Car Day

What a day.. Got up at 5:30am after getting only 3 hours of very broken sleep. Fed cat, dog and myself, took my bath and got ready to leave for Texarkana to get the parts installed on the car so it can flat tow behind motor-home. Around 6am I got a thought about bringing the cord that connects the car to motor-home for lights to work, so out to the shed I go to find it. I am ready to hit the road at 7am, but then remember that I have need of the gps as I don't know where I am going in Texarkana, so go searching around the truck for it as I know that is the vehicle I used it last in.

This place is in the boonies as the closest store, diner or anything like that is 5 miles away. I arrive a little after 8am.. I walk around a little (cane in hand) and it is a really nice spot as they also have an RV park beside parts and repairs along side a little pond.

I made sure to have the Kindle app on my phone and got a few free books downloaded and that kept me entertained as I knew I would be there a while as the book shows it as a 7 hour job to install base plate and light kit. Around noon the sweet owner (she has been in the business for 45 years) offered me the company truck to get something to eat while everyone else went to lunch.. I drove 6 miles to the grocery store, got a soda, chicken strips and some new natural Cheetos.. Went back and ate some of it and continued to read as I was and still am very into the book I started called "The Book of Deacon". I have been reading it since I returned home.

Now it was a good thing I went to the shed to get that plug cord as they guys needed to know type of plug to install on car.. Now small hiccup was that the end of my cord had the wires pulled for some reason and they could not be put back, so a new plug end had to be installed. Now if I did not have this with me, that would have become a major hiccup as I would have plugged in the car to RV and nothing would have worked and that would have meant driving without lights or signals on the car.. That would not have been good.. Now I still have to go out and connect car to motor-home to make sure the new wiring of the new plug is correct. I will be able to know if there are tail lights and signal lights, but without a 2nd person, I will not be able to hit the brakes in motor-home and see if they work on the car too..

Now in the next few days I will need to finish packing up stuff into motor-home and then the real fun begins, NOT! I have to clean the house really good.. I started a little bit of it yesterday.. Once the packing and house are done, I am free to hit the road.. Well that is after the fight on getting the animals inside of the RV..

Picture attached is the modifications to the front end of the car that will enable me to tow it and cost $1100 for parts and labor..

RV Prep

It is slow going getting motor-home ready for hitting the road, as my body does not always cooperate.
Outside was cleaned a week ago and today inside is getting a good cleaning. It is so hot out (90's) that I had to plug in RV and turn on AC. Oiled all the wood, cleaned and conditioned all the leather, vacuumed, caulked shower (will after caulk is cured), stripped bed and furniture throws and washed them as well as all the towels even though they were not used. Tomorrow if my body is being nice to me, I will clean up the cab area and reorganize my dashboard zoo that lives on it.

Next will be the packing of things I can think of that will be needed. No list, as I have never been good with them. I either don't look at them, lose them or forget I even have one. I'm just going to wing it, as I spot or think of stuff I will put it aside to haul out and store.

My dog knows something is up and even though it was cooler in RV, she went and laid down by the fence in the shade. She does not like to go, as she gets motion sickness. Once we land somewhere though, she is one happy dog as she like her mom, loves adventure. Not sure what is going to happen when I get the cat in there as she has never been traveling in the RV and has only done one car road trip.

Pictures show comfy living while traveling and camping. Sure beats a tent at my age. :-)

I will be sitting around Texarkana on the 31st for 7 hours as parts for towing car get installed. Base plate is heavy and I still have to try and get it into car. Just remembered that I still have to clean inside of the car before I take it in.

Entry Side

I am hoping that every thing will be done with RV so it is ready to roll out 1st week of June.

Part of bedroom

Sofa bed with recliners

Dining area

Kitchen area

Toilet across from sink in water closet

Entertainment center above cab

Bitter Sweet

I know it is for the best, but as I watched my motorcycle drive off to its new home I felt sadness. Tomorrow I will call to make an appointment to have car outfitted to tow. Things are slowly coming together.

A Bit of News...

Good News today.. If buyer does not back out and payment goes through, the motorcycle is sold. Once I have money in hand, I will call to make an appointment to have towing base plate and lighting kit installed on the car.. I am feeling a little happier and lifted right now.. Fingers crossed that it all goes through and I can get ready to hit the road soon..

Summer Plans - Get to Idaho!

The tentative path for this summer's excursion from Waldo, Arkansas to Cocolalla, Idaho:


View Larger Map


If you think Natale should veer off the planned course and take another route, post your ideas here!  This would include side trips to come visit you, or a place you think is a must see along the way.

Happy route planning :).

Travel Preparations

Right now I am working on selling a couple of high end things on eBay in order to get the car outfitted to tow behind the RV. I have had some offers, but they were very low and declined. Hoping the universe is with me today and they sell. Once they do, I will make an appointment in Texarkana to have the base plate and lighting kit installed. I called 3 places that install Blue Ox items, and I almost choked when one place quoted me $1000 to install. The lowest was Shady Pines in Texarkana with a quote of $500. Fingers crossed everyone, because until the car is outfitted to tow, we are not going far.

The Bucket List

Hello blog readers!  My name is Christina, and I'm Natale's niece.  I'll be helping document the travels and adventures of my awesome Aunt!  So, to start us off to know where she's going, we need her bucket list to find out what she wants to do.  So here it is:

1. Riding the rails (completed in 2011)
2. Meet as many as my Facebook and Wild Wolf Women friends as I can during my travels
3. Visit all the National Parks I can drive to (have only visited about an 1/8th of them so far)
4. Visit other countries, such as Scotland, Ireland and New Zealand
5. Explore the Amazon Rainforest (for at least a week)
6. See the Sphinx and Pyramids of Egypt
7. Visit all the diverse areas of Ecuador
8. See all the wildlife on the Galapagos
9. Safari in Africa. (Thanks to a friend, I was able to stay in South Africa and do a camping safari in South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe)
10. Take a cruise around Alaska
11. Take a cruise around the Caribbean
12. Ride in a hot air balloon
13. Parasail
14. Cliff diving
15. Zip lining.
16. Learn to scuba dive (got certified in 2006)
17. Walk around lava flows in Hawaii
18. Storm Chasing with real storm chasers for at least a month
19. Ride in a gondola
20. Ride on a bullet train
21. Participate in a Renaissance Fair (would love to wear armor and a sword)
22. Go to a Steampunk convention decked out
23. Find a way to get over my inner ear issue and sea sickness to sail around the world
24. Drive the Autobahn in a fast car
25. Swim with sharks and dolphins. 
26. Month long white water rafting/camping trip. 
27. Experience weightlessness
28. Sleep in a castle
29. See the winter Olympics live
30. Own an island
31. Win the lottery so I can fulfill my bucket list

So here's to helping Natale fulfill her bucket list of dreams.  Let's make them a reality!