This will shape your kids. But they wont remember it the way you do, but they will remember. My kids have recall of a trip to hawaii and they were 3&4. They have a few vivid memories and other parts are vague. Love the way you guys enjoy life!
Our three kids are all grown adults with children of their own. They loved and remembered our trips with them to cali,Arizona,fl,almost all 50 states and Ireland,Africa Europe. We remember them too as great times in our lives.
Just know they will remember and cherish it. Our son is almost 30 now and we have always traveled and made sure he went with us to make those memories. He still to this day talks about all the trips and things we have done over the last 30 years. My (Kelley) parents did the same thing with me we traveled all the time. When Bill and I got married because he as a kid had a single mom with 4 kids they never went on vacation. He said we will have at least 1 trip every year. That brought tears to my eyes listen to you talk cause I know what you mean. We want Maddy (our grand Daughter to have those memories too. We have our first trip planned with her next week. She is only 14 months old but it is never too young to start.
Videos like yours make me realize how much of my amazing state I still have to visit. Born and raised in San Francisco and now near Sacramento I haven’t been much further north.
Long travel days we usually look for a KOA. Especially when we have the grandkids. They can relax in the pool and have a great playground for them. The kids will definitely remember more than you think. They are having the best adventure.
You two parents are teaching your children the importance of family. When they grow up and become parents themselves, they will have a solid foundation of love and parental skills most children never have. Good for you. Stay focus and move forward. Love all your videos.
Marissa's comment about trash and beach glass is such a metaphor for life. We can make such a mess of our lives but God can make something beautiful out of that mess! Love following your travels.
I traveled with my 4 children. First a van then a 26 ft motor home. My oldest is now 48 and youngest 36. They all remember the fun and the craziness. I so so love watching you guys.👍💕🙏
Just spent 6 days camping in Fort Bragg a couple weeks ago! Then 4 more days at Salt Point on Hwy 1. Mendocino Botanical Gardens, 10 mile bike ride on the bluffs, hiked the Ecological Staircase to the Pygmy Forest… I think y’all are doing awesome (if not a little fast paced). Your relationship with your kids is unique, and they will be the better for it (despite the doubts that cross your mind otherwise)
Yes I agree you guys stress going And doing and driving all the time you need just a day of rest and enjoy where you’re at and then back at it. I enjoy all you do, enjoy your videos.
It's hard to express how thankful I am that my parents took our family on adventures that I will never forget, and that instilled in me the desire to do the same! I am fortunate that I grew up in the age where reservations were not needed, there was always a place to camp first come first served or a cabin, motel etc. available. Even so, your kids will have the love of adventure because of what you have given them, and that is a great blessing!
@@LessJunkMoreJourney I was raised just North of Bodega Bay at Wrights beach. After 30yeasrs together my wife still dives into the taffy shop like a wolf on the hunt when we go back to visit my family. (MY faves are watermelon and banana) . Spud point has the best fish and chips in my opinion as well. The fog will chill you to the bone. Heddie Lemarr who had a summer home in Bodega and starred in Hitchcock's "The Birds" Heddie would chat with anyone and comment that the cold foggy days just gave her more of a reason to cherish the warm sunny ones. One of the sweetest ladies ever. I'm glad that you enjoyed your visit to my old stomping grounds. Happy Trails
My Brothers and Sister and I are in our 60s and 70s and some of our favorite past stories to remember together are the amazing “camping” trips and “motel” trips that our Parents took us on in the 1950s, 1960s and even the 1970s. I see the same Joy in the Faces of your Family🤗. We “Kids” have all continued to include “camping” and “traveling” with our Families. Thank you, Mom and Dad❣️ We Love You❣️ PS. I’m the oldest and I have now inherited all of our 8mm films and video tapes. I just couldn’t let them go❣️ Thank you so much for sharing your Family and your life with all of us. Love, Hugs and God bless you all💖💖💖💖 Cathy🦋
I spent a lot of time over the years at Doran, Bodega Bay and Bodega Headlands. If you want warmer weather usally fall is best. Summer is often cold and windy, windy, windy. My dad worked for the company that installed roads at Doran. The job lasted over a summer and he hated it because of the cold and the wind.
You are in our 'home away from home'... We LOVE Hwy 1... and go over (5 hours) there atleast twice a year. There's nothing like that part of California. We usually stay outside of Ft Bragg. have walked all those beaches... so great... or we stay in Bodega Bay. The FOOD! (The Tides for sure!) The spectacular views... the peace and quiet! Hope you had wonderful memories!
The only time that I traveled in an RV was when we moved from Connecticut to Florida when I was 10 years old. I don’t remember that much about it. We lived in an RV park for months while our home was being built. I have such a Wanderlust spirit now and love to watch your travels. Your family is so blessed!
Always be flexible, but book the popular spots ahead. A mix of the two is all that you can do. You can't make it to everything. Accept that you are exploring and just take it easy and enjoy the time that you are there.
I loved that KOA it looked nice seeing a place for the kids to play. I love how you both thing of the kids and family. And you both take the time and spend it with the kids. Glad you both are out there making memories for both Hensley and JJ. They will cherish these memories for sure.
So smart to go south on 1. I didn’t even think about the turn outs and went north into Oregon. And, yes, I felt your exhaustion during the Lost Coast stretch. First time for me and I see no reason to do it again! What a marathon!
Thanks for featuring such a beautiful part of CA. I lived in Sonoma County and Napa Valley and I'm very familiar with Bodega, Jenner, Mendo, etc. I used to drive out there when I was feeling stressed. It's a special place. Enjoy!
S uch cool experiences, but lordie, so glad you were driving those curves ! I too would be hanging onto the "oh no bar".... , THANK YOU for sharing the realities of managing daily living full time.
