So, the only thing that doesn’t keep Springfield on the finalist list for my forever city is the heat. I’m terrible with heat.
We lost power at the campground on June 24th, and it was horribly hot. I was miserable. Thankfully, it was short-lived, but both Arthur and I were both not happy campers. 🍫🍫🍫 (Imagine this chocolate as melting…)
I also made a quick trip down to St. Louis to catch a Nate Bargatze show at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. I ate a quick meal before the show at the Curtain Call Lounge. The food was fine but nothing to write home about. The Stage Left Grille was packed, so I had to settle.
Nate and his opening acts were all great. I’m glad I got to see him perform. He’s been making waves with his Instagram Reels and his appearances on SNL, so – even if you’re not familiar with his name – you’d probably recognize him.
The other star of the afternoon was the theatre – absolutely stunning.
It’s the end of daylight savings today, so I thought I better use my extra hour to post some more blog goodness. We left off after my first week / weekend in Illinois.
One of the lovely parts of downtown Springfield is the ease at which one can find parking. It’s possibly because it’s an unpopular place to be, but it worked out great for me. On Friday night, I went to a community band concert that was hosted at the Lincoln Museum. It was a great concert and had a pretty good crowd.
My favorite was A House Divided by Brian Balmages and conducted by Harry Hill, who was recovering from a health issue, and this was his first concert back. The description read: This piece was inspired by Abraham Lincoln’s famous House Divided speech, which was delivered in Illinois’s statehouse, now called the Old State Capitol, on June 16, 1858. It invokes the dark and fractured feelings during the Civil War by using broken and twisted fragments of the song “America (My Country Tis of Thee)” before resolving into the hopeful melody in the final measures.
While I was not great at playing the trombone in middle or high school, I did enjoy being a drum major and have always loved band music since then. Hopefully, Mr. Lorensburg and Mr. Fuller are proud of the lifelong band-music lover I ended up being.
After the concert, I treated myself to a twist cone at Dairy Queen.
On Sunday, I had to move to our spot at the Double J campground, which was lovely. We had a great pull-through spot that was close to the bathrooms, which were a delight compared to the bathrooms at the fairground. I also ran some errands for groceries and other essentials, sent postcards and Father’s Day texts, and drove around to look at houses.
Arthur enjoyed a cuddle once we got to our new spot.
I made the most of the week after Father’s Day weekend. Tuesday night I did some laundry at New Generation Laundry, which was in the nearby town of Chatham. It was clean, quiet, and not very expensive – all great.
Wednesday was a day off for me because it was Juneteenth. The first time I celebrated Juneteenth was when I moved to Maryland. That first summer, a co-worker invited me out to a celebration. Because I grew up in MN, and, at that time, it was not a federal holiday, I was completely ignorant to the meaning and importance of this holiday. If you don’t know much about it, read more here: https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-legacy-juneteenth.
In the morning, I had a massage at Spavia in Springfield, which is a great massage chain. If you live near one, check out their monthly membership deal. I had a pedicure after at Westside Nails, which was a lovely nail salon owned by a couple from California. They were very helpful to speak with about the pros and cons of living in Springfield. Afterwards, I wanted something to eat and happened upon a tea room – Village Tea Room – in the same complex as the nail salon. I love getting tea.
I chose the lunch trio with the Caesar Salad, chicken salad sandwich, and the chocolate cake. I had a delicious herbal tea, but I have no idea which one it was – likely some berry tea.
It definitely turned into a self-care day, which I followed up with a hair appointment at Uptown Looks salon in downtown Springfield. It was odd that parking was so hard to find when I went to the appointment, but I soon figured out why. There was a fire about three blocks away from my appointment. 🍫🍫🍫🍫 The fire department had it under control by the time I got downtown, but – unfortunately – it did damage a few buildings.
The hair salon experience was the best I’ve had on my journey so far. The stylist was experienced, knowledgeable, and also the mayor of the small town she lives in. The salon was in a building that used to be the general store, which had some lovely woodwork accompanied by some beautiful sculptures that my stylist’s son had created.
