We're ESCAPING!!! ...finally

[Donna R]

I'm so excited I could BURST.

We have managed to "get it together" and arrange to leave snowy cold old Halifax and head down to the Southwest beginning the first of Febuary...........for 3 glorious months!

Stangers in the house.....who cares....we're going!
Cost of heat while we're gone........who cares..........we're going!
Small budget................who cares..........it's fun boondocking. ( and looking for traders joes 2 buck chuck)
14 year old van and 30 year old trailer....just broken in!

Been 8 years since the last trip (5 months long) and we want to see if we still love it.
Who are we kidding. Of course we will love it......and never want to come back. THAT is the real fear.

Not that computer savy but are trying to set up a blog and if we do, will post it on the forum.
Lots of pictures because all YOUR pictures have keep me going all these years.

Know that someone out "there" will give a little cheer, and dream their own dream, and wish us "happy trails"

Watch for a green/tan aerostar pulling a 79 15 foot trillium with NS plates and give a little wave please!

Donna, Lance, and Dixie Dawg

[Donna D.]

Here's your first ... in my mind's

Safe travels and I'll keep a watch out for your blog!

[Taylor Kissinger]

Happy Trailerings to You . What an adventure. We look forward to leaving Soggy Bottom Oregon

[Ian-Vicki]

Bravo! That's our dream too. We're rootin' for ya.
cheers
Ian and Vicki

[theresa p]

donna---wow! you did it! good for you both!! where are you heading? dennis and i are also "running away from home" for 9 weeks...our destination--- HEAT!!
initially we will head toward florida but having no itinerary, could theoretically end up anywhere! we have been talking and talking of doing this once we retire in about 3 years....and these winter sojourns are a really good test as to whether or not we continue to plan or else decide it's not for us.
3 months...you lucky duck!!
let me know the blog site...i'll follow your travels.
and we WILL get together this summer!
hugs
theresa

[WtMtJim]

Go for it! Just do it! You'll have a blast. If you get to Arizona, give us a call. We'll show you the sights. We've never been to Nova Scotia but it's on our bucket list of places to go and things to do. We'd like to pick your brains about eastern Canada. Small FG trailers are ideal for touring. Realitvely inexpensive to tug around. Small enough to get into the best places but big enough to live in and be comfortable. If you run into any trouble on the road there will always be a FG owner and member of these forums not too far away to call on. It's a terrific support network. Carpe diem! Eh?

[Donna R]

Thank you, thank you all for your good wishes. Just watching the weather now for the best window of opportunity thru NB and Maine.

Still trying to upload a pic of our trailer and tow....but also packing and sorting, so figuring how to downsize (with irfanview) huge files is taking second place for now.

Jim and Alice....we will definetely be in Arizonia and will try to contact you. One of our "themes" this trip is hot springs and perhaps you know a few. And happy to tell you about Atlantic Canada and offer you a spot to park at our rustic cottage in PEI too. Halifax has no driveway...only street parking...not so nice.

Theresa.... glad you are escaping too. This winter hasn't been that bad , but after
many years of winter , good or bad, it builds up to the need to "go somewhere warmer...escape" Last trip we really enjoyed the Panhandle of Florida. But really, anywhere on the road seems great to us.
But most of all we liked the Southwest, the deserts and the night skies and the crystal clear air.
And yes, we will link up this comming summer, either in PEI or NB.
Hope your trip is wonderful.

Donna....great name by the way...always read your posts with enthusiasm and your pic looks like a person we know here in Halifax...really. She's a comedian named Cathy Jones and you could be twins (secret long seperated twins from birth??) Should I give her a warning you're out there?

Ian and Vickie.....love BC. Lucky you. Next trip will be out west to see friends on Saltspring and Victoria. Have you been east yet?

Taylor.... Oregon, soggy or not, is also on our next "out west" trip. Want to explore all the great parks we were told about years ago on the Amrtrak pacific run. Had a wonderful train attendent who sat in the car and told us stories of Oregon parks, history, and read poetry for about an hour...to the entire car of travellers. What a memory and what a wonderful surprise event. The man who played the accordian to entertain the car was also amazing.
Is that what the west coast is about?

Just a note on a blog that has inspired me. It is called "Frugal RV" It explores the SW and offers tons of good ideas about ....what else....frugal travelling. They also put out an ebook on sites they have found. I have these books for this trip and will let you know how we fare with them. I love this site. Check it out.

Promise pictures in future in small files to begin with!
AND your turn will come ...just be patient, and plan/dream like crazy.

