ONE YEAR Anniversary

I let it slip by!  We have been sleeping in the Hideout for over a year!  Holy cow - time flies when you are living the life!  It's hard to properly reflect on the whole year when we are having so much fun at the moment, but as I mentioned Medicine Lodge Archaeological Site left us in an introspective sort of mood.  I shared the grand views of that location in a previous blog, but we also noticed the little things, like the fragrant wild roses and the snake in the grass...

Making these observations with the kids is such a unique experience.  They are growing so much - they are exposed to new experiences every day and I can see them making connections.  Brother is keeping the cutest journal of his experiences.  They love rocks and sticks.  They love throwing rocks in rivers.  What a childhood!

So...was it worth it?  You know the answer - yes!  We get to go on adventures for 12 weeks straight over the summer and we can also do mini trips during the school year.  Now that we are more comfortable with driving our rig and this lifestyle it will be easier to build in mini trips during the year.  Eventually we still want to be location independent and see this whole continent.

What would we change?  We have some planned upgrades to our solar system to better accommodate boondocking - because that is really where the fun is.  We are learning how to conserve water even more, we are learning how to live on solar power more efficiently.  The kids are very aware of our systems and even Sister asks before she flips and light switch or runs water!  We are a team, the kids help set up and pack up to travel.  They prefer to stay in a place longer and in future trips we not cover such a distance in order to spend more time at each place.  We learned that WY is MUCH cheaper than CA on every level and that we can save lots of money when we dry camp and/or boondock - which is always an adventure. 

Above all this experience is about growing together, being together and learning together.  In a couple of days we will meet up with our extended family and will be spending four weeks together.  That is another exciting part of this life.  We are really looking forward to spending quality time with grandparents, parents, aunts/uncles, siblings, nieces & nephews.  We've only taken week trips back since the kids were born - this is so much more substantial and we are very excited.

I can't believe a year has passed, but I am so grateful for this year.  It is one to remember, to document and to cherish.

Wyoming Part IV (Medicine Lodge Archaeological Site & Washakie Museum)

That's WY!  (the kids each received a flag that has this saying on it) This is a wonderful place to escape the heat of AZ, enjoy some beautiful landscapes, and learn something about history.  We just spent two nights at the Medicine Lodge Archaeological Site.  Yes, we were cut off from cell and data again, but there were so many bright sides that we hardly noticed!  It all really hit me over the past few days - my life seems more meaningful these days as we walk the paths of our human ancestors and view mammoth bones found in ancient settlements.  We are observing natural formations, animals, plants, and rivers with our kids and we get to have cool conversations about what it all means.  I am feeling very fortunate.  

The campground is so amazing, low cost, clean, well maintained, and has beautiful walking paths and views.  The vault toilets are the cleanest I have ever seen.  There are two very nice playgrounds. The other appealing thing about WY is that there are no crowds!  It is wide open and seems to be just waiting to be discovered.  I can't imagine not coming back here.  The camp sites are huge and are right along the river with a walking path to gorgeous views.

Shiprock

 But the main attraction is the cliff full of ancient art...

Here are two examples of the many panels...

I would have liked to stay longer.  It was magical and beautiful.  However we booked a night in Worland with full hook-ups to regroup after a week without so that is where we are tonight.  When we got into town we saw the Washakie Museum so we decided to take a couple hours and check it out.  Artifacts from the archaeological dig that took place at Medicine Lodge were displayed in the museum - like mammoth bones!

There were also human artifacts from the area as well as dinosaur bones and fossilized dinosaur footprints.  It was a great experience and really rounded out the experience of being at Medicine Lodge.  Overall this was a great stop.  Perhaps it was the beauty of the place that made it a perfect place for contemplation, reflection and thankfulness. Here is the last picture I took as we left the campground at Medicine Lodge.

Wyoming Part III (Boysen State Park)

(June 16, 2018) Today we drove from Farson, WY to the Boysen State Park near Shoshoni, WY.  This state is absolutely beautiful and the roads are a pleasure to travel.  Though we did experience some grades, the roads are wide and offer ample opportunities for passing and pulling off if necessary.  I have been very impressed with Wyoming and am so glad we have some time to spend here. 

We found this location on a list of best camping spots in Wyoming and it is so true.  This area is so beautiful and the campground is very nice.  We don’t have any hook-ups, but they offer a dump station and drinking water to fill the tank at the park headquarters.  The campgrounds are all rather close so you don’t have to travel too far with full tanks (this is the first time we have travelled with a full fresh tank).  But check out this view…

The Hideout is in our spot in the far left of the picture.

Here is another view from the playground looking back at our spot to the left.

There are actually two playgrounds at this campground.  Both are very nice and no matter which direction you look there are stunning mountains.

We opted to put the solar panels in the truck bed today so that we could tie them down.  The wind is gusty in this canyon and we have learned that it doesn’t take much to send them flying as they are so lightweight.

