Monthly Archives: January 2014

The Road Behind

At Home Anywhere (Revisited)

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Milepost 1-28-14  Fillmore, CA.  Work-camping in an RV Park

This is a repost of an entry that I posted on the old blog in December, 2012.  We had moved from the big house to the one-room log cabin six months earlier and were set to spend the winter on the beach in the Dominican Republic.

What does it really take to feel at home in a place that is not your home?  This is one of the worrisome questions that presented itself when Kaye and I started to contemplate and then pursue the idea of downsizing and moving out of our house of 40 years.  We were not used to moving, but we were smart enough to know that there would be challenges that could either make or break our success.

  Twenty-five years ago, at the encouragement of our three daughters, I arranged a one-year leave of absence from the small town public school system where I had been teaching since graduating from college.  We had decided to move up our dream of visiting mission fields after retirement and offering our help wherever we could.  The girls had heard us talking and had realized that if we waited until I retired, they would be grown up and moved away.  They didn’t want to miss out, so they said why not do it now while the family is all at home?  And we did.

  We took positions (I taught 6th grade, Kaye was the librarian) at an international school in the middle of the Dominican Republic, and we rented our house to friends who were “in between” houses, and we took off for one school year, and it changed our lives.  Our kids have been spoiled for the ordinary ever since and are all frequent international travelers. 

Home, Home-Home or Home-Home-Home

   A while after settling in to our new habitation in Santiago, we noticed that we needed a new way of designating our location during our conversations with each other.  We were spending the Thanksgiving holiday at a beachfront village (there was no turkey dinner for us that year), and we were confusing each other by referring to the hotel room as Home when returning from the beach – then the house in Santiago as Home, and then also making the same reference to our Home in Michigan.

The Sims family at their tropical "home" in the Dominican Republic, (1989)
The Sims family at “Home” in a foreign country. (1989)

  One of our three daughters finally solved the problem:   “Home” was our hotel room, “Home-Home” was our house in Santiago, and “Home-Home-Home” was our old place in Michigan.  And that really did help clear up the confusion when we talked about “Home”.

 Feeling at Home Somewhere Else

  So, in our current transition, we can look back on the experiences and challenges of moving away from our familiar home 20 years ago and setting up a new place to call home – in a foreign country no less.  But our lives have changed in the meantime, the kids are gone, and it is just the two of us.  And the answers to the original question are becoming clearer to us now that we have been out of our house for more than half a year.  Here are some of the things we have discovered to be part of our sense of home:

  • Being together.  The most familiar thing about our new locations – whether in the RV in a campground or the log cabin or a hotel room – is that we still have each other.  We pursue our adventures together, and that makes every challenge or adjustment more manageable.  When someday one of us is gone, I’m not sure how much spirit of adventure will be left for the other.
  • A decent bed.  When we were tucked into the loft of the little log cabin, we had a king size bed up under the eaves that was comfortable and welcoming every night.  Now that we’ve moved into the larger historical log house, we brought that bed with us, and it’s wonderful.  In hotel rooms we seem to be blessed every time, but in the camper there is not as much room.  We are saving to upgrade the camper, because a good bed is important.
  • Internet.  We both spend a fair amount of time on the web, Kaye for her writing, me for photography and journalism, and both of us for communication.  We may have scant internet access in the beach hideaway we have reserved in the tropics this winter but have decided that we cannot book places for very long that are off the grid.  It may happen in the national park campgrounds that we plan to visit next winter, but we will have to come to town often.  To connect and upload and communicate.  It’s just that important.
  • Family and Friends.
    We FaceTime the grandkids from time to time so we don't miss them so much.
    We FaceTime the grandkids when we are away so we don’t miss them so much.

      Since the kids have left and found husbands and jobs elsewhere, we find ourselves with an innate need to connect with them and with friends quite often.  Again, the internet has helped satisfy this need, and we are in touch with the kids almost daily through Facebook and email.  And we meet up with them in person whenever we have a chance.  We still have friends nearby when we are at home in Michigan, and we are often making new friends in the places we visit.

