Camping, Princess Style

Margaret Pilgrim · April 21, 2024

Am reminded of our oldest granddaughter who has a serious sweet tooth and a very health conscious mother. I remember the child, then around 8, chanting when asked about snacks, 'Vegetables and fruit. Vegetables and fruit" while eyeing peers potato chips and Goldfish.

FauxPas · April 22, 2024

With all that you have been going through, I would have expected you to be feeling pretty tired. So pleased to hear your upbeat tones and see you having some bits of fun in the kitchen! Best wishes for healing and travels! ❤️

**Smithy** · April 24, 2024

We tried a new stopover place last night: the Rock & Brews Casino in Braman, Oklahoma. I've noticed the place in passing over the last few years, but this time we realized they offered boondocking. It's even free! Well, it would have been if I hadn't bought dinner there. That, and the gambling, are the point of offering free boondocking, aren't they? In order to boondock you have to register for their Players Club (free) and that gets you $5 worth of loyalty points to play on the machines.

I didn't get as many photos as I'd thought, and that's a shame. The place is filled with electronic gaming machines, most stand-alone but some "cascading" and connected to other casinos via the internet. (Don't ask me to explain that.) The place has a Hard Rock Cafe sort of vibe, with giant murals / photos of rockers and rock bands. I liked the music, both for its familiarity and its relatively low volume. My darling wouldn't have liked it, but he couldn't walk there anyway. I brought food back to the Princessmobile.

Here's the menu. I was sorely tempted to buy both a burger and their "Hotel California Cobb Salad", but I knew it would be overkill. I settled on Alice Cooper's Poison Burger (Brioche Bun, Pepper Cheese Spread, Reaper Ranch, Fresh Fried Jalapeno, Crispy Onion Strings, Alice Cooper Poison Sauce). My darling opted for the Smokehouse Burger (Brioche Bun, BBQ Sauce, Double Melted Cheddar, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Onion Ring, Lettuce, Tomato, Dill Pickle, Mayo) minus the dill pickles. French fries with both dinners. I ordered the burgers medium rare. While I waited for my order I admired the decor and puzzled over the games. Things have changed drastically since the days of the one-armed bandits!

The burgers and fries were excellent! The fries were crisp on the outside, seasoned nicely, and still hot when I got them back to the Princessmobile. His burger, on the right above, was quite messy; his travel clothes are now decorated with spots of BBQ sauce, but he had no complaints. My burger's jalapenos, the pepper cheese spread, and the Poison sauce all carried a delicious hot whallop. Wherever they're getting their jalapenos, these are NOT of the insipid variety. 🙂

As I expected, we didn't come close to finishing our dinners. The remains are in the refrigerator and will make at least one more meal apiece. I'm not sure how I'll reheat those fries to do justice to them -- no air fryer or CSO available -- but we'll Give It Our Best Shot.

**Smithy** · April 27, 2024

Well, we've made it!

At the beginning of this trip I wrote about how we'd made it to Texas in record time. This return trip was also a new record: 10 days from our desert camping site to home. We pushed pretty hard, with the day's distances ranging from 200+ miles to nearly 400 miles, and with a couple of days' stops for weather. We shared the driving on the longer days.

We managed to stay behind or ahead of bad weather, and are now successfully parked at home, with things put under cover or into the house before the rain arrived. We still haven't finished the burgers from Braman, Oklahoma, but last night we ate fried chicken from the central Minnesota Walmart where we'd parked for the night. I don't seem to have gotten a picture of the chicken. I was too thrilled to show our parking place, and the scenery!

This place was only a couple of hours' drive from home. We managed to time our travel so that we arrived home, parked, and got things under cover before the rain began. It's supposed to rain for the next few days.

Tonight we almost polished off the pork roast from last week. There's still some left over, thanks to our diminished appetites, but it will be finished in the next day or two. This was a nice celebratory dinner. (His plate looked like mine, except it included toast. 😉 )

It's good to be home.

Thanks for keeping us company, y'all. I'll see you over on the other topics!

