The Blog

How To Tow Your Kids Dogs Or Laundry Around The Campgroundhttps://youtu.be/pAXsiShnTDQ Check Prices On Bike TrailersRead More Hiking The Stawamus Chief Trail In Squamish British Columbia, CanadaGeneral Information Trail head grid: 49.6786507, -123.1544098 First Peak grid: 49.6827637, -123.1441554 Length To Peak 1: 3.8Miles All three Peaks:[…]Read More Huckleberry Mountain Lookout Hike In Glacier National Park USAGetting To The Trailhead: Trail head grid: 48.596969, -114.035363 Lookout grid: 48.600386, -114.134466 Length: 11.9 miles Difficulty: Moderate  I stepped[…]Read More Installing More Solar On Our Outdoors RV Travel TrailerInstalling More Solar In My Ooutdoord RV Project PrepParts OrderedInstallationResults  Project Prep Today I doubled my solar wattage to 340 watts. That[…]Read More Fire in the RVThe Start It wasn’t my finest parenting moment.  Certainly not anything I would advocate anyone put into their own “Let’s Get[…]Read More Ax Throwing At Panama RocksThe Magic The RV was prepped and ready to leave. Trailer attached, engine idling. Already 1 night longer at the[…]Read More A Laundromat In Ithaca NYWhat Happened? Late at night I was asleep in bed when I felt Evie crawl in beside me.  Assuming it[…]Read More Top-A-Rise Campground InArrival: We use Passport America to find cheap places to stay when we travel. We’re usually trying to get to[…]Read More Finger Lakes National ForestScott, “How does that look?”  Me, “Terrible.”  He pulled forward a bit and then backed up into exactly the same[…]Read More Back In The GameFirst post-hiatus attempt Not gonna lie, it’s a little intimidating.  Getting back to writing the blog has been both “at[…]Read More Blueberry Patch Campground |Backbone Horse Camp | National Forest RV Camping In New YorkBlueberry Patch Campground in New York, within the Finger Lake National Forest was a small and secluded campground that we[…]Read More Hapgood Pond Campground | Free RV Dry Camping In VermontWe dropped by Hapgood Campground on our way west out of New England. We needed a cheap or free place[…]Read More Building The Van Named WinslowThe Chief is gone… so… what’s next? We thought about a boat. But we’re not ready yet. We thought about[…]Read More Writing From “Hell Froze Over”, BarbadosDespite my best intentions and a lovely picture in my head of hopping around the globe with nothing but backpacks[…]Read More Holetown, Barbados“Ouch!  Direct hit!  Nailed me in the arm!” Me to Evie. We were in a game of dodgeball-lite, using little[…]Read More Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Bluenose InnWhile listening to Bill play live piano music in an old world lounge in the Bluenose Inn in Bar Harbor[…]Read More Baxter State Park: Middle of Nowhere MaineBy the light of a cozy campfire I read out loud, “I started to run and found I couldn’t, because[…]Read More Great New England Air Show 2018After packing his parachute, he and some of his friends made his way over to the crowd.  The Golden Knights[…]Read More And We Swung By Istanbul For FunIf you head to Istanbul, here’s a piece of free advice: If you don’t observe Ramadan AND you only have[…]Read More Old School BangkokScott to me, “Are you sure?  Sometimes you think things are… you know… a great idea but then… you know… […]Read More There’s A Fish In My Pants, ThailandMe, with increasing concern closing in on hysteria, “It’s in my pants…. It’s in my pants… IT is IN my[…]Read More 40th Birthday Day – Mu Ko Lanta National ParkI turned to Evie {seriously}, “If those monkeys get in here, you are going to throw your ice cream and[…]Read More Koh Phi Phi – The BeachNot all beaches in Thailand are created equal.  Thanks to the country’s seriously strong marketing skills, I was under the[…]Read More When There Is No Emergency Room, But You Know You Need One!Ker-thump.  I was off the bed, scooping Jack up from the cement floor in less than a heartbeat. Even though[…]Read More Koh Lanta, ThailandSitting in the restaurant on the beach at sunset drinking my second beer, we’d been there a grand total of[…]Read More Chiang Mai Night MarketOur final days in Chiang Mai were spent walking the city, finding parks and pools to play in, touring the[…]Read More That Bird Disease: Cheap-Cheap-CheapScott to me, “I don’t know what it is, but my feet hurt.  