August 15, 2020

August 12, 2020 / Rich / 2 Comments

Welcome to the new folks who started following our travels. When we started this blog back in 2017 we wanted our friends and family to know what we were doing and where we were. The other reason was we wanted a journal of our travels to live forever online so our kids, grand-kids, and great grand-kids can read about our travels and see the places we’ve been. We hope that the writing and images will inspire you to go see places for yourself.

August 15, 2020 is the 5th anniversary of being on the road full-time. When we started this journey neither Darla or I had any measurable experience in RVing and we didn’t own an RV. When Darla found our rig on craigslist in AZ we didn’t even have a truck but we ‘re looking at 5th wheels go figure. Darla found this 2005 Keystone Cougar on craigslist, it turned out that we liked the trailer and the seller was also selling a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 diesel so we bought the package.

_DSC0231-4

She’s been a good rig we’ve gone coast to coast with her and she’s never let us down. Now it’s time for an upgrade we need more storage in the bedroom and we want a true four seasons so we’ve been looking at 2016 Cougars we also like the 2016 Grand Design Reflection 337 rls.

Full-time RVers VS Nomads.

I think now we see ourselves more as nomads instead of full-time RVer. We move around the country looking for opportunity. Sometimes the opportunity is to spend time with friends and family. Sometimes it’s for workamping opportunities. We’ve found in our new lifestyle that sitting around to much makes the body hurt and we can trade labor for money to support our travels and even to upgrade the 5’er.

A couple of years ago we started our own online business IdealPhotoArt.com where we can post our travel photo and you can put them on coffee cups, framed art, tote bags just about anything you want to put an image. This year we switched platforms and now we’re so excited to be with Fine Arts America. I’m in the process of uploading 10k travel images. If you have a special place you wish you had on a t-shirt or coffee mug and you never captured an image of it, Than email us at idealphotoart.com@gmail.com give us the info to search our catalog for it or if we’re close we’ll go capture it for you.

IdealPhotoArt_Finalrev1

Walk down memory lane.

Thank you for stopping bye.

Image captured an hour before Sunset in Duck Creek Utah.

Butch Cassidy lived in this home from age 14 to age 18 in Southern Utah.

After a three mile hike this was the reward.

Bryce Canyon N.P.

Tennessee

West Virgina

Maine

Maine

Niagara Falls NY

Glacier N.P. MT

Glacier N.P. MT

Our last hike in Southern Utah.

February 13, 2019February 13, 2019 / Rich / 2 Comments

We want to welcome our new followers. From October to February each year we spend most of our time visiting our family and friends. Winter is also a time for repairs and maintenance on our rig and planning our Summer adventure. The photos below are from Red Canyon, Utah it was the last hike we did before we left Utah in September of 2018. We hiked the Tunnel Trail which is a half mile round trip and 253 ft. elevation gain. It’s a beautiful and easy hike. We also hiked the Photo Trail which is also an easy hike that goes throw the Hoodoo’s.

Aerial View of double tunnel on Highway 12 in Red Canyon, Utah, Hiking the Tunnel Trail Red Canyon Utah USA

The Photo Trail.

Hiking the Photo Trail Red Canyon Utah USA Hoodoo's along the Photo Trail, Red Canyon, Utah USA

Grand Canyon North Rim.

October 4, 2018 / Rich / Leave a comment

After hiking the Narrows at Zion National Park we spent the night in Hurricane Utah and drove down to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon the next day.

North Rim of Grand Canyon. East wall of the North Rim. Storm clouds over the Grand Canyon North Rim. Star Flower North Rim Grand Canyon. Golden Yellow Brittle Bush flowers at the North Rim of the Grand Flower at North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Ground Cover North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The edge of Angels Window with the Grand Canyon in the backgroun Angels Window. Herd of Bison resting in the meadow.

The Narrows, Zion National Park

September 22, 2018 / Rich / 2 Comments

Hiking the Narrows was beautiful and challenging with the current in the river and the bottom full of rocks keeping a good footing was interesting. We used one walking stick if we had to do it again we would use two. We have been trying to do this hike for a couple of years now but the Narrows have been closed when we’re in town. It was well worth the wait.

