Part 14 - Back Home

Part 14 - Back Home

Note to self: WE DO NOT PLAN WELL. With so many other things on our mind, we did not realize that we would be coming home on Memorial Day Weekend. There were essentially no compatible sites for our rig available anywhere in the Peoria area. So we called Kamp Komfort RV Park in Carlock, Illinois, about 30 minutes from Peoria. Of course, the park was full. We explained our problem to Kevin that ran the place. He was nice enough to offer us a site he had reserved for his friend, who would not be arriving for about a week or so after Memorial Day. 

Bugzy and Luna hanging out at Kamp Komfort waiting for us to get the camper set up. 

We were so busy visiting family and friends that we really didn't spend much time at the campground. It was a really nice facility though, and the pool looked well-kept, as was evident by the amount of people using it. The bathrooms and showers were clean and there was a playground for the kids. Kevin was a great host for letting us in on short notice until we could find an alternative.  He was also super responsive to an electrical problem I was having. This is a real simple but very nice park. Here is their website:

Website: Kamp Komfort RV Park

We found a campground (if you want to call it that) in Peoria by Jenny's parents. It had no website, only a phone number listed online in a Google search. It was nice because it was so close to her parents and our storage unit. That was the only thing nice about it. I'm not even going to name it or review it...that's how much we dislike the place. We were able to sell some things from storage and visit with some friends while we were home, so that part was good.

We made it home just in time for a hot and humid Illinois Summer though. It was in the high 90's when we got home, the humidity was absurd, and it started raining as soon as we got the camper moved from Carlock to Peoria.  We had to park the camper, level it, and hook up all the lines in the cold rain. 

Rainy Day Peoria. Rainbows and signs of hope are rare in Peoria. Hahaha

I had forgotten how much humidity and constant rain ruined my plans in Illinois. When I lived in Peoria, I remember joking with co-workers that I was going to move to the desert if I had to cancel outdoor plans due to rain again. You get what you ask for I guess. LOL!!!

Now that we are back from the desert, its time to visit friends.  Jenny and her friend Sam grew up together since kindergarten, and they are still really close. She was always willing to drive over to visit us at the RV Park, so she was the first friend we got to hang out with. We spent a lot of time with her playing board games, watching movies, or doing outdoor activities. Sam used to live in Edwardsville, Illinois, back when we still lived in Peoria. Saint Louis, is very close to Edwardsville, and she had many stories about her time in the city. Little did we know, that would come into play later on in our story. 

Jenny and Sam at one of their childhood hangouts, Rocky Glen. 

Sam had just been given a canoe so we had to make sure it was sea-worthy.

Sam's parents didn't mind us testing the canoe in the pool. 

No leaks yet!!!

We took a canoe/kayak trip on the Mackinaw River with Sam so she could get her sea legs. We let her try out Jen's kayak, and I'm sure the sporting goods store will thank us, now that she is hooked on kayaking. We had a great trip but didn't get too many pictures on the water. So here a few random shots.

Finishing at dark in true Party Pirate fashion. Solar power truck lights make life easier. 

Jen and Sam under the Old 121 Bridge on the Mackinaw River near Goodfield, Illinois. 

Going thru pictures, I found this fun memory from dinner at Tyroni's Italian Restaurant. I was waiting on a refill, but could not get the server to come back for anything. So we doodled some stuff on the table while waiting for her, then we hid it under the plates. When she bussed the dishes, this is what she found under the plate. LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought the black hairs were a nice touch. It looks very Italiano. 

Peoria, Illinois has been the home of some great comedians, like Richard Pryor and Sam Kinison.  The Jukebox has been a mainstay of comedy in Peoria since 1990. Chris Kattan from Saturday Night Live was in town for a weekends worth of shows. We went with Jenny's friend and former co-worker, Melissa. I have never had a bad, let alone a mediocre, time at the Jukebox. If you are ever in Peoria for a weekend, look them up and see who Dan has booked. It will be well worth your time and money.  Here is a link to this classic venue:

Website: Jukebox Comedy Club. Peoria, Il.

