Tag: Family on the Road

5 min read

Family on the Road

Canada, Crash, and Cats: Crossing the Border

Jenn

5 min read

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5 min read

While in Washington we made two quick trips across the border into Canada, one to Vancouver and one to Point Roberts which is actually a part of the US but…

While in Washington we made two quick trips across the border into Canada, one to Vancouver and one to Point Roberts which is actually a part of the US but I’ll get to that in a minute.

Vancouver

Despite the weather being perfect and an endless array of possibilities, we only have four decent pictures to show for the day.

Three of the city.

And a one of an angry Sphynx cat outfit.

Why so few pictures when there is so much to do in Vancouver, you ask?

So the morning started off well enough if you don’t mind being questioned like a criminal at the border crossing because your husband forgot about the time he was 21 years old and deported. At the time, he was in a band. They were playing a show in Canada but didn’t realize they weren’t allowed to bring merchandise into the country without a work visa. Anyway, they had to drive out and drive back in with proper documentation. It wasn’t a big deal until 20 years later and someone asks at the border crossing if he had ever been asked to leave Canada and, forgetting, he said no. Oooops.

After a few extra questions we were cleared and on our way. Sort of.

We knew we wouldn’t have data on our cells phones in Canada but we didn’t realize exactly how much we use our phones for travel until we turned them off. I’m surprised we could still breath without an app. Regardless, we made it to the city without too much confusion.

However, things were about to get interesting.

A few minutes after arriving downtown a man ran a stop sign and hit the front of our truck.

Crash.

After nearly two years of travel and 40,000 miles, we were in our first accident. In another country.

Welcome to Canada.

The man was extremely nice. He was very apologetic and asked if he could just pay cash for the damage. We were feeling overwhelmed in the moment and agreed that would be fine. It didn’t even occur to us to get an accident report.

After the accident, I was ready to turn around head back to the US. The crash and metric system were making me feel incompetent. Brent insisted we enjoy our day.

I did my best. We explored Stanley Park, walked along the harbor to Gastown (which was very cool), and waited almost an hour in line for steamed buns at New Town Bakery and Restaurant.

But into the afternoon, I just wasn’t feeling it. I was consumed with worry about the accident. What if the guy said we ran the stop sign. Why oh why didn’t we just get an accident report? We also realized we should have brought our bikes. It would have been a perfect day to explore the city by bike and I was too shaken up from the accident to drive around so we explored by foot. A lot. By the time we got back to the truck we were exhausted and headed back to the US without incident.

(As it turned out the man who hit us kept his word and paid for the minor damage. People can be so awesome!!!)

Point Roberts

Point Roberts is part of the mainland of the United States but, oddly, not connected to it. It lies at the tip of a peninsula accessible by driving through Canada or taking a boat. A woman at the campground we were staying at told us it was “kinda neat” so we decided to find out for ourselves one evening.

We left a few hours later that we should have because by the time we reached the border crossing there was a long line presumably on their way home for the evening. Reaching the entrance, we were questioned but this time we just got a strange look when we said we were going to Point Roberts for “dessert”.

Little did we know that there wasn’t a place to have dessert or anything to eat that we could find. Had we done our research we probably could have guessed that a place that doesn’t even have a dentists might not have a large assortment of dessert places. We drove around looking at nothing and ended up at the beach to watch the sunset.

I’m thinking we need to head to Canada one more time because you know third time’s a charm and I hear those Canadian Rockies are breathtaking.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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1 min read

Family on the Road Our Backyard

Our Backyard: Driftwood Cabana BBQ in La Connor, WA

Jenn

1 min read

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1 min read

Sure we love visiting iconic places like Yellowstone National Park or Washington DC. But simple “backyard” moments built from driftwood, salty air, laughter, and the smell of bbq are the…

Sure we love visiting iconic places like Yellowstone National Park or Washington DC.

