Freebird Journey

Today marks 2 months on the road!  Since January 13 we have traveled south through Virginia, North and South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and we are currently making our way up California with Oregon in our sights.  We stayed at 5 Harvest Hosts (wineries & a bee farm), 2 national parks, 5 state parks, and 9 private parks.  We learned to maintain our rig in 22-degree ice in Florida and 101-degree heat while dry camping in Texas.  We have driven through wind and dust storms, experienced a 5.4 earthquake in New Mexico, and had a bit of snow while leaving Joshua Tree.  There have been no significant incidents so far😊 

We were quite busy the first few weeks learning about the rig and figuring out how to live in a tiny space.  Then a bit of shell shock set in over our new reality. We realized that living in vacation mode isn’t sustainable, so we are trying to establish routines for healthier habits. 

We spent half our time in the deserts, from Big Bend National Park in Texas to Anza Borrego and Joshua Tree in California.  It was beautiful but no desert blooms this year due to the drought.  We are giving serious consideration to getting a couple of trail bikes to take advantage of all the dirt trails that our gravel bikes just can’t handle.  We both realized that the desert will be good to visit, but we both prefer lush greenery to dry brown desert. 

We are currently in a RV park in Pacifica, just south of San Francisco.  It’s not much more than a parking lot, but it is oceanfront and just south of the city, so it is a good stop for a couple of days.  Before the rain hit yesterday, we went on a quest in SF to find the best sourdough.  I think we may have succeeded.  We bought loaves and pastries from seven bakeries, taste-tested them in the rig, and froze the leftovers.  We have enough sourdough to last us a while!  While in the city, Bob had his hair cut.  He has found that traditional barbershops offer hot towels and include neck and head massages.  It is basically spa day for men.  He also got the best haircut he’s ever had!

Yes, we are living in a small space.  I have gotten a bit testy at times.  Bob has not.  Loki seems happy and adapts easily.  We are still in agreement that this is exciting, and we don’t regret jumping into the unknown.

This first entry is meant to give an overview, but we will be updating regularly and giving more details.  We miss you friends and family in Virginia!

Kristi