In the evening, there was another event at the Lincoln Museum. The Nature of Freedom: A Literary Commemoration of Juneteenth was an impressive production in two parts. The first part was a performance of Small Beginnings followed by the reading excerpts by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Langston Hughes, Harriet Tubman, Dr. Maya Angelou, Robert Smalls, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Henry Bibb. It was very moving and well done.
One of the things that I really appreciate about Springfield is how much the community and the museum create events for the public.
Well, I’ve been waylaid on my journey by my own stupidity or wishful thinking, so I thought I should probably take advantage of the time and catch up on ye olde blog.
A glorious sunrise on the farm in early May.
Alway a Good Time on the Farm
Growing up on a farm leads to a wealth of knowledge that just never really seems to come up at a corporate job or when traveling in an RV around the U.S., so it’s always nice to go home and exercise the old brain box with talk of planting season, gardens, flowers, endless hours of mowing the lawn, and all the bits and bobbles it takes to keep a century farm running.
My parents have two rescue cats and a rescue puppy. As you can clearly see, the puppy is under monitoring at all times.
While I was back in early May, we went to a pancake supper fundraiser. I’m honestly not sure how it happens that I end up in my hometown when there’s a pancake supper, but I attended the one in November 2023 as well. (Also, it’s breakfast, dinner, and supper in the Midwest – or at least where I grew up – not breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You may be asking, “What happened to lunch?” Nobody knows.)
After the supper, my parents, aunt, and I went to hear Patty Wetterling speak at the Best Western at the north end of town. If you don’t know much about Mrs. Wetterling, here’s a video of an interview done by the MN Historical Society. Her son, Jacob, was abducted in his small MN town on October 22, 1989 (35 years ago), at only 11 years old. At that time, I was also 11, and this story shocked and frightened everyone across the state. Because of Mrs. Wetterling’s advocacy, much legislation and even more awareness has been raised to protect children. American Public Media (APM) did a recent podcast, covering the events and the investigation. If you’re interested in “true crime”, I recommend this one for the confounding nature of the investigation, and the keen journalism that went into reporting it.
Mrs. Wetterling and her co-author, Joy Baker, were compelling speakers and shared much of their journey authoring Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope. The ballroom of the hotel filled quickly, and there was barely a dry eye in the house when they finished.
When I was in southern MN, I also had a chance to reconnect with a dear friend from high school. We met at the Hi-Lo Supper Club in Lakefield, MN, to catch up. Later that week, the northern lights were showing off above the barn
I absolutely did laundry while I was there, had a facial, enjoyed a birthday dinner with family, made homemade cinnamon rolls for Mother’s Day, had an awkward conversation with my parents about where I want to be buried, and dined out at the Amboy Cottage Cafe with my parents and brother. We also made time to see Machinery Hill perform at the Red Rock Center for the Arts, a former church now arts venue. Since a couple of the members are from my hometown, they even played the school song while everyone sang along.
In mid-May, I continued my journey through MN and stayed at Town & Country Campground & RV Park in Savage, MN. I had a great spot under a tree, and Arthur and I spent many glorious evenings enjoying the pre-summer weather. Some days warmed up to the 70s, and we even used the AC a couple of times to mitigate the heat.
While we were in MN, I needed check some items off my list. My hair needed attention, so I went to the LolaMax Salon in Minneapolis and had a great experience with Tanya. Then I did one of those things I used to do when I lived there and just went over to a friend’s house and spent some time with her and her family. Being on the road helps you gain a lot of appreciation for the ability to just stop by and visit with someone.
I also needed to go to the dentist. 🍫🍫🍫 When I lived in Minneapolis, I had the best dental experience of my life, and – frankly – I’ve never found another dentist that compares. Lakeville Family Dental Centre is still amazing. I was able to make an appointment, get a referral to an oral surgeon, and get my pesky broken crown and root removed in a matter of days. My oral surgeon at Advanced Oral Surgery was amazing as well, and I felt no pain. I am grateful for an amazing friend from college who works from home and could cart me around that day and make sure I ate the soft foods I was supposed to.
Could I have walked? Maybe…but it was more fun to be carted around.
While I spent much of my time in MN with friends, family, and one fantastic former student, when I wasn’t working, I did make time on an exceptionally rainy evening to get a massage at Luxology. This had to be one of the best massages I’ve ever had. I highly recommend Ashley at this spa!!