The Wind River is a fast moving one, and there seems to be a lot of sediment.  Apparently there are many species of fish according to the park brochure and there were many people fishing today.  It is really quite a sight and we are lucky to have such a prime spot looking out at it.  There is a reservoir a bit south of us and I think there is a beach there.

Tonight we got out the grill and I made baked potatoes, roasted broccoli, Amy’s vegan chili on the stove and guacamole.  It was a delicious feast.  I baked extra potatoes for breakfast burritos tomorrow.  We are staying here two nights - it is our first real break from driving since we stayed two nights in Winnemucca, NV.  The kids love the playground and it is good to see them running around with other kids in this beautiful space.  What a great experience.  I am still a little bummed about not getting to Yellowstone, but it is clear that Wyoming offers a lot to see besides the National Parks!  

Wyoming Part II (Fossil Butte)

June 15, 2018

What a fun day at Fossil Butte National Monument!  It is absolutely stunning! Here are a couple pictures from our hike through the Nature Trail.  The only down side is that there were mosquitoes out and we are not used to bugs…we came prepared, we wore repellent bands as well as spray. 

We drove the Hideout to the parking area for the hike and then we unhitched it (at the Ranger’s suggestion) and left it there to do the scenic drive.  Even driving it to that lot was a bit rough, the grade was 8% up and our Little Engine made it, but not quickly!  The scenic drive was amazing and there was no way the trailer could have made the journey.  We had the truck in 4x4 drive because the grade was so steep and we wanted the extra traction.  Here are the rewards of that drive.

In this last picture, in the middle, you can actually make out the Hideout parked down the hill!

After the scenic hike and drive we went back to the Visitor’s Center to put the final touches on the Junior Ranger books and learn a bit more about the amazing fossils.

The coolest thing that I learned here was how special it is to be able to find fossils representing such diverse plant and animal life of a whole ecological habitat that existed together during the same time period.  There are fossils of fish eating other fish, fish with other fish in their stomachs, all manner of plant life…it goes on and on.  Sometimes you can go to a museum and see fossils, but they are generally isolated in that each find in the museum is unrelated to the others – they probably did not exist in the same community unlike the fossils at Fossil Butte.  Here you can see the whole community of life that existed in this region 50 million years ago.  Amazing.

After our adventure for the day we set off to find a dispersed camping spot, but we were not successful this evening for a couple of reasons.  Primarily we don’t know how to tell BLM land from other land.  For a time we thought we found a good spot at a State Nature Preserve until we found a sign that said no overnight parking/camping.  We just don’t know where it is ok and where it is not ok.  Secondly, while we were looking for a spot there were dark clouds gathering and as we drove down dirt roads I had visions of the mud that would be created by the storm and I worried about being stuck.  So, we decided to move on to the next town which was Farson, WY.  Thankfully they had a gas station with a large lot.  Though it was dirt and the wind was crazy until the rain came, it was comforting to be near people instead of off in the middle of nowhere in case we needed something.  We didn’t need anything of course and we had a rather uneventful night in that tiny town.  The highlight of the evening was the double rainbow after the rain.

The last thing I wanted to mention, because I didn’t know this and I found it interesting is that the first  JCPenny store is located in Kemmerer, WY and was established in 1902!  We drove by it and though I didn’t have time to go inside I wanted to!

There is much to see in Wyoming!

Wyoming Part I

Today is June 14, in two more days we will be five weeks into this twelve week adventure!  Up until this point we have stayed primitive and improved campgrounds and we have boondocked in truck stop parking lots but tonight is our first night dispersed camping on BLM land.

..but let me back up…We entered Wyoming today after a stop in Coalville, UT last night.  After gassing up and grocery shopping in Evanston, WY we drove to Kemmerer, WY and then to the Fossil Butte National Monument. 

We didn’t have much time to explore the sights yet, but we did spend time at the visitor’s center, obtained the Junior Ranger books, maps, and information about the area.  We then set off to find a place to rest our wheels for the night.  We read about dispersed camping, but we had not yet tried it – since most of the state of WY is state land we thought it might be a good time to give it a try.  Thankfully Google Maps worked well enough to show us the county roads in the area and we could see a few where it appeared we could turn the rig around.  Speaking of turning the rig around – we had to turn it around today and did so in too narrow of a space…when we did it we damaged our electrical cord.

We didn’t realize this until we found our camping spot and started to set up the rig…at that point we realized the damaged cord resulted in the trailer lights on one side not working.  Thankfully because Husband had hooked up the solar system for the Hideout he had the tools necessary to fix the cord.  We worked together to strip the wires and reconnect them.

I’m really proud how efficiently and effectively we worked together to fix the cord.  I am also proud of the kids who sat together and worked on the Junior Ranger books quietly and calmly while we were busy. 

In the end we repaired the cord and then enjoyed dinner in the wide open space of the high Wyoming desert.

