Blog

Properly storing your outdoor sporting equipment helps you keep it in tip-top condition so that it’s always ready for your next adventure. Sporting gear can represent a substantial financial investment, so it’s essential to protect it and support its longevity with appropriate care. Moreover, carefully maintaining your outdoor sports gear will ensure that it functionsContinue reading “How to Store Your Camping Gear”

Starting at the southern entrance into the Sequoia we settled to quick camp along the Kern river for the weekend. Camp sites and portable bathrooms were made available all along the river. Some sites were closed but a lot were open. That was a surprise in comparison to what California had open the last timeContinue reading “Sequoia forest & National park”

After finishing up our time in southern Utah, we traveled through Arizona to check out the Grand Canyon. It wasn’t nearly as impressive as I thought it would be especially after already visiting Bryce Canyon and Zion national park! The place wasn’t as crowded as I assume it typically would be during the busy seasonContinue reading “Arizona & Las Vegas”

I had originally confused the Moqui cavern with the Moqui cave which is just right up the road. While looking online I had seen pictures of the cavern on the Moqui cave page so we ended up going to the cave which requires a fee to get in and look around. The cave was notContinue reading “Moqui Cavern”

You may have seen the Yucca plant somewhere at some point in your life. People confuse the two. Yucca, (not to be confused with the Yuca plant) which has only one “C”, is an ornamental plant. It’s pronounced (ya•kah). You can not eat this except for the flowers. The Yuca plant with one “C” isContinue reading “Yucca plant soap”

My youngest daughter is now two and a half now and she has made up her mind that she is no longer taking naps anymore. Not so good for mamma because now I have to revise my schedule to set aside “Me” time. Before, I enjoyed about 2 hours of solid gold and rejuvenation atContinue reading “Naps, oven & homeschool”

We traveled to an unbelievable sight in Crescent, Oregon a few months ago. The Crater lake was formed from a 12,000 foot tall volcano called Mt. Mazama 7,700 years ago. When this volcano erupted, it eventually collapsed creating a 2,000 foot deep crater. As the snow melted over a course of seven millenia, it filledContinue reading “Crater Lake”

Last month we settled into a nice little spot in the Dixie national forest in Leeds, Utah. We had visited the same spot before about 2 weeks prior but decided not to setup camp there because it seemed crowded and too close to the main road. At second glance about, we changed our minds andContinue reading “Leeds, Utah”

There was a time when I didn’t know a lot about anything. When I was growing up, me and my siblings were removed from my mothers care at an early age. I was about 12 and was the oldest of three siblings. We were split up and eventually dispersed into different cities into foster homesContinue reading “How I became fully self-sufficient”

History Mushrooms come in all shapes, colors and sizes and can be found everywhere in all parts of the world. Mushrooms are considered a vegetable but some are actually classified as fungi. People have been consuming mushrooms for ages. The first evidence that mushrooms were used as human food in prehistoric Europe is the recentContinue reading “Foraging for edible mushrooms”

This fire building method was taught to me by Ryan. He’s always willing and eager to try out different fire builds and this is one we were both wanting to try. The Dakota Fire Hole gets its name from the Native American tribe of the Dakota, who populated the area that is now North Dakota,Continue reading “Building a Dakota fire hole”

I read somewhere that December was the the worst time to visit southern Oregon. Seems typical over the last few months, that we’ve been visiting places during the “off season”. For some reason I feel that’s a good thing. If you can see the beauty where other people don’t then your way ahead. Plus, itContinue reading “Southwest Oregon”

From snow to desert. Dry to wet. From no humidity to 100% humidity. From brown to green and everywhere in between. These last few months it seems as though we have experienced every type of weather there is to be seen! Our next stop brings us to Northern California by the Redwood forest. We leftContinue reading “Northern California”

It’s been a while since my last post, I know and I’m sorry. We’ve been traveling a lot trying to find a spot to land and I haven’t quite had a chance to catch my breath. Our cat Jackson is quite the traveler. He sits calmly in his kennel until we get to a campsiteContinue reading “Plumas national forest”

The other day I was kind of bummed out and went to admire the beautiful turquoise cove by us. It looked too pretty not to jump in and it was also a lovely sunny day. I knew if I didn’t do it right at that moment then it would pass me by and I’d probablyContinue reading “Sunsets & cold water”

If changing the world seems daunting try changing your part in it.

