Today we’re dusting off a few of our best and most well-received blog posts from the last four years in honor of our recent nomination to Tripbase’s “My 7 Links” blog project.
The aim is to unite bloggers of all different topics to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again.
Surprisingly, more than 150,000 readers have seen this brief, 25-word description of resources for building your own van conversion, camper, trailer, or boat, from the long defunct Simple Living Network. The cool homemade fifth wheel video we added must have helped!
The ongoing discussion in the comments we continue to get on Jim’s post about troubleshooting our Norcold RV Refrigerator has proven more helpful than the post itself.
Who would’ve thought our rather uneventful trip to Forest Park Cemetery would stir up so many eerie reports from one of the most haunted cemeteries in America.
Helpless is the only way to describe the feeling of learning about the death of a loved one when you’re on the road. Oh Spoonie. We wish we could have saved you from yourself.
Only an RVer can talk about sewer dumps and stinky holding tanks over breakfast. Learn who does and who won’t let go of skanky water out in the hinterlands, one of the dirty little secrets of RVers.
Keeping my hair color in shape while living in a tiny space has been one of my biggest challenges since fulltime RVing. Am I the only one who struggles with this?
Few places evoke such visceral reactions from RVers as Slab City USA. This objective article addresses the surprising, the beautiful and the entertaining aspects of the Last Free Place for weary travelers.
7 Links: Who’s Next?
And now, in the spirit of the My 7 links project, we are nominating the following bloggers to share their wisdom by publishing their 7 links on their blogs:
Have you ever found good beer bottles or cans tossed by the side of the road?
From bargain beer to fast food remnants, the garbage that weekenders carelessly toss onto the county road near our place is a sad indicator of the way they treat their communities and their bodies.
As we take our daily run we find cans of Coors, Bud or Keystone (ugh), but we’ve never once seen a good microbrew bottle or can that was chucked from someone’s vehicle. What does that say about the typical consumer who likes pisswater beer?
Cigarette packaging also makes up a good majority of roadside garbage. And as for fast food containers, just look for the Golden Arches.
Personally I think there should be a garbage tax imposed on anyone who buys cheap beer or takeout from crappy fast food joints. Don’t you?
Editor’s Note: I vote for a garbage tax on these things for the same reason that many cities charge consumers for plastic grocery bags. Not everyone lets their bags blow all over the landscape, but a large majority DO pollute our world. The same holds true for cheap beer, fast food and cigarette packaging.
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!
Warning: California’s fuel prices may be hazardous to your health.
We’ve seen diesel as high as $4.87 a gallon in Southern California and gas at $4.39 here in Humboldt County. Considering that we were expecting diesel to be over $5 in Humboldt, I suppose this was a relief in a sick sort of way.
Getting to Humboldt County was an epic journey, as usual.
Imagine yourself traveling over the Sierra Nevadas in a covered wagon, and you’ll have a good idea of how rough it can be to bring a RV here.
Although Humboldt’s five hours from anywhere, the hard road to get here is a small price to pay when you do lay your eyes on the land of giant redwoods and lush green forests filled with so many shades of green that you never knew existed.
Escaping the Fort Davis Fire: a Sign from the Universe?
Come Labor Day weekend, a twinge of envy and a slight yearning for the past whispers in my ear whenever I hear people talk about going to Burning Man.
Back in the day, we used to go. But when Black Rock City’s population exploded from 200 people in ’92 to several thousand by our last year in ’96, we decided to call it done.
Labor Day weekend hasn’t been the same ever since.
Until now.
Giving a New Meaning to “Fat Tire”
Fort Collins is the epicenter of bicycle and beer culture. Fat tires and big beefy beers go together here like hippies in Humboldt.
As the headquarters for super eco-groovy, New Belgium Brewery, no matter where you go you can’t help but soak up the sudsy vibe of laid back college town living.
New Belgium is the creator of awesome microbrew beer and Tour de Fat, a nationwide day-long costume party held in different cities to celebrate bicycles as a way of life.
The Fort Collins Tour on Labor Day weekend is always the biggest one, and this year some 10,000 people came by bike to toast the two wheeled lifestyle.
On Saturday afternoon, we dropped Wyatt off at doggy day care, then met our friends Mike and Marie to pedal on over to the event. Not knowing what to expect, our costumes were thrown together pretty quick and nothing to be proud of (just wait till next year!).
As more freaks started rolling in dressed in full regalia, we knew this was going to be a fun ride.
For over two hours we pedaled with partying revelers throughout town, whooping and hollering and smiling the entire way. I can’t remember the last time I smiled for hours on end, just cracking up at all of the crazy costumes that people thought up.
Everywhere the parade snaked through town, locals were sitting on the curb whooping back at us.
People had set up cocktail bars on their lawns and thew parties while the parade was going on. From frat boys to old folks, nobody could resist the good cheer the circus brought to town.
