1. Wyoming to Death Valley.
After four years of restoration and modification on our 1968 Travel Queen truck camper, it was time to put the little girl to the test. Lil' Queeny goes camping.
With the exception of the rounded roof and walls, the entire exterior wood structure was replaced with new, and insulated as well as possible. The original sheet metal was repaired, portions reconstructed, hail damage and dents straightened - much on the garage floor. And the interior - oh the interior - turned out just gorgeous! But we added all the bells and whistles we wanted. 46 gallons of fresh water, including the hot water tank. 21 gallons of grey. 2.5 gallons of black water (larger porti-potti). 40 lbs of propane. Stove, oven, double galley sink. Wet bath with basin. Dinette, Lounge, two beds, and a Wave 3 heater (no space for a furnace), all in an eight foot truck bed with none hanging out of the back.
We left home late in the day, due to last minute load-outs and an overnight snow storm, and hit the open road. Over-nighted in the Rock Springs Walmart parking lot. It was still cold in Wyoming, and now - almost two weeks later - still is - in Wyoming that is to say. But colder on the California coast than expected too! But we'll get to those California parts in up-coming posts.
The next two nights we stayed at a full hookups site on the Great Salt Lake (state park) for $20/night (no reservation charge as we did a check on arrival). Took care of some family business in town and hit the road southbound.
We over-nighted at an isolated truck stop, but when the trucks kept arriving in the late night and early AM, it felt wrong, so we abandoned our spot for a full size truck to have, and went down the road to a rest stop that was filled to the gills with trucks and RVs and cars - oh my!
Next day we ran through a driving rain, and discovered some minor leaks through the front cab-over windows, where the mitered aluminum frames meet each other. I bought some flow-able windshield repair; I should probably attend to that sometime soon.
We also ran into some interior condensation concerns as we iron out the living arrangements, but - gotta love those FantasticFans!
Next we over-nighted in a North Las Vegas Walmart, then turned west bound for Death Valley, and arrived without fan-fare at Texas Springs campground in the Furnace Creek area. It was about this time I began getting back into travel mode - almost a week in - and thought 'you know - maybe some pictures would be nice'. So that's when the photography started back up. We'll get pictures added to text in the next report.
Stay tuned.
After four years of restoration and modification on our 1968 Travel Queen truck camper, it was time to put the little girl to the test. Lil' Queeny goes camping.
With the exception of the rounded roof and walls, the entire exterior wood structure was replaced with new, and insulated as well as possible. The original sheet metal was repaired, portions reconstructed, hail damage and dents straightened - much on the garage floor. And the interior - oh the interior - turned out just gorgeous! But we added all the bells and whistles we wanted. 46 gallons of fresh water, including the hot water tank. 21 gallons of grey. 2.5 gallons of black water (larger porti-potti). 40 lbs of propane. Stove, oven, double galley sink. Wet bath with basin. Dinette, Lounge, two beds, and a Wave 3 heater (no space for a furnace), all in an eight foot truck bed with none hanging out of the back.
We left home late in the day, due to last minute load-outs and an overnight snow storm, and hit the open road. Over-nighted in the Rock Springs Walmart parking lot. It was still cold in Wyoming, and now - almost two weeks later - still is - in Wyoming that is to say. But colder on the California coast than expected too! But we'll get to those California parts in up-coming posts.
The next two nights we stayed at a full hookups site on the Great Salt Lake (state park) for $20/night (no reservation charge as we did a check on arrival). Took care of some family business in town and hit the road southbound.
We over-nighted at an isolated truck stop, but when the trucks kept arriving in the late night and early AM, it felt wrong, so we abandoned our spot for a full size truck to have, and went down the road to a rest stop that was filled to the gills with trucks and RVs and cars - oh my!
Next day we ran through a driving rain, and discovered some minor leaks through the front cab-over windows, where the mitered aluminum frames meet each other. I bought some flow-able windshield repair; I should probably attend to that sometime soon.
We also ran into some interior condensation concerns as we iron out the living arrangements, but - gotta love those FantasticFans!
Next we over-nighted in a North Las Vegas Walmart, then turned west bound for Death Valley, and arrived without fan-fare at Texas Springs campground in the Furnace Creek area. It was about this time I began getting back into travel mode - almost a week in - and thought 'you know - maybe some pictures would be nice'. So that's when the photography started back up. We'll get pictures added to text in the next report.
Stay tuned.
22. Final Thoughts.
Well that is indeed good to hear - opening this Fall.
In our case, having to deal with a partial road closure, in a year we chose to make this run, turned out quite beneficial. The Nacimiento Road is now one of our favorite drives! One of our favorite memories!
Of course, if we had been traveling with the TT, the closure would have simply been problematic. We would have missed that drive, we would have had additional miles and time invested to go around. In fact, it's likely we would have had too many harrowing moments the entire way, to really enjoy it the way we did.
The smaller footprint of Lil' Queeny provided a whole different experience.
When we used to run the pop-up TC, we used to take daredevil drives.
Here's one with the ATV (before I got the Willys working). Nine miles down a narrow mountain road, and THEN we came to a dam with what turned out to be a spill-way road.
To get here, in the Medicine Bow Mountains of Wyoming.
Another was after the Montana Ghost Town Garnet, and then we took a "short-cut" dirt road that we weren't sure off. It came out at the Interstate - eventually. We took these at the bottom, looking back.
And there was this trip on the Fourth of July weekend (the one weekend that summer when they shut down construction on the Haul Road - Fairbanks to Deadhorse on Prudoe Bay) when we just about had the entire north half of the road to ourselves!
