Gorgeous sunsets are a dime-a-dozen in Arizona! This one is near Yuma.
You may have noticed that I rarely talk about my daily life, and there is a simple reason for that, it’s boring!! I mean, every day is the same: Homer and I go for a walk every morning and evening; in-between I work on projects or write for the blog or work on the websites; I make meals and if someone else is in camp I visit with them. After dark I watch TV. Nothing very exciting in any of that! But, there is quite a bit going on right now so I thought I would change things up and try out a post on my daily life. To liven up a little, I will throw in some pictures from the last month or two.
I’ve Added an “Off-Grid, Mobile Living Store” to the Blog.
Me and the biggest Ocotillo I have ever seen!
Over the 11 years I have been vandwelling I have bought and used lots of things to make my life better. Some worked just as expected, some far exceeded my expectations and a few were just crap. To help you separate the good from the bad and the ugly, I’ve created a store (there is a link to it at the top of the page). Fairly soon I expect to add some products I am selling directly, but for right now it is just links to Amazon.com of items I use and recommend. While I own and use nearly all of these, there are a very few that I do not. Those items are owned and used by my friends who highly recommend them to me. The way it works is if you click over to Amazon from my blog, I will make a little money on everything you buy and it won’t cost you anything. I think of it as a win-win, you get tested and proven products that will serve you well at a great price, and I make a little money. Give it a try!!
I Met RVSue and Her Crew.
This is RV Sues rig. It’s perfect!!
I have never understood the idea of following other peoples blogs. I mean, why would I care about your boring life? Then I found Sue’s blog and fell in love with it (find it here:
http://rvsueandcrew.com/). I can’t explain why I find it so interesting, but I do. So I was glad to get a chance to camp near her for a few days and visit with her. She is a great lady!! We have a lot in common: we both blog and have great readers; we both live in small trailers and tow them with a Chevy express van; we are each devoted to our furry best friends; we both boondock and love hiking. Getting to know her was a real pleasure and I am sure our paths will cross again! In fact I think it will be in just a few days near Wickenburg!
I am Going on a Cruise.
Wildflowers about 50 feet from my trailer near Phoenix
My mom loves to go on Cruises! She has taken many of them and all over the world, including a month-long cruise to the Mediterranean. She had planned to take a cruise with my aunt and had already bought the tickets. But when health problems kept my aunt from being able to go, rather than lose a lot by getting a refund she asked me to go with her instead. I am not a cruising person but there is no way I can pass up a chance like this. So I have my airline tickets and I am flying into Orlando, FL April 16 and we start the week-long cruise on April 20. We are going to Belize, Mexico, the Grand Caymans and a few other places. I am really excited about it and I’ll take lots of photos and tell you all about it!
I’ve Been Taking Trips Into Phoenix
I have a love-hate relationship with cities; on one hand I love the variety of shopping and the money it can save me, on the other I feel like a tiger trapped in a cage whenever I am in one. I’ve been camped pretty close to Phoenix and I’ve made a few trips into town and I have to say I like it better than any other big-city I have been to. I was in downtown and I actually enjoyed it. Of course I got lost and stopped to ask for directions, and the people were friendly and helpful. It had an overall very positive vibe to it.
Brittlebush in bloom.
I also got to shop at Costco for the first time in a long time. All the packaging is so big there that it’s hard for me to justify the membership. But, their brand of dog food is very cheap for its high quality. If you look at the first few ingredients of most dog foods, you’ll see it is usually corn. In fact one popular brand has 2 of the first 3 ingredients as some variety of corn. Dogs aren’t supposed to eat that much corn! So I only feed Homer food that is free of corn and wheat. The problem is that stuff is expensive! So when I discovered Costco’s brand was high quality and cheap, I signed up. I think I save enough every year on his food to pay for the membership and there are enough other things I buy to make me glad I’m a member. Being near a big city has it’s advantages.
The Desert is Green, Gorgeous and magical.
The “lawn” in front of my camp near Phoenix.
