Interview with the Author - Why?

This post requires a little explanation. I'm a writer. I write novels. And other stuff. A technique that I've used since the early 80s is to interview my characters. I find out lots of interesting things that I can then put in my story, or choose to ignore and keep just between the two of us. I also write some works under a pseudonym. In the interest of fair play, at the conclusion of my last story, I allowed my lead character to interview my pseudonymous alter-ego. Surprisingly, it worked. So, I decided I'd try it here and let my truck--First Exit--interview me.

First Exit: So, Driver. . .

NATHAN: I have a name.

First Exit: About that. . . We've been together almost three months now. How did you decide my name?

NATHAN: It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I registered Ford Sync and since it's a Microsoft product, I had to name my device. That's you. I decided on the name First Exit because anytime we find ourselves on an Interstate, that's what we'll be looking for.

First Exit: So you see us doing a lot of off-roading, splashing through riverbeds and over rocks like some television commercial? What about my complexion?

NATHAN: Don't worry. I'll give you frequent baths. I don't really see us just taking off across the desert. Remember, you are going to be pulling a couple tons behind you.

First Exit: That's me. Just a pack-horse. So here's the burning question: Why? Why are you doing this? You're a little old for a mid-life crisis.

NATHAN: I hope not. But it's a fair question. I've always wanted to see the country in a more relaxed way. When I did my book tour in September of 2011, I drove 7,500 miles in 30 days. I enjoyed seeing the country, my friends, and even my relatives, but I wasn't that crazy about driving five or six hundred miles in a day. I wanted to have a more leisurely journey.

First Exit: Come on. Give us the inside scoop.

NATHAN: Okay. I grew up in rural Indiana just a couple miles outside of Mishawaka. A long time ago. Here. Take a look.

First Exit: Aww. Isn't that cute?

NATHAN: Sure. Real pioneer stock. That was 1952 or 53, before we had an address. Well we had an address, but not a location. Our address was Rural Route 2, Mishawaka, Indiana. No street. No zipcode. No number. So from the time I was old enough to remember, I was told that we lived eight tenths of a mile north of U.S. 20 on Elder Road. I crossed U.S. Hwy 20, called McKinley Hwy, nearly every day of my childhood, going to church, going to school, delivering newspapers, going to town. Each day, I'd look up and down that road and wonder where it went.

First Exit: Boston, MA to Newport, OR, except not called a U.S. Hwy in Yellowstone. It's in my GPS.

NATHAN: Well, sure. but that just tells you the end points. I'm interested in the journey. If I grew up just eight tenths of a mile off U.S. 20, what else was that close to the longest U.S. Highway in the country.

First Exit: So the trip is all about traveling from end to end on the old highway?

NATHAN: That one and several others. We aren't going to start there.

First Exit: Why?

NATHAN: Snow. I expect to take at least two months to make that trip and I don't want to be caught in snow going across the northern tier. We'll travel that road next spring.

First Exit: Where to first, o mighty driver?

NATHAN: After our shakedown two weeks, when we're going to be on U.S. 2 across Washington State, we'll head south along U.S. Hwy 95 from the Canadian border in Idaho to the Mexican border in Arizona. Of course, we'll be making a bunch of side-trips, so that 1,700 mile segment will take about two months.

First Exit: And for the winter?

NATHAN: I'm thinking we'll follow the Gulf Coast to Key West.

First Exit: Just point my head. I'll haul your home.

Back to Seattle. Happy Father's Day!

Last night I had the world's simplest dinner at the campsite in Yakima. I bought firewood and had a weiner-roast. Really. What better camp meal than roasting hot dogs (or in my case bratwurst) over an open fire while the smoke keeps the mosquitoes at bay. Add a salad, potato chips, and a beer, and life is complete.

I could smell the smoke from the campfire in the trailer all night!

I spent a lot of time Saturday trying to find the perfect place for all my stuff in the trailer and totally failed. A bunch of little things are all just flung into a drawer. Nothing is hung up because I didn't have any hangers with me. Some stuff needs to be brought into the house now that I'm back in Seattle.

Which brings me to the next chapter. In order to get back to Seattle, I actually had to hitch up the rig by myself and drive it for 125 miles. On a freeway. No way around it. So Saturday I practiced backing up and trying to get lined up and the right distance back. I'm miserable at it, so another run to Big K was called for. Fishing pole, bobber, some weights, and thread. Here's my invention seen out the back window of the truck.

The bobber hangs directly over the hitch. All I need to do is line the lock on the cover up with the bobber and I'm exactly on target. I still have to work on depth perception a bit as I end up too far back or too far forward, but at least I was able to line up correctly. I went through a complete pre-flight checklist before I left the campground. Everything inside put away and buttoned down, exterior windows, vents, and doors closed and locked. Power disconnected. And, of course, the hitch wrestled into place. I got a great heavy-duty hitch that holds the trailer steady as a rock, but the dang thing must weigh 150 pounds. Hauling it out of the bed of the pickup was a task. I need to figure a place to store the hitch when not in use that isn't so difficult to lift from.

