Maiden Voyage Part 2

I am writing this post while sitting in the trailer, which is parked in Scout’s parent’s driveway. 

                                                Mid-day Mimosas

Last Friday night, we pushed our way through the cities and just kept driving until, as they say, we couldn’t drive no more…We barely stopped, but we did pull into a casino parking lot for a little while to let Bella run around. There was a horse in a trailer parked in the parking lot.  It seemed curious to leave your horse outside while you went in to gamble, but whatever...the horse was friendly and gave me someone to talk to while Scout and Bella ran around.

We made it from just outside Memphis all the way into Northern Virginia, where we finally stopped in one last Walmart parking lot around 4 hours away from Scout’s hometown in Pennsylvania. I really wanted to stop in Memphis.  There was even an RV park around the corner from Graceland, but we were eager to get to Pennsylvania so we didn't stop.  The last part of the trip was one big blur...we were tired of driving and just wanted to get to Scout's parent's house, so we plowed through.  It took nearly an entired day to drive through Tennessee - that is a long state!  The last part of the trip also seemed to be through more 'civilization' - the highways were busier, there were more neightborhoods and stores, etc.  So, it was less scenic and more perfunctory by that time.  But we did get some quick pictures when we stopped a few times for breaks.  The weather was beautiful, and the fall leaves made us excited to be heading toward the east coast. 

I feel like the memories we have made since we got here are more exciting than the stories from the road on that last part of our journey, so I may just skip ahead, but I wanted to share a few things.

One very important thing is that we finally named the Airstream.  I am an aficionado when it comes to giving good nicknames (which is why Scout is called Scout, and I am called Bear…Bear is not something anyone in “real life” calls me and I didn’t come up with it, but I think it makes for a pretty good Blog name.)  Anyway, giving a nickname isn’t something you do lightly.  It takes thought and careful observation so that you know when you give it, it will stick.  Scout got her nickname because she reminds me of the girl, Scout, in To Kill a Mockingbird.  She is fiercely loyal, resourceful, creative, mischievous and an all-around great person to have with you in good times and bad. So, this nickname fit her.  Her real first name also starts with an S, so it was an easy transition.  Naming a trailer should be a bit easier, but we wanted it to be a name that really fit the Airstream, would come to mind easily, and would be reminiscent of our adventure.  We listened to country music from the beginning of Oklahoma well into Virginia, and as we were driving through Tennessee, we saw a big sign that said Loretta Lyn Welcomes Us!  And thus, a nickname was born.  Our Airstream is now named Loretta.

                                                   See Loretta sparkle in the distance

I also wanted to talk about gas prices.  I always wondered why gas prices can fluctuate so dramatically depending upon where you are.  I once heard that it had to do with how far the gas had to be shipped…California being so far across the US that naturally, the prices would be higher.  That just isn’t true, however.  The highest gas we paid on our trip was in California though – at $4.39 a gallon, and the lowest price was $3.11 a gallon, which we paid many times across the country.  It seems like gas prices are pretty stable, at least along Route 40 and up into Route 81.  Now that we are in Pennsylvania, gas is less than $3.50 a gallon, which seems pretty reasonable to me.  I had hoped that we would hit a pump that was less than $3.00 a gallon, but that didn’t happen…anyway, if you have learned nothing from this paragraph, hopefully you have learned that I have a bit of an old man inside me, constantly commenting on gas prices and complaining at the pump. Oh, even more interesting is that approximately 27% of what you pay for gas goes towards marketing and advertising.  Why in the world does a gas company need to market itself?  Everyone needs gas, and I would venture to guess that most people are not loyal to a gas company, but rather look for the best price or whatever is available when the tank is dangerously near empty. (that’s me being the old man again…)

The other thing I wanted to mention is how safe I felt in the Walmart parking lots.  Apparently, all Walmarts are supposed to let RVers stay overnight, but town legislature and other shopping areas place restrictions on it, and so some Walmarts have to turn folks away.  The Walmarts we stopped at, however, were well lit, had video surveillance, and safety patrol that circled the parking lot throughout the night.  I really appreciated that, and I’m thankful for it.

