Walk with us through spontaneous and unapologetic adventures. Join us in budget minded Sprinter DIY successes and failures: Sleeping 4 in a Sprinter 144.
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Our littlest camper was CD’s Honda Civic hatchback. He loved it. I took a bit more convincing to come around to it’s charm.
Our first mud season together, we hiked in to the Grand Canyon. I had a Chevy Trailblazer and CD had a 1997 Civic hatchback. His argument for taking his car was tangled in a discussion of gas mileage and climate change. I couldn’t argue against that so off we went.
Two people in a two door hatchback was different than one person in a Trailblazer. I still brought everything that I needed but I didn’t bring the other dozen or so things that I didn’t need. Everything had a place. The vehicle was no longer a suitcase in and of itself. It demanded a higher level of organization.
It was louder and hotter. The music was the same.
It was slower. Life was slower. Having lunch in the car wasn’t fun anymore. First of all, I couldn’t reach the food. The cooler had a carefully constructed place along side a tarp, tent, sleeping bags, clothes, shoes, sunscreen, and other amenities. CD’s Tetris-style packing skills were impressive.
Feeling hungry now required finding a park, pulling over, and unpacking half of the car. There is no way to rush that process.
What did I learn? This was a nicer way to travel.
Parks that I had never seen offered views that I would have otherwise missed.
The daily process of unpacking and re-packing the car was somehow therapeutic.
So, the 1997 Honda Civic hatchback and I reached an understanding. We appreciated each other.
So where did that Honda Civic take us?
Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Ontario. Here is a few pics of our inaugural trip.
The pinnacle of our gardening and canning experience was in 2011. My grandparents had a nice garden and CD was invited to tend to it for the summer. Our garden was mostly tomatoes, peppers, squash, zucchini, strawberries, onions, and potatoes.
My brother offered some space at his house so we planted black beans for fun. I don’t mean that we germinated beans and planted them carefully. We bought a bag of dried beans, planted them in rows, and hoped for the best.
Herb garden box with drainageDrip Irrigation
The garden was a huge success! We were eating vegetables all day, every day. Days were busy with chopping and freezing, canning, and canning more. We couldn’t keep up.
Apples
I stopped by an apple orchard to ask about some seconds and they offered me bushels of beautiful seconds for nearly nothing. Now I was coring and peeling, chopping and making sauce, and canning some more. We couldn’t stop. Did you know that green tomatoes make great muffins? The first two dozen or so are great anyway. We had muffins and frozen muffins and chopped green tomatoes.
My back was aching but I felt great. We had endless cans of whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato chunks, salsa, banana peppers, and apple sauce. The freezer was full of zucchini and peppers.
Black Beans and our Michigan Garden
I took a breathe and decided to check on the black beans. They had drip irrigation but other than that, we had not seen them in months. The garden was full. Black beans were everywhere. I have no idea how or why it happened but it seemed like every bean we planted produced dozens more.
Thank goodness for the internet because I had no idea what to do. We got the beans from the pods, put on cookie sheets and put them in the oven on low until they were fully dry. This yielded gallons of dried beans.
Post Garden Bike Trip
With the garden mostly under control, CD had wanted to take a bike trip so we headed to Glen Arbor on a weekday in mid-September. It was quiet. The weather was as good as any summer day. We stayed at DH Day campground and packed the supplies for our trip.
It wouldn’t be possible today but, at that time, DH Day was happy to let us leave our car there. The next morning, we hopped on our bikes and headed to Northport. Our route was through Glen Arbor and mostly up the center of Peninsula. Farm markets and apple orchards were everywhere.
We checked into Leelanau State Park in Northport by dinner. Hardly anyone was there so we picked a prime lake-side campsite. It was easy to sleep after riding my bike all day.
Back to our car in Glen Arbor by dinner the next day. my legs felt great. My first overnight bike trip was a success. Every year since then, CD has suggested more and longer bike trips. We have yet to make it happen but maybe this is the year!
Sometimes I think of planting a garden. We are in Oregon. Fruits and vegetables thrive here. Lack of commitment is my first barrier. Fear of hours and hours of canning and freezing is the second.
