#6: Firsts

I have never lived in a trailer. I have never quit my job without having another one lined up. I have never moved out of my home without a new address to move to. So many firsts over here.

This last leg of my journey posed many “new” firsts. These are probably a bit more trivial than the ones I just mentioned, but somewhat monumental for me with this new lifestyle of mine.

1.     Arriving to a campground in the dark.

I had made reservations at a State Park called Tims Ford in Tennessee. Since we (whenever I say, “we” and I don’t mention any that any other person is with me, I’m referring to Addie and me) didn’t leave Mammoth Cave until around 3pm, we didn’t arrive in Tennessee until significantly after dark. From my limited experience, someone is rarely on duty at a campground after dark.

I knew my campsite number, so after entering the park and reading the notes on the empty gate office, I proceeded to my campsite. These campgrounds in the woods are pitch black at night. And this time of year, they are not heavily occupied. Fortunately, I found my site easily. The headlamp I purchased for my Kilimanjaro climb may be the best tool I have. I literally use it every night because once I step outside of the trailer at night, all I see is darkness.

The next morning, I checked in at the visitor center and I was good to go. No big deal to arrive “after hours.”

WHAT I LEARNED: Try to arrive to a campsite before dark. Less stressful for multiple reasons.

2.     Backing in to my campsite.

Not only was it dark when I arrived, but my campsite was a back-in campsite. As far as I know, there are two types of sites: 1) “Pull-through” sites where you just drive your rig in one way, park it, and then when it’s time to go, you just continue driving your rig out in the same direction you drove it in. Or, there is a “back-in” site where you must (eek) back in your trailer.

For those of you who have never towed a trailer (I was one of them), backing up is not easy. The science of it goes against everything we have learned when it comes to reversing a car. Basically, if you want the trailer to go to the right, you turn your wheel to the left. It sounds quite simple, but it’s very counterintuitive. Maybe once you get it it’s like riding a bike…or driving a manual car. I don’t know, because I don’t feel like I’ve “gotten” it yet.

Upon my arrival to this particular campsite, I had no choice. I had to do it. In the dark. No one else was around to help. It took me a little while, but I maneuvered my little Airstream in the designated trailer spot, unhitched and parked my car next to the trailer. Phew. Big hurdle.

WHAT I LEARNED: Practice.

4.     Taking a shower in the Airstream wet bath.

The reason I wanted to stay in this particular area in Tennessee is because I wanted to visit the Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg. Going to Lynchburg gave me the opportunity to “get ready” and “go out” in a way. Since I had full electric and water connections at this campsite, I didn’t need to worry about my water supply or my hot water heater, so I decided to give my shower a go.

My wet bath doubles as a storage closet so after emptying my cleaning supplies, Addie’s travel crate and a few other things, I let the water heat up a bit and in I went. Even though I had unlimited incoming water (thanks to my water connection), the run off still goes into the black tank (see #6), which has a limited capacity. I knew I wouldn’t reach that capacity, but I’m still learning so wanted to be cautious.

The shower is small, and my toilet takes up much of the space where you stand, but it wasn’t that bad. The shower head is adjustable, so I just made sure I configured it right so I wasn’t having to lean back too much to get my hair wet.

I ended up running out of hot water before I got to the conditioner stage of my hair washing process, so my shower was cut short anyway. I improvised, and used some leave-in hair oil instead of conditioner and my hair felt fine. I need to learn how to conserve water, so if I can learn in these environments where it really doesn’t matter, then I’ll be way more prepared when it does matter (when I start boondocking).

WHAT I LEARNED: Does the trick when I REALLY need a nice, clean shower, but not the most user-friendly.

5.     Putting on makeup(!).

Not a huge deal, but the day I went to the distillery was the first time I put makeup on for probably a month. I don’t wear a lot of makeup in the first place, but it really felt good to get a little prettied up.

WHAT I LEARNED: Not sure. Hopefully those around me benefited(!).