Mom of 3 and we are on a mission to visit all our state parks. It’s a great way to start the journey. I do find that full hook ups do make life that much easier (no arguing about water) but dang we would miss so much. Definitely a balance.
Doran beach has so many family memories for us. We even have a table with a brass plate at the point honoring our parents who started the tradition of camping at Bodega Bay. It is usually windy at Doran.😊
Hi LJMJ!!! I have been a Fellow Journeyer for years! I left California and I am now in your neck of the woods, in Cookeville. Now I see first hand your hometown! It is very pretty here!!!! 💕. Love your channel! 💜
Some KOA parks I especially have liked: Flagstaff, AZ; Nashville, TN; and Forsythe, GA. Just ideas of places that are comfortable, have a nice setting or have a lot to do (Nashville is pricy but oh so convenient to the Opry Mills Mall, and has a lot of amenities).
Kids may not remember the moments when they were young. But they’ll take it in and those moments help turn them into the nature loving people they’ll become. I believe it’s more important to do what you’re doing when they’re as young as they are. They’re so impressionable but it’s a benefit in your case ❤️❤️
Ok, I did not know you all were here in my backyard. And now I am binge watching to catch up! And let me just say, as a native Californian in this area. As much as I love that crazy road on HWY 1, I don't know I would ever have the nerve to drive in the Bodega Bay/Jenner area in an RV. That is nuts to me! That takes some nerve and skill. Respect for pulling that off!
I'm sure the kids will remember the highlights of these adventures. This was a good video talking about pace. We took a long trip in June and after we got back I felt like we just went thru some places way too fast and didn't have enough flexibility to change things. Yellowstone and Glacier were both impacted so that put a downer on the other parts of the trip.
The journey goes on and on,superb as always. As I said in the short video,I collect sea glass, I was in a awh of it. Beautiful capture of Marissa looking out the window as the sun was setting, absolutely beautiful. "Glass may break, and never fix, but may shift in the sands of time forever more". Thanks for sharing.
I love your videos. Thank you for taking us with you on your journeys. All good points to keep in mind as you travel. Flexibility is so important without getting upset when need to change plans.
Love your honesty in all your videos. We aren’t full timers but we do struggle with pace, decisions…. Everything you talked about. Our two sons are now 28 & 30 and when we are together they have us laughing til our stomachs hurt about our camping adventures. You are giving your kids all of you, your undivided attention and that is a priceless gift.
Yes, our coast is very curvy. I always try to travel during the week so I don't feel so rushed. I also worry about holding people up. And I know what you mean about decision fatigue. That's a great name for it. I love Doran Beach and I'm heading up to Bodega Bay soon. Safe travels!
I have to say I really enjoyed your video. Kids are so honest about what their experiencing at the time. Your reaction and comment to one of your kids when they said they smelled something. Was just priceless. I laughed so hard. Because my kids are all grown and we had the same thing happen when they were that age. When they say stuff sometimes the timing is just either very good or you could say it's very bad. Just depends on your point of view. God bless
Funny, I was saying, "Gee, he sure talks with his hands alot." (Takes one to know one...yep, guilty!) Love you all! Thanks for showing us beautiful places and all the ups and (sinking) downs.
I can verify that about Anderson levels I'm parked in gravel in this campsite it's sank a little over time afer there's several rains so I finally just went and bought wood and had cut up hasn't moved at all!!🙏😁
Amazing that you can record these memories. In my youth I leaved in France and in 1958 went to the Worlds Fair was in Brussels, Belgium, I remember very little, I was 4 years old, but my folks took pictures and those picture help me to remember.
I've loved your last couple of episodes, talking about the reality of family life off-camera. Sometimes I've looked at your life with envy, knowing I couldn't do what you are doing with my son's needs & personality combined with my patience level. It's reassuring to hear it's hard for you guys too sometimes. I hope we get there too someday!
We have traveled extensively with our kids over the years and they would be watching something with their friends and they'd say "we've been there", and "we've been there and done that" and their friends would be like "is there any place you haven't been?" Our kids have soo many fond memories of travels all over the the US.
We simply loved Glass Beach! I will say that my parents started us traveling early and, while not all of us caught the "bug", most of us did. And you guys have the videos to share with the kids as they get older...great way to preserve the memories! Our 21 year old, who think us being UA-camrs is just insane at our age, says that he loves that he'll have the videos of us for forever. So, even if they don't really remember being there and doing that, they will have the vids to refresh their memories. And Patrick's Taffy is a family tradition! YAY!
Your pace is a lot different than ours. We would go to a destination and stay for ba couple of weeks (at least) before we would move on to our next stop. My wife's pace was even a lot slower than mine. Example, when I am in a national park, I want to see a lot of the park before I move on. I used to say that I put in all the time and effort to get here, therefore let us see all that we want of what this place has to offer before we rush on. I used to say that rushing in and out of special places is like taking two bites of the appetizer and saying I have eaten at the restaurant. It is important to know your pace and do not let others push you to conform to theirs!!
They’ll remember. It may not seem like it when they are in their Teens, but the seeds you are planting now will spout later… We spent most of last summer on the North Coast. Wonderful spots. We’ve stayed at several places around Bodega Bay including Wright’s Beach and Bodega RV Park on our first RV trip when we rented prior to purchase. We prefer going south to north on Hwy 1 because you’re away from the cliff most of the time. Safe travels!
Amazing mixture in your adventures! Nice shot of your sweetheart, Nathan, she’s a beaut’, a real keeper. Blessings on your journeys. I have loved your hearts and family. Keep going!!
We live in Cali and when we go to the beach with my boyfriends family Doran beach is where we go. My 10 year old son loves the taffy place. Its usually windy there, I think I’ve only been there once without wind. We usually just go there for the day use area. They have the outdoor showers and bathrooms which is great when you have kids. You also don’t have to worry about big waves with the kids as it’s in a cove.
