We began our trip knowing that it would be a long and stressful trip. We are traveling old highways and small towns. We made no arrangements for campgrounds but thought we would try our luck with Harvest Hosts, rest stops and other surprises.
We did ok for our first 30 hours and were surprised at how well we survived. I was even pleased at how the doggies are doing. We had great sunrises and even dinner on the road. I am getting used to our little galley and we are glad that we did some of the prep for meals.
Before the sun was up we were ready to go after a quiet and restful night. We are off again and hoping to gas up before we really get going. Goodbyes said and off we went. Breakfast coffee in hand and doggies walked and fed. Our route simply outlined and fueled up. Off we went.
We saw the last stand of the Nez Pierce and where they are now. The history is sad but brave. There is a large reservation and national park that preserves the land. It is beautiful, very thought provoking and I imagine, haunted. We got information to read on the road. The air was still very thick with smoke so we did not to eat there. We drove about an hour further and had a great lunch with a view.
It is amazing what sights we saw. It was almost like stepping back to a slower lifestyle and memories of when I was in my teens. The people waving at us, smiles and hellos made us feel more relaxed and smiling. NO traffic either. Our last leg to get to Spokane. It is a very long day and we hope a smooth day. Weather is cooperating and pleasant.
We make landfall in Spokane by the target hour and very pleasant weather greets us. The doggies also have a nice area for us to walk them and they can relax. Dinner is comfortable, the visit and on we go. Oops it is later than we expected and we need to find a place to spend the night.
We have luck at the Dusty Rose RV park and we do our quick set-up, walk the doggies and sleep. Hoping our next leg is less stressful on the days driving.
We are winding our way to Boise. We are way behind our planned time. We will be too late to stay in Boise. Onward to Glenn’s Ferry for a quick dinner and wonderful place for doggies to unwind. It is a Harvest Host that is both a golf course and winery with a very nice restaurant. Wow, we lucked out. Tomorrow is going to be a new road home.
The first steps in planning for our “epic journey”.
As always I see how many days we will actually be on the road and identify what challenges we may encounter. We have two, two year old Australian Shepards and they have traveled with us since they were 10 weeks old. They are still rambunctious but slowly learning our lifestyle. My husband looks at the roadways and weather. I look at food, medical and doggie needs. I also do a thorough cleaning.
We have planned not to use the big interstate highways where possible. We can travel faster from point A to point B using the fast interstate but that is not enjoyable. I also felt we needed to look for Harvest Hosts, Boondockers Welcome and other no cost places to overnight. We generally travel to see family and take care of annual medical exams. We haven’t traveled in our rig just for fun in years. We are looking to change that!
Our first leg of this journey was scheduled to leave exactly at 7:00 am. I ordered a breakfast order at our local Kneaders for a 7:15 am pickup. We made it by 7:30 am. Then we had to put fuel in our rig. My “pilot” did not fuel up the night before! We use diesel and oh well here we go again.
Hwy 93 from Las Vegas to Fallon Nevada is our first start. It is mostly a two lane highway through deserts, ranches and small towns. We stop to let our doggies do their business and we switch drivers and snack, stretch with the doggies for a small walk. So far so good.
While driving we realize we are not passing any truck stops. We get diesel fuel at up to 30 cents cheaper at the truck stops than the regular gas stations. Hmmmmm. We have passed many really inviting towns but we are on a timeline to Spokane, Washington. Notes for future stops. I was really surprised how different the countryside was the farther north we traveled. Loved the slower feeling of travel without a lot of heavy traffic. People actually waved at us and smiled. A great change.
I had made one strawberry cheesecake and Greek apple cake for the trip and to share with my son’s family on the last leg of the trip. Big mistake. We had slices of the apple cake for the first 3 days but kinda forgot about it. Left the frozen cheesecake until we got to the ranch. The cake was getting weird, kinda got wet because I secured it in the sink while we drove. By the time we reached the ranch it was slimy so thrown away. The cheesecake got watery while it thawed! It was a good idea but traveling in different climates and length of time on the road did not work in our favor. Oh and the new refrigerator was smaller than our Airstream’s. Well oh dear, on with the plan! Always learning.
We we did not make reservations for any RV park or BLM. So we stayed the night in the truck parking of a casino in Beatty, Nevada. It was after 9:30 pm. We had a late start from home. Again such plans. The truck parking lot was all dirt, no donkeys, lots of semis and a few trailers.
We were able to take the doggies for at least 2 thirty minute walks and let them stretch. No feeling of fear. Able to put the slide out and enjoy the bed and warmth, especially since the doggies think the bed is for them.
