Today we are headed back through lower CA and the southern states we came through to get here which WAS NOT our original plan. We intended to go home via CO and see the Rockies, but due to a HUGE snow storm that even hit CA mountain chains pretty rough, we have voted that it was unsafe. Some of the parks are completely closed with snow accumulations up to 96”. Over half of the parks that are open require that you carry or use snow chains, of which we do not have and other parks received the storm in the form of rain and have shut through roads due to rock slides and ice. None of these sound to pleasing ESPECIALLY in an RV.
I decided in this post I would tell you a little about RV life and how it is adjusting.
The camper sleeps 6, but it is tight. There are two twin beds in the back, the table and seats which fold down into a full and a queen above the driver area in an overhead sleeping compartment. Nick constructed a make shift conjoining bed to connect the twins. We store the plywood under each twin and pull it out for sleeping and Hannah gets that bed. I found a neat little Pilates mate that rolls up and stores nicely for the mattress. It works. The fold down kitchen unit is what Zeke and I sleep on mostly. Once and awhile I hop up on the queen to snuggle with Nick, but I want him to have as much room to spread out as possible since he drives sooo many hours at a time. Also, by the time we have called it a day, he is quite tired and his snoring gets a bit bothersome. I have self nominated to get up with Zeke in the middle of the night and take care of most the “house” duties. Nick can tell when I am just spent and will help out or lend a hand.
I have packed way too many things that I do not need nor use, but I rather have than have not and now I know. I found two great RV packing lists from on-line that I used as a guide, narrowing my list from the two. I thought I was being conservative, but now see that I could unload plenty more. I believe that Nick and I agree that we will turn the shower into closet and storage space, as most of the parks have showers and we also have a YMCA membership as a back up. It is hard not to envy campers with slide outs and other handy dandy options, until we remind ourselves that is exactly how we got into all the trouble with the house.
Nick and I want to do some slight remodeling to the RV this summer which includes mainly things to ensure health precautions such as ripping out the carpet which is smelling of a mild dewy/sour scent because of all the leaks—past and present—and putting in some laminate. None of the remodeling is pleasure/decorating remodeling—we’ve been there, done that and learned!
I will post pics of our “RIG” as I know when I was investigating RVing I really appreciated the people who had blogs and kindly let the world view how they managed to get it all in and live in such a space. I think the next trip will be even more relaxing with having our things even more simplified and in order. I am big on order. I am also wondering what it will be like to go home to our huge house and realize the things I never use. I thought I was really honing in on this and simplifying, but I have a feeling I am going to be shocked at how much more I need to do and how far from the goal I am.
It certainly will be an adjustment back into our home. As much of one as it was into the RV. What will the kids do if they aren’t right on top of one another? I saw one blog of an on the road family who had the opportunity to use someone’s guest house and each kid had their own room. They thought it was going to be great and quickly scurried to claim their own. By the end of the evening, all the kids had managed to find each other again, wanting to be together.
We are currently looking for a place to stay. We need all the amenities tonight as we have stayed in parking lots and such the last couple and need to shower, unload the load (eewww) and do some laundry. We are stuck in traffic right outside of Santa Barbara and have decided to use our time wisely and pull off, do dinner and catch a wave to do some researching, blogging and such.
Hope you are enjoying the blog and pics thus far…oh by the way,I am on this trip…I’m the one behind the camera all the time...as you will see.