FAQ #3: What type of camper did you get?

Searching for a camper was one of the best things about this adventure. When you look at the outsides, they all look the same but the insides are completely different! It is funny how such a small home on wheels can actually feel quite spacious. We chose a 34 ft. fifth wheel to tow behind a F150 truck. We get many comments on our “small” truck that is towing this RV, however, it all safely fits in the tow capacity (11,300 lbs).

We had wanted a rig with two bedrooms so that the boys would have their own space. We had also wanted a space for Chris’ work. We found a great RV that had two slide outs in the back which makes for a nice sized room for a house, let alone a camper. Chris would have his own desk and the boys each their own bunk. This one was the one we were going to go with, however after we started touring this 44 ft. RV that was brand new, we noticed things like door knobs being pulled off, wall paneling that was loose, decals that were already peeling…basically it was the low end of the new RV’s that would have been amazing for camping experiences but would have felt a little rattily after a year of full time living. So we continued our search and found a used 34 ft. fifth wheel that was in rougher condition than we had hoped. We did a nationwide search on  RVTrader and found the same model in Michigan. They were willing to sell the truck that went with it too all at a price that we didn’t have to finance (and therefore have to keep up impeccably to be able to sell it) which lets us have peace of mind to just live in it! Chris happened to be going out to Michigan for a work trip and drove our Cougar back to us!

The boys ended up with their own bedroom with regular sized twins rather than the modified smaller beds. Chris does not have his own work space, but he just makes use of the camp ground facilities instead, and all are happy! 

Now for a tour...

Standing in the front door and looking left. The cupboards above the couch hold my homeschool stuff while the small baskets at the end of the picture hold the boys' supplies. We have tons of storage for all our kits, experiments and books under the bench seats in the dining area and under the couch. 

                                               

When you stand at the entrance and look right, you go up towards Chris and I's bedroom and bathroom. The open door goes into our bedroom, The door on the right goes into the bathroom and the slanted closet holds things such as our camera, swim bag (that is always packed!) and Chris' work stuff: 

Standing at the back of the RV and looking towards the front door. The boys have two bins of toys that ride under the bench dining seats but are usually out while we are parked.  There is an additional counter that you can attach to the end of that counter to extend work space. So far we haven't had to use it it...but maybe on Thanksgiving!

The boy's and dog's bedroom. There is a second 1/2 bath off of this bedroom. We hung the curtains as the boys like to have a fort and it makes it feel more cozy! There is a small closet and bookshelf on the wall as well.

Chris and I's bedroom. The limited space for all of us is clothing storage in our closets. Our bed lifts up though and we have nine baskets that hold more more clothes which turns out to be plenty of storage over all.

There are two bathrooms, one with a shower, but they are pretty standard. We have two cupboards dedicated to a pantry, a couple of large drawers that hold kitchen supplies and 4 cupboards for things that would go in a front entry closet. So far, it all seems to be plenty!

FAQ #2: Are you going to Blog?

I have kept a personal blog on and off over the years as a way of documenting life, or moments of life, so the boys will have some idea when they grow up of what our life looked like. I am quite possibly the worst when it comes to family memorabilia. Oliver loves looking at Austin's one baby album (a store bought version with 24 slots for photos) because he does not have one of his own. He keeps asking me when he will have one and I keep answering "Oh, great idea! I'll do that this week!" This has been routine for about 4 months. 

I do have tons of pictures. They are on Picassa. I do have written down quotes. They are on Facebook, and even those died out last year when I lost my love for good ol' FB. I do have baby books. They have about 4 pages filled in. But, this next year will most likely hold moments that I do not want to forget and I am going to make a genuine effort to capture them and furthermore, share them with this WWW in the case it brings a smile or a story somebody's way.  

The name came from lots of thinking and then finally just choosing. I let the boys decide and since this title had "pirates" in it, they were all in. I was thinking "Cougar Life" as our fifth wheel is a cougar, but my friend Gina who writes for a living cautioned I might get unwanted traffic with my play on words. Hulse Adventures has zero ring to it. I liked Life Roadies, but it was nixed by the boys and "Roving Pirates" won. It is a play on a little tradition the boys have. They have started a hobby of geocaching with my parents and formed a team name, the "Geo Pirates." They even have a logo and stamp that my sister created which is a giraffe riding a shark that is flying through the sky. Their motto is, "By sea, air or land, we'll have the treasure in our hand" or something like that. I was going to name the blog Geo Pirates but felt it was a little insensitive to steal a name from my parents when they don't get to travel with us. 

So, welcome to the blog :) I hope to fill it with grand adventures that really will be a treasure for my little scallywag and cabin boy. 

FAQ#1: Where are you going?

When we meet somebody new and let them know our plans, the first question we are always asked is "Wow! Where will you go?" 

Just this week we have some concrete places to look forward to! We are heading South and West come Sept. 21st with our first stop at the Sand Dunes here in Colorado. From there we head on over to Mesa Verde, Lake Powell, the Grand Canyon, Phoenix and then San Diego where we will stay for a month (andybody want to be our first visitor?!).

Right now as we sit at home and try to envision the coming year, it is surprisingly expensive to live out of an RV. The camp fees and gas fees will be our largest expense, but then when we get to places we will inevitably want to DO things. I am hoping that our main focus is to explore the State and National Parks. A friend of ours generously gave us a National Park Pass that we intend to use a couple times per week. I also like this idea because as many tourist areas as there are, there will always be a new museum, playground, art exhibit. I would really like the boys to grow up seeing and experiencing the different terrains that the US has to offer. As we have planned this trip, it has highlighted what a diverse country we live in. Beaches, forests, mountains, plains, deserts...we tend to have it all. The National Parks highlight some of the most beautiful features of this country and I don't think we could ask for more than seeing the best this ol' US of A has to offer!

We have created a map that you can link to on the side if you want to follow along :)