  • Food.  It’s interesting that this becomes an issue more at holiday times, because there are certain foods that are essential to the spirit of a holiday, for some psychological reasons, I guess.  Rather like snow is essential to a Christmasy feeling for all northerners.  And it’s hard to make Christmas cookies in an RV, because the counter space is non-existent.  So adaptation is necessary.  Fortunately, we have been able to visit one of our daughters and make cookies there if we want to.  In foreign countries, familiar foods are harder to find and their absence can contribute to homesickness.  I don’t know why every country doesn’t have Kraft American cheese slices, but they don’t.  Go figure.
  • Favorite Tools.  Even some of the expert travelers we have read on the web have admitted that they have favorite cooking utensils that they carry in their luggage wherever they go.  Some kitchens and hotel rooms don’t provide the stuff that is the most familiar to you, so you have to carry your own.  With me it’s a small flashlight that I like to put on the night table wherever I sleep.  It somehow provides a sense of security and preparedness that offsets the unfamiliar air of a new environment.
  • Comfy Jeans.    Everybody has their favorite items of clothing that they can’t be without no matter where they are in the world.   I am not comfortable without my favorite cap.  After posting this article a year ago and asking, “what makes you feel at home away from home?”  a piece of clothing was the first thing my daughter thought of:
    Stacy enjoyed a pina colada right from a pineapple mug in the tropics last winter.
    Stacy enjoyed a pina colada while contemplating here favorite jeans.

    Stacy commented, “I have a lightweight bathrobe that I take with me wherever I go. I wear it constantly at home and it is light enough that I could probably just fit it in my purse. Actually, it’s a swimsuit cover-up that I bought 10 years ago on sale for like $10 and it is now covered in snags and stains….feels like home. I could fit that, my passport, some cash, my debit card, some flip flops, and my phone in my purse and be ready to go anywhere.”  “Okay, now after reading that article about the caves in Samana, I have to add one more thing that I like to take with me that makes me feel at home…..my Saloman water shoes!!!! Never know when you are going to need that type of adventure!”   Yep, clothing can be really important when it comes to feeling at home.

  These are some of the essentials that we have found to be contributing factors to the sense of home that everybody needs.  I think we are doing a pretty good job of mixing our away-from-home adventures with our times of staying at home in the cabin and enjoying the security of the familiar.  And the cabin really does feel like home to us now.

Here I am feeling at home in my office in a corner of the historical log cabin.
Here I am feeling at home in my corner study in the historical one-room log cabin.

  What is it that makes you feel at home when you are away from home?

Kaye's favorite reading spot in the DR was either the veranda or the poolside.
Kaye’s favorite reading spot in the DR was either the veranda or the poolside.

Postscript 1-28-14:   Well, we did spend last winter at a seaside resort in the Dominican Republic and had to re-adjust to a foreign setting and a new sense of home.

This winter we are feeling at home in the newer RV and trying the work-camp experience at a small park in southern California for the winter and spring.  We don’t plan to return to the log cabin in Michigan until after our epic trek to Alaska this summer.

The RV has a roomy kitchen, living, dining area that has allowed us to bring along some of our familiar cookware, and the refrigerator and cupboards are large enough for some of our favorite provisions.  We’ve been watching rented Red Box movies on the Mac since there is no TV reception here – just like back in Michigan.  It’s all making us feel quite at home here.

The Coachmen fifth-wheel has a slide-out that expands our sense of home.
The Coachmen fifth-wheel has a slide-out that expands our sense of home.

So, whoever you are, wherever you are…   welcome home!

Side Roads, The California Quest

Short Sleeves and Hairpin Turns: The New Normal

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Milepost 1-22-14  Fillmore, CA

Part of the adventure of the traveling life is the new things we discover when we round the bend into a new town.  Settling in at Fillmore, California, for the next few months, we are adjusting to some amazing differences from where we came in Michigan.

Of course, the weather is the biggest change for us.  Our friends back home are dealing with sub-zero wind chills while we are perusing the local farm markets in short sleeves and flip flops.  That’s part of the reason we chose this corner of the country.

Kaye checks out the dragon fruit at a local open-air farm market. Hard to find that one in Michigan.
Kaye checks out the dragon fruit and other oddities at a local open-air farm market.
Fillmore farm markets offer an abundance of varieties, but oranges are everywhere here.
Fillmore farm markets offer an abundance of varieties, but oranges are everywhere here.

I mentioned in an earlier post that a quick run to Walmart from here meant a rather frightening trip over the mountain ridge on switchbacks and hairpin turns.  Today I retraced part of that route to grab a couple of photos.  In Michigan our path was straight and flat.

A quick trip to Walmart requires both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road at all times.
A quick trip to Walmart requires both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road at all times.
Vehicles negotiate the switchbacks on county road 23 between Fillmore and Simi Valley.
Vehicles negotiate the switchbacks on county road 23 between Fillmore and Simi Valley.

On a side trip today, we headed north into Los Padres National Forest, but we didn’t get very far.  The one-lane trail was a scary climb around sharp turns and blind corners above sheer cliffs.  It sucked the courage right out of us, so we turned around – at an almost wide enough pull-off – so we could come back down.  Kaye got out of the pickup and stood off at a safe distance while I made the u-turn with the front bumper almost hanging over the edge.

