This past 12 or so months has been a dooozie. Fear, challenges, new ways of meeting our needs and keeping in touch. As a sometimer in our Airstream we have limited our travels to family only and on an as needed basis. What this has done is allow us to be more clear about what we want to see and do as we get back to balance in our lives.
We did pare down “stuff” in our rig. We learned that less is really more. Well, we started to pay attention to how we traveled and what we really used. We had to re-think what we want to achieve while we travel. It has taken along time to drop the 9-5, M-F mindset and let go. I gave myself permission to enjoy the present, our life, what we really needed to grab the good and let go of the unnecessary that we no longer have responsibility for.
We lost our lovely little Kona doggie, she was blind, tired and sad. We missed her so very much. Her brother died 3 years ago and now she is gone too. Now we could travel without the worry of our puppies. It was lonely and in a weak moment we found 2 puppies to learn and journey with us. We have traveled in our other rigs with puppies for 13 years. We had a 6 month respite and now we are 4.
We are now embarking on a solid “Sometimer” attitude to explore. Have a trainer to help guide us with the puppies, new maps and ideas on how to travel more enjoyably, a slower pace and eyes to see more than just the highway. The “Ah ha” moments lead us everywhere and now I will begin our new journey with new outlooks that COVID-19 has shaped:
1- More awareness that many people do not understand nor appreciate what we have in this great nation. Take care of her and her gifts to us. How? Be kind to the environment, be kind to each other and respect each others differences
2- Be open to learn new ways to meet challenges
3- Help each other in simple ways
Here are products I use to keep our traveling laundry clean, allergy free and safe for the environment: the link Products
I hope to share my Ah Ha’s on our way. Especiallly the Cast Iron French Bread from Mary Jane’s magazine. Yummy and easy for on the road.
Finally we have our 26 footer and a beautiful tow vehicle! We had planned our first trip would be for our Thanksgiving celebration but instead it was in Davenport California Costanoa. Why? Because we were renovating our home for sale! But what a wonderful gift.
We needed to go back and forth from Davenport to our home everyday for clearing and cleaning and packing our stuff. It was at least 60 miles round trip each day. It sounds like a very long trek. It was and it wasn’t.
I have lived almost all my life near the ocean and Monterey Bay in particular. I had never really looked at the ocean or enjoyed its various changes throughout the day. But the drive each way at various times from early morning to late evening was a magnificent gift.
Our new baby made the stress and physical strain bearable. We had to clean her up but that was a work of joy. I used non-chemical cleansers that had little or no scent. She shined and sighed and even smiled. H2O home is what I have used on all our Airstreams and home. Airstreams are “green” so I have kept her clean the same way. Her linens, dishes and our clothes are also cleaned with H2O products. For traveling it is easy and economical and safe for us and our doggy.
We put our cooking utensils, clothing and food in our “tiny” home and were quite comfortable. We could sleep listening to the ocean waves and feel at home. We had beautiful views as we drove back and forth. Clean ocean air as we walked in the evening and early morning and have coffee looking out at the morning sky. It is a wow.
We lived in our tiny home working on our big home for over a week. In that time we really learned about what real needs were and letting go of stuff. It was an eye opener. I donated so many clothes I no longer wore, furniture we really did not like or need and helped a new SJPD officer fill his apartment with pots and pans, dishes, and a TV stand. We felt so blessed that what we did not need or want could help someone else.
I got to start cooking after a long recovery from an accident and the tiny kitchen was fantastic. The sights of the early morning fog, wave action and fishing boats were like tiny miracles I never really saw in my lifetime of living near it. We were also able to buy fresh caught fish that was so very tasty and healthy! What fun to live like a tourist in our own back yard.
A really great part was on our very last morning at Costanoa KOA we happened on the new owners of our very first Airstream! We couldn’t believe it and we all hugged and cried. They live nearby also and happened on an overnight fun trip just to relax. They have traveled often and “Cynthia” as she is named is loving it. We also found out they love utilizing Harvest Host through out Central California, Washington and Oregon. They have found many wineries and farms that allowed them to stay over night at no cost. It is a great organization and we are going to use it ourselves. Wonderful things happen on our journeys and we are so thankful to be able to travel comfortably and meet so many new friends.
Next going to Las Vegas to remodel another home and then travel for the Thanksgiving vacation to Colorado! We are such lucky ducks.
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!
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!
Oh boy! We are getting in one more adventure before we stop for the vacation season. Yep we are going back to Pinnacles for one more look. Usually we are cleaning and repairing our silver castle for a little rest time while we wait and prepare for fall adventures. We like to travel when the weather is cooler, less crowded and a different vacation perspective.
As we began the process of emptying the coach of all foodstuffs, clothing, doggie treats and linen we received a call from my brother. He got us our newly found favorite spots at the Pinnacles! As we had already started the process of cleaning we decided just finish the job and be ready for the next trip.
Keeping your rolling home clean and repaired means that the surprise trip will not have major “surprises”! This practice is well worth the effort as it protects your investment, your traveling dream maker! I am always surprised how the simple little fixes prevent the big owies.
When we first ordered our Flying Cloud I read and re-read the marketing booklet and then the manufacturer’s recommendations to be prepared to give loving care to our new silver dream!
Meet the Silver Coach Cleaning package!
The how of cleaning small spaces can be challenging or easy and green. The cleansers on the market may not be compatible with the interiors of campers, trailers and RV’s. The surfaces are not to be scrubbed to death and our aluminum walls are special. I have used multiple sprays, antibacterial cleansers and also learned not to use chlorine liquids. Fragrances of cleaners are also a potential hazard for those with allergies, animals and sensitive skin. The solution? H20 Home! Yep I found it was very simple, the difficulty is in leaving old habits behind. I did mention it in a previous blog but now I am really liking it. The process kind of makes you question the new way and then go ahhh.