Good video! You’re right! Setting up and tearing down every other night over several weeks will get tiring. A few days in one place is needed to recharge. I did my first extended trip last year and was on the road for 3 months. I went from California to Virginia and back. When I wasn’t mooch docking I stayed in RV parks. I have a Thousand Trails membership with the trails. Collection which gives me over 200 parks. I stayed in commercial parks 5 to 10 nights during the entire trip. Needless to say the expense for park fees was minimal. I’ve been one of those bicycle tourist on the Pacific Coast Highway.
Hey Fellow journeyers I am so glad you guys got to stay in Fort Bragg at mackerricher state park and got to see glass beach as well and also stayed at Doran Beach in Bodega Bay as well my twwo most favorite places on the ocean here in California my home state. Hopefully I will get to meet you guys someday!
What a great trip on the west Coast!. Hopefully you drove over to the Benbow inn and walked in. Just beautiful for sure. The 101 from Legget to Fort Bragg is a slow one. Mackerricher State park has always been a favorite of our Family along with Mendocino Headlands. The wife and i were just in Bodega Bay the last two nights. Lucas Warf, Tides and Spud point are awesome. Still following you guys for years. Be safe and have fun.
Thanks for the song! I hadn’t heard it before. Btw I lived near bodega bay for 10 years. It’s a beautiful place. Sausalito has a great children museum and the academy of science in SF is fabulous if you get a chance to take the kids.
The pace of the journey can change as you get older. At 74 I find that one day of travel and two days to rest and unwind. A couple of years ago it was travel and a day of rest. On weekends we try to get to a place on Thursday and stay till Monday. Find it's a lot easier to find a place. We try to leave plenty time to get to a place so we don't have an accident because of being over tired.
So beautiful. North to South was a great choice . Instant coffee...I'm guilty .. It's cool to be not cool as long as you get your CAFFEINE!! Are you finding any "Disk-Golfing" courses along the way? I pray you find your balanced pace.
This is our home... you should have left Bodega and come right through our home town of Petaluma ... enjoying your trip! Stay safe and enjoy our California.
Watching you both with the kids is awesome. Love your parenting style. This video was in our home state and we have visited most of the places you went to. But it also gave us places to go. #clamchowder The production quality of this video was also spectacular. 👍👍 Keep up the great work. Love ya all. Tim and Bev
We just arrived back in the states from being in Alberta for 4 weeks while we enjoyed the Stampede, Banff and Jasper. While in Calgary we were told the next morning that we were suppose to leave even though they told us we could stay three nights. We tell people we plan our calendar in pencil and God has the eraser.
Sounds like a life lesson.......remember different seasons of life require a different pace. Knowing that ahead of time might help you avoid trying to push thru instead of yielding. Decision fatigue is so real. Just lost our house of 30 yrs to a fire-I’ve become a pro at recognizing decision fatigue! Btw, that hand thing is Nathan sign language for overlap!
Your kids don’t know it yet, but by being full-time, you are giving them an opportunity that most people will never have. The sights and education the get from traveling can’t be taught in books. They will look back at the time they spent traveling with fondness. In addition, and probably even more importantly, I believe the family bond you are developing with your kids is something that is difficult to achieve living the “normal” hectic life that draws your attention away from your family, at least that’s my thoughts. You very blessed Nathan with such a beautiful family. I’ve finally convinced my wife to quit working at the end of the year, at which time we hope to buy a rig and travel the country. We’ll start with 2-3 months at a time and see where that takes us. Hopefully we’ll see you on the road in the future, if not driving through California where we live. California is such a beautiful state, too bad the politics here suck.
The 101 is awesome, currently I'm north of Lincoln city Oregon. Did 3 trips down the 101 last year Washington Oregon and Down to central California, totally a 45 mile an hour road
This was so good and really interesting. Thanks for keeping it real. That’s what keeps me watching. You are a real family sharing with us what it’s really like to live full time in an RV. I’m sticks and bricks grandma in Canada and I think you’re an amazing family. Much love❤️🇨🇦
4 years ago my husband and I and 2 of his brothers took Hwy 1-101 from Morro Rock to Fort Bragg in one day on motorcycles. We didn't think that 400 miles was too much to do in one day. 12 exhausted hours later at 10 pm....half frozen, in July, we made it to our hotel. The Hwy 1 needs to be done in super small chunks. It is exhausting to travel this road due to the sharp turns, up and down changes in the road and traffic on the road. Crazy stressful!
Paused the video to let you know they will always remember these trips. I can still recall (at the age of 60) the first trip we took when I was 3 to the Smokie Mountains, the trip to the Porcupine Mountains in the UP, and my family's trip out west. They are near and very dear to my heart.
You're going on dramamine drive. Once you're on it you'll know why they call it that. We love Bodega Bay. The northern Cali coast is the best. McKerricker is the first big ocean camping trip we took our kids on, 30 + yrs ago. We hope you get to Brookings, Oregon. Our fav.
It is so weird to hear you describe so many things that I just grew up with as normal. You all did miss an opportunity to do some clamming and make some epic clam chowder though. So, I lived six miles from Jenner by the Sea, in the redwood forest. Bodega Bay was just a few more miles away. Somebody screwed up on one of those epic curves, came into my driveway and totaled my pickup truck that was just parked. I had just paid it off the week before. I have been gone for a few years (living in Georgia), but I'm going to get my RV and start to travel and head out to the Redwoods again and buy some acreage and build a new cabin in the woods to live in. The part time RV from that point on.
I don’t know how far in advance you film, but further south, Montana de Oro State Park is a beautiful spot to camp with amazing tide pools. Highly recommend when you get down to So Cal. I live in Reno and we love Mendocino! We try to camp there once a year… and we used to camp at Bodega Bay all the time when I was a kid. My dad used to dive for abalone there. Have an amazing trip!
