Days #373-379 of Our Epic Trip

11-8-2024
H: 66ºF L: 41ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

We had planned on leaving today but we’re having so much fun with my sister and her family that we extended our stay for a couple more days.

We did some grocery shopping in Auburn, CA. We really like Grocery Outlet for the low prices. They don’t always have everything we need but it’s worth it for the low prices. As we were leaving, a man watched Daniel open the car door and give me a kiss before I got in the car. He told Daniel, “Good man. God bless you.”


11-9-2024
H: 66°F L: 44°F
Family, Greenwood, California

It’s our last day with Kim, Ben, and Kavelia. Daniel finished the deck for them. His work was supervised by the by the ever vigilant chickens. Daniel enjoyed their company and working with Trex boards.

Deck made of Trex in Greenwood, California by Happy Vegan Campers

We went to a rock shop in Georgetown, CA which is closing and having a 40% off sale. Kim, Kavelia and I all bought some pretty rocks.

On the way home, we stopped at Greenwood Lake and walked the boys. This reservoir is part of a widespread irrigation system with water coming from Lake Tahoe. I love the concrete canal which meanders through the woods.

I made dinner for everyone: lentil loaf and sautéed spinach. After dinner, I noticed something was in the small pressure cooker. Confused, I opened it and realized I forgot to put the lentils in the lentil loaf!! We all got a good laugh out of it. The “Oops Loaf” was actually really good with oats, walnuts, and veggies.


11-10-2024
H: 61ºF L: 48ºF
San Francisco RV Resort, Pacifica, California

It’s a travel day! We really enjoyed our stay with my sister’s family. They live in a beautiful mountain area and we are so lucky they have a full hookup on their property. Kavelia frequently knocked on our door to hang out in our camper which was so fun.

We drove south of San Francisco to stay right on the ocean. Our site was upgraded to an ocean view site for free. The views are great! It looks like this area has experienced significant erosion and some of the campsites were victims.


11-11-2024
H: 59ºF L: 53ºF
San Francisco RV Resort, Pacifica, California

We are enjoying a relaxing day at the camper. It rained last night and this morning but it was sunny by the afternoon. We can see the ocean from our window although there is a chain link fence keeping people away from the eroded cliff.

Fun (or not so fun) fact: I love reading contracts. So I spent the morning reading a 72 page contract for an upgraded membership with Thousand Trails (TT). Currently, we can camp for free for 14 days at TT campgrounds. We have to leave the TT system for 7 days and then we can camp for another 14 days at a TT campground. The cost was $1020 for the year. Today we upgraded to the Journey membership which allows us to camp for 21 days and we can go park to park without taking a week off. The cost is a little more expensive at $1700 per year (we got a discount because we had already purchased RPI separately) but the plan we’ve had for the last year was going to increase to about $1400. We are so thankful for the help of membership specialist, Lauren Amancio, who answered our questions and was fun to talk to. If you are considering a membership with Thousand Trails, give her a call at 469-934-0039 and mention Daniel Dubay for a discount of $55-155 off your membership. We learned that you don’t have to be a US citizen to have a membership.

We are enthusiastic supporters of Mercy for Animals, an organization which helps farmed animals around the world. They recently had their Transfarmation program featured on NBC news.

https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/farming-nonprofit-helps-farmers-transition-to-sustainable-agriculture-224000581592

Before dinner, we took a beautiful evening walk and watched the sun set.

Sunset in Pacifica, California by Happy Vegan Campers

11-12-2024
H: 58ºF L: 49ºF
San Francisco RV Resort, Pacifica, California

We took a walk into Pacifica, CA on a path next to the campground. The ocean waves are huge here. There is a road right next to the ocean where a lot of people boondock. Apparently, you can park on the street for 72 hours. There were a lot of older RVs and car campers. We found a nearby bakery and got some rye sourdough bread – it was really good. We also passed by the largest rosemary plant I have ever seen. It smelled so good! We picked some for rosemary roasted potatoes for our dinner.

Giant rosemary plant in Pacifica, California by Happy Vegan Campers
Rosemary

The views during our walk were pretty and we noticed they actually have a fence to keep people safe -wow! This is a departure from the typical lack of safeguards we have noticed on the west coast.


11-13-2024
H: 59°F L: 48°F
San Francisco RV Resort, Pacifica, California

We drove around some neighborhoods in San Francisco. We stopped at the Hidden Garden Steps. It was raining and we had parked illegally so we didn’t climb the steps but we heard there are great views from the top.

Then we drove to a park to see the Golden Gate Bridge. We also had good views of Alcatraz Island and downtown San Francisco.

Driving in downtown, we saw traffic signals we had never seen before. What’s a red negative sign? We didn’t get run over but we did get honked at a lot. We also saw a lot of Waymo cars which are fully autonomous Jaguar taxis. There are no drivers although there are humans remotely providing assistance when needed.

Waymo autonomous car in San Francisco, California by Happy Vegan Campers

We saw some surfers on our way home. I tried to get a picture of them – there were about 20 people out there trying to catch a wave – but the light conditions weren’t the best.

There are surfers out there!

When we got back to our camper, we found that our new foreign neighbors had put their luggage on and beneath our camper. Their camper was no where to be found but luckily two people were there and moved everything at our request.


