Garden of the Gods and Cheyenne Mountain State Park, Colorado

Chatfield sunset

As June melted into July, we planned a much anticipated trip to Gunnison, Colorado.  We left Chatfield early on a Monday; Bill driving the rig and me behind the wheel of the Kia.  We figured it would come in handy while we toured the area.

Our first stop was Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.  They have an amazing nature center and great parking for RVs.  We went into the center first and looked at all the cool stuff.  Bill couldn’t resist a couple souvenirs, including a grilling cookbook.  The kids all smashed a penny.  
After we went outside and looked at the view from the balcony, Kyla said, “Hey Mom, I can see my house from here...”  Sigh.  A chip off the old block.  Much to my dismay sometimes.

After a quick bite in our rolling house, we decided to take the driving tour of the Gardens (in the Kia).  Just as we exited the rv, it started dumping rain and hailing.  We dashed to the car, everyone screaming and laughing. 

Cheyenne State Park

The drive was absolutely beautiful.  Everyone thought so.  Including the fifty other cars we slowly drove behind.  I guess some people don’t know how to drive in the rain...

After the storm passed, we drove to Cheyenne Mountain State Park.  It is one of Colorado’s newest state parks and very nice.  Full hookups and a nice level concrete pad.  The fire ring was large and well covered.  Gambrel oak is everywhere and well-maintained walking paths meander throughout.  No wifi.  But a breathtaking view of Colorado Springs. Cheyenne Mountain is right behind the park and we could see the gated entrance to the tunnel leading under the mountain.  If you are a Stargate fan (we are), it is a geeking-out moment. (The tunnel is right above the back half of the rig).

The next morning, we trucked on down the back roads to Gunnison.  I have to say that the Shell gas stations we’ve run into are very accommodating to our rig.  It is always a gamble when looking for gas stations on the smaller highways.

Driving along Gunnison River is beautiful.  There are quite alot of RV resorts, cabins and shopping opportunities that crop up every few miles along the river.  Our destination was the Blue Mesa RV Ranch Resort across from the Blue Mesa Reservoir.  Sigh.  So beautiful.

Health Insurance on the road

First, I want to say how excited I am to be a part of the Families on the Road website! http://www.familiesontheroad.com/    I've been a lurker for years.  Never commenting, always longing for adventure.  Living it out vicariously through other people's experiences.  Now, I can share mine...

Now, to a more mundane question: Health Insurance.
                                     

 
We personally have a federal health care plan as my husband works for the government.

But the idea of paying cash or using a non-profit medical-sharing ministry plan is also interesting.

I prefer to use the Health Savings Account, because it is like cash in my pocket instead of the insurance company.  

What about Catastrophic Health care coverage instead?

I know that this varies for everyone based on our stage of life or medical needs.  My SIL, for example, has struggled with Ehlers Danlos Sydrome --a chronic and life-threatening condition-- her whole life.  She absolutely needs full coverage.

Whereas, our family is very healthy.  No serious medical issues or life-threatening conditions.  When we do get sick with a cold or flu (which is rare), then I use old-fashioned methods like vitamins and herbs to boost the immune system.  Plus, I keep copies of our medical records. 

We have our family doctor in town and our favorite dentist.  But what about while you are traveling?

What is your experience with cash only or dealing with insurance on the road?

Also, who do you prefer for RV insurance?  We are using GEHA (through Good Sam), but have heard good things about GEICO. 

House-less; not homeless...

There are upsides and downsides to living in an RV. Besides the obvious lack of space and privacy and ability to stock up on groceries when they are on sale, there are...shall I say..."legal challenges.”
Such as:

Easy answer unless you live in an RV.

Time to vote? Oh, yes. You can't use your mailing address as a legal residence, but we can use the temporary space that we occupy (Clear Creek RV park in the winter/Jefferson County Fairgrounds in the summer).

The most recent challenge is...school.

My husband and I agreed that the kids should get more online schooling and with my oldest going into 7th grade, we decided to try the online public school route. It sounded like a good idea. All the materials we needed for free. Outside motivation for deadlines and still able to enjoy traipsing about the country...

