Mount Shasta from the road as we entered California
At the beginning of October we headed into California. We had to rush through to go to a conference in Phoenix and did not have enough time to see everything we wanted to see. But we still stopped at a few fun places like Yosemite, Joshua Tree National Park, Ladder Canyon, stayed near LA, Palm Springs and San Diego. On a hike in Yosemite I hurt my knee so we did not stop at Kings Canyon and Lake Tahoe, both areas we really would have liked to see.
Max and Josephine at a road side stop overlooking Yosemite Valley
One of our first stops was Yosemite National park. The closer we came on our drive there the more beautiful it became. Once we drove up to the park, and I mean uphill, the road became very curvy and it dropped of quite steep on one side. I was not very comfortable and the van was struggling with the incline. But we made it safely to the top and from there it was only a short ride to Yosemite Lakes Thousand Trails RV Park where we stayed for four nights.
We stopped for a photo on our way to the valley
We arrived as the sun was setting, during California’s golden hour and barely made check in. It was dark when we pulled into our site. The park was nice with lots of green and a creek running along one side. This is a Thousand trails park without a swimming pool but we did not miss it as we wanted to discover Yosemite. Cell phone reception was terrible, so the only internet was the free wi-fi from Thousand Trails at the laundry room unless you have Starlink. At the playground our children made friends very quickly, some of which we met elsewhere in California again. Volleyball, basketball, fishing, a lodge with TV and game room were also available but we wanted to discover Yosemite of course.
A view of Yosemite Valley
Once we had breakfast and set up properly we headed to Yosemite valley. The national parks pass ‘America the Beautiful’ granted us quick entry and the drive to the valley was very pretty with plenty of pullovers for photo opportunities and look out points. Once we had arrived at the valley we drove past some the well known sights like El Capitan, Bridal Veil falls, Three Brothers and others. There are plenty of campgrounds and hotels in the area. The river running through was very low as it is fed by the melting ice and snow. All of the water features were pretty dry, the best time to visit for those is in spring. We stopped a couple of times so the children could run around and climb some of the rocks.
The granite wall of El Capitan is one of the most famous destinations for rock climbers
The next day we started a little earlier and headed for Mariposa Grove. It is the best place at Yosemite to see the giant sequoia trees. You have to leave your car at a parking lot and take a shuttle to the grove. It is a relatively long drive but there are plenty of scenic view points along the way.
We stopped on our way to Mariposa Grove
The grove has several hiking trails to pick from. As some of our little ones were not ready to walk a whole lot and we had to carry them we took a shorter hike that took us to some of the bigger trees like California Tunnel tree and Old Grizzly.
California Tunnel TreeOne of the giant sequoia trees
The trees are massive and one just stands in awe next to those giants. The hike was just long enough for us and we were happy to get back home.
On day three everyone was tired and nobody wanted to go out. Basti and I decided to hike up to Yosmite Falls, a trail that is about 3.5 miles one way and rises 2425 feet. It was pretty strenuous but the views are magnificent. On the first part of the hike we walked along switchbacks through the woods and could not see much. After about a mile we reached Columbia Rock and had the first great view of the valley.
A quick selfie at Columbia Rock
It was stunning. Halfdome was visible from there as well. We took in the view and had a small rest before we carried on. From here it was more rocky and almost like walking up stairs. Views of Halfdome kept popping up along the way over and over again. At some point we got to see our final destination, Upper Yosemit falls but there was only a trickle coming down. Yosemite Creek is fed by the melting snow and ice so must be a majestic sight in the spring. In October however the water did not make it to the bottom of the fall. The granite wall that makes the valley is huge though and we knew we still had to climb quite a bit.
We made it to the top of Yosemite Falls
Once we reached the top, we went to a couple of spots to look down into the valley. There was no barrier so one can walk right up to the edge. The creek was not moving very fast, the water was cold and very clear. The sun was very low so we had to hurry to make it down before it got dark.e
By the time i had reached the top my knee was hurting and I had to walk downhill pounding my knee with every step. I tried to compensate but that did not really work. In the next few days I was handicapped and we sadly abandoned plans to visit Kings Canyon. We knew through research that the hike was going to be a challenge which we gladly accepted.
