Imagination Verses Reality

We are in our 10^th year of full time traveling and absolutely no chance of us ever stopping.

Is it all that we imagined?  I would have to say yes and no!

Finding work…

Has never been an issue, finding the kind of work we love well that is an entirely different subject. 

We imagined writing our stories, taking photos, and sharing them with our readers in books, magazines and blogs.  We imagined writing jingles, creating cards and postcards to sell.  We imagined getting paid enough to allow it to be the only work we had to do all awhile traveling in the style we chose.

Our reality has been a bit different on the types of work we have had to take to get us a paycheck, and even though we are getting very discouraged we will not give up on finding that perfect balance in what we love doing and getting a nice paycheck for doing it.

There have been jobs that we LOVE, others that we just tolerate and some where we do not have the patience or time to allow them to suck the hope out of us.  We continue to search for the ones along the lines where travel is more frequent and staying in one spot is less the norm.  Some of the jobs we have done surprised us on how much we enjoyed them and others disappointed us when we thought they would be the best for us.

When we get this all aligned with our hearts, we will then be able to see our imagination and our reality as the same.  That is all we can continue to strive for and whole heartedly believe that it can be our reality.

Our Travels…

We have seen more than we could have ever imagined and we still love traveling more than we enjoy staying in one place for too long.  At first, six months in one place didn’t seem to be enough, now 6 days in one place is too long.  We are still trying to find the balance in our lives that will allow us to continue traveling while working doing something we love.

We still love traveling the back roads verses the main highways and still only love doing a few hundred miles a day.  We love pushing ourselves to cross those bridges, take the roads less traveled, and to turn that unknown place into a check mark off our Life List.

We still have many places we have yet to see and with each passing day, we add more to our list.  We do not think we will ever accomplish all of them since every time we dwindle that list down, we read about another place to add to it.  Settling down back into the stationary lifestyle is not even an option for us, not sure if it ever will be.  We are having too much fun in our home on wheels.

Finding ourselves…

The biggest surprise for both of us is the spiritual connectedness we have found within ourselves during these past years of traveling.  We have done so much soul changing that we do not even recognize ourselves any longer.  This has been an enlightening journey that we continue to travel every moment of every day.  We have learned to let go of all the drama and live a more relaxing, peaceful life. 

We are open to new adventures and have removed that box from our lives that we had both lived in for so long.  We are free spirited and love our lives from a core we never knew existed.  We have so many new mantras in our lives,” Akuna Matata”, ” No Worries”, and so many others.  It feels good, it feels right. 

We got into a slump and we had to dig deep and pull ourselves out of it and continue living our lives the best we know how with what we have and where we are at this moment.  No need to rehash the reasons for it.  The bottom line is that we both got lazy when a few of our jobs did not turn out the way we had anticipated them.  The good news is that we did not go into a pity party, even though we were invited many times.  We just allowed life to take some of our zest and relocate it for a short time.  Our goal is still to find the right fit for us so that we may travel and do what we love while making a good paycheck. 

At times we need to take a few detours along the way and we may take some untraditional roads to get us on track again but we are never lost, only misguided for a short time.  We have dreams undreamt, we have goals yet to reach, and we have life yet to be lived.  We are searching once again and have the confidence that all of it is possible and we are doing it all with the most zest for life we have ever felt in such a long time.

Blue Water RV Park

Blue Water RV Park

1001 Blue Water Drive

Parker, AZ  85344

928-669-2433

1/1/2011, 2/27/2013

They do not take any discount cards, we paid $27 for water, electric, sewer, back-in including cable and WiFi.  We called ahead just to see if there was availability, which was a wise choice since the office was closed when we arrived and even though we really did not make a reservation, the person I spoke to had our name on the list with a site number and we settled up the next morning.

The park was packed with many folks having off-road vehicles and boats.  Located right on the Colorado River, and even though it is right next to the Blue Water Casino they do not offer any shuttle service to the casino.  Either a walk along the river or along the road it is a long climb to the casino. 

They do offer monthly rates and have many planned activities in the winter months for the snowbirds but would probably do a weekend business in the summer months.

We stayed here two times when we did not feel like Boondocking at the casino and would stay here again.

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.