I moved today to BLM land about 20 miles north of town and the desert here is gorgeous! The grass is so thick and green that it literally looks like a manicured lawn. Usually I just drive out in the desert and pull over to camp, but it felt odd and almost wrong to do it on grass. It was cloudy today, so I don’t have any pictures that really do it justice. Tomorrow I will try to capture just how pretty it is in some photos. I think this may be one of my all-time favorite campsites. I am close enough to Phoenix to have great shopping and still be getting 4g internet signals (which is really fast), but at the same time the road back here was kind of rough so I don’t think I will be seeing anyone else. But the best thing is I am up on a hill and I get to look down onto the lights from Phoenix and they are spectacular! I wish you could all be here to see this!
I’m Working on Something BIG!
I don’t want to say what it is because it may not happen and I don’t want to jinx it by talking about it prematurely. But, if it happens it will be one of the coolest things that ever happened to me and I hope it brings a lot of positive attention to our wonderful way of life!
That’s Sue and Jeff in front of Saddle Mountain. A really great campsite about 30 miles east of Phoenix
These little Lilies were all over near my camp in Yuma
These little purple flowers are growing profusely in my “lawn”. Very pretty
Standing in the door of my trailer I have this view down the valley toward Phoenix. At night the lights are spectacular. Lots of Cholla and Saguaro cactus here.
I have a love-hate relationship with cities; on one hand I love the variety of shopping and the money it can save me, on the other I feel like a tiger trapped in a cage whenever I am in one. I’ve been camped pretty close to Phoenix and I’ve made a few trips into town and I have to say I like it better than any other big-city I have been to. I was in downtown and I actually enjoyed it. Of course I got lost and stopped to ask for directions, and the people were friendly and helpful. It had an overall very positive vibe to it.
Hey Bob,those are very nice pictures. I hope you enjoy the cruise. Have fun.
Thanks Joey, how could I not enjoy it!!
Bob
All good stuff! Love the new campsite. I read about you and Sue meeting up on her blog. It was gratifying to know that 2 of my favorite bloggers met in person. (Not to mention the pups).
That’s great news about the cruise! What extremes – from the desert to the sea. I’ve been on several and, once you’re on board, it’s THE most relaxing way to travel I’ve ever experienced. You don’t have to do anything except stay fed – not a problem, as I’m sure you know. I’m sure your Mom will be glad to have you around.
We just joined Sam’s Club and I’m beginning to see what all the fuss is about. Looking forward to your announcement! My guess is one of the networks offered you your own reality show 😉
BTW, count me among the many who find your boring life fascinating.
Kim, you are too kind! I wish you were right about the reality show, may be I should pitch that to one of them. I could be another Seinfeld, a show about nothing!
Bob
Bob,
thanks for the wonderful pics of the phoenix area,and a peak into your “boring” everyday life.I hope you and your mom have a fun trip, enjoy the cruise!! Be safe…:)
Randy
Thanks Randy. The desert is a very strange place! It can be green and beautiful or brown and lifeless, all within a matter of months or even weeks. Somehow it gets in your soul and changes you. It will be quite a change to be on the ocean, but somehow I will bear up under it!!
Bob
Ooh, now I’m dying to know! Thanks for the store – I will definitely make all my road trip purchases there. 🙂
LaVonne, sorry for leaving you hanging like that. But it would be premature to talk about it but I am dying to talk about it!!! We will just to wait and see how it turns out!
Bob
Nothing boring about your blog – ever! It sounds like you’re having a great year. My anti-spam word is “wave”. I think your mom should take me instead (just kidding).
Have a great cruise!
Naomi, I am having a great year! Her’s what we’ll do, I will wave as we set sail!! One of these days your time will come!
Bob
lol! That’ll work. :o)
hey now ,bob boring nah, i bet alot of people in blog land would be happy to be bore with ya.anyway great pix’s, i also like reading rv sue and crew too,we both have casita’s!! . talking about casitas i’m think about putting my casita up for sale. i’m crazy for doing so, but after seeing moble t a.k. don, at this year rtr an his sweet little class c and small trilbike. man that the rig for me.i hate myself, for always wanting what someone else has,been that way my whole life!!.you must like your new van.you are travelng a little more this year? have fun with your mother,nice of ya to go with her on short notice.pay for boat ride with mom preicless.she won’t be around for ever. gary
gary, you won’t get any argument from me about Don’s Mobile Traveler, best little rig I have ever seen! Nothing wrong with learning from your mistakes. The Casita is a great rig but if something else is better for you, then go for it!
