Author Archives: Joe

YMCA

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In my previous post, I mentioned joining a YMCA to exercise. I did just that 5 days ago and I’ve taken full advantage of my membership in that time. I think the Y may be the best kept secret in the country. I joined primarily for use of the swimming pool but I quickly discovered they have so much more to offer. In the pool area, they have a hydro pool (hot tub). The hot jets work wonders as foot massagers. They also have both a steam room and a dry sauna. Just what the doctor ordered when it’s cold and wet outside. They have numerous classes each day. Unlike other gyms I’ve joined, they do NOT require a separate payment. It’s all covered by your membership fee. I’ve never played racquetball but they have 2 courts and said I could use one to hit a tennis ball against the wall with my tennis racket. Sweet. For those of you who like to combine socializing with your workout, I noticed that several of the senior guys would sit around drinking coffee after their exercise sessions. If they’re like this all across the country, that will be a major factor in my choice of future campgrounds.

Exercising while fulltime RVing

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First, for those of you who maintain a perfect body weight and appropriate tone and muscle mass without even trying, congratulations!!! You can read the rest of the article for laughs if you want to.

For those of us who need or want to do something besides dietary changes, traveling fulltime in an RV presents a few obstacles. That treadmill, stationary bicycle or home gym you used to have in your house? Good luck fitting it in your RV and storing it whenever you move. Same goes for the free weights and those contraptions you attach to a door jamb. As RVers, our options decrease but we do still have options for a physical exercise routine.

Going back to basics, you can always go old school. That’s right. Push-ups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, jumping jacks. Most of these can be done inside your RV although you might need to take the jumping jacks outside. While you’re out there, you can also do tricep dips at the picnic table or pull-ups on a nearby tree limb or piece of playground equipment. If you need a strenuous workout, try washing and waxing the RV on a sunny day 🙂

There are other exercises you can do inside with minimal equipment, something lightweight and easy to store. Instead of dragging heavy free weights across the country, you could try a set of resistance bands for weight training. Need to work on your balance and burn a few calories at the same time? Try a Simply Fit Board. For those who prefer a structured routine, there are numerous workout videos available, including yoga. A yoga mat takes up very little space and can also serve other purposes.

Some of us prefer the great outdoors, either primarily or as an addition to our workout routine.  Running or walking is free. So is swimming in the local lake, river or ocean. If your campground or RV park has a swimming pool, that’s a bonus, especially if they have hours set aside for adult lap swimming or water aerobic classes. Many of us carry bicycles and that’s a great way to explore the local area. Hiking trails exist all across the country.

Sometimes, for any number of reasons, none of these options quite fit. A stationary homeowner has the option of joining a local gym. As a traveling RVer, you still have that option. Check out some of the national fitness center franchises and see if they have options that fit your lifestyle and budget. I recently checked out a local YMCA and decided to join, mainly because they have a large swimming pool, which helps me take a load off my feet while working out. After leaving my current location, I’ll probably keep the membership since I can visit any YMCA in the country and the amenities they offer are more compatible with my exercise routine than a traditional gym.

If you have other ideas for exercising on the road, feel free to leave a comment!

Marymere Falls

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Here’s the description from Google: Marymere Falls is located in Olympic National Park near Lake Crescent in Washington, United States. The falls are accessed by a one-mile, well maintained, dirt trail through old-growth lowland forest consisting of fir, cedar, hemlock, and alder trees.

The trail was actually about 3/4 mile each way. There were stairs involved which could make it rather difficult if you have knee/hip problems or are just out of shape. There’s also a narrow bridge which would make it unsuitable for wheelchairs or walkers. The trail starts on the north side of highway 101 in a paved parking lot, then crosses under the highway via a tunnel. The forest was beautiful, as were the falls and the surrounding mountains. Lake Crescent is on the north side of the highway.

Into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul: 

And now for the rest of the trip:

It looked like the trail railings and the bridge were made from local trees that were just rough cut in place and smoothed out a little.

First Waterfall on the Peninsula

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For lack of anything else to do today, I elected to visit the nearest waterfall. The weather wasn’t ideal, but it wasn’t terrible either so I headed west on highway 101 from Sequim, past Port Angeles, to the Madison Falls trailhead. It was an easy drive, and very easy to find. I used Google maps on my phone but I think the printed directions from the website would have sufficed. The last part of the drive was alongside the Elwha River. It looked like it could be a fun paddle, but definitely after it warms up. The rapids looked to be about Class 2.

The entrance to the trail was clearly marked at the trailhead parking lot and they even had a restroom. The walk up to the falls was literally 2 minutes on a paved trail which was wide enough for wheelchairs. There was 1 bench at the midway point and another at the end. That old tree stump was 9 feet across, the living trees were huge and I can’t remember seeing that much moss on trees before. Enjoy the pix. Even on a dreary, drizzly day, it was a great short hike.