The next part of the journey is north toward Fernley, Nevada! Whew, they had a space without a reservation. Hopefully the trail will be relaxing and new and without problems.
We are all Shelter in Place and feeling a bit of the road calling. I am like many of you and have to store our rig away from our home. It still doesn’t stop us from thinking about the travels ahead. Reading the blogs online showing how creative so many people are. It can be a place we can to to visit and do some preparations for the roads we shall travel. Watch the blogs and see what you can learn that may enhance your travels.
I am not blessed with the brilliance. I see in the creative posts of other travelers. It puts a smile on my face to see the colors, modifications and creative use of the inside of the Airstream.
Now I have time to complete my first small travel book for the roads less talked about. I am newly living in Southern Nevada and thought there was not a lot to do or see here but the Vegas strip. I was so wrong.
The Death Valley National Park is very large and and spans many landscapes. We all hear about the lower part of the park but that is just the beginning. As an example, Pahrump is a small jewel siting near one of the entrances to Death Valley. There are also very nice RV parks in the area, one fairly new. Wineries in the area too.
Let’s look at the places we can see when this is over and people we can meet. Safe travels and good adventures.
Yes We Can!
It is now January 2016 and we have a big plan in mind! We want to have a family camp out in Yellowstone National Park. Yep a 12 person get together for three generations. This will be a first camp out for my two oldest children and their children. There will be two trailers and one family in a nearby hotel. Our travel start day is 27 May 2016!
I have a countdown calendar and already gathering items for our get together, scheduling trailer servicing, preparing menus, and planning activities for us all to enjoy. I did ask the youngest girls for their ideas and they want smores.
I am really lucky in the friends in my life who are giving me tons of information and inside input on how the park works. Now we are really getting excited to plan, plan, plan. This is so exciting for us. We, after seven years, we are just now really becoming comfortable with the Airstream dream and embracing the experiences yet to come. Stay tuned for our little journeys and prep for the big day.
This must be our year for our dreams of travel come true. I received silver rivet earrings for a Christmas present and a dear friend of ours made us a beautiful reminder of our dream! A stained glass replica of our rig! The silver beauty we love.
Update to today! The work is done, cleaning and updating stuff done, now food and excitement are our focus. We are going to tryout many items that should engage children and adults in old-fashioned, non-tech family fun. An ice cream maker that looks like a soccer ball, traveling eco friendly fire pit for s’moors and a large propane outdoor cookstove so us oldies don’t bend over the fire to cook!
Our fun season starts in a week with a shakedown to recheck all repairs and new “stuff”. This well be a great wine and food experience! Six Sigma here we come! Then onto Idaho and Yellowstone!
Here it is 2016! Haven’t traveled in over three months and keep thinking about going ANYWHERE. Sometimes life takes other turns and gives you a chance to do some long-range plans, repair your rig, re-organize the living areas and dream of where you want to go.
Today is a rainy California day. Our travel time is usually winter so rain reminds me of our travels. In our last walk around of our rig we found a small drip over the bed after a recent rain. The little silver castle is seven years old and we keep thinking she is brand new. This precipitated a complete re-check of little repairs that may need to be done before we travel again.
Last October, 2015, we got the bright idea of Yellowstone National Park in 2016. We are combining that with a family graduation in Idaho and then meandering back home! Wow a dream travel plan that we have read other Airstreamers enjoy. This will be the first “long” road trip for us. Yep a whole two weeks! Ok we have been 11 days on the road with tight timelines….. this will be our first vacation!
It has been a rough year but we know this year is our year to really grow and enjoy life. We have had challenges of serious illness in our family, someone stole our Airstream keys out of our truck, had to order new ones and then needed to make repairs to keep our silver coach safe and road worthy.
In the meantime we did take our Flying Cloud in for a complete service and upholstery change. In essence she is still a new rig of dreams. After we left our trailer at the Bay Area Airstream dealership and service bay we drove up through Suisun Valley to our favorite winery Six Sigma! It was a beautiful drive through cattle and wine country, no traffic just green trees and grasslands.
It was sad to see the after effects of the Lake county fire. The amazing wonder is how mother nature heals herself with beauty and strength! We enjoy peace and greatness of our little piece of the world.
We arrive at Six Sigma and there is a pick up party in process. The people there make us feel at home. The great warmth, friendliness of everyone and fantastic wines create an oasis in a world of crazy noise and cold. As we are sipping our wine we look around and see a campsite! Yep an empty spot that says stay with me and enjoy my peaceful view.
