Tag: camping

Life Shifts

March 25, 2025

Some people thrive on change. Others, not so much.

Me? I love it…If it’s my decision. Sometimes I even like change for the sake of change. But when I factor in all the fears and the unknowns, I don’t always change so gracefully.

And…

I’m not a very patient healer. Just after my first surgery last year to remove a golfball-sized tumor from my shoulder, I binge-watched videos of people living life on the road. I’m a nomad at heart.

Since my recovery, my husband and I have had a few other setbacks in our health, including my burst appendix and his stroke. Since health insurance was so bad, we had to have a few fundraisers, and while we keep saving, something has to change. Life is short; we need to shift.

While Flo has been a worthy companion and got us started with life on the road, I decided then that it’s time to level up and join the Casita Club. It’s a big dream. The motivator is to spend time on the road with my momma. She, too, is an adventure seeker. When I think about how much time we have left together on this rock, I want to spend as much time exploring it with her as possible.

This is my first post in nearly 3 years. Check out the last few posts, and you will see why I’m dedicated to spending my life with this woman.

This digital collage lives full-time on my phone, so every time I look at it, I remember the dream. Not only will the view be different from the inside, but it will also require a bigger towing vehicle. Yikes! The roses in the collage are an homage to my grandmother, Ouida Dell Ebbe, as she will be traveling with us in spirit.

It’s been a year of Casita dreaming, and here’s my wish list. If my Casita dreams come true and I earn enough affiliate dollars, I’ll make these purchases and review them on this blog. Let me know if there is something you would like to see reviewed, and if it’s something I, too, want to purchase, I’ll make a video for you.

The Casita Dreams Wishlist (3/15):

Survival
• Waterdrop Gravity Water Filter – https://a.co/d/9hPj8LI
• Waterdrop Filter Straw – https://a.co/d/4G6966L
• Water Storage Cube – https://a.co/d/gF5LI8O
• Solar Charger Power Bank – https://a.co/d/7v7RNf1

Gear
• 30-50amp surge protector – https://a.co/d/4apjZvE
• Levelers – https://a.co/d/8DNs8np
• Compatible wheel chocks – https://a.co/d/aTjUnCB
• Level – https://a.co/d/06RpwkH

Maintenance
• Toilet – https://a.co/d/8eSdHT9
• Toilet Paper – https://a.co/d/5U8UfRa

Comfort
• Small Electric Water Kettle, low watts for limited electric supply – https://a.co/d/feD3Uyn
• Collapsible Dish Tub – https://a.co/d/adEalaj

These are some of the basics. I’m sure my list will grow over time. What would you add?

Thank you for sharing the Casita Dream!

*Please note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Meet me in Estes Park!

May 30, 2022

We didn’t plan on waking up to snow on Memorial Day in Estes Park, but it was well worth it.

Estes Park, ~7,000” offers breathtaking 360 degree views.

Mom and I know how to have adventures. We love to camp and I’m always trying to get her to come to Colorado. I had never been to Estes Park and the Sisters on the Fly were putting on an event on Memorial Day weekend. So we decided to meet in the middle—between Durango in Southwest Colorado and Leavenworth in Northeast Kansas.

We stayed at Estes Park Campground East Portal. An easy drive from town and if you have ever been, the views in and around Estes Park are spectacular.

There were 12 of us sisters. For four of us, it was our first event and we had a “Sister on the Try.” Which means if you are a member, you can bring a friend to see if she wants to join.

Shortly after arriving to camp and getting setup and settling in, we met up to decide what activities we wanted to participate in.

Eggs, bacon, avocado and strawberries on our favorite plates given to us by my mom’s friend Pam.

Saturday morning I got up and made mom eggs and bacon for breakfast. We kayaked on Lake Estes, went out to dinner at the fabulous Jim & Bird (early settlers in the area) and took wonderful afternoon naps everyday.

Kayaking on Lake Estes. There was a fly fishing class and we discovered the “Mica Flats,” a famous spot for Kayakers to get high-centered.

Although on Day 2 the wind gusts took out our canopy: broke and bent in 3 places, it didn’t stop us from having fun. Hanging out with mom means adventures and non-stop laughing.

We had tacos, checked out the art market, and drove around Estes—which reminded me of different parts of Europe I’ve visited.

Saturday at 5pm I logged on to reserved timed entrance tickets to get into Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). PRO TIP: make sure you are logged in and have your credit card ready because the slots fill up fast. We missed the 8am and 10am times in a matter of minutes and by the time I secured our 12pm reservation, there were just a few left.

We stayed up late that night around the campfire telling and listening to stories with other sisters.

Prior to our trip we both got pedicures and discovered we have the same taste in nail polish.

Sunday morning we didn’t feel like setting up the kitchen without a canopy and it was cold so we went out for breakfast. Then we headed for the RMNP. The line getting in was long and once we were in it reminded us of Yellowstone, bumper to bumper parade through the park. We didn’t see much wildlife because it was raining. The higher we went, the more space we had between vehicles. By the time we reached the highest point, 12,831 feet, it was snowing and the park rangers were turning people away.

We took literally a minute to take this photo at the highest point at RMNP, 12,831” it was 30 degrees and a complete whiteout.

We hopped out for a quick photo at the peak, but it was a complete whiteout.

The tundra above treeline was spectacular.

Another afternoon nap and then we headed off for a cello recital at the YMCA camp down the road from us. It was cold our final night so we snuggled in early and watch as much of we could of “My Fair Lady” on mom’s iPad before falling asleep.

We spied a 5-point elk in a field as we were leaving camp.

We woke up to snow on Monday. But that didn’t deter us from packing up, hooking up Flo, and leaving camp in less than an hour.

On our way out, we stopped to check our hitch and spotted a 5-point elk then 7 more large bulls right in camp! We watched as they hopped the fence then made our way down the mountain, spotting another 11 mile deer before leaving town. A great send off to a wonderful weekend.

We’ll be back! And I’m looking forward to another Sister’s on the Fly event.

Thanks mom!