Aguirre Spring Campground. My first dry camping (boondocking) adventure in the Airstream (AS) is the BLM's Aguirre Spring Campground east of Las Cruces, NM in the Organ Mountains (see links and photos below). Being Monday, I had my choice of campsites; its also a long, narrow, winding road into the campground and the sign says trailers above 23 feet shouldn't attempt so that keeps some folks out. However, I spoke to the campground host and to the BLM and they both indicated my 25 foot trailer could make it if I drove slowly and was careful. The limiting factor for large trailers and motorhomes is evidently a big dip on the way out where the back end might drag; however, the tight curves on the narrow, winding road can be challenging for large vehicles - these are the kind of sites I like:) Couldn't get the AS level on my first choice so moved to another site. The AS refrigerator gets upset when it is not level:(

While getting my bearings of the area I ran into a nice couple from Montana; they hiked the Pine Tree loop trail yesterday so I gave it a try. Check out the warning sign at the trailhead - made me smile:) It's actually a pretty easy 4.5 mile loop but I guess a lot of people are just not prepared to hike it. The photos confirm that spring has sprung in southern New Mexico; I didn't see any rattlesnakes but did encounter plenty of lizards, bugs, green vegetation, and even flowers! Had the trail to myself the entire loop; the sun was out and the temp was around 70 with a slight breeze - perfect! While the trail doesn't summit any of the surrounding peaks shown in my photos it sure made me think about it; however, I'm not in climbing shape and promised myself that I would not do any solo technical climbing this year. We'll see:)
I was present much of the hike, taking my time and enjoying what mother nature offered. This is what I'm seeking.

http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/recreation/las_cruces/aguirre_spring_campground.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_Mountains_(New_Mexico)

Aguirre Spring Campground

Warning sign to Pine Tree Trail:)

Leaping lizards everywhere

Relatively low elevation; surrounding peaks are a bit over 8000 feet.

Turkey Vulture

Spring has sprung!

Beautiful scenary

Stuff. I've got too much stuff! Despite over a dozen trips to Goodwill before selling my house and moving into the AS, I still have too much stuff. Today, I donated a ladder and other stuff to the Goodwill in El Paso, TX and another load when I returned to Las Cruces. I'm slowly getting the AS and truck organized and as I do, I find stuff that I'll never use or don't have room for. The ladder was intended to allow me to access the AS roof but it is just too heavy and bulky. Other things I just didn't think about in the rush to move out of my house and rather than carry them around, they are hopefully going to someone who needs them.

Still too much stuff but estimate I've reduced my weight by over 100 pounds.

Las Cruces, NM. Elephant Butte State Park was nice but I decided to drive further south to Las Cruces; stayed at Sunny Acres RV Park last night because I need to take care of some things in town this weekend. Plan is to camp at the BLM's Aguirre Spring Campground in the Organ Mountains starting Monday when the weekenders have gone home; great scenery and hiking. Took some photos yesterday that I planned to post but lost all due to computer problems; will post photos later.
While checking lug nuts before leaving Elephant Butte, I discovered a broken aluminum cap. Read about this problem on AirForums so ordered 24 replacement lug nuts from Airstream to be delivered to Sunny Acres in Las Cruces.
Driving over to Camping World in Anthony, TX today for some supplies.
Supposed to be in the 80s this week in Las Cruces!

Elephant Butte State Park. I arrived at the Albuquerque RV Park last night too late to register so this was my first opportunity to look for the nearest Walmart parking lot:) It had been a long day so I didn't feel bad about "camping" in Walmart's parking lot; just wanted to be horizontal for awhile. Which I did for about an hour before loud construction equipment woke me. Evidently, this Walmart's parking lot is undergoing some type of construction after the store closes (11:30pm). I got about an hour's sleep and felt rejuvenated so rather than look for another parking lot, I hit the road. After about 2 hours I pulled into a rest area but hit the road again around 0630. Wanted to check out Elephant Butte State Park (http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SPD/elephantbuttelakestatepark.html) and at least stop long enough for a hot shower (haven't figured out why the hot water is not working in my AS). The park is nice so planning to stay the night and who knows...
NM State Parks has an annual pass ($40) to access all their parks and another annual pass ($225 for out-of-staters) to camp. The weather is gorgeous (70s all week and long-term forecast) so I might stay awhile. There were only 2 campsites left when I arrived; turns out, lots of Coloradan's come to NM for the winter:)
After last Wednesday's long closing, the rush to move out of my house, packing the truck/Airstream, and finishing up a lot of loose ends, I'm taking the day to rest and recuperate. One thing I've discovered is that despite my best efforts there are many things I brought which should have gone in storage.
The truck and AS are working fine except for the hot water heater is not working; luckily most parks have hot showers. The truck is averaging about 12mpg and I've driven about 700 miles; diesel is about $4/gallon - ouch! Time to settle down somewhere for awhile:)

Campsite 25 at the Quail Run campsite in Elephant Butte State Park.