11-14-2024
H: 57ºF L: 51ºF
San Francisco RV Resort, Pacifica, California

We met our new neighbors, Phil and Angela, who have been full-time RVing for 8 weeks. We told them about Thousand Trails which could save them a lot of money on their travels.

We drove down Highway 1 to explore. There were beautiful sights everywhere. We like that there are pull-offs all along the road so you can easily take in the views.

We drove past a house being fumigated. Neither of us have ever seen this before except in movies. I love how it looks like a circus tent. I wonder what their neighbors think…

House covered for fumigation in California by Happy Vegan Campers

We got home in time to see a pretty sunset.

Sunset in Pacifica, California by Happy Vegan Campers

Stats

Expenses:

  • Tesla Cybertruck fuel: $13.40
  • Tesla Model X fuel: $0
  • Campsite: $89
  • Camping memberships: $43.33
  • Food: $147.21

Tesla Cybertruck miles driven: 176 (108 kWh)

Tesla Model X miles driven: 321.8 (88.1 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 1


Happy Vegan Campers

Contact Happy Vegan Campers!

Happy Vegan Campers are traveling the country and building a passive house! Any suggestions on places we should visit or questions about our house? Love our recipes? We’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment at the bottom of the page or send us an email: happyvegancampers@gmail.com

#California #SanFrancisco #Pacifica #Highway1 #FumigatedHouse #GiantRosemary #ThousandTrails #SanFranciscoHiddenGardenSteps

Days #366-372 of Our Epic Trip

11-1-2024
H: 57ºF L: 39ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

We went exploring with my sister, Kim, today. We started in Grass Valley, CA. They have a street for pedestrians only with shops and restaurants which we really enjoyed.

Next, on my bucket list was the town of Rough and Ready, CA. I mean, who names a town Rough and Ready? So naturally I had to check it out. Unfortunately, there was nothing but homes, a post office, and fire station. Apparently, the town succeeded from the Union in 1850 for a couple of months to avoid paying taxes on gold.

Rough and Ready, California by Happy Vegan Campers

After that disappointment, we went to Nevada City, CA which is cute and very walkable. It was probably my favorite out of the towns we’ve visited in the area so far.

Ben made us dinner of pizza, sautéed spinach, and other goodies. Wow! It was so good and much appreciated after a day of exploring.


11-2-2024
H: 56°F L: 43°F
Family, Greenwood, California

We have been traveling for a whole year! Check out our thoughts on what we have seen and experienced.

Kim took us to a tour of three cemeteries offered by retired professor of history and world religion, Keith Atwater. We learned about the symbols found on headstones. We also learned that embalming was adopted in the United States during the civil war to bring fallen soldiers home to their families. We learned a new word today too: Taphophile means a person who is intereted in cemeteries, funerals, and gravestones. The last cemetery we went to, Union Cemetery, had wonderful plaques full of information on the cemetery, grave markers, or the prominent people buried there. One of the men, Frederick Adams, had a fascinating life story.


11-3-2024
H: 65ºF L: 40ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

We took Marcel for his yearly vaccinations this morning. By the look on his face, I think he felt violated and barely restrained himself from growling at the vet.

After the vet, Daniel and I got some things done around the camper and Kim and Ben’s house. Daniel continued work on the small deck being built next to a shed. Daniel has quite a few chicken foremen who periodically check on his progress.

I played with Kim’s chickens. I’m getting pretty good at mimicking them. I love watching them pop their heads up to look at me when I make chicken sounds.


11-4-2024
H: 67ºF L: 43ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

It’s a sunny day in northern California. Poor Marcel isn’t feeling well today. He’s a little sluggish and sore due to the vaccinations he got yesterday.

Kim took us to the High-Hand Nursery to look at plants. It is attached to an old 1901 fruit shed which has been converted. It was a super cool building with a brewery, art gallery, and shops. And, of course, all the plants and trees were gorgeous!

We also saw a McKaskey Register.


11-5-2024
H: 67ºF L: 45ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

It’s Election Day! Daniel and I sent in our absentee ballots last month.

I woke up feeling under the weather so, besides a couple of loads of laundry, I didn’t do much. I did repot some plants. My sister, Kim, and I love plants. When we started our Epic Trip, I left a lot of my plants with my parents in Michigan. Seeing all of Kim’s plants has my green thumb aching for some plants to take care of. So welcome these green friends…

New Dubay plants by Happy Vegan Campers
Cyclamen, Jade, Purple Passion, Heartleaf Philodendron

11-6-2024
H: 68°F L: 43°F
Family, Greenwood, California

We went to Auburn, CA for an appointment. We stopped at a waterfall on CA-49, just east of Auburn, which we have driven past multiple times. We also talked to our friend, Larry. Larry is a really cool guy and very knowledgeable on building passive homes. We hope to have him help us with building our passive house in a few years.

Waterfall east of Auburn, California on CA-49 by Happy Vegan Campers
Waterfall on CA-49 east of Auburn, CA

11-7-2024
H: 67ºF L: 44ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

We went to Hidden Falls which is northwest of Auburn, CA to rock hound for garnets. We didn’t find any garnets but we did climb down to the river where giant boulders have been carved and smoothed by the water. There were so many tadpoles in the small, warm pools formed in the rocks. We also enjoyed the waterfalls and hiking in nature.


