Author Archives: Traci

Redwoods and Rain! 9/20/13 – 9/24/13

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Redwood National Park

Redwood National Park

We arrived in Crescent City, just over the OR/CA border to rain!  I didn’t think it rained in California!  Checked into the Shoreline RV Park with a spot right on the bulkhead facing the Pacific Ocean.  Quite a view, but we didn’t see much of it due to heavy fog and rain.   Wild to know there is ocean right in front of you but you can’t see it.   We knew it was there though due to the lighthouse foghorn going off every 8 seconds and the sea lions that barked 24/7.  We drove into town to the visitor center to get the scoop on Redwood State/National Park.  This is the first time at any park headquarters that we have had someone who was rude and not helpful.  We grabbed the maps and info and got out of there.  We kenneled in for the night as it was an absolute downpour!

Great view, but a bit of rain!

Great view, but a bit of rain (my mat is submerged!)

The next day, we did a few scenic drives into the Redwoods (the State and National parks here act as one and it isn’t always clear which part you are actually in).  We did a short hike and saw some humungous trees.  Theses giants are over 300 feet tall and 1,500 years old.  Wowza!  Came back to the MoHo and actually had a break in the weather so did a nice walk out on the beach.   Another mellow night at home, cooking and catching up on some TV.

These are some big trees!

These are some big trees!

More big trees!

More big trees!

Saturday morning we were up and out on our way south. This caused a dilemma for Mike as he wasn’t able to watch the Husky game.  He downloaded some app, so he could listen on the drive.  Not much of a game – they beat Idaho State 56-0 (The Cougs also won their game to Idaho 42-0). We drove through Klamath (home to the huge Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statues – I think I saw this when I was a child, but can’t remember) and Eureka where we fueled up.  Lots of interesting folks in this town, “coasties” as they have been referenced by others to us.  Our destination was Benbow RV and Golf Resort in Garberville, CA.  A great spot to stop, but unfortunately the rain continued.  When we checked in they offered a free coupon at the neighboring Benbow Inn, a national historic site, for complimentary tea and scones.  We took full advantage then decided to BBQ and stay put for the night.  I did much needed laundry at the clubhouse and we started the Bourne series.

Klamath, CA

Klamath, CA

We had a lazy Sunday morning and did something we haven’t done this entire trip.  We hunkered down for the day and watched football and worked on upcoming itinerary planning since we had good wi-fi.  It felt a little odd not leaving “the house” but this is something we would have totally done at home on a given Sunday especially since the weather wasn’t great.  I did go for a walk, but other than that, we were pretty lazy and it felt great!   The next day, we went out to explore more of the Redwoods on the “Avenue of the Giants” drive.   Some of the largest redwoods in the region including “Giant Tree” at 363 feet tall and 53 feet wide and estimated at 1,600 years old.  We stopped at the local grocery on the way back to the MoHo to get fixins for BBQ burgers and our newest favorite, grilled peppers (red, orange, yellow with a bit of olive oil seared on the Q for a few minutes)!

Giant Tree!

Giant Tree!

Tuesday morning it was off to the coast and the much anticipated Highway 1 (aka, the one).  As we approached the turnoff from Highway 101, we noticed a sign that said ‘RV’s over 40 feet prohibited.’  Our MoHo is 40 feet, but with the toad, we are 65 feet.  Good Lord, how did we not know this?  We pulled over and got on the horn to CHP (non-emergency).  After getting passed to many different people, we finally talked to someone in the know and he advised we were legal, but it would be very windy and hilly and it wasn’t a good idea if we weren’t comfortable.  Well, what do you think we did?  Of course Mike is comfortable, so off we went.  It took us 3 hours to drive 60 miles and it was the most stressed I have been on the road so far. You better bet Sofia Coppola made an appearance.  Mike did great, but I know it took a lot of concentration.  The worst part is that we get a stack of other cars behind us and there aren’t many pullouts to let them pass.  Although extremely stressful, it was a gorgeous drive especially once we got out along the ocean with the steep, rugged cliffs and crashing waves of the Pacific below.  Our home for the next 3 nights is in Albion just south of Mendocino.   We are at the Albion River RV Park (we are 1 of 2 RV’s here in a park that holds 120 – I guess we are in off-season) and looking forward to some wine tasting and kayaking on the Albion River!

On the Road Again

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We had a great two weeks at home in Seattle and Bellevue. The days were jam-packed! Spent time with friends and family, took care of a bunch of business and appointments, switched out the washer/dryer for a wine fridge, reorganized the MoHo and took care of the much needed hydraulic jacks issue we have been having (well kind of…the saga actually continues, but don’t get me started). We also purchased kayaks, which we have been dreaming about for the last 3 months – woo hoo!

 

Our new purchase! Heading out of town.

Our new purchase! Heading out of town.

