Small Town America

October 18, 2020October 18, 2020by Ingrid102 Comments

We hit the road last Monday, but before we got those RV wheels rolling again, there was one more place I needed to visit. Ok, maybe I didn’t need to visit, but I certainly wanted to visit Bayfield, Wisconsin. My goals were apple picking and photographing fall foliage.

It was the first week in October, and at 6:00 in the morning, it was only 27 degrees Fahrenheit outside. It was definitely cold and I was very grateful the furnace in the RV was running like a champ. When I looked outside everything was coated in a thick layer of white frost. And when I stepped outside, I could actually see my breath 🥶

A frosty cold morning – Oct. 4th – 27 degrees F

Al questioned my Bayfield excursion, but I knew it would be a mostly sunny day with light winds. I had to get out and enjoy the day. The prior couple of weeks, the weather had been gloomy and depressing … typical Midwestern weather that I always hated. Thus, I was grateful for a day of sunshine and planned on taking full advantage of the nice weather.

So on a brisk fall morning, I bundled up in layers, set upon scraping the frost off the truck windshield, loaded up a picnic lunch and an extra coat, and jumped in the truck for the 90 minute drive.

A beach along Lake Superior with fall colors

Visiting Bayfield, Wisconsin

I fell in love with this captivating small American town last summer. Picturesque Bayfield, with a population of less than 500, is the gateway to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. It’s located at the far northern edge of Wisconsin along the southern shores of Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world. The rolling hills, lush vegetation, and beautiful Lake Superior shoreline make visiting this part of northern Wisconsin well worth the out of the way drive. It’s the perfect place for me to escape everyday life and enjoy a little solitude while taking in the lovely landscape.

Blue Vista Farm

There are over a dozen orchards and fruit farms surrounding the town. My go-to orchard is the Blue Vista Farm. Considering my daughter and I had such a fun time picking blueberries here at the end of July, I was really looking forward to re-visiting and picking apples. Unfortunately, due to circumstances surrounding the 2020 pandemic, the Bayfield Apple Festival was canceled, and therefore, the owners of Blue Vista Farms decided to press their harvest of apples this season.

(To enlarge a photo in a gallery, simply click on any image.)

Oh well, not all was lost. I had a wonderful time walking around the property with my camera and then purchased some freshly pressed apple cider before heading off to my next stop. (BTW … I should’ve purchased more apple cider. It was incredibly delicious and fresh.)

Gil Larsen Nature Trail

On the north end of town, across the street from the library, is the trailhead to the Iron Bridge and Nature Trail. This was a new find for me. I absolutely loved hiking this ravine and was definitely in my happy place. It’s an out and back trail that’s less than two miles roundtrip. So it’s not a long trail but certainly worthwhile and gorgeous.

The trail meanders along a creek and passes under the historic Old Iron Bridge. The trail is a variety of wooden bridges, dirt ground, wood boardwalks, steps, and rocky creek crossings. Fortunately, my visit was during the beginning of October when the creek was merely trickling with water making the creek crossings easy-peasy. And no bugs to contend with … a huge bonus. I would imagine springtime could present a different kind of experience and challenge.

Along the way are benches for visitors to sit for a moment to admire the surroundings and take in the sights and sounds. I was thrilled to photograph the woodpecker and listen to it pecking away at a tree. The thick canopy of trees and tall earthen walls blocked much of the blue skies giving a sense of mystery to my surroundings. The cool damp air added to the unique experience.

This trail felt somewhat reminiscent to me … possibly similar to a western slot canyon. Perhaps this ravine is the Midwestern version of a slot canyon. Did I already tell you how much I loved exploring this nature trail?

Walking across the historic Old Iron Bridge – Rice Avenue

Once I completed walking the nature trail, I decided to walk around town a little bit and eventually walked over the Old Iron Bridge. The bridge towers pretty high above the nature trail as it crosses the ravine. Looking down, it was difficult to spot the trail that I had just hiked due to the dense tree foliage. The autumn colors were vibrant and I was awed by the overall beauty.

small town America along the shores of Lake Superior dotted with fall colors

Beyond downtown

Should you ever find yourself visiting charming Bayfield, Wisconsin, be sure to venture beyond the main street (Rittenhouse Avenue). I was undoubtedly in my happy place as I explored. I was delighted with the architecture, the tree-lined hilly streets, hiking a magical trail, and strolling the friendly quaint town. Basically, I loved the overall atmosphere and landscape that embodies this small American town in northern Wisconsin.

Bayfield is one of those places that has captured my heart. So I guess, it’s safe to say, I plan on returning next season. 🤞 “God willing and the creek don’t rise!”

Photo Challenges – Sunday Stills. This week, Terri asks us to share images of “Your Happy Place”. Whenever I’m out and about in nature with my camera, I’m in my happy place. Not only was I in my happy place this past summer, but northern Wisconsin also served as a great “Hideaway”. During our four-month stay, Al and I pretty much kept ourselves isolated either on remote private property or out in nature. Lens Artists Photo Challenge #119 – My Hideaway – alone in nature!

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RV Tidbits

Trip Planning & Favorite Apps

May 24, 2020May 23, 2020by Ingrid84 Comments

What do you do when it’s 105 degrees Fahrenheit outside without a cloud in the sky? You stay hunkered down inside the RV with the air-conditioner blaring and do some serious trip planning. Yep, it is definitely time to head north in search of cooler weather. With this year’s Phoenix high temps arriving early and some days soaring well over ten degrees higher than normal, it’s beginning to make a Wisconsin forest infested with man-eating mosquitos look pretty darn inviting. I can hear the buzzing now!

Between COVID and the soaring temps, the interior of my RV is beginning to feel more like a rubber room with a crazy lady holed up inside instead of the free-wheeling vessel of months past. Ah, this too shall pass … soon I hope 🤪

So with a clear date in mind (well, kinda) to finally hit the road and point the RV in a northeasterly trajectory, Al and I pull up Google maps and start discussing the route and timeline for our 1,900-mile journey to the north woods of Wisconsin. This year, we won’t be doing any dilly-dallying along the way. Instead, we’ll focus on the destination and keep the wheels rolling and see if we’re up to some long driving days.

We always have several plans in mind with lots of flexibility built-in. Research is the key to any successful road trip whether it’s via RV or automobile. With a trusty pen and notepad in hand, ideas, mileage, and stops are quickly jotted down.

Favorite Apps for RV trip planning

I have a few apps that I really like that aid us in our trip planning. Some of which, I use more than others. The two apps that I find myself using most frequently, especially while on the road, are Allstays Camp & RV ($9.99 one time fee) as well as GasBuddy (free).

My Apps

Allstays App – Map

My favorite feature about the Allstays Camp & RV app is their map. I can zoom in on any given location and find just about anything that’s relevant to my travel day including low bridges. Yeah, when the RV measures out to be 12’6″ tall, we obviously like to avoid bridges under 13′ high and the Allstays app notes those low bridges. Since we mostly stick to main roads and interstates, we’re usually going over and not under these low bridges, thus not too much of a concern. BUT it’s wise not to be surprised!

