Monthly Archives: March 2018

Well, here we are at our first major stop, which I’ll get to later. It’s a true learning experience on where to stay and where NOT to stay. We have Good Sam’s, and Passport America. Both have information that can be useful when determining where to park for a night or two. However, when you are new to the game, and trying to figure out where in a city (you are completely unfamiliar with) the RV park is…well, that becomes a challenge.

Our first night was at a Walmart in Penelton, Oregon, and though we would have been warmer if we had started the generator we opted not to since it was one night. Oops, wrong decision…it was very…and I mean very cold. But we survived, and once we were dressed we headed down the road to the closest place that served warm coffee. Thank you, Flying J, your coffee rocks.

Our second night was great. We got into Mountain Home, Idaho. We took the business exit looking for Walmart to pick up supplies when suddenly I spotted “with my little eye something that” said Mountain Home RV Resort. We were both ready to shut down for the night, so after our Walmart stop, we decided to check it out. It was fairly empty, so no problem getting a spot. The people were wonderful. They had pull-throughs (an added benefit for our length) and the place was really clean. It was a chilly night so we hooked up to power and set the furnace for a comfortable night and slept great. We woke up to beautiful sunshine…a great bonus. After coffee, I was off to the showers. They provided private rooms with showers and toilets, and a nice size counter. All-in-all it was awesome. I’m serious when I say these people and this RV Resort have set the bar pretty darn high in our eyes. Before leaving, when I inquired where to find more parks of this caliber, they gave us some great advice for future places…a website called RV Reviews…but not all parks are on it.

Which leads me to our next night. We found our way to Utah, and were headed to St. George when we received a call from Dan’s daughter asking if we could come earlier than planned (which was March 20th)…of course, when children ask for help, we are there for them as much as possible. We hadn’t gotten so far on our current highway that we couldn’t redirect our path, so we finished our steak dinner at the Texas Roadhouse, and after looking at our Passport America book of parks, found one that only required a ten-mile backtrack. So, off we went. When we found the place, it was a wake-up moment. First off the office was closed. It was clearly a trailer park, (which is fine…under most circumstances), but had spots for RVs too. There was no one around to help, however, there was a sign posted on the door. I stayed in the truck while Dan went to see what was up. He came back and said there was no info to help. We drove through the park, since there was no turn around spot, and took in the sights. It was very seedy. After our prior nights stay, this was well below our experience, and our standards. Dan said later he pictured us waking up with all four tires taken off our truck…not a vision I care to share. So, we didn’t stick around or inquire with the locals how to set up for the night.

We found our way to the nearest rest stop and tested out if our generator would possibly keep going through the night to keep us warm. It lasted until 3am, but Dan willingly got up and put more fuel in without my even stirring, and I woke to a warm and cozy home. We made our way to our destination of Northglenn, Colorado. We will be here helping the family out, and visiting friends as schedules allow for the next few weeks. Then the adventure will continue. I will post a few photos on Facebook soon.

So far, I have learned to trust my husband’s instincts. My husband is a mountain man and a survivor under any condition, but our safety is his utmost priority. I would trust him with my life in the mountains, and in the city as well. Especially when he told me there was a number to call at that trailer/RV park, but there was no way he was going to risk our staying there, so he simply didn’t tell me there was contact information. And for that, and him, I am thankful.

As we wind down to the last few days before we hit the traveling trails I look back at what these past six weeks have involved. It’s been a lot of errands, fine-tuning, storing of items not required, and spending time with family and friends. Dan has equipped our travel trailer with a wood burning stove to ward off the dampness and chill of the PNW and anywhere else we need it. Propane is great, but if you run out, don’t have the electric hookup or your generator goes on the fritz and isn’t able to provide the power to run the furnace, you might need another way to stay warm and dry. That is when I rely on my husband and his “out-of-the-box” brain. His style may be a bit redneck at times, but he hasn’t disappointed me yet, and he gets the job done.

This lifestyle may not be for the faint of heart unless you do the one/ two-week travels and then back to your solid foundation home. Adjustments can be taxing on anyone, and I am not above those troubling times. I’ve had to work hard on my OCD when it comes to neatness. One item out of place, or extra items on the table and the place looks like a hurricane hit it…yes, that is an exaggeration, but small spaces equal big messes in my view. Day after day my OCD has been a struggle. One of the hardest has been the inability to have a perfectly made bed. My bed doesn’t have to just look good, it’s made to perfection. It’s always been my reward for a hard days work to crawl into a perfect bed and snuggle in with a good book. I’m learning to deal with an imperfect bed, but getting to this point hasn’t been pretty. If you knew how many times a day I wanted to quit this adventure you’d surely be disappointed in me. Add my husbands healing – or attempt to heal – foot issues causing crankiness, and well, it’s been interesting. I am temperamental at times, but a lot more than usual. The edginess that has filled this travel trailer could be cut with a knife. But with every storm, there is a calm, and that is when I finally let it go for a while and realize everything is temporary, and to simply sit back and enjoy the ride.

In less than a week the real adventure will begin. Soon having a perfect bed to crawl into at night won’t matter. The process to secure everything to eliminate a disaster in the trailer while driving won’t be an issue. The lack of order will be (somewhat) liveable. All the adjusting will be managed and replaced with days in the sun, and evenings with a glass wine lounging in our gravity chairs under the awning or a star-filled sky. Leaving my daughter and granddaughters will be the toughest, though I remind myself it’s temporary. Leaving other family members and friends is never easy either, but it’s our children that hold our hearts the most. Thankfully, they still make airplanes, so if I get too homesick I’ll fly home for a visit. By the time I write my next blog, I hope to have some fun adventure to share with you.

I look around and see so many homeless and I berated myself for being so self-absorbed to worry about whether my sheets are neatly tucked in or not. Life has a way of humbling us and bringing us back to reality. I am lucky to have a warm (thanks to my husband) home, wheels included, and good food in my belly. Will this really keep my OCD from creeping in now and again…nope…but hopefully regrouping my thoughts and priorities will be ever so slightly easier to attain.