It was quite a summer. Upon returning in May to our home in Denali we were immediately reminded of the responsibilities and work associated with living in a sticks and bricks setting.

After 7 months of freely wandering the back roads of America and Canada the return to a stationary life style is always a major switch for us but one that we have become very adapted to and that we now cherish.

There are many solid reasons why one would want to live on the road full time but there are also many good reasons why living in one place for 6 months is worthwhile, especially for us.

Just like everything in life there are advantages and disadvantages to any lifestyle. For us this recurring seasonal cycle is one that fits our personalities and feeds our wanderlust best.

Some advantages to our stationary home:

• -Enough time to grow a garden
• -Access to garage full of tools
• -Flowers to grow and display
• -The joy of maintaining a green lawn for the big dogs
• -BBQing and hanging with old friends
• -Picking fresh blueberries for pies
• -Spending quality time with our cat Otis
• -Staying off the highway during the tourist season

Some disadvantages:

– A bigger home to clean
– Never ending minor home maintenance and repair projects
– Secondary vehicles to maintain and repair
– Motorhome repairs or upgrades to be completed prior to departure.

From my perspective life is always better when one has the capacity to daydream and plan for an upcoming season, whether it be a summer or winter dream.

I find that the mental activity of planning and scheming that takes place while on the road or sitting in ones living room, is the kind of stimulation that keeps one young.

It is healthy for my psyche to maintain a wide vision of the road ahead, to strategize and examine the optional paths one might take to find that proverbial destination.

In most cases we never plan to the extent of plotting a schedule of nightly camps or deciding how many miles we need to drive each day, most times we just wing it.

Pre-planned travel would most likely end with disappointment for us and certainly remove the serendipity and discovery of the unexpected. 

Flexibility and the desire to explore new places is paramount in keeping ones travels exciting and adventurous.

But for some travelers the ability to change plans mid stream or as conditions change is not an easy thing, it can take practice.

Whether it be a new destination or a creative project that one anticipates it can inspire a longing to hit the road or invigorate ones creative juices.

The time we split between living on the road and living at home seems to be great a balance of the good things in life that always leaves me yearning for that upcoming change.

This summer at Taylor Base Camp activities were many and included projects such as greenhouse upgrades, motorhome upgrades, finding the parts needed to fabricate a meat smoker and celebrating Denali National Park’s 100th birthday.

Old friends both retired and former employees of Denali came from far and wide to take part in a few days of celebration centered around the park.

There were meet and greets, potlucks, bus rides into the park, speeches and reunion parties with music to dance to.

Along with all that was going on around the park we had our own merrymaking at basecamp almost nightly.

Afternoons and evenings were spent visiting with old friends around the fire pit reminiscing about life in the park in the old days and how things used to be, it was all great fun.

Throughout the week it was everyone laughing together while harvesting fresh greenhouse salad fixings, slicing juicy smoked brisket, BBQing, uncorking bottles of vintage wines and pouring Tin Cup late into the evenings.

We all enjoyed one common thread, the great people we worked with and the great times we all had while working in one of America’s premier National Parks.

We also had Bernese Mt dog friends stop at basecamp this summer. Good friends Kay Lynn and David from Tok Alaska brought there two sweet pups Gretta and Iorek to visit. High times were had by all.

Ron and Kristi from Fairbanks also stopped by with their 5 pups in route to an Anchorage dog show. All 7 dogs had great fun romping in our dog yard.

All too soon fall arrived and it was again time to start shutting down basecamp and begin packing the Zefyr for our winter travel adventures.

I could get used to this routine…

Don’t miss our latest video “Summer Of Celebration”

 

 

Next we plan on heading down the Alaska Hwy and east to the midwest to catch the fall colors, but remember our plans can and will change at any time, expect the unexpected.  It’s a good life!

Stay tuned! Keep you posted!