Living In Beauty: Recent Episodes

Carmen and Jim Beaubeaux

Full-time RV Travel with Carmen and Jim Beaubeaux. This is the podcast version of our blog posts on www.LivingInBeauty.net.

What took us so long to BRP?

Well before before Day One of this Airstream adventure – in response to one of our earliest posts, Tell The Beaubeauxs Where To Geaux – Living in Beauty followers have advised us to visit the BRP: Blue Ridge Parkway.

Then, for more than seven years, we drove over the BRP, under the BRP and around the BRP, until... Bingo. We finally hit the target and gave the Blue Ridge Parkway the full focus of our attention for the entire month of July.

At last, we understand why the popular Blue Ridge Parkway is called “America’s Favorite Drive."

Don't ask if we saw this or that, just ask us how it made us feel to be there.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a vacation for the senses, a re-boot for the ol' neurotransmitters–

The post Sweet Surrender🪽The Blue Ridge Parkway appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Dad was born in 1919 into a Louisiana factory-working family who barely made ends meet. He joined the navy on his 18th birthday.

Back in the 1950's and 60's, a kid could run loose in Louisiana while visiting relatives throughout the state. Even in New Orleans, I was allowed to go anywhere I wanted except Bourbon Street because my Aunt Marie said, "You stay outta dat mess young man!"

A few years ago while passing through Louisiana after a major storm, we pinned Lake Charles on the Living in Beauty list of places we like to explore. Even in that beat up condition, the region peaked our curiosity.

Our research turned up Sam Houston Jones State Park.

The post Campground Review: Sam Houston Jones State Park – Lake Charles, Louisiana appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Henry Louis Gates Jr. calls Montgomery, Alabama, "The Epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement" in his book, The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song.

In 1955, Martin Luther King Jr. was the pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery when, Rosa Parks , just down the street, refused to surrender her seat on the bus to a white passenger.

Rosa Parks bravery – in response to the brutal murder of Emmett Till three months' earlier – activated the Civil Rights Movement.

With so much to learn and see in the Montgomery area, we easily filled two weeks with sightseeing, museums, restaurants and lectures.

Here we will share our visits to The Legacy Museum, National Memorial for Peace and Justice, Rosa Parks Museum, Freedom Rides Museum, Civil Rights Memorial and Center, Selma's Edmund Pettus Bridge, the Capitol Building, and the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site.

The post Civil Rights Trail – Chapter Six: Montgomery, Alabama – The Epicenter of The Movement appeared first on Living In Beauty.

We recently shared the post, The Magic of Number Nine, our completion of 8 years of full-time travel and the start of our 9th year.

Today is another milestone: 3,000 days on the road, as we live in Beauty.

This big day conjuncts with my 70th birthday. Yep, I've hit the big seven-o today, October 4th!

How has traveling 3,000 days changed us?

Click the "Continue Reading" button below to read about our renewed faith in humanity, respect for culture, admiration of the landscape, and appreciation for American languages and dialects.

The post 3,000 Days on the Road appeared first on Living In Beauty.

We could be in New Orleans right now.

Journaling our travels is like a two-fer. First, we get to go there, and later while creating the blog, we kind of get to go there again to say a proper goodbye.

But, whenever we think about New Orleans, it's not about closure, it's about planning our next stay.

Something keeps calling us back to The Big Easy. Each time we return we feel more like locals with a better understanding and appreciation for the cuisine, the music, and the most unique cultural history in America.

The post Civil Rights Trail – Chapter 5: New Orleans appeared first on Living In Beauty.

We're here! We're ok!

You haven't heard from us in a while, but that's because we've been out adventuring. Oh boy, have we been adventuring – but more about that later.

For the next few ... however long it takes ... I will be handling the blog solo. That's right, Living in Beauty will be the "Jim Show" until Carmen writes a first draft of her screenplay.

Living in Beauty isn't just sun-kissed scampering these days.

We've been busy. Beauty is serving as Carmen's writing retreat and my comfort station following a short stint as a camp host.

As we age, we don't want to lose the feeling that every day is a deeper plunge into beauty in every color and dimension, for as far as the eye can see ...