The next day we headed South, fortunately on a different route than the one we came on. I don’t think we spent enough time in the area and could have easily spent another week. For me it was one of the best stops we have made and it is definitely a place I would like to revisit one day.
At the end of July we arrived in Washington state so we made the trip from Florida to the opposite side of the country. It felt like a little achievement. (Un)fortunately we had spent way more time in Idaho than we had planned so that we had to rush down the West coast faster than we would have liked or than this part of the United states deserved. In Washington State we visited, among other things, the little German town of Leavenworth and Mt Rainier (check out our video) but missed the Puget Sound- Whidbey Island, San Juan Island, the Olympic Peninsula etc. In Oregon we went to see Mt Rainier, Mt Hood, the Oregon Coastline, went mushroom foraging and more. The last sight we went to see in Oregon was Crater Lake.
We parked our house on wheels on a forest road off of route 138 and stayed 3 nights. After driving a couple hundred miles and setting up we took it easy, discovered the area a bit and had dinner. With our T-mobile mobile internet we had a decent signal and were able to work online.
The next morning we set of to go to the lake. With our National Parks Pass – America the Beautiful – we had quick access but there was not a long line at the gate anyway. The road to get to the lake is quite long but when you drive up to the rim you are in awe with what you see.
The view is spectacular, there is a steep drop and slopes to the lake, the water is very clear and the sky is perfectly mirrored in the lake as there is not a lot of wind at the surface of the lake. Wizard Island is the center of attention. There are plenty of view points where you can park your car and take photographs.
Crater Lake was formed through an eruption and collapse of a volcano (Mt Mazama) and is the deepest lake in the United States at 1949 ft. The lake is 5 by 6 miles across and the rim is 7000 to 8000 feet high.
We wanted to hike the Garfield Peak Trail so we drove to one of the lodges and started our hike. It started of through trees and then got moderately steep and there were a few switch backs. We walked for about 50 minutes but two of our girls started slipping on the gravel and I was uncomfortable taking them further up. Along one side of the trail was a steep drop-off. So we turned around and drove a little more along the rim.
The next day we came back and drove in the opposite direction. We arrived at the trailhead of Cleetwood Cove Trail and parked the car so the kids could run around and have a look. I walked down part of the trail. It was steep and had switch backs pretty much all the way down to the cove. The trail is 2.1 miles long with an elevation change of 610 feet.
There is a boat that will take you to Wizards Island or just around the lake. The lake was stocked with fish until 1941 but fishing is allowed and welcome. Two species remained, Kokanee salmon and rainbow trout.
After that we carried on a little further but it started getting dark so we went back to the camper for dinner.
Crater lake is definitely worth the visit even if you just drive around the rim. I would love to go back one day to hike and maybe swim in the lake. But for now we are headed to California to see more of this beautiful country.
After visiting Phoenix for a LV conference we decided to spend some of the winter in Southern California. There are a few Thousand Trail RV parks in Southern Arizona but they are all age limited (55+). So we decided to go back to Southern California where there are a few Thousand Trails as well.
We went to Palm Springs Thousand Trails and had the best time there. The park is clean, the pool area is great, there were lots of children for ours to meet; but most of all the staff there are super friendly and forthcoming. They helped us with our future reservations and we never had an issue with anything. There were also daily activities for the children.
The pool area at Thousand Trails, Palm Springs. We went there on a day pass to do Laundry and use the pool.
After 2 weeks we had to leave however and decided to spend a week on the BLM land at the South-entrance of Joshua Tree National Park. I had read about it researching where to stay and only found positive feedback. we arrived in the afternoon filled up with water and gas and were ready to spend the week.
