Michigan Mermaids

Another day in our endless trek. Stopped by a popular pubic beach and there were the mermaids. They were kind enough to stay near the shore and pose for photos.

A Sunny Day and Flying Kites

Just another day in our endless trek. The sunsail works great and so does the recently installed "active" cooling system improvement. So we spent a day at the beach.

The Neverending Trek

What type of trekking?  I'm in transition and we began assembling our plan several years ago in 2007.  We currently have a larger Class B which provided immediate benefits. When not travelling we have a permanent address because we don't want to be nomads and there are "tiny homes," and then there are "miniscule homes." A Class B is at the extreme end of "tiny," but ours is not the smallest.

Our RV is a means to an end, and a means to explore. It does not become a means unto itself.  This is part time RVing and that seems to be the most prevalent type. However, part time is not our goal. Part time might be the only type available to many of us with family, jobs at permanent addresses and so on. When in that situation we can't simply wander the continent for the entire year. Some of us can but choose not to. Some of us do, but probably should not. Retirees may have a lot of flexibility, but not all trek. For those who do trek, many want an address, something we can think of as "home," so no matter where we are, we can always look forward to returning home.

Plans and formulation. It has taken a few years to agree upon a plan and to put in place several critical pieces. Piece #1 was a condominium in a centralized locale. "Ya gotta live somewhere" and this has been a good place to hang our hats for 13 years. Piece #2 was travelling, acquiring skill and spending a decade determining what, when and where. With experience gained and after further discussion piece #3 was a trial in a rental Class B; that was the proof of concept and the opportunity to obtain further clarity. Piece #4 was acquiring a vehicle in which one can live for a week or two, or more and scope out various locales. It will be used to travel from locale to locale, our "ports of call." It is our "tiny home on wheels." As part of our explorations we sought suitable locations for bases, which I'll call "locales." If this was about sailing I'd call these our personal "ports of call." We have identified three, but selected two, which I will call Pieces #5 and #6.

Neverending, or Endless Trekking. Where are we going with this? That's both a literal and rhetorical question. During our relationship we have always discussed our future together. As worker bees and thereafter. We began discussing our post-work future and wiped the slate clean. We agreed upon "must haves" and "non-negotiables" which provided a foundation. We wanted some permanence, but also wondered if an intermediate approach was possible, something I would describe as a "Neverending Trek" which offers some permanence but without the sticks and bricks?  In other words, a truly portable existence with one or more semi-permanent addresses.

This would be a kind of "hybrid" RVing. This is not "Class A" living from KOA to Boondock to National Park,  nor is it traditional part time RVing. Unlike part time RVing there would ultimately be no home or apartment with an RV for occasional travels. Endless trekking cuts the cord. It replaces the home, condo or apartment with another, larger RV. It could be a fifth wheel or a towable. However, our port(s) of call would be much larger than a Class B. These could satisfy the need for permanence and space by placing them strategically in locales in which we would really like to live for 4, 5 or more months of the year. But not for the entire year.

How would this work? This approach creates a continuous trekking environment in which one can explore most of the year. This provides an opportunity to explore entire areas of the continent from a locale which is itself mobile and impermanent.

The minimum pieces required are:

1. A truly portable Class B or C 
2. A much larger RV which would itself be moved from time to time, or sold and replaced by one at another location. 

Such an approach would avoid the permanence of a "sticks and bricks" house and set in motion the opportunity for endless trekking.

What would a Year look like? 
By foregoing a sticks and bricks house, this would provide the opportunity to live anywhere in the U.S. with forays into Canada if desired. As an example, let's assume the larger RV was in Michigan. Then for one summer one could explore the entire eastern shore of Lake Michigan, Chicago, and parts of Michigan and northern Indiana. By relocating the home base RV, then in another year Door County and Lake Superior could be explored. Of course, Using the Class B as a mobile home on wheels, it would be possible to venture as far east as Niagara Falls. In yet another year, it would be possible to explore Main, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. In another a trek to Alaska and back.Or Colorado and the Rockies. And so on.

Obviously, one's life would be limited only by imagination and one's savings. And yes, money will always be a factor.

When we tire of trekking via wheels we can always take the occasional cruise. Believe me, St. Maarten is lovely in January, and Alaska's inland passage is wonderful in July.

Where to begin? That's a personal decision. We began with a discussion of a map of the U.S. Take a draftman's compass or a thumb tack, string and pencil. Put the sharp point on the map in your current location. Draw a circle with a radius of 250 miles. There is the initial area. Then look farther and think about the most opposite season. Where might one want to be in winter (or summer)? Take the compass and put the sharp point in that locale. Then draw a second circle with a radius of 250 miles.