The post Olly Olly Oxen Free appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Today we start our 9th year traveling full-time in our 2001 30' Airstream.

Grooving on numbers and designing colorful infographics based on analysis is my thing – not so much for Carmen. Every Living in Beauty Anniversary, she steps aside as I release the pretty shiny numbers.

Even if you don't like numbers, you can depend on them. I mean it doesn't seem that long ago since we left Fiddler's Cove on a beautiful summer day in 2016 ...

.. and here we are, still Out There in 2024, wrapping up 8 years of freedom of movement, living wherever we want whenever we want. A lifestyle widely known as "Living The Dream," which we call Living in Beauty.

We're looking forward to a fantastic and adventurous, yet slower and more immersive 9th year. But, today, we're looking back at what we've already experienced in our first 8 years of full-time travel.

The post The Magic of Number Nine appeared first on Living In Beauty.

"What's the most amazing place you've ever seen?"

We're asked this question so often we should print the answer on our t-shirts.

We always respond with something impressive: "The Canadian Rockies," "Autumn in Vermont," "Yukon," "Denali," "The Outer Banks," "The Upper Peninsula," or "Canyonlands!" And, with all sincerity, any one (or every single one) of those responses is true.

But, in the course of a passing conversation, it's way too blunt to surrender the most complete and truthful answer: "The most amazing place on Earth is ... right here, right now."

If nature can explain the universe and our place in it, then Cane Creek Park served us well for our two week maximum stay.

The post Campground Review: Cane Creek Park, Waxhaw, North Carolina appeared first on Living In Beauty.

In honor of the upcoming Juneteenth National Independence Day, we are publishing our latest blog post on our Civil Rights Trail journey in the deep South.

As we drove north toward Mound Bayou, on our way to the King Biscuit Blues Festival, we expected to visit a Museum, but we soon discovered that the entire town is a museum.

If you've ever heard of Mound Bayou, then you are the exception.

Former slaves, left to their own resources, built a city that actually thrived all the way into the Civil Rights era... in Mississippi.

Mound Bayou is a remarkable story of Brothers – the Davis brothers and the Montgomery brothers, who knew each other almost intimately, whose children played together and studied together, yet shared nothing in common as they worked side-by-side to opposite ends.

This is a story for our time.

The post Civil Rights Trail – Chapter Four: Mound Bayou, Mississippi appeared first on Living In Beauty.

"So, what's it like to live in an Airstream?"

The answer to that question changes about every two weeks.

The short answer is, "It's magical."

We just released a short documentary about living in Beauty, pursuing moments that add up to dreams.

The post A Day in Beauty appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Merging onto The Blues Trail from the Civil Rights Trail and the Emmett Till Memorial was effortless, and necessary.

We've heard that when life gets heavy, The Blues can soothe woes.

It was almost Opening Day of the annual Clarksdale Juke Joint Festival, and we needed to blow off some steam.

The post Civil Rights Trail – Chapter Three: Juke Joint Festival – Clarksdale, Mississippi appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Our Civil Rights Trail tour began with the Emmett Till Memorial – a good place to start, for several reasons.

First, the murder of Emmett Till launched the Civil Rights movement.

Second, our destination for the night, The Emmett Till Intrepid Center was a scenic Sunday drive from Dad's house in Decatur, Mississippi.

Third, it was Spring – the most beautiful season in Mississippi – when it is customary to reflect on new beginnings, redemption, and reconciliation – these are ideal conditions to immerse in the life-and-death story of Emmett Till.

The post Civil Rights Trail – Chapter Two: Emmett Till appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Every year of Living in Beauty is memorable and different.

Some years are spectacular and adventurous from start to finish.

Other years are simply focused on relaxing color and scenery, or romance and celebration.

Spring, Summer, and Autumn '23 on The Civil Rights Trail with side trips through The Great Smoky Mountains and The Blue Ridge was definitely our happiest year on the road.

I understand if you think I misspoke. How on earth can nine months of immersion into the story of a people's bloody struggle to restore and maintain their lives, dignity, faith, and patriotism, against all odds, be a happy thing?

