Texas - Freedom for the pups while Boondocking on the Base

 A little while back my husband bought three boxes full of panels for a dog run and now that we are sitting in the overflow lot at Lackland FamCamp we finally had the time, space and weather to put it up.

It is a great setup and our two pups, Keetna and Oliver, love it!

The temperatures have been great down here in San Antonio. Cold at night but nice and warm during the day. So far we have been here for 5 nights and Lucy has been a trooper. We have zero hookups at the overflow spot, so we have to monitor our water, fresh, grey and black tanks, we have to watch our battery and Solar charges as well. We try to limit the generator usage as that uses up diesel.

This said I still managed to prep the side dishes for thanksgiving, baked my first batch of Christmas Cookies and prepped several meals. Luckily we have access to the laundry room as well as the showers which helps us conserve our water. 

Oh and I don’t want to forget that my husband did the tremendous job of installing our Christmas Gift, a 32” smart tv for outside. Thebtv we had outside was not ‘smart’ so didn’t do us any good 😂. This job however was tough. Can one believe there is no power outlet for the tv outside? Nope, one has to dismantle the inside, get through two drawers to locate the plug in for the TV. I wish I could sit down and have a talk with the engineers. Oh well, my husband got the job done but the TV better lives on for many years. 

So we are now on day 6 and have 4 more days to go. Tomorrow we will need to however get her emptied and filled up but 6 days is a new record for us.

     

Utah - Loving on those Rest Stops

 I am truly falling in love with several rest areas we are coming across out in the west. Since we are on a timeline again we are trying to push forward as fast as we are comfortable with. It’s a lot slower going as if one travels with a car of course as I get to look at those posted speed limit signs (80 mph) and here we are with our 65 mph but that is not a handicap as it’s Lucy’s comfort zone and also helps with our gas/diesel consumption. Anyway, trying to push onward means us skipping RV parks and seeking out rest stops. This has so far been really successful on this trip. The first one right next to the Snake River was very pretty, the one after was in the Canyon’s between Salt Lake City and Price, UT on HWY 6. This one had a museum with an old train engine and turn table. It also was the trailhead for the Tie Fork hiking trail. So it was perfect for the pups and I in getting a little bit of walking in. Oh it also had a beautiful dog run as well.

The next day we had lunch past Moab in a truly gorgeous rest stop that invited one to climb the canyon walls. Well the pups were better at climbing then I was. When I send pictures of us exploring the area to our sons I got a responds back from our oldest to watch out for snakes. Admittedly I never think of this but it was cold as in the 30’s so I figure they are not moving much.

So and last night we were in a rest stop just 23 miles short of Tucumcari NM. The Pajarito Rest Area which lucky for me had an Historical Marker! I love Historical Markers as they give me those miniature history lessons and well I do love history. However, I have not been lucky in reading many at all since often they pop up next to the road with hardly any parking options for our 65’ feet. I find that not very accommodating but I guess when they were put in place they did not factor in future RV sizes. This rest stop had one for me and I loved learning we are driving on Llano Estacado, the largest ‘plains’ plateau covering 32,000 sq miles! Topographically it is the largest flat area in the United States, rising 450 feet above the plains. This said we were definitely not parked very flat. Our Lucy Lou was parked at a slope and it took Ron a few tries getting the generator started. So we missed out on the flat area 😂

We (well I) had hoped we could make it passed Amarillo TX to one of our known rest stops on 287 leading to Fort Worth but we had ended up in a traffic jam on I-40 due to constructions were we lost out on 1 hour of driving.

Tonight we are hoping to make it to Grapevine, TX where we hope to stay until Tuesday before moving on to San Antonio, TX. 

Idaho - On The Road covering three States

 We made some great progress today. We left Post Falls, ID, at 8:01 this morning and entered Washington State shortly after. From there we moved south and entered Oregon crossing the Columbia River (so gorgeous). We had a lunch break in Oregon and Coffee and Cake but for the night we are right across the border in Idaho again, in a Rest Stop in Fruitland ID right next to the Snake River.