Step #1:

Verify your residence. Where do you reside? What is the place that you and your family occupy on a daily basis?

Ok. I am optimistic by nature, but this first step proved to be a doozy that I can't overcome. They accept utility bills, but not cell phone bills or tax returns. What about the fact that I pay state taxes, including school taxes. I own a home in Colorado, but I rent it out. I could use the property tax statement to show proof of residency, but I don't live there. I wanted to be up front and honest with the admissions folks for both K12 and Connections Academy, so as to not cause problems later on.

They could do a shipping addendum which would route all materials to the UPS store that we use as our contact address for mailing purposes. But to prove that I "reside" in Colorado (besides paying state taxes, registering my vehicle (which cost $1200 --yowza), and having a Colorado drivers license isn't good enough.), is beyond my current capabilities.

I could get funding. Only if I pretend to be homeless. But I'm house-less, not homeless...

Second problem: Testing. They require our physical presence between February and April. Who knows exactly when. It depends on the teacher you are assigned, which you won't know until you sign up and are part way through the year. We have to ask permission in order to travel extensively...

That ain't happening. I don't need to ask "Mother, may I?" to do what I want to do.
So, public online schools are out for us. They are good schools that offer a valuable service. But not for my family.

And to be perfectly frank, I'm relieved. I prefer homeschooling anyway and am excited about the wonderful opportunities for science and history learning on the road. We'll see what lies ahead for this roadschooling family!

Comic Con

Star Wars 501st booth with all the props and helmets!

Green Screen Adventures

We had loads of fun, but put in some long hours. So many interesting costumes and people.

We had so much fun at Comic Con in downtown Denver. So many beautiful costumes. Lots of interesting people. Here I am in my TARDIS dress and the girls dressed up on Saturday....

Preparing for Comic Con

After beautiful sunshine and temperatures in the eighties, we made our way to Golden Gate Canyon. Where it promptly snowed... We huddled under blankets and hidey-holed away.

Bill and I trooping together!

My husband, Bill, is part of the Star Wars 501st Mountain Garrison and regularly participates in charity events. One of the bigger events this year was the Denver Comic Con which reached an incredible 60,000+ attendees. Our family decided that it was worth attending. Because we love being a part of the 501st, we showed up early and stayed late every day to help set up and tear down.

My girls and I stayed home on Friday (after booking it down the mountain Thursday and planting ourselves at Jefco Fairgrounds) and worked on costumes.

Besides a few repairs to Bill and Liam's costumes, Kyla wanted to be a Harry Potter Hogwarts student in Ravenclaw. Jessica went as a steampunk pirate and I envisioned a TARDIS dress from Dr. Who.


My only roadblock? A decent sewing machine. I needed a heavy duty, lightweight, compact beast. Quite a combination. After some research and craiglisting, I found a Kenmore Mini Ultra that a teenager used to sew patches on her uniform. Plus, a used White from the 80s. Since my mother-in-law had expressed a desire for solid machine (still needs to be taught how to use it) and Mother's Day was the next day, total bonus!

I bought both for $50. The Kenmore alone sells for $100 on Amazon. I call it "Boss Hog" because it has handled everything I've thrown at it. From patches on a helmet bag to delicate polyester.
My other challenge. I've never made a garment or used a pattern. But I figured that like everything else, you just take it one step at a time. Also, my mom made a boatload of clothes from scratch growing up and I've made several curtains and such, plus repairs. How hard could it be?

Turns out that I can make a garment from scratch using a pattern. Note to self: use much lighter material next time as fleece doesn't wear well in the heat. We ordered Hogwarts House Patches from Amazon.

I also altered a royal blue formal dress (found at the thrift store for $7) using scrap material from Jo-Ann Fabric ($4) and added some bling and letters from Michael's (about $4-5). Using left-over fabric from my eldest daughter's curtains, I made a fun wrap that looked starry enough. We found a yellow parasol at Disguises, a local costume store, for about $8. So for around $20, I had a fun costume.


