June 19, 2011

When It Rains, It Pours

Another outing, another set of skills to master.  Tim and I ventured up the road to the East Portal Reservoir Campground to try out full hookups.  This was just a quick overnight trip, but might be typical of the types of stops we’ll make during our journey.  For most of our nine months, we will be touring, not camping.  This means that we will be moving almost every day, although we will try not to rush things too much.  We want to enjoy ourselves, and not burn ourselves out, but we know that we won’t have the luxury of staying in one campground for a week at a time.

Before the Rains Came
Not only did we successfully test out all of the hookups, but we also inadvertently tested how we would fare if the weather turned nasty and we could not spend time outside.  We had a downpour for much of our stay and enjoyed the evening inside.  Although the RV is small, it does have two distinct “living” areas.  I have the front seat, which swivels around to face the back.  A removable table in front of the seat is the perfect spot for my laptop.  Tim has the rear sofa, where he can watch TV, play on his iPad or work at the table.  Being inside the small space did not bother us or make us feel claustrophobic.

June 10, 2011

We're Newbies, Can You Tell?


After a long, long winter, we could finally make plans to take the RV out for a weekend.  Flatiron Reservoir, a pretty campground on the water, was our destination for two nights.  Tim had never spent the night in the RV, and it was time.  We decided to leave the cat at home.

A Nice Spot, Even Though It's Not On the Water
While I was out for a walk, the camp host drove by to see if we were the rightful occupants of our campsite.  “Are you Mr. Eaton,” he asked.  “No, but my wife is,” Tim replied.  Sometimes, not having the same last name can be confusing.
  
We eased into the RVing mode, a little bit at a time, and are proud not to have made any major mistakes.  We didn’t attempt to use the leveling blocks, nor did we try out the shower.  We will master those skills on a later trip.  But we did prepare meals and wash dishes, and we tested most of the various systems.  Most of all, we enjoyed a peaceful weekend in a beautiful setting.  This is what camping is all about.

Flatiron Reservoir