We ended up parking near some railroad tracks and the kids were waiting all evening for a train to go by.  But I am not sure if these tracks are in use – we did see three trains off in the distance on another track.  Perhaps we will be awoken in the night by a train!

The sun sets late here.  We were getting good power with the panels until 8pm! Being able to position the panels for maximum gain is a huge benefit.  

We are all looking forward to a hike at Fossil Butte tomorrow and to the kids earning their next Junior Ranger badges!

Winnemucca, NV

Let's face it - the town name is fun to say.  It's a decent sized city (pop in the 7,000 range) and offers a few choices for RV parks.  We decided to stop for a couple of days here and enjoy the comfort of full hook-ups at the Winnemucca RV Park after our couple days of dry camping.

The most ironic thing about Winnemucca from my perspective is that they include in their tourist brochure that they are at the beginning of the "Winnemucca to the Sea Highway."  The route they outline is the EXACT route we took to get here in reverse!  So funny...and then they have a coastal redwood driftwood as a highway marker in town...It makes we wish we were still on the coast with the Redwoods.  I am going to be dreaming about that place for a year (until I can go back)!

The road between Lakeview and Winnemucca is barren.  It is over 200 miles of absolutely nothing (Denio is in the middle and offers the only gas station).  Here are some of the pics I took along the way when I was the passenger (please excuse the glare from the windows)...

We averaged around 10 mpg when driving through California, but between Lakeview, OR and Winnemucca, NV we got 12.5 mpg!  While there were some grades, it was less than what we experienced in California...it is a good thing we got the extra mpg's too because we did not stop for gas in Denio - the last opportunity for 100 miles.  When we finally got to Winnemucca and filled up we had only 3.5 gallons of gas left in the truck!  I was sweating bullets...always something to stress out about!  So...if you ever make that drive be sure that you can travel 210 miles or stop in Denio!

We ate at an amazing Mexican restaurant yesterday and are going to go back today for dinner.  We eat a lot of Mexican food in AZ - but this was something special.  It is called Marisgos El Rey Authentic Mexican Food.  Everything we ordered was amazing.  Also, the salsa is good and spicy.  Fantastic.  

Today is a lazy day.  We took the kids to a park and we are watching movies and playing games.  It is nice to take a day off of driving.  We'll get back on the road tomorrow and find a place to dry camp/boondock tomorrow night. 

 I'm teaching an online summer class starting in July.  Last night with cell/data I was able to get some work done prepping the course.  It's almost ready to go - I can't believe we have been on the road for four weeks already.  Though I am happy to have the extra income from the summer class, I have also enjoyed the freedom of our explorer life!  For the second half of the summer we have to have access to cell/data so that I can teach as well as explore!   

Boondocking adventures

Hello from Lakeview, OR!  Well, my kids saw hail today for the first time...did I mention we are from AZ?  We are not accustomed to this weather in the "Tallest Town in Oregon."  The low tonight is 26!  I think that might be the coldest weather we have experienced in this RV.  Thankfully we filled the propane before we left California and our heater is working well. 

Last night we stayed in the parking lot of a Pilot Travel Center in Klamath Falls, OR.  The kids are so eager for these new experiences, they enjoyed the gas station food and even our walk around the premises.  I was joking as we walked in the dreary, windy field next to the gas station filled with crab grass and sticking burrs, that it was the nicest hike we had taken during our trip...it took the kids a second to realize my sarcasm.  A truck stop is a truck stop, I would say it was free, but we spent a grip of cash on convenience foods -  which is why it is "free." The bathrooms were clean, that was good. It was really amazing how well the truckers back in their rigs!  Husband also did an amazing job backing in our rig!  The staff told us not to park all the way back in the spot so that the truckers would see that the space was taken.

Tonight, in Lakeview, OR we are staying at the fairgrounds.  They have full hook ups available for $25, but we opted to pay the only $5 to dry camp and use their restrooms which are very clean.  Only down side is that there seems to be some sort of dance party going on in one of the buildings...they are hootin' it up!  Tomorrow we will pay for full hook-ups. 

This location operates on the honor system...it's cute.

It's so cool how regardless of where we park we still get to go "home" and sleep in our own beds (or all pile into mom and dad's bed - depending on how cold the kiddos are). 

The driving has went well.  We traveled almost 200 miles yesterday and 100 miles the today.  The OR 140 is a good road, not too narrow and with some grades but they are reasonable.  We've had no problems and I've found the driving much more relaxing than in California.  Also, the scenery was very lovely.  Once we were here the kids could run around outside for as long as they could stand the 50ish degree weather.  It's been cold and rainy today...tomorrow we will travel a little over 200 miles and will end in Nevada where we may have to run the air conditioner!  What a crazy summer!

Traveling with the trailer is really fun.  Now that we are choosing our adventure as we go we are experiencing the freedom of the road for the first time.  I'm loving the lifestyle and am looking forward to the next leg of the journey eastward and looking forward to seeing my extended family.