August '24 Canlife Correspondence -- Sublime Parks, Starlink, Sales, & Summits
The upper left coast of the contiguous 48 states is a moody place. Wedged in between the Salish Sea (Puget Sound) and the north Pacific Ocean, the Olympic Peninsula famously offers a dysfunctional interchange of fog, drizzle, and downpour, interrupted with fleeting moments of sunshine that recharges both our spiritual and physical batteries. But, the rain returns.
It's this rain that gives the park so much incredible life, and biomass, both in the forest and along the shores. We've seen massive trees that contain multitudes (one study showed that a single Bigleaf maple contained over 2,500 pounds of lichen and moss -- when dried!!). In Olympic National Park, we've also seen browsing Roosevelt elk in the Hoh Rainforest, Northern sea lions barking from the ledges, Ochre sea stars clinging to rocks below the tideline, the elusive Olympic marmot high up on Hurricane Ridge, Grey whales feeding near Cape Alava, and even my spirit animal, a river otter, swam right in front of us while we were enjoying wine and tapas near our campsite along the shores of Ozette Lake. Life in this park is everywhere, from treetops towering 300+ feet to moisture-loving mosses under your toes. Even the sea stars are making a strong comeback after the sea star wasting syndrome killed millions of these beautiful, alien-like creatures since 2013.
A month ago, I returned from one of the driest and hottest environments on the continent. Had a river not run through that desert landscape of the Grand Canyon, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have survived. Instead of diving into the chilly waters of the Colorado River every 15 minutes to keep the brain from cooking, hiding from the sun, layering on the sun screen, now I'm inside my camper, snuggled under a fleece blanket sipping tea. The contrast is striking, and keeps repeating in our life with a home that rolls.
After a huge expedition like the Grand Canyon, it's easy to get sucked down emotionally and physically. I first discovered this phenomenon back in my triathlon days, often referred to as "Post Ironman Depression." After all the months of preparation, planning, and even a little worry, the post trip feelings of exhilaration and accomplishment fade as we re-enter our "normal" life. Added to mine was a family reunion in Michigan, amazing in its own way; but when we finally returned to Hamlet, all I wanted to do was sleep for a week. For all my post expedition chill, it's been challenging to return to normal life.
Going through the copious videos I took on the trip helped me linger in the experience a bit, so did sharing stories with Shari. We both had enough time to settle into completely different routines and priorities. As the longest separation we've experienced in over a decade, it felt alien. And I have to claim responsibility for some of the turbulence upon re-entry.
Speaking of turbulence, here's a little clip from the trip on day #2 when we got a big lesson from the river at House Rock Rapid. Everyone was okay, and we only lost a few items of gear, but that experience taught us something important about how to paddle the big ditch. As the recent flash flooding event and subsequent death in Havasu Canyon (a world renowned tributary of the Colorado) reminds us, the biggest dangers of an adventure down there aren't necessarily in the main flow.
"Being soaked alone is cold.
Being soaked with your best friend is an adventure."
- Emily Wing Smith
We're coming up on our 12th Nomadiversary on September 3rd, the same day that we shared our wedding vows 24 years ago. It's official now...HALF of our married life has been living out of this little adventure wagon that we call Hamlet!
We both agree that taking that step actually saved us from going separate ways, but saying that its been smooth sailing ever since wouldn't be accurate. Just like any great adventure, any long relationships, the moments of difficulty typically lead to some great rewards.
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus wrote; "No man [sic] ever steps into the same river twice, for it's not the same river, and he's not the same man." It's true for a river, it's true for a marriage. We aren't the same people who combined their lives together 24 years ago, nor those who drove away from that life with an adventure rig in tow 12 years later. We've gotten soaked along the way since then, to the skin, so bring on the rain!
Blogs of the Month: RV Solar 101 Series in Escapees Magazine
Over the past year, Escapees Magazine has published our series of 6 articles outlining how to size, choose, and install all the components you need to build a cost-effective, off-grid RV solar powered system. Here's a recent issue about "Choosing & Sizing an Appropriate Inverter."
This bi-monthly magazine is just one of the MANY numerous benefits which Escapees members receive with their annual membership -- one of the best deals going for just $50 per year! In addition to offering mailing forwarding services, RV job boards, information about domiciling in a new state, member campgrounds, discounts on RV services, events and gatherings across the country, special excursions, and volunteer opportunities, they are simply a great community of people from all walks of life who share the common bond of living on the road in their RV -- both part-time and full-time. Escapees just recently announced that they've joined forces with Harvest Hosts; we can't wait to see what will come of this new partnership!
Video of the Month: Testing Renogy's 100W Portable Panel in Extreme Conditions
Oh, you know we had to bring a solar panel down the Grand Canyon with us! 19 days, 14 people with cameras, smartphones, portable speakers, emergency communication devices, and other gadgets we had to keep charged. The challenging environment with daytime highs over 115 degrees, epic whitewater, blowing sand, and sunshine on a massive scale put this Renogy Portable 100W panel to the test! How did it do? Check it out!