The salt in the pool is stinging[…]Read More Elephants And The Karen TribeWhen things are going sideways, I’m usually thinking ahead to how I’m going to explain it to the Grands in[…]Read More Trying New Things In Northern Thailand“I like it,” said Evie.  “Me too,” said Jack because Jack always says me too no matter what Evie says…[…]Read More Heading To Chiang Mai, ThailandPublic bus from Ayutthaya to Chiang Mai (10 hrs) – doesn’t that just sound sweet?!  {That’s a “Hell, no!” from[…]Read More Ayothaya, Ayutthaya, Ayudhya ThailandEvie to me, “Why do people keep wanting to take my picture?”  Me, “No idea.  Maybe they like oddball looking[…]Read More Arriving in ThailandIf I have a superpower, it’s picking the cream of the crop when it comes to friends.  Seriously.  It’s my[…]Read More Bangkok By Way Of IstanbulWe’re a traveling family.  It’s been hard to find anything to write about that is even remotely related to travel…[…]Read More About HomeschoolingWhen I was young (naive/immature/hadn’t traveled), I assumed homeschooled kids were weirdos.  I’d only known 2 and they were being[…]Read More DRD4-7R And The Hot Spice Of The Real WorldWe’re still figuring out where to go, when to leave, etc.  I’m not gonna lie, it’s a little frustrating.  I’m[…]Read More What IS The Plan?Standing around with all my uncles and Grandpa Mike on Evie’s birthday, someone said, “So Traci, what’s the plan?  Where[…]Read More HairNot surprisingly, I may have made yet another mistake.  I usually take them in stride now, but this mistake bugs[…]Read More Quest For The AntidoteScott and I got to go on a fairly rare date night.  I always make sure I have my passport[…]Read More 2018 Winner of the Great Pink Camp First In?!?!?!?!I was well on my way to winning the Great Pink Camp Cold Swim Challenge of 2018.  That’s rockstar and[…]Read More The Great Bomb Cyclone of 2018When I walked into the grocery store, the 2 or 3 people near the registers just sort of… stared.  One[…]Read More The 2017 Amators HolidaysEvie, “Does George really have to go?”  Me to Evie, “Honey, we’ve talked about this.  Yes.  George was a wonderful[…]Read More That Time At TJ MaxxA few weeks ago Scott said, “Listen, I love the blog and I love reading what you write.  But… you[…]Read More They’re Pooping the FieldsWarm, in bed, just waking up… the kind of wake up that’s happy and not rushed.  From downstairs I hear Evie,[…]Read More Sales & The Most Glorious SecretaryI got this in my inbox yesterday morning from my mother-in-law: Subj:  Christmas is Coming (She’s not a Game of[…]Read More No Power, No WorriesThis is how I know I am different than normal people.  We’ve been having a great time… really nice.  It’s[…]Read More Going To Visit BillPer Mom, the following updates are mandatorily added BEFORE you read the following.  Be advised, “It was the 80s, not,[…]Read More TerilandSitting in the car, heading into town the other day, out of the blue Mom says to me, “You can[…]Read More Disclosing SolutionEvie has a toothache.  I looked.  Even I can see it.  She has a major cavity between 2 molars.  Of[…]Read More Getting The Juice Going AgainAn odd thing happens when you keep a blog.  Because I know people read it (all 10 of you!) or[…]Read More All Science All The TimeI’m not gonna lie, I’m actively trying to turn Evie and Jack into scientists.  (Nate doesn’t need to be guided,[…]Read More It Was Fun Until She Met Her Mortal EnemyWell, that didn’t last long. Evie enjoys school but… she now has a mortal enemy.  There is a kid she[…]Read More I Get How People Get Stuck“I get how people get stuck in a place,” Scott said to me.  I laughed. Me too – I get[…]Read More Eating LifestyleI’ve been rather candid about our desire/attempts to eat healthy.  I wouldn’t say anything has changed with respect to our[…]Read More A Day At the Sea ShoreI like to try to make connections between what’s going on and what we’re feeling.  If I had to make[…]Read More Answering The Number One Question We GetUnderstandably, we field a lot of questions these days.  I get it, we’re weirdos.  No issue (and generally I get[…]Read More Bon Voyage, KarenNo two ways about it, yesterday sucked.  I admit it…. I had the feels. 😢 I don’t like being attached to[…]Read More Lazy Summer DaysNow that Super Scary July is over, we’re into Adjustment August.  