Welcome to Living Our Journey 365

Nathan Jones 5/28/21 Nathan Jones 5/28/21

Holesinsky Harvest Host

Holesinsky Vineyard and Winery

Yesterday was a continuation of an amazing swing through the middle of the Western States to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National parks with many varied adventures and stops along the way. I planned this stop at Holesinsky Vineyard and Winery a Harvest Host venue simply because it was a great stopping point on a transition repositioning traverse. Well this stop became an unexpected gem of a stop for a few reasons that came to pass during this Harvest Host stay. We got there late in the afternoon and by the time we got there two of the eventual 4 other guests had already arrived and set up. So, we rolled to our spot and in typical LOJ fashion we managed to get a spot that gave us the best view of the valley behind us. Well as we were finishing up our setup the other two guest rolled in, quick introductions were made, and the venue greeter Billy the Labrador showed up and just made is self at home. I have to say Billy has become my favorite dog. I wish everyone could meet Billy. Following Billy and then getting final setups done and completed we gathered to walk up the hill to the Tasting Room. When we and two of the other couples got there, one of the other couples had completed their tasting and were headed back to their rig. So, Mama Tessie and I and the other two couples made ourselves comfortable with Caitlyn the Sommelier who was freakin awesome with a quick wit and able to easily roll with the crazy we brought with us. Caitlyn served and explained and bantered away as the group became more rambunctious as we continued to go through the awesome list of great wines available. A couple of hours passed, we got our bottles to take and souvenirs to remember our stay. We swerved back to the rigs and relaxed for a bit then gathered for a group chat, some went to other local events, some of us stayed and sat around the fire pit and chatted and others retired to their rigs. Those of us that stayed and chatted around the fire Jean Guy, and Carol Ann who are from Vancouver, Canada had some great conversation and general bonding. It was really a great time I think had by all. We also had a great time meeting and chatting it up with Mike and Kristin Logan who are local to Idaho and were visiting a Harvest Host for their first time. I really think this was one of the best Host experiences we have had. We really look for forward crossing paths again with these two couples, it really felt like we have been friends forever. Tessie and I really love this fulltime lifestyle, it affords us the opportunity like this one to meet others who are like minded and just simply enjoy life on our terms. We always look forward to the next stop, simply because you never know who you might meet and become friends with who will most likely become family for its all said and done!

Nathan Jones 5/25/21 Nathan Jones 5/25/21

Onward to Wyoming we go!

Grand Tetons

So, following Bryce Canyon National Park which we will definitely return to at some point

we rolled out on Monday morning and headed north to Wyoming. The plan was to continue to roll up HWY 15 into northern Utah and into and across the lower portion of Idaho. But had a change of plan and decided to make an in route stop in Salt Lake City.

We checked into the SLC Holiday KOA which was awesome for a stop to break up the miles before heading into Wyoming. We woke up early the next day and headed to Wyoming the drive through Idaho was pretty uneventful, the only issue we had which really wasn't much of one was the weather.

When we left Utah, it was in the high 70's, once we hit Idaho the temps drop to the low 50's with drizzle and rain and never rose above 55 the entire time we drove through Idaho to Wyoming. Our final destination was the Fireside Resort in Wilson, Wyoming just outside of Jackson Hole.

Wilson, which is the gateway to The Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone National Parks turned out to be a great little tourist town. Wilson is where all the local activity is located, they have really great restaurants and shopping with some great scenic places and a very unique history. We spent 4 days in which we explored the Grand Tetons and a small portion of Yellowstone National Park which is our further point on this run. While in the area we were able to not only explore Jackson Hole, but we were also able to see the historic Mormon Row, which has been on my list of places to see for a very, very long time. We also checked out Jenny Lake which we really wanted to explore, but we were not able to do because of the weather. The day we decided to checkout Jenny Lake was the worst weather day with 25 degree cold and rain. Even though the weather was horrid we still made it there for the experience. We will definitely explore more the next time we are here. The 1250-mile cruise up the Wyoming/Montana has been so much fun. This particular journey is not over yet, but if it did end right here it would provide years of memories to come.

Well enjoy the pictures of this stop and we will see you on the road at the next stop which will be Yellowstone! Thanks for following along on the journey with us we appreciate you being with us.