Stats

Expenses:

  • Tesla Cybertruck fuel: $0
  • Tesla Model X fuel: $0
  • Campsite: $0
  • Camping memberships: $26.11
  • Food: $126.75

Tesla Cybertruck miles driven: 0 (0 kWh)

Tesla Model X miles driven: 187.1 (61.7 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 0


Happy Vegan Campers

Contact Happy Vegan Campers!

Happy Vegan Campers are traveling the country and building a passive house! Any suggestions on places we should visit or questions about our house? Love our recipes? We’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment at the bottom of the page or send us an email: happyvegancampers@gmail.com

Days #363-365 of Our Epic Trip

10-29-2024
H: 65ºF L: 39ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

We went to Sacramento today to explore. We stopped at Chefs’ Toys and found 55 cup rice cookers and sauce pans which were big enough to be fire pits.

Next we saw the movie Your Monster. Most movie theaters offer special discounts on a certain day, typically Tuesdays. Sometimes you have to sign up for a free rewards card. Today our tickets were $6.99 and we got 50% off popcorn.


10-30-2024
H: 61°F L: 40°F
Family, Greenwood, California

Aside from the awesome pleasure of waking up next to Daniel, waking up to these two every morning is the best!

Peter and Marcel in Greenwood, California by Happy Vegan Campers
Peter and Marcel

Kim took us to Old Sacramento for an underground tour. Due to repeated flooding, the city of Sacramento raised the buildings and streets, rerouted the rivers, and built levees. It took 2-3 months to lift a building. There were about 1000 buildings to lift and the work was at the owner’s expense. The new below street level space around the raised buildings was considered for use for storage, garbage, or living quarters. In 1927, the underground area was closed. The town also had several fires and rebuilt the buildings with brick and iron shutters.

In Old Sacramento, there were several brothels owned by women. The law allowed women to own property if they were or had been married. A local college has done some archeological digs beneath the old brothels and found a lot of artifacts. Our favorite artifact was the Cheater’s Dice.

We also looked around the Sacramento History Museum. We found the section on comic books to be the most interesting. The 1950s saw comic book burnings and a senate hearing investigating the link between juvenile delinquency and comic books.

After the museum, we walked around Old Sacramento. Kavelia was excited about the candy shops and Kim and I enjoyed a jewelry store.

Daniel and Kavelia in Old Sacramento, California by Happy Vegan Campers

10-31-2024
H: 58ºF L: 46ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

It’s a cold and rainy Halloween!

We went to the Georgetown library where we can charge the cars and get some work done. The drive there is beautiful. We passed by vineyards with misty mountains in the background and saw a tree full of holes from a woodpecker which have been filled with acorns.

We met Ken, a Georgetown local of 30 years. Daniel met some more locals in the library who were having a Halloween lunch. They insisted he wear a costume to participate. He chose a pirate’s cap.

Daniel with pirate’s cap in Georgetown, California by Happy Vegan Campers

After the library, we caught up with Kim and Kavelia for trick-or-treating in downtown Georgetown. The town closes a street and people from the community donate candy to be given out at the homes on this street. We only lasted a little while due to the chaotic running and screaming of the kids.


Stats

Expenses:

  • Tesla Cybertruck fuel: $0
  • Tesla Model X fuel: $0
  • Campsite: $0
  • Camping memberships: $11.19
  • Food: $183.01

Tesla Cybertruck miles driven: 11 (4 kWh)

Tesla Model X miles driven: 219.2 (68.6 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 1


Happy Vegan Campers

Contact Happy Vegan Campers!

Happy Vegan Campers are traveling the country and building a passive house! Any suggestions on places we should visit or questions about our house? Love our recipes? We’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment at the bottom of the page or send us an email: happyvegancampers@gmail.com

Days #356-362 of Our Epic Trip

10-22-2024
H: 76ºF L: 51ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

Kim took us to her old workplace, Stanton Optical, to get lenses for my new glasses. Thanks Kim! Then we did some shopping.

For dinner, we went to Davis, CA to dine with other vegans at Preethi Indian Cuisine. The event was hosted by COOL Cuisine which works to get more vegan options on the menus of local restaurants. The food was awesome although heavy on the oil. Since we don’t use oil in our daily diet, the food definitely felt heavy. We had fun being goofy with Kavelia and probably taught her some bad table manners – that’s the job of a good aunt and uncle.


10-23-2024
H: 77°F L: 51°F
Family, Greenwood, California

After a dentist appointment, we went to watch Kavelia at her gymnastics class.

There are huge cement statues in Auburn done by dentist, Ken Fox, in the 1960s which depicted naked or half clothed people and caused such a stir in the community that the school buses had to be rerouted so the kids wouldn’t see the statues.

Ken Fox statue in Auburn, California by Happy Vegan Campers

10-24-2024
H: 76ºF L: 51ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

We went back to Auburn, CA today for an appointment and shopping.

For the past couple of days, I have been reading the book The Fresh & Flexible Meal Plan: The Easiest, Most Nutritious Way to Feed Your Dog or Cat by Jan Allegretti, D.Vet.Hom. I have been making a chickpea based VegeDog recipe for Peter and Marcel and adding in veggies and fruit along with some vegan kibble. Peter, at 10-11 years old, is energetic and healthy. Most people are surprised by his age. Marcel is only two and he’s the picture of health. However, like most people, I’ve wanted to do even better at feeding them healthy food. Dog kibble is highly processed. It’s akin to feeding a child “nutritionally complete” cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A varied diet is the most healthy diet. After reading this book, I have more confidence in feeding the boys a healthy, homemade diet and getting them off of processed dog food.


