Tag: escapees hangouts

WheRVe we been? Our travels, 4th quarter 2021

December sunset on our friend’s property near Boerne, TX, our current home

As the sun sets on this year, we are looking toward a 2022 in which we will not be full-time RVers.

Eyebrows down. It’s really not as dramatic as all that.

We’re not coming off the road; we’re just exploring it via alternate means for a couple of months, and I’ll get to that in the “Where to next” section, I promise. No clickbait here — just a little suspense.

Let’s start like we usually do, with a map of our travels since the last quarterly update.

We spent the first few nights of October dry camping at a nondescript county fairgrounds complex in OR, just killing time until our next reservation.
From there, we traveled to UT, then NM, then TX, where we’ve been since Nov. 1.
RV miles traveled this quarter: about 2360  
(Map does not reflect exact routing.)

Utah/Virginia ~ October 4-14

Tim and the RV babysat each other at Hill AFB, while I flew to coastal VA for my 27th (mostly) annual girlfriends’ weekend — at which no babysitters are allowed even though there is no actual adult in charge. We eat, drink, and spend too much, don’t sleep enough, laugh until we pee, and regret nothing.

  • There were 7 of us this year. Blurry photo deliberately chosen to protect the tipsy.
  • Having a fire pit at your rental house is a good way to learn which of your friends are pyros.
  • This year’s theme: mermaids
  • And here’s Tim’s view of the hills at Hill. Autumn leaves and snow at the same time!

Hobbs, NM ~ October 18 to November 1

The minute registration opened for the Escapees Habitat for Humanity Hangout back in June, my fingers were on the keyboard. Two weeks of construction work for the greater good? Sign us the hell up and take our money.

There were two main projects at the affiliate in Hobbs. Not only did Hangout attendees get the home building experience that everyone pictures when they think of Habitat for Humanity, but we also helped move the ball significantly forward on renovating a recently purchased church building into their new multi-purpose headquarters (offices, meeting spaces, and a ReStore) — all of which will help further their mission and benefit the Hobbs community.

Many of us learned entirely new skills: tiling, mudding & taping, hanging drywall, reading blueprints, framing and standing up walls, and more. We also had a team of kitchen volunteers who prepared and served hearty hot lunches, the cost of which was budgeted into our Hangout fees, on most work days.

It was emotional, exhausting, and gratifying, and in addition to bonding with so many new friends, we all have an open invitation to return to Hobbs on our own, park our RVs, and raise our hammers any time we want to put in a few days or weeks of work.

  • Hangouts Director Rob delivered the orientation and safety briefing.
  • New tees! Yay! We are forever rotating out the old ratty ones.
  • Tim inspecting the drywall
  • Me on Day 1 of mudding & taping. My skills had improved somewhat by Day 5, but I have to admit it’s not a favorite.
  • When we arrived, the concrete slab hadn’t even been poured. Ten days later? This.
  • The whole crew beside the duplex we helped raise. (photo: D. Knowles)
  • A Habitat tradition: writing prayers and good wishes in the walls.
  • The family gets to read the messages before the drywall is hung over the many blessings, each one a permanent reminder of loving, helping hands.
Our friend, Dan, created this clever trailer-style video to capture the feel of the Hangout in one perfect minute.

Texas ~ November 1 to present

We spent a week at one of the crown jewels of the Texas State Parks system, Palo Duro Canyon, which is near Amarillo. But… the black tank valve got stuck, necessitating a multi-day, messy and expensive repair effort, leaving us with only one day to go on a hike, on which we got separated, and Tim spent an hour searching for me because I thought he’d know I’d return to the truck, but it turns out he didn’t know that at all. We are almost to the someday of “someday we’ll look back at this and laugh.”

After that, we rolled onto a friend’s ranch property near charming Boerne, TX, and other than two brief side trips, we’ve been here ever since. From here, it takes us only 40-60 minutes to get where we need to go in San Antonio to visit family, doctors and dentists, plus we get scenic views and quiet nights, with almost no traffic on our little ranch road.

