I’ve been thinking for quite some time that one day, with the help of a good editor, I would take all these musings and gather them together into a book. A sort of travelogue. It may still happen but the book I REALLY want to write is Parking Lot People. I stayed at a Walmart again last night (every time I do, I wish I’d planned better and found a nicer spot). I got there mid-afternoon and pulled to the very edge of the lot, as far from the front doors as possible. I backed into a space, with lots of trees behind me, giving shade in the back of the van and leaving the middle and front solar panels collecting sun. It was 95 degrees, and it was pretty miserable…not just at Walmart, but everywhere within a few hundred miles. The parking lot was fairly empty and shoppers were coming and going, but it was mostly quiet. As nightfall came, so did the Walmart whackos. A man pulled in a few spaces over from me. He was in a mini-van. He got out of the driver’s side and got into the passenger side. He pulled out his cell phone and every time I happened to look over, he was typing on the phone. He was sitting there typing when I went to bed, and typing when I woke up. Did he type all night? I don’t know. He did get out once, walked to the back of his van and looked around furtively, as if he was about to do a drug deal before pulling his penis out through the leg of his shorts and peeing (I believe the expression is) “like a racehorse.” Around sundown, a huge truck (huge to me; quite average for Wyoming/Utah/Idaho) pulled in. It was brand new, dark grey with extended cab, and extremely dark tinted windows. The front windows got rolled down and I could see two young boys inside. They looked to me like they were in high school, but could have been in their very early 20’s. The muffler had been modified to sound like a hundred Harleys. It was loud and very annoying and even as it idled, it rattled my windows. The driver kept revving the engine. Soon he was joined by another similar truck, only this one was white. He pulled in next to the dark truck. They both revved a bit, flexing their muffler decibels. They all got out, and yacked by the side of the first truck, never turning off the engines. Then the driver and passenger of the dark truck got in and revved the engine until it made a deafening sound. He pulled out of the space into the lane to his right. With foot on brake, he took the noisy muffler to a whole new level, and then let off of the brake, leaving skid marks and smoke as he sped down to the end of the lane where he slammed on the brakes and added a squeal to the muffler racket. He turned carefully to his left, then left again pointing back in the opposite direction in the next lane. It reminded me of a jet taxiing down to the runway, and as he turned onto it, he revved again and shot up that lane. A minute later his buddy in the white truck followed his lead. They both went speeding up and down the traffic lanes between parking spaces. This went on for about 15 minutes and then they parked back in their original spaces. More trucks came. Most were brand new, but a couple were much older. At least half a dozen had giant American flags sprouting from the truck beds. It could have been a patriotic thing, but it didn’t feel that way. There was something threatening about the gesture, almost a terroristic intent behind it. It was meant to intimidate or make a point. It would have only felt slightly more uncomfortable had they been confederate flags. The trucks parked, raced and parked again. Young girls got out of the passenger side of some of the trucks and other girls joined from parked cars. They were clearly drinking and as the night went on, the girls got louder, and their speech got more slurred. The boys got back in their trucks and performed some more.
I was tired and ready for sleep, so I set up the bed, pulled down my curtains (not out of shyness, but because the parking lot was lit up by halogen lights that could be seen from the surface of Mars.) I was dozing off to the cackling of the drunk girls when the boys decided to have a full on drag race. They sped past me doing at least 50 mph in the parking lot. I could see the high beams coming through my curtains as several tons of metal came hurtling toward me, passing within a couple feet of the front of my van. I wondered how much the boys had had to drink and if one of them would mis-judge and drive his brand new truck into my head. Many of my friends ask if I’m afraid to be out in the middle of nowhere, with the nearest human being miles and miles away. The answer is that I’m much more likely to meet my demise in a Walmart parking lot than on BLM land. I wondered where they got the money to buy a $50,000 vehicle and did they care so little about it that they’d risk wrecking it.
