Camping, Princess Style

[Smithy]

4 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

Thank you for taking us along on your trip.  How many miles do you travel?

 

I'm glad you enjoyed it. We wrote down the finishing mileage but haven't looked yet at the start mileage. I'll edit this post when I get the number. 

[suzilightning]

Thank you as usual....I want to be you when I grow up(or John decides to not travel around the world).

We have talked for years about roadtripping to Detroit then Duluth then down to Corpus Christi for the fall raptor migration; we have done half of The Lincoln Highway; I want to finish it and do Route 66 with some birding in SE Arizona...…..we have talked about renting one.

[IowaDee]

We had a cab-over camper when our girls were small.  We would take off for a month every summer. It was by no means relaxed with kids and a cat but we saw a lot of country.  Sadly few things really stick out in the kids' memories now.  Never took near enough photos but thankful for the ones we did.  I think they remember New Orleans the most and seeing snow for the first time in Northern California.  And Yellowstone because it smelledl "like rotten eggs"..Oh well,  you can't choose your memories can you?  

 

Love seeing  your version.  A fancy pants meal for me back then might have been Hamburger Helper and Jiffy-Pop.  Thanks for hauling us along and I hope Spring gets there soon.  We had the first hummingbird yesterday as well as three orioles and a Rose-breasted grosbeak.  There's hope

[kayb]

Welcome home. I always enjoy the trip, never more so than when you're coming through Arkansas and we get to visit!

[Smithy]

On 5/2/2019 at 10:51 AM, ElsieD said:

Thank you for taking us along on your trip.  How many miles do you travel?

 

On 5/2/2019 at 10:57 AM, Smithy said:

 

I'm glad you enjoyed it. We wrote down the finishing mileage but haven't looked yet at the start mileage. I'll edit this post when I get the number. 

 

Since it's been a few days, I think it makes more sense to write another post instead of editing my original response. Our final total for this trip was 9,390.8 miles. Not all of that was pulling the trailer; when we're parked someplace for a while, we still need the truck to run errands without pulling the Princessmobile.

 

Up until a few years ago, we drove home (without the Princessmobile) for a month in the winter. That added an extra 5,000 miles, roughly. We've discussed renting a vehicle to make the trek, in the event we do so again, but once again it was not a factor this winter.

 

Thanks again for the comments and questions, everyone! It's been fun sharing our trip with you.

 

(...and yes, @Shelby, I'm still luxuriating in the space of our house!)

[ElsieD]

That is one heck of a lot of miles.

[FauxPas]

Not sure how useful this would be but I see that Barbara at Pressure Cooking Today has a post with tips and recipes for using the Instant Pot in an RV. 

 

https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/how-to-use-an-instant-pot-in-your-rv/

 

[sartoric]

Just catching up now and have to say thanks @Smithy for your warts and all peek into road tripping. I picked up lots of ideas. We hope to do some of the same next year, albeit in Australia, and extra albeit towing an off-road caravan. 

Hope you enjoy spring when it arrives

[lemniscate]

On 4/4/2019 at 6:56 PM, Smithy said:

The idea, of course, had been to see what was on the factory-seconds shelf since we wouldn't be there for the First Saturday factory-seconds sale.

@Smithy   I made it to the Saturday sale!  I thought getting there at opening bell was the smartest thing, however, it was already mobbed because people get there at 0:dark:thirty to wait in line to get the best selections.   It was quite organized for chaos though.  I needed bowls so I was looking more for shapes instead of design.  I found these almost raku-like bowls that are great sizes and I love the colors.  I don't even know the patterns name.   I think I spent `$70 for 10 pieces.  (water bottle for scale)

[Smithy]

4 minutes ago, lemniscate said:

@Smithy   I made it to the Saturday sale!  I thought getting there at opening bell was the smartest thing, however, it was already mobbed because people get there at 0:dark:thirty to wait in line to get the best selections.   It was quite organized for chaos though.  I needed bowls so I was looking more for shapes instead of design.  I found these almost raku-like bowls that are great sizes and I love the colors.  I don't even know the patterns name.   I think I spent `$70 for 10 pieces.  (water bottle for scale)

 

Wow, congratulations! Those bowls look great, and the price is wonderful. I don't recall even seeing them in the shop. I'd love to see a side view if you're so inclined.