We now have two possible locales for our large RV.

Draw a line from the center of one circle to the center of the second. Now we have a possible area to traverse and explore in the first year or two. Look at the routes of major interstates or highways and the intersections of these circles. Now we have major roads to travel. Along those routes are places to explore.

Cold and hot weather locales. Obviously, it would be desirable to avoid weather extremes. Cold weather camping can be fun for a week. Ditto for tropical extremes. Most of the time we prefer comfortable weather. (I've ground camped at -25F and I've also spent 11 months in the southernmost part of the Florida Everglades including summer. So I do know what I am talking about).

That desire to avoid temperature extremes and experience comfort also shapes our plans. We could have a "base" in a "cold weather" locale in which to spend the winter and explore the surrounding area in the Class B. It could be in the southwest for a few years, which would provide winter access to CA, AZ, NV and so on. Alternately, the "cold weather" locale could be in Florida.

The criteria requires deciding how far one wants to travel in the Class B, how much time one will spend in the Class B, what one wants to see in the Class B and where one will travel in the Class B.

One could set up impermanent homes in two locales. One in the north in the Class B for use during the summer, and a larger RV home via a fifth wheel in the southern part of the country in which to spend winter. That would be the second locale.

Of course one could have two RV locales and use the Class B to trek between. "All it takes is time and money."

Avoiding the extremes of weather. For many of us, that might be desireable. As we age we may develop one or more forms of arthritis, or experience respiratory problems. If so, it's best to avoid 20F winters and 95F humid summers. If that is desirable, then as we age and as the seasons change, one could travel from the "cold weather" locale to the "warm weather" locale to continue exploring. Along the way greater distances would be travelled and that would allow one to see many of the National Parks other states such as CO, and visit relatives anywhere on the continent in a Class B.

As the season of travel nears an end, then one would travel to the larger RV base and put up one's feet for a few weeks or a few months. This is not a new concept; there are more than a few people who live in Florida for the winter and then in northern, cooler states in the summer. These are the well known "snow birds." They may have a Keystone Montana in Michigan and a permanent home in Florida. Most travel from one home to another in a traditional automobile. That is not continuous trekking. This is not what we intend to do.

Logistical requirements. The endless trek would require the rental of an annual space in the north (summer zone) to enjoy cool summers. A similar space would exist in the warm southeast or west (the winter zone). One might live in a locale for only a summer, or a winter. One locale might be relocated after a year or several.

One locale could be an "over 55" community which has a lot of activities. Travel between locales and continue trekking the continent in a Class B. By doing this, one can escape winter, escape summer and see the sights and the relatives. It would truly be an "Endless Trek" with the best of all worlds. If one tires of trekking, stay put for a while.  If one tires of an area, relocate the fifth wheel and set up residence somewhere else.

If one tires of moving between two locations summer/winter, then sell one of the RVs and "settle down" to a single location and continue trekking in the Class B.

Alternatively, get a B+ or a C and use it for travel and to live part time on the road. This could do double duty as a "hot weather" escape, or do the opposite and make it the "cold weather" escape. Then put the fifth wheel or travel trailer on a rented spot which will be our "permanent" address.

In the process, one may find that perfect spot to permanently retire. When that time comes, simply do it. Until that time, there is no need to feel trapped in one's home because this is a big country.

At what age to do this? This is ideally suited for someone or a couple in early retirement. However, a younger person, couple or family could also do this for a year and satisfy family and financial responsibilities.

For those entering retirement that's a time when we are relatively healthy, are ready to do or to see things we haven't because of the myriad of responsibilities of working and a family. With good health, we may have a little discretionary money to do this, before the medical system takes it all. It would be prudent to do this in one's 60's and 70's. Once we reach the age of 80, there may be health, vision or other circumstances. Of course, there are exceptions to all of the rules. And yes, someone will win that lottery. But that winner will be the exception. So too for health and old age.

What might this look like? Here are a couple of places we have been. One is a more traditional RV environment. The other is an over 55 community with pools, other outdoor activities, indoor activities and so on. We continue to explore other opportunities in our quest for the endless trek.

A Warm Weather  Retreat

A Cold Weather Retreat

Alternative Approaches to RVing

I've looked into the future. There are a number of ways to spend it. I can sit in my condominium and wait for God. Or I can travel and see the continent, if not the world. That's not really a difficult decision, is it? So what is my 10 year plan? Here are a few options and approaches using a RV. Some are more palatable and acceptable than others.