As they took a break from the racing, I heard a truck pull in next to me. It was one space over from my van, on the side opposite the texting racehorse. Cosmo growled, and I rose up from my pillow and peeked out beneath the curtain. Another truck with extended cab and darkly tinted windows, but he was parked right under one of the halogen lights. I could vaguely make out the silhouette of a man’s face, with a full, thick beard and a baseball cap. He appeared to be eating a sandwich. I could see something white in his hands, and he kept bringing it up to his mouth. Was it a white cell phone? No. He definitely was eating something. After a few bites he’d take the white napkin that his meal was wrapped in and make a big project of pulling down the sun visor, opening up a flap that revealed an illuminated mirror, and meticulously wiping at his beard. Then he checked his teeth, and when necessary, flossed and picked until he was satisfied that his smile was once again perfect. He’d close the flap over the mirror and start eating again. I watched, mesmerized (although I have no idea why) as he ate at least 3 sandwiches, or burritos, or whatever he was feasting on. In between each, he’d perform the mirror check. He finally wiped his beard for a final time and then left. That was enough of a bedtime story for me. I rolled over and fell asleep, only to be awakened half an hour later when the truck drag races started again. I think I’m fascinated by people who live in vehicles and how similar or different their lives are from mine. I have no reason to believe this sandwich-eating man lives in his truck, but the fact that he pulled into a Walmart parking lot for a late-night snack makes him quite different from the people I know.
In the morning, many more characters appeared. When I woke up at 6:00, there were at least 50 to 75 cars in the lot. Only one other RV, and a few mini-vans. The rest were cars. The store didn’t open until 7:00, so I wondered if each car had people sleeping inside. Or maybe some of the teenage passengers abandoned their cars the previous night and left with the boys in the trucks? I have no idea. I made coffee and when the store opened, I went inside to get a few food items. At 7:00 a.m. it was already unbearably hot. By 8:00 I was packed up and drove around the block to Planet Fitness where I took a long hot shower, washed and conditioned my hair and beard, and scrubbed my feet with a foot brush. I put on lotion and felt human once again.
Then we drove north to a truck stop outside of Weston, ID, where we spent the night for free again, in a huge gravel lot at a truck stop. I did two loads of laundry and found an RV repair shop that would replace my fridge when I get to Twin Falls, ID. My goal was to check off as many items as possible from my “to do list” this week. I’d scheduled my bloodwork for my upcoming physical, Richard FedExed my laptop to me, and I’ll stop at Jiffy Lube tomorrow for an oil change. When I exit Idaho, I will be all caught up on things that I need to get done (maybe).
After we left the truck stop in Idaho, we drove south again toward Logan Utah. I couldn’t bear the thought of drag races (at least sans RuPaul) at the Walmart parking lot again, so I took a chance and headed to the Cache National Forest, just a few miles farther down the road. Jackpot! The reviews said there were many paid and free campsites off the paved road. I didn’t see any pay campgrounds, but there were quite a few pull-offs along the way. Most were just a wide shoulder on the side of the road. I didn’t want to park that close to the road again, so I continued on. I found a huge spot a little farther in, but could not get level, so I kept going. I came to a small side road that forked immediately. I pulled in and stopped, got out and assessed whether I could make it down the rough, narrow road, and finally decided I could. It was a lovely spot, right next to a river, secluded, and hidden from the road by lots of trees.
It was hot and a little buggy, but so was everywhere within 500 miles. It was much better than Walmart.
My fridge was still not working properly. I discovered that it doesn’t work at all on AC or DC, but only on propane and only when it is perfectly level. I can manage to get perfectly level almost always, but lighting the pilot is tricky. It doesn’t always light on the first try and in daylight conditions, I have no idea if it is lit or not, until I wait for half an hour and see if the temperature has gone down. If not, I try to relight it. Meanwhile, especially on very hot days, everything inside the fridge is warming rapidly. So yesterday, I bit the bullet, found an RV place in Twin Falls, ID where I’m heading next and had them order me a new one. They will install it when I get there on Tuesday. It was quite expensive, but should last a lifetime. I just hope there are no glitches in putting a new refrigerator into a 1998 van. I’m fairly certain the old fridge was original to the build, so it would be almost 25 years old. It’s time for an upgrade.