Scott and I still feel a little bit like,[…]Read More The Crazy PlanThe updated life plan. Scott, the kids and I loved RV’ing around the U.S.  I describe it as epic.  We[…]Read More Who Is Charlie?Scott and I are 2 of the luckiest people alive.  Seriously.  Both of us, through luck and willpower, know what[…]Read More 4th of July 2017What do you do in Maine just before the 4th of July?  Go strawberry picking.  After having been in California,[…]Read More For Sale: Awesome 1985 Winnebago ChieftainJust completed a year-long tour of the U.S. in this vintage class A motorhome. It was an outstanding home and well-loved[…]Read More SummertimeEvie is single-handedly bringing back a dying art… handwritten letters through the U.S. Postal service.  Our local post office is[…]Read More Science Time!By all standards, we are currently living a totally 100% normal life.  Relatively speaking, this is fairly unusual for us.[…]Read More We’re in Maine!We are decidedly running low on daily disasters.  I’m not gonna lie, it’s a little bit boring.  However, Scott and[…]Read More New York and Officer John KennedyWith the embers in the engine finally out and the excitement of a 5-alarm fire dying down, we got back[…]Read More Fire In The Hole!We’re within days of reaching home so I was waxing philosophic about our year.  Specifically, I’ve been having fun reliving[…]Read More One More Call to Good SamWhat did I not get to see that’s still on the list?  Oh, I have A LOT answers to that[…]Read More A Day in Memphis, TNWe had less than 48 hours in Memphis, TN.  But we made the most of what we had. First priority:[…]Read More The Northern SouthWe pulled up to the city campground office and I got out of the RV to draw in my first[…]Read More Oklahoma!I like old: old places, old music, old movies…. which is probably why I haven’t been able to hear anything[…]Read More The Texas Panhandle & Cadillac RanchI jammed on the breaks.  The needle drops from 75 mph down to 45 in a very short space of[…]Read More From Moab to San Jon, New MexicoI’m over being pissy about the route change.  It was a smart call on Scott’s part.  Yes – I told[…]Read More Monument ValleyIn order to see Antelope Canyon, I routed us through Denver thinking that surely the weather would be good by[…]Read More Cliff DwellingNavajo National Monument is located on Navajo Nation in northern Arizona.  It’s home to several cliff dwellings created by the First People.  I[…]Read More Antelope CanyonNow that we’re on the final swing through the U.S., I’m more inclined to see just a few more “would[…]Read More The Grand CanyonWell.. this place sucks. I’m just kidding.  It’s not one of our most famous, most visited, most loved national parks[…]Read More Back to BoondockingNothing feels better than being on the road again.  We fire up YouTube and played Willie on repeat.  Everyone is excited.[…]Read More DowngradeThese last few months have been hurtful to the old pocketbook.  We stayed well outside of the valley to facilitate Scott’s[…]Read More InterviewsRight in the middle of necklace making, Jack took a bead that Evie wanted.  There were literally hundreds of the[…]Read More I love gold stars!DISCLAIMER: I may make a commission off of the links on this page. Total cost of the repairs in Watsonville:[…]Read More Ups and DownsWe have now arrived at that part of the movie where morale is in a nosedive.  Normally we’re fairly immune[…]Read More End of VisitFor the second half of Nate’s week, we headed to a KOA that lives between Santa Cruz and Monterey.  This[…]Read More Visiting Yosemite National ParkYosemite National Park requires very few words.  The pictures do the talking.  It’s an incredible experience to be in the[…]Read More April Vacation & Nate’s ArrivalEvery year Nate join us for either his February or April vacation.  This year we got April.  We hadn’t expected[…]Read More RV RepairsDISCLAIMER: I may make a commission from some of the links on this page. Despite multiple trips to garages across[…]Read More Catching UpDropping Mom off at the airport was every bit the disaster I expected.  It was double trouble… full waterworks from[…]Read More Santa CruzWe’re an ocean family.  Mom wanted to dip her toes in the Pacific so we decided to take a day[…]Read More Alcatraz and Trolley RidesA lot of folks have told Scott and Mom that they’re good sports about the blog. Anyone with a thin skin[…]Read More My Preference is RedIt’s not that we’re particularly fanatical about wine.  