6.     Emptying the black tank.

This was a biggie. The dreaded “black tank.” My Airstream has two tanks: A fresh water tank and a black tank. Larger RVs have three tanks: Fresh water, grey and black.

Fresh water: The “clean” water that is used for the shower, sink and any other faucets, etc.

Grey: The run-off water from the sink or shower. The “dirty” water, if you will.

Black: The toilet “waste.”

My Airstream has one combined tank that houses grey waste and black waste. So far, I have only used my toilet for #1, so it’s not horrible (buuuuut it still kind-of is).

Most campgrounds have a “dump station.” It’s a hole in the ground, essentially. I have a special hose (slang for this hose is “stinky slinky” - gross) that connects to a pipe opening under my trailer. The other end goes into the hole in the ground. I open a valve on the tank and the contents flow out.

It wasn’t that bad, to be honest. I wore disposable latex gloves to be sanitary and there is a water hose next to the dump hole so I rinsed everything out after the job was done. The “stinky slinky” gets stored in a special compartment under my trailer, which is not exposed to anything else. Gloves get thrown away, hands get washed and anti-bacterial gets applied. Driving away with a full fresh water tank and an empty black tank is a great feeling!

Side note: When you hook up to a water connection at a campsite, you use water directly from that water source/spout/spigot. Therefore, you don’t deplete any water from your fresh tank. If needed, before leaving the site, you can top off your fresh tank with the water from that water source as well. Then you have a full tank for your next stop if it doesn’t have a water connection.

WHAT I LEARNED: Whatever it is, it may not be as bad as you anticipated it would be.

WHAT I LEARNED OVERALL: Take more photos…even photos of those moments that you think you won’t want to document.

Oh! The Jack Daniel’s Distillery is definitely worth a trip. I did a $25 tour which included a sampling of six different JD varieties. Also, Lynchburg is a small town with a lot of character.

#7: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

First, I’d like to recognize that I fully acknowledge I’m behind on writing. :)

My time after Tennessee and before Thanksgiving (South Carolina) was a little up and down, and a little decide-as-I-go. Weather was the main factor, as I ran into some heavy, heavy rain leaving Tennessee.

Long story short, I “lost” a day due to the weather - it POURED for about 24 hours straight. There wasn’t much I could do outside so I hibernated a bit in the Airstream and ran a few late afternoon errands.

The next day I’d get up early and head to Great Smoky Mountains National Park for a morning hike. The tricky bit with this park is that dogs are not allowed on the hiking trails. Although I completely understand why (disruption of the park’s natural habitat and safety), it not only bums me out, but also poses logistical challenges with what to do with Addie (only option is to leave her in the trailer with the heat on - which she is fine with). I just never want to leave her for too long at a time. She is my travel buddy!

The campground I landed on was sub-par (actually, it was worse than that). It was about an hour outside the park and about 20 minutes from Asheville, NC - a place I wanted to explore. I didn’t want a campground too far in the mountains because I was concerned about snow. Good thing, because when I got into the park and found this:

Surprisingly, I was excited to see snow in the mountains. It just provided a different type of beauty that I hadn’t gotten to experience yet on the trip. I was also probably excited because I wasn’t RESIDING in it and worrying about pipes freezing!

GSM NP is stunning. Absolutely stunning. It’s actually named a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) “World Heritage Site” for its natural beauty and global importance. I really wanted to spend more time there and see more sights, but the road that led where I wanted to go was closed due to the snow/ice. Oh well. I guess I’ll just have to return in warmer weather. I got a solid 2-hour moderate hike in, so I was satisfied. I also spent some time around one of the visitor centers where they had a “homestead” set up like it would have been at the turn of the century. I’m a sucker for history.