10-25-2024
H: 76ºF L: 53ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

Kim and Ben took us to Traverse Creek Special Interest Area to look for rocks and go hiking. It was a beautiful area and we did find some small rocks with lots of silver and some really pretty light green rocks.

We are having a lot of fun just hanging out at Kim and Ben’s house. From watching the chickens forage to talking to Kavelia about Minecraft, it has been a joy to be here.

Kim and Kavelia in Greenwood, California by Happy Vegan Campers
Kim and Kavelia

10-26-2024
H: 78ºF L: 53ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

I made whole wheat bread and crunchy chickpeas. Feeding the boys healthy Whole Foods is going well. They are both excited about their meals which is great because Peter can be a picky eater.


10-27-2024
H: 69°F L: 52°F
Family, Greenwood, California

We hung out at the camper all day. Daniel worked on building a small deck next to a shed for Kim and Ben.


10-28-2024
H: 60ºF L: 44ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

Daniel worked on the deck some more while I sewed elastic onto a pad for the outdoor dog bed. The boys have been knocking the pad off so this should help keep them comfortable.

We have fun watching Kim’s chickens. I’m learning to communicate in their language.


Stats

Expenses:

  • Tesla Cybertruck fuel: $0
  • Tesla Model X fuel: $0
  • Campsite: $0
  • Camping memberships: $26.11
  • Food: $450.96

Tesla Cybertruck miles driven: 0 (0 kWh)

Tesla Model X miles driven: 249.7 (71.25 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 0


Happy Vegan Campers

Contact Happy Vegan Campers!

Happy Vegan Campers are traveling the country and building a passive house! Any suggestions on places we should visit or questions about our house? Love our recipes? We’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment at the bottom of the page or send us an email: happyvegancampers@gmail.com

Days #349-355 of Our Epic Trip

10-15-2024
H: 81ºF L: 56ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

We had a lazy morning drinking coffee and getting some things done. We spent some more time at the library where Daniel worked on the floor plan of our house. When we got home, Daniel helped Kavelia put together a robotic crab. She’s only 6 years old but she built most of it herself.

Kavelia in Greenwood, California by Happy Vegan Campers
Kavelia built a robotic crab

10-16-2024
H: 68°F L: 55°F
Family, Greenwood, California

It’s a rainy day! We had coffee outside under the awning and then went to see Kavelia in her gymnastics class. Ah, to be a kid again. They get to do cool stuff. Where are the gymnastics classes for middle aged people?


10-17-2024
H: 65ºF L: 48ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

We stayed home today so Daniel could install the new water heater. It was a little difficult maneuvering the new unit into place but we got it done.

We had movie night and watched E.T. with Kim and Kavelia. This was a movie from my childhood but I had forgotten a good part of the movie so it was fun to watch it again. One of my favorite rides at Universal Studios in Florida is the E.T. Adventure Ride. Just waiting in line, which is designed like a dark forest, was so cool.


10-18-2024
H: 76ºF L: 42ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

We picked Kavelia up from school in the Cybertruck. I told Daniel that he is the envy of all the little boys because they love Teslas. One feature of the Teslas which never fails to make me laugh is the “Emissions”. On the inside of the cars, you can put a virtual whoopee cushion on any seat to play a fart sound. My 80+ year old father felt this feature alone made the car worth buying. The Cybertruck has a speaker on the outside so you can change your horn to play farts.


10-19-2024
H: 77ºF L: 51ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

We took the boys for a walk around Greenwood Lake during coffee time. It’s so pretty! Kim and Ben said they had heard about this small lake when they moved here but couldn’t find it for months. It seems to be a well guarded community resource. This reservoir is part of an irrigation system. We have had fun seeing all the small irrigation streams which run through the woods and even through Kim and Ben’s property.

We explored Placerville, CA which has a popular downtown area with some unique stores including a rock shop with very knowledgeable owners. There is also Hangman’s Tree, home to a restaurant and historical landmark, where many people were hanged. There is a dummy hanging from a noose outside the restaurant and supposedly the stump of the hangmen’s tree is under the building. The hangman dummy, George, has been classified as a historic monument by the city. In 2021, the city council voted to remove the noose from the city seal. Placerville, CA is also known as Hangtown.


10-20-2024
H: 77°F L: 51°F
Family, Greenwood, California

It was a glorious day with blue skies and 77ºF. We sat outside most of the day. I made crunchy chickpeas and Daniel washed the Cybertruck. Kavelia joined us in our little fenced-in yard.

Kim’s friends, Ashley and Taylor, invited us over to their new house and made us a vegan meal! We thoroughly enjoyed our time with this lovely family in their beautiful home. We had wonderful conversation and great food and drink. Thank you so much for your hospitality, Ashley and Taylor!

Ashely, Taylor, Kim, and Kristin enjoying dinner by Happy Vegan Campers

10-21-2024
H: 74ºF L: 51ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

We explored Oldtown Auburn, CA today. It felt very old with a hodgepodge collection of buildings on a a couple of hills.

