Camping and Retirement Blog - Page 14 of 18

SW Trip Stop #9, Yuma, Arizona

Yuma was wonderful! Perfect weather, great campground, interesting sights, and delicious food.

In Yuma, we had reservations at Desert Paradise RV Resort. It was perfect for this juncture because in addition to full hookups, it had showers and a large laundry room we were very ready to use. We liked our site, #100, which was right across the street from the facilities. There was also a pool and hot tub. The residents were very friendly and curious about our teardrop. A link to the website for the RV Resort is below.

https://rvonthego.com/arizona/desert-paradise-rv-resort/

Man standing on road at Desert Paradise RV Resort — Desert Paradise RV Resort

Yuma Territorial Prison

One of the main attractions in the area is the Yuma Territorial Prison. We decided to check it out, but I was not very excited about it. However, we found the prision very interesting!

Yuma succeeded in getting the territorial prison in 1876 because the mayor of Yuma at the time changed the city name on the bill to Yuma while everyone was at lunch. The legislators came back and signed it without noticing the change. He sneaked that by them and likely changed Yuma forever.

The prison housed approximately 300 prisoners at a time and about 3,000 over the 33 years it was in operation. Twenty-seven women were prisoners there and one had a baby during her stay. She was eventually pardoned and everyone hated to see the baby leave, but were happy to see her go. She was evidently not well-liked.

Exterior of Yuma Territorial Prison — Yuma Territorial Prison

The grounds and area around the prison are attractive today. In the photo below, you can see the Colorado River that separates Arizona and California. The land beyond the river is Winterhaven, California.

View of river from Yuma prison — View from the prison

The Prison housed most prisoners in the main cell block, pictured below.

Main cell block at Yuma Territorial Prison — Main cell block

The next photo shows one of the cells, which housed six prisoners. It was very close quarters.

Cell inside Yuma Territorial Prison — Cells

The wife of one of the wardens was very progressive. She set up a library and arranged for the prisoners to be taught to read and write. The townspeople came to the prison to access books as the town did not have a library. There was some resentment about that. There was also a doctor/barber at the prison.

Barber and physician Stair in Yuma Territorial Prison — Barber and physician chair

There was a guided tour, a short film, and a great little museum. Mug shots were also provided.

Woman wearing Prison shirt holding an I am innocent sign — I am innocent!

Other Activities

Sanguinetti House was another stop. It was the home of a successful Yuma businessman. A docent provided nice information about river boat captains and how life was during the time the house was occupied. That attraction was nice too, but the prison was the best—hands down!

There was an antique car event, Midnight at the Oasis, while we were there and we spent some time checking them out. My husband really enjoyed it. The ‘57 Chevy below was his favorite.

Antique car from Midnight at the Oasis — Midnight at the Oasis car

Best Meal

A family member who formerly lived in Yuma recommended Tacos El Cositas and we absolutely loved it. It is basically a food truck with a permanent location with shaded seating provided.

Tacos El Cositas Food Stand — Great food to be found here

In Conclusion

Yuma was fantastic in all respects. We would love to return. This stop was one of seventeen stops on a 5,000 mile trip. If you are interested in how we planned for such a long trip in a teardrop, the following link describes our process.

Planning That First Long Trip

Our most westerly stop is next—Julian, California.

SW Trip Stop #8, Tucson, Arizona

We had a bit of a problem getting a campsite, but it worked out okay. There is so much to see in Tucson!

We actually stayed at two different campgrounds in Tucson, which was definitely not planned. We booked our early stops well in advance, but none past Big Bend. However, Tuscon was quite booked by the time we were looking for a spot.

Campground 1, Desert Trails RV Park

First, we stayed at Desert Trails. I preferred it because of many great reviews. However, they did not have a spot for us anywhere except overflow, which did not have electric or water. We took it because it offered an opportunity if a spot opened up. It has a day room, TV room, laundry and a nice bathhouse. The big thing we were missing was electricity, but it was not supposed to be very cold that night. We decided to give it a try without our electric blanket for heat.

The campground was nice and the guests were the friendliest we have ever encountered. We would have loved to stay there—with electricity.