Nathan Jones 5/24/21 Nathan Jones 5/24/21

Bryce canyon National Park

When we left the last post we were heading out of the Las Vegas, Nevada area where we spent some quality time with family, visited 7 Magic Mountain's in the desert, boondocked at Red Rocks Canyon and drove the 13 mile loop around the Red Rocks Conservation Authority. From there we moved the rig over to Nellis Air Force Base for a few days at the Desert Eagle FamCamp which is one of our favorite places to hangout when we visit Vegas. After seeing of the Vegas Strip sites and relaxing for a day we headed out on the road to Utah to our next destination Bryce Canyon. The drive to Bryce from Las Vegas is only 4 hrs but we took an extra day to visit Salt Lake City in route. We stayed at SLC KOA which was pretty nice, but a bit pricey, but what can you expect for a decent campground in the middle of large city. Once setup we headed out to get some food, then drove around and saw some sites of the city. I might post those in a separate post. The next day we got up drove the rest of the way to Bryce Canyon Pines Campground. We got to the campground late in the afternoon a few hours before sunset, so we set up the rig, changed cloths and headed out the park for sunset. We got there about an hour before sunset, the campground is only 12 minutes away. We headed into the part to Inspiration Point where we were told the sunsets were pretty awesome and it was. We also got to see some wild life on the way which was pretty cool. I got some pretty good low light shots. One of these days i will invest in some filters, but overall i think the pictures turned out pretty well as you can see. That pretty much completed our arrival day. All of the pictures in this post were taken at or near Inspiration Point. I hope you enjoy these pictures, there will be follow up post so stay tuned for that.

Nathan Jones 5/22/21 Nathan Jones 5/22/21

Heading to Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park

As we continue our journey to Yellowstone or Bust, we leave Red Rock Canyon just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada we head north towards Utah and ultimately to Bryce Canyon.

Bryce Canyon has been on my places to see list as most National Parks are for a very long time. We chose to bypass Zion and head to Bryce because it is on our path to Wyoming and Yellowstone.

Anyway, we left Red Rocks Canyon campground, which was an awesome stay, and headed up Hwy 15 towards Utah. We traveled through some amazing scenic views once we hit Utah as you can see in a few of the pictures in this post. Once we crossed into Utah, we did a stop at the Utah visitor center which was really interesting. If you’re ever crossing into Utah from Nevada, make some time to check out the museum in the Visitor/Welcome Center you won’t be disappointed.

Once we left the Visitor Center, we headed to our overnight stop in Salt Lake City at the Journey KOA. I have to say I was very impressed with our first stay at a KOA after 4 yrs. of traveling. Even though it was a very short stay it gave us good feels and it’s a really good place to stop and visit the city. It’s a little pricy, but hey it’s a KOA so its expected. The short stay in SLC was pretty chill for the most part, we had dinner, drove around the city a little, made a stop at the State Capital building which was really cool before heading back to the KOA where we rested for the evening before we pushed our way up to Bryce Canyon. At some point I will post about the stop in Salt Lake City, we found a couple really interesting points of interest there.

We rolled out of Salt Lake City and headed to Bryce Canyon the next day. The drive to Bryce was pretty uneventful, but very scenic. We had our midpoint stop as usual at a truck rest area and then headed to Bryce Canyon Pines Campground which is approx. 15 min from the Entrance of Bryce Canyon. We checked in, parked the rig, unhitched and setup the rig. After we got all set up, we hoped back in the truck and headed into the park just before sunset to and saw a little of what we would explore over the next three days there. Bryce should definitely be put on your list of destinations to see for sure.

The following pictures are of the drive to Bryce. The next post will be us at Bryce Canyon NP. — with Tessie Faustino-Jones.

Nathan Jones 5/22/21 Nathan Jones 5/22/21

Yellowstone We Have Arrived

Yellowstone National Park

So, after spending a few days exploring the Grand Teton’s we took a day trip since we were base camped in Wilson, Wyoming the gate way to The Grand Teton’s. The drive into Yellowstone from Wilson is a 50 min drive to the South Entrance of Yellowstone. So, we got up, had our coffee, hoped in Papa (Our awesome Ram Truck) and headed to the Park. The drive to Yellowstone from The Teton’s is very scenic to say the least. Once we reached the entrance, we really didn’t have any expectation because for one it was still pretty early in the summer there was snow on the side of the roads, it was still a little rainy and the temperature was just breaking the 50-degree mark which is perfect for a drive.