As you get off route 10 and head towards the park after about half a mile is a road running parallel to route 10 with a lot of spots. To our surprise there were already about 30 RVs, something we had not experienced before. Usually there are 5-10 spots. but here was room for probably 50 more easily. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land is just outside the park and stretches for miles in both directions. Because the area is so large there is plenty of privacy. Our closest neighbors were about 100 yards away from us. So there is plenty of room for our children to play, to make lots of noise and still not bother anyone.
The beginning of the dirt road leading to many boondocking sites.
We stayed there in mid November for a week and came back again at the beginning of December. The weather was very comfortable but it got chilly at night. You are supposed to only stay 14 days at one place but we never noticed anyone stop and check.
Sunset in the desert.
As we are a large family we go through our water very quickly and after 3-4 days we are usually out. If you enter Joshua Tree National Parks South entrance you head towards Cottonwood Campground. There is a dump station and fresh water so we took the trailer to dump and fill up with fresh water. There was no sign so we did not pay anything. We have the annual America the Beautiful National Parks membership so we entered the park with that but there is no barrier or ranger station you have to pass.
The dirt road stretches for miles.
You are in the desert here but there are plenty of shrubs, bushes and small trees. The ground was mostly gravel but it was compact enough for our rig not to get stuck. The kids played ball and bocce outside, rode their bikes and dug holes with the shovel we have.
We had plenty of space and spread out.
The internet there was good enough to stream video over our T-mobile internet gateway. The mountains of Joshua Tree are right behind you and there is an area that is managed by the LA water district which you are not allowed to enter. As long as you stay away from it you are fine to spread out as much as you want. We saw several groups of trailers in a circle who met over the weekend. There were expensive motor homes, Trailers, camper vans and people camping in tents.
We had plenty of campfires whereas most of California has a ban. There are stone rings set up everywhere.
There are plenty of things to do in Joshua Tree NP as well. We took the children on a hike, bouldering and also just drove from one end to the other with plenty of stops for all the different sites. All in all we felt very safe as there very a lot of campers and we left our trailer by itself to go to town for shopping etc. It is definitely a place we will use again if we feel in need to stay somewhere in Southern California.
One of my first childhood food memories is when a friend invited our family and a large group of friends to visit at his country home to a wild boar which he cooked for hours over a fire on a spit. I loved everything about it, the fire, the company, many of my childhood friends came from some of the other families, the flavors etc.
When we bought our house in Pennsylvania I decided to buy a spit as well. We had a few parties cooking a hog with friends from church and from work.
Porchetta I cooked at the Accomac, a restaurant I worked at for over 7 years
We are getting on the road
I decided to bring the spit when we left for our trip through the United States. For the longest time I did not use it as a lot of the time we were not allowed to make open fires because of the drought. When we arrived in Idaho we boondocked on top of Mount Coeur d’Alene. It was one of the most beautiful spots we ever camped. As it happened we had to shop at Cosctco and we grabbed two chickens. We picked up fire wood which was lying all over the place and cut it up with a saw and Basti’s hatchet. Then one day I decided the time was right and started a fire in the afternoon. I put the chickens on the spit, put some seasoning on that friends gave us in Louisiana and started cooking.
I made a nice large fire to get lots of embers and little flame
A word on the seasoning
The seasoning was a mix of herbs and spices that came in a package. Normally I don’t like prepackaged spices but it came from a friend so we had to try it out.
I would use fresh harder herbs like rosemary, thyme and maybe tarragon, sliced lemon, fresh garlic, cayenne or any other pepper, olive oil etc to make my own rub or seasoning. Store bought mixes usually contain preservatives, stabilizers, anti caking agents etc. It does not take much to make your own and it will always taste better.
Cooking the chicken
It is always fun to cook anything over open flames. You can hang out by the fire with some friends, chat and maybe have a glass of wine or beer. You have to keep the food far enough from the heat or else it will burn outside and still be raw in the center. I had the chickens relatively far away from the flames and knocked the stakes further into the ground as time went by. After about two hours and a couple of cold brews the chicken was ready. It looked beautiful. Because it was cooked so slowly the muscles did not contract very much and the meat stayed very moist and tender. I would have maybe liked a little more color but everyone was ready to eat.
