April was our last blog post as The Burrow shivered her way north to Bend, Oregon. The posts have been pushed to the back burner as we grasp every spare moment to explore our new surroundings.
Nomadic life is our new normal. We relocate our RV “home” every three weeks or so and it seems to be the travel schedule that works best. Two weeks is too little but after three weeks, it’s time to go.
Home
Armadillo & The Burrow at rest
With two years on the road under our wheels, our RV truly feels like home. The kinks are mostly worked out and the past year has allowed us to relax and enjoy the ride. “La Dolce Vita” is a phrase we embrace.
We met up with longtime friends in Port Townsend, WA, who have embarked on a nomadic lifestyle too. Our tribe is small but mighty and it has been truly fun to share these experiences with friends. I will admit though, traveling with three engineers can be challenging at times and the squirrels are still running rampant.
Where have we been since the last blog?
“I’ve been everywhere, man I’ve been everywhere, man ‘Cross the deserts bare, man I’ve breathed the mountain air, man Of travel, I’ve had my share, man I’ve been everywhere. “
The Burrow is sporting a brand-new refrigerator and all the orchids have set spikes (they love their skylight). The animals are doing well although Bitsy is now wearing diapers. She decided that urinating on the floor was a good way to indicate unhappiness. As with most of the animal issues since moving aboard, diapering a cat was surprisingly easier than expected.
Upcoming Content Focus
I think I’ll tease these destinations out a few at a time. Maybe try to give my readers an idea what is
there to see or what may be remarkable in the area. As my friend said, “how many times can you
say beautiful and awesome?”. Everyone has
different ideas about the perfect travel destination so maybe we can offer you some
planning ideas.
Going forward, Ken and I would like to review the Thousand Trails campgrounds that we stay in. Membership in Thousand Trails can help stretch your camping budget and we are happy to be affiliated.
New ideas are perking and plans are being made for 2020. This need for new challenge, sights and experiences isn’t leaving us. The past two years have fed our wanderlust and the nomadic life is our new normal.
We are back in Las Vegas. When our friends say “goodbye” and head back to Austin for their holidays and we travel to Florida for ours, the tribe will be dismantled. We’re snowbirds now, enjoying the best weather and destinations. But stay tuned. There is so much more to experience as we share with you how nomadic life is our new normal.
Christmas card photos come to life in the Land of Giants.
Previously posted to Facebook on 5/18/18
Our explorations into this big beautiful country keep getting better and better. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks is our first impressions of this special place in the Sierra Nevadas.
A land of giants
Ken said it correctly in an earlier post, we are in the Land of Giants. Every steep hairpin curve upward in the High Sierra brings a new surprise. Spring flowers in vivid shades of purple, yellow, red and white cover the mountainside like colored carpets. Herds of deer glide silently by. Bear forage after waking from long winter sleep. Giant grey squirrels chatter. A Perrigrin falcon coasts through the sky. You are surrounded by multiple, massive, icy cold rivers cascading thunderously down onto rocky faces and through lush mountain meadows. The smell in the air is a perfume no chemist could ever duplicate; it is pine and flowers, fresh clean water and woods.
The clouds touch the mountaintops and dance along the brilliant blue sky, so close you want to reach for them. And under the giant sequoia and pines, where it is dark and shaded, Christmas card photos come to life.
If Yellowstone is the diamond, then Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are the rubies and the emeralds. The Sequoias are Titans wrapped in soft, warm, bark robes, sometimes two-feet thick.
Uncrowded exploration
We have had dumb beginner’s luck and visited here just ahead of the season, with its masses of tourists parading from park-to-park on the weekends; so during the week, we have this playground virtually to ourselves. We hiked for miles and rarely saw anyone. We picnicked alone in splendor.
Mother nature puts on a fantastic show in the High Sierra. Snow is still on the mountaintops, melting and creating waterfalls everywhere you look. Trickling ones, roaring ones, gentle brooks that feed the meadows. And slow, wide, meandering ones. You think you have seen the best. But then turn the corner and your eyes pop because you encounter something even better. A mountain, a budding tree, blossoming flowers, or wildlife.
Get out and GO!
Many of you have mentioned to us that we are living your dream; to go around in an RV or travel trailer and see the country. Ken and I would both say DO IT! Do whatever you can and drag your children along too. Weekends in a van or months in an RV. Do it. You will not be disappointed. The world is big……
Always grateful. 👫
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks have been our favorite National Parks so far. I hope our photos do it some justice.