I know a lot of RVers use a GPS specifically geared toward RVing and trucking. We don’t and only occasionally use our basic Garmin (an old GPS at that). I much prefer to navigate myself via a map. The GPS, named Hildi, has lead us astray more than once. So I don’t always trust her and like to back her up with a paper map and my iPhone.

I also enjoy all the other info noted right on the map including rest stops, Walmarts, Propane (LP), campgrounds, RV Parks, etc.

Although the Allstays app notes diesel gas stations (predominantly truck stops), I prefer using the app called GasBuddy when searching for filling options. Not only does the app list gas stations and addresses near your location, but also, up to date pricing.

We aren’t necessarily price based diesel shoppers, meaning we’re not always looking for the cheapest fuel, but it is nice to know what price to expect before pulling into any given gas station.

When it comes to diesel fuel, going the cheap route will almost always cost you more down the road via maintenance. Yep, been there, done that, bought the T-shirt … expensive lessons learned. I’d recommend talking to your favorite diesel mechanic about what to consider when fueling up.

Apps for finding camping options

When it comes to finding places to stay, I usually start with Allstays because I’m already on the app map, and then I jump over to Campendium (free). The Campendium website was developed over eight(?) years ago by a full-time RVing couple. So they live the RV life, are knowledgeable, and know how to serve the RV community.

I was actually one of their Beta Testers back in their infancy and used to post campground reviews on the site regularly, but since our style of RVing has changed over the past few years, I haven’t engaged on the platform for quite some time, but I still use it routinely for research and ideas.

Campendium is most helpful for finding boondocking/off-grid camping. I especially like the reviews written by fellow RVers and the links to blogs/vlogs providing additional information.

iOverlander (free) is another good app for boondocking/free camping.

The newest app that I just started playing around with is called The Dyrt. I’m still learning the ins and outs and looking into their trip planning feature ($29.99 a year). I’ll let you know what I think.

Saying goodbyes

So with our trip planning pretty much accomplished, we’re spending this Memorial Day Weekend hanging with family and saying our goodbyes. It’s always bittersweet for me. On one hand, I’m excited to get the wheels on the RV rolling, after all, that is why we live the RV lifestyle, and on the other hand, I’m sad to bid farewell to family and friends. But adventure awaits, and I remind myself, 4-5 months down the road, we’ll be returning to our home base back here at the RV Park in Phoenix, Arizona. But today … lake life is calling!

How are you spending your summer? Are you going anywhere exciting or opting for a staycation?

Life is about the moments. Don’t wait for them, create them! – Anthony Robbins

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Ingrid's Corner

Freedom and Independence Halted

April 5, 2020April 6, 2020by Ingrid92 Comments

A nomadic lifestyle may seem like a dream and for many, it is especially in the beginning, but there are some disadvantages to the nomadic life that become evident over time and more so now than ever before. Al and I have been living in our RV full-time for the past seven years, and we have a pretty good handle on the slew of emotions, good and bad, that come with living a nomadic life.

The life of an RV nomad is usually filled with a mixture of thoughts and emotions that will ebb and flow from day to day … excitement, dreamy, adventurous, rewarding … along with challenging, uncertainty, and fear. Let’s add in a worldwide pandemic and those challenges, uncertainties, and fear are taken to a whole new level.

a sidewalk meandering through a desert landscape. Social distancing. — No problem social distancing when I take my morning walks.

Shelter in Place – Stay at Home – Social Distance

Those are new phrases that many of us have never used or used on any sort of regular basis prior to March of 2020. These days, stay at home, shelter in place or social distancing are phrases we hear routinely on a daily basis. We’re living in a new reality that has brought to light a major disadvantage for those living a nomadic life.

We’ve seen our favorite nomad YouTuber’s stuck in foreign countries or scrambling to get back home … wherever they consider home. We’ve seen our fellow RV nomads posting on Facebook and RV forums asking for help in finding a spot to shelter in place. Across the United States, campgrounds and public lands are closing left and right and in the process canceling reservations that full-time RVers were counting on as a place to live. RVers are told to return home. The problem for a full-time RVer is they have no physical home to return to. Home is where we park it. So, where are these full-time nomads expected to shelter-in-place?

Fear and uncertainty

When local governments started ordering non-essential businesses to close, that included campgrounds – public and private. Apparently, no one took into consideration the million or so Americans that live in their RVs full-time.

With the help of several RV organizations, a few state governments were flooded with pleas, and fortunately, we’ve seen either a rule reversal or a little leniency regarding the essential need for private RV Parks to remain open.

The situation varies from state to state and here in Arizona, the rules aren’t as strict or cut and dry as in other states.

Sure the Grand Canyon is currently closed to all visitors, but private RV Parks throughout Arizona are open and left to make their own judgment call in regards to accepting new guests.

Also, most BLM (government-owned) land in Arizona is still available as a place for RVers to hunker down.

Considering Arizona is such an RV friendly state with a huge population of full-time RVers living here half the year, I believe our local government is well aware of these facts and realize cutting off RV access would not solve anything but rather cause a whole new problem.

In addition, many of these private RV Parks in Arizona and Florida have year-round residents. Some of these folks live in Park Models while others in an RV. Asking folks to leave an RV Resort would be tantamount to asking anyone in a traditional subdivision that they’d have to move out of their house.

So, since Al and I rent an annual lot, we weren’t in any jeopardy of not having a place to shelter or ‘stay at home‘, and we’ll stay home in Phoenix until we’re told it’s safe to travel again. But many of our RV friends aren’t as lucky and are scrambling to find a solution. No one wants to be the cause of spreading this virus any more than it already has and most full-time RVers aren’t traveling unless forced to by circumstances.

We’ve seen the good in people when complete strangers offer up shelter to those in need. Whether it’s a room in a house or a driveway or piece of land to park the RV, these stories are heartwarming. We’ve also seen the not so good from rude individuals posting nasty comments on social media (biz as usual for some, I guess). But overall, good seems to prevail during this time of crisis.

Freedom and Independence

Most of us choose the RV lifestyle to immerse ourselves in a sense of freedom and independence. We long to discover the country’s deepest secrets and hidden gems. We strive to capture the perfect landscape photo and/or Instagram selfie (guilty of both). After all, it’s the stuff dreams are made of … trading in the traditional nine-to-five routine for a freewheeling, wind in your hair kind of carefree lifestyle – a lifestyle of freedom.

Freedom: the absence of constraint in choice or action. The state of being free, independent, without restrictions.

For RVers, freedom usually means having the ability to go wherever whenever one chooses. We live independently on our terms. We’re adventurers, explorers, and out of the box thinkers.

But what happens when we’re told we can no longer move freely about? What does our life begin to look like? We’re not the kind of people to linger in one spot long enough for the grass to grow under our feet, but we’re living in uncertain times and unchartered waters and the wheels need to stop rolling. Some RVers have found a place to ride this unconventional storm out while others are still struggling and wondering where they can park for the foreseeable future. We’re all in this together and trying to find a new normal.

