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Timeless Journeys
Timeless Journeys with Sage RV Road Trip - Part I
by Kimberly “Sage” Pridemore
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Welcome to Infinity Magazine’s exciting adventure feature, “Timeless Journeys with Sage.” Sage has been with the Infinity team for several years, her wisdom, knowledge and experience makes her a perfect fit as Infinity’s Travel Editor for this special feature.
Each issue will be a wonderful adventure with Sage as she travels to amazing destinations. Sage will share her travels with helpful tips, interesting facts about her fun filled and relaxing get-aways!
2020 RV Road Trip – California Here We Come! Part I
I had never even thought about taking a cross country road trip in a recreational vehicle - and neither had my partner, Ray. We’ve never even owned one. But by November of 2020, neither of us had left the state of Texas in months and I was getting the travel bug bad. Mostly, I was missing my son, Ari, and son-in-law, David. We had not seen them since Christmas 2019 in Santa Fe. During the course of the year they made a move to Santa Monica, California and I decided it was time to see them. We just weren’t quite ready to get on a plane yet. But one morning, I woke up with a thought: let’s rent an RV and head west! Thank God, Ray is an adventurous man used to my wild ideas - especially the ones we’ve never done before.
After some research on rentals, parks and, of course, mapping out our route, we set our sights on finding the perfect vehicle nearby. Amazingly, the first one
we saw was the one we rented. The interior was decked out in a Southwestern style that felt like my own home. Jason, who owns the RV, even knew Ray when he refereed Austin high school football and baseball games. That just sealed the deal. We rented his 2018 Winnebago “Zeppelin” Class C. That RV was beautiful and actually pretty easy for both of us to drive. In fact, it drives as a 26 footer, but when parked, opens up to a 32 footer.
Through mapping out our route, I found exciting places to stay along the way. Our adventure was 3,500 miles round trip. It would take about 16 days to complete. For now, I’ll share our journey from my home in Buchanan Dam, Texas to Malibu, California, and the places in-between and back in a three part series. Sit back and enjoy the ride!
In order to prepare ourselves to be an RV couple, we rented the 2006 road comedy, RV, starring Robin Williams. It was hilarious! By the end of the movie we both knew who had what job on the journey. While we’d split the driving, I was in charge of the food, ambiance and booking the RV parks. He was in charge of plumbing and all things mechanical. Make sure you watch the movie.
We were fortunate to pick up our RV the night before heading out. That gave us time to get comfortable with all the nuances that come with such a vehicle. We packed up our clothes and other essentials that night and got good rest. Tuesday morning, November 3rd, we loaded our food and provisions and headed west.
In order to truly enjoy our trip, we made sure not to drive over 8 hours each day. We wanted to take our time. We both prefer leaving early in the morning and setting up “camp” before dark. Our first day’s drive was around six hours, putting us in Van Horn, Texas around 4pm. We knew this route well, as it takes you to Marfa, Texas, one of our favorite West Texas towns.
This RV was the perfect size. The bedroom is in the back and has plenty of closet space, a separate shower area and a bathroom. The kitchen had everything we needed and a great dining area with enough space for four people. The first time I drove the RV, it certainly took a little bit of time to get comfortable, especially when turning. I did get the hang of it and actually enjoyed my time as captain.
Reservations were made at Van Horn RV Park. The beauty of the mountains can be enjoyed from the campsite, which is located in the desert outside of town. During that first long drive we began getting used to the noises of the RV. We also learned very quickly how everything needs to be in the right place, with drawers locked and dishes secured.
The Van Horn RV Park is a sleepy little community. It turned out to be the perfect place to learn how to set up and tear down the camping features. This is something you have to do every time you do an overnight. The first evening, we were a bit slow and had to consult our checklist. As our trip went on, we became pros. That night we went for a walk around the park, watched a beautiful sunset and ate dinner at Penny’s Cafe, which is actually located on the property. It was some good, down home Texas fare. We both ordered the country fried steak with mashed potatoes, country gravy and green beans. It was delicious. This had been a good first day. Our plan that following morning was to get up at the crack of dawn. We had an eight hour stretch to our next destination, Phoenix, Arizona. Thankfully, our bed was super comfy and the fresh Texas air made for an amazing first night’s sleep in our home away from home.
