The Freedom Rolling Blog
Trip 5: Eastern South Dakota
When most people hear about South Dakota, they think about Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills. However, there's another wonderful part of the state to experience.
Extending north from Iowa, the Missouri River valley extends along the border between South Dakota and Nebraska, before turning north into South Dakota alone, and on from there. Along the way, consider stopping in Yankton, SD. Yankton is known for being one of the childhood homes of longtime NBC news correspondent Tom Brokaw, with a boulevard named in his honor. While in Yankton, go to Riverside Park and take a walk across Meridian Bridge, originally built in the 1920's to connect South Dakota and Nebraska. If walking isn't your fancy, head a few miles west to Gavins Point Dam. Built by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1950's, the dam provides hydroelectric power to the area, as well as a drivable bridge and several recreational opportunities for visitors.
Head further north towards Interstate 90, and you'll find Chamberlain, South Dakota. Stop by the rest area at the high point of the eastern side, where you can enjoy breathtaking views of the Missouri River valley. After taking the nature trail, stop inside for a small museum about Lewis and Clark. Back in the 1800's, President Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from France, including much of South Dakota. After the purchase, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were commissioned by the American government to explore what was bought. Their route took them along the Missouri River through South Dakota, and is marked as the "Lewis and Clark Trail" along modern day highways. After taking in the views and history, head across the river to the town of Oacoma. Tourists may wish to stop by "Al's Oasis", an old western themed commercial strip.
As the river winds northwest, stop by to visit Pierre. A small city in the center of the state, Pierre serves as the capital of South Dakota. While in Pierre, view the State Capitol building, along with the Governor's Mansion from a distance. Pierre is twinned by Fort Pierre, South Dakota, originally the site for talks with the Lakota tribe during the Lewis and Clark expedition, and today a small city. Two watches may want to be used when in the area, as the two cities are not only separated by river, but by time zone. Fort Pierre is a small inset in the Mountain Time Zone, also used in the western part of the state, while Pierre, along with most of the route from Interstate 90 despite going through Fort Pierre, lies within the Central Time Zone, along with the majority of the eastern part of the state.
The next time you visit South Dakota, remember that the eastern side of the state isn't just drive-by farms and prairies. The Missouri River valley may just be the place where your internal compass leads.
WRITTEN Aug 21, 2021 at 11:50 AM
TAGS: trip 5, south dakota, nebraska
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Park Review: Arrowhead Park, Neola IA
Fourth trip was a little interesting, as it involved an unplanned destination, the Arrowhead Park in Neola IA. Found in the Loess Hills area of Western Iowa, Arrowhead Park is a county-owned campground and day use area, offering short-term accommodations for visitors and locals alike. A two night stay was had for us.
Grounds: The park is conveniently off Interstate 80, just a couple miles from bypass loop Interstate 880 (formerly I-680) to allow for easy access from all four cardinal directions. After a slight bit of rural driving is a well-marked park that is very easy to navigate with any size of RV. A tiny rural town can be found on the other side of the highway, and only 20 miles from Council Bluffs to re-supply.
Sites: There are approximately 54 RV sites, an additional complement of tent sites, and a few cabins available, all first-come first-served. Six of the sites in the first set are pull-through, with the rest backing in. Paths within the camp area are one lane wide, making for a difficult chore to back-in to a side site. More luck may be had with the corner sites, as the bend of the road can be used to your advantage. Our stay had us lucky enough to find a pull-through with unpaved loose stone. No map is available, but adequate signage makes it easy to understand the layout.
Staff: Any staffing at this site was minimal to not seen at all, seeing how permit and fee payments were done by unmanned envelope station, and likely someone patrolling the grounds to ensure everyone at the park has properly checked in. Maintenance does happen, as the picnic table at our site was moved around our second night, presumably to maintain the small amount of lawn. The check-in envelope offered volunteer opportunities. These aren't out of the ordinary for a municipal park given government budgets, and they maintain the site relatively well.
Amenities: Only electricity is available at the sites, with only one 50-amp and two 30-amp plugs for each electric box covering two sites. Each campground area provides a pit toilet and hydrant to be able to fill potable water by jug. Along the road inside the park is a single dump station for sewer access. A quaint pond is on the grounds for canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. A bathhouse adorned the center of the park with six unisex clean modern bathrooms and free accessible showers.
Atmosphere: Those looking for somewhere quiet to relax and connect with nature have come to the right place. Even with other RVers nearby, the grounds are somehwat secluded to allow you to feel at peace. Dogs will have plenty of places to run around, and with the day use amenities, it's just as easy to be able to stay all day as it is to head out to the Loess Hills or the Council Bluffs and Omaha area.
