A Catch-Up For You, Reader. :) Homebase.

If you know us or have been reading this blog for a long time, you know Kevin and I have a homebase. We lived for many years in northern Utah. During the time we started camping back in 2020 (camping 180+ days in 16 months) we decided we wanted a change. Not only to travel full-time but to have a house somewhere warm in the winters. You can go back to the beginning posts and follow along that journey. But here is a quick overview: our house in Utah had 7 offers above asking price within just a few hours it was put on the market. We took trips looking at different options and did a lot of research on the different types of “homebase.” They can be just a site you rent at a campground, a lot you lease, piece of land to park your RV, a house, etc. We wanted to have a house where we could go to if we need to get off the road and also for investment. We planned to go to the homebase once a year for annual doctor visits. We found a great lot and builder in Arizona. The house is a normal house with an RV garage that has full hook ups – 50 amp, water, sewer – inside the garage! Plus, full hook ups outside on an RV pad next to the house. Awesome! Our 5th wheel fits great in the garage with the slides out and plenty of room to walk around. Kevin can stand on the top of our 5th wheel and still not reach the ceiling of the garage. The RV garage has more square feet than the house! 

The house wasn’t finished until July 2023 but we were already full-time traveling since Feb 2022. If you recall, we were in the state of Washington then and had to drive down to Arizona to close on the house. We joked with them that “couldn’t we just mail them the final check!?!” HAHA We had gotten rid of a ton of stuff but kept things to furnish the house. Everything fit in a 10×20 ft storage unit. As we moved things into the house, we called the house the Fancy Storage Unit! HA Oh, that still makes us laugh. And, the neighbors call it that, too. From July 2023 until Dec 2025, we had only stayed at the house for a total of 3 weeks. We got doctors, dentists, etc established in the area. While at Fancy Storage Unit, we still sleep in our bed in our 5th wheel, even though the house has our bedroom set. We watch TV, read, and hang out mostly in our 5th wheel. I do cook in the house, though, because the kitchen is huge! 🙂

Now that you are caught up, back to my travel journal: HA

I always double/triple check routes for Travel Days with RV Wizard, Apple Maps, and our Garmin RV 1090. As we left Cottonwood, Arizona, the route Garmin and RV Trip Wizard suggested was completely wrong. Both suggested going through Jerome, AZ, and over the mountain. Hum, yeah, we knew from being here before that our long bed truck barely made the turns on the switchbacks so no way would HOWE (footnote 1) make it. At the bottom of the mountain was a sign that said 50 ft and larger not allowed. Why did those two things lead us that way?! Both are programmed to know our length is 54 ft. So glad we knew a head of time. We checked the weather and with a clear and sunny day we decided to take I-17 north to Flagstaff and then I-40. Do you know Flagstaff, AZ, which is at 7000 ft elevation, is the 8th snowiest city in the U.S. and gets over 100 inches of snow each year? Most people are shocked at that fact! 

It was super fun to see places along the way that we remember from back in 2022. Also, what changed. We got to Fancy Storage Unit just before 1:00 p.m. A guy from across the street and a few houses down came right over as we were backing HOWE into the garage. We hadn’t met him before. Kevin hooked up the battery to the car; it started up just fine even after sitting for a year. It is funny: People ask us if it is great to be home. Well, this has NEVER been our home, as we have NEVER LIVED here. Only been here about 3 weeks since it was built. It is a very nice house and feels like a vacation house to us. A bit more than an AirBNB because it is our stuff but comfy. And, oh my gosh…you wouldn’t think we would forget some of the things we have in the house! It was like Christmas re-discovering these clothes, this pot, that pan, etc. So fun!!! A nice hot bubble bath and a Christmas movie was in store for me. 

I did some sewing. Funny thing, still rediscovering things we have in the house. Or not have. I have the ironing board covers, cute sewing fabric, but do I have an ironing board in here? Nope! HA I thought that was hilarious! No problem, just brought in the ironing wool pad from HOWE. LOL

I have a washer and a dryer in HOWE that both work great. Fancy Storage Unit has huge ones and I started laundry. I set my timer and an hour later, when it should have been done, I saw the display said 43 minutes. Okay. Then 1/2 hour later checked again. Display still said 43 minutes. I notice the drum was spinning and the display also said add clothes. Hum….oh, did Kevin turn on the water for the washer (I am too short and can’t reach it)? Nope. Amazing how, when you turn on the water the washing machine actually works and washes cloths in a timely manner. HAHA 

After work one day we went to the local library. Our library card has to be verified every year. I read a lot and get books on my iPad and iPhone from the library. Got that done and then drove to a cemetery. We had found this place before and thought it was lovely. Lots of tall palm trees, grass everywhere, headstones in nice order. For Find A Grave (footnote 2) I noticed there were 29 photo requests. Of course, no plots listed. No problem. Kevin got out and helped walk a section. He found one and I found 3. Yeah! The sun was setting so we will come back another day. We went back another day and were able to fulfill a few more photo requests.

One evening for dinner I made Cast Iron Steak – the best way to make steak ever. I don’t make this in HOWE because I don’t take the cast iron skillet with us. I also made garlic butter to put over the hot steaks. Outstanding! The twice baked potatoes were dreamy!!! A lovely and delicious meal.

We went to a Holiday Bazaar. The booths are set up on the indoor field and you actually walk on the turf. It was interesting to see the line for Santa was so long; we counted it was probably a two hour wait…and that was in the morning! We saw booths with laser cut wood decorations but not made with a scroll saw. Things printed by pressing buttons on 3D printers. We saw several artistry booths of quilts. I was admiring one and saw a large bag that said, “I will be in my office” and of course it is a sewing room. So cute! The lady did a little American Sign Language signing and I was thrilled! (I have noticed that if someone signs to me, we buy something from them. It isn’t intention but it is how we are.)

We go through the bazaar pretty fast and then went lunch. Next was clothes shopping. This was intended, as our goal was to lose weight by our cruise. We didn’t meet the numbers we wanted but have lost enough weight that we need more new clothes. YAY! We went to Kohls and got Kevin some shirts and pants. Then went to Maurice’s and got a sweater and a top. Then back to Kohls as I forgot we needed swimming suits for the cruise. Mine was literally hanging so low off me that it was indecent at both ends! 🫣 Luckily Arizona has swimming suits for sell in December! HAHA

Still planning on only being here about 3 weeks to get doctor/dentist appointments done plus a Christmas cruise….

*The blog posts are taken from my daily travel journal. Would you believe – it takes me a 1/2 day every week to whittle down a week’s worth of journal so it won’t be too long for the post each week. HAHA Thank you for reading!

1. “HOWE” is what we named our Alliance Avenue 36-ft 5th wheel. See: Home On WhEels and we pronounce it Howie. We live and travel in it full-time around the country.

2. Find A Grave – https://www.findagrave.com/about