The drive was pretty smooth and Lucy climbed a few hills, one pass was 4128 feet I believe 😉. The trickiest part today was the fog. We drove for about 25 minutes through visibility of 20 feet if even that. It was crazy as it included climbing and sharp turns.

Now we are looking forward to an early night and making it to Salt Lake City tomorrow.

Idaho - Iced in Slide and a new Turbo

 Yesterday was our departure out of Coeur d’Alene or so we thought. First we tried to move out of the Kootenai Fairgrounds RV Park by 8 am but when breaking camp we realized our living room slide was not wanting to close, well it tried but was struggling. Ron soon figured out the issue was due to a sheet of ice on top of the awning over the slide. It was about 3 inches thick and it took a lot of work for Ron trying to break it up and get it off. The living room slide is the largest slide we have and it was tough going considering also how crazy cold it was.

We finally pulled out an hour later. We were the last RV in the park as yesterday was also the day the RV Park was closing for the season. We made it to the Kootenai Car and Truck Repair a tad after 9 am and after parking the trailer, we left Lucy at the shop. We had been told it would take 2 to 3 hours so we took off to get breakfast. We made it back to the shop by noon and that’s when the real waiting started. We waited, and waited and waited. Finally, 7 hours after they started and while it was getting dark we got Lucy back. We had planned to hook up Lou and load up Rosalina but due to the darkness rushing in we hooked up but did not load up. We also were running on fumes (Lucy being low on diesel and us low in food) so we hit the road for about 8 miles to Post Falls and the Loves Truck Stop that is located there. 

So Ron filled up Lucy and then found a spot to park Lucy Lou. It involved backing into a spot and Ron nailed it as always. Darn, backing up is something I can’t see me doing…..

By 5:10 pm we finally all sat down and had dinner, pups included. Oh and a definite shout out to our pups who are amazing on going with the flow. They never complain and are true troopers.

So we made it just a few miles west yesterday but not south yet. This is what I hope will happen today. 

Idaho - A Funeral and another on the horizon

 Today my sister in laws funeral took place. It was a beautiful service with those who loved her there. Those who could not be there in person joined via the video screening and it was lovely getting messages from our daughter and sons who were watching from Texas and Colorado.

However sad a funeral is, the comfort comes in being with family and friends. In the end it’s the human connection that matters above all else. Next up is our job to keep the deceased spirits alive by honoring them on living your best life possible. 

So being up here in this beautiful area was of course sad but we were not prepared for the horrid news that we received from Texas. Our long time friend and who my husband calls ‘his little brother’ died in the Airshow Crash that happened on Saturday. Len Root was the captain on his beloved B17 when a smaller one seater plane hit his plane. No one on either plane survived which meant 6 people, including Len lost their life’s. This is devastating news, especially to Len’s beautiful family. Honestly there are no words to express how shocking this is. This world lost another incredible soul and the only comfort to me is that he loved flying this plane so very much ✈️ 

So again I will ‘preach’ how important it is to live and love your life to the fullest! You have zero control on when your time is up and so embrace those you love, travel and do what it is you love doing. Right now we are moving from one funeral to the next and we wish we were doing those journeys to be spending time with them instead of burying them. 

As to us we will be leaving Coeur d’Alene tomorrow after the turbo is replaced. We are aiming south and towards the DFW area. While there our hope is to visit with several friends that live there and of course spend time with Len’s three daughters and their families. 

Idaho - Winter wonderland and Memories

 There is no denying that winter has arrived here in Coeur d’Alene, ID. 

We did get snow, about 3 inches on Sunday and temps are very low. On Monday, Ron was able to get a hold of someone from the Fairgrounds and we learned that the spot we are in had no longer 50 amp due to a broken breaker. We were given the option to move to another spot that had functioning 50 amp. So it was a tad challenging as we were completely covered in heavy wet snow, including the slide outs. We didn’t want to bring in the slides as earlier this year we actually damaged a slide cover due to snow while camping in Colorado. The next challenge was finding the spot as of course all sign markers where covered in snow. So how did we move in the end? Very slowly with the slides out and trying to line up to the power and water spigot. 

