Our 28th Anniversary, Flagstaff Folk Festival, Forest Fire Awareness

Happy 4th of July, fellow Americans! Hope you’re having a safe and relaxing holiday as we celebrate the birthday of our country!

July 4th just happens to also be our wedding anniversary, and today marks 28 years since we tied the knot on a hot summer day in Houston, Texas. We’ve had a lot of adventures and we’ve taken some big risks in those 28 years, but nothing like what we’re currently doing! The fact that we have enough love between us and faith in each other to risk selling our house and all our possessions to go traveling around the country in a little RV–that says a lot, doesn’t it? We’re having a grand old time, and we’re both looking forward to many more years together, sharing life wherever it takes us!

We’re still loving the wildflowers that continue to bloom in “our yard”

We don’t have anything special planned for today. Andy took the rig into Flagstaff this morning to dump the tanks and refill the fresh water. When he got back we fixed our usual lunch–a huge chopped salad with homemade cashew-herb dressing, a cup of pinto beans, and a graham cracker with marshmallow creme for dessert. This afternoon Andy’s getting a shower while I work on the bookkeeping and the blog. This evening, we’ll have some Thai peanut noodles that I made last night, along with a bottle of wine that we’ve been saving for a special occasion. We thought about going out to dinner, but we don’t like to leave the rig unattended at night when we’re boondocking.

We’re still parked in the Coconino National Forest just northwest of Flagstaff, Arizona, enjoying the beautiful alpine summer weather. It’s pretty quiet most of the time, but with today being a holiday, there are a lot of dirt bikes, ATV’s, bicycles and just regular traffic going by, raising the dust. I even saw a big Class A go by a few minutes ago, the first one of those we’ve seen since we’ve been up here. But Andy said that he saw a lot of empty camping spots further down the hill when he drove into town this morning, so it looks like most of these people are just up here for the day.

Another colorful sunset last night–everything had a pink tint!

We had a good time this past Sunday, attending the second day of the Flagstaff Folk Festival, held on the grounds of the Pioneer Museum. We weren’t really sure what to expect so we didn’t plan to stay more than a couple of hours, but if we’re here next year at this same time, we’ll definitely plan to stay longer. They had five different stages with different acts performing for about 30-45 minutes each. They also had places set aside for workshops and jam sessions, along with food vendors and arts/crafts.

We heard all types of music, mostly with acoustic instruments, played by people of all ages. Some of the venues were outdoors, one was in an old barn, one was in the art gallery. We thoroughly enjoyed (almost) all the music, and we applaud the people of Flagstaff for hosting this enjoyable event!

I recorded a few clips from some of the performers and strung them together into a short video:

Otherwise, things are pretty quiet around here. I took a longer-than-usual hike on Monday on a trail I hadn’t been on before, and saw several groups of deer along the way. I had planned to go 45 minutes out and then turn around, but at the end of 45 minutes, I could hear traffic sounds, so I kept going to see where I came out, and it was on Highway 180 north of where we’re camped. It ended up being a two-hour hike and I was pretty tired by the time I got back to the rig, but thoroughly enjoyed the scenery.

Beautiful greenery along the hiking trail

Yesterday we treated ourselves to the lunch special at Fratelli Pizza (our current addiction) and then did our grocery shopping for the next five or six days. Real exciting stuff!

Speaking of excitement, we had a little jolt this morning. We had just sat down at the table to have our cinnamon rolls and coffee (a little anniversary treat), and when I opened the blinds over the dinette, we saw about five or six Forestry Service trucks parked across the road from us. One truck was marked as a fire-fighting truck.

We were immediately concerned because this is the season for wildfires here in the Southwest, but we didn’t see or smell any smoke. We didn’t want to be nosy so we didn’t walk over to ask them what was going on, and after about twenty minutes they all left. However, later this afternoon we did hear that there is a small (just over 3 acres as of last report) wildfire between here and Flagstaff.