Overall, Arrowhead Park receives a rating of 8 out of a possible 10. For the economical price, we received a good value. The narrow campground paths, along with the lack of a swimming hole, dock some rating points. If you're looking for a short-term place to park on your way to another destination, this is a good place to be, and is going to be on our list of places to return.
WRITTEN Aug 17, 2021 at 12:00 PM
TAGS: trip 4, iowa, park review
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Loess Hills, Iowa
When some hear mention of the state of Iowa, they think of corn fields as far as the eye can see. Others think of "The Music Man", a classic musical turned film starring Robert Preston. An additional group may think of the early political caucuses. When we think of Iowa, though, there's some natural beauty in the western part of the state not to be missed.
The Loess Hills (using the German pronunciation for Löss) is a scenic area of rolling hills and natural features along nearly the entire western side of Iowa. Situated just east of Interstate 29, the Lewis and Clark Trail in the Missouri Valley, a number of byways and road loops span seven counties, allowing visitors wonderful views of the natural area. Experience Preparation Canyon near the Loess Hills State Forest, perhaps stop by Small's Fruit Farm on your way in from the Lincoln Highway, or view from the tower at the Scenic Overlook on what is now Interstate 880, if coming in from Des Moines and points east.
While in the Loess Hills, stop by one of the Visitor Centers to pick up a map booklet to show the locations of the scenic byways and excursion loops. If you prefer something a little more self-discovered, the Western Iowa Tourism Region has placed signage all along the highways to mark each byway and loop in the area. Be ready for dirt and gravel roads along some of the loops, as not everything is paved. Perhaps park in one of the designated areas and go on one of the hiking trails.
The Lewis and Clark Trail and the Loess Hills are bound by two mid-major cities should re-supply be necessary. To the south is Council Bluffs IA, an up-and-coming city sistered on the other side of the Missouri River to Omaha NE. To the north is the tri-state metropolitan area of Sioux City. North Sioux City is in SD, South Sioux City in NE, and Sioux City itself in IA. Beautiful views of the Missouri River may also be found along this corridor, and although there are no trails directly along the river, similar to the Mississippi, several bridges span the wide Missouri to witness this mighty river.
So the next time you drive the country, don't count out Iowa as just another pass-through state. Your internal compass may tell you to stop by the Loess Hills in the Missouri Valley and experience its beauty.
WRITTEN Aug 14, 2021 at 11:00 AM
TAGS: trip 4, iowa
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Park Review: Lake George Riverview
The third trip, and first without a return, saw us visiting the Lake George Riverview resort in Warrensburg NY. Situated on the Schroon River, Lake George Riverview provides a family camping experience for visitors to the southern Adirondack Park. Like the last review, we'll rate the site on five criteria and give our overall impressions.
Grounds: The location of the campground is very conveniently located off the interstate highway. However, its only entrance is along the only thoroughfare connecting the highway and the hamlet of Warrensburg, a popular tourist destination in the summer months. A left turn along this stretch to get to the highway can be daunting, especially with a long RV. Not much can be done to improve the situation, but traffic is light enough that a turn can be made.
Sites: The campground has around 150 sites for either RV or tents. Most require a back-in, but a number of pull-through are available. Our site wasn't exactly the most level, but nothing that a few blocks couldn't fix. Unpaved loose stone seems to be the method of choice for the RV sites, a bit unfairly judged against the last time, but you live and learn. The map was easy to understand, although the pull-through sites were only marked on one side. At least one fully grown tree was at the site providing adequate shade while still allowing for the awning. Hookups were easy, although the water at their side had a tendency to "spit".
Staff: Check-in and check-out staff was friendly. Maintenance and security was attentive, as we unfortunately had to witness on account of some badly-behaved neighbors. All of the staff is on salary; there are no "workamping" opportunities, but with everything running smoothly, they don't seem to need any additional hands.
Amenities: For the price that was paid, you would expect some decent amenities, and the park gives some. These include a pool, a beach, an arcade and playground for the children, horseshoes, and a bocce setup. Even simple walks around the property are a joy. Construction was happening during our stay so some amenities changed from what was listed, such as volleyball and a pool bathhouse. A single sheet addendum or sign at the main house would have helped guests understand what was happening. One of the men's shower stalls had a lock that wasn't lined up to the hole, making it impossible to lock. One of the women's houses could have used more regular cleaning, and one of the women's shower stalls had a floor that seemed ready to break.
