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Tag: life on the road

22 January 2020

Roaming the desert

light creosote bushes Blue Water Casino Parker ArizonaI spent the last week roaming the desert with only a few days camped at each of several locations and ended up back where I started, more than once.

Sierra cat at windows Palm Canyon Road BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaAfter almost two weeks just outside the Kofa NWR I rolled north towards Quartzsite to visit Paul.  In past years there has been a retired Grand Canyon employees gathering here during the Big Tent RV Show.  There’s always some RV trinkets you didn’t know you needed.  Plus we’d do big community meals and sit around the bonfire visiting.  People come and go during their stay and many have quit coming at all.  I don’t blame them.  So far this year, it’s just Paul and me.  And we sat outside moving our chairs out of shadow to follow the apricity.  Then disappeared into our respective RVs after sunset and temperature drop.

It’s generator noisy on the short-term BLM in La Paz Valley, especially mornings and evenings.  I find the need for so much power rather amusing.  Some of these over $200,000 motorhomes have 4-5 solar panels on the roof and probably a huge bank of batteries.  They are set up to be self-contained.  Hard to see the surrounding mountains for too many RV roofs and antennas.  Plus the bandwidth sucks because of too many people.

sign Blue Water Casino boondock Parker ArionaI arrived needing to grocery shop, and Quartzsite is not the place for that with only tiny over-priced stores.  So the next day I went roaming the desert northward about 30 minutes to Parker for a SaveWay and WallyMart.  Because of my late start and too much time in each store I decided not to drive back in the dusk.  The Wally’s lot was looking crowded with RVs so I went down the road to the boondocking by Blue Water Casino.

dust trail mountains sunset clouds Blue Water Casino Parker ArizonaGreat sunset and view, very few neighbors, and less noisy than Quartzsite even being within view of SR95.

desert Whipple Mountains late light Blue Water Casino boondock Parker Arizona

Nice view north across the Colorado River to California.  Plus such an excellent signal I stayed another day and put out last week’s #FotoFridayFun.

Gaelyn & camper shadow RVs Blue Water Casino Parker ArizonaHad a nice chat with Joann and finally came to a decision about what to do with two RVs.  Right now, nothing.  It’s OK to make a decision not to make a decision.  There is nothing I can do about the 5th-wheel right now so let go of that until spring when back up in Utah.  Enjoy my life now in the camper.  Feels good to let that go.

Saguaro cactus RVs mountains sunset clouds La Paz BLM Quartzsite ArizonaGathering of Newmar motorhomes

Saguaro cactus RVs mountains sunset clouds sunburst La Paz BLM Quartzsite ArizonaOn the return to camp Quartzsite I dumped tanks to the tune of $15 not including taking on fresh water.  The big rigs pay the same, that’s not fair.  I did the whole thing myself for the first time since the accident, and even got up off the ground with no trouble.  I did have employee Ray to call for backup if needed.  Next time I will treat myself to hookups in a RV park somewhere.  Accomplished PT goal #2.

Two more noisy nights in crowded Quartzsite and I ran away back to the quiet of Kofa.  Sadly, it’s much busier than it was but not as bad as Quartzsite plus the signal was weak to nonexistent.  It was windy out so I was in and thinking about my next move possibly near Yuma to take care of some business and last minute shopping before another boondock south of Ajo.

When the one propane tank emptied that afternoon, I slowly turned the valve and switched over to the other tank, and it worked.  But only for a few hours and I barely heated dinner before having no propane at all.  The tank is not empty.  The fridge turned off just before an early bedtime because it was chilly as I had no heat.  Sure glad it hovered above 50° over night so an extra blanket, and kitty, kept me warm.  However, my brain kept me awake trying to solve this problem.

desert Kofa Mountains mourning light clouds BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaFunny how no coffee in the morning can motivate me to move.  I was back in Quartzsite by 9am at Lifestyle RV to ask questions. They couldn’t look at it until next week.  In the meantime, my ice cream is getting soft.