#ChimneySpringsFire 3+acre wildfire; forward progress stopped. Under investigation. 50+ WFF, engines, crews, dozer, water tenders Watch for wildland firefighters on Schultz Pass Rd. @CoconinoSheriff @coconinoem @kaffnews @AZPubRadio @FlagstaffFire @NWSFlagstaff pic.twitter.com/MrYvAMzuTL

— Coconino NF (@CoconinoNF) July 4, 2019

I have subscribed to the Twitter feed for the Coconino National Forest, as well as the wildfire incident reporting authorities, and I get text alerts whenever they post any kind of updates on wildfires in the area, or anywhere in Arizona. If you’ve been reading the blog for awhile, you might remember that we got evacuated from the Hilltop Campground in the Prescott National Forest due to a nearby wildfire back in April. Things are a lot drier now, so we keep a close eye on weather conditions and news reports. And that’s another reason why we don’t leave the rig unattended for more than a few hours at a time–if anything happens, we want to make sure we can respond quickly and take appropriate action to protect the rig, the kitties, and ourselves.

It is illegal to use any kind of fireworks in the National Forests, so we’re really hoping that the people who are playing or camping in the area around us today will do so safely and leave the pyrotechnics out of it. I would hate to have my anniversary ruined by some idiot with a bottle rocket!!

Thanks for taking time to read our blog! Feel free to share it with family and friends who might be interested in full-time RV living. If you want to keep up with our adventures, please subscribe. And you can also find us on Instagram at Instagram.com/JustCallUsNomads if you want to keep up with us between blog posts.

Safe travels!

Springtime Catches Up to Us, Arizona Snowbowl, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

It’s another beautiful morning here in the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona. Our current location is just over 8100′ in elevation, so the weather is pretty near perfect. The highs have been in the 70’s and the nighttime lows in the high 30’s and low 40’s, with very low humidity and just an occasional shower to add some interest.

It has been really interesting watching the vegetation change in the time that we’ve been here (almost three weeks). When we first arrived, the aspens were still almost bare, with just a few leaf buds on them. Now they are fully leafed out, providing summer shade. The small yellow flowers that blanketed the ground when we got here have died out now, and have been replaced by wild irises, bluebonnets, and other species of flowers.

The bluebonnets have started blooming in the forest this week

Since we chase 70°, we move with the weather, so we have been treated to an extra long springtime. In fact, we were camped on Bloody Basin Road just north of Phoenix in early April when the bluebonnets started blooming there. Now, two months later, we’re being treated to the same springtime bloom, but at a much higher elevation. It’s one of the things that I have come to really appreciate about this lifestyle.

When we first arrived here, there was still a good snowcap on the top of the San Francisco Peaks, visible from our camp, thanks in part to a freaky late winter cold front that moved through the area just before we arrived. As the weather has warmed up, the snow has begun to melt and now it is almost gone from the western slopes that face us (although as we found out yesterday, there’s still quite a bit left on the cooler eastern side). Last week we decided to visit the Arizona Snowbowl and ride the chairlift to the top of the mountain.

Boondocking on Forest Road 151 in a designated dispersed campsite

The Arizona Snowbowl is a ski resort just north of Flagstaff and just a few miles from where we’re camped. After ski season ends, they remain open for summer activities including chairlift rides, disc golf, and lots of kid-friendly activities, and they also have a restaurant and bar at the base of the lift.

We had decided to purchase our lift tickets online on their website to save a few bucks, but when I went to order them the morning of our visit, I found out that you couldn’t order online on the same day you were going there. So it looked like we would have to pay full price, which would be $24 for me and $19 for Andy (senior rate). But when we got to the parking lot and were walking up to the lodge, we struck up a conversation with a couple who were returning to their car.

I asked them if they had been to the top of the lift already, because I wanted to find out if it was cold enough up there that we would need to carry our jackets. They replied that they had decided not to take the ride because they were afraid that the high altitude (it’s about 11,500′ at the top) would cause them to get dizzy or sick. We found out that they were from Ohio, and since Andy lived there for a short time, they compared notes about various locations. Finally as we were getting ready to part ways, the lady asked me if we had already bought our lift tickets, and I told her we had not. She then handed me a folded sheet of paper, and said “Here, you can have this, we won’t be able to use it.” I took a quick glance at it, and thought at first it was a coupon that would save us a few dollars, and I thanked her for her generosity.

But when I looked at it more closely, it was a Groupon, good for two tickets on the chairlift, plus two free premium drinks at the lodge bar! They had paid $39 for the Groupon, and they gave it to us freely–such generous people!

The Groupon that was gifted to us by a wonderful couple from Ohio

We used the Groupon to get our tickets and then we enjoyed a beautiful ride to the top of the ski lift. The ride takes about 30 minutes each way. On the way up we were treated to views of the mountainside that still had a good bit of snow remaining on it, especially in the areas under the pine trees. The sun was pretty warm and the the wind was at our backs, so the jackets that we wore actually became a little too warm.