Eagle View RV Resort

Eagle View RV Resort

9605 N Fort McDowell Road

Fort McDowell, AZ  85264

480-789-5310

2/25/2013

It had been a long time since we had gone to Fort McDowell Casino but did not want to boondock so we opted to stay here and use their shuttle service.  We were not only disappointed in the shuttle service which took almost an hour to pick us up but longer when we wanted to return.  The casino has gone downhill since the last time we visited, very smoky, smelled pretty bad and the buffet was terrible.

We paid $42.62 using our Good Sam 10% discount for water, electric, sewer, huge, level site on asphalt.  Our Verizon MiFi and phone coverage was great so we did not take advantage of the free WiFi or cable.

It was quite apparent that many of the people here were snowbirds and the area was kept up nicely.  

The restrooms and laundry facilities were clean and they even offered a Continental Breakfast that we did not partake in but it was there if we chose to do so.

The price was just way too high for us to recommend it and we would choose to boondock if we would ever come back again, which is highly unlikely. 

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.

Cotton Lane RV Resort

Cotton Lane RV Resort

17506 West Van Buren

Goodyear, AZ  85338

888-907-7223 or 623-853-4000

11/18/2008, 2/26/2013

Using our Good Sam 10% discount we paid $33.13 for water, electric, sewer, level site with patio pads and picnic table. 

Huge indoor pool & spa all newly tiled with the perfect temperature and jets that we enjoyed tremendously.

Laundry area was large, restrooms and showers were kept immaculate.

Definitely a snowbird wintering spot with all the activities and you must be 50+ to stay but we would stay here again and would highly recommend it to others.

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.

Never Know Where to Begin…

After being such a slacker on writing our blog, it is always so hard to get caught up.  I usually have hundreds of articles that I wrote while living our life but for some reason, just never posted them which is the case once again.  There are several articles written about our time at the Pumpkin Station, the time in between, the Tree lot, the time after, yet another remodel, summarizing 2012, our drive to the desert and our work beginning in Quartzsite but we have to start somewhere…

We received a call several months ago asking us if we would be interested in working in Quartzsite for the big tent, when we accepted we decided to reserve a full hookup spot right across the street at Rice Ranch.  We arrived in Quartzsite, Arizona on January 2^nd and Jerry assisted on a few projects with the big tent and is now doing security.  I am working the south gate passing out brochures and keeping the public out before 9am. 

We are working separate shifts for the first time in 9 years of living this lifestyle and we do not like it at all but it’s a job and it is only for a few weeks…we can do anything for a few weeks.  We will both be working for the duration of both shows and after that, it is all still up in the air…

From Our Table to Yours

We are so far behind once again in updating our blog but we will…I promise…but for now we just want to say that we are back on a tree lot and getting ready for our next adventure to begin…but for today I wanted to share a few things with you all.

We have a Facebook friend, just as with many of our blogger friends, we have not met them but still consider them friends.  They are in a deep funk and are reaching out and it touches my heart to the core since Jerry and I can totally relate to them…we were there and it took every ounce of our beings to pull ourselves out and begin living our lives.  If we ended our lives as they continue to share then look at all the precious moments we would have missed.

Jerry and I have gone through some pretty rough times, not just financially, but emotionally with our family dysfunctional chaos that we are now happy to say has ended.  They finally got it that we are who we are and we do not choose to live in the chaos ever again and they have accepted it and do not contact us any longer.  At times that could be a negative, but we see it as a positive because after all these years without them in our lives we now choose to keep it that way.  We are no longer the same people and neither are they and to try to ever reconcile would not be beneficial to us or to them.

To get back to our Facebook friend, they are in that deep black hole that we were in so many years ago when we lost it all and thought we would never recover and there were moments in our lives that we have both contemplated ending it all but we were lucky enough to never fulfill that request.  If we had we would have missed out on the best years of our lives.

No, we do not have the finest things in life, even though there are times we dream about them.  But, what we do have are grand moments in our lives that would have never happened if we had followed through during those dark times in our lives and we hope that with our words we can help them or anyone else who is going down that black slippery slope of despair.

Do not concentrate on the negative, the things you do not have, the bad times.  Instead focus on all the good and believe me there is so many good things if you choose to look in that direction.