Good luck selling your Casita and finding a Mobile Traveler!
Bob
Springtime in the desert–truly a wondrous thing! Enjoy your time with your mother and the cruise. Sounds wonderful.
But what about Homer???
Hi, Bob,
I’m a relatively new follower to your websites, forum and blog. But as soon as I “found” your sites, I bought your book. It is a terrific value and very practical. Thanks for writing so much detail and conveying so much good information. With you and so many other great folks to learn from (such as RVSue), I am planning my own switch to the vandwelling lifestyle within the year.
Like another commenter, my guess is you may be looking at doing a reality show. While I would definitely watch and enjoy it, I immediately had visions of thousands of people in vehicles driving over fragile plant life in areas such as the one where you are now camped. I know from your own declarations and by what you write that you are very careful to not spoil or pollute or litter the land. I guess I sound like one of those folks who don’t want others to enjoy what they’ve found. That really is not the case. I’m just concerned about the “scale” of the number of people reached. Because I was looking for information about being able to live more closely with nature, I searched out your websites. When something is seen on TV, the number of people reached is multiplied by hundreds of thousands.
So if another 20, 30 or 40,000 people decide to go out for a weekend to “test” the lifestyle after the first show airs, will that affect how public lands are managed or the quality of the experience for those already into boondocking? Won’t rangers have to begin enforcing the 14-day limits much more precisely?
Well, I know you will have been thinking over all the consequences and implications. Perhaps many people will begin talking about joining full-timers but never really do it. I guess I’d be more concerned about the weekenders and party folks getting stoked up to go out and camp on public lands for free, because their numbers could overwhelm the current management policies. On the other hand, if producers think they have a new idea that will bring in an audience (thus advertising dollars), they will find someone else to feature who may not be as responsible as you in stressing how to protect the land.
I’m just thinking “out loud” here and will be reading your posts, as usual, to see what your big news will be. Thanks again for giving me a window into a future for myself that I can be very excited about.
Carla (BTW, I’ll be writing my next novels while traveling and camping in the backcountry!)
Carla, wow, you really thought that through! I don’t want to talk about the specifics of my “big” secret (I may have exaggerated that!) but it is a really good general topic. It’s a tough problem about whether you should tell the world about something you love. On the one hand you love it and want to tell everyone else about it, but by telling people about it you may be contributing to its destruction. The Wave is a good example of that. 20 years ago no one had ever heard of it but then word started getting out and the BLM had to step in and take extreme measures to protect it.
For myself I’ve decided that I am doing more good than harm by promoting vandwelling. I think there are very few people who can be persuaded to do it unless it is already in their blood. And if is already in their blood then it is a good thing to show them how. Take you for example, you must have had a love and longing for nature before you first heard about vandwelling. Learning about it didn’t make you want to spend time in nature, it just showed you how. Hopefully I can contribute to you having a better life and treating nature with respect.
it’s a tough question with no easy answer, but I honestly feel like I have been called to do what I am doing.
Bob
Count me with those who are worried about the effects of aggressively spreading the word about van-dwelling.
I agree with Bob that it is a tricky balance–between spreading the good news and making the good news obsolete. Finding a low-cost, sleepy town to live in, for example, and energetically telling everyone about it and teaching everyone how to move there, will, if one is successful in one’s message, take away the very advantages one was praising: Prices will rise, and it will become crowded and noisy, not quiet and peaceful.
The same with the current availabiity of public land for mobile dwellers. There is already a tremendous amount of information available about vandwelling. And with that rise of available information, there are more and more full-timing RVers and vandwellers.