But simple “backyard” moments built from driftwood, salty air, laughter, and the smell of bbq are the moments that send my soul soaring. I wouldn’t trade these sort of days for a trip to see the Taj Mahal.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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2 min read

Family on the Road

Homeless but Happy and Chicks without Bricks

Jenn

2 min read

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2 min read

So we spontaneously sold our RV a week and a half ago. And tried to packed everything into a tiny U-Haul. It seemed appropriate that the sun was setting as…

So we spontaneously sold our RV a week and a half ago.

And tried to packed everything into a tiny U-Haul.

It seemed appropriate that the sun was setting as we took our last family picture before saying goodbye. This “house” cost a fraction of what our home in California had cost but it was a 1000 times harder to say goodbye. So many memories in such a small space.

We couldn’t be more thrilled with the new owners who share our passion for adventure and simple living. They are planning to take off soon.

We said goodbye to my best friend and her family who had generously let us stay with them for 15 days. She’s special this one. There are not many people who would welcome our family and all four pets for that long and not once make us feel like we were over staying our welcome. And frankly, there’s not many people who I’d want to spend 15 days with in their house. 🙂

Then we left Austin in our slightly bigger U-Haul.

Our first stop was Baton Rouge where we had beignets for breakfast. So bad but so good.

Getting all of our stuff and the menagerie into the hotel room was quite the effort. Another reason why I love RVing so much.

The next day we drove and drove.

And got to Florida just in time.

We stored our stuff until we find a new home.

It’s been a whirlwind of a week. Along with moving to Florida, establishing our new residency, and searching for a doctor to deliver our baby who is due in a few months, I was a contributing writer for a new book!

It’s called Chicks Without Bricks, a compilation of travel stories from other unconventional women and starting today you can pre-order it now through Dec 23 for just $2.99! After that the price goes up to $7.99.

Chicks without Bricks!

Considering our present situation I couldn’t think of a more fitting title.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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8 min read

Family on the Road On the Road Preparation

Sold Our RV!!!!! And RV Makeover Pictures. (Better late than never!)

Jenn

8 min read

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8 min read

There has been a lot of change lately. First, I found out I was pregnant. Whoa!!! Next we visited our hometown, Ventura, CA, after two years of living on the…

There has been a lot of change lately. First, I found out I was pregnant. Whoa!!! Next we visited our hometown, Ventura, CA, after two years of living on the road and decided we wanted to stay on the road. (Our decision to keep our family on the road full time deserves its own post.)

Then Saturday we had stopped for propane on our way out of Austin when I checked my email. In my inbox was a message from a couple who really wanted to see our RV which I had listed on Craigslist a few days before not really thinking I’d get a response. Posting the ad was kinda of a “let’s just see what happens” sort of thing.

Undecided if we should just keep on driving, we sat in the parking lot of the propane place discussing whether I should call the number in the email. My first response was no let’s just keep going. Afterall, we just had 10 wonderful days at our friend’s house and had spent the morning packing, cleaning, and saying our goodbyes. We were ready to move on and get to our next destination, New Orleans. Then Brent said I could call the number and just explain our situation and they could meet us on our way out of town, assuming, of course, they wouldn’t want to do that.

I called the number and the person who answered told me it was the wrong number. I sent an email explaining I tried calling but the number was wrong and we were headed out of Austin. I mentioned if they got the email soon they could call me back. Then we headed on our way.

A few minutes later my phone rang and a woman explained she and her husband were really interested and they could meet us right away. Thirty minutes later, after a mad cleaning spree, we were showing the RV. Thirty minutes later they made an offer.

What?!?!?!

That was Saturday and they couldn’t get a check until Monday or Tuesday so we went back to my best friend’s house. Sunday morning the buyers sent over a deposit. Today, we spent the day trying to pack up all of our stuff into a much too small U-Haul trailer.

Now here we are still in Austin waiting and wondering….what have we done?!?!?! Yes, we wanted to sell this RV. It’s been on our radar since we found out we were having another baby and deciding to stay on the road. The back bedroom is a little cramped for Thing One and Thing Two. We want a double slide out in their room so they can have their own space to study, create, and play. We’d also love a little more counter space and a second bathroom. If budget wasn’t a limiting factor, we’d also have a washer and dryer, bathtub, and kitchen island. A girl can dream! Right now our priorities are a bigger back bedroom and a space where Brent can work.