First weeks of ‘social distancing’ followed by a ‘stay at home’ order

What is normal during a pandemic? I spent the better part of March binge-watching stuff on my computer accompanied by feelings of denial, surreal, and WTF. Now in my defense, I’ll remind everyone that I was extremely ill during the month of February and it took most of March for me to regain my energy. Hey, when I get sick, I get sick, no mild stuff for this gal…. sigh! With that said, I still have an occasional cough that freaks people out every now and then. (always uses arm to cover mouth 😷)

Yep, it’s just an annoying cough. I’ve been to the doctor, had a CT scan, followed up with other medical stuff and I’m perfectly fine … finer than frog’s hair. Ever since I had Valley Fever a few years ago, I’m more susceptible to coughing than the typical person.

And now that I’ve flipped the calendar to April, I feel renewed, one might even say normal, whatever that is these days. Yeah, the world is still turned upside down, but my energy has returned and instead of being a blob on the couch, I’m once again a productive human being, well kind of. I’ve managed to stock up on way too many groceries, filling every nook and cranny in the RV. I have enough toilet paper, paper towels and kleenex to last us for the next six months. (I am sharing and not hoarding, just so y’all know)

I’ve been having fun in the kitchen playing around with new recipes and getting in some much-needed exercise so I don’t pack on the pounds with my tasty experiments. Life is slow and relaxing at the moment. Life has its stressful moments, but I have confidence that we’ll get through this.

I’m not sure how different life will look on the other side. I do have concerns, especially for the rising unemployment. Al and I know what’s it’s like to have bills, a mortgage, and a couple of small children and lose our income unexpectedly. That’s not a situation I’d wish on my worst enemy, and yet, millions of people around the globe are experiencing this unfortunate dilemma. Tourism in Arizona has been especially hit hard and many of our acquaintances are out of work … temporarily, I hope. My heart aches for these folks!

Arizona Biltmore Resort, Scottsdale, Arizona — Arizona Biltmore Resort, Scottsdale, AZ – temporarily closed

Every time I visit the grocery store, Walmart, or the RV dealer for parts (time to tend to those RV repairs), I thank the folks for working and make sure I stand as far away from them as possible. I keep those outings few and far between with hopes we can stop this virus from lingering or spreading any further.

Hitch itch and that desire to get those wheels rolling onto some new scenery are starting to settle in for many of us. I’m in dire need of a new landscape to photograph, but until we can hit the road, I’ll focus on cooking, taking advantage of this slow pace of life, and doing my part binge-watching something.

Stay safe and healthy, my friends. Remember,
alcohol kills germs.😀

survival supply store. liquor store. Total Wine and more — I visit the survival supply store and stock up!

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Arizona

Why I miss a Home Base | A Major Decision

February 16, 2020February 17, 2020by Ingrid144 Comments

The life of a nomad can appear glamorous. All you have to do is spend a little time on social media and the stunning images will have you longing to live a life of full-time travel. Yet those beautiful photographs don’t usually tell the whole story. I know I’m guilty of sharing predominantly the upside to RV living. Let’s face it, most people prefer to hear and see the positives of those living the nomadic life and ignore many of the realities.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told we’re living the dream which always makes me cringe. Ah, photographs, videos, and stories might appear like many nomads are indeed living a dream (and many feel they are), but in reality, there are days it’s far from a dream and more like a nightmare.

single lane tunnel in rearview mirror — RV won’t fit in that tunnel.

Travel fatigue, decision weariness, and sensory overload are real things.

My RVing friend, Laura at Chapter 3 Travels, recently wrote an article about travel burnout and the realities of living in an RV full-time. It’s a great read, and I would encourage any RV newbie or wannabe full-time RVer to read it.

Laura says … Because RVing has gotten so popular, and because a bunch of yahoo bloggers are all “blah, blah, blahing” about it online, there are more RVs on the road than ever before. What has not kept up is the supply of campgrounds. Ergo, supply and demand doing their thing means prices are going up and competition for choice sites is tougher than ever. Even worse, back in the olden days, there were plentiful options for boondocking on public lands. Now, many of those places are so overrun with RVers that public lands are actually closing down.

I couldn’t agree with Laura more and I accept the title of yahoo blogger knowing that she’s standing alongside me sharing that title.😁

Yep, traveling in an RV full-time ain’t what it used to be! Long gone are the days of traveling on a whim without reservations. Oh sure, Al and I still wing it when transitioning between locations, but we’re also willing to overnight in parking lots when campgrounds are full. (Walmart, Cracker Barrel, Cabela’s, Casinos, Truck Stops, Rest Stops) Those transitional travel nights are the only time we wing it.

Unfortunately, all the planning and scheduling that’s necessary has taken some of the fun out of RVing and that sense of freedom has changed. RVing full-time can be very stressful!

Why we got a year-round RV site

We’re in our seventh year of living the nomadic life … living in an RV full-time. A lot has changed over the years, including us. We’ve changed the way in which we travel. We’ve changed our goals and priorities. We’ve definitely slowed down as our equipment and our bodies have aged. Say it isn’t so! But to be honest, we’ve always traveled at a slower pace than a lot of other full-time RVers. Perhaps that’s why travel burnout has taken a little longer to hit us.

Even at our slow pace, we feel downright tired. Tired of planning. Tired of making never-ending decisions. Tired of researching. Tired of wondering if we’ll break down. And tired of worrying.

Now mind you, we’re not done with RV travel. Nope, not even close! We still love the adventure and socializing with like-minded friends, but we feel even the most adventurous need a break from a steady diet of travel. This is why many full-time RVers, Al and I included, start missing a home base … a place to go back to on our terms and regroup. A place we call ‘home’.

Sandhill cranes standing in reflection water — We love hanging out with like-minded friends.

Over the past several years, we’ve actually put contracts in on a few houses but were always relieved when negotiations stalled. We soon realized, we weren’t quite ready for the commitment of a sticks and bricks dwelling and that’s when the thought of an RV lot came to mind. We first heard about RVers owning their own lot several years ago through the Escapees organization.

At the time, we were relatively new to Full-time RVing and the thought seemed ridiculous to us. After all, the whole point of RVing is to travel. Why would anyone want to sit in an RV Park for months at a time? Well, after years of living life on the road, we finally get it! And now we’ve decided to rent a year-round RV site.

Why we chose the Pioneer RV Park in north Phoenix

Since our children live in Phoenix, Arizona this is where we spend the most amount of time throughout the year, and because of that, we made Phoenix our legal domicile several years ago.

Considering Phoenix is a winter hot spot for snowbirds, having a reservation in this entertaining city is an absolute must, especially during the most popular months of January, February, and March. Also, prepare for the city to explode in population during those prime months making traffic potentially difficult, but the good thing is with that influx in people, there’s no shortage of like-minded folks to mingle with and meet, and personally, we like that … just another upside to Arizona.

