Red Rock Campground and Conservatory

RED ROCK CAMPGROUND AND CONSERVATORY

As we continue on our Yellowstone or Bust journey after we visited the Seven Magic Mountains just outside of Las Vegas we broke camp and moved from Desert Eagle FamCamp on Nellis Air Force Base to the beautiful Red Rock Campground just outside of Las Vegas. We visited this place a couple of years ago on our last trip to Las Vegas, but it was during the summer and it was packed. We tried to get a spot which at the time was first come first serve, but the Boy Scouts of America were having a campout so we couldn’t camp here. We were disappointed, but such is the traveling fulltime life.

On this trip I made a reservation for a couple of days so that we could enjoy being closer to Red Rock Conservatory which has a 13-mile scenic drive. The first thing we did though was to start out by going to the visitor center to see what this place had to over and found it very informative which most visitor centers are that we have found. We took a walking tour which was interactive in some points, and gave you a lot of information about the area and how it was formed, overall it was really informative and set you up with what you needed to know about the scenic drive that is highly recommended that we wanted to take to see the formations in the Conservatory, to say the formations were stunning would be an understatement they were wonderful and amazing. The varied terrain and scenery were awesome. There are also many hiking areas along the route as well as pullouts with vista points and all trail heads and walks had restrooms available. The drive was very beautiful with the varied terrain, the rock formations and hikes you could easily spend an entire day and more here. If your ever in the area make sure you visit Red Rock Canyon Conservatory you won’t be disappointed.

Red Rock Campground and Conservatory

RED ROCK CAMPGROUND AND CONSERVATORY

As we continue on our Yellowstone or Bust journey after we visited the Seven Magic Mountains just outside of Las Vegas we broke camp and moved from Desert Eagle FamCamp on Nellis Air Force Base to the beautiful Red Rock Campground just outside of Las Vegas. We visited this place a couple of years ago on our last trip to Las Vegas, but it was during the summer and it was packed. We tried to get a spot which at the time was first come first serve, but the Boy Scouts of America were having a campout so we couldn’t camp here. We were disappointed, but such is the traveling fulltime life.

On this trip I made a reservation for a couple of days so that we could enjoy being closer to Red Rock Conservatory which has a 13-mile scenic drive. The first thing we did though was to start out by going to the visitor center to see what this place had to over and found it very informative which most visitor centers are that we have found. We took a walking tour which was interactive in some points, and gave you a lot of information about the area and how it was formed, overall it was really informative and set you up with what you needed to know about the scenic drive that is highly recommended that we wanted to take to see the formations in the Conservatory, to say the formations were stunning would be an understatement they were wonderful and amazing. The varied terrain and scenery were awesome. There are also many hiking areas along the route as well as pullouts with vista points and all trail heads and walks had restrooms available. The drive was very beautiful with the varied terrain, the rock formations and hikes you could easily spend an entire day and more here. If your ever in the area make sure you visit Red Rock Canyon Conservatory you won’t be disappointed.

San Diego to Wyoming or Bust!!

As many know we have been cabin-hosting at our base campground at Santee Lakes Reserve in Santee, California which is located just east of San Diego. Since we cabin-host we don’t get to chase 70 as our other nomadic family, but we do get out there and adventure. Well on Saturday the 16th we hit it again. We are on the road this destination will take us to eventually Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park.

So to kick off this journey we headed towards Las Vegas, Nevada with ZERO plan’s. I was just making it up as we drove. Don’t get me wrong I did have a general plan in my head and had some fail safes build in just in case, but mostly this first leg was a let’s hit the road and see.

Well we left a little later than planned, and as fate would have it, we ran smack in the middle of traffic which under normal travel wouldn’t be a huge deal, but this was a Saturday, yes!! a Saturday. We go to Riverside traffic, we headed up the Cajon Pass to Victorville, traffic. We got to the top of Cajon Pass into Victorville more traffic. This one though was for crash of an SUV and Trailer which always makes me sad. For you new RV’ers out there, slow down, there really is no rush, and make sure that the vehicle you choose to tow your trailers can do that job.

