Tag: Full time RV

RV the Olympic Peninsula

The peninsula’s beauty is protected and available for you to explore. Some folks may not appreciate the remoteness but others will revel in what this area has to offer.

Getting to the Olympic Peninsula

This is the second summer we have explored the Oregon and Washington coastlines.  This year we were able to dig a little deeper and RV the Olympic Peninsula, an often overlooked gem.

Bordered by Puget Sound on the east, the Salish Sea on the north, and the Pacific Ocean on the west, the Olympic Peninsula is almost entirely covered by Olympic National Park and the National Forest.  The peninsula’s beauty is protected and available for you to explore.  Some folks may not appreciate the remoteness but others will revel in what this area has to offer.

The primary RV route to the Olympic Peninsula is by scenic highway 101, from either Olympia to the east or the Pacific coast to the west.  However, you can also enter by highway 16 from Tacoma , or ferry your RV in from northern mainland Washington.

The map pictured contains a link to all the areas that are dog friendly. For more information, click the description at the bottom.

route 101 and dog friendly areas in the Olympic Peninsula

Quaint small towns line the shores of Puget sound. Lavender fields scent the northeast breezes. And Ken’s favorite, oyster farms cultivate their bounty in the clean waters of Willapa Bay.  The drive into the peninsula is scenic and beautiful so allow yourself plenty of oooh and ahhh time.

Camping on the Olympic Peninsula Port Townsend

❤️️Honor system veggie stand near Jefferson County Fair campground in Port Townsend

We began our month in the Olympic Peninsula with a move up coastal highway 101 from Long Beach, Washington to the town of Port Townsend, where we met up with longtime friends from Texas, Kaye and Tim.

Located on the northeastern tip of the peninsula, Port Townsend boasts a historic waterfront with fabulous turn of the century architecture. The town is a ferry stop for the Washington ferry system bringing tourists to Port Townsend’s historic downtown and Fort Worden Historical State Park.

What to do in Port Townsend, Washington

Point Wilson lighthouse at Fort Worden

 You can enjoy great restaurants. Stroll or bike through beautiful scenery where deer wander freely through town. Or tour the outer islands like Bainbridge or the San Juan Islands. Take a whale watching tour. You can even take your bike and catch a ferry to Victoria, B.C. for a day trip. 

Water-views from Port Townsend & Fort Worden

There are ample RV sites in one of four locations around the town.  We prefer the quiet of Jefferson County Fair Campground, but waterfront camping and fabulous views are also available at Fort Worden State Park, Point Hudson Marina and RV Park, and Fort Townsend Historical State Park.

Deer grazing at Fort Worden post cemetary

Lift a pint on the deck of Siren’s Pub & Restaurant and enjoy the scenic waterfront. Or visit one of our favorite Thai food experiences in all our traveling at Khu Larb Thai or their Little Rose Takeout.  Good dining choices are available throughout the town.  Port Townsend also boasts an extremely satisfying Jefferson County Farmers Market on Saturdays.  They offer all manner of fresh farm products, entertainment and food.  One other tidbit about this area, Port Townsend has one of the best organic food co-ops that we have found, The Food Co-op.

Port Townsend waterfront shops

Camping on the Olympic Peninsula Sequim

The next stop on our peninsula tour was Sequim (pronounced Sqwim).  We stayed at the Seven Cedars Casino where you are welcome for three days without charge and there are even some 15-amp electrical hookups available.

We stayed the three-day limit and enjoyed their hospitality, gaming and restaurants. It was long enough too to enjoy one of the local farms during lavender festival, Purple Haze Lavender Farm. 

What to do in Sequim, Washington

If you are considering a trip to the Olympic Peninsula, I would encourage you to time your visit with the Lavender Festival in July.  Blooming fields, live entertainment, lavender flavored everything from margaritas to ice cream and beautiful hand-crafted items.  And each farm offers something different.

Purple Haze Lavender Farm

Another memorable dining experience was the Alder Wood Bistro.  They have an eclectic menu, including pizza.   Of the six in our party, all six were happy with their dinner choices!  A few days later, Ken and I returned for my birthday celebration with another helping of their crispy duck and Shaker Lemon Pie.

Shaker lemon pie – Alder Wood Bistro

Sequim is a good location to position yourself for exploring if you do not want to continue into more remote locations.  There are RV parks available, beautiful scenery and plenty of restaurants.  Sequim is large enough to supply most of your needs.