Riding the chairlift at Arizona Snowbowl to the top of the mountain

We reached the top and took some time to admire the view. From the area at the top of the lift, you can primarily look toward the north and the west. We could see all the way to the Grand Canyon and beyond, and we could also see several plumes of smoke where the Forest Service is conducting some controlled burns to maintain the health of the forest. Fortunately for us, the smoke was traveling away from our location so we had a clear view.

Enjoying the views from the top of the chairlift at Arizona Snowbowl

When it was time to make the return trip on the chairlift, we were extremely happy that we had brought our jackets. This time, we were facing into the cool breeze that was blowing over the snow, and it was a pretty chilly trip to the bottom of the lift, even with our jackets. But we were also facing the expansive view of northern and western Arizona that very few people get to see outside of an airplane window.

Our view on our way down on the Arizona Snowbowl chairlift

Once we reached the bottom of the lift, we stopped by the lodge to redeem our drink tickets, and then we sat on the patio, soaking up the sunshine while enjoying our Bloody Mary’s. It was a perfect way to spend a day!

Here’s a short little video of our ride on the chairlift. If you’re ever in the Flagstaff area in the summertime, we highly recommend that you visit the Snowbowl and take the chairlift ride!

Yesterday it looked like it was going to be another sunny and cool day, so we decided to visit the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. I knew very little about it and didn’t do any real research–we just decided to drive over and check it out since it was only about 45 minutes away.

It turned out to be an amazing experience, and we learned a lot at the same time. Sunset Crater Volcano is relatively young, as it last erupted sometime between 1040 and 1100 A.D. We found out that there are actually about 600 old volcanoes in the area, including what are now the San Francisco Peaks. The unique thing about Sunset Crater is that, because of how recently it erupted, there were people living in the area whose lives were disrupted, and who left behind artifacts of their daily lives as well as oral stories and traditions of the eruption event. The Hopi, Zuni and Navajo tribes all have these stories as part of their connection to the land where they lived and worked.

Another unique thing about Sunset Crater is that the landscape around it still bears the scars from the eruption, even though natural erosion from wind and water continuously and gradually erase signs of the damage. We walked down two different trails through the lava flows, which looked like something from another planet. The ground was covered in rough, black rock that was both porous and hard at the same time. Huge boulders were stacked on top of each other, and there were places where the hot magma had squeezed to the surface almost like toothpaste from a tube, and had cooled so quickly that it was frozen in place.

Hiking through one of the lava flows at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

One really cool thing was getting to see how the plant life has taken hold in the lava fields after 1000 years. The cinders and lava actually made the area better for growing things because they allow moisture to penetrate, but then prevent it from evaporating. I always thought that volcanic soil was good for growing things because of nutrients or minerals in the soil, but it’s actually this ability to hold moisture that makes the difference here in the high desert.

Hiking the Lava Flow Trail gives a good view of the landscape around the crater

The landscape around the crater is actually very fragile. Back in 1928, filmmakers wanted to create a landslide at the crater for their movie. Local activists were afraid that the volcano would be irreparably damaged, so they petitioned the government for protection. In 1930, President Hoover established the area as a National Monument, part of the National Park Service. The volcano itself has since been closed for hiking, after years of foot and vehicle traffic left their marks. Hiking is now only allowed on the official trails that are maintained by the park. NOTE: Other volcanoes and cinder fields in the area are open to hiking and even off-road vehicle use, and the difference in the landscape is readily apparent. I’m thankful for the oversight of the National Park Service in preserving areas like this for future generations to enjoy.

One unexpected benefit of our little daytrip to Sunset Crater was that we got a different view of the San Francisco Peaks. We were able to see the eastern slopes and were happy to find that there was still a good bit of snow still on them, even in mid-June.

View of San Francisco Peaks from Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

Other than our daytrips to the Snowbowl and Sunset Crater, life has been pretty peaceful and quiet here in our camp. We’ve done the usual grocery shopping, some hiking in the forest, cooking and cleaning. We’ve also found a local pizza place that we are totally hooked on now–Fratelli’s Pizza. We go there for their lunch special which is two slices of pizza and a fountain drink for $10. Their pizza is to die for, and they have super-fast wi-fi as well! They have been voted best pizza in Flagstaff every year since 2002 and we can see why!