 

Another sunny day in Sequim

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I had every intention of doing another road ride today but, after checking the forecast temps, decided I really need better gear to ride in for this weather. Instead, I drove downtown for pics of the tiny lending library on one of the main streets.

It would really be nice if this idea was adopted in more places around the country. As a fulltime traveler, I frequently run into problems trying to get a book from the local library since I’m not a resident. It’s also a cheap way to try different authors/genres. Today I switched it up a little by picking out a sci-fi paperback.

Moving on, I drove to an Olympic Discovery Trail trailhead. On the way there, I spotted 3 of these cuties in a local yard.

The Olympic Discovery Trail is fairly popular up here. I saw people of all ages walking, jogging, bicycle riding and skateboarding. This section of the trail was all paved and sometimes shared space with local roads. It also crossed over the Dungeness River. Where is my kayak now that I could use it?

Back on the bicycle

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Since the end of July, my road bike has been strapped to the ladder on the RV. Last week, it finally got taken down and used again. The chain certainly needed some oiling and a short ride around the park to unkink everything. That was followed by a leisurely ride into town a few days later. This morning, on a day when plentiful sun was in the forecast, I decided to take it for a longer ride.

It was about 40 degrees when I started the ride. I hoped that I’d dressed appropriately. From the bottom up, I had running shoes with hiking socks. bike shorts over sweat pants and a windbreaker over a long sleeved base layer. Everything seemed to work well except for 2 things. My feet were cold by the end of the ride (2 pair of socks next time) and the right leg of the sweat pants picked up quite a bit of chain oil. Not sure what to do about that yet.

So, other than cold temps, the winds were very light to calm. The roads were dry and the drivers were courteous. Washington is very bicycle friendly state. Lots of bike lanes, they’re even allowed on some portions of the interstate.

I saw lots of white-tailed deer along the roadside and in front yards, Lots of seagulls as I neared the Strait of Juan de Fuca and even a great blue heron. I saw a few places that I’ll probably revisit in the truck for hiking or picture taking. By the time I got back into Sequim, I really needed a break. I’d seen a place previously on the main drag that had several benches and stopped there to rest for a few minutes before finishing the ride. They had something there I’d never seen before. A lending library bookcase right there on the main street for visitors passing through. Right now, I still have a few books to finish but I’ll be sure to take them to the lending library when I’m done.

One of the strange things that happened on the ride involved my phone. I think I mentioned previously that I’m using T-Mobile. Apparently, while near the strait, it started getting its signal from Canada. I noticed a text message while stopped for my break. Fortunately, no additional charges were incurred for my fitness app on the phone.

The ride turned out to be about the same time I was used to in Florida but about 4 miles shorter (20 miles total). There were several hills along the route that didn’t look bad from the truck but had me downshifting all the way to first gear on the bicycle. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate enough for me to get a couple rides per week.

First impressions of WA

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I made it to a military campground with plenty of daylight left to set up. I’d made reservations a few days prior but not sure why I bothered. The office was closed when I arrived and the camp host was off site. There was no welcome packet for me. The brand new manager just happened to be there so he stepped in to help me. Finally got my site number and was able to set up. Some time later I left the base via the same gate and noted that it was an obstacle course that me and my 5er would never be able to navigate. The next day I asked the lady in the office how I was supposed to get out and she was clueless (brand new employee). Since I was staying there for 5 days, and with the help of Google Maps, I was able to explore the base and find a suitable route/gate to depart. The campground itself was nice, although rather gloomy with all the tall trees and frequent rain.

During this 5 day period, I was also able to personally visit the RV park where I wanted to stay in Sequim. When I introduced myself to the lady in the office, she immediately recognized the name and relayed some very good news. They usually try to keep one site open (the largest site in this small park) for overnighters passing through but they decided they’d rather have 2-4 months of guaranteed revenue. There were no problems getting from McChord to Sequim but I did make that trip on a Saturday since it included some I-5 travel. Of all the terrible commute cities I’ve seen, the Seattle/Tacoma area ranks second worst, right behind Atlanta.

So, I’m very glad to be far away from the madding crowd and will only return on weekends (for the most part) to visit family. It will also be nice to spend the next few months in a rain shadow, much drier than the surrounding area. I’ve been able to get in walks of 4-6 miles a day and will try out the road bike soon. I also found an RV dealer/repair shop about a half mile from the RV park and started the wheels turning to get my awnings replaced after the accident in Indiana earlier this year.

Totem Pole in Sequim WA

One odd thing I’ve noticed since arriving here is my gas mileage. It seems to be better than anytime since I’ve bought the truck. I’m not sure if that’s due to terrain and wind, or the station I’ve been buying from. Gas Buddy led me to a Shell station with the lowest priced diesel in the area by far. I guess we’ll see if that changes when I fill up someplace else.