Renogy is running a fantastic Labor Day Flash Sale through September 2nd. Use our promo code CANLIFE to save up to 10% off, even on many sale items.
In Front of the Mic: America's Largest RV Show in Hershey, PA
We got into speaking at RV shows through our personal relationships, and it's those which keep us coming back for more. The people who put on these shows, and those who come to our seminars, make the travel to clip on our microphones and share our stories so worth the effort. But, there's one story that's extra special about this connection, that we've never fully shared.
We met Gary Bunzer in 2019 at the Seattle RV Show. An engaging speaker, gregarious entertainer, and famous RV specialist, Gary was known as the "RV Doctor." Immediately captivated by our story, he introduced us to the folks at the Hershey Show later that year. In February 2020, we shared the stage again in Seattle and made plans to hang out at our Hershey premier that September. February, 2020, Seattle -- are you connecting the dots?
At 70 years old, Gary joked with us that he wasn't going to retire, that he would die with a microphone in his hand. It wasn't too much later that COVID-19 turned his lighthearted remarks strangely prophetic. In April that year, Gary passed away in the hospital, leaving behind family, friends, fellow RVers, and a cloud of laughter in his wake.
We always try to do right by Gary's enthusiasm for life, and exploring it in an RV, hoping that we impact the audience in similar ways. We all stand on the shoulders of giants in our life, and our gratitude for ours is tremendous. Thanks again, Gary. We miss you!
We'll be presenting 2 different seminars each day during the 5-day show in the Champions Club Room on the main level of the Giant Center. Ticket information here.
- Six Simple Strategies to Reduce RV Travel Costs
- Tips & Tricks for Exploring America's National Parks
Hope to see you there!
Can't make it to Hershey? Our 2025 RV Show season is shaping up! We are currently scheduled to speak at 5 shows next winter in the Midwest, southeast, and northeast.
Wrap Up: Vintage Camper Trailers Boot Camp Online Summit*
Overall, the event held on August 23-24 had over 5000 registrations for 25 different expert-led workshops! VCT is thrilled with the success of this first ever online Boot Camp* and will be offering another in February 2025! Stay tuned for details to see if you are up for the challenge of a vintage restoration...
We had over 600 registrations for our "Solar 101 for Vintage Campers" seminar, and some really great questions -- both during and after the event. Can't wait to see more vintage campers out there equipped with solar power. Thanks so much for joining us!
*If you missed the event, you can watch the replays of all the seminars through the purchase of an All Event VIP Pass.
For those of you who work from the road or simply want to remain connected while RVing, and have been considering adding a Starlink Roam to your rig, they have a new special deal we are thrilled to pass along! We've used our Starlink since May 2023, and it's been a complete game changer for us. It has worked fantastically well in incredibly remote parts of Canada, as well as all over the U.S. If you'd like to try it with our link, YOU get the first month FREE (normally $150) and WE get a FREE month, too.
For the equipment to work properly, you just need a good shot to the sky and enough battery power to run it (about 5A). Gone are the days of struggling to get a cell signal in the middle of nowhere, hanging out in coffee houses just to get work done, and leaving our gorgeous spot along the coast just to find the nearest public library with Wi-Fi. The best part is that if you aren't going to use it for a month or two, you can pause the service and pick right back up where you left off when you reactivate it. It's truly as simple as it sounds!
Smear garlicky Greek yogurt into a bowl, then add two poached eggs along with a browned butter and red pepper flake sauce. It's so fantastic, we've become obsessed with this delightful dish! Simple and easy to assemble....and the reward...tartness, richness, spice, and savory all in one bite.
It feels fancy, and it's high protein and low carb to boot! Served up with some crusty bread and you'll fall in love at first bite. We found the inspiration for this new dish in our brunch repertoire on Instagram @dianemorrisey, where so many talented chefs share their delicious creations.
There is something so ancient, so completely chill out here on the Olympic Peninsula that "Bye and Bye" loosely translated from the Chinook, "Alki" seems to portray just the right kind of vibe. This is the same vibe that has us sitting under a blanket waiting out the rain, and watching the sunset from a remote beach. The same vibe that created the drive through Espresso stands...everywhere. Lots of other places around the state, of course, have sunshine and wildfires -- and even Seattle is a big city with all the stress inherently bound up. But out here, all of that feels really far away...
Parting Shots: Spectacular Sunsets in Olympic National Park
Nearly every day for a week, the rain would begin to let up in the early afternoon. The skies would begin to clear just before sunset, allowing some spectacular light to squeeze through the clouds over the ocean. The abundant rain created fresh water rivers that poured from the rainforest out onto the beaches, forming fantastic sand sculptures that added ever-changing textures to the way the light reflected off both the sand and water.
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