 

Please tell more about it being "organized for chaos". What happens when the doors finally open? Is it a mob scene as reported for Black Friday post-Thanksgiving sales in shopping malls and Walmart, or are people more polite? Was there time to browse and go back to something you'd seen earlier, or did you have to grab fast?

[lemniscate]

1 hour ago, Smithy said:

Please tell more about it being "organized for chaos". What happens when the doors finally open? Is it a mob scene as reported for Black Friday post-Thanksgiving sales in shopping malls and Walmart, or are people more polite? Was there time to browse and go back to something you'd seen earlier, or did you have to grab fast?

 

The doors were open once we got there.  Looked like an orderly line to get in and then shoppers disperse to about 20 separate shelf units to browse.  It was very civilized as far as no grabfest,  just wander and examine.  Some bring a folding cart or wagon to put their items in.  Otherwise you carry your items, no shopping carts provided.  There were two separate check-outs, cash and credit, cash was the shorter line and my choice.  HF Coors provides boxes and wrapping paper.  I think we were there no longer than 30min total.   I bet there were 100 people in the factory area shopping and there was plenty of elbow room.

 

It may be busier in the winter months.  May is when things slow down as far as winter visitors to Tucson.

[lemniscate]

1 hour ago, Smithy said:

I'd love to see a side view if you're so inclined.

 

The bottoms are unglazed. 

[Smithy]

They're beautiful! Thanks!

[FauxPas]

I've been to 3 or 4 of the HF Coors Saturdays. They can be quite busy at times, especially if they advertise certain types of items that will be discounted (on the website or in their email/newsletter). Some of their stuff is really popular and those are the days that people would start lining up really early. There are always some people there before opening, they usually know exactly what they want. It used to be that all of the featured sale items were put out first thing and that meant a real rush at opening, but they said they would start putting items out throughout the day. Not sure if they have followed that new policy or not. 

 

This video on the website gives an idea of the Saturdays:

https://www.hfcoors.com/visit/

 

Also, they make a lot of commercial stuff (for restaurants and hotels, promotional items, etc) so lots of that stuff is available at the Saturday sales as seconds or as discontinued lines. They make lots of things other than the lines they sell in their retail shop. 

 

[FauxPas]

You can see the type of commercial stuff they make by scrolling down and browsing some of the Restaurant Only items on this page (some of these items could be available at Saturday sales):

https://www.hfcoors.com/restaurants-only/

[lemniscate]

There were LOTS of coffee cups for The Ellen Show available.

 

Apparently HF Coors made the distinctive coffee cups for Twin Peaks.   Agent Cooper loved his coffee and pie.   Those I didn't see at the sale.

Edited May 26, 2019 by lemniscate (log)

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Just came upon this thread.   Wow...this is indeed Princess travel.   

 

We had a VW van in the '60s.    The back seat folded down into a double bed.   Large dog slept on the floor.

There was an attachable hammock over the front seats for our son.    A fridge.   Can't remember a freezer.     Pull up table, room for 4.   

 

 

I'm not sure this counts....     But it had over 250 thousand miles on it when we said goodbye.     

Edited August 13, 2019 by Margaret Pilgrim
left out "thousand" (log)

[Smithy]

2 minutes ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

Just came upon this thread.   Wow...this is indeed Princess travel.   

 

We had a VW van in the '60s.    The back seat folded down into a double bed.   Large dog slept on the floor.

There was an attachable hammock over the front seats for our son.    A fridge.   Can't remember a freezer.     Pull up table, room for 4.   

 

I'm not sure this counts....     Buy it had over 250 miles on it when we said goodbye.     

 

I think it counts. There's no mileage requirement for upscale / comfortable glamping...I can imagine the van feeling a bit crowded at the end of a long trip, though.  Do you remember what you used to cook and/or eat during those trips?

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Edited to correct mileage.   It had over 250 thousand miles when we gave it up.

 

We took to Montana for a month.     If decent weather, we grilled a lot.   If not, probably burgers and such on a camp stove.      Fresh fruits and salads.

 

I don't remember its feeling crowded, our son was under 5, but sheepdog was large!    