The pinnacle of our gardening and canning experience was in Michigan in 2011. My grandparents had a nice garden and CD was invited to tend to it for the summer. We planted all the basics: tomatoes, peppers, squash, zucchini, strawberries, onions, and potatoes.
My brother offered some space at his house so we planted black beans for fun. I don’t mean that we germinated beans and planted them carefully. We bought a bag of dried beans, planted them in rows, and hoped for the best.
Herb garden box with drainageDrip Irrigation
The garden was a huge success! We were eating vegetables all day, every day. We were chopping and freezing, canning, and canning more. We couldn’t keep up.
I stopped by an apple orchard to ask about some seconds and they offered me bushels of beautiful seconds for nearly nothing. Now I was coring and peeling, chopping and making sauce, and canning some more. We couldn’t stop. Did you know that green tomatoes make great muffins? The first two dozen or so are great anyway. We had muffins and frozen muffins and chopped green tomatoes.
My back was aching but I felt great. We had endless cans of whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato chunks, salsa, banana peppers, and apple sauce. The freezer was full of zucchini and peppers.
I took a breathe and decided to check on the black beans. They had drip irrigation but other than that, we had not seen them in months. The garden was full. Black beans were everywhere. I have no idea how or why it happened but it seemed like every bean we planted produced dozens more.
Thank goodness for the internet because I had no idea what to do. We got the beans from the pods, put on cookie sheets and put them in the oven on low until they were fully dry. We ended up with gallons of dried beans.
With the garden mostly under control, CD had wanted to take a bike trip. We headed to Glen Arbor on a weekday in mid-September. It was quiet. The weather was as good as any summer day. We stayed at DH Day campground and packed the supplies for our trip.
It wouldn’t be possible today but, at that time, DH Day was happy to let us leave our car there. The next morning, we hopped on our bikes and headed to Northport. We rode through Glen Arbor and mostly up the center of Peninsula. Farm markets and apple orchards were everywhere.
We checked into Leelanau State Park in Northport by dinner. Hardly anyone was there and we picked a prime lake-side campsite. It was easy to sleep after riding my bike all day.
We were back to our car in Glen Arbor by dinner the next day. My legs felt great. My first overnight bike trip was a success. Every year since then, CD has suggested more and longer bike trips. We have yet to make it happen but maybe this is the year!
Today was the day that social distancing felt real. I felt sad. CD sat down with his guitar after dinner. I sat next to him. The kids ran around the house, climbed on me, bumped into each other, threw pillows, and interrupted. After trying to get through one song for fifteen minutes, CD gave up.
I had trouble imagining sitting within six feet of our friends, having cocktails, playing music, talking, and laughing. It is going to take a while to get there, even when we eventually go back to school and work.
My mind is full of what seems like hundreds of memories of carefree times. I don’t regret resigning from my first full time job in 2001. That was the beginning of a merger between my professional life and me as a person.
I don’t regret eight years of seasonal physical therapy work at a ski resort in Colorado. I don’t regret spending six weeks or more at our family cottage year after year. I don’t regret skiing all over the western US or backpacking through Europe. I would do it all again.
I have been working on the “Throwback Blog Series” but there is just too much to write about and I don’t know how far to “Throwback”.
This story isn’t really about peaceful and easy times but it is a story about life.
There was a snow storm in Denver during December 2006. I had flown to Michigan for family Christmas and was headed back to Colorado to work during the holidays. One of the side effects of working seasonally was being a bit extra thrifty at times. I bid on Priceline for plane tickets and was routed from Grand Rapids, to Chicago, Fayetteville, and finally to Denver.
The weather report in Denver didn’t look great but my flight from Grand Rapids was on time. When my flight was boarding in Chicago, Denver airport was still open but I wasn’t going to Denver. I was going to Fayetteville.
I landed in Fayetteville and exited the plane down onto the runway. I walked inside the airport to see that DIA was closed. It was just before Christmas. The only flight they offered was a flight to Nashville. I wasn’t sure how that would help since I had come from Michigan and was headed to Chicago. I passed on that.
I decided to rent a car and drive to DIA. Next to me in line were Nick and Scott. They didn’t know each other but they were each trying to get to Denver. We rented a car and headed West.
