Tidbits of life on the road…
This is the third anniversary of the purchase of my last Travel Trailer. Yes, I’ve had others in the past, but my current travel trailer will be the one I die with. I made my mistakes with the other units I bought. The lessons of what is important and what is not… Buying for price vs buying quality…Yadda yadda yadda… the list goes on. This is officially the start of my third year on the road.
Many people now a days do not understand this lifestyle. They wonder about power, water, and all the necessities… with out any real knowledge of getting out of town totally self sufficient, because many people have never tried what I’m doing. I’m not stating this is bad… simply different.
On the other hand there are many people that think they must travel to foreign lands… otherwise they are not “traveling”… I am not making any judgements here, as well. I’m simply stating many people do not understand being VERY comfortable in a 256 sq ft enclosure that they can tow behind their truck and parking just about anywhere they like.
The Picture above is the floor plan of my RV.
Some people think “roughing it” is doing without room service and a five star hotel. Others think my current situation is not roughing it either… roughing it is backpacking your way along the Pacific Crest Trail. This one I agree with but now that I’m antiquely charming? I do not think I could survive that trek.
I have all that I need in that 256 sq ft, and the rest of the country is my backyard. For those in my current winter base of Las Vegas… yes I even have air conditioning…but I don’t need it! Why? Because I park where it’s cooler! This past first week was spent in Cedar City, Utah, with a few of my Photography students.
This image above shows all the amenities I have in addition to some interior images.
I’m a lucky man to have students living all over the world… there are lessons in the teaching… and I learn a lot teaching. One of the biggest things I learn from teaching is how others perceive my lessons. Also the many ways individuals learn.
Another benefit is how different cities and locales are set up when it comes to the internet. When living in a larger city we can easily “take for granted” our super fast gigabit internet speeds. Outlying areas that do not use the internet the way larger cities do, have MUCH slower accommodations.
This also occurs because the internet service providers are trying to realize certain profit margins. Lower populations mean less “profit per unit.” It also seems to me the more rural areas do not really “need” as much internet capabilities, because they rely on the internet less.
Enter Mr. Elon Musk and Starlink! A lifesaver for me! Mobile satellite internet with decent speeds! This service also allows me iPhone capabilities using VOIP in areas without cell phone towers!
Starlink Satellite Dish and Router VOIP
It’s taken me about the last two years to organize my complete mobile operations. I’m exceptionally excited about all of this! I’ve been teaching and running my Photography business from a static position for many decades.
I’m now able to work from anywhere I like! I’m now also teaching Photography, Lightroom, and Photoshop over the internet! I enjoyed teaching my classes for the past few years at B&C Camera and prior to that with the Clark County Library District.
Now? I no longer need a “location” or a room with audio visual capabilities to hold a class. I have facilities and systems in place to accomplish that anywhere I like. I also have the capabilities to increase my PhotoSafari’s to a wider range of locations.
This my friends and followers is totally awesome! My students can now view my classes when it’s convenient for them as well! They no longer need to schedule their calendars around certain class dates and times.
These changes have instituted some changes for me as well. Where I used to teach a two hour class on location… Students didn’t mind sitting in that location for class. Now? I’ve learned that getting my students to sit and watch a long lesson over video is not easy!
So I’ve started incorporating a two hour class into shorter video lessons. From a teaching standpoint this also puts a bit of “pressure upon me” to create more excitement for the topic. Where I used to teach with the goal of excitement and inspiration for the overall class…. now I need to teach with excitement and inspiration within each of the four or five videos!
I actually find this exciting for me as well. It’s a challenge! Another challenge I’m facing is how to carry over my teaching style from a live audience with their energy and input…Talking into a camera and a microphone is a whole new world for me! I loved live classes!
I like this version of what I’m doing now as well… however that camera and microphone do not produce the same “vibe.” I’m learning new skills for my presentations as well. I’ve been studying this intently behind the scenes.
Like I’ve said many, many times… It’s journey! Enjoy the whole ride!
I Have Been To Every State In The West…
More than once! More than a dozen times! But have I seen everything there is to see in all of those states? No I Have Not! It drives me crazy to suggest we go shoot someplace, and someone says “nah, I’ve already been there”… really? You can not find something different to shoot? Or you can not envision a different way to shoot what others consider mundane?
Isn’t part of the Art of Photography to see or capture something in a different light? Or from a different angle that has not been Photographed before? It also drives me wacko to post an image on FaceBook or some other so-so networking spot, and have somebody comment “oh yeah, that’s the dark side of the moon” “I’ve been there.”
Really? Like I’m supposed to give you a medal or something because you posted on MY wall that you know where that location is? Really? No nice comment about the image and the way I presented it? Or even , “wow I’ve been there and never thought to Photograph it like this! Thanks for your post”… Then they would not even need to mention the location.
Currently, largely due to social networking sites, many outstanding locations are being ruined. Last year in Yellowstone National Park I regularly saw hundreds of vehicles lined up waiting to park in 50 parking spots. The infrastructure of our park system was never built to handle the traffic that we are seeing today.
The Image above is from a well known location… but I’ve never seen another depiction of this scene like mine. The Image was captured with a very different camera, and edited in a very different style. This image is one of my favorites from last summers sojourn.
This Year I’m Searching Out the Little Known Spots…
I am looking to compose images that people might not know where they were captured. I’ve always prided myself in being different. With this years sojourn I’m going to try even harder to do that with my work.
