Once again, time to head to the park!
Welcome to Walhalla, South Carolina, home of Sertoma Field for today's disc golf match. Sertoma Field is a free to enter public park, and is northwest of Clemson University in the northwest corner of South Carolina. This is probably the most well-kept course that we've visited thus far, and is home to not only many casual players, but several tournaments throughout the year. It is a full 18-hole course with concrete tee pads and both traditional and "spicy" goals, the latter of which is meant to be a shorter par used for hole-in-one contests. There is a map available, but it's so well marked that you probably won't need it.
This first match saw us playing the red "spicy" goals where available, and the traditional yellow goals when there was only one. Same equipment, no pup. She was nursing a slight injury that hampered play a little bit, but not enough to not play at all. How did it go?
Course Result:
His Holes: 5
Halved: 2
Her Holes: 2
Course Record: Him 6 - 2 - 3 Her
Holes Record: Him 34 - 25 Her
Right away is a potentially scary moment for the beginning player in having to go over a water hazard. Both made it just fine, and the first two holes were halved. He pulled a par on the third to take the lead, after which holes were traded. Some tree luck, or lack thereof, was seen by each player leading to another trade in holes. He then pulled away on holes 8 and 9. On what is a "par 18" for the "spicy" goals, the final shot count was 31-36 in his favor.
This match may be in the books, but the course is not, so be on the lookout for the back nine. Until then, be sure to Follow Your Internal Compass.
Looking for some fun times in the outdoors while in Upcountry South Carolina? Try these on for size.
Welcome to Oconee County, situated in the northwest corner of South Carolina. This place is named after the Oconee Bell, a flower that is found in this area, but very rare to find anywhere else in the world. It is so rare that botanists who first discovered the Oconee Bell didn't even find it again until nearly a century later! Couple this with the fact that it only blooms during the spring, and much of the plant life was placed underwater by the creation of the twin lakes in the area, this is certainly a one-of-a-kind spectacle. A celebration of this flower's bloom takes place at the annual Oconee BellFest during March at Devil's Fork State Park along Lake Jocassee. This park also has a nature trail along which people are able to see the Oconee Bell, along with many other different species of plant life.
While around Oconee and the neighboring counties, why not take a peek around at the various waterfalls? Many adorn the area, but if you want to be able to see all of them, get out your favorite watercraft, because some are only accessible by boat. For an easier walk, try Twin Falls in Pickens County. Although the trail will go high along the river, the end view is worth it. Maybe try the Whitewater Falls, the lower and upper being separated by a state border. The aforementioned BellFest may be a good time, as Lake Jocassee has a number of waterfalls around it.
If the city life is more of your cup of tea, why not take a trip over to the city of Greenville? Park the vehicle for a couple of hours while taking a stroll down Main Street, with all its fine shops. Maybe head over to Falls Park and walk the suspension bridge to see another of the waterfalls that adorn the area, this one being along the Reedy River. Plenty of museums and other attractions are also available downtown, so be sure to take a trip over to those and see what they have to offer.
So if your Internal Compass takes you to South Carolina, although many will love visiting the low country, don't forget about the upcountry and its beauty.
Well, once again, Freedom Rolling has a soul. Ghost of Johnny Olson, tell the people what we bought!
Yes, based upon the issues we had previously, coupled with the lack of reliable inventory, we have purchased a 2024 Ram 2500 Diesel with a much more powerful 6.7L engine. We'd like to thank our sponsor, "Bob", for his generous support in this particular endeavor, and although he is no longer able to read this, his contribution will go a long way towards the well-being of Freedom Rolling for years to come.
So people are probably wondering, what happened that caused this to occur? Well, it's an interesting story. While we were out exploring one of the region's fine locations, the 2006 decided to start shaking while heading out. Fast forward to an incredibly busy interstate highway, and it shakes a bit more at highway speeds. Then comes up a piece of metal, and it takes out our driveshaft, and the transmission followed. Luckily we were able to get out of the way of traffic without causing any further accidents or injuries. Transporting it to the next state for repairs because the present state didn't have any good locations in the direction we were going, neither of which being where we were living at the time, is a way of life for the full-time RVer. Needless to say, too much damage was done that we could not fix the vehicle.
Unlike the last time we acquired a new soul, because of the multitude of changes in states, we are starting a new trip with this one. We didn't move the heart anywhere else, as we're still where we were previously. However with this new soul, we're looking forward to not only Following our Internal Compass, but also being able to pull our heart a bit easier with the more powerful engine.
Well, it's official: Freedom Rolling has no soul.
More to come in the coming weeks.
Freedom Rolling is back with yet another brew review! This time, we're looking at some beers in South Carolina. As always, please ensure that these, or any brews, are enjoyed in accordance with not only local laws wherever you may be, or any regulations from the campground where you may be staying.