Me and the kids went on a 5.9 mile hike to get to these amazing hot springs. The terrain was considered strenuous according to the website and it was! I can’t believe my just turned 3 year old held up with NO nap and walked there and back without being carried! There were not anyContinue reading “Arizona hot springs”

I just love the crystal clear turquoise colored waters here and the huge rocks encompassing the shoreline makes for a gorgeous scenery. Mice had discovered our wood pile and was preparing to build some kind of… I don’t know what.. and they left this behind. I realized that this is the best kindling you couldContinue reading “How to find wood to burn”

Wood burns faster when you have to cut and chop it yourself. Harrison Ford December is the coldest month in Nevada. With an average low of around 39 it still feels chilly when you have the sun so close to you during the day that the 60’s feel like the 70’s. What wood you do?Continue reading “Thank goodness for wood”

We recently found a nice little spot in Southern Nevada right off Mead lake. I got here a little before dark but had trouble setting up the tent as it became dark so we blew up the air mattress and slept under the stars. I didn’t get much sleep. The full moon illuminated the campContinue reading “A warm December”

I used to be one of those people who only camped during the summer just like everyone else. I’d fight off the mosquitos, blister in the unforgiving sun, and constantly replace the ice for my coolers. I hardly had any energy to do the things I planned on doing during our trip. Trying to findContinue reading “Winter camping- the best time to camp”

In these uncertain times preparation of any sort is worthwhile. With ammunition, firearms and toilet paper in such high demand. I often wonder where all of this is going? We are being divided in some of the worst ways. Our fears being manipulated and capitalized on through marketing strategies, media tactics and political agendas. SomeContinue reading “Your energy can change the world”

September/October 2020 November 2020

When we first arrived at the park entrance, my youngest daughter– who we were recently potty training, decided to squat down and start going to the bathroom while people were walking by. We didn’t want to discourage her from going on her own. I mean, she was so proud of herself. We also didn’t wantContinue reading “Hiking at Capitol reef national park”

When we woke up this morning is was 2 degrees out! The wood burning stove we have gets hot fast but doesn’t maintain heat for very long. Someone had to get up throughout the night and keep adding wood. I had brought all my plants in the night before. They have been through so much.Continue reading “How to keep warm in a tent”

Living in a tent day in and day out with three kids has it’s downside. Though we are out in the middle of nowhere, we have no walls to muffle the sound of our adult private conversations. Every whisper is heard. I mean, these kids have some pretty impressive super sonic hearing. They hear everything,Continue reading “No Privacy”

The soothing sound of a gentle stream running through the parted earth, the crashing ocean waves rolling to greet the sandy shore, squirrels shuffling through the dry crunchy leaves, the wind picking up and gusting though the trees as the crimson leaves shake, feathered friends singing their complex array of tunes, a bumble bee buzzingContinue reading “How to “read” Nature for survival”

Brigham tea also known as Mormon tea was introduced to the early Mormon pioneers by the Native Americans in 1847. The Native Americans called it “Popotillo”. Brigham tea has been used for over 5000 years. It is used to treat an array of ailments such as coughs, colds, headache, runny nose and fever. Also knowContinue reading “Brigham tea-AKA-Mormon tea”

The first time I hand washed my clothes I expected it to be a tedious task. I was surprised to find out how much I actually enjoyed doing it! Though they never seem to come out quite as clean as a machine could get them, and sometimes still look dirty afterwards but they sure doContinue reading “The laundry situation”

What to do with all that bacon grease… Don’t throw it away! Me and my son Donavan made some homemade bacon grease candles last year. These candles are clean burning and the wick is composed of beeswax and hemp and last much longer than the average candle. They won’t make your house smell like baconContinue reading “Making candles with bacon grease”

Something I thought long and hard about before we came here was the bathroom situation. Digging a hole would work just fine if you were staying somewhere for a few days. We actually did that for a while here before we got our toilet setup. But what is the solution for long term stays? WhenContinue reading “When nature calls”

Is it even possible to eat healthy while on the road? There are so many yummy products out there that hold a long shelf life which make them the perfect go to food for camping. Pop tarts, chips, cereal, crackers, granola bars, trail mix, hot dogs, popcorn etc. Those are all simple foods that wouldContinue reading “Eating healthy on the road”

Most people don’t realize just how little water is needed to shower. I can get me and little one showered with just one 5-gal bucket with some to spare! Did you know the average person uses 20- gallons of water for a just a 10-minute shower? I fill the bucket up and heat half ofContinue reading “Bucket showers”

Toothache pain? In my previous blog I talked about Pine sap as being miracle medicine. This annual that is an herb of the daisy family is no exception! This amazing plant inhibits a lot of the same properties of the pine sap. The Toothache plant has been used for centuries to manage tooth pain. ItContinue reading “Toothache plant”

After the first couple weeks of being here, we realized we were positioned on a popular trail that led to a beautiful lake. There was one man in particular that all of my kids took to especially my youngest. His name was Larry. He was a vet and had lived here all of his life.Continue reading “Pine sap- miracle medicine”

By the time we finally made it to Utah we were all pretty exhausted. I desperately needed a shower and my plants were showing stress from the frequent elevation change. No one told me that nose bleeds were common with high elevation. I started freaking out the first time one of the kids nose bled.Continue reading “The beehive state-Utah”

We had been driving for a long time and had ended up in Pike and San Isabel National Forest in Colorado so we camped amongst the aspen trees. We still had a ways to go before we reached our destination. On the road again. The mountains were enormous and beautiful. They made you feel smallContinue reading “Passing through Colorado”

I was working part time as a leasing consultant while the kids were home from school due to the Covid-19 pandemic. My fiancé Ryan had told me about an amazing job opportunity that would involve traveling to some states out west. I have lived in the Midwest all my life and had only traveled toContinue reading “Deciding to leave”