One slice of pesto and one slice of cheese pizza–delicious!

So, what are our plans? Right now, we are perfectly happy where we are, as long as the weather holds. If it starts getting too warm (or if they run us out of here for staying too long), we’ll probably head to New Mexico State Parks (we still have our yearly pass) or maybe up to higher elevations in Colorado. But right now, we have no specific move date in mind.

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been on the road for almost ten months now. Time is really flying by! Don’t want to jinx anything, but right now all the systems in the rig are performing well, the truck is still in good shape, we’re all healthy (including the cats), finances are fine, and we’re extremely satisfied with our lifestyle. I know it’s not for everyone, and a lot of people probably think we’re strange for choosing to live this way, but just the thought of having to move back into a sticks-and-bricks house in a permanent location gives me anxiety. I know that someday that will likely happen, but right now we’re doing life our way, as nomads, chasing 70°, and it’s what makes us happy!!

Thanks for taking time to read our blog! Feel free to share it with family and friends who might be interested in full-time RV living. If you want to keep up with our adventures, please subscribe. And you can also find us on Instagram at Instagram.com/JustCallUsNomads if you want to keep up with us between blog posts.

Safe travels!

Weekend Sunshine, Old Lady Climbs Red Butte, More Snow (Really??)

We’re still camped on Forest Road 320 about 20 miles south of the entrance to the South Rim of Grand Canyon. After all the rainy and snowy weather we had last week, we finally caught a break. This past Saturday and Sunday were absolutely beautiful! The skies were clear and blue, and while it was a little cool and windy, it was still so nice to be able to spend some time outdoors for a change.

Finally able to catch a glimpse of the snow-cap on Humprey’s Peak

We were finally able to get a clear view of the San Francisco Peaks without them having a blanket of clouds over the top. We could clearly see the additional snowfall that the peaks received over the past week–the view was really stunning! We hope to get an even closer view of the peaks next week when we move closer to Flagstaff (spoiler alert!).

I was able to talk Andy into taking a walk with me along the Forest Road to see the retention pond that I had found earlier. It was an enjoyable walk in the sunshine to where the pond rests at the base of Red Butte. I was hoping for a good photograph of the reflection of the butte in the water, but the surface of the pond was so choppy due to the wind that the photo idea didn’t pan out. It was still a lovely scene!

Andy checks out the retention pond at the base of Red Butte

That evening the winds died down so we were able to once again have a campfire after dinner. There is an abundance of dry, dead wood lying around to use as fuel. It burns quickly, and it’s mostly cedar so it has a wonderful smell as it burns. We had the marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate bars for s’mores, but we got lazy and just toasted the marshmallows instead. That’s the best part anyway! 🙂

Andy gets the fire going for some toasted marshmallows

On Sunday morning I woke up feeling especially energetic for some reason, even though I had not slept well the night before. I decided it was time to tackle the Red Butte Trail.

Trailhead for Red Butte Trail

The trail is an out-and-back climb up the west slope of Red Butte, a distance of about 2.4 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 890 feet. The average time to complete the hike is 1.5-2 hours, and it’s rated as “Moderate” with steep switchbacks during the last 0.5 miles.

The prize for the climb, other than the amazing views, is reaching the Forest Service fire lookout station at the top of the butte. If you remember from one of my previous posts, I met Bruce, the lookout ranger, when he had hiked down from the station to deliver his pet goats to a lady from Williams who was adopting them. I was hoping to see Bruce at the top of the butte so I could find out more about how he handles life as a hermit in a station with no access other than by foot or helicopter.

I started the hike about 9:00 AM, climbing steadily along a well-marked path that was mostly open but which also passed plenty of trees that offered occasional shade. By about 30 minutes into the hike, I was really starting to feel the burn in my quads, but surprisingly I wasn’t as short of breath as I thought I might be. Fortunately we’ve been camping in this higher altitude long enough that I’ve become acclimated to the thinner air, so I wasn’t too bothered by oxygen deficiency. But I definitely felt challenged as I climbed higher and higher, and began to stop more often to enjoy the views, take a few photos and rest for a moment.