I love oenophiles as much as the next person and I’m happy[…]Read More Hop On Hop OffI’d been tracking the Alcatraz tickets online for a week or so.  Again, I’m not a planner so that seemed[…]Read More Movies & MuirThe goal with mom was to see as much as possible in the final 2 weeks of her time with[…]Read More Turning 2Mom didn’t realize it at the time, but our overnight at Harris Ranch was the last night she spent in[…]Read More Hollywood and VineAfter all the excitement of the last week or so…. I was more than ready to get to San Francisco[…]Read More D DayI know I’ve said a lot of things about Disney over the years.  A lot.  Sometimes I run my mouth.[…]Read More The Never-ending DayThe plan leaving JTNP was straight forward.  Hit Indio, CA, dump at a free station, head south on Rt 86[…]Read More JTNP AgainWe burned rubber out of Quartzsite.  Kidding.  Just kidding.  The tires are too good right now to do something so[…]Read More RegroupingI haven’t written anything in well over 2 weeks.  It’s not that I haven’t thought about the blog… it’s that[…]Read More Miles on TiresMe to Scott, “What do you think about the tires?  I haven’t checked the pressure lately.”  Scott, “Should be fine.[…]Read More Pato Blanco in AZWell, it finally happened: self-inflicted, embarrassing disaster. I’ve been diligent about going through my checklist before starting up and driving off.[…]Read More Heading WestHeading south (for the sun) and west (to California) we’ve been seeing some eclectic parts of New Mexico.  There’s some[…]Read More Spending Time With EdyneThe goal was to head out of San Antonio and hit Santa Fe to visit my maternal grandfather’s widow, Edyne.[…]Read More The Route to Santa FeMe to Mom (as we’re driving down the highway), “Mom, could you plug my phone in?  I want to have[…]Read More Alien EncountersExactly what is to be expected from an alien abduction? “Subjectively real memories of being taken secretly against one’s will[…]Read More Extreme FlexibilityHere’s my question….  You’re on a roadtrip.  You’ve done the first 2/3’s of it.  You’re rounding 3rd base, heading back[…]Read More Mr. Fix ItAs soon as Scott left, pretty much everything broke.  That shouldn’t come as a surprise, right?!  It gives me something[…]Read More OnwardIf it seems like the posts have dramatically slowed…. it does to me too.  Here’s the deal.  I’m doing everything[…]Read More RegroupingAfter the day before (Day 1), we took the next day to regroup, fix the RV and relax.  There was[…]Read More It’s Going To Be FineI dropped off Scott at the airport and took a deep breath.  I did some of that Oprah motivational talking to[…]Read More Sexist TraciIn less than 24 hours I am going to be promoted to Captain of the Chief for one month.  This[…]Read More Day 1 with GrandmomPart-time Amator “Grandmom” has re-joined us.  Much like every other crazy adventure we drag her on, she’s “not too sure”[…]Read More Must Have’s – Kitchen“How do you possibly live with a kitchen the size of a Kleenex box?  I couldn’t do it.” It’s our[…]Read More Note Wrap UpYou want to know what the note said, right?!  I know… I was dying to know too. Scott promised I[…]Read More The Drop ZoneWomen’s Intuition Success Story #5,634,539,808:  This afternoon while playing Go Fish with Evie, me to Scott, “There’s a drop site[…]Read More Outside of HoustonThis morning I was in the men’s room of the Walmart in Cleveland, TX.  I didn’t want to be there[…]Read More The Alamo & The RiverwalkI fired up YouTube at 7 am…. full blast.  We kept it going on repeat until we left the RV[…]Read More Arriving in San AntonioScott is an alumni of Patriot Boot Camp, a Tech Stars sponsored event.  It’s 3 full days of talks by[…]Read More MonaJack has a thing going on with the moon.  He looks for her every single night and each night that[…]Read More EatingThis is Scott in a desperate bid to make veggie eating fun: Even with this level of effort, we still[…]Read More Thank YouI just got my first check from Amazon.  This blog is officially earning money.  We are monetized.  Pinch me. I[…]Read More Padre Island National SeashoreThe kids and I got the boot at 9:00am. Scott was antsy to start work and the kids were being…[…]Read More The PelicanWe had just pulled into our campsite for the evening.  