After four years on the road and nearly 70,000 miles logged on the Dodge, there are a few places that have remained near and dear to us, the kind of place we want to go back to again and again. Vickers Ranch is one of them.
And now that the ranch cabins are for sale, there’s a lot more people who are going to discover the magic of this 100-year old Lake City legacy.
Recently I talked to Larry and Paul Vickers about the family’s exciting new Vickers Horse River Ranch Property that gives the public a chance to own one of their hand-crafted, historic log cabins.
In this 15-minute intervew we talk with Larry and Paul Vickers, whose family helped establish Lake City during the peak mining years of the late 1800s.
Jim and I worked at their ranch during 2008 when we thought we wanted to buy a small resort.
Then we realized: What, are we nuts?!
Now that we know the realities of the resort life, we can say we’re definitely not cut out for this kind of gig. The work was the hardest we have ever done but the family’s kindness and generosity made it all worthwhile.
Our adventures at the ranch were chronicled in blogs post such as:
We’ll hopefully be heading back to the ranch in a few weeks to get our share of hay buckin’, cowboy coffee and manual labor, so stay tuned for more Vickers Ranch workamping adventures.
Meanwhile, if you or someone you know would like to be a guest on our Blog Talk Radio show, drop us a line!
Sixteen years ago, a co-worker kept insisting, “You gotta meet my roommate.” Later that week, on the 18th of May, he set us up at the Gold Cane. It turns out Spoonie just wanted your room.
Exactly two years later (almost) on the 17th, we were married. It was the happiest day of my life. Really.
Every day together is a reminder of just how happy. Thank you. For everything. Really.
How do you write a tribute for someone whose spirit simply cannot be characterized with words alone?
Bob did a good job at describing how Chris Crawford was awesome in his Talking Tech blog. And the Eureka Times Standard published a rather eloquent obituary for Chris, who would have easily discerned they didn’t write it.
To know Chris Crawford was to love him. Personally, I feel that after high school and college, one rarely gets the opportunity to make a new lifelong friend. Chris made it simple. He and Elaine welcomed us into their home, and their hearts.
After knowing Chris just a short time, we became very close friends. After the various parties he hosted, or times he and Elaine would treat us to dinner or cocktails, I would thank him sincerely. His reply was always the same: “We’ll have the rest of our lives to make up for it Jim.” My only regret is that I won’t be able to keep my end of that bargain.
Chris was always our biggest advocate. He believed in us when others thought we were crazy. In dealing with the City when attempting to convert an abandoned property into live/work space, he solicited letters on our behalf.
At a public debate when running for Supervisor where his opponent answered my question about what might be done to assist local small internet-based businesses with “government can’t help you…” he easily illustrated aspects of his seven point plan that could.
And, when we decided to follow our dream by selling our home and traveling the country with Jerry, he was there at our sendoff and frequently commented on our travels…
“…we fully appreciate your wanderlust. As you note, it’s always heart warming to know there are people who love you, know you for who you are, and pray for your safety while you pursue this adventure.” — Chris Crawford’s comment on this post.
So much has been said about Chris already. So we will sum this up in stereotypical Crawford fashion…
Look, it’s like this. He led a good life. He was a very fortunate man to have found such a wonderful soul mate in Elaine. He was successful in business, and passionate about what he believed was best for the community. Cancer may have broken his body, but his spirit shall live on forever.
Gregg and Jay are right. “Was” is indeed the hardest word. God speed my friend. Thank you for being you.
It was over two years ago now that I first pondered publishing a post titled, “I Could Die A Happy Man.” Now that may sound morbid to most, but I meant it in only the most positive sense, and still do.
My reasoning at the time was that we had enjoyed a wonderful life with Jerry on the road, where he taught us – among many other enlightening lessons – that every day is a great day, no matter what life throws your way. I was recently reminded of this by a comment on some satellite radio show about coping with difficulties. It went something like this…
“You always have a choice. Even if your only choice is how you react to the situation, you still have a choice.”
So true. I choose to be happy. It sounds simple enough, but it can be harder than you might think, especially when life throws you a curveball. Or worse, beans you high and hard.
