Author Archives: Marilyn

Glorious Sunrise

Glorious Sunrise

Glorious Sunrise

Marilyn, June 24:

Our first night in the teardrop. We slept soundly. The birds began to sing as our sleepy eyes opened. We had arrived on a black, star-less night but looking out the tiny window, I caught a glimpse of the breath-taking colors illuminating the canyon walls. What a glorious sunrise. We were IN the canyon looking up at the picturesque formations. It was a first for me. I had been used to viewing canyons from the rim. This was a dynamic change of scenery from the flat vistas of the Panhandle. As we climbed out of the teardrop, our conversation turned to coming back soon.

Palo Duro Canyon Walls

Palo Duro Canyon Walls

On the Road, Headed for Palo Duro Canyon

Marilyn, June 23:

On the Way to Palo Duro Canyon

On the Way to Palo Duro Canyon

After the Starbucks App created a huge disappointment in Lubbock, we headed to Palo Duro State Park, known as the Grand Canyon of Texas in the Panhandle near the city of Amarillo. The artist Georgia O’Keefe spent her formative years exploring and drawing inspiration from the canyon. When we had made reservations, we were told to be aware that the gate would close promptly at 10:00 PM. We were still miles away as darkness set in. I called the park office to make arrangements for a late arrival. The friendly voice on the other end of the phone advised that we should try to arrive before the office closed because we would need assistance finding our campsite. The Girl from Google guided us along the two-lane roads and we arrived at 9:55, just in time. Using light from my iPhone, I followed the map, sharing the directions with Jim. We descend the narrow, winding road in the pitch-black night. Looking for the campground as the headlights illuminated the signs, we found number 23 and Jim backed the teardrop into the space.

 

Camp Palo Duro

Camp Palo Duro

Heading North with The Girl on Google

Marilyn, June 23:

Starbucks Lubbock Map

The Promise of Starbucks —

As we left Eldorado and headed north, Jim was looking forward to stopping in San Angelo for a Starbucks Mocha. It was his custom every afternoon to find happiness with a decaf, no whip, non fat Mocha. After checking with The Girl on Google,
we realized that our destination was at least four hours away. We by-passed San Angelo heading north postponing the Mocha stop until we reached Lubbock. As we approached the exit, I clicked the Starbucks app and passed along the directions to Jim. We exited and followed the Starbucks app.

Kitchen to Go – Road Food

Marilyn, June 14:

I love to cook! I was a chef at a dude ranch and have been responsible for cuisine on many long distance backpack trips. Now it was time to create a new version of a moving kitchen. I had seen a variety of galley configurations in teardrop trailers that ranged from the highly customized with many built in niches to house everything, to a rear hatch covering a simple space. Ours was the simple space so it was time to become very creative. I started rounding up suggestions from the blogs of dedicated RVers as well as full time teardroppers. One blogger’s words echoed in my mind – being in the middle of nowhere is not the time to forget the can opener or have wine and no corkscrew. Another blogger warned not to forget the practical things like rubber bands, duct tape and super glue. We found a Coleman camp stove, soft-sided sink, a folding rack to hold it all then tried it out in the living room.

Trailer kitchen in the living room.

Trailer kitchen in the living room.

Some of my backpacking equipment and skills came in handy since storage was at a premium. Finding the necessities – the smallest knives, nifty gadgets, cutting boards, measuring spoons and bowls – that could be used for several purposes. The ability to pack and unpack everything quickly was also a consideration. Then I began to think about menus. Shopping in the bulk section was great. Small plastic bags took the place of bulky bottles. I began with two plastic boxes with lids (you’ll discover why the lids are important later) and began organizing, nestling utensils, dishes and all our other accessories. We recycled two other plastic totes with fold-over lids for larger items. At last, we were ready for meals on wheels and it was time to hit the road.

Utensils and Supplies

Utensils and Supplies – a place for everything

Pots, Pans and Wine Glasses

Pots, Pans and Wine Glasses

Outfitting the Teardrop

Marilyn, June 2 – 20:

As Jim began to customize our Teardrop trailer, I began to conduct some online research to gather tips from seasoned teardrop and RV travelers. Getting ready involved creating the perfect plan for everything. How does that go? A place for everything and everything in its place – camp stove, bottle of bungees, Coleman fuel, locks… I even found a couple of printable check lists that came in handy. We began a show and tell tour to repurpose our camping gear that took us both down memory lane. I had worked for Eastern Mountain Sports and had quite a few items that would work. We hit Costco and Ikea acquiring a mattress topper, kitchen gear, chairs, a table and more. After reading several blogs about the perils and preparation for a successful trip, we made some adjustments. One story described the aftermath of slamming on the brakes. Two bottles of red wine and one of salsa went flying through the air, landing with unfortunate consequences. Ah, strapping everything down or discovering the beauty of plastic bins. This would prove to an important step later in the trip. Interesting issues popped up. Where do you put dirty shoes, when the entire floor becomes your bed each night?

Galley Storage Area

A place for everything and everything in its place.

Galley

All Secured

It’s ready!

Marilyn – June 1:

At last it was time to go to Ft. Worth to pick up our very own teardrop. We left Dripping Springs on Sunday, June 1. We headed north on I-35, the major north–south Interstate Highway running from the United States-Mexico border to the Red River border with Oklahoma and as far north as Minnesota. The Interstate had been undergoing an extensive renovation and expansion project for years and traffic on a Sunday had become legendary. Jim suggested that we stop for Kolaches to prepare for the experience, a long-standing tradition with I-35 travelers. Kolache fever is nothing new in Texas, which has been home to a considerable Czech community since the mid 1800’s. A Kolach (plural kolache /kɵˈlɑːtʃi/, also spelled kolace, kolach, or kolacky), comes from the Czech and  Slovak. We pulled into the town of West, Texas and The Czech Stop And Little Czech Bakery.

Onward, fortified by puffy pastry pillows from supple dough. We took directions from the disembodied female voice of the GPS that we would soon refer to as “The Girl.” We wound our way through neighborhoods of small, one-story houses until we found the home of EZ-Toad Trailers.

The Czech Stop Bakery

The Czech Stop and Little Czech Bakery
So many Kolaches and so little time

Texas-shaped cookies with red, white, and blue sprinkles

Even the cookies are more colorful in Texas

The Cookbook Caper

Canning, Pickling and Freezing with Irma Harding

Marilyn:

My long-delayed cookbook was finally out. I had started work on Canning, Pickling and Freezing with Irma Harding a few years earlier. An interesting project featuring Irma Harding, International Harvester’s fictional spokesperson. The book combined original recipes, advertising and photos with new recipes. The publisher, Octane Press was going to promote it at the Red Power Roundup  in Huron, South Dakota. The 25th annual celebration is where people from all around the world gather to share the history, products, literature and memorabilia of the International Harvester Company. We began to make travel plans.

Irma Haring

Irma Harding