I also made Wonder Woman wristbands and headband from glittering gold craft foam (35 cents) and sew-on velco. Jessica went as Wonder Woman on Sunday. She fixed stick-on fabric stars ($1 at Jo-Ann Fabric) to a sky-blue skirt (thrift store find for $2 that was too small for me) and wore a fun t-shirt. Plus, her new black high-top converse (thrift store $7) and that girl was set!

It took a long time to make, but totally worth it.

Now on to Comic Con!

Doing laundry in our RV

When God created Adam and Eve, they didn't have to worry about washing clothes. They just jumped in the nearest water source and cleaned off. But after Cain and Abel came along, I am sure that Eve lamented the amount of dirt they tracked into her house and how fast they got their deer skins dirty.

I am faced with the same challenge. In fact, I'm pretty sure that dirty clothes multiply in secret --when you aren't paying attention. So, when we moved into our RV in October 2011, I immediately missed my washer and dryer. After a year of using the local laundromats, I calculated that it cost $40-$50 a month to wash clothes.

As we spent most of the last eighteen months in the Golden area, I found my favorites haunts. For a while, I used the washers at Clear Creek RV park for $1.50 to wash and the same for drying. It was convenient, but expensive.

After that, I found the Golden Coin-Op. A small retro dry-cleaner/laundromat across from Clear Creek and tucked away on a back street in downtown Golden. For $3.45 or $5.00, depending on how much laundry I had, I could use their commercial washer and get all my stuff done in 30 minutes. Then, using their massive drum gas dryers for twenty-five cents per eight minutes (I usually put in a $1.00), I dried it all within forty minutes. Plus, I could run a few errands and leave it there. The ladies that run the laundromat are very kind and helpful.

Golden Coin-Op

 As much as I enjoyed the weekly trek to the Golden Coin-Op, I wanted to find a solution that allowed me to do the laundry at home. We only have one car and it is a royal pain in the patootie to load the car up with all our books, bags, dirty clothes and assorted sundries while jamming down breakfast, packing lunch and scrambling to get out the door so my husband isn't late to work...again.

I started researching portable washers and dryers in earnest at the beginning of this year.  I envisioned something that would fit in my bathtub.  Because we had the big ol' fifth wheel and no truck to haul it, I thought we would be able to use the rv park showers and not worry about using our own.

But before I bought any washer, I was determined to try out my Wonder Washer.  Which was purchased years before (off craigslist), after my old washer died and I didn't want to be left without some sort of alternative. I discovered, very quickly, the disadvantage of having to wring out wet clothes by hand (we won't mention my dog trying to pull all the laundry off the line --believing that I invented this brand new game all for his entertainment...).

 

Wonder Washer

The handle accidentally broke (must have been from all the times I shoved it underneath our rig while trying to reach something else) and I turned it over to an rv neighbor who used it to rotate her compost...

So, now fully armed with the knowledge that a spinning action is required to remove water from clothing --I changed my search parameters to include spinning.  My next acquisition, compliments of craigslist, included all those wonderful features.

I LOVED this washer. Plus, I only paid $200 for it. It fit perfectly in my bathtub and I could get even a blanket washed. I strung a clothes-line along our couch slide out and my husband would often come home and have to duck under pants and t-shirts hanging down over the dinette or couch. I viewed them as wet curtains protecting us from the gawkers strolling along Clear Creek (I was one of those before we moved to the park...).

The only problem I had was that it wasn't practical for mobility. If we were theoretically forced to use our own shower, then hauling it in and out of the bathtub wouldn't work. It would work beautifully in a toy-hauler or if fit on casters, could slide in and out of the way if you had a space to put it.  It is designed to be connected to the kitchen sink. I retro-fitted it to connect to my shower.

Haier 1.0 Cubic foot portable washer

Since my friends were moving out of their house and into an RV they were parking on a piece of land while building their house, and had three small children, I took the washer over to them. Now, I had to continue the hunt. Sigh.

I needed something that was easy to lift in and out of the bathtub, small enough to fit under or near an out-of-the-way place and strong enough to handle our family.