Galbraith Lake, north side of the Brooks Range.
And further down the North Slope.
We have come to learn, the road less traveled is where we like to be. Almost midnight heading back south bound, ready to climb the Brooks again.
We can tell Lil' Queeny is gonna be a long-term friend.
Today I was going to cover a couple problems we had on this trip: fridge cooling, fridge roof vent, escape hatch/roof vent, but those are pretty much faded into the memory banks. As with so many things in life, problems fade and we tend to remember the good stuff.
Just like our lives together - me and DW - and to use a Bob Seger lyric, our shake down in Lil' Queeny out to the central portion of the Pacific Coast Highway and back, was just another "Fine Memory".
Thanks for letting us share it with you. ๐
Well that is indeed good to hear - opening this Fall.
In our case, having to deal with a partial road closure, in a year we chose to make this run, turned out quite beneficial. The Nacimiento Road is now one of our favorite drives! One of our favorite memories!
Of course, if we had been traveling with the TT, the closure would have simply been problematic. We would have missed that drive, we would have had additional miles and time invested to go around. In fact, it's likely we would have had too many harrowing moments the entire way, to really enjoy it the way we did.
The smaller footprint of Lil' Queeny provided a whole different experience.
When we used to run the pop-up TC, we used to take daredevil drives.
Here's one with the ATV (before I got the Willys working). Nine miles down a narrow mountain road, and THEN we came to a dam with what turned out to be a spill-way road.
To get here, in the Medicine Bow Mountains of Wyoming.
Another was after the Montana Ghost Town Garnet, and then we took a "short-cut" dirt road that we weren't sure off. It came out at the Interstate - eventually. We took these at the bottom, looking back.
And there was this trip on the Fourth of July weekend (the one weekend that summer when they shut down construction on the Haul Road - Fairbanks to Deadhorse on Prudoe Bay) when we just about had the entire north half of the road to ourselves!
Galbraith Lake, north side of the Brooks Range.
And further down the North Slope.
We have come to learn, the road less traveled is where we like to be. Almost midnight heading back south bound, ready to climb the Brooks again.
We can tell Lil' Queeny is gonna be a long-term friend.
Today I was going to cover a couple problems we had on this trip: fridge cooling, fridge roof vent, escape hatch/roof vent, but those are pretty much faded into the memory banks. As with so many things in life, problems fade and we tend to remember the good stuff.
Just like our lives together - me and DW - and to use a Bob Seger lyric, our shake down in Lil' Queeny out to the central portion of the Pacific Coast Highway and back, was just another "Fine Memory".
Thanks for letting us share it with you. ๐
21. Tiny Home Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Remember back when you could sleep on a rock - with a jagged edge - and still get up the next morning and hike 50 miles, before you made coffee at the top of the peak?
Okay - well neither do I. But I can imagine it!
We used to have a water-bed at home, back before we decided to actually THINK about such things as NOT having sea-sickness as part of EVERY dream. But it was a king-size.
The bed we have at home now is a king-size. Like I've said, we're tall. Some people can get comfy in a shorter bed, but we (I) knew all along we (I) better have the full 80" length for any bed we (I) have in a camper. Can't do that 75" thing we find in many. And our TT is an 80" long Queen, not those silly 75" Queens in some RVs.
But width? Lil' Queeny is too SMALL for a 60" wide queen. She only allowed a 54", okay so 53", and okay, so that was compressed a little in the two far corners where the mattress pressed against that area where the front windows leak a little so the foam mattress can soak up the spill like a sponge. That's what happened that day in Utah, driving through the rain. A little.
That was about the fifth night in. Now during those first four nights I was pretty bummed. This tiny home sleeping thing wasn't panning out the way I had hoped. I had begun to think this wasn't gonna work.
See - we've been spoiled. When you are young, you can adapt. As you age, you get used to things, routines, and your body starts to hurt in places and in ways that cause wise statements like, "getting old isn't for pansies". And you begin to think how nice it is to "just stay home" and watch the Travel Channel.
But Lil' Queeny was gonna fix all that! Wanna travel? No problem! Grab an overnight bag and Hit The Open Road! Now hold on thar Bob-a-louie! So I was kind of bummed. DW said she slept fine (but we've already established she is long-suffering, so you have to be suspect with positive statements and all).
Even in the TT the bed is cramped, because the top half has walls (wardrobes), instead of night stands or edges to hang an arm off'n, know what I mean?
And now, in Queeny, the reduced width, at our age, errr, I mean at MY age (DW is only 29), well, I was bummed.
See that's the thing about women, if you ain't pissing them off, to where they have to defend themselves, they can be SO much better for the male ego than can say, oh I don't know, another man? You know as in some of your male friends when their best advice or suggestion starts with "here, hold my beer".
Yeah, women don't seem to NEED that ego boost like us guys, so if you just give them respect! Bingo! You get a lot in return for your investment! And it's easy! We all have extra respect laying around. Check your couch cushions! Pay yourself first! Respect - The original compounding interest!
So there we were, not sleeping well, and me being bummed. Partly from that leaky window, but mostly the bed not turning out as I had imagined. And DW suggested, "while those two corners finish drying, what if I made up the dinette bed and slept there, and you'd have more room on the outer edge (I always take the far edge, because DW gets a little claustrophobic - see I'm a good person too!).
So we made up the lounge at first, for an evening watching a little Netflix, on the small TV that has a max 60 watt output so it'll run off'n a cheap Inverter, and stream from our phone as a Hot-Spot, until you get to CA, where apparently they ain't connected everywhere. And at bed time we turned the lounge into her bed.