There is definitely something wrong with one of the tanks and has been all along.  I called B&B in Congress where I bought the tanks last March to tell them I was on my way. This has to be solved somehow. Sure glad they agree.  He thinks the valve is bad.  Every time there’s an update for “safety” the parts get more complicated.

truckcamper #14 North Ranch RV park Congress ArizonaFilled the tank that does work and talked about some options.  Then I drove out the old Ghost town Road thinking I’d boondock for the night.  But the signal was non-existent and I wanted to do some propane tank research.  Plus the sky was gray with rain predicted for the next day.  So, instead I went to North Ranch RV Park and signed in for a few days of electric comfort in Congress.  (Seems to becoming my recent home base.)  Turned out to be a wise choice as the rain came.

new propane tanks truckcamper

propane regulator and tank truckcamperAnd I was able to learn enough to make a decision about the propane.  With the bogus tank out of the compartment it won’t be so hard to pull the working tank out for refilling.  Plus I now know how sensitive the valve is and the correct way the tank should be filled.  Though I fear some of the people who do fill them don’t know.  The ideal fix is a permanently mounted ASME tank like motorhomes have but I’m not spending $500 minimum for that—if it would fit in the hole—when a portable upright 5gal/20lb tank is $35 brand new.  And It will fit in another storage compartment with a longer hose.

I hope this resolves running out of propane with only one tank working.  Whenever I’ve had two working tanks, when one empties and I switch over, within a couple days, it’s time to look for a refill on the empty.  During chilly weather I’m going through about one tank every 7-9 days while boondocking.  And that’s what I really want to be doing, boondocking and roaming the desert.  I hesitate to say where I hope to be headed next so let’s settle with a coddiwomple southward.

clouds Parker Arizona

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cin0QzuEss&feature=share     White Bird by Beautiful Day, my theme song since 1968 release date.

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Arizona, Congress, Kofa NWR, Parker, Places I've been, propane tanks, Quartzsite, RV lifestyle, United States life on the road, propane regulations change, RV problems 18 Comments
09 July 2019

Half-way through the season and where next?

About halfway through the work season and I’m thinking about where next.  That’s not because I’m anxious to leave Bryce Canyon.  However I am trying to think just a little ahead for a change.

Logistics

shed Art sign house Yarnell ArizonaI no longer have a home base in Yarnell.  Best friends are gone and property will soon be for sale.  I’m not looking to buy real-estate.  This special little town and it’s people will hold a place in my heart forever.  I’m just not ready to return anytime soon.  I won’t miss the scorpions.

truck 5th-wheel site #4 Bryce Canyon National Park UtahOwning two RVs I can’t move at the same time by myself no longer works.  The big 5th-wheel has been a delightful home for over seven years but it’s much bigger than I truly need.  Those who follow my life journey know I tried to sell it last winter with no luck.  Even with the troubles and expenses getting it moved last spring, it sure has been nice to live in the spaciousness compared to the truck-camper.

Sierra on hood of truck Marble View Kaibab National Forest ArizonaYet that truly is a large enough space for me and Sierra, just not for all my stuff.  I’m really not into paying for storage space which makes me question the need to be owned by some of this stuff.  I suppose the 5th-wheel could go into storage but I don’t want to pay for that either if I don’t need it any more.  I will try, but it’s not easy to sell anything from a national park.  Feel free to spread the word to folks that it’s for sale again.

Time to rearrange and downsize once again.  I think the next ideal combination might be a slightly smaller slide-in camper making it easier to tow a moderate sized bumper-pull trailer for longer stays.  Maybe with airbag suspension on the Dodge it could pull a trailer now with an extended hitch.  Why do I need two RVs?  Right now I don’t.  At this time, it’s all just a dream.

And I need a new address so am thinking about a mail service.  Been a while since I had to go that route.  Not like I get a lot of mail these days but need to keep licenses up to date.