Well following the traffic crazy we decided it would be a good time to take a break so we decided to stop and get something to eat, and also give me a chance to checkout the rig since we hadn’t been on the road in a while and there have also been a few modifications made to the suspension that had not been tested. Well first stop and check were a success, nothing broke or twisted Mama (the name of our 5th wheel) was back to her old self and Big Papa (our 2019 Ram truck) was more than up to the task.

So anyway, we had a great break and meal at Peggy Sue’s Diner just off Hwy 15 on old Route 66. We love that place. Following our great meal, we continued down the road to Las Vegas where we set up camp at one of our favorite fam camps Desert Eagle at Nellis Air Force Base. We love this FamCamp for many reasons, if you have base access make sure if you’re in the Nellis area you check it out. Once we go all settle it was time to surprise someone we miss dearly. Surprising Ms Tina was a highlight that’s for sure. So our first day as a whole was amazing with no issues at all.

Stay tuned to further updates as we continue our travels North!

The Virtues Of Backroads Travel

Back country, two lane highway, small town in the middle of nowheresville, side of the road stops are our absolute favorite things to when destination traveling. These types of places and stops really show off the true Americana that we so love. This particular stop (in Palo Verde, Ca) we needed a road break translated, the navigator needed a pee break. I saw an old motel sign and a pink building of course that looks like a great place to stop right!. So we pull over next to the Lagoon Lodge which has been abandoned for what looks like a couple of decades, but the locals paint it so it doesn't look like an old abandoned building. This was perfect because on one side was Mac's Bait and General Store another throwback which is still in operation opened in the 60's and a modern Chevron gas which just seemed out of place in this setting. The interesting thing about this stop was the only person we saw besides ourselves was a patron pumping gas to continue their travels. All the streets on the thorough fare were void of traffic and human life, with that said you can tell that people do indeed live here by other items seen. All in all it was a perfect little slice of what was and is to experience as we put the giddyup to our rolling train on to our next stop. If your traveling and only using the 4 lane highways to hell, your missing out on seeing some amazing and not so amazing things, but nonetheless they will surely be interesting. Thank you Palo Verde, California for your hospitality.

Heading to Pala Casino RV Resort

Moving day was Monday. Headed to Pala Casino RV Resort in Pala, California. Will be here for two weeks at this small but very nice campground. #livingourjourney365 #FulltimeRVLiving #ForestRiver #SabrebyForestRiver #Sabre27BHD #Ram3500 #Living #5thWheelLove #RVLife #NomadicTravelers #LiveLoveTravel

Why do we travel?

Travel is the essence of life to me. Living nomadically is intrinsically a part of human nature. We were born to roam and adventure.
#living #travel #RVlife #fulltimervlife #forestriverrv #Sabre27bhd #5thwheel #ramtrucks #3500 #cumminspower #nomadic #nomadlife #rvnomad

Do I Regret Jumping into Full-time RV Life?

One of the most often asked questions concerning full-time RV life is, Do you have any regret’s? Before i answer this question a fellow RV sent out an email question asking this very thing. Below is their answer, and below their answer is mine.

Jessica Meinhofer from “Explore the Local Life” said,

“As you know, I've been RV living with my family since October 2015. It's been quite a ride.
We have gone through jobs, engines, tires, fuel, honey wagons, driveshafts, awnings, camp chairs, etc.
We have gained friends, jobs, experiences, time together, and personal growth.
So, after all is said and done, do I regret this RV life that we have created?
Well, there isn't really an easy answer.
I am not one to really regret my choices, but there are definitely some days where I wonder what we are doing. 
There are other days when I can't imagine living a traditional life. 
One thing is for sure, it is not at all what I thought it would be.
It's not easier
It's not cheap
But we weren't really going for cheaper...we were trying to simplify our lives. In one way we did, we made it easy to be together, but in so many other ways we made it harder. 
I think the hardest thing right now is Robert's commute. It's a very long way for him to get to us each week. It's tiring and we all miss him. 
I'm ready for winter to leave Colorado, or at least for it to be closer to April. lol Then we can head back and be together again.
So...while I don't regret it, I certainly have hard days. Here's the thing though, I had hard days in a house too. It's life. Some days are harder than others, but they are mine and I am grateful for all of them.
How about you? Do you have hard days? Regrets?”