BUT…

What’s next? Unless we find a new rig here in Texas in the next few days we are going to head to Florida with our stuff in a U-Haul. We’ll stay at my parent’s place until we find a new home.

AND…

Even though we have wanted a new RV for a few months, I’m still sad. Really sad actually. This RV is our home where created incredible memories and tomorrow we will say goodbye.

I realized this weekend as I was cleaning the RV up getting her ready to go I never shared pictures of our RV redecorating makeover project.

Like most RVs, ours was lacking in decor. If we were going to use our RV for the occasional weekend trip we would have kept our RV interior design as it was but this was our home. Brent and I wanted to feel like we were in our home and not staying at a hotel. So we spent the next month and a half sanding, painting, sewing, and doing some minor remodeling. It was a lot of work but I don’t regret a minute of it.

This was our home and how we brought it to life.

Living/Dining/Kitchen

You know you have good friends when they spend 12 hours at your house helping you reupholster your RV couch. I got the fabric for the couch, dinette, and most of the curtain fabric in the LA Garment district, one of the most fun places in LA!

Since we have a small fridge I try to buy lots of fruits that will keep at room temperature.

LEFT: The chandelier was the the last thing to be hung. It was another Ikea purchase from years ago that I had been planning to hang in our house bedroom. I hung it at midnight the night before our “open house“. RIGHT: Small details

TOP LEFT: Glass bowl from Target that has since cracked. BOTTOM LEFT: School books and a basket to store dish towels. RIGHT: Small vintage globe on loan from my mom. 🙂

LEFT: Apron hooks from World Market. MIDDLE: Map garland was a gift from a friend who I met for the first time in person when we hit the road. RIGHT: Bird curtains and wall sconce. We painted the metal of the sconce and glued a little trim around the bottom of the shade to give it character.

LEFT: This is the moulding around the slide. It was covered in the same fabric as the couch. Instead of taking all the fabric off, I took of the wood trim and stapled burlap over the fabric and painted the wood. TOP RIGHT: Key holder from Urban Outfitters. BOTTOM RIGHT: Glass knobs on all the kitchen cabinets. I really liked these because I had the same knobs in a different color in my sticks and bricks kitchen so they felt “homey”.

Bedroom/Office

In place of the headboard we painted with help from another friend a silhouette of the London Bridge. We were engaged in London and that morning after I said “yes” we walked along the Thames River where we took this picture. The quilt was made by my grandmother using an Amy Butler pattern and fabric.

Across from the bed is our dresser, office, and shower. When we bought the RV there was a sink where the desk is now. We bought an small Ikea sink and put it in the water closet (toilet room).

My friend, the same one who helped with the couch, helped me sew (Okay…she did most of the sewing.) new curtains for every window in the RV but these turned out to be my favorite.

LEFT: I didn’t keep many things from our old house but couldn’t part with this metal cat that I found at a thrift shop. It opens up and I store jewelry in it. RIGHT: The knobs and drawer pulls were on sale at Anthropologie and I love having impressions of nature inside since a big part of this trip is about exploring the outdoors.

LEFT: When Brent and I met he said, “we fit together like Legos”. For our first Valentine’s Day I made him the “I <3 U” out of Legos because we were too broke to buy each other real gifts. We eventually decided to quite celebrating Valentine’s Day altogether but he still kept my Lego message. TOP RIGHT: I painted an old mirror white and bought some organizers from Ikea to make a little makeup vanity. RIGHT: It’s true. 🙂

Bathroom

We didn’t do much to this room except paint and add the the Ikea sink. Changing the sink plumbing was much easier than you would think!

The photo frames are a mixture of Ikea purchases and painted thrift shop finds.

Bunk Room

Thing One wanted to keep all the cabinetry its original color but we painted the room and made new curtains.

Two years and 48 states later, I never got tired of nor regretted our RV makeover. It made it home.

Now it’s time to say goodbye and move on to a new chapter and another blank canvas.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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2 min read

Family on the Road

Over the River and Through the Wood to Washington We Go!