One thing I noticed in the “homestead” area that I want to mention: Some people have no appreciation for what these parks are here for and what they provide to us. I witnessed kids banging on signs, kicking old wooden structures and nearly vandalizing what the park had put there to educate and preserve. The parents said and did nothing - like they didn’t even notice that their children’s actions were wrong. It was rather disturbing and left me somewhat disgusted. To me, it was representation of the lack of appreciation and respect “we” have for: a) things that aren’t ours (duh), and b) preservation of land and the hard work that people have done to conserve and protect. This was probably what got the gears going in my head about land preservation (more to come on this later).

That afternoon, Addie and I headed into Asheville to check out the city that I’ve heard so much about. It was a really cool town and we both enjoyed it. I found a parking spot and we walked around, popped into some shops (ones that allowed four-legged guests), found a dog-friendly heated patio (it was cold, which is probably why I don’t have too many photos) and enjoyed a gooey grilled cheese, delicious tomato soup and a local beer. I probably could have spent more time there if it were a tad warmer and I didn’t have Addie with me. If you’re wondering, I did not end up checking out the Biltmore - mostly due to time constraints and lack of wanting to leave Addie - although I did consider it.

By the time the next morning rolled around, I was so done with that campground. I really just wanted to get out of there…so I did!

#5: Mammoth Cave National Park

To be honest, I was seriously thinking about diverting my route and skipping Mammoth Cave National Park. To be REALLY honest, I was afraid. I was afraid it would be too cold in Kentucky (even though now I have a generator), and I didn’t want to end up in another situation similar to that at Shenandoah. I guess I was scarred (scared and scarred). Welp, I plowed through my fear and I went. And I’m really, really, really glad I did.

Back in October, I paid $80 for an annual membership to a really cool network called Harvest Hosts, which is a group of vineyards, wineries, farms and even golf courses around the country that allow RV’rs to stay a night on their property…no strings attached. On my way to Mammoth Cave, I spent a night at Twisted Vine Family Vineyard in Patriot, OH - which is very southern Ohio, along the Ohio River. There, I met and had a mini tasting with the owners, Bill and Mary Ellen. We talked family, business, travel, books and a little about the wine making process. Twisted Vine Family Vineyard was not just a “stop” on my trip - it was a place I met new friends, gained some knowledge and hopefully positively impacted Bill and Mary Ellen’s Monday night. Tasty wine, too - and beautiful tasting room and patio!

The next morning was spent driving. I wish it was earlier in the season because I could have taken advantage of Keeneland…I literally drove right by it!

I arrived to Mammoth Cave NP early afternoon. After a stop at the visitor center, I opted for two cave tours the following day (there were about 8-10 tours to choose from). I got a hiking trail recommendation for that afternoon, changed into my hiking boots and Addie and were off. A late afternoon hike is nice. It was quiet, serene and somewhat mysterious. It was perfect.

Back in the parking lot, I ran into some fellow Airstreamers. Just for context, Airstreams attract attention. They’re huge silver toaster-looking things on wheels. Further to that, my model (Basecamp) is unlike most of them (sort-of like “retro” and “modern” joined forces) so the sight of it often sparks a conversation. I met a couple and their baby who were traveling for a while in Canada and heading back to home to California. I also met a couple from Ithaca, NY who recently converted a Mercedes Sprinter van in which they had been living and traveling for nine weeks.

Toaster on wheels! This was the California family’s Airstream.

The cave tours were pretty cool. I honestly had no idea what to expect. One tour focused on the history of the cave and the other focused on the geology. I had high hopes of retaining a lot of facts, but here is what I’m able to regurgitate:

• It’s called Mammoth Cave because it’s huge (derrrrr).

• Mammoth Cave is the longest cave in the world. So far, it’s 412 miles in length. I say “so far” because there are still explorations taking place.

• There are fish that live in the water-filled areas of the cave and they have no eyes (no need because it’s pitch black).

• Many of the areas of the cave are named after places in New York - i.e. Grand Central and Frozen Niagara. The thought was that if they were named after famous places people liked to visit, then people would come visit the caves, too.