What a difference! Now we both had space for our arms and rolling over and stuff. My black eyes (from her elbows) began to heal. The bruises on her shins (from my bony heels) began to fade. And we slept! For HOURS this time! And there was great rejoicing!
During the day, the loft holds the stuff. There on the left is a frilly mattress pad roll. The pad corners pull around the dinette cushions and keep them tight (twin bed, she's shorter than me and a 75" bed is fine for her). In the morning, all the bedding simply rolls up like a cowboy bed-roll. Except I don't think the cowboys used the frilly mattress pad. Too many folds can collect dust on the trail, especially during a round-up or a stampede or stuff. No cowboy wants to sleep dirty.
Pillows, DW's craft bag, throw blanket.
The daytime dinette has those throw pillows. Those are handy! For my sore arms. Just because I can now sleep, doesn't mean my arms aren't constantly sore. I don't know what that's about, but it might be punishment, because I haven't ALWAYS been such a nice guy.
The leather purse is a medicine cabinet, like Ayla's Medicine Bag. DW's purse beyond that, our waters, our glasses, the guide book. Almost ready to roll there - head to the truck.
So I'm cutting the mattress down a little - to 48" wide. We found XL Twin size, (80"), that stretches out nicely to 48" wide (twin is typically 38"). That will make it easier to make up the upper bed, with changeable sheets, and leaves space beyond the bed edge for inspection, cleaning, storage.
The bathroom is VERY small! But it worked out SOOOO good! Depending on need, the toilet is faced one way, or the other. The door can stay open, or close. The basin can be in front of you, or to your back. This bathroom is extremely adaptable - one of the best working features of this entire tiny camper. Keeping an eye out, it's easy (less than a minute) to dump the toilet daily (it's lighter that way too) at just about any public place - parks, rest stops, boat launches, picnic areas, etc. Sure you use discretion! It ain't hard to do.
The wash facilities also worked out well. You'd be surprised just how EASY it is to wash up very comfortable with one or two pints of water! And THAT'S if you're really trying to extend your water supply, nine times out of ten you could waste a whole gallon at a time - twice a day - to wash up once in the morning and once at night, and STILL get several days out of the forty-six gallons on board. Our water logistics really paid off! And showers worked slick with the hose attached to the faucet and the shower seat in the wheel well.
Clothing? I had originally thought duffel-style luggage bags. DW didn't like the idea of moving them back and forth, like we're doing with the one bed roll now. So we used the cabinets above the dinette. The small (three each side) canvas containers were handy. One side for me, one side for her.
Once we got our whiskers, moving around inside the camper worked good too. Like a small sailboat or something, you want a place for everything. The waste receptacles worked well. I am going to remove the can crusher. Don't need it. My forehead still works good enough.
And that will leave space above the tank for "stuff". One sack there for cans, one for plastic - when there are recycle containers available - which are popping up more everyday.
The swing out kitchen garbage was awesome. Used a small recessed space, and that's about a six-gallon bag! Only once did we need to store garbage sacks in the wheel-well until getting back to civilization!
We do miss the composting method we use at home. We don't require much in the way of garbage collection. I was trying to come up with a good way to compost on the road. I'm thinking of another trap door, this time in the camper floor. Then a second one in the truck bed. I've discovered a LOT of extra space under the truck bed. DW says, that might not be such a good idea.
The back seat of the truck (seats folded) holds the patio mats, the chairs, the tools/repairs bags, the levelers, the day-packs, the jackets, sometimes the hiking boots, the extra jugs of drinking water, the lunch bags, and DW's Crafts and Medicine Bags.
Once we figured out the sleeping thing, we were golden. So from a shake-down perspective - all was well.
Tomorrow I'm going to cover some on-the road problems, but this thing is close to a wrap.
Remember back when you could sleep on a rock - with a jagged edge - and still get up the next morning and hike 50 miles, before you made coffee at the top of the peak?
Okay - well neither do I. But I can imagine it!
We used to have a water-bed at home, back before we decided to actually THINK about such things as NOT having sea-sickness as part of EVERY dream. But it was a king-size.
The bed we have at home now is a king-size. Like I've said, we're tall. Some people can get comfy in a shorter bed, but we (I) knew all along we (I) better have the full 80" length for any bed we (I) have in a camper. Can't do that 75" thing we find in many. And our TT is an 80" long Queen, not those silly 75" Queens in some RVs.
But width? Lil' Queeny is too SMALL for a 60" wide queen. She only allowed a 54", okay so 53", and okay, so that was compressed a little in the two far corners where the mattress pressed against that area where the front windows leak a little so the foam mattress can soak up the spill like a sponge. That's what happened that day in Utah, driving through the rain. A little.
That was about the fifth night in. Now during those first four nights I was pretty bummed. This tiny home sleeping thing wasn't panning out the way I had hoped. I had begun to think this wasn't gonna work.
See - we've been spoiled. When you are young, you can adapt. As you age, you get used to things, routines, and your body starts to hurt in places and in ways that cause wise statements like, "getting old isn't for pansies". And you begin to think how nice it is to "just stay home" and watch the Travel Channel.
But Lil' Queeny was gonna fix all that! Wanna travel? No problem! Grab an overnight bag and Hit The Open Road! Now hold on thar Bob-a-louie! So I was kind of bummed. DW said she slept fine (but we've already established she is long-suffering, so you have to be suspect with positive statements and all).
Even in the TT the bed is cramped, because the top half has walls (wardrobes), instead of night stands or edges to hang an arm off'n, know what I mean?
And now, in Queeny, the reduced width, at our age, errr, I mean at MY age (DW is only 29), well, I was bummed.