Jenn

2 min read

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2 min read

After leaving Glacier National Park, we headed over to Washington. We took Highway 2, a remote and lovely route over rivers and through woods. I’m not sure I’d actually recommend…

After leaving Glacier National Park, we headed over to Washington. We took Highway 2, a remote and lovely route over rivers and through woods. I’m not sure I’d actually recommend taking Highway 2 unless, like us, you just really really prefer highways over interstates. It may have beautiful scenery, but it’s also curvy, slow going, and had a fair amount of construction going on at the time.

We landed in Newport, Washington where we took a few days to regroup after our days exploring in Glacier. Other than watching fireworks over the Pend Oreille River, we did little else besides catch up on things like work, school, and laundry. As mundane as it may sound, I actually enjoy our regrouping days. It gives me a chance to feel like an ordinary mom instead of the wandering gypsy mama I am.

Many people ask us if we travel with a plan. My answer is, we travel with a “flexible plan”. For instance, the morning we left Newport we planned on going to a campground in Quincy for a few more days of regrouping before heading to the coast. But then someone that morning told us about Leavenworth and we had a change of plans.

Leavenworth is a Bavarian styled village situated in the Cascade mountain range less than a half days drive from Seattle. It sounded like a perfect place for a few more days of regrouping and to get some Spätzle. And it was.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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2 min read

Family on the Road National Parks

Glacier National Park: So Worth the Drive!

Jenn

2 min read

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2 min read

After traveling for two years full time in our RV, one of the questions we get asked most often is “What’s your favorite place?” Each of us has a different…

After traveling for two years full time in our RV, one of the questions we get asked most often is “What’s your favorite place?”

Each of us has a different answer but there is no question (Except for maybe Thing One who at this point of teenagedom tends dislike everything we like. Don’t tell him that Brent and I actually like New York City or New Orleans or else he’ll change his mind.) that Glacier National Park is in our top ten favorite places. Or maybe even our top 5.

I imagine a visit to Glacier is perhaps the closest thing you can get to wilds of Alaska without leaving the boundaries of the lower 48. We stayed in Glacier for a week and could have easily stayed another week. The first few days were spent outside the park at a RV resort with other full time families, families we had met in Yellowstone. A few days later we moved to Apgar Campground within the park boundaries. Our “backyard” was the kind that makes the RV life so appealing. A large private site under a canopy of trees with a path leading straight to the shores of Lake McDonald where we watched the most glorious sunsets and even one sunrise.

We spent the afternoons in Glacier exploring the park. We drove the Going to the Sun road for stunning vistas and wildlife sightings. We hiked to Avalanche Lake for a picnic lunch. We rode bikes through the forest on roads still closed for the season. We spent an afternoon wishing we had a 4×4 truck when we took a dirt road to Bowman Lake. We went back in time at the Polebridge (a “town” of less than 500) Mercantile where we ate delicious homemade pastries. We the boys swam in the cool clear water of Lake McDonald.

Like all places of beauty and magic the week passed too soon and we found ourselves on the road again heading west. Thankfully, we have pictures to remember these days of serenity and adventure.

Glacier we will return!

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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2 min read

Family on the Road

Building Friendships in Butte, Montana

Jenn

2 min read

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2 min read

We have spent time friends or family in 30 of the 48 states we’ve visited. It’s so much fun to experience the different ways of life around the United States. It’s…

We have spent time friends or family in 30 of the 48 states we’ve visited. It’s so much fun to experience the different ways of life around the United States. It’s one of our favorite parts of life on the road.

We’ve stayed on farm in Tennessee.

Visited a cousin in her Manhattan skyrise apartment.

Experienced family island life on Orcas Island.

Toured a world hunter’s trophy room in rural Georgia.

Spent time with a family raising a toddler in the city of Chicago.

Picked apples from a midwestern orchard.

And reconnecting with old friends in Butte, Montana was every bit as memorable.

In the 1920s Butte, rich with copper and natural resources, was a boom town. Headeframes are still scattered among buildings and parks. While the population of Butte has declined, it’s beauty has not.

