Two week trial run.

Two week trial run.

We recently spent 2 weeks in our RV “Winnie”. We traveled from San Diego, California to a small town a ways east of Oklahoma City, called “Little”. An old friend moved there years ago and we spent some time with her and her family on their farm.
On the way there our goal was to get in as many miles a day as we could. We had a timeline. We needed to get back to San Diego to finish packing up the house before the movers arrived.
The long days of driving were rough on everyone. This 2 weeks was not all “fun”, there was a side mission. We had vehicles and belongings that needed to make it to our property in Texas. Marc drove the RV towing my car, and I drove his truck towing his motorcycle. A day after we got to “Little, OK” we split up. Marc took the truck and motorcycle down to Texas. Rebecka and I stayed with my friend. The farm was beautiful. Cows, pigs, chickens, horses, what a change from city life. Cell signal was very weak, it gave me a chance to be “disconnected”. Although it also caused me a little stress, I’ll need to work on that.

A few wonderful days with my old friend was not enough.
When Marc returned (his father drove him) we discussed the “timeline”. We agreed we were too aggressive with the number of miles per day we were attempting. As we left Oklahoma and slowed things down. We still needed to get back to San Diego to prepare for the movers, but we were going to take a few more days to get there.
We spent some time in New Mexico. We visited Roswell, known for it’s possible alien crash landing. Not super exciting, but the novelty of the town was fun. We played “find an alien” as we drove. Many stores and hotels have little alien statues out front, many billboards have them, and even the street light covers were painted to look like aliens.

Another place we spent a few hours was at White Sands National Monument (still in New Mexico). Such a breathtaking place. So different from the land around it.

Some National Parks offer a Junior Ranger program. Complete a small work book that asks questions that prompt youth to learn about the park. Then return it to a Park Ranger and receive a badge. Working with Rebecka to complete the booklet encouraged us all to learn so much more about the park. The park allows you to drive an 8 mile loop back into the sand dunes. Surrounded by sand (275 miles of it) we were in awe of the land around us. We did have a chance to climb the dunes and ride a sled down, however it was over 105 degrees outside and the sand is very reflective. I think had it been a little cooler outside we may have enjoyed riding the dunes more.

Our next stop was Tucson. We needed to get to the RV dealership for a repair. While on our travels the hose that brings fresh water to the toilet had cracked. This was only a major problem when the water pump was on. That would cause water to spray all over the bathroom. Our temporary fixes helped, but not enough. We were “squeezed” in for a service appointment, and the hose was replaced. Phew, crisis averted.
While in Tucson we camped at the Air Force base and had a family friend visit with us for the night. A nice relaxing evening of board games and friendly conversation.
Then back to San Diego the next day. Lots of things still left to do in the house before the movers come.
Overall the two weeks was a great test for us. We “passed”! We know we are ready for this life of adventure. We figured out that we don’t like to drive all day, rest for the night and drive again the next day. We will keep this in mind when planning our routes. We also figured out that 200-250 travel miles a day is our sweet spot. Driving distance in the RV is different then driving distance in a car. Every bump in the road is amplified and every wind gust or passing truck affects the driver.
We’ve been “home” in San Diego for about a week now, and have continued to “live” in the RV. The three of us find it very comfortable and homey. We continue to work in the house making piles and filing boxes. Figuring out what items will be shipped to Texas and what items will be sold or donated. It is an exhausting process. Having the RV right in front of the house to utilize for breaks and meals has been very beneficial.
Movers, then yard sale, then house cleaners, then listing the house for sale. This is all really happening and we are so ready!!
Thank you all for your continued support!