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plans schmans

When I saw the snow falling around 6pm last night I guessed we might have issues.

When I woke up at 2am, then 3am, then again at 4:30am, each time hearing the soft pit-pat of snow hitting the RV roof above us – I was pretty certain we’d have issues.

We were scheduled to leave Yellowstone yesterday morning from the “east entrance.”  I’d planned four days in the park; the first two nights “dry camping” at different spots and the last two nights at the only place within park boundaries that has full hookups.  The sites were chosen for the different “sides” of the park they’d let us see and explore, and the double-night stay before departure was closest to the eastern exit I’d planned us to use on our way to Mt. Rushmore.

For the most part the plan worked well.  We traversed every not-closed-because-of-snow road in the park, and stopped at all the touristy hot-spots along the way.  We did almost 200mi of driving just within the park.  The only hitch was the weather. I’d expected and planned for some snow.  Maybe some hold-over snow from colder weeks prior, I mean… it’s almost June, right?  But I hadn’t planned for the almost 6″ of fresh powder we got the night before last while snug in our furnace-heated RV.

The east exit I’d banked on using was closed.  “Plan B,” made hastily that same morning, was the northeast exit, but there was a rockslide that same night which closed it off from the southern part of the park.  “Plan C,” then, was the only viable alternative – leaving via the northernmost exit through Gardiner, Montana and then back into Wyoming via Interstate 90.  In a worst-case scenario, this detour would’ve thrown us several hours off our route and would’ve ruined the arrival time at our intended campsite in the Bighorn National Forest.

It just so happens, though, that I’d got a call a week prior saying that Bighorn National Forest campground was closed (due to snow, perhaps a sigul of sorts in hindsight) and they’d refunded my money.  Rather than booking another site I’d chosen to be spontaneous and plan something “on the road” instead.  And, since we had no reservation that night anyway – the unplanned re-route through Montana went by without any problem at all.  We ended up staying at a great little place in Sheridan, Wyoming – a sunny little mom-and-pop RV park where everyone was friendly and there was no rain or snow.  As soon as we pulled into our “slip” (I have no idea what they’re called, the marine terminology seemed appropriate) I was relaxed.  I pulled off the jeans and long-johns and layered shirts and switched to shorts, a t-shirt, and flip-flops.

Plans schmans.

Lastly, Since Keaton’s videos have been covering the journey quite nicely, let’s talk some more about the “grown-up” aspects of the trip (and no, I don’t mean the, “If this RV’s rockin’…” kinda grown-up aspects…).  I’m talking, rather, about the stuff that goes through my mind as I’m thinking about what I’d write about the day-to-day of “RV stuff.”  Maybe about driving?

So far I’ve been the sole driver.  This isn’t some chauvenistic, alpha-male thing; Sharaun could’ve driven at any time.  It’s just that I took the first few days to attune myself to the way the vehicle handled on the road, learning the lines and lane-alignment and particulars of the steering, etc.  Meaning I wanted to drive those days, wanted to take some time and learn the vehicle.  After that we were in Yellowstone and it was raining and snowing and the roads were twisty and turny and had steep dropoffs and no shoulders and all other manner of “oh my word are we going to make it?!” sort of mental barriers.  So, I handled the driving then too – just because I’d already figured it out.  I do anticipate that – as we move out of Yellowstone in the next day or so and head of toward Mt. Rushmore, Badlands, and the greater northeast – Sharaun will get her time behind the wheel as well.  After a day under her belt she’ll be as “accomplished” as I and we’ll have a true husband-and-wife team at the wheel.

I think Keaton’s next video will come after the Badlands/Rushmore/Crazy Horse/Devil’s Tower day… so in a day or two.  In the meantime, I’ll post if the mood strikes.

And with that, goodnight from Wyoming.

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data’s hard to come by in yellowstone…

Pardon the interruption, friends. Yellowstone doesn’t have a lot of wireless access points (nor cell towers to tether through) and we were too busy taking in the crazy-amazing sights to write anyway.

The day we got to Yellowstone really had me worried. We drove in through flurries and with five and six foot plowed drifts lining either side of the road. I knew it was going to be cold, I even thought there might still be some snow around, but I hadn’t expected active snowing nor overnight temperatures as low as I guessed they might be to keep the big lakes frozen. Being that it was only our third night in the RV, and our first night of “dry camping” without water or electric hookup, I was worried about all kinds of things: Would we freeze overnight? Would the black and gray-water tanks over-fill on me? Would the roads be “easy” in the inclement weather?

We not only survived the night, we thrived; refining our supper, evening, bedtime, and morning routines. Speaking of routines, I’ll devote a paragraph here to how most days thus far are seeming to go.