About halfway up, gorgeous view of the San Francisco Peaks from Red Butte

Just before 10:00 AM, I finished the last switchback and emerged at the very top of Red Butte–SUCCESS!! The trail continued across the level ground past some trees to the fire lookout station and the associated structures. As I approached the station, I shouted “Hello” several times to announce my presence, but it soon became apparent that no one was home.

Red Butte fire lookout station

Fortunately, the metal deck on the second floor of the station was unlocked, so I was able to climb the stairs and get a look at the view that Bruce gets when he’s on duty. The station is on the north side of the butte, so he has a direct view of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. From the southeast corner, he can also see those beautiful San Francisco Peaks. And he can see for miles and miles in every direction, especially on a clear day such as it was on that day.

View of the top of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon from the lookout station

The second floor of the station has big glass windows facing in every direction, and although I didn’t get to talk to the ranger, I was able to snap a photo of the inside of the station:

Inside the fire lookout station (photo taken through the window)

I spent almost a half hour at the top of the butte, just enjoying the scenery while re-energizing myself with a Clif Bar and some water. I also took a little time to look for a geocache that is supposedly hidden in the area, but according to the navigation on my app, it was located on a rocky ledge, and I just wasn’t comfortable getting that close to the edge when I was up there by myself. Oh, well, you win some, you lose some.

View of the San Francisco Peaks from the lookout station deck

It took me about 35 minutes to make the descent from the top of the butte to the trailhead. Going down was definitely easier on my lungs, but it took a toll on my left knee and my right foot, which have always bothered me on tougher hikes. Regardless of the discomfort, I had an immense sense of accomplishment and satisfaction after completing this hike–it’s the toughest one I’ve attempted in some time, and at the age of 60, it’s good to know that I can still complete challenges like this to see sights that most people will never experience. Besides, that’s what ibuprofen is for, right??

So that was Sunday. A beautiful, clear day in the outdoors.

Monday morning — different story.

As usual, I woke up early in the morning while Andy slept late. It was partly cloudy as the sun rose, but in the west I could see some dark clouds building. I knew the forecast called for some off-and-on light rain for the day, so I wasn’t surprised.

I fed the cats, and settled in at the dinette to enjoy my coffee and my breakfast while Andy snored away. The only sound was the occasional hum of the furnace fan as the heater kicked on.

All of a sudden, it sounded like a dump truck was depositing a load of gravel on our roof. Andy shot straight up in bed, the cats scattered, and I nearly spit out my coffee. A sudden hailstorm had started without warning, and when you live in an RV with plastic vent covers on your roof, it can scare the bejesus out of you. Fortunately the hailstones weren’t too large, but there were a lot of them, and we held our breath that they wouldn’t get any larger before the hail turned to rain.

That was Round 1.

Round 2 of the weird weather started about 30 minutes later after Andy had gone back to sleep. I started hearing little tapping noises on the roof again, and noticed that the rain was now mixed with sleet. What the heck?? It wasn’t supposed to be that cold! But sure enough, I could see it starting to accumulate under the trees and bushes.

“Well, that’s interesting!”, I thought.

Another half hour or so went by, and by then Andy had gotten up and was in the bathroom when I noticed another change.

Round 3 – Snow! Big, fluffy, wet flakes of snow were falling, and it was getting heavier by the minute. With the winds blowing about 25 MPH, it was quite impressive. And even though the temperatures were slightly above freezing, the snow had no problem sticking to all the vegetation and anything elevated off the ground. Before long we had another Winter Wonderland, the second one in a week.

The second snowfall in a week–this one totally unexpected

And just in case you’re reading this at some time in the future, please note the date that this happened: May 27, 2019, on Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer. That’s just wrong!

Anyway, just like the previous snowfall, this one didn’t last long. It was completely melted away an hour after it had appeared, and all that was left was mud. By the middle of the afternoon, the clouds broke up enough to let the sun shine through a little bit to start drying things up. Today (Tuesday) it’s going to be cloudy for most of the day, though, so we still have a little drying to do.

So right now, we’re sitting in Starbucks in Tusayan, enjoying some free wi-fi with our coffee (the cellular service at our campsite is poor, so I come here to take care of our online life, doing the bookkeeping, and downloading books to our Kindles). Earlier we drove into the National Park to refill our drinking water jugs. We get free entrance to the Park with Andy’s senior pass, and once inside, the drinking water is free. We enjoyed lunch in Tusayan at a local pizza place we’ve visited before. In fact, they gave us the “local’s discount” of 20% since we were return customers–score!!