The chicken is close so we placed the potatoes in the embers
In Texas many of the State parks have grills for smoking meat. I picked up Mesquite wood but never got to use it because of burn bans. So I used some of that towards the end to get some extra flavor. I am not sure if that worked because there was not too much smoke flavor on the chickens but it tasted delicious anyway.
Because we already had a fire going we wrapped up potatoes and baked them in the embers.
Thge broccoli was cooked in the cast-iron pan simply with salt and pepper
The broccoli we just threw into a cast-iron pan that sat straight on the glowing wood. Andrea and I feel this is the best way to cook any brassica, whether it is cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower or broccoli, cooked hard with some color-even some black, seasoned with salt and pepper and maybe finished with some olive oil, delicious.
Ready for carving
This is by far my favorite kind of cooking. It is nice to do it with family but even nicer if you can have friends around sitting by the fire with a couple of drinks. I hope we can have this again very soon.
There has been so much going on since we got on the road in mid December, learning as we went along, starting our YouTube channel and social media, figuring out how to live in limited space, cooking in a tiny kitchen and outside, where and how to boondock between destinations, even homeschooling on the road….. I could go on and on. It has been a lot of fun and some chaos as you can imagine with seven children but we have all enjoyed it and grown as a family.
This is the reason why it took us so long to get going with this blog and why we are starting in the middle of our journey. After spending the Christmas and the winter in Florida we made our way to Texas in the beginning of March. We flew through Alabama but stopped in Mississippi and Louisiana but did not spend nearly enough time there.
Texas was very dry when we arrived and we really started enjoying it properly once we reached the Hill Country, San Antonio and the Northern part of the state.
We have bunch of videos on YouTube if you would like to follow us there.
In the middle of May we started heading further West to Arizona where we are staying in the Sedona/Verde Vally area.
Amarillo, Our First destination
Our first destination was Amarillo, but we left Bay Landing late and only traveled a couple of hours. We took 287 and stopped halfway at a rest area to spend the night. As we are storing the bicycles in the trailer when we travel we have limited space, but still enough for everyone to sleep comfortably. The generator provides enough power to run the A/C and the fridge as well. In the beginning it was a bit strange to sleep in a rest area but now we don’t mind at all.
By the way, our favorite rest area is on I75 near Tampa. We stayed there on several occasions while moving from on park to another.
After a quick breakfast, which could be bagels and egg or baguette and ham and some reading and math for the children, we got back on the road to go to Amarillo. We stopped at Cadillac Ranch and the children had fun spray-painting the 10 cars.
The Ranch, located west of Amarillo on the old Route 66, is an example of hippy art and was started by an art group from California that called themselves Ant Farm. It is supposed to be a tribute to the evolution of the Cadillac tail-fin. Ten successive models were buried halfway in the ground front facing down.
Today each car is covered at least an inch thick with graffiti. It was the first of a few stops on the mother road that is the old Route 66. after our visit at Cadillac Ranch we drove along a small part of 66 and then went to Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
By that time it was already late and we did not have enough time to see as much as we would have liked and as the canyon deserved. We would have stayed but did not have reservations nor could we as there is absolutely no cell phone signal.
We still had enough time to take in some of the rugged beauty and vastness of Palo Duro. As I am not very good with heights I was very nervous about the kids running along the edges of the cliffs. They don’t seem to have any fear. We spend a couple of hours before we left as the park was closing to the public. It is definitely a destination we recommend to anyone and will come back to visit.
