Shakedown Trip

A cushioned lounge chair and table with watercolor supplies, sitting outside with two dogs

A 1-month trip in June/July 2024 to test our setup before we hit the road full time in September.


A cork desk with pens, paper, stencils and other tools
Dogs and art supplies – living the dream!

Stop One: 11 nights

  • Despite dramatically downsizing, we felt like we had everything we needed, which was amazing
  • Started (barely) exercising & a few new recipes and food approaches
  • Realized I’m terrible remembering names and tried to get better at it, because we met a lot of people
  • Learned that campsite laundry isn’t a big deal
Campsite views

Stop Two: 16 nights

  • Weighed at our first CAT scale moving from site 1 to 2 and learned that our truck’s rear axle is overloaded. Started researching an F450 dually to replace our F350 SRW
  • First experiences with using our new medical coverage, as Rich needs to see a specialist
  • Really put our mosquito and deer fly protection to the test
  • Explored ways to work out when all the roads/trails are extremely hilly
  • Learned we can go about 8-9 days before needing to empty the tanks
  • Grateful for the warm welcome from seasonal campers

Stop Three: 5 nights

  • Moving to a new campground always takes longer than I think it will
  • Campgrounds with a 3p check-in time are not my favorite thing
  • Always make an easy dinner ahead of time when we are moving sites in the afternoon
  • Parks with easily accessible trails and a variety of picnic areas make a huge positive difference versus parks that are more isolated