We have not yet invested in solar panels or a generator, so all we had was our battery and I began to worry that the cooler would drain it. I turned the cooler off at around midnight. It was also a bit cold overnight and we were not fully comfortable. We decided to find a campground with power for the next night or leave early. We really need solar panels!

Campground 2, Gilbert Ray County Park

We also stayed at Gilbert Ray County Park. One of our neighbors at Desert Trails told us about Gilbert Ray County Park Campground. It cannot reserved in advance; you just show up. So we got there early that morning and were fortunate to get a spot. It was good we arrived early because it was fully booked later in the day. It offers gorgeous views, electric, water, and restrooms, but no showers.

We dropped our camper early that morning and headed out to see the sights.

Old Tucson

We went to Old Tuscon Studios on our first day in Tuscon. There are live shows with stuntmen and a musical show in the saloon. Countless movies and television shows have used these sets.

It was a relaxing afternoon and pretty inexpensive entertainment.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Most noteworthy was the desert museum. It has desert wildlife in their natural habitat. It is also a botanical garden that features many desert plants. Visitors walk along a large loop to see wolves, cougars, jackrabbits, javalinas and porcupines. There is a large reptile area with snakes and lizards. Hence, the museum is a Tuscon “must see”. A link to the museum follows.

https://www.desertmuseum.org/

Saguaro National Park

First of all, this park is all about the saguaro cactus. My husband has been pretty much indifferent to plants in the many years we have been together. Somehow, this cactus spoke to him and he has become a fan of cacti. I never would have predicted it! So we drove the five mile scenic dirt road and saw many, many cacti. The one below was a little unusual.

Teresa’s Mosaic Cafe

I don’t often post about restaurants, but we had an outstanding meal in Tuscon at Teresa’s Mosaic Cafe. But, the meal was actually breakfast. I had the huevos rancheros, which was featured on one of the food network shows and it was wonderful! It is a cool place with interesting decor and great service.

Overall, Tuscon was an excellent stop for us. Next, we visit Yuma!

SW Trip Stop #7, Kartchner Caverns State Park

We were lucky to get a site for one night at Kartchner Caverns State Park. It is a beautiful park that is less than twenty years old with wet caverns, which are still growing.

Camping At Kartchner Caverns

Kartchner Caverns in Benson, Arizona, is about an hour away from Tucson. Our son lived in Tucson several years ago and suggested we visit. It is the newest, most modern State Park we have seen in our travels and we had a perfect spot just a few feet from the bathhouse. There were sidewalks everywhere with prickly pear and barrel cacti and mesquite trees for landscaping. Very pretty! Below is a link to the park.

https://azstateparks.com/kartchner

While we were there, the weather was pleasant in the daytime and not very cold at night. We really liked having such a modern bathhouse so near. The park has restrooms, showers, and a dump station, but no sewer or laundry. Our site was $35, a little high for a state park, but worth it.

Campsite at Kartchner Caverns — Site # 37

The countryside around Kartchner is very beautiful and the sky was so blue!

Countryside across from Kartchner Caverns — Across the street from the park

We had reservations for a cave tour early the next morning. Reservations are recommended and we had booked them on line the day before.

Path to Discovery Center at Kartchner Caverns — Path to the Discovery Center

Kartchner Caverns Cave Tour

The cave tours begin at the Discovery Center and then a tram takes you up the mountain. The tour was very interesting with cave formations resembling curtains, bacon, and columns. Two young men discovered the caverns in the 1970s but they kept it secret for many years. Consequently, the structure around it is relatively new.

It was cold in the early morning and we wore coats to the Discovery Center, but the cave was 70 degrees with 99% humidity and too warm to keep them on.

The tours last about 90 minutes and photos are not allowed. They are strict about visitors not touching the formations as well because the cave is still growing and touching can cause harm.

Conclusion

We came back to the campsite and cooked breakfast before heading out.

Teardrop camper with man seated — Our setup at Kartchner

Kartchner was a leisurely break for us. The park features beautiful views, friendly camp hosts, immaculate facility, and the caverns for entertainment.

If you are interested in how we planned for this trip, a link follows to the post.

