#vanlife

Last week we rolled in from our longest van trip to date.  Three weeks.  And I'm telling you ..... after three RVs .... namely: one small trailer, one monster motorhome, and one small toy hauler .... we have found IT.    Now, granted, if a person (or two persons to be exact) is planning to live full time on wheels for over two years ..... a monster motorhome is the way to go.  But we found we didn't necessarily like, for various reasons, living in one.  (Except those few weeks in Palm Springs were preeeettty sweet.)  

Husband was leery at first about spending too many consecutive days in a 23 foot van, fearing claustrophobia.  Learning our limits is still in progress.   

The trip:

We started out heading north into our neighboring state of Washington which does a bang-up job of islands, mountains, national parks, water, and ferries.  And although wildfires were still a-blazin', we managed to avoid most smoke .... at first.  

May I just say, if you have not been on a ferry going to the San Juan Islands of NW Washington, you are missing out.  We have done it more times on bicycles, which is MUCH cheaper than in a car.  This time we needed a reservation for the ferry and were left with the only time available .... 6:15 a.m.  Taking a vehicle longer than 22 ft. on the ferry sends the price into orbit (>$200).   'Tis sobering until you realize that you are taking your lodging across with you, eliminating the need for a hotel room (which are also pricey there).  We stayed there two nights, thus making the cost reasonable.  Our ultra-early departure (we had to be at the ferry terminal before daylight) seemed unfortunate until the sunrise happened.  Now we recommend it, because .... wow.  

One of my favorite spots in the PNW is on the far side of the largest island of the San Juans .... called Roche Harbor, which is where we put our kayak to use.  Roche Harbor floats in a fairyland of green forested hills, flower gardens, artists' booths, restaurants, and even a small historic hotel.  Not to mention the boats.    (New England, move over.)

The next highlight of our travels was an oft-overlooked little National Park just south of the Canada border, called North Cascades.  (Have you heard of it??  I had not until last year and I LIVE A DAY'S DRIVE AWAY.)  Many of the best parts can be seen from your car.  We did a 3.5 mile hike up to a view point overlooking Diablo Lake, then discovered the best view (shown in next picture) was from a pull-out, further up the road.  Totally stunning and the color of the water LOOKED JUST LIKE THIS.  (Something to do with glacial silt.)  

However, if you go there, plan around the weather.  We rode our motorcycle through it last year on an unfortunately rainy day, and much of the scenery was obscured in the clouds and fog.  Hence, we HAD to go back this year.  Really ..... no need to go all the way to Banff in Canada until you've been here.  Have I mentioned how much I love to visit (parts of) Washington??  Except for the coast, it beats Oregon, in my opinion. 

I will pause here briefly to mention one of the best parts of #vanlife.  (The hashtag matters.  Don't ask me why.)  We use an app called iOverlander which shows out-of-the-way campsites, all found and shared by other campers.  It connects to google maps to make them easy to locate, complete with reviews.  We have stayed in some wonderful spots, usually free, including:  

By the water in Anacortes (up to 72 hours allowed) about a mile from the ferry terminal, where we spent the night listening to the seagulls.  

Somewhere close to the Canadian border, out in the woods overlooking the mountains.  

(North Cascade NP is seen off in the distance.  We would've have stayed longer in this spot if we had cell reception for our zoom church service .... since the next morning was Sunday.  So instead, we drove to and attended church via our iPad, at a park next to the Grand Coulee Dam.)

.... And next to a river along a remote road near Coeur d'Alene, 

etc, etc.

It's totally legit.  No itinerary needed.  No reservations.  We just consult the app and figure out where we want to spend the next night or two as we go along.  It's doable when you are completely self-contained with your own water, power, and most important ... bathroom. 

We touched briefly into Montana then back through the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho and discovered that Ketchum, Idaho, (an upscale town by Sun Valley) has an amazing network of paved bike paths throughout and beyond the town.  We hauled our folding bikes out of the van and went for a ride.  

Interspersed along the way, we got some much-needed family time with siblings, after which we planned to head east towards the Tetons and maybe Yellowstone.  But the smoke stopped us.  So we rerouted to Wallowa Lake in NE Oregon, where the smoke promptly followed.  We scrapped our plan to do more kayaking or to ride the tram up the mountain (too hazy) but did a little biking and a rousing game of miniature golf where Yours Truly (non-golfer) sunk the last hole and won a free game.  Ha!  And Husband discovered a prime fishing spot (perhaps his new favorite) on the Wallowa river.  

We had heard the smoke was bad at home, so we stayed away until it was supposed to improve and then drove home, returning right after there had been a good soaking rain that everyone talked about the next day.  

Thoughts:

Any future traveling in Oregon, Washington, Idaho (and thereabouts) this time of year, should probably be towards the coast where it rains more.  Otherwise plan on smoke.  Or maybe wait until October.  It is the new normal.  