I think MN will always feel like home to me. There are so many memories there, but I don’t think it’s where I will end up after this journey. I am so thankful for my decades in that state, and the growing I did there, but my unicorn city is still out there. So, on we go….
When I was younger – probably around 11 or 12 – our family drove to Colorado Springs to visit some of my Dad’s relatives. We had taken many road trips as I was growing up, but this trip was different because I’d never seen mountains before. I think that was the trip that sparked my desire to travel. Returning to visit some of those same relatives was meaningful and felt like a full circle kind of moment.
On our way to Colorado Springs, I stopped in Denver to tour the Molly Brown House Museum. Historical house tours are my jam because it intrigues me to see and hear how people lived, especially courageous women like Margaret Brown. (In another life, maybe I’ll be an anthropologist or maybe I was one already.)
There’s something about a butler’s pantry that just speaks to me.
We took advantage of our Boondockers Welcome / Harvest Host membership again in Colorado Springs. I enjoy these stops along the way where we can stay in a neighborhood and have a chance to chat with the hosts. While this spot was convenient, it was also hosted by really kind people who showed me around their beautiful backyard and had a whole container full of different sites to see in the area. We exchanged stories about kids and grandkids and being on the road.
Being able to connect with family was the primary reason for my visit to Colorado Springs. My Dad’s cousins are warm, inviting people who took time for a driving tour, a hike, and a homemade meal. It was good for the soul.
This trail is near their house, and we grabbed a quick hike to view the Garden of the Gods before dinner. Breathtaking.
While it was a quick visit, it was meaningful in so many ways, and I am thankful we were able to catch up and keep those family connections alive.
Travel to Kansas
Leaving Colorado, I knew I was headed into the Midwest, which is completely different terrain than what I was getting used to with my travels in the West, but it’s what I know – what I grew up in – so there was a tug at my heart to get back there.
The BW/HH place where I stayed was getting work done on their driveway, which wasn’t an issue when we backed into the drive, but on the way out, I definitely scraped the bottom of Estella on our way out. Other than the noise it made, I didn’t think much of it. Hindsight is 20/20, and I probably would stop in the future if it happens again, but I didn’t this time.
When I stopped to grab something to eat, I was leaving, and I heard this noise. 🍫 I wasn’t sure it was coming from Estella because it was a relatively busy location, but as I drove a bit further in the parking lot, it started to sound like it was us. 🍫 🍫 So, I parked again, and I started crawling around the RV. I’m sure I was quite the sight because the problem wasn’t obvious if you just look at Estella. 🍫 🍫 🍫 Apparently, when I drove out of that driveway, I popped one of the hooks to a bracket and had been dragging it on the road for awhile. 🍫 🍫 🍫 🍫 I was able to unhook it, so it didn’t drag. I did some research on what that bracket “holds” and felt ok about removing it, so I did.
I really don’t know how else to describe Wyoming. It is unique. It was windy. But I hardly saw any cows or people or gas stations as I trekked through Wyoming to Colorado. There’s something to say about so much, seemingly, untouched land. Montana is like that, but there are houses dotted around the countryside and gas stations here and there, but once you’re out of a city and on the highway in Wyoming, it’s desolate. The texture of the land is rugged but stunning, and it doesn’t look like it would be an easy life, weathering Wyoming.
My check engine light decided it wanted to see Wyoming and Colorado as well, so it stayed on throughout the drive into Fort Collins. I was able to make some plans for Estella while I was in Wyoming. First, I had to figure out what Arthur would do if I could get an appointment with Mercedes-Benz in Westminster, CO. Rover.com has been such a great resource for Arthur on this journey. I decided it was probably best to board him since I wasn’t sure how long Estella would be in the shop.