**ElsieD** · April 27, 2024

I'm glad to read you are safely home. Thank you once again for the blog. I wish for both your sakes that it had been trouble-free. No place like home though, is there? Lovely fireplace you've got there.

gfweb · April 27, 2024

Glad you are back. Sorry its still cold up here.

**Shelby** · April 27, 2024

Sooooo glad you're home safe. I bet it feels GOOD to be back.

FauxPas · April 27, 2024

Aw, hope you two can relax and recover, @Smithy!

Your kitty looks pretty content! 🙂

**ElsieD** · April 27, 2024

20 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

Aw, hope you two can relax and recover, @Smithy!

Your kitty looks pretty content! 🙂

I didn't realize there was a kitty on the chair til I read your post. He blends right in, doesn't he?

blue_dolphin · April 27, 2024

I know your darling doesn't care for the cooler weather, @Smithy, but I'll bet even he is content to have this particular trip wrapped up. I usually don't want them to end either but I'm very relieved this time.

As always, thanks for taking us along!

Kim Shook · April 29, 2024

Just checking in and saw your travels and travails! I'm so sorry that you all had to go through all of that while on the road and so glad that your darling is on the mend. Remember to take care of yourself as you take care of him. Glad to see you got home safe and sound. Hugs from me.

**Smithy** · Monday at 09:17 PM

New Year...

New trailer...

New life.

My darling died abruptly last June. Although we'd been dealing with health issues (a foot wound that wouldn't heal) we didn't think they were life-threatening. They weren't. He died instead of a brain hemorrhage. It was quick for him, and that's merciful. It was hard for me because we had no warning.

As you can imagine, I spent some months in a fog of grief and confusion. I'm not the first person to lose a partner without warning, nor will I be the last. I simply couldn't post about him, or discuss the fate of the Princessmobile, until now. I spent quite a few months debating what to do about the Princessmobile and the rest of my life. How was I going to live the time I had left? What did I want to do, if anything? I had begun losing weight during his health struggles, and the weight loss continued. I'm down a bit more than 30 pounds now, largely due to a diminished appetite. I eat well, I just don't eat as much as I used to.

Gradually, I worked my way through the fog. I gave the old Princessmobile to his son, who wanted it and was untroubled by various mechanical issues that had developed. (He's a mechanic and is much more willing to deal with those issues than I would be.) I spent a lot of time kicking tires, trying to work out what I wanted, if anything. I knew I wanted to spend the Holidays at home, celebrating in ways we hadn't since we started traveling to avoid the cold winters. Eventually, I decided that I did still want to travel -- not 6 months out of the year, but more than a few weeks' worth. I have friends and activities in Yuma. I have other places I want to see.

I had originally thought that this post would be a coda: a final post explaining why the story had ended. But I think I have enough to say about travel-food, and camping, and things I see along the way, to continue. So I will.

I'll give you a tour of the new rig in the next post.

**ElsieD** · Monday at 09:53 PM

It's wonderful to see you decided to post about your travels. Some memories will be difficult for you, but I wish you much more happiness than sadness as you traverse this next chapter in your life. I shall be following along, giving you hugs if and when you need them.

**Shelby** · Monday at 09:55 PM

I've told you before but I'll say it again. I'm in awe of you. You're so strong. I can't wait to see what you get up to next. Your darling is smiling down on you and is so damn proud of you.

**Smithy** · Monday at 10:03 PM

So okay, it's a partial tour. The kitchen's a mess right now, with stuff scattered over every surface...exactly what everyone probably expects of me, but I'd rather show the place off as it looked until a few days ago!

i'll start with the refrigerator. It's a generous side-by-side: refrigerator on the right, freezer on the left.

Despite having had little appetite or interest in cooking for some months, as my optimism began to resurface I began to imagine interest in cooking and eating again. Besides, I still had many packages of my darling's favorite tube steaks. The upshot: this is how everything looked when I left home. i fit as much food from the house refrigerators and freezers as I could.

The pantry is a kick. It is similarly loaded for similar reasons, as well as the fact that when my friends helped me empty the old Princessmobile we did it in a hurry. We found boxes and bags of spices, read-to-cook mixes, jars and jars of salsa (homemade) and jams, jellies, and prizes from various shopping trips in years past. I put as much into the pantry as I reasonably could.

