the place of origin on the same day. Trips from KLNA to KOCF were about as far as I would go, usually with a stop at KISM and even the scenic tour at the Shuttle Landing Strip (fly-over). This was in the late 1990's.
Now, I don't think anything about a day trip from Chattanooga to Fort Pierce, and BACK in the same day in my RV-9A.
http://www.n2prise.org/rv9a236.htm#May12
Your attitudes about flying change when you fly an RV!