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I’m not sure why we didn’t see Lava Beds National Monument when researching our route. The only defense is that you see so many forests and monuments on the map that if you stopped for them all, you would never make it to your destination.
North from Carson City
Our destination after Carson City, Nevada was Bend, Oregon with an overnight stopover in Tulelake, California. We researched our route and decided on Interstate 395 then across to State Road 139 at Alturas, California. The thinking was to stay east of the greatest elevation changes until the last possible minute and thereby save on gas. Our route choice was a good one and we made the very happy discovery of Lava Beds National Monument along the way.
I’m not sure why we didn’t see this park when researching
our route. The only defense is that you
see so many forests and monuments on the map that if you stopped for them all,
you would never make it to your destination.
We cruised up the highway, enjoying the sight of snow blanketing the forest floors. In the back of my mind, though, I kept wondering, did we move into the mountains too early in the season? And hoped that the answer was…it’s fine. We were nearing our overnight stop in Tulelake when the sign for Lava Beds National Monument appeared on the side of the road in what seemed the middle of nowhere.
The sign indicated that it was 16 miles to the park and, as we were ahead of schedule, floated the idea of heading there to look. We decided to continue to our overnight stop and try to include a quick visit before we pulled out for Bend.
Tulelake, California
Tulelake campground
Tulelake-Butte Valley Fairgrounds is a Passport America Park. If offers full hookup campsites in a lush, green, grassy area that is off to the side of fairground buildings and backed up to farm fields. This is a self-pay park and can still be used if you are a late arrival. Although there are not a lot of dining options nearby, it is a lovely and peaceful place to rest for a couple of days. There was a Visitor Center on the fairground property, though we didn’t go in. Happy with our camping site in Tulelake, we decided to stay two nights and see what was nearby.
Tulelake National Wildlife Refuge
White Pelican
Our first stop was the Tulelake National Wildlife Refuge. After driving around on dirt dyke roads, through acres of sweet potato farm fields, we decided that this place would be what we call “an armadillo roll”, as in, roll on by. We did see our first ever pheasants with their beautiful plumage and, funny to us as Floridians, white pelicans. If you are into birds, then you may love this place. Various, huge flocks were floating, flying, and fishing in the waters.
Lava Beds National Monument
We used the second half of our day to drive into Lava Beds National Monument. Ken and I figured to just do a quick drive through look. Wow! We are sorry that we didn’t skip the wildlife refuge and just go straight to Lava Beds.
Acres of diverse volcanic features vie for your attention in the Great Basin High Desert. Hikes, wildlife and battle sites also abound but the show doesn’t stop above ground. Of over 700 caves in the park, twenty five of them are marked and open to exploration.
Caves
Skull Cave entrance
The caves are graded from easy to difficult and are yours to explore on your own. Yes. That’s right. These caves are open for you to explore completely on your own. To make sure that you have all the equipment necessary, you must first stop at the visitor center and obtain a pass. There the rangers will brief you on safety and equipment, you will be screened for white nose syndrome and helped with what caves may be suitable for you. You will need;
A helmet (bike helmet will do)
Flashlight (can be borrowed from visitor center)
Suitable warm clothing/boots
Gloves
Water
There is something otherworldly
about being in a cave all alone. It
really isn’t for the faint of heart but is something that I feel privileged to
have done. We went into Skull Cave where
you descend, down and further down, about eighty feet, until you reach the ice
floor at bottom. And the temperature change is dramatic. We were freezing down there.
Lava tube opening
We hiked back to another cave for
an attempted entry but felt that it was too steep for our capabilities. Even though we couldn’t go in that cave, it was
a beautiful hike, late in the afternoon.
We were treated to deer foraging for their evening meal and some
beautiful sunset colors in the sky.
We will be back
This is one of the places that we are kicking ourselves for not knowing about and planning more time to spend exploring. There is a small campground at the park. Although beautifully situated It does not provide hookups and only has a couple of spots suitable for RV’s over twenty-five feet. However, the Tulelake-Butte County Fairgrounds was nearby and has full hookups.
Tule Lake Monument
In addition, after we left the area, we found out that Tulelake, California was also the site of a Japanese American internment camp and prisoner of war site. This site is now memorialized at the Tule Lake Monument. This monument would be of particular interest to our family because Ken is half Japanese. The only way to tour the buildings at this site is with a Park Ranger and can be arranged at the Park Visitor Center located at Tulelake-Butte County Fairgrounds. The very place we stayed.