Camping on the Olympic Peninsula Into the woods we go

As you continue west, there are several options for stays.  However, there is only one town with many supply choices and that is Port Angeles.  We kept moving west but noted there were fewer opportunities for gas or groceries beyond Sequim. 

If you require cellphone/wifi service, proceed with caution as it gets much more difficult to find hot zones.  Our attempt at the Salt Creek Recreation Area was a bust, and since everyone in our tribe required service, we had to say a sad bye, bye to this beautiful and peaceful campground.

We use Campendium to check on cell-service before we travel to a campground, and recommend it. But you can’t absolutely rely on the reviews to be accurate.

Camping on the Olympic Peninsula Sekiu

Our next stop was Sekiu and I’m almost tempted to keep this one to ourselves.  But since our readership is not in the thousands, we’ll share.

Eagle waiting for salmon scraps on Clallam Bay

You can’t go much further west than Sekiu, Washington on the Juan de Fuca Highway, almost to the peninsula’s northwestern most point.  Most of the RVers here have come for one thing.  Salmon.   The salmon swim up the strait to the smaller streams for spawning and the fisherman are there to catch them and fill the freezers they brought along.

Campsites & boat docks on Clallam Bay

Sekiu rests on the western edge of Clallam Bay.  It is a fish camp.  But it is one of our favorite RV stops in this region.  Peaceful and quiet with abundant wildlife, we could even see Vancouver Island across the Strait of Juan de Fuca.   It punches our happy ticket. 

What to do in Sekiu, Washington

Commercial fishing boat in Sekiu

There are several campgrounds available around the bay and most all the camp spaces back up to or overlook the water. We camped at Van Riper’s Resort with full hookups, waterfront sites and a small store. Salmon fishing guides can be hired here too. Verizon service was very good, but ATT was non-existent.

Janet & Kaye enjoying campsite lunch at Van Riper’s Resort

Our time in Sekiu was a wonderful respite and a good location to launch exploration of Olympic National Park.  But the remoteness and atmosphere at a fish camp may not be for everyone.  If it is for you and you decide to go, be aware that there are only a couple of restaurants nearby (one that was not so great) so you will need to bring food and supplies with you.  It is a good distance back into a town.  Wild blackberries abound throughout this region and there are plenty of places to go picking.  We enjoyed blackberry cobbler nightly, courtesy of Kaye.

What to see and do on the Olympic Peninsula

Cape Flattery

A visit to Cape Flattery will reward you with some of the most staggeringly beautiful scenery the continental United States has to offer. It is our northwest most point and is located on Makah tribal lands. Luckily they generously share this beauty with everyone. You arrive to a paved parking area and then hike to the point. It is a 1 1/2 mile round trip hike. Don’t pass this by if you visit the Olympic peninsula.

Restaurant stop on Makah tribal land
tribal cemetery totem

Olympic National Park

Wild lily in Olympic National Park

I’m embarrassed to say that we were enjoying our camping at Sekiu so much that we didn’t get into Olympic National Park as often as planned.  What we did see made us commit to coming back again.  Snow capped mountains (in July, shocking for us Floridians!), glaciers, marmots, and fields of wildflowers including beautiful wild lilies.   It is a precious and spectacular place. 

View from Hurricane Ridge hike
Janet & Ken at Olympic National Park Visitor Center

There are so many recreational activities that anyone can find something to do here.  There are hot springs, challenging mountain hikes, bike paths, and the Hoh Rainforest.  And if camping in State and National Parks is what you love, several are situated on stunning Pacific coastline

RV the Olympic Peninsula Conclusion

Several challenges exist if you are interested in visiting this area but all of them are easily overcome with a small amount of planning.  That would be our best piece of advice.  It is well worth your time to see Olympic National Park and to RV the Olympic Peninsula. Highway 101 is in good condition throughout.  This is not a place you can easily just “wing it”. A little preparation will go a long way toward a fun and memorable experience when you RV the Olympic Peninsula.

Thanks to our friends and travel companions for the summer, Kaye & Tim. It was great sharing it all with you. Always grateful.👫

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

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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Ten Things to Know Before You Go RVing

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
Cat in a crochet hat
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.

Janet and Ken sitting at tractor table
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.

rv meal of steak salad with glasses of cider
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 removes storage box from basement storage of Bigfoot rv
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 Grateful. 👫

RV Relationship Survival

The most often heard remark when people find out about our RV life is something like – My wife/husband and I would kill each other.