I got my hair cut with Tori of Illegally Blonde. It’s actually hard to have regular salon visits when you’re a full-time camper because a lot of stylists are booked out several weeks. Since I like to ask locals for recommendations, it’s hard to get an appointment.

We ended the night with a movie with Kim and Kavelia. We watched Beetlejuice Beetlejuice which was a cute movie but not as good as the first movie.


Stats

Expenses:

  • Tesla Cybertruck fuel: $0
  • Tesla Model X fuel: $0
  • Campsite: $0
  • Camping memberships: $26.11
  • Food: $93.17

Tesla Cybertruck miles driven: 44 (16 kWh)

Tesla Model X miles driven: 112.2 (33.5 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 0


Happy Vegan Campers

Contact Happy Vegan Campers!

Happy Vegan Campers are traveling the country and building a passive house! Any suggestions on places we should visit or questions about our house? Love our recipes? We’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment at the bottom of the page or send us an email: happyvegancampers@gmail.com

Reflections on One Year of Traveling

One year ago today, November 2nd, we started our adventures with full-time traveling. We have traveled through many states and we have some thoughts on the things we have seen and experienced.

Government Protection

Daniel and I have spent most of our lives in Michigan and we’ve come to realize that Michigan really protects its citizens well compared to other states, especially compared to the west coast. The west coast high-traffic mountain roads lack guard rails and shoulders, you can walk right up to the edge of a cliff in a state park without any barriers, and speed limits seem to be minimums rather than upper limits. Survival of the fittest is alive and well in some parts of the country.

American Wealth

America is poor. There’s certainly wealth in some areas but mostly we have seen a lot more poverty than we expected. Certainly the reasons for poverty are far outside the realm of this blog but I do believe financial education needs to be a top priority in K-12 schooling.

Housing

Home prices are outrageous. Daniel and I like to look up the asking price of the homes for sale that we pass by. Sometimes the homes are in rough neighborhoods and are not in good repair and they are being offered at $500,000. We laugh. We wonder how rent and purchase prices have become so high. In 2001, fresh out of grad school, I rented a 3 bedroom house in Mississippi for $425 a month, utilities included. That’s back when renting was a more affordable option to buying. Today’s starter homes may be older and need rehab for which a lot of our current population lacks the necessary skills.

New home sizes have increased quite a bit. 1000 sf used to be an average home size, now most homes are 2000-3000 sf. Why do homes need to be so big? Is more space better for family cohesion and benefiting our children – society’s future decision makers? Or has our society’s consumerism taken over to the point that we need bigger homes to store all our junk? We have seen storage unit companies in even the smallest of towns. We see perfectly good items thrown in the trash rather than being donated or sold at garage sales or on Facebook Marketplace. Making better choices on the things people spend their money on won’t make housing more affordable but will help bolster a rainy day fund or investment account.

Full-Time Traveling

Traveling full-time isn’t for everyone. It requires a great deal of flexibility. You have to be good with the lack of continuity that living and traveling in an RV offers. When Daniel and I first talked about the logistics of traveling full-time, I really wanted to own property where we could hunker down if need be. We have that safety net in Tennessee where we could park the camper and live on a very low budget.

Some people are drawn to the full-timing lifestyle because it can be a very inexpensive way to live. Currently, you can boondock in Quartzsite, Arizona for 7 months (September to April) in the long-term visitor area of BLM land with a $180 permit. Boondocking requires you to source your own electricity, water, and dump station. Quartzsite does have a dump station and a water source but we’ve heard the water quality is pretty bad. Other low-cost options include the Escapees affiliated campgrounds where you can buy a campsite for $5000-10,000, pay an annual HOA of $1200-3000, and then be refunded the cost of the campsite if/when you want to leave. You are responsible for paying for your electricity at these campgrounds. We’ve met many people who have been full-timers for 10-15 years. The only thing that seems to halt the lifestyle is advanced age or ill health.

Some people like traveling to see the country or feel most at peace with the freedom that full-timing affords. With the right circumstances, you can work from anywhere especially now that remote jobs are more common. Daniel and I often remark on how we wouldn’t have experienced something we stumbled upon and have loved if we had been traveling by plane. We love living wherever our RV is parked. We have met a lot of people who tell us they would love to do what we are doing – travel full-time in an RV. We say “Do it!”

America’s People

We have found the people of our country to be friendly and welcoming for the most part (we’re pointing fingers at you, Washington and Colorado). We felt so welcomed in Texas that we can’t wait to go back for a winter. People all over were eager to tell us about their areas and the things we should see and do. It’s hard to reconcile the political division in our country with what we have experienced on a face-to-face basis. We have seen that people are, as a whole, overwhelmingly friendly and helpful. Our hope is that in the coming months and years, Americans will see each other as Americans first, cohesive and neighborly, tolerant of ideological differences, and find peace and happiness in community.

We would love to hear your thoughts on these topics. Leave a comment!


Happy Vegan Campers

Contact Happy Vegan Campers!

Happy Vegan Campers are traveling the country and building a passive house! Any suggestions on places we should visit or questions about our house? Love our recipes? We’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment at the bottom of the page or send us an email: happyvegancampers@gmail.com

Days #342-348 of Our Epic Trip

10-8-2024
H: 82ºF L: 47ºF
Carson Valley RV Resort, Minden, Nevada

We drove around Lake Tahoe today. On the California side, even though a lot of the land is owned by the National Forest Service, the various parks (and home owners) lease the land from the government and charge a parking fee and did not accept our America the Beautiful pass. There is free parking on the roadside in some areas. We learned that the Nevada side of the lake is much more friendly to visitors.

