Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park is truly one of my favorite National Parks. The variety and uniqueness of its landscape makes for days upon days of adventure.

It had been many years since our family had camped near it, in Pahrump.  In 2009 we pulled through the area for a short two weeks. This time we only stayed a month, which was still not enough time.  We will be back next fall and I look forward to many trips back to explore this national treasure.

Give a child a camera and open up their eyes to an entire new world.

The slot canyons hikes are easy and stunning.

An adventure up a steep side trail 

A road of salt at Death Valley NP

Stunning Desert Sunsets

One thing I love about the west is the views. I can see for miles and miles with the sun on the horizon about to drop behind the mountains that are hours away.

When we go back to Missouri each year we are enclosed by the 10s of thousands of trees which brings its own beauty. 

And, it seems each year that the mountains call my name and one day I think that we may settle there, among the aspens, ponderosa pines, mountain streams, and the beautiful views.

Traveling fro HOT Chadwick Missouri to the Low Temps of Salida, Colorado - on the road again!

After a wonderful and exhausting spring in Chadwick, MO it was time to head back out on the road. It was great to run the off roading campground there where we have so many wonderful friends and family. But, with the heat indexes reaching around 100 degrees every day, we knew we were about a month later leaving than we normally like.


Often times weather does dictate our travels. We've learned to leave Missouri no later than the 3rd week of June if we don't want to deal with the horrible temps in western Kansas and eastern Colorado.  But this year we broke our own rule and stayed a month longer. Our daughter has moved to the Springfield area and is on her own now. Staying near her for the extra month was well worth the heat.


We left Sunday, July 12th and had a rough first day of travel. Many of you know that we take two vehicles - 


We brought the blue Raptor 80 ATV along for this part of our trip. We like to off road in Colorado and Utah and Gabriel is old enough to do so.  But, the flat bed that I pulled did not handle the lay out of the UTV and ATVs well. As I drove down I-44, it felt like the trailer was sloshy in the back and seemed to pull the van instead of the van pull the trailer. I got on the walkie talkie and told my husband how it felt. So, while we took a break at Precious Moments in Carthage, MO - he added two spare tires to the tongue to add weight to the front.  I got back in and it road a lot better. 

That night my hubby changed the trailer around again by putting our Raptor 80 on the tongue of the flat bed. Once he did that , it drove great. 

We spent our first night at the same place we always do when we travel across Kansas on Hwy 50 - Oasis RV Park. Great place to stop for the night.

Day Two - We left as early as possible because Shae (my husband), found a cracked rim on one camper tire. So, we found a Walmart in Pratt, KS where we waited over two hours for service. Temps were 105 degrees when my hubby got the new tires and installed them on our camper. We spent hours wandering Walmart and he spent hours sweating outside.

We parked for the night at the Sportsman's RV Park in Lamar, CO. It is a nice place to stop for the night and jump in the pool to cool off. 

Day Three - From Lamar we made the trip all the way to Howard, CO. It is a wonderful campground - Bandera's Bunkhouse  RV Park, Motel, and Horse Camp.  It is right on the Arkansas River, which I can hear from in my camper. It sounds beautiful. 

From our base at Bandera's Bunkhouse RV Park we had many adventures....

those are coming!

Back to Blogging

I'm back!

I'm not leaving!

I promise!

I am going to be blogging again. After many people asking me to start back I've decided to get back in the habit and share with you our wild adventures while traveling full time.

So, let me share with you our current status -

Howard Colorado for a couple day after a long hot trip across Missouri, Kansas, and eastern Colorado. 

What an trip!  

Hot Hot Hot

Part 1 Hawaii - put the sticker on the camper or not

Like most full timers we have the stickers on the side of our camper that show where we have traveled.  We always joked that we would bring our camper to Hawaii. Hawaii is one of those stickers and we never imagined that I would actually travel there. 

We made set rules about our trip stickers:

1. We can only put the sticker on if we have traveled there during our trip which started in      2008.
2. We have to have spent the night.

As the years went on, we decided that we put the state sticker on if:

3.  We drove through the state without stopping for the night.
4.  Any one of us goes there, not everyone.

So, Hawaii Counts 

I went there during our trip.  I stayed 6 days total.

It seems like a whirl wind.  How did I get there?  Did it really happen?

Actually, it started in 2008 - when we found Mike Lee.

Find out more in Part 2 Hawaii - coming soon

Sheri Smith in Hawaii
Photo by Faith Fay

To join the debate, watch our video as we discuss putting on New York, Pennsylvania, Lake Erie and more....  it is a cliff hanger.

Everything Got Trashed While Traveling to Texas

One of the problems with taking your home down the road, is that sometimes the bumps and dips completely turn the contents upside down.