See that's the thing about women, if you ain't pissing them off, to where they have to defend themselves, they can be SO much better for the male ego than can say, oh I don't know, another man? You know as in some of your male friends when their best advice or suggestion starts with "here, hold my beer".
Yeah, women don't seem to NEED that ego boost like us guys, so if you just give them respect! Bingo! You get a lot in return for your investment! And it's easy! We all have extra respect laying around. Check your couch cushions! Pay yourself first! Respect - The original compounding interest!
So there we were, not sleeping well, and me being bummed. Partly from that leaky window, but mostly the bed not turning out as I had imagined. And DW suggested, "while those two corners finish drying, what if I made up the dinette bed and slept there, and you'd have more room on the outer edge (I always take the far edge, because DW gets a little claustrophobic - see I'm a good person too!).
So we made up the lounge at first, for an evening watching a little Netflix, on the small TV that has a max 60 watt output so it'll run off'n a cheap Inverter, and stream from our phone as a Hot-Spot, until you get to CA, where apparently they ain't connected everywhere. And at bed time we turned the lounge into her bed.
What a difference! Now we both had space for our arms and rolling over and stuff. My black eyes (from her elbows) began to heal. The bruises on her shins (from my bony heels) began to fade. And we slept! For HOURS this time! And there was great rejoicing!
During the day, the loft holds the stuff. There on the left is a frilly mattress pad roll. The pad corners pull around the dinette cushions and keep them tight (twin bed, she's shorter than me and a 75" bed is fine for her). In the morning, all the bedding simply rolls up like a cowboy bed-roll. Except I don't think the cowboys used the frilly mattress pad. Too many folds can collect dust on the trail, especially during a round-up or a stampede or stuff. No cowboy wants to sleep dirty.
Pillows, DW's craft bag, throw blanket.
The daytime dinette has those throw pillows. Those are handy! For my sore arms. Just because I can now sleep, doesn't mean my arms aren't constantly sore. I don't know what that's about, but it might be punishment, because I haven't ALWAYS been such a nice guy.
The leather purse is a medicine cabinet, like Ayla's Medicine Bag. DW's purse beyond that, our waters, our glasses, the guide book. Almost ready to roll there - head to the truck.
So I'm cutting the mattress down a little - to 48" wide. We found XL Twin size, (80"), that stretches out nicely to 48" wide (twin is typically 38"). That will make it easier to make up the upper bed, with changeable sheets, and leaves space beyond the bed edge for inspection, cleaning, storage.
The bathroom is VERY small! But it worked out SOOOO good! Depending on need, the toilet is faced one way, or the other. The door can stay open, or close. The basin can be in front of you, or to your back. This bathroom is extremely adaptable - one of the best working features of this entire tiny camper. Keeping an eye out, it's easy (less than a minute) to dump the toilet daily (it's lighter that way too) at just about any public place - parks, rest stops, boat launches, picnic areas, etc. Sure you use discretion! It ain't hard to do.
The wash facilities also worked out well. You'd be surprised just how EASY it is to wash up very comfortable with one or two pints of water! And THAT'S if you're really trying to extend your water supply, nine times out of ten you could waste a whole gallon at a time - twice a day - to wash up once in the morning and once at night, and STILL get several days out of the forty-six gallons on board. Our water logistics really paid off! And showers worked slick with the hose attached to the faucet and the shower seat in the wheel well.
Clothing? I had originally thought duffel-style luggage bags. DW didn't like the idea of moving them back and forth, like we're doing with the one bed roll now. So we used the cabinets above the dinette. The small (three each side) canvas containers were handy. One side for me, one side for her.
Once we got our whiskers, moving around inside the camper worked good too. Like a small sailboat or something, you want a place for everything. The waste receptacles worked well. I am going to remove the can crusher. Don't need it. My forehead still works good enough.
And that will leave space above the tank for "stuff". One sack there for cans, one for plastic - when there are recycle containers available - which are popping up more everyday.
The swing out kitchen garbage was awesome. Used a small recessed space, and that's about a six-gallon bag! Only once did we need to store garbage sacks in the wheel-well until getting back to civilization!
We do miss the composting method we use at home. We don't require much in the way of garbage collection. I was trying to come up with a good way to compost on the road. I'm thinking of another trap door, this time in the camper floor. Then a second one in the truck bed. I've discovered a LOT of extra space under the truck bed. DW says, that might not be such a good idea.
The back seat of the truck (seats folded) holds the patio mats, the chairs, the tools/repairs bags, the levelers, the day-packs, the jackets, sometimes the hiking boots, the extra jugs of drinking water, the lunch bags, and DW's Crafts and Medicine Bags.
Once we figured out the sleeping thing, we were golden. So from a shake-down perspective - all was well.
Tomorrow I'm going to cover some on-the road problems, but this thing is close to a wrap.
20. Tiny Home Food Stuffs.
Like I've said, DW's a cook. I'm lucky. Without her, I would NEVER have gotten the life hack that I live by now.
See around the house we only have two meals a day, instead of the traditional three. That's one thing.
Another thing was the weaning-off sugar. It's in everything. Not all sugar mind you, ice cream remains one of our preferential choices! But sugar should be used moderately, not as a major diet item in you Food Guide Pyramid, just like ANY toxic poison! Well... here - Sugar Coated.
Now just because you take in new (sometimes different) info, doesn't mean you have to believe. You can still doubt. That's the whole idea behind learning to use your "reasoning" power. Like a Super-Hero!
"Welcome please, Marvel's Reasoning Ralph!"