Desires

Mount Adams & Takalak Lake Gifford Pinchot National Forest Washington 07-1996Mount Adams & Takalak Lake Gifford Pinchot National Forest Washington July 1996

I’m trying to plan a journey to the Pacific Northwest this fall after my season is over, a trip I’ve been wanting to do again for several years.  The current truck-camper is adequate for that.

map of western USAI’m looking at two possible routes north and inland, and a coastal return south, with many side-trips.  States I’m considering include Utah, Nevada, California, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.  All weather dependent.  Of course I am open to suggestions and visits along the way.

Speaker topic listI want to travel and make photographs.  Would dearly like to get paid for that.  Thinking about speaker gigs, prearranged while traveling.  That’s the tough part, writing and sending pitches, then committing to be somewhere on a specific date.  Think anybody in your community would be interested.  My list of topics is long.

Obstacles mostly of the self-made sort

Berta on beach Coquille Point National Wildlife Refuge Bandon OregonMaybe I’m just feeling lost and alone right now.  Lost my best friend in the whole wide world a year ago.  The person who knew me best.  I could talk to Berta about my concerns and what to dos.  I still miss her every day.

view from Yovimpa Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahView from Rainbow Point Bryce Canyon National Park

I’m not even sure I want to keep working.  This season of 40+ hours a week is kicking my butt.  I love being a Ranger, but I’m tired and think of retirement, if quitting a seasonal job can be called that.  I could always volunteer for shorter seasons.

And through all these thoughts, I am totally lacking motivation to do much of anything at all except get up and go to work in the morning.  Well, and play a little on days off as you know I love to do, but not until after staying home and resting first, and sometimes second.  And there are things to do.  Write and send those pitches.  Some minor work on both RVs.  Start making fall plans.  I have the “I don’t wannas”.

Sometimes solo is exhausting.

Where next?

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RV life, Seasonal Park Ranger life, life journey, life on the road 33 Comments
19 February 2019

My gypsy life started in the 1970s

USA map route 1975 road trip1975 road trip

I already have a series of my gypsy life since becoming a seasonal Park Ranger in 1992, so why not back up a little further to when this gypsy lifestyle began.

I appreciate all the suggestions to keep my 5th-wheel, and truth be told I lean that way also.  However, I’ve lived in so many different vehicles and they have all been perfect, for a while.  Yet as life changes so do our homes.

Truck going under camper Kanab UtahI don’t know what direction this gypsy life is going next.  If/when I accept a summer national park job it would be great to live in the big 5th-wheel, if there is that option in the park.  But then I have to take the camper off the truck to tow the 5er.  It’s a pain in the butt to get the camper off and on and I can’t do it alone.  Plus then store it somewhere until I can retrieve it.  That barely works from the North Rim being only 360 miles away.  It wouldn’t be convenient any further.  I’d rather not be without the comforts of camping/glamping in the truck camper.  So I could live in it full-time with a couple fixes and certain inconveniences like moving it every time I drive somewhere.

Camping at Braidwood with Denverdog Illinois 06-1975 This got me to thinking of all the rigs I’ve lived in over the years of my gypsy life, which is what this post was going to be about.  But then I started writing, and this story of the first home on wheels poured out.  And there weren’t really any conveniences but was one step up from a tent.

1974-Chevrolet-VegaMy first home on wheels

I started my gypsy life on the road in 1975 when I spent three months in a 1974 Chevy Vega hatchback.  Because my Dad was in the car business I scored a deal when the car, with only 1000 miles on it, was traded in for a Cadillac.  He co-signed a loan with me and at 21 years old I felt ready to travel and wanted to see the west and visit national parks.  I was a little worried about traveling alone so I got a large puppy and slept in the back with Denver dog on my feet.  Used magnets to drape mosquito netting off the lifted hatch but the dog could get out so that didn’t work.  An ice chest and one burner camp stove served well.   My Golden Eagle pass worked for park entries and campground discounts.  People I met were friendly yet concerned about my traveling alone.  I learned it was OK, listened to my intuition, and discovered I’m good company.  I mastered the fear of being alone.