Pizza and Peroni in Tusayan – nice break from cabin fever

We’re winding down our stay in this area now. At this point we’re just waiting for a day with great weather so we can do a full day inside the Grand Canyon National Park, and after that we’ll be moving on, most likely to the Flagstaff area. The weather forecast is calling for temperatures to start moving into the more normal, warmer range over the next week, so we’re starting to think a little further into the future when temps start rising into the 80° and 90° range in this area. Our two most likely options are:

• Go to New Mexico for awhile, using our annual pass to stay in state parks where we can get electrical hookups and run our air conditioner, or
• Head to Colorado to higher elevations where the temperatures are cooler even in the summertime, assuming that we don’t run into problems with altitude sickness

We’ll probably do some combination of those two things, or maybe something totally different, who knows??

Anyway, this has been a lot of fun staying in this area, and we’ll definitely return here at some point. The boondocking options are plentiful, and being close to the National Park offers a lot of things to see and do, even if it means that we have to drive further to shop for groceries or do laundry (which is really starting to pile up now!!). 🙂

Red Butte. Yeah. I climbed to the top of that!!

Thanks for taking time to read our blog! Feel free to share it with family and friends who might be interested in full-time RV living. If you want to keep up with our adventures, please subscribe. And you can also find us on Instagram at Instagram.com/JustCallUsNomads if you want to keep up with us between blog posts.

Safe travels!

Getting Itchy Feet

It’s another beautiful morning here at the Pilot Knob BLM LTVA in southern California, just west of Yuma, Arizona. We’ve been here for almost 10 weeks now, and while we’re still enjoying it, our time here is winding to a close.

Sunset at the homestead

This past week the afternoon temperatures hit 80° a couple of times, and it’s supposed to be even warmer today and tomorrow. However, it looks like things are going to cool off again for the remainder of the week, so we we still have some time before the heat chases us away from here.

Another reason we haven’t left already is that we’ve both had appointments for dental and medical checkups. We both got our teeth cleaned, and I got one of my fillings replaced at Gila Ridge Dental in Yuma. Andy has an appointment tomorrow with a doctor in Yuma so he can get one of his prescriptions renewed.

We were also waiting around to receive some packages that we had ordered from Amazon. The nearby Chevron station where we dump the tanks and get fresh water also allows campers in the area to have packages shipped to their address for a one-time charge of $3 for the season. People often ask how full-time RVers get their mail and packages on the road–it’s really quite simple, as there are plenty of people who are more than willing to take your money to provide that service.

So, the weather forecast for the next few days looks like this:

Weather forecast for the next week is still darn near perfect

After the heat of today and tomorrow, it’s back to that darn-near perfect weather again. Really, the only reason to leave our spot now is just for a change in scenery, but that’s enough reason for me. I think we’re both getting ready to see something new, and once we have all our business taken care of here in Yuma, we should be ready to roll.

We’re not planning to go far, just far enough to see something new. Our annual pass for the LTVA system is good through April 15, so our next stop will probably be the Imperial Dam LTVA about 50 miles north of us along the Colorado River.

For the past couple of weeks I’d been having a craving for pizza. We couldn’t even remember the last time we had pizza, so on Sunday we decided to splurge a little. We had lunch at Da Boyz Italian restaurant in Yuma, where we split a salad, a veggie pizza, and a slice of tiramisu. It was all delicious, and was so filling that I didn’t bother cooking dinner that evening (BONUS!).

Tiramisu at Da Boyz Italian Restaurant in historic downtown Yuma

So, that’s about all the news from our world right now. Low stress, great weather, good food…just the kind of boring life we were looking for! 🙂

If you enjoy reading this blog, be sure to subscribe to catch all our updates. You can also find us on Instagram at Instagram.com/JustCallUsNomads for updates between our blog posts.

Safe travels!

Gut-Check Tour – Day 16, Back to Sticks and Bricks

This entry is part of a series recounting our experiences on a two-week RV trip we took to southern Mississippi, Alabama and northern Florida. The goal of this trip was to test ourselves, our two cats, and our rig to make sure we all have what it takes to be full-timers. While we posted highlights of our trip on Instagram and Facebook, these entries are some behind-the-scenes notes on our trip and experiences.

Sunday, April 22, 2018 – Tupelo, Mississippi

Well, we’re back at our sticks and bricks home, and already I can feel the stress piling up. The difference is so stark.