Planning That First Long Trip

Next stop Tucson!

SW Trip Stop #6, Las Cruces, New Mexico

Las Cruces, New Mexico is a beautiful part of the country. We just had one night there, but we wish we could have stayed longer.

Beautiful New Mexico

This was our first time to visit New Mexico and the beautiful countryside was amazing. I took the photo below at the Visitor’s Center.

Man standing by cacti — New Mexico Visitor’s Center

Also, the ride along the interstate in New Mexico was very picturesque. For much of the time, train tracks paralleled the road off in the distance. The trains with the mountains behind them was a lovely sight.

We saw something on this leg of our journey we have never seen before, tumbleweeds crossing the road. They were quite large and we tried to avoid them on the road. Interesting!

New Mexico countryside — View from my car window

Seeking a Campsite

Las Cruces was just a one night stopover with no prior reservations. We called that morning and were very lucky to get a spot at Siesta RV. When we arrived, Mike, who checked us in, told us that many people had called after us and could not get a site. The campground was totally full. Lesson learned: call early in the day for a reservation if you do not have one during the high season.

The campground had partial hookups, cable, and a laundry, but the sites were very close together. Mike was great! He even reopened the office to get us change for the laundry.

I neglected to take a photo of our site, but we just put our interior gear on a picnic table.

The campground was just off I-10 and near Target, Wal-mart, Cracker Barrel, and Holiday World, a large RV Dealership. Holiday World had the Little Guy Max and the T@B 400, both of which we had been wanting to check out. They were very nice and we spent some time with another Mike who showed us the campers and gave us lots of info about them.

Mesilla

The small town of Mesilla was within walking distance and is well-known for its shopping and restaurants. Most noteworthy, Mesilla is one of the oldest and frequently visited communities in southern New Mexico. It was voted best vacation getaway in New Mexico for 2013 and 2014. I wish we could have spent more time there, but we had reservations at the next stop.

We chose La Posta for dinner because it was mentioned in reviews of the town. It was incredible! The building is in a former stagecoach station and a favored stop of the Butterfield Stagecoach Line. The restaurant has been in operation since 1939 and has authentic Mexican food that is fantastic. The food is made from centuries old recipes handed down from three families.

It also has beautiful decor. Live tropical birds and aquariums are in the entryway. Additionally, the restaurant has beautifully decorated the individual dining rooms.

La Posta Restaurant — One of La Posta’s dining rooms

After the RV visit and meal at La Posta, we did laundry. It seems we cannot totally escape domestic chores.

In conclusion, Las Cruces and Siesta RV was a great place for us to stop on our way out west.

Next stop, Benson, Arizona.

SW Trip Stop #5, Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park was a major stop on this trip. The park is awe-inspiring. Lots of photos are are included because Big Bend is exquisite eye candy.

Getting to Big Bend

One thing to know about visiting Big Bend is there are miles and miles of road with no commerce and no cell service. Because of this, anyone new to traveling in the area should be sure to get gasoline and take bathroom breaks at every opportunity. Also, it is helpful to have the destination in Google Maps or in a GPS because cell service is not available for many miles. If you are interested in how we planned for this trip, a link follows.

Planning That First Long Trip

Our Campsite

Sadly, no reservations were available inside Big Bend because sites are booked far in advance. However, we were able to find a spot at Stillwell Store, which is a few miles from the entrance to the park. Stillwell offered electricity, water, restrooms, showers, and a shaded picnic table. It also had sporadic WiFi, a bit of a miracle amid all the isolation.

We were there a couple days and there was not much shade. So, we put up our awning. The site was fairly close to the bathhouse, so we did not set up the side tent or the porta potty. We liked everything about staying there except for the facilities, which were old and not well-maintained. However, given the remote nature of Big Bend, we were happy to be there. Next, is a link to Stillwell Store.

https://stillwellstore.com

Stillwell Store Site # 7A — Campsite # 7A

The area was nice in sunlight, but sunset that first evening was especially lovely.

Hallie Stillwell Museum

There is a museum dedicated to Hallie Stillwell, who has been honored by the State of Texas as a Texas hero. She lived almost 100 years in this isolated area and wrote about the artifacts she found there. The museum has many items, articles, and photos from Hallie’s life. It is free and donations are accepted. Hollywood should make a movie about her.

