One of the best parts about this trip has been getting to know people, and hearing their unique stories. Sometimes, we meet people who have overcome so much adversity in life, it makes us ashamed to have ever felt an ounce of self-pity over our own trivial challenges.

Last weekend, we met such a person. Well, a family really. While staying at the McDowell Nature Reserve outside of Charlotte, we met Annette Protani and five of her six kids who were camped out next to us. Annette and her kids started calling their RV home when they left Houston back in August, in search of a new town in which to lay down some roots. Read the rest of this entry »

By the time I was about to write about dropping off my Powerbook at the Charlotte Apple Store for repairs, they had already called to say it was ready to be picked up. This came as a pleasant surprise considering they said it would take five to seven days to be fixed at the service center in Texas.

So our stay in Asheville – a few hours away, in the Smoky Mountain foothills – was cut a bit short, but the couple days we did have there was plenty to get a feel for the area.

This little wrench in the works also gave us time to realize we never care to live our lives along an interstate corridor. As we criss-crossed North Carolina, the incredible population density and mass consumption of this country became remarkably clear.
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When we first decided to live in an RV, one of my first thoughts was: how the heck will I maintain my hair color? Not that I’m a high maintenance brunette, but I’m too vain to let those pesky gray roots show through yet, so I zap ‘em with hair dye once a month.

I’ve always done my color. But, since going on the road, I’ve gone to hair salons. But each time, the stylist left me with hair that was too light, or too dark.

I kept getting irritated that the hair colorists couldn’t get it right. So recently, I surrendered and decided to do it myself.

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I would have posted this sooner had I gotten around to it before my Mac had a fit – see my next post about our visits to the Apple Store in Charlotte, NC for details – but better late than never, right?

We’ve discovered a couple distinct indicators that say we’re definitely heading south. One: The number of Dixie flags we see is increasing daily. Two: Barbecue joints are becoming increasingly easier to find.

I’m confident we have not quite reached “The South” yet, so I’m holding out for a mess o’ ribs and chicken. But I can certainly tell we’re getting close, as indicated by our recent dining experience at Famous Anthony’s.

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If you’re a real foodie like Jim and I are, be aware that gourmet cooking in an RV can be a challenge. Not impossible (especially if your rig is large), but as we have discovered, making our favorite recipes while living with an RV kitchen requires some patience and creativity.

It’s simple; in a rig our size, there isn’t enough room to carry all of the spices, appliances and utilities that one needs to prepare certain foods. Since hitting the road, we have had some interesting times in the kitchen; Read the rest of this entry »

When we started fulltiming, we knew that we wanted to look for a “Workamper” arrangement. Workamping is generally a situation where a person or couple gets to assist in campground or RV park duties, hosting, etc., in exchange for a great campsite where they can park their rig. The work can be as challenging as one wants; from 12 hours a week greeting visitors, to being full time and working on a construction or maintenance team. Along with perks like free propane, hookups or laundry room access, sometimes an hourly wage or stipend is also included.

Since our schedule is wide open for the next year, we have begun our Workamper campaign. Here is our resume that we are sending to prospective employers:

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So I just had to know … is there a Wawa in Mawah?

So I just looked it up … the closest Wawa to Mahwah would be the Matawan Wawa. Or perhaps the Malaga Wawa, or the Wawa in Manahawkin.

Say that ten times fast.

Say it in New Jersey and you’ll probably pass a Wawa or two along the way while you do.

Seems that many folks aren’t aware that there are quite a few places where an RVer can park the rig overnight for free. No hookups of course, but when you’re pooped out after a long day of driving, anything can look like the Hilton. And you can’t beat the price.

WalMart is known for being nice to RVers and allowing them to park overnight. Good capitalists that they are, they figure that most overnighters will shop there too, so why not let ‘em. A word of caution, more and more locations are banning this practice due to long term campers checking in. Check for listings of WalMarts that don’t allow camping.

We had not tried boondocking in a parking lot until just recently, when we were halfway to Appalachia. The reason is because until now it had been too hot, and since we don’t have an internal generator, we aren’t able to run the air conditioner. Now it’s getting cold (really cold) here in the East, so we were willing to give it a shot. Here’s what we discovered: Read the rest of this entry »

This took a minute for me to get. But I soon realized it just meant drive the campground loop and back in to your site on the way back out. Which we did, instead of leaving and returning to park.

When we were about half way across the U.S., I realized it would be cool to go see my old childhood home in Chatham Township, NJ after we visited my sister in Upstate New York.

As we approached the area, pulling the trailer through Morristown, I started to wonder if it was such a good idea. Not because of the narrow roads and traffic, but because it was becoming apparent that things are not always what they seem. In fact they never are in adulthood, especially when seemed long ago by the mind of a ten year old.

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