Crater Lake
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Our first stop was a big bucket list item! While we had lived just 3.5 hours from Crater Lake for the last 8 years, we had never been. What better way to kick off our new alternative lifestyle.
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Never Be Closer
We’re the Lakes - a couple and their fur kids traveling the US by 5th wheel. Never Be Closer is about finding a lifestyle alternative to the daily grind.
Our Journey
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Our first stop was a big bucket list item! While we had lived just 3.5 hours from Crater Lake for the last 8 years, we had never been. What better way to kick off our new alternative lifestyle.
Wrapping up all of the loose ends before hitting the road made the last few weeks of work fly by. It was hectic pulling it all together, but we left on the day we intended... albeit a few hours later than planned.
My sister and I are “almost-twins.” We were both born in June, 2 days apart, but 5 years apart. Being Gemini’s (the sign of the twin), despite the fact that I am 5 years older than her, we have an “almost-twin” type connection. We got together for a whirlwind getaway in Seattle at the end of August 2018 where we had less than 72 hours together. But, we could always sleep later - there were things to do!
At the end of July 2018, we took the new rig out for a trial boondocking camping trip. While we thoroughly enjoyed the time spent with friends, we couldn’t figure out what was completely draining our batteries within a matter of hours.
In July 2018, we decided that it was in our best interest to change 5th wheels. This round of RV shopping was different because we were looking for a home for the next few years, regardless of how frequently we were moving around. While it was a very costly experience, we don’t have any regrets!
In June 2018, we took our home 850 miles round trip for a 3 day weekend with family and friends. Along the way, we stayed at a nice little roadside campground, had issues with our slides, and took a different highway than we usually do to get home so that we could see the Painted Hills with our very own eyes!
As we had found a new rolling home, it was time to get serious with making our house listing ready. Boy did I underestimate the effort that would take!
Originally, we had been targeting a January 2019 departure. We figured that we would sell our house, purchase an RV and move into it in September 2018. That would give us some time to adjust, a little extra time for the animals to adjust, and the option to take a few weeks of vacation in December to visit family as a test run.
But now, Scott wanted to leave as soon as possible. I’m so glad we got this kick in the pants, because everything took so much longer than we thought. Instead of a 4 month process, it was an 8 month process.
In the fall of 2017, Scott had started to show some openness to RV living but before he officially said yes, I took off with researching and planning and daydreaming about floor plans. I knew nothing about RVs. From my travels as a kid, I had an idea of smaller spaces, but to pick between a truck camper, travel trailer, 5th wheel, Class B, Class C, or Class A... where do I even begin?
Just after starting our alternative lifestyle, we had our first unexpected expense. We kept our spirits up though and explored what we consider to be one of the most underrated National Monuments - Newberry National Volcanic Monument.