It’s been one week now since we arrived in Pennsylvania.  We are making lots of memories here already that I also want to capture.  I’m surprised how busy we have been, and it has kept me from being able to update the blog.  I am going to post this and then get started working on the next post.  Stay tuned for farms, deer spotting, and The Amish…

Maiden Voyage Part 1

I am writing this blog from the passenger seat of our Expedition.  I can do this because modern day technology is amazing.  Scout is driving.  We are in the middle of Arkansas (which is an absolutely beautiful state - I feel like my horizons are broader already...) on our way to Pennsylvania.  The plan is to spend the month of November visiting Scout's family in PA, and then we will head south to visit mine before heading back to California. 

We have been driving for 4 days now.  We got started late in the day on Monday because we had to head up to Los Angeles to pick up the Airstream and get the grand tour.  I took notes while Scout actively listened, and of course she remembers more of what the man said than I do…you would think that after graduate school, I would realize that my note taking doesn’t really help me learn…but whatever.  At least the notes are there in case Scout hits her head and forgets everything (she already knocked it pretty good once on the doorway to the Airstream, so it is a possibility).

There was so much to learn before we set off, but the folks at Southwest Coaches were really patient and thorough.  We had a terrific experience buying the Airstream from them…from helping us find the perfect trailer, to price, to service and finally to delivery…they were awesome.  (Thanks, Bo, Helen and Duane!)

Now, pulling out of the lot was stressful…it was the first time I had ever towed anything, much less a 25 foot travel trailer.  But it really wasn’t that bad after I got the hang of it.  I did pull the truck pretty close to a toll booth without realizing that the Airstream is wider than the Expedition and came dangerously close to bashing right into it, but I was able to correct it in time.  The only other issue we had was that we lost a window pane.  We feel terrible for the person/car or whatever that bore the brunt of that window falling out and smashing on the highway behind us.  We were blissfully unaware until we made our first stop and saw the remnants of the glass on the window hinges. Scout is incredibly resourceful though, and she immediately knew that we should head to Lowes and have a piece of plexiglass cut to size and tape it up until we can get to a service/dealer.  I’m thankful for the plexiglass because it was incredibly cold the first 2 nights that we stopped.

The first night, we made it to Kingman, Arizona.  We have been falling about 2 hours behind our daily goals, mainly because we have been driving between 55 and 65 MPH the whole trip, but also because we are taking our time, enjoying the sights, and making sure we have stopped for yummy dinners each night.  Oh, and we don’t seem to wake up much before 10 each morning…(to our credit, towing is tiring, and we are losing an hour the further we go east…it may have been 10:30 in Oklahoma when we woke up this morning, but that’s just 8:30 California time, and we are California girls afterall…)  Anyway, the first and second night we slept in Walmart parking lots.  Did you know that was allowed?  I didn’t until we started researching this whole plan.  Apparently, you can park overnight in almost every Walmart parking lot, especially Super Walmarts that are open 24 hours – those have security cameras and patrol that keep an eye out for the trailers parked there.  I felt pretty safe that first night and slept really well.  Scout and I were pretty giddy for a while, and kept talking about how excited we were, and how we couldn’t believe we had actually done it!  Adventure begun! 

The second night wasn’t so easy.  We pulled into another Walmart, but this time we had made it to Edgewood, New Mexico.  It was so windy, we actually thought there might be a tornado.  The whooshing sound around the trailer was terrifying to me, and we were swaying back and forth pretty badly.  Plus, it was absolutely freezing out and we hadn’t yet figured out how to turn on the heat.  You really need to be plugged into an electric source to properly run the heat in the trailer, and we were “boondocking,” which is parking without utilities, basically.  So, we were pretty bundled under 2 duvets, and thankful for Bella who maintains a nice 100+ temperature and who really likes to snuggle, and Bella and Scout fell nicely asleep.  I, on the other hand, stayed awake until nearly 4 am, jumping at every bang and whoosh that startled me.  I finally decided I could fall asleep when I saw that despite what sounded and felt like very ominous wind, the thin trees that lined the parking lot were still standing.  If those small trees could make it, we would make it, too.  And we did.