The most often heard remark when people find out about our RV life is something like: My wife/husband and I would kill each other.

Bigfoot 29G
Our Tiny Home

Well, I cannot say the thought has not occasionally crossed my mind, but it crossed my mind long before we moved onto an RV. An RV hasn’t changed that we occasionally get aggravated with each other. We live in about two hundred and forty square feet. With a large dog. And with two cats. There is no way to do that without there sometimes being friction.

It’s been over a year we have been together practically twenty-four seven. So, I thought now would be a good time to share some of what we have learned about getting along in close quarters or our RV relationship Survival methods.

Remember why you picked each other.

When you are crammed together, and your companion starts to get on your nerves, it is time to remember all the wonderful qualities you originally saw in them. Are they kind? Thoughtful? Loyal? Or funny? Now is the time to remember what made you so excited to be with this person. It is also the time to remember, this, most likely is not worth getting angry about. If it truly is a problem for you, wait until later, then kindly explain how their habit or behavior affects you.

Have clear tasks or jobs that you each do.

In other words…stay out of the other person’s lane. If it is their job, then let them do it, however they like — okay, admittedly this one is difficult for me. Clearly you should be cross-trained. Either person should know what to do in an emergency, or if the other person can use a hand (after you ask). But let each person do their tasks their own way.

Make sure that you each get to do something you wanted.

It sounds silly. But sometimes you are so excited about a new location you end up running around, trying to do everything, except what each of you truly wanted to. Take your time. Make sure you get to do the thing or activity that is most important to each of you. There is no guarantee that the opportunity will come around again.

No Screaming.

You just would not believe what we have heard other couples yell at each other. It’s actually a great lesson in what not to do. You will encounter stressful situations at some point in your RV travels. Slow down. Be patient with each other. We find it helps to speak face -to-to face if we are having a problem, say, ummm like…parking the RV. Find out what the stressed person needs to relieve their pressure.

Say “you rock” sometimes

You are the only source of support for each other out there. Make sure to tell the other person when they do something awesome.

Always remember you are doing this to have fun.

Selfie of Janet and Ken at Sea Lion Caves
Elevator selfie
at Sea Lion Caves, Oregon

I suspect this type of togetherness is similar to having children. A bad or weak relationship is made worse but a good relationship grows stronger. Ken and I have survived the children and for us, the RV life is making our relationship stronger than ever.

And….

If all fails, and you need a little alone time, here is my favorite tip. Unhitch the tow and drive alone for a while. Turn up your favorite music. Sing as loud as you want. Dance in the seat. Do it for however many miles it takes but usually about sixty is good for me.

These are some of our coping strategies. Do you have others? Leave a comment and share your RV relationship survival tips.

Always Grateful. 👫

The RV Laundry Experiment

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
Washer used in the RV laundry experiment

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
Portable clothes rack mounted on RV ladder

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.

What a sweet word that is.

Always grateful. 👫

RV travel with your pet

It’s the dog!!!
Joey the Labrador poses in back of buckboard wagon
Joey poses at fairgrounds

Yes. The RV emergency is the dog. But today, the phrase “it’s the dog” is a good thing.

We returned from an early mountaintop visit, where we must go for all things electronic to function, and Ken and I proceeded to load the RV for heading out. Now, our usual routine is for me to secure the inside while Ken secures the outside. This morning was no different but what was different was the smell in the bedroom.

It was faint but I thought, distinct. That electronic burning smell. It seemed to be getting stronger near the floor.

No alarm was sounding but knowing I had three fur babies to get to safety if there was a problem prompted me to insist on some action before there was a fire and we all burned to a crisp.

I made Ken aware of our impending death in my usual fashion. That is, to pound on the window nearest his head and scream there is a problem. Ken immediately came in and started trying to puzzle it out while I unloaded cat carriers and prepared to abandon ship. Thinking we could all die in a blaze at any moment, I made Ken shut down our electric.

With all in readiness to leave The Burrow behind, we tried, by process of elimination, to figure out what could be happening. We agreed there was an odd burning smell. And it was centrally located on the back floor. But what? We checked everything we could think of. The smell didn’t seem to be getting worse, but neither was it better.

We hunted. We looked. Ken checked things. We sniffed. And we couldn’t pin down a thing.

Should we stay or should we go now?

Ken convinced me, reluctantly, we should proceed with our preparation to roll out so I shooed the animals from the bedroom to finish locking it down in there. The smell seemed better. The electric was off which only confirmed my worst fear.

