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.
We started this year not knowing it would be full of challenges. Our January was quietly moving in a direction of its own spirit. This year so far shows that there is only one truism – You never know what you can do until you do it.
A very dear friend was fighting a very aggressive and rare cancer. She was the kind of person that knew her mind, could be as stubborn as she was kind. She made sure that her last Christmas season was the most memorable for all her family. She found special ways to create warm and loving happy memories for her spouse, children and grandchildren. Then the time was drawing near that she would have to say goodbye.
As the time drew near to say goodbye she asked me to help her and her family make the journey together in dignity . I got a call to come. It was a change for me. I have been a medical provider for over 40 years and in charge. Now I was a bystander of her medical care, an emotional supporter as well as medical translator. I was with her when she finally let go of the here and now and left for what was beyond. It was peaceful and she was at rest. Her family and friends came to say goodbye. Both happy and sad but the was out of pain and at peace. I had been gone from home for 2 weeks. Now on to home.
I was in Wyoming during lots of snowfall, wind and cold. There was many days the highways and major roads were closed. I was also at her family members hospitality for a place to sleep. I did not have my silver coach. I sure missed the privacy and quiet of my own little home. Honestly I spent most of my time at the hospital or the Hospice center.
I decided to go to my home in Nevada 2 days later. I could not fly out as there was no plane to transport me from Laramie, Wy to Denver Colorado could not fly us out. My son and his wife picked me up in Ft. Collins, Colorado. I was so very tired and wanted to go home. I was so thankful for their assistance.
Four days later my daughter-in-law died suddenly. I flew out immediately to help my son and his family prepare for the funeral et al. It was snowing and cold in Colorado! I have never seen so much gray, snow and sorrow. Two days later my hubby arrived with our Silver Coach. This was heaven. It gave us all room to grieve and yet be together. There is more to having a Silver Coach, it is our home whenever we need it.
Life goes on and we learn how lucky we are to be able to use our gifts to help others. Happy travels and safe keeping.
Its August and its hot! My husband is assigned to a military post in central California and needs medical treatment in Santa Maria. What a great reason to take a trip in our silver escape vehicle. Finding a place to stay is the question. We are 6-7 hours north of Santa Maria so we need at least an overnight midway. It is going to be hot and this is our first trip in the summertime with our coach. We are also taking our doggies – one little and one grumpy.
We look at military family camps (RV and tent facilities for military families) in the area and decide to try Camp Roberts! We also make reservations at Morro Bay Dunes for the convalescent period. Morro Bay Dunes is very close to the beach and it is close to town. We are set. As this is our first year traveling with our silver coach we pack like crazy nuts. Newbies never really know what to take or leave and we took it all. Always a learning experience. Remember it is also an adventure and as my spouse says “it’s the best marriage counseling there is”.
Camp Roberts is not going to make my “places to go ” list. The facility is mostly abandoned, dry, hot and poorly maintained. I can’t believe they still train personnel here. It was built to train troops during World War II and many hollywood celebrities were introduced to the military here. Its layout was a traditional Army Garrison set. One of the original chapels still stands and there is a beautiful organ still in place. It is falling apart and not cared for. The whole camp looks so sad and yet if it could talk I bet there would be lots of great stories. It is said that when soldiers were remodeling a few of the old barracks for new use they found newspapers and letters that were stuffed in the walls for insulation. What great insight into the daily lives of the 1940’s trainees. They also say ghosts are all around and sometimes can be seen and heard during the still warm nights! It’s just sad to see it falling apart and that a piece of our history is just crumbling away. It is actually a California National Guard training facility. It also has eagles flying above and around the creeks, giant oak trees, snakes, dry grasses, abandoned, falling down buildings and a glimpse at what it was almost a hundred years ago! So sad. We won’t stay there again as the facilities are very rough and the road to the camp is poorly maintained and very bumpy. It was a safe place to rest overnight.
Our next morning was bright and beautiful. Skies bright blue and the air still – it was going to be a very hot day. We are on our way to Morro Bay. We had stayed here before and were overwhelmed with lots of very noisy neighbors and felt cramped but our last outing here was an experience in over planning and an aggressive schedule.