Day 3 was even colder throughout Texas and into Oklahoma.  I saw so many cattle farms, and despite how sad I felt for those cows, I got excited when we pulled into a very cool restaurant called The Big Texan, which has a 72 oz steak-eating contest.  Not only were the waiters/waitresses wearing cowboy boots and hats, but so were many of the patrons.  We were somewhere authentically Texan, and we ordered steaks like a good Texan should.  And it was delish.  (Sorry again, sweet cows.  I wish I didn’t like eating you so much, but I do, so I will just say I am thankful for you and the nutrition you provide.) 

Last night we slept in our first RV park – a KOA park in Elk City/Clinton, Oklahoma.  Scout jumped right to and plugged us into the electric station, cranked up the heat, and connected our water.  We showered for the first time in our trailer this morning, and although it’s a tight squeeze, the hot water lasted and it was nice to be clean again. 

Today we drove through Oklahoma, which was a really pretty state with good road conditions and friendly people.  Arkansas is much prettier than I ever imagined, with plenty of trees and lakes, and soon enough we will be in Tennessee, which is a state that I have always wanted to visit.  Someday, Scout and I are going to live in Nashville for a month, and I will practice a few country songs before we get there, and I will, I will, I will sing in a country bar…even if it’s just karaoke.  It’s on my bucket list, and I will do it.  I will. (You can hold me to it.)

Before I sign off, I want to get back to technology – before we left, we got a Verizon MIFI to take with us.  Our cell phones are mobile hot spots, but we have T-Mobile, which doesn’t have great coverage across the country, and seems to not be very reliable.  So far, I’m pretty impressed with the MIFI.  It seems to nearly always find a signal (mid-Nevada excepted), and the signal stays strong when we are stationary, and is even pretty stable while we are driving…like now.  It’s amazing.  This kind of lifestyle wouldn’t have been possible for us even 5 years ago….but I have managed to work a 30 hour week already from the road and parked in the trailer.  I think that is pretty amazing.  We also bought a power inverter that plugs into the 12V outlet, then it has this base that has a regular 110V plug, so I can charge my computer while in the car.  That is freaking awesome.  I had no idea this kind of technology existed, but I’m thankful.  It is what is going to keep us working and surviving while we are on this adventure.

It will take us another 2 to 3 days to get to Scout’s parent’s house.  Stay tuned for Maiden Voyage Part 2! 

P.S.  Everyone poops.  If you don’t want to read bathroom stories, stop reading now.  If so, I imagine there will be plenty of great bathroom stories from this trip – and plenty of good Walmart stories as well.  Here’s a gem:  Tuesday morning, we headed into the Kingman Walmart and I went to the bathroom.  I went into the middle stall.  To my left was a woman who was apparently having a pretty rough time because she kept saying, “Oh God…Dear God….Oh my God….” With each pause accentuated by loud toilet noises.  In come 2 other women with several small children.  The first woman says, “Shit, all the stalls are full.  Don’t you kids piss yerselves…stand here and hold it.  Don’t you piss on the floor. Shit, it stinks in here.  Damn, don’t they have spray in this Walmart.  It reeks!”  Meanwhile, the woman to my left is continuing her commune with God…I exit my stall, and head to the sink to wash my hands.  The third woman is counting a handful of cash, and says, “How much money did I say it cost?  $260?  That only leaves me with $40 for the rest of the month, and I ain’t even bought my smokes yet! Shit!”  Shit is right. Welcome to Walmart.

Our New Home!

It's official!  Scout and I have bought our new home!  It's a 2005 AIRSTREAM INTERNATIONAL CCD 6 SLEEPER.  We got a great deal and wonderful help from Bo at Southwest Coaches in Irvine, CA (who sold Airstreams to Matthew McConaughey and Julia Roberts...woohoo!).  We can't wait to head off on our first adventure. The "ultimate journey" will start next spring, but in the meantime we are planning a trip to the east coast for Thanksgiving and Christmas to visit family and friends.