Klamath Falls Lake & Crater Lake National Park
Joey finds a mud puddle at Tulelake-Butte County Fairgrounds
The proximity of Klamath Falls Lake and Crater Lake National Park (about 1 ½ hours), makes Tulelake a great basecamp for exploring an activity rich area. I’m really sorry that we didn’t research our stopover more fully but very happy to have stumbled on it. Lava Beds National Monument alone is worth the visit but everything else is icing on the travel cake.
Are you considering the full time RV travel life? The research and preparation can be overwhelming. Read below for ten things to know before you go RVing. Maybe you will find a pointer or some advice to make the transition a little easier, or what to expect when you get there.
1. You need a hobby
Bitsy models crochet
And it has got to be one that doesn’t take up any
space. We arrived in Oregon earlier this
year than last, which has been great! We
got to do some playing in the snow that Ken and I had never done before. But what we did not know is that between the
snow melting and the sunshine starting, it is cold rain. Lots of cold rain. When we started out, I envisioned constant
motion, hiking, kayaking, sightseeing. I
did not envision being stuck in this teeny, tiny RV for one week solid. With bad tv service. And worse internet service.
I am rediscovering crochet now.
2. You will gain weight
Okay. Obviously, some
of you will be better about this than we are. But Ken and I can’t resist a good restaurant
and we are always on the lookout for our next awesome meal. Staying on budget helps but unless you cook
every meal at home, it’s difficult to stay on a healthy, well-balanced,
diet. There is just sooooo much good
food out there. Even the farmer’s market
sparks my inner Julia Child.
This is a tough one for us and if you have any coping
strategies, please comment and share.
3. The festival will be the week before or the week after you are there
We have the freedom to move and go wherever we would
like. But there is much to consider when
you move on to a new location. It takes
research. You research the roads,
weather conditions, where you will stay, what is there to do, and last but not
least, where will you resupply. Oh! And budget considerations too.
Oregon State Fair
It is great when a festival or fair, an event or celebration coincides with your visit. But basing your travels on these events is difficult at best. Most towns don’t do a very good job of marketing their events. So, a search doesn’t necessarily bring them to your attention. We have just missed tickets for events that we would have loved to attend, have been unable to get RV park reservations for a nearby event, or just didn’t know in time to make changes to our schedule.
We keep an event calendar of things we have stumbled upon
and may want to return for in the following year. There have been a few festivals that occurred
while we were there. But it isn’t easy.
Is there is something you have your heart set on? My advice is to plan, plan, and plan well in
advance.
4. You won’t have your favorite brand unless you stockpile it.
This is a tough one.
We do not like doing without our favorite products. And we have discovered even more of them
while living on the road. But you will not always find your favorites. Thank goodness it is Walmart that stocks the
best RV toilet paper on the market, as they are everywhere.
While we don’t have room to carry everything, we do add a
little extra in some cases. It makes me
sad at times, frustrated at other times, but is a small price to pay for all we
have gained.
If you must have it, make a place for plenty of it.
5. Cooking takes more organization in a tiny house
I used to love organizing the week’s meals in my stick-and-brick
house. In love with my refrigerator, my
world was good when the vegies were prepped and ready to go on its
shelves. The pantry overflowed with any
dry good or spice needed to express myself through cooking or trying a new
recipe.
Farm to Table Steak Salad & Hard Cider
Not so much anymore.
Each prep step is performed in a small space and must be cleaned before
I can move on to the next step. Each
ingredient has been established to be a crucial item if placed onboard. Each meal is planned and crafted for
ingredients and time. The meal planning
and organization skills that I honed when living in a stick-and-brick are
coming in handy. It used to be a feeling
of satisfaction, but now it is crucial to getting us fed a healthy, well-balanced
meal.
If you are planning to move into a tiny home, start by
putting away your pots and pans, your dishes and utensils, now. Learn how to cook with less and how to
organize more. It will be great
training.
6. You won’t need half the things you think you will
Releasing your possessions to move into a tiny home is
hard. If you have a vision about what
your new life will be like, that is a good thing. You need the visualization of your new life
to help you through the process of letting go.
But be aware that what you visualized may not be what it’s like (see
first item You need a hobby). So, bring that blender along because you will
be drinking margarita’s every night, take those fishing poles that you have
never had time to use. And tools, don’t
forget all the tools you will need. You
know, to fix things and build things.
We still laugh about a few of the items that we brought
along with us and continue to let go.