We are grateful for one another, there is not a morning that upon wakening that I do not thank the Universe for allowing both of us to have awoken and are able to share another day together.  We are grateful for our home and that our home has wheels.  We are so thankful for all the wonderful job opportunities that continue to come into our lives since we do need to work to continue living.  We are grateful for our health, even though at times the aches and pains are severe, we do know that we are both very healthy and are just getting a little older and some of those aches are inevitable. 

The list could go on and on of all the great things in our lives but you all get the road we are traveling.  If you are depressed and are contemplating ending it all, please reconsider and start looking at all the wonderful things you have going for you.  If you do not see all your good, then just take a trip and open your eyes to the many other people who have it so much worse than you do.  The folks who do not have any shelter at all, or are not healthy and have lost limbs, their hearing, their eyesight, or those who have lost all of their hopes and dreams.  We are surrounded by them daily on many street corners, or in the news, or walking past us in a daze because they no longer care. 

Take a moment in your day and understand that they are you…only they gave up… realize that by just looking into their eyes and acknowledging them or extending a hand that you can give them the hope and encouragement they need to make it through one more day.

Happy Thanksgiving and to all of our readers, we hope you all have everything you dream about and more!

Golden Shore RV Resort

Golden Shore RV Resort

101 Golden Shore

Long Beach, CA  90802

800-668-3581

11/2-11/7/2012

We paid $263.70 for 5 nights which balances out to be $52.74 per night with our Good Sam 10% discount.  We had a flat, packed sand graveled site with water, 30amp electric, sewer without cable and a charge for WiFi.  Our Verizon phones and MiFi and DirecTV worked marvelously for us while we visited.

Customer service at the front desk was not the best, with our calls and check in, we did not feel the love, they did not do anything wrong just no great service that stood out for us.

While doing laundry in the less than adequate laundry room, we did have the maintenance man offer a ride to us to our site while carrying our laundry and this was well received.

Sites were cramped together and they did warn us with a flyer about theft within the park in recent months.  This was disconcerting to us but we noticed it was quiet at night and no mischief while we were there.

The resort was conveniently located for what we needed from our stay, but as for recommending we would not do since it is highly priced and really not a lot to offer.

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.

Touring Long Beach, California

Our main goal was to visit Catalina Island, even though we could have parked Maggie in their huge parking lot while visiting the island, we also wanted to visit a few other places while here so we opted to stay at the Golden Shore RV Resort that is located right in the downtown area.  Read our separate review on this resort.

We walked to the Aquarium of the Pacific and explored all the different areas of the Aquarium.  We paid an online package price of $42 for the Aquarium and the Queen Mary.  If purchased separately we would have paid $52 each, so we saved quite a bit doing it this way.  They offer several different packages, check them out prior to getting your tickets in case you want to save more too!

The aquarium was nice and even though there were never any of my favorite colorful coral, sea urchins and jelly fish, nothing will ever compare to my childhood favorite at the Belle Isle Aquarium we enjoyed weekend after weekend while we were kids and have some really great memories of those times.  

We stopped for lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company and enjoyed it as much as we did our first visit to a Bubba’s on Fishermen’s Wharf.  

This time I had the “I’m Stuffed!” Shrimp which is Shrimp with Crab Stuffing, baked in Garlic Butter, and topped with Monterey Jack Cheese...

Jerry had Forrest’s Seafood Feast which is Southern Fried Shrimp, Seafood Hush Pups, Fish & Chips, Coleslaw… And don’t forget the delicious Sauces for dippin’ – Tartar, Cocktail and Remoulade.  Both dishes were great and very scrumptious tasting and even though it is a bit pricey we would return again.

We then took advantage of the free transportation and rode the bus to the Queen Mary.  

In its time, this ship was huge, not so much nowadays...

We enjoyed exploring the different decks. 

We did a little shopping at the shops, we checked out some of the rooms on board which we did not stay in.  We also had a drink in one of the lounges and had a great time.

We would highly recommend visiting this area and these are just a few of the many things that can be done while here.  Stay tune for more and check out our photos, photos and more photos at Picasa Web Albums, we took hundreds!