Next Stop Santa Fe
After our visit in Amarillo it was time to carry on toward Arizona where we had reservations at the Thousand Trails RV park near Sedona. We headed down Route 40 and again stayed at a rest area near Albuquerque. After 2 months we had exited Texas. The next morning after some home schooling, we headed to Santa Fe to visit Loretto Chapel and saint Joseph’s stair case. Andrea and I fell in love with the city, it’s small houses built in the style typical to the area, like the houses of the puebloans painted in the reddish clay color, it’s small roads and the vegetation. Mountains are all around the city. The whole drive through New Mexico lead through a dry countryside with little vegetation so it was nice to see grass and trees. The city is small for being a state capital, very clean and there are lots of little colorful shops. At 7200 feet it is very high and it got cold at night. It was quite unusual as we had to dig deep to find clothes appropriate for the weather. It had been hot everywhere we stayed but because of the altitude it was colder.
We found a place to park at the rodeo through the app Campendium and got full hook-ups. So we took advantage and had showers and cleaned up.
The next morning we headed back to the city and visited a few churches. On our way to Loretto chapel we stumbled across another church, San Miguel Chapel, Americas oldest church. It was built in 1610 and is still an active church. Right next to it was one of Americas oldest houses. It is used as a museum and a gift shop.
From Mission San Miguel we had to walk a couple of blocks to get to the Loretto Chapel. It is now privately owned after it was handed over by the Sisters of Loretto to a private family to prevent it from being demolished.
As the story goes after the church had been built there was no staircase to get to the choir loft. The sisters of Loretto prayed a novena to Saint Joseph the carpenter, the foster father of our Lord, to help with the building of a staircase. After the novena was finished a man showed up with a few simple tools. He built the staircase by himself without the use of glue or nails. What makes it so unique is that there is no central column to support the structure. Architects are still baffled to this day how the structure still stands to this day when it should have collapsed as soon as one put his foot on it. The man who built the staircase disappeared as soon as he was finished without being paid. The wood he used is not from the area. Many believe Saint Joseph built the stairs himself. Regardless, there is a lot of mystery surrounding the staircase, so much so that we had heard of it and decided to visit.
Another church we decided to visit was the shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was closed however so we went back home for dinner after which we headed back to Route 40 to make some headway get to Arizona.
The next day we wanted to visit El Morro National Monument, a place of natural beauty and site of the remains of pueblo culture. Because of the heat and drought and the danger of wild fire the park was closed however and we were not able to visit or hike as we had planned. On our way through the area we crossed the continental divide at 7800 feet high. I had not noticed that we were that high, I did not want to drive that high with our rig but in the end it was not a problem at all. I guess it depends on the road and there were no big descends.
After getting back on Route 40 we decided to follow the old 66 and stopped at Gallup. We were hoping to see some remnants of the historic road but were disappointed. There was not much left of it and what we saw was not very pretty. We left a little disappointed and headed towards Arizona. That night we decided to visit the Petrified Forest National Park the following day. We were not sure at first as we did not know what to expect but we were not disappointed. It was one of the most impressive stops we had made since we got on the road.
The Petrified Forest
After breakfast and and home schooling we left for the National park. We did not have to drive far as we got close the day before. We entered through the South gate and stopped at the museum and gift shop. The museum’s exit led to a trail with all kinds of logs and sections of petrified wood. The color spectrum is quite incredible and with some of the trunks it was hard to believe that the wood had been petrified. The views throughout the park are incredible but seemed to get better, the further we went along in the park.
After we had finished walking the trail we got back into the car and followed the road. We stopped on several occasions and saw more petrified wood, Jasper Forest, Blue Mesa, Petroglyphes, remnants of a pueblo village, a memorial to the old Route 66 with an old car, a plaque and even some of the poles that ran along the road, the most stunning views at a variety of pull overs, the Painted Desert Inn and walked a couple more hikes.
The night before we were seriously contemplating not going to the park but thankfully made the right decision. We spend probably 8 hours but on occasion rushed through and could have easily spend more time. The park closes at 7:30, so we got back on the road after exiting close to route 40. Our next destination was Flagstaff with a few stops along the way first. On our drive in the night we must have passed Winslow so we did not get to stand on the corner. But we took the exit to Winona and saw the Rocks Creek Bridge.