I dropped Arthur off at a super nice couple’s home outside of Denver, and it was rough. He was NOT happy, and I have the scars to prove it. The couple did their very best with him, but it was just too much change. As much as he loathes driving from place to place, he really has adapted to life in the RV and is not curious about life outside of it. Pick up was just about as awful as drop off, but once we were back on the road to Fort Collins, Arthur was in better spirits and eventually forgave me for my terrible decisions. 🍫 🍫 🍫
There has definitely been something watching my back on this journey. When I contacted the MB dealership in CO, they were incredibly understanding of my situation and my timeline. I cannot say enough about how friendly they were to me, especially Randal – who was responsive and probably had to move heaven and earth to get Estella in and repaired – and how kindly they took my money. 🍫 The good news is that Estella was back within three days, fixed, and had a general maintenance service done.
Fort Collins.
There were some great parts about my stay in Fort Collins. It’s a great town. I was able to rent a car through Turo again and tootle around a bit. I saw a play (Our Town) on the thrust stage at Colorado State University. I stayed near the Horsetooth Reservoir, which was outside of town, but it was beautiful and worth the extra money to get rides in/out of town.
Arthur enjoying the view when we arrived.
The warm weather didn’t last, but I was ok with it. We had several, short snow falls that turned everything pristine and then muddy.
While I was in Fort Collins, I received some really difficult information, which was definitely a setback in how far I thought I had come in my journey. This is a journey of thousands of miles both logistically and emotionally. I started to write letters that I will probably never send, but they helped me get the thoughts out of my head and my heart. Outside of work, there aren’t a lot of distractions, so I have a lot of time to think, process, mourn, and grow. This journey has changed me, but it has also reminded me that I have a long way to go.
Even as I struggled, there were bright spots while I was in Fort Collins. Not surprisingly, it was my interactions with people that reminded me to be grateful. I mentioned Randal earlier; his kindness helped keep me on track with my trip and dissolved some of my anxiety about getting back on the road. When I was in Denver, I got an Uber ride to the airport to pick up a rental car. My driver, Gerald, was a calming presence who was genuinely interested in having a good conversation. It helped that we were in traffic for 45 minutes, but we were able to make a connection, giving me some support that I hadn’t realized that I needed.
Fortune continued to be in my favor when we got back to Fort Collins. My first ride into town to pick up my rental car was with a guy from MN – a little slice of home – and his stories about his family helped me see that I’m not alone as I work through all the relationships in my life.
After returning my rental car, my driver was also an open, kind person who was open and offered me some advice about how he finds his center. I promise I didn’t overshare; he just must’ve known I needed that. I also forgot my phone in his vehicle. 🍫 🍫 🍫 🍫 I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that was an ordeal. I had been using my phone as a hotspot since the T-Mobile signal was non-existent at this site. So, no contact with the outside world without my phone. I ended up driving into Fort Collins to get a better signal with my hotspot, contacted my friend to call my phone, and then drove back out to the park to meet the driver who generously had driven back out to where he dropped me off to get me reconnected with my phone.
I am grateful. I am strong. I will continue to grow.
It’s been two months since my last post. I have been busy, but I’ve also been unmotivated. I do appreciate the ability to catalog our adventures, so I am back and trying to be more regular about posting. There is plenty to catch up on. 🙂
Jackson Hole, WY
Jackson Hole was on my list, and I had hoped to go through Yellowstone on the way there, but it was not to be since it was early April. So, I set off from Missoula into Wyoming. We got about 15 miles out of Missoula, and the check engine light came on. Because Estella is a pretty, pretty princess, she requires extra TLC – primarily because of her Diesel Exhaust Fluid needs. I’m good at keeping her topped off, but there’s a ton of sensors that are and are not covered by our extended warranty. I spent some time in Jackson Hole looking for a solution over the weekend, but – of course – nothing was open. 🍫 More to come on this when I get to Colorado.
When I was in Jackson Hole, I used Turo to find a rental car. This is an app / website where you can rent a personal vehicle from a stranger – kinda. like AirBnB for cars. It was my first time using it, and it worked out well.
This is the Jeep I rented through Turo. It was a fun ride but definitely quelled my desire to buy one of these for myself.
I had breakfast at this cute spot in Jackson Hole – Cafe Genevieve – and walked around downtown before heading to the National Elk Refuge and Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center, which had an observation deck to see the elk doing their elk thing. Wyoming – like Montana – is so vast that even viewing the elk from the deck required a binoculars. I did see a lot of wildlife – a beautiful fox crossed the road in front me, and there were deer and elk near my site at the Fireside Resort.