But seriously, we start our mornings like so many, coffee, a banana, a handful of mixed nuts, maybe a small packet of crackers ('cause I like 'em) and I'm good until breakfast - and you know me, early riser!
Then by about 10, we're finishing our first main meal. For me it generally requires some sort of flesh, not so important for DW, but there are days. But it is the lessening of "production" foods like cold cereal, instant oatmeal, white bread - and the increasing of other healthier foods like whole-grain breads (somewhat limited), meat or proteins of some sort (you should try the Oatmeal DW makes, out of real ingredients and added stuffs like nuts - oh man), but also lots of fruit choices, and even veges at breakfast!
She makes up these fruit/veggie trays (Tupperware type things), like you take to a party? But they're freshly made up, not made out of colored cardboard like so many of those grocery store versions - fresh foods prepped, at the sink, and the stuff that is cut off is composted.
And I'm bummed. Those Planters Mixed Nuts we used to get at Sam's? All they have now is the lesser tasty Store Brand. Peanuts, salted in the shell are good. Because it's about the proteins: nuts, beans, quinoa (pronounced โkeen-wah" - high protein travel food of the Aztec Warrior - serious) and flesh - glorious flesh! I'm not a vegetarian - Not that there's anything wrong with that! If it's your thing.
And once done with that first meal we attack the day!
Neither of us generally get hungry any too soon. But when we do (and we're always re-filling the water glass) we come in, grab a small handful of nuts, a few veggies, maybe fruits from the ample selections, already made up in their trays right handy, and get right back at it, whatever "it" is that day.
The second meal is a late lunch or early dinner, or if we want to keep working, a later dinner. There is always color on our plates (meaning veges of some sort, or fruit - you want as many different colors as you can find because of the dog).
What's called "Fido" chemicals. Or is that Phytochemicals? Berries are good, because they have so many reds and purples that can be hard colors to get elsewhere, in today's western diets of Cheerios and stuff. Red and purple cabbage, and the dark lettuces (spinach, etc.) in the salad mixes. Lots of different greens.
And another cool thing about veges, you can eliminate that gross dietary fiber additive **** like Metamucil! They market that to us (through our doctors at about age 50 - if you know what I mean) because of the REMOVAL of natural fiber from our highly-processed foods in the western diet! Just like they market health-care to try and fix us, after we've spent a life of poor nutrition and lack of exercise to get these obese bodies we carry around! And we pay them for the abuse at every turn in life!
But we eat meat, always meat, although beef has taken a back seat at our house because DW has an allergy to it, and it just doesn't taste as good to me anymore as our preferential choices: pork, chicken, turkey and spotted owl, the other white meat!
But "real foods" is the key. Buy ingredients of quite the variety, and make up foods. Don't fall for this "convenience" marketing, and expensive trips to fast food. Sure - on occasion, just not the routine, know what I mean?
Anyway, that's the norm for us. And when we travel, it is a BIG let down to go into a restaurant and pay such high prices to them for a generally crappy plate of white bread, a hunk of meat, and sloppy coverings like gravy. (I love gravy BTW, just not "only" gravy).
And we're cheap. Did I mention that? So DW will make up our normal foods before a trip, and she'll save some out, and portion it into meal sizes and freeze it. Then when we're on the road, she takes the most thawed (she rotates) out and warms it in the oven, or on the stove top.
Cold stuffs at meal time, like the bags of veggies and fruits come out, and make for awesome appetizers.
Well here's a typical breakfast on the road.
And a typical dinner.
Yeah I know, I gotta work on my portion sizes. Hey I'm a big guy! I get HUNGRY! ๐
Now the next skill to develop is grill management. Again, DW brings that into play. I could do it, if I had to, but I'd have to think things through, and get practiced up too.
Here you go, grill management, get rid of the round pans.
We bought that cool grill (coated for easy cleanup) a few years ago and won't go back. It stores here.
DW asked, "when we get home, can we hang that?"
I said, "but of course".
Four cup hooks, two bungees.
And DW found these (come to find out - Amway branded) lids at a second-hand store. Good quality, and a name (Queen) reflecting Lil' Queeny's image.
Lids are important to good grill management. Also burner control.
This was breakfast burritos, with eggs, cheese, potatoes, onions, peppers and whole-grain tortillas.
Now the fridge isn't huge, but it's not as tiny as you'll find in many newer RVs this size these days. It's 4 cubic feet, with a good size freezer. DW will rotate frozen choices out of the freezer, and into the fridge to thaw, for one or two days later.
And our fridge began to fail in Death Valley. That's a whole 'nuther subject we'll discuss in a few days or so.
After our four-wheeling spill in Titus Canyon, DW set about reorganizing the food cabinets.
Old nut jars used as food containers. There's pistachios, peanuts, chips, crackers, and other ingredients in bags behind - just normal stuff from the house. We buy in bulk. Saves money.
Homemade cookies (much higher in proteins with almond flour and quinoa, nuts, etc.) and there's whole-grain breads.
Some canned and packaged healthier foods, paper sacks of potatoes, onions.
Washed and prepped grapes draining a bit more before bagging. That's a vege prep thing, bought at a Camping World store. So handy a tool. And that kitchen sink sprayer is too awesome! For a camper.
Above the range, what we call coffee central.
We were pretty surprised how much food stuffs were swallowed up in Lil' Queeny's cavernous cabinets.
But we ate well, and for most of the trip, before we had to start buying along the way, in-spite of the rush to eat thawed entrees when the fridge was failing early on.