Visiting Big Bend

We just spent one full day at Big Bend, but we saw a lot of incredible sights. There are quite a few photos in this post because we saw so many beautiful views.

Sotol Vista at Big Bend — View from Sotol Vista

The Rio Grande is a natural border and it separates Big Bend National Park and Mexico. However, some of the incredible views are actually in Mexico.

In the photo below, the canyon is in Mexico and the river is unseen below.

Our route for the day was the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive to Castolon and then over to the Santa Elena Canyon Overlook, stopping at most of the exhibits along the way. We returned by the same route and then went to the Chisos Basin and had a late lunch at the restaurant there. Lastly, we drove down to check out Rio Grande Village, the area that has camping with hookups.

The sun was setting as we returned to Stillwell’s.

Sunset near Big Bend — Another gorgeous sunset

Next stop: Las Cruces New Mexico.

SW Trip Stop #4, Camping in Del Rio

Del Rio was a stop along the way to Big Bend. We stayed at Broke Mill RV Park and it was excellent!

Del Rio

First of all, Del Rio was a logical stop along our path to Big Bend. It is a relatively small town, but it offered some entertainment of special interest to my husband and a very nice campground.

Laughlin Heritage Foundation Museum

We try to do something in the local area for each stop on our trip. Before going to our campground, we visited the Laughlin Heritage Foundation Museum because they closed at 4:00. It is one of Del Rio’s highly-rated attractions and has a tremendous amount of information about aviation as it pertains to the Del Rio area. Jim Long, the docent, provided very detailed explanations about the history and artifacts displayed. Jim is very knowledgeable and seems very dedicated to the work of the museum.

Del Rio played a part in aviation going back to the first transatlantic flight. Laughlin Air Force Base is nearby, named for Jack Laughlin, a local hero and B-17 pilot who lost his life in WWII.

We learned that Del Rio was the location for the U-2, the first CIA spy planes. The museum has a lot of recently de-classified documents. My big guy is a huge aviation fan and he was enthralled. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it too. I learned something major that I did not know. While Pearl Harbor was being bombed, the Imperial Japanese Air Force were also bombing Singapore and Hong Kong. I now understand a lot more about the Japanese mindset at the time of the bombings.

The museum is free, but it does accept donations. However, it is not open every day and has limited hours. I recommend checking the website before going.

Broke Mill RV Park

We stayed at Broke Mill RV Park and it offered lots of amenities. We were in need of some creature comforts at that time. It was unseasonably cold and very windy when we arrived for our one night stopover. The facility was very clean with the nicest bathhouse we have seen in a long time. The laundry offered about six each modern washers and dryers. There was a spacious day room with a television we could use while the clothes were laundering.

The campground was nice as well and provided good spacing between sites. Again, we were there one night only and just moved our interior gear outside under a tarp. We only hooked up the electricity and cable.

Campground at Broke Mill RV — Campground

The campground offered very good cable reception and also a fair number of channels. During office hours, the campground sells grass-fed beef, so it would be a great place to get a fresh steak to grill. As a result of the many amenities, I highly recommend this very well-maintained campground.

https://brokemillrvpark.com

Next stop, Big Bend National Forest!

SW Trip Stop #3, McKinney Falls in Austin

McKinney Falls State Park was a great spot from which to see Austin and is a wonderful park in general. The sites are large and our site #42 was perfect.

Camping in Austin

We chose to camp in Austin because it was close to nearby family and we loved the McKinney State Park. It also offered everything we needed for two days in the area. This park had very nice showers too. Our site was very large, offered a lot of privacy, and was only about 200 feet from the bathhouse, which was immaculate. Furthermore, the park is very close to downtown Austin with the only downside of some road noise.

We would be away from the campsite for all of our one full day there, so we did not do anything beyond hooking up power and water and putting a tarp over the gear that rides inside our camper. Also, rain was expected and we wanted to be able depart easily.

Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum

We needed an indoor activity, so we arranged to meet a couple of beloved cousins at the Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum. We enjoyed the museum and learned a lot about this country’s thirty-sixth president (1963-1969). The android in the photo below depicts Johnson’s mannerisms and the way he used humor to make a point.

President Johnson android — President Johnson Android

The library included a replica of the Oval Office as it was in the Johnson years.

Johnson Oval Office replica — Replica of Oval Office as in the Johnson years

Johnson was known for being very persuasive and for getting up close and personal. There was a name for it, “The Johnson Treatment.”

Man and woman getting the Johnson Treatment — Big Guy and cousin getting the “Johnson Treatment”

The library also included a video about events in his presidency, articles from the Johnson family’s life, an exhibit of pop culture of the time, and a film about his family life. We were there about two hours and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Quality Seafood

We then had a very nice lunch with the cousins at Quality Seafood, which has amazing gumbo! It was great spending quality time with them and we were appreciative because they drove quite a few miles in the rain to hang with us.

The Capitol

Before heading back to our campsite, we visited the Texas State Capitol, which is the largest state capital in the United States. The Italian Renaissance Revival building, completed in 1888, is quite beautiful. At the time of its construction, it was reputed to be the seventh largest building in the world.

Texas Capitol Rotunda — View from inside the rotunda

Texas Capitol senate Floor — The Senate Floor

Because of space limitations, an enormous underground extension was added in 1993. Therefore, it doubled the space available for state business. In the photo below, you can see the Capitol Building through the skylight.

We also took a free guided tour, which was very informative.

Conclusion

After the tour, we rented a couple of movies at Redbox and headed back to camp. This was another part of the rainy day plan.

Our next stop is Del Rio, Texas.

SW Trip, Stop #2 Sea Rim State Park in Texas

Sea Rim State Park was a new experience for us—no showers and a pit toilet.

Anticipating Sea Rim

Sea Rim was our first experience in a Texas State Park. It was chosen because it was along our southwest path and near Houston, where we have relatives. The ratings were good and I booked it without thoroughly researching. The day before we were to camp there, I read reviews from several sources. Three things that I read concerned me:

There were no indoor showers. Only outdoor showers for removing sand.
Allegators were prominently mentioned in the reviews. Sightings were numerous! Late night treks to the restroom concerned me.
Mosquitos were mentioned as being vicious. I had naively thought that since we were traveling in the winter, we would not have significant problems with them.

We adopted a stoic attitude, recognizing that not all of the time spent on this trip will be comfortable and there will be challenges. I told my husband I was going to be “pioneer woman”.

Camping at Sea Rim

It actually was not as bad as I feared. Our son told us that when he had been camping with no showers, they used baby wipes. I had stowed some towelettes designed for just that purpose from when my husband was in the hospital so we had a solution for the lack of a shower.

Campsite ar Sea a Rim State Park — Site # 4

Though it was about 2 p.m. when we arrived, it was amazingly foggy. The sun was shining, but it barely showed through the fog. It looked very “other worldly.” Our campsite was simple as it was for only one night. It is a very long drive into Sea Rim through oil well facilities with little or no commerce and restaurant options were non-existent. My big guy cooked a nice meal for us. It was pleasant and bugs were not bothering us at that time.

We walked over the boardwalk to the beach and it was even foggier there, but it felt good to have the salt air blowing in us. It was so humid that my hair remained damp the entire time we were outside.

Foggy View of Gulf of Mexico — Foggy view of the gulf

Woman on a foggy beach — A foggy walk on the beach

We enjoyed our afternoon. We did not see a single alligator, which was fine by me, though my husband would have liked it.

An Evening with Mosquitoes

As soon as it was almost dark, the mosquito army arrived and we were under siege. At least two dozen managed to make it into our cabin and we were killing mosquitoes for at least an hour. I have identified about eight bites and my husband got quite a few too. Most unpleasant!

On the plus side, the temperature was comfortable and were fell asleep to the sounds and smell of the sea. The restroom was close and not bad, though it was what is described as a pit toilet. It was basically a building with a men’s and women’s toilet over a pit about six feet deep. Surprisingly, it did not smell bad. The facility was clean and well-maintained. I did look out for alligators as I made the trek.