I’ve argued before that if even less than 1% of additional Americans took to the road–and parked at Wal-Marts and BLM and NF and NP lands–that would be tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of additional vehicles (with an inevitable small percentages, but large numbers, of litter-bugs and bad citizens) clogging up the warmer and scenic parts of our country…
In turn, that would get the attention of the federal and state government agencies managing those lands, as well as of local communities who don’t want the crowds and mess, and who feel over-run by those whose lifestyle irks them…and who are very likely to then pass restrictive new laws forbidding or making far more difficult such freedoms.
And that would hurt many people–especially the neediest vandwellers, who would be least able to afford the additional parking fees and costs for further travel (to legal parking places) that such laws would bring.
It’s a fact of life that not everyone can enjoy the same limited resources. And even if one feels that they must share the “Good News” with everyone, such unbridled idealism is often ill-conceived. As wise people have warned for a very long time: “He who loves everybody, loves nobody.”
And having a passionate feeling that one is doing the right thing is, of course, no guarantee that one is in fact doing the right thing…and passionate conviction of being right and doing right has, indeed, been a feeling shared by some of the most destructive people in recorded history.
I have no doubt of Bob’s sterling intentions, and of his generous spirit and rare altruism. And I know he feels called to spread the word. Indeed, he seems to have made teaching others about vandwelling his life mission, so I have no illusions about infuencing him. Still, I see so clearly the old adage about the road to hell and what it’s paved with.
But go tell a missionary to stop proselytizing…
Michael, as always, a very well thought out and reasoned argument. one for which I am not sure I have an adequate response except, “OH yeah!! I’m rubber and you’re glue and what you say bounces off me and sticks to you!!”
I’m just kidding!!! I truly appreciate your (and several other readers) concerns about the course I have set for myself in promoting vandwelling. And I want to give my response but you deserve much better than what I can do in the limited space of a comment. So I will write out my response and it will be my next post. Keep your eye out for it.
Bob
Bob,
As always, your humility and civility are remarkable.
Whatever our disagreements may be on the wisdom of a particular “policy,” I deeply admire so much of who you are as a person.
Michael
Michael, thank you so much for your generous spirit. Given the choice of being right or having friends I can connect with whatever our beliefs, I will take the friends every time!!
bob
As Bob says, those who have a longing for such a lifestyle will seek out information — such as finding his sites and other similar ones. That’s what I did, and it’s great to find such a wealth (Bob’s being the best I’ve seen).
The big difference with media such as TV is that the information is pushed OUT to a general audience that is huge. It does not go only to people who are already seeking a cozy and mobile home or a life of freedom.
A TV show reaches a minimum of hundreds of thousands and then, if it is new and different, millions. As I stated in my original post, very few of them will choose it as a permanent lifestyle. My biggest concern would be that a few hundred thousand partiers hear about camping for free on public lands and each weekend they head for the hills (or desert). My background is advertising, PR and some film work, so I’m probably oversensitive to what can happen.
WriterMs, I value your input, especially with your background in related fields. I will have to really consider if I am just be selfish and my usual ego-maniac in wanting to bring attention to myself through the TV show, or if my motive are pure. Of course they are not pure, but generally they are mostly good. In this case the may be mostly selfish. I will have to do some soul-searching!
Thanks for your well-thought out comment!
Bob
Really nice pictures Bob. I wouldn’t say your life is boring, it’s the kind of freedom and tranquility many wish they could have and probably never will. You’re truly living a dream and I think it’s great. I’m in my van and loving it. Income is a challenge so I built a few websites and do affiliate marketing with them. I must say traffic to the site is the challenge. Paid traffic is hard to justify because it usually is a break even endeavour at most. Leaving the corporate world was the best thing I ever did and hope to remain free.
Martin, congratulations on making the break from the norm into vandwelling!! When it comes to bringing traffic into a website the old saying is totally true, “Content is King!” people try all kinds of tricks but really it comes down to good old-fashioned hard work and producing content people want to read, see or hear. Are you an expert on anything? By that I mean really knowledgable and not faking it. If so, then writing a book on the Amazon Kindle is a good way to make some money.
I wish you good luck!!
Bob
Darn! I really enjoy reading your blog Bob, but as neat as the new background is I can’t see the text!
