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On The Road Again “Flying Solo Season Two”
I have had several people ask me if I would be blogging about my travels again this summer. The answer is YES! Why not?Some of you who have followed my travels last summer told me you were traveling vicariously through me. How awesome is that? I hadn’t realized my mystical minivan ventures would be so inspiring for others.
This summer won’t be as long of an adventure as I have some commitments back home in Arizona that I need to be there for, but I am outfitting the minivan now and setting out on the 11th of July towards the Northwest.I learned a lot last year from my minivan camping experiences and am making a few adjustments this year. I work from home or in the case of traveling, I work from the van, and so having what I need to manage my clients and Internet is important.
Last year I had my WiFi unit and an expensive Verizon Data account. I will activate this again. However the primary issue I had with working on the road was power. I didn’t want to stay in expensive RV parks with power. Can you see my little minivan camper wedged in between huge Motor-homes and trailers? Mini ME would get lost in the crowd. I preferred being in more places of solitude. I preferred to be parked between two trees.
Business on the road requires I keep my phone, laptop and WiFi unit charged. There was some stress with my batteries being drained before my work day was over and needing to run to the coffee house between clients to recharge.
This year I have acquired an Aeiusny Portable Power Station. It is a small unit that will charge my phone, laptop and WiFi unit multiple times. I can recharge my Power Station via AC wall outlets or 12V car cigarette lighter or to recharge it under the sun with solar panel. I did not buy the solar panel this year. But it is a great idea for the future.
Now I am powered up and ready to go for the long haul.
Last year I had way too much stuff! I learned about minimalism on the road. I only really needed about half of what I brought with me and some of the things I brought were cumbersome and space consuming.
My portable kitchen was one item I could do without. It was great to have and I loved it, but it took up too much space in my van while traveling. Since I had my cook-stove and Igloo 12V fridge in the back of my van, I only really needed a table to prepare food on.
So I found this handy little compact table that I can use both indoors and outdoors. It folds quite small and can be stored under my bed, however I realized it fits inside my van right next to my bed perfectly and a great place to eat, put my tea cup and laptop while working. It has great storage space underneath as well, so no wasted space.The table has leg adjustments so can be short or tall. What an exciting find and will work perfectly for my needs.
Last year I traveled with a roof rack for all the extras. Near the end of my journey the key busted off in the lock and I had a miserable time dealing with it. This year I decided to forgo the roof rack and all the extras. Who needs them.I won’t be taking a canopy but have two simple little tarps that fold up really small (about the size of a large pair of socks.) These can be extended from the back hatch of my van for extra shade and used as a floor mat for outdoors.
Another thing I learned last year, was I only needed half the clothes. I had a large bag of clothing I never used, stuff under my bed at the far back. That space is better used for something else. One bag of clothes and a few hanging items will be enough.
My porta-potty is coming. I can’t say enough for that little pot. It will store perfectly under my new table and great for those middle of the night moments where I really don’t want to put on my shoes and trek to the loo, if there is one. Us girls must have our luxuries.
This year will be both simpler, more minimalistic and a shorter journey. I’m getting excited to be back on the road again.
If you would like to come along for the ride, I invite you to join me. If you haven’t yet signed up for my newsletter you can do so here….
Happy Trails!
Kaleah
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Break From Van Life
After traveling in my van and sleeping exclusively in my van for over two months, I parked the van at my sister’s new house and spent a week in their guest room. It was nice to stretch out and spread out a bit. I enjoyed cooking in her new kitchen and spending time with my sisters family. We had a very relaxing time.
One of the highlights of my week in this area was the hike around Mount Rainier. My niece took me on a beautiful hike up at the base of Mount Rainier and we had a really great time. The above video shows some of the amazing scenery.
I also spent time with my two nephews and my youngest nephews two children. Such a beautiful, kind, and welcoming family.
After that I went to visit my aunt and uncle, just a couple hours from my sisters and then drove via Hwy 101 to Oregon. I stayed in my van one night and then went to my parents home near Portland for another week.
Although it is nice, and convenient to stay in a house, I am looking forward to getting back out on the road in my little sleeping pod on wheels.
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Eating on the Road
Eating out of the back of my Van is actually a pretty great way to travel. Since I don’t eat the Standard American Diet, I can’t eat at the majority of restaurants. I’m always on the lookout for restaurants that have “vegan options” for when I feel like a change, and I have found them everywhere I go.On the most part I keep my mini fridge stocked with fruits, vegetables, hummus, vegan cheese, almond or soy milk, and some dark chocolate for good measure. I have a dry cooler with my crackers, granola, coffee, tea, and a few other items.