My biggest question about the national forest was, "Where's the forest?" No trees were evident.
My big question about the national forest was, “Where’s the forest?”  Few trees were evident.

We also did a bit of exploring in town today, enjoying a very delightful chat with the volunteer at the local historical museum, who informed us about the history of the town, including stories about the old swimming hole that she used to visit with friends back in the day.

Martha Gentry talks of old trains and avocados - and everything in between.
Martha Gentry talks of old trains and avocados – and everything in between.

Martha Gentry is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge about Fillmore and the surrounding area and the one who told us where to find the most respectable farm markets.  She and here husband are avocado growers.

This caboose is one of a score of railroad cars and engines at the Fillmore railroad museum.
This caboose is one of a score of railroad cars and engines at the Fillmore railroad museum.

Another of the significant changes in our experience here is the presence of so much Spanish.  It seems that every vendor and clerk is bilingual, and they mix it up sometimes swapping Spanish and English a number of times in the same sentence.  We don’t hear that much in Michigan.

Every cashier is fluent in both English and Spanish.
Every cashier is fluent in both English and Spanish.

So far, we are adjusting very well to our new location.   Most of it is really not very hard to get used to.

Surfers wander home after a day on the waves near Santa Barbara.
Surfers wander home after a day on the waves near Santa Barbara.

See my 19-second video of the traffic on the mountain road here.

The California Quest

The West Coast Vibe

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A Family Reunion on the bluffs at University of California, Santa Barbara.
A  family reunion on the bluffs above the beach at University of California, Santa Barbara.

I’m pickin’ up good vibrations.  The west coast tribe has a laid-back vibe.  At least this is what I picked up from my weekend by the ocean.

We visited our kids in Santa Barbara this weekend and experienced some of the coastal charisma.  From the beach to the wharf to the art exhibit on the waterfront, there was a relaxed groove going on here.  Nobody seemed stressed, hurried, or impatient.  Even the kids at the skate park seemed nonchalant, quietly waiting their turn for the next flip and grind.Santa Barbara beach biker/skater trail.

Santa Barbara beach biker/skater trail.
Santa Barbara has a top notch skate park that also accommodates bikers.
Santa Barbara has a first class skate park that also accommodates stunt bikers.
Sand volleyball is popular on the wide sandy beaches of Santa Barbara.
Sand volleyball is popular on the wide sandy beaches of Santa Barbara.
The Wharf is a popular attraction on the waterfront at Santa Barbara.
Stearn’s Wharf is a regular destination for diners out on the waterfront at Santa Barbara.
Wendi is a member of the local artists guild and spends her Sundays exhibiting at the waterfront park.
Wendi is a member of the local artists guild and spends her Sundays exhibiting at the waterfront park along the beach.
Downtown Santa Barbara is beautiful at night.
The downtown outdoor mall sparkles at night with shops, theaters and eateries.

A sailboat leaves the harbor and heads out to sea.

After a rough day of skaterboarding Rusty's Pizza Parlor is the spot for skaters from all over (two Swedes and a Canadian in this photo).
After a rough day of skateboarding, Rusty’s Pizza Parlor is the rendezvous for skaters from near and far (two Swedes and a Canadian in this photo).

On our first visit we didn’t have time to visit any of the historical sites like the famous old Mission, so I guess we’ll have to return.  Our mail is being forwarded to our kids’ place at the University of California – Santa Barbara, so we’ll need to get back there every few weeks anyway

Wendi's oil painting of the famous Santa Barbara Mission is part of her collection for sale on the waterfront.
Wendi’s original oil painting of the famous Santa Barbara Mission is part of her collection for sale on the waterfront every Sunday afternoon.
The California Quest

We Came, We Saw, We Camped.

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Milepost 2540:  Fillmore, CA.   Elev. 469 ft.  30 miles from the ocean.

  We have safely arrived in our winter home at Fillmore, California, where I have signed on to a work-camp assignment for the next five months, earning a free campsite.  We have been out and about exploring this old railroad town where the Mexican restaurants and markets outnumber all others combined.

The mountains loom over the town in this shot taken a half mile from our park.
The mountains loom over the town in this shot taken a half mile from our park.

It is a pleasant little town with palm-lined streets, occupying the floor of a wide and verdant valley surrounded by parched mountains – they are in their fourth year of drought here.  The valley is irrigated and the orange groves are full of fruit right now, spilling windfalls into the ditches.

The orange groves are loaded with the current crop of fruit near our camp.
The orange groves are loaded with the current crop of fruit near our camp.
The central park in Fillmore is lined with palm trees and backed by old railroad trains.
The central park in Fillmore is lined with palm trees and backed by old railroad trains.
Fillmore boast a large railroad museum with train cars and locomotives from several eras.
Fillmore boasts a large railroad museum with train cars and locomotives from several eras.

