In about one month's time, we will complete our first year on the road full time in our RV - the Whale. I've sporadically posted to our blog stories of our stops along the way. Some places we visited are major stops such as national iconic spots - the North Rim, Zion National Park, Glacier National Park, Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse monument, the Badlands. Some places we have visited have been off the beaten path, maybe not so iconic, but memorable just the same - McMinnville, Fort Worth, Vacaville. We've focused on the places we've seen and the people we've met, and I've written little about "where" we are after this first year. We've certainly learned a few things... about life, about each other, and about living full time in our house on wheels.
Places to stay: We have found the more out of the way, rustic settings are preferable to those locations with cement pads, every day planned by a social director. Army Core of Engineers parks and State Forrest Reserves and State and National Parks are our favorites so far. We look forward to exploring boon docking in the west this next winter after the holidays.
Daily Routines: We've found 200 miles a day, if that, is plenty. We're retired. No sense in rushing from place to place. It's taken us awhile to break bad habits of driving non-stop to get to a location. We both spent years working on tight schedules, few vacations, rushing to the vacation and rushing home, and we're now rarely drive past 3:00 p.m. Early morning starts are still our choice as we are both morning folks and enjoy that start to the day.
Food: We have a residential frig in our RV which means we can stock up on frozen items as well as carry produce etc for longer periods of time. We now love to find farmers' markets and enjoy what is the going fare in a particular region. Recently while in northern Montana we enjoyed huckleberries in many forms. While in Oregon, we ate red raspberries and blueberries every day at reasonable prices. We also discovered Dungeness Crabs, and stocked up on fresh salmon and tuna, which the fishery vacuum bagged for us - now "fresh" out of our freezer. While in Florida, we discovered large green Avocados - much more tasty than the little "black" ones. We buy fewer snacks than ever before, and before we stock up on something, we debate if we have room for the items. In California, the produce overall was excellent. The garlic in Gilroy is huge!
Routes: We have always, and still do, prefer the two lane roads over the Interstaes. Highway 299 in CA, as I posted before is the twistiest ever. Highway101 up the west coast is incredible, revealing a view of the Pacific around almost every curve. In a large RV, I'd suggest planning a trip that you are headed north. If you are the least afraid of heights, taking the inside lane going north is best. We pay close attention to any tunnels on the route and tend to check out height restrictions before we get to the tunnel to avoid unhooking the Jeep and backing up or turning around.
Storage: We still have too much stuff. Periodically, we review contents and discuss what we have not used in a year. Getting rid of things we own is still a struggle, even when we know we don't need it.
Planning: We've still not settled into a routine for planning. Before we left Elkhart, IN last fall, we had major places we wanted to see. As we've made this first lap around the country, we have seen most, and we've seen many unintended, but there's not been a meticulous plan to the journey. Part of the reason for that is we both are hesitant to give up the freedom that spontaneity gives us. Just yesterday we came close to driving 251 miles further south to look at a miniature Australian Shepperd puppy. We have the time after all... We've learned to mull over our moments of impulse before acting. Common sense prevailed on this one. We certainly don't need two dogs right now.
Check list: We don't have a written check list before starting a new leg of the journey. We do have a mental routine check list before we move. We've discovered attention to detail on the front side helps us avoid messes on the back side. I asked my daughter months ago, "When do you think I will remember to secure the refrigerator door?' Her answer: "When you get tired of cleaning up broken glass." Out of the mouths of adult babes... We do have a routine of banding doors shut, velcro straps for the frig and for the wine cabinet door. We question each other before moving. We both have things we are responsible for, but we question the other one about his/her stuff. Although we do have some items of decoration, we've learned less is less mess when moving. Plastic containers over glass are not always available, but are certainly preferable. Plastic doesn't smash, nor does it rattle like glass.
Maintenance: Jerry was in the automotive industry for years. This part is routine for him. He understands the importance of daily maintenance. Tire pressures, fluid levels, changing oil, having the generator and diesel serviced regularly, wash and wax of the Whale, routinely wash the bugs off the front are the biggies. When a more minor issue comes up, we deal with it now rather than later. When you think about it, our house, unlike others, moves almost every day putting all systems in a bind. Maintenance cannot be ignored.
Relationships - ours and others: Jerry and I have always been best friends first. Living in an RV requires a solid sense of humor, less self-centeredness, and higher levels of communication. No we don't talk all the time, but we've fallen into a routine of regular "gut" checks. We discuss our favorite places, if we are both still having fun, and if either of us want to do something else. None of this is good unless we are both happy. To date, we plan to keep on traveling.
Although we are not building long term relationships with those we meet on the road, we are meeting wonderful people. Most are kind and helpful. We learn a lot from other RV'ers and enjoy the time we have to share ideas.
We've learned so much about our country. U.S. history comes alive when you are able to be immersed in the location. A perfect examples is our stay at the Army Core of Engineers Park, Fort Peck. This is the largest hydraulically filled dam in the world. We spent time touring the interactive center and touring the power plant. The history surrounding the Core formation, the time in history when the country was drowning in depression and the incredible things Roosevelt did to put Americans back to work was fascinating. Every place we visit, we walk the history connected to a spot no matter how significant. It's humbling to continue to learn in-depth about those who literally built this country.
Finally, a word from Maci, the dog...
I still don't like parking lots, loud semis, and strangers, but I love my people and love to be with them. My most favorite are the rustic parks where there are thousands of smells. Anyone with a brain can see when I am happy - tail curled high over my back, running and prancing as if I owned the property.
It's been a good year...
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