Honestly, we're still trying to figure that out.

The post Civil Rights Trail – Chapter One: Introduction appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Pitching a tent on Christmas Eve under the stars is an old tradition we picked up from a family of refugees.

You’ve heard the story.

In a time of war and occupation – a man and his pregnant wife – are forced to travel long-distance on foot to register. Arriving to their destination the woman falls into labor and every room in the city is occupied. Giving birth in the street is not an option because cars haven’t been invented yet. Seeing their distress, a lovely hotel manager says, “Don’t worry, be happy” and directs the refugees to a nearby stable.

It’s an old story we see playing out every day as people are caught up or drawn into miserable situations. But dwelling on the socio-political details behind the holy-family’s hardships – and without looking further than the obvious religious message – misses the key point which is: Eventually, everything’s gonna be alright.

Celebrating our 8th Christmas traveling full-time, we share a message of joy and peace with you, our followers.

The post 8 Christmases in Beauty appeared first on Living In Beauty.

"When we first started out, it was a very good beer.
It was a very good beer for nomadic types
On soft summer nights.
We’d try specialty flights
paired with pub food bites,
In our very First Year."
- Adapted from Frank Sinatra's "It was a Very Good Year"

We brake for microbreweries.

Locally owned breweries are a safe place to enjoy the ancient elixir and make new friends.

The neighborhood brewery is an unofficial visitor information center. Most are owned and operated by long-term residents who name the brews after the local lore, claims to fame and natural wonders.

People love to talk about their hometown - especially over a beer.

Over a beer, people are more likely to open up and share their deepest insider secrets about the best places to see, eat and shop.

Here is a list and photos of the 259 breweries we have visited since we started traveling full-time in July 2016.

The post It Was A Very Good Beer appeared first on Living In Beauty.

When passing through, some places are too beautiful to leave ... so, sometimes we stay.

Thanks to Harvest Hosts – a membership club for complimentary overnight camping based on a European model – RV travel is experiencing a resurgence of hospitality not seen since the bygone era of the American Auto Park of the 1920's-to-50's.

Resourceful Americans are catching onto the advantage of mobility, prying loose from residential stagnation and the housing crisis to reclaim the open road.

That's why safe, legal and beautiful RV parking is in high demand.

Harvest Hosts, modeled on the ancient system of mutually beneficial commerce, is like a secret portal to adventure.

The post Harvest Hosts – One Night Delights appeared first on Living In Beauty.

There are two campgrounds near downtown San Diego where we love to stay. One is the private luxury resort, Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay, and the other is an inland county campground, Sweetwater Summit Regional Park.

These two RV parks are as different as Cape Cod and Big Bend. That's largely due to the chameleonic character of San Diego where the scenery changes about every five miles. One park is on San Diego Bay and the other is inland, at the foot of Mother Miguel Mountain on The Sweetwater River.

The Sweetwater Summit Regional Park and Campground is set within nearly 1,000 acres of Sweetwater Valley on permanently preserved open space, surrounded by a metropolitan area.

This Campground is a gold nugget for RVers looking for scenic, tranquil, private and clean no-hassle accommodations with easy freeway access to downtown San Diego.

The post Campground Review – Sweetwater Summit, Bonita, California appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Most tourists take two weeks to see Alaska. That's a mind-bender for we slow travel enthusiasts.

From down here in the lower 48 – as we look back on our 246 day trek with two-months in Alaska – it all seems like a whirlwind two-week expedition. Where did the time go? Is Alaska's mysterious energy threshold a portal to another dimension? Or was it all a dream?

Of course, Alaska is really up there, I know ... because I found the notes we we took, the notes I wish someone had shared with us before we set out.

So, here is our open book of the details – things we learned which you may find interesting, or even serve you as you plan your own unique overland adventure to the 49th State.

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Final Chapter: Lessons Learned appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Our Alaska overland adventure, beginning in San Diego, had finally come to an end - but endings don't come fast in Alaska. The adventure isn't really over until you reach the lower 48, almost 2,000 miles away.

