REMEMBER TO PACK YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR

Life on the road has some things in common with life back home. When systems bite the dust it’s usually on a weekend or in the middle of a heat wave, etc. We have two zone heating and A/C on the MoHo but the front unit decided to quit working as we were wrapping up our Las Vegas stay.  The good news is that the bedroom A/C is working just fine.  We called ahead and made an appointment to have the front unit serviced in Salt Lake City as we have learned that our emergency does not necessarily get us a spot on the RV service schedules, and most of them are booking one to three weeks out!

We got to Salt Lake City last night and had a great visit at the SOC Headquarters today, and planned to stay over for our service appointment tomorrow.  We met Kody Bateman, CEO of SOC, and he told us that we were living HIS dream! Imagine that! What an amazing operation. We got the grand tour Shua.

Next stop, the RV place where they told us they had our A/C units in stock.  Well long story short, they don’t have our unit in stock and it will take a week to get it there!  After a little “lateral thinking” exercise we scurried off to the nearest Home Depot and bought one of those little free standing A/C units made by LG. For $250 we don’t have to worry about Yoshi getting heat exhaustion, not to mention us!  We off to Wyoming where we will have a unit delivered and installed while we are at the rally there next week, or maybe Friday if we are lucky!  We have learned to keep out sense of humor and look for the opportunities in the breakdowns, because there will always be breakdowns!

So we headed off into Wyoming a little earlier than planned in search of lower temperatures. Tonight we're in Evanston, WY as we work our way over to Gillette, WY for the Escapees RV Boot Camp and Rally, and hopefully a new air conditioner!

You never know who you are going to meet in the Walmart Parking lot! We had a lovely evening swapping stories with Shirley and Dave Hinds from Golden, CO... and the temperature has dropped to 59... yipee!

From the open road with open windows...

Laura, Geoff & Yoshie

FREEDOM ISN'T FREE

What a week in Las Vegas! as we set off from an overnight at Zion National Park, I can reflect on the events of the last week.  What a spectacular SendOutCards Convention in Las Vegas. Among other things, the company has introduced new product videos and a several new retail options that remove all of the upfront costs, and allow you to get started sending cards for as little as $9.80/month (plus postage.) As I ride down the road in my MoHo, MiFi on and sending cards along the way, I just can’t believe how easy it is. I can take pictures along the way and as soon as we’re back on the road I’m uploading them and sending them to friends and family! How fun is that!  For more information check out the new video at www.LauraSendsCards.com

While the Convention was sizzling, it seems like we have been in temperatures above 100° day and night since we left Pennsylvania!  Oh, did I mention that our front Air Conditioner went out on Saturday? (We plan to get it serviced or replaced when we get to SLC. Last night in Zion National Park the temperature dropped to 67° and an amazing cool breeze swept through the Canyon. We opened all of the windows and slept all night with the cool breeze blowing through the MoHo, no bugs, no humidity, just a constant cool breeze!

We will be in Salt Lake City tonight and planning to tour the SOC production facility tomorrow! I have been there but Geoff hasn’t, and there are several new processes since I was there last year. We’ll be boon-docking on the back lot! 

Come on! Send those cards today!

From the Utah Canyons,

Laura, Geoff & Yoshi

NATURE'S CATHEDRALS

The view from our campsite at Heaton Bay, Dillon CO

This is my first trip across the country “on the ground” and each mile seems to be more magnificent. We have been through the tornado warnings in Kansas (once is enough), through The Rockies and onto the desert bluffs in Utah. We are guests in spaces that have been here for millions of years and only rarely infringed upon by mankind. One cannot help but be humbled by the vastness and desolation that those who pioneered these places must have felt. Pictures don’t do the magnitude justice, but alas it is what we have to share. This is such an amazing way to see our beautiful country!

 We have had periodic breaks in the heat, first in the Colorado Rockies and now in the cavernous canyons of Utah. Before we left Colorado we visited the Monument National Park near Fruita, CO. We camped at a CO State Park, one of many struggling for survival.


Yesterday we left Fuita and drove the scenic Utah Route 128 along the Colorado River through the canyon lands into Moab, UT, but not before a brief respite at the Red Cliffs Winery. You can’t help but stop along the way to catch your breath and take in the massive canyons.

We reached Moab in late afternoon and set off to The Arches National Park.  The redrock monuments appear to defy gravity at times. It often feels like you are in a huge natural cathedral that has been waiting for you to arrive for millions of years. The majesty rivals any manmade cathedral on earth.

We are pressing on to Las Vegas tonight where we will be for the next week, attending the SendOutCards National Convention.  It is really SendOutCards that has given us the opportunity to generate income while exploring this wonderful country together! We are so blessed.  Thank you all who are joining us on our adventure.