Imagine my surprise when, as I got to the front of the RV, the smell came back. Sniff, sniff. Sniff. I think it’s coming from the couch. Is it? Could it be? Huh?

Ken was consulted. Sniff, sniff. Yes I believe it is. It’s the freaking DOG.

Relief
Joey the yellow Labrador plays on CA beach
Joey on CA beach

After some discussion, we realized Joey had been running and playing for over an hour in a forest that had burned sometime in the past. His paws were where the burning smell came from. We confirmed that the inside of Armadillo (the Jeep) smelled the same, I was so relieved. The RV emergency was over.

So, happy, happy, we don’t lose our home in an electrical fire today. I’m thrilled to say, while patting the big, goofy lug,…….It’s the dog.

Joey the yellow Labrador at Fort Morgan, Alabama
Our boy Joey at Fort Morgan, Alabama

Always grateful. 👫

Say “Thanks” to a Farmer.

The Pacific Northwest has been all we expected and more. Forty miles of towering redwoods give way to massive four-story high dunes in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

A little glimpse and I almost forget that we aren’t home.

The Pacific Northwest has been all we expected and more. Forty miles of towering redwoods give way to massive four-story high dunes in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. A stroll along the docks in coastal towns like Florence, Oregon, where you can snag fresh tuna, salmon and Dungeness crab from the fishing boats. Meadows abound with majestic Roosevelt Elk. A giant cave filled with sea lions and pristine, secluded beaches, all made it hard to leave for new play places.

Oregon Coastal Sunset
Scenic Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Through the magnificent Columbia River Gorge we traveled to eastern Washington/Idaho where the views were vast rolling hills of wheat as far as you can see. It was harvest time, the end of summer and we watched as the farmers worked until evening’s last light to get the wheat harvested. The setting was so peaceful, we kept saying “let’s stay just one more day”.

Wheat Fields, Colfax, Washington

We did finally move on to experience the “weirdness” of Portland. Downtown is overflowing with historic buildings, restaurants and breweries all waiting to be tasted or explored. From the largest bookstore in the country to those Voodoo doughnuts, Portland did not disappoint.

Long Beach, Washington

Ken and I are having the time of our lives out here traveling. It is exciting to see new things and to explore areas of the country that are so different from Florida. But while exploring the differences, there are moments; a shaded trail; a glimpse of a palm tree out a restaurant window; a farmhouse, when I forget that we are thousands of miles from our home state. There is a little “oh!” moment, a jolt of homesickness when the realization hits that it’s not home we are seeing.

These are small moments of sadness scattered throughout the joys we experience daily. But the small moments are overshadowed too by our commonalities. We travel the backroads and see differences but many more likenesses. From the fishermen and farmers, the RVers and campers, and the moms and dads, whom we all share the goals of love and happiness, health and safety, and it is a comforting realization.

Say “thanks” to a farmer today.

Click here for our latest video of Oregon:
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Always grateful. 👫
h

Sequoia National Forest Trail of 100 Giants

🎶🎶 On the road again
Goin’ places that I’ve never been
Seein’ things that I may never see again
And I can’t wait to get on the road again
Here we go, on the road again
Like a band of Gypsies we go down the highway
We’re the best of friends
Insisting that the world keep turnin’ our way 
And our way is on the road again
I just can’t wait to get on the road again
🎶🎶

Willie Nelson

It’s one of my favorite Willie Nelson songs and couldn’t be more appropriate to how we feel today. We are off again and our first stop is Sequoia National Forest and the Trail of 100 Giants.

Exhilarated to be Moving Again

June was a tough month for Ken and I. Our last post mentioned that we were sick and within a couple of days of that post Ken was hospitalized with pneumonia.

Being seriously ill in an unfamiliar city is a frightening situation to be in. We managed to get through it, through the one hundred thirteen degree tempertures, the lousy RV park that we were stuck in (oddly though, our next door neighbor was Robbie Knievel), our bikes being stolen and the inability to do very much while Ken recuperated.

It’s been eye opening and inspired a few RV projects (stay tuned for a YouTube project vlog). Now we’re moving again and ready for the joy of new experiences.

Sequoia National Forest
Giant Sequoia trees in a line on the Trail of 100 Giants
Giant Sequoia Trees
up the trunk of a large Sequoia tree

Before we begin the new, we are revisiting one of the best. We’re back in the Sierras, home to those beautiful giant sequoias. This time we are exploring the Sequoia National Forest and Trail Of 100 Giants where Joey was able to come along with us. The reward is that even on a holiday weekend the crowds were less and we could take a slower pace. Kern River Brewing Company was a delightful find for lunch where we had a great conversation with a young lady traveling in her van for four years. Oh, to be young again. It was a wonderful way to spend Ken’s birthday.

