Camping, Princess Style

[lindag]

On 4/23/2022 at 8:47 PM, Smithy said:

 

 

The Predator Zinfandel has a nice winey flavor, not super spicy for a zinfandel, but plenty of backbone. It was a good accompaniment to dinner, and it isn't half bad on its own.

I've never seen the Predator brand in this area.

 

 

.

 

 

 

 

My house wine is Bogle Zinfandel.  Around here it runs between $8.98 and $10.98 per bottle, varying from week to week.  I love it.  

Edited April 29, 2022 by lindag (log)

[rotuts]

@Smithy  

 

thanks again for the store pics

 

waggin water reminds me of WF's asparagus water 

Edited April 29, 2022 by rotuts (log)

[lindag]

18 minutes ago, Smithy said:

@blue_dolphin and @ElsieD, ain't that the truth! One of the Minnesota gags is that we have 2 seasons: "winter" and "4th of July". Another version goes "9 months of winter and 3 months of tough sledding". Still, I miss mountains and rather envy @Nancy in Pátzcuaro's sessions in the Rockies.

 

Against all practicality, and due simply to desire, we went into town yesterday and visited the Fareway grocery store we'd discovered on our way south last fall. He was jonesing for pork steaks. I wanted to stock up on that great Buffalo Cheddar cheese I bought last fall. So here it is, one last grocery store tour for the trip. I didn't take as many pictures as last fall. This first collage is a combination of a fun candy toy I didn't buy and a "huh??" moment in the pet supplies area.

 

 

Most of our attention (and money) was on the meat counter. As last fall, the selection was amazing and the staff were wonderful. If we lived in Osceola, this would be our grocery store. The guys are knowledgeable, friendly and funny: a great sales combination. On top of the counter they had a sign with the riddle of the week: "The more you take, the more you leave behind". I had to ask. Can you guess the answer?

 

Meat counter selections: they're really into wrapping things with bacon!

 

 

 

We bought the pork steaks he'd wanted, then I chose some Iowa pork chops: according to the meat counter gentleman, one of his fondest childhood memories because his grandmother always cooked them when the family visited. We went away, but while my darling was contemplating snacks I went back for their version of an armadillo egg. It's a pepper stuffed with cream cheese, wrapped in ground pork, and the entirety wrapped in bacon. It's in the freezer now. We'll have an armadillo egg taste test sometime this summer.

 

We also bought these monster cookies at his behest. He tried to promise me to secrecy, but I wasn't having any of that! If you're going to sin, sin with a whole heart.

 

 

Seen on the way back to the Princessmobile:

 

 

Last night, the last night we'll have the Princessmobile plugged into shore power before we get home, it was dinner and a movie. The pork steaks were accompanied by broccoli (me), cole slaw and toast (him) and beverages of our choice. Lovely to watch a movie again. It's an old favorite, especially suited for our location.

 

The pork steaks?  Do you just grill them?

[Smithy]

10 minutes ago, lindag said:

The pork steaks?  Do you just grill them?

 

No. We bread them in a mix of his own devising, then bake them in the oven. 425F for 25 minutes.

[Smithy]

20 minutes ago, lindag said:

My house wine is Bogle Zinfandel.  Around here it runs between $8.98 and $10.98 per bottle, varying from week to week.  I love it.  

 

Bogle runs a bit more expensive in Minnesota, but I do like their wines...especially their Merlot. i'll have to try their Zinfandel.

[Smithy]

On 4/28/2022 at 4:42 PM, Nancy in Pátzcuaro said:

....and this year the kitchen vinyl needs replacing. Other than that I don't think there are any more projects, which means we can get away quickly. Not sure about hanging around in the West this year, what with the increased fire danger, so we might turn east.

 

 

How difficult will it be to replace that flooring? Ours is still good, but the carpet gives me pause sometimes.

 

Increased fire danger is right. We've seen the trends for the last few years, and it isn't looking good. I haven't commented much this trip on low water levels, but we were all the way into central Iowa before the rivers started looking proper for spring. If you should decide that "east" includes northern Minnesota, let me know!

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

We have two choices for the flooring: replace with glue-down tiles, or use the old vinyl as a pattern and stick it down in one piece. The size is so small that I'm sure a remnant from a bigger job would be too big. A third option is a "floating " floor, but I'm a little dubious. If anyone has experience with that kind of floor, let me know!