From L to R: Melissa, Chris Kattan, and Jenny. How high was my camera???

We hung out with Melissa and her boyfriend Jamie at our camper one night, drinking and playing games on my old NES. Jamie is now in a band with my Four Leaf Rovers band-mate, Chris. Here is a link to their current project:

Website: Facebook page for Blubilly

As much as we hated leaving the Southwest to come back to Illinois, it was great to get to see our family and some of our friends. We were trying to make the most of it, but it was difficult since neither of us were working, and money was short. We spent a lot of time just hanging out at the camper with friends, visiting family, or playing outdoors. The good things in life are free!!!

Click here to go to our next article:

Part 15 - River Running

Until then, here is a link to our previous article:

Part 13 - Hellinois or Bust

Part 13 - Hellinois or Bust.

Part 13 - Hellinois or Bust. 

I'm thinking, "Illinois or bust...maybe we should just bust!!!"  It was tough leaving Tucson for so many reasons, but late in the evening on May 15th, we hooked up the camper and headed back East on I-10. Exhausted from packing all day and getting a late start, I didn't have much energy left for driving.

We didn't even make it out of Arizona before pulling over at a rest stop for the night just before crossing into New Mexico. Wouldnt ya know it!!!  It was full.  We were forced to park on the ramp merging onto the interstate. Every passing semi truck would billow a gust of wind that would shake our trailer. That one is gonna go down in the books of what NOT to do EVER again. 

Dogs like to cuddle on those long road trips. 

Several sleepless hours later, and the camper began to get too hot to even be inside anymore so we pushed on for New Mexico. It seems like we stopped at every rest area on I-10 on this trip. Las Cruces was first. I remember getting dogs out for a walk and sitting at one of several nice, shaded structures with a picnic table. There was also an interesting statue of a road runner that was around 25 feet tall. 

Road Runner statue at the Las Cruces Rest Area. 

Stopping early for the night at the Fort Craig Rest Area was the best decision we had made on the road for awhile. Not many semi trucks in the parking lot yet, and we pulled in and got the front spot. After setting up a couple of chairs, we got the dogs and a few drinks and settled in for the night.

Got front row seats to the party.

Continuing North on I-25, we drove through to the border the next morning, and pulled into the Colorado Welcome Center before dark. Since we really enjoyed getting a spot early the night before, we decided to stay put for the night. A few beers were in order, but a Colorado Dept of Transport truck kept circling the parking lot after dark, so we decided to just go to sleep.

We woke up the next morning and finished our drive in to the Colorado Springs KOA, where we had a large pull-thru site waiting for us. Jenny had some friends that lived in the Denver area.  They drove down with their dog, Teela, to come visit us.


First impression of the park was a good one. There was a full water-park in front, complete with slides, dump-buckets, and spray hoses. A pool and hot-tub were in a separate area next to the water-park. The office sold food, drink, and other necessities. No beer though, but that was just a short drive down the frontage road.  We had some issues while here, but overall, it was a nice park that we recommend.

Colorado Springs KOA
8100 Bandley Drive
Fountain, CO. 80817

Website: Colorado Springs KOA


It was uncharacteristically rainy, we didn't hike as much as we liked, but we were still out for a short hike at least every day. One of our favorite places was North Cheyenne Canyon Park in Colorado Springs.

Creek on 7 bridges trail in North Cheyenne Canyon Park, Colorado Springs. 

I would say it was weird to see trees after being in the desert for so long, but it wasn't. It was strangely similar to being up on Mt Lemmon, back in Tucson.

North Cheyenne Canyon Park. Colorado Springs, Colorado. 

I mentioned how determined we were to hike, even if it rained.  Well, it did a little more than rain, it hailed like CRAZY!!!  It was so nuts, we decided to take a short video.

We wanted to stay in Colorado longer, but we had to be home to make it to Jenny's brothers graduation in Illinois. So we left out of Denver and were headed to Lincoln, Nebraska. The winds were so bad that it made driving slow, and we eventually found a rest area for the night somewhere in Nebraska.