Atmosphere: If you want something that is family friendly, this is a good place to go. Children, whom we once again had in tow for this special trip, have ample opportunities to make friends and remain entertained. Although many guests will spend the day exploring attractions the surrounding area offers, even those preferring to stay in one place won't be disappointed. The park is also very dog-friendly, many animals of which receive great love and praise from most other guests.
Overall, Lake George Riverview receives a rating of 8 out of a possible 10. The price was the biggest stickler for point deduction, as this is less geared towards the young full-time RVer, and more towards the city dweller. Sure, the amenities were nice, but it doesn't make up for the lack of value for money, especially when premium pricing was not involved. With better rates, it is worth returning, but until such time, other locations may be better.
WRITTEN Aug 10, 2021 at 12:00 PM
TAGS: trip 3, new york, park review
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Trip 4: Flexibility for Avoidance
Just as quickly as the previous trip began, so does it end, and the next adventure begins. However, just as quickly as we had plans for this one, so are they changing.
When living in the RV full-time, it's important to also be mindful of events that are going on around you. For general living, that means avoiding a number of the tourist traps. For example, we were intending one particular destination. A major motorcycle event, though, meant that the lots were either full or had their rates dramatically raised. The beauty of the full-time life, though, is that we can just go somehwere else. So, we've decided to stay a few hundred miles outside the original destination until everything calms down, and then come in.
Sometimes, holidays exist that cannot be avoided. These are times such as Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day, to name a few. As these are national holidays, you can't dodge the crowds. What's a couple to do? Well, trip 1 was around a holiday weekend, and we found an up-and-coming campground that was under construction but trying to generate some income. If we're able to score a "workamping" deal, that would clearly help, especially also during events. Family and friends could also be visited as able.
No matter where we are or what's going on around us, it's a great adventure being on the road. Who knows where our internal compass will take us? All we have to do is follow it.
WRITTEN Aug 08, 2021 at 10:12 PM
TAGS: trip 4
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Trip 3: On The Move
Our next trip is upon us, and this time, there is no return. The house and tiny plot of land have been sold. All the strife of suburbia is behind us. Now it's time to be on the road for good. As this is being typed, the realization has come that we fell flat on our faces.
As we pulled out of our former driveway for the final time, the trailer and the truck were jam-packed. The entire aisle between the dining area and kitchen was filled. The beds and couches were packed, as we hoped a bump or a quick yellow-to-red light wasn't hit to send everything flying. Even now, after consolidating and packing away more stuff, barely enough space was made to fit the Raspberry Pi used to type this. What seemed to be the biggest mistake was that we had two living spaces established: The RV, and our former house. Had we been able to turn the clock back about a month to try this again, the game plan would be to live in the house with what we used to live in the RV during our first trips.
The biggest culprit in double living for us, thus far, has been clothing. We had a number of clothes packed for the RV, but then also had more for the house. A week's worth of clothes has been endorsed by some outlets as a good target for how much to have. You may want to adjust based on your personal preferences, or how often you go through a particular article. It may take a couple rounds to decide what you really want or need, and you can always replace clothes as they wear out. Care needs to taken for adverse weather, business, and formal conditions as needed, but in lesser quantities.
Aside from clothes, there were several other areas where our planning could have used some improvement. Kitchen and dining left room to be desired. It wasn't until about a week or two before the closing that we finally ditched our house dinnerware for what we have in the RV. Flatware also had multiple sets, we were still using breakable glassware as opposed to travel-friendly tumblers, and cookware we bought as a result of lessons learned, but never began to use until late. Emergency storage is also an adjustment. Although meals ready-to-eat (MREs) aren't the most desirable, we may have to pare down some of the supplies, even though we'll be saving a bit on groceries, especially for travel days. Tough decisions with personal items also had to be made, although we've thus far made the best with the room we have. Thankfully, we are still close to a storage point so we have a final opportunity to make these adjustments.
A little bit of organization time later, and we seem to be much more stable. Another storage trip or two later, and we should once again be ready to follow our internal compass.
WRITTEN Aug 01, 2021 at 12:00 PM
TAGS: rv living, trip 3
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Quick Q&A: Citizenship and Permanent Address
We received an interesting question from one of our followers wondering about our place of residency. We mentioned that we were thinking about becoming citizens of a particular state, and then we were asked how long we'd be there. This leads to a quick discussion about permanent addresses.
Each person in the United States, for purposes of census, income tax collection, identification, and voting, are allocated an address. This is typically designated as a person's "permanent address". This doesn't necessarily mean that they are spending most of their time at that location. Let's consider college students as an example. They aren't spending most of their time and money at their permanent address. Instead, they're living in a dormitory or apartment near their studies, and going back to their original location for a couple months out of the year. They'll still retain the original address and citizenship for the aforementioned purposes, so they're legally still "living there", even if they aren't physically there.