Elephant Butte Lake

Go South. Restful but short night last night; was on the road by 7am. My first full day on the road included driving from the KOA Pueblo South/Colorado City (about 30 miles south of Pueblo, CO) to Abq, NM; basically 7am - 7pm with stops (see photos below). Although it was a lot of driving and the winds blew hard all day, I'm glad to be south of cold, rain, snow. Tomorrow, I'll leisurely continue southwest.
Another first today - had to add Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) to my 2014 GMC 2500HD. I'd read about this in the manual but it wasn't until the message center on my dash informed me I was running low that I thought more about it. Evidently, DEF helps diesel run cleaner; however, like diesel, it is consumed by the engine so it needs to be periodically (every few thousand miles they say) replaced. With about 4700 miles on the truck, this is the first time I've added. The intake is located under the hood and the tank holds 5.3 gallons - I added 5 gallons! Although it can be purchased at most truck stops, I stopped at a GMC dealer in Abq. and added it while in their parking lot.

I-25 headed south; Huerfano County, CO; San Isabel Electric wind turbines on left.

Visitor Center for Sugarite State Park, NM

The Journey Begins! An encryption error resulted in a 2.5 hour closing but it is not final - my Airstream (AS) is now my primary residence:)  Making good use of the closing delay, I called DMV and Windish RV (my AS dealer) to ask the status of new license plates. Evidently, there was a mixup as the title was mailed to me 2 weeks ago; however, alls well as the USPS had my title and the DMV office was almost empty by the time I arrive at the end of the day so I was able to pay for (ouch!) for my new license plate and was even able to put the title in my safe deposit box before the bank closed. I then drove back to my former home and hooking up the trailer. You'll notice from the photos I didn't have time to organize stuff in the truck bed; not to mention, I probably have too much stuff:) The other photo shows my new residence (i.e., AS) parked in front of my former residence (I downsized from 2500sf to 25 feet). I'll put the new license plate on tomorrow.
I hit the road around 5:45pm; stopped at a rest area along the way and stopped for the night at KOA Pueblo South/Colorado City - travelled about 100 miles in 3 hours; I'm in no hurry!
Although the weather was fine in Denver (60's and sunny); the temp dropped to 40F, the winds picked up, and the sky darkened over Monument Hill. Temp picked back up (57F) in Colorado Springs but the winds grew stronger. By the time I reached Pueblo, CDOT had posted Wind Advisory messages and in some places mini dust storms reduced visibility.
While KOAs in particular and RV Parks in general are not my style, it is nice to get off the road; driving in high winds with a high profile vehicle and reduced visibility is stress I can do without.

Old home in the background; new in the foreground

Given the delay at closing, I didn't have time to organize truck bed storage; I'll have plenty of time later:)

Running out of time. With 4 days before closing, I'm getting a bit nervous about getting everything done before moving out of my house and hitting the road. Our typical spring weather (snow, sun, wind, repeat...) has not been helpful but, at this point, the March 26th forecast looks good so fingers crossed. My storage units are almost full and there are still 2 bedrooms to move/store!  The rugs were picked up last Friday for cleaning and storage but they didn't take the pads so it feels like nothing was removed from the house. Love my rugs and wish I had one in the Airstream:)

Entry

Dining Area

Great Room

Master Bedroom (Ignore the temporary quilt:))

Truck Stuff. I never realized how many things go into towing a big trailer. Last week I installed a rock guard on my truck hitch to protect the Airstream from - you guessed it - rocks! What I didn't count on was the exhaust melting the rock guard's very hard rubber. The solution was to cut the exhaust and insert an elbow to point the exhaust to the outside rather than straight back. Glad I've had time to discover and have these things attended to.

After

After

Before

One week from today I close on my house and hit the road in my Airstream! Downsizing from 2500sf to a 25-foot travel trailer has challenged (in a good way) my organization skills:) After removing the backseats, I'm hoping to install cabinets to hold essential items that won't fit/don't belong in the trailer. The backseat area is huge; hoping I can install a standard kitchen-type cabinet 24" wide by 30" deep. I found a company (http://www.ufyt-systems.com) which seem to serve this backseat storage need; however, they are too expensive ($3k for one 3-drawer cabinet) for my budget.  Look for a future post for how I address this need.

Back seat area for my 2014 GMC Crew Cab

I'm hoping to use the existing back seat bolts to secure my storage cabinets.

First night. Last night was my first night in the Airstream. Drove to Fort Collins, CO for RV Driving School and spent the night at KOA Lakeside. The instructor helped me hook up the electric, water, etc. for the Airstream. I learned these things at the Dealer walk-through but had forgotten most. Only one snag - can't get the hot water to work and this morning no water at all (luckily I brought plenty of water). Could have frozen - temp last night was 27F in Ft. Collins. Had to resort to reading the manuals last night:) but no resolution to hot water issue; may have to call the dealer.
KOAs and other RV Parks are not my kind of camping but they are great for newbies like me trying to figure out how their travel trailer works. Surprisingly, the Park is actually quite busy; seems there are people who live here long-term. Maybe because this is one of the few RV Parks that remains open year round.

The business (Street) side of the Airstream.

My new rock guard - protects the airstream from rocks flying up from my truck - who knew I needed this!