Pacing your travels is a hard and sometimes painful lesson every RVer learns. We’re in our 60’s and we forget at tines that we’re NOT in our 30’s-40’s.
As a Californian, when someone asks how far something is, I've always answered in time not miles. (Unless someone asks specifically). It takes into account terrain, traffic, roadwork etc. I don't even really know the mileage to places I visit, just how long it usually takes me to get there. Driving can be stressful esp if you're not familiar w the area. I scour maps beforehand to make sure my navigation system doesn't try to take me somewhere I don't want to go. (It does happen) Love the areas you are visiting. Looking forward to more adventures 😀
In my book red clam chowder doesn't even really qualify as clam chowder, but that's my book and I know it's not everyone's. Yes I'm sure that the pace can get really tiring. It's one of the reasons I can't "vacation" with one of my sisters. She's an event planner and she plans every minute of every day and it drives me nuts. That's it for me this week. Keep the good stuff coming guys and give the kids a hug for me.
First of all, your kids WILL remember. My family camped in a tent all over the country when I was young. My kids camped in a tent when they were little. We are still camping after retirement, but I totally understand the scheduling dilemma. I thought going from a fifth wheel to a van would mean we can go farther faster. That is somewhat true, but we are still trying to work out the appropriate pace. We go for anywhere from two weeks to 6 weeks…not full time. So how much should you plan? It’s against my nature to just wing it, but I’m trying….at least a little. Really enjoying your adventures. Keep it up!
EPIC EPIC !!! That used to be our vacation area, when we lived in SJ and Sacramento. Mendocino is so amazing! We we bought our trailer we went out of our way (drove to Michigan) to get a good RV that was only 7.5' wide instead of ~8.5 because of all those narrow twisty roads along Hwy 1. We honeymooned there, and had a great B&B we used to visit up until we got our trailer. Our area up on the hills above Portland here has very similar weather. Hope you are going all the way to at least Astoria Oregon. Some epic sights along the way. All through N. Cal. and Oregon is wonderful coastline - kinda peters out in WA. though. ==== BTW - we've always called those vehicle handles "SCREAM Handles". When I was first legally driving (was driving on the farm since about age 10) my Mom would hold onto it for dear life. Not long after I was licensed we were driving in a drenching rain in our little VW and approaching a signal light at about 45-55 mph. I'm just entering the intersection and she lets out a blood-curdling scream! My foot instinctively almost bangs the brake pedal through the floor. The car goes into a spin into the intersection as I am looking to figure out what she was screaming about. What am I about to hit. Nothing there. Thankfully - I was able to keep the spin going straight through a full 360 and recover going straight ahead without flipping or hitting anything - not even scuffing the tires. She screamed because as we were entering the intersection the light had turned yellow. Oh MY !!! She was one to always overreact -- but wow.. I learned after that to basically IGNORE any passenger screams -- and have always called them scream handles ever since. Enjoying your VERY WELL edited travel logs. Finally putting videos up again on our Relentless Homesteading channel - but ours are about getting prepared for what's ahead. Recent series on how Water drives emergency preparation. Have safe travels. RH
Thank you for taking us along and especially back to Glass Beach for me. I can't wait to get back to Mendocino/Elk & glass beach in our 2018 Airstream Classic 33FB. Or maybe we'll park Stella & Wally and rent a Winnie~ hugs from Charleston SC (GREAT VLOG !)
Have you tried putting the Andersen’s on those square ones you are using? The Andersen’s probably won’t sink then, kinda like a snowshoe effect. Great video! Really enjoying this trip.
If you're in the Eureka area..... Gills By The Bay is a great place for clam chowder!! Off Hwy 101 at King Salmon Ave turnoff. Go west till you see it... or just ask ANYONE! THEY'LL KNOW!
By now you might be well past it, but if not, or for a future trip, I recommend checking out Malibu state park, so long as the RV is less than 30 feet. It is a low cost beautiful park not far from the beach plus gives you a beautiful place to be if you want to check out universal studios or other Southern CA attractions.
This will shape your kids. But they wont remember it the way you do, but they will remember. My kids have recall of a trip to hawaii and they were 3&4. They have a few vivid memories and other parts are vague.
Love the way you guys enjoy life!
Thank you for the kind words, we hope so 😊
Our three kids are all grown adults with children of their own. They loved and remembered our trips with them to cali,Arizona,fl,almost all 50 states and Ireland,Africa Europe. We remember them too as great times in our lives.
Just know they will remember and cherish it. Our son is almost 30 now and we have always traveled and made sure he went with us to make those memories. He still to this day talks about all the trips and things we have done over the last 30 years. My (Kelley) parents did the same thing with me we traveled all the time. When Bill and I got married because he as a kid had a single mom with 4 kids they never went on vacation. He said we will have at least 1 trip every year. That brought tears to my eyes listen to you talk cause I know what you mean. We want Maddy (our grand Daughter to have those memories too. We have our first trip planned with her next week. She is only 14 months old but it is never too young to start.
Videos like yours make me realize how much of my amazing state I still have to visit. Born and raised in San Francisco and now near Sacramento I haven’t been much further north.
You should!
Long travel days we usually look for a KOA. Especially when we have the grandkids. They can relax in the pool and have a great playground for them. The kids will definitely remember more than you think. They are having the best adventure.
Love watching y’all share the good, the rough and the tasty.
You two parents are teaching your children the importance of family. When they grow up and become parents themselves, they will have a solid foundation of love and parental skills most children never have. Good for you. Stay focus and move forward. Love all your videos.
Marissa's comment about trash and beach glass is such a metaphor for life. We can make such a mess of our lives but God can make something beautiful out of that mess! Love following your travels.