Donna, Lance, and Dixie Dawg

[WtMtJim]

Donna, Re: hot springs in AZ. Roper Lake State Park has a natural hot springs on-site. Years ago they built a large circular hot tub out of natural stone blocks from on-site stone. The natural hot spring feeds into the hot tub. There also is hiking, fishing for large-mouth bass and rainbow trout in 30 acre Roper Lake, swimming, birdwatching - especially quail & heron. Roper Lake is near the Town of Safford in southeast AZ. There are 71 campsites with electric & water. There is a central dump station. Also showers/restrooms on-site. Reservations are accepted. Phone 928-428-6760. Here is a link to peruse http://azstateparks.com/Parks/ROLA/index.html. (You may have to cut and paste this irl into your search engine) Don't let the threat of the park closing deter you. We have gone through the threat of state park closures every year now for a while. It's a game of chicken played by the legislature and the governor. Some parks close - for a while - some never close. It's on-again/offf-again. Just keep watch on the State park web site or check with us when you're about ready to head this way.

There are other hot springs in AZ but some are accessible by four wheelin' only.

Enjoy the cross-country trip out here. PM me and I'll give you some contact info for us.

[Sebastian H]

Three months!! You'll be smilin'
Sebastian

[Ian-Vicki]

Donna, this fall we have a wedding in Michigan on mid-October and our plan at this point is to leave the coast just after Labour Day and wander out way east to Quebec for the fall colours, to Vermont to see some friends and then back to the wedding. Then it's south to Florida to meet other friends before we work our way back west and north, maybe for Christmas, maybe not till spring. So we'll follow your blog with interest.
Cheers for now
Ian

[Adrian W]

Great news for you guys! And for "3 glorious months!" too.

Maybe some of these posts on Texas, New Mexico and Arizona as well as SoCal will be of help on your trip:

Composite WestTX, NM, SouthAZ ** Valley of Fires BLM ** Datil Well BLM ** City of Rocks State Park ** even Aguirre Spring BLM Campground - LasCruces & Leasburg Dam near Las Cruces, nice desert camping by the Rio Gande, Elephant Butte Lake a nice place, did a lot of camping there when we had a boat, Caballo Lake, and Oliver Lee near Alamogordo are neat state parks I would recomment for you to consider. I have not been to Pancho Villa State Park, it is on the border with Mexico, but many say it is nice.

Tucson Xtra ** a neat city and nice areas around it and getting to it and beyond.

NM & AZ Off Roading ** some of these will be repeats, but hope some are new. Ha!

NewMexFood ** in Las Cruces.

Southern NM to ShowLow AZ

Northern New Mexico Campgrounds ** may be too cold for these in your time frame.

New Mexico Public Camping ** Listing of State Parks and many other public campgrounds.

White Sands Nat'l Monument - Alamogordo and Carlsbad Caverns Area.

Also http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/in...howtopic=38498

SnowBirding AZ, CA, NM

I-10 TX to CA Plus

Boondocking/Dispersed Camping NM-AZ Some of these will be too cold in Feb, March & perhaps April - Southern ones should be good however.

San Antonio & Corpus Christi to Lower Rio Grande Valley

Texas Hill Country

RioGrandeValleyTEXAS

Around San Antonio TX

Caprock Canyon StatePark TX

CorpusChristi

SouthWest Texas

Big Bend Park

Big Bend xtended

Composite NM,AZ,TX Sites

I added Texas information not knowing where you are planning to go. NM & AZ will have many, many more boondocking areas than Texas. SoCal will have many as well, but I am not as familar with them.

Perhaps these will be of some help in finding less-expensive and free camping areas and places:

Overnighting Reststops etc. some info found on Michigan Free Camping site but should be some in most states.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/in...howtopic=38705 has some good suggestions, just be deligent when stopped at rest stops, gas stations and even Wally World, you will not be in Halifax, which I am assuming is a safe and friendly place.

Free & Low Cost Campgrounds

RV Park Reviews

Happy Trails and Smooth Roads! and Keep us Informed on Your Travels.

[Donna R]

Thanks Adrian

What a great list.

Some of them we did 8 years ago, but will redo because their soooo wonderful.
White sands lives in my dreams because of the unbelievable beauty of the sunsets coloring the sands. Remember the white cockroaches there as well (clever beasties)
Texas hill country is also special...picked tons of free pecans there last time.
Glia Mt was a very nice memory with the camping at the hot springs and soaking on those frostie mornings.....hope to repeat that one.

But you have added so many new thoughts for more places!! Want to see them all.

