Back in Dexter!! Fitting that we start this part of our Fulltime journey in the campground we ended the last part. Chehalis RV Campground, in Chehalis, Washington. It is also where Dexter spent time in storage. The campground is part of Thousand Trails, a membership only group. Actually it was here Thousand Trails started back in the early 70s; now there are 81 and more being developed. What's great about the membership is once you “buy in” and pay the annual dues, can camp for free at any of their campgrounds. Great deal if you do a lot of camping. One drawback is as of this time the campgrounds are along the coastal US, there are none in the more interior states, maybe one day. Chehalis is a old style campground, lots of trees, unpaved sites, a lot like going to most state parks, a variety of sites: full hookups, water/electric, and no hookups and that all important item: Clean, if old, restrooms. They normal have lots of activities, pool, community center, basketball, tennis, and of course, mini golf. Unfortunately, with COVID what it is nothing is open, you can use the courts and mini golf if you have your own equipment.

We were to head down on Thursday, Feb 24^th, but made a last minute decision to load up everything we could and go down on the 23^rd instead. Managed to get the majority of the stuff figured out and put away only to head back to the apartment the next day and load up yet again. Jeesh, where did we have all this before??? There is still more stuff to bring onboard in the apartment!! Took Friday to stash it all and then on Saturday, heading back north to Kitsap Memorial State Park in Poulsbo, Washington. This is only 15 minutes from Sara and the boys, so a perfect spot to hang out until Kevin gets home. And from what we hear SOON!! Very soon!! How good it will be to have him home and I know after almost 11 months of a 6 month deployment, he is more than ready to be here.

Kitsap Memorial is a lovely state park with a small campground, 11 full hookup sites, 20 with no hookups, and even 3 sites reserved for hikers/bikers. Several cabins, a pavilion and special cabin where many in the area have used for weddings. There is a playground, ball fields, and a bit of hiking trails. The park sits right along the Hood Canal with an amazing view. The land it is located on has been a park since 1935 and became a state park in 1949. It has a bathhouse but as you need a code to enter and I won't be using it, I haven't seen inside. The big advantage of having a self-contained RV!!

We are all but finished emptying the apartment and will be done with it come Saturday, the 28^th. We enjoyed our time there, made the best of things, but we both are happy to be back in our home. Not sure what or when is next but hey:  Let the adventure begin, again!

Thank you Dee!!!

Another Learning Experience

 Cooking in an RV has it's definite challenges. Your space is smaller, little to no counter space, your stove top is small with usually only 2 or 3 burners, stove generally uses propane which burns different then other forms of fuel, and well, your oven is a lot smaller. This is something we found out tonight as a pan we thought would fit, didn't and it's an 11x15 sheet pan.

The whole meal was learning experience even though we had already spent nine months cooking in here before. We are in the midst of clearing/cleaning out the apartment so meals have been quick and easy ones. Tonight we had the idea to make French Bread Pizzas. Haven't done that in ages but had some sauce and the cheese, just had to pick up the bread on our way home from the apartment. Sliced the bread in half lengthwise through the middle, lathered on the sauce, smothered it with Mozzarella cheese, topped that with a healthy grating of Parmesan. Oh was going to add some sliced mushrooms but unfortunately the mushrooms had decided to bite the big one. I have found fresh produce just doesn't seem to have much staying power out here. Anyway, back to the pizza. Dug out that sheet pan place the two halves side by side, opened the oven door and UH OH, the pan is to big for the oven!! Hmmm, well could do one half at a time but oh, fortunately they both fit on the round pan and Yippee that one fits. In the oven it goes!

Now again one of the differences between a sticks and bricks oven and an RV oven is how things broil. You see, in most RVs unless you have one of those super oversized models, things are smaller and made differently, most smaller RVs do not have residential ovens so they don't have a top burner broiler. Tonight was the first time we actually tried to broil something and this is what we learned: RV ovens don't broil, they just cook at a super high temperature. Now we know, as I said always a learning experience. The french bread pizza came out good for the most part; just the bottom got crisper than we would have liked and while the cheese melted it didn't get those yummy brown bits.

So here is what we learned: Check the size of the pan and makes sure it fits beforehand. As long as in this area, use fresh produce quicker then other places you've been. And as far as broiling: don't. We will try making the french bread pizza again because it tasted good but next time: Move rack to highest level and cook at a lower temperature. Will let you know how that works!

Almost Home!

 Things are getting real now. Next week we will be going down to take Dexter out of storage and bring her up this way. I shall be back in my home. sigh. It has felt harder this time the planning, the figuring, the knowing, but I do believe things are settling into place. So much has depended on others and that is always hard. Too many variables, too many unknowns, too much like walking off the cliff and hoping I could fly.

We have found a nice campground to stay at for several weeks while we settle in and assess any needs. Will talk more about that once we are there. The sorting and shifting of stuff is moving along as my brain tries to remember how I had things arranged before. Did we really have all this stuff in there and will we get it all back in!! Think I'm going to have to use my gift of inventing space where there appears not to be any LOL!

Figured out mail service so that is a big sigh of relief. Now just have to make all the changes. It may be a good weekend to do that and any other paper/computer work as we are suppose to be getting a bit of snow between Friday and Sunday. Good time to hunker down with a pot of soup!

Washington has this great program for seniors, called the Off Season Senior Pass. You pay $75 for it and it entitles you to camp at the state parks for no more than $10 a night with hookups and free without! It's good though the end of April! That is a great deal.

So exciting to once again be looking to a future of travel. So ready to begin!