This is our third winter camping at the Pioneer RV Resort near Anthem, Arizona and it feels like home. It’s now our home base and a place we have the freedom to come and go without concerns of reservations or fears of backing in the RV. We know exactly which site is ours. It’s a place we can leave our second vehicle and a place where we feel a sense of community.

We decided to contract for an annual site last spring after our first six-month stay at the park. Six months in one location? Wow, we didn’t think we’d last that long without hitch-itch setting in, but we did. We also felt more relaxed than we had in years. Renting a year-round site seemed to solve most of our travel fatigue without making a long term commitment.

I’ll admit, paying the monthly rent on an RV site all summer while we were away, did grind at me, but when put into perspective, it’s not so bad. Let’s face it, if we had purchased a sticks and bricks house, we’d be paying property taxes and all the other things associated with homeownership every month including the months we are away traveling. So, this is no different and our monthly rental cost is significantly less expensive than most monthly expenditures for real estate.

For now, this works and solves some of our weariness. And with a mere thirty-day written notice, my rental obligation is nullified. This is the perfect solution for two people with location commitment issues.🤣 Perhaps if we didn’t have children, we might have chosen a place to purchase real estate by now. Or maybe, we’d still be drifting around. One never knows!

A lot of our RV friends that hit the road full-time when we did have either come off the road altogether or have gone part-time or have purchased lots at the Escapees parks or other similar parks. Then there are others who rent annual lots at various RV parks throughout the country as we’ve decided to do.

This changes everything!

So, with a monthly commitment, Al and I won’t be rolling much in the next year or two. We know we’ll be spending 6-8 months living in Phoenix, and during the hot weather months, we’ll escape the heat by traveling north. We’ll probably spend 3 months this summer back in Hayward, Wisconsin doing a repeat of last summer. We enjoyed that visit with family so much so that we’re already looking forward to this summer’s trip.

Will I miss our winter travels? Absolutely! But the travel downtime and the knowledge of knowing where we’ll be sleeping is very much needed at this stage in our journey. 2021 might look the same or we might shake things up. Aren’t choices wonderful?

So, now you know our plans. We’re always open to connecting. So, if you
find yourself in the Phoenix area, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Happy trails!

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Wisconsin

Lumberjacks, Rainbows, and Unicorns

August 18, 2019May 4, 2020by Ingrid69 Comments

One of my favorite things about RV travel is the ability to spend extended time in diverse landscapes. This past winter, we were exploring the Sonoran Desert surrounded by the majestic saguaro cactus, and this summer, we find ourselves living on lakefront property surrounded by a lush landscape full of tall trees and a forest floor carpeted with ferns and wildflowers. Talk about extremes!

I just love it when the stars align and my days are filled with rainbows and unicorns. Ah, life is good in the Northwoods … that is when one of their insane storms isn’t rolling through!

When we decided to spend our summer with family in northern Wisconsin, Al and I weren’t sure if we’d enjoy spending three months back in the Midwest. After all, since moving west in 1992, the most time we had spent back here was in 2015 when we only lastest five weeks. Yep, after five weeks back in Illinois and Wisconsin, we ended up canceling a bunch of reservations so we could high-tale it back to Colorado.

Although we enjoyed that Midwestern excursion in ’15, I think our mindset at the time was more interested in exploring places west of the Rocky Mountains. These days, I’m feeling a draw to return to my roots and some old stomping ground favorites.

Hayward, Wisconsin

Folks come to Hayward and the surrounding area to enjoy the abundance of lakes and relaxing way of life. As a child, I spent quite a few family summer vacations in this part of Wisconsin, and they were always so much fun that my siblings and I couldn’t wait for dad’s vacation time so we could return to our favorite lake and campground on the Chippewa Flowage. Ah, such fond memories and now we have family that actually live just down the road from that favorite place … with room for us to park our RV. How sweet is that!

RV camped in the northwoods on a foggy morning — A foggy morning at our summer campsite. Yoho!

During summer months, fishing, swimming, and strolling Hayward’s small-town streets are just a few fun activities in this former lumbering town. Hayward keeps its past alive by hosting the Lumberjack World Championships each summer. And guess what? We had the pleasure of attending this entertaining competition. This was definitely a first for me! Who knew there was an International Timber Sports Competition? I know, I didn’t. And it’s even televisioned on ESPN.

Lumberjack World Championships

The Lumberjack competition is a three-day celebration of timber sports with over 120 competitors from around the world. Competitors are from five different countries; Australia, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Canada, and the United States. There are 24 events including logrolling, boom running, sawing, chopping, axe throwing, and speed climbing.

Log Rolling: Lumberjacks and Lumberjills (yes, “lumberjill” … how cute is that!) run atop spinning, floating logs in an attempt to topple their opponents. If opponents don’t fall off after a specific time, they switch to a smaller log. Difficulty increases as the logs get smaller.

Boom Running: Competitors sprint atop a “boom” (a series of linked, floating logs) from one dock to another and back. The logs spin and dip. This is a test of speed and balance.

Boom running Lumberjack competition — Boom running

Sawing: Sawdust will fly when lumberjacks and Lumberjills attack lathe-turned white pine in a head-to-head competition using a crosscut saw or a souped-up chainsaw in a variety of fast and furious events.

Chopping: Lumberjacks and Lumberjills sharpen up their axes to compete in the high intensity standing chop, underhand chop, springboard chop, and standing block chop.

Throwing: Precision is the name of the game as competitors throw a double-bit axe as close to the center of a target as possible from a set distance away … bullseye!

Speed Pole Climbing: Lumberjacks go head to head in the breathtaking speed pole climb as they scale a 60′ or 90′ pole and seemingly fall to earth in record time.

Lumberjack World Championship Hayward Wisconsin — The storm passed just in time for the competition to begin.

Fortunately, the threatening storm clouds passed just to the north of Lake Hayward allowing clear skies to prevail for the championship to begin on time. “Yoho!” This was a really fun and interesting sporting event. The competition moved rapidly keeping everyone entertained. At various times throughout the event, spectators could be heard yelling “Yoho!”.

The story behind the “Yoho” goes something like this… Back at lumber camp (many moons ago), one of the lumberjacks needed to visit the outhouse. The weather was clear when he first entered, but upon exiting the outhouse the forest had become covered in a thick layer of fog. The fog was so thick that it was impossible for him to find his way back to camp. So he yelled out “yoho” to his fellow lumberjacks who in turn yelled “yoho” back. The yelling of “yoho” back and forth helped guide the lumberjack back to camp. “Yoho!” 😏

A special treat

Ah, when those stars align … seeing wildlife in their environment is always a special treat and my encounters with the Loons this summer has been amazing but seeing a bald eagle was equally spectacular.

The first time I saw this gal/guy fly by was during happy hour. There we were, sitting on the back screened-in porch on the upper level of the lake house enjoying our margaritas when a huge bird swooped down from the top of the house and flew by us at eye level. We could literally hear the movement of her wings. I was giddy with excitement. I had no idea that this would be the first of many eagle sightings during my summer jaunt to the Northwoods.