We had been looking at travel trailers for a little while, and had basically decided on an Airstream because they seem to be the only trailer that actually appreciates in value over time, especially if they are lovingly cared for and restored.  With Scout's sense of style and decorating skills, I imagine this trailer will be even more beautiful than it already is. 

Now we just need to name her.  Any ideas?  Feel free to send them!

I'll give you a little tour of our new home.  This is where we will be spending a lot of time - just picture an outdoor rug, 2 dogs, and a couple of zero gravity lawn chairs.  You can probably add a cooler and a grill.  Doesn't that sound like the life?

The tank on the front of the Airstream holds the propane tanks, and in front of that is the hitch ball...or whatever Bo called it.  I guess I have a lot to learn...

This is the back of the bus...have a good look at how shiny she is.  I just hope she stays that way - everything I'm reading says that backing up a trailer is a nightmare.  We are planning to invest in some walkie-talkies so we don't have any mishaps.  (Thank God for warranties...I hope it will cover trees, bushes or picnic tables that jump out of no where.)

When Scout and I went inside for the first time, we just knew this was the trailer for us.  It was instantaneous.  That's how you know something is the right decision  - when it speaks to both of you and you both love it.  I can really imagine us enjoying this space.  The windows in this area are really wide, and it's very relaxing inside.

This is where all the work will happen!  We will be working remotely while we travel, and this dining area felt like a bright, comfortable workspace compared with a lot of other trailers.  We are already talking about using the space underneath the table to store the printer.

I would be remiss if I didn't also mention that this is where we will eat dinner when it's not nice enough to eat outside.  Scout has amazing abilities in the kitchen...I'm looking forward to fresh vegetables from roadside farm stands.  Yum!

Here is our small, but quaint kitchen.  It's as much of a mystery to me as the one in my current apartment.  At least Scout knows what to do with this space.

Here is the bedroom.  It has a custom mattress (see the curves to fit along the walls?).  We are looking forward to decorating this space with fun colors.  It's going to be a very relaxing, happy area of the trailer. 

You can't see from the picture, but we each have our own closet on either side.  We are already talking about how many articles of clothing we will each bring.  One pair of jeans?  3 shirts?  One skirt?  A sweatshirt?  (Can I really live a year on the road with 6 articles of clothing?! I think I currently have 6 pairs of jeans!)

This is the bathroom sink.  There is a good amount of storage in this area.  Not enough to store the 3 cases of make-up I have now...but I'm sure I can make do.

Wow!  A seat in the shower!!!  If I get tired of any of the other space in the trailer, I'll just take a time out in here.  (If I knew better, I'd tell you about water tanks and dump sites, etc...but I have no idea about any of that stuff.  Are you getting scared for us yet?)

So, that's it!  The grand tour!  What a radical thing to do.  Sometimes I sit back and think, are we really doing this?  And the answer is a resounding "YES!"  Life is an adventure.  It might be over tomorrow, next month, next year, or 50 years from now.  We want to make the most of it.  Together.  Someone said, "Do one thing each day that scares you."  I think I'm going to have that covered for the next year.  Bring it on!

Visit with Scout's Parents

We had a very exciting week with Scout's parents.  They are from Pennsylvania, and they took the long plane ride across the country to visit us in San Diego.  They are such happy people; we had so much fun with them.  Scrabble tournaments (Scout won every time), cards, adventures, a bonfire, and food.  It was a great week.

We roasted marshmallows and made S'mores, and got to see a fantastic fireworks show from the nearby

Sea World. 

 We went to the Glider Port in La Jolla, CA to have a glimpse of the gorgeous Pacific Ocean.

And Scout had some fun with her new camera - her Dad was a good sport while she practiced.