We pulled out on Wed. the 11th and what a weird feeling that we won’t be back for at least a year (longer, if you ask Mike). So, we are actually doing this! It felt great to get back out on the road and back into our routine and new normal. Our first destination was the Oregon Coast where we are now (Astoria, Seaside, Cannon Beach, Lincoln City & Newport). We will post a more detailed entry when we get on the road again to California. Just wanted to let you all know that we will miss you, but looking forward to seeing some of you along the way and keeping in touch. We are so excited for the rest of this great adventure and feel so fortunate we are able to do this. Thank you everyone for your support!

Back in the USA – 8/15/13 to 8/22/13

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Harrison Sunset

Harrison Sunset

We left Canada and made the trip south. The crossing back into the US wasn’t as smooth as the trip coming into Canada. The ‘all-business’ border agent asked us a slew of questions. I don’t know why, but we both seem to get nervous even though we have nothing to hide. He asked us if we had any citrus fruits and I said a lime. It was all over from there. We had to pull over and the agent came onboard. He confiscated two limes and one tomato. Mike had to open up all of the underside compartments and after a few more questions, he finally let us get on our way. He didn’t seem to care about the wine we were bringing back in; didn’t even make us pay a duty.

We stopped in Sandpoint, ID; just a place to sleep and do some much needed laundry. The next day we headed to Coeur d’Alene to surprise the Cameron’s and Pflugrath’s who were there golfing. Turns out they weren’t all that surprised and figured we would probably show. We stayed at a great RV park right on the river, Blackwell Island, and all went out for a tasty dinner that night.

The boys enjoying Lake Coeur d'Alene

The boys enjoying Lake Coeur d’Alene

The next day it was off to Harrison, ID. I actually rode with Shelly and let Marc ride in the MoHo with Mike. It was a nice break for me – no anxiety along those windy roads! We were there for a celebration for Shelly’s dad, Ron, who lived in Harrison. He passed away this spring and his wife Barb wanted to have a big party in his honor – “Ron Elliott Day in the Park.” They are both well-known in this small town, so the event was very well attended. Harrison is one of those little gems of a town that many people haven’t heard of. Our RV spot was right on the lake and just couldn’t be beat. We ended up extending our stay until Thursday morning even though most everyone else left on Monday. We enjoyed the nightly sunsets and laid back atmosphere. And, what a great party that Barb had in honor of Ron!

Tubin! It took us more time to get on the tube than we actually spent tubing! A-G-E

Tubin! It took us more time to get on the tube than we actually spent tubing! A-G-E

We ran into Alan from the Hangover : )

We ran into Alan from the Hangover : )

Our Campsite on the lake

Our Campsite on the lake with the Pflu’s and Cameron’s

Not a bad place to spend a week!

Not a bad place to spend a week!

Our plan for the next few weeks includes a weekend at Camp Cameron in Yakima for a golf tourney and relaxation with friends. Then it is back to Seattle/Bellevue to regroup a bit after being out on the road for 3 ½ months. MoHo and car maintenance, restocking supplies, dentist appt’s, hair appt, time with friends and family and Mike’s much anticipated Husky Stadium home opener against Boise State (Go Cougs vs. Auburn!). We’ll be tailgating on the 31st and anyone interested is welcome to join us. We probably won’t blog until we are back out on the road Sept 9th.

The much anticipated Canadian Rockies!!! 8/7/13 to 8/15/13

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Moraine Lake

Moraine Lake

Warning – this is a long one!
I have been waiting for this part of the trip!  Working at Holland America and Princess, I have always known about the Canadian Rockies and have had it on my bucket list for a long time.  I have seen many a photo and written/edited many itineraries, but now I actually have a personal experience to attach to these places I have always seen in a brochure.  Mike has been through this area, but back in the 90’s and it was a quick trip, so he was also looking forward to exploring the region in depth.

First stop, Jasper
We arrived to Jasper National Park in a pouring rainstorm.  There are no commercial RV Parks in the national parks, only campgrounds, so we checked in at Whistlers Campground.   We were excited that we weren’t as packed in as some of the RV parks and it had a more ‘wildernessy’ feel.  But, what comes with that is no power, no water, no sewer and no wi-fi.  We were boondocking!  It was a nice change for us to really be disconnected (except for the occasional wi-fi connection at restaurants in town).  We played a lot of Backgammon in the evenings!

The next day, we were ready to explore!  Headed into town and the Jasper Visitor Center to get our maps, literature, etc.  Made a quick stop at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge to check out the property and see what golf would cost.  Too expensive, but what a great, serene setting for this hotel.  Decided on a hike up to Maligne Canyon which is a steep, narrow canyon, with a flowing river rushing through.  We ended up on a side trail and my imagination was running wild.  Everywhere, there were warnings about bears and I was convinced we were going to run into Smokey.   We had our Bear Spray at the ready, but nothing to worry about.   We left and decided to explore a bit by car.  The scenery was just amazing.  Craggy mountains capped with glaciers, rushing rivers and crystal clear blue lakes around every corner.  We stopped at Pyramid Lake for a short walk and just enjoyed the killer views.  Headed back into Jasper and the Jasper Brewery for dinner and a couple of ice cold beers (and free wi-fi).  A great day!