For those who are living full-time in their RV, the concept and execution really isn't that different. There are mail handling services available that will also offer the ability for the patron to use the address as a permanent location, and help them establish necessities associated with citizenship, such as driver's licenses, vehicle registration, voting address, and so on. These services are usually found where there aren't any state income taxes, and municipal responsibilities are minimal. Once again, although we'll establish citizenship in a particular state, we're not necessarily going to be there. We may not set foot in the particular state for a couple years, but we'd still be citizens of the state.
When looking into becoming citizens of a state, there are plenty of things to review. Are there residency requirements to receive services? Taxes are a big issue, and you'll likely want to save some money by being a citizen of a state without a state income tax. Income isn't the only tax, though, as you'll also want to consider vehicle registrations and driver's licenses renewals, if property tax is charged on vehicles, potential municipal taxes, health care taxes, and also taxes related to a small business you might be doing on the road to generate some income. Vehicle maintenance is also important; are you going to want to have to go back to a state every year to get your RV and any other vehicle inspected, or will preventive maintenance during your regular oil changes and tune-ups suffice? If you have or plan to have children, a state may also have some red tape surrounding their home schooling. There may be other things important in your life to consider.
At the end of the day, we simply intend to choose a permanent address for the legal basics, and hit the road. Less time worrying about the day-to-day red tape will give us more time to follow our internal compass.
WRITTEN Jul 12, 2021 at 10:00 AM
TAGS: rv living, qna
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Trip 2 Aborted
Sometimes, you make plans, things don't pan out the way you want, other anomalies happen, and all of a sudden, you find yourself moving on. This is what occurred with our most recent boondocking adventure. The original plan was for two weeks, and we made it all of six days before heading out.
We had a couple lessons learned on this one. First and foremost is to make sure everyone stays in good healthy shape. Packing (since we're still in transition), and rushing to do so at that, in the hot and muggy summer did not bode well. Although we don't anticipate this step when we're on the road because we'll already have everything with us, it's still important when it comes to picking up supplies and re-organizing storage. Tack on trying to keep the RV at a reasonable temperature with a generator while you're consuming double the water you were expecting, as well as some immune responses to flying insects, and you may just have a bad time.
Secondly, over-anticipating supplies will still bring you short. As mentioned before, water consumption went up on the hot and muggy days. However, the potable water tank was running low after only a few days, even with bringing drinking water separately. Thankfully, there was a good amount of rainfall to replenish the latter, although you have to be careful about where you collect rainwater, as some states and municipalities have strict regulations, or have even made it illegal. Water isn't the only supply, though, as fuel can also be a concern. This isn't limited to gasoline and propane, as dry wood can be a problem, especially if it rains. Even with the RV, a campfire is a very good heat source, as well as a way to keep insects away.
This isn't to say that boondocking is coming off the internal compass, though. It's still very enjoyable to "get away from it all" for a while and go back to primitive ways and means. We've figured out that trying to do it for two weeks isn't going to work, but a couple nights is easily doable. It could also work well if we're ahead of schedule for our next destination. Plus, the beauty of the full-time RV lifestyle is that we aren't as easily tied to one place. Sure, we might reserve a campground site for a longer period to lock in a better rate, but if we want to pack it all up and go somewhere else, we can do that. A number of people our age don't want to feel tied to a location, so why not exercise this freedom?
After all of what we experienced, we're still looking forward to the full-time RV lifestyle, but our internal compass tells us to try to keep the boondocking to a minimum and enjoy the RV parks. Needless to say, once we're back on the road, we will certainly follow our internal compass.
WRITTEN Jul 05, 2021 at 09:00 AM
TAGS: trip 2
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Trip 2: Boondocking
Before selling off the house and going completely full time on our RV adventure, there is one more trip we need to make to give ourselves full information on what we can handle. Enter our first boondock adventure. After about four days or so on the road for this one, here's what we've found.
Boondocking is a term those in the business use to describe what most would consider actual camping. We're in the wilderness, typically a national forest or state preserve. There are no amenities such as electric, plumbed water, or sewer. We'd be lucky to have a fire pit, picnic table, and natural body of water. We still have the RV with us, so it's not the "pure" experience one would think with a tent, like one of our adventures before the RV. It is, however, a true test of our ability to survive both the environment and each other. Think similar to the show "Survivor", except we're not voting each other out (as much as the urge may pop up once in a while), there aren't any reward challenges, and no one's giving us a million dollars, at least not today.