It worked and by Monday afternoon we had full power. Our heaters are working very well and are running 24/7. Ron and I even splurged a bit and bought some warmer clothing and I got a very cuddly sweater vest which I hope I might still be able to wear in the south if I come across cool a/c or the desert nights 😉

We had a wonderful dinner with family on Thursday the 10th of November and I cherished some great conversations with some beautiful souls.

Coming home for a funeral is rough as the sadness of what was is heavy and the last two times we came up here was each time due to funerals. 

The funeral will be on Monday the 14th and a viewing will be on the 13th as well. 

https://www.englishfuneralchapel.com/obituaries/sandra-wright

On Tuesday we will get a new Turbo put into Lucy as on our drive up here the check engine light kept coming on. Even thought we had it checked out and were told it was nothing to worry about the light kept coming on. So we had a mechanic look at her last week and he said the turbo is acting up. So come Tuesday, a new turbo goes in and we will aim towards San Antonio, TX to spend Thanksgiving now at Niki’s place. 

I hope all of you are well and remember to embrace every day, find something good in each day as time is not going to slow down for any of us. 

Colorado - Doing it all backwards….

 Anyone on the outside looking in is probably rightfully asking what the heck is wrong with them (us). 

Honestly since we started this journey in March this year nothing has gone as planned. Moving out of our home was stressful and not much fun. We did stay the course for a few weeks as in driving down to Texas to see Niki and hand over our babies that couldn’t or didn’t want to travel with us. Niki was also our hero in storing all the overflow we had and wanted to keep for now.

Then the accident happened which truly didn’t seem like that big a deal but it turned into a seven month nightmare. From the trailer being claimed as ‘totaled’ so we had to order a new one which took 5 months to build, to 5 months to get the parts ordered and shipped to the collision repair place. But them getting the parts didn’t mean they could now fix/repair Lucy. No! They were short staffed and we were put on hold again for the actual repairs.

Now all this meant was us being limited to staying in a certain area. Niki needed our help throughout the summer, which meant hotter then hell in Texas. Plus our trailer was being build in Waco Texas as well. Our Lucy’s two A/C units worked 24/7!

 Finally on October 3 she went into the shop in Colorado. The work took 4 weeks and we could literally taste freedom. We used our time in Colorado to spend time with the boys as well as friends. So we made the best of it but we were also super excited to start our true travels. But no no no….. again life throws you curve balls and you go and make the best of it.

The plan had been to travel to Georgia and hit some places on the way I really wanted to see. Eureka Springs and the Tom Sawyer RV Park on the Mississippi River. Well the reason for heading to Georgia was to spend time with my beloved Sister In-law Sam who was in hospice care. We had hoped to spend thanksgiving with her and family but sadly she passed away on October 31 😪. Now the reason she was in Georgia was due to her daughter and granddaughter taking care of her. Her home however is in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho where she wanted to be buried. Next to her Mom, Dad, sister and with her husbands ashes. So of course this changed our plans as now we had to plan our trip out to the North. North in November means cold and freezing temps with snow and ice. Luckily Lucy got new tires when Ron picked her up. However, we don’t carry chains and we had no clue how well she would insulate us all. We did drive through snow but she did good. The heaters seem to work and the generator is working great as well.

One think I completely ignored was the fact that up north RV Parks like to close for the season. Well, that almost caused some concern until we found one that was open until November 15! Yay for us but even that came with a challenge. We booked a spot that was suppose to be full hookups and 63 feet long. When we pulled in (it’s a self serve so no people are there as all the booking is done online), we realized that there was no way we would fit with the trailer. Since 2/3 of the RV Park was already closed up and only two other campers are here we chose to disconnect and park the trailer in one of the open spots while we backed in Lucy in the spot we had reserved (33). This means we are hoping no people show up to claim the spot Lou is now parked in as that would mean some maneuvering for us. Well fingers crossed.