Idaho keeps its beauty hidden.  To find it, you must abandon I-84 and go north. 

Husband never felt claustrophobic.  (I think fishing-therapy played a part.)  We're ready to go farther.  Alaska.  Next year.  

Maybe next time we will take either the bikes or the kayak.  It all fit, but the van garage was crammed full.  

The dog was thrilled to get home.  

We love our van.  

 

Better by the dozen

Just a few months ago, we arrived at a total of twelve grand-twigs on our family tree.   This may be it for us, concerning this newest generation.  Or not.  As far as the end goes, the "fat lady" has not sung yet, although I did have a certain hymn stuck in my head this morning which I avoided humming out loud for fear it would never leave, but I digress ....  

Our even dozen grandkids, who all came from spectacular parents, are on a new level of spectacular and if you don't want to hear about them, you're excused to go check Facebook.  I'm ranking them by age and thus, will start with .....

#1 is a gentle young man who lives in a small, yet secure sphere.  He does not speak because of a mystery called autism and I cannot wait to someday learn about the myriad of secrets locked inside of him.  I have no doubt they'll be profound.  

#2 has no secrets locked inside as she is quite willing to express every thought whether asked for or not.  We've stockpiled years of laughter over her many uninhibited verbal-isms.  She too has autism and she finds noise, and sometimes people in general, very off-putting, but at the same time, can enjoy being the center of attention.  If grandmas are allowed to have favorites, she'd be in my top tier.  

#3 just got his driver's license this year and I'd trust him to drive me anywhere.  (I'm not sure I could have said that about my own kids at that age.)  He somehow evolved from a square-peg-in-a-round-hole kid to someone who is smart, mature, pleasant, helpful, and he leaves a wake of impressed people behind him.  I know this because they tell me. 

#4 has not stopped smiling since he was born.  Nor has he stopped collecting things, and I'm always lagging behind on what the current collection consists of .... from anything related to dinosaurs, to rocks, to coins, to ......  He is a true entrepreneur and would be thrilled if, instead of receiving a typical kid toy for his birthday, he received stock market shares.  I'm not kidding.  And after a visit to our house, if anyone accidentally leaves something behind, it'll be him.  

#5 is getting precariously close to teenage-hood and her delightful personality is showing more since she actually started talking to me.  It took a weeklong trip of hiking in Utah canyons together.  She's becoming her mother's worst fear, which is .... pretty ..... since *pretty* is often more challenging to raise than is *average*.  Especially through the teen years.  She also inherited her mom's artistic talent and anyone who sees her drawings does a double-take.  

#6 is our freckled tomboy and I unabashedly take full credit for it, since that used to be me.  She is determined to never be outdone by her older brothers and I've yet to see her admit to being afraid of anything.    If a chore can be ignored or put off till tomorrow, she will take full advantage and then giggle her way out of it.  

#7 can pull off the most woe-is-me face when describing, in full detail, all the injustices in her little world .... which are usually brought on by a younger sibling.  She cannot tell a story without dancing, prancing, and twirling for added emphasis.  She loves anything and everything girl-related and even though she has yet to start first grade, reads amazingly well.  If you are deserving, she will grace you with a genuine hand-colored picture for your forever enjoyment.

#8 ...... if you recall the cartoon characters, "Pinky and the Brain" .... she is the Brain, in pigtails.  Just know that behind that beguiling little face lurks deep thoughts, some of which may seem quite curious at best, or a bit morbid at worst.  Like her older sister, she has mastered the twirling and dancing and will also color a picture of flowers or unicorns (always in pink) to give as her highest token of esteem.  

#9 is the quintessential "snips and snails and puppy dog tails" who careens through his day with the typical forethought of any three-year-old boy.  Fortunately, in addition to his dutiful parents, he has his two older sisters who are not only very quick to jump in and speak for him, but to both mother him and complain about him almost simultaneously.  He is the first one to get a bump or scrape and will then bellow at full volume if you even suggest taking a look at it.  But his dimpled cheeks and enormous blue eyes win over any situation.

#10 just turned one about a month ago, so we are all still making our introductions.  He has luscious dark brown hair, deep sparkly-blue eyes, and would have the most kissy-poochy mouth if it wasn't always wet with drool.  The next time we see him, he'll probably be walking and thank goodness for that, because he's about as heavy as a sack full of lead.   But be warned ..... do not take him more than a few steps away from his mama, or he will let you hear about it.

#11 and #12 came as a packaged deal and we have even more to learn about them.  One of each gender and I don't remember which one emerged a minute or two before the other.  They must have ridden a lot of roller coasters in heaven before they were born because their new little lives have been full of ups and downs.  And thankfully, the ups are winning the race.  They're still learning that nighttime is for sleeping, and better yet, to be done in sync with each other, so as to give their tired parents relief.  But they've already melted far more hearts than this tiny pair would seem capable.  