 

We have a nephew and his family in Minneapolis, so you may see us one of these days. I'll be sure to let you guys know. Got a spot for a Class B van? My husband jokes that the van looks bigger on the inside than it does on the outside. Kinda magical.

[FauxPas]

22 minutes ago, Nancy in Pátzcuaro said:

We have two choices for the flooring: replace with glue-down tiles, or use the old vinyl as a pattern and stick it down in one piece. The size is so small that I'm sure a remnant from a bigger job would be too big. A third option is a "floating " floor, but I'm a little dubious. If anyone has experience with that kind of floor, let me know!

 

We are installing sheet vinyl and a floating floor in our house right now, ha. But you're talking about an RV right? And a smaller one? A floating floor seems like a lot of work for a small area. I'd go with sheet vinyl. We have some pieces left over from our flooring job that would probably suit you, were you in the area.  🙂

 

I like the floating floors in a house but they might not be the best choice in an RV where the temps might fluctuate more throughout the year. They are floating partly to allow them to expand and contract. And they need to be cut to size individually, etc. Quality varies a lot - some mimic a choice hardwood but others can be cheap and may not be really abrasion-resistant. Some are quite susceptible to water damage. 

 

What about vinyl planks? I think they are usually glued in place and they can mimic the look of wood planks but are less prone to scuffs, etc. 

 

Like this. 

https://thediymommy.com/installing-vinyl-plank-in-an-rv-with-a-pull-out-our-diy-camper-2-0/

[MaryIsobel]

6 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

Having grown up in northern NY in a house on the shore of Lake Champlain, the local wisdom was that one should never take off for 2 weeks of vacation between June & Sept because the summer might come and you'd have missed it!

Just got back from visiting my husband's brother and wife in Manitoba. Mid April and there was snow on the ground and more in the forecast. The temp hovered around zero. When my husband said "I don't think I could live here, his brother replied "K..., I think you may have forgotten that we have great summers here. They last from the first of August until the 15th."

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

1 hour ago, FauxPas said:

What about vinyl planks? I think they are usually glued in place and they can mimic the look of wood planks but are less prone to scuffs, etc. 

 

You know, I think we looked at those last summer when we finally decided that we needed new floor covering in the little kitchen area. I think we'll need to look more closely when we get back to Colorado later this year. Thanks for that suggestion.

[Smithy]

2 hours ago, Nancy in Pátzcuaro said:

We have a nephew and his family in Minneapolis, so you may see us one of these days. I'll be sure to let you guys know. Got a spot for a Class B van? My husband jokes that the van looks bigger on the inside than it does on the outside. Kinda magical.

 

We certainly do! 

[Smithy]

Time to wrap up this installment.

 

We made it safely through Des Moines and the Minneapolis/St. Paul complexes, and everywhere in between. (Metroplexes worry me the most, but there's plenty craziness and bad driving even in the open areas.) Weather forecasts to the contrary, we stayed ahead of the rain. We spent the night in a Walmart parking lot north of Minneapolis, an hour or two south of home. We arrived midafternoon, and briefly considered pressing on to home, but wisely decided against it. There's a principle in aviation that applies to many, many other situations (probably most): if you keep going until you're tired, you'll make dicey decisions if something goes wrong.

 

The pithier version is: "quit while you're ahead". We did. Then we collapsed. 

 

Walmart had a couple things we needed, but food wasn't one of them and none of their deli offerings looked interesting. We used the oven and a single baking sheet for fish and Tater Tots, knowing full well that the Tots would be better shallow fried. We took the easy way out. Truth to tell, we were too tired to care. Good thing we hadn't pressed on.

 

 

This morning, the rain had caught up to us. So had the cold. These were the views the rest of the way home. 

(Yes, those are whitecaps. 39F. Northeast winds off Lake Superior, 30 knots gusting to 40.)

 

 

We left the Princessmobile with a friend who has plenty of pavement and electricity, unloaded a few essentials including our four-footed family, and came home. No, the snow and ice aren't completely gone yet. This is the view out our north-facing window.

 

 

We probably could have gotten the Princessmobile all the way home, but the road is soft and we'll give it some time to dry out. The weather forecasters are promising a few dry days ahead. They aren't promising warmer temperatures, but one can't have everything. We'd have stayed farther south if it weren't for pressing business here. 