In Amarillo we attended a Christmas party at Taco Bell. It was complete with children and teenagers in pajamas and mother’s with crock pots. In Boise City a man guarding the road told us we would never make it to Denver. In Peublo, we had clear roads and sun. Just North of there the road was closed due to 12 foot snow drifts.
We spent a night on the road. We were ten hours outside of Fayetteville, in Boise City, Oklahoma at the Townsman Hotel. Our provisions consisted of left over Taco Bell, a six pack of High Life, and a few Twizzlers. I had a dead cell phone battery but the room at wireless internet and was decorated with a painting that looked more like a 1970’s rug.
The next day we did something that I certainly do not endorse. We drove on the road that was open but was not recommended for travel. I can’t believe we made it. Yikes!
Our route was 287 to Lamar where the road was closed again. We chose an alternate route on Highway 50 to I-25. We traveled I-25 to Colorado Springs, where the road was closed. We spent a few hours and a couple of gift cards at Applebee’s and headed North on I-25 as soon as it opened.
I dropped off my co-travelers South of Denver and continued to DIA. Denver was shut down and DIA was closed. I followed some plow trucks down an exit ramp and arrived at the car rental location. It was closed. Someone was working in the parking lot and agreed to shuttle me to my car. I dropped the rental car keys in the drop box and hoped for the best.
My car was in economy parking, outside. The economy lot was closed. The snow really was deep. I got dropped off at an empty terminal and looked for lights from the security guards cars. I waded through past my knees through the parking lot until I reached a security guard.
The guard called a front end loader named Rescue III. It came and dug my car out. It continue to dig and dug a single lane path out of the parking lot. I got in my Trailblazer and drove home to the high country.
Why did I do this? I have no idea. Was it fun? Maybe but mostly a series of less than great choices. Would I do it again? No way. I would grab a comfortable hotel in Fayetteville and stay for a few days.
I look forward to being half as carefree again someday. I write a lot about places that are quiet and isolated. Those places are best spent with a few friends. Without a few friends by my side, I wouldn’t have enjoyed any of those places nearly as much.
I aspire to be sitting in the sun with family friends closer than six feet away, being human again.
Spring break 2020: Like everyone else, we are home. We have a new walking route from our front door. It was carefully constructed to avoid bike paths and playgrounds. We take one walk per day but it is a good one! It has hills, wildlife, golf course views, and a well kept cemetery.
HB adopted a squirrel in the cemetery and named him Tom. We bring Tom acorns each day. I think he recognizes us.
Day four of spring break 2020 and I admit that I have started to day dream about spring breaks past. Spring breaks of my childhood, teens, and twenties were full of fun and adventure. Spring breaks of my thirties looked different. I was working at a ski resort. Long work days and weeks were spent side by side with awesome co-workers. Even work was fun.
Spring break as a mom has brought a new set of adventures. We moved to Oregon in 2016.
Here we are at the airport on our way to Oregon in 2016.
The first year, we were craving mountains, high desert, and sun. We spent the week in Sun River. Newberry Volcanic Monument was not open for the session yet but the High Desert Museum was a hit. I recommend taking a minute to look at a Sun River map before heading out on the trails. I turned a one hour run into two by not looking at a map on the first day.
The second year, we headed to Calistoga, California. We swam in hot springs, ate good food, and stopped by a local geyser. Who knew?! We made it as far south as the Golden Gate Bridge and spent an afternoon at Muir Beach.
Old Faithful Geyser of California. There is a fee to see it. I don’t know if it was worth it or not but at the time, we needed a break from the car and this did the trick! Muir Beach, just like a post card.
Last year, our trip to California was side lined due to illness so we waited a few days and drove to the Coast. We spent a couple of nights at a hotel on Cannon Beach. It rained and rained and the kids loved it. They ran out into the waves in rain jackets and pants and we carried them inside and warmed them up in the bathtub. At night we ate frozen pizza and played cards. They were happy.
Cannon Beach.
The week was topped off by a stop in Newport. If you find yourself in Newport looking for something to do, here are my top three.
3. Old Town. Check out the sea lions. They are loud and sometimes they spit. Watching them doesn’t get old!
2. Oregon Coast Aquarium. As far as aquariums go, this is a nice one. Take note that much of it is outside so dress accordingly.