We stopped at Tallac Historic Site that used to be a glamorous resort in the early 1900s. We saw the cutest chipmunks who looked like half chipmunk and half squirrel because they were so big. We also found a beach dedicated to Thomas Regan (Regan is my maiden name) who was instrumental in protecting the southern portion of the lake. We found a paved walking/biking trail at Dollar Creek Trailhead and took the boys for a walk.


10-9-2024
H: 81°F L: 45°F
Carson Valley RV Resort, Minden, Nevada

We took the boys for a walk on a paved trail that goes past our campground. We saw a beautiful barn set in a field of golden grass.

Barns in Minden, Nevada by Happy Vegan Campers

We spent another afternoon with Aunt Darlene. The boys loved running in her backyard. Marcel would frequently go to Aunt Darlene for pets and snuggles.


10-10-2024
H: 81ºF L: 44ºF
Carson Valley RV Resort, Minden, Nevada

We started the day with a walk during coffee time. We saw a beautiful sunrise as we were making coffee. The boys loved all the fall smells in the air during our walk.

We drove to Reno, NV to explore. We stopped at Circus Circus Reno Casino and walked around. We met a Vietnam veteran who had just gotten out of the hospital after an unfortunate series of health issues. He was in the Air Force and was responsible for saving the lives of two downed soldiers. Thank you for your service, sir.

Then we drove to Crystal Mine outside of Verdi, NV in the California hills. The road was a rough forest service road so we parked the car as we know first hand how much it sucks to break down on a back country road with no cell service. We walked 4.3 miles uphill to the mine area. We didn’t find any clear quartz in crystal formation but we did find some pretty rocks. And we got more exercise than we bargained for.

After walking a total of 14 miles today, we were so sore we could barely walk. We definitely enjoyed the hot tub at the casino.

Daniel and Kristin enjoying the hot tub after walking a total of 14 miles by Happy Vegan Campers

10-11-2024
H: 81ºF L: 57ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

It’s a travel day! We are going back to California to spend some time with my sister, Kim, and her family, Ben and Kavelia. They took us to the local reservoir lake which was so peaceful and quiet.

Greenwood Reservoir in Greenwood, California by Happy Vegan Campers

10-12-2024
H: 75ºF L: 53ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

We had an eventful morning to say the least. We turned on the propane for the water heater and it caught on fire. We don’t use propane too often. Daniel thinks bugs may have plugged the line or the valve may have been reduced by an obstruction. The good thing about living in such a small space is that you can hear and smell disfunction right away. Daniel ordered a new water heater on Amazon.

We also found out that a bear came in the middle of the night and took some of Kim’s chickens. Four chickens are missing but we are hopeful that some got away from the bear and are hiding.

We went to the library in Georgetown, CA which has two free EV chargers. We both had some work to do so it was nice to sit in the library and focus on our projects.

When we got home, Ben took us down to the Middle Fork American River on his side-by-side. It was a bumpy, dusty ride but we really enjoyed the views and the area history Ben shared with us. This area is gold mining country and old trails and artifacts are everywhere.

Apparently, the Cybertruck has caused quite a commotion in Kim’s small town. A picture of the truck was posted on the local Facebook page which received 50+ comments. While we found this post funny and have experienced positive reactions from people, Tesla hate is real and we have experienced a lot of “rolling coal”, obscene gestures, and more recently, bold people telling us how ugly they think our new car is. I may have occasionally thought that a man’s really large diesel truck with giant tires is to make up for a small physique or particular body part but I have never outwardly berated or road raged someone for their choice in transportation. I fear that mature adults are going to be put on the endangered list.

Tesla hate in Greenwood, California by Happy Vegan Campers
“Rosie” charging at the Georgetown library

10-13-2024
H: 78°F L: 53°F
Family, Greenwood, California

Kim took us to Coloma Gold Rush Live at a local state park where reinactors set up a 1850s camp. Our niece, Kavelia, arrested Daniel and put him in an 1860s jail.

Then we went over the tallest bridge in California at 730 feet. Foresthill Bridge was originally built for a proposed dam and reservoir but the project never came to fruition.

Foresthill Bridge is the tallest bridge in California by Happy Vegan Campers

10-14-2024
H: 78ºF L: 54ºF
Family, Greenwood, California

We went for a morning walk with Kim at Cronan Ranch Regional Trails Park. The weather was great and the trail led us on the ridge of a hill so we had great views for at least half the hike.

Our brother-in-law’s sister, Ramsey, visited today. She lives in Texas but was in Reno, NV for a bachelorette party. We drove her to Sacramento so she could fly home tomorrow. Then we had dinner at Pho Vegan Asian Cuisine. You could order food oil-free which Daniel and I really appreciate. It was so good!!


Stats

Expenses:

  • Tesla Cybertruck fuel: $0
  • Tesla Model X fuel: $0
  • Campsite: $162.72
  • Camping memberships: $26.11
  • Food: $120.49

Tesla Cybertruck miles driven: 177 (87 kWh)

Tesla Model X miles driven: 580.5 (149.6 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 0


Happy Vegan Campers

Contact Happy Vegan Campers!