Country living

We are absolutely loving our time and campsite on private property this summer. Not only do we have a lake view, but we also have hookups and access to a house AND boat, not to mention special time with family. Yep, I’m loving those boat rides. But there is a downside to country living, our cell phones and hotspot do not work. Well, I guess somedays that might be construed as a plus, but other days it does present some challenges. Thankfully, my sister-in-law has a landline and a pretty good internet service, so we aren’t totally disconnected … oh, and cable TV. We were able to get caught up and watch the final season of Game of Thrones. Pretty important stuff, ya know!

Heading into town is about a 30-minute drive and once in Hayward, I can find almost anything I need at the local grocery store or Walmart. But Main Street should not be overlooked.

The town of Hayward is quaint.

I love the interesting buildings in Hayward

Hayward has some tasty restaurants.

What’s a tourist town without T-shirt shops? Of course, I had to add to my collection!

Strolling the quaint shops and taking in the interesting architecture is equally entertaining. There are also plenty of restaurants, bars, and treat shops to satisfy anyone’s taste buds. Of course, being the T-shirt addict that I am, I felt compelled to add to the local economy by not passing up the opportunity to add to my collection.

Oh, and I bought a pair of super comfy Teva sandals at one of the local shops, Glik’s. My favorite Merrell’s were wearing out and needed to be replaced. I’m loving this new sandal and have been wearing them almost exclusively ever since I bought them. I found it pleasantly surprising that some of these small-town shops here in Hayward as well as Grand Marais, MN offer such a great selection of trail shoes and offer styles that I didn’t see in the big city of Phoenix. Hmm, do I dare go shopping some more?

All good things must come to an end

I can’t believe that it’s already mid-August and our summer is quickly coming to an end. For those of us that have been RVing for a while, we all know the ups and downs of the RV lifestyle. I usually cringe when I hear people say, “Your living the dream” because there are many times RV life is more like a nightmare than a dream, but this summer has really been a dream for us. We didn’t do the traveling we thought we’d do this summer. Instead, we settled into lakehouse living and enjoying our time with family and that’s fine by us. Traveling all the time can get tiring.

Perhaps we’ll return next summer and do that exploring we thought we’d do this year. Ah, time will tell! In the meantime, I’ll savor the last weeks of summer in the Northwoods before we head back to the desert southwest. Are there more unicorns and rainbows in my future? Stay tuned!

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Ingrid's Corner

What I Love about RVing

July 7, 2019July 7, 2019by Ingrid49 Comments

There are lots of things that I love about RVing and near the top of that list is traveling with my home in tow. I sleep in my own bed, cook in my own kitchen, and have all my necessities within easy reach around me. All the comforts of home with an ever-changing yard, but that’s not the best part…

Our friend’s beautiful property near Cotopaxi, Colorado

Our journey continues

It was day two of our summer excursion. The day before was a long nine-hour drive from Phoenix, Arizona to Santa Fe, New Mexico. I’m grateful Al and I slept well and woke up with energy. Sleeping in our own bed makes a huge difference and the good night’s sleep had us ready to tackle another long day of driving.

It was a little before 6:00 a.m. when I put the kettle on the RV stove to heat the water for coffee. When we’re boondocking and other RVs are nearby, we won’t start our generator this early in the morning so that we could use our drip coffee maker. (This post contains affiliate links) So, when I don’t have the power for the Cuisinart coffee maker, I use the pour-over coffee brewing method … just as tasty.

After a quick breakfast and one cup down, we were once again rolling with our second cup of coffee in our travel mugs. We knew we had at least a six-hour drive in front of us and a destination that was new to us. Even though we were familiar with the general area, we weren’t familiar with the specific piece of private property where we’d be spending the week.

The best thing about RVing

If you follow other RV blogs, join any RVing Facebook groups, or read any RV Forums, then you’ve probably heard from others that as much as we all enjoy the freedom of the RV lifestyle, most of us will agree that the best thing about RVing is the people we meet and the friendships that are made. It’s the best, and it’s unlike any other lifestyle.

There’s something about the camaraderie of the RVing community that turns complete strangers into true friends in a short amount of time.

Al and I spent our winter in an RV Park in Phoenix. Many of our neighbors were doing the same while others were there for shorter time frames. One such neighbor, Dick and Steph, were only there for a couple of months. They were on a snowbird trial run to test out the desert southwest with their RV. (By the way, they loved it and will return to Phoenix next winter.)

Noticing their Colorado license plates, I was quick to stop and chat to see what part of Colorado they were from. Turns out they live just west of where we used to live in southern Colorado. During one of their last days in the park, we discussed our upcoming summer travel plans. When I made mention that we’d be in their neck of the woods near the beginning of June to tackle our storage units, they were quick to offer their property as a place for us to stay.

Seriously? These were folks we barely knew and yet they were offering us the opportunity to stay on their land for as long as we needed to. Well, twist my arm! This scenario was so much better than staying at the Lake Pueblo State Park where we’d need reservations to get us through the busy weekends. Dealing with those storage units would be stressful enough without adding in the stress of a time frame.

The only real downside was the distance. The state park was only a fifteen-minute drive to the storage facility while Dick and Steph’s place would be over an hours drive. We’ll take it!

Not a bad place to call home for a week!

An emotional, yet fun week

After getting settled in and getting acquainted with Dick and Steph’s beautiful home and property, it was time to take the hour and twenty-minute drive to the storage facility. We spent about five-hours that first-day pulling box by box out of the jam-packed unit on the left.

Whatever were we thinking? Obviously, we weren’t!

The next day, we spent four grueling hours going through more boxes. The task was a combination of tedious, grueling, and emotional which lead to a much-needed break on day three.

Our day off

Even though we had previously lived in southern Colorado and knew all about Bishop Castle, Al and I hadn’t personally visited. So Dick recommended the four of us enjoy a scenic drive to a castle.

Dick, Al, and Steph on the rear deck.

Al and me in front of the castle

Hmm … it’s an interesting structure surrounded by a lot of controversy. I don’t think it’s an attraction I would recommend driving out of the way to see, but since we were somewhat in the area, I found it to be a unique sight and fun day with our friends.

I do question the safety of the structure which is why government officials have tried to stop Mr. Bishop from keeping it open to the public. If you have even the slightest fear of heights, I wouldn’t recommend exploring the inside of the building. Nor would I recommend visiting with children even though we saw quite a few.

I don’t necessarily agree with some of the county’s tactics to close Mr. Bishop and his castle down, but I do understand the concerns. When we lived in Colorado, I remember watching our local news channel and hearing about Mr. Bishop’s problems with local law enforcement and county officials. Talk about an interesting story!

After our enjoyable day off, we had one more day at storage. Whew! We were sure glad when that task was done. We did widdle our stuff down to 1 1/2 units. Part of that half will be going to our children (at their request) which means we’ll be moving all our stuff to Phoenix. Nope, I’m not even going to talk about the plan to move everything from Pueblo to Phoenix this fall for fear of breaking out in hives from stress.

