Our "vacation" month in Arkansas is in the books (but not yet completely on our travel blog). We hit the road early Saturday out of Hot Springs for the long haul to Kansas City, where we arrived an hour or so before dark. As we traversed the 435-mile route, we passed near the two other places we had stayed during our visit to the Natural State, and then some. When we left Kansas City in mid-September, it took us five days of traveling over a six-week period to cover essentially the same distance we did in one day on the return trip.
Ugh!
It felt like we were coming home from vacation. You know the feeling: Squeeze out every ounce of vacation fun you can until the last minute, then catch the very last flight or hit the road for the long, mind-numbing ride home.
And, like those first few days after a vacation, we're a bit overwhelmed as we've gone back to "work" on the long list of "to-dos" we need to accomplish during our one-month stay here in our old hometown. In these first three days, we've shopped for a few essentials: new Keen sandals; fabric for a baby quilt the resident quilter needs to make this month; a new recliner and a new Jeep.
Yep. Rocky has been replaced.
After an unsuccessful effort to find a replacement Euro-recliner for our moose Monday morning, we took a swing by a highly recommended trailer place to see if they could handle the tasks involved with a new toad purchase. We have a high-dollar auxiliary braking system that would need to be transplanted from the old to a new toad. And, of course, any new tow vehicle we might decide to buy would have to be outfitted with a baseplate. After spending a few minutes with the manager at Croft Trailer Supply, we were confident they could do the job.
It just so happens that Croft is just a mile or so from a Jeep dealer we visited last May. So, we just had to stop by. Less than 24 hours later we became the proud owners of a four-door 2013 Jeep Wrangler Sahara. The most important phrase in that last sentence is "four-door". Our squirrel was more than fine for the two of us. But, anytime we were transporting four, two of us (and one of them was always the resident writer of this blog) had to fold our bodies into that tiny, narrow thing that resembled a back seat.
I won't miss that! From here on out, every passenger will have his or her own door, and plenty of legroom. Hallelujah!
Of course, there's a bunch more stuff that makes our new Jeep extra nifty. There's a ton more space, a new and improved engine, smooth but still Jeepy ride, running boards, three-piece roof and a groovy navigation system. But, most importantly, it has four - count 'em, four - doors. Yeah!
Was it sad to say so long to our dear Rocky? You betcha! That dandy little squirrel has been our moose's sidekick since the beginning of our RVing adventures. After spending most of his early life in the comfort-controlled climate of a garage, Rocky lived life for the last three-plus years fully exposed to the elements. He endured heat, cold, rain and a brutal Christmas blizzard. He happily followed Bullwinkle for more than 30,000 miles from coast to coast to coast, and then some. He cruised along sandy beaches, climbed the red rocks of Moab and splashed through Spring streams in Texas Hill Country. And, he never, ever complained.
We wish our old squirrel the best in his new life in or around Kansas City. This is a great part of the country to live in and explore. We know he'll love it.
Meanwhile, we have lots to do this month with our new Jeep. By the time we head south in a month or so, we'll have him all decked out for his new assignment to fall in behind our moose. Bullwinkle will have a new buddy.
We've checked the pedigree of our new Jeep. And, guess what? Turns out he's a squirrel, too!
What's his name? Well, cue the movie theme music. It's....
Rocky 2!
Here's hoping the sequel is as good or better than the original!
We're On Vacation!
We really are!
And for those of you who are interested in where we've been, please visit Bullwinkle's Travels. For the first time in an eternity, our little travel blog is just about up to date. Enjoy!
Lots of folks look at what we're doing and think we're on a perpetual vacation. Of course, that's not true. As much as we love this lifestyle, and believe us we do, much of our time on the road is spent dealing with everyday life.
But, for some reason, Arkansas feels different. Since we left Missouri, we are free of any and all obligations for the first time in a long time. (It's all been fun, of course. But, an obligation is an obligation!) Arkansas is pretty. It's laid back. It's fun.
We loved Hickory Creek COE Campground in northwest Arkansas. It was relaxing. It was quiet. It was a great place to chill.