View from Jasper Park Lodge

View from Jasper Park Lodge

Maligne Canyon Hike

Maligne Canyon

The next morning we decided to drive toward Banff along the Icefields Parkway.  We would be heading this way the next day, but we are not able to stop at many of the sights when we are in the MoHo and towing the car.  So, we would be backtracking a bit, but we are much more flexible when we have the Acura only  while the MoHo is back at the campground.  We stopped at Athabasca Falls, which was pretty impressive.  I would not want to be caught on the topside of the river with that thing in front of me.  POWERFUL!  We continued down the Parkway to Athabasca Glacier and the Columbia Icefields. This is one of those sites I have read about so many times, but until you see it, it just doesn’t even compute.  It is the world’s most accessible glacier.   This is where you can pay to ride on those Ice-Coaches with the huge wheels that drive right onto the glacier.  We decided against that and instead hiked the trail and like everyone else, walked under the rope and onto the front of the glacier.  Me being the worry-wart didn’t want to do it, but Mike really did, so off we went.  He said, “What happened to the girl that jumped out of an airplane years ago?”  I am more cautious in my older age, but that comment got my attention!  They say the ice is thicker than the Eiffel Tower is tall, so I decided we were probably safe.  Once we were on the glacier it was amazing how cold it got.  The glacier itself was HUGE.  There were signs showing how much it has receded every 10 years.  Mike was here back in the 90’s, so we took a picture at the 1992 sign and it must have been at least 100 yards from where the glacier is now.  This was a very cool stop.

Athabasca Falls

Athabasca Falls

Columbia Glacier - this is where it was in 1992

Athabasca Glacier/Columbia Icefields – this is where the glacier came to in 1992

Standing on Athabasca Glacier

Standing on Athabasca Glacier

We headed back toward Jasper and decided on one last stop.  There was a mountain that I had been intrigued by from the moment we arrived – Mount Edith Cavell.  It appears to have horizontal stripes across it from the snow/glacier.  So, we decided to go get a closer look.  We took a 12km, very windy, steep drive up to the trailhead.  We then walked the trail up to a viewpoint, which showcased the mountain, angel glacier and an amazing glacier-fed lake surrounded by thick glacier walls.  So worth the trip – a hidden gem! Apparently last year a large portion of the glacier broke off into the lake and caused an immediate flash flood due to the lake overflowing into the valley to another lake below and caused it to raise 6 feet.  Fortunately it happened at night and no one was there as it washed out most of the parking lot and much of the trail system.  The power of nature!  We retired to the MoHo exhausted from our full day.

Mt. Edith Cavell - glacier fed lake

Mt. Edith Cavell – glacier fed lake

Travel Day – Icefields Parkway
Not much to do this morning to get ready to leave, since we were boondocking.  Not the usual chores that we are used to. We did stop at the “sani-dump” in the park to take care of our tanks and fill up with water for the days to come.  Nice that they offer this service.   This drive was one of the prettiest I have ever been on.  It connects Jasper to Lake Louise (Jasper National Park to Banff National Park).  One amazing landscape and view after another!  If it weren’t for this, today could have been classified as the ultimate cluster.  Turns out that we needed to get fuel.  We mistakenly passed the only gas station on the Parkway, so we took the next exit as we thought there would be a pullout or turnaround no problem.  About 15 minutes down the road we realized this was not the case.  We had to pull over and unhook the car since we are not able to maneuver/backup/u-turn with the car in tow.  All of this logistics stuff with the vehicles makes me extremely anxious.  We successfully unhooked, I got in the Acura, Mike in the MoHo and we turned around and made it back to the gas station where we proceeded to pay $6.50/gallon for diesel.  Needless to say we only put in the bare minimum.  Have we said how expensive Canada is?!  Found a place to hook back up and we were on the road again.  Along the way we decided to stop at Peyto Lake.  This is another place I had read about and wanted to visit.  Most of these larger sites have had ample parking for large rigs, so we thought no problem.  We drove up to where buses park as we thought that would be best, but instead got stuck again.  Had to ask a large bus to move for us so we could get through.  Again, this all makes me extremely anxious.   The guy did it reluctantly and we hightailed it out of there without being able to stop and sightsee.  At this point. I think both of us were ready to get to Banff.