Full Time Vanning. Now, over at Facebook and YouTube we can read or view the adventures and travails of those who practice "stealth camping" in a van. This includes the joys of defecating in a bucket, mooching showers from friends, going to Panera to get WiFi and so on.

I've ground camped. Really liked it because there was a real payoff. That payoff was nature. I was one with the critters. We bathed in the same water, slept under the same stars and walked the same paths. However, living in NYC in a van is not my idea of communing with nature.

Nor am I enamored of the concept of avoiding all taxes. It is a fact that property taxes support most education in the U.S. I view a desire to avoid property taxes as a covert attempt to undermine education and children. Merely another duplicitous move in a country in which we state "Children are our future" yet do exactly the opposite.  For those avoiding property taxes, the reality is this is BS.

"Thumbs Down" to Full Time Vanning. 

Class A Living. This is the opposite side of the spectrum. Purchase a 30 footer (or longer) and tow a "Smart Car" or something larger.  Start a website promoting the wonders of going with the wind. This also applies to fifth wheels and towables more than 30 ft. in length.

The class A does provide a "home" experience. However, it isn't very maneuverable and I really got a kick out of the TV show which included the family that purchased a Prevost and declared "We're going to the National Parks." My guess? They have never before gone to a National Park.

Living full time in a Class A means avoiding all taxes other than fuel, and torpedoing education in this country. Not something I can support.

Yes, there are some real benefits to owning a class A. But getting into the National Parks isn't one of them. One of the problems of the Class A is maneuverability. Another is initial cost. A third is "cost per mile."  Ditto for trailers longer than 25 feet. These RV's need a lot of room. "Room" is in short supply in a lot of the State and National parks.

For the boondockers, driving a Class A on sand, or the prairies is probably not a good idea.

Gets about 8-12 MPG. Great support of OPEC and a variety of despot regimes in the world.

However, having such a vehicle does allow one to live in a house on wheels. But as for the adventure? Sorry, no adventure and limited outdoor access. Too many inconsistencies for me, one who adheres to "a life of moderation."

"Thumbs Down" to Class A RVing. 

Class B or B+ Living. These are vehicles less than 25 feet in length. Consistent with "moderation." However, consider that a Chevy Suburban is 18 feet in length. Obviously anything longer than 20 feet will be impossible to parallel park, will overhang any shopping mall parking space, and may likely be too tall for many garages.

On the other hand, I'm not planning on an urban exploration in such a home on wheels. In other words, would you like to travel through Atlanta or Manhattan during rush hour in such a vehicle? Been there, done that. Not something I would recommend in anything other than a Hummer.

The problem with a Class B? It's really small. Yet it does provide the opportunity to travel at about 16-19 MPG and will fit into all of the National Parks. A "luxury" Class B will also include a real bathroom, ample sleeping space, an additional space for living, a real kitchen and so on. In other words it is truly "A tiny home on wheels."

However, most of us want more than 80 square feet of living space. Yes, this might be adequate for travel and a week, or two or more. But difficult to live in for an extended period.

Thumbs Sideways for a Class B

Class B+. This is a vehicle that is larger than a class B. Many have the same chassis, but also add a "box" at the rear. That box generally accommodates a larger bath, but not much else. If the B+ includes a slide-out, that does improve the real estate. But if it doesn't, then all one gains is that large bath area. I once commented at the "gone at the Wynn's" website that the author seemed obsessed with bathrooms. Let's be real, shall we. We really don't spend all that much time on the pot.

Furthermore, many Class B+ don't accommodate multiple living areas. Want to do something separate from the spouse in the morning? Impossible as the bed is in the middle of the vehicle and egressing requires opening the door in the bedroom. In many of the B+, even using the kitchen requires working at the foot of the bed.

In purchasing a Class B+, one may sacrifice flexibility for a larger bath area. However, if one purchases a Class B+ with a slide-out, then one does gain floor space.

Most B+ won't fit easily in a standard parking space. When's the last time you saw one parked on Main Street? That's my point.

So in purchasing a Class B+ there are some modest gains, but also some sacrifices.

Thumbs Sideways for a Class B+

Ground Camping or a Small Towable. Now, that's a good way to travel. Put the kids in the rear seats of a Chevy Traverse, or a Honda Odyssey and tow an Alpine.

Not a really a bad way to travel on a budget. Some include all of the amenities. An R-Pod includes a furnace, refrigerator, range top and so on. Overflow can sleep in a tent.

Park such a vehicle anywhere there are full baths and it can be really comfortable.

Thumbs Up for R-Pod.


Bottom line. It's all about lifestyle. That, and the reality "We can have whatever we want in life, all we have to do is pay for it."