Hiking the Narrows Zion N.P. Narrows The Narrows Zion National Park-1-3 Virgin River Canyon. Darla in the Narrows Hiking in the Virgin River. Hiking the Narrows.

August the Month of Reflection.

August 27, 2018August 27, 2018 / Rich / 2 Comments

August 2015 was the month we started traveling full time. Since than we’ve been across the United States from coast to coast. What a beautiful Country we live in. This time of year we reflect on where we’ve been, what we’ve learned and what we’re going to do next. We’ll be back to our winter home October 1st, then off to Southern California to visit Mom and from there we’ll head to Northern California to visit our kids. When we come off the road we always look foreword to spending time with family and friends.

We still have a few things to do in Southern Utah like hiking to Calf Creek Falls a 6 mile round trip hike to a waterfall and swimming hole. Hiking the narrows at Zion National Park and taking an ATV trip to Cascade Falls and the ice cave near Duck Creek Utah. Below are some photos from our first 3 years of full-time RVing.

Canoeing Lake of the Woods OR

Grand Canyon AZ

Hoover Dam NV

3 Gossips Arches N.P. UT

Beaver Den Grand Mesa CO

Grand Teton WY

Yellowstone N.P. WY

Yellowstone N.P. WY

Glacier N.P. MT

Glacier N.P. MT

Glacier N.P. MT

Niagara Falls NY

Niagara Falls NY

Niagara Falls

Vermont

Vermont

Maine

Maine

Maine

West Virgina

Tennessee

Bryce Canyon N.P

Bryce Canyon N.P.

Hiking Red Canyon Utah in the Dixie National Forest.

Willis Creek

IdealPhotoArt.com Update

August 6, 2018September 7, 2018 / Rich / Leave a comment

With the logo done we’ve been focused on the layout and theme of the website . This a huge learning curve, but we are very happy to be working with Zenfolio.com which is who we went with for our platform. Their customer service is excellent for beginners like us. Also we’re busy uploading about 10,000 photos into our library for you to use to create your Photo Art.

IdealPhotoArt.com is a fun and easy way to create Photo Art & Gifts from our Travel, Landscape, Wildlife and Nature photos. We have an awesome selection of product for you to create your travel memory, Framed Art, Phone Cases, Canvas Art and more.

We are hoping to do a Grand Opening around the end August 2018 in which we will offer discount coupons to followers of this blog and people who provide feedback via email.

We need your help.

July 9, 2018 / Rich / Leave a comment

Soon we’ll launch our new website IdealPhotoArt.com. We’re currently looking for a platform that can deliver the products your looking for to remember your travels.

We want to help people remember those special places they have visited.

All comments would be appreciated.

What type of product do you look for? ( postcards, calendars, coffee mugs, framed art, etc.)

What price point is in your budget for travel mementos?

Is having mementos shipped to you instead of carrying them back on airlines or other transportation attractive?

Would you use a personalized service that went to places of your choice took photos, created mementos or framed art and shipped them to you?

Would you like to have a personal photographer document you action vacation or holiday?

Thank you for your comments.

Hiking Peekaboo Part 1

June 26, 2018 / Rich / Leave a comment

When Darla mentioned a couple of months ago that she would like to hike the Peekaboo loop I took a look at the map and read the trail description and with all the sincerity I could muster, I said the words that usually make my life easier “yes dear I’d love too.” In the back of my mind I couldn’t help but think about the 5.5 mile loop with an elevation change of 1571 feet and multiple elevation changes. Can I do this? Should I do this? Why did I say I would this? To say I was apprehensive is an understatement. For the next couple weeks I would talk to people that had completed the hike and I found little comfort in their stories of the hike. They all agree it’s a beautiful hike and that the reward is worth the effort.

The day has arrived it’s time to confront my fears, calm my mind and enjoy the beauty that is Peekaboo. As we approach the trail head we were warned that emergency crews were working to remove an injured hiker with a broken ankle from the Peekaboo trail.