We made it to Lincoln the next afternoon and were set up with a large pull-thru site. This was a nice family run park with a pool/hot tub area, lots of activities for kids, and it even had a 9 hole disc golf course on site. The office sold minimal food and drink, as well as bags of ice. 

Camp Away Pool Area with the Hot-Tub House in the Background. 

W could have spent a month or so at this place, just relaxing by the pool, but we had a deadline to meet so we forged on for Illinois. If we are ever through Lincoln again, we will definitely stay here over any other park in the area. I tried to link their website, but McAfee gave me a warning, so I am going to list their Facebook page instead. Here is the info:

Camp A Way
200 Camper Circle
Lincoln, NE 69521
 402-476-2282

Website: Facebook for Camp A Way in Lincoln, Nebraska


Iowa surprised us with its amount of hills along I-80, they are just subtle enough that you only notice them when pulling a large camper with an inadequate tow-vehicle. Sorry truck, we still love you. We drove all the way from Lincoln to Peoria in one day, due to a family emergency. The important part was that we made it home safely to our family and friends.  Our living situation over the next few days was uncertain at best, but I will leave that for next time.

Thanks for reading, and we hope you catch up to us on the next article:

Part 14 - Back Home

Until then, here's a link to the previous entry:

Part 12 - Rover.

Part 12 - Rover.

Part 12 - Rover.

One subject that we haven't covered yet is how to make a little extra money while you are travelling.  We are lucky enough that both of our career fields have the opportunity for contract work and travel options.  When only one of us is working, its nice to have some other options for income though.  After a little research online, we came across a website that connected pet-sitters with pet owners in need of help. Here is a link to that site:

Website: Rover pet-sitting services.

My contract in Tucson was up on April 27th of 2018, but we did NOT want to leave yet.  Luckily, we got an offer from a previous house-sitting client who wanted us to take care of her sheep, sheepdogs, and her egg-laying-feathered-friends while she was gone.  We accepted the offer to stay at her house with a hot tub and mountain view for 10 days.  This bought us another 2 weeks of time in Tucson, and gave us some more spending money for the trip home...and we got to see our dog friends one last time up in the Empire Mountains. 

Billie the Kid. This dog is crazy, but we love her.

Dicey-boy. He was a good dog, even if he always wanted your attention.

Cody never went on mountain walks with us. She was always right at the chicken coup gate like this. 

Dicey, Ketchem, and Billie. Running the mountain road like they own the place. 

Jenny, Dicey, and old Kate.

I cant believe that we didn't post a dog-sitting blog until this one.  It really has been a good way to earn a little money, but most importantly we have met some great people and their pets.  So, since we already introduced you to our sheep-herding friends, we need to give equal time to the other canines. 

  

Our next Rover assignment was with Jack, Joey, and Buddy. Their owners were in town for a few days and wanted a dog-sitter so they could go have some fun. Just like us, they were travelling in an RV. What are the chances?  Here is a picture from their RV park in Green Valley. 

Mt Wrightson in the very far back and Mt Hopkins in the front. You can see the observatory on Mt Hopkins. 

Smiley dog.

Poor Jack is getting used as a pillow.  

Old Jack

We landed another house sitting gig over on the East Side of Tucson. This one was actually a house, not an RV, and it was super close to our RV park. Bonus. There were four dogs: Rory, Rosie, Rocky, and Bella...and a cat they never told us the name of.

4 way tug of war. 

Rory

The cat who shall not be named. 

Bella

There are countless lists online of "How to make money as a full-time RV'er, but in our experience, most of those are scams or pay insignificant amounts at best. The best way that we have found to make money, without getting a 'real' job, is to start an account on Rover. There is an optional $10 fee for a background check when creating an account.  Be advised that they do take a percentage of the money that the client pays you. For us, as animal lovers, this wasn't even work. We were just taking care of animals that needed our help and we happened to get paid for it.

You can link to our next article here:

Part 13 - Hellinois or Bust.

 A link to our previous article:

Part 11 - Ocean Beach, San Diego.

Part 11 - Ocean Beach, California.

