We no longer have our Canned Comfort #3. Due to health issues we traded our wonderful Airstream for a mini-motor home. A 2018 Leisure Travel Van Unity FX. No more hitching and no more iconic, warm, and cozy rolling home!
Now we have BoujiBaby! She is a new adventure, easier to get going in. No more heavy hitching and I can drive her. She takes a bit of getting used to. She is not shiny and not round but we are learning to love her too. We keep waving to other Airstreamers forgetting we are no longer silver and bright. More stealth. Our doggies are also trying to find their comfort spots.
Our first overnight was in Caliente, Nevada. A lovely little campground called Linda’s Campground. It is just behind the BLM office! Clean, quiet, friendly and great walking trails easily available.
The little town of Caliente is friendly, cute and bustling. It’s looks like there is a lot of area for ATVers and camping in the hills around the town. It has a great railroad history and the community is refurbishing the original railroad stop. Great place for a gentler place during the shoulder seasons and for us its only a couple of hours away.
Settling in for the night was a bit different. Our usual assignments, me inside Brent outside was weird. Our Phantom, tow vehicle was no where to be found! We were already in it! We have a slide out, a 16 gal propane generator, 2000 watt inverter, 400 watts of solar and a two burner propane stove, microwave and convection oven! Our CC#3 had 30-50 amp electrical for AC, two large propane tanks, 200 watts of solar and a 1000 watt inverter. Of course both rigs had fresh water, grey water and black water tanks. So kinda funny not to have my little steps, separate vehicles and different bathrooms.
I will have a sharp learning curve if I want to use the convection oven. Anyway the night was uneventful, comfortable, a little less space and storage. The doggies were confused and we are trying different ways to keep them safe and comfy while we drive.
I still miss my wonderful Airstream but will try and make BoujiBaby, BB for short, ours. Life is always full of surprises. Going to make this our special rolling home. Hope to see you on the road!
We had a beautiful morning and it was not too cold. The sky clear and the sun shinning. Took doggies for a nice walk.
Our one and only neighbor had already left. Appeared to be a retired couple one small dog and they came quietly and left the same. It was so nice to have so much quiet and have space. A nice beginning to day two
Day Two
There are not too many big trucks or RV rigs on the road at 7 am. We drove through the little town of Hawthorne, Nevada. It is an old ammunition storage site and Army base from WW II. The town itself is clean, quiet appearing with alot of pride for its history.
The road that brings us here ends here. We take a left turn through town and end up on I-395 -via I-95 passing Mono Lake! Wow.
We have stopped for a potty stop at Mono Lake before going to California before. This time we drove farther in and looked for the old cemetery and gave up. It was quiet and nice and the dogs loved walking about. Nice lunch break and taking a deep breath instead of racing for time. We also could not see how to get to the lake from this entry road.
We did notice that going through a small town after the turn south on I-395 was an entrance to Mono Lake! Felt like duh! We felt foolish but we had a nice stop and we noticed that the temperature was dropping.
We drove through Tuttle Town, cute, next time we will stop and have lunch. We know that we have to go through Yosemite to get to our destination. Not a really fast trek.
As we approached the entrance to Yosemite, we say signs stating no entrance without a camp reservation!!! COVID and winter rules. We had to wait 2 hours for our turn to at least see if we can drive through and not stop to sight see or camp. When we hit the ranger station they asked if we were active duty military and I still had my ID that said I was. They gave us a no fee permit to drive through the park. Wow, what an ordeal. It did show how much work they had been doing to clean up fire and snow damage. It was nice to see reasonable numbers of people walking, hiking and enjoying the frozen sierra vistas.
The roads are two lanes, the Yosemite Valley shops are closed, at the entrances they are checking for your reservation and ID status when you are stopped. Kinda creepy. After many switch backs, slow going and beautiful scenery we were in the dry low lands and the temp was increasing.