The last ‘incident’ was both good and bad.  We approached what seemed like a traffic jam on the Parkway.  This can mean only two things – construction or wildlife.  A black bear was near the roadside munching on some foliage.  People lose all sensibility (we also saw this over and over in Yellowstone).  Cars parked in the middle of the road and people standing less than 10 yards from this animal taking photos.  I thought Mike was going to come undone.  He honked our big MoHo bullhorn hoping these idiots would move their cars to the shoulder, but no one seemed to care.  We were stuck and could not get by and traffic stacked up behind us.  This actually worked out ok as we were able to get some good pics and being up so high, we had a great view.   Finally we moved on, but at this point, we were ready to get the rig parked and be done with the drive.  We pulled into Tunnel Mountain Campground in Banff (we had power here, but no water or sewer) to a killer thunder/lightning show and headed into town for dinner.  Granted it was a Saturday night, but town was a complete circus.  So crowded, but really fun.  This place is the ultimate little tourist town with a fun ave (Banff Avenue) with tons of shops and restaurants.  We continued with our Brewery theme and settled into the Banff Brewery for a bite.  The Sounders were playing Toronto on the big screen so it was a treat since we had been without TV for awhile.

Black Bear

Black Bear

Banff and Lake Louise
We had a much needed leisurely morning and decided today would be a good day for golf.  Something completely relaxing in a beautiful setting.   Golf at the Banff Springs resort was way too expensive so we drove west toward Calgary and the town of Canmore.  We golfed at Stewart Creek and got paired up with a single, Shawn, a local kid.  This always makes me nervous to play with someone I don’t know, but he was so easygoing and it really made for a great round.  This area, which is very close to Calgary, was really hit hard by the big flood in June.  Much of the golf course was washed out, but all but one hole was completely repaired.  We had heard about this flood, but seeing the devastation first-hand was pretty eye-opening.  We got off the course around 8 and headed back to the MoHo to watch the PGA tourney that we had recorded earlier.  We both fell asleep early.

Woke up the next morning and finished watching the golf tourney.  Drove to Lake Louise.   Wow, there were a lot of people there!  We walked down the hill and there it was.  That picture I have had in my head: Chateau Lake Louise, the piercing blue colored lake with the mountain/glacier framed in the background.  It was spectacular.  We did a hike up to the Teahouse, 3.5km straight up, but well worth it.  Once on top, there was a little restaurant serving coffee, tea and snacks.  Very cool.  A huge rainstorm started up, so we thought we better make our way down.  It was a pretty strenuous hike for us.  On our way down, we chatted about how glad we were to be doing this trip now vs. 20 years from now…20 years from now we wouldn’t be able to do this hike.  This is a pretty regular conversation for us and confirmation on why it makes so much sense that we are doing this trip now!  We drove back to Banff and decided to go to the Banff Springs Hotel for dinner/drinks.  This hotel is the one we have all seen photos of – it looks like a castle in the trees.  It was a splurge for us, but the atmosphere and setting just couldn’t be beat.  We sat out on their patio and took it all in!  Today was a banner day!

DSC07427

Lake Louise

The next day, we headed back toward Lake Louise to Moraine Lake.  This is the other recognized lake in all the pictures.  It is a vibrant turquoise blue whereas Lake Louise is more of a milky, ice blue.  Mike thinks Moraine is more impressive than Louise. We got rained on again, but it cleared pretty quickly and we were then treated to blue skies and sunshine.  We were both a bit sore from our hike the day before, so decided to just do the easy trail along the lakeshore, 3 km roundtrip.  There are some other hikes in the area, but due to bear activity, they require hiking in groups of 4 or more.  We could have hooked up with some others, but this seemed like a good excuse for us to pass on these hikes!   We headed back to the Banff area and up to Lake Minnewanka to explore some more, but most of the area and trails were closed due to bear activity.  We decided to go back to the campground and enjoy our site and the sunshine.  Mike made a delicious Caprese Salad and we opened a bottle (or two) of Rose from the Okanagan and sat outside in the sun until the mosquitos drove us inside.  We both took showers in the campground facilities since we need to be mindful of our water usage.  Another great day.

Moraine Lake

Moraine Lake

On our last day, we had a really relaxing one.  Did some MoHo chores in the morning, then into town for lunch, strolling the ave and Starbucks for free wi-fi.  Back to the campsite for a nice long walk, watched the Mariners and a light dinner. We have been in Canada for 2 weeks now.  I absolutely loved this part of trip.  It was the perfect mix of relaxation and seeing all of the sights I have dreamed of seeing.  I also felt like we were pretty active which is always nice – 10,000+ steps every day! I would highly recommend this area for a visit – it really isn’t that far from Seattle and so worth it. The scenery really does rival Alaska.  The only bummer is that we did not see much wildlife – only the one bear.   Looking forward to getting back in the US!  Thanks for reading.

Wildlife Update – We saw a gray wolf and a deer on the way south through Kootenay National Park.  : )

More pics from Jasper/Icefields Parkway, click HERE
More pics from Banff/Lake Louise, click HERE
Remember to let the photos load and if you want to view them as a slideshow, just click on the first pic, then scroll through with your arrow keys.