(left) There are these incredible Antler Arches downtown. (right) This was the view from the observation deck. If you look really closely, you can see elk…kinda.
The most awe-inspiring part of being in Jackson Hole was the quick access to Grand Teton National Park. I was able to get into the park but not far, but there was still a lot of snow, so I didn’t get to see the majesty of the whole park, but what I did see was breathtaking. Hopefully, the pictures below give you a good idea of how beautiful it is.
I was so happy to be there with snow on the ground – warmed my cold, little heart.
Bathrooms
I just have to give a shoutout to the folks at Fireside Resort for their beautiful bathrooms. King Arthur’s poop box is in the shower in Estella, so I stay at places that have shower facilities, and it’s hit or miss. Fireside had some of the best bathrooms I’ve seen – clean, modern, fresh decor, and well-ventilated. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – nice bathrooms are a luxury that I will not take for granted any time soon.
This is my first time in Oregon, and I wanted to spend a solid month here, but I also wanted to see other areas. Since I lived a lot of my 20s and 30s in Minneapolis, I thought Portland would possibly be a good fit for me – even if it was a little bigger than what I had originally thought I would like.
Before I could get on the road, I needed to dump my black and grey tanks. Since Arthur doesn’t like to do errands in Estella, I decided to do this right before we left. There was a dump station at the campground, but we had to drive through about 20 truck / horse trailers to get there since there was a horse show going on when we left. 🍫 This wasn’t a big deal, but it did test my turning skills. Luckily, I didn’t hit any trucks, trailers, horses, or people.
After dumping the tanks, I headed up to Portland from Corvallis in mid-March (and yes, I know I’m really late in getting to these blogs from March / early April). My co-worker who lives in Portland mentioned that the last In-n-Out Burger was just north of Albany, so I had to stop on my way to Portland. There’s a lot of hype around In-n-Out, so I wasn’t surprised that there was a line out the door at 11:30 on a Saturday. I only had to wait about 30 minutes for my cheeseburger, and it was worth it – flavorful and comforting. The fries – not so much; they kinda had the texture of styrofoam.
The drive up to Portland was uneventful. There was an accident once we got into the city, but it didn’t hinder us, and we ended up arriving at Jantzen Beach RV Park around 2:30. This RV park is on Hayden Island in the river between Oregon and Washington. We had a good spot – not too big, not too small. We were also right next to the bathrooms and laundry, which was really convenient for showers. The only downside was that there was always security light coming in from that building, and it drove Arthur bananas. 🍫🍫 I had to rig a curtain over the window to block the light, so he wouldn’t be chasing the light across my face during the night.
Portland just reinforced how much I enjoy visiting places where friends live. This time, I got to spend a lot of time hanging out with my co-worker and his wife. They were incredibly generous hosts who made sure I got to see the neighborhoods and downtown Portland on multiple occasions and ran me to / from the airport to pick up and drop off my rental car. We had dinner at places that only locals know about, I worked from their house when the power went out on the whole island one afternoon, and we even solved a mystery together! Unfortunately, we never thought to take a photo, so this visit will have to live in our memories only.
One rainy afternoon after work, I drove over to Multnomah Falls and took the quick hike up to the bridge that you can see in this picture. The path was slick, so I didn’t venture any further up, but it was a great drive, and I ate dinner at the restaurant that they have there. Full transparency, I would not eat there again, but they did have a tasty alcoholic peppermint hot chocolate…. The food was not great.
More to come on my weekend adventure to Seattle next time.
It’s not your imagination; I’ve been neglecting the blog. Since leaving Arizona, I’ve been enjoying shorter stints at different locations. It never feels like there’s enough time to sit down and do some blogging, but here I am – in Idaho and reflecting on the last six weeks.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit a lot of different places in California before – San Diego, LA, San Francisco, and Sonoma – so I wanted to stay somewhere I’d never been before. I threw a dart of over-analyzation at it and came up with Morro Bay – just northwest of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. Unfortunately, California is getting an unseasonal amount of rain, and I didn’t have a rental car, so we hung out solely in Morro Bay for two weeks.