Come down to the Atlantic Cost of Charleston, South Carolina, home of Edmund's Oast Brewing Company. One of their popular popular offerings is a dark brown Dopplebock known as "Wolves at the Door". As with many beers of this type, this particular one is a bit on the heavy side, so it's probably not one you'll want to enjoy in the summer by the lake. Save this brew for the winter season, as the sweet and smooth taste will help you to curl up by the fire on a colder night.
Take a quick trip northwest to Greer, South Carolina, and the Southern Growl Beer Company. While there, perhaps you'll want to sample their "Garde Dog", a French-style bière de garde offering known for its lovely golden color. Although this particular brew goes down smoothly, there is that slight hint of hops that is able to keep the drinker's palette excited. This is a good brew for those who seem to like a little of everything in their taste buds, and is suitable for all seasons.
Heading a little south, we look to the Good Times Brewing Company in Greenwood, South Carolina. First founded as a pizza restaurant known as The Mill House, they would later expand to also include a brewery. One of their offerings is the Irish Whip red ale. One sip of this particular brew, and it is everything that a red ale can and should be. From the lovely amber color to just that subtle bitter hop taste behind the smooth malts, drinkers will want to enjoy this concoction for a long time to come at almost any point in the year. Consider having poured from a nitrogen cask instead of through carbonation, and it's a possible contender for one of the best beers in the country.
Before closing this one out, just a quick announcement about the beers of South Carolina: Most of the brews that we review come from micro-brews, farm brewers, and similar classifications. Unfortunately, a number of states have been placing stringent and sometimes excessive regulations on brewery-bars, more specifically "establishments that sell and serve alcohol", requiring expenses that these companies cannot reasonably handle. More information can be found at this link.
So as your Internal Compass takes you across the country, try some of the local craft beers as able, and see how they fare for you.
Trip 18 has also become a multi-leg adventure, this time with two locations. In a way, this one was planned.
As has been the case with many of our winter jobs so far, this one was found at the last minute. It's not the most secure way to live, but with so many different workamping singles and couples canceling their contracts for one reason or another, people like us are happy to come in and pick up the slack. We're very grateful to the management for offering a safe place to stay through the winter via workamping, and that the entire working situation remained as it was when we came in so we were able to make it through the season, not to mention them working with us when he had the monkey wrench of an emergency 1000-mile-each-way trip thrown in there.
As we reflect on the last few months while we wait to finish out other work obligations before heading to our next destination (one of us picks up seasonal work in town while the other works at the park to keep some cash flow), it dawned on us: Perhaps a couple weeks to actually relax and enjoy ourselves is really what we need after 5-6 months of seasonal labor. We've been going from job to job without so much of a stop, and it's certainly what we need to keep going and not get burned out. Maybe that's why we've found solace in the location we visited on trip 8 and trip 17, because in both cases it's been our "nice break". I don't know if we'll be going there again (at least anytime soon; I'm sure we will at some point), but it's always nice to have that "retreat" of sorts.
For now, we're ready to have a bit of a break as we look forward to our summer work; more on that will come as time passes. One the Internal Compass recharges, we'll be set to follow it where it takes us.
Wishing you and yours a Happy Easter. Nothing like a banjo picker during the Sunrise Service.
Sometimes, when taking a look at a map or watching some travel shows, you start to develop a bucket list of places you'd like to visit. It could be a long term stay; it could be just a simple day trip. Either way, here's where we'd like to eventually go:
Yellowstone National Park: Perhaps the most popular of the National Parks. Although this is mostly within western Wyoming, part of the ground do extend into Montana and Idaho. Although at a high altitude, the allure of wildlife and Old Faithful have made this a long-time draw.
Grand Teton National Park: Just south of Yellowstone in Wyoming lies the Grand Tetons. Nothing states "Rockies" more than this sight to behold. It is also a popular destination among ski tourists with Jackson Hole nearby, though our visit would likely be in the summer to avoid inclement weather.
Grand Canyon National Park: Drove by it once in Arizona, but never had a chance to stop there. This carving of rock with the western Colorado River beneath is a popular destination for many. We have some friends that work this area throughout the summer, and look forward to eventually visiting.
Western Maryland: This being on the bucket list is no Accident. Maryland has always brought a bit of intrigue, and a drive through Cumberland and these parts of Appalachia has been one to certainly want to try.
Key West: Off the Florida Keys... No, we're not looking for Kokomo. However, any road tripper will want to mark off the southernmost point of US Route 1. Though he's been there before with a group, driving it yourself it yourself is a completely different bear, and one to certainly do.
We probably won't get to all of these within the next year or so, but if our Internal Compass takes us to these points, it'll certainly be where we want to visit.
