Meals on the road

One of the most common questions we get from people right after they ask "did you build your trailer?", is "How do you cook in your tiny trailer?" 

My answer? Surprisingly well! We love our induction stove top because it keeps consistent heat and is a dream to clean. And it is completely portable. So we were able to bring it to the hotel room when family was visiting and make home made meals right in the room. And the little refrigerator that we were worried about holding more than just milk, is more like Mary Poppins bag, always surprising us with how much it can hold. And we have our awesome Orca cooler for extra storage (and beer of course!)

Our go to meals during the week are things like tacos, salads, soups, and stir-frys. All easy to make in a single pot or pan, and use relatively simple ingredients. The instant pot has come in handy to bake sweet potatoes (it can bake them in less than 20 minutes) and to make chili and soups. 

I will be making a video of me preparing dinner in the upcoming weeks, but in the meantime, here is the recipe for the chili we have made several times using the instant pot in our tiny trailer. 

Instant Pot Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of ground beef, preferably grass-fed organic ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 large can of chopped tomatoes, 26 oz can 
• 1 small-medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed*
• 3 teaspoons chili powder 
• 1 teaspoon cumin 
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper 
• 1/2 of a jalapeno, finely diced (optional)
• 1 can of Black beans or 1 1/2 cup precooked beans**

Topping Options:

• Sour Cream 
• Plain Yogurt
• Green onions
• Avocado 
• Jack cheese 
• diced purple onion 
• Fresh lime juice
• Cilantro leaves 

* The sweet potato almost completely breaks down in the Instant Pot, acting as a thickener. If you prefer the sweet potato to be in cubes, cook the potato separately and add before serving. 

**Add drained and rinsed black beans to chili and then let them heat through for 5 minutes on the "keep warm" setting. 

Directions:

1. Press the "Saute" button on the Instant Pot and cook the ground beef until brown, Remove beef and drain excess fat if necessary. Return beef to Instant Pot and press "cancel" button the the Instant Pot. 

2. Add remaining ingredients (except the black beans) to the Instant Pot. Mix ingredients well. Check that the vent is set to seal, and then press the "manual" button on the Instant Pot and select 10 minutes of cooking time. Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure, then remove lid and stir in black beans and return lid. Allow the chili to stay on the "warm" setting for 5 minutes as the beans warm up and then serve. Top chili with sour cream (or plain yogurt), green onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. 

I think chili is even better the second day, so make a big batch! 

Enjoy! 

St. Augustine A wonderful Florida Surprise

We stayed in St. Augustine because it was a good middle point between Juno beach and Augusta, GA and because Steven thought that maybe he had written a report about it in third grade. What a wonderful surprise! We stayed on St. Augustine Beach and spent each day taking a walk on the beach, and getting lots of work done thanks to a very quiet RV park. And sure enough, Steven did write his report on St. Augustine, and remembered an impressive amount about the geography and fort considering he was eight when he wrote it. 

We had a fantastic night walking around the town and enjoying the night life. A gourmet popsicle and a few glasses of Sangria made the evening perfect. 

We stayed at Bryn Mawr Ocean Resort for the week. Although some parts of the park were a little run down, they had new renovated bath houses, a clean pool, and was located steps from the ocean. Most of the resort is park models, but because it was mid April, most folks were headed back north, so we had a quiet spot that even included a two story deck! 

Look at how wide the beach is! People were biking, driving jeeps, and even golfing on the hard sand. It was a perfect spot for finding shells and dipping your feet in the warm water. 

Our rookie move was bringing dinner to the beach. The wind sent the fine sand into our quinoa salad and tropical fruit salad before we could say "bon appetite". Lesson learned mother nature. 

Juno, Florida A perfect spot to meet up with family

Not too much more to say than we had a perfect time in Juno with family. We spent the week with Steven's sister, Kate, Brother-in-law Joe, and adorable nephew Hank, and niece Cece. Fun was had by all! 

The kids loved playing in the sand and finding the longest sticks to poke eyes. The adults loved swimming in the warm water, chatting while the kids played with dangerous sticks, and eating meals together.

A care packaged arrived from family in CA. Thanks for the T-shirts mommy! We looked liked we were on vacation! 