Blogging Error…

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When I posted earlier today, only the pictures came through, not the actual words of the post. Rather than reading the post in your email browser, you’ll need to actually click through to the blog site to get the full post.  Thx!

Back in Washington! 7/24/13 to 7/31/13

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Pool Party at Camp Cameron!

Pool Party at Camp Cameron!

It felt great driving back into Washington and the Pacific Time Zone!  We stopped in Kennewick for a nice visit with Mike’s dad before our destination in Yakima.  As we pulled up the driveway to Sunny & Mitch’s (aka Camp Cameron), we were greeted with the best ever welcome sign (see pic below).  The annual pool party didn’t officially start until Friday, but they let us roll in a bit early on Wed.   My mom drove over from Bellevue and Sunny’s parents, Jerry & Ann, were there, so we had a great couple of days catching up, BBQing and hanging by the pool before the big group arrived.  What a treat to have my mom come over and spend some time together.  Loved it!

Our welcome at Camp Cameron

Our welcome at Camp Cameron

Our RV Site - pretty sweet!

Our RV Site – pretty sweet! (Lana & Traci)

On Friday, we had a group of 12 golfing at Apple Tree and it was toasty!  The pool was a welcome site that afternoon.  The rest of the group arrived that afternoon/evening and the festivities were on.  Food, drink, music, games, pool, hot tub, sunshine and good friends catching up – it doesn’t get much better than that!  As usual it was a huge success and the Cameron’s were gracious hosts as always!  Most people left on Sunday/Monday, but we stayed one more day until Tuesday.  So far, Camp Cameron has been our favorite RV Park!

Life is good!

Life is good! (Sunny & Traci)

We rolled out of Yak on Tuesday morning enroute to Wenatchee and the Pflugrath’s (aka Casa de Pflu).  Their neighbors allowed us to park the MoHo in their driveway and we slept inside the house, which was actually a treat.  Shelly & Marc are babysitting our bed while we are on the road, so it was nice to sleep in it again!  They wined & dined us and we enjoyed their back patio and amazing view.  The smoke from the fires was starting to settle in; hopefully it doesn’t repeat the horrible smoke they had last year.

On Wednesday morning we had a little excitement.  Mike ran over to the MoHo to get some stuff out and he discovered a rattlesnake resting comfortably under the back tires.  It certainly got his attention for the next 20 minutes until it slithered back into the bushes down the hill.  We called Marc to see what we should do and he told us “stay away from it.”  Thanks Marc, genius.  Shell & I went to get much needed pedi’s, met the boys for lunch then took the boat out on the River.  We were enjoying the calmness of the river and just getting settled near the sandbars, when we noticed that a storm was brewing – wind and rain.  We decided we better head in, but when we tried to start the engine it was DEAD.   Looking around there was no one left on the river due to the bad weather, so Marc had to swim into shore walk down to the closest boat launch to get someone to tow us in while Mike, Shell & I tried to keep the boat from blowing into the rocks.  Can you say cluster!  We made it home about 3 hours later than we wanted, but safely and laughing about it.  Stopped at McGlinn’s for takeout and enjoyed another fantastic evening at Casa de Pflu.

The calm before the storm

The calm before the storm (Traci & Shelly)

Heading up to Canada today for 2 weeks!  Can’t wait.  First stop is Penticton/Summerland.  Wi-Fi will be very rare and spotty for us and we have turned off the data on our phones, so it may be awhile before we can post.

 

The Heat is on in Boise – 7/21/13 to 7/23/13

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Kayaking the Boise River

Kayaking the Boise River

The drive from Pocatello was a long one, but uneventful – no big mountain passes and nice wide highways!  Arrived in Boise and the Hi Valley RV Park and into some heat – triple digits all 3 days.  But as everyone tells us, “it’s a dry heat.”  Whatever – still feels too hot to me. Thank goodness for a/c.  We met a longtime friend of Mike’s mom, Max Clark and his wife Linda, for dinner at a local Mexican joint.   Yummy food, marg’s and great conversation!

The next morning, Mike & I headed down to the Boise River with our cooler packed.  We rented a kayak and floated the river.  It was another cooker, so being on the river was the perfect activity.  That night, we went over to Max & Linda’s condo for dinner.  They live right in downtown Boise on the top floor of their building.  Amazing views including one of Boise State football stadium!   Mike’s cousin Melissa came as well – she works for KPMG in Seattle, but happened to be in Boise on assignment through the end of the month.  Max & Linda wined & dined us and we chatted for hours.  What a treat for us to have dinner at their home — I know Melissa appreciated a home cooked meal as well!  Somehow, we forgot to take a group photo and their amazing place – darn, it would have been a good one.