Upon setting up the RV, we found our sewer line too short and had to run to the store to buy another section.  The nearest Walmart was over the mountain ridge in Simi Valley.  Our satellite maps did not prepare us for the topography on this quick jaunt.  The mountain road was a tangle of switchbacks and hairpin turns climbing steeply – and populated with double-bottom gravel trucks heading to and from the quarry.  It left our nerves an equally tangled mess.

A quick trip to Walmart requires both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road at all times.
A quick trip to Walmart requires both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road at all times.

Kenney Grove Park is a scenic garden of eucalyptus, sycamore, palm, pine, oak and cactus.

Kenney Grove is a sprawling park with a nestled in the valley below 4,000-foot peaks.
Kenney Grove is a sprawling park nestled in the valley below 4,000-foot peaks.

I’ve already had a lengthy orientation into my job as handyman and part-time camp host.  I consider it a privilege to add my effort and attention to such a picturesque slice of the world.  It helps that I am missing the blizzards back home in Michigan while I work in short sleeves in southern California where it is 70 degrees and sunny every day.

There are three beautiful foot bridges spanning a dry creek bed in the park.
My first task here is to re-coat this foot bridge, one of three spanning a dry creek bed in the park.
One of a half-dozen kinds, the prickly pear cactus grows 14-feet tall here.

This afternoon I got my bike out and took off to the explore the local bike trails, my first ride since October in Michigan.  There are paved trails here, some following the old railroad grade and some following the levee along Sespe Creek (which is totally dry right now) upstream toward the condor sanctuary a few miles into the national forest to the north of us.

The bike trail along the dry Sespe Creek bed reveals the mountains behind the camp.
The bike trail along the dry Sespe Creek bed reveals the mountains behind the camp.

Tomorrow we get to head up to Santa Barbara along the coast highway to visit our kids who work and study there in the winter.  I wonder what marvels await us there.

Side Roads, The California Quest

Red Rock Canyon, California

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Milepost 2489:  Red Rock Canyon,  Cantil, CA

Having covered more than 2,400 miles in 8 days, and since we allowed 10 days for this grueling trek from Michigan to California, today we took a day off and visited a state park named for its beautiful rock formations.  Red Rock Canyon is located in the mountains at the west edge of the Mojave Desert.  It was a long-awaited treat for me.

The rig is dwarfed by the cliffs at Red Rocks Canyon.
The rig is dwarfed by the cliffs at Red Rock Canyon.  Can you spot the photographer?

All across the plains and the high plateau and through the mountains I have seen amazing landscapes that I have not been able to really appreciate because we have stayed on the highway, pulling off only for rest stops, fuel stops, and for our camp each evening.  The camera has been tucked away for the most part, only an arm’s length away but inactive.

Today that all changed.  At Red Rocks I was able to realize my hope for a close geographical encounter of the first order.  And to top it off, there was nobody else around for much of the time we spent there, so my photos were not cluttered with somebody else’s stuff.

Bob in the cliffs at Red Rocks Canyon.
Bob in the cliffs at Red Rock Canyon.  There are several hiking trails criss-crossing the area.

While I was scrambling around on the rocks with my camera, Kaye found a cute little niche in the rock (or was it a nook?) where she was able to get out her Kindle and read a book.

Kaye enjoys a relaxed read in a nook with her Kindle.
Kaye enjoys a relaxed read in a nook with her Kindle.

There are very few places where it is possible to actually set up camp this close to the cliffs, and I was really excited about it.  I had hoped to stay the night at a place like this, but this is a rustic campground, meaning no electricity, meaning no heat in the RV on a night when the temp was dropping into the 30’s.  No boondocking this time.

Late in the day we headed down to a civilized camp where we could plug in and be comfortable.  In my younger years I might have stayed in the mountains for the night, but my blood’s too thin for that now.

Here are a few photos of the sights at Red Rock Canyon.

Joshua trees are the foremost form of vegetation on the Mojave Desert.
Joshua trees are the foremost form of vegetation on the Mojave Desert.
How's this for a cool campsite? Hmm, those Joshua trees should handle two hammocks.
How’s this for a cool campsite?  Hmm, those Joshua trees should handle two or three hammocks.
Bob on the rocks at Red Rock Canyon.
Bob on the rocks at Red Rock Canyon.

Campers can set up right at the base of the cliffs.
Babe, I think we’re alone now.
I studied geology in my college days, so I'm in my element here.
I studied geology in my college days, so I’m in my element here.