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The Decision to RV
Another anniversary is upon us. No, it's not a celebration of 247 days on the road as of the day this is published, although the slightly quixotic nature one can develop in this life may make you think of that, since we do experience this 24/7.
No, it was actually one year ago that we started giving full-time RVing serious consideration. The idea of full-time RVing hasn't been a foreign idea to us. Ever since we first met, we've spent our lives on the road. Sure, we had a couple home bases, but always wanted to be out there exploring the country. Even during our corporate days, preliminary talks of all-remote work gave us a chance to think this lifestyle could be a possibility, though the idea was quickly nixed by the corporate board, so we were stuck. We did our best to make do with what we had, building a life as best we could while curtailing outside pressures. However, with the further suffocating nature of the location to where we were tied at the time, coupled with the accurately perceived closing of corporate chapters in our lives, along with the collapse of depreciating possessions around us, it was definitely time to figure out a new path.
Full-time RVing, as is documented by many in the life including us, isn't exactly something into which you can just jump at the snap of a finger. Have a plan going in, even if it all goes haywire once you're on the road and have to make a few adjustments. Assuming you're not of retirement age, unless you're taking a corporate life with you, which is becoming less likely due to their demands of you being stationary yet citing "service reliability", you're going to be self-employed. Have a "rock" on which to base yourself, and then expand from there. We can still remember driving towards a nature preserve thinking about what the name of our travel brand would be. Miles of word association happened before we finally clamored upon what you see today, "Freedom Rolling". We start with a website and a blog, expand to social media, and who knows what sort of other ventures we'll try.
Looking back at the actual transition, it really hearkens unto us why we chose the name "Freedom Rolling" in the first place. The "Rolling" part is somewhat obvious, since we're living on the road, we'd be "rolling" across the country. However, the "Freedom" part is really the interesting one. Our original plan was to try this out for two months, see if we like it, and then make it a permanent choice. However, when you own a house, especially in a location that has a zoning board enforcing insane ordinances that basically prohibit you from traveling for more than a week in the summer, two months became two one-week spans. Take the time to take stock in your current situation. How "free" do you want to be, and how does that fit with where you are now? For us, if we're not tied to a location, that's our freedom. It does come with its own sacrifices, just as any life does, but you figure it out as you go forward.
Take some time and listen to that internal compass. One year ago, the opportunity arose for us to follow it, and it may soon do the same for you.
WRITTEN Apr 03, 2022 at 10:13 AM
TAGS: anniversary, before the rv, rv living
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Travels Before the RV: Columbia River
Is your internal compass telling you to go west? Want a lovely mix of scenic and urban life? Perhaps the Pacific Northwest, and the Columbia River Valley, is for you.
Serving as the border for much of the states of Oregon and Washington, the Columbia River is one of the largest tributaries west of the Rocky Mountains. Take a drive along Interstate 84 east of Portland on the Oregon side, and you'll pass through the towns of Cascade Locks, Hood River, and the Dalles. Hop off the highway around the area of the Columbia River Gorge and visit the numerous waterfalls. Take Scenic US Route 30 and head through the hills to find even more breathtaking views. If wineries are your thing, not only does Oregon have dozens of locations to offer, but head across the river along State Route 14, the Lewis and Clark Highway, in Washington for several more. The "Bridge of the gods" in Cascade Locks is one of the options to cross the river, along with a couple free options to the east.
Perhaps the amazing mountains of Washington are what you seek. Head north as the river bends in that direction, and bring yourself to Castle Rock, Washington. Castle Rock is the town standing at the foothills of Mount St. Helens, famous for its volcanic eruption in 1980. Drive along State Route 504, and you'll be able to see the forests and how they we re affected by the lava flow, on your way of Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. Several stops along the way give a chance to view history of the area, both before and after that fateful eruption. While on that "mountainous" crawl, check out Mt. Adams to the east, as well as the over 14,000-foot behemoth to the north, Mount Rainier. Visit the National Park for the largest mountain of the state, or drive around to see this glorious peak from all angles.
Heading back to the river, time to head further west to the river's mouth, and the Pacific Ocean. US Route 101 spans the river not too far off the coast. To the Oregon side, Astoria awaits, home to the Columbia River Maritime Museum. On the Washington side, head towards the town of Ilwaco and Cape Disappointment. If you're not into something too rocky, then just a little north won't be too much of a disappointment, as plenty of beaches lie along this peninsula to be able to enjoy the ocean. If the animals call out to you, visit the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, where migratory birds call home for part of the year.