Today, we had a lazy morning.  I got caught up on the Bachelorette (I know, pathetic) and we got some chores done around the MoHo.  We had lunch at a ‘Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives’ favorite, Westside Drive-In, and it was quite tasty —  especially after all of the vino we drank last night!  We drove over to Boise State to see the blue turf up close and check out the college campus.  Then, we did some wine tasting and hit Payette Brewery for Mike’s IPA fix.  We did a Costco run and then back to MoHo to enjoy our final evening in Boise.  It has cooled down to 90 so we can actually sit outside and enjoy the night.  Still a bit toasty, but I think we may be getting used to it.  Mike’s friend Eric and his family, who we met up with in Yellowstone, have just arrived in Boise and are staying at the same place we are.  We will hang out with them tonight and then get on the road early tomorrow.

Westside Drive In - appeared in Diners, Drive-In's and Dives

Westside Drive In – appeared in Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives

 

Boise State Blue!

Boise State Blue!

We have been on our adventure for over 2 months now.  All is well and we are definitely getting in our groove.  I am very excited for our upcoming week in Yakima and am so looking forward to catching up with friends.   Next stop…Camp Cameron!

Estes Park and Rocky Mtn Nat’l Park – 7/7/13 to 7/9/13

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Elk in Rocky Mountain National Park

Elk in Rocky Mountain National Park

Colorado continues to impress us with its breathtaking scenery, cool towns and friendly people! The weather here is wild. We could go from hot sun to rain, hail, thunder & lightning back to sun in 15 min’s. Kind of cool, especially for weather boy, Mike. His Intellicast app is definitely getting a workout! It is nice though as we know any bad weather will soon pass, unlike Seattle, where the rain pretty much stays all day once it arrives.

IMG_0273We said goodbye to the Arreola’s in Broomfield after being treated to 3 nights of luxury at their house, and headed north to Estes Park. This is a very cool town in the mountains, surrounded by snowy peaks, lakes and rivers at the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. Our home for the next 3 nights was Estes Park campground at Mary’s Lake. A great spot and Mike finally had a chance to fish! He caught one small trout, but not worth keeping, so threw him back in.

We explored the town of Estes Park which consists of lots of shops, galleries, restaurants, bars, a winery and brewery. We headed up to one of the main attractions here, The Stanley Hotel. This is the hotel that Stephen King based the Shining on. But, better yet, it is also where many scenes from the movie Dumb & Dumber were filmed. This is one of Mike’s favorite movies and I love anything Hollywood-ish, so we had to go! We had a drink in the bar and took some pics. See if you recognize any of them from the movie.

The Stanley House - In the movie, they drive up to the hotel in their sports car

The Stanley House – In the movie, they drive up to the hotel in their sports car

This is the staircase they race up

This is the staircase they race up

This is where the bar scene took place

This is where the bar scene took place

View from deck of Mary's Lake Lodge

View from deck of Mary’s Lake Lodge

After exploring town, we headed back toward our campsite and detoured to Mary’s Lake Lodge. Sat on the deck, had dinner and enjoyed the incredible view. Doesn’t get much better than this. I would recommend this area to anyone coming to Estes Park as it feels out of the hustle bustle of town, but still close and provided great access to the National Park too.

The next day, we planned to head into the National Park. Mike was gung-ho to do some more fishing, so we planned our hike out to a lake and he packed his gear. When we arrived in the park, we learned there was road construction in the area we wanted to go. We weren’t allowed to drive our car, so had to rely on their shuttle system. They could certainly take a few pointers from Zion, but it all worked out. About a mile into our hike, we arrived at a cool waterfall. We got caught in a huge hail/rainstorm which we weren’t prepared for. I wasn’t feeling that great, so we decided to turn back. So much for the hike to the lake. We made our way back through the shuttle ordeal to our car and decided to take a scenic drive to another part of the park – a gravel switchback road to the Alpine Visitor Center at 11,796 ft elevation. The rain followed us though and unfortunately, we couldn’t appreciate the view as much as we would have liked. Headed back to the MoHo where Mike did some more fishing at the lake and we had a delicious taco dinner!

Driving through Rocky Mountain National Park on our way to Steamboat

Driving through Rocky Mountain National Park on our way to Steamboat Springs

This morning, we did a major cleaning in/out of the MoHo before departing at 10am on our way to our final destination in CO, Steamboat Springs. We had to drive back through Rocky Mountain National Park (this time with the MoHo and toad). A little dicey with the hairpin turns and steep grades up and down, but Mike is a pro! I however have huge anxiety, so had to settle my nerves with a Sofia Coppola mini. The weather was much better today, so the Rocky Mountain views were outstanding and we even saw a few groupings of elk. That’s it for now. Thanks for reading!

Life in the MoHo – 6/26/13

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Now that we have been traveling for over a month now, I thought I would give an update on general life on the MoHo.  Most of our posts have been about places we have been and they have been incredible so far, but there is a lot to be said about the lifestyle of traveling on the road and what a change it is from living traditionally in a non-moving home.