We stayed at a great RV park – Cypress Morro Bay – that was only about two blocks from the bay. It’s a smaller park, so Estella was a perfect fit. We were sandwiched between a group of folks who have been camping there during the winter months for a number of years. They were so welcoming and kind, so it was a really comfortable. The bathrooms were delightfully clean and empty every time I used them.
Without a rental car, I got a chance to take some great walks. The picture above is from a stroll around the bay after a lovely lunch at House of Juju on the Embarcadaro. The main town part of Morro Bay was nice as well – very walkable. There were some opportunities that I missed out on – like a farmer’s market and a gathering with the other folks in the RV park – but I think I just needed the solo time.
I did have an adventure totting 2.5 gallons of DEF a half a mile from the O’Reilly Auto Parts store. In hindsight, which really is 20/20, I probably should’ve just gotten a Lyft ride back to the RV park, but this was character building and sweaty. 🍫
And that was kinda it in south central California. On March 1, we took started our drive north through the rest of California. It was really amazing to see the state from the road. We took the 101 all the way into Oregon. Along the way, we stayed at a county fairgrounds in Cloverdale and a great RV park in Northern California overlooking the Klamath River. It rained..a lot, which seems to be the story of California this time.
The upside from the rain were the number of rainbows we saw along the way. I lost count at 5, and they were all perfect in their own way.
We also drove through the Presidio, crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, wound our way through Sausalito, were dwarfed by the majestic redwoods, and saw the power coastal waves. It really was a remarkable journey, perched in Estella’s driver’s seat. Arthur did well in his hideout during the drive, and I am grateful to have his love and support – even if it’s because I give him treats, food, and water.
Our time in Arizona has come to an end already. Hard to believe how quickly the month flew by. The combination of having a work trip and making the most of my time with the rental car helped expedite our visit, so it’s time to say goodbye to the Grand Canyon State and head out to find our fortunes in the Eureka state.
The road from Camp Verde to Twentynine Palms, California, was not for the faint of heart. We took off around 10AM local time, and we traveled about 2.5 hours when Arthur really started to struggle. In hindsight, I think it was the frequency of the DIPs on the route. State route 72 and Aqueduct Road seemed to be the main culprits, and he was relieved when we arrived at our RV park – Twentynine Palms Resort – that afternoon. He had found another spot to hide while I was driving, and I decided that it would be better to just keep going instead of stopping and letting him rest and having him think we were done with the road. A short drive made very long.
There are some amazing sites when you drive across the country. It’s hard to capture them in words, and I really try not to take pictures while I’m driving. On this trip, there were two things – outside of the scenery – that piqued my interest. On one particularly open space, I looked out the window to my left, and flying parallel to me were two helicopters. I think they were military, but it was not what I was expecting to see. Where were they going? What were they doing? On that same road, there was a car full of stuff – no people from what I could see – that was just on the side of the road upside down, laying on its roof. How did that happen? Is everyone ok? No answers; just mysteries on this road trip.
When we arrived at the RV resort, I signed up for the Saturday night dinner that the park offers for $12 for first-time attendees. That night, it was chicken-fried chicken with corn, mashed potatoes, and a delicious cake for dessert. I ended up sitting with a great couple from Arizona who are just starting going out on long weekend trips in their motorhome. We talked about where they live, what we all do for work, and they had suggestions for future cities for me to explore.
The weather was beautiful, so we were able to open the sunroof and bathroom vent and pull in the fresh air, which was great for sleeping.
On Sunday, we drove out to the Yucca Valley and went on a horseback ride in Joshua Tree National Park with Knob Hill Ranch. Cara and Madeline were very accommodating, and the ride was great. My horse, Biscuit, was a trooper and loved being out on the trail. It was a great way to see the park and, according to my watch, it was great exercise.
Because I didn’t have a rental car, Arthur made the trip to Yucca Valley with me and Estella. He did great, but by the time we headed back to the park in the late afternoon, he was ready to be done.
Glamour snap of Arthur, advising me that he’s done traveling.
Unfortunately, Estella sustained her first injury under my care. When we were leaving Knob Hill Ranch, I didn’t turn wide enough and ended up scrapping the step on the sliding door. 🍫🍫 It’s surface damage, so nothing terrible, but it’s a bummer. Sorry, Estella.