We really hadn’t expected to be here this long (our original plan involved spending more of this winter boondocking in the desert), but lengthy gaps between follow-up appointments are keeping us anchored to San Antonio through January. Thankfully, the issues are merely pesky and not serious, and we’re near tons of family, friends, tacos and margaritas, so what’s not to love?

  • Tim on the trail at Palo Duro Canyon while I could still see him…
  • … and me on the trail while he could still see me. Sigh.
  • Home, home on the ranch, where sometimes there are cows in that field behind us.
  • An extra thankful Thanksgiving: both of our sons were with us for the first time in nearly 4 years.
  • A side trip to Canyon Lake brought peaceful views…
  • … and Christmas dinner with friends, most of whom we’d met at the Habitat Hangout in October. (photo: D. Knowles)
  • Glad tidings from my Frosty the Dough Man, a Christmas potluck hit.
Have to admit it. That man I married looks pretty damn happy with ranch life.

And then there were the dogs

As I was reviewing photos for this post, I realized we got to give lots of ear scruffles and lap snuggles over the past three months. Here. You can meet them all too.

  • Yellow
  • Molly
  • Ghost
  • Brownie
  • Gracie
  • Penny (with Gracie on the table trying to look taller)

Where to next?

Did you think I’d forgotten that thing I said up there about not being full-time RVers in 2022? It’s true. We’re leaving the truck and RV here on the ranch and flying to Mexico for two months — at least, that is the plan unless things become utterly f*cked by the continuing pandemic, in which case I might not be writing the quarterly update I expect to write come April 1.

But if it happens, we’ll be spending February on the mainland near Guadalajara, and March on the Baja near Cabo. I’d love to tell you more, but in our typical “meh, it’ll all work out” fashion, all we’ve got locked in so far are our one-way tickets to Guadalajara on Feb. 1, which leaves me with just one thing left to say.

Hasta la vista. Maybe?

We started full-timing in August of 2015, but I didn’t think to do an annual review until the end of 2016, and it was just a listing on Facebook of places we’d visited. After that, I started using a quarterly format.

WheRVe we been? Our travels, 3rd quarter 2021

Looks like we flung a couple of ramen noodles at a map, and then tried to follow them around the northwest this summer. Allow me to help unravel the squiggles.

We started where we left off last quarter, in Coeur d’Alene, ID.
From there, we traveled in WA to Yakima –> Ashford –> Port Townsend –> Cashmere before landing back in Coeur d’Alene again for a couple of weeks.
Then we rolled allll the way over to Glacier NP in MT, and allll the way back to Soap Lake, WA.
After that, we made our way to OR, for visits to the Tillamook and Bend areas.
RV miles traveled this quarter: about 2370 
(Map does not reflect exact routing.)

Why all the loopiness?

Our summer was a mashup of pre-planned events interspersed with family visits that had to be finagled where and when our family members were available, plus logical places to layover during the in-betweens, plus recalculations when not one, but two planned events were canceled with less than 2 weeks notice (one fell to COVID, one to wildfire smoke). So yeah, our brains ended up looking a little like twisted noodles too.

I’ll take you on a brief tour of each of our ten major stops. Ready?

Coeur d’Alene, ID ~ June 27 to July 18

It’s a home for us. Tim went to high school there, friends still live in the area, and his folks still visit about once a year. We were lucky to spend time with them both times we swung through this summer.

  • There was a friend with a dog …
  • … friends who needed help with home renovations …
  • … for which we accepted a 4th of July picnic and snuggles with their new grandbaby as perfectly adequate compensation.
  • And there was a farmer’s market within walking distance of our RV park.

Yakima, WA ~ July 18-22

It was just a 4-night stop to have some work done on the truck, but we scored on finding a quiet state park within bicycling distance of the repair shop. We celebrated our 29th anniversary at a downtown eatery on our first night, and the only other item of note was actually rather embarrassing.