Mike & I have our routine pretty set when we leave somewhere (break-down) and arrive at a new place (set-up).  We are doing this on average every 3 days, sometimes shorter, sometimes longer.  I am typically in charge of the inside and he is in charge of the outside.  My duties include, but are not limited to, setting up the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom areas and getting the slides out.  Mike is in charge of power, water, sewer (grody-jody) and satellite.  We both do the hook-up/unhook-up of the toad.  We have our set-up down to about 15 mins, but breakdown takes closer to an hour.  Not bad as we shaved it down quite a bit from when we first started.

Here are some specifics to fill you in on:

Groceries – At home, we usually loaded up at Costco and stored a lot, then did a grocery store run about once a week.  In the MoHo our food storage is definitely limited especially in the fridge/freezer, so we are hitting the grocery store or local “general store” every 3 days usually.  We are trying to limit eating out, but since we are moving around so much, it is hard to resist trying out the local joints.

Laundry – We have a combo washer/dryer on the MoHo that we have used once.  It works, but the load size is quite small.  We have found it to be easier to just use the pay laundry facilities at the RV Parks and get 2-3 loads done at once in their larger capacity washer and dryer.  At home, I did laundry every week sometimes more than that, but on the road we have only done it 3 times in 6 weeks. I’m finding we are also generating less laundry not working and wearing things multiple times.  It’s just us and we don’t really need to impress each other! J  I think when we are back in Seattle, we’ll take out the washer/dryer and replace it with a wine fridge – Mike’s wish comes true.

Dishwasher – We don’t have one.  Add a very small kitchen sink into the mix and you get the picture.  We do use paper plates occasionally, but still like our “real” plates when we make a more formal dinner.  We are just dealing with this one and tackle it together so we stay on top of it.  Really no big deal in the grand scheme.

Wi-Fi – Don’t get me started.  The service has been soooooo slow.  In larger cities (Bend and Salt Lake) it was better, but in the smaller places we have stayed, it has been brutal.  I know we are not supposed to be on the computer, but when you need it, you want to be able to do what you need to do and be done with it.  Uploading photos and the blog have been the worst, but we are really trying to keep the blog as current as possible.  Not to mention we need the internet to research our upcoming destinations and accommodations.  This is something we are just going to have to deal with and realize we can’t control.  Mike is better at this than me (no patience…)

Mike blogging

Mike blogging

Satellite TV – Similar to wi-fi, I know we shouldn’t be obsessed with getting TV, but let’s face it, it’s a creature comfort we both like.  At this point, mostly for sports, but I do like my occasional Reality TV fix.  We have been forced to deal with DirecTV since the MoHo was already set up with the equipment from the previous owner.  There is no sugar coating it, this company is BRUTAL to work with.  We are dealing with it the best we can and trying to go with the flow.  It’s one of those things that when it’s working, we don’t think about it, but the moment something goes wrong, it is maddening as heck.  I lose all patience, so poor Mike is forced to deal with them.

Shower – Our shower on the MoHo is MUCH smaller than what we had at home, but surprisingly it is working out fine.   Water pressure and temperature have not been an issue at all.  Sometimes we will use the RV Park facilities, but I prefer the MoHo because it has all of my stuff set up and close at hand.  Mike could is less particular, so he has used the park facilities more often than I have.

Cleaning – Many of you know that I am a bit of clean/organization freak and the MoHo is no exception.  I feel like we finally have everything in its place and organized to my liking with minimal clutter.  The storage underneath is Mike’s domain, but he has it pretty well organized.  The nice thing is that we have much less space (350 sq ft vs. 2,400 sq ft at our last house) so cleaning doesn’t take nearly as much time.  Granted I had cleaners at the house, but I did a lot of tidying myself too.  My routine is to clean (take out garbage, wipe down countertops/surfaces, clean toilet, sweep & do mirrors) when we are breaking-down and leaving to the next place.  This takes all of 15 mins.  Deeper clean like the shower and mopping are less frequent but not too daunting.

Cleaning (part 2) – It is impossible to keep the exterior of the MoHo and Toad (MDX) clean when on the road as much as we are.  Bug central! The windshield on the MoHo is a constant battle. It is HUGE which makes for excellent viewing, but it is a chore to clean.  The truck stops all have extra long handles, but to really do a thorough job, a ladder is required (Mike’s job). The MDX is another story as this still feels like “my” car, which I want to keep as clean as possible.  But every time we tow, it gets covered in dust/bugs/road dirt, etc.   We have washed it a few times, but it seems pointless because it gets dirty again pretty quickly.  The interior has always been spotless, but since we spend a lot of time in it when we are out & about, it has become more cluttered than I like, but I am learning to let this one go.