This time we have a GPS and will try to use the internet sites that give coordinates for out of the way boondocking sites as well as the free sites in the ebooks I've mentioned above.

Now if I can just figure out that tricky little handheld Garmin GPS.....all will be perfect.

Countdown........... one week.... and watching the weather

Thanks again for taking the time to give us all those new ideas.

Donna, Lance, and Dixie Dawg

[Mike Magee]

How can you be Escaping in a Trillium? That's like Scamping in a Burro. You have to get an Escape to go Escaping, don't you? Just kidding!

[Donna R]

Michael
How about?...... We're TRILLED to be escaping....finally.
But you made me laugh. Thanks

Not sure how "trilled" we're going to be sleeping in the trailer during the next week of -8 to -12 degree weather!
Should be interesting

[Robin G]

Donna, Enjoy! Be safe! and of course post pictures of your adventure!

[Chris Z]

Donna
If you end going thru Louisville, Ky, gives us a call. You can park in the drive with 30A and we can share stories. Been to Halifax a couple of times. Nice place.

[Donna R]

Hello all................FINALLY

Well, we have been on the road since Feb 7th but not all that handy to wifi, so this is my first post.
My partner Lance has started his blog about his views on our travels and the address is.....

http://neverlateneverlost.blogspot.com/

I intend to post some of my insights and pics when I get home and have more time.
Bringing a dog along is great especially when boondocking, but as it gets hotter, becomes a handicap for using library internet conections. I have seen WAY too many dogs locked in a oven baking cars and have become extremely neurotic about doing that to our beloved family member...Dixie Dawg.

I will comment on the amount of surprisingly cold weather we have extperienced on this trip. Have had frost or snow in nearly all the states so far including Florida, Texas, NM and of course all the states along the east coast from Nova Scotia to Florida!
I will post the pic of me setting off for the am walk in St Joesoph SP.....thank goodness I brought those mitts and warm hat and down vest!!!!!
In Alpine Texas last week we woke to thick ice on the dog`s water dish and a reading of 13 degrees F! We are missing the furnace that we thought was fixed....and is not.

At this moment in Roswell NM in the tourist info ....with the dog at my side!!!! They allowed her in while we use the internet. HOW VERY KIND.
And Roswell has turned into a pleasant surprise. Just toured the museum art gallery and it was really interesting.....and free! But donations are appreciated and well deserved.
Staying at the Bottomless Lake SP in anticipation of more cold nights and using a small cube heater to keep warm.
Nice park by the way.

Went to the Carlsbad caverns earlier this week. Can`t find the words to express the emotions of seeing that wonder......you MUST see it yourself. Also figure it`s the best bargain in the USA. Only $6 enterance fee!!!
Ôr free with the America the Beautiful Pass!!!!!
Advice if you go............ good camera WITH a tripod. Will post some of our pics later after I figure out how to reduce those very large files.

The freedom of doing a trip like this is such a privilege. We are grateful to be having all these experiences and meeting all the wonderful,`interesting and slighty quirky people doing `their own kind of trip``
Lots of us out there these days......needing living instead of working.
All kinds of rigs and life styles...........we are happy with ours......small , simple and no schedule.
I wish you could all be ``out here``

Donna, Lance and Dixie Dawg

[Donna D.]

Will post some of our pics later after I figure out how to reduce those very large files.

I wish you could all be ``out here``

Donna, Lance and Dixie Dawg

THANKS for the update, we've been wondering how things were going.

For picture re-sizing help for uploading here, click for this tutorial:
Resize Picture Help Using "Shrink Pictures" site

And YES, I wish I could have been with you too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Phil 4500]

Hi Lance and Donna,

I've just spent an enjoyable evening reading a about half of you blog (so far!). You write very well and your stories of unlatched cabinets, tempermental furnaces and your desire to stay off the interstates mirror our own experiences with our Trillium 4500 - we sure do miss our old trailer.

I look forward to reading more. If you're passing through southern Ontario on your way back your welcome to pull into our yard.

Cheers,

Phil

[theresa p]

hi donna....we write this from beautiful flagler beach, florida (gamble rogers state park) where we ran into alistair camelford with his lovely wife inge in their road toad! had a terrific few days with them, a wonderful campfire with him entertaining us by guitar and the sun is shining, the weather warming up.

sooo happy to hear that your travels are going well, i had been worried about you!

looking forward to seeing you this summer, but did you know that the atlantic meet is now being held in murray beach prov. park in NB..right beside the bridge?? july 22/23. sure hope you and lance and dixie dawg can join us!
otherwise, we will try to connect for an alternate get-together.

safe travels and keep warm!
theresa