In the end, I ordered these two beauties:

Table top spin dryer

Panda portable washer 

I bought them for a few reasons. Namely, I had just spent $200 for the other washer and couldn't justify a huge expense. Plus, they fit my criteria. There are several good agitator washers out there, and a couple good spin dryers. I settled on these based on the Amazon reviews.

I used them for a couple months in our huge fifth wheel and then easily moved them to the Sunseeker we currently own. It is easy to do laundry when you don't have to worry about filling the gray tank and are attached to city water. It is a whole other ball of wax when you are forced to rely on the fresh water tank and carefully conserve when only hooked to electricity.

After four months of using the washer and dryer combo and adapting it to my class c, I found a good routine.  I have to mix the load so that it only has one heavy garment, like a pair of jeans, a towel, or a sweatshirt. I fill the washer with a little water and agitate it after adding a little soap. While the shower nozzle fills the washer the rest of the way, I add my clothes and push them down until everything is wet. I put enough water in to cover the clothes and let them float freely. Then I let the washer agitate for about twelve minutes. I gravity drain the wash water and fill it for the first rinse. Same process. When I fill it for a second rinse, the water is usually gray afterwards.

After the second rinse, I pull the clothes out and carefully stuff them into the spin dryer. Using centrifugal force, the spin dryer gets out most of the water. I set that for about two to three minutes. Using the water from the second rinse cycle, I add some detergent and get it ready for the next load. By the time my load is ready to wash, the dryer is done spinning and I pull everything out.

I added an extra shower curtain rod to the middle of our shower (we are all shorter, so this works for us) and keep extra hangers up there. Plus, I rely heavily on the octopus holder.

IKEA Octopus hanging clothes dryer

Our family goes through alot of clothes, so I end up doing about three loads every two days. We recently stayed at a park that only had electricity and made you pay for showers. So, I dumped almost every day. On the plus side, I became very comfortable handling the rig in small spaces and backing up is a breeze. 

When they aren't in use, I drain everything out thoroughly and store them alongside my bed on top of a shower curtain remnant (I had to cut it down to fit in our little shower stall) to collect any extra water that came out. Plus, I leave the lids up to dry out. It can be a pain, but I've become adept at moving them in and out. I also use a little shelf mat (the kind you cut down to keep your stuff from sliding around) to keep the washer and dryer from moving around too much.

I tried stringing a clothesline in our little rig, but it doesn't work. I only do enough laundry to fill the shower. I usually hang the clothes off the cabinet handles at night. This allows me to keep up with the laundry.

My only problem. When the tank fills up, it backs up into the tub. Which backs up into the washer and dryer and shuts off my GFCI breaker. Then I have to wait until everything dries out. I try to keep an eye on it, but doesn't always work.

So far, my little investment has paid for itself. The laundry doesn't pile up and the kids are learning how to empty and refill the washer. I am also considering adding this to my collection, just in case it breaks down or we don't have electricity...

Jefferson County Fairgrounds, Colorado --training wheels!

  

After wintering at the Clear Creek RV park, we relocated to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Jefferson County.  A decent place to stay.  It has water and electricity, but no sewer.  Just a dump station.

Bear Creek Lake Park, Morrison, CO

We stayed there for two weeks while I tested our fresh water tank capacity and how long we could go on the gray and the black.  With five people, we could go about three days without dumping.  But if I did laundry (in the bathtub), then I dumped after four loads.

We moved on from there to Bear Creek Lake Park in Lakewood, Colorado...

We were excited about this particular place because it was the first campsite we were able to visit in Denver outside of our normal two places.

Lotsa Fun.

They have lots of trails to hike and bike. The kids loved swimming in the lake and we were close enough to walk!

Bear Creek Lake Park swimming 

As it turned out, we had to pay for showers and the dump station/water refill station were far away.  So this truly was a test of my little tanks.  I am cheap and refuse to pay for showers.  So, we discovered we could squeeze in six showers (done Navy style) and a couple loads of dishes.  If I decided to do laundry that day, then I dumped twice.  Whew!

On the plus side, my driving skills improved IMMENSELY...  Having to pull out every two days to fill up on water and then drive to the dump station (they weren't together) and then backing up and leveling made me very comfortable...