Inside the Airstream. Lots of activity preparing for this weekend's RV Driving School; have to admit, I feel a bit like a 16 year-old getting ready to take their first driving test:) Took a few photos inside the Airstream tonight; will post more and possibly a video at a later date. The Airstream is comfortable and plenty big enough for me; the challenge is figuring out what is essential to bring and then finding a place for each essential:) Love the pull out pantry cabinet (Stove is on the right).

Dining Room:)

Queen Bed; View through window is the back of my truck (Bedroom is in front end of Airstream).

Master Bathroom:) Shower is across the hall

With less than two weeks left before closing on my home sale, I'm baking something every day (see oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and rye bread below). I'm going to miss this kitchen but am looking forward to exploring cooking (including baking bread) outdoors.

Tools and technology. Backing up a 25-foot Airstream by yourself can be a bit intimidating so I'll be relying on technology to help me out. The image below shows three monitors inside my truck cab. The first and largest monitor is for a wireless, digital Voyager backup camera; the read out says "No Signal" because I wasn't hooked up to my trailer when I took this photo. The Voyager camera is mounted on the back of the Airstream; and transmits a wireless signal to the monitor; it will help me backup into campsites but it is also great for monitoring cars behind me, including those about to pass. The second monitor (color monitor to the left; built into the dash) is for the backup camera that came with my pickup; this monitor helps me line up my hitch when I'm hooking up the trailer. The third monitor in this image (below the larger Voyager monitor) is for my Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) that monitors the temperature and pressure of the trailer tires as I drive. The TPMS continuously monitors temperature and pressure and emits audio alerts when either changes too fast; the alerts will (in theory) allow me to pull over to the side of the road before tire blowout. The Voyager and TPMS monitors are mounted on a swiveling JottoDesk. All this technology makes me feel like an airline pilot when I'm driving down the road:) but hopefully it will help keep me me (and those around me) safe and avoid expensive accidents. I had no idea this stuff existed until about a month ago:)

Typical spring weather in the Rockies this week - 70 degrees yesterday and snow predicted for this afternoon:) I'm headed to Ft. Collins this weekend to attend RV Driving School - 2 days of one-on-one training with an experienced instructor, using my Airstream; should give me the confidence needed before I hit the road. Saturday night will be my first overnight camping experience with the Airstream!
It is amazing the many things I need to learn or relearn for living in an Airstream full time. For example, how do I downsize from cooking in a large gourmet kitchen with a 5 burner has stove, double oven, huge refrigerator, very large granite island, etc. to a 25-foot Airstream and still indulge my passion for cooking, especially baking? Yes - I've been spoiled:) No complaints; the transition should be fun and help simplify my life.
One of my goals is to bake no-knead bread outdoors.  Over the past year, I've baked many of the breads in Jim Lahey's "My Bread" book; I'm looking forward to experimenting with these recipes with an outdoor dutch oven. I also plan to bring my sourdough starter in the Airstream. Baking bread is one of life's simple pleasures and is a great way to meet people. I've been baking bread nearly everyday recently which has allowed me to give bread to neighbors and to a local soup kitchen.
Life is good:)

A beautiful day in Colorado today; high in the 60's and that wonderful Colorado blue sky! Planning to bring the Airstream by the house today to wash it and load supplies for my upcoming travels. The neighbors are kind enough to let me park the Airstream in front of the house overnight; plan to show them the inside of the Airstream this afternoon - kind of open house:)
I've been baking bread nearly every day.  Really love Jim Lahey's "My Bread" book and his no knead recipes. Walnut, basic white, wheat, olive, and stecca are some of the breads I've made. With all the bread making, I've put on a couple of pounds in the last couple of months but that will surely end when I hit the road and leave my gourmet kitchen. However, I'm already thinking about how I can continue to bake bread on the road - look for future bread recipes for baking no-knead bread in an outdoor dutch oven:)

When I jumped off the professional career train I didn't (and still don't) know how to refer the next chapter of my life . "Retirement" doesn't work because it has negative connotations to many.  Explore, recess, break, and alternative lifestyle, are some of the  phrases I've used to explain what I'm doing now. In the end, it doesn't really matter what this next chapter is called and I've realized that this obsession for classifying/naming what I'm doing is a remnant of my education/training (i.e., biologist); one of many remnants I'm working to leave behind as I focus on being present and enjoying life.
Its obvious now but when I was on the career train, I didn't think outside the 3 phases of life I was trained to follow - education, work, retirement. Now that I'm off the train, it makes more sense to forget about these three arbitrary life phases and view life as an ongoing opportunity to explore. Sure, one has to do something to earn a living but hopefully this isn't limited to 30+ years on the career train.

My journey through life's next chapter began in 2014 after quitting the professional career train (I call it the career train because it was like a high speed train with only a terminal stop - when one dies or retires). March 26th is the closing date for my house sale; after which, my new home will be my 25-foot Airstream International. This blog will share my thoughts and experience as I travel through this next chapter; I welcome your comments. This blog links to my website - robsjourney.com

The process of transitioning from a 2500sf home to a 25' Airstream is helping me to reduce my material possessions and focus on what is really important in life - food, shelter, and friends.

Stay tuned!