It's like that time you hiked up to Half Dome and looked down into the valley from the summit and realized you were only halfway home and it was getting dark. It felt like the finish line kept moving farther and farther away. This part of the trip would be a push.

Weather predictions of snow and rough weather snapped the whip. We gave ourselves ten days. With plenty of sleep and down time, we should make it back safely.

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 20: South to the Lower 48 appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Hi, this is Jim with the annual report.

I will be brief and to the point.

Today, we wrap up our 7th year of full-time travel.

Tomorrow we enter our 8th year on the road.

It's been an amazing 7 years.

You, our 8,535 followers, guide us, discover and rediscover with us. So, we want to say thank you for being a part of this journey.

Click "Read more this post" for the details.

The post Launching Year 8! appeared first on Living In Beauty.

If we were young, we'd probably sugar-sprinkle our Alaska exit saying, "We'll be back."

But as we pulled out of Chena Hot Springs we weren't whipping up any comeback sauce.

We knew the score.

There would be no reprise of our Alaska overland tour.

We had a wonderful adventure, but the floods, fires, rain, and bad roads wore us out.

We were tired.

The time had come to find a dignified exit while dealing with the fact that Alaska won't miss us at all.

The scenery on our four-day, 686-mile journey toward Haines was agonizingly beautiful.

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 19: Tok to Haines appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Alaska's growing season may be short, but the flowers are worth the wait.

Fanciful late summer plumage soothed our nerves as our frontal lobes surged with executive processes.

We were playing Russian roulette with the weather.

It was almost September, and we had yet to complete our sightseeing goals. Cooler weather had chased off the bugs, but every morning we cautiously inspected the mountains for signs of Termination Dust.

We were lonely tourists. Daylight hours had shortened and campgrounds were preparing to close for the season.

Yet, here we were, juggling the details of nomadic life in a strange land as we continued, Northbound.

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 18: North Pole to Chena Hot Springs appeared first on Living In Beauty.

We are all born with a mountain in our heart.

Call it passion, ambition or soul – this mountain compels us to rise.

Even before taking first steps, your tiny arms stretch toward something in the far distance.

This mountain of longing is not in your imagination. It's bigger than that.

You can't always see it but you know it's there.

You see the signs.

The mountain is a comfort.

It's your pivot point, your base camp.

Read more about our visit to the highest mountain in North America... Denali.

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 17: Denali appeared first on Living In Beauty.

After a full year of preparation and months of travel, Alaska was almost finished. For us, at least.

In Victoria, we left summer comforts behind for a solo North Country expedition. Due to our age and the physical demands of the journey, we knew this would be our first and last road trip to this latitude.

If you're following our story you know this journey is not a piece o'cake. Nevertheless, the pullouts are full of Olive Garden patrons – some on motorcycles, some with walkers – and they're not coming all this way for The Bingo Trail.

Neither old age or the Alaska highway is for sissies. But, all things considered, viewing glaciers from inside a warm and cozy RV helps you to forget about Volkswagen sized pot-holes, wet weather and limp imported lettuce.

It truly is The Great American road trip.

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 16: Whittier to Talkeetna appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Atmosphere is way over our heads.

We can't tell a cirrocumulus from a stratus, but we know what we like. A good cloud show is a thing to behold.

I was hooked from the moment Mama first laid me down outside on a blanket, face up.

In Alaska, the sky is the Greatest Show on Earth, and clouds are the elephant parade, dominating every scene.

Beauty and The Beast is like a cloud passing through, trailing a silver lining.

In Alaska, the drive is the destination.

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 15: Kenai Peninsula appeared first on Living In Beauty.

It was time to come clean.

Pulling out of Valdez, heading toward Anchorage (in the rain, as always) my sore tooth throbbed to the rhythm of the windshield wipers.

“I have a toothache.”

The rig swerved slightly on the wet road as Jim turned to look at me.

“How bad?” he asked.

“Pretty bad. Root canal bad, feels like.”

“Since when?”

“I almost told you in Dawson City so we could turn around and go back to Whitehorse, but then I remembered the fires closed the road.”

“So, you’re in pain all this time?”

“Well, you know …”

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 14: Glacier View to Anchorage appeared first on Living In Beauty.