Now that wasn’t however the end to our challenges. We also found out we are not getting 50 amp. The power tripped at some point in the night and even when resetting the power, we don’t get all our electronics in Lucy working. So Ron has to also run the generator so I can cook on the induction stove and use the washer or dryer. That means we are using up gas/diesel. A tad frustrating. Add to this that snow is in the forecast and temps of 17’ F are moving in it will be interesting. 

But hey everyone can do it the way it is suppose to be done being a full time traveling gypsy. Stay up north in the summer and travel the south in the winter.

We go for the hot south in the summer and the freezing cold in the winter and heck if that doesn’t toughen us up then what will? Seems like we are being trained to face everything so when we actually just get to go where we want to we will be in absolute heaven!

I still dream of us making it south for the rest of the winter and yes, I am beyond hopeful we will aim Lucy way up North to Alaska come spring time.

Idaho - It’s a cold 🥶 world out there and YES Winter is coming!

 We made it to Coeur d’Alene,ID and it is a cold cold world. I am not sure the last time I felt this cold. We had low temps in Colorado of course over the years but that’s a dry cold, up here it is a wet cold and it goes into your bones. 

Lucky however our Lucy is doing great in keeping us warm. We had a few hiccups as in a silly ‘check the engine light’ that keeps coming on but with no error code. We even had it checked out at a Loves Truck Stop Service Station and they found nothing wrong. Lucy is driving so well and feels more powerful even. I think her and I are really getting in sync and driving her is a real pleasure. 

Anyway, we struck out on two RV Parks that Ron contacted in Coeur d’Alene. Ironically I thought it be easy to find a spot considering it is Winter but that exactly is the crux. We found out RV Parks up here close for the season! We finally lucked out with the RV Park at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds RV Park which has a closing day of November 15! We are booked there until November 14 before heading East.

I was so chilled all day yesterday as it really creeps into you and the worlds ‘chilled to the bone’ rings oh so true. Since all my great winter clothes are in storage in Texas I am a tad struggling. So a trip to the store today for some gloves at least, and maybe a hat.

To keep our life interesting however we faced another challenge. I woke up this morning to no power. Now, lucky lucky us Ron had set the heat last night on gas heat, which means the heat did not stop just no power as in refrigerator, microwave, well and outlet. The lights and heat were running on the battery which by the time I got up was super low. So sadly I had to wake up my husband as even me resetting the power outside did not do the trick. Ron found out the breaker is not working so he started up the generator which is giving us power for now. So of course it is a Sunday and no one is in the office on a weekend. I could hope for it to warm up outside but that now would be super naive as the forecast is even colder temps…….

So I am hoping you are all warm out there. I in them meanwhile are inhaling coffee and hot chocolate 😉

Utah ♥️

 On our way north we finally aimed Lucy towards Utah after spending one night in the Colorado section of the four corners. I admit I always have a soft spot for Utah as it is just pure beauty. For so many hours we drove through the canyon lands passing several national parks. I got so spoiled of the view and I kept bugging my husband to take photos. I think he tired of this so went to the back to take a nap. Hence I had to try and take some while driving and the quality is a tad lacking.

However it started out not so pretty initially because shortly after driving out of the Sleeping Ute RV Park we faced rain, which turned into ice and then snow. Darn I was glad that Lucy has new tires, plus we didn’t face any mountain passes she needed to climb. Lucky for me that lastet for just a couple of hours and then we saw slivers of blue sky. Which let us to have lunch at a pullout next to a beautiful rock formation about 1/2 mile from the Arches National Park turn off.

We did make it to Salt Lake City and found a Loves Truck Stop. It was crowded and Ron found a spot on a side road next to a Wendy’s. So we had a fast food dinner and even thought it was a busy section as in truck’s pulling in and out, homeless population, a Mosque and Pentecostal church right next to us as well which were busy according to the traffic in and out of the buildings. It was an interesting mix and still we slept very well. I love how we see so many different facets of life when we are on the move. 

The next day we had to leave Utah behind and we moved into Idaho for a bit which was also so very beautiful as I loved following along the Snake River for a while. We ended up in Oregon for the night as we crossed the River which formed the border just before we stopped for the night. The rest-stop was also the visitor center in Ontario OR but the center was closed for the season.