If your internal compass tells you to head northwest, then the Columbia River Valley is not one to miss. You may just find it to be one of the best places you have ever visited.
WRITTEN Mar 20, 2022 at 09:14 AM
TAGS: before the rv, oregon, washington
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The Space Coast of Florida
"Space, the final frontier." These are the journeys of Freedom Rolling. Its continuing mission to explore odd tourist destinations. To seek out new states and new attractions. To boldly go where many have gone before.
OK, so Kirk and Picard we are not, but one favorite destination has to be the Space Coast of Florida. Situated between Daytona and Melbourne, the Space Coast was originally chosen in the 1950's being one of the more undeveloped eastern coasts of Florida, but now houses one of the most famous Space Force launch ranges, and attracts many enthusiasts from around the world. Spend a little time in the cities of Titusville and Cape Canaveral, where helpful locals can clue you in on the best sights and deals. Maybe catch a wave or two on the Atlantic Ocean. If fishing tickles your fancy, plenty of piers adorn this coast. If the RV or tent life is for you, then consider one of our well-enjoyed places to stay, Jetty Park in Cape Canaveral. This Florida State Park has its own beach and fishing pier, along with great views of the launch range.
If you came looking upward, then the Kennedy Space Center is the place for you to visit. The Visitor Center boasts a substantial "rocket garden" consisting of the many rockets of yesteryear, along with several exhibits and memorials, such as the Atlantis shuttle and a tribute to the fallen astronauts and potential astronauts in the line of duty. Take their bus tour into the Space Force Station, and you can see an actual Saturn V rocket, once ready to serve an emergency Skylab mission, and is now on display for visitors. Consider spending at least a couple days at Kennedy. With the pricing during our stay before the RV, we were able to get an annual subscription for the price of two entries, with all the associated perks.
If you can time your visit right, combined with a little luck, maybe you can be at the Space Coast on a launch day. Sure, you may have seen some of these from the comfort of your home, but nothing beats witnessing a launch live in person. The Kennedy Space Center offers ticket packages to view near the range, but perhaps you don't want to spend the extra money or be around so many visitors. Head back across the Indian River to Titusville, and there are several parks on the shore to give great viewing opportunities. NASA's website gives the location of several parks with free or limited fee viewing. Rotary Riverfront Park places you directly in front of Pad 39A, famously used during the Apollo days, and now serves as a base for SpaceX's high profile missions. Bring some binoculars or a telescope to see the propellant fills, ignition, and other activities across the river. Wireless usage will be jammed so you may not be able to livestream or hear a slightly delayed cast, but shout-outs to Space Scout for guiding visitors at Rotary Riverfront Park as to what's happening.
If you're going to follow your internal compass, don't burn out your fuse up there alone. Head out to the Space Coast and really explore humanity's journey to the stars.
WRITTEN Sep 16, 2021 at 06:23 PM
TAGS: trip 7, florida, before the rv
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Travels Before the RV: Franconia Notch and the White Mountains
Most of us, when we take stock of ourselves, find that we have a “special place” where we like to go. It may be a city, a business, or even a parcel of nature. We here at Freedom Rolling have a special place where we have visited every year, and is one we hope to continue visiting for years to come: Franconia Notch State Park in New Hampshire.
Located along Interstate 93 and US Route 3, Franconia Notch State Park is a nature reserve in the White Mountains of New Hampshire along the Pemigewasset River. Some of its features include Cannon Mountain, Echo Lake, Flume Gorge, Lonesome Lake, and the Basin. It was also once home to the “Old Man of the Mountain”, a unique rock formation shaped like a man’s face. This formation has since collapsed, but a historic site dedicated to this once-standing formation continues to exist. The famous Appalachian Trail runs through part of Franconia Notch, making it a destination for drivers and hikers alike.
Franconia Notch State Park - Official Site
Nearby to Franconia Notch, whether for a day with nature or a chance to do some boondock camping, is White Mountain National Forest. Situated in both New Hampshire and Maine, White Mountain National Forest is home to many of the tall peaks of New England, including Twin Mountain, Mount Cabot, and the tallest point in New Hampshire, Mount Washington. Several other state parks also grace this area, including Crawford Notch, Jericho Mountain, and Grafton Notch in Maine.