Our destination for the night was a Harvest Hose Winery that we had made reservations with. We needed to check in before 5:00 pm when they closed. We put the address into the NavAid on our tow vehicle and off we went. As we neared the back end of the Modesto area. We were directed to a lonely, desolate combination road of asphalt, gravel and back ranch roads. I had lived in the Central Coast and San Francisco Bay area all my life and skied the areas near by the winery. I could not recognize any of the roads. It took us away from Hwy 49 which is wine, hiking, historical and ski areas around Angels Camp. We kept going, tried not to argue and keep cool. After 3 hours (should have taken 1.5hrs) we found the back way into the Twisted Oak Winery! It was a silly, crazy road. The entire one lane road into the winery had rubber chickens hanging from the trees with funny sayings also either posted on a tree or in the ground. Even had chickens with prison stripped suits painted on them. I couldn’t believe it. We laughed so much after such a challenging way in. A good way to start the evening. But was close to 100 degrees outside! You will have to try the red blend “Chum Bucket” too or “Chicken Bubbles”.
After checking in and trying their wines we retreated to the now empty parking lot in the middle of the vineyard. We did walk the dogs about the grounds and they loved it. It was so good to be outside the “Phantom” and all the windows were open. The great thing about our Airstream is the great ventilation. Cross winds from the hills made it so comfortable. We had our home made version of charcuterie and a bottle of white wine.
As the sun set we settled in and slept in the warm quiet.
Day two complete! Now it will be back into the traffic of the San Francisco Bay Area! Hmm. In the morning we found Hwy 49 a quarter mile away from the winery. Oh boy!
Discussing the future way of travel was our first step; 1- learn how to use the many apps for finding “free” overnight camping spots and non-national private ie, KOA type places, 2- we set a goal of only driving 4 hours a day, 3-stop, plan for an easy setup for a relaxing evening and enjoy walks with the new puppies.
We are planning a 3 week family visiting trip covering 5 states. Looking at an Atlas book of current maps of the United States and Canada we penciled in 3 different routes. The route had to be different than our usual one. On our previous trips from Nevada to California were from our home off I-15 south to Hwy -5N to Hwy 46 to Hwy 1 to Santa Cruz, California. Whew. This time we went North on Hwy – 93 to Hwy 6 W, Hwy 395 to Angels Camp California and then winding our way to Felton, California for the duration of our first leg of this trip. Yep, that doesn’t sound like much until you look a a real map. Oh boy.
Ok, to say the “best laid plans oft go astray” is too true. We were up early, rig already packed and hitched the night before. Doggies prepped. Then our real day began. The two, 9 month old miniature Australian Sheppard puppies spotted a young coyote across the road. They were already in the car. We had decided to try traveling without their crates and put them in a safety hammock. Hubby left the driver side window open. They both jumped out the window. The chase began!
It was a beautiful young coyote that was chased by two doggies. It then turned around as to say “I’m supposed to chase you!” He turned around and began barking at the dogs and then the dogs decided they had better get back home. They of course ignored our calls to report to us and then kinda went to the busy street above our road and we started worrying. They quickly returned to home after seeing big cars. We were now grumpy and frazzled. Coffee, Coffee, Coffee. NOW. We were behind in our timed start. Big breath, go to the drive through bakery for a croissant breakfast sandwich, large coffee and water for the pups. We had driven about a mile. Oh my. We laughed, wished we had filmed the coyote express and realized we had planned a 3.5 hour drive and it was only 7:00 am.
Our first stop was Mina, Nevada. Our first overnight. Never heard of it? Me either. It is a very small, dusty hamlet on the way to somewhere else. It was empty of campers when we arrived. Fine for us. They had long “pull through” spots with well defined hook ups. Very clean, near the highway but quiet with an amazing view of the desert hills of eastern Death Valley. It was very reasonable, $35.00 per night. Very good for our budget. The sun was still up, warm, gentle breezes wafted through the camp. It was a quiet I associate with the late spring of the prairies. We could hear the occasional hum of a semi-truck. Just quiet and calm. Our pups loved the walk around the grounds and sniffing a bunch of everything. I took a big deep breath and almost cried. It was a space out there without the noise of the city, My hubby poured us a beautifully chilled Marianne’s Rose from Six Sigma Ranch in Lake County California. We felt so accomplished. We drove for only 3.5 hours, on a less traveled road, identified places we would like to explore on a recreational trip. We were not stressed and puppies were also less cranky.