Well, we drove through the gate after flashing our America The Beautiful Pass (Everyone should have one of these passes if you’re planning to visit National Parks or Monuments) to the ranger. She gave us some information about wildlife and things to see and we were off. We really had no particular are of focus, but we did want to get to the Lodge. The almost hour-long drive was filled with some awesome sites. The views of the mountains and forest were spectacular, we drove around a bend and came upon a clearing. In the distance we could see few cars stopped on the side of the road, so we figured there was something going on but had no idea what. Well, the closer we go the clearer the vision became, in the clearing there was a lone bear foraging in the tall grass and trees. It was so amazing to come across this beautiful creature in the wild. I stopped the truck and since there was only three cars was able to get a clear view that amazing creature for what seemed like an hour, so 5 minutes in the park and we are a part of bear jam go figure. So, after the siting we headed deeper into the park stopping at many vista points and looks to check out mountain and lake views and also the occasional waterfall. We happen to get to Lewis falls at just the perfect time. We stopped got out walked across the road to get some pictures and video of the waterfall. Just as we got back to Papa the rain started up on cue. So, with the rain falling we pushed on until we reached the Grand Yellowstone Hotel, which in itself is a story, but overall, It was pretty amazing. We walked over to the gift shop to get our (We Were Here) swag, while inline the cashier mentioned that the ol faithful would be doing its thing in a few minutes, so of course we walked over to catch show which was pretty spectacular. Following Ol Faith we walked back to the visitor center, got our National Park Sticker for your Passport, we stopped and had ice cream then headed back to Pap and back down the road we went headed back to base camp. On the way there we got to see even more wildlife and some more amazing scenery. We only spent 4 hours in the park, which was not even a scratch, so we are planning a return already to see what Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks hold for us.

Nathan Jones 5/20/21 Nathan Jones 5/20/21

7 Magic Mountain's

Seven Magic Mountain’s

Las Vegas, Nevada

As our journey to Yellowstone or Bust or gets underway, we head out to Nevada, Las Vegas to be exact to visit a friend who has become family. As we head northeast to Las Vegas we continue to get excited about what is to come over this excursion. As we head down highway 15 to Las Vegas we look to the right and we see the colorful rock formations sticking out of the desert tan sand and it jars our memories that this is the colorful rock formations that we have heard about from our daughter and friends as they have visited. We make a note that since we are here for a few days we will most definitely take the time to check it out. Well day two comes around we head out to see the brightly colored desert art stones. From a distance they don’t look as big as they do once you are up on them, but they are pretty substantial in size, shape and vividly colorful. Mama Tess in her usually fashion renames them her Rainbow Mountains which is very fitting for what they look like and for us as parents of three Pride babies. Once the site of the beautiful art exhibit in the desert it becomes very clear these seven stacked rock vividly colored columns of rocks have become a fixture in the Nevada desert. They are stunning and beautifully done and well maintained. These are definitely a must see for anyone visiting the Las Vegas area. As we parked you can hear the chatter from people gathered in the parking lot getting ready to walkout to the site, the excitement and the quizzical looks on peoples faces as to what is this all about. Well at the beginning of the path there are two plaques that explain the whole thing from time of artist conception to formation and building in 2018. The exhibit was only supposed to be here a short time, but the projects popularity continues to grow over time. The exhibit has been extended again until 2022 to allow more to come visit this amazing display. If you haven’t been come or go and see. Its well worth it in my opinion.

Nathan Jones 5/18/21 Nathan Jones 5/18/21

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.

Nathan Jones 5/17/21 Nathan Jones 5/17/21

Red Rock Campground and Conservatory

RED ROCK CAMPGROUND AND CONSERVATORY

Nathan Jones 5/16/21 Nathan Jones 5/16/21

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!

Nathan Jones 3/24/21 Nathan Jones 3/24/21

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.

Nathan Jones 11/4/20 Nathan Jones 11/4/20

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

Nathan Jones 10/15/20 Nathan Jones 10/15/20

Why do we travel?

7446fe008ce833fefe85c4497d451ea0 (1).jpg

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

Nathan Jones 2/12/20 Nathan Jones 2/12/20

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?

Nathan Jones 2/12/20 Nathan Jones 2/12/20

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.

Nathan Jones 2/4/20 Nathan Jones 2/4/20

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.