Now, we're 120 miles or so south. Here at Mount Magazine State Park something is different. The campground is small. Just 18 sites. We're sharing the highest point in the state with a splendid lodge just a few minutes away that is home to a fabulous restaurant (where we had breakfast this morning) and a most comfortable lodge with sweeping views where we sat and soaked up free wi-fi to take care of some important business this morning.
We like it here. But, we're just starting to understand why.
Sure, it's all nice. But, there's something else. Sitting here for just over 48 hours, we're starting to get it. This spacious site in the woods feels extra homey. It's quiet here. With no satellite and limited cell service, we're wonderfully disconnected. Yet, civilization, complete with cloth napkins and cheerful waitresses is just a one-mile hike or three-minute drive away. The sweeping views are breathtaking. The hiking trails are fantastic. We feel truly blessed to be here. We are, in the words of our favorite vet in Gunnison, chillaxin.
Finally, we got it.
It feels like we're on vacation!
Actually, in our three years of life on the road, most days have been fun. But, the days that feel like "vacation" are few and far between.
There's just something about this place.
It's special.
Actually, I'm not going to spend much more time attempting to explain this. Either you get it, or you don't.
And, if you do, you should put Mt. Magazine State Park on your "to do" list.
Enough said.
Meanwhile, we are lovin' our vacation!
And for those of you who are interested in where we've been, please visit Bullwinkle's Travels. For the first time in an eternity, our little travel blog is just about up to date. Enjoy!
Lots of folks look at what we're doing and think we're on a perpetual vacation. Of course, that's not true. As much as we love this lifestyle, and believe us we do, much of our time on the road is spent dealing with everyday life.
But, for some reason, Arkansas feels different. Since we left Missouri, we are free of any and all obligations for the first time in a long time. (It's all been fun, of course. But, an obligation is an obligation!) Arkansas is pretty. It's laid back. It's fun.
We loved Hickory Creek COE Campground in northwest Arkansas. It was relaxing. It was quiet. It was a great place to chill.
Now, we're 120 miles or so south. Here at Mount Magazine State Park something is different. The campground is small. Just 18 sites. We're sharing the highest point in the state with a splendid lodge just a few minutes away that is home to a fabulous restaurant (where we had breakfast this morning) and a most comfortable lodge with sweeping views where we sat and soaked up free wi-fi to take care of some important business this morning.
We like it here. But, we're just starting to understand why.
Sure, it's all nice. But, there's something else. Sitting here for just over 48 hours, we're starting to get it. This spacious site in the woods feels extra homey. It's quiet here. With no satellite and limited cell service, we're wonderfully disconnected. Yet, civilization, complete with cloth napkins and cheerful waitresses is just a one-mile hike or three-minute drive away. The sweeping views are breathtaking. The hiking trails are fantastic. We feel truly blessed to be here. We are, in the words of our favorite vet in Gunnison, chillaxin.
Finally, we got it.
It feels like we're on vacation!
Actually, in our three years of life on the road, most days have been fun. But, the days that feel like "vacation" are few and far between.
There's just something about this place.
It's special.
Actually, I'm not going to spend much more time attempting to explain this. Either you get it, or you don't.
And, if you do, you should put Mt. Magazine State Park on your "to do" list.
Enough said.
Meanwhile, we are lovin' our vacation!
100 Lasted 8!
We are tucked in our very rustic spot (with full hookups) at Mt. Magazine State Park, the highest point in the state of Arkansas. It's a small park with spacious sites that are woodsy and wonderful and cool and there are a zillion hiking trails. And when we're ready for a fine meal or a nice place to hang out, there's a reportedly beautiful lodge just around the corner. Internet and cell services are sketchy, and satellite is a most probably not.
It should be a nice, relaxing week!
Tonight we're celebrating an important first around our rolling home. At Hickory Creek, which we left this morning, we went eight whole days on 100 gallons of fresh water!
Yahoo!!!!
I'm the first to admit my general preference for a place to park this moose is a spacious slab of concrete with quality 50 amp power, full hookups and screaming wifi. But, every now and then we like to rough it. We'll go without sewer or water. We'll scale down to 30 amp. We'll park on gravel, grass or dirt.
It's fun!
For a few days.
Such was the case when we checked into Hickory Creek. We had good 50 amp at our lovely back-in site. No sewer. And, no water. But, no problem. We filled our 100 gallon fresh water tank on the way in. And, we were only roughing it for four days.
