livingthedreamwithsallyandvic/wp-admin

We’ve been sitting around in Clermont FL, it’s been hot and or rainy (or both), we are both bored out of our minds. We are waiting for our RV guy to have an opening in his schedule for our project. Insurance has declared our travel camper a total loss, the best possible outcome. They aren’t being exactly speedy about it but we do expect to get a payout.

We can’t wait to get on the road!

Vic went through some of our trip pictures and found a few I could share with you from Big Sur, CA.

Nepenthe Restaurant Phoenix

And you’ll be happy to hear that we found an app that we can use for GPS. We input the camper dimensions and specifics so it won’t send us on a road with a low clearance bridge or tunnel. It’s $50/year and will be very worth it!

We are adding solar panels, lithium batteries (re-using ones on the Laredo) and upgrading the mini split AC/heat unit on our Carriage Cameo. This camper is longer so we wanted an AC vent in the bedroom. Equipment has been ordered, it will be another couple of weeks before we are in the schedule. My friend Geri has very kindly offered her house in Ft Meyers. Isn’t that awesome?

Just heard back from insurance on the Laredo. It’s being totaled. Best possible outcome.

We plan to go north and stay away from FL until it gets cooler.

We are also planning to live on the road for a while so we will be giving up our site in the RV park.

Vic and I both tested positive for Covid so we are taking meds and quarantining. Hard to know where we got it. 😡 we both are up to date with the shots and hope the discomfort passes soon.

First, none of us got hurt. The camper got a boo-boo though.

We were in Casper, WY on our way to Mt. Rushmore when we went through a tunnel on a major road. The tunnel height of 11 ft was posted. Thinking there’s no way we would have a problem with a tunnel on a major road, we went through. The tunnel was too low. The solar panels were ripped off, strewn all over the road, stopping traffic. Vic called 911. I ran back to make sure no one drove over them and try to move them off the road. Traffic was stopped. Several men jumped out of the cars and helped move the panels off the road. The police showed up and very helpfully suggested an RV repair place near by. (Sonny’s RV). We then find out this happens to some poor unsuspecting person 3 or 4 times a year, sometimes with a camper, sometimes a box truck. One of the men working here at the repair place had it happen to him – and he was born and raised here!

The solar panels were all ruined. The metal framework was destroyed. The roof AC was demolished. Holes in the roof where things were torn off.

We got the roof repaired so we can get home but the camper will likely be totaled. The good news is the expensive equipment like the lithium batteries and inverters and mini split AC are all fine and we can transfer them to another camper. We haven’t totally decided what to do next. We need to talk to the insurance people and Matt, the guy that installed everything.

We want to put all the equipment into another camper and continue traveling. We loved seeing what new people and things were just over the horizon.

The main thing is no one was hurt.

The blog may be quiet for a bit while everything gets sorted out. XO

Left our amazing campsite above the Snake River yesterday morning and then went to DuBois WY, a cool little town. Found a birthday present for my daughter Holly so that was exciting. We stayed in the parking lot of a military vehicle museum. We grabbed dinner in town at a place called Cowboy Cafe.

Rode around in the morning of the second day in DuBois, looking for bears mainly. There are enough bears in this area that they are huge as in you can’t possibly miss it with signs “bears in the road do not approach stay in your car.” Spent 4 hours looking for them, up rough dirt roads in and out of all kinds of places. Didn’t see a one. Very disappointed. However did see a lone duck swimming and diving in a pond. Gorgeous duck with a purplish blue head. And we saw snow!!!

We would have stayed longer in Grand Teton/Yellowstone but the weather was not good and the forecast was for more clouds and rain.

Tonight we are staying in the parking lot of Wind River casino on an Arapaho Indian reservation in Riverton, WY. Tomorrow we continue on towards Mt Rushmore.

The buffalo are from the Tetons.

It was hard to keep up with the posts because in and around Yellowstone internet and cell service was spotty.

We got here on Thursday June 2nd. In two days of driving around here and in Yellowstone we’ve seen some moose and big horn sheep. We are camped on an overlook, it’s very roomy and the view of Snake River and mountains is breathtaking. There is a campground just beyond and below us but where we are is free. When we drove into Yellowstone yesterday we found out that Vic’s retired military status gave us free entrance to all national parks! Wow! So the gas prices may be high but … Vic’s birthday is today. Mine is tomorrow. We’ll both be 72. What a place to have a birthday. The scenery here is amazing and gorgeous.

The part everyone looks forward to – pictures! Some I took, some Vic took.

Hope you are all well. We are enjoying the adventure 😊. XO

We have nicknamed this stop “Dog Patch”. There is nothing pretty here. It’s mostly cloudy and cold. We are camped on a gravel parking lot. There’s a dam/reservoir and fishing but the scenery is desert. There are foxtails here too so we will be careful Zoe doesn’t get into it.

We drove into Lovelock for lunch at a home cooking joint. People were very friendly and Zoe was welcomed too 😊. She sat on my lap and didn’t make a peep.

Truckee is on the border with Nevada. We are in a no frills campground, huge pine trees all around. Each site has a fire pit and plenty of room between you and the next person. This is a gorgeous place, I love it here. The sites are arranged around a large paved circle. I walked around with my camera and noticed 4 campers were women by themselves. Brave souls. I did see a pretty blue bird. We were able to take advantage of someone’s cancellation and stay three nights (Memorial weekend), so that was very lucky.

I’m so happy about these action shots!!!

The RV park is tucked way in the back of the base, there are only 6 spaces, with loads of room in between. It’s spotlessly clean, with a playground nearby and a large pond where there are 3 sets of Canadian geese families. Each family unit has several offspring and each set is at a different stage of development. Also there is a pair of white swans with babies – so cute!

We are enjoying this place and are taking an extra day here to give Vic a break from driving.

Yesterday we noticed Zoe was obsessively licking her front paw so today we found an emergency clinic. Turned out she had some foxtail stickers in her paw so we got them removed. Fortunately they could all be removed with tweezers, none had gone through the skin into her body. Unfortunately this plant is everywhere and in bloom right now.

Yesterday we drove around to see some sights. Saw the lighthouse (a cold and windy walk to get to a point where it could be seen), an abandoned and beached boat, and elephant seals at Point Reyes.

Moss Landing was near the Laguna Seca Raceway where we camped at their RV park for almost a week. We went here twice to see the sea otters. Vic had fun photographing these playful creatures. I took Zoe out to walk on the beach.

And I forgot to mention earlier there were ground squirrels everywhere at Laguna Seca. Here they are.

We had lunch on Saturday here. Breathtaking views and delicious food. We drove down Rt 1 to get there, which is a drive full of gorgeous views and includes driving across the famous Bixby Bridge (1932).

Vic was riding his Harley one day in 1973. He pulled in for gas and heard someone yell ‘hey jarhead!’ He looked around and it was Clint Eastwood! Clint asked him where he was going and did he want a riding partner. They ride down Rt 1 and stopped for lunch at Nepenthe. Clint invited him to go with him to the Hogsbreath Inn which he owned at the time for a surprise (except he knew) birthday party. The party was a star studded affair but they treated Vic like he was a celebrity.

Vic and I had a wonderful time. They let Zoe in even though dogs are not allowed and she was perfectly behaved, laid on her blanket and never made a peep.

We’ve had a magical time here in CA. The memories will stay with us for a long time. We are moving on, next stop Point Reyes.