Oh sure, I’ll go to known locations. I have a PhotoSafari scheduled in June for the Oregon Coast featuring Thors Well. I’m really looking forward to that one! The people that are currently signed up to go are very awesome to be around. I only have a few spots left for this one, so if you might be interested, or know someone that would be, have them act quickly.
I’ll be on the Oregon Coast early, scoping out little known spots, as well. It can be a tall order to find something really different on the Oregon Coast… but I’m up for the challenge. Even If I don’t find something different, there are other ways to accomplish this goal. I can edit the images using different techniques! I’m currently writing this blog post from the Oregon Coast.
So Far There Are A Few Standouts From My First Two Weeks…
The first one is I’m sleeping better. Call it fresh air. Call it cooler climates. Call it what ever you like, I’m sleeping better, and my back recovers faster with the premium bed in my RV. This alone has really elevated my disposition.
I’m also currently out of the Las Vegas heat where it is spring, with temperatures in the 60’s & 70’s during the day, and overnight lows in the 40’s. Perfect weather! For sleeping and also for Photography outdoors.
I’ve said it before, I’ll repeat it now… if you are fighting with anything at all, that will come across in your work. Becoming more rested, and in less pain, has definitely elevated my well being. I’m certain I will see this soon in my work as well.
Some Scenes Of Cedar City… A VERY Quaint “Homey Feel” City!
The second thing I’ve noticed right away is a larger police presence. I used to drive in Vegas for days and never see a cop. I remember more than once driving from Boulder City all the way to the Mount Charleston Turnoff and never seeing a highway patrolman. (45 miles of very busy freeway)
I saw lots of lunatics driving, but very seldom someone to catch them. (guaranteed this is part of the reason for very high insurance rates in Las Vegas!)
While in Cedar City, Utah, I saw a large police presence, and everyday that I’ve driven somewhere, I have seen more than a few tickets being handed out. I’ve yet to see five vehicles go through a red light, yet I saw that at EVERY red light in Vegas. Matter of fact I’ve yet to see someone even run a yellow light since leaving Las Vegas.
A bonus thing I’ve noticed are no homeless people, and zero people at stop lights with signs. There’s four on every corner in Vegas. Also there is not a 7-11 on every corner here. Hmmm… come to think of it? I don’t know that I’ve even seen a 7-11 in Cedar City at all!
Parked At One My Students Houses In Cedar City
The Journey
After spending the first week In Cedar City, I headed North for the Oregon coast. I have a two month long assignment up there. I have a policy for days that I’m pulling. It’s called the 330 policy. I try not to pull for more than 330 miles or past 3:30 in the afternoon. I also keep my speeds under 70 mph when pulling.
Can I pull my trailer faster than that? Yes I can… but stopping it is another consideration. Especially when going down steep grades. If you noticed some specs for my RV in the sheet above I’m pulling about 11,000 lbs.
The Road North And An Interesting Texture
Stopping that with an 8,000 lb truck loaded with another 2500 lbs can be a challenge. Couple that with a population of small cars zipping in and out of traffic? This can be very stressful! Every single time some little car cuts in front of you, ‘cuz you know they didn’t like following you… or? They turn right in front of you…
You can imagine… My patience can grow thin, but ultimately I know that very few people understand pulling a lot of weight. They’ve never done it. This is one reason I like to be in cowboy country. People there understand what it’s like because they are pulling four and six horse trailers all of the time.
Another consideration is the wind. A 35 mph crosswind is not fun! On the way up to the Oregon Coast I hit heavy rain. I’ve never pulled this outfit in heavy rain yet so I was a bit nervy with that. Also after I left Grants Pass Oregon I ran into slush going over the mountain passes.
That was really a test! My drive was only supposed to be a short four hours…it took me nine. Top speed most of the day was 45mph. Yes I was pretty beat up at the end of this day. I slept like a rock!
Bottom line? Even with these challenges I love the freedom I enjoy pulling my house around the country. I’m usually farther away from large cities and heavy traffic. The open road in the middle of nowhere is far less taxing.
The Oregon Coast Through The Fog
So Where’s The Inspiration Garrett?
Here is the inspiration… for my entire life I worked 5 days to get 2 off, 50 weeks to take 2 weeks off… Average life expectancy for men is now 73.6 years… I technically “retired” at 67. (I’ll never totally retire… I wish to pass into the force with a camera in my hand, and my heirs wondering what my last images were)
I’ve been on my own since I was 14. So I worked 53 years in order to enjoy 6.6 years?!? Really? Something is wrong with this equation. Did I “need” all the big fancy cars and houses I worked my butt off for? No I did not! Matter fact I should have never bought them. I should have become mobile long ago.
I get by just fine in my 256 sq feet. In the two weeks since I left on this summers sojourn I’ve seen some mighty nice country, visited with some outstanding people, taught some new techniques, learned some new things myself, lived through a few harrowing experiences, experienced snow and buckets of rain instead of unbearable heat, and a blah sunny sky every single day….
I will live past 73.6 years because I’m a tenacious S.O.B… For a very long time I simply wanted to live long enough to see my son graduate High School. Well he accomplished that eight years ago. My father passed away at 52. I’ve outlived him by a very large margin.
A great man recently past from stomach cancer, Mr Toby Keith. He wrote an awesome song inspired by Clint Eastwood, titled “Don’t Let The Old Man In”… Check it out.
Mean Time?