If you're a full-time RVer, you may notice that your laundry bill becomes quite exorbitant, even in some of the more "economical" places. Never fear, there's a fix for that.
One of our newer gadgets that has certainly helped us is a portable washing machine. At first, we weren't really able to use it because of the size of our 2009 Jay Flight trailer, as we weren't even able to store it very well. Fast forward to the new rig, and it's finally having some use. We still don't have a dedicated space for it, as it's not meant to be used outdoors, and the only place with a relatively usable water and drain source is our bathroom sink and shower respectively. Still, through a winter of no full laundry services and the nearest laundromat about half an hour away, it's served us well.
If you've never seen these portable washing machines, they're fairly easy to use. One side will have a "wash" cycle, while the other will have a "spin" cycle. Usually you'll hook up a water hose from a faucet to the machine, and then there's a drain pipe that runs out. The actual load capacities do run on the smaller side, so you'll need to do several loads with possibly a couple rounds worth of spins. Also remember that it is illegal in many jurisdictions (and not a good idea in the first place with all the detergent chemicals) to dump grey water onto the ground, so make sure you're letting it out in the tub or shower and emptying your grey tank properly. Once you have your clothes washed, either use a line to dry if it's permitted (most private campgrounds don't allow this), a rack in your rig, or take it to a service at a much lower cost. Just make sure if you do use a laundromat, they don't have an issue with you only drying, as there was one where we were in South Dakota that insisted you do both there for profit reasons.
With our laundry system, we've been trying to figure out ways to improve the situation. We've thought about potentially building a platform for the machine so the drain pipe can sit above the lip of the shower and we don't have to pick up the machine to drain the water. It shouldn't be that difficult; perhaps something akin to when we built stairs for the old rig. Some of the newer, larger RVs will come with laundry hookups or even washer/dryer combos themselves. Without hookups or access, that isn't really an option, but you can always put it on the wish list for the next one. We're still beholden to using larger machines for most of the bedding, so we're always on the lookout for the best deals, which are starting to become few and far between.
So don't let the laundry get in the way of your Internal Compass. Grab a portable washing machine and continue to enjoy life on the road!
Even when you live on the road, both of the "sure things" in life still exist, with one of them being taxes. More specifically, the income type.
We've discussed previously some tax advantages that exist when you establish domicile in an income-tax-free state. As of the time this is written, the states without a state income tax are Alaska, Washington, Nevada, Texas, Wyoming, South Dakota, Florida, and Tennessee. Although New Hampshire does not charge tax on earned income, it does with unearned income (i.e. dividends and interest). The state where you establish domicile is going to cover bank interest, stock dividends, and capital gains, with each being a nice tidy supplement. But maybe you're wanting to work on the road, whether it's at the place you're staying, or somewhere in town. In addition to the federal rates, you may end up with another bill on your hands, so be ready for additional paperwork if you work in a state that wasn't listed.
Regardless of what state you're in, it's important to understand, and is a good idea to ask during the interview process, how you are being paid if you're workamping for salary. Are you receiving a W-2 as an employee, or are you receiving (or at least SHOULD be receiving) a 1099 as a self-employed contractor? This makes a big difference, because if it's the latter, you're going to be responsible for paying the entirety of Social Security and Medicare taxes, which is above 15%. If you receive a W-2, these are typically deducted as a "payroll tax" (look for FICA on the pay stub), of which the employer and employee both pay half, so if you're self-employed, you can deduct half from the adjusted gross income. An important note about these taxes is that they are due not only on April 15th, but also every quarter. You'll want to get familiar with Schedule C, Schedule SE, and the 1040-ES for estimated payments, but be careful not to get too "cheeky" with the deductions, because they might not be business related. If you've overpaid throughout the previous year, you can hold some or all of the refund as a prepayment for next year, which will help to offset these costs for at least part of the first quarter.
While we're on the subject of "every quarter", it's actually a good idea to reconcile your income generated at the end of each quarter: March 31st, May 31st, August 31st, and December 31st. Those middle two dates are intentional. Remember that 15 days after each of the aforementioned, taxes are due. When you're a full-time RVer, you're going to find that your rate of income could wildly change throughout the year. If this wild change puts you at a point where you're going to have to pay penalties, having these reconciliations will help you. You are able to reduce penalties based on an extrapolated income you would have made if what you did for the given period remained the same throughout the year. To figure this out, multiply quarter 1 by 4, quarter 2 by 2.4, and quarter 3 by 1.5 (now you see why those two weird dates are a month early).
As a quick disclaimer: The information provided may or may not be accurate as of the time you read this, so it's best to consult with a tax professional before making any sort of financial decisions. They'll make sure you're doing well when you Follow your Internal Compass.
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