I kicked everyone out of the Chief so I could[…]Read More The TX Poo IncidentHow do you make a tissue dance?  Put a little boogie in it. These last few days have been a[…]Read More White Sands National MonumentMaking our way through southern New Mexico has been a trip!  We aren’t used to border patrol check points.  The[…]Read More City of RocksFinally crossed the border from AZ into NM.  We were ahead of a nasty storm and trying to get to[…]Read More Leaving the LoRI’m so spoiled with the BLM land I have a hard time coming back to the Land of Rules (LoR).[…]Read More TombstoneMore often than not, I love a good tourist trap (except Disney…. I’m not on the Micky train).  We spent[…]Read More Premature GrandparentWe’re currently in a campground.  It’s a nice little co-op for Escapees members in Benson, AZ.  As far as I[…]Read More Mission 22An Amator’s Plan is more like a guideline – one possible option that may seem to be the best opportunity[…]Read More Healthy LivingAs much fun as it is having a nice cushy belly for the kids to lay their heads on…. I’m[…]Read More Reunited and It Feels So GoodNo bugs.  No spiders.  No snakes.  No ants.  No bats.  This all seems too good to be true. {So far} I[…]Read More Finishing Up in New EnglandIt turns out…. writing the blog is only easy when minor bad luck is having its way with us.  When[…]Read More Sticky FingersThe kids got to spend a lot of quality time with their most Supreme, Biggest Stars on the Planet VVVVVIPs….[…]Read More DreamscapeThe #1 question we get asked by almost everyone: how did you do it?!  How did we decide to take[…]Read More Scott Warren: Special Operator to Digital Nomad.My friend and mentor Kevin Kermes runs a podcast called Coffee or Something Stronger. We have great conversations about life,[…]Read More How We Make A Living While Traveling FulltimeLots of people ask us “How do you make a living?” or “How do you make money?” once they find out[…]Read More 10693 Miles in 3 Months at 5.3 Miles/Gallon“If I wanted to… emphasis on IF…. what would it cost to me live in an RV for 3 months?!”[…]Read More Could this be You? Fall 2016 in ReviewBest Grandparent advice:  It is easier for the girl to run with her skirt up, than you with your pants[…]Read More Recommended ResourcesFirst we share the business resources we use to manage or blog and business from the road. Further down are[…]Read More Christmas ThoughtsAlmost every year, until I started hauling off to fun places on the opposite side of the globe, my Dad and[…]Read More Home for the HolidaysWe’re in Maine.  It was -17 deg F this morning when we woke up (before factoring in the wind chill).[…]Read More Finding Wonder in Central AZ: Tuzigoot National Monument & JeromeIt’s never good when you hear, “Ka-chugga….{heart beat  heart beat}  …bang,” as you’re driving down the road…. not like a[…]Read More Sedona – Boynton CanyonWhen it’s cloudy I optimistically assume it’s going to be a little warmer.  I think of the clouds as nice[…]Read More Sedona – The Airport and the ChapelI’m procrastinating at this point.  Not cool.  We had so much fun in Sedona and I took so many pictures…[…]Read More RVing in Sedona – Arrival & Bell Rock  Sedona, Arizona…. Hello again, Beautiful. If I’m talking about Sedona, 9 times out of 10 I’m talking about the[…]Read More The Night After Boondocking: Our Daily LifeBoondocking.  How did we live without this for so long?!  Call it whatever you like, dry camping, free camping, dispersed[…]Read More How the Amazon Affiliate Works and Why We’re Doing ItMy girlfriends have asked me to explain a little bit more about the Amazon Affiliate stuff. What is it? How[…]Read More IncognitoSomething happened today.  My feelings are mixed – on the one hand it was really sweet, kind and well intentioned. […]Read More How We Brought a Cartoon to Life – Rt 66Friday evening outside of Kingman, AZ…. Evie, “Can I watch Paw Patrol on the ipad?”  Me, “No, you’re going to[…]Read More Thanksgiving in an RVThis is how you pull off Thanksgiving on the road: Pull out of your cherry spot in the dry lake[…]Read More Joshua Tree National ParkLeaving LA we headed for Joshua Tree National Park for no other reason than we had no where else we[…]Read More RV’ing in LAScott and I had been talking about me learning to do everything on the RV (even the solidly blue jobs)[…]Read More California PerspectiveAll hell broke loose – just as I expected.  