• In the early 1900’s, the “Kentucky Cave Wars” took place. Many caves in Kentucky were in competition as tourist attractions.

• Primitive people lived in/explored these caves thousands of years ago. Because of the humidity and no natural light, artifacts from these early inhabitants have been naturally preserved and are still being discovered.

• Much of the cave exploration in the 1800’s was done by slaves - in particular a man named Stephen Bishop. He also led cave tours for white tourists. Even after the Civil War as a free man, Stephen continued to explore the cave(s).

In case you are wondering, Addie could not join me on the cave tours, unfortunately. She was happy as a clam, though, safely nuzzled in the trailer.

I think the coolest thing about Mammoth Cave (besides the cave) was the passion that the rangers and staff have for the park. From the rangers at the campsite and the staff at the visitor center to the tour guides, it was evident they love what they do and are dedicated to preserving what nature has provided. In today’s world, it’s rare to be exposed to people like that and it was not only heart-warming, but also eye-opening.

By mid-afternoon, we hit the road, heading south. I was excited for the next stop in Tennessee because my campsite had an electric hook up AND a water hook up. As a rookie road warrior, having these luxuries significantly reduces my stress level. Hopefully as I get more comfortable, that will change. Onward and upward!

#4: Instagram vs. Reality: This is reality (***battery situation update***)

This post is not getting any fluff. If I were trying to make it look like all is flawless so far with this adventure, I would never write about this topic. It’s like “Instagram vs. reality”…and I’m focusing on reality rather than Instagram. This journey is about learning as I go, and in doing that, I’m bound to stumble and fall many, many times. This is one of the many times.

So, the diagnosis was accurate about my vehicle failing to charge the Airstream while towing. The towing “module” had a malfunction and all of the 7 parts of the 7-way outlet were not working as they should have been. After a few days at the VW dealer here in Richmond (thank you Susan and team at Brown’s VW!), the module has been replaced. Now, when I’m towing the trailer, I have the proper electric set up so my Touareg will charge the Airstream. Yay!

But, after some lengthy “Dad and Sarah” research and some extremely helpful advice from Airstream Ambassador and new friend, Ronnie (who read my blog and reached out offering advice), for ample power I will need a little more than simply a healthy battery charge while towing. I’ve learned that the batteries in my Airstream are…how do I say this…not that strong. They’re not powerful enough to support even just a few days of heating the trailer without an electric connection. As I learned, I have to be prepared to expect the unexpected. As much as I planned my route based on not experiencing freezing temperatures, there will be mountain nights when temperatures WILL drop below freezing - even when the Wally the Weatherman doesn’t predict it.

Per Ronnie’s advice, I purchased a generator. Now, a generator is not a completely new idea to me…it’s something I had considered months ago. There are two reasons why I initially opted out: 1) I wasn’t planning to be in 20 degree temperatures, therefore wasn’t planning to use the heat, or other electric devices that rapidly drain the power, and 2) It’s not safe (nor did I want) to have a generator and gasoline inside my SUV or trailer on an ongoing basis. However, the cool thing about the generator I bought is that it runs off of propane. Propane = no smelly gasoline smell, quieter while running and burns more cleanly. I already have two 20-pound propane tanks for my Airstream and this can be connected to those, or I can pick up a Blue Rhino-type tank anywhere and run it off that.

I ordered my 2,200 Watt generator from a company called GenConnex Direct. They convert gasoline generators to run off of propane. The one I purchased weights about 50 pounds and allows me to be off the grid (or simply off an electric hook up) for weeks at a time and charge my trailer battery as needed. After a weekend like last weekend, I feel way more confident having a generator companion. It provides me with some independence while I’m out on the road, so I can focus on more of the fun stuff. Also, admittedly, my dad won’t always be a short two hours away to run home to when the going gets tough.