 

We didn't pack any food from the Princessmobile, so I made the 5-mile trip to the nearest grocery store and deli. Their fried chicken is the best in town. Can't say I was impressed with the broccoli salad or potato salad I added to the mix, but they were filling. My darling was happy with microwaved corn. We'll go back to unload some foods from the Princessmobile tomorrow.

 

 

Thanks for coming along, folks.

 

[blue_dolphin]

Thanks for taking us along - as always, it was a fun trip!

[Kerry Beal]

A pleasure as always - thanks @Smithy

[rotuts]

Thank You

 

appreciate all the effort you put in

 

to share your trip

 

much appreciated.

Edited May 1, 2022 by rotuts (log)

[lindag]

I so enjoyed going along with you virtually!  Your pictures really bring the loacations to life.  Look forward to next year.

[Shelby]

Thank you Smithy!!!  I always love going with you.  I know you're so glad to be home with your things and more space.  Bundle your husband up and put him by the fire until summer lol.

[ElsieD]

Thank you for making the time and effort to share your trip with us.  One of the things I really like about your trips are the pictures of places I'll never get to and food you are able to buy.  I would love some of that bbq!

[kayb]

Back home in Minnesota! Good trip, as always.

[BetD]

Welcome back to MN and thanks for sharing your adventures, once again… I enjoy them every year!

[kayb]

Are the animals all thrilled to get home every year?

[Smithy]

7 hours ago, kayb said:

Are the animals all thrilled to get home every year?

 

They certainly seem to be happy. The dog is happy wherever he goes, as long as he's with us and able to run. He is utterly entranced by the remnant snow piles and the water in the woods. The cats figure out in short order where their favorite household places are (same as before we left) and plop down. I think everyone is happy to have more room. I know I am. I have actual room to sit on the floor and stretch!

 

Of course, the animals don't have to deal with the issues of rebooting a household after a winter gone. THEY don't have issues with stairs, whereas we're feeling the 3-floor household in our leg muscles and, alas, knees. We also came home to some plumbing surprises, but bit by bit they're getting resolved. I think my darling will be more or less happy once the hot tub is warmed up, now that it's been repaired. That's a first-world problem, for sure!

 

Back to food: tonight it will be our favorite "Bedouin-style" tuna noodle hot dish. In a few days when I catch my breath I look forward to trying out recipes in the 6-quart Instant Pot and seeing how they work when done in full size. See y'all in that topic!

[Katie Meadow]

1 hour ago, Smithy said:

 

They certainly seem to be happy. The dog is happy wherever he goes, as long as he's with us and able to run. He is utterly entranced by the remnant snow piles and the water in the woods. The cats figure out in short order where their favorite household places are (same as before we left) and plop down. I think everyone is happy to have more room. I know I am. I have actual room to sit on the floor and stretch!

 

Of course, the animals don't have to deal with the issues of rebooting a household after a winter gone. THEY don't have issues with stairs, whereas we're feeling the 3-floor household in our leg muscles and, alas, knees. We also came home to some plumbing surprises, but bit by bit they're getting resolved. I think my darling will be more or less happy once the hot tub is warmed up, now that it's been repaired. That's a first-world problem, for sure!

 

Back to food: tonight it will be our favorite "Bedouin-style" tuna noodle hot dish. In a few days when I catch my breath I look forward to trying out recipes in the 6-quart Instant Pot and seeing how they work when done in full size. See y'all in that topic!

Bedouin tuna noodle casserole uses camel milk. Where did you get the camel? Also my recipe, inherited from my twelfth great grandmother calls for a cup of sand. Did some pink Arizona sand come along for the ride home?

[Smithy]

1 minute ago, Katie Meadow said:

Bedouin tuna noodle casserole uses camel milk. Where did you get the camel? Also my recipe, inherited from my twelfth great grandmother calls for a cup of sand. Did some pink Arizona sand come along for the ride home?

 

Actually, he could never get his Bedouin guides to eat the stuff although they'd eat any two of the components together. Here's one discussion about it. But I like your assumptions! 😄

[Kim Shook]

I'll add my thanks to everyone else's!  I enjoy this so much every year and dream of doing the same.  I know most folks like to follow the sun, but I wonder if it would be possible to follow the Autumn?  😁