The end of the day refreshment
Our dinner was one I had prepared the day before and we heated it up in our kitchen while enjoying our view. We ate inside as the wind was picking up and the temperature was cooling down.
We took the doggies for another quick walk about, then into the coach for our dinner. It was so nice not to feel wrung out and stressed. We were able to eat dinner with a beautiful view of the desert landscape and birds, not worry about a crowded, noisy campground – we listened to the quiet, even the highway noise was muffled and slight. We heard a faraway train going through during the night. Ahhhhh
The morning was bright sunlight, not warm yet. Quiet, no people, many birds and deer scattering as we make human noises. Big deep breath and sip fresh coffee on our outside chairs. Doggies nudge us for the morning wake up walk. Just what we need. Simple, quiet, not people. A fresh new day. We had camp fire toasted, homemade cast iron bread. Home made jam and a smile. The doggies little wiggle butts were happily wagging too. It was an easy, un-rushed re-pack, to secure items and pack the dogs. We knew it was May. The day would heat up and we would melt. Onward and westward we charge!
Best plans for starting at the beginning were changed by a rush of plans and invitations to go visit family and friends!
We put 15,000 miles on our new coach in 3 months! I used the H2O liquid cleaner to quickly wipe down the dust and accumulation of the new rig. There were labels all over the inside stating “no abrasives or cleansers”. Cleaning was quick and easy and we then quickly stored everything from the 20 ft FC and prepped for winter travel!
Well, as often happens, on our way to Colorado our water pump had stopped working. We had just had it repaired from a short trip to California and had picked up the rig at the dealership on our way out of time. Luckily we found a dealership in southern Colorado that refreshed the pump for us at no charge!!! What luck.
We soon learned we were not at all prepared for our trip. Yes we had food, winter clothing, doggie supplies etc. We had too much stuff. We really had not really learned much from our last 12 years of travel. This was a longer travel through new roads and byways. We just rushed to get needed repairs for damages made on the maiden voyage from California to our new home in Henderson, Nevada.
My hubby tried to back up our rig into the court we had lived in and introduced our back aluminum panels to the street sign!!! Our new rig needed two weeks of repair! Ouch, ouch, ouch!
The repairs finished just as we had to leave on our 3 week trip!!! Not a great way to start. Grumpy, short tempered, rushed and hopeful that we were prepared! What another adventure we were to have.
We forgot that there was less daylight and lots of semi-trucks zooming along eastbound Hwy 10! Thank God we had a new tow vehicle and the rig was in one wonderful piece. We finally got to our destination KOA in NEW MEXICO! Rolled in at 1:00 am and rolled out at 8:00 am! Not a way to start.
Day two began with sunlight, 46 degrees and a wonderful hot cup of coffee! After taking the dog for a walk we realized why we have our coach! We had a cozy, comfy sleep in our own bed. We did not have to check-into a hotel, lug stuff in and out of our vehicle. We just parked, hooked up the electric and went to bed!
The next part of the trip was rushed, as we were afraid of the snow possibly falling too soon. The great part was the vistas we enjoyed, the road conditions and we had our own good hot food and could stop to walk about to stretch.
After staying at another KOA in southern Colorado, quite nice too. We arrived at the ranch and enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Of course we had an electrical panel problem we tried to repair but all dealerships were closed. We were able to make it home and to the dealership without problems! Thank goodness my son is mechanically inclined and helped out!
Whew home, safe rested and the rig is getting repaired! Still on warranty too! What luck
Hopefully before our next outing in one week we can review the cleaning and updating of our new rig. Happy travels.