I picked up the car this morning and it’s working as it should. The generator was delivered today and I’ll test run it tomorrow. Hopefully (fingers crossed) this is the last of the major “bumps in the road” for the next few days and I can be on my way shortly.

Anything else, Mercury in Retrograde?

#3: Shenandoah National Park

I spent Veteran’s Day weekend at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. This was the first stop on my journey, and to be honest, it tested me a little. It was filled with ups and downs but through it all, I challenged myself to go with the flow…which is all I could possibly do!

I decided a collection of lists would be a good way to communicate the major highlights.

Things I realized:

• Expect the unexpected. Two of the four nights I was there, temperatures dropped under 20 degrees Fahrenheit. I kept warm by layering and getting under down and wool blankets, but utilizing the heat may have drained my trailer battery faster than planned (more to come on this).

• It’s okay to disconnect. I didn’t have wifi or cell signal at the campground. I had to drive to a specific location in order to communicate with the outside world. Yes, it was a little stressful for various reasons, but at night it was rather nice to write, read and just “be” without any distractions.

• All will be fine. The weekend had its fair share of hiccups, for sure. However, part of my journey is learning to let things go and realizing that I can’t control everything, all the time. I make the best decisions that I can with the facts I have at that moment and that is all I can do. There is a quote/saying/phrase I have really adopted over the last few years:

  10% is what happens to me, and 90% is how I react to it.

  It is so, so, so, so true!

Things that surprised me:

• People are good. When my trailer wasn’t level, a man came out in the freezing rain to ensure my set up was safe. When I couldn’t successfully back the trailer into a campsite, my campground host, Alan, was literally helping me before I even had the chance to ask. A man named Dave was on the ground with his electrical meter checking the wiring of the 7-way outlet (outlet on the back of a towing vehicle that the trailer plugs into to connect lights and other electric when towing). My site neighbors had extra firewood and left it next to my fire pit when they left a day early. When the battery of my trailer died, I had people lined up presenting various solutions from which to choose. We hear so many stories of people acting poorly to each other (especially these days), but I was reminded that there are kind-hearted people out there…and a lot of them reside in campgrounds!

• Park showers are legit! I was picturing the worst, but the $1.75 shower I took on the last night was incredible. I had pressurized hot water for an entire five minutes in a clean, well-lit bathroom (I still wore flip flops, but that’s just a no-brainer).

• Bears are no joke. When the signs say to watch out for bears, they mean it. Day One, Addie and I set out on an afternoon hike and about 15 minutes into the trail, we spotted a small black bear staring at us from about 50 feet away. I thought I was hallucinating. My heart pounded, and we promptly turned right around and swiftly headed back to the trailhead. We didn’t get very far on the hike, and I was too scared to take any photos of the bear, but I did get some majestic shots of Addie (note to self: purchase bear spray, STAT).

Things I learned:

• Be aware of the Airstream battery voltage. I should have checked the voltage before I left for the park and also when I arrived. I went into the weekend assuming I had a fully-charged battery after driving with it hooked up to my car. The battery drained after the second night, but I am not sure how charged it was in the first place. The battery dying could have been for a few different reasons: 1) the car didn’t charge it while driving, 2) I left my dad’s house without a full battery, or 3) something is not right with the batteries. I’m urgently working on determining the cause so this doesn’t happen again!

• Have kindling handy. The park sold firewood, which I purchased, but I really needed kindling to get the fire roaring. Or, keep my axe handy to further chop up the large pieces of firewood into kindling (my axe is currently stored in an under-bench compartment which my bed is currently on top of…).

• Check the maps (thoroughly) on hikes. My friend Lauren and I looked at the maps at the start of the trails we hiked, but sometimes the trails turn and fork when you don’t expect. Often times, if the trail is a loop, it may be named something different for part of the loop as it connects with another trail. It’s just wise to have a resource while you’re hiking. We had planned a three mile hike, but we ended up doing a seven mile hike! When I did have mobile service, I used the AllTrails app which is really helpful.