 

 

[Smithy]

We began with a pickup-mounted camper. It had a small stove and refrigerator, a table that could become an extra bed, and a bed over the cab. Our husky at the time weighed 70 pounds, and took up most of the aisle.  It was a beginning.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Many years back we met friends to camp on a small river.    No vehicle or tent.    Our city dog had never been camping.    DH set up s cot for me, which the dog immediately appropriated.     I retook it.    DH cleared an area of rocks and set up an air mattress for himself and lay out the dog's quilt.    Crawled into his sleeping bag.    Dog stood on the quilt for a few minutes, then started that dog action of kicking small rocks backward with his hind feet...into DH's bed.   Finally got him settle down.

 

Friends were camped 25 yards away.   in the middle of the night, dog was sure he heard a bear, actually snoring.    Snore, bark, snore, bark snore....    i can't remember which stopped first.   in the morning, DH chided friend husband about his snoring.    Guy snorted and tattled that it was his wife.   

 

As I remember, that was a long weekend.      Dog never did take to camping.

[Kim Shook]

2 hours ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

Many years back we met friends to camp on a small river.    No vehicle or tent.    Our city dog had never been camping.    DH set up s cot for me, which the dog immediately appropriated.     I retook it.    DH cleared an area of rocks and set up an air mattress for himself and lay out the dog's quilt.    Crawled into his sleeping bag.    Dog stood on the quilt for a few minutes, then started that dog action of kicking small rocks backward with his hind feet...into DH's bed.   Finally got him settle down.

 

Friends were camped 25 yards away.   in the middle of the night, dog was sure he heard a bear, actually snoring.    Snore, bark, snore, bark snore....    i can't remember which stopped first.   in the morning, DH chided friend husband about his snoring.    Guy snorted and tattled that it was his wife.   

 

As I remember, that was a long weekend.      Dog never did take to camping.

I'm with the dog.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

This dog was a piece of work.    Old English sheepdog.     Again, years ago, DH was out of town for the weekend.   Parents of our son's hippy nursery school friend invited me to join them camping on an island on the Sacramento River.     Sure.   Okay!     Load kid and dog into VW van and we head up to the delta.    All fine until middle of the night when son, dog and i are all bedded down in the van.    Dog starts scratching door to get out.     So I, in DH's too-big knee length pjs get out of the van into the howling Delta wind.    Dog is suddenly energized.    Takes off across the beach grass a 30 mph with me loping after, clutching at pj bottoms.   I am screaming at the top of my lungs for him to stop, but the wind devours my words.    Not that he'd have obeyed had he heard me.    He finally stops to do what he originally wanted out for, and i was able to grab his collar and drag him back to the van.   

The couple wanted us to stay another night but that was not going to happen.     Van camping was losing its luster for me.

[Kim Shook]

37 minutes ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

This dog was a piece of work.    Old English sheepdog.     Again, years ago, DH was out of town for the weekend.   Parents of our son's hippy nursery school friend invited me to join them camping on an island on the Sacramento River.     Sure.   Okay!     Load kid and dog into VW van and we head up to the delta.    All fine until middle of the night when son, dog and i are all bedded down in the van.    Dog starts scratching door to get out.     So I, in DH's too-big knee length pjs get out of the van into the howling Delta wind.    Dog is suddenly energized.    Takes off across the beach grass a 30 mph with me loping after, clutching at pj bottoms.   I am screaming at the top of my lungs for him to stop, but the wind devours my words.    Not that he'd have obeyed had he heard me.    He finally stops to do what he originally wanted out for, and i was able to grab his collar and drag him back to the van.   

The couple wanted us to stay another night but that was not going to happen.     Van camping was losing its luster for me.

He wanted to go home.  To a HOUSE.  Still with the dog. 😁

[snowangel]

On 5/2/2019 at 10:57 AM, Smithy said:

 

I'm glad you enjoyed it. We wrote down the finishing mileage but haven't looked yet at the start mileage. I'll edit this post when I get the number. 

What kind of camper do you have?  Fifth wheel? Trailer?  We are starting to think about one.  We think stealth camper van, but geez, a buddy for the occasional mid-night pee sure is a nice luxury.