Chicago to Colorado route 1975 road tripThe journey began driving freeways nonstop to Colorado because I knew there wasn’t a lot to see along the way.  Fell in love with the majestic Rocky Mountains while visiting my first national park.  I wanted to live there some day.  Hasn’t happened, yet.

Colorado & Utah map route 1975 road tripWith my trusty Rand McNally atlas I followed the ‘blue highways’ as two-lane roads were called back then.  Now interstates are blue on the map, I’ve always tried to avoid those.  I visited Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Mesa Verde National Parks.

Garry Brother 4cornersImage borrowed from Garry, friend and blogger, of his brother in about the right era

One late and dusky afternoon I stopped at Four Corners, a desolate and remote location where four states’ boundaries meet.  The only thing there was a concrete slab with lines and state names.  Much different from what I understand it is today.  The only sign of life, a mangy dog.

Lake Powell UtahTaken in 2011 from a boat

I drove into Utah and according to my map would follow a paved road to Lake Powell.  In reality, I drove two hours on what looked like the bulldozer had just pushed the red rock out of the way.  By the time I saw water my burgundy Vega was orange and so were the dog and I.  Hot and dusty, I parked on slickrock and we both fell into the refreshing water.  To this day, I have no idea what road that was or where we were exactly.

last light temples San Fransisco peaks sunset North Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaTaken in 2017

Then I went to Canyonlands, Arches, and Capitol Reef national parks.  I vaguely remember these places as it was hot summer and I couldn’t hike because the dog would have baked in the car.  After a quick drive into Bryce Canyon National Park I ended up at the North Rim of Grand Canyon.  I remember standing on the Lodge verandah and thinking, oh boy another big hole in the ground.  I was on canyon overload.  Little did I know I would live and work there some day.  I left for Las Vegas via Zion National Park.  A couple days staying with friends in the summer heat of Vegas was plenty and I continued toward the California coast where I had relatives living east of Los Angeles.

west coast map route 1975 road tripAfter hanging out with cousins and meeting up with a high school friend living at a commune in Ojai I headed north up Hwy 101.  Because I had taken a leave of absence from my Illinois job at Vaughn/Jacklin Corp they agreed to pay me for a few days visiting other seed companies.  I loved eating out of the vegetable trial fields with a salt shaker in my pocket.  They would tour me around and buy lunch.  One time I had too much wine with lunch and later pulled onto the shoulder to sleep it off.  A cop knocked on my window waking me when the dog barked.  He made me walk toe heel and touch my nose.  I passed the tests and he let me go.

Washington map route 1975 road tripContinued driving the Highway 1 coastal route north camping along the way.  Then couldn’t afford the bridge toll at Astoria so headed east to the free I5 bridge crossing the Columbia River.  A quick stop in Olympia where I toured the brewery.  I was more of a beer drinker then and there weren’t any micro-brews around.  Next headed east over the Cascades to Wenatchee where a cousin went to school.  Got sick at her place and was running low on funds so my boyfriend wired me money and told me to get home without lollygagging along the way.  And that’s what I did, making it home in a matter of days.

1968 chevy van camper-conversionThis first solo adventure started my gypsy life and prompted me to save money, buy a van, and move to California, the land of golden opportunities, or so I thought.  This will  forever be one of my best road trips and sadly I have no photos from this journey.

 

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Hi, I’m Gaelyn, the Geogypsy

I retired after 29 summer seasons as a Park Ranger, traveling solo for 40+ years. My passions include travel, connecting to nature, photography, and sharing stories.

I started exploring US National Parks in 1977 and 20 years later became a seasonal Park Ranger.  I’ve lived full-time in a RV for 30 years working summers and playing winters.  I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow old, other than grow up.

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