Things I will NOT do next time:

• Dirty a lot of dishes. The more dishes used, the more to wash. And washing them is a small pain in the butt. As I’m still getting familiar with my Airstream, I didn’t want to use up my water supply, so I washed dishes outside from a water spigot. But you can’t just let your wastewater run off into the grass…the water contains food and soap remnants. You have to use a wash basin and dump the run off into the toilet in the campground restroom. Since it was so cold, my hands were numb after washing in the cold water. It was just annoying (but I understand very necessary to preserve the natural environment).

• Plug my destination into Waze and assume it’s leading me to the accurate location. This was an obvious mistake and I should have known better. I entered the name of the campground into my GPS and it led me down a fire road. I twisted and turned and the path became less and less “managed'“ as it continued. Fortunately, I put two and two together (and actually got four!), realized something wasn’t right and (thankfully) found a place to turn around with the trailer to head back to the main road.

The start of the fire road. I snapped a photo because I just thought it was pretty.

• Choose a campsite that “looks” the best. No judging books by the cover anymore. When I first arrived, I drove around the campground loop about eight times to find a “good” spot. I wanted seclusion, trees around me, maybe a view of some sort. Well, I found a good one and it happened to be the most uneven site in the campground (so I was told after unhitching there). This just made things way more challenging…in the freezing cold and rain. I had to get the trailer level by placing 2x4 pieces of wood my dad gave me (I didn’t have leveling blocks which would have been helpful) under one tire. Getting the trailer level is important - for balance and the obvious things, but also for the inner workings of the trailer. I moved sites the next morning because being lopsided was not only really bothering me, but it was also not healthy for the trailer. Sometimes the things you can’t see are the things that matter most.

Things I will do again:

• Get up to see a sunrise. Spectacular. Especially when you meet a nice man from Korea taking photos on the same overlook and he snaps a few of you and emails them to you later.

• Have a friend join me. My childhood friend, Lauren, joined me for a few days. What a breath of fresh air. Not only did she bring her dog Mazie, delicious California wine and dinner ingredients and the vessel to cook it in (Instant Pot - which I highly recommend) (oh, and she rented generator in case power was a challenge), but she also brought her “we’ll figure it out” attitude, friendliness to those around us (very contagious) and loving support for both Addie and me as we kicked off this adventure.

• Accept help from others. I first learned this on my Kilimanjaro climb. There is no shame in accepting help. And there is no shame in asking for it. For some of us, it’s very hard to do, though. I can confidently say that if I didn’t ask for, and accept, help from others this past weekend, it would have ended much differently. By accepting help, not only did I get my issues resolved less painfully, but I also got to meet, converse with and learn from interesting people. That’s. What. This. Is. All. About. Oh, remember I mentioned the campground host, Alan? I may meet up with him and his wife in Key West. And Dave - he and his wife live in Tennessee and he gave me his card in case I’m passing through and need anything. I’m telling you, campground people are good!

Update post-Shenendoah

Mercury in retrograde is no joke. After my Airstream battery drained so fast, understanding why is crucial to preventing it from happening again. I need to be prepared to run primarily off my battery because more often than not, I won’t have an electrical hook up. I left Shenendoah and headed to the closest safe parking lot (it happened to be a Target…there is always a need for an incremental Target run!) to sort out my best course of action. After five hours of calling Volkswagen dealers in a two-hour radius for a service appointment in the next few days, checking all fuses to ensure it wasn’t a quick fuse fix and speaking to the VW dealership where I purchased my car, I came up with a viable plan. Since the earliest appointment I could get was in the Richmond area and the forecasted temperatures were dropping to record lows, I headed back to my dad’s house in Richmond to get this issue resolved before continuing any farther. Although I desperately wanted to head in the direction of my next destination, there is no need to make this more complicated than it has to be. I need to be safe and smart.

More to come in the next few days…