Aquarium Touch Tank. Remember at the tide pools: Don’t touch the sea stars!
Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. Bring your inter-agency pass and your tide table. Tide pools are easy to access and somewhat popular. Sea stars, urchins, anemones, barnacles, chitons, and tons of other creatures are easy to find! If you have a question, there are usually volunteers nearby.
Spring break 2020 has been different but not so bad. We are healthy and happy and finding something fun to do each day. We watched Star Wars: A New Hope, with the kids for the first time. We have a much better understanding walking route options through every adjacent neighborhood. We painted dozens of rocks, hid them, found them, hid them again. One day we even slept until nearly 8:00. I find myself not knowing what else to do besides hope for the best during the next weeks and months. Stay home and stay healthy everyone. If you so us out walking, don’t worry, we will switch sides of the street before our paths cross but we will still say “hello”, smile, and wave.
I imagine that this week is off to an unusual start for pretty much everyone. What are we doing? Day dreaming. Art projects. Cooking. Cleaning. Making phone calls. Waiting. Working on the Sprinter.
I think I mistook the past 20+ years of trying hiding out and escaping the fast pace of society for social distancing. Imagine if that were actually social distancing by current standards. There would be endless beautiful views, amazing food, and bottomless cocktails shared among small groups of friends. Those were the days!
Social distancing by current standards looks a bit different. I find myself surrounded by laundry baskets, dirty dishes, and restless kids. I am still working some, so CD could actually speak more to the extent of these things. In any case, our main sunset view is that of neighbor’s houses and yards that are off limits for now.
The empty street and yard view may be a bit rough for the kids. Grace started the day by writing a letter to a neighbor. The first line read: “I will never forget you”. I guess 3 days is equal to 3 years in kids time.
At least our Sprinter project is likely to benefit from this social slow down. CD made a run to the hardware store late last week. He is drilling holes and getting ready to put up paneling. I am not typically one to pushes for aesthetics ahead of function but the transition from the grey Sprinter ceiling to light wood paneling has been high on my list. I look forward to the transition from passenger van to tiny home. I also look forward to my old style of social distancing.
Here are a few examples.
Sprinter DIY. Colorado.Sprinter DIY. An unexpected day on Pike’s Peak.Sprinter DIY. Yurt trip. Sprinter. First time up Angel’s Landing. Utah. Sprinter DIY. Hike to Iceberg lake. Glacier National Park. Sprinter DIY. Why aren’t I here now? Home. Home.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day. We usually have a big St. Patrick’s day party. We cancelled this year’s just after buying a few cases of Guinness. CD has a plan to walk to friends houses tomorrow and leave Guinness on porches. Stay home. Drink Guinness – its good for you.
The insulation is mostly installed but the paneling has not been put back. It was March 2020 and we were early in our time of social distancing.
I requested the day off. The kids are out of school and today is “Thrifty Thursday” at our nearest ski area. I really needed to clear my mind and couldn’t think of a better way than heading over the pass and making some turns.
I am happy to report that despite the exposed insulation and last minute packing, the Sprinter’s first ski trip was a huge success!
Social distancing via Sprinter
Not only do we use the Sprinter as a dressing room for changing our clothes but we also use it as a gym for stretching, a cafeteria for snacking, a restroom for washing our hands, a laundromat for drying our gloves, and an apres ski lodge for putting up our feet.
Bluebird days with spring snow conditions are some of my favorite days. Today did not disappoint!
For five hours, I didn’t have a cell signal. I didn’t get phone calls, emails, or see the news. As a health care provider, I feel that we acted responsibly in the face of the Covid-19.
This was social distancing at its best! We didn’t get closer than six feet to anyone; we wore PPE (gloves and googles as eye shields) the entire time! My kids washed their hands like they have a million times before and they didn’t mention scary rumors from school or tales of a virus.
I wish them clear minds and minds that are free from fear and anxiety that is even difficult for adults to process.
I hope our next few weeks are filled more Sprinter assisted social distancing.
We made it! Hoo Doo, Oregon. – and a great parking spot! Sprinter DIYThe insulation progress. Sprinter DIYSpring conditions at Hoo Doo. A bluebird day.