She always said it in threes, with a soft Italian accent, “Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.” First, she’d gasp, Ah!,” and then slowly, “Bee-yoo-tee-fuuul, …" with a little squeak on the yoo part.

Forty years ago, I figured her for a centenarian, but looking back from the mature side of my life, she was probably an healthy seventy-five to eighty-year-old.

She wore sturdy shoes and a thick black coat which even on hot days was buttoned up to the neck. Her corneas ran low on blue, yet her vision was sharp and her movements spry. Every day, around mid-morning, she walked into our bookstore and went directly for the spinning wire rack of scenic photographic cards.

We called her The Beautiful Lady.

I think about The Beautiful Lady as we travel with Beauty and The Beast, our Airstream travel trailer and Ram truck. Like the cards in the rack, most places we visit are curated – selected, protected. Designated, beautiful.

The post Beautiful World, Beautiful Country, Beautiful Life appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Alaska, land of myth and mystery.

It's Shangri–la, Xanadu and Tír na nÓg.

It's Through the Looking Glass ...

Where The Crawdads Sing,

The Fortress of Solitude,

and Beyond The Wall.

Before the cruise ships found it, getting to Alaska was a heroes journey of purpose and destiny – a trek that required talent, experience and superior genes.

Getting there and back is like dancing on stairs.

Romanticize Alaska and she will break your heart. Idealize her and she will out you as a fool.

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 13: Tok to Valdez appeared first on Living In Beauty.

"You are a catastrophist."

Ruth, my editor friend, wearing a "I am silently correcting your grammar" T-shirt, captured and labeled me with the benign efficiency of a seasoned naturalist before tightening the lid on a killing jar.

She's good! Touché, shoe-fits, call'm-like-ya-see 'em.

I accept the characterization. In fact it's my favorite emoji 😱

If you're dead set on eating sushi from a food truck, walking and texting while crossing the road, or planning a drive to Alaska, I will pray for your welfare, but do not mistake me and Jim for influencers.

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 12: Top of the World Highway to Chicken, Alaska appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Long dusty roads.

Midnight sun.

Thick wildfire smoke.

Rivers rising to the breaking point.

Cell signal outages.

Moose crash hot zones.

Every morning we untangled our weary bones from the mosquito net ...

to resume the ongoing discussion, "Should we turn back?"

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 11: Yukon appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Overwhelmed with after-school hunger, I stuck my finger into the contents of the electric mixer and landed on the other side of the kitchen, suffering shock by mashed potatoes.

Stunned, I lay on the floor, hoping the surge from the ungrounded mixer would manifest my body with super powers.

Fifty-five years later a similar thing happened when our investment advisor pitched the idea of early retirement in an RV.

The jolt of enlightenment didn’t send me flying across the room, but every nerve stood at attention as synapses fired warning shots across my frontal lobe. Emergent powers rushed to the surface.

Our money man had opened up a path we'd never seen. Could the house-free, financially independent, border-blind, semi-retired, mobile American life be the retirement-hack we'd been longing for? Open-ended camping with no scheduled return date. What do you even call that?

Forever Camping!

The post Rx: Forever Camping appeared first on Living In Beauty.

The Alaska Highway was born to be a military supply route but it grew up to be a story-teller.

This unforeseen attribute – like an E-ticket ride at Disneyland – had us riveted from Mile-0.

Built for war, this 1,187 mile (1,910 km) road opened to the public in 1948. Since then, driving to Alaska is a surefire epochal adventure for any traveller who is up for a dense narrative with beaucoup twists and turns.

Every overlander comes away with a unique life-altering experience, but not always the one they intended.

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 10: The Alaska Highway appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Pop!

We both heard it, the sound of someone opening a bottle of bubbly in the next hotel room. But we were not in a hotel. We were driving the Beast up a scorched highway in the Mojave desert with Beauty in tow.

"Blowout! Pull over!," I shouted.

Jim slowed down, activated the emergency lights and showed back, “There’s no room!”

The post Blips and Bubbles appeared first on Living In Beauty.

The beauty of driving overland to Alaska is getting there.

