December 30: a significant date

Calendar dates can be very significant.  

December 30 has become one of those significant dates for me. 

It was the date that I became a grandma at age 60.

It was also the date that we headed out for a new adventure, living life on the road for a few months at a time.

Six years ago today, December 30, 2013, we headed out on our big adventure - with a few fears about the unknown and lots of hopes and dreams.  It’s fun for me to look back at those months and revisit the links to things I have written about the various spots and to share them with my readers.

Three years earlier we had decided to downsize and sell the tree farm.  We thought it would be fun to explore other places for awhile before deciding what to do next.  So we sorted and pitched stuff for two years while trying to sell the farm. Buyers came and went but without being able to put together a purchase.  Eventually we found renters for the big house and moved ourselves into the cabins out by the road - first one and then the other.

We found the perfect RV for us and headed out toward the American Southwest on this date, December 30, 2013 anticipating the adventures ahead.

We lived in our little rig in Southern California where we served as work-campers in a small county park for the winter and spring.

In the summer we drove north to Canada and the Alaska Highway. We were able to get a campsite just behind the Black Bear Cafe where our daughter worked as a manager and barista. ’Twas a glorious 5 weeks to live in that place and get acquainted with her Denali world.  

Autumn brought the final sale of the tree farm so we got rid of more stuff and packed the rest of it away in a storage unit because the 28-foot fifth-wheel was now our only home.

December 30, 2014 saw us hitting the road again for another winter in the south. This time we lived on three different islands for a month each:

• January - Dauphin Island, Alabama
• February - Anastasia Island, St. Augustine, Florida
• March - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

We rented a campsite in southeastern Michigan for the spring and summer and then moved to the west side of the state to welcome a new grand-daughter in September.  

We also lived at a lighthouse in western Michigan for two weeks serving as volunteers in the tower and the gift shop.

December 30, 2015 found us in Rockford, Michigan, wrapping up the year and preparing to return to the little village of Las Galeras in Samana, Dominican Republic, for the winter. 

By December 30, 2016 we had come off the road and were experimenting with the idea of staying in one place again - namely Michigan - in closer proximity to our moms and our kids and where we could hang out with Internationals, a long-time dream of ours.  

Sure enough; by December 30, 2017 we had decided to put down roots again - even buying a an old fixer-upper house in a historical neighborhood near downtown and the universities.

And here we are on December 30, 2019 still living "off the road" and loving our new life in our old house...

Colored leaves and cold weather

Cold-weather camping is a thing - for some people.

Maybe you are the hardy type who can handle discomfort.

Or maybe you have a heater in your tent or camper.

I know that I would NOT enjoy the tent version, but we have done a bit of cold-weather camping in our RV.  Two memories come to mind...

January 2015

We were living on Dauphin Island when the polar vortex dipped all the way south to the mouth of Mobile Bay causing great concern to the campground staff. They were unaccustomed to dealing with freezing temps and weren’t sure how to advise the campers - except to try to protect the shallow plumbing infrastructure through the campground.  Different ones of us tried different methods - some disconnecting and draining and some running water throughout the night - and most of us survived without damage.  Well, except one neighbor who was away for a few days… The next morning there were icicles hanging from the bottom of that trailer pretty much all the way around.  Yikes!

March 2016

Our second ice-camping adventure did damage our rig.  We had just arrived back in Michigan from 10 weeks in the Dominican Republic and were camping in our daughter’s yard when an ice storm hit.  We heard the ice hitting the roof but it was cozy inside and we did not think to retract our slider.  Daylight illuminated dozens of small tears in the awning over the slider.  Phooey!  Wish we had thought of that!

Fast forward to October 2018

Not necessarily seeking a cold-weather camping opportunity, but hoping we were prepared for whatever - we set out for a color tour to north Michigan.  The weather forecast motivated us to take warm blankets and quilts as well as extra layers of clothes.

By the way, this trip was not with the fifth-wheel trailer, but with the little old pickup camper, the mobile man cave - which the man had generously (if dubiously) invited me to share for a few days. Dubious because he wasn't quite sure there was room for two.  No electricity or running water, but it does have a nice little furnace.  With the area around Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes as our destination, off we went on our adventure.

In our travels we watch for things like hiking, history, scenery, and local culture. This trip did not disappoint. We enjoyed some of our favorite scenery and did find lots of beautiful colors,  And yes, we had a fun time despite a wintry mix of rain, sleet and snow along with heavy winds and very cold temps.

Most of the rain was during the night so we were able to do some hiking during the daytimes. We hiked to the beach near our campsite at D.H. Day campground and we stepped into the historic log cabin there. Adventure Bob showed me where he and his brothers had climbed up into the tower when they were little guys.  You can't do that anymore!

Speaking of the historical...  Glen Haven has always been a favorite spot - but is even better now with its restored historic buildings - the cannery, the general store, the blacksmith shop and the Sleeping Bear Inn. 

The old Coast Guard station nearby has been transformed into a maritime history museum.  Several of the buildings were open under the supervision of volunteers - yet another form of work-camping.   

And local culture...?

When in the area one simply must return to Art's Tavern in downtown Glen Arbor for a famous burger and some mac and cheese.

On the way north we had stopped at Cops and Doughnuts in Clare.  Oh, my; their doughnuts are amazing!


The return trip brought us right past the 13th Street Market which is now a full-service restaurant near Cadillac.  We were three for three on the local culture stops.