By the way, Yoshi now has his own Facebook page! You can find it by searching Yoshi’s Great Adventure on Facebook.

From the Wild West!

Laura, Geoff & Yoshi

GATEWAY TO THE WEST

 What a great stopover in St Louis! This is the view from I-64 as we entered the City. 

Who would have thought that our cousins would have a ready made RV pad between their condo and the pool! Well actually it was tennis court/pool parking but nobody seemed to mind. We were the neighborhood attraction!

We had a wonderful visit with Val & Don Fitzpatrick and we now know that we always have a "slip" in St. Louis. The heat was intense but the martinis were good, we were well fed and caught up on lots of family stuff. Thanks for the great hospitality!

 We're on to  Independence MO tonight making our way to Denver, where we hope to catch up with another member of the Fitzpatrick clan, Don & Terry and little Lola!  

Yoshi is doing great and making friends along the way. Geoff and I are learning a lot and getting our routines established. It takes so much more than you think to move your home around the country! We're fast learners and happily enjoying the journey.  Rushing is not allowed, we stop when we stop and we get there when we get there.

Until next time, happy trails,
Laura Geoff & Yoshi

IS WALMART THE BEST, OR WHAT!

We have been on the road a few days now, working out the kinks and getting our routines down.  Wilmington Ohio was a two-nighter at the Thousand Trails Campground. It was just as well since we started to hear a grinding noise at the rear of the bus which we couldn't figure out. A quick trip to "Fox Towing & Truck Service and $75 resolved the issue... and adjustment to the "air suspension ride height controller" and everything was back to normal.

Next I realized that Yoshi had developed a little medical issue for which I had neglected to get extra drugs. A quick call to his Vet, Dr. McGrath resulted in a consult with the Pharmacist at the nearby Walmart. When I arrived at the counter to pick up the Rx the cashier asked for my name and birthdate. I was a little stumped as I didn't know what Dr. McGrath had told them. Just then from behind the counter I heard, "Is that for Yoshi?" The Pharmacist gave me a wink and passed the Rx to a confused cashier.  He said "He has 5 refills that you can get at any Walmart in the Country!"  Now that's "knock your socks off service," and all for $4!


Last night we parked up overnight in the Walmart at Washington, IN. We shared a glass of wine with a couple who are headed up to Indianapolis to check out the purchase of a 2005 Newmar MountainAir and were very interested in ours. Mary Roark and Bob Wake of Midwest Realty, good luck with the Newmar. We love ours.


We're on the way into St Louis now for a visit with my cousins, Val & Don Fitzpatrick. They have managed to find a small "landing strip" in their development of us to park for the next two nights.  The sun is out and life is good!


Happy Trails,
Laura, Geoff and a happier Yoshi!

The sun has set on Gettysburg, PA as we toast our first official day on the road. It's hard to believe that a year ago this was just a "someday, one day" kind of conversation. Here we are, headed west and loving the next phase of our adventure. Today we managed to get nine holes of golf in at Phoenixville CC courtesy of Mr. Ochroch, owner of Werner Coach where Geoff has been driving for the past two years (thank you very much Fred!)


Geoff weighed the rig yesterday when we got to Allentown and we came in right AT the Gross weight of 31,000 lbs (rig, fuel, tanks, cargo etc.) so we are looking for ballast to heave overboard. We have managed to offload a few things on our way out of town, but I think we have a little more to do. It's amazing, just when you think you have gotten rid of everything you can, you find things that have no real purpose in your new life!  And so it goes. Maybe I will eventually tell the story of what it takes to actively divest your life, but for now I will just say that it's a rigorous process that evolves in stages. Each time you think you have reached a plateau, a whole new opportunity opens up to get rid of more stuff!


The most rewarding thing I have noticed is that your dearest possessions will find their way to where they want to be.  I carried some things around for weeks because they didn't go where they were supposed to go, and then "wham" there it was in front of me, the place they were supposed to go.  I think the access lies in the commitment to something beyond what you already know and have that makes it easier to let go of the stuff that is right in front of you. 


Stay tuned for the adventures of Yoshi, Laura & Geoff. Who knows where this road will lead. Thanks to all who have helped us to launch this dream and supported our preparation: Caroline Hilton, Monica & Keith Gosling, Fred Caramanis and the folks at Stoltzfus RVs, Donnie and Sarah, David MacElree at Coldwell Banker Preferred (Go David!), Carmen at Brandywine Creek Campground, Hopewell RV, Gail Feustel (for loving our house and buying it!) Debbie McDowell (for taking on the Rotary Youth Exchange Program) Dr. McGrath for getting Yoshi set up to travel, and finally, Rosemary, for the Champagne for our first night on the road. We love you all!


Goodnight, 

Laura, Geoff & Yoshi