But, about Tuesday we decided that we liked Hickory Creek so much we wanted to stay a few more days. Our site was available, so we extended our stay until Sunday. A total of eight days. All was right with the world. Of course, we'd be using water like there was no tomorrow. Our fresh water tank read "two thirds". Suddenly, if we wanted to save ourselves a trip to the closest fresh water hose, we needed to conserve.
Our waste tanks were not the issue. They are huge. Together, they hold at least 25% more than our fresh water tank can. Our issue was running out of fresh water. And, while a trip to the water hose wouldn't be a great big deal, it would be a bit of a hassle. We decided to take on the challenge and see if we could make it.
We're not well versed in the art of water conservation. We own a couple of paper plates, somewhere. We love to cook. And, when we do we hardly give thought to how many pots, pans and dishes we dirty. We enjoy wine with most meals from genuine glass. No throwaways for us.
So, these last four days we've been careful. We've cooked almost everything on the grill. We ate out for lunch. We took navy showers. With our fresh water meter on "E" for the last two days, we started to wonder if we could make it.
But when the time came late this morning to head for the dump station before we hit the road, we realized our achievement. We were fed, watered and freshly showered. And, we had made 100 gallons of water last us for eight days. Every flush. Every wash. Every anything that required water.
We did it!
Tonight we're loving that we don't have to think about this anymore. We don't really miss the hum of our water pump. Tonight we made a big pot of spaghetti that cooked it a large pot of water. No worries.
Nope. We don't miss it. Not at all. But, now we know something we didn't know before. When it comes to saving water, we can do it.
Yeah! Of course, this week we do have to get by on just 30 amp. And, there's the whole lack of cell and internet thing.
Yep. We're still roughing it. But, we love it!
It should be a nice, relaxing week!
Tonight we're celebrating an important first around our rolling home. At Hickory Creek, which we left this morning, we went eight whole days on 100 gallons of fresh water!
Yahoo!!!!
I'm the first to admit my general preference for a place to park this moose is a spacious slab of concrete with quality 50 amp power, full hookups and screaming wifi. But, every now and then we like to rough it. We'll go without sewer or water. We'll scale down to 30 amp. We'll park on gravel, grass or dirt.
It's fun!
For a few days.
Such was the case when we checked into Hickory Creek. We had good 50 amp at our lovely back-in site. No sewer. And, no water. But, no problem. We filled our 100 gallon fresh water tank on the way in. And, we were only roughing it for four days.
But, about Tuesday we decided that we liked Hickory Creek so much we wanted to stay a few more days. Our site was available, so we extended our stay until Sunday. A total of eight days. All was right with the world. Of course, we'd be using water like there was no tomorrow. Our fresh water tank read "two thirds". Suddenly, if we wanted to save ourselves a trip to the closest fresh water hose, we needed to conserve.
Our waste tanks were not the issue. They are huge. Together, they hold at least 25% more than our fresh water tank can. Our issue was running out of fresh water. And, while a trip to the water hose wouldn't be a great big deal, it would be a bit of a hassle. We decided to take on the challenge and see if we could make it.
We're not well versed in the art of water conservation. We own a couple of paper plates, somewhere. We love to cook. And, when we do we hardly give thought to how many pots, pans and dishes we dirty. We enjoy wine with most meals from genuine glass. No throwaways for us.
So, these last four days we've been careful. We've cooked almost everything on the grill. We ate out for lunch. We took navy showers. With our fresh water meter on "E" for the last two days, we started to wonder if we could make it.
But when the time came late this morning to head for the dump station before we hit the road, we realized our achievement. We were fed, watered and freshly showered. And, we had made 100 gallons of water last us for eight days. Every flush. Every wash. Every anything that required water.
We did it!
Tonight we're loving that we don't have to think about this anymore. We don't really miss the hum of our water pump. Tonight we made a big pot of spaghetti that cooked it a large pot of water. No worries.
Nope. We don't miss it. Not at all. But, now we know something we didn't know before. When it comes to saving water, we can do it.
Yeah! Of course, this week we do have to get by on just 30 amp. And, there's the whole lack of cell and internet thing.
Yep. We're still roughing it. But, we love it!
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