Twelve months had passed since our maiden voyage! We wanted to really travel with our new rolling home (20 ft Flying Cloud) but life gets in the way. Wait, I thought escape was the reason behind our investment! hmmmm
Our choice of our “rig” was guided by the capability of our little Sportrac’s tow power. We really did not know what we were looking for or how we would really utilize this trailer. It had not occurred to us what trailer travel was all about. We saw commercials and we thought wow what an adventure. We would use our own linens, our doggies could go too, we could dine and relax in our own “home” while on the road. Sounds great! We’re in!
We visited many dealerships around not only in California but also Nevada . It surprised me in the feel, decor and sneezes we encountered. Yep, I am allergic to the world! Of course the price ranges were wild! We had not even considered previously owned trailers either! We compared the RV to the trailers to the vans, C class, A Class etc, etc. A whole new world.
I really did not want a trailer after all the looking until my hubby took me to an Airstream dealership! I did not sneeze, it was well thought out, clean lines inside and out and it did not have a formaldehyde odor! It also had a light, bright kitchen area that had enough room for me to cook. The really crowning touch was the FULL bathroom! Yep the bathroom and kitchen sold the silver toaster for us! So we took the very expensive plunge.
In December 2009 we went to Moro Bay and stayed at the Moro Bay Dunes RV park. We were fully packed for any contingency and then some. We only had one little doggie then and he is a traveler! We had heard nothing but great things about this park and location. Funny we live by Monterey Bay and now we are traveling to Morro Bay! We plan our trips like we planned mission movement in the military! We flunked the civilian side this time we were late by 30 minutes of our departure time. We also learned how to properly stabilize our hitch.
Off we go! We stop in Soledad, California 2 hours into our adventure for coffee and doggie piddle. We arrive at 2:00 pm at the park and are guided to our site. We were relieved to see we are in a quiet spot with few campers on our court. Did I say quiet!? As the weekenders began to arrive the noise level kept rising and children on bikes and trikes began roaming the area. We realized our court had one of the few gates to the beach across a paved road! Too many people but the view from the kitchen is a wow!
The first night is almost completely dark, small slice of the moon, we take a short walk on the dunes and listened to the beauty of the surf and sounds! We did not stay around the camp ground like photos in articles show but we did get a quiet spot to enhance our learning curve. We do know now that we should do a little more homework about where we want to stay and what our style of travel is.
This is a great base camp point for short drives to Pismo Beach and San Lluis Obispo. There is also a lot of surf fishing too! The camp hosts were great and we shall return.
Our first family dinner in the beautiful Madison Campground was more than we could have imagined! The whole camp was so comfortable and lost in trees. The kids made the evening. We laughed at the fact the smoke from our wood campfire followed us all around the circle. The smoke even set off our smoke alarm in the coach.
Before dinner my daughter and grandson helped do meal prep on the outdoor table and set the tone for fun. Involving everyone in the dinner prep and being outside is the magic of camping. All ages get to contribute and enjoy the end product. Even our five-year old was running around helping with the cleanup chores. Of course doing dishes outside with two dish pans is something new for the kids!
We sat under the trees and watched their tops sway in the winds as we just felt a little chill as the sun set over the mountains. The glow of the fire made it seem magical. Of course the smores really finished the day with gooey grins.
As the next day dawned we headed for Old Faithful, of course after a great camp breakfast of bacon, eggs pancakes and coffee – thanks grandpa and grandson for their cooking skills! We did not see much traffic and thought we would make a quick trip to the geyser but guess what! Buffalo! A small herd meandering across the road and waylaid us for 20 minutes. Split the group but what great, magnificent animals all going 2 miles per hour! Well the babies are adorable so can’t get anxious. Afterall we do have 5 days to see the park!