The kids were screaming and there were real tears.  Leaving Auntie[…]Read More San Fransisco with the Kids San Fransisco doesn’t disappoint.  We spent a day as blue chip tourists – knee-high socks (Nate), cameras around necks (Traci,[…]Read More FairylandToday we split up to give Scott and Nate some quality time alone together.  That’s always an important element of[…]Read More Daily Life: How We Are Making MoneyWhile this year is officially a 1 year sabbatical, Scott and I would love nothing more to make it a[…]Read More Family TimeI should have given you a heads up…. we were heading into a long weekend of family time so I[…]Read More Irish TwinsWe’d just driven out of spot (we’ll miss you spot #22 at Emerald Forest in Trinidad, CA) and we were[…]Read More The NorthAfter our one of our most expensive nights to date ($45/night + $2.50/night for each child {really RV place?  You[…]Read More Daily Life – MorningsI like to write about the funny and sometimes-only-funny-after-the-fact stuff that happens to us.  It’s super easy when it’s something[…]Read More Mighty RedwoodsIt was all funny until it wasn’t.  I’m hardly an expert but these matters but it was fairly obvious these[…]Read More Jaxon KeysNate and Grammie Denise roll into San Fran on the 11th of Nov.  We are… officially… ahead of schedule!  Ah yes…[…]Read More Donner PassLiterally as we fired up the Chief to drive away from Reno I checked the website and the chains restriction was[…]Read More The Biggest Little TownSitting at the top of Nevada we had a decision to make: take Rt 80 to Reno where we could go[…]Read More Losing Morale AltitudeNot every day on the road is pretty.   But I don’t want to forget any of it – not even[…]Read More Seeing the ElephantBonneville, UT.  Ring any bells?  When Scott first mentioned the town, I thought he was referring to an old grandma[…]Read More Health and StatusI’ve had the health status post in draft for almost a month.  You would think it’s the easiest to write[…]Read More Four Out of FiveThere are 5 national parks in Utah. We managed to hike in 4 of them. I’ll take it – 4[…]Read More Bryce CanyonBecause we’re officially national park addicts AND we’re on the Grand Staircase we picked a small RV park on the[…]Read More Capitol Reef National ParkAfter leaving Goblin State Park the plan was to get to Capitol Reef, find a boondocking site and spend a[…]Read More Goblin State Park(Heads up – the pictures are weird on this one. I’m experimenting with using Flickr to store the pictures so[…]Read More In Desperate Need of a Real Shower“Why don’t we get to ride in a horse car?  That’s way better! Can we trade the Chief for one?”[…]Read More Day 3 – ArchesThe kids and I took off for the local park this morning.  Before we left, Evie was heartbroken to leave[…]Read More Day 2 – ArchesJack kicked off the day by learning what happens when you step on a cactus.  Made for an interesting lesson[…]Read More MoabAfter going 4-wheeling in our 33′ 1985 Winnebago and getting towed by the real Mater we finished our day in[…]Read More Full on 4-Wheelin’No shit there we were…. again.  Waiting for Good Sam to call back to say they’d found someone to tow[…]Read More Enjoying SLCWith Scott in DC for a few days to collect our things, the kids and I had 48 hours to[…]Read More To Salt Lake CityToday is one of those days I’m really glad we have the blog.  It was a nothing day… but so[…]Read More Yellowstone – Day 3This is how our third and final day in Yellowstone started out:       As usual these days, we[…]Read More Old Faithful Isn’t Always On Time And Other Secrets of YellowstoneToday is the day to see Old Faithful.  It goes off consistently every 90 minutes, plus or minus 13 minutes.[…]Read More How To Enter Yellowstone On Your First DayScott and I love the thrill of looking for that unexpected grab-you-by-the-ass wonder.  There’s no cool kid way of describing[…]Read More Big Horn National ForestI know when I’m tapping on the rooftop of my skill level.  Tonight is a good example. This morning we[…]Read More Devil’s TowerI’m not a movie person.  We don’t even have a TV in the Chief.  