When we returned home this last trip I really got energetic and thought a study this process was needed. This is what I did. I analyzed storage space for a cleaning kit I could keep in the trailer and make the upkeep ongoing and minimize the pre-rest cleaning time. All I needed was three (3) chiffonnettes, one container of clay cleaner, and water. Yep that is what I was going to us to clean the entire inside of my coach.
I had read on another blog how a traveler used two dish pans that fit the sinks to clean dishes and then disposed of the boiled rinsing water into the blackwater tank instead of the grey water. By doing this it helps keep the level of the greywater tank lower- more room for shower water! This saved overuse of water and disenfectied the dishes at the same time. Check out this blog J5MM to really see how she did this.
Back to the new process study. I read the directions on the use of the chiffonnettes and thought it was too simple. I wrung out the thickest one for the counter top and began to wipe down the surfaces, hmmm then did the same to the cabinet doors and was really surprised as it shinned with a wipe of the medium towel. I rinsed out the first towel as needed with just warm water. No cleaners, no sprays and no disinfectants. All surfaces and mirrored surfaces gleamed. I then used the clay cleanser product with its little sponge and worked on the sinks and stove top. It has never looked smoother and shinier. I proceeded with this same process to include the aluminum walls and ceilings and got the same results. It was amazing. I did spend a lot of time going end to end but I only utilized water and the clay cleanser. No drip marks and no overpowering fragrance. WOW! Along with this thinking I decided to see what I would actually need to keep her clean on the go and when she rests. How much space, how much effect on the environment and keeping everything easily cleanable and pretty. I also began to think about dishwashing, clothing and towels. I know I can over think a lot but I like to keep things pretty and clean. I came up with a small collection that fits in a small basket under the sink!
Here is the Silver Coach Package: I slips right under my sink and the basket was from the dollar store! It has the three chiffonnettes, two sponges different colors so you can use one for the bathroom, one for dishes with two sides. Clay cleanser for the tough spots and the spots on the floor or carpet, dish cleanser to put two drops on the dish sponge( they can be cleaned and disinfected in the dishwasher at home), the Netepur bar to put on the stains on the camping clothes! Works like magic! Kids clothing actually survives to camp another day without the stains. If you would like to learn more about the super Silver Coach Package from Monica Hein of H2O Home at 1-831-566-5324. She really gets the Airstream dream and of course she cares about the environment.
Well enough cleaning I need to rest to get ready for our next Pinnacle Trip. It is going to be very hot!
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.
We awaken and know we are so toasty warm and now we need COFFEE! But not to worry we have our Pixie and Frother, english muffins and butter! We look out the window and see sunshine and snow on the mountains. Nice way to open our eyeballs. What we see is so clear and beautiful but only 13 degrees! We are now officially a poopscicle! Our outlets are frozen but we have room and fresh water. Thank God! The Frontier RV Park is fairly new and has very clean, WARM, showers and bathrooms. So we can shower in comfort before we hit the road. It truly is the little things that make us smile. The doggies loved all the room to run around in before hoping back into the truck AGAIN!
Our Pixie and frother to the rescue.
They are so cute and patient. They get their food, water and running around about every two hours. We are uphill again! Hwy 95 up to Boise. It is about a short 5 hour jog for us.
The air is fresh and it really is a beautiful view. We are feeling better and hoping we get to our destination before nightfall. The clean up for travel is so easy. Everything has a place, easy stowing and access even better. My orange chiffonete from H2O at Home just swiped the dirt away.
We know that we can still use our bathroom but we thought the heat of the road and sunshine would melt our poopscicle plug. So, merrily we rolled along. Our first stop was in Oregon just before an Indian Reservation. The dogs are getting used to the snow but our plug did not thaw. We had cheese sandwiches, more water, more cold medicine and nose spray, replenished our kleenex stash. Onward we went listening to our audio book Killing Lincoln!
Poor little truck pulled and pulled and I could hear it saying, “I think I can, I think I can” as we went north nearing the 200,000 mile mark on our 6 cylinder Ford Sportrac! Boy she has worked so gallantly through all our adventures!
Beautiful and Cold, cold, cold !!!
We are enjoying our audio book, we keep hoping no more upward hills and hope the plug will thaw! Ok, Boise is north, we are 4500 ft and no thaw. We pass through Jordan Valley and see a sleepy snow-covered town and wonder where the inhabitants are. I know, they are smarter than us, they are in their homes warm and toasty. It gets higher and colder the farther north we go….brrrr
We then realize how lucky we are to see all these wonders of our great country. We live our lives in our own local beauty but then we need to take the road less traveled to experience unexpected wonders. The snow-covered country side appears as a never-ending vastness of color, land morphs, animals venture out and we see a great big sky. We are also free to travel as we want. We are comfy in our truck, the doggies are sleeping and we just enjoy with smiles and kleenex.
we arrive in Eagle, Idaho as the sun is setting and it is a balmy 22 degrees, still freezing! We get a great pull through spot at the High Valley RV park. There is snow on the ground without wind. There are full hookups but the hoses will freeze if left outside and the poopscicle is frozen. Thank God Airstream has generous holding tanks with warming blankets to keep the fresh water flowing.
We get settled and have dinner with my daughter and grandchildren. What a great night except for the cold, cough and sneezes. But family makes everything so much better.
Back to the RV park we settle again for a cozy night in our coach! Hot tea, cookies, cough medicine and kleenex! Oh we can sleep in and not worry about being on the road just yet. Achoo!
Canned Comfort 