We have been living on the coast for 6 weeks now, it will be hard to head inland. 

We found Juno Ocean Walk RV Resort in Juno, Florida and it seemed like an excellent spot to entertain family. The resort had a pool, playground, great laundry facilities, and even daily aqua aerobic classes. It felt like a neighborhood because the park was made up primarily of well maintained park models, but also because of the very friendly neighbors that we met. 

We even brought a little lizard friend from the Keys. Oops, I hope he likes Juno Beach! 

Florida Keys with Old Friends

A few spots in the map of the US have been pinned since we started dreaming about this adventure. One of those spots was the Florida Keys. This was mostly due to the fact that we have a friend that is currently stationed in the Keys, (and we could make plans to have more friends fly into to meet us for a vacation) and also because the Keys seem somewhat like an adult playground that's begging to be visited. 

Sometimes I have to remind myself that we are not on perpetual vacation, but in this case even my reminders were ignored. With the color of the water, beach time nearly everyday, and eating ripe tropical fruit with a spoon, we were in paradise.

And there is nothing like reuniting with friends.  

We visited the Turtle Hospital on Marathon Key, and for Steven, this might be the highlight of the entire year. The are doing amazing work at the hospital rescuing these sea turtles and healing them, and then releasing them back into the wild. We highly recommend a visit and tour at the hospital if you are headed to the Florida Keys. Yay Turtles! 

We couldn't get over the color of the water! And it made our homegrown trailer look even better. 

Thank you Florida Keys, you were everything we were hoping for. We met up with amazing friends, enjoyed swimming in the water, and ate our fill of mangoes, coconuts, and papayas. We experienced the craziness of Key West (shhhhh no details) and fulfilled the dream of seeing many many sea turtles. 

Goodbye to the southern most point of the United States, you were worth the trek. 

Old World Florida at Cedar Key

Florida is a huge state, so making our way to the Keys had to be done in a few steps. I recently found a list of 40 small towns in the US that are worth visiting, that still have the small town feel and are high on charm. Cedar Key was on that list and conveniently put us within a days drive of the Florida Keys. I found a RV resort with good reviews and availability, so it was a go. 

Many folks who we met in the RV park said that Cedar Key gives visitors an idea of what Old Work Florida was like before Disney got a hold of it. It was indeed a charming gulf town, with not many tourists, and lots of undisturbed land surrounding it. We were a good 45 minutes from a good sized grocery store if that helps showcase the landscape. 

We enjoyed a nice walk through the town and a dinner of local seafood. 

We loved our RV resort so much that we actually didn't venture out to the main part of Cedar Key as much as I expected. At the park our neighbors were friendly, and we got to chat with many folks walking their dogs around the loop of the park. The pool made the hot days manageable, and they even had aqua aerobics classes during the week! Our only complaint was the no-c-ums bugs. THEY WERE TERRIBLE! Sadly we had to eat dinners inside every night. 

My traveling dinosaur found some friends! 

After a good week of catching up on work, and enjoying mid day swims, we are ready for a long drive to the southern most point in the US. Next up the Florida Keys! 

Gulf Shores and a Serendipitous Birthday Celebration

On our route to the Florida Keys, we decided to stop in Gulf Shores. Having heard about the white sand beaches and relaxing atmosphere, it seemed like a good place to celebrate Steven's 30th birthday. We found a small and beautiful RV park with generous hosts and friendly neighbors that was located right on the bay. It may have been the peak of Spring Break, but at our little spot on the bay, Gulf Shores was completely serene. 

We had meals out on the deck, took walks on the path that ran along the bay, and did yoga out at the end of the pier. 

The sand was indeed gorgeous, and we got our feet wet in the gulf. And other than the thunder storm on the last night, the weather was perfect. 

We had no set plans for Steven's 30th birthday, so when we rolled into Gulf Shores, I was looking for activities that would be fun in the area. To my surprise, I found a sushi making class that was held in a brewery happening on Steven's birthday, only 10 minutes away from our RV site. What are the chances! And I found the class in the local newspaper, called the "Mullet Wrapper". It was a total win, we had a fabulous time. I got to surprise Steven with an awesome class, and he surprised me by shaving his beard off on the morning of his birthday. I guess 30 demanded a change! 