Ashford, WA ~ July 22-25

Another score: a Harvest Hosts location only 5 miles from the SW entrance to Mount Rainier National Park. With host permission we stayed 3 nights, spent accordingly in their cafe, and were thus able to put in two unrushed hiking days, with gloriously sunny weather and clear views.

  • Great North American Snow Goobers
  • If you’ve got a craving for hearty Ukrainian specialties, visit our hosts, Paradise Village Hotel & Restaurant.

Port Townsend, WA ~ July 25 to August 3

Our boy! Our big boy lives in Port Townsend and we hadn’t seen him for 19 months. Oh… ummm… actually both of our boys are big, at 6’2″, but this one’s the first born. And we hadn’t seen him for 19 months. Did I say that already?

  • We looked at boats …
  • … worked on trucks …
  • … and that boy mixed for me one of the fanciest cocktails I’ve ever had. Absinthe. There was actual absinthe in it.
  • On our final day, we took a foggy ferry ride to Coupeville …
  • … to meet up with Tim’s middle sister. We weren’t sure we were going to get to see her this trip. So glad it worked out.

Cashmere, WA ~ August 3-10

This is an easy one. Already wrote about it! We celebrated 6 years on the road at the Escapees Cascade Mountains Hangout, during which we went on a scavenger hunt, and went hiking, and went tubing on the river, and had potlucks, and toured a candy factory, and went to a musical, and pretty much pretended we were kids at summer camp again.

Happy 6th annRVsary to us!

Coeur d’Alene, ID ~ August 10-24

We had two weeks to kill before our next event, and Cd’A was along the way, so it made sense to land amongst our people again.

  • Not fun: wildfire smoke. But we’d managed to avoid it until then, so 5 days worth wasn’t too bad.
  • Totally fun: helping Tim’s folks shop for a used truck camper. Tim did the roof check, among other important pre-purchase inspection items.
  • I couldn’t resist adding the subsequent “Gotcha Day” to the calendar.
  • Ta-daaa! And off they went…

Glacier National Park ~ August 24 to September 1

Time for our second round of “summer camp,” at the Escapees Glacier Country Hangout. The directors planned an incredibly varied slate of activities, and we saw more of the park than we would have on our own: west side, east side, trails, lakes, and guided tours. I cannot pick a favorite excursion or photo, and that’s why you get 12 in this slide show instead of only 4 or 5.

  • We arrived ready for fun.
  • The historic red bus tour of the park was a favorite. Book one.
  • You get to go topless to see all the wonders!
  • My dish for the potluck brunch was a french toast casserole made from doughnuts left over from the prior Hangout. From this Hangout, I took leftover bagels. Do you sense a tradition being born?
  • A hike to Avalanche Lake
  • Whitewater rafting on the Flathead River
  • A hike along the notorious Highline Trail was not as daunting as we were led to believe, but is definitely not for those afraid of heights.
  • Plus, there were critters. This is a curious Columbian Ground Squirrel. We also saw deer and mountain goats that day; foxes, a bear, and two moose on others.
  • It was on this boat tour of Lake McDonald that Tim spotted the moose on the shore — and I’ve now got a moose tattoo on my wrist as a memento.
  • Second boat tour: Two Medicine Lake on the east side of the park
  • That one included a guided hike.
  • After the Hangout, we rolled around to the east side of the park to moochdock with friends who are working as caretakers at a guest ranch. We spent a month last year moochdocking on their property in WY, so it was like coming home again.

Soap Lake, WA ~ September 2-7

This stop was a last-minute addition. We learned that Tim’s other sister and her husband would be staying at Soap Lake in their new-to-them camper, and then Tim’s folks decided to join them in their new-to-them camper, so we grabbed a site at a campground right down the road, and voila! We had a plan for Labor Day Weekend.