Paradise by the Sea RV Resort

Paradise by the Sea RV Resort

1537 South Coast Highway

Oceanside, CA  92054

760-439-1376

11/1/2012

We paid $48.60 for one night using our Good Sam discount for a fairly level smaller site with water, sewer and 30amp electric.  They also offered complimentary cable and WiFi which we did not use since our Verizon MiFi worked perfectly as well as our DirecTV.

Customer service was high, exactly what you would expect since it is a high dollar rate they charge.  Everyone was friendly and willing to go that extra mile to make us happy.

Being so close to the tracks was intimidating at first, the noise took some getting used to, but after all being just a few moments away from the ocean...well it was worth it.

The amenities and the landscaping were all clean, pristine and well maintained.  

Even though it is way beyond our budget, we would most certainly stay here again.

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.

It’s Official!

I am a Senior Citizen…I turned 55 and even though Jerry is right behind in a few months, I get all the discounts and he has to wait!

It’s also official we have completed the Pumpkin Station and had a blast doing it.  What a wonderful feeling of knowing that we are truly appreciated and that we are NOT workhorses, instead we are managers just like the way it is supposed to be.  We are returning for the trees, but for now we are in vacation mode and already having the time of our lives.

We stopped at the Camping World in San Marcos, California for a few minor things that needed to be done on Maggie.  We are so spoiled by having Jerry do most all of the maintenance that when we have to go to the shop we soon realize why we do not like it.  We arrived early for our 10am appointment and knew it would take some time to just diagnose the problems so we went to breakfast.  Returning one hour later and they had not even moved Maggie…ugh, this was going to be a long day.

Finally around 2pm we were out of there with hundreds of dollars out of our pockets and parts that Jerry will replace on our water heater, our jacks are now in working condition, but absolutely no answer to why our refrigerator was making that noise.  According to their diagnostics, they could not replicate the noise.  Funny how often I continue to hear it!

With that behind us, we focused on vacation time.  We stopped at Walmart to do some shopping and then checked in for one night at the Paradise by the Sea RV Resort.  Even though we had laundry and cleaning to do, we chose to have a glass of wine and take this moment to just enjoy where we were and just relax.  Check out our review on the resort, it is one of those gems…very pricey but oh so nice.

Got up early the next morning, took a walk to the beach and had a great Breakfast Burrito at Buccaneer Café.  Not only does this place have location…location…location, the food was delicious and the customer service was exceptional, Linda was a great host!

It’s time to move on down the road and visit Long Beach, not only the Queen Mary 

and the Aquarium of the Pacific 

but we will be spending one night on Catalina Island…stay tuned for more of our vacation time and see all the fun things on our agenda.

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.

13 Days…22 Hours…5 Minutes…

But who’s counting?

Even though this Pumpkin Station experience has been the best we have ever had, we are still counting down to when we will be on our mini vacation in between this and the Christmas tree lot.

Hooking up, getting some work done on Maggie, overnight on Catalina Island without Maggie, play days and the Boat Ride on the Colorado River we have been anticipating for years is just a few of the many things we have planned for those 18 days.

Getting out of California for a little while will be a treat, we have been here for months and are looking forward to heading to Arizona and Nevada for a few days to just unwind and cross things off on our Life List.

Managing this lot has been a great experience; we have learned what it is like to truly be appreciated for our skills and to work for a very well-oiled company.  They do everything top-notched, their systems work and we are happy to be a part of this family. 

The only complaint we have would be about the hired workers but we have weeded out the bad apples and are finally down to the very best of the crop.  Many of the workers have been coming back for years and as I informed one of them that in all actuality that only means they have worked for a few months since this is a seasonal one month job, not the years they continue to state they have been with the company.  Many of them took advantage of the other managers and took long breaks and even hours on company time, did not show up for shifts and then expected to just show up for their next one and work.  That is not how we operate, this is a business, not a day care center and we hire adults who need to give us their all while they are on our time, if not they can find other work.  We run a tight ship and once that word got around we began losing people which was really a blessing.  Now, we can relax and have some fun since all of our workers are now exactly that, they are workers who understand that this is a business.

Now that we are on the last part of this, we will continue getting busier each day.  Pumpkin sales will rise and so will the traffic but that will make every day fly by and before we know it, we will be on vacation once again.

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.