Like Heaven Tramps tripping along from glory to glory, each new leg of the journey prepared us for the next pearly gate.

I once saw this ad: "Seventh Heaven Travel - because the urge to go to a better place is older than Moses." The lively brochure went on to explain that heavens 1 to 6 aren't chopped liver either.

We traveled north through British Columbia crossing over land and sea from one sublime realm to another saying, "Pinch me," at every turn.

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 9: Victoria to Mackenzie appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Hello, Victoria

Transported by ferry across the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Port Angeles, we arrived to Inner Harbor within 90 minutes.

While waiting in line at Customs, I called my sister, Deborah, who reminded me of her honeymoon road trip from San Diego to Victoria with film star, David Miller in 1975.

"Pardon me if it slipped my mind, but you do realize that was almost fifty years ago," I said. Then, I asked her what we should do in Victoria. "Ride the ferries to the islands," she suggested.

Then, all pumped up for the usual Canada wave through, we donned our masks as instructed and pulled up to the inspection kiosk.

Why did Living in Beauty cross the Strait of Juan de Fuca?

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 8: Victoria, British Columbia appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Today we are celebrating our 6th "On-the-Road" Anniversary (2,191 days).

Tomorrow starts our 7th year.

Journeying overland to Alaska at our own pace, taking side-roads, detours, and changing plans as we go along, would be a disaster without our magic-kit of digital resources.

RVing for recreation, and the Forever Camping lifestyle are experiencing a renaissance. National, State, County, and City Parks are updating their reservation tools and camping resources. Travel apps are being introduced at an astounding rate.

Ever since we set out in July 2016, Living in Beauty followers ask us:

"How do you pick your locations and what websites and Apps do you use?"

As our Thank You to our followers and friends we are opening up our magic kit of digital trip-planning strategies. We believe in sharing. Everyone deserves to be Out There. So, voila …

The Living in Beauty Bag o' Tricks

The post Rver’s Bag o’ Tricks appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Captain Kirk or Jean Luke Picard? Vienna Sausages or Spam? Alligator or Bear attack? Lively debate eases the frustration of road closures, detours and delays due to flooding and wildfires as we journey to Alaska.

It's a silly mental exercise, but the conversation shortens the drive and relaxes Pico. Disney World or a hot air balloon ride? The Loneliest Highway or Route 66? The Odd Couple or The Mary Tyler Moore Show?

Respect your opponent – no falsities or absurdities – hold your position even if assigned by coin toss. Next topic is winner's choice. Our minds work in opposition so the game is about discovery not entrenching differences. There are no wrong answers, but some are better than others.

The Strait of Juan de Fuca was fake news, its existence shrouded in mystery for 200 years. Of course, it was there the whole time.

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 7: The Strait of Juan de Fuca – South Shore appeared first on Living In Beauty.

As we move north toward Alaska, we never know what we will be up against. Conditions are rarely what the guides project.

Currently, we are dealing with flooded campgrounds due to the early Spring melt. Entering southern Oregon in early March, we were prepared for harsh weather but not the thrashing we took.

The Oregon coast drew us in from California and spewed us out upon Washington, our bones stripped clean of any ideation that this wild, romantic land was ever intended for mere men.

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 6: The Oregon Coast appeared first on Living In Beauty.

The dream of going to Alaska is almost instinctual, a kind of migration that is reborn within each new generation.

My folks made the drive without a cell phone. Using public pay phones they checked in once a week from Out There.

Now, with the Canadian border reopened after a two-year closure, we expect to share the Alcan Highway with a record-breaking number of senior retirees, their RV's packed tight with puffy coats, woolen underwear and touques, whatever it takes to meet the Alaska of their imaginations.

We're in the Alaska state of mind, on our way to a land that humans will never tame to submission, one that tests the resilience of man and beast.

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 5: San Francisco to Eureka appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Magnificent bridges, beautiful public gardens, the oldest Chinatown in North America, an old island prison, and we don't know a soul who lives there.

That's all we had on San Francisco.

We figured The City would be cold, foggy, crowded and expensive.

Not so.