Walking on Water

Walking the Dunes

Doesn't look too tall

Here's another perspective

There are animals and signs of  reptiles

The path continues

Some shade

Children enjoying running down the dunes

It's steep and we're higher than it might appear

View my Flipboard Magazine.

An experiment draws to a close - Can Time Be Wasted?

Recently, I returned to Facebook after a long absence. I've posted that these social networks appear to have dubious value. My blogging elsewhere has included extensive writing, editing of photos and videos. Obviously time consuming and something best done in the wee hours, or while waiting for the rain to stop so outdoor activities can resume. Of course, one can go the Tumblr route and simply "reblog" someone else's work, so the same photos, GIFs and snippets may circulate through millions of "websites." Is that creating value, or is it simply a datastorm? I'll let the reader decide.

Ultimately, we each face a choice of how we spend each minute of every day. It's subjective to say that something is a waste, yet there is waste. So why would I say that FB has dubious value? What do I mean? How would one determine that? If FB does have value, how best to exploit it and for what purpose? FB began as a closed system which ostensibly had the purpose of facilitating social connections with women on the Harvard campus. Its mission statement has evolved and since 2009 has been “Facebook’s mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.”

Blogging and social networking are work of a different sort. Perhaps part stream of consciousness and part accomplishment. Certainly, measuring productivity of  blogging and networking can be challenging. Productivity implies a deliverable that can be measured. In bona fide work, we can always look at our net income and make the statement "I earned (whatever) this week." Or we can point to a tangible product. However, blogging as I have done it, with no ads for 5 years and currently limited Google ads, is certainly not a way to make a living, nor did I intend it to be. If earnings (dollars) are the measure of productivity, then all blogging of this type has no tangible benefit. So was or is there an intention? Or is this all simply entertainment, a hobby and a diversion? I did have a purpose and objective in returning to FB. Nothing nefarious, so readers should not be concerned.

One FB user commented and objected to what she said was my "advertizing" on Facebook. That's a really interesting comment and it did provide useful data about some users at FB. Facebook survives entirely because of the advertizing which proliferates its pages and inundates the reader constantly. My apparent sin was to put a link in a FB post directing readers to specific posts in my personal blog in response to questioning and that's considered advertizing? If anyone should complain it should be Mark Zuckerberg, because any off page links takes the FB user away from all of that advertising which generates FB revenue. Perhaps that was the problem. It seems I was perceived to be a competitor for advertizing dollars? Worse, I am at a Google hosted site, the FB archrival. Horrors! Most interesting, really. I wonder how much FB stock some of the users over at Facebook may have. I'll reminisce about the days when many people pushed Microsoft for that very reason. They had a lot of personal money invested in the stock and it became such a problem in industry that to avoid the possible taint of industry bias I had to issue a company directive; employees (including managers) could not own MS stock; mutual funds containing MS were fine. More recently, this has been a phenomenon with Apple. Greed in America? Can't happen, and I suppose neither the internet bubble or the real estate bubble ever happened.

Blogs and social media can be used as a diary. And of course, as a communications tool. Or a change agent. There are additional uses. However, if the primary purposes of the internet are entertainment and sales, then there may be a competition to keep people watching or reading. I've monitored certain blogs. Stop writing and people stop reading. So there may be pressure to write anything. If so, this can put one at cross-purposes with their commitment, unless clicks and consumer purchases is the desired outcome. However, my visible purpose remains a diary with commentary. While a public diary via multiple streams might be the medium, that does not indicate the true purpose. A public forum does have use but also limitations. It is not always the best approach and to be responsible there is oh, so much I'll never write or publish here. Those communications are reserved for elsewhere; why give away the best to non-committed readers? On the other hand, this is an elegant way to use the cloud. My "home" may cease to exist or become permanently mobile, my hard drives may melt, and yet, this stuff will remain out here. Some day, an internet user may stumble upon one of my blogs and wonder why it hasn't been updated recently. It may be I'm on "vacation," have moved to other interests which better serve my purposes, or I may no longer be on this planet. Or perhaps my blogs will go on automatic and will continue to be published by machine. Perhaps that is already occurring?

Coincidentally, a friend recently asked me why I am "wasting my time" in social media. She's a professional and may not be typical. In my limited experience, most professionals don't see the value of social media beyond marketing, sales or service and would prefer to use a service like Skype to communicate with distant family, etc. Distant might be only 5 miles.

Yes, there is a risk in putting any aspect of one's life on the internet. For many years I took steps to be routinely scrubbed from the public domain. My life is my business and what I put out here is what I am willing to reveal. It's not too difficult to obfuscate. Or perhaps this is a charade. Who is the person behind the blog? Reading my public persona might be misleading. Misdirection? Would anyone on the internet do that?

