Women's Forum: Just completed my first year!

[Blanch]

I just finished my first year on the road. I am a solo disabled female traveler with a truck and travel trailer.

I put my travel trailer in a ditch twice and jackknifed my rig once. On all three occasions complete strangers helped me get out of the situation safely.

The highlights of the past year include:
two months camped on the beach in Crescent City California
Carson City Nevada
Grass Valley
Newport Oregon
Olympic National Park
Seattle
Portland
The Smith River
A month on the Eel River
Quartzsite and the RTR
Ehrenberg
Slab City
Apache Junction
Anza Borrego for the super bloom
Klamath Falls
Lava Beds National Monument
Lake Shastina
Lake Tahoe

and this afternoon I head to Mammoth Lakes in California.

I have dealt with break downs, flat tires, rough roads, health problems and more. I am so very happy I started this journey!

Life is good!



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[AbuelaLoca]

Congratulations! And thank you for the inspiration!

 

[Queen]

That is awesome Blanch! Gives me hope.

 

[Blanch]

Here is my rig. I opted for comfort due to my disability, so I basically have a rolling condo. When I am sick I have all the creature comforts I could possibly need.



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[Queen]

Sweet set up! Our truck won't tow quite that much, but it will tow something decent sized. Sure makes sense to match your rig to your needs (and budget, of course).

 

[Blanch]

If I had it all to do over again I would opt for something a bit smaller. I am 30' and some lovely USFS campgrounds don't allow trailers that big. I get a 50% discount with my Access Pass and I love to stay in these campgrounds. It seems that about 22' is the max in many of these campgrounds.

My towing, backing up and turns have really improved in the past year. When I bought this trailer I had zero towing experience. What a long and strange trip it has been!


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[Queen]

You are one brave adventurous woman!!

Our truck will tow 6300 pounds (on paper) but that would be way too much behind a Nissan Frontier. We like the Winnebago Micro-Minnies, all the comforts for bad health days, in a light enough package not to destroy our transmission. It's our plan if we get tired of the condo in FL, sell that, buy the camper, and go wandering full time. Otherwise it's part time wandering in a tent.

 

[rvwandering]

I deleted some of the posts because this is the Women's Forum. So, sorry guys, read all you want but posting isn't permitted.

 

[Queen]

Hey Blanch, just curious, what was your favorite place out of that long list??

 

[CautionToTheWind]

C-o-n-g-r-a-t-s! How many miles in one year?

(for admin: Yes, I'm female. lol)

 

[Blanch]

C-o-n-g-r-a-t-s! How many miles in one year?

(for admin: Yes, I'm female. lol)

Roughly 30,000 miles in one year. This includes my numerous day trips for photography!


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[Blanch]

Hey Blanch, just curious, what was your favorite place out of that long list??

I do photography of abandoned places so my favorite spots have more to do with ghost towns and abandoned trains and such. My favorites so far have been Apache Junction and Slab City. Of course the RTR was great as well!



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[bigsallysmom]

Blanch -- we've never met but you are my hero.

 

[Bast]

My hero also

 

[Blanch]

I posted this in the women's section because a year ago I had my doubts. Now I know I can do this! And so can all of you.


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[TrainChaser]

Holy Moly, Blanche! I'm trying to think of what you could do if you WEREN'T handicapped, but my brain starts spinning.

Like they say: You Just Can't Keep a Good Woman Down!

 

[waldenbound]

That's an impressive list of places you've been in only one year. I can barely go 200 miles, still learning to handle a big vehicle with cars behind me. If it weren't for everybody else, I'd be fine

Great job Blanch, and hope to see you on the road next year!

 

[Blanch]

The secret is good mirrors. Get big ones that let you see everything and then practice using them. Once I got good with the mirrors my skills improved quickly.


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[mizjewels]

Blanch,

Thank you for such an inspirational thread. I'm curious what you found about Slab City that put it on the top of your Best Places list? I've only seen some youtube vids about the place and none of them had much good to say about it. I'm interested to hear a viewpoint from the other side if you're willing to share.

Also, I have RA so at times my parts don't work as advertised. I'm a little nervous about being somewhere alone and having a flare. Is your disability something similar? If so, your success is very encouraging for me!

 

[Blanch]

The photographic opportunities at Slab City were the attraction. The art at East Jesus and Salvation Mountain as well as the Salton Sea were just fun to photograph.

I have PsA which is very similar to RA. I have flares and sometimes need to use a cane or crutches. I have a nice and large TT with a full kitchen and bedroom. When I have a flare I just tuck in and ride it out. In my year on the road my flares have not lasted as long as previously. The low stress level of this life seems to help me, and a flare spent in the forest in a zero gravity chair napping isn't so bad.






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