We spoke to Christian Ahlman and were informed they are part of the network of wineries across the United States that allow trailers and RVs to enjoy the beauty, great wine and quiet. This area is like stepping back in time. The fact that this is a working ranch, winery and historic piece of California makes this magic. We can’t wait for our turn to fill this space with our silver trailer at the next Farm to Table dinner and wine pairing. We have the best place to stay! Walking distance to the great food and wine and a little still to our home.
Our coach will be ready in two weeks with a new look to enjoy our next wine adventure. We are looking forward to our first Farm to Table experience just outside our silver door! Bowser!
As we continue with the story of our Pinnicles National Park 3-day we are on a Sunday walk to the Caves. It is a beutiful day and we are enjoying new sites we had not seen before. More people are on the trail but all are courteous and appear happy to be out and about!
We make our way back to our site and note that many of the weekend travelers are gone and it is very quiet. Oh how wonderful the sounds of nature are. We do note that we see alot of small racoons and silly black birds looking to clean up the crumbs of the weekend campers. The signs all over the campsites quite clearly state DO NOT FEED THE WILDLIFE, ESPECIALLY RACOONS, they can be dangerous.
We take an afternoon nap and then begin to prepare for our dinner meal. Our table is set and the new camp stove heating the griddle and feed the dogs. Our appetizers, chips and salsa with lemonade make for an easy preparation for our dinner. We had purchased a couple of bottles of Cabernet from Pietro Santo winery to go with our meal and so we open and let it breathe.
Little racoons keep running at the edge of the creek and our table. My hubby puts his back pack at the door of our trailer and goes back to help prepare our goodies. A little racoon is quietly unzipping his backpack! We shoe him away and laugh. Our evening continues and don’t think anything about it and proceed with our evening.
As we finish our dinner I see a medium sized racoon approaching us quietly and quickly and almost gets to my sister-in-law! it frightened us and she jumped up and down screaming at the creature and it finally went away. We laughed and continued on with the evening! As the cleanup is complete and we settle in for desert racoons are not on our mind. We all go to bed and know tomorrow we return back to the rat race!
We had a solid sleep and awakened for our usual al fresco breakfast. We have our first cappuccino first and while I am dressing I hear a few choice words from outside. I hustle outside to find my husband shaking his head, waving his hands and saying wonderful expletives. There are tiny hand/feet prints all over the roof of the truck, the cargo over over the bed AND the entire interior of the truck windows etc. !!!! Luckily we had our H2O cleaning towels and it made it fun, easy and no smells.
The only way in was a two inch opening of the small back truck window! They broke it by pushing it down?! After the initial shock and awe we laughed and couldn’t believe how they took every little thing inside and examined it all. They found my lost bluetooth earpiece, ate all the doggie treats they found in a zipper pouch. Yes they carefully unzipped the pouch and then took out stuff. No tearing and no chewing any of material.
After our outside breakfast we began to clean the truck up for our ride home. This just goes to show you ALL the signs at the park are really, really, REALLY need to be followed cuz it’s true!
Yet another wonderful trip to put in our book! Oh yeah, this is a photo of my brothers rig and his stuff no ours! We followed the rules and we got attacked!
As I worked all day, my hubby had the responsibility to pack our silver comfort to go to Pinnacles. I have lived all my life within 2 hours from this jewel, ALL MY LIFE! Recently we had the epiphany of the beauty surrounding us. Everyone lives near beauty but thinks that over the hill on the other road is where beauty is. Living in the central California Montery Bay Area we take so much for granted.
After our adventure in the real winter of Nevada and Idaho we wondered if we couldn’t enjoy our Airstream closer to home and learn how to benifit more from our cozy comfort. We have survived our frozen poopscicle and many other challenges, as all travelers do. We have learned to laugh and cherish the lessons learned and the appreciation of the moment.
The weather has been warm and clear for too long. We planned on more of the same but of course mother nature had other plans. As I worked through the day watching the clouds gather, my man and doggies prepped for our journey. I had left a list of food stuffs and clothing to pack so we could enjoy an old new “jewel”.
My brother and wife were going to join us. What fun. Of course I worked an hour later than expected, the skies where getting dark with clouds and the wind was getting stronger. I could not wait to get in the truck. As we started out from my office we began our journey.
The skies were getting darker as the sun bagan to set and the storm began to gain momentum. Oh well, that just meant we could have a little adventure and expierence some weather. Of course our “weather” is nothing but a mild inconvenience. We love our climate we just need rain!
The road and emotions began to lift as we left the highway and city behind and drove through Hollister, California. Unfortunately for us the darkness cloaked the beauty we drove by. It is so fun to see our silver coach behind us. It signifies freedom from work, stress and pressure. When your think about it, we don’t need to travel days for beauty and regeneration of spirit. It surrounds us. We just need to see it.