😀
I traveled with my 4 children. First a van then a 26 ft motor home. My oldest is now 48 and youngest 36. They all remember the fun and the craziness. I so so love watching you guys.👍💕🙏
That sea glass beach was so cool! Awesome scenery everywhere.
Just spent 6 days camping in Fort Bragg a couple weeks ago! Then 4 more days at Salt Point on Hwy 1. Mendocino Botanical Gardens, 10 mile bike ride on the bluffs, hiked the Ecological Staircase to the Pygmy Forest…
I think y’all are doing awesome (if not a little fast paced). Your relationship with your kids is unique, and they will be the better for it (despite the doubts that cross your mind otherwise)
Thank you so much.
After all these years you guys still have not lost the magic, if anything it's just gotten better and better. What a beautiful family.
Thank you so much.
Agreed!
Yes I agree you guys stress going And doing and driving all the time you need just a day of rest and enjoy where you’re at and then back at it. I enjoy all you do, enjoy your videos.
Yes! Thank you!
It's hard to express how thankful I am that my parents took our family on adventures that I will never forget, and that instilled in me the desire to do the same! I am fortunate that I grew up in the age where reservations were not needed, there was always a place to camp first come first served or a cabin, motel etc. available. Even so, your kids will have the love of adventure because of what you have given them, and that is a great blessing!
I love this!
@@LessJunkMoreJourney I was raised just North of Bodega Bay at Wrights beach. After 30yeasrs together my wife still dives into the taffy shop like a wolf on the hunt when we go back to visit my family. (MY faves are watermelon and banana)
. Spud point has the best fish and chips in my opinion as well.
The fog will chill you to the bone. Heddie Lemarr who had a summer home in Bodega and starred in Hitchcock's "The Birds" Heddie would chat with anyone and comment that the cold foggy days just gave her more of a reason to cherish the warm sunny ones.
One of the sweetest ladies ever.
I'm glad that you enjoyed your visit to my old stomping grounds.
Happy Trails
My Brothers and Sister and I are in our 60s and 70s and some of our favorite past stories to remember together are the amazing “camping” trips and “motel” trips that our Parents took us on in the 1950s, 1960s and even the 1970s. I see the same Joy in the Faces of your Family🤗.
We “Kids” have all continued to include “camping” and “traveling” with our
Families. Thank you, Mom and Dad❣️ We Love You❣️
PS. I’m the oldest and I have now inherited all of our 8mm films and video tapes. I just couldn’t let them go❣️
Thank you so much for sharing your Family and your life with all of us.
Love, Hugs and God bless you all💖💖💖💖 Cathy🦋
I spent a lot of time over the years at Doran, Bodega Bay and Bodega Headlands. If you want warmer weather usally fall is best. Summer is often cold and windy, windy, windy. My dad worked for the company that installed roads at Doran. The job lasted over a summer and he hated it because of the cold and the wind.
Thank you for sharing your adventure. Traveling can be tiring and hetic at times, yet rewarding. Blessings
You are in our 'home away from home'... We LOVE Hwy 1... and go over (5 hours) there atleast twice a year. There's nothing like that part of California. We usually stay outside of Ft Bragg. have walked all those beaches... so great... or we stay in Bodega Bay. The FOOD! (The Tides for sure!) The spectacular views... the peace and quiet! Hope you had wonderful memories!
We love watching your adventures and family.
Love watching your videos, you guys are so family oriented. Love how you guys put the kids first. You guys are awesome parents!
The only time that I traveled in an RV was when we moved from Connecticut to Florida when I was 10 years old. I don’t remember that much about it. We lived in an RV park for months while our home was being built. I have such a Wanderlust spirit now and love to watch your travels. Your family is so blessed!
Always be flexible, but book the popular spots ahead. A mix of the two is all that you can do. You can't make it to everything. Accept that you are exploring and just take it easy and enjoy the time that you are there.
I loved that KOA it looked nice seeing a place for the kids to play. I love how you both thing of the kids and family. And you both take the time and spend it with the kids. Glad you both are out there making memories for both Hensley and JJ. They will cherish these memories for sure.
Thanks so much
So smart to go south on 1. I didn’t even think about the turn outs and went north into Oregon. And, yes, I felt your exhaustion during the Lost Coast stretch. First time for me and I see no reason to do it again! What a marathon!
Thanks for featuring such a beautiful part of CA. I lived in Sonoma County and Napa Valley and I'm very familiar with Bodega, Jenner, Mendo, etc. I used to drive out there when I was feeling stressed. It's a special place. Enjoy!
Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love the 8mm feel with the fog and the shots of the family.. very nicely done Nathan. Decision fatigue ~ such a great point man, and very true!
S uch cool experiences, but lordie, so glad you were driving those curves ! I too would be hanging onto the "oh no bar".... , THANK YOU for sharing the realities of managing daily living full time.
Glad you enjoyed it, thank you.
Mom of 3 and we are on a mission to visit all our state parks. It’s a great way to start the journey. I do find that full hook ups do make life that much easier (no arguing about water) but dang we would miss so much. Definitely a balance.
Doran beach has so many family memories for us. We even have a table with a brass plate at the point honoring our parents who started the tradition of camping at Bodega Bay. It is usually windy at Doran.😊
Hi LJMJ!!! I have been a Fellow Journeyer for years! I left California and I am now in your neck of the woods, in Cookeville. Now I see first hand your hometown! It is very pretty here!!!! 💕. Love your channel! 💜
That is awesome! Welcome to Cookeville.
Some KOA parks I especially have liked: Flagstaff, AZ; Nashville, TN; and Forsythe, GA. Just ideas of places that are comfortable, have a nice setting or have a lot to do (Nashville is pricy but oh so convenient to the Opry Mills Mall, and has a lot of amenities).