So there you have it.  We're fairly sure that somehow, we won the tree lottery.  We love each one of these twigs which will someday become leafy branches with twigs of their own.  And if you're cringing at how *sappy* that sounds ..... that makes two of us.  

Ebikes, baby!

Note:  Auto-correct is NOT happy about the word "ebike" and is fiercely fighting me each time I type it.  If you are also unfamiliar with it, it means electric bikes.  And we got some!  

In our previous life, Husband and I both rode regular bikes and had some glorious biking adventures.  We rode tandems and single bikes, hybrids and road bikes.  That all abruptly ended about 7-8 years ago with the acquisition of a motorcycle .... truly a happy event as far as the legs and Tush were concerned.   

Then, with the advance of lithium batteries, e b i k e s (take THAT, auto-correct!) exploded onto the scene with a plethora of different makes and models.  Back in the day (dang, that sounds old)  there used to be a manageable number of bike manufacturers .... Trek, Cannondale, Specialized, etc., and local shops sold many of them.  However, over months of researching e b i k e s, I kept encountering more and more brands.  And I'm talking dozens!  Test-riding them all was impossible.  Heck, without criss-crossing the USA and Canada, it was impossible to even SEE most of them before purchasing.  

About a year ago, a friend loaned us his Rad bike for a while, which is probably the most widely-known brand, and are only sold online.  But in the end, Husband chose the high-quality components of a Tern, and I wanted a lighter, low-step (think of the old girl-style bikes) and got a Magnum.  (I'll bet you never heard of either name.  See what I mean??)  We purchased both at local shops and both fold in half for easier packing into ..... you guessed it .... our van.  

In fact, the van was our main reason for getting e b i k e s.  We can travel to wherever, park, set up camp, and then ride the bikes to ... say ... go eat or explore, without having to undo all that setting up to drive somewhere.  Flawless plan, right?  

We figure it's best to carry them inside our vehicle, rather than on a rack, to avoid the sad possibility of them disappearing into the night.  And, as a nod to one of my previous posts about my delight in van mods, I installed straps in the van "garage" to keep the two folded bikes upright and separated, so they don't attack each other during transit.  

Speaking of mods ... on my bike I've added a front basket, different seat, and a mirror.  Husband tries to hold onto a semblance of his former youthful-biking-coolness but alas, I'm afraid, due to the big basket attached to his rear fender (for holding either groceries or dog) he will probably fall short of that goal.  I don't care how I look because, for me, this bike is not about appearances, it's about utility.   (Wouldn't matter anyway .....)  At least there are no more dreaded clip-in shoes (the cause of my two minor, previous-life bike crashes) nor any padded spandex whatsoever. 

My e b i k e (as do most) has two amazing features.  The first one is a throttle which I seldom use because the second feature -- "Peddle Assist" -- pretty much does it all.  I have the option of riding without engaging either of those features (nobody does that), or push a button and WHOOSH .... hills become a non-issue.  I still do enough peddling to get a respectable workout without rendering myself useless for the rest of the day.  (For those of you who know and care-- most of the time I'm in PA levels 1 or 2.)  The downside of this operation is that the battery must be recharged now and then, and for that, one must have the presence of mind to remember to do it.  Supposedly I should be able get well over 50 miles per charge, depending on how much peddling I do, but that remains to be tested.  One thing's for sure, you do NOT want to be caught mid-ride with a depleted battery because that would leave you with nothing but some seriously heavy slogging* to get home.  (*Impromptu term for manually pedaling an over 50-lb bike.)

My way of mentally dealing with the sticker-shock of a new bike is to ride it.  And that I have.  Well ... some.  The countryside where I live is decidedly dull and colorless and almost everywhere looks the same except for an occasional (and sometimes startlingly) massive canyon.  Not to mention, this time of year it's usually too hot to ride after nine a.m.  So far the Tush's limit is about 18 miles, but I have hopes that'll improve because there's a Dairy Queen in town that would entail a 30 mile round trip, give or take.  

This is at the Alvord Desert in SE Oregon which was on our Must Return list.  We first went there five years ago and I wrote about it here.  It was the perfect place (for me) to get used to a new type of bike because there is literally nothing (NOTHING!) you can run into.  The larger of those two specks in the distance is Husband on his bike, and the tiny speck is our dog in hot pursuit.  (Didn't have the basket yet.)

So time will tell.  All our former-life bikes are gone except for one (not mine) that hosts a thick layer of dust.   And hopefully this blasted heat wave will JUST STOP IT!  

STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!!

......... (See previous semi-grumpy post.)