Most mornings we wake around 7:30am and are pulling out of the campsite just before 10am. That usually includes a shower for Sharaun or I (we are currently alternating mornings, for no good reason), breakfast for everyone, dishes, something I’ve started calling “road readying,” and whatever else needs to happen before I can hit the gas. We’ve been doing lunch a little later than normal, around 1pm or whenever the stopping is convenient. Dinner is later too, as we typically don’t get into the next campground until 6:30pm. That’ll change once we have our first multi-night stay at the same place (in Yellowstone I had us hopping around multiple campgrounds at all ends of the park in an effort to see as much as we could). Other than that we’re working out the optimal storage places for the things we use most, and finding good spots to tuck away this and that for “going” and “stopped” use. I’d say we’re adapting well.

As for the RV, I think we’ve mostly figured it out. The one thing that still confuses me is the seeming sensitivity of the water-level indicators. Unless you’re on super-level ground it’s hard to get a read on how much black and/or gray water you’re holding. Oh, and yeah, the first time I dumped the tanks I totally got it all over me. Like… a torrent of wastewater. I capped it quickly and recovered, however. What they call the “coach batter” seems to be holding up really well, while dry camping we’ve run the furnace overnight with only minimal loss of charge. Once we’re on the road the engine recharges it but even the solar trickle-charge seems seems to rebuild amperage quick enough once the sun is up (before 6am these days).

Believe it or not, the thing feels roomy, and as a motor vehicle it handles really well on the road. At the helm I’ve become much more confident in the steering and “lane alignment” tricks. Turning was a bit of a learning curve, but once you have a feel for the “center” of the length of the beast it becomes as simple as turning a car. Backing it up is easy with Sharaun’s guidance from outside to ensure we’re obstacle-free. Using the generator while driving allows us 120V power to do things like charge camera batteries or have on a on-the-road crockpot meal ready when we arrive at our overnight stops.

In Yellowstone we’ve run into multiple other Cruise America renters and exchanged words with a few of them, most seem to agree the experience has been positive. We’re still early in our cross-country jaunt, but so-far, so-good.

There’s a lot more I could write, and I will at some point… but for now it’s time to get going again and spend another day in the park. I’m going to attempt to find an open wireless spot in Mammoth Hot Springs to post this and a new video from Keaton. Until later, take care!

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surviving day one

Well folks it’s Sunday evening, late-ish, maybe 10pm.

We’re in Nevada safe and sound after a much-later-than-desired start (rolling out of town around 1pm, if you’d believe it).  We parked for the night at 7pm.

We’re all of us pretty tired from a long day of driving (OK it wasn’t so long at 75MPH) but I’d say today was a resounding success for a starter.

I’m going to let Keaton do most of the talking, as I’m about ready to turn in.

You can check out her blog right over here.

Me, I’m gonna turn in.

Goodnight until Idaho!

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hey work, see ya in july

Holy crap internet peoples.  Today is the day.  At 5pm today I’ll be done with work for seven weeks.  Seven weeks!

I can scarcely comprehend it at this point.  It still doesn’t feel real.  I went out for beers with a friend tonight, we needed to catch-up, been too long.  We had a few drinks and talked about things and now I’m back home listening to Sonic Youth’s “Teenage Riot” on repeat.  A masterpiece of early indie which emotes perfectly where I’m at right now.  Seven weeks! Today the RV place called me to let me know they were “readying” our coach; cleaning, preparing, tuning.  It was just another sign; an earthquake or a plague of locusts or the seas turned red as blood.  The tip is nigh!  Noah knew, so can you!

What’s more, around 1pm today I stopped what I was doing at work and took stock for minute to realize… I was done.  My mile-long list, my ambitious pre-trip to-dos, everything: finished.  All done one day early.  A whole day to spare.  A giddy feeling overcame me as I realized that I’d done it – I’d bested almost all of the guilt over leaving by getting things done and readied and left in the best state possible for my absence.  As we shirts at the sawmill are fond of saying, I did my “due diligence.”  And I was proud.  Proud that I didn’t short-time the whole thing, proud that I gave my best until the last, proud that I wasn’t “abandoning” things without at least giving them a push in the right direction.

We pickup the vehicle Friday morning.  Our friends are throwing us a farewell fête that same evening which I am very much looking forward to, and am planning to actually drive the RV to.  Saturday is pack-up the vehicle day.  The plan for Sunday, departure day, is to drive the thing to church for early service and then actually hit the road immediately afterward.  From God’s parking lot then, it begins with just one step.  I am nervous and excited and thrilled to have enough time away from work to truly forget and disconnect.  That… that I am looking forward to.

Enough three-beer writing… it never looks as good in the morning anyway.