Kids may not remember the moments when they were young. But they’ll take it in and those moments help turn them into the nature loving people they’ll become. I believe it’s more important to do what you’re doing when they’re as young as they are. They’re so impressionable but it’s a benefit in your case ❤️❤️
Ok, I did not know you all were here in my backyard. And now I am binge watching to catch up! And let me just say, as a native Californian in this area. As much as I love that crazy road on HWY 1, I don't know I would ever have the nerve to drive in the Bodega Bay/Jenner area in an RV. That is nuts to me! That takes some nerve and skill. Respect for pulling that off!
Thank you so much.
I'm sure the kids will remember the highlights of these adventures. This was a good video talking about pace. We took a long trip in June and after we got back I felt like we just went thru some places way too fast and didn't have enough flexibility to change things. Yellowstone and Glacier were both impacted so that put a downer on the other parts of the trip.
The journey goes on and on,superb as always. As I said in the short video,I collect sea glass, I was in a awh of it. Beautiful capture of Marissa looking out the window as the sun was setting, absolutely beautiful. "Glass may break, and never fix, but may shift in the sands of time forever more". Thanks for sharing.
I love your videos. Thank you for taking us with you on your journeys. All good points to keep in mind as you travel. Flexibility is so important without getting upset when need to change plans.
Love your honesty in all your videos. We aren’t full timers but we do struggle with pace, decisions…. Everything you talked about. Our two sons are now 28 & 30 and when we are together they have us laughing til our stomachs hurt about our camping adventures. You are giving your kids all of you, your undivided attention and that is a priceless gift.
Haha! Our fam has pooped at every park we’ve been to! I love you guys so much and your honesty about REAL life! Love your videos!
Thank you so much. 😀
Yes, our coast is very curvy. I always try to travel during the week so I don't feel so rushed. I also worry about holding people up. And I know what you mean about decision fatigue. That's a great name for it. I love Doran Beach and I'm heading up to Bodega Bay soon. Safe travels!
The sea glass is so cool I cant wait to go check it out
I have to say I really enjoyed your video. Kids are so honest about what their experiencing at the time. Your reaction and comment to one of your kids when they said they smelled something. Was just priceless. I laughed so hard. Because my kids are all grown and we had the same thing happen when they were that age. When they say stuff sometimes the timing is just either very good or you could say it's very bad. Just depends on your point of view. God bless
Thank you so much!
Funny, I was saying, "Gee, he sure talks with his hands alot."
(Takes one to know one...yep, guilty!)
Love you all! Thanks for showing us beautiful places and all the ups and (sinking) downs.
I can verify that about Anderson levels I'm parked in gravel in this campsite it's sank a little over time afer there's several rains so I finally just went and bought wood and had cut up hasn't moved at all!!🙏😁
Amazing that you can record these memories. In my youth I leaved in France and in 1958 went to the Worlds Fair was in Brussels, Belgium, I remember very little, I was 4 years old, but my folks took pictures and those picture help me to remember.
Glad to see you visit my home area, such a small world we live in. So often I take for granted how beautiful the North Bay is.
I've loved your last couple of episodes, talking about the reality of family life off-camera. Sometimes I've looked at your life with envy, knowing I couldn't do what you are doing with my son's needs & personality combined with my patience level. It's reassuring to hear it's hard for you guys too sometimes. I hope we get there too someday!
Wow, thank you!
KOA for kids is awesome . We used them when our kids were young. A busy kid is a happy kid
We have traveled extensively with our kids over the years and they would be watching something with their friends and they'd say "we've been there", and "we've been there and done that" and their friends would be like "is there any place you haven't been?" Our kids have soo many fond memories of travels all over the the US.
We simply loved Glass Beach! I will say that my parents started us traveling early and, while not all of us caught the "bug", most of us did. And you guys have the videos to share with the kids as they get older...great way to preserve the memories! Our 21 year old, who think us being UA-camrs is just insane at our age, says that he loves that he'll have the videos of us for forever. So, even if they don't really remember being there and doing that, they will have the vids to refresh their memories. And Patrick's Taffy is a family tradition! YAY!
Yea, you went Doran! We camp there probably 4 times a year. Beautiful there from October through December, very little wind. Thanks for sharing!
glass beach was one of my favorite finds when traveling North 1978.
Decision Overload Stress Disorder. 😂 😆 😂 DOSD The struggle is real. I Solo travel and suffer from it too. Can't imagine doing it for 4 people
We call it the Oh Sh** handle. I'm sure you keep it clean for the kiddos. Love all your videos.
Yes! Thank you!
Your pace is a lot different than ours. We would go to a destination and stay for ba couple of weeks (at least) before we would move on to our next stop. My wife's pace was even a lot slower than mine. Example, when I am in a national park, I want to see a lot of the park before I move on. I used to say that I put in all the time and effort to get here, therefore let us see all that we want of what this place has to offer before we rush on. I used to say that rushing in and out of special places is like taking two bites of the appetizer and saying I have eaten at the restaurant. It is important to know your pace and do not let others push you to conform to theirs!!
They’ll remember. It may not seem like it when they are in their Teens, but the seeds you are planting now will spout later… We spent most of last summer on the North Coast. Wonderful spots. We’ve stayed at several places around Bodega Bay including Wright’s Beach and Bodega RV Park on our first RV trip when we rented prior to purchase. We prefer going south to north on Hwy 1 because you’re away from the cliff most of the time. Safe travels!
Amazing mixture in your adventures! Nice shot of your sweetheart, Nathan, she’s a beaut’, a real keeper. Blessings on your journeys. I have loved your hearts and family. Keep going!!