The biggest thing we've figured out thus far is to ensure we have a boondock pack list. Even though the non-consumables are always going to be with us, and is something we are trying to emulate with this trip, there is much more. There are plenty of tools that are needed. Your typical rake and shovel are important. So are buckets and totes, because you never know what you might need to collect or carry. Insect repellents are also something to keep in mind. Maybe you'll want a few tarps in reserve as well. Unlike many RV campgrounds and resorts, you aren't as easily able to send out for supplies, and they're more expensive than an urban big box store if you do find them.
In speaking of preparation, along with food supply, you can never have enough drinking water. Although the rig comes with a potable water tank, we still prefer drinking something filtered, so our drinking water is carried separately. Commercial pitchers and dispensers are nice for a plumbed supply, but when you are limited to what you're carrying, we're trying to conserve the potable for kitchen and bathroom use. Drinking out of a river isn't the best option because you have to boil the water before it's potable, but it's not a bad option for bathing. If you've ever seen documentaries on people trying to save a buck by reusing water, although parts of what they do are extreme, you begin to recognize that some of their odd ways make sense in the woods.
Food and water is important, but fuel supply is a big concern. Do you have enough propane and/or gasoline? We picked up a dual fuel generator to bring with us for times like these, but how often is that going to be run, and for what would it be used? Are you simply charging your rig's battery, or do you want to use it on a central air system? Can you spare propane for the generator, or is that needed for a reliable cooking system such as a portable grill? Wood is something you must either find or purchase locally; are you wanting to build a campfire, and what is its use?
These are some of the lessons we've learned thus far on our boondocking adventure. Check back for more about how we've been living on this trip. Will boondocking remain on our internal compass?
WRITTEN Jul 01, 2021 at 08:45 AM
TAGS: rv living, trip 2
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Electronics: Connectivity Update and Device Ideas
With a few trips under our belt, and also transitioning ourselves to full-time living in the RV, we've been able to experiment a bit with our electronics situation. This is what we've learned so far, and hopefully you are just as able to take advantage of what we've learned when you start your adventure.
The first is internet. We did decide to switch service providers to one that's more friendly towards unlimited data and hotspots. Sadly, this came with a hidden termination fee for unlocking the phone to be able to switch carriers, and it was a policy that changed recently. Let's just say they didn't want us to "kindly do the needful". Once that headache was completed, the next step was to hooking up the wireless router because the phone only afforded one hotspot connection. The good news is that the router was able to setup properly, and even now we're using the hotspot for our internet, shunning the wired connection we've had at the house. Remember that public wi-fi is not dependable, not to mention you want something encrypted for personal matters, such as banking and bill paying.
Some of you reading this are probably wondering how we hooked up everything. The first thing is to configure the router. There are tutorials from Smart Domotik, Wi-Fi Planet, and Quick Fix that can help you with your setup. To get your phone's subnet information, you should be able to simply connect a computer directly to your phone's hotspot; in our case, we didn't have to change the router's subnet. I also recommend using "Client" mode instead of "Client Bridge" because you want to be connecting to your router even though it will have the same name as your phone. The next and most important step, especially when you're given only one hotspot connection, is that the order in which everything is connected matters. You have to turn on the router first, then your hotspot, and only after the router and hotspot are connected can you then add other devices. If another device gets the IP Address first, the router won't be able to connect because the one address is gone. Third, once you have everything set, keep an ethernet cable attached to your router, even if you don't have the other side connected, because if something goes down, you may need to hook a computer to that wired connection to be able to troubleshoot the router.
Once you have connectivity, start looking at your devices. During Trip 1, we found that the bulky desktop wasn't used at all, even though we brought it along. The shakedown had it as a sort of file storage area, but was a little noisy and cumbersome to put together. A small solid state drive with a smaller computer should do the trick for what we need. Since we don't have a toy hauler with an office room equipped, there's no reason to bring the desktop and we can live without the heavy gaming apps, so that will likely go to storage. As for computers, some people prefer cell phones today for accessing internet and apps, but it's still good to have a straight computer with you. Laptops are nice to have, but one newer invention we seem to like is the Raspberry Pi. These are small, inexpensive, yet powerful computers able to do what we need, and we're also able to do small electronics projects not only to entertain us, but also for potential rig improvements. They also have HDMI outputs, meaning you can connect it to your TV, not needing an additional monitor. Round it all out with a video game system doubling as a Blu-Ray player, along with a streaming video device, and we're good to go.
Sometimes you're going to have lessons learned while you travel, and looking at our situation, we find ourselves ready to go. We can spend less time worrying about our living arrangement in terms of electronics, and more time following our internal compass.