We also fit in a quick visit to Fort Morgan

Thanks Gulf Shores, you were a perfect birthday stop! 

New Orleans The State Park version

New Orleans was definitely on the bucket list. But after seeing the prices of the RV parks close to town, we had to make the decision to be further away from downtown. Luckily we discovered a campground gem. Bayou Segnette State Park was a beautiful, friendly, and relaxing spot for the week. And we were only 20 minute drive into New Orleans. A total win for our bucket list. 

We made the best of our short visit to New Orleans. We ate beignets (way too many!), took an air boat, held baby crocodiles, ate delicious food, and listened to a lot of live music. We also got a fantastic private tour at the Audubon Insectarium and tried cookies with crickets in them. It was a fantastic visit to New Orleans! We can check that box on our bucket list. But we will probably be back for more music and beignets. 

Austin, TX ...and our first time staying a month in one location

Steven had to hop on a few planes for work last month, so we made it to Austin Lone Star RV Resort and paid for a full month. It gave us a nice airport for his travels and I could get comfortable in one campground. It was great setting up knowing we didn't have to move for a few weeks. And it gave us time to get mail sent to us, repair a nail in our tire, and get the oil changed on the 4runner. 

A month was also enough time to learn where the YMCA with the best exercise classes was located, the best natural foods store, and favorite smoothie spot. Sometimes it is hard to balance real life things with being in "vacation mode" so it felt good to get into a rhythm. While Steven was away I took a cooking class, joined a local painting group for a morning, and took a pilgrimage to Waco, TX to see Magnolia Market and the land of "Fixer Upper". When Steven was around we got to see the turtles at University of Texas, watched the Bats fly out from under the bridge downtown, and ate delicious BBQ at Salt Lick restaurant. We also got to see some friends who have made Austin home. 

Austin, we will be back. We didn't much like the tornado warning that we had to deal with, or the horrible traffic. But the people were wonderful, the food was tasty, the beer was delicious, and the quirky atmosphere felt like home. 

I hope someone gets why I put a picture of the Tardis next to a photo of our trailer. I think they have many similarities. 

Tour of the Trailer

We are getting the hang of living in a 19’ trailer full time and thought that we would give a tour of our home on wheels! 

Our trailer was made by Homegrown Trailers located in Kirkland, Washington. They also offer trailer rentals, so check them out and share with family and friends in the area. 

We have made a few modifications that help us stay organized, continue to work full time and cook healthy meals on the road.

Here is a link to the video tour of our homegrown trailer. 

Kitchen/Dinette 

One of the things that I fell in love with on the homegrown trailers was the amount of counter space. I was constantly surprised with how much room I have for prepping meals between the counter and the dinette table. I am also impressed with how much our little fridge holds. I go to the grocery store about every 4-5 days. At some point we may update to a more efficient refrigerator so that we can go off grid without worrying about energy use. We are super happy with the induction stone top. Because the stove top is efficient, I usually boil water for dishes rather than using the water heater. And I make myself a cup of tea at the same time! 

The bench seats at the dinette are great storage. In one we have all of our dry food storage, and in the other we have our instant pot, blender, glass food storage containers, and mixing bowls. Under the sink we have these stackable pots/pans (That I LOVE) and a little colander and salad spinner. The only thing I miss is having an oven. I must experiment with more recipes in my instant pot! 

The dinette table is where Steven works on his laptop. If the weather is fair and the birds aren’t too loud, we also set up my events tent and table as his outdoor office. We have ample storage behind the bench seat which is currently storing Steven’s tools, and the overstock for my Etsy store. 

Living Room/Bedroom

This space transforms from Living Room Set Up (top photo) to Bedroom Set Up (bottom photo) by sliding one wooden panel out, so that it rests on the ledge. 

The bed is very comfortable, and when positioned as a couch, gives me (Chelsea) a great place to work on my laptop or paint. 

Our favorite modification (and most used) are the added drawers under the couch. Although in our video Steven says that we built them, the truth is we had a friend and very talented cabinet maker custom build these three drawers for our clothes and other storage. Each of our wardrobes fit completely in these drawers. We have a bin in our truck with heavy coats, but otherwise, these drawers are our closet. My trick is non wrinkle dress clothes for when we do dress up, and a base wardrobe of leggings and casual shirts. 