We haven’t seen an episode of[…]Read More Bear Country USAThe area around Rushmore is charming in that “this has been a destination for decades” kind of way.   I[…]Read More Mount RushmoreAfter being away, we jumped right into a day of adventuring.  After the kids and I did Bear Butte, we[…]Read More Back in the SaddleIt was only 48 hours away, but if felt so good to get home.  Don’t get me wrong – I[…]Read More PauseHere we are at the pre-programmed pause point.  We knew when we left Colombia that I would need to spend[…]Read More Beginner BoondockingWe’re doing Badlands National Park in a big way.  We’re spending a few nights in the area to give us[…]Read More PetrifiedI’ve read about petrified wood but hadn’t seen any.  Ditto for Scott.  When we saw a sign for a petrified[…]Read More ComplimentI just received what may well be one of the best compliments of my life.  That’s not hyperbole (I hate[…]Read More Third Time’s a CharmCruising down Rt 90 in South Dakota, doing a Chief solid of 60-65 (in an 80 mph zone), Scott was[…]Read More Iowa, Minnesota, South DakotaWe fell for the charms of northern Iowa (would you ever expect to say that!?).  The re-enactment was a large[…]Read More QuirkyIt turns out mischief is hard to come by in the midwest.   It’s a low-key, wholesome kinda place (at[…]Read More Progress ReportMike and Ellen – I’m thinking of you guys as I write this one.  If When you get serious about that wild[…]Read More You’re WelcomeCitizens of Keokuk, Iowa: YOU ARE WELCOME.  Thanks to the intrepidness of The Amators, you had one night of less vice[…]Read More Mark TwainWe’re heading into friendly territory – at least I hope it’s friendly and not $$$$$$ territory.  We’re taking the Chief[…]Read More The Jefferson Expansion Monumentaka The St. Louis Arch.  Why the National Park Service didn’t just call it “The Arch” remains a mystery to[…]Read More Seriously? Again?Here’s what you don’t want to hear, “He’s peeing again, Mommy.”  No good… just no good. There’s good news and[…]Read More There are WartsWe started off strong in Kentucky.  Over the last few days my balloon started losing air for it.  You guys[…]Read More Mammoth CaveThis one is easy, click here http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/mammoth-cave-national-park/ Kidding – just kidding.  You all know I’m a super fan of Nat Geo.[…]Read More DrivingThe kids and I were headed to Walmart yesterday to do groceries and pick up a few items.  We’d just[…]Read More KY – Who Knew!?We had never been to Kentucky before.  It wasn’t by design, it was just the result of opportunity (or lack[…]Read More Laundry ServiceOk Bogota – this one’s for you.  You and I were right.  I hate doing the laundry.  It’s been about[…]Read More Smale ParkWith a little time to kill in Cincinnati, we decided to hit up Smale Park. It was mentioned in several[…]Read More We Saw ThemFolks – we did it.  We made it to Cincinnati with 48 hours to spare to see our friends.  They[…]Read More Iron FurnaceToday was one of those serendipity days.  I love it when that happens. One thing leads to another and it[…]Read More Mountain MommaWe were grooving to some sweet John Denver this morning at breakfast (after Scott tried to start with Metallica -[…]Read More PA UpdateNot sure where to start with this one.  So much has happened and I haven’t been writing as much as[…]Read More NY Travel UpdateLeaving Vermont we started looking for places of interest in NY.  I was thinking the Catskills when Scott mentioned he[…]Read More Breaking What?!It turns out we were wrong – you and I.  In all fairness, not entirely wrong but we hadn’t hit[…]Read More Do you Smell that? Not Yet.“Huh,” Scott said more to himself than to me.  We were driving down the road.  Me, “What?”  Scott, “Nothing.”  Me,[…]Read More This is it!I’ve never been so excited…. so giddy… to hang out at a truck stop.  To the uninitiated (read: me), I[…]Read More I Laugh When I’m NervousSo here’s the deal… in a totally perplexing, inappropriate, not-good-at-funerals kinda way, I laugh when I’m nervous.  The upside is[…]Read More Santa’s VillageAs we wait {drumming fingers wildly on the table}, we decided to take advantage of our time with family.  We[…]Read More Things that are not a great idea for usA family bedroom You were right. I was wrong.  Read More SurgeryScott’s hernia surgery went well.  He was up and about that afternoon.  