What a blast to see the entire community come out and applaud the riders. Nobody was a spectator, everyone was a participant.
After the ride, New Belgium threw a free, day-long concert near their headquarters, with local bands, food, crazy bicycle games and an emphasis on the all-important message of how using bicycles for transportation can build community and save the planet.
Being the bicycling advocate that I am, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend part of Labor Day weekend from here on out.
We’re hooked! Just wait till you see our costumes for next year . . .
The Law of Attraction is simple: like attracts like. I’ve found the theory to hold true when it comes to the kinds of people we meet in life.
In the early 90s, Jim and I were riding our motorcycles in the Bay Area when we met Nancy, an 80 year-old woman who was riding a Gold Wing.
I was dumbfounded that a woman her age was on a bike, but then she told me she used to be a World War II Ferry Pilot, which made motorcycling look like child’s play. As one of the few women bikers at the time, I felt an instant kinship with her.
To this day, her courageous spirit still influences my life, even on our trip across Texas.
Flying Across Texas Into WASP History
In World War II, while the men-folk were off fighting the war, a small group of gutsy women were recruited by the US Air Force to fly military planes from factories to air bases. They also towed targets on the back of these planes while male fighter pilots practiced firing at them with live ammunition!
About 2,000 WASPS trained at the Sweetwater, Texas airport and just over 1,000 women graduated as the first non-combat US military pilots, known as “WASPS” (Women Airforce Service Pilots). As non-combat pilots, these women freed up male pilots from “drudge work” so they could fight on the frontlines.
Nancy was one of these courageous gals. Even after the program was disbanded at the end of the war, she continued flying until one day when she decided to fly a small plane underneath the Golden Gate Bridge! That’s when she was banned forever from flying. So instead she hopped on a bike and continued riding for decades.
The WASP museum is housed in the original 1920s-era aircraft hanger where the WASPs trained.
Inside, a collection of memorabilia, video and props tells the story of these heroic women who came from all walks of life to train as pilots, for a meagre $150 a month salary.
The program was controversial and had its detractors but these women endured to become the first military pilots in the country.
But because the Air Force hired them as Civil Service employees, the WASPs never received military status or benefits because the war ended before a congressional act could be enacted to give them military recognition.
The WASPs were nearly forgotten in history until the 1970s, when the Navy announced that women would be allowed to fly combat planes. As more military women aspired to and became fighter pilots, the story of their WWII predecessors was resurrected.
WASP Pilot Betty Wahl Strohfus, pictured getting her medal, is one of just 300 surviving WASPs.
I don’t know what happened to Nancy, but my memory of our run-in has always stayed dear to my heart. I can’t help but think that much of my good fortune in life comes from that chance encounter I had with such a courageous soul who wasn’t afraid of taking chances. She influenced me more than she’ll ever know.
Seeing the actual spot in Sweetwater where she and so many brave women earned their pilots wings will always serve to inspire myself (and many, many other women) toward more adventure in our lifetimes.
They came. They got to know each other. They made cocktails.
I’m speaking of the Nü Rvers of course, at their recent get-together in Gonzales, Texas for Days of the Nü II. One highlight from this year’s gathering was the first Bartender Wars.
Ben and Karen took first place with their Blazing Bloody Mary, and we brought home the Best Presentation award thanks to our Nü Hawaiian, complete with theme music and little umbrellas. (Thanks to Sam and Tracy!)
But as we promised the fine folks from Republic Tequila – who we met at the first Luckenbach Hat Festival, which they sponsored – we brought along a bottle of their new Reposado for the Nü Crew to try out.
Enjoy this video of us preparing a batch of Republic Texas Tea and getting feedback from a few true tequila afficionados …
After making this batch of Republic Texas Tea, and passing around a few straight shots, the votes were unanimous – well, almost. Among actual tequila drinkers the consensus was; Republic Tequila rocks! It is aromatic and mellow, ultra-smooth and easy drinking – fine to sip, and most excellent mixed.
Here’s the topper, Republic Tequila is made with 100% certified organic blue agave at La Quemada, one of Mexico’s only organic distilleries. Even better, Republic uses recycled Jack Daniels charred American Oak barrels for aging their tequilas – 8 months for the Reposado and 20 months for the Añejo. And best yet, the people behind the brand are good-hearted, fun-loving folks who share a common goal; to create and market the world’s perfect tequila.
They might have done just that. Everyone has that one liquor they just can’t drink anymore. And while I make a mean margarita, I haven’t been able to sip straight tequila for years due to circumstances I care to not divulge, or can’t remember. But once I tasted the Republic Reposado, my aversion might just be cured.
Republic Tequila – “Born in Mexico, Raised in Texas” – was launched last August and is already in four states. Look for Republic throughout Texas at Spec’s Fine Spirits. I’m just glad it’s available in Colorado now! By the time of this writing you should also be able to buy it in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona.