Bathroom

One frequently asked questions has been, "Do you have a shower?" The answer is yes, it is called a RoadShower and is located on our 4Runner. And we haven't needed to use it so far. Everywhere we have gone we have managed to get to a shower. Even if it has been on day 6, and been as part of a laundromat/restaurant. (Thank you Quartzsite, AZ!) 

We also belong to the YMCA, so we have been able to work out and get in a shower in most cities. 

One of our favorite things to talk about is how much we have enjoyed our composting toilet. Since we were probably part of the majority in questioning the lack of smell reported by other users, we want to pass along the confirmation that THERE IS NO ODOR! Well, maybe a slight earthiness if you don't have the fan going.

If you are interested in learning more about the composting toilet, we own a Nature’s Head. 

We have added some storage containers for toiletries in the bathroom, and keep shower supplies in a caddy so we can transport them easily to gyms, camp showers, truck stops, etc. 

We hope you enjoy our tour through the trailer! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to leave them here or on the video. 

Thanks for stopping by! 

White Sands National Monument

Don’t miss a chance to visit this amazing National Monument if you are ever in New Mexico. It looks like the moon, the sand feels like a beach in Hawaii, and the sunsets make you want to lean back with a glass of wine and watch.

Petrified Forest and Painted Desert

We had the best time driving and hiking through the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert with our homegrown trailer in tow!

Driveway Surfing and Taking a Break

Arizona and New Mexico were both home to friendly faces, talented chefs, and level driveways. We could not have been happier or more appreciative of our friends along this journey.

Sometimes someone offers you something that you didn’t even know you needed. In our case, that was homemade meals, a bathtub, and a king size bed.

We had a restful, rejuvenating, and productive stay at our friend's house for a few days, and then were ready to jump back in our hobbit house to go to the next spot on our adventure.

Birthday on the Road

I turned 30 while we were in Quartzsite. Thanks to my amazing family and awesome friends, it felt like I was home. 

I got a huge care package from my parents, and my best friend sent me an amazing homemade cake and care package from CA. And my husband somehow got flowers delivered in the middle of nowehere.

My finished painting of where we were camping. 

I watched the sunrise, got to paint for most of the day, and enjoyed a glass of champagne while the sun set behind the desert hills. And thanks to our solar panels and plenty of sun, I got to cook my own birthday dinner while boondocking in the desert. 

Changes made for boondocking

Our trailer was made to boondock, so our first experience offgrid for more than two days was really a learning curve. We learned you have to watch your energy use. Two decisions made this boondocking experience worry free.

1. Switching heaters

2. Having extra water on site in the form of a solar shower.

3. We did end up picking up a small Honda EU2000i generator just in case but only fired it up to start the break in process for future use. We're pretty happy with it for when we do need to use it as it is extremely quiet, sips gas, and requires very little maintenance.

First time Boondocking

At the end of January, Steven and I met up with a group of other young full timers in Quartzsite AZ. The group is called Xscapers and is a subcategory of the Escapees RV collective. We were late to the gathering, but the few days we were there were delightful and informative.

The night of our arrival, we were in invited to an outdoor movie projected against a fellow RVers rig. And we got an added surprise of a corn dog food truck! There is little that beats good food under the stars with new friends.

We met some of our YouTube idols who we had watched in preparations of our travels and continue to follow now that we are on the road. It was like meeting celebrities.

And we compared notes with many folks, all of whom have chosen their own way of travelling full time around the country.

Check out the model T driving through the landscape! 

Quartzsite was a total trip in of itself. We have NEVER seen that many RVs in one place. Arizona has a lot of dispersed BLM land in the surrounding area, so folks flood to Quartzsite for the winter to enjoy warmer weather and affordable camping. Scattered at the base of desert hills were enclaves of big rigs, little truck campers, travel trailers, vintage trailers, and everything in between. A transient group turned into a community for the winter months.

Joshua Tree Lake Campground

While visiting Joshua Tree National Park, we chose to stay at Joshua Tree Lake Campground which is just north of the national park. The campgrounds located within the park are beautiful and secluded, however, they also have no internet service. Since we are working full-timers, internet is one resource we are always seeking. 