This time we were able to get a great spot G-5 in the back of a cul-de-sac right next to the gate out to the beach! Wow we were so happy.
The Silver Suite
It was an easy drive from Camp Roberts to Morro Bay Dunes and the scenery went from an old California golden dry to the California coast. We are so lucky to live in an area where we are so close to everything so beautiful. The trick is to be able to find a time to enjoy it without a lot of people.
The set-up, as always, was easy, our doggies were happy to sit in the shade and they love running on the beach. We just relax and enjoy. The sound of the ocean waves is fantastic. The next morning we had to be in Santa Maria by zero dark thirty!
Brent convalesced well. Ocean waves crashing, sun, coastal winds and quiet. The doggies, well, Gunny the older one was so good and well-behaved. His little sister was the barky dog who still has not finished her training. She WILL learn. Good thing she is cute.
While in Morro Bay we met two great Airstreamers! Will and Jeff, they travel to California every year, specifically Morro Bay and work while here. One is a photographer the other an architect! We really enjoyed visiting with them. They gave us the name of a mobile home park in Cayucus California off Hwy 1 that has spaces for RV’s too. So we decided to travel home via Hwy 1 instead of Hwy 101 to see a coastline we rarely see. We did get a reservation too!
A work trip doesn’t need to be hotels, no pets and no privacy. My new adventure was to drive the silver coach all by myself. We have a small 2007 Sportrac that is only 4.5 liter engine. We have a twenty-foot Flying Cloud Airstream. I really had to convince my hubby that I can and will take out the rig all by myself.
I bet lots of women wonder why the guys have all the fun. They get to drive all over the place. I am not Miss Daisy! hmpf!!!! Women are great drivers and we all need to share the fun. Enough said.
At the time of this adventure my hubby was stationed at an Army base three hours from our home and I was given temporary orders to an Air Base for my reserve duty. This is also three hours from our home. So different orders and different locations! Great reason for me to take the rig out by myself and be able to take the doggie too.
Hmm winter weather with rain. The challenge was Hwy 17 in wet weather or an alternate route Hwy 129, flat, a little curvy and two lanes. Safer in silly wet road driving. Not a bad choice, Gunny and I were cozy and ready for any contingency! Well Prepared.
I took us approximately 3 hours from door to door. Not bad as we traversed a commute mess, toll bridge and the main gate to Travis, AFB. We checked in, drove to our space and had personal, very experienced ground guides help us slide right into our home. Took us less than 30 minutes to set-up and be cozy.
Very easy way to report for duty, then relax at a “home” not full of noise and lots of door noises! Our little doggie was very comfortable too. However, I found that our oven knob was a problem. I couldn’t turn on the blasted oven pilot light! So gave up and used my trusty old cast iron dutch oven. Yummy! I do feel like the pudgy little squirrel a little “squirrel” house! Full tummy, warm and toasty listening to the stormy Delta breezes outside.
I did entertain a fellow officer and it worked wonderfully, She was surprised at the clean, bright and roomy interior. We can do it again! I did notice however I needed to revamp my decor, reorganize the cabinets and re-think staples in the pantry.
As we readied ourselves for the return trip home I felt a sense of accomplishment! I can do this on my own. Not scary and I can take care of business too. Onward we go. Gunny and I did do this again many times on multiple duty requirements with a big old grin on my face!
It is after spending time on a Family Camp site that I really admire and respect all our retirees. We are a great bunch of people and to see the active duty, reservists, retirees and families utilizing a place that they can commiserate about the times they spent defending our country is invaluable.
Hidden Valley Lake, California was our adventurous goal. What a wonderful place. It was a four-hour drive from our home up to Napa and the Silverado Trail. Beautiful scenery and lots of places to stop and sip the vino. We arrived at our destination, a little dusty, thirsty and ready to relax. It only takes us 30 minutes to set up, open the vino and put out salami, cheese and french bread. We were the only ones there our first night and only two other RVs arrived the next night. Very quiet. It is a small, oak filled canyon with a bubbly running creek. It feels like you are out on the ranch but you are in the middle of a gated community with a golf course and market!