  • Parking for two at Campground A (the beauty of being petite) …
  • … and parking for one right down the road at Campground B. Lakeside. With a gazebo and a swing set. And we knew which site to request because we’d read a review on Campendium — and friends of ours had written it!
  • Sunrise over Soap Lake, known for its high mineral content and rumored to have healing powers. I stuck my feet in a couple of times. Meh. No miracles.

Garibaldi & Tillamook, OR ~ September 8-19

When one door closes (like say, an event we’d registered to attend in WA that was COVID cancelled), another one opens (like say, a third Hangout with a spot available). And that’s how we ended up at the Escapees Oregon Coast Hangout: skidding in sideways at the comparative last minute. We were not at all sad about another week of fun in an area we’d not explored.

  • The star of the Oregon Coast Hangout was of course the coast itself.
  • There was also a neat-o tree.
  • And no visit to Tillamook would be complete without a tour of and treat from the Tillamook Creamery.
  • We did a group service project too, trimming vegetation and staining benches at the Kilchis Point Reserve.
  • And hey, remember I said I took leftover bagels from the prior Hangout? Turned them into pizza snacks for a potluck at this one. And then from this one, I took home leftover brownies, and yeah, you know what’s gonna happen.

Sisters & Bend, OR ~ September 19-30

We found a great place to boondock, and set off on several adventures from there. Mornings were chilly, but the sun came out and warmed up our days, making for perfect hiking and backpacking weather. We squeezed in a pretty wide variety of activities, and have more on our list for an eventual return visit.

  • We started with a tour of the Host camper factory — because even though we’re not looking, we’re always kind of looking.
  • Also spent some time strolling vibrant downtown Bend, with its pretty river views …
  • … quaint shops and multiple alcoholic beverage “-ies” (brewer, winer, and distiller) …
  • … and a tattoo parlor that takes walk-ins. Did you really think I’d leave you without a pic of my moose?
  • We made a day trip to Crater Lake NP, hiked its two most difficult trails …
  • … and plopped our toes in the clear, cold water.
  • Next up: a 2-night backpacking adventure around the 23-mile Three Fingered Jack Loop in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness. Tim noticed my new patch right off the bat.
  • That’s Three Fingered Jack. The mountain, not my husband.
  • The final 10 miles were along this famous pathway.
  • On our last full day, we took a friend’s suggestion to visit Smith Rock State Park, and we were blown away by the landscape.

Where to next?

We’re now making our way to the Salt Lake City area, where Tim will savor some solo time while I fly to VA for Girl Time, and the fewer details I release about that, the better. Suffice it to say that since we canceled last year’s annual gathering (our 26th) because of the pandemic, we will likely make up for it with double the indulgences this year, and I cannot wait. I’ve even added nights on each end to spend even more time with more girlfriends from my Norfolk-based sisterhood. We were stationed there from 2004-2010, and I still miss the strong sense of community.

After I’ve recovered from the eatingdrinkinglaughingandhardlysleeping hangover, we roll to Hobbs, NM, for the 2-week Escapees Habitat for Humanity Hangout. It’ll feel good to get back to giving back, getting our hands dirty, and sharing the experience with other like-minded RVers. Plus, I’ll get a chance to pull those leftover brownies out of my freezer and upcycle them into something decadent for a potluck dessert.

From there, we’ll roll to Palo Duro Canyon State Park near Amarillo, TX, for about a week. It’s been on our list since before we even started RVing, and we’ve not managed to hit it right a single one of the umpteen times we’ve gone in and out of TX since 2015. This time, I made a reservation — at a highly uncharacteristic 6 months in advance!

After that, it’s back to homebase San Antonio for a few weeks of catching up with family & friends, routine annual medical and dental checks, and holy crap how are we this close to the holidays again already?

So ummm… happy new year? I’m sure I’ll post at least one fresh blog between now and then, and as ever, you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter for more frequent updates as we roll along.

We started full-timing in August of 2015, but I didn’t think to do an annual review until the end of 2016, and it was just a listing on Facebook of places we’d visited. After that, I started using a quarterly format.