As per usual we really don’t know where we are going, ok we have general directions and a road. It is dark and the signage for Pinnacles is minimum. We travel along wondering when the rain will drop. We keep going and arrive after dark at the park. We get a little confused on the road and finally find the campground. We find our spot and easily park. Wow it was too easy. We settled in and took our doggies for a walk as the rain started in earnest. We laughed and enjoyed the smell of rain and knowing our doggies were soaked! Luckily we had put up our awning which sheltered us as we toweled off our friends. It was an easy evening and the rain played music on our roof. The enjoyment of the sound of rain lulled us to sleep.
The morning was lazy and enjoyable. The park was less than half filled, no generators were allowed at all but we had electric hookup. Comfort, beauty and quiet. We did not have our Nesspresso Pixie nor the Frother! Someone who shall remain nameless forgot to pack our beauties. We pressed on and enjoyed our french press coffed instead. I do miss the frother though. hmmmm
Our Pixie and frother!
We had dinner outside, slow roasted lamb ribs, garlic mashed potatoes and blanched asparagus with goat cheese and bread. We ate outside under the stars as the rain passed over and the stars were out. Just before dinner the ranger held an little discussion on the California Condor! It sprinkled throughout the presentation but it was informational and fun. We walked back to our trailers and began to set out the picnic table for dinner. I drained the fat off the ribs and spread salsa over the garlic sea salt rub and we ate hungrily.
Of course we can not have a trip without fun. As I brought a beautiful toasted lemon cake with toasted coconut frosting it flew off the plate in my hands and landed on the ground! I had waited for a taste of this luscious cake for days. Sooooo we saved the top layer and followed the 5 second rule and all tasted the cake with a little extra seasoning. Nothing ever goes as planned! Flying Coconut Cake is the first evening star.
One happy Airstream
As we go back to our trailer and start to clean up I realize my hubby did not pack our H2O Home cleaning tools to pick up. But even worse my sink was not draining. We tried boiled water, at least three times and realized that the hot water only went so far down the pipes! I unwound the plumbing stuff and found a 2 inch by 1.5 inch fat plug! We had a fat-scicle!!! We went from poopscicle to fatscicle! wow so much laugher and fun.
Soooooo all systems clear, we rest as tomorrow we go a hiking to the caves!
The time after getting home from our outings equals clean up for storage. We have found a dump station in Scotts Valley that is clean and convenient! Wow what a find as we survived the poopscicle run. Now starts the important stuff.
I bought the H2O at Home, car cleaner kit so we thought we would try it on our silver cottage. What a difference and we saved water doing it. Since we did not use cleaners and only water we did not pollute either. So while the outside was being shinned so nicely I learned sometings about how to easily and quickly keep the inside clean and neat too. I thought i knew how to clean but did I learn alot from Monica! What I learned could be useful to all trailer and RV owners. It feels so good to know less is truely more even with cleaning.
I thought a short video from Monica will show you what I learned. It really made sense and my life a little easier. click on the video to meet Monica, you can contact her at http://www.myh2oathome.com/monica!
We wake up to a sunnyish hazy day. We hope the frozen outlets are going to thaw and we will no longer be a “poopscicle”. The temperature is 13 going up to 23. So no thaw.
We went to Home Depot and purchased a warmer thingy that was attached to a propane tank, a little one, and my hubby spent three hours trying to encourage the goo to melt. The goo won! After freezing and chattering teeth he gave up and joined me and the family for a toasty, cozy day long visit. A quiet day, away from the cold, cold weather allowed for a family time without time restraints. The dogs loved being out of the truck, in a house, all the attention and scraps from some of the most delicious barbecue in Eagle Idaho.
After a wonderful quiet, restful visit, laughs and hugs we went back to our cozy cottage on wheels. Tomorrow we start back home to warm California. It is surprising how this little silver bullet is our quiet place at the end of the day and lazy breakfast mornings.
Sunshine greats us and again we are on California time not Idaho time. It evens out eventually. Our Nesspresso gives forth the comforting aroma of coffee and a new adventure. Yes, the poopscicle lives. It has had no relief from the freezing temps. We know the further west we go the warmer it will be!
Packing up and securing for the drive home is easy. Airstream designs storage in logical ways for ease of use and travel. Fold and stow, clean and go. This smooth process puts a smile on our faces. We both have allergies an bad snuffy colds so we use the “lady bug” lint remover from H2O at Home. It has a two-fold use. We take the doggie hairs off both furniture and doggies! Helps keep potential allergens down in small spaces. We use the Handbroom for the floor. It looks little but it calls all the dirt to gather and we have clean floors. Wiping the counters clean with the chiffonetes takes minutes, even the mirrors shine. Looks great! We feel great and ready for our travel home!