We are somewhat surprised that the lion's share of our food bill, or return trips to the grocery store, are related mostly to produce - fruits and veges. I think that's because the other expensive things (nuts and meats) are purchased through smart choices. DW finds smart shopping a challenge, and she always performs that challenge well!
And when you have your own food along, you can eat at almost any location you want!
"Hey Babe, this looks like a nice place with atmosphere!"
Like I've said, DW's a cook. I'm lucky. Without her, I would NEVER have gotten the life hack that I live by now.
See around the house we only have two meals a day, instead of the traditional three. That's one thing.
Another thing was the weaning-off sugar. It's in everything. Not all sugar mind you, ice cream remains one of our preferential choices! But sugar should be used moderately, not as a major diet item in you Food Guide Pyramid, just like ANY toxic poison! Well... here - Sugar Coated.
Now just because you take in new (sometimes different) info, doesn't mean you have to believe. You can still doubt. That's the whole idea behind learning to use your "reasoning" power. Like a Super-Hero!
"Welcome please, Marvel's Reasoning Ralph!"
But seriously, we start our mornings like so many, coffee, a banana, a handful of mixed nuts, maybe a small packet of crackers ('cause I like 'em) and I'm good until breakfast - and you know me, early riser!
Then by about 10, we're finishing our first main meal. For me it generally requires some sort of flesh, not so important for DW, but there are days. But it is the lessening of "production" foods like cold cereal, instant oatmeal, white bread - and the increasing of other healthier foods like whole-grain breads (somewhat limited), meat or proteins of some sort (you should try the Oatmeal DW makes, out of real ingredients and added stuffs like nuts - oh man), but also lots of fruit choices, and even veges at breakfast!
She makes up these fruit/veggie trays (Tupperware type things), like you take to a party? But they're freshly made up, not made out of colored cardboard like so many of those grocery store versions - fresh foods prepped, at the sink, and the stuff that is cut off is composted.
And I'm bummed. Those Planters Mixed Nuts we used to get at Sam's? All they have now is the lesser tasty Store Brand. Peanuts, salted in the shell are good. Because it's about the proteins: nuts, beans, quinoa (pronounced โkeen-wah" - high protein travel food of the Aztec Warrior - serious) and flesh - glorious flesh! I'm not a vegetarian - Not that there's anything wrong with that! If it's your thing.
And once done with that first meal we attack the day!
Neither of us generally get hungry any too soon. But when we do (and we're always re-filling the water glass) we come in, grab a small handful of nuts, a few veggies, maybe fruits from the ample selections, already made up in their trays right handy, and get right back at it, whatever "it" is that day.
The second meal is a late lunch or early dinner, or if we want to keep working, a later dinner. There is always color on our plates (meaning veges of some sort, or fruit - you want as many different colors as you can find because of the dog).
What's called "Fido" chemicals. Or is that Phytochemicals? Berries are good, because they have so many reds and purples that can be hard colors to get elsewhere, in today's western diets of Cheerios and stuff. Red and purple cabbage, and the dark lettuces (spinach, etc.) in the salad mixes. Lots of different greens.
And another cool thing about veges, you can eliminate that gross dietary fiber additive **** like Metamucil! They market that to us (through our doctors at about age 50 - if you know what I mean) because of the REMOVAL of natural fiber from our highly-processed foods in the western diet! Just like they market health-care to try and fix us, after we've spent a life of poor nutrition and lack of exercise to get these obese bodies we carry around! And we pay them for the abuse at every turn in life!
But we eat meat, always meat, although beef has taken a back seat at our house because DW has an allergy to it, and it just doesn't taste as good to me anymore as our preferential choices: pork, chicken, turkey and spotted owl, the other white meat!
But "real foods" is the key. Buy ingredients of quite the variety, and make up foods. Don't fall for this "convenience" marketing, and expensive trips to fast food. Sure - on occasion, just not the routine, know what I mean?
Anyway, that's the norm for us. And when we travel, it is a BIG let down to go into a restaurant and pay such high prices to them for a generally crappy plate of white bread, a hunk of meat, and sloppy coverings like gravy. (I love gravy BTW, just not "only" gravy).
And we're cheap. Did I mention that? So DW will make up our normal foods before a trip, and she'll save some out, and portion it into meal sizes and freeze it. Then when we're on the road, she takes the most thawed (she rotates) out and warms it in the oven, or on the stove top.
Cold stuffs at meal time, like the bags of veggies and fruits come out, and make for awesome appetizers.
Well here's a typical breakfast on the road.
And a typical dinner.
Yeah I know, I gotta work on my portion sizes. Hey I'm a big guy! I get HUNGRY! ๐
Now the next skill to develop is grill management. Again, DW brings that into play. I could do it, if I had to, but I'd have to think things through, and get practiced up too.
Here you go, grill management, get rid of the round pans.
We bought that cool grill (coated for easy cleanup) a few years ago and won't go back. It stores here.
DW asked, "when we get home, can we hang that?"
I said, "but of course".
Four cup hooks, two bungees.
And DW found these (come to find out - Amway branded) lids at a second-hand store. Good quality, and a name (Queen) reflecting Lil' Queeny's image.
Lids are important to good grill management. Also burner control.
This was breakfast burritos, with eggs, cheese, potatoes, onions, peppers and whole-grain tortillas.
Now the fridge isn't huge, but it's not as tiny as you'll find in many newer RVs this size these days. It's 4 cubic feet, with a good size freezer. DW will rotate frozen choices out of the freezer, and into the fridge to thaw, for one or two days later.
And our fridge began to fail in Death Valley. That's a whole 'nuther subject we'll discuss in a few days or so.