Greg, I don’t know what to say, it works great on my laptop. I checked it with Firefox, Chrome and Internet Explorer and it looks fine with all of them. I even tried it on my Kindle Fire and it looks fine. A few other people are having a problem with it to but I don’t know what the common denominator is. I am looking into it though.
Bob
Dear Bob,
I would love to read what you write but the lovely forest background completely obscures all text!
Hi Kitty, others have told me that but for most people it works fine. It works fine for me on both my laptop and Kindle Fire. I am looking into it.
Bob
Great post Bob and nice to hear about your store.
Watch out for them nasty snakes.
Tim, it is getting to be time for the snakes to come out. I was just doing some reading on them and I found out a person is more likely to be killed from being struck by lightning than by being bitten by a snake. They are out there for sure, but the risk really is very low.
Bob
It’s the likes of you and Sue that I got this idea to sell it all and take off very soon this summer. Without you and discussions from so many would I have had the courage and knowledge to finally live a life time dream. Hats off to you for your generosity in sharing the how to’s!
Excited for you taking on a cruise and with your mother especially (sweet)… Loved the image of sitting on the hilltop viewing the lights of Phoenix. I’ll have to look for that spot :O). I’ll be anxiously awaiting the announcement … sounds like its going to amazing!
Cozygirl, we may have contributed, but you get all the credit. In the final analysis you had to have the courage to take the leap of faith and actually do it. I wasn’t nearly as brave as you are, i was forced into it, you are my hero!
Bob
I like the idea of new store. One of the things I enjoy most are turstworthy gear reviews. Enjoy your cruise. I’d take a note from recent cruise news, though. Use your knowledge of light packing, packing your own lights and potty gear. If those boats loose power, you’re on your own. I had a cruise that experienced every problem from hurricane, engine trouble, hyjackers–no joke! I still had a blast. PS-Buy and pack Dranamine. Even a desert pirate gets seasick!
ILDan, the Cruise ships really have been in the news lately haven’t they. I can only hope everything goes well. I haven’t done much sailing, so Dramamine is a really good idea. Thanks for the suggestion!
Yeah, I really like buying products my friends have and use so I don’t end up throwing more money away. I’ve already done plenty of that!
Bob
First of all, thanks for the location near Phoenix. My old friend from my mis-spent youth lives in Phoenix, so that will come in handy one of these days.
I understand what you mean about having a boring life. That’s my ambition. My friends, whether they show fear or envy, seem to think I’m after a great adventure. I’ve had quite enough adventures. What I want is essentially what you describe–a little work, a little relaxation, close friends, some solitude, and the occasional change of scenery.
I made sure to come here and click through from your links when I bought my battery charger and batteries last week. I have no problem with you having a store.
I hope nobody’s going to do a reality show about mobile living. There will always be people who jump into something feet first, and I would not like to share urban space with them. They would give the nay-sayers ammunition, not to mention the police response. With that said, based on experience, I imagine you would present a balanced and rational view of the subject better than most. I tend to think your big surprise is something else anyhow, but we shall see.
I know nothing about cruises except that I tend to get seasick easily.
I have yet to see the desert green and blooming. One more item for the bucket list.
Calvin, one of my goals for the blog is to compile a list of dispersed camping spots so when you all go out you will know where to go. I wish I had started years ago because I have so many that I can’t give directions to.
I’m glad you are okay with the store, but there are quite a few people who think no one should make money on them. I was a member of the Yahoo Group Boondockers and I put a link in to one of my pages that had a donation button on it. The moderator freaked out and banned me right then without ever telling me. I only found out later when a friend emailed me and told me I had been banned. So I try to be respectful of peoples sensibilities about money.
I call my life boring, but you are right, it really is stress-free much more than boring. the peace of mind I have found by living on public land is truly priceless to me!!
Bob
I Love your location . So pretty !!
As far as your borring life? I think it is exciting to be able to move every week or two. Nothing borring about that.
The cruise will be different but all beautiful places that you are going. Hope you enjoy it !! Dont eat to much ! They realy feed you on those boats. Well, they do have a gym too. LOL
Susan, I can see a collision coming: a cruise ship that loves to feed you and me, a guy who love to eat!! They may have to roll me off the ship!