If your favorite liquor store doesn’t carry Republic Tequila, tell them they should! If they do, you can’t miss it on the shelf. It’s the one in the Texas shaped bottle. But this is much more than just a gimmick. It symbolizes the spirit of this spirit, its big hand-crafted taste, and the freedom you’ll feel after sipping some … responsibly of course.
Some stores may also have Republic in the “tall” bottle. But what fun is that considering this tale Jack told about how the Republic bottle came to be… “We started drinking in Amarillo,” he said pointing to the neck of the bottle. “By lunch we had reached Abilene,” he adds and points to middle of bottle. “It was so good, we kept on drinking until we reached South Padre Island!” Or something like that, but anyone who knows their Texas geography understands that means it’s time for a new bottle.
I hereby declare Snabbers as Seasonal Snowbird Slabbers – those of us who enjoy the culture of Slab City on a seasonal basis.
As in … “Slab City residents are happy the Snabbers have left.”
Unlike the stereotypical Snowbirds who tend to gate themselves up in their RV caravan roundups, never venturing downtown, Snabbers prefer to immerse themselves in the Slab City experience.
You might even find Snabbers at the hot spring or bathing in a culvert. Though we only partook in the former this year.
And unlike self-proclaimed Slabbers, we Snabbers retain a certain self respect rare among certain full time residents of the Slabs.
Overheard one day in reference to an old travel trailer in dire need of repair …
“I’m a Slabber! It’s too nice for me.”
Snabbers walk a fine line. While we enjoy meeting the eclectic mix of people that one might find at The Range on a Saturday night, and don’t mind putting up with a little acrid smoke while gathered around a trash can fire to enjoy some funky music act, we do prefer a tasty cocktail over malt liquor, and hot grilled eggplant over cold Spam out of a can. We also like regular showers in the privacy of our own RV and a clean shirt every few days.
Snabbing isn’t for everyone. But at least one night on the Slabs should be required of any true full-timer. Make it a Saturday next season, and we’ll meet you at The Range.
Dare I digress and ask who coined the phrase, “to coin a phrase”? See that first link if you’re really interested. Or, if someone asks this piece of useless trivia at a dinner party, just tell them it predates printing and moveable type if that’s what they suggest. Way back in the 14 century, money was apparently coined by wedge-shaped dies called “coins” used to stamp the metal blanks which came to be called coins.
Considering money is something you will find very little of at the Slabs, I find this relevant. As is this coining quote typical of its early use in the mid 2oth century …
“It takes all sorts to make a world, to coin a phrase.”
— From Francis Brett Young’s novel Mr. Lucton’s Freedom, 1940
Jim and I have soft spots in our hearts for rescued animals. At one time we thought that our next business endeavor would be starting up a home for old dogs. We said we would call it “Jerry’s Kids.”
But in November 2007, we got a good dose of reality during our volunteer stint at Safe Harbor Animal Rescue in Maysville, North Carolina. Working there opened our eyes to the grueling work involved in running an animal sanctuary, and we quickly came to the conclusion that we just aren’t cut from the same cloth as those who give up their lives for animal rescue advocacy.
Last fall while we were still in Fort Collins, we stopped at Petco and met up with Karen Straight, executive director of Kindness Ranch, a rescue home for former lab research animals. I learned about them through my friend Lilla, who volunteered at their ranch in Hartville, Wyoming last year.
Kindness Ranch takes in animals who are released from research labs where they were subjected to product testing. Karen finds loving homes for those who are adoptable and ready for their first real homes. And for animals who are too challenging to adopt out because of issues resulting from their cruel imprisonment, Kindness Ranch is a sanctuary, and their last chance for happiness.
Karen was at Petco with a few dogs who are ready for homes, including Jack, pictured above.
Please help Kindness Ranch any way you can. This is a great organization with a heart of gold, and they need all of the assistance they can get for the animals.
We proved to ourselves that RVing hasn’t turned us into outdoorsy wussies.
Our California friends Kim and Ari Shapiro, and their son Caz, paid us a visit recently, during their six week road trip sabbatical. Jim and Ari have been friends since college, and the five of us always had lots of great times backpacking and car camping.
We haven’t tent camped for almost a year, so when Kim and Ari wanted to check out the nearby Rahwah Wilderness, we went along for a few days, and took the backpacking gear instead of the rig.
We hauled our gear a whole 20 feet, from the truck to the tent pad at a great campsite along a river. The river lulled us to sleep both nights, making it a little easier to snooze on the rock hard ground.
Getting back to our roots and sleeping in our tiny tent wasn’t too bad, and we’ll definitely do it again sometime. But I’ve gotta say, RVing with refrigeration and a mattress is a lot kinder to your body.
The aim is to unite bloggers of all different topics to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again.
A Post Whose Success Surprised Me: Ringing Up the Dead in Forest Park Cemetery, Brunswick NY
The Post that I am Most Proud of: Mad Max Meets Good Sam at the Slabs
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