Last weekend was a success! We sold our spare Sprinter seats and reclaimed our garage. We painted our bathroom while the neighborhood kids made a tent city in the front yard. I thought about options for Oregon winter day trips.
CD told me that he has a new plan for upcoming Sprinter modifications. I am anxiously awaiting the details.
So, what should we do with the rest of our Oregon winter? Here are a few ideas:
Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area
Yaquina Head. Bring your inter-agency pass and hit the tide pools. There will be just enough but not too many people. You are sure to find something amazing!
Oregon Coast
Any Oregon beach. Sprinter DIY. Oregon winter day trips.
Cannon Beach
Cannon Beach. Rain pants, rain jackets, and spare socks are recommended. Sprinter DIY.
Sno-Park: Oregon Winter
Sno-park. Get your sno-park pass and hit the road. Hope for a rain-free day and you may be surprised how solid of a snow fort you can make with pacific northwest concrete.
Mary’s Peak, Oregon Coast Range Winter Day Trips
Don’t forget the snowshoes. Drive toward’s Mary’s peak until the road is no longer passable and then continue by foot. Bring a shovel and expect to help dig out a stuck car or two. The kids will love it!
Here we were in the middle of an Oregon winter. The sun was shining. It was nearly fifty degrees. We are waist deep in home projects and ready for a stay-cation.
Sunday morning started off lazily but the sun was too tempting to stay home.
McDonald – Dunn Forest is a short drive from our house. Using my mom instincts, I packed a light lunch and spare socks.
Sitting in the van is like a breath of fresh air. There is something comfortable, simple and refreshing about it. I think we all feel it.
The Vineyard Loop: Oregon Winter
It is a well traveled 3.4 mile route with a view from the top. We like to sit and stare off into the distance. The kids made up a game where they were having a Superbowl party for cats and dogs. They walked and talked the whole way.
We spent an hour and half walking and a half an hour in the van.
Van Life: Memories of Summertime
The kids took theirs shoes off and hopped up on the bed. They looked out the window with the door open and the sun shining in. I got the snacks out but they didn’t eat. CD and I ate the cheese and crackers until it was time to go. I am sure that they would have stayed up there looking out all day.
Sprinter life requires a different pace. It is good to be reminded that a slower pace is just fine too.
Our trailThe trail is easy to find. Trees and sky. A scene from a book. Our view was perfect. The end of the trail.The woods were green and wet with rain and it was a great day. The woods are thick and full of lichen, of course.
Here are some things to consider when choosing a hut.
How will I get there?
Skis with climbing skins are the most popular choice. They are effective on the uphill, practical for mid-day adventures, and super fun and efficient on the way back to the car.
Snowshoes are slower but easy enough for even the must novice winter hut goer.
Nordic skisand I have had some crazy times in back country down hills. I have full respect for the back country Nordic skier!
A snowmobile may seem like the best choice but most huts don’t allow snowmobile access. However, a few allow you to get within a mile from the hut. This is handy if you are planning to bring a 30 pack of beer, a guitar, and a couple of pineapples, for instance.
How far am I willing to walk/ski/ride to get there?
Ask yourself these questions:
Do I want to carry the heaviest back pack to the closest hut or the lightest backpack to the furthest hut?
Am I interested in Fitbit goals and selfie pics or making it to the hut in time for an early happy hour?
What amenities am I hoping to enjoy?
Running water?
Am I planning on flush toilets, a hot shower, and a sink full of clean dishwater? If so, check out Shrine Mountain Huts.
Am I hoping to study the science of melting snow for water? If so, pretty much any hut will do. Please know that the time input to water output ratio is considerable.
You will find headings such as “outhouse with covered walkway” and “outhouse without covered walkway”. The details are all there. Take your pick.
Sauna?
The obvious answer is “yes, please”. Even if you don’t use it much, simple maintenance of the sauna brings people together. From shoveling the snow away from the door to splitting wood and keeping the fire stoked, there is something for everyone.
Many huts are rented as single bed units. Some are rented as full hut rentals only. Single bed rentals are nice for last minute get a ways and making new friends. Ideally, we try to get enough people to fill up whichever cabin we chose.
Pack light but bring fun extras. Don’t be in a hurry. Go outside during the day and night. Pack sunscreen.
Rambling Footsteps 