After our four-wheeling spill in Titus Canyon, DW set about reorganizing the food cabinets.
Old nut jars used as food containers. There's pistachios, peanuts, chips, crackers, and other ingredients in bags behind - just normal stuff from the house. We buy in bulk. Saves money.
Homemade cookies (much higher in proteins with almond flour and quinoa, nuts, etc.) and there's whole-grain breads.
Some canned and packaged healthier foods, paper sacks of potatoes, onions.
Washed and prepped grapes draining a bit more before bagging. That's a vege prep thing, bought at a Camping World store. So handy a tool. And that kitchen sink sprayer is too awesome! For a camper.
Above the range, what we call coffee central.
We were pretty surprised how much food stuffs were swallowed up in Lil' Queeny's cavernous cabinets.
But we ate well, and for most of the trip, before we had to start buying along the way, in-spite of the rush to eat thawed entrees when the fridge was failing early on.
We are somewhat surprised that the lion's share of our food bill, or return trips to the grocery store, are related mostly to produce - fruits and veges. I think that's because the other expensive things (nuts and meats) are purchased through smart choices. DW finds smart shopping a challenge, and she always performs that challenge well!
And when you have your own food along, you can eat at almost any location you want!
"Hey Babe, this looks like a nice place with atmosphere!"
18. Tiny Home Living.
Thanks! Yes we consider ourselves very fortunate. We bought this place back in 1991, and have been working very hard ever since then. What changes we have seen (and what views we have)! But doing the work (almost all) yourself, and mostly paying for it as you go, has paid off. And we did it all as a team.
It is not a small place. As you live life and think about the future, retirement is always on your mind, especially when you have a view of things the way we do - that is to say, "don't forget to live for today, but plan for the future first". Not "too", but "first".
Balancing income against outgo is paramount, and setting up a savings plan that works (pay yourself first). All those years driving used vehicles - fixing cars until midnight so you can drive it to work in the morning, planning food use - less waste, cook once eat three times (planned-overs), not hiring labor - learn to change your own oil, learn sheet-rock finishing in a "small room project", don't fall for marketing traps, wear out your clothes, don't buy a smart-phone plan until you have these other things set-up and moving along on cruise-control, etc. It really works. YOLO is a cop-out, I have no sympathy. Don't ever get "house poor" or "car poor". Learn what a healthy budget is supposed to look like, and then stick with those similar percentages.
And those early visions never pan out exactly. Who knew back then, downsizing was cool? Who knew we need a better balance of power by including way more women in our institutions. We could EASILY go smaller on our home, but now we're stuck. We can't sell out and move anywhere and have what we've created here, for anywhere near the same cost. So we stick it out living in bigger digs than needed. But we can downsize RV styles! We can press toward more inclusiveness in our world. We can use reason over emotion. These are simply examples of a better balanced life! And who doesn't want that? For everyone?
Today I'm going to open up a several day's post about what we've come to learn about tiny home living - in Lil' Queeny. Some is simply honed from 10 years of experience with our pop-up Truck Camper, but as you age, things evolve too. A lot about tiny home living is staying as healthy as possible, and keeping your body in a state that can endure smaller spaces, and greater movement and agility, etc.
Just like financial planning for retirement, building a retirement home out of your current residence, etc., keeping in shape (and we are not perfect with that by any means) requires that same year after year commitment.
My meat and potatoes diet (never a fruit or vegetable shall cross my lips) attitude has greatly shifted over the years. That's thanks to DW. She is the long-suffering and patient cause of my conversion to a more healthy diet. It doesn't hurt that her career was in nutrition education, and that she learned as a young woman, how to cook in a steakhouse club from a certified Chef (the owner), not to mention her own natural talents and attributes leaning her in such a direction.
We only ate out once on this trip, at the Bug Sur State Park Restaurant - the Fish and Chips. Okay, and once in Santa Rosa at a diner, just because it was convenient. But we don't enjoy those places as much as we used to, because DW makes up such fine food in the camper! That's a learned skill too, we'll discuss.
When you consider your body, times two, requires "that" much space to exist, then you make your private world just a little bit bigger, you can make the rest of the world your oyster!
By doing that, we can say, "we have some ocean front property in California, from our dinette you can see the sea...
And if you buy that we'll throw the Golden Gate in Free".
๐
Thanks! Yes we consider ourselves very fortunate. We bought this place back in 1991, and have been working very hard ever since then. What changes we have seen (and what views we have)! But doing the work (almost all) yourself, and mostly paying for it as you go, has paid off. And we did it all as a team.
It is not a small place. As you live life and think about the future, retirement is always on your mind, especially when you have a view of things the way we do - that is to say, "don't forget to live for today, but plan for the future first". Not "too", but "first".
Balancing income against outgo is paramount, and setting up a savings plan that works (pay yourself first). All those years driving used vehicles - fixing cars until midnight so you can drive it to work in the morning, planning food use - less waste, cook once eat three times (planned-overs), not hiring labor - learn to change your own oil, learn sheet-rock finishing in a "small room project", don't fall for marketing traps, wear out your clothes, don't buy a smart-phone plan until you have these other things set-up and moving along on cruise-control, etc. It really works. YOLO is a cop-out, I have no sympathy. Don't ever get "house poor" or "car poor". Learn what a healthy budget is supposed to look like, and then stick with those similar percentages.
And those early visions never pan out exactly. Who knew back then, downsizing was cool? Who knew we need a better balance of power by including way more women in our institutions. We could EASILY go smaller on our home, but now we're stuck. We can't sell out and move anywhere and have what we've created here, for anywhere near the same cost. So we stick it out living in bigger digs than needed. But we can downsize RV styles! We can press toward more inclusiveness in our world. We can use reason over emotion. These are simply examples of a better balanced life! And who doesn't want that? For everyone?
