It’s a chilly, drizzly day on top of Sweetwater Summit at its regional park campground—in the town of Chula Vista, directly east of San Diego. But no matter: we have full hookups, which means we can run the heat pump on city electricity (saving our propane for nights in the tent), and I’ve been gleefully […]
Month: March 2022
The Beach Every Day, Several Ways
Today, we move on, from Tijuana River Valley Regional Park to a whole honking half-hour away, to a county park east of San Diego. A week there, then up the California coast. As I leave here, I realize it might be the only place we’ll be on the entire Pacific Coast where we could walk […]
Tiny Tea House
Although there’s no swimming pool and no slippers by a plush bed, this is my favorite little house so far. Yes, I always say that! But look how inviting it is. First Floor Downstairs offers two lounge areas for you and a friend, plus a small washroom. Or you can sit on a rattan chair […]
Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
You know I’m unsure how I want to say what’s on my mind when I resort to quoting Jimmy Buffet. Sadly, this isn’t the first time on my blog, either. I do have lots of impressions floating in my head that I want to get out on paper, mostly about being back on the road […]
Our Second-year Nomadiversary
Yep, two years ago today, we left Tracy’s house and took off in the Airstream. What a shocking and terrible and adventure-filled, wonderful year that was. On that anniversary, for my own amusement I compiled one photo per month in this post: first-year nomadiversary. The next year included a homecoming reunion with everyone we miss, […]
Pacific Ocean High
After eight months of mostly glorious Southwest desert, we finally landed near San Diego to begin our trek up the Pacific Coast. Not a moment too soon. (And I realize the John Denver song is about an elevated place, whereas the ocean is the namesake for sea level, but let’s go with the other meaning […]
Banjo Visits Mars, Again
Our long-planned spring trip up the Pacific Coast begins with reservations in San Diego soon (but not yet), so we needed a stop west on the way there. Why not revisit Mars (aka Imperial Dam LTVA)? Our seasonal pass is still valid, and we can get mail and packages here, plus a handful of other […]
An Eye-Opening Night in an Old Ghost Town
Ruby, Arizona, used to be a mining town, built after the first strike to its ore in the 1870s. Along with a shaft mine—that produced gold, silver, and then lead and zinc—came the company town, including a handful of houses, two barracks, a nine-bed hospital, a cement jail, a school for up to 150 children, a […]
Blogging in Dark Times
As I write this, I’m thinking about the war in Ukraine. Yet, almost two years ago, I wrote about the weirdness of “living on vacation” and writing about it when the rest of the world seems like it’s on fire (George Floyd had just been killed). I’ve blogged about my nomadic life during the worst […]
Compelled by the Desert, Again
Tracy and I were driving due south from Tucson to find a campsite almost on the border with Mexico, when I realized something important. We’ve been letting the idea of where we spend next winter percolate in our plans (as well as actively brainstorming, searching, wracking our resources and hearts) but—no dice. We have no […]