Goodnight folks and goodbye work.

Next blog here should be from the road… Keaton’s blog will be updated before that.

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thursday is my last day

Happy Tuesday internet.  It’s gonna be another humdinger for me.

The friend Sharaun had lined-up to watch Keaton and Cohen Monday so I could go into work called Sunday evening to tell me that her own kid was sick.  Fever, up-chucking, the whole nine yards.  Without any time to secure alternate options, I fell on my sword and decided to try and do the whole workday from home with both kids.  This, friends, is not easy – particularly if you have a precious four workdays left before leaving for seven weeks and need every minute to be bursting with productivity.  I did my best, and would say I was about 85% as good as I could’ve been at my desk.

Keaton, bless her, truly bless her, helped me entertain Cohen.  In exchange I delegated her parenting to Disney cartoons, computer time, and coloring.  I felt bad about it, but I had no choice in the matter.  Thankfully she handled it well and really did manage to keep herself busy (and not all of it was in front of the TV, either… she played dollhouse and colored and even spent some time practicing reading).  She can be an absolute angel when she wants to.  With the exception of the thirty minutes between noon and 12:30pm I had meetings all day.  My ears hurt from the earbuds I use to take calls (Bluetooth is terrible; never works and is too much trouble, wired is where it’s at).  Cohen also behaved, napping when I needed to chair meetings and eating well when I could borrow time to feed him.

Around 10am Sharaun called and let me know she missed her flight out of Miami and there was a chance she’d not make it home until Tuesday (today as you read, I know it’s confusing but I write a day in advance).  Luckily that didn’t happen because, man, I couldn’t do another one of these days.  Not to mention, I really couldn’t; I absolutely have to be in the office Tuesday through Thursday.  Thursday – my last day.  Holy crap Thursday, which is three day from now, is my last day for seven weeks.  Seven weeks on the road.  Seven weeks to let my mind wander.  Seven weeks.  Oh man, I am ready.  I am counting down.  Battling the mainspring and winning for once.

Goodnight.

 

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dad did it

It’s Saturday as work on this entry begins.  Day four as Mr. Mom.  Over the hump and with aplomb, I might add.

Presently it is 6:30am.  It’s that time of year where it’s light outside beginning around 5am here in California so it doesn’t feel so early when judged by surroundings.  But it is early; early to have Cohen up, bathed, and fed already.  Early to already have a load of laundry out of the washer and into the dryer.  Early to be on my third cup of coffee.  By eight o’clock Cohen will be back asleep… somehow the whole schedule slid forward by about an hour and a half when I was waking everyone so early to get them fed and readied before the daycare drop-off.

I’m not complaining.  I’m enjoying my morning.  Keaton’s still sleeping and I decided the grey skies outside were calling for a spin of Steely Dan’s sophomore record, Countdown to Ecstasy. (Note: somewhere in the middle of this paragraph a lot of time passed, that’s how writing goes.) In fact these days with just the kids and I have really been a blessing.  I kind of lost myself in it this weekend; stopping once to think how great it was to be able to do nothing but lounge on the floor playing peekaboo with Cohen or coloring with Keaton.  I like to think of it as a preview of the coming seven weeks on the road: plenty of time to spend enjoying my family and the fun we can have together seeing and doing new things.

Sunday after church (which, I should add, I was early for – not a regular occurrence) I decided that I’d take the kids out for lunch.  I didn’t feel like making their lunches and I’d already half-planned to do something so I’d packed food and bib and spoon and snacks for Cohen in the diaper bag.  Part of me knew it could be disaster… one parent and two kids in a busy restaurant, but another part of me anticipated the challenge – and even more so anticipated looks.  Dads… you know what “looks” I’m talking about: The “Oh gosh what a good dad he must be!” looks you seem to get whenever you’re out just you and the young’ns.  I thought I’d written about it before but I can’t seem to find it.

Anyway, dad’s out mom-less with their kids really do stand to get a swollen head.  People look and point and nudge and talk, it’s a good feeling but part of me also thinks it’s sad that being a “good dad” is something rare enough that we have a warm emotional reaction when we see someone doing it.  But, whatever, I’ll take it gladly.  It might help that Sharaun and I made some fierce-cute kids, like cute enough to strip the hide of a live steer – or some other such meaningful expression of a hearty cuteness.  It might also help that we’d come straight from church and I’d taken care to dress both kiddos as sharply as possible (y’know, to prove to the parishioners that this lone-dad has it going on… and to get those fond smiles from the pews as well…).  The image accompanying this post shows what sort of merchandise I was showing-out.

Sharaun get’s back today (Monday, not the “today” of writing), and it couldn’t come soon enough.  Goodnight.