Happy Vegan Campers are traveling the country and building a passive house! Any suggestions on places we should visit or questions about our house? Love our recipes? We’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment at the bottom of the page or send us an email: happyvegancampers@gmail.com

Days #335-341 of Our Epic Trip

10-1-2024
H: 101ºF L: 65ºF
Canyon Creek Resort, Winters, California

It a travel day! We are going toward Lake Tahoe. The drive was unremarkable except for the 55 mph on curvy mountain roads where even 30 mph felt too fast especially when there was no shoulder and the edge of the pavement was a steep drop off. Plus, there were very few guard rails.

After setting up the camper, we walked down to the river, Putah Creek.

Putah Creek in Winters, California by Happy Vegan Campers

10-2-2024
H: 103°F L: 70°F
Canyon Creek Resort, Winters, California

We enjoyed coffee outside while it was still cool. We drove to Vacaville, CA and checked out the downtown. We also had a slow leak fixed on one of the Tesla X tires. The boys sat in the tire store with us and we all enjoyed some popcorn.

We stopped in Winters, CA which has a very cute downtown area with a lot of restaurants. We managed to park in front of the only parking meter in the whole town.


10-3-2024
H: 99ºF L: 65ºF
Canyon Creek Resort, Winters, California

It’s an adventure day! We are going to Muir Woods to see the redwoods. We had some beautiful views on the drive there. This park requires reservations and there is no cell service in the park so we were directed to Muir Beach Overlook where we had cell service and which offered pretty spectacular views.

View near Muir Woods in California by Happy Vegan Campers

Muir Woods is a National Monument and is run by the National Parks Service. It has a great history. William Kent and his wife purchased 611 acres to protect the natural landscape in 1905. In 1907, a water company planned on building a dam and flooding the valley full of redwoods. When Mr. Kent objected, the water company sued claiming eminent domain. Mr. Kent outmaneuvered the water company by donating 295 acres of redwood forest to the federal government and worked to have the redwood forest declared a national monument by Theodore Roosevelt in 1908.

In May 1945, a delegation representing 50 countries gathered in San Francisco to draft and sign the United Nations Charter. The delegation gathered in Cathedral Grove in Muir Woods, described as a “temple of peace”, in honor of President Franklin D. Roosevelt who was to host the conference but had died a month prior. A commemorative ceremony was held and a plaque was placed in Muir Woods to honor President Roosevelt.

FYI: Reservations are required for Muir Woods and there is a parking fee and entrance fee. You can use your America the Beautiful pass for free entry (you still have to pay for parking though). They also have EV chargers for an extra fee.


10-4-2024
H: 97ºF L: 65ºF
Carson Valley RV Resort, Minden, Nevada

It’s a travel day! We enjoyed coffee outside with the cool temperature and the sounds of the river and birds. It was lovely.

Relaxing at the camper in Minden, California by Happy Vegan Campers

We drove through the construction and traffic of Sacramento and up past Lake Tahoe. We are staying in Carson Valley to visit Daniel’s Aunt Darlene. While charging we talked to another Cybertruck owner who asked us about towing. The Cybertruck still frequently draws a crowd.


10-5-2024
H: 83ºF L: 49ºF
Carson Valley RV Resort, Minden, Nevada

We visited with Aunt Darlene this afternoon. She has a beautiful home with a gorgeous view of the mountains. She warmly invited all of us, including Peter and Marcel, into her home. Unfortunately, Peter was nervous and pooped on her carpet. Oh Peter, good thing you’re so sweet and handsome. Aunt Darlene shared stories about Uncle Al and her family (her dad ran a successful produce company).


10-6-2024
H: 83°F L: 47°F
Carson Valley RV Resort, Minden, Nevada

We explored Carson City and found an Oktoberfest at a casino. Then we drove to Virginia City and stumbled on… 35th World Championship Outhouse Races! There was a big crowd and they offered competitions for bystanders including a toilet paper unrolling contest.

Next we walked around town and stopped at the haunted Washoe Club for a drink. We didn’t experience any abnormal activity (besides being told by a stranger to “watch out for the monkeys”) but the whole town gives the feeling that it’s not exactly quiet after hours.

The town was built on a hill and was beautiful with old Victorian buildings and astounding views of mountains and valleys. The “sidewalks” are very uneven wooden pathways. Spending the afternoon in this town was great way to enjoy this part of Nevada.

On our drive to Lake Tahoe, we saw wild horses crossing the road near Reno, NV and enjoyed the beautiful yellow leaves of aspen trees in the mountains.

Lake Tahoe was very pretty but we didn’t have enough time to drive around it as we had planned. We were able to catch the sunset which was spectacular. We plan on going back in the morning later in the week.

On our drive home, we were treated to sunset tinted clouds over the valley.

Sunset over Carson City, Nevada by Happy Vegan Campers

10-7-2024
H: 82ºF L: 48ºF
Carson Valley RV Resort, Minden, Nevada

We explored Carson City a little more and then spent the afternoon with Aunt Darlene. She has great stories and is really easy to talk to. Aunt Darlene loves going to the nearby casino (penny slots are her choice) and we are happy to hear that she has the support of neighbors and friends.