This pantry has a lovely feature: automatic LED lights come on when you open the door. They're on a motion-sensing switch. If the door stays open long enough the lights go out, but when you go near the pantry they light up again. (The bedroom and bathroom have similar features at floor level. I haven't needed them but they're a nice touch for a nightlight if one is so inclined.)

Incidentally, I have 2 coolers and a produce box also filled with spare food items. I doubt I'll be able to work through all of them on this trip, but I shouldn't need to buy much except fresh dairy and produce.

The spice cupboard was very problematic when I bought this Princessmobile. Narrow and deep. No shelves. I don't know what the designers had in mind (they may have intended a drawer for spices instead, but I'll show you why that wouldn't have worked later.)

I fixed that pretty quickly along the way, when I stopped in Texas for 2 nights. Walmart isn't my favorite place, but they do have a good stock of handy items! Those little wire baskets pull all the way out for easy access.

There's an entire tub of spices in another cabinet. I'm still working through which spices need to be ready to hand and which ones can be hidden away. At some point I'll probably start culling the collection.

The oven and stove are wonderful: propane and powerful. I cooked a ham and potatoes for a friend one night after arriving here, but didn't bother taking photos. Sorry.

I've done a fair amount of stovetop cooking already. I may have shown this on the dinner topic: smoked salmon alfredo, with a salad.

The kitchen island has pull-out trays for pet dishes. I didn't think I'd like the arrangement, but it works well.

Finally, for now, I'll show part of the dishwashing arrangment. The kitchen island has a large, "stainless steel" sink with a great faucet --- I'll show you that later -- and a rollup rack that fits over the sink for dish draining. The only awkward part is that those dishes have to go someplace until I'm done with the sink and washing! I'm still working through the process.

There are a lot of processes to work through, and I'm still deciding where things live -- and finding out what I should have packed and didn't!

rotuts · Monday at 10:16 PM

@Smithy

I have a big smile on my face.

Im very pleased.

Fine Travels , Your Way.

**Shelby** · Monday at 10:26 PM

WOW your new digs are super cool! I LOVE the stove. I LOVE the pull out pet tray--I've never seen that before. The goldfish bowls!

chromedome · Monday at 11:54 PM

It's good to see you back in the (metaphorical) saddle.

**Smithy** · Tuesday at 12:08 AM

The tour continues. I've cleared spaces off enough...put things away...so I can show a little more before I head out for an afternoon walk.

I mentioned that the sink is a generously-sized "stainless steel". I put that in quotes because it looks like stainless steel but it's already a bit scuffed. I suspect a lightweight and possibly inferior alloy. I'm not complaining, though. It's more than big enough for anything I'd be washing, especially as long as I'm boondocking. To fill this sink would take way too much water. As a rule, I have a small dishpan in the sink, as you see here, to collect water and for washing dishes later. In this collage, you can see more clearly the roll-up style drain rack. It usually lives under the sink when not in use.

The faucet is a nice style: high relief, with a pull-down head that can spray or stream. I don't think it's an unusual design any more, but I still love it and consider it essential.

There's pretty good counter space, enough to truly clutter things if I've a mind. In the corner there is a box that some of you might recognize from the Panettone topic. Yes, there's still a bit in there. Atop the box is a batch of cardamom rolls and a batch of korpula (the Finnish answer to biscotti) that my neighbor baked and gave me before I left home.

I won't bother pulling all the doors and drawers open, but I'll show you the dish storage and some of the cooking and prep gear I brought along: those that are in the cupboards above that counter.

I mentioned that the kitchen designers might have intended a drawer for spices. I'm just guessing, but this double-drawer arrangement, with slots, makes me wonder. At any rate, there's no way I could fit enough spices into that top drawer! These two drawers are one on top of the other from the same pull.

The bottom is most easily exposed.

It took me a few days to remember that the top drawer was even there!

Beneath that drawer is a pull-out for the trash can.