We stop by our daughter’s house to say another goodbye, the sun is shinning and it is 23 degrees outside! The roads should be clear no weather insight. We have reservations set for Frontier RV in Winnamucca, Nevada, book plugged in, doggies secure, kleenex, cough drops, snacks and water.
After leaving the city limits the highway opens with very few vehicles in sight. . . Humming along! How different the landscape looks with early daylight versus setting sun and darkness. Again no wildlife. Must mean they are smart enough to stay warm and not challenge Mother Nature. After a couple of hours we stop at the same vacant gas station, let the doggies run a bit, go to the coach for a wonderful lunch of left overs.
We are making great time, we are going mostly downhill! We reach Winnamucca before nightfall and guess what it is above freezing! We finally get rid of the poopscicle. We are feeling so good we park and start to reheat our New Years Eve dinner. We are now feeling better, our taste buds are working and the lamb is sooooo good, a little champagne, homemade cookies, Martini Radio and we are good!
The morning dawns and we do our “pre-flight”, doggies running and chasing, we are good to go. This morning we try coffee at a truck stop where we gas up. Coffee is hot, not Peet’s, but the morning is chilly. My special, double layered lap blanket, hand knit by my daughter keeping my legs toasty so the coffee is a little plus. The highway is still a bit quiet, few rigs, cars or trucks. We smile and listen to our second book, Killing Patton!
By Reno, it is still cool, 27 degrees, but not 7! We find an In-N-Out burger in Sparks, Nevada and we are in heaven. Never knew it was there, just near the Nugget. We again set the table in the coach, doggies have water and a stretch, onward we go. After getting gas near Cabella’s west of Reno we chug up to thru the Sierra’s and find a view we have probably driven past a zillion times in our travels. I don’t even know the name of the rest stop but it is gorgeous. When we get out of the truck and doggies are out we notice that at the edge of the fence has an even more breathtaking view of a little valley and different hills and mountains. This is where we realize that stopping just because has many special surprises.
All alone with beauty and a valley down below!
We are almost home. It is always bittersweet. No longer as cold nor windy as our road out, just traffic. Home is now only 3 hours away. We have finished two audio books and feel quite accomplished. I am writing notes about our trip, putting down our thoughts and memories. Of course of places we may want to revisit again or explore are written in large bold letters.
We arrive home, unload a few things, park our silver castle in the drive way and then lock the door. Doggies are happy to be out of the truck, we kinda are too. It is almost the enjoyment of less that makes the trip more, and home is our base camp to prepare for the next adventure. Oh the fun of picking and planning another untraveled road.
OMG! Here I am making gifts of herb butters and planning a New Years trip. How do we plan our destinations and missions due for completion. Ohhhh that does not sound like fun.
Our cozy Airstream awaits its new mattress pad especially made for our 20 foot Flying Cloud . We are planing a quick 5 day jaunt to Idaho. The aroma of the herbal butters and cookie dough makes me think . . . . Oh what we could do to use these to enhance our travels.
We just did a pick up of our favorite wines in Lake County California, Six Sigma! It made us remember that friends, associates and the journey mean so much more and enhance our gentle luxuries. Great wine, great friends, and the feelings of the moment.
Our special wine connection! Six Sigma Winery and friends!
As I prepare luscious herbal butters for gifts I think, oh what a wonderful treat as we traverse the winter highways to our special destination . . . Eagle, Idaho and our daughter and grandchildren. We had not ever thought this would be a destination over the holidays but what a thrill!
Sumptuous plans for a gentle road trip. The snow will dictate our travel time as will our time restraints. We have five days and how do we plan? The Airstream makes the travel a breeze. We do not worry about warmth and comfort as it is so well insulated we are always comfy. I have come to appreciate the thought put into its design. There is no wasted space, we can hunker down in a monsoon, wind storm and blizzard! It has taken me five years to appreciate the design and thought put into our Flying Cloud.
So we plan for our creature luxuries, menu for New Years Eve, nosh on the road and reservations on the way to our destination. Just think herbed butter, we made, rib steaks, garlic mashed potatoes, sautéed green beans with butter and shallots, Six Sigma 2009 Tempranillo and French press coffee with espresso shortbread cookies to bring in the new year! No matter where we are, if in our Airstream, we know we are not only warm and safe, we are more than comfortable.
We hope to bring in the New Year with style and panache! We do not need to be ever stylish but we know less is more and it is the little luxuries that make our lives special.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND A WONDERFUL RIVETTED AIRSTREAM NEW YEAR
Back to the Dream
Canned Comfort 