The deer and wild turkeys rule. The early mornings have a little fog hanging onto the branches, deer grazing, turkeys waddling and flying and the feral cats are fed by a mysterious cat lady. The quiet is amazing. We take our little pooch out for a short stroll. The air was crisp and cool with just a hint of damp. We started our morning with a short walk. The water for our french press coffee is heating and the luscious lemony scones are baking. As we return to our rig the water is poured over our Peet’s coffee and the aroma of the scones cooling on the counter just add to the simple pleasures of life. With our curtains opened to view nature, classical music playing quietly in background, we enjoy our cozy cave. (Our doggie pokes his head between the curtains so he can keep an eye on the wildlife.)
We found this little place thanks to our friends Anne and Dan who live at Hidden Valley Estates. This trip we had dinner at their house, went wine tasting all Saturday and cooked our dinner for the night in our rolling French bistro. Sunday was home-made scones and coffee. This little kitchen really works and there is plenty of prep space. Prior planning helped. I prepared the dry ingredients for the scones at home, packed them in a zip lock bag and only added butter and milk in the coach. Fifteen minutes later, we had warm, buttered lemon scones with our own French press coffee. Now that is traveling!
Unfortunately, we also had our first encounter with a frozen water hose too. Luckily, as always, fellow travelers helped us with a lesson on all-weather camping. We now wrap our hoses in cold weather.
We shall do this again! Even, Gunny, our doggie liked it. He travels well. We love to see our friends and the Napa/Lake county wine regions too. If you go to Lake County wine area there is a great little restaurant in Kelseyville called the Saw Shop and a repeat visit is a must. We are getting used to our little home. It is relaxing to just have a lazy morning with goodies you made while still in your jammies! The dog is not so sure, but goes along for the adventure.
Our Gunny! He now loves his little rolling home. See what he did to the curtains!
To say we had fun is an understatement! After a very busy work week we landed in heaven! Our first overnight at our favorite winery and ranch. Six Sigma farm to table dinner and overnight camping.
We just got our Airstream road ready for the Yellowstone adventure with family and needed an excuse for a “shakedown” cruise. Six Sigma here we come. We also invited friends who live in the area to share a meal with us while we where in the area.
After battling, unholy traffic we bumpty bumped into the ranch. We arrived as the crew was setting up for the dinner venue. This is our first farm to table event. Kaj Ahlman, the “father” of this wonderful, multifaceted family enterprise, guided us to our spot! It was a cleared area with generous room to park our rolling home. There are no hook ups, we came with our water tanks full and solar panels on our roof. It was an easy fit.
We expanded our awning, set the stabilizers, and made ourselves comfortable. We had a gas firepit so no sparks or chance for potential fires, our grass pad was a new acquisition and rolled out beautifully. The dogs had their own fenced pen to relax in after a nice walk. We then got ready for dinner.
Wow the place was filling with lots of happy people sipping wine and reviewing a menu that included Six Sigma lamb and local fruits and vegetables paired with wonderful Six Sigma wine! Christian Ahlman, Judy, Matt the winemaker and Kaj et al made the evening fantastic. People enjoyed seeing our well behaved pups roaming about with us and marveling about our silver coach awaiting our end of evening relaxation.
As all the hustle and bustle of the evening wound down the beauty of natures quiet overtook us. We could even hear the small creek running by us. The weather was perfect, a slight breeze with the sound of the wind in the tall trees made everything very relaxing. We slept with all curtains open, windows slightly ajar and the breeze just right. We could see the stars in the night sky. This is camping! This is living, this is why we love our silver baby. The dogs were comfortable, we were experiencing our dream for the very first time. Alone, not in a crowded campground, even the national parks have too many people, generators and noises all the time!
Just before lights out at the end of the day.
The morning was sweet, ranchers and work hands drove by, no real noise, no disruption, cyclists going by, all surprised by the silver thing in the woods. Our friends came by for a relaxing brunch and then off to the real world.
We did find I had forgotten to re-stock all we had taken out for the maintenance to be done so that was goofy. Everything worked, yeah Bay Area Airstream for the great job. This little sojourn was so much more relaxing than any of our other excursions ever! Ohhhhh how enjoyable! This is what we were trying to find. Now we know where to find it.
Canned Comfort 