And for the people who’ve noticed my tag line about Chinese buffets, I re-visited 2 that I’d previously been to on a prior visit. The AAA Buffet in Lakewood WA was disappointing. The Super Buffet in Lacy WA was still very good. And I discovered a new one, the Asian Buffet in Port Angeles WA. For a small town buffet, they had a very good selection of fresh food at a decent price. I especially liked that they had rice noodles, and coconut shrimp for lunch.

In the Pacific northwest

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After 1.5 days on the road, I made it safely to Tacoma WA. Big difference from my previous long drives.

I started out at an RV park in Rapid City SD. My main concern when leaving that park was a tree limb at the front of the site. Sure enough, as I started slowly pulling forward, it contacted the roofline of the RV. Fortunately, the site behind me was still empty (I’d pulled through that site earlier to get into mine). I backed up in the dark, frequently stopping and getting out  of the truck to check for hazards, then was able to pull forward through another site without tree limbs. The park was Happy Holiday RV Resort and there was a world of difference between high season and off season. The quality of the employees seemed to be much higher during high season.

Another bonus this time was that I was able to pick my travel days based on the weather. Just prior to this drive, my onboard computer average MPG was showing single digits since I was fighting winds most of the way. Now, with favorable winds for most of 1200 miles, the MPG never got close to single digits. And this was despite the fact that I traveled over the continental divide and through several mountain ranges. There was one bad spot in the middle of Montana where a rainstorm with headwinds hit but I pulled into a rest area for most of it.

Overall, the trip was non eventful except for my phone coverage. Somewhere in the middle of Montana, I lost my data connection, then couldn’t make outgoing calls. I switched to T Mobile a few months ago. I was still able to get enough info from the Trucker Path app to see upcoming rest areas and truck stops so that worked out OK. Soon after entering WA, I still didn’t have service even though I could see numerous cell towers on the side of the highway. I decided to reboot the phone and immediately got service back. I guess somewhere along the road, possibly when it dropped out of a partner coverage area, it just lost its mind.

Sugar beet harvest 2018, final

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Wow! It’s finally over and it was a very exasperating harvest. Lots of downtime due to weather. We only got one extra premium pay day. Towards the end, people with other commitments were leaving. We lost enough people at Stephen that a decision was made to just run a day shift with the remaining employees. We got one day shift in, then got stopped for weather again. After 2 days of everyone readjusting to a normal day cycle, the hotline message at 11 AM said to check back at 6 PM for a possible restart that night. No mention of extra incentive pay. I (and a few others) had no desire to switch from day to night again on such short notice so we notified Express that we were done.

While the remaining workers still had several hours to go on their last shift, I pulled out of the campground. One of these days I’ll catch a break on winds but not this time. The first third of the trip was into a direct headwind, the next third was a crosswind and the final third was back to a headwind.

I’m seriously considering Amazon next year instead of the sugar beet harvest. They’ve increased their wages, the weather is not a factor, and you have a firm end date so you can make plans and reservations based on that. The work is harder but since I know what to expect I should be able to prepare better before arrival.

On to the Pacific northwest!!

Sugar beet harvest 2018, great campground but…

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This is my 4th season working the sugar beet harvest and my 4th season staying at the city campground in Stephen MN. I have to say it’s head and shoulders above other campgrounds used in the area. It has full hookups (50 amp) at each site, great WiFi, over 150 channels of cable, clean bathhouse and laundry, and walking distance to the post office, grocery store and hardware store. Plenty of space between sites, easy to back in and the road through the campground does NOT turn to muddy ruts when it rains. All that being said, they are very protective of their water pipes. The other night, a hard freeze was forecast. Instead of asking everyone to unhook from campground water for the night, they elected to turn off the water and blow out the lines for the season. Water will be turned back on in the spring.

We’re not totally without water resources though. The water in the bathhouse is still running so we can do laundry, take showers and use those toilets when necessary. Everyone in an RV should have a freshwater tank and water pump but there’s at least one truck camper in the campground without those amenities. Some people didn’t have a chance to fill their freshwater tanks before the water was shut off. The harvest organizers have arranged for a truck to come to the campground twice a week to refill freshwater tanks. I’ve never had to utilize those services before so we’ll see how that works out.

On a semi-related note, a few months ago I realized that my water pump was defective. It would pump water but at very low pressure and would not shut off. I contacted the manufacturer and they were going to authorize replacement while I had the RV in for accident repairs. Since those repairs got delayed they said I could purchase my own replacement pump and they would reimburse me. I did that last month and was much happier with the new pump. I didn’t realize how much I would rely on it here.