Mike washing the windshield

Mike washing the windshield

Clothes – Can you say over pack?!  When loading up the MoHo, we probably only packed about a third of our clothes, shoes, etc and this brought on anxiety (me not Mike).  The whole “what if” scenario played out in my head a lot.  I have probably not even worn a third of that third.  Granted we have been in really warm weather, but we both seem to go to our favorites.  For shoes I have only worn flip-flops and hiking boots.  All of my “cute” sandals are still in their bin.  But, I’m sure as we move on to different climates and scenarios we will start using other items.  Bottom line is that we really don’t need as much as we packed and it is also fun to buy things along the way, so when we are back in Seattle we’ll be unloading some of the unnecessary items.

Storage – This has not been a problem at all.  We still have a lot of unused space inside the MoHo, which is very surprising.  The underneath compartments are pretty full though.  Amazing how much stuff we had at the house and now how little we really need on the MoHo!  I was so worried about this and it is not an issue at all.

Bills/Mail – Before leaving, we set up a P.O. Box which my mom is checking for us weekly.  Mostly junk mail coming through, but the occasional piece that needs attention (thanks Mom!).  All of our correspondence, bills and banking are now done online which is pretty freeing.  What seemed like quite a chore at home is now all automatic and something I don’t even need to worry about.  Except the wi-fi issue (see above…)

Outside – This is probably the best part of this whole adventure.  I thought of myself as an outdoorsy type of person before, but I wasn’t even close.  We spend most of our time outside now.  Exploring, walking, hiking, sitting outside the MoHo, etc. and it feels great!   As long as it is not raining outside, we are out there.  Our living space may be small, but really we have all the space we need right outside the door!

Enjoying the outside living area - watching the Mariners

Enjoying the outside living area – watching the Mariners

We are both doing well and sure as ever that this was the right decision for us.  Aside from the occasional little glitch, things have been going very smoothly.  For me having a routine was always such an important thing, but being forced out of routine has been good.  We have met some great people so far and looking forward to visiting some old friends along the way.  Our adventure is really just beginning, but so far so good.  Thanks for reading!

Capitol Reef National Park – 6/15/13 to 6/17/13

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We headed east and continued on Scenic Byway 12.  Our destination was Torrey, jumping off point for Capitol Reef NP.  We only needed to go about 100 miles, but it took us close to 3 hours.  A very windy and hilly road.  At one point we climbed to 9,400 feet and then had to come back down at 8-10% grades downhill.  Not fun in the MoHo, but Mike did great.  The views were absolutely fantastic.  There was another spot called Hogsback where we were literally driving on a ridge with steep drop-offs on either side.  Sitting up high, I could really feel it, but the vistas were amazing!

We arrived at Thousand Lakes RV Park (great location, setting and amenities!)and decided to just take it easy for the day and get the lay of the land.  Drove out to the visitor center to get our maps to plan our hikes for the next few days.  Then hit the General Store for food and stopped at a local Greenhouse.  Very cool!  We picked fresh peas, onions and cut a variety of lettuce for a mixed green salad – $5 for everything.  The gardener suggested a spicy arugula, which is native to the area to add to our salad, which he basically cut off of a volunteer plant growing in the parking lot.  Random.  But, the salad was so fresh and  delicious, it will be hard to go back to store bought, and that arugula made it!  The spice was a flavor I have never tasted.

While at the Greenhouse, a local couple suggested a hike for us for the next day – Sulphur Creek Trail.  We took them up on their suggestion!  It was a hike through a steep-walled canyon with most of it through the creek.  We put on our water shoes and it was a great hike to stay cool on a hot day.  We ended at the visitor center and hitched a ride with an older French couple back to our car at the trailhead.  When we got in their car the wife’s iPhone was playing loud music and she couldn’t figure out how to turn it off.  She handed it back to Mike and he promptly opened iTunes and hit stop.  Funny thing is the phone was in French, but it obviously worked the same as ours.  We definitely had a language barrier with them, but lots of smiles and a ‘merci beaucoup’ when they dropped us off seemed to be all we needed! Home to the MoHo to watch the final round of the US Open – watching golf is one of our indulgences.  Phil didn’t pull it out, but we were happy that Justin Rose won.

Woke up the next morning and I was definitely sluggish. The heat and all of the hiking were catching up with me I think.  But, had to kick it in for our last day here.  Drove into the park along the “Scenic Drive” to the Capitol Gorge Road for our hike.  We chose the Golden Throne Trail.  A strenuous, 4 miler, with 730 feet of elevation.  It was a good one and the views at the top stunning.  We ate our lunch then headed back down.  Explored a bit more in the park, including a stop for ice cream at the historic Gifford House, and a jar of local pickles and salsa.  Yummy!

Capitol Reef was definitely less busy than Zion or Bryce. On our first day’s hike we didn’t see anyone else and on the second day’s hike, only 2 people.  Kind of nice to be away from crowds.   Driving to and from this park and within the park has been the most scenic so far.  The area itself is just full of jaw-dropping views.  We would definitely recommend this less visited NP.  We head to Moab tomorrow, which will be our home base for the last two National Parks of Utah – Canyonlands and Arches.

Click HERE for pics of our two hikes in the park!