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 4: Santa Cruz to San Francisco appeared first on Living In Beauty.

We said goodbye to Morro Bay and continued our journey north toward Alaska.

Traveling along the fringes of California we tied up loose ends - stopped to admire places we neglected in our youth and skipped past some old favorites.

Paso Robles - Castroville - Santa Cruz

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 3: Morro Bay to Santa Cruz appeared first on Living In Beauty.

The challenge is Time and Distance.

Perception can be deceiving, a mystery, unsolved. Turning back is a natural instinct.

But a steady focus on the goal closes the distance.

By late January we realized how much sense it makes to fly or cruise to Alaska. Someday we may do that.

But, if this overland journey is to be as much about going to Alaska as being in Alaska, then we will approach The Great North with all the tremor of a sixth-grader asking for a dance at the cotillion, employing as many short slow deliberate steps as possible.

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 2: Malibu to Morro Bay appeared first on Living In Beauty.

On our way at last!

Since the moment we met Beauty in 2015, our thoughts turned to an overland journey to Alaska, a place we've never been. But, as new inductees to RV travel, we took a four-year pause for research and outfitting before daring the challenge.

"In due time" was our motto.

With many advisors and consultants on hand, in the end it is Jim's determination, forecasting and exquisite attention to detail which keeps our Alaska vision and progress on course.

Every two weeks we will report the high points, mishaps and discoveries.

The post Airstreaming to Alaska – Chapter 1: San Diego to Malibu appeared first on Living In Beauty.

"What's an RV resort?" is one of the most discussed topics on RV forums. Seems any park with hook-ups boasts the word "resort." Opinions range widely but everyone can agree: "you know when you see one." From what we've seen, Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay is the definition of a true RV resort.

The southernmost shore of the San Diego Bay is our home base – a place to surrender into the arms of our hometown and repatriate in the idyllic comforts of the Baja California / San Diego lifestyle.

Like the gray whales, we return annually to this enchanting corner of the earth – Chula Vista, our strategic base of operations – to recharge our Living in Beauty energy.

There are several RV parks throughout San Diego County, but Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay is our newest sanctuary where we come to wrap-up a year's worth of intense travel and dream up ideas for the next Living in Beauty adventure.

The post Campground Review – Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay, Chula Vista, California appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Over 2,000 days ago, we set out on an adventure to experience beauty, to capture the breaths of the journey, the whispered moments, the tingling feeling you get in that instant when the sun rises and the mountains cast long shadows reaching for miles.

Other than Beauty and The Beast, this blog is our only real estate, the "X" in The Cloud where we hoard our long-winded treasure.

Whenever the cellular gods provide even a sliver of a signal, we reach into cyberspace to gather our memories and assemble them into a portrait of our experience. Problem is, in the most beautiful places, the cell signals mostly suck.

The Living In Beauty blog is almost five months behind and we are currently heading north into cellular deserts. At this rate, a year from now we'll be a year behind. We need a montage to put the squeeze on Old Man Time.

The post Fast Forward appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Jim wanted balloons.

As if anything can embellish an idyllic New Mexico sky, every year on Jim's birthday week, hundreds of hot-air balloons punctuate the stunning Albuquerque landscape.

In 2020 we had loose plans to attend the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, but the pandemic grounded the event for the first time since it began in 1972, Jim's High School graduation year.

Time Flies, the official theme for 2021, peaked Jim's enthusiasm. He would celebrate his 67th birthday at Fiesta regardless of travel hurdles and reservation complications and the risk of infection as the new variant released its latest offspring into the population. But the major hurdle, was me.

The post Birthday Balloons appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Barbecue is technology that does not border on religion: it is religion.

That's not far-fetched. The first barbecue in biblical history ignited a blood war between brothers.

To escalate a situation, show up with a dead animal, a grill, and fire starter. Differing opinions about the orthodoxy of all three items and arguments about how to employ them will commence shortly.

Barbecue also brings out the best in people.

See, there's that religion thing again. If, by the time the carcass hits the grill, feelings are not irreparably damaged or knives drawn, then all anxiety will suddenly and mysteriously subside as if lithium has been released into the atmosphere.