Stats

Expenses:

  • Tesla Cybertruck fuel: $27.30
  • Tesla Model X fuel: $0
  • Campsite: $276.96
  • Camping memberships: $26.11
  • Food: $131.22

Tesla Cybertruck miles driven: 273 (162 kWh)

Tesla Model X miles driven: 650.9 (203.5 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 3


Happy Vegan Campers

Contact Happy Vegan Campers!

Happy Vegan Campers are traveling the country and building a passive house! Any suggestions on places we should visit or questions about our house? Love our recipes? We’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment at the bottom of the page or send us an email: happyvegancampers@gmail.com

Days #331-334 of Our Epic Trip

9-27-2024
H: 92ºF L: 60ºF
Thousand Trails Russian River, Cloverdale, California

We spent some time in the clubhouse today. Daniel wanted a big table to spread out the floor plan for the house we plan on building in Tennessee. We are still working on the layout. I really want a dinning room/library/office since we don’t eat at the table very often.

One thing we like using to keep track of places we want to visit is Google Maps. You can make lists, share the lists, and save places with your added notes. We have a “Today’s Adventure” list which we use when we have multiple things to see in one day. It helps plan our route efficiently. You have the option to view all your lists on the map or only one list, which is what we do when we have adventure days. You can add a place to multiple lists also.

Google Map of some of our saved and favorite places by Happy Vegan Campers

9-28-2024
H: 89°F L: 59°F
Thousand Trails Russian River, Cloverdale, California

I made crunchy chickpeas today. They are so easy and such a great snack. They are definitely better than potato chips and healthier and cheaper too.


9-29-2024
H: 89ºF L: 53ºF
Thousand Trails Russian River, Cloverdale, California

We caught up on some chores including changing the sheets and flipping the mattress.

If you’re camping, don’t forget to check our campground reviews which include per night rates we paid plus what we liked and didn’t like.


9-30-2024
H: 94ºF L: 54ºF
Thousand Trails Russian River, Cloverdale, California

We went to Santa Rosa, CA today to do some grocery shopping and explore the town a little. We have come to realize that some of the Walmarts in California are not the same as Walmarts in the rest of the country that we have explored so far. In California Walmarts, cake is in the produce section and there is only lettuce for greens. Some people have negative thoughts about Walmart but, since we’re grocery shopping all over the country, it’s nice to have some continuity. Lately, we have had to go to 3-4 stores to find everything we need. So, we are now on the hunt for a grocery store chain with good prices and the items we need since we will be in California for a few months.

Today is our last day in Cloverdale, CA. This is wine country and there are quite a few vegan wineries in the area. (It’s not uncommon for wine to be clarified using isinglass from fish bladders and egg albumin from egg whites among other things like blood and gelatin.) Unfortunately, due to me being on medications, we didn’t make it to a wine tasting room.


Stats

Expenses:

  • Tesla Cybertruck fuel: $0
  • Tesla Model X fuel: $0
  • Campsite: $0
  • Camping memberships: $14.92
  • Food: $213.02

Tesla Cybertruck miles driven: 60 (18 kWh)

Tesla Model X miles driven: 179.5 (56.9 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 0


Happy Vegan Campers

Contact Happy Vegan Campers!

Happy Vegan Campers are traveling the country and building a passive house! Any suggestions on places we should visit or questions about our house? Love our recipes? We’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment at the bottom of the page or send us an email: happyvegancampers@gmail.com

Crunchy Chickpeas (Vegan)

The best part about this snack is that you don’t have to cook the chickpeas prior to baking. If you aren’t comfortable using dry beans, this recipe will help you get your feet wet. You simply soak the chickpeas, season, and bake them in the oven.

These crunchy chickpeas make a great snack.

Ingredients
  • 1 lbs dry chickpeas
  • Seasonings such as nutritional yeast, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, black pepper
  • Water, if needed, to make the seasonings stick to the chickpeas
Directions
  1. Soak chickpeas overnight.
  2. Drain chickpeas.
  3. Add desired spices and mix. For reference, we like about 1/2 cup nutritional yeast, 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tsp powdered salt, and 1 tsp black pepper.
  4. Bake on baking sheet at 350ºF for 20 minutes. Stir. Bake for another 15 minutes. Stir. Bake for another 10 minutes. Chickpeas are crunchy when done. Bake longer if needed.
  5. Let cool and then store in air tight container.
Alternative Directions

For a more delicate crunch, try using a dehydrator.

  1. Soak 1 pound of dry in water overnight.
  2. Cook the chickpeas:
    • Pressure Cooker: Put soaked chickpeas in the pot and cover with water. Cook for 35 minutes on high.
    • Stove: Put soaked chickpeas in a pot and cover with water. Bring to boil then simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes.
  3. Put the cooked chickpeas in the refrigerator until cold.
  4. Mix chickpeas with seasonings and put on dehydrator sheets and smooth out to make a single layer.
  5. Dehydrate at 165° for 8 hours. Results will vary depending on the relative humidity in your area. Dehydrate longer if needed.
Notes
  • These are great to set out when guests come over or you are taking a road trip.
Happy Vegan Campers

Contact Happy Vegan Campers!

Happy Vegan Campers are traveling the country and building a passive house! Any suggestions on places we should visit or questions about our house? Love our recipes? We’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment at the bottom of the page or send us an email: happyvegancampers@gmail.com