We also stopped at Two Guns, a ghost town established in the early nineteen hundreds. Way before then a massacre happened when apparently Navajo Indians killed some Apache Indians in a cave. Billy the Kid and his outlaw gang spent a winter in a ruin across Diablo Canyon near Two Guns
In the early nineteen hundreds a businessman purchased the land and built a shop near the cave where the massacre had happened. He sold some land to another business man who built the gas station, a shop and a restaurant.. again another businessman leased some land and built a Zoo. There are still ruins from that time and on one of the exhibits you can read Mountain Lions. It was quite a walk from the exit of route 40 but very interesting to look back into the past. the walk along the cliff where there had been some of the cages was very pretty, too.
The gas station close to the exit was sprayed with graffiti and the smell reminded me of Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo because of the spray paint. After about 45 minutes it wwas time to get back on the road. We stopped quickly at Two Arrows, a gas station that had two giant wooden arrows stuck into the ground in front of it (one of which was lying on the ground). The gas station was in ruins but the pumps were still standing and one could walk through the building which was again covered with graffiti.
Our plan was to also stop at Walnut Canyon National Monument but because of construction we missed the exit and as it was already later in the day we decided not to turn around. Instead we drove along the Old 66 in Flagstaff which was definitely one of the nicer and better kept parts of the old road and much nicer than what we had seen in Gallup. I would like to stop at Seligman which is supposed to be very a great memorial to 66.
While we were driving through Cottonwood and Clarkdale we saw some beautiful reminders of the historic 89A something I expected from Route 66 in a lot of locations.
Later that night we made it to our camp ground near Cottonwood. We had to descend from Flagstaff some 3000 feet with a descend of up to 6% for 16 miles.
After some white knuckle driving in the dark, at least I was not distracted by the breathtaking views along the way, we made it down the mountain and arrived a day earlier than planned.
Now we have 2 weeks in the area and can enjoy some of the nicer RV parks and sceneries of our journey.
When we got on the road in December last year, we thought we’d stay in RV-parks all the time and did not really think about staying in the middle of no-where. Mostly because of the inconvenience of not having water and sewer. The exception was when we were between destinations and stayed at a Walmart, Cracker barrel or at a rest area.
As we headed further West things opened up and more and more opportunities to boon-dock arose. Especially in Arizona and Utah Bureau of Land Management (BLM) – Lands were abundantly available. The first time we spent the night in Dispersed Camping was close to the Grand Canyon when a friend suggested to stay in one particular spot. We enjoyed it so much that we stayed another night. Of course the Grand Canyon made it an easy decision and we might have stayed even longer but we had to be at a convention in Provo Utah. On our way from the Grand Canyon we stayed at Dispersed Camping again. Each time we set up camp in the dark and were amazed where we were in the morning. In Arizona we woke up in the forest with no one else in sight. In Utah we woke up on a small field with mountains around us. Just recently we stayed near the Salt Flats at the Nevada border in Utah and loved it.
Our first boon-docking site near the Grand Canyon
I think we like Dispersed Camping so much because we are connected to our surroundings much closer, we are seeing things from a completely different angle and in a way are feeling more free than in an RV park worrying about the noise and occasional chaos in our trailer at an RV park. The children are less restricted and can do things more freely. We as parents don’t have to worry about the well-meant opinions of other people of how to bring up our children. In general there are much fewer restrictions than in any RV-park.
We are also closer connected as a family as we have to spent more time together. We play games, have bicycle races, the children built a fort together etc. But there is of course time to step back and have some alone-time.
Up until then…
we had to learn how to set up and live in an RV. We were looking for the comfort of hook-ups for power, sewer and water. It did not take us long to figure it out and we became very comfortable. I trained Noah and Sebastian to help set up and break down and everyone has their responsibilities. We can move within 2 hours if we did not prepare anything the day prior, faster if we get a few things done the night before.
