Launching

It’s happening – we’re going on a road trip towing Elvis our camper! Mike and I have been dreaming about touring the US for many years and all of a sudden it is becoming a reality. We will be visiting small towns, cities, and of course all the great outdoors we possibly can. From Denver, we will head south to Palo Duro Canyon in Texas – who knew there was a canyon in Texas – and on to Austin and San Antonio. From there it will be Big Bend, and of course a stop in Marfa to visit Ian. El Paso, Texas next to gain an understanding of life at the border, and soon after on to the Tucson, Arizona area with parks nearby for plenty of hiking, biking, and exploring. Then, it’s on to San Diego where we will reassess and make more plans. Death Valley and Joshua Tree are on our list, if the Government Shut Down ever ends, and then, who knows.

We knew this time was approaching where Mike might be needing to switch jobs. With the appointment of a new governor in Colorado, Mike had to say goodbye to his dynamite boss Governor John Hickenlooper and start thinking about a new career in transportation. My consultant work with a Children’s Bookstore in Denver was wrapping up, so the timing couldn’t be more perfect. Big decisions are coming our way and what better way to ponder our options and think about the future than under the dark skies asking the North Star to guide us.

We bought our camper last year, during a hail damage sale, with the intent of testing it out in Colorado in preparation for an extended trip some time in the future. Aside from a “can-opener” experience with the siding in its first few weeks we have worked through the kinks and hurdles of getting to know how these mini homes on wheels operate. We chose a retro Riverside trailer because of its charm and relatively small size in the world of pull behinds. It’s named Elvis because of its retro look with red vinyl diner-looking seats, black and white tiled flooring, and light birch wood paneling throughout. But, probably our favorite feature is our bed-slash-couch nestled like a ship’s cabin bunk in the back. Of course, we plan to spend most of our time outside but it’s nice to know there is a place for us at the end of each day to come home to and relax in, and if need be, get out of the weather and recharge.

It’s nature we want to wrap ourselves up in. A quilt of velvety greens and reds, whispering winds, chattering wildlife, and shimmering stars. Hiking is in our blood. Growing up in New Hampshire I got the bug for hiking, inspired by my parent’s good friends Tom and Liz Williams, who built their own cabin at the base of Cardigan Mountain. Since my parents weren’t hikers I would meet Liz and hike with her through the fir woods to the bald-topped granite summit with views of the Whites and beyond. My high school and college dates involved hikes, and my sister and I would tent in Acadia each summer. My mother had an aversion to the outdoors – too many uncomfortable aspects like mosquitoes, sunburns, sweat, grit, and such. My father loved it. From fishing, to hunting and camping – but he wasn’t a hiker. He took me out walking in the woods to track down grouse and partridge, had me out in a boat on the Great Bay or a canoe on the Restigouche River forever in search of the salmon, trout, or flounder to bring home for dinner. He bought me a bike and cross country skis even though he was a down-hiller. He was passing on his love of the outdoors and I was biting.

When Mike and I married we spent every summer hiking and camping in Acadia National Park. We loved that the mountains met the sea and we could hike in the morning and beachcomb along the rugged coastline in the late afternoon as the Maine skyline turned pink and orange. We kayaked and once sailed, too. in our later years we kayaked and camped on the private islands off of Deer Isle. We got our kids camping as soon as they could walk and brought them to Acadia every summer. Later, we took them out west, with our checked baggage being our family tent, and wound our way through the National Parks, first in Arizona and Utah, and another time to California to visit Yosemite, Big Sur, Sequoia, and King’s Canyon. We wanted hiking and camping to be in their bones and today I’m thrilled that they all possess a tent and hiking boots.

My first cross country trip was after my junior year in high school. There were about a dozen of us, in two vans with two leaders, and we hiked and camped our way through the American West. We learned to rock climb in the Tetons, spelunk in the Dakotas, cook over an open fire, backpack, set up camp, and live outside for eight straight weeks. I fell in love with the vast open skies of the West, the red-walled canyons, and the dry crisp air. Sleeping out in the open with the incandescence of the night sky, and without mosquitoes humming in your ears and nibbling at your neck, was a freedom I had never experienced. Back in New Hampshire I continued to hike in the White Mountains and while in college in Vermont the Greens. My favorite place was atop of a mountain – something that is still true today.

So, getting back to Elvis. There is a lot of planning involved in leaving your home for a good long time. Aside from stopping the mail, cleaning out the fridge, and imploring your neighbors to check on things, we do have a pet rabbit to tend to. And, this is no ordinary rabbit that lives in a cage and needs some food and water. Our rabbit, Roux, has full run of the house and uses a litter box. But, the main thing he needs is some attention. He jumps on our bed if we sleep in, anxious to get his daily morning dose of blueberries, banana, and kale. He lies at our feet all day, jumps up to join us on the couch at night, and looks forward to lots of petting and the occasional treats. But our faithful rabbit-whisperer Maggie is coming to our rescue once again. It feels good to know that Maggie will look out for Roux and love him as much as we do.

The other thing I am struggling with are my choices of reading materials. Begrudgingly, I have to return some unfinished books to the library, and I have a stack piled high on my desk of books I’m deciding between. We have a large shelf for books in Elvis, but weight becomes the issue here. I want to bring Jill Lepore’s book THESE TRUTHS: A History of the United States and it alone weighs 2.8 pounds (yah, I weighed it). I know, I could use a device, but I treasure holding a book in my hands. I’ll figure it out and probably bring them all.

Ah yes, these first world problems. One thing I know for sure – I am forever grateful and feel so incredibly lucky that Mike and I get to share this great adventure. What it holds for us is a mystery, but we will embark on the journey with wide arms and open minds.