The night by the stream was beautiful. We were in a National Forest in the mountains, maybe about halfway up, so we are surrounded by mountains on all sides. We had a major thunderstorm last night and I woke up this morning with various scents coming through my open windows. There was obviously the smell of fresh rain on foliage, as well as something floral and sweet. There was also a very autumnal scent…wet leaves, like the smell of a pile of freshly raked fall leaves. And something earthy or mossy. Because it was still drizzling outside, we lingered in bed for longer than usual. I read and listened to music and just took in the sights from my many windows. One of the things I like best about my van is that I can see outside in all directions. It really gives the feeling of openness and allows me to feel like I’m living in nature instead of feeling like I live in a little metal box. Once we both got up and moving, I headed to Valvoline to get my oil changed. I was in and out in no time and now I’m good for another 3500 miles. From there I headed south to Ogden, UT so that I’d be close to LabCorp where I needed to get my blood work done. There were a few BLM options, but none were close to LabCorp, so I opted for Cracker Barrel parking lot. This one was easy and empty. They had many designated places for RV/Buses and I picked the most level one near an “island” so that when I opened my “front door” we stepped out onto grass with a tree growing out of it. Later at night, several bigger rigs pulled in. No teens racing trucks. No sandwich eaters, and no racehorses. Boring night…that’s a good thing. I got up way too early and because I was fasting, I couldn’t have anything to eat or even have coffee. I drank water and watched the clock until it was time for my appointment. I left very early and it’s a good thing I did. LabCorp gave the wrong address on their confirmation e-mail, and I had trouble finding the correct place. I got there about 10 minutes late (I HATE to be late) but there were absolutely no other patients, so they took me in immediately. When I finished, I left, pulled into a Starbucks and treated myself to a tall Mocha Latte with an Impossible Sausage breakfast sandwich.
I drove back to the Cache National Forest where I’d spent the night earlier in the week and got the exact same spot by the river. On the way, I stopped at the FedEx office and picked up my NEW LAPTOP!!!! Thank you, RICHARD! I cannot tell you what a delight it is to be back to “tech normal” and not have to go through crazy gyrations to get a simple e-mail out. I am now also able to put photos in my e-mails and update my web page and get my blog back up to date. When I opened the package from Richard, not only did I have a new laptop, but he also included a lot of other goodies for me. There was an antenna that plugs into my MiFi (internet from Verizon) unit that helps me pick up the signal better when I’m off the beaten path, which I plan to be more and more. I wanted to send him a thank you, but my computer said, “Cannot connect to the Internet.” I plugged in the two little wire antennae and BAM, I had internet. I continued to dig through the box and there was another option for boosting my Wi-Fi signal, and a pair of wireless earphones (that can be used to make phone calls as well.) I put them in my ears and played some of my favorite music from my iPhone. I heard things I’ve never heard before. They are amazing. And right about then, Richard called to see if I’d gotten the package and instructed me how to use them with my phone. I could put my cell phone in the van wherever it had the best signal, put the earbuds in my ears, and walk around without my reception cutting in and out. Yup. I’m back to being George Jetson. Richard also sent a few miscellaneous charging cords and other things that will make my life so much easier. My face hurts from smiling so much.
Cosmo and I walked to the river (about 20 paces). He got in and peed and took a big drink and I sat on a big rock and scrubbed my feet. We both took a minute to appreciate how good life is when everything is working properly, and you are in a forest, by a river. I just don’t think it gets better than that.
The following night we ended up at a campground that I stayed at last year. I remember it being not that wonderful, but very cheap and the owner was quite nice. The place was in need of some major repairs and she apologized and said they were working on things, so please excuse the mess. It had a very nice shower and a laundry room with a free washer/dryer. It worked well. This time when we got there, the owner was nowhere to be found. A sign on the door said to put the fee in the envelope and stick it in the night deposit box. Another sign warned that the water pressure was extremely high, so do not hook up without having a pressure regulator on your hose or you risked bursting the pipes in your rig. Another sign said “Sites 1-15 are the only sites open. The other sites have no water or electric. Site 13 has no electric and none of the sites have 50-amp service.” There were two run-down trailers parked at the far end. I assumed they were full-time residents. A woman came out of the door adjacent to the front desk and said the owner was gone, but to just pick a spot and pay by envelope. She started in about which spots had water and which ones had electricity, and I told her I was fully contained with my own electric and water and she said “Well, just check the box that says “tent camping” and only pay $20.” I did. It was blazing hot and I was sweaty and dirty. I couldn’t wait to get a shower. So you can imagine how disappointed I was to find the “Bath House” in as much disrepair as the rest of the place. The shower rod was torn from the wall and laying on the floor. The sink was crawling with spiders. I didn’t care. The shower stall was big and I didn’t need a curtain. I got in and turned the water on only to see a trickle of water come out of the shower head…the water that was sitting in the pipes. The water had been turned off. I had already put my $20 in the slot, so there was no turning back, and there really wasn’t any other options for the night within miles around, so I put my two-liter bottle out on the black step of my van and within a couple hours it was quite hot. I put my little itty bitty shower head on the bottle (Thank you Kitty, I LOVE that) and put my swim trunks on and took a shower at the back side of my van. I was a new man. I sat outside at the picnic table, air-drying with Cosmo under my feet and a woman with a small dog came by. She asked if Cosmo could play and I said he’d love to. The two dogs wrestled and the woman said “I can’t WAIT to get a shower.” I must’ve made a face, because she said “What?” I explained the situation. She went in and came out and said “I’m calling the number on the door.” She did and left a message then sat and talked with me for a long time. She too was living in her Class C for just a little over a year. We swapped stories and shared our favorite spots. By the time she left to go to bed, the owner had not called back about the shower (and I suspect never will). It was a very nice visit. I love making friends on the road with kindred spirits.