I crossed four mountain ridges and Snoqualmie Pass on the way back to Seattle. Had to snap this shot at Indian John Hill rest area to show exactly how small the rig really is.

Trailer and truck together are shorter than a semi trailer. And slower. This guy pulled out of the rest area just ahead of me and I never saw him again. According to the truck computer, I averaged 11.2 miles per gallon on the trip back. I figure that bodes well for flatter terrain. After Father's Day lunch with daughter and wife, I'm just about ready to back the rig into it's staging area on a neighbor's RV pad. Maybe I'll take a nap first before I try backing up for the first time!

Waking Up in a New Lance

A little more relaxed today as I have no schedule to keep. Just getting to know the new trailer and a few of my neighbors. As expected, people in this life are all happy to talk and make acquaintances quickly. A gent I met on my walk this morning relayed the entire conversation he'd had with another neighbor about his Scamp (a tiny travel trailer). My next door neighbor stopped by to talk about the tires I have on my truck and how he has an identical set with 50,000 miles on them that aren't showing wear yet.

Here's what our campsite looks like.

It's really pretty spacious. The front doors of our trailers (right side) all open up on a strip about 8' wide with grass, a firepit and picnic table. The back has enough room to roll out our slide-outs and connect the utilities.

I finally got the bed made last night was exhausted by the time I finished.

The downside of having a transverse bed instead of one you can walk around is that it takes forever to make the bed. And whoever designs fitted sheets should give a person a clue as to what the end and what the side is. Struggle to get one end hooked up and then discover the side won't reach the next corner. Take it off and start again. That could be irritating, but--Hey!--I'm a guy. How often am I going to make the bed?

Woke up with the sun shining through that window next to the bed and managed to stay mostly asleep for another hour before I got up at six. A little stiff. Definitely going to have to get another pad for the mattress. Bed is just too firm. Made coffee (French Press) and sat outside the trailer under the awning for a while before I made a pork chop and egg for breakfast. Took a nice long walk around the park and plan to practice hitching and unhitching my rig this afternoon. Dinner? Haven't thought about it yet!

First Camp at Yakima Sportsman State Park

Well, I have my little beauty and she's currently cooling off in her campsite (plugged in and the air conditioner is running). I've been out shopping for food and accessories and have stopped at Safeway to make use of the Internet connection. So here's the first campsite:

 

I got to Hills Auto and RV at about 1:15. It took them another hour to finish installing the hitch and bike rack and get it all hooked up. Then another hour to give me the grand tour and show me how everything works. I'll be hitching and unhitching repeatedly this weekend to figure out how to make this all work. But here's the first view of the trailer hitched to the truck and walking inside.

Well, It's after seven and I haven't figured out how to cook in this yet, so I'm headed back to the park to start the next part of the adventure. Cheers!

The Baby Arrives Friday!

Actually, it already arrived in Yakima, but I can't get over there to pick it up until Friday. I'm very excited to go hook up to my Lance 1685 and spend my first weekend on the road.

So I wouldn't be too far from the dealer, I've booked into the Yakima Sportsman State Park for the weekend. hhttp://www.parks.wa.gov/parks/?selectedpark=Yakima Sportsman. It's not the cheapest place I could stay for the weekend and I seriously considered just heading west to Mount Rainier National Park, but when I pick up the trailer it will be empty. I'm taking as much with me in the back of the truck as I can think of, but on this first trip, I'm going to need access to some shopping (like Bed Bath & Beyond) in order to get basic equipment settled.

It's a pretty park and I'll have lots more pictures on Saturday showing the trailer and where I'm parked. I expect to spend part of the weekend documenting my preflight and postflight procedures. Don't want to pull out of my space with the awning out or still hooked up to city water. I'm going down to "Water 2 Go" this morning to pick up a container of cooking/drinking water.

After I get the book I'm working on initially laid out this afternoon (A Nickel's Worth by Mark Sawyer) I'll be making more trips to Goodwill and to storage as I try to empty my office so the daughter and new renter can move stuff in over the weekend while I'm gone.

Which brings me to "Stuff for Sale". I have several items I am attempting to get rid of and would love to have your offer on them. For example, I have a good, powerful desktop computer with 23" Samsung monitor, HP Scanjet, cable modem, and speakers. $350 for the whole setup!

 

We'll be holding a friends and family sale the last weekend of June, featuring artwork, furniture, rare books, and other stuff we suddenly discovered we could do without. Let me know if you are interested in anything or would like details.

More to come from Yakima on Friday!
 

First Leg Plan

As little as I care about destinations, there are stops along the way that I want to make. So route-planning and taking my time poring over travel books and maps is a pretty common pastime for me these days. I have local events in the Seattle area scheduled the last weekend of July and first weekend of August, so that has been a significant factor in scheduling my departure for August 10. Then I was offered, and accepted, a free two-week space at a fairly new RV park north of Spokane near Newton. Spring Ridge Estates looks pretty cool with two acre sites complete with all connections for two weeks. http://www.nwlands.com/id446.htm

While I'm there, or as I go there, I'll be accompanied by my daughter for a week of father/daughter bonding. That's when the yellow loop comes in. We'll take the drive up through Canada and down through Idaho back to the campsite (6). We might spend a night camping in Canada. Appropriate that it makes a heart-shape.

When I pull up stakes from Spring Ridge, I'll be headed generally southward along U.S. Hwy 95 through Idaho. I figure getting as far as Lewiston will take me the rest of the month of August. I'll be covering more miles with shorter stays in September, but it will still be pretty relaxed. I'll cover that part of the trip in another post. Just thought I'd show you where the trip will begin. Now I'm using the AAA Tour Books to find out what there is to see along the way!

Suggestions?

Shipping!

No, not me. The trailer. The word is that my new Lance 1685 is shipping from the factory in Lancaster, California today and should be in Yakima on Monday or thereabouts. It will get checked out and then next weekend I'll head to Yakima to attach it to my truck for the first time.

 

The trailer is 20'9" from tongue to tail. Which sounds kind of risqué. It's dry weight is just 3,500 pounds with GVWR of 5,100. A pretty cool design on the outside, though in general, I think all the trailer manufacturers go overboard with their graphics. I'll survive. Some of the features you can see in this picture include the ladder to the roof where the 160 watt solar panel will be installed. The roof is fully weight-supporting, so I can imagine a night or two under cloudless skies with the stars spread out above me. </waxing poetic> The awning is 12' wide and extends 16 feet out for plenty of outdoor living space. The front, over the tongue, features two LP gas tanks, two twelve-volt batteries, and a bike rack.

 

While the full length of the trailer inside the walls is just 16'3", it has a feeling of spaciousness helped along by the 3'-deep slide-out dinette/second bed (for when the daughter visits). It really opens up the floor space so it doesn't feel cramped.

The bathroom is compact, but very functional. I might have wished for glass doors on the shower, but the skylight and powerful bathroom fan make up for a lot. Also, this is one of the few travel trailers that actually has a porcelain toilet that doesn't wobble around like some of the plastic ones do. Notice there is even lighting above the vanity mirror--something else I found uncommon among travel trailers.

This is the whole interior, seen from the entry. The queen-size bed sits across the trailer instead of sticking out in the middle, something that is a colossal waste of space in many larger trailers. It has a nice headboard for sitting up reading or watching TV. The TV is hidden in this picture on an arm behind the refrigerator so it can be seen from the bed or swung out for viewing from the dinette. It's a 12-volt LED TV, so I don't need a generator to watch satellite TV. The satellite bubble is movable, so as long as I'm within 25' of a view of the southern sky, I have both television and Internet.

Looking back toward the entry from the corner of the dinette, you can see my kitchen. Three-burner stove, oven, microwave, refrigerator/freezer, and single basin sink. I have to figure out exactly how I'll be arranging food and cooking gear in this, but it's unlikely that I'll be feeding a dozen people from this kitchen. All the lighting is also 12-volt LED to maximize the amount of time I can function off the grid. The only thing I really need a generator or shore-power for is the air conditioner and outlets for computer/appliances.

There you have it. Home in a box. With luck, next weekend I'll be able to post pictures from my own unit instead of the stock photos from the company. Hot damn!

Starting the journey

This is probably a temporary blog. Google put me through all sorts of hoops and apparently it has been too long since I accessed my other Blogger blogs to be able to log in there. I had to create a new gmail account that will only ever be used for this blog.

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, "What's with First Exit?"

I'm about to start a long journey. I will be leaving Bellevue, WA on 10 August 2013. My Ford F150 pick-up will be towing a lightweight travel trailer, the Lance 1685. My direction? That way. I hope to see friends along the journey and where I don't have any friends, I hope to make some. I have no destination; it's all about the journey.

 

Back to First Exit. The truck has Ford Sync. That's a Microsoft product, so in order to get it to work it had to be registered and when you register, you have to name your "device." My truck. I thought about that for a while and decided to call it "First Exit" to which Google insisted that I add a number (0). If in my journeys I should happen to find myself on an Interstate highway, you can be assured that I will be looking for the first exit. I might not travel the blue highways, but I sure won't be on the freeways!

Soon, I'll be posting maps, daily logs of my journey, stories about people I meet and places I go. Right now, I'm trying to pare my life down to about 750 pounds that will fit in the back of my truck and in the trailer. That's been an interesting problem. Most recently, I went through close to forty-five years' worth of manuscripts, books, and even left over technical papers from businesses I've been in or involved with. It resulted in this pile of paper that is either headed for recycling or for Farenheit 451. This was what I thought to take a picture of after I'd already loaded two big black plastic garbage bags as full as I could lift them.

Of course, there were some items that I can't take with me, but that are still too valuable or precious to simply toss, sell, or give away. So this week I rented a 5x5 storage cubicle into which I've put things like my patent awards, Solstice decorations, archived manuscripts that I still can't part with, and old financial records that you never can tell when you might need. And a couple big file drawers of genealogical material that some descendent, cousin, or niece/nephew will probably inherit someday. To you I say good luck!

Well, I've been delaying getting this started, and I'll be updating it frequently, but for now it's time to quit delaying the other work I have to do.