Today I'm going to open up a several day's post about what we've come to learn about tiny home living - in Lil' Queeny. Some is simply honed from 10 years of experience with our pop-up Truck Camper, but as you age, things evolve too. A lot about tiny home living is staying as healthy as possible, and keeping your body in a state that can endure smaller spaces, and greater movement and agility, etc.
Just like financial planning for retirement, building a retirement home out of your current residence, etc., keeping in shape (and we are not perfect with that by any means) requires that same year after year commitment.
My meat and potatoes diet (never a fruit or vegetable shall cross my lips) attitude has greatly shifted over the years. That's thanks to DW. She is the long-suffering and patient cause of my conversion to a more healthy diet. It doesn't hurt that her career was in nutrition education, and that she learned as a young woman, how to cook in a steakhouse club from a certified Chef (the owner), not to mention her own natural talents and attributes leaning her in such a direction.
We only ate out once on this trip, at the Bug Sur State Park Restaurant - the Fish and Chips. Okay, and once in Santa Rosa at a diner, just because it was convenient. But we don't enjoy those places as much as we used to, because DW makes up such fine food in the camper! That's a learned skill too, we'll discuss.
When you consider your body, times two, requires "that" much space to exist, then you make your private world just a little bit bigger, you can make the rest of the world your oyster!
By doing that, we can say, "we have some ocean front property in California, from our dinette you can see the sea...
And if you buy that we'll throw the Golden Gate in Free".
๐
17. Santa Rosa and Going Home.
Our visit with the CA kids was very nice. We were there for a couple of nights (because company and fish stinks after three days - throw them out), and also called the trip done, because it was getting wetter, and cooler, especially going north. But mostly we were satiated, and we were simply ready to go home.
A weather system was moving in to bring an expected 2' of snow over Tahoe, so we got ahead of that, staying on secondary roads for awhile.
Starting in the burned out hills north of Santa Rosa (as this was part of our visit to the kids, and their involvement with a piece of the regrouping and rebuilding).
Then went east and down into Calistoga, thence Highway 128 to Winters, and other rural agricultural areas to a Walmart destination in Dixon along the Interstate.
We restocked and asked the management about overnighting, and while Walmart was fine with it, city/county ordinances were not. We kept moving, ending up east of Reno at another Walmart by about 10 PM.
The next day was all the way across Nevada and into the Great Salt Lake Desert west of Salt Lake City, where we have another time share.
In Salt Lake we visited with Mother, and then before we knew it, we were home again in Wyoming.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's nothing like travel to make you appreciate home.
There's ol' Tow-Mater in the pines, and Fairweather June with her temporary orange striping. Lil' Spen, the 1940's era Spen civilian utility trailer, and a couple of parts campers currently acting as storage units - Ta-Ton-Ka and the Skamper Camper, of Lil' Queeny build fame.
And one of the simple pleasures of Wyoming is how many Spring seasons we get each year, there's at least 4-5 every year, where the return to winter forces you back inside to complete work on some of those unfinished winter projects, and then it's back outside for another Spring day, to get work done in the yard and garden, with beautiful clear skies and warm sun, forcing clothing changes at least twice every day! (Jeans, shorts, jeans).
That snow will be gone by afternoon, or at least by the next day. And we had forgotten how comfortable our living room recliners are!
But tiny home living went well! Tomorrow I'll wrap up this trip report by casting some thoughts about our experiences regarding that. One thing's for certain, we know we can sell the big travel trailer.
Our visit with the CA kids was very nice. We were there for a couple of nights (because company and fish stinks after three days - throw them out), and also called the trip done, because it was getting wetter, and cooler, especially going north. But mostly we were satiated, and we were simply ready to go home.
A weather system was moving in to bring an expected 2' of snow over Tahoe, so we got ahead of that, staying on secondary roads for awhile.
Starting in the burned out hills north of Santa Rosa (as this was part of our visit to the kids, and their involvement with a piece of the regrouping and rebuilding).
Then went east and down into Calistoga, thence Highway 128 to Winters, and other rural agricultural areas to a Walmart destination in Dixon along the Interstate.
We restocked and asked the management about overnighting, and while Walmart was fine with it, city/county ordinances were not. We kept moving, ending up east of Reno at another Walmart by about 10 PM.
The next day was all the way across Nevada and into the Great Salt Lake Desert west of Salt Lake City, where we have another time share.
In Salt Lake we visited with Mother, and then before we knew it, we were home again in Wyoming.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's nothing like travel to make you appreciate home.
There's ol' Tow-Mater in the pines, and Fairweather June with her temporary orange striping. Lil' Spen, the 1940's era Spen civilian utility trailer, and a couple of parts campers currently acting as storage units - Ta-Ton-Ka and the Skamper Camper, of Lil' Queeny build fame.
And one of the simple pleasures of Wyoming is how many Spring seasons we get each year, there's at least 4-5 every year, where the return to winter forces you back inside to complete work on some of those unfinished winter projects, and then it's back outside for another Spring day, to get work done in the yard and garden, with beautiful clear skies and warm sun, forcing clothing changes at least twice every day! (Jeans, shorts, jeans).
That snow will be gone by afternoon, or at least by the next day. And we had forgotten how comfortable our living room recliners are!
But tiny home living went well! Tomorrow I'll wrap up this trip report by casting some thoughts about our experiences regarding that. One thing's for certain, we know we can sell the big travel trailer.