I’m not saying don’t bring them but be aware that you will have to
figure out how to get rid of unwanted stuff on the road.
7. Everything you need will be in the outside storage
Ken in the basement
Do you need pet meds?
They are in the outside storage, below.
Need those other boots? Also,
down below. Extra fruit that won’t fit
in the fridge, it is down below. See
what I mean?
This problem is directly proportional to the size of your RV,
but I’m sure it is universal. We just
don’t have all the space that we would like.
It happened in our stick-and-brick home and it happens here. All I can say is, try to remember what you
need before ten ‘o’clock at night.
8. Personal standards will slip
I can hear you now, denying that you will let things start
slipping. But most of you will.
RV Socks
I cannot count the number of women in RV parks who have decided to quit covering their grey. A particularly scary sight was a woman pumping gas into her RV wearing pink fuzzy slippers and what looked to be a housecoat. Shaving every night gets a little difficult when you have a tiny shower and limited hot water. Personally, I am still trying to decide where loungewear is acceptable in public. It is very comfortable in the RV, and I don’t want to take it off.
How about mealtime? I
hate paper plates but have been sorely tempted to use them just to make my
cleanup a little easier. And fresh is
best, but I find I am using more dried
herbs because there just is not enough room to have it all.
But my biggest surprise… getting your hair done. You are never in the same location. So,
unless the plan is to keep coming back to your stylist every six to eight
weeks, you are at the mercy of someone new.
I have had a couple of questionable stylists, which is why, I think, so
many women in RV parks have given up and are letting their grey grow out.
9. People living in RV’s are strange
You will be the only normal ones. But be
prepared to meet some of the nicest people around. Ken is an introvert and even he has come home
with information or help gleaned from the other campers. It’s a great group of people and most
everyone loves to share what they know.
We have learned of great places to visit, to stay, and even had fresh
trout given to us by a fellow camper who had extra.
Keep an open mind and remember that you too chose this
lifestyle, so maybe normal is relative.
10. One cellphone provider will not be enough
This point is simple enough. One provider is not enough. It does not matter if you have Verizon. Or AT&T, or T-mobile, or, fill-in-the-blank. Ken and I have different phone providers, and a third hot-spot provider. Even then, we sometimes have no service and must go to Starbucks, or McDonald’s, or other establishment offering wifi.
Research this one thoroughly, as it can have a huge impact
on your budget.
You’ve got this
These are the ten things you should know before you go rving. We understand it is hard to process, figuring everything out before you move onto your RV. But relax, give yourself plenty of time to make the transition, and do not worry too much. There is always a store to buy it in, always a friendly person to help you, businesses that are catering to this lifestyle and, if all else fails, the internet to help you figure it out. And the reward is worth it.
Always a pet peeve of mine, laundromats are not where you want to spend your time and money.
Laundry is a difficult task when you live in an RV. Some of the large RVs have a washer and dryer on board, but when you want to stay small and manageable as possible, you don’t get that option. So, laundromats are the de facto option. Sigh… This prompted the RV laundry experiment.
Laundrymats
Always a pet peeve of mine, laundromats are not where you want to spend your time and money. The equipment does a poor job, it’s often dirty, and can cost $20.00 and up just to do a few loads. At hundreds of dollars annually, this is an expense the budget conscious can avoid.
Last year, we were learning the ins and outs of this RV lifestyle. This year, with a little experience under our belt, we are learning how to economize.
Portable washing machines
Ken and I did a little research and for about one hundred twenty dollars, found a small washing machine. Made from plastic and light weight, it agitates in one compartment and then you transfer to a spinner compartment. It’s a lot like doing wash in an old time wringer machine. (Which I have had the great fortune of doing when I was newly liberated from my parents home. Thank you, Grandma.). The process isn’t hard. You fill the tub. Agitate the desired amount. Transfer to the spinner. Then repeat for the rinse.
It Works!
I am overjoyed with the results. The portable washer is able to do about one-third to one-half of a regular size load, and takes about half an hour to complete all the steps. The agitator is strong enough to get my clothes completely clean, and I even have the choice of normal or gentle agitation. Currently using it outdoors, but if necessary, the washer can be placed in the bathtub and used inside.
Clothesline
We added a portable collapsible clothes hanger for about eighty dollars. It will hold two loads of laundry for drying.
So, it looks like the RV laundry experiment is a success. The portable washer has been used for three weeks now. The water and electric are provided by the RV park for the wash, and we use solar power for the dry. After about a ten week payoff for our initial investment, our laundry will be free.
