Some RTR 2015 photos

[sassypickins]

All the comforts:



And the mechanics and storage:

   

A tiny but efficient heating stove:

 

[sassypickins]

And lastly, inside the door on the left, a complete bath with a Nature's Head composting toilet and a shower:



I love how Lou cared to blend function and asthetics.  His garage is in the back of his pickup, and even it is masterfully arranged.

 

[sassypickins]

We had visitors



Cody was so busy protecting the food



It plumb wore him out



An impromptu sunset drum circle

 

[karl]

Sweet!
Thanks for the pics!
Lou has another fan.

 

[mockturtle]

Very nice! 

 

[Seraphim]

Nice pics - thanks.

 

[Almost There]

Nice pics all that way through this thread!

The deal is done...next year I'll be at the RTR.

Whether or not I'm fully retired is yet to be seen, I may have to bring work for on the road...logistics to be unscrambled yet!

Come on spring so I can get the van conversion done...sigh!!

 

[Seraphim]

I keep saying I'll be there, but something generally pops up...

 

[Almost There]

I keep saying I'll be there, but something generally pops up...

Ha, nothing, not my work, nor the eldercare responsibilities that I have been saddled with are getting in my way.

Mom has already been put on notice that she's going to be hiring a replacement for me! She's okay with it right now, I expect she won't be when it gets closer to departure time. I'm outta here as of November 15th at the latest...too many things to see and places to go to keep on doing what I've been doing and resenting it all!

 

[highdesertranger]

that's one nice vardo. highdesertranger

 

[Luisafernandes]

Very nice! I wish I had the chance to be there, but work and other duties got in the way.
I think next year I'll become a SD resident, and from there, RTR here I come...I hope. [emoji1][emoji106][emoji604]

 

[Bela's Mom]

Ha, nothing, not my work, nor the eldercare responsibilities that I have been saddled with are getting in my way.

Mom has already been put on notice that she's going to be hiring a replacement for me! She's okay with it right now, I expect she won't be when it gets closer to departure time. I'm outta here as of November 15th at the latest...too many things to see and places to go to keep on doing what I've been doing and resenting it all!

I hear ya!  I told my sister today that I am going to the RTR next year.  She agreed to take care of the folks.  I'm so grateful to have a sister that will help out even though she lives out of state. 

 

[sassypickins]

Processing all my feelings about my time at RTR is not easy.  It was a non-stop multi-level experience.  I am 100% glad I went.  Everyone I met had a unique story, every path varied.  Many, like me, came for the first time, eager to listen, learn, meet.  Others, who have come every year since it started, were very welcoming. 

I witnessed a strong, confident and satisfied community, all caring for each other. Some exuded quiet happiness and others were quick with laughter and jovial camaraderie.  It seemed like all were willing to share their experiences -- the good, the bad and the foolish -- all from which comes that wonderful thing we call wisdom.  I saw some gift hours, even whole days, of skilled service to others in need, and it was humbling to see that at least there, no bump in the road would be insurmountable, and difficult situations would have the best chances of positive solutions.

The two-week gathering provided enough planned events to bring people together, but also provided a very comfortable time frame for everyone to wander the camps, connecting with friends and making new acquaintances.  People came and went every day, making trips into town for supplies for themselves and others, visiting vendors, and tending to rig maintenance - high on the priority list.  Privacy was respected, and pets were, for the greater part, well-controlled and clearly were well-loved.

I was so surprised to see so much gravel everywhere!  Well, duh... I guess it's called Quartzsite for a reason.  But the road in to the camping site was very well graded, and all the high ground between the washes was packed with gravel, making for some very level parking spots.

I had difficulty the first several days adjusting the alarm clock in my head, but finally was able to wake with the sun and for the most part was ready to wind down after sunset.  With only about 9-10 daylight hours, it's easy to see why people want to make the most of them, and these two weeks were full of sunshine and mild temperatures.

On leaving RTR, I stopped by the Ehrenberg site for a short stay.  Just over 20 miles west of the RTR site, its level areas are gravel-packed as far as the eye can see.  I found a spot on the eastern edge of what looked like a runway a Boeing could land on.  At twilight, a slivered moon hung with Venus over the lights of Blythe on the western horizon, while to the east of me lay desert.  Not a gathering, but a wintering spot, rigs parked at the Ehrenberg site are spaced farther apart, giving everyone privacy and quiet. Every now and then someone might appear in the distance, walking their dog, or a rig might drive by on its way to town or perhaps just to visit someone else.  Here I experienced a glimmer of what it might feel like to be a full-timer, to live this every day, if not here, somewhere.  I felt the aloneness that I knew could turn into loneliness if not managed.  I also felt myself relax, and my mind turned from my recent two-week social date to more introspective thoughts...  practical tasks to make my space more comfortable or to maintain cleanliness and order, imaginative thoughts to feed the need for art and music and creativity, and soul-searching thoughts to see what lay there that might merit my attention.  Eventually, I allowed my brain to remember that I did have commitments back at home, and it was time to take the van out of park and head north.

I treasure my experience and all the people I had the good fortune to meet.

 

[cyndi]

Thanks for taking the time to share your pictures and your impressions of the RTR. Both bring me home, to Q and my RTR family. Hope to see you there next year. I won't miss another one.

 

[Wabbit]

Processing all my feelings about my time at RTR is not easy....

Thank you for sharing all that you did! Reading your words almost made me believe that I too had made my first RTR meet up! Thank you!

 

[sassypickins]

My pleasure, everybody!

*****


Luis, some of the RTR seminars covered establishing residency, mailing address, and health insurance, which is a consideration for travelers establishing residency because currently not all states offer multi-state health insurance, South Dakota being one.

Not meaning to get into a discussion here, but I found this website that lists the states that do offer it and the provider names.  What I found interesting was in the note section at the bottom of the web page, which states by year four (and we're in year two now) all states must offer multi-state plans... assuming the Affordable Care Act will still be around then.  Note the Kaiser Family Foundation is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente insurance.

*****

Atli, my apologies for misspelling your name!!!

 

[LowTech]

Sassy, little off topic but,
I'm about to replace the head gaskets on my truck, you can come down and help.
I was there when you were turning wrenches w/ VonBrown, you can get some more experiance. It's warm here in J-Tree

 

[sassypickins]

Thanks for the invite, LowTech!  I'll PM you...

 

[anm]

Sassy, little off topic but,
I'm about to replace the head gaskets on my truck, you can come down and help.
I was there when you were turning wrenches w/ VonBrown, you can get some more experiance. It's warm here in J-Tree  

Wow, that is some rig LowTech! I'll be interested in following your build.

 

[Chancebond]

Whats a kangaroo kitchen?  Does it fit in a belly pouch?

Let's hope they hopped to it!