Laundry On The Road

Some RV's come with a washer/dryer combo. I think it's actually one machine that switches from wash to dry. We have space that is set up for such a gizmo, but our RV didn't come with one and we have decided that we'd rather use the space for storage.

So, how do we get our bright yellow KOA shirts and other questionable fashion choices clean? The laundromat.

As KOA workers we get laundry quarters. Chris thinks it's funny that I'd never heard of this sort of thing before, but we have a ziploc bag of quarters in the office that are painted red. Others have different colors and when the machines are emptied the painted quarters are sorted and put into our baggies so we can do laundry for free. It's a nice perk.

In our other life, we probably did laundry (mostly Chris did laundry) almost every day. Now we do it about once a week. The trick with the KOA laundry room is timing it so you can get enough washers and dryers. This morning I hit the jackpot and got there before everyone else and got all four washers. Woohooo. All done in about 90 mins.

The other option is to go to a big laundromat and we do that sometimes too. Sure, it's not free like the KOA but they have giant washers and dryers.

I'd like to report that laundromats have come a long way since I was a kid. I remember laundromats as being dirty and a place where you got in and out as fast as possible We went there only if the machines at home were broken or we were watching things like sleeping bags or rugs. Now, laundromats are staffed all the time, have wifi and snacks and are spotless.

So, that's the dirt on getting clean. Harhar.

Mysteries At The KOA: The Shredded Undies

While I was on duty the other day a lady came in from the laundryroom saying that the washer had destroyed a pair of her underwear. She even showed me the evidence.

She was nice about it, but as she was folding her laundry the count on shredded underwear got as high as 7 pairs...hers and her husband's. It seemed odd and we couldn't figure out what had caused the problem since neither of us had ever seen a washer do something like that. We assumed it was because she had it on the highest setting.

I left a note for the office manager so she'd know what had happened in case anyone else had the same problem.

This morning I was out walking Dooley and the same lady stopped to tell me that she'd sovled the mystery. "I'm so embarrassed," she said. "But it was our dog. We figured it out later when we remembered that we'd left the laundry in a pile on the floor and went to lunch before we came home to do laundry."

Mystery solved. I'm like the Encyclopedia Brown of the KOA.

The Smoochie Saga

Yesterday a man came into the office saying that a "well fed dog without a collar" was loose and he shut it in the dog park. The owners (who happened to be in the office annoying me at the time) both said "Oh, we get tons of strays, just let him go." Mr. Helpful Dog Owner was not impressed. Neither was I.

Then he said it was a boxer and they said "Oh, it probably belongs to the guy who owns the brewery. Just let it go and it will find its way home."

Believe it or not, I kept my mouth shut during this conversation where my boss(es) displayed their compassion and sensitivity.

A few minutes later, I was outside when Mr. Helpful Dog Owner came by with his dog and a very fat bulldog tagging along. He said he was taking the dog over to the brewery. Rachel (the office manager/owner's daughter) poked her head out the door and said "That's not a boxer. I don't now whose dog that is." Mr. Helpful Dog Owner (who was in the office a few days ago when she was in a snit about something) said "Someone really needs to get that girl some valium".

In the midst of this, Chris said "Hey, that's Smoochie." I said, "No, Rachel says it belongs to the guy at the brewery."

"I'm pretty sure that's Smoochie" (who lives two doors down and tends to get loose often).

Then Chris said, "Well, Smoochie usually has pink toe nails."

I have no idea how he knows this stuff, but sure enough the toenails were pink. Upon further investigation a tie out with an empty collar attached was found at Smoochie's house.

Saved by pink toenail polish, Smoochie was returned to her family.

Adapting to Life in An RV

Since the title of the blog is Living Large In A Small Space I thought I'd talk about some of the adjustments to living in a small space.

Turns out there really aren't that many. We were living in a pretty small house, then we were in a smaller space at my parents' house, so this wasn't such a big leap.

I've read several blogs by full time RVers and one thing they all seem to say is that you'll start out with a large amount of clothes and realize that you really only wear about 10% and I'd say that's accurate for us. Admittedly, with the weather being so hot, we're just wearing shorts and T-shirts most of the time, but I'd say we even have too many of those clothes.

We have plenty of storage, but I expect we'll purge some clothes at some point.

I think the biggest challenge is food storage and preparation. There's a fair amount of space to store pantry items, but the freezer is not very large so that means we need to restock on meat every week or more often. Two people cooking is challenging, but we are getting better at it. (Or I just let Chris do it in order to not be in the way. I'm thoughtful like that.)

The RV is designed for maximum storage so that's not a big deal, so it's more of a dance of the two of us reaching around each other for items.

It also helps that we are able to be outside often so our "patio" space is like an additional room.

At this point, the biggest challenge is just remembering where I stashed things during the great scramble to escape Ohio.

Moral of the story---we don't really need that much space or stuff to be happy.

We Had A Visitor!

Last week we were very excited to have KC come and visit us! She stayed in one of the KOA cabins here and was a good sport about her camping experience.