It was sad to see them go.  The week flew by all too quickly, as it always does when you are spending time with people you love.  Can't wait to see you guys again in September when we travel to Boston for another adventure!

 

San Diego - Pride, Hobbies, Movies and Swap Meets

This weekend, Scout and I tried to lay low.  We live in an area of San Diego called Hillcrest, which is a wonderfully diverse and cultural neighborhood with fantastic shops, farmers markets, and restaurants.  The best thing about the area, however, really is the people.  Seldom do you meet someone who isn't friendly.  We love living here.  This was San Diego Pride weekend, and Hillcrest is where all the fun happens.  Scout read somewhere that over 500,000 people come into San Diego each year to celebrate Pride.  The streets certainly were packed with people, whether they were watching the parade, or standing in lines to get into bars and clubs.  Everyone was in a great mood and having lots of fun. 

Scout and I avoided Pride this year, instead opting to stay home and work on some of our projects.  We recently bought an antique, hand-carved wooden bench that we want to re-stain and reupholster.  It took one can of stain remover and the 2 of us to remove the stain on half the bench.  (This project is going to take longer than we thought it would.)  We also bought new material for the cushion, but once we got it home decided we don't really like it.  Anyway, here is a picture of the bench when we bought it.  There is a terrible water stain on the cushion, so that part will be replaced. 

We also went to a really cool Swap Meet  to look for a mid-century modern end table for the living room.  Scout is basically the luckiest person I have ever met, and not only did she find what she was looking for, but the table was only $70.  There are a few furniture stores that specialize in mid-century modern in the area, and it would have been a lot more expensive to buy it from one of them.  She recently did a lot of research on a mid-century wall unit, and we were able to find one of those at an estate sale for $500.  Again, this was so much cheaper than what they wanted in the stores.

One thing we have been talking a lot about lately is not buying anything new anymore, and instead buying used items from places like swap meets, flea markets, and second-hand stores.  Scout has a theory that the world would still function and be just as thriving for quite a while if there was no new production of anything - if we just learned to live with and use what already existed.  It's an interesting theory.  Certainly, the swap meet we went to today had everything from socks to furniture to soap to jewelry.  And if you just absolutely can't find what you want, you can either reevaluate if you really need it, or you can go ahead and buy it new.  But imagine how much you could reduce your carbon footprint and your waste production by buying "old" rather than buying new.  I think we are coming close to actually trying to do this.  We do have a bathroom re-model project coming up where I doubt we will be able to buy "old" for all of it, but we will probably give it a shot.  It's really worth the effort.

It's also important to give what you aren't using to people who need it.  Here is a picture of Bella helping me decide what clothes I should donate.  She's so helpful.

To round out the weekend, we also saw the final film of Harry Potter.  It was wonderful.  Scout and I are both big Harry Potter fans, and it was just fantastic to see the end of that story.  I remember when the first Harry Potter movie came out - I asked God to please let me live through November of that year so I could see the movie...I was that excited about it.  And I have loved all of them.  It's nice to have seen the full series, but I'm also keeping my fingers crossed that one day, there may be another!

That's all for now.  We have more adventures coming up this week when Scout's parents come to visit from the east coast.  It's always fun to play tour guide in your own town - you never know what you might discover!

New Mexico

Scout has to occasionally travel to New Mexico for work.  It seems like every time she is there, some sort of storm is "a-brewin," as she says.  Here are a couple of pictures she sent me from this trip. 

The second one is just plain funny.  Beer, anyone?

Hurry home, Scout.  We miss you.

Chicago!

In June, I gave a talk at a professional conference that was held in Chicago.  I had been to Chicago before, but it was the first time Scout saw The Windy City.  As usual, we had some pretty yummy meals at places like Chicago Cut Steakhouse and Riva.  We went to the top of the John Hancock Center where we saw some really amazing views of the city, and we went on an architectural boat tour given by the Chicago Architecture Foundation.  We also tried to go to the Aquarium, but the line was about a mile long.  Anyway, I think the boat tour was our favorite.  Enjoy the pictures!