Day: January 10, 2017

Posted in Blog Series

#2: Adventures in RV Travel

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

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Getting Ready for the Trip

January 10, 2016: It’s hard getting ready for a RV trip when you live in a state that has winter and the high temperatures have recently been in the 20s! Today, we caught a break. The temperatures hit 50 degrees and, except for about one day, they are supposed to be 50ish until we leave. Whew! Makes it easier.

Some days, I find myself turning round and round in a circle, not knowing what to do first. That’s been today. So, I decided to make lists. A grocery list to stock the RV refrigerator and pantry. A list of errands I have to run before I leave here in my town. A list of appointments I have before I leave. Lists of sundries, cosmetics, cleaning supplies, kitchen supplies, and ALL my computer stuff. The computer stuff is a lot of stuff.

Let’s see. Computer supplies. The big thing to remember regarding the computers is to take all the various charging devices, USB cords for both Apple and Windows-based computers, flash drives for both operating systems, the cigarette-charging based chargers, etc. You see, you can charge everything in the cigarette lighters (but not the Apple computers) and in something called an inverter. Don’t ask me what an inverter is. It allows you to use electricity much like you would in a house….that’s about all I know. As it is, there aren’t nearly as many charging outlets as I have things I have to charge (can’t forget the cell phones!). So, I suppose something or several somethings will be charging all the time while we are gone. Should be confusing.

Since I can’t buy doubles of much of this stuff without bankrupting myself – from clothes to computer stuff – it has to all be packed at the last minute. AACCKK!

While I did all of this, my traveling companion worked on the water line that goes from the RV to the water line in RV parks so we can have city water while we’re gone. It’s always something.

So that’s been today! It isn’t over yet. Tomorrow is garbage day here. I cleaned out the two freezers we have – cleaned them out until they are totally empty except what we will use in the next few days. There could be a power outage here. There often is in the winter. I don’t want a mess when I get home! Like I said, it’s always something when getting ready for a RV trip!

More from “Adventures” tomorrow!

Posted in Blog Series, Uncategorized

BLOG SERIES: Snow #1

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

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The beginning of the blizzard in the Lake Tahoe area.

I’m going to write a short snow blog series. After all, it is winter in most of the U.S. and the Northern Hemisphere. Even though snow is not my thing, lots of folks live in snow country and find activities that they love to participate in. I’ll have to admit that I love the Winter Olympics. I’m just glad I, personally, aren’t out in the snow!

I’m lucky enough to have a direct line to the High Sierra region of the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. They are having a blizzard. That’s very fortunate for California as it will help with their drought conditions. However, the people who live in the High Sierras have to be prepared.

My cousin and her husband live near Lake Tahoe and they are being inundated with snow. She is sending me beautiful snow pictures that I want to share with you although she has to stay in until it’s safe to go out. The snow is like a sculpture. Smooth in spots. Very uneven in other spots. Beautiful to look at.

Watch this space for my Snow Series! We’ll follow the western blizzard near Lake Tahoe and go some other places as well!

The picture at the top of this post is some of the initial snow they got near Lake Tahoe.  This is my cousin’s deck. The Sierra’s are under a blizzard warning today, January 10, 2017.

Posted in Blog Series

#1: Adventures in RV Travel

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

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We are getting ready to take a trip in our RV! We’re going to play snow birds this winter. We don’t every winter, but we do most winters. We have a favorite place we go in Florida (a surprise for a later post). We’ve been working on our RV for a month to get it road ready and ready to accommodate us on the inside, along with our small dog, Betsy, and our yellow cat, Tigger. Everyone travels!

Getting a RV road ready is no fun. It’s a great big job. It’s a good thing my traveling companion is a good mechanic or the cost of getting the RV in good shape would be prohibitive. All that mechanical stuff is not much fun, though. The systems are complicated. Like a truck, but more complicated. I think there are a couple of other things we have to do and the RV will be ready to roll mechanically.

 

Our RV used to be considered to be fairly large but no more. There are some really big ones out there! Ours is only between 35-40 feet and is certainly not new, but it is nice enough. We have the conveniences we need. Plenty of room for two adults and pets. Unfortunately, I can’t help drive because I’m too short to reach the pedals! It’s a standard shift which is no problem for me but when the pedals are two feet away from your feet, not even cushions behind you help!

We hired a housesitter to live at our home while we are gone. He’ll be here the day we leave, but he’ll come by before to get the key, the instructions for the alarm system, and the other information he needs. I hope he doesn’t get snowbound here!

I’ve checked the weather on the day we leave. All clear! We just recently had a snow so I was worried. It’s always a roll of the dice when you leave in January. No way can you take the chance of getting an RV out on the snow. There would be danger in that. We would have to leave either early or late if snow was predicted either here or along the way. There is a mountain we have to cross between here and there but nice weather is predicted there as well, even at the top.

I hope you enjoy this blog series. I’m going to be doing lots of things along the way and when we get to our destination. I’ll be taking many interesting side trips as well. I’ll take all of you along with me. Maybe I can bring you some Florida sunshine and some laughs! I would love to hear your travel stories!

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