Perhaps I should do a blog post on How not to move into your RV full-time. Do as I say, not as I do!!! 🙄

More fun

Once the storage job was complete, we weren’t in any hurry to move on. After all, we had a full hook-up RV site and it was free … awesome! But the best part was hanging out with Dick and Steph and enjoying the amazing views. Our next few days were filled with laughs, good food, and great company. They even invited us to revisit anytime … always a good sign that we didn’t overstay our welcome.

Moving on

We reluctantly bid farewell to our Cotopaxi, Colorado friends, and look forward to spending more time hanging out together this winter when all of us return to the Pioneer RV Park in Phoenix, Arizona.

Our next stop found us back in some familiar territory and making new friends. Once again, the common thread of RVing and this little blog of mine lead to a great overnight on private property just east of Colorado Springs. Kathy has been following my blog for a while even though she doesn’t write one herself. In the past, she has commented on various posts and we’ve even communicated via email.

She and her husband were full-time RVers for about a year. Their intent was always to purchase another home near Colorado Springs when their other house sold. Thus, while their new home was being built, they traveled around in their RV. Al and I knew very little about her and her husband, but to sum up our experience with our new friends, we enjoyed our visit so much so that we almost stayed another night, but we had plans which involved a time frame. By the way, their home and property are beautiful and we hope to reconnect with these fellow RVers sometime down the road.

Conclusion:

RVing is a great way to travel and see the country, and although the list of things I love about the RV lifestyle is long, at the top of my favorites list are the people we meet. However, I’d be remiss if I failed to mention the fabulous friends I’ve made via this RV blog who have also offered up their property and friendship.

During our RVing journey, we’ve met so many fine people that we enjoy hanging out with, as well as have developed some really amazing friendships … the kind of friends that I know would drive out of their way to come help us if we asked and we would do the same. Those kinds of relationships are rare and special … thank you!

Next up – South Dakota and meeting blogging pals for the first time!

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Ingrid's Corner

The Perfect Travel Itinerary, or not

June 30, 2019June 28, 2019by Ingrid72 Comments

Our summer journey began at the end of May. We finally lifted the jacks on the RV and got those wheels rolling again. It felt great being back on the open road. After sitting stationary for nearly seven months, we felt like total RV newbies but after a couple of hours of driving, we quickly found our groove.

ATV in Colorado,

Never too old to change!

Aren’t most people creatures of habit? I know Al and I are. He and I have been doing this full-time RVing thing for over six years now (so much for a year or two), and as such, we have a basic routine when it comes to a day of travel which includes hitting the road in the morning usually around 8:00 a.m. … nine at the very latest and driving no more than five hours. A drive of three to four hours is preferable.

Our original plan was to start our summer excursion on the Wednesday after Memorial Day (May 29th). Over the long holiday weekend, we bid farewell to our children who both live in Phoenix which then gave us the flexibility to leave town when it best suited us. We were able to adjust the schedule if needed.

Although we had a well-planned itinerary, the plan kept changing at the last minute. Obviously, we were anxious to be on the road again with a firm destination in mind.

Plan A – Leave early Wednesday morning and take three days to get to Cotopaxi, CO.
Plan B – Leave late Tuesday afternoon, drive two hours and spend the night at the Twin Arrows Casino east of Flagstaff. This would shorten the next two days.
Plan C – Leave around noon on Tuesday and spend the first night near the Petrified Forest National Park and then spend the second night in Santa Fe, NM.

RVing at the Petrified National Park — Boondocking in the past at the Petrified Forest gift shop

And then there’s what we actually did, which is so out of character for us and something we’ve never done before, ever. Guess we aren’t too old to change things up a bit and step out of our comfort zone. We did end up leaving around noon on Tuesday, but once we neared the exit for the Petrified Forest, we weren’t ready to stop for the night. Plus, the Arizona / New Mexico border was just a little over an hour away. We figured, the more driving we did that day, the less we’d have to do the next two days.

In lieu of spending the night near the Petrified Forest, we decided to stop at any number of Indian Casinos along Interstate 40 in New Mexico, which we’ve done frequently in the past. As our day progressed and with each passing casino, Al and I would agree to keep on rolling. We eventually made it to the Route 66 Casino on the western edge of Albuquerque. The sun was about to set. It was around 8:30 p.m. We’d had a very long day of driving and were feeling ready to stop. We filled up with gas and began talking about spending the night. We planned to call it a day and boondock here, but then we discussed the next morning.

Grrr, we needed to think about morning rush hour traffic. We used to love overnighting at the beautiful Sandia Casino located on the north end of Albuquerque which would solve the problem of navigating rush hour traffic in the morning, but inconsiderate RVers ruined that privilege. We’ve noticed this ongoing theme as more and more companies are banning overnight RV parking. Some RVers don’t understand boondocking etiquette 😪. Ah, it is what it is and with the Sandia Casino not an option, we decided to go for it and continue driving another hour up the road to Santa Fe.

So much for the travel itinerary

485 miles / 775 km and nine hours later, we pulled into the parking lot at the Elks Lodge in Santa Fe (for members only). It was 10:00 p.m. with pitch dark skies. We were grateful that we had stayed here previously and knew the lay of the land. We quietly (well, as quietly as a diesel truck can be) pulled alongside a grassy area while trying not to disturb the other RVs already parked nearby. We didn’t disconnect, didn’t bother leveling, and didn’t put our slides out. We merely climbed into bed, clearly exhausted from the long day of driving, and quickly fell asleep. We both slept great. The next morning, with coffee in hand, we were once again rolling. This time, we were watching the sunrise.

So much for planning and putting together a perfect travel itinerary! We don’t normally make it a habit to drive after dark let alone put in a nine-hour day of driving, but Al and I stopped often and switched drivers regularly. Not that we were keeping track, but I believe I spent more time behind the wheel than Al did 😁

In the end, we both agree, it turned into the perfect travel day for us. Sure we were tired, but the beauty of traveling with your home in tow was we ate healthily and stayed hydrated … a must for any long day of travel. And of course, we took plenty of breaks to stretch our legs.

The main reason behind the quick travels was we had a goal and a mission to accomplish and wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible so we could get on with our summer fun. The weight on our shoulders needed to be lifted asap. We had two storage units in southern Colorado full of ~~crap~~ momentoes that we needed to widdle down and eventually get moved to Phoenix.

Next up, moochdocking on a gorgeous property in Colorado while we tackle those storage units.

Our sweet spot on private property WITH a full hook-up. Did we score or what?

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Campgrounds, Illinois

Upstairs, both ways

August 7, 2015by Ingrid83 Comments

As the sun was slowly rising, Al steps out of the RV to start the generator for the drip coffee maker. The two other RV’s that were camped across from us in the Cabela’s parking lot have already moved on. And we thought we were early risers.