It was absolutely hilarious that we had to stop for cows among hairpin turns and drop-offs down the side of a mountain but the cows seemed non-plussed about it. Enjoy.


Always grateful.👫

Healthcare on the Road

Life happens.

As much as I would love to post about another stunning National Park visit or fabulous meal in a chic new city, the reality this week is less exciting. It is however, reality, no matter where you live. But healthcare on the road is a little more difficult to manage.

Stress Catches Up

We’re sick. Not only, like most our age, ongoing medical issues that we routinely monitor but one of those mysterious maladies that put you to bed. We suspect the stress of last week’s wheel situation left immunity low.

We still have to deal with the same issues even though our healthcare is provided while we are on the road. Our doctors didn’t follow us on our trip. A return to South Florida for routine tests required some schedule juggling and a few plane flights to get us both home for our necessary appointments and provide a care giver for our fur babies. And Ken still had to go to urgent care in Las Vegas after our return.

A lot of extra effort was required to make this all happen but it worked. For that I’m happy.

Have a Mobile Healthcare Plan

My point to all this is…..have a medical plan. Do your research and make decisions about how to manage your medical care while traveling. Some questions to ask..

Janet in a wheelchair
Torn ACL forces Janet into a wheelchair
Some Questions to Ask

Does your credit card or RV insurance offer additional protection in an emergency?
How will you handle annual, ongoing and routine care?
Where will you get your prescriptions filled?
Will you need travelers insurance if your itinerary includes Canada or Mexico?
Where will you go for an emergency?
If you are traveling with your pets, who will take care of them if you are hospitalized?

It will be time well spent to do your research if you are considering a lengthy RV or car trip.

You Can do This

We are loving our new life (most days). There are plenty of hacks, apps and electronic helpers in place to make a mobile lifestyle do-able even with special medical circumstances. Make an advance plan and know how you will deal with ongoing or sudden issues.

Don’t be daunted by health care if traveling will make you happy. Being happy is a big step toward mental and physical well-being.

Always grateful. 👫

RV Repair Failure

Pull off the road NOW! The tire is about to go.”

This is not what you want to be screaming into a radio as you start the last leg of your itinerary. And this wasn’t simply a flat tire. No, nothing as simple as that. We had the flat tire the day before. This was much worse. This was a serious RV repair failure that left us shaking in our boots.

One of the problems with RV travel is finding reputable companies when you need work done on your home. This incident was a hard lesson. We are safe. Thank goodness. But we will never let anyone touch the wheels of The Burrow again without checking their work before we pull out. This RV repair failure nearly cost us our home, our pets and our lives.

A rear tire sheared off the lug bolts of the Bigfoot as we were traveling down a busy Interstate 15 between Barstow, California and Las Vegas. We think but cannot prove it happened because of loose lug nuts. We had just had a tire replaced and pulled out of the shop. Had only traveled about 15 miles down the road.

Our Lucky Day

Had just a couple of things been different, we might have had a different outcome. We were not towing Armadillo, which was fortunate. And, we were using two-way radios that allowed rapid communication. Ken was able to move off the road as the first wheel came off — that went flying into the desert — and stopped just before the second one could come off the axle. The tow truck driver suggested, since we had been so lucky that day, that we run out and buy lotto tickets.

We will learn from this very frightening experience and I hope that by sharing, you will too. Check the torque on the lug nuts. Check tire pressures. We are considering installing cameras inside and out for when we must leave our home in someone else’s care. We have to live always on guard. Or, as in this case, guard against putting our lives in danger from malfeasance. Unfortunately, that reality continues even with our new RV lifestyle.

Be aware

This blog post is not meant to frighten you but to make you aware and help you to avoid a serious roadside emergency.

Bitsy and Butter were incredibly frightened but settled down after we moved into a hotel. And, after I quit shaking like a leaf, it was nice to be pampered for a few days with unlimited hot water, breakfast every morning and someone else to clean the room.

We found a couple of quirky little things to do in Barstow while we waited for parts from Los Angeles. Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch on Route 66 was pretty neat and Calico Ghost Town was well, eerie.

We are especially today….Always grateful. 👫

Rusted Jeep surrounded by bottle trees