That One Badass Trip

Years from now, when I'm old and gray and I don't see as well as I used to; when I can no longer drive. I will reminisce about the road trip I took in 2015 in a Ford F350 and a truck camper. I will entertain those around me with tales of the adventure I had with my dog and my punky cat adding that the cat enjoyed the trip as much, if not more than the dog and did. I will recall the mishaps with humor, and the highlights with a smile as I relive the trip over again.

The truth is I have never stopped thinking about that trip. If given the chance, I would do it all again. This journey was bittersweet because I used part of the money that I received from my mother's estate to fund the trip. There were more practical decisions that I could have made at the time, but I also knew that I might not get the opportunity to take such a trip again. I think that my mother would have loved the idea and was cheering me on from the other side.

I didn't know much about RV travel. The Ford F350 is a big truck, throwing a truck camper in the bed made her downright beastly. The bedroom area of the camper hung over the cab of the truck. What I would soon find out is that it would scrape or bang on top of the cab when going over bumps. My dog Buddy was terrified of the sound. A few times he dove under my legs while I was driving. Thankfully I was able to pull over safely each time, but it was scary and dangerous. We also lost the vent cover due to my miscalculation of the height of the underpass. The first RV park North Carolina helped me get it replaced and also ordered more suitable tiedowns for the camper which helped a little with the stability.

North Carolina is beautiful. I loved the Outer Banks and the Beaches. Buddy loved the beach as well as the freedom to run with his long ears flapping in the breeze. We drove out onto Corolla Beach and saw wild horses. My cat Phoenix also made sure that he got to explore on the trip as well. He would find any opportunity to escape the camper. The first time he got out I wasn't sure he would come back, but he was a very smart cat. He would explore the ground, get some snacks, and then come sauntering back to the camper. After a few weeks of exploring the coast, we headed to the mountains for Asheville is a very cool artsy town. It was one of my favorite places.

Our next favorite stop was New Orleans. Everyone should visit New Orleans at least once. The food, the music, and everything New Orleans has to offer makes for a great trip. I even witnessed my first and only Wedding Parade while I was there. They love their parades in New Orleans. The RV campground we stayed at had recently opened and had the funniest directions. I recall something along the lines of you will drive down a road in poor condition with abandoned and rundown buildings, don't be afraid we are at the end of that road. It was a very accurate description. Once I reached the park, I was met with a sweet Oasis.

From there I was off to Austin Texas. It is a small city, but a college town, so there is a lot to do. I stayed in a small RV park in Beecave, about 30 minutes outside of Austin. The property abutted a farm with cattle. I'll never forget the first time Buddy came face to face with a cow through the fence. He wasn't afraid, just curious. The cow was curious as well. The two stood at the fence trying to figure each other out. I wish I had my camera on me at the time. A few too many tornado watches and warnings for my liking so we were off to our next stops Arizona and New Mexico.

Sedona, there are not enough words, it's just stunning. We enjoyed Lots of great hikes, and the spiritual vortex's. The RVpark was super expensive and not as dog friendly as they claimed, so after a few days we were back on the road to New Mexico this was also a short stop we saw White Sands National Park which is very beautiful but made me long for the Ocean this coastal girl had been landlocked long enough.

Pismo Beach was our first stop. The RV park was a stones through from the beach and the town reminded me a little bit of Old Orchard Beach Maine with a California twist. From there we picked up coastal route 1. My only regret from the whole trip is I didn't make more scenic stops but I did take time to explore Big Sur. Driving a camper through there is not for the faint of heart, but it is worth it. The most memorable stop was Ragged Point and the steep hike 400 foot cliff that zig zags its way down the side of the cliff. Buddy was so excited pulling so hard that he was dragging me. I decided to make him walk behind me. This wasn't much better because he was then pushing me from behind.

From Big Sur, we made our way to San Francisco for a quick stop. I did a city tour and walked up Russian Hill. I don't remember how long of a walk it was but it's a steep grade. From San Francisco I set my sights on Mendocino, a small quaint coastal town. Not a lot going on, but it was cute and Mendocino Bay is pretty.

The Oregon coast is just as stunning as California if not more so. Newport is cute and touristy. Here Buddy experienced Sea Lions for the first time. He found them loud and confusing. Oregon beaches are stunning, Canon Beach is my favorite. Unfortunately, I lost my external hard drive with a ton of photos from the trip including some beautiful shots from Canon Beach.

At this point, I had enough of the camper and I wanted to check out Portland so I booked a hotel room for a few weeks. Portland has gotten some bad press and sure has had some problems the past few years, but I loved it. It's artsy funky and offbeat. My kind of vibe... I loved Oregon a whole. It's surprising how some areas look so similar to New Hampshire.

From Portland, we headed to Seattle. I was only there for a few nights. On the way to Vancouver, Canada which I loved, but we almost didn't make it. For reasons I will never understand I was detained at the border. I had to put Buddy and Phoenix in a large crate while they searched the camper. I was there for a few hours before they finally let me cross the border. I guess there is something very suspicious about a woman traveling with a dog and a cat in a camper.

There is an RV park right in Vancouver. The location was perfect. I was able to see a good amount of the city. Whistler BC was my next stop and the drive out there was just beautiful with the mountains. It was late March at this point, and I was warned when checking in to my camp spot that bears were becoming active. Within the first 30 minutes of being there, Phoenix escaped. I thought for sure he was a goner. People are so kind and half of my neighbors and the camp staff came out to help me find him safe and sound, thank God! I did a few hikes and enjoyed the beauty of the area. One morning I was taking Buddy for a short easy hike. He was walking along when he suddenly stopped and stared off into the woods. I didn't know what he spotted but I wasn't going to stick around to find out.

That night in Whistler, I reflected on our journey. It was a badass move, not always easy and sometimes scary. The trip had pushed me out of my comfort zone. I couldn't sustain life on the road, nor did I want to. I had to decide if I was going to stay on the west coast or head back east. Part of me wanted to stay in Portland, part of me still wishes I did, but I chose to head back home to New England. Buddy and Phoenix are sadly no longer with me, but I have a new spunky and sassy dog in my life named Tula. Maybe the road will be calling us in the future.