It was a good camping trip despite the weather.  It did get cold inside our little camper.  We were very glad for that little furnace AND for the extra layers.  We shivered and giggled and made the most of it…  until the fan started slowing down because the “house battery” was running out of power.  Oh, no!!!  Never fear; Adventure Bob figured out a way to re-charge the “house battery” from the truck engine via jumper cables.  And it worked!  We were able to find a place to buy another propane tank because we were using it faster than expected because of the frigid temps.  But we survived - with more fun camping memories in our pockets.

Amazing Day #18: THAT bookstore!

19 Beautiful Bookstores you need to visit in America
That was one of the first things I saw when I got on line this morning.
I love those lists - so I couldn't help clicking on this one and wondering if it might include Bart's Books in Ojai, CA.
Sure enough; there it is at the Number One position!  
I was kinda' geeked about that.  

Because you see...

Once upon a time a long, long time ago...

Well, it was actually in 2014.
We were work-camping at a little county park in southern California and living in our RV.  My bro and SIL lived nearby and we had made plans that she would come to pick me up the next morning for a fun outing to the lovely mountain town of Ojai.  She had mentioned that there was a really cool bookstore that I might like.  

Well, then, that evening just before heading to bed, one of THOSE lists popped up online - the best bookstores in the world or some such claim.  Of course, I opened it up and there it was!  Bart's Books!  I was so pumped because I was going there THE NEXT DAY!!!

So off we went up into the mountains...  

It really is a wonderful place.  At the time we were there they were gearing up to celebrate their 50th anniversary. 

The story goes that this guy started selling books on his porch and then in one room of his house...

...and then another and then outside on the patio and then in the garage - not necessarily in that order.  

Sure enough the former kitchen was full of cookbooks - both new and old.




I LOVED it!  

I had so much fun wandering through the different rooms of the house and then the patios and beyond.  What an astonishing place!!!

So when this article popped up this morning and took me back to that day, I began to wonder if I could find the pics I took.  




Unfortunately my photo files are in a horrible mess so I figured the chances were slim.  I searched one place and then another. And then...  
Success!  
Now THAT's amazing!!!

Once again I feel so incredibly grateful for the opportunities I've had.  
Yes, I realize that bookstores don't excite everybody like they do me.  
But I do love bookstores and I do love lists like this.
And I do love the little trip down memory lane today.
An amazing journey it is!

Life at a lighthouse

Bob writes about our time at the lighthouse and some of our duties there - the light housekeeping as well as lighthouse keeping.

Daily Tidbits: first week at the lighthouse

Day One - Tuesday, 9-15-15

• We arrived last evening and met our team members. The place is so beautiful. It's hard to imagine we have this amazing opportunity. And so it begins.
• There is WiFi at the lighthouse!!! Wahoo!!! I am downright happy about that.
• After a brief demonstration from one of the other volunteers, I worked the video room most of the morning, re-stocked the cooler, gave tours of the keepers' quarters to some possible volunteer recruits, shadowed someone closing out cash register, learned to open safe. Bob worked in the tower and at various other jobs.
• I am on a steep learning curve! Lots we need to know to be lighthouse keepers. Glad we don't have to haul oil up the tower to light the lamp. Also thankful for a great team to work with and to learn from.
• Exhausted. Feet hurt...

Day Two - Wednesday, 9-16-15

• From our bedroom window, we saw the Badger leaving the harbor on its way back across Lake Michigan to Manitowac, Wisconsin.
• I learned a bit about running the cash register. 

 

Day Three - Thursday, 9-17-15

• Field trip!!! Craziness.
• Somehow Bob and I ended up having the place to ourselves for the evening. The whole freakin' lighthouse and the whole dang beach. How bizarre! Wonderfully peaceful and quiet after having those students here all day. Well, quiet except for the wild wind and pounding surf.

Day Four - Friday, 9-18-15

• Our day off - so we visited the new grand-daughter who is one week old today.
• Stopped at the famous House of Flavors for supper. Fish is excellent.

 

Day Five - Saturday, 9-19-15

• Busy day. I worked the video room all morning, the cash register in the afternoon, and then back to the video room.

Day Six - Sunday, 9-20-15

• What an awesome view. Nine miles to the south, the Badger is heading out of the harbor and across the lake passing a row of seven sparkling white sailboats as a speed boat zips by all of them. Several fishing boats are spread across the horizon as well.
• Lots of interesting and inquisitive visitors came inside and still more lounged outside. On a quick afternoon break upstairs, I glanced out windows to the scene below. Families were sitting and/or playing in clusters on the beach. People strolled along the boardwalks and hiked into the surrounding dunes. So lovely.
• One of my online writing friends came to visit today. It was our first chance to meet face-to-face after corresponding for three years. Fun times. Actually all of us on the team had friends or family visit this evening.

 

Day Seven - Monday, 9-21-15

• Another gorgeous morning - in a long string of beautiful weather. We sure picked the right time of year to be here!
• An interesting day. First visitors were from London, UK, and later some from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Then a keeper from Passage Island and Rock of Ages in Lake Superior. What fun to chat with him.
• It was 2 o'clock before I even knew it - and before I had chance for a break.
• I feel like I'm beginning to understand the process of closing out the cash register. We were one penny off.
• State park ranger, fire and rescue paramedics, and ambulance all showed up in our yard responding to a medical emergency call during the evening. Turns out all is well.
• Finished out our first week with a campfire out on the dunes.

Photo credit: Bob Sims at Where the Robert meets the road.