With coffee mugs filled and a couple of scones pulled from the freezer, we hop in the truck and start rolling east on Interstate 80. Five minutes later, we cross into Iowa from Nebraska.

It’s a Sunday morning with slightly overcast skies and almost no traffic. A perfect travel day. By early afternoon, we cross the Mississippi River and enter the state of Illinois.

RVing in Illinois — Looks like Illinois to me! Filling up with gas.

Al and I both grew up in Illinois and when we moved away in the early nineties, we never looked back. If it weren’t for family, we probably would not return. During our long drive yesterday, we both decided to embrace this trip to Illinois with an open mind …. as newbies to the state, you might say. Let’s play tourist! Having said that, we still chuckle each time we see a little blue sign saying “tourist info”. Although Illinois does have some unique and interesting sights, I still wouldn’t put it on a tourist destination list.

Last night while we were camped in the Cabela’s parking lot in Omaha, Nebraska, Al and I each got out our laptops and started doing a little Googling. Family wasn’t expecting our arrival for a few days which allowed us a chance to slow down and explore a little.

Hmm! We came across these words; Voted # 1 attraction in the State of Illinois …. a world apart from anything else in Illinois ….. towering trees, amazing waterfalls. Al says, “I went there once on an elementary school field trip”. We quickly decide to veer 50 miles out of our way to visit Starved Rock State Park.

We arrived late on a Sunday afternoon and drove around the campground a couple of times looking for a suitable campsite. It’s obvious the area experienced a good dowsing of rain the day before. With the exception of the handicap sites which are concrete, all the other sites are grassy. The grassy ground appeared soft and many sites featured tire ruts. We had concerns of sinking in the soft ground and possibly getting stuck.

camping in Illinois — Typical campsite at Starved Rock State Park

After serious consideration, we pulled into one of the six available concrete handicap sites and paid for one night. When the host/ranger came around checking sites, Al was quick to tell him we can be moved within 15 minutes if the site was needed. We were assured since we weren’t staying on a busy Friday or Saturday night, that it wasn’t a problem considering there were plenty of other handicap sites available.

Illinois State Parks — Starved Rock State Park

We ended up booking another night so we could spend a day hiking and exploring the area. First up; we hit the trails in search of waterfalls.

LaSalle Canyon Waterfall — LaSalle Canyon, Starved Rock State Park

We visited Starved Rock State Park at the end of July and even though the area had experienced plenty of rain, so much rain that the road to the visit center was blocked off, it was still mid summer meaning the waterfalls would be few and far between…. snow melt had long been melted.

hiking in Illinois — Hiking at Starved Rock State Park amongst lush vegetation. We haven’t been around this much dense greenery in years.

The most popular trail and waterfall is French Canyon. There was no waterfall and only a trickling stream. We ventured on taking in the lush, green vegetation.

There’s definitely a beauty to this landscape. It was a rather warm and humid morning and while other hikers were sporting shorts and tank tops, Al and I stayed in our western hiking attire of being covered up. We actually managed to avoid using bug spray and didn’t think the mosquitos were terribly bad. We were also concerned about poison ivy and were vigilant about staying in the center of the trail, that is when we weren’t going up or down stairs.

What’s so unique about the trail system at Starved Rock is the series of planked trail and stairs. You’ll find stairs AND more stairs. So many stairs, we climbed up stairs both ways.

state parks in Illinois — Note the little plaque on the right post saying “RETURN”. That means the trail leads toward the Visitor Center

Al and I counted 227 steps on one stairway alone. During our two-hour hike, we have no idea how many stairs we climbed or descended overall.Even with all the stairs, we found the hiking to be very easy. It was also extremely easy to navigate. I love maps and rarely hit the trails without one, but here a map is not necessary. They’ve dumbie proofed the trail system by using little color coded plagues.Yellow “AWAY” means you are hiking away from the Visitor Center.White “RETURN” means you are returning to the Visitor Center. Pretty easy peezie. Now if only we could dumbie proof some of the visitors to this lovely Illinois State Park. We hiked on an early Monday morning after a very busy and crowded weekend. Al and I were disappointed and disgusted with the amount of trash left behind on the trails. We’re talking piles of plastic water bottles and empty snack and condiment packaging. Gross!

We’ve never seen anything like it and I can only assume these are the same ignorant people who approach wild animals for photo ops. Who do they think is going pick up THEIR trash? Fortunately, there are volunteers willing to step up and tackle the task. On July 30th just 3 days after our hike, the Walkers Club and Lodge Staff picked up over 5 huge bags of garbage.

The above photo is from the Starved Rock State Park Facebook page. I did my best not to show any trash in my photos, wanting to share only the beauty of this park.

Rant over! No wait. Did you know the Illinois State Parks are FREE to use? Yep, that’s right, no day use fee…. nada, no dinero. So the Bozo’s that left their trash behind, got to hike here totally free of charge. And by the way, the trails may have been littered with trash, but the campground was spotless and well maintained.

waterfalls in Illinois — a ten second timer was not long enough for me to scurry behind the falls to join Al, without falling on my a*s!

How did the park get its name? You can click here by learning more about the local Indians and the history surrounding Starved Rock State Park. We enjoyed our 2 night, 3 day stay very much and would return in a heartbeat to tackle more stairs.

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Texas

Quacking Carolers

December 21, 2014January 30, 2015by Ingrid60 Comments

I think its obvious based on my last few posts that hubby and I enjoyed our month on Galveston Island immensely. Hopefully I’ve done the island justice by sharing our discoveries and adventures.

The one thing left for me to share is where we stayed. Galveston Island offers everything from high end accommodations like the San Luis Resort, to vacation home rentals, to a State Park, and everything in between.

Al and I knew we wanted to spend a month on the island therefore a RV Park would be our best option. After a bit of research, we booked a reservation at the Jamaica Beach RV Resort located 10 miles south of the town of Galveston and only 3 miles from the state park.

Texas RV Parks — checking in at the Jamaica Beach RV Resort, Galveston Island, Texas

Once we arrived and were all hooked-up, I realized this was the first time in 6 months that we had full hook-ups. Talk about luxury! However, there are always tradeoffs. I may not have had the need to worry about water usage, but I no longer had any fabulous views out my RV windows. I will say the RV Park was lovely and the sites were nicely spaced in comparison to other RV parks.

The Jamaica Beach RV Resort had plenty of amenities as well as an onsite Pirate themed mini golf course complete with Dora, the turtle.

Just across the road was the beach access. With its close proximity to the state park and the beach, this turned out to be a great place to call home for the month. However, the wildlife was a problem…. wink, wink.

A problem instigated by moi, I might add. It all started accidentally. Al and I were reorganizing the basement and the corner of a small bag of bird seed tore spilling some seed onto the pavement. Not interested in continuing to store this bag, I spread the rest of the bird seed into the grassy area. Huey, Dewey, and Louie loved it and thought this would become a regular event.

