We’ve been away for a while, but don’t pay the ransom–we’ve escaped! Actually, we spent the previous two weeks preparing for our trip to the northwest and the Canadian Rockies and loading our trailers. Yes, I said trailers. Readers may remember that we won an RV last fall in a local radio contest. We planned to tow Smoky (our name for the trailer) to California in March and give it to our oldest son and his family until COVID-19 shutdown derailed those plans but, we found a better one.
Shortly after canceling that trip, Collin, our son, who lives in South Carolina, called with a great idea. He and his family planned to spend three weeks in Jackson, Wyoming, beginning in late June with his wife’s family. They planned to drive instead of fly (can’t fault them) and offered to tow Smoky to Jackson and have Justin (California son) meet him there and tow Smoky back to California.
Helen and I have worked on our trip to the northwest for almost a year. Our original departure date was in late June but, after Collin made his proposal, we moved the date up by about ten days, added a few reservations, canceled others, and now had a brand new adventure that included our granddaughters. As the saying goes, “good things happen to those who wait.”
Of course, there is a plot shift to the story…
We have advertised Smoky for sale since late November. Although Smoky is a charming trailer, the floorplan only accommodated three people comfortably. We needed a trailer with bunk beds instead of one twin bed (in addition to a queen). We advertised Smoky for sale last November and had only token interest until two weeks ago when we began receiving some serious inquiries. Due to the pandemic, the public has decided that RV’s are the safest means of travel–and now in high demand. I scheduled three appointments on a Sunday afternoon to show Smoky to inquirers. The first couple that came by bought Smoky with no haggling. The person expected to arrive next called while I was closing the deal and upped the offer by a significant amount, but I turned him down. Smoky now belonged to Arnold and Tammy.
Now, we had to get everything we planned to take to Jackson Hole out of Smoky and find another RV as demand for them was increasing by the day. I won’t detail the search process, but a miracle happened, and we found a 2020 bunkhouse model at the last minute. After camping a few times, times the previous owners decided they needed something that better suited their needs and purchased a larger RV. I snapped it up quickly, brought it home, and Helen and I spent two days cleaning and loading it for the trip. Our granddaughter in California gave our new trailer the name Heidi. After prepping Heidi, we spent an additional two days doing the same for Lucy, our fifth-wheel.
Collin and family arrived last Friday, and we took off on Saturday morning on a journey that will keep us moving until late September. I have posted a rough map of our trip below. As I write this, we are at our third stop in Nebraska City, Nebraska following stops in Paducah, KY and Columbia, MO. The temperature here hovers above 90 degrees, but we’re having a ball. If all goes to plan, we will spend three days in the Badlands and Mount Rushmore on the day this post is published.
I hope you will join us as we travel. We wish everyone a safe summer. Stay smart, keep your distance, and we’ll get through this mess soon. Until then, we’re just Easin’ Along.
Hey, Joe. This sounds like such a fun trip! I looked at your map and was just wondering what the symbols mean.
Good morning!
I plan the trips using RV Trip Wizard, an online app. All of the symbols indicate a campground we have reserved. The red symbols indicate a campground that offers a discount to members of the Good Sam Club (we’re members). Great to hear from you. Hope everyone is doing well. See you in September. Joe
Looks like another fun adventure for the Bruner clan. Safe travels and enjoy!
Hello, Martha,
We are pumped for this one. Hope your summer goes well. Thanks for checking in!
Sounds like a great plan and fun summer. Enjoy your trip! Hopefully Canada will open its borders.
Hi, Ingrid,
We’re eagerly looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, we got a message this morning that Banff canceled all reservations through August 7–the week we had reserved. Bummer…guess we’ll just have to find a Casino ;-). Stay in touch. Joe
Joe, congratulations on the sale of Smokey and for the upgrade to Heidi. I’m sure your grandchildren will love it. I look forward to following along on your trip and expect lots of detailed posts as you travel across this beautiful country. Wishing you the very best.
Suzanne,
Smoky went to the right couple. One of them has a serious medical condition and they decided not to sit around and mope when there is a beautiful country out there they haven’t seen yet. They both have a great spirit and attitude. So glad it worked out like it did! I would love to have you Easin’ Along with us. We made it to Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands in time for perfect weather–temps in low 70’s. We’ll have more next week. Hope yours is a good one! Joe
I <3 your flexibility, Joe.
I greatly look forward to following your upcoming travels!
Stay safe!!
Hello, Donna,
We had this trip planned for a long time and, if there was anyway to make it work, I was going to get it done. We’re in the Badlands of South Dakota today–having a great time with the grandkids. Saw a whole herd of mountain goats today! Thanks for joining us! Joe
Be safe and have a ball!!!
Hi, Luanne,
We’re having a ball already. Thanks for joining us.
Wow! Congrats to the entire Bruner family for coming up with creative and effective solutions to problems! This was definitely one of those “when one door closes another door opens” situations and your team made the most of it. All of the grandkids must be over the moon. A fun-filled and memorable family adventure for sure. Hope you, Helen and the rest of your family enjoy every minute!
Good morning, Mary,
We’re one week into the adventure and having a delightful time in PERFECT weather. I hope you’ll join us when you can. Have a great week and please stay in touch! Joe
A twist indeed, Joe! RVs are certainly all the rage and I’m glad to read Smokey went to a happy home! But how cool to win it in the first place! We spend every weekend from May (this year) to mid-Sept in our 27-foot Jayflight trailer. It sits happily at the windsurf campground with the other 35 RVs patiently waiting for us to inhabit it again and takes good care of us while we ae there…everything works! There is nothing sadder than an RV that sits forever in storage or in someone’s driveway! Like you, we sold our very old Komfort trailer 4 years ago. Hubby had to repair several things and we hyped it on Craig’s list as a great “home” for a single or couple. It sold in one hour for the asking price. Made a nice DP toward our Jayflight. Enjoy your trip!
Good morning, Terri,
We keep Lucy (fifth-wheel) ready to go and now spend about six months total on the road. We absolutely fell in love with the lifestyle and RVing is a wonderful retirement experience. Our previous trailer was a 26-ft KZ Connect, similar to your Jayflight we named Gracey. She worked well for us, but when we saw Lucy at a year-end closeout and realized that the floorplan was perfect for us, we pulled the trigger. We like to say that we own a “beach house”, a “mountain cabin”, or a “suburban flat” all at the same time. Thanks for checking in. Please stay in touch. Joe
How exciting, Joe! Your plans sound perfect…good things did come your way from waiting. Dan and I are planning our trip South and West beginning in October. With the exception of our tickets to the Grand Ole Oprey we think we will be able to successfully get to Texas for Christmas with family, with some interesting camping stops along the way. Best way to travel right now. Have reservations for 2 different RV parks for Jan-March, and then we will start working north again to see as many of our National Parks as we can.
Nancy,
It is GREAT to hear from you, and especially so with the news that you and Dan will be RVing for an extended period. We’re in Wyoming right now and the weather is perfect and the crowds are low. Traveling on the road less traveled in an RV is the best way to go this year for sure! Your plans sound awesome! When do you return to NH? Please stay in touch! Joe