It rained at night and the next morning we headed northwest and crossed over into Idaho again. I stopped for gas and some groceries and drove to just outside of Twin Falls. I’m within minutes of the RV shop that will install my refrigerator on Tuesday morning. And it can’t happen too soon. Last night I struggled with the propane for several hours. My ice cream sandwiches melted, and my dairy went bad as the temp got up to over 50 degrees. I think part of the problem is that it was mid-90’s outside, and so very hot in the van, and the sun was beating on the side of the van where the refrigerator vents are. I’m not sure how much ambient temperature affects the inside freezer temperature, but between not knowing if the pilot actually lit, and checking every 20 minutes or so (and probably letting out any cold air that managed to build up during that time), it was just a mess. I can’t wait to have a fridge that was built in this century and works without guessing.
We made it to “Traveler’s Oasis.” Sounds like a resort in the Bahamas, right? It was a truck stop, and trust me, when I looked out my front window of the van, there was no mistaking it for a tropical island paradise. There was just a line of 18 wheelers parked across from me in a dirt lot. But out the rear windows, there was a farmer’s field and an irrigation system. It was quite idyllic. I’d parked in a back corner, conscious of the parking lot lights that I knew would come on at dusk. By bedtime, our corner was quite dark and I slept well.
The next morning, I re-read the notes I’d made on options for places to stay. There was a campground up the road about 20 minutes and one back the way we came about 30 minutes. I hate back tracking, so we moved up the road into a campground. The place looked like it had been quite nice at one time. The sign at the entry said “Overnight Camping Only—No electric, no potable water, no Semis.” I found a spot (there were only 7 that were numbered). It had an electrical box, but it wasn’t working. I didn’t care. There was a payment box, but the sign that gave park rules and regs had duct tape over most of it, so there was no indication that payment was necessary. The bathroom was padlocked as were the water faucets. I leveled up and made myself at home. Several cars pulled in and people got out and ate fast food at some of the many picnic tables. By nightfall, Cosmo and I were alone. We like it that way.
Lessons from the Road: I have met a couple very nice people this week. I probably won’t see any of them again, but as I say often, I have some very meaningful 20-minute relationships while on the road. It sounds flippant, but it is true. Talking with people and sharing stories about life on the road feels so connecting. These are my people. They are part of my tribe. They don’t know my life story as many of you do, but they share my current lifestyle and they understand things about me that people who haven’t lived on the road can never fully understand. It is always a pleasure chatting with strangers. And perhaps the best part of all is the feeling that we’ve left “that other world” behind (My friend Jonah calls it “The Empire.”) There are no walls up. No divisions over whether we are vaxed or not vaxed, from red or blue states, religious or not. We are just fellow travelers having a similar experience and it’s so nice to find common ground rather than see if we can find some reason to hate each other.
I’ve also been reminded of one of my favorite sayings this week: No matter where you go, there you are.” Two nights I lived in a National Forest within 20 feet of a river. One night I spent in an unpleasant Walmart parking lot, and several nights in dirt lots at a truck stop. Every night when my head hit the pillow, I could look out my bedroom windows and see stars and the crescent moon, and sometimes, the Milky Way. I could look around the van and see my cozy little space and know I was safe. Of course, it’s nicer to wake up and step out of the van into a National Forest, but it’s also become more than OK to wake up in a dirt lot, take Cosmo out to pee, and then come get back in bed with a hot cup of coffee and whatever I’m reading that morning. It’s taken a little time, but I really do feel “at home” wherever I am.
Idaho has some very strange insects.
I love my life. I’ve always said I can deal with anything as long as my dogs are healthy and my vehicle and electronic devices are working. This week, all those things are fine, and so nothing can upset me. I catch myself smiling like an idiot some days, and then smile even harder, because it’s just fine with me that I’m stupidly happy.