From that day on, every morning I could hear them singing (in a rather quacky way) as they waddled down the street. The serenade would continue at our door. “Oh, how cute… Quacking Carolers”.

However, I don’t think they were quacking “Deck the halls” as much as they were saying “Feed us more, Miss Ingrid“.

They looked under fed, don’t they? Gosh, I could practically see their ribs. That’s exactly what these three little beggars would have us think.

They do know how to endear themselves and made their rounds throughout the RV Park regularly.

Since we no longer have a dog, I found myself quickly bonding with Huey, Dewey, and Louie… they’re rather cute, I’d say.

I’ll admit, it was kind of nice being greeted by these three entertaining chaps upon our return from a day of explorations. Numerous times, we found the green headed characters napping under our RV. A regular washing down of the RV site quickly became a necessity 😉

Mallard Duck — The Duck whisperer…. How to train your duck!

The three Amigos did add some enjoyment to our stay at the RV Park and made up for any lack of views. I guess I’m easily entertained these days.

We would stay at the Jamaica Beach RV Resort again and feel comfortable recommending it.

With the state park just 5 minutes away, I did spend a fair amount of time strolling around that park. I think if we were to camp at the Galveston Island State Park, we would stay at the campground on the bay side. It seems a little more protected from the winds than the ocean side plus the birding is better.

bird photography — Will sing AND dance for food …. coochie, coochie!

We also checked out Dellanera RV Park and Tiki Tom’s. Tiki Tom’s seems to be geared more towards anglers and kayakers while Dellanera RV Park is geared towards beach goers.

All and all, our month on Galveston Island was a great experience. We’d return 🙂

Jamaica Beach RV Resort — I’m outta here ….. That lady scares the crap out of me!

Texas

A little something for everyone!

December 14, 2014January 30, 2015by Ingrid61 Comments

Our month in Galveston has come to an end and we’ve moved four hours down the Texas Gulf Coast to Mustang Island.

Normally by week four in one location I’m more than ready to move on. Such was not the case regarding Galveston Island.

I was actually a little sad to say good-bye. There really is a lot to see and do on the Island ….. a little something for everyone you could say.

I think it’s safe to say, most folks come to Galveston for the Beach. There are miles and miles of beach with public access for all to enjoy. I assure you, Al and I took full advantage of that beach access with regular walks.

But there’s so much more to Galveston Island than the beach. From that first day as we crossed the bridge onto the island, I knew I had to explore and discover all that she had to offer starting with the three pyramids that I couldn’t help but notice glistening across the bay. Needless to say, it didn’t take me long to figure out what exactly were those pyramids.

Moody Gardens is an educational tourist destination featuring three main pyramid attractions: an Aquarium, a Rainforest, and a Discovery pyramid. Also onsite: Zip Line and Ropes Course, Water Park, Golf Course, IMAX Theater, Paddlewheel Boat.

Although I didn’t indulge personally in taking in these attractions, I did stroll around Moody Gardens out of curiosity. There is a separate fee for each attraction.

Each year for the holiday season they feature a Festival of Lights. This mile long trail boasts over one million lights themed to holiday music.

Moody Gardens huge event this year was being held in a large commercial tent; Ice Land. Thirty-one internationally-acclaimed professional ice carvers from China transformed 900 tons of ice into a holiday wonderland with a Sponge Bob Square Pants theme. To maintain this work of art, the tent is kept at a balmy 9 degrees Fahrenheit. For obvious reasons, I took a pass on the experience.

Besides I got to see Sponge Bob Square Pants at the Dickens on the Strand parade.

And then there’s Galveston’s Pleasure Pier. This amusement park is relatively new having opened in 2012. However, this isn’t Galveston’s first Pleasure Pier. Ah, more hurricanes and history. If interested, you can read about it here.

The Lone Star Flight Museum was on our radar but we never did make it there. Although hubby doesn’t miss his aviation career, he still drools over the possibility of going up in a by-plane. His face lights up whenever there’s talk about open cockpits or acrobatic flying.

On one of our last days in the area, we took a quick drive over to Pelican Island to visit Seawolf Park. Before Hurricane Ike hit in 2008, this was known as a premier park to visit complete with restaurant.

The building was destroyed by the hurricane and remains in a state of disrepair. For an additional fee, there’s a WWII submarine and destroyer that can be toured. These days the park is pretty much frequented by fishermen and pelicans, but there are plans for renovation and even putting in a RV park.

Not only is fishing popular around Galveston Island, but so is kayaking. The state park even has paddling trails outlined in their trail guide; land and water trails.

The weather wasn’t always agreeable during our thirty day stay. We did get our fare share of rain, cold, and wind but I won’t complain because during those most inclement weather day’s places to the north were getting buried in snow. So on the bad weather days we would run errands, go Christmas shopping, or do daily chores.

There are plenty of places to shop within 25 miles of Galveston…. from an outlet mall to regular malls and everything in between. I found myself visiting Best Buy and Kohl’s a couple of times.

We also discovered a great RV Center called Ron Hoover RV. It’s a small place with a parts department, service department, and onsite RV Park. We thought the parts prices were very reasonable and before heading out of town, we picked up a few additional items.

Makers Mark Bourbon — Steve, Ingrid, Mona Liza, Al

I think it’s obvious, we loved our time on Galveston Island and were never at a loss of things to see or do but our favorite pastime was running into fellow bloggers. We had a blast sharing a special bottle of bourbon with Mona Liza and Steve in addition to a couple of other get togethers with these two energetic RVer’s.

RV get together — I’m sampling the Makers Mark Bourbon as Mona Liza gets ready to slice into their homemade bread!

I also had the pleasure of meeting Russ from Russ on the Road. Russ is a solo RVer who shares my interest in photography. He and I met for lunch and the conversation flowed freely for nearly three hours.

I’d love to run into him again somewhere along our travels. He’s a very accomplished photographer that I’m sure I could learn a thing or two from.

Hmm, have I told you yet where we stayed? Let’s save that for the next post.

Visiting Bayfield, Wisconsin

Blue Vista Farm

Gil Larsen Nature Trail

Beyond downtown

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Favorite Apps for RV trip planning

Apps for finding camping options

Saying goodbyes

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Shelter in Place – Stay at Home – Social Distance

Fear and uncertainty

Freedom and Independence

First weeks of ‘social distancing’ followed by a ‘stay at home’ order

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Travel fatigue, decision weariness, and sensory overload are real things.

Why we got a year-round RV site

Why we chose the Pioneer RV Park in north Phoenix

This changes everything!

So, now you know our plans. We’re always open to connecting. So, if you find yourself in the Phoenix area, don’t hesitate to reach out. Happy trails!

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Hayward, Wisconsin

Lumberjack World Championships

A special treat

Country living

All good things must come to an end

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Our journey continues

The best thing about RVing

An emotional, yet fun week

Our day off

More fun

Moving on

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Never too old to change!

So much for the travel itinerary

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So, now you know our plans. We’re always open to connecting. So, if you
find yourself in the Phoenix area, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Happy trails!