We ended up sleeping in a bit Wednesday morning, and enjoyed a cup of coffee before heading to Phoenix. The goal was to arrive in the RV park around 4 pm. This way, we’d have plenty of time for dinner. That evening, friends of mine were visiting Scottsdale from Beverly Hills. It was such an unexpected gift to be able to connect with them
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and finally introduce them to Ray. Our route to Phoenix went through both El Paso and Tucson. We enjoyed the ride. We made a couple stops to stretch our legs and wander through roadside antique stores. The RV’s kitchen was super convenient for making lunch and snacks along the way. To pass the time, Ray and I took turns driving every two hours. We also listened to our favorite classic rock and country music. When we finally made it to the Phoenix Metro RV Park we still had time to chill before Ubering into Scottsdale to meet Jenifer and her husband, Michael, for dinner.
One of the cool things about the RV life and RV resorts are that many are active communities and have extensive amenities. The Phoenix Metro Park is for a mature crowd of 55 and over. That means one person has to be at least 55 to stay or live there. Some of the amenities and activities at this park include a swimming pool and spa, indoor and outdoor recreation, plus a spacious clubhouse with planned events. We didn’t stay long enough to enjoy any of these perks, but it was good to have options.
When driving a Class C RV without towing a vehicle, you may not want to pack up and drive to a restaurant knowing you’ll have to come back to the site and hook up again. That’s why we took advantage of a ridesharing service in order to easily come and go. That night we met our friends in Scottsdale at the Old Town Tortilla Factory. What a gorgeous place. It is located in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale in the charming art district. Built from a historic 75-year old Scottsdale adobe home, Old Town Tortilla Factory has a timeless charm and distinct atmosphere exemplifying the essence of the Southwest. Their food was delicious and the company was amazing. We spent a couple hours kicking back with margaritas and sharing both memories and delightful food. Our dishes included the shrimp diablo sautéed with mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, onions and garlic in red chile butter, served with toasted bolillo bread and chips and salsa fuego. For dinner Jenifer and Michael each had the red chile pork chop. Ray had the achiote ribs, while I enjoyed the pork verde. I am so grateful I could connect with my Priestess Sister on this road trip for such a fun and memorable evening. I actually married her and Michael years ago in Cincinnati and love them both dearly.
Next stop Malibu! The drive to our destination of Malibu, California was 7 hours away. We planned to stay three nights at the Malibu RV Park. Our goal was to arrive around 4 pm, requiring us to leave around 8 am. The drive is fairly easy and very beautiful. On our way to the beach, we drove through Joshua Tree National Park and Palm Springs. We packed a lot in the past 3 days, so we were ready to set up a permanent camp for a while. We wanted to enjoy the perks of RV life, Southern California and spend time with the boys.
I cannot tell you how exciting it was to make it onto the Pacific Coast Highway, Hwy 101! The traffic, no doubt, was less due to COVID, however driving the RV in Los Angeles still required skill and patience. Thank God for Ray!
Malibu RV Resort was fabulous. Our experience there was fantastic. We parked our RV on a cliff overlooking the ocean. And we had views of the mountains. We were so excited to actually make camp for three days that we set out all of our chairs and fairy lights to create a little sanctuary. We had flowers at our site which attracted butterflies and hummingbirds. Sitting there and watching the ocean both night and day was such a pleasure. My son Ari and his husband live in Santa Monica. On our way to our site we picked up Ari at his place and he helped us check in and set up. After David finished work he made his way to us. We enjoyed an el fresco dinner and wine. We caught up and planned the next couple of days with them in Southern California and our adventure to Napa with them as well. This was one of our planned side trips before returning back to Texas.
So far Ray and I had adapted to RV life pretty well. My biggest issue, however, was the showering. I did not take any in the RV. Instead, we used our shower space for wine and beverage storage. Ray used the RV Park facilities and I sort of winged it. But more on that later.
The Zen moment of this leg of the trip was finally making it to Malibu. We enjoyed our dinner together as a family, all while overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I got to sleep every night to the sounds of the waves crashing on shore and rock.
Next issue, we will be sharing our explorations in Southern California and our trip to Napa.
Sending you much light, love and timeless journeys!
In gratitude,
Sage
About the Author: Sage Woman is an Intuitive and Spiritual Life Coach. Contact her to schedule an individual session with her. Her passion is to assist you in empowering and co-creating the life you desire with tools and practical applications along with intuitive messages to guide your journey.
For more information, contact her at 512-2342075, or email sagewomen61@gmail.com.
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