As you know, we've been stunned by just how hot it's been here in New Mexico since we arrived. Well, while KC was here it was so cool that she was sitting in a lawn chair wrapped in a blanket.

But the weather did warm up and was pleasant for the rest of her visit.

We spent part of Friday in Santa Fe taking in the ambiance and having a nice lunch. Santa Fe has tons of shops as well as an area where the Native Americans come and sell their wares. We saw many beautiful items but all resisted the urge to buy.

We also took KC to The Range Cafe for dinner and I think she was suitably impressed. I know I was impressed with my mac and cheese w/roasted green chilis.

There were also a couple of afternoon naps and a nice walk. Since I had to work for a few hours on Saturday and Sunday, KC got the thrill of observing me in action as  KOA workamper. I'm pretty sure she had the jealousy.

Where To Lay Your Head: Travel Trailers

There are a wide range of travel trailers available, from the very small




then there are the teardrop trailers, which are very cute and cleverly designed






To large and elaborate




What are the advantages to a travel trailer? Well, compared to a tent it's must dryer and more comfortable. It's probably easier to find something in your price range and the small ones can be pulled behind a SUV.

I'm sort of fascinated by the teardrop campers, though I don't think I'd do very well in one for more than a day or two. 

Restaurant Review: San Marcos Cafe and Feed Store

First, we did not stop or eat at the feed store.

In my last post I talked about our adventure along the Turquoise Trail which culminated with our lunch at The San Marco Cafe & Feed Store.

We just happened to drive by and see this place, so we circled back and gave it a try. Boy, are we glad we did.

First, it was in an adobe building that was nice and cool. Second, when we ordered iced tea the waitress brought us our own pitcher for the table. Those of you who know my iced tea drinking habits know how happy this made me.

Then there was the food.

Chris ordered the special: Catfish Jambalaya with homemade cornbread. He was thrilled with his choice and was a clean bowler.

I had a cheeseburger with avacado and bacon, which was delicious. A large hand formed patty cooked just right with a nice fresh bun. Instead of fries, it came with home fries that were fantastic. Real potatoes fried in real butter. One of my favorite things.

Chris tried my burger and I think he was a little jealous.

Excellent food and service. We'll definitely go back.

We got a piece of pineapple upside down cake to bring home. It was good but Chris's version is better. Still tasty.

In addition to good food and service, the Cafe had very nice ambiance. There were several shady seating areas outside and when we left two peacocks were hanging out by the door. Chris said that one of them had pecked at the door, presumably looking for some pineapple upside down cake.

Traveling The Turquoise Trail

We took a day trip to travel the Turquoise Trail. You can see the official link here. It's a national scenic byway that runs from Albuquerque to Santa Fe (about 45 miles).

It was a lovely drive. I don't seem to ever get tired of the New Mexico scenery. The Turquoise Trail passes through several small towns with gift shops, galleries and restaurants. Our first stop was in Golden to visit Henderson Store. Beautiful Southwestern Indian Jewelry, Pottery and Rugs. We bought a few trinkets as gifts and I was very pleased with the selection, prices and service. We'll definitely be going back there before we leave to buy some Christmas gifts...and maybe a couple things for ourselves.

Next we stopped in Madrid which had a large number of shops and restaurants, including a diner that was featured in the movie Wild Hogs. We didn't go there. The brochure listed a shop called Weasel & Fitz which appealed to me for obvious reasons, but they were closed. By then it was getting hot, I had to pee (all the businesses had "no public restrooms" signs which didn't make me or my bladder feel particularly welcome) so we left Madrid without much regret.

The trail is sort of shaped like a wishbone with Santa Fe at the apex. We didn't feel like going all the way to Santa Fe to catch the highway, so we took a road that would cross over to the highway we wanted. The map said that part of the road was an unpaved, seasonal road, but we took it anyway.

Picture the two of us jammed into the red Chevy Aveo winding our way up a mountain trail that was more stone than gravel and mostly packed dirt. Again, more spectacular scenery and this time we were really close to it since it was basically a one lane road between the mountains and rocks.

We encountered a pick up truck coming from the opposite direction on a part of the road wide enough for two vehicles. The other driver waved for us to stop. "There's a big patch of mud about a quarter mile ahead," he said, then glanced down from his big pick up at our fuel efficient Chevy. "I don't think you guys will make it."

Rather than take offense, we took his advice and turned around, retracing our steps.

And, boy are we glad we did because a few miles after we returned to the paved highway we found a wonderful place for lunch.

Tune in next time to hear all the details.

Where To Lay Your Head: Pop Up Campers

In 1972 the Fitzgeralds (including my grandparents) drove a station wagon from Ohio to Alaska towing a popup camper.

I don't know if they've changed a whole lot in those 40 years or not.



The two end pieces are beds and the kitchen table also makes into a bed.

These are images I found online. They have kitchens but usually not a bathroom other than maybe a chemical toilet.

After the trip to Alaska the camper was used for many fun sleepovers and slumber parties.