Joshua Tree Lake Campground has wireless for purchase and adequate cellular service. The camping spots were spacious and level, and bushes and low trees offered some privacy between spaces. This time of year this campground was quiet and we never had another rig next to ours. 

We had water and power at our spot and there was a dump station on the property. Bathrooms and showers were clean and the staff were extremely friendly. The town of Joshua Tree is just a 10 minute drive away, with laundry, grocery store, and big box stores. We had a lovely lunch at The Natural Sisters Cafe and got some food shopping done next door at the natural foods grocery store. Two thumbs up for this pit stop! 

A few photos from our four days in Joshua Tree. Working set up for Steven, storm moving in, evening at the lake, and the view from the top of the property. 

Joshua Tree National Park

What a change in scenery from last week! It is amazing that just 4 short hours from Ventura, this beautiful desert lies ready for exploring. Joshua Tree certainly lived up to its hype, and we got to use our National Parks Pass for the first time! We caught a sunny morning at the park before more wet weather moved into the desert. 

Every adventure day demands a good breakfast to get things started. Gluten free french toast and organic blueberries was perfect. 

For a bit of our drive through the park we listened to Harry Potter, but I bet a better soundtrack would have been a book by Dr. Seuss. The Joshua trees look like they are straight out of one of his books. And the rock formations made our imaginations go wild, picking ones that looked like skulls, or drip sand castles, or sleeping giants. 

We hiked through narrow passages with boulders overhead, and scrambled up to the top of rocks. It was one of those perfect days for exploring that makes you grateful that this land is protected. 

Now I think I may need to start painting this scenery. The blue sage, orange rocks, and citrine green succulents are begging to be painted by an impressionist brush. Painting goals!  

Amazing rock formations, dramatic skies, and smiling faces. 

Laundry Day

This is the second time I have attempted laundry on the road. These are the lessons I have learned:

• Lesson #1 Look at the weather for the next few days before starting laundry.
• Lesson #2 Clothes do not dry when it is cloudy and drizzling. 
• Lesson #3 Do laundry regularly. Otherwise it is overwhelming

We have decided to use the Laundry Alternative washer and spin dryer for our laundry while we are on the road. We found recommendations for these items from other full time RVers. 

The washer is  a manual rotating tub that you fill with water, detergent, and clothes and turn for at least a minute. Then you empty the water, refill with fresh water and rotate again for the rinse cycle. Everything but jeans seem to work very well. 

The spin dryer plugs into 120 volt and drains water into the sink or tub. It is basically a large salad spinner. The dryer does not have heat, but within 2 minutes, it gets rid of almost all of the moisture. 

An afternoon in the sun will finish the load of laundry. Light clip and drip laundry hanger.  

---

So far, these tools work very well for small loads of laundry in between laundromat visits. And as long as it is sunny, laundry is completed in an afternoon. I call that a success! 

Beach side campgrounds

Carpenteria State Park

Full hook ups, small and close together spots. Quiet during the week, very busy on the weekend. Booked heavily in advance. Gorgeous walking paths, and incredible winter sunsets. Would recommend to a friend. 

Faria State Park

Full hook ups, level gravel sites. First come first serve, but you can keep an eye out for how many sites are available on the Ventura County website. Beach front spots with campfires are 20 feet from the water so be ready to listen to the waves! 

There is nothing like falling asleep and waking up to the sound of the waves. The first two places we have stayed in Southern California have been beautiful. Can't wait for the next one! 

What we learned in our first week

It's been a little over a week of living full time in our trailer. This is what we have learned. 

Chelsea

• The instant pot is actually the best thing ever. It cooked whole sweet potatoes in 10 minutes. 
• Set a timer on your cell phone as you put quarters into the camp shower. Then you will know when it will turn off. Lesson learned.
• Things move around in the trailer during transport A LOT more than you would think. 

Steven

• Try to avoid towing at night and in the rain. Plan ahead and look at accurate weather prediction. 
• People in campgrounds are friendly and helpful. Don't be afraid to ask for advice. 
• Try to only use one major appliance at a time.

Sunset in Ventura