White Mountain National Forest - Official Site
We first discovered this place by a bit of a happy accident during the early part of our dating in the fall of 2013. We had been talking about doing our first road trip for a while, but needed a destination. We knew that this was one of the few points along the Interstate Highway System that is still only two lanes, so we decided to head there. A few hours and a couple of states later, we arrived and chose to stop at the Basin. This is one of the most peaceful and tranquil locations either of us had visited, and is a common setting for many of our Christmas cards. But why stop in New Hampshire? We typically continue up to US Route 2, the Presidential Highway, to make our way to Maine to further enjoy White Mountain National Forest.
One trip was good, but why not make a return visit? Summer of 2014 saw our return to Franconia Notch and White Mountain National Forest, this time with a family dog in tow. Sadly, the pooch is no longer with us, but it was an absolute pleasure to take her to another part of the country, and also great to be in a family and pet friendly environment. Franconia Notch ended up also serving as a pre-honeymoon destination in 2015, and every year since then, around the time of late summer and early autumn, we find ourselves once again enjoying this location. Our pup has also been able to enjoy the Basin and the forest since adopting her in 2019.
The next time you’re in northern New England, why not give Franconia Notch and the White Mountain National Forest a try? And who knows, maybe it will become a special location for you on your travels. All you have to do is follow your internal compass.
WRITTEN May 05, 2021 at 02:00 PM
TAGS: before the rv, new hampshire, maine
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Before the RV: Road Trips and Building a Relationship
It takes a very special relationship to live on the road. At the time we first met each other, when she says, “I love to travel on the road but hate to be behind the wheel”, and he says, “I also love to travel on the road and I like to drive”, you know it’s going to be a good match. However, there’s much more to thriving on the road together than just desire.
Our first road trip came in October of 2013. Originally, we wanted to visit some family, but they weren’t available. We still had a few days together, so why not just go forward with the road trip? Our first major trip covered 11 states and nearly 2,100 miles over the course of 3 days. Although we enjoyed each other’s company on the road, one of the things we learned was that an aggressive driving schedule, limited stops, exclusive car camping in rainy weather, and semi-undesirable provisions wasn’t going to work. One thing to always keep in mind, though, is to not get discouraged. Couples are always going to have some sort of disagreement, and you have to sometimes find what doesn’t work in order to figure out what does.
Fast forward through dating, engagement, a wedding, and come 2015, we reach our next major road trip: Honeymoon in Vegas. Two weeks, 20 states, 5,400 miles, and nothing but love and the open road. This one involved a departure from our typical “camping” excursions, as we found ourselves renting motel rooms. It’s a special occasion, and the car camping wasn’t all that good, so let’s try the other extreme. The trip was packed with fun and excitement, including rain in the desert, a tornado forming nearby in the Midwest, and learning about how to adjust our bodies to both different time zones and altitude. We did learn that although the accommodations were nicer, camping was going to be more economical.
The year 2016 turned out to be a busy one in terms of road trips. First up was in June. This time, the family visits happened, but we wanted to get a few more states under our belts, so we decided to extend it. The trip became five days, 13 states, and nearly 3,000 miles. This trip was a bit of a milestone, in that it began our tent camping experiences. And no better way to start it than with a torrential downpour in the Louisiana bayou! With a knowledgeable wife when it comes to camping, though, we turned out just fine. Always make sure, when developing any sort of relationship, whether platonic or romantic, that the combined whole is greater than the sum of the parts. While there, we also were able to get to our first major sea, the Gulf of Mexico. Certainly a great place to visit if you get the chance.
No rest for the weary, though, as August brings another major road trip. Two weeks, 14 states, and over 6,500 miles! It was our first chance to visit the Columbia River Valley and the Pacific Northwest. And wouldn’t you know, with the reputation Seattle gets for their weather, it was sunny! This, however, is where we got our camping routine down to a science. Tent camping at the destination, and car camping on the way to and fro. We’re feeling like old seasoned pros. In addition to the valley, we were also able to experience Mt. St. Helens, driving around the impressive Mt. Rainier, and even getting to our second major sea, the Pacific Ocean.
Tack on a few day trips, another long one to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Space Coast in Florida, some semi-local tent camping excursions, and with no major fights, we’re ready to make our RV adventure happen! We look forward to you joining us, whether it’s in person, on our website and social media, or merely in spirit. And always remember: Follow Your Internal Compass.
WRITTEN Apr 28, 2021 at 08:00 AM
TAGS: before the rv
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RV Living, Tent Camping, and Car Camping
As we progress toward the joy and comfort of RV Living, we remember the times we’ve camped in a tent, as well as sleeping in the back of a Chevy Trailblazer more than once. In this article, we will discuss the pros and cons of both Tent and RV camping, and how we expect it to change from place to place.
Tent camping is different than RV living. Tent camping is a lot of work with setting up and tearing down. We imagine the same will be true with RV living, but it might be a tad simpler in setting up and tearing down. When we mention tearing down, it is exactly as it is written: We tear down camp while making sure we are putting things back where they belong. Our tent is currently sitting on our porch with the fly out. Why, you may be asking? It was wet when we tore down camp last year. You shouldn't put a wet tent in the carrying bag, and that is something we hopefully won’t have to worry about when RV living, besides the awning. The good thing about tent camping is: If you want to camp someplace where there’s no room for a travel trailer or motor home, you’re able to do it. Also, it is super hard to take the pup tent camping with us. We can’t go to certain states where it gets warm, or even be able to go enjoy stuff without bringing her along. Do not get us wrong, we love bringing her places with us. But museums, restaurants, theme parks, and similar places frown upon taking her with us. I don’t know why, she is the cutest thing ever! Also, the weather really could cramp your style when tent camping. When it rains, it pours. Literally countless times, we have been soaked and couldn’t put our tent completely in the bag, or if we did, as soon as we got home, we pop up the tent and pray it dries before the next rains come.
We are getting ready for our RV living adventure where we can take the pup with us. So when we go someplace where she isn't allowed (sad face), she will be able to have the comforts of a house, but on the road. This means A/C, a nice comfy bed, and of course, her favorite food! We all enjoy the comforts of home, so we will need to make it home. Home is where our heart is, that has always been traveling and seeing the USA. We will need to learn how to tow the travel trailer, which doesn't seem awfully hard, but that backing up can be kind of a tricky thing. So that is something we are not used to doing. All we had to do was put some poles in some fabric and pop it up! Also, sleeping will be kind of a change. Currently, we have a king size bed. Even though we have a travel trailer now, we still have a smaller bed as if we were tent camping. That’s how it worked out; we have a smaller rig, but it will have the needs that we have right now. It will also be a lot easier to bring our nephews along if they want to camp with us. Last year, we brought one of our young nephews camping with us in a tent in bad weather. When we say bad weather, we thought the tent was going to collapse because of the wind and rain. We all stayed dry because of the tarp over us, but it was super crowded and uncomfortable, with no room to keep him entertained. Luckily now, all we have to do is go into the cabinet and pick out a board game for them to play!
When going between tent camping sites, and even before tent camping, we slept in our Trailblazer. Now sleeping in the car or SUV is actually frowned upon in many states. When we traveled before, we would try to get to our destination and set up as quickly as we could so we could enjoy the couple days we had. You know, that work thing we adults have to do always called us back way too early. So, the SUV was the perfect place to sleep before getting to the destination. All we had to do was move the bags up front, climb in the back where our futon was, and lay our heads for the night. You may be asking, “Well, where did you park?” The answer is: Truck stops were a saving grace. We would go in, grab a shower, fill up the tank, and then head back to the Trailblazer with the gas receipt in the window. We always practiced safe sleeping in the SUV. When we say safe sleeping, we mean that we had the windows cracked, the doors locked, and always made sure we had the keys readily available if we were asked to leave. Which only happened once, but we found another place nearby. One state, in particular, has strict rules on sleeping in your car while at a campground, and that’s Florida. So we always suggest calling or looking up the laws and regulations when in a state. We have camped in our tent in four different states: New York, Florida, Louisiana, and Washington State. Our favorite, by far, was Washington.
We hope, with this article, it gives you some information on Car Camping, Tent Camping, and RV Living. Drop us a comment if you have any questions or advice. And as always, we hope you continue to Follow Your Internal Compass.