I think you are right about what’s boring. That’s something I learned from reading RVSue and crew, that what seems boring to me while I am living it is actually pretty interesting to someone looking in. So I am going to try to do more of it.
That as a really pretty spot because of all the cactus and the above average rainfall made it really green.
Bob
I Love your location . So pretty !!
As far as your borring life? I think it is exciting to be able to move every week or two. Nothing borring about that.
How fun that you and Rv Sue spent a few days hiking,chatting.
The cruise will be different but all beautiful places that you are going. Hope you enjoy it !! Dont eat to much ! They realy feed you on those boats. Well, they do have a gym too. LOL
Hi Bob,
Thanks for all that you share.
A question that I have is, What do you do with your rig when you go on “vacation”?
Wren, this will only be my second “vacation” in the last 5 years. Three years ago I drove back to Florida to visit with my mom so the rig was with me. Last September I flew to Alaska for a two week family reunion. That time I just left my trailer with friends who watched it and Homer. I will do the same thing this year. I’m camped with Steve again so I think he will watch them for me.
Bob
My guess: Bob is going to get married!
Trisha, only when you are ready!! I had decided to not even comment on speculation on my secret, but this is one I have to comment on. No, there is zero chance I am getting married!!!!
Bob
Hi BOB,Boy such great pictures,Makes me want to hurry up and get out there.Myself and my better half are heading to Phoenix in the first part of May to check on my 95 year old sister.Can’t wait.
Possibly i can look you up if you are in the area of Phoenix or Wickenburg, Have a cousin there.
You are lucky to be there now ,We have a winter storm watch in effect in northern Indiana! Is it spring yet?
Enough complaining from me ,You Have a great time on your cruise with your MOM.
Have a great day. Don
Don, it will be a nice break for you to get away from Indiana and into the heat! It is definitely spring here!! By May it will be too hot here for me. I don’t cope well with heat and when it hits 90, I start planning on moving. I am thinking by then I will be somewhere in the Prescott National Forest or Sedona, or somewhere around Flagstaff. It all depends on the weather.
But if you have access to a car, all those places are relatively close to Phoenix, so you may want to drop-by for an afternoon. Phoenix should be hot by then and you may want to cool off!!
Bob
How long to we have to wait Bob to hear what that big secret your keeping is?
Libertad, my readers are much too smart and they figured it out, so the cat is out of the bag! Read my latest post where I say it is the possibility of a TV show appearance.
Bob
Hey crusin Bob, hangin with your Mom will be a blast!! Didn’t think I was the crusin sort either until I went to Alaska a couple of yrs ago – AWESOME Left OR Jan 23nd, between care giving, repair challenges, death of friend, person and dog, I’m still in Northern CA but have plans to hit the road next week and on to AZ as fast as I can. Don’t want to totally miss spring. Thanks for all the photos. Lovin vandwelling, even in SF and your posts continue to provide inspiration, information and just down right fun.
Happy sailing. Gretchen
Thanks Gretchenrose! I am pretty excited about the cruise, it will be a real break from my usual life! Hopefully we can finally get to meet this spring in Arizona!
Bob
i am so glad that you’ve done a store! now i don’t have to make notes and lose them, then reserch to find what i lost. i’m “land locked” for now and i can look at the things i can buy to make life on the road a little easier, and i feel a lot more optomistic and don’t feel so fenced in, it’ll make june come a lot sooner.
Margo, I’m glad you have a positive reaction to the store! there are some people who really resent the idea that I may make some money off of all my hard work. And it is hard work. I put in many hours every day setting in front of the keyboard working on all these websites. But is it work if you love it? I don’t think so. So for you to see the good I think it does makes me feel much better!
Of course no ones motives are pure, so part of me wants to make money at this, but i think an equal or larger part truly wants to be able to help people make the transition to a new, and I think better, life. Thanks for writing in!
Bob
The general publicthese daysdecides precisely what it desires for entertainment, definitely not the main studios and representatives. As soon as you additionally distribution on the Internet and press websites, from rumor to entire movies. It’s a brand-new world. Some of it fantastic, some not.