Such was the case last week when we traveled from Missouri to Texas.  It was the worst it has ever been.  

What happened?  I don't remember any huge bumps!

Items from my desk slid off the end as well as the things underneath it getting thrown in front of it.

Our camper must have tipped far to the right, everything on the left had shifted that direction.

I drive a 15 passenger van that tows our UTV, ATVs, kayaks, bikes and other items.  I didn't go in a ditch, curb, or huge bump to the right!  But, when towing a 42' camper, it might hit things that my smaller 16' flat bed does not.

Our school book shelf completely tipped over and broke apart.  That has never happened before!

Even toy shelves on the back wall flew forward and spilled Josie's toys!

It was awful. Like I don't have enough to do!

Taking a camper down the road is liking having your home in a 5 hour long earthquake.  Even with everything hooked, taped, and stored - there are times when it is gonna fall apart and fall over.

Such was the case this past week....

Great Night in the Black Hills

The weather here is amazing.  Waking up to cool crisp air is refreshing after 15 months in Missouri. Don't get me wrong, I love Missouri, but I would take the dry cooler air of south west South Dakota any day over the heat and humidity of southern Missouri. Although, I would take the mild Missouri winters over the bitter cold of the north any day!

It was a last minute decision to head up here. With our two oldest on their own adventures, we decided we had spent enough time in Missouri and it was best for us to head north.

As much as I love the people at the Cobb Ridge Campground, Mark Twain National Forest Off Road Area in Chadwick, MO - I knew that for our family's sake, we needed to move on.

Volunteering for the Forest Service can be amazing and sometimes it can be very difficult.  After parts of three seasons as camphosts, I didn't know if I could do another summer.  Then when our supervisor left his position, I knew the summer would be horrible.

The year before our supervisor left and we could hardly get supplies, we bought some bleach for the bathrooms, our sewer wouldn't get dumped - it was a mess!  Yet, at the same time it was amazing because of a couple really nice Rangers and the people that come to that riding area.

Sometimes I find we stick out the hard things because of the people.  They are worth it.

Also, it builds character in us and our children.  We could get spoiled very fast if we only go to the best campgrounds and vacation all year.  I want my children to learn and remember 

that without the people - there is no America, 

just a chunk of land.

On the Road Again - getting ready to head west on our full time travel adventure

I'm ready to go.

Let's GO!

We can't seem to find anywhere we want to live.

No house that will work.

No place that is perfect.

So we get ready to head out again. We have been in Missouri for over a year. It is hard to believe we stayed in one place for so long. I told my husband that we gave up our home to travel. I can live in a camper if we are traveling but if we are just going to stay in one place I would rather have a house.

He has searched for the last year and he hasn't found a thing. So, we will either buy a new camper or a new house.  We will see what happens!

For now we will leave Missouri. The kids can hardly wait for the new adventure.  Two weeks to get three states away. 

Missouri
Kansas
Nebraska
South Dakota
Wyoming
Colorado
Utah
Nevada
Arizona

All this next year.....  I can hardly wait!

http://smithfamilystuffforsale.blogspot.com/

Newest and Best Country Music Single

Here we are again, running the campground.

No dog on the porch,

My girl left me,

The truck broke down....

It sounds like a country song!  Is our life a country song?

• It is true, we are camp hosts again.

• We don't have a dog, so we can't have a dog on the porch.

• My oldest daughter is moving  away for the summer, so the line that my girl left me is partially true.

• My son's truck is having problems right before he is supposed to leave for his Park Ranger job in South Dakota.

Maybe we are more of a country song than I thought!

I never thought we would come back here.  But, whenever I say that or think it we usually end up doing it!

Never say or think Never.

We have a big campsite, lots of great people, lots of toilets to clean and other chores, the sound of off roaders late into the night, and lots of stars in the sky.

Not gonna be here long, gonna head back out on the road soon. 

 I think we'll take a new route and find some new great towns.....

Got the Itch to Get on the Road!

I drove through the Walmart parking lot in Berryville, Arkansas, and couldn't help but get that excited feeling.

There were a bunch of campers parked in the very back of the parking lot.  

Travelers - going somewhere.

Our camper wants to be free and get back on the road!

Just thinking about it gets my blood moving and heart racing!  I can't wait to get back on the road again.  

Our next trip is a short one, only 2 hours away, but I still can't wait.  We are committed there for four months or so and then off we go again, or will we stay longer?  

I never know.  Only God knows.

It is a life of trust, faith, and contentment.

I chose to be happy no matter where we are because my joy is in the Lord, not a mountain, beach, awesome campground, or adventure.  If I can't take it to heaven I don't need it.  

I can't take Zion National Park, Panama City Beach, Marysville Kansas, or any  other awesome place to heaven, 

But I sure will enjoy them when God sends me there!