After the Fog Lifted

The next morning, most of the fog had lifted and it was a beautiful, sunny day. This remote park was lovely if you don’t consider the mosquitoes. The ranger did say that they were very bad when we arrived.

Campsite at Sea Rim — Ready to go to Austin

Boardwalk at Sea Rim State Park — View of the marsh and boardwalk

The next stop is McKinney State Park in Austin and it has showers. Yea!

SW Trip, Stop # 1 Natchez State Park in Mississippi

We are taking a winter trip along the southwestern border of the United States in our T@G MAXL camper. Stop number one was in Mississippi.

Natchez State Park

Natchez State Park was the first stop of our first long trip in our teardrop camper. Our longest prior trip was seven days and we expect this trip to last about four weeks. We don’t really know what to expect as we have never spent so much continuous time in our tiny camper and have not driven in most of the areas. Lastly, although we will be south of most of the country, we will be traveling in the winter. Exciting—but scary!

One of the trip goals was to limit driving hours to 3-5 hours each day. Natchez was a five hour drive and on the long end of our goal, but it gets us well on our path. The post regarding how we planned this trip follows.

Planning That First Long Trip

It was our first time to camp in Mississippi. We reserved site 46 through Reserve America. It was pretty inexpensive, only $16.05 for the night. The campground was nice with typical state park facilities. Fishing and hunting are big activities in the area and it is my understanding that the fishing is especially good at the lake in the campground.

Rain was expected that night, so we did not really set up camp. Therefore, we just moved items that were in our camper to a picnic table and plugged in the electric cord. We had a couple of places to visit and were having dinner out, so it would be dark when we returned.

Items removed from our teardrop — Items removed from our bed

Long wood

Natchez is a city with a very interesting past. I was surprised to learn that before the Civil War, more than half the millionaires in the entire country lived in Natchez. Consequently, there are an abundance of very elegant mansions that still exist from that time.

Longwood, an Oriental Villa, is the largest octagonal house in the United States, designed by famous Philadelphia architect, Samuel Sloan. Construction began in 1860 and it was to provide 30,000 square feet of living space. It had been under construction for about eighteen months when it was halted in 1861 as tensions rose regarding the Civil War. The owners, Haller and Julia Nutt, had the basement area completed early and were living in it while the remaining construction was occurring. The owners never completed the remaining interior levels.

Longwood’s wealthy owner became sick and died while in his 40’s, but his wife and their children lived in it for many decades in this unfinished status. Longwood was often referred to over the years as Nutt’s Folly. The Pilgrimage Garden Club acquired Longwood in 1970. It was designated a historic landmark in 1971.

The estate has many beautiful live oak trees such as the one below. A link to the Longwood website follows.

http://www.stantonhall.com/longwood.php

St. Mary’s Basilica

Another amazing architectural design in Natchez is St Mary’s Basilica. The See of the Roman Catholic Church in Mississippi designed the church and began construction in 1842. Most noteworthy, it is the only church built as a cathedral in Mississippi and designated a minor basilica.

It is a beautiful building. Unfortunately, we arrived at a time when mass was just beginning, so we did not get to take photos of the interior. I would have loved to be able to just sit quietly in all that beauty and splendor for a few minutes. Our schedule did not allow for a return to the basilica on this visit, but we want to see it again if we are in the area.

Main entrance with papal coat of arms on the left

Roux 61 Seafood and Grill

Dinner was at the highly-rated Roux 61 Seafood and Grill and it lived up to its reputation. We arrived at approximately 4 p.m. and the parking lot was full. We had some incredible chargrilled oysters! Our favorites were the oysters, slaw, hush puppies, and bread pudding. We shared a seafood platter and the fish and seafood were also good. This was a very,very good meal!

After dinner, we returned to our camper and watched a movie. It was raining, but we were dry and cozy and the temperature was perfect.

There is still much more to see in Natchez and we hope to return.

Next stop, Sea Rim State Park in Sabine Pass, Texas!

Planning That First Long Trip

This upcoming trip will last almost a month and cover over 5,000 miles. Previously, our longest trip was only one week and just a few hundred miles. This post covers how we tackled the planning for this much longer trip.