My response back was: This question really made me sit an think about where i am now opposed to where i was then. Simply for me, are there hard days? of course! Think about it, we live on four wheels, in boxes that technically were not meant to house humans full-time, so based on those two things alone we have to expect some hard days just in the living situation alone. As for life while living in an RV for me it really is not much different than living in a S&B home. We still have the same stress factors, we still have bills to pay just in different forms and we still have a life to live which really is the same. We just get to live it in different places and locals if we choose. So do i have true regrets about the lifestyle absolutely not. I love the freedom to roam if i choose, and i love the community which is still growing around us the more we travel. The one thing i have to keep in mind is that i chose this life, it didn't choose me, so with that knowledge and understanding when i wake up each day wherever i am it is because i put myself in that place or that situation. It would have really been easy to stay in a S&B and live that grind day in and day out, but that grind is what made this awakening to the unknown possible. I had to just embrace it and go with it and so far so good. I really can't see myself doing anything else and having this much fun. I hope that answers your question

So what do you think?

Alpine Vista Point, Alpine, California

This is Alpine Vista Point located in Southern California off Highway 8 in Pine Valley, California. Alpine Vista Point is the perfect place to view a small portion of the Alpine Valley. We stopped here on our way to Quartsite, Arizona a few weeks back just to check the tires and take a natural break from the road. Little did we know how nice this vista view was. A stop that would normally take 10 or 15 minutes turned into a 30 minute lets explore and see some stuff stop. We don’t mind these stops at all, most people just drive on by us included. We definitely have to get better at that. Hell as it is now we usually stop every 75 miles anyway so i think we are okay. Any way back to Alpine Vista Point. If your ever driving East on highway 8 from San Diego going to Arizona, make sure to stop and look around.

Living fulltime in less than 400 square feet.

One of the most asked questions after people pick up their proverbially jaw off the floor after they find out that we indeed do live in our RV full-time besides why is how do you live in that little bit of space. Well actually its no different than when we were living in our 1050 square foot Condo. Okay maybe not exactly but really the only difference is one is stationary and the other is on wheels and can be moved at will. In reality though there are quite a few differences.

For one in a an RV when you go to the bathroom its just a matter of pushing a lever and away goes everything you just deposited in the toilet never to be seen again hopefully. In an RV well not only will you see it again, but you will smell it and in some cases you have to watch it go from the RV holding tank to whatever septic system your RV is connected to so there is that.

The next thing, and its kind of a big one is how you get electricity and then how that electricity is used in the RV. In your sticks and bricks home you just flip a light switch or plug in whatever device your using and go about your business. Well in an RV you have to have a clear understand of your electrical system so you don’t pop to many breakers as you try to power things. If your in a standard campground you have to hook up a long extension cable that goes from your RV to a pedestal that is next to the RV. From that pedestal you get two options the first is 30 amp service, the second is usually 50 amp service and usually there is a 15-20 amp service depending on the campground. No matter how your hooked up while in the campground you don’t have to worry about using that electricity in your system. Now if your boon-docking (i.e. not hooked into a pedestal) then all bets are off and you hope you either have a good battery system, with a good generator or if you lucky you have a great solar backup.

Now lets look at water. Water in your sticks and bricks is always present. You never have to think about it unless forget to pay your bill. In an RV water works in a very similar way. Instead of pipes you have a hose that connects to the outside water faucet. From there the hose is connected to your RV at what is called a city connection. Through that connection water flows under pressure throughout the RV for your needs almost exactly like a regular home. The only difference is when there is no water source present and your using the water that has been put in your water tank. To get that water out of the tank you use a water pump which is installed in the RV system, that pump works the same way as a pressured system from the city water connections, so there really is no difference except to ensure that you put water in the tank.

Other than those few items mentioned above i think everything else is pretty much the same. We cook, and eat the same. Food is stored in a residential refrigerator the same. Our bed is exactly the same as the one in the Condo, because it is the one from the Condo. So basically that’s about it.

The biggest difference though is that we can move our home anytime we feel like it and its a great feeling.