Thank you ❤️
We do have some of the most epic coastlines 🥰 Safe Travels guy's 💙
We live in Cali and when we go to the beach with my boyfriends family Doran beach is where we go. My 10 year old son loves the taffy place. Its usually windy there, I think I’ve only been there once without wind. We usually just go there for the day use area. They have the outdoor showers and bathrooms which is great when you have kids. You also don’t have to worry about big waves with the kids as it’s in a cove.
Great advice! Thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful!
Oh wow, first time I caught you not a week later. Enjoy your travels and time together. Adorable family!
Good video! You’re right! Setting up and tearing down every other night over several weeks will get tiring. A few days in one place is needed to recharge. I did my first extended trip last year and was on the road for 3 months. I went from California to Virginia and back. When I wasn’t mooch docking I stayed in RV parks. I have a Thousand Trails membership with the trails. Collection which gives me over 200 parks. I stayed in commercial parks 5 to 10 nights during the entire trip. Needless to say the expense for park fees was minimal. I’ve been one of those bicycle tourist on the Pacific Coast Highway.
Hey Fellow journeyers I am so glad you guys got to stay in Fort Bragg at mackerricher state park and got to see glass beach as well and also stayed at Doran Beach in Bodega Bay as well my twwo most favorite places on the ocean here in California my home state. Hopefully I will get to meet you guys someday!
That was one of the best and most honest videos....that why we love team journey.
Thank you so much.
What a great trip on the west Coast!. Hopefully you drove over to the Benbow inn and walked in. Just beautiful for sure. The 101 from Legget to Fort Bragg is a slow one. Mackerricher State park has always been a favorite of our Family along with Mendocino Headlands. The wife and i were just in Bodega Bay the last two nights. Lucas Warf, Tides and Spud point are awesome. Still following you guys for years. Be safe and have fun.
A very beautiful part of the country We did it in our 37' 5th wheel full size Dodge ram truck We did North and we did South
What fun adventure! So enjoyed your meal comparisons. I think your so smart to remind us to rest. Thanks for the adventures 🖖🏻😘👍🏻🙏🏻
Thanks for the song! I hadn’t heard it before. Btw I lived near bodega bay for 10 years. It’s a beautiful place. Sausalito has a great children museum and the academy of science in SF is fabulous if you get a chance to take the kids.
The pace of the journey can change as you get older. At 74 I find that one day of travel and two days to rest and unwind. A couple of years ago it was travel and a day of rest. On weekends we try to get to a place on Thursday and stay till Monday. Find it's a lot easier to find a place. We try to leave plenty time to get to a place so we don't have an accident because of being over tired.
So beautiful. North to South was a great choice .
Instant coffee...I'm guilty ..
It's cool to be not cool as long as you get your CAFFEINE!!
Are you finding any "Disk-Golfing" courses along the way?
I pray you find your balanced pace.
This is our home... you should have left Bodega and come right through our home town of Petaluma ... enjoying your trip! Stay safe and enjoy our California.
Love the addition of music to your recent videos. Thx for sharing Safe travels. Went in San Antonio stop by
Watching you both with the kids is awesome. Love your parenting style.
This video was in our home state and we have visited most of the places you went to.
But it also gave us places to go. #clamchowder
The production quality of this video was also spectacular. 👍👍
Keep up the great work.
Love ya all.
Tim and Bev
We just arrived back in the states from being in Alberta for 4 weeks while we enjoyed the Stampede, Banff and Jasper. While in Calgary we were told the next morning that we were suppose to leave even though they told us we could stay three nights. We tell people we plan our calendar in pencil and God has the eraser.
That is a good one.
Sounds like a life lesson.......remember different seasons of life require a different pace. Knowing that ahead of time might help you avoid trying to push thru instead of yielding. Decision fatigue is so real. Just lost our house of 30 yrs to a fire-I’ve become a pro at recognizing decision fatigue! Btw, that hand thing is Nathan sign language for overlap!
Thank you.
Decision fatigue, oh yes, my new go to saying when traveling, so much understand that
We always camped and had motor homes and we stayed at KOA or Good Sam club, top places to stay.
Your kids don’t know it yet, but by being full-time, you are giving them an opportunity that most people will never have. The sights and education the get from traveling can’t be taught in books. They will look back at the time they spent traveling with fondness. In addition, and probably even more importantly, I believe the family bond you are developing with your kids is something that is difficult to achieve living the “normal” hectic life that draws your attention away from your family, at least that’s my thoughts. You very blessed Nathan with such a beautiful family. I’ve finally convinced my wife to quit working at the end of the year, at which time we hope to buy a rig and travel the country. We’ll start with 2-3 months at a time and see where that takes us. Hopefully we’ll see you on the road in the future, if not driving through California where we live. California is such a beautiful state, too bad the politics here suck.
We would love to cross paths!
The 101 is awesome, currently I'm north of Lincoln city Oregon. Did 3 trips down the 101 last year Washington Oregon and Down to central California, totally a 45 mile an hour road
This was so good and really interesting. Thanks for keeping it real. That’s what keeps me watching. You are a real family sharing with us what it’s really like to live full time in an RV. I’m sticks and bricks grandma in Canada and I think you’re an amazing family. Much love❤️🇨🇦
4 years ago my husband and I and 2 of his brothers took Hwy 1-101 from Morro Rock to Fort Bragg in one day on motorcycles. We didn't think that 400 miles was too much to do in one day. 12 exhausted hours later at 10 pm....half frozen, in July, we made it to our hotel. The Hwy 1 needs to be done in super small chunks. It is exhausting to travel this road due to the sharp turns, up and down changes in the road and traffic on the road. Crazy stressful!
the KOA in Great Falls ,Montana is quite possibly the neatest one i've ever stayed in. has a nature trail that loops back into the campground.
Paused the video to let you know they will always remember these trips. I can still recall (at the age of 60) the first trip we took when I was 3 to the Smokie Mountains, the trip to the Porcupine Mountains in the UP, and my family's trip out west. They are near and very dear to my heart.