We started off the morning at The Woods RV Park and Campground in Montgomery, Alabama after spending our third night there. We had our usual Sunday morning RV breakfast of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls and coffee, and then got busy preparing to hit the road.

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If it’s Sunday morning in the RV, you know it’s Cinnamon Roll Day! It’s also Moving Day, Vacation Over Day, Back To The Real World Day—so I need some sweetness in my morning. 😭😢😫

A post shared by Suzanne Hight (@suzanne.hight) on Apr 22, 2018 at 5:37am PDT

As usual, I handled the inside of the RV, including putting fresh linens on the bed so it will be ready for our next trip. I really hate changing the sheets on that bed–it’s hard to do when you can’t walk around the sides of the mattress, and you’re trying to smooth out the sheets while you’re kneeling on top of them. Andy took care of things on the outside–dumping the tanks, unhooking the utilities, etc.

We pulled out of the campground just shortly after 10AM, and headed north toward Birmingham. The forecast had called for rain, but fortunately it was just overcast when we were preparing to break camp. The drive up I-65 was fine, and we only stopped once so I could put gas in the truck.

We drove straight through Birmingham and hit I-22 West toward Tupelo, and only then did it start raining. There is almost nowhere to stop and park on the side of the road on I-22, so we wound up pulling into a Love’s Truck Stop near Jasper for lunch. We parked in the back lot, in the middle of the big rigs, and had our chopped salad, chips and salsa, and other odds and ends that we wanted to nibble on. We used the restrooms in Love’s and I got a cup of coffee, and then we were on the road again.

It rained pretty heavily on us all the way in to Tupelo, and when we pulled up to the house it was still pouring down. We crated the kitties so make sure we got them in the house safely (didn’t want them to squirm away from us in the rain), and then we only unloaded things that we might need tonight or tomorrow morning. It was just raining too hard to totally unload Lizzy.

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We’re home, safe and sound! #rvlife #lifeisgood

A post shared by Suzanne Hight (@suzanne.hight) on Apr 22, 2018 at 1:35pm PDT

We took Lizzy back to the storage lot and plugged her in so the food in the fridge will be fine. Andy will drive her back to the house tomorrow since the rain should be ended by then, and  he’ll finish the unloading and do the final cleanup then.

The dreary, cold rain was a perfect metaphor for how I felt now that our trip was over.

I logged in to my work email and took a good look at my schedule for the next few days. I’m going to be driving all over North Mississippi from one small town to another, so I had to take care of getting a rental car reservation and getting my schedule organized. No such thing as easing back into work on this job. I can feel the stress in my neck and shoulders just thinking about it.

Since we didn’t have groceries in the house and it was so cold and rainy outside, we decided to just order a pizza for delivery. I ordered from Papa John’s using the iPhone app, and was told that it would take 29-39 minutes to arrive. An hour later it wasn’t here, and I had not received the usual email receipt from Papa John’s, although their app showed the order had been placed, and I had received an email from my credit card provider showing the charge. I called Papa Johns, and they said that it was on the way and should be here any minute. Fifteen minutes later, still no pizza, so I called again. This time, they asked if I wanted to speak to the GM, and I said “Sure”, and then they hung up on me. I called right back, and as I was speaking to the person who answered the phone, the pizza delivery gal showed up in the driveway.

I still had the GM on the phone when I answered the door, and I’m sure they could hear my conversation with the delivery gal. I asked her how long the pizza had been out of the oven and she said she didn’t know. I asked her if it was still hot, and she said yes, but said we could check it. Andy checked it and said it was only slightly warm. She offered to void the charge, and I said that was fine. Anyway, we warmed up the pizza in the microwave.

As depressing as this afternoon and evening have been, I have to say that this was the best two weeks of vacation that I’ve ever had.  And yes, I’m totally ready to move forward toward full-time RVing as quickly as possible. Andy agrees, so it’s a green light.

After a couple of days of getting back in our normal groove, we’ll sit down and map out the next steps. We have a few maintenance items to take care on Lizzy–replace the bent stabilizers, fix/replace the non-working taillight, fix the pantry drawer correctly, track down the source of the drip in the vent hood. Then there are really major things like selling the house and the car. But now that we’ve had a taste of the lifestyle that lies ahead of us, we can’t wait to get started!