But one thing seemed to be missing. We did not explore much, go on hikes or bike rides. We went to the pool a lot and the kids spent a lot of time in the club house and with other kids. The first time we went hiking was in Arizona when we went up Cathedral Rock. We made it a point to go hiking that time. Yes before we went to visit towns, the beach or other sights but we had to travel there and set up camp and of course pay. Much of this changes when you are camping on BLM Lands.
On the Ridge of Cathedral Rock
What we’ve learned so far
Of course you need certain things to live in an RV. Power – we have a (gas powered) generator and one solar panel on the roof of the trailer; Water – until now we always bought water at the store and used tap water with the Birkie; and Food – we have a Costco membership and can store food in various places. Of course we need to do laundry once a week and run a few other errands as well. The Internet is important for us to have for our business. And then of course we have to empty the tanks every now and then.
Power
With the generator we get enough power to run one A/C. Of course it runs on gas and with the prices currently (Thanks to the current administration) we need to be mindful of how much we use it. With the one gas can we are carrying with us we have enough power for about 3 days. Food we usually buy with a few exceptions for one to two weeks.
Water
Water we store in a large tank in the trailer. I always was worried about the extra weight and the water moving while we were traveling, but it has been fine. So now we carry about 60 gallons fresh water in the tank. We also have another two 10 gallon tanks in the back of the van. Water is a precious commodity when you’re boon-docking. We never have enough for our family so we have to constantly get more. Most gas stations with a dump station have potable water as well but in the dessert near the Bonville Salt Flats none of them did. We had to buy water at the store once we ran out. we went to the swimming pool one day to refresh and got on the road again a couple days later.
Of course you need water for the dishes as well but you can limit that by cooking food that does not require a lot of dishes like grilling or the pressure cooker and use disposable plates which we do not like to do.
In the forest we told our boys to use gods bathroom and saved water this way as well.
Internet
For the internet when parking on BLM land we look at our phones for cellular service and internet. Certain apps ie. Campendium will give you a good idea about cellular service. Through a tip of friends we started using the wifi hot spot from T-mobile and have had great results. Our phones are using the Verizon network but the T-mobile router has been the go to source for internet.
Campendium is a great source free campgrounds or dispersed parking, dump sites and amenities. Another app we have used is The Dyrt.
But I found out recently that the Garmin GPS I bought especially for our RV travels has all this built in and I get the directions for a rig our size rather than for a regular car. I can avoid tolls and dont have to worry about a bridge being too low or weight restricted. It has also been better finding spots to stay than the app.
Are we worried about anything?
I come from Germany and we do not have any harmful animals in the wild. Coming to the US and knowing there are venomous snakes, scorpion, bears and mountain lion makes me think when we are in the forest or elsewhere in the wilderness. But people have lived with them for a long time. Usually most creatures want to be left alone so we told the children to make a lot of noise and stomp their feet when we are walking outdoors and to avoid certain areas or be extra careful. Mountain lions and bears are rare enough that we don’t worry about them.
As a homeschooling family we are aware that certain states have stricter laws than others. We have our routine every morning and are usually done around one o’clock. occasionally when we go hiking we learn on the road, read in the car and being outside in nature is a way of learning in itself. We are members of Home School Legal Defense just in case we run into any issues.
The same thing could happen with any kind of laws so we are checking those online before we cross state borders.
Sunset in the desert near Bonneville Speedway
Leaving our trailer unattended
When we staying near the Grand Canyon we obviously wanted to go see it. We arrived at our site in the dark and stayed pretty close to the dirt road. After school before we left for the Grand Canyon I moved the trailer a little further into the woods and we left it there. We were told by friends who coincidentally parked close to us not to leave the trailer alone with the slides in as it is easier to steal and also to get a lock for the hitch which will make it much harder, yet.
We have been enjoying our life on the road in general but have fallen in love with being out in the desert, the forest or in the mountains. You can’t get much closer to nature than this. The kids are also enjoying this lifestyle. We want to offer them both opportunities; to play with other kids and have a swimming-pool and amenities nearby but also to experience the life outdoors – near a lake, a river, the desert or the mountains.
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