Part 11 - Ocean Beach, California. 

Sand castle at Ocean Beach. Pier lights in the background lighting up the waves.

When I was younger, my mother had a friend whose son lived in Ocean Beach, California. We went to visit when I was around 13 years old. I had just started skateboarding, and coming from the Midwest, being in Ocean Beach was like being at the epicenter of everything cool. 

My ramp. Circa 1989. East Peoria, Illinois.  180 backside grab with extra style. 

The alley behind the apartment I stayed at when  I was here as a teenager. 

When I was offered an extension to my contract in Tucson, I agreed, providing I would get 2 weeks off before the next contract started in February of 2018. The management agreed to the terms and we began planning our vacation.

My memories of San Diego came up, and since it was only about a 5 hour drive, we quickly agreed on an Ocean Beach vacation.  One thing I wanted to do was take our dogs, because I remembered a beach where dogs could run off the leash. We did some research and found out that Dog Beach was still a thing, then we found a dog friendly hotel right on the beach, and booked a room for a week. We even got a great rate, under $100 per night, due to it not being surfing season.  No backing out now...this was really going to happen!!!  

Here is a link to the hotel we stayed at:

Website: Ocean Villa Inn

It was a perfect hotel for what we wanted, the location couldn't be beat, and they gave us a basket of treats and toys for the dogs!!! They sure won us over.

Look how happy Bugzy is with his new ball. He already has it tore up. 

Luna is always trying to find a doggy den when she gets somewhere new. 

We still did not trust our dogs off the leash since there were so many other dogs around. Or...maybe I had seen Jaws too many times. Either way, the dogs had a great time at the beach, even Luna who generally doesn't like water....I have always thought Luna was part cat.

Dogs first time at the ocean.

The rock barrier in the background of the picture below marks the Northern end of Dog Beach.

California dogs!!!

Dog beach is separated from Ocean Beach to the South by a sand dune.  Luna was way too excited to be perched up there for this picture.

Luna dog with Ocean Beach and Ocean Beach Pier in the background.

We loved Ocean Beach for a lot of reasons, but most of all, because we could ride our bikes everywhere. There were tons of shops on Newport Ave, just like I remembered, so we killed a lot of time just walking around that area after locking up the bikes. We found a chill Irish bar that we liked, called the Harp.

The Harp, on Newport Ave. Ocean Beach, San Diego. 

It had a courtyard that we sat in a few times since the weather was so nice.

I forgot my sunglasses. LOL!!!

We went to a few other bars, but kept coming back to The Harp. They had live music one night and we caught the first song. I was really excited that it was Streams of Whiskey, by the Pogues. It went downhill from there. I think they were just like, "Its an Irish bar, lets learn one Irish song." They were still good, I just wanted more Irish music...whats new. We made lots of good memories there, and will go back if we visit Ocean Beach again. Here's their webpage:

Website: The Harp Pub; Ocean Beach, San Diego.

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Ocean Beach for non surfers are the tidal pools located just South of the pier. There is easy access from the SW corner of the Abbott Rd/Newport Ave parking lot. The pools are full of invertebrates, anemones, and sometimes a fish or two. Here are a few of our pictures of the tidal pools.

Tidal pools, waves, and Ocean Beach Pier. 

The pier has sustained heavy damage since we were there in February of 2018. It is being rebuilt.

Probably the first time I had ever seen anemones not in captivity. Pretty damn cool. 

Our time went way faster than it should have, so we booked two more days at the Ocean Villa Inn. We really were so relaxed that we forgot to take pictures some days.  They would have just been of the same beaches and bars we already posted. We really didnt have to go far for anything so it was nice to just spend our time by the water with our dogs. Our plan was to get home and have a day or two to unpack. That didn't happen. We left on a Sunday and I returned to work the next day.

Below: Our video from Dog Beach

Dog Beach Video

We will WAVE goodbye for now...

Put the kids to bed...

And we will see you next time!!!

Link to previous entry:

Part 10 - Tanque Verde Falls.

Link to the next article:

Part 12 - Rover.