With the anniversary of Kris’ death coming up, and doctors suddenly telling another dear friend cancer is killing him, I thought it high time to share how I do it. Be happy that is. Consider it a bit of open source enlightenment.
Ever since we hit the road with our three legged dog after his cancer diagnosis and amputation, I have been privately working on this personal mantra…
“I am available to more good than I have ever experienced, imagined or known ever before in my entire life. So I open myself to all the wonderful gifts the universe has to shower upon me. And I am grateful for living a happy healthy life free of pain and discomfort, thriving in tune with the cosmic dance. I know the universe is conspiring on my behalf, so I free myself of guilt and blame and think kind thoughts, speak kind words, and act kind deeds toward myself others and the environment. Should I experience stress or pain, I choose to let it go knowing that I am completely free without it, because I am most happy and comfortable enjoying every moment to the fullest choosing to live life in the ever present now.”
It’s an ever-evolving work in progress but that’s what makes it work so well. I repeat it most often when out for my morning runs. Another friend, Dave Berman, found it enlightening enough to use a variation we agreed upon when he launched his Manifest Positivity blog. You can ask Dave how the differences he suggested I incorporate make the mantra more effective, he’s the certified NLP practitioner.
But I am a creature of habit, and I believe this is working for me. Call it mumbo jumbo if you will, but a little good juju can go along way if you ask me. So I recommend anyone seeking a little more happiness from life develop a mantra of their own. Below are a few resources that led to me developing mine.
The Secret – The law of attraction is no secret after all, and anyone who has read or seen this will recognize the first few words of my mantra.
Pronoia by Rob Brezsny – Never read it, but a few of the things I tell myself I learned from Dave, who swears by its teachings about how how the whole world is conspiring to shower you with blessings.
Am I Being Kind by Michael J. Chase – I still owe Dave a public thank you, and book review for this quick read about how asking one simple question can change your life, and your world.
Excuses Begone! by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer – Didn’t read this one either but did take plenty of notes during Dr. Dyer’s seminar of the same name on PBS about how to change lifelong, self-defeating thinking habits.
Hi all, I am hoping to be on the road by April. I am wondering what you “old timers” would do differently if you were just starting out?
While we don’t like to “should” all over ourselves, through the four years we’ve been on the road we’ve learned that there are some things we might have done differently when starting out.
We hardly spend time or money at RV parks, but this club has saved our necks and our wallets several times. Nearly all camping membership clubs suck, but not Passport.
There are tons of participating RV parks, most without tight restrictions, and they cost half of what they normally would, some as little as $7 a night for full hookups!
Our first year out we spent far too much money paying full price for RV park stays. Now, I wouldn’t travel even halftime without a PA membership.
It took us two years to figure out that the services you get from Escapees can’t be beat. Our first year out we had a family member do our mail for us (they volunteered). But it was a hassle for them, and we felt the weight of obligation after we knew this sabbatical was turning into a lifestyle.
We also would have saved a ton on our residency / vehicle fees had we turned Texan sooner.
3. Invest in a bigger solar system.
We started out knowing we would boondock, but we didn’t realize the extent of it, nor how much it could save us. Our system was adequate for a long-term vacation but not for making a living with.
We’ve slowly upgraded, but when we had the money four years ago we should’ve started out with a bigger system.
Boondocking gets us closer to our “real” camping roots as backpackers, by allowing us to get as far away from civilization as possible, without having to dig a craphole.
4. Travel without debt.
When we started out, we had not paid off our rig, even though we had the money in savings. I hated knowing that we had real bills to pay and no real income, but I didn’t want to see that pile go away.
For the first time in our lives, we truly felt the meaning of “freedom.” Living a with debt, much less fulltiming with a sporadic income and debt, is a big drag on happiness…at least to us it is.
That’s about all of the “should haves” we can think of. Remember, researching your road tripping lifestyle is key to long term success, and planning how you’ll be comfortable is critical. Don’t hit the road without doing either.
And now that the ranch cabins are for sale, there’s a lot more people who are going to discover the magic of this 100-year old Lake City legacy.
Jim and I worked at their ranch during 2008 when we thought we wanted to buy a small resort.
Entries (RSS)