You're going on dramamine drive. Once you're on it you'll know why they call it that. We love Bodega Bay. The northern Cali coast is the best. McKerricker is the first big ocean camping trip we took our kids on, 30 + yrs ago. We hope you get to Brookings, Oregon. Our fav.
Now it's momma's time going solo 🤞🙏
Fort Bragg is my Happy Place!!! Hope you loved it!!
It is amazing!
It is so weird to hear you describe so many things that I just grew up with as normal. You all did miss an opportunity to do some clamming and make some epic clam chowder though. So, I lived six miles from Jenner by the Sea, in the redwood forest. Bodega Bay was just a few more miles away. Somebody screwed up on one of those epic curves, came into my driveway and totaled my pickup truck that was just parked. I had just paid it off the week before. I have been gone for a few years (living in Georgia), but I'm going to get my RV and start to travel and head out to the Redwoods again and buy some acreage and build a new cabin in the woods to live in. The part time RV from that point on.
Beautiful
Thank you
I don’t know how far in advance you film, but further south, Montana de Oro State Park is a beautiful spot to camp with amazing tide pools. Highly recommend when you get down to So Cal. I live in Reno and we love Mendocino! We try to camp there once a year… and we used to camp at Bodega Bay all the time when I was a kid. My dad used to dive for abalone there. Have an amazing trip!
Thanks for the tips!
Pacing your travels is a hard and sometimes painful lesson every RVer learns. We’re in our 60’s and we forget at tines that we’re NOT in our 30’s-40’s.
As a Californian, when someone asks how far something is, I've always answered in time not miles. (Unless someone asks specifically). It takes into account terrain, traffic, roadwork etc. I don't even really know the mileage to places I visit, just how long it usually takes me to get there. Driving can be stressful esp if you're not familiar w the area. I scour maps beforehand to make sure my navigation system doesn't try to take me somewhere I don't want to go. (It does happen) Love the areas you are visiting. Looking forward to more adventures 😀
So true. We live in So Cal
Totally agree! Miles means nothing here!
Great video, I live in Northern California and you have seen way more than me. Loving the class C videos.
Decision fatigue… we also use the term analysis paralysis.
Yes
In my book red clam chowder doesn't even really qualify as clam chowder, but that's my book and I know it's not everyone's. Yes I'm sure that the pace can get really tiring. It's one of the reasons I can't "vacation" with one of my sisters. She's an event planner and she plans every minute of every day and it drives me nuts. That's it for me this week. Keep the good stuff coming guys and give the kids a hug for me.
First of all, your kids WILL remember. My family camped in a tent all over the country when I was young. My kids camped in a tent when they were little. We are still camping after retirement, but I totally understand the scheduling dilemma. I thought going from a fifth wheel to a van would mean we can go farther faster. That is somewhat true, but we are still trying to work out the appropriate pace. We go for anywhere from two weeks to 6 weeks…not full time. So how much should you plan? It’s against my nature to just wing it, but I’m trying….at least a little. Really enjoying your adventures. Keep it up!
EPIC EPIC !!! That used to be our vacation area, when we lived in SJ and Sacramento. Mendocino is so amazing!
We we bought our trailer we went out of our way (drove to Michigan) to get a good RV that was only 7.5' wide instead of ~8.5 because of all those narrow twisty roads along Hwy 1.
We honeymooned there, and had a great B&B we used to visit up until we got our trailer. Our area up on the hills above Portland here has very similar weather.
Hope you are going all the way to at least Astoria Oregon. Some epic sights along the way. All through N. Cal. and Oregon is wonderful coastline - kinda peters out in WA. though.
==== BTW - we've always called those vehicle handles "SCREAM Handles".
When I was first legally driving (was driving on the farm since about age 10) my Mom would hold onto it for dear life.
Not long after I was licensed we were driving in a drenching rain in our little VW and approaching a signal light at about 45-55 mph.
I'm just entering the intersection and she lets out a blood-curdling scream! My foot instinctively almost bangs the brake pedal through the floor.
The car goes into a spin into the intersection as I am looking to figure out what she was screaming about. What am I about to hit. Nothing there.
Thankfully - I was able to keep the spin going straight through a full 360 and recover going straight ahead without flipping or hitting anything - not even scuffing the tires.
She screamed because as we were entering the intersection the light had turned yellow. Oh MY !!! She was one to always overreact -- but wow..
I learned after that to basically IGNORE any passenger screams -- and have always called them scream handles ever since.
Enjoying your VERY WELL edited travel logs.
Finally putting videos up again on our Relentless Homesteading channel - but ours are about getting prepared for what's ahead.
Recent series on how Water drives emergency preparation.
Have safe travels.
RH
Thank you for taking us along and especially back to Glass Beach for me. I can't wait to get back to Mendocino/Elk & glass beach in our 2018 Airstream Classic 33FB. Or maybe we'll park Stella & Wally and rent a Winnie~ hugs from Charleston SC (GREAT VLOG !)
Have you tried putting the Andersen’s on those square ones you are using? The Andersen’s probably won’t sink then, kinda like a snowshoe effect. Great video! Really enjoying this trip.
Thanks for the tip!
If you're in the Eureka area..... Gills By The Bay is a great place for clam chowder!! Off Hwy 101 at King Salmon Ave turnoff. Go west till you see it... or just ask ANYONE! THEY'LL KNOW!
By now you might be well past it, but if not, or for a future trip, I recommend checking out Malibu state park, so long as the RV is less than 30 feet. It is a low cost beautiful park not far from the beach plus gives you a beautiful place to be if you want to check out universal studios or other Southern CA attractions.
I went there. It is divine. Yes, did pick up a few pieces. 😰
I lived in Fairfax at the time. Probably was a weekend trip.