Music, beer and horseshoes will emerge from car trunks, and the kids who are not teething will cease to cry.

The post Fire & Bones: Kansas City Barbeque appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Call it faith, wizardry or universal wisdom, Jim's travel philosophy is a beautiful fact.

The next enchanting two-week vacation is never more than four hours away. 4-3-2 is our address. This travel-wonder mojo holds us in thrall as we make our bed (literally) on America's highways.

A back road Sunday drive leads to every new-to-us destination. Usually, we have the luxury to choose between city, suburb, countryside and maybe, if we're lucky, a smattering of wilderness. Only rarely do we find all of those attributes in one location.

Introducing Jester Park in Granger, Iowa.

The post Campground Review: Jester Park, Granger, Iowa appeared first on Living In Beauty.

"So, what happens when you get sick?"

It's a good question and is, by far, the most frequently asked.

First, we call our doctor and schedule a tele-medicine visit.

If the decision is made to seek urgent care, we know where to go. Illness or injury is never a planned event, so as we enter a town we note the location of the closest emergency clinic and veterinarian and then, touch wood.

There is no good place to get sick, but some places are better than others.

Door County, Wisconsin

The post Pulling Through In Door County, Wisconsin appeared first on Living In Beauty.

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is commonly called The U.P., or The Yoop, and those who live there, Yoopers. Any Michigander who lives below The Mackinac Bridge is a Troll or a Flatlander. All other tourists are Fudgies. Try not to be offended. Yooperland is a unique culture with its own deities, a place where terms of enchantment if not endearment are toll for the Big Mac.

Last December, at Gulf Shores State Park, Jim gave me The Yoop for Christmas. He presented it in a mapped route – our 2021 adventure – from Alabama to Christmas, a small town on Lake Superior.

Since childhood, Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha has captured my imagination. For decades, I have longed to see The Shores of Gitchee Gumee, and I would remain patient. Like all of Jim's gifts, the Upper Penninsula would take a while to unpack.

The post From Mackinac to Christmas appeared first on Living In Beauty.

In late June, at Ohiopyle State Park up in the dreamy Laurel Highlands, Beauty and The Beast worked their Wally Byam magic again transporting us and all of our worldly gear up to Geneva-On-The-Lake, GOTL, a vintage summer resort in Ashtabula County, Ohio.

The summer of 2019 on Maumee Bay and Put-In-Bay convinced us to adventure more in The Great Lakes region and particularly on gorgeous Lake Erie.

She's shallow and temperamental but this wild-child of a lake is a favorite with us. Erie's reputation for carefree summertime leisure is an American legacy. The long days and tranquil starlit nights hold judgement over tight muscles, strained backs and every manner of toil with all its cruelties. Warm sand consoles aching arches and the tender breeze weighs in with a healing carress. It all feels too good to be true. And it is.

The post Going Places appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Stepping into the leafy green hillside forest, serenaded by the journey songs of creeks, rivers and streams, our senses tingled with Shangri-La Syndrome – the feeling of awakening into a dream.

Standing before the Old World grandeur of the river corridor we indulged our eyes and retraced our steps over the last few days. How did we land on this scenic perch in the Alleghenies? Magic portal? Transporter? Time travel?

Alas, no.

The post Ohiopyle High appeared first on Living In Beauty.

My throat swelled as the ferry pulled away from my beloved Okracoke Island, but Jim pumped his arm in triumph,

"Cha-ching! We're going to Shenandoah National Park."

Snagging a one-week reservation for a prime spot at a highly coveted National Park during peak season, a month in advance, as the pandemic plods on is Classic Jim The Superlative Admin.

Though covid put the kibosh on our laid-back no-reservations travel style, the nationwide run for them thar' hills didn't even muss up Jim's ponytail.

The post Campground Review: Shenandoah National Park, Big Meadows Campground – Virginia appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Mid-morning, July 18, 2016.

The key turned in the ignition and the Beast eagerly rolled over, launching into a full and satisfying purr. Jim adjusted his seat and mirrors, powered up the air-conditioning and activated “Tow Haul.”

All systems were go. He paused, ceