class c

The Oregon Coast: Manzanita and Wheeler

Where we last left the much-belated blog update, we were boondocking on a stormy cliff just north of Garibaldi. Not a typical Sunday morning in the old life! We keep talking about how funny it is that we’ve gotten used to not knowing where we are every morning when we wake up!

It was Valentine’s Day, and we spent it the best possible way—walking around and admiring the tinier towns on our way up the coast. We eventually made it to Manzanita, one of my favorite towns on the Oregon coast. We had lunch at a super-tasty Mexican restaurant called Left Coast Siesta. They are best known for their well-stocked hot sauce bar and display of over 500 hot sauce bottles, but I love going there for their enormous, yummy burritos.

He was commemorating Valentine’s Day with the heart, but he also loved the burrito. After lunch, we walked down the beach with Scout in the blustery wind and rain.

I was delighted to find the beach covered in Valentine’s love notes written in the sand! Some were sweet, and some were hilarious.

We packed the wet dog back into the Turtle and backtracked a bit to reach our RV site, just south of Wheeler. As we checked in, the manager saw our rig and said that due to our small size, we were welcome to stay in the tent camping sites if we wanted. And of course we did!

The tent camping sites followed a winding road into the trees, and there was not a single soul around. We had the whole place to ourselves, but still had water and electric hook-ups so Andy could work. The best part was that since we were so isolated and there was no traffic or other foreseeable dangers around, we got to see how Gracie would do on her own outside.

It was the best day she’d had in months! We were also so pleased to see how well she did. I thought with her first taste of freedom, she’d be gone for a whole day before coming back as she remembered her outdoor kitty roots, but she stuck right with us. She followed along on walks with Scout up all around the tent sites, and came running every time she was called. She would even race off with Scout when we’d throw the frisbee for him, and then follow him back after he caught it.

FREEDOM!

The other great part about this spot was that we were a quick 20 minute walk from Wheeler, so one night we walked into town and had some fish and chips and a few beers at the Tsunami Bar and Grill. Our bartender Justin was stellar! He gave us excellent suggestions on beer and food, and was friendly and attentive the whole time. Thanks Justin! (It’s been a while since we were there, so if I got your name wrong, I apologize!)

Additionally, due to our isolation, we could work on projects all day. While we did have some rain, a few days were clear enough to work outside and get the Turtle in ship shape. And as we saw how great Gracie continued to respond when called, she got to spend whole days outside. She’s like a whole new cat now!

Spoiler alert: We’re going to be back in this same spot in a few days! I’ll continue the expedient updates so we will soon be caught up to present day in Seaside, but in the meantime, here’s a picture of Scout trying to get us to play fetch with an enormous stick.

The Oregon Coast: Netarts and Tillamook

As you can see, it’s been some time since our last post! We’ve been keeping ourselves so busy exploring and better learning the ropes of full-time RV life that computer time has fallen by the wayside. We’ve been making our way north up the Oregon Coast, and as of our last post we’d just left Pacific City. Since then, a lot as happened!

So instead of trying to fill a post with all the goings-on of the last few weeks, I’ll break it down into bite-sized pieces so you don’t feel like you should get school credit for all the reading you just had to do. In the next few days, I promise to get you all caught up on what we’ve been up to, and by the time I get to our current spot in Seaside, hopefully part of the tale will include us catching a bunch of crabs! (We’re still working on that part.)

All right, so after leaving Pacific City, we made our way north, stopping along the way to take advantage of the Scenic Viewpoints that we often just drive by in the interest of time.

I also took some time at one of the viewpoints to wash and dry the sand dollars I had picked up on the beach in Pacific City. I couldn’t get the camera to capture the view in the window, but use your imagination.

Neither of us had been to Netarts before, so we drove up to check out the bay we’ve heard so much about. It did not disappoint!

Apparently it’s also a good place to get oysters.

While we were there, we stopped to have a beer at the bar right on the bay while the sun set, and planed where we were going to stay for the night. I came across a web site called overnightrvparking.com that has been a real game-changer! It’s a site where users report areas that are legal to park and stay the night. You can look at a map of the area you’ll be around, and it lists the spot to park, directions and coordinates, and any amenities such as restrooms and potable water.

Most of the places are rest stops and view points, and the site operator verifies the legality of every report that comes in, so you can be sure that you’re well within the law to stay there. I can’t tell you how much we love this site! It’s $25 a year, but for us it’s well worth the cost. Since we primarily only stay in RV parks so that we can be hooked up while Andy works, it’s so nice to pace ourselves however we like and be ensured we have a spot to park and stay the night as we make our way slowly to a destination. That night we stayed at a rest area south of Tillamook with loads of grass for Scout to run around and a little river running by. It was safe and quiet, and best of all, free! Plus we can plan ahead where we’re going to stay ahead of time, instead of driving all around looking for a spot or paying for a camp site or something.

Pardon the long-winded report there, but we’ve so appreciated the site, we hope others living a similar lifestyle will be able to benefit from it as well. (I swear I’m not getting paid for this endorsement—but now that I think about it, I should be, considering how many people I’ve told about it! Did I mention we love it?)

Anyway, the next morning, my head popped off the pillow when I realized that we were headed to Tillamook, and you know what that means. . . the Cheese Factory! When you’re doing yoga and they tell you to clear your mind and meditate on pure happiness, mine is a toothpick loaded with “squeeky cheese” samples at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. But first, we went to the Tillamook Air Museum, which is super interesting and fun to check out! Also, huge.

Do you see that little twig at the bottom? That’s Andy.

It’s a blimp hanger they built right before WWII to house blimps that were used for spotting submarines and other coastal patrol. There used to be two, but one burned down in 1992. They’ve filled the hanger with lots of old planes and cars, but even just going to see the building itself is worth the trip.

They also have a “Mini Guppy” cargo plane you can go inside. I should have said it was a Star Trek set, because that’s what it feels like and maybe you would have believed me.

After leaving the museum, we happily arrived at the Cheese Factory, where I took no pictures because my hands were full of cheese samples! We left with an actual grocery bag full of cheese. (This is the part where I explain that I really, really love cheese, but I think you’ve probably inferred as much at this point, so I’ll just move past it.)

That evening we found another viewpoint on our new favorite website, and spent a windy night on a rocky cliff overlooking a stormy ocean, which is where I’ll leave you for now.

Stay tuned for Valentine’s Day in Manzanita!

Our Last Days in Pacific City

As excited as we are to see what the lies ahead of us on our journey, as we were going over the pre-flight checklist on our last day I found myself feeling wistful to leave Pacific City! Even though Andy had to work every day we were there, including the weekend, we were able to wring every drop of fun out of that little town. And we made a name for ourselves on the pool’s check-in log, with our name filling nearly every other line on the list!

Our friends Kelly and Jason came to visit over the last few days, and we introduced them to the pool and hot tub, Pelican Brewery, and the incredible views on the beach. With their help, we discovered the superbly tasty fish and chips at the locals’ favorite hangout, The Sportsman’s Pub (skip the high prices on that menu item at Pelican), as well as the scrumptious fish tacos and scratch margaritas on the deck of BJ’s Tacos. They stayed in a nice little cabin on the same site we were staying, where we had room to play games and watch the Super Bowl. We had an unbelievable stretch of sunny 65 degree days while they were here, so we got plenty of beach time and even a few farmer’s tans!

The sunsets each night were breathtaking.

Sadly, the day after this sunset, my phone took a lethal swim. It had been in my coat pocket on the edge of Kelly’s bed, and when I wasn’t looking it slid off the bed and right into the dogs’ bowl! It sat there for the precise amount of time necessary to completely crash. I lost a bunch of photos, and am still working through that grief.

On our last day, the rain and fog rolled in, giving us a misty, moody final walk down the beach.

Scout ran up and down the sand dune three times, and was still ready to take on the remainder of the beach.

We assured him that we were only leaving one beach to reach another, grabbed some coffee, and hit the road for the next stop on the journey!

We Made It!

We’re here!

On Sunday we arrived at Pacific City, Oregon for the first leg of our exciting new life.

It was a bittersweet farewell from Portland, which was to be expected after living there for a combined 17 years! Portland holds a very special place in both our hearts, and it would take nothing more than a thrilling new adventure to convince us to leave such a unique and beautiful city.

January 30th was both the last Saturday of the month and my birthday, so shortly after noon we left our cozy slice of Sauvie Island and headed to my sister’s house in Washington. There we got to hang out with two of my three sisters, along with their husbands and all 8 combined kids! I was in sister/auntie heaven. The following morning, after a delicious pancake breakfast for me and a (requested) leftover pot roast breakfast for Andy, we said our tearful goodbyes and hit the road.

About a week earlier , we had purchased a Groupon for the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum, and stopped there on our way to the coast. If you’re ever in the McMinnville area, I assert that it’s worth the seemingly-high ticket price to check the place out! You can easily spend at least 3 hours there, and more if you see a show in the theater or go to the water park. They have a waterslide that starts at the top of a Boeing 747! (Check it out at http://evergreenmuseum.org)

In the interest of time we didn’t do the water park, but we got to walk inside the Spruce Goose, take a tour inside a B-17, and see an SR-71 right up close.

We arrived in Pacific City just in time for the wild hail storm hitting the coast, and checked into the park. The following morning we were lucky enough to get a bright and sunny start to our stay here! Andy had work to do, but over his lunch break we took Scout down to the water for some border collie beach fun! He was grinning from ear to ear, bounding down the beach and back, jumping up to spring off our legs, and then would bolt away for another lap. It was hilarious!

The rocky coastline makes for a dramatic backdrop! It’s also a lot of fun to climb around on. Scout made it to the top and back five times before we made it halfway up. This really is the happiest I can ever remember seeing this dog. He was having such a nice time he even let me catch a few photos of him.

We have a nice little spot for our tiny house right in the middle of the park. It’s a clean and friendly place, and as a extra bonus, the grounds are home to dozens of wild bunnies!

We also have a great pool and spacious hot tub, which we have been taking full advantage of. Our new schedule allows us pool time before breakfast, during lunch, and after Andy finishes working. Andy gets so excited about pool time that his new work uniform consists of a warm hat, sweater, hiking boots. . . and swim trunks.

On our second day here, we opted to stay in the hot tub for the entire duration of Andy’s lunch break, so afterwards Scout and I took a trip down to the beach by ourselves. The sky was mostly overcast and the wind was incredible! It was stunning and invigorating.

The waves were crashing and pounding on the horizon, and they whipped up the frothiest sea foam I’ve ever seen! A wave would push mounds of foam on to the sand, and then the wind would push it in peaks sideways down the beach. When I tried to pick it up in handfuls, it would vanish instantly in a wisp of airy bubbles. It was magical.

We endlessly marvel at how unbelievable it is that after working so hard over the last year, our vision has finally become a reality. It was incredibly hard work, but our dream to make our lives more about quality time together outside is now our real life! We’ll keep you posted on the goings on of the upcoming week, but so far it has been made up of relaxation, lots of laughing, and especially much more time for days like this:

The Very Beginning

The question we hear most often is, “How did this plan come about, anyway?”

The story goes like this:

Andy and I had been living in our little house in John’s Landing for a few years, and loved the space, the neighborhood and all our good friends there. We were lucky in that we were right on the bike trail that gets us all around Portland, we had walkable access to restaurants we loved, good coffee options, and our favorite tap room that allows dogs! (If you’re ever in John’s Landing, check out NW Growlers; everyone there is so friendly and there are loads of dogs to play with. Also, a sweet little pig named Q-bert who doesn’t seem to mind that Scout is obsessed with him.)

Scout and Q-bert: a friendship for the ages.

Sweet little Amos, the bartender’s dog, who our friend Lisa asserts was made in a button factory.

But the highlight of our location was that we had beach access right across Macadam Blvd., barely over a block from our front door! Our summers were spent walking back and forth from home to the Willamette River Trail with our tubes on our backs and Scout pulling anxiously on his leash for some frisbee time in the river. We’d plunk our tubes in the water, paddle out a ways, and drop anchor (a rock for me and a chunk of lead for Andy). There we’d float, drink a few beers, get some sun, and chat with the friends we’d often invite along. Most hot days, Andy would get home from work, change into his swim trunks, and we’d be on the river in 10 minutes, staying until the sun went down. Our front porch looked like a beach house with the float tubes at the ready and a consistent layer of sand!

Andy and our friend Jason enjoying the spot.

Stop taking pictures and throw the frisbee already!

So one day, Andy and I were bobbing around on the river and enjoying ourselves throughly. Andy made a comment about how he wished he didn’t have to go to work at all, and wondered how we could make that moment a lifestyle. What we had a hard time being able to justify was why we spent so much time working for the majority of our time, just to have small slivers of quality time outside, enjoying each other’s company and playing in nature!

I found this quote which summed up our conversation perfectly:

We started tossing ideas around, and I think it was Andy who mentioned living in an RV and traveling. I wholeheartedly agreed, and we began making lists and plans!

Just a hilarious picture of Scout riding in the car.

What was working in our favor was that I had recently graduated, and Andy was in a position at his job where he could potentially work remotely. He had also just sold his house in Seattle, so he was no longer tied to that project and also had a little walking around money. So we began making plans. One day about month later, I got an email from Andy with a link to a Craig’s List post for a cute little 1985 Class C RV. We went out to take a look, and once Andy determined the bones and major working parts were in good shape, we bought it!

This was just 10 minutes after we bought the Turtle, when we pulled in for a little lunch and celebration!

Our original plan was to just work away on it in our free time, and move in when the project was complete. But as the year went along, we realized that it was going to take us exactly the amount of time we gave ourselves to complete it. With an infinite deadline, we’d just work and work until it was perfect, which would take an infinite amount of time! We also realized how much project time we were going to lose once the Portland rain and shorter days hit.

In the spring of 2015, we decided to make the deadline the end of September. As we all now know, that deadline did get pushed back by a month, but after months of hard nonstop work, we did it! We had to remind our friends what our faces looked like afterward, but it was worth it. With a deadline, we pushed ourselves much harder, and made quicker decisions. It made it easier to prioritize tasks, and helped us not to dwell on small details. We still have some things we’d have like to have completed, but the Turtle is comfortable and livable, and let’s be honest, at this point we wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves without some projects on the list. 🙂

The Turtle “After”

So now is the point where we get to show the result of a year of hard work on our tiny home! I’m typing this while drinking coffee at the table and listening to the rain on the roof while keeping nice and warm inside the Turtle. Looking back at the “before” photos, it feels a little unbelievable! This crazy old van is now our cozy home.

I was going to post side-by-side “before and after” photos today, but realized that since I took the “after” photos on a grey and rainy afternoon, the impact doesn’t do it justice, as the “before” pictures were taken on a bright sunny day! So that post is on the horizon.

Here we are!

It kind of feels like a boat. I like that.

Kitchen and Dining Room

Bunk beds!

Love the Tardis painting by my talented brother-in-law David

Andy cut down and refinished an old desk he’s had for years to make the table

We love the no-spill bowls for the pets

Andy picked this fabric! We promise not to over-do the turtle references, but it was super cute and coordinated nicely with the other prints

Maximizing the limited closet space

Nothing we own can be larger than 10″H x 9″D

I love the wood Andy installed next to the new upholstery pattern.

And there we have it! I’ll post more pictures soon!

Why We’re Here

Hello!

So as you and everyone within earshot knows, we are absolutely loving life in the Turtle! It is a great experiment and a serious adventure. So while we’re starting out here, I thought I’d briefly explain that as we are very new to this lifestyle, I began the blog for two purposes. The first is to document our journey so family, friends, and anyone at all who is interested can follow along with us and enjoy our exploits.

Andy adventuring.

The second–and the one we are most passionate about–is to discuss the process and how much we’re learning in order to help out others who may be interested in a similar venture! Especially for those who are adopting an older vehicle to refurbish, we have learned so much that we’d love to share, and we want to be the resource for others that we felt we were lacking when we started out.

Gracie adventuring.

The bulk of the full-time RV-ing books we found are written for those who are retired, bought a relatively new vehicle, and plan to live primarily in RV parks. We will certainly find ourselves in parks as needed, and as our first few weeks on Sauvie Island have proven, it’s a comfortable and relaxing way to enjoy your RV. But our main goal is to generally be surrounded by nature for most of the time, with the remaining time spent visiting friends who we aren’t able to see nearly as much as we’d like to, due to jobs, and bills, and air fare, and never, ever enough vacation time.

Scout adventuring.

So keep up with us for whatever reason suits you best!

Amy adventuring.

If you’d like to hear specific tips on gutting and refurbishing your RV, we are excited to share! We did nearly everything on our own, from painting the exterior, to upholstering the interior, to welding the front bumper so we could bring our bikes along, to installing solar panels so we can boondock for longer periods of time.

If you’re interested in seeing what National Parks we explore first (we’re aiming to see them all!), tales from of all corners of the US (and eventually South America), and most importantly, lots of photos of Scout and Gracie (obviously), then we’d love to have you join us!

Oh, and please bear with me as I learn the ins and outs of WordPress. The posts will eventually look brilliant, I promise, but for now at least they’re live! 🙂

The Turtle “Before”

So let me catch you all up on where we began, and how far we’ve come in this last year in getting the Turtle ready to go! A lot of work has gone into it already, and with a little over a month before we hit the road, we still have plenty to do.

We bought the Turtle from a couple who were the original owners, and who had taken such good care of it over the years. But while it was in great shape, we wanted to update and customize it, making it our own little home.

We weren’t super great about taking photos initially, because it was so far from where we wanted it to be that it didn’t occur to us that we’d want “Before” photos! And I don’t think we have any of it with carpet, since Andy was such a go-getter that he ripped it out almost immediately. You’ll have to use your imagination there. 🙂

So here’s where it began.

Minutes after buying the Turtle!

The loft

The bathroom

So. Much. Brown.

Our exciting new adventure!

Hello there, fellow adventure-seekers!

We are Andy and Amy from Portland, Oregon, and we’re about to set out on an exciting new chapter of our lives together. It’s going to be awesome.

This year we bought a charming little RV, which we have named The Turtle! It’s a 1985 Ford “Turtle Top” which was in amazing condition, considering its age. We have some serious plans for making our little Turtle look bright and funky, function perfectly, and with Andy’s metalworking expertise, very Mad Max-y.

So far, we’ve done a ton of work already, and are hoping to be moved into the Turtle by the end of October. We’re on a 2-month countdown, and then our travels begin. We’ve taken so many progress photos already, that I thought now was the time to start documenting our work, so we can have the blog up and running by the time we hit the road!

Follow along and share in our adventure with us!

Amy and Andy (and Scout and Gracie too)

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