The only hiccup came at the very end.[…]Read More Fuel Line“Hey, got a minute?”  Scott to me.  I was lazily getting ready to take the kids to Pink Camp with[…]Read More BeckyEvelyn is wearing her Elsa heels around the campsite.  We’re getting stared at here…. there’s serious judging going on.  Doesn’t[…]Read More RunningWe received an awesome email from J.  He’s not one to waste time on drivel – so he gave us[…]Read More The TransitionBuckle up, folks.  Scott says I’m entering… The Transition.  What an ominous sounding thing?! Apparently The Transition is well known[…]Read More Trip #2Evie put our day into perspective with a little ditty she made up all by herself this evening.  I wish[…]Read More DelaysSo… I’m pretty sure we’re going to be stuck at Grandmom’s house for eternity (or at least the entirety of[…]Read More Grey Beards Q1Ok WCE, here we go.  Game time.  We drove the Chief from Mass to Maine last night(about 3.5 hours).  Everything[…]Read More Night 1We departed for parts known on our first night out in the Chief.  Acadia National Park is close and familiar.[…]Read More The Grey ManWe decided to finally think about getting a toad – that’s RV-speak for the car pulled behind the RV.  […]Read More Police Encounter #2The whole situation in Tennessee continued to bother me a little.  If the cops had found drugs it would have been[…]Read More The SabbaticalIt’s done.  I went down to DC and spent a week checking out of the office.  I spent time with[…]Read More The 4thPictures from the 4th of July in the middle of nowhere Maine.  This little parade has become quite famous.  Nothing[…]Read More The ConversationI’ve got a question but I’m going to lead into it.  Scott and I have been encouraged, supported and high-five’d[…]Read More Tune UpHe’s home.  Finally.  California – Texas – Maine.  That’s 7 days of driving in total (3 in April from CA[…]Read More Breaking BadNo shit there he was…. it’s one of those stories. Traveling down the highway in Tennessee, at 8:45 am, Nate[…]Read More En RouteYesterday Scott and Nate had the opportunity to engaged in some creative problem solving.  They arrived at our new DMV[…]Read More Return to The ChiefScott and Nate have landed in Houston.  They rented a car and are en route to the storage unit.  They’re[…]Read More We’re Baaaaaack…Yesterday was so terrible we didn’t even take any pictures.  We had a 4 am wake up.  The kids were[…]Read More Getting ReadyThis is the week before the bitter end.  We’re moving “home” from Colombia at the end of next week.  This[…]Read More Spa Round 2The Colombians love any excuse to throw a party.   They even have 1 word for what we call a[…]Read More Monkey IslandI got to revisit one of my favorite places in Colombia this week.  I hadn’t meant to set it up[…]Read More American Money“Senora Evelyn,” he started…. this ought to have been clue #1 that something wasn’t entirely right, “I want to talk[…]Read More Birthday Surprise!We weren’t sure what to expect but we really weren’t expecting what we got.  We were there for a couples[…]Read More Eje CafeteraLast weekend we went to the Eje Cafetera in Quindio, Colombia with some of our very closest friends.  We had[…]Read More Yard SaleScott keeps telling me to write the blog posts like I’m writing to my closest girlfriends (Sticky, C, The Aviator,[…]Read More We’re Found!Oh my…. you guys…. oh my. It feels like we just made the big leagues. Ok, maybe not the big[…]Read More Original 1 pagerNothing says old school quite like the original pamphlet.  We’re featured on page 3. 1985Winnebago For more details about the[…]Read More Maiden VoyageScott bought The Chief in southern California.  We are setting up residency in Texas for a whole bunch of reasons…[…]Read More The Grey BeardsI’m not gonna lie, we know we don’t know a lot about a lot of things.  That’s some critical self-awareness[…]Read More Buying the BeastAfter 3+ years of looking at RVs, discussing what we thought were “requirements” and “nice to haves”, hemming and hawing[…]Read More How To Start A WordPress BlogTHIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO. More often than I expected, I get[…]Read More 3 Things We Wish We Would Have Known Before We started….When we first latched onto the whimsical idea of hauling off into the great unknown, I was the first to[…]Read More