(Mis)Adventures

No one said it would be easy!  We studied for months, what kind of RV, what sort of towing vehicle, communications on the road, solar power, destinations (Jean's happy task), finances, mail forwarding, operating an RV.  Filled notebooks, asked questions on forums, and making dozens of decisions about our future - we always love this phase, but it was overwhelming at times.  Went several days without sleep when caught up in choosing an RV type - travel trailer, motorhome, fifth wheel;  choosing tow vehicles, learning about daily living on-board.  We sold 80% of our possessions (done that a few times), put our house on the market, and began shopping for our new home and vehicle

We started out with a lot of book knowledge, but never having been in an RV for more than a few visits with Jean's parents, who lived this lifestyle for 15 years.  We quickly began to understand that an RV is more like a boat than a normal house.  You set out on a journey, sailing a concrete river, following gravel and dirt tributaries, hoping for favorable weather and conditions, never sure what you will encounter.  You keep a close eye on all the systems, navigator, electric, plumbing, structure, as your comfort and health depend on them.  And relentless entropy is always at work, attempting to disassemble your lovely Gypsy caravan into its component boards, screws, staples, bolts, and fiberglass sheeting.

So it's no wonder that our initial voyage had a few hiccups.  We left our lovely small home town of Canon City in early August, 2014, attempting to make a boondocking (free stay on public land without utilities) location near Fruita, Co.  A long day of driving, over Monarch Pass, where we happily discovered that our truck and RV were up to the job, and on into the twilight as we searched in vain for the promised parking location.  We finally ended up parking on an isolated BLM shooting range below the Book Cliffs - spent shotgun shells underneath, and a double rainbow overhead.