Which brings me to my point. In response to a brief discussion about procrastination and delay, one reader said "......if you were living as today was your last on this planet, you probably wouldn't be wasting time on facebook." That too was an interesting comment. This drew another comment from another FB user "Shots fired!" The person who wrote the original comment may consider all of FB to be an utter waste. That's not necessarily so because life is a choice. Each day we make small and large decisions about how to accomplish specific purposes. I made a decision to run what I could describe as a social experiment on FB (Is it? I'm not going to get specific). Doing so included choices about time, interaction and limits. That experiment has just about run its course. However, the reader who made the comment about FB assumes time can be wasted. If goals or purpose are accomplished, then where is the waste? Or is the reader assuming that time is wasted if new challenges are not created? That's a different question, one that touches upon abundance and perception. For example, can one have "enough" in life? Are there limits or are we to be boundlessly "I want?"

As for two FB users getting involved in a "Shots fired!" discourse, now, that could be entertainment, couldn't it?

There is an old expression "Work smarter, not harder." Can FB be a part of a smarter approach? If so, how would it be used? Some now use it as an online "help desk." I'm not certain I see that as "smarter." Consumers are a fickle group. Service is demanded and expected. There are always going to be bystanders, some looking forward to excitement or carnage. Competitors can view the dirty laundry, too.

Turning bystanders into "buystanders" is not easy. There are costs and benefits to the FB approach for a company. How will that approach turn out? Time will tell and I'm interested in the result. I simply may not find the knowledge is worth the time spent to obtain it. That's not about waste, by the way. It is about allocation of resources.

There is something to be said about "doing" and being in action. However, if we operate as if we are hamsters in cages, then where is the accomplishment in that? In other words, a life should have purpose. That involves choice, goals, commitments and so on.

We each choose how to use our talents. Some are put to use to earn a living. Some are used to entertain others. Some are used in volunteer work. Some are used to maintain relationships. Talents can be used in many ways. Time is not purpose. I suppose the larger question is simply "If we are truly aware that our life is finite, then how should we best spend it?"  But it isn't about "spending" time; it is about use. It's about accomplishing goals and purposes. These are the interesting question to ask, IMHO. "Are you in thought or in action?" read the placard over my desk. I've been asking myself these questions for decades. It is useful to do so in purposing oneself. From time to time, we may also repurpose based upon what we have learned or accomplished. Life can be lived in stages and each may have differing goals and purpose. That is the larger question. What is my purpose? In fact, I have several purposes, because my life exists in several domains. Don't we all? The ultimate decision is how much talent (resources) to spend (allocate) in any one domain and in the process what specifically can I or will I accomplish in each domain? This implies having a goal or goals within a pragmatic approach. A larger question might be about commitment.

When a goal is reached, or the data acquired, or if a goal becomes impossible to achieve, these are appropriate times to end a project or task.

If we are to discuss waste, perhaps it should be from the perspective of living or not living a life of purpose.

This is not the time or place to express what I would do if this were my last day on the planet. Nor am I going to go into my purposes, goals, ambitions, etc. Sometimes life in the public domain is like a poker game. A lot of people expect others to show their cards while they do not, or hide behind "anonymous" and trivia.

A reader might assume I would be spending my life differently than I currently am if I were told "your life is over." This implies that we may alter significances when we face the reality of our finite existence. The reader may assume I have not yet done so. But what if I have realized this? What if I live from a place of readiness and completion? Perhaps each morning is both "hello" and "goodbye." Perhaps the things I find necessary have either been accomplished or are in motion and on a trajectory to completion, with or without me. Perhaps I have declared that I do have enough and experience abundance in my life? Is it possible that one might feel no compulsion to do anything "special" if one has lived life fully, has accomplished the things one set out to do, and "has" enough? What if that bucket list has no significance? After all, it is all made up, isn't it? Ah, yes, there is always something to do, or to see. Hollywood will be churning out a new blockbuster each month and does. There will be singing and dancing on America's Got Talent. There will be a new flavor at Ben & Jerry's, a new play on Broadway, a newer car or RV. There will be news tonight, and a weather report. Stocks will be bought and sold, There will be taxes and problems. Etc.

There will always be need. In our western culture "wants, needs and desires" are treated as very important. Life can become about getting these things, or having them. or consuming them, or providing these things to others. Why? What about the quality of one's life? How would we measure that? Are relationships and intimacy important?

As for lifespan, it would seem a lot of people want to live forever. To what purpose?