Lately I have become aware that my kitchen setup is a source of entertainment at parks, visitors centers, rest stops and parking lots. I get out of my van as the back hatch auto lifts up, and I walk back and pull out my dish drawer, grab a bowl and spoon, pour some granola, slice up a banana, open my fridge and grab the blueberries and almond milk and add them, and then put them back in the fridge and proceed to eat my granola while passer byers are waving at me with a smile.
Often I just grab an apple or a bag of grapes and keep it simple. Sometimes I am in the mood to cook and other times I just eat fruit or vegan cheese and crackers (not so healthy a choice) or throw together a hummus wrap, which is a favorite quick food for traveling.
Today after a long hike, I pulled into a camp spot and threw together a hummus wrap with hummus, red pepper, vegan cheese, and a ton of arugula. Simple, but good.When I feel I want something really hardy I will make the a quinoa stir fry, potatoes and veggies, or something with beans, but I don’t feel the need to eat something that substantial on a daily basis.
I’m a big believer in fruit. I haven’t always been, because there has been so much negative press around fruit and what it does to our blood sugar. There are enough studies that show fruit is one of the most perfect foods for humans. It is very quick to digest, and it is a high-quality fuel for our bodies. What I have learned is that fruit, on the most part should be eaten alone and not with fat, because it is the fat that slows down the metabolism of the sugars from the fruit. On a food combining note, the fruit will also ferment in your stomach if it is sitting upon a heavy, fatty meal.
Although I love the combinations of fruits and nuts, it’s not ideal. Not together. It’s better to have them as separate meals. This way the body can fully utilize the sugars from the fruit for fuel without the fat from the nuts interfering with its digestion.
I do still add granola to my fruit, rather than fruit to my granola. But I know its not the best way to eat my fruit. But these are the kinds of compromises I make while traveling. I never eat granola at home. It just worked its way into my life during this trip, starting with a bag of home made granola from the Taos Farmers Market and is so satisfying to have with fruit for breakfast. It makes the fruit go so much further and I can hike for hours afterwards and feel very energetic. I think this is what is important; to feel that our food gives us the energy we need.
When They Have Vegan Cheesecake, I say YES!
I did a google search for Vegan Options in Sandpoint, Idaho and there wasn’t a lot there. I used to know of a Café, but believe it closed down. As I was walking down main street, I ran right into a Café that said “Vegan Cheesecake.” I was hungry and looking to have lunch. I ducked in and found that I was in a primarily Vegan Café. I was in heaven. I had their Greek Wrap and then went for a hike. But I had to come back later for the Vegan Cheesecake; because when they have Vegan Cheesecake, I say YES! KALE YES! -
Smoke Signals
There is something about the feel of the wheels going round and round as everything I’ve just experienced is in my rear view mirror. There is something about the prospect of a new adventure, going places I’ve never been before. There is something about the feel of following the call of “the voice within” that leads me to new destinations and powerful new experiences.I woke up in a Durango campground after spending another Thursday evening enjoying the night life in Durango, which included Thursday concerts in the park. I had driven the long, windy, mountain road from Durango to Silverton in the dark, several times now and didn’t feel I should push my luck. I opted to stay. In the morning the air was thick with smoke from the forest fires. Evidently the firefighters decided to fight fire with fire and had started several small fires to manage the big one. I ran some errands and headed back to Silverton, hoping the air would be clean there. As I descended into Silverton there was a thick layer of smoke, resting on the small community like a heavy fog. That was my smoke signal. That was my sign. It was time to go!
It took about an hour to get my camp in Silverton packed up and I pulled out around 3pm, heading over the big mountain to Ouray and Ridgeway. I found a beautiful campsite at the Ridgeway State Park, just outside of Ridgeway, perched above a large lake. Fourth of July week was upon us and campers were out in full swing. Getting a campspot was a challenge.
There was a sadness in my heart, leaving behind the place I had grown to love so much, and the people I met there, but the signs couldn’t have been any more clear to me. It was time to move on.
My next destination was Carbondale, Glennwood Springs and Aspen, all located in the same area. I had been to these places before and remembered their raw beauty, with jagged mountain peaks stretching up into the sky and lush green valleys down below. In some places there were red rock formations like Sedona, mostly in Redstone and Glennwood Springs. Finding camping was a challenge, but I settled for another commercial campground perched over a river and the freeway. It wasn’t ideal, but it was a safe place to park for the night. I enjoyed a concert at the river park in the evening and a pint of “So Delicious” non dairy ice cream; something I didn’t have very often.