The advantages of a pop up camper are: I think they are fairly inexpensive, easy to tow and can probably be towed w/a car so you don't need to buy a big truck or SUV. More comfortable than a tent and more cooking options since you don't have to bring along a grill or propane stove. They are light to tow so you won't use as much gas as with other RVs.

The disadvantages: set up, not a lot of room inside. Setting up in the rain would be a big drag.

This one looks sort of fancy. 
 

Thanks For Last Night

Recently I got a call at 10:30 pm because some folks who had rented one of the KOA cabins had lost their key and needed to be let in. I was sleeping, but Chris and I got dressed, went to the office and got the extra key and all was well. It was a beautiful evening and even though the call woke us up, it wasn't that big of a deal.

The next morning when I was out walking Dooley, the owner called out to me from about 20 yards away. "Thanks for last night."

I just smiled and waved. Am I the only one who gives that phrase a different connotation?

Later I went to do the laundry and the two ladies who were locked out were in the laundry room. "Thanks for last night," one of them said.

"I hear that all the time," I said. Laughter in the laundry room.

After that I saw the office manager who said "Hey, thanks for last night."

Apparently I've been spreading joy all around the KOA.

Hairy Issues

One of the challenges of life on the road is finding a new hairdresser. I've decided to just let my hair grow. What do you think? 

Restaurant Review: The KOA Kafe

     Right here at the KOA there is a nice covered Kafe (Koa uses K's a lot). It's open for breakfast Thursday thru Sunday. We'd not heard great things about it when we first arrived, so we didn't visit, but now that there's a new cook this might be just about our favorite place to eat. First, of course, it's very convenient since it's only about 20 yards away. But most importantly, the food is excellent and plentiful.

One thing you need to know about ordering food in New Mexico is that everything comes with the question "red or green?" meaning which color chili sauce you want. Then there's "smothered" which means having the sauce poured over the top.

At the KOA Kafe I usually get the handheld breakfast burrito with chorizo, potatoes (inside) and eggs and a bit of red chili. Since it's handheld, it's not smothered. Chris usually gets his smothered and uses a knife and fork (just wanted to make that clear).

They also have nice fried potatoes (you know that's one of my favorites) and weekly specials. Last week's special was breakfast sandwiches on Texas Toast. They were really good but a bit too much toast for me.

In addition to convenience and good food, it's just a nice way to get to know some of the campers in the park since seating is at long tables. Nearly everyone we meet has an interesting story to share.

Where To Lay Your Head: Tents

We sure have seen a wide range of camping options while we've been here so I thought I'd write some posts about the different ways to camp.

Before I get to tents, there's even the more basic--sleeping in your car (or truck). We've actually had a few people do that. I went by one campsite that had a nice minivan backed into it with the electrical cord going in an open window. I assume the folks inside had taken down the seats (or removed them completely before the trip) and were sleeping on some sort of air mattress in the back. Maybe not the most comfortable way to go, but if it's a choice between staying home or sleeping in the van, then I admire their gumption.

I suspect the mattress in the minivan might be more comfortable than some tent camping, but have no actual experience to verify that.

Tents come in all shapes and sizes, from the very small pup tent to a large family sized tent with room dividers.

Here's a tent that combines sleeping in your car with tent camping.




                   Or how about a big family sized tent?



  I'm not sure I'm really cut out for tent camping, but I do notice that the people who travel this way are usually well equipped with the items they need to make life more comfortable. They seem to spend more time sitting outside, playing cards or eating at their picnic tables.

The pros of a tent would be: you can travel in your regular car which would save on gas vs. other camping methods. It's cheaper (the sites are usually $20 less than for a big RV). You can drive to more remote locations and get a more rustic camping experience.

The cons: lack of a/c or bathroom.

What do you think? Are you likely to be a tent camper?

Jobs We Won't Be Applying For

We check workampingjobs.com regularly to see what other opportunities are available. There are many interesting things to do, but this is one that I think we'll not apply for. I've included my comments in red. I put some key phrases in bold.


APAFR Volunteers assist with administering our Fish, Wildlife, and Outdoor Recreation Program at Avon Park Air Force Range in central FL. Central Florida, that could be nice. Housed in Volunteer Village surrounded by shady oak hammocks,(cozy!) all volunteers are offered free 50amp hook up, laundry, wifi internet access, (important!) and recreational permits to the Range. Jobs mainly include: Staffing our hunter game processing and check station; this includes data collection, disposing of game entrails,  (WHAT?? Ewww.)and cleanliness of the facility. Gate access control, general maintenance/grounds keeping, and a variety of light duty tasks to help keep our program running efficiently. 

Work hours vary from 4:00am to 9:30pm. (Again, WHAT??) Couples are assigned contingent shifts as much as possible, though shifts are not necessarily given on a rotating basis and may be assigned for the term. Volunteers must commit to 24 work hours each week. A 4 month minimum stay is requested.

Next time I'm complaining about dealing with the phones and customers here at the KOA, I'll go back and read this ad.