This long trip in our teardrop begins along the U.S. southwestern border. Our return back east is along a bit more northern path. It is a cool weather trip and therefore, our desire is to camp in areas with milder weather.

Long Trip Planning Framework

Limit driving to approximately three to five hours a day.
Extend the trip all the way to California with camping in the path of our destination primarily near the southwestern border to minimize the impact of cold weather.
Travel a slightly more northern route on the return home to visit other states.
Stay overnight in as many states as possible. We have a goal of camping in all the lower 48 states and we have a long way to go to reach that goal.
Travel early in the day to avoid driving at night and having to set up in the dark.
Campsites will be simple without the use of a lot of outdoor amenities as we will not be staying long in any single spot. We purchased a smaller side tent for this trip as it is easier to use.
Cooking will be minimal as well, with most breakfasts at the campsites and a late lunch out in the local area. We want to avoid chain restaurants and experience some of the better cuisine in each area. Very small snacks such as fruit or popcorn will be our dinner. We hope to lose a little weight on the trip or at least not gain any.
Visit a couple of special areas that are off the path: Moab, Utah and Alabama Hills, California. I was blown away by photos posted by some campers of those spots and we determined it was worth driving extra miles to visit. If it later becomes too much, we can omit one or both of these stops.
Expect to do laundry and buy groceries. This means that packing will not have to include many more clothes than packed on previous trips. Food initially packed will be breakfast and snacking options. Below is a link to our post on packing for teardrop camping.
Packing for Teardrop Camping-Our Process

Determining the Stops

Once we had a framework, defining the stops on the trip was just finding places on the map that offered good camping options within the miles we would travel in a day. We wanted to stay near towns and cities with a priority to those we have never seen or have wanted to visit.

Reservations

One big question: to reserve or not to reserve? We have read about campers who just find overnight places as they go along. This is appealing because on a long trip with many stops, you may want to stay more or less time than you would plan. I also worried that if everything is reserved and something happens to your plans, it could be quite costly. Additionally, reservations would remove that stay longer or leave early option. Ultimately, we did a hybrid. We reserved the first few sites close to our departure date because we were fairly certain of how long we would be at those stops. After those few stops, we are winging it!

A written document details all our planned stops. As time permitted, I would work on a new location. This included researching camping options, restaurants, and activities in the area. I also put our stops on a map. This has helped to make this trip come alive for us before we left. I think it has also helped to make us more prepared.

Additional Long Trip Considerations

Mail: Our neighbor normally gets our mail when we travel, but we did not want to ask for such a long trip. The Postal Service will put a hold on your mail and we are using this option.
Medications: We had to do some advance filling of prescriptions to ensure an adequate supply over several weeks.
Indoor plants: We have requested a family member to assist with this task.
Avoid Water Issues: Turn off hot and cold water to washing machine while away to avoid leaking hoses. This recommendation was from a member of a Facebook camping group.
Bill Paying: Extra concern has be taken to ensure that critical bills do not go unpaid while we are not be seeing our mail. We paid up as many bills as we could prior to leaving. We also set a few reminders to ensure that those expected to be issued while we were gone were handled.
Set travel notices: Notified bank and credit company when and where we will be traveling.
Tow Vehicle and Camper Maintenance: Oil changes, tire rotation, and replacement wiper blades were part of our preparation. Also, overall safety checks of both camper and vehicle.
Supplemental Heating: As this is a cold weather trip with many unknowns, we needed more than our usual electric blanket option. We purchased a small ceramic heater for our travels.
Clothing for Various Weather: Typical expected weather is highs in 60s and lows in the 30s. However, warmer days and cooler nights may occur. Layered clothing , plus coats, hats, and gloves are part of our preparations.

If you would like to read more of what we have learned from our time teardrop camping, we now have a resources page. Camping Resources for New Teardrop Campers

Conclusion

A lot of planning has gone into this trip. Let’s hope that it helps it to go smoother. We will post our adventures along the way and assess how well this plan works. We are excited, but just a teeny bit apprehensive as we have only been camping about eighteen months and this is very new territory for us.

Fingers crossed!