The next morning I packed up camp and headed to Aspen. All camp spots were full for days to come. That was the case in Carbondale and Redstone as well. Aspen was crawling with tourists and bumper to bumper traffic. I didn’t feel to stop and walk around the town. I wasn’t in the mood to shop for overpriced touristy items and I didn’t want anymore coffee. I kept driving back down the mountain to Basalt where they were having a Sunday Market. I ran into my friend Hinton, from Sedona, who I also ran into in Taos, New Mexico. Like me, he was living in his Van, only it was a full time venture for him. We enjoyed reconnecting, catching up and spending a bit of time together before I continued on my journey.Since I had no place to camp, it felt time to continue on down the road. I didn’t want to go to any of the heavier populated area’s in Colorado, so it was time to leave the state and head to my beloved Northwest. I was born in Anacortes, Washington, the Gateway to the San Juan Islands. I had explored much of the Northwest already, but it was still home to me, and I always loved returning. Going from the Southwest to the Northwest was a long drive of several days. Since it was Sunday and I worked on Monday, I would have to stop somewhere to take clients. Fortunately it was a light week, because it was a Holiday, so I cleared the spaces on my Calendar that weren’t yet booked to give me more travel time.
I didn’t pull out until 3pm, once again, and arrived in Brigham City, Utah at nightfall, finding a trusty KOA campground to park for the night. My first client wasn’t until 11:30 Mountain time the next day, so I got an early start and made it to Pocatello, Idaho, got an oil and transmission fluid change, a Starbucks, and settled in at a local park to begin my work day. I had a several hour break in the afternoon as a client failed to show for her appointment, so I drove to Idaho Falls, and settled in at the river park overlooking the falls for my next two clients. I found a Natural Grocers in Idaho Falls to stock up on my favorite traveling foods between sessions, gassed up the car and pulled out after my last session at 7pm. I drove until nightfall and found a free camping area in a small Montana town, about a half hour from Butte, Montana. My destination was Whitefish, Montana for the fourth of July.When I arrived in Whitefish, it was pouring rain. Such a contrast from the dry, tinderbox of Colorado. Whitefish embraced me with one of its few remaining tent sites to park my van. It was a blessing to be welcomed in this way. As the rain poured down, I nestled into Red Raven (my minivan) with my journal, grateful for the warm, dry place I called home.
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Most Beautiful Place
I sit here, perched above the rushing river, at sunset, my feet soaking in a tub of hot water. I heated river water on my Coleman stove. I just hiked with my friend Doc up to 13,000 ft elevation where we met with the Continental Divide Trail. We took Doc’s 4wd miles up a pretty rugged road leading us up the side of the mountain, until it opened up into a heavenly expanse of mountains and meadows, filled with wild flowers, including the state flower, the Columbine.I was in complete awe of the beauty. We were in such a remote area. We climbed the trail taking us straight up the side of the mountain. There were beautiful fairy glens, where streams were coming down the mountains and wild flowers of deep, rich colors were growing in abundance.
We had to take it slow and take plenty of breaks because the altitude was so high. At the top we reached temperatures of 42 degrees. I was grateful I brought my heavy windbreaker as the wind was very strong.
After a beautiful day of hiking we came back to my amazing new camp right on the river. Across the river was a very tall waterfall falling from the mountains above. I still had cell service, my hotspot worked great and I could work from this beautiful spot in nature.In so many ways this is the experience I had been seeking; getting away from the commercial campgrounds and out in nature with no disturbances other than the Off Road Vehicle traffic that seemed to like the side gravel road running by my camp.
Being only a couple miles from town, I could easily drive to the coffee shop every morning, charge up my electronics and visit with the locals.It is nearing the end of June now and I must say time seems to have slowed down. It is hard to believe it has been only a month on the road. Sometimes it feels I’ve been out here so much longer. The first day of summer was last week and I still have the whole summer ahead of me.
A friend asked me about the concept of “time going slow” and asked “doesn’t this mean you aren’t having fun?” This is because it is said “time flies when you are having fun.” I asked him “wouldn’t you rather time slowed down when you were having fun so you can savor every moment?”Time is a gift right now and I am embracing the slow paced van life I am living. I don’t know when I will move on. Right now, I am loving where I am at and won’t “move on” until I feel the call. After all, isn’t this what my trip is all about? Following the call of spirit? I say YES!