Mountains surround the city resting under the endless Montana sky.

Most importantly, Butte is home to our friends. These guys don’t remember but they used to play together as toddlers in Ventura.

After a few hours, you wouldn’t have know they didn’t remember each other.

I could say so much about this girl. Loving, forgiving, funny, beautiful, and creative is a start. It was hard to believe that it had been 8 years since we had seen each other.

Five days of fun passed all too quickly!

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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2 min read

Family on the Road

Borrowing a Backyard: Experiencing Rural Life in Wyoming

Jenn

2 min read

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2 min read

It’s no secret that I love the idea of living on a little farm. Courtney is one of my oldest friends. When we were little we’d spend hours dreaming of owning…

It’s no secret that I love the idea of living on a little farm.

Courtney is one of my oldest friends. When we were little we’d spend hours dreaming of owning our own horses or chucking pastel colored ponies at each other during the “Pretty Pony Wars”. Time changes a lot but it doesn’t take the love of horses out of a horse girl’s heart.

Years later, Courtney lives in rural Wyoming with her family, a horse, a dog, a cat, and a small herd of goats. Their home is surrounded by bad lands leading up to the Big Horn mountains and pastures full of horses grazing under the biggest sky you’ll ever see.

A week there was a week in paradise.

So fun to catch up after so many years.

These beauties trotted right up to us on our bike ride.

Courtney’s horse, Biscuit, was so sweet and gentle even Thing 1 who is nervous around them petted her.

We all loved Blondie, especially Thing 1.

Spring was in full bloom in the Big Horn mountains.

Thing 1 made a special friend. He spent 3 nearly full days with Helen, Courtney’s piano teacher, who helped him to improve his music reading skills.

There was hiking, a raptor show at the library, cookouts on the patio, sunsets and sunrises, bike rides, yoga, and relaxing in the wild countryside of Wyoming.

This (and this) is why I think our next adventure needs to be setting up a little farm of our own or else we need to figure out how to pack a goat in our RV.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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1 min read

Family on the Road National Parks

Nomads in Wonderland – Yellowstone National Park

Jenn

1 min read

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1 min read

Steam rises and swirls in a dance with the wind. White mud bubbles and boils like living pots of paint. Geysers explode from the earth daring to touch the clouds….

Steam rises and swirls in a dance with the wind. White mud bubbles and boils like living pots of paint. Geysers explode from the earth daring to touch the clouds. Water rages through the canyon and trickles out of cracks. Rings of yellow and orange surround crystal clear springs filled with water so turquoise, it makes you wonder if you have ever seen turquoise before.

It’s every bit as magical and mysterious as I expected. And more.

We are in Yellowstone National Park.

It is the first, most famous, and most visited national park in America.

A giant caldera is responsible for the dynamic geothermal shows. Deer, bear, bison, elk, and many other animals make this natural wonderland their home.

And for 10 days we made it our home too.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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1 min read

Family on the Road

Saying Goodbye in Salt Lake City

Jenn

1 min read

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1 min read

We were supposed to say goodbye in Provo. We didn’t. We were supposed to say goodbye on Antelope Island. We didn’t. Instead, Brent and I decided to head back south…

We were supposed to say goodbye in Provo. We didn’t.

We were supposed to say goodbye on Antelope Island. We didn’t.

Instead, Brent and I decided to head back south to Salt Lake City to spend a few more days with our dear nomadic friends.

We visited Temple Square where our friends proved how much they really do like us when Brent and I decided to ask our sisters, a.k.a. tour guides, two millions questions about Mormonism. Fascinating.

We explored (and got lost) the streets of Salt Lake City and ate German food at Siegfried’s Deli. Highly recommended.

Never mind that we all live in RVs because you know you are really with like minded people when you come across an anti-GMO march and find yourself wildly chanting and cheering along with the protestors.

Clementine and I cleared the shelves at Trader Joe’s.

Brent played grill master.

After a few days in Salt Lake it was time to say goodbye and this time…

…we did.

Eli escorted us to the gate on his bike.

Sniff.

See you down the road friends!

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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