Planning around weather is just part of the journey. Our venture further into California called for us to drive through an atmospheric river on our way to Morro Bay. I like to use Weather on the Way, but it really doesn’t tell you about road conditions – just about the, you guessed it, weather on the way. Luckily, our neighbor at the RV park used to work for the California Department of Transportation, and she was able to give me so solid advice about our upcoming drive.
How beautiful it is to do nothing and then rest after.
Since being in NM, it felt like I had been running around every weekend and some week nights, especially dealing with the night when we lost power. I was looking forward to having a weekend to just rest and relax. After putting in some long days at work, I settled in to a weekend with no real plans. I set myself up for success by grabbing a shower at our new RV park. The shower rooms at Distant Drums were even better than the ones in Albuquerque at Coronado Village. They have double locks – outer door is locked after hours and each bathroom had a secure lock – and were always very clean.
I did almost nothing during my first full weekend in AZ. I read a little, blogged a little, and did some internet surfing – all excellently uneventful. I knew the following weekend that I would need to start looking ahead to where I was going to hang my hat in the coming months.
Generally, I know that direction where I’m headed and when I’ll be in that area and for how long. The interesting part is diving into the RV Life Pro app and trying to figure out where I want to stay when I’m in those areas. I’m looking for a few things – a decent price, a good location with reports of good internet signal, and a location that is near some conveniences like grocery stores and delivery if I don’t want to eat what I have in the RV. I also try to find RV parks that have access to safe showers since Arthur’s litter box takes up my shower and is a pain to move.
I’ve learned that the off-the-beaten-path parks are great if you’re on vacation, but it’s a lot easier to stay within the city limits if you’re needing to do errands or working remotely. The internet signal is the strength I need to work and stream shows at night when I’m relaxing, and when I’m more “in town”, I usually don’t even have to drag out the signal booster. There is more traffic, but that doesn’t bother me. I can sleep just about anywhere.
After I was finished doing the planning for the next six months, I needed to pack because I had a work trip. Planning for this was a feat within itself. Usually, work trips are simple, I book the flight, pack, drive to the airport, and go to work in a different location. It’s a little different when you’re in a van with your cat. So, I had to figure out where I was going to be when I had to travel, where I was going to park Estella, and what would I do with Arthur.
After looking at Rover.com for a possible cat sitter and looking for places to park at the PHX airport, I decided to leave Estella and Arthur to their own devices for 48-ish hours. I left our space heater on and set to a comfortable temperature just in case the newly repaired heater decided die while I was away. I also left the bed up, so Arthur could spread out and not have to share with me. Of course, I made sure he had plenty of food, a clean litter box, and plenty of water.
Unbelievable Mishaps
A reminder of the Mishap Scale >>> (🍫 = minor; 🍫🍫 = ordinary; 🍫🍫🍫 = embarrassing; 🍫🍫🍫🍫 = terrible; 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫 = not enough chocolate in the RV to recover)
Showering, no matter how nice the bathrooms are, reminds me a lot of the prep that I used to do in the residence halls in college. Back then, I had a cute basket for my bathroom stuff, and everything – if I forgot it – was a few steps away. I forgot my towel on my first trip to the bathroom. 🍫 I used my t-shirt – that was pretty clean….
This last mishap wasn’t really mine. When I was on my work trip, I had a 6AM flight to head back to AZ. So, I had arranged the Lyft ride for myself and some co-workers at 4:30. Around 4:10, I got a notification that the Lyft driver was early. Nervous that he might leave, I finished getting all my stuff together and headed to the elevator. I turned the corner from my room, and there was a man, laying face down with his pants and underwear around his knees. Not something you want to see at any time of the day – let alone 4:15 in the morning. Did I check to see if he was alive? No. Did I take a picture? Yes. Did I call the front desk to let them know? Also, yes. I have no idea what happened to him or what the front desk did after I called. 🍫🍫🍫🍫
More Adventures!
One of the benefits of going to the airport is that I could pick up a rental car, so let the adventures in AZ begin. Next post…a trip further north with some grand views.
The Adventures of Ms Haps & Arthur 