We all meet up at Old Faithful, poop the doggies, settle them down and we just miss the geyser blowing. We go to the little hotel meander and ask for directions for the Old Faithful Inn and follow the suggestion of an old friend to view the geyser in style! We walked over to the hotel, bought some of the worlds best ice cream, found coffee and wonder seats to wait for and watch the next spouting of Old Faithful! Now that is a great way to see these natural wonders.
Yellowstone traffic jam!
After the event we hiked around the geysers and spent the day amazed at the miracles of nature. We are overwhelmed with the expanse of this park. We must have hiked FOREVER! The amazing colors of the blooming wild flowers was a true surprise. Again an old friend did say we were in time for the spring bloom of amazing color that only happens in the early part of the summer season. She was so right on about the landscape surprises. Tiny purples, roses, whites, yellows and oranges popping up in surprising places. They just added to the magic of Yellowstone.
Crazy Disney fans at the geyser!
By the end of the day we were excited and pooped! A hot, tasty campfire dinner of hot dogs and hamburgers, coldslaw, potatoes, beverages and a campbaked apple pie with home-made ice cream cannot be beat! Can’t thank Sunset Magazine enough for all the menu ideas! Kid and family approved!
Tomorrow we drive the northern section of the figure eight road! Good comfy warm sleep and coffee in the morning. What a life!
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!
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
What do you think of as luxury trailer travelling? I thought about that a long time. I know where to go to find good food but it is how we live while we venture out; ‘are we able to sleep cozy and warm, is there a beautiful little touch to have my morning coffee and toast seem as though we are in a B & B, or are we camping?
We get so caught up in the prep, stowing, time frame and destination we forget why we have such a nice trailer. We decided on an Airstream to learn to enjoy the journey, explore the little off the busy tourist trail places we missed as we served our country all over the world AND be very comfortable. We need to have the means to make the adventure a cut above and EAT VERY WELL as we learn to savor the journey not just the destination. With this in mind. . . . I love great foods, great wine, comfy cozy evenings and the knowledge we have the tools to take advantage of yummy things we come across as we “press on” in a fun way! We are always on the hunt to bring these items to you and let you know how to get them.
I have changed my focus. I will look for the items we can use on our travels that make it that much more luxurious yet are beautiful, lightweight and have multi-uses! The easy part was choosing the Airstream! It has clean lines and lots of well thought out storage spaces. I will start with the empty coach and then add the “things” that will help us be able to relax and really feel pampered while we travel into the hidden surprises of our quests and adventures.
T
Here is where we start! This is the place to store the special ingredients that will enrich any foodie finds on the journey. I have measured the diameter of the adjustable shelves and use a guide to see if bottles of yummy fit, store well so we can enhance dishes, beverages and ” ?” while entertaining ourselves and friends on the road less traveled.
The learning curve to get the galley ready for your travel experience is steep. I obsessed about the how to, flow, ease of use, what to use and the permanence of tools and staples (spices etc.).
My military experience taught me heavy stuff makes it harder for the truck/car to pull the trailer. Also I did not want lots of stuff but multipurpose items/tools/plates. The trailer moves along behind me and things can get thrown around, breaks and makes messes. Don’t like those kinds of surprises!
I know what my research lead me to for my galley and now I am going to have some fun with it. I love to eat good food, drink yummy wine and experience nature’s beautiful scenery. Now let’s see what the great California chefs say is a must have for your little cooking area and what/how to store precious wines, spices and serving dishes.
You can spend hundreds of, ok thousands of dollars, on stuff but it may be too big, too heavy and you find out it doesn’t work for you or your travels. I planned for dinnerware etc for four. This is easily expanded with all the friends you meet but remember, your galley is your pivotal launch for entertaining and luxury. But less is truly more!
I find inspiration everywhere especially stores like Napa Style, Williams and Sonoma and Sur Le Table! No I don’t get money from these guys but they sure have nice stuff that really meets the needs of traveling light!
Whew that is how this blog got started! The Silver Suite will be posting the interviews and lists of the “stuff” the chefs recommend!
Canned Comfort 