Finally, some of the furniture. I very much like having an actual table with chairs, unlike the dinette system we had in the previous Princessmobile. There's storage in the bench at the left. My largest cooking pots are in there.

At the back of the rig is a couch that folds out into a queen-sized bed. I have some fruit in the basket at the right-hand end. Behind the musical instruments on the left is an amaryllis bulb thinking about blooming, and a healthy basil plant that I bought after arriving here.

Edited Tuesday at 01:11 AM by Smithy
Minor word adjustments: it's a drain rack, not basket (log)

Margaret Pilgrim · Tuesday at 12:36 AM

That is more aptly called a "Castle Mobile"! Super design and accoutrements. You're living well!

MaryIsobel · Tuesday at 01:43 AM

Good for you, getting back out there. We have a 32' fifth wheel. We joke that I can drive it but only in a straight line with no backing up! We have camped for about 40 years. Initially on our own with a truck and slide-in camper, then upgraded to a larger truck and camper, then when our twins were born, we bought a small motor home while keeping the truck and camper as my husband had made friends with guys that liked to go boon-docking while fishing. When we retired, we sold the motor home and bought a 5th wheel - in January 2020! It was our salvation during the pandemic and we have used it every year since. We have refer to our duties as minister of the interior (me) and minister of the exterior (him.) That being said - while I know the basics of the water, electricity and sewer, they have never been my responsibilty. Long story short, I admire your tenacity along with your ability to take care of the rig. I am very much looking forward to hearing about your travels,

**Smithy** · Tuesday at 05:54 PM

16 hours ago, MaryIsobel said:

Good for you, getting back out there. We have a 32' fifth wheel. We joke that I can drive it but only in a straight line with no backing up! We have camped for about 40 years. Initially on our own with a truck and slide-in camper, then upgraded to a larger truck and camper, then when our twins were born, we bought a small motor home while keeping the truck and camper as my husband had made friends with guys that liked to go boon-docking while fishing. When we retired, we sold the motor home and bought a 5th wheel - in January 2020! It was our salvation during the pandemic and we have used it every year since. We have refer to our duties as minister of the interior (me) and minister of the exterior (him.) That being said - while I know the basics of the water, electricity and sewer, they have never been my responsibilty. Long story short, I admire your tenacity along with your ability to take care of the rig. I am very much looking forward to hearing about your travels,

Thanks for that! Yes, I know a lot of people took to the roads when Covid hit. It's a good way to manage social distancing. Unfortunately at the time it also meant our favorite on-the-way campgrounds were packed to the gills. Now it means that a lot of people are trying to sell rigs they no longer use or want. I looked at a few in person and a lot online, then decided that I wanted to buy new for the sake of factory warranty and an extended service contract. Yes, it cost more -- but there's a lot to be said for peace of mind, under the circumstances.

My darling was also generally in charge of outside while I managed inside, and he was the one who drove almost exclusively because he loved to do it and found it quite relaxing. Last year, on the way home, we split the duties because of his health issues -- and that's when we discovered that he didn't know how to run the GPS! Grr. Or LOL. Take your pick. 🙂

**Smithy** · Tuesday at 06:39 PM

While I have a late breakfast -- very common for me these days -- I'll start talking about packing up and leaving in this new Princessmobile, and what I think so far about my packing job. (I'm sure the story will continue to unfold.)

By the time I'd chosen this trailer and made arrangements to take it home, it was mid-January. I packed as quickly as I could, given the bitter cold weather. I've already mentioned that this trailer is smaller than the previous one. I haven't mentioned that it doesn't have an onboard generator. It has a solar panel that does a fine job of charging its batteries. If I'd wanted to lay out the extra money, I could have gotten a smallish inverter that would run some electrical outlets, but at a low wattage. It wouldn't run the microwave, or a toaster, or even (from what I could tell) a coffee pot. The trailer wiring wouldn't support a more powerful inverter. I opted instead to spend money on a couple of portable generators. Two, so I can pair them and run the air conditioner if necessary; the rest of the time one will do it. Two instead of one larger so I can lift the darned thing.

The bad news about that design choice is that nothing I could find and plan to be able to lift had a remote start. So...when I want 110v power, I have to go outside and pull a cord. The generator starts easily enough, but it isn't the way I want to start with my coffee in the morning!

So I left the electric coffee maker home, and have been relying on the old French press I bought for our first pickup-mounted camper. Here's the routine:

Get up, deal with animals, put the kettle on the propane stove.
Do more housekeeping chores while I wait for the water to boil.
Measure the coffee. When the water's boiling, pour it in, stir the grounds, make sure they're well wetted. Put the lid on to steep.
Finally, pour the coffee and enjoy.

It's a far cry from the good ol' days when one of us would start the onboard generator, my darling would turn on the coffee pot, and then he'd bring my first cup while I was still lolling around in bed!

But that was a choice I made. I also deliberately left behind the toaster, the small Instant Pot and the food processor. Part of that was because of the power issue, and part was simply because I'd hiked up the hill as many times as I could stand, to our storage shed, to find and retrieve things like bedding and kitchen utensils that had been stored neatly out of the way last November. I did take time to find the salad spinner and the wand blender, but those other things were a bridge too far.

A choice I didn't make on purpose arose the other night. The wind finally let up enough that I could have my first campfire. I planned to cook over it: one of my darling's Superburgers, in his honor. (A batch of Superburgers is made this way: 3 pounds ground beef, 3 pounds hot Italian sausage, one large Vidalia onion coarsely chopped: all mixed together, pressed into 6-oz patties. I now have 17 left.) I'd considered lighting a campfire for fun and grilling the burger, until I realized I'd brought charcoal but no lighter fluid or chimney. OK, then: I'd cook it over the campfire in Papa's pan. It's a perfect fit.

Then, and only then, did I realize I'd forgotten to pack any firelighters! There must be half a dozen at home. None here. I couldn't believe it. That's okay, though: our camp box has a huge box of those trusty strike-anywhere matches.

The strike-anywhere matches wouldn't strike anywhere. Too old...

I rooted around and found my darling's spare Egyptian camp tool kit: flashlight, candle, cigarette lighter.

Cigarette lighter too old. No spark!

I finally hit on a solution: I lit some of those strike-anywere matches from the propane stove inside the trailer; used them to light the candle; used it to light the fire.

All in all, I'm glad I started the operation before full dark!

The campfire was nice, and the burger delicious. It was a good way to honor my darling's memory, with the first campfire of the season.

FauxPas · Wednesday at 02:29 AM

I love your new home-away-from-home! And so pleased to read of your adventures once again!

Are the critters being good travelling companions? 🙂

**Smithy** · Wednesday at 03:05 AM

7 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

I love your new home-away-from-home! And so pleased to read of your adventures once again!

Are the critters being good travelling companions? 🙂

Yes. I'm down to 2 cats and 1 dog. They're all champion travelers. It took time for them to settle into the new rig, but they consider it home now and are as happy as I to be in our old familiar campsite.

Sometimes, my determination to eat well goes awry, or astray, or at any rate falls by the wayside. Earlier today I showed that oh-so-healthful bowl of yogurt and blueberries. A little after noon I made a pretty good-sized sandwich (salami, cheese, pickle and lettuce on sourdough bread) and figured it would be lunch and dinner. It was instead road lunch as I went to town for a social event and some shopping. The social event went well and was fun, but then afterward I still had to get tome of the hardware I've been missing, and a few groceries, and fuel; I also had to dump trash. The upshot was that by the time I was leaving the grocery store (I'll show it to you in other posts) it was 6 pm. I was already hungry. I was almost an hour from home, and I knew I'd be savage by the time I got home if I didn't eat. So, I bought their last 2 fried chicken thighs and their version of spicy potato wedges.

I ate a little bit on the drive home, enough to get me past the "savagely hungry" stage. That made it easier to appreciate this sight as I approached the trailer:

Their fried chicken isn't as good as I remember, nor is it as good as the splurge from my favorite market at home. That's okay, my canine companion isn't as picky as I am. The spuds were pretty good.

I got a good selection of matches and firelighters. Campfires, here I come!

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