Road Trip 2020!
This was supposed to be my year for adventure and travel! I had all sorts of trips and conferences booked. I did manage to travel to Costa Rica, Florida and Tennessee before the pandemic shut everything down, so I am grateful for that. But I was really looking forward to medical conferences in New Orleans, Austin and Minneapolis. And a trip with a friend to Europe. And then the pandemic happened and all the trips were cancelled.
Back in May of this year I started seriously considering buying a camper van. If flying was going to be limited, why not plan a road trip and camping? I had been thinking about a camper van for a while. I like the looks of the Sprinter, but when I checked one out in person, it just seemed too big for me, and expensive. I didn’t want to have to pay to store it somewhere because it was too big for the driveway. I liked the idea of the VW Eurovans or Westfalia vans. There are plenty of those out there, but they don’t make them anymore so the older ones can be a bit problematic as far as repairs and maintenance, and I am not a mechanic.
Then I came across the Metris camper van. The Metris is made by Mercedes and has been a work van or passenger van. Then various up-fitting companies started making them into camper vans, kind of modeled after the VW vans as far as the layout. I found Peace Vans in Seattle who is one of the companies that have been up-fitting the Metris into a camper van or a weekender, and I decided that was what I had been looking for. It is 17 feet long, so about the size of a Honda Odyssey. They install a pop top that allows you to stand inside when the top is up. There is also a lofted bed in the pop top as well as the main bed that fills the back of the van when the seat is folded down. The full camper build has a 2 burner propane gas stove and a small sink, a refrigerator and several storage cabinets. It does not have a built in toilet or shower, and so you buy the porta potty of your choice.
I placed my order for a Metris camper van with Peace Vans and Mercedes of Seattle at the end of May. Since the pandemic, they have been swamped with orders, because apparently I’m not the only one who thought camping and road trips might be the way to go! The whole process took about 5 months, most of which was waiting in line and then waiting for it to be shipped across the country after the camper build was finished in South Carolina. I picked it up 10/23 and headed out on my first road trip on 10/25! It is super comfortable to drive and I was able to pack a lot of stuff in all the storage spaces since I don’t know how long I will be gone. I have not slept in it yet, but will soon. I added a gasoline heater as an extra feature option and I am glad I did. It will heat the van when it is parked, even if not hooked up to power and uses minimal gasoline.
She looks excited, right?
I put my dog Charlotte in her bed behind the passenger seat and attached her harness to a large D ring by the sliding side door- very convenient! We left Sunday morning from Redmond and headed towards Boise. I had heard that the Snoqualmie pass can be treacherous if it is snowy, so I was prepared with snow chains just in case. It was so clear and dry that I never even saw where the pass was! There was some snow on the mountains, but the roads were perfect.
Somewhere along I-90
Once I crossed the mountains, it was blue skies and sunshine! The traffic was light and most of highway 90 allowed a speed of 70mph. Then when I hit Idaho, the speed limit was 80 mph. Woohoo! The first night I stayed in a Holiday Inn in the Boise area. When I woke up it was 18 degrees outside! I made a point of filling up my gas tank when it got below half a tank because sometimes gas stations are not readily available! The part of Idaho that I drove through was super flat. You can see mountains in the distance but the road was mostly straight and flat as I drove toward Salt Lake City on route 84. I stayed with my sister and her husband in Lehi the second night. It was still in the teens in the morning in Utah.
Utah or Colorado?
On Tuesday I headed out toward Denver. I was a bit apprehensive about traveling on Route 70 since there had been recent snow and the mountain roads were closed down on Sunday and part of Monday. But it was going to be sunny, so I decided to go for it. There were still areas of snow and ice on some areas of the roads and several cars still stuck in the median from the previous days. But my travel went smoothly without any issues. Very grateful! My car is a mess though from all the dirty residual snow and slush that splashed on me. I need a car wash! I had a great visit with friends in Littleton and had the best homemade chicken and vegetable soup ever! And homegrown veggies too!
Wednesday I headed east on Route 70 again toward Kansas. Another very flat straight road, but no mountains in the distance this time. There is lots of farm land and wide open spaces and wind farms. I spent the night in Abilene, KS at a Holiday Inn. Certain of the Holiday Inns are pet friendly, so I look for those. It’s in the 40’s-50’s here! Feels like a heat wave!
Tomorrow I head towards St Louis. I might try to stay in Bonnie, Illinois! wouldn’t that be fun?
What I have learned from traveling solo so far:
I listened to a wonderful mix of music without anyone objecting or changing the channel- Beatles, Willie Nelson, Jesse Cook, Stevie Wonder, Yolanda Adams, Stephen Curtis Chapman, All Sons and Daughters, Adele, and more.
I sang along as loud as I wanted and didn’t care if I was off key. Charlotte didn’t howl one time!
I stopped whenever I needed or wanted to
Pharmaceutical help from the vet allowed a more relaxed trip for Charlotte- no visible anxiety
Audible books help pass the time- I finished listening to Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Talking To Strangers” and I am in the middle of another one of his books called “David and Goliath”. He is quite the storyteller! I have enjoyed both of these books. Any of you have other suggestions?
Traveling alone is not as scary as I thought it might be! Facing my fears😊
So there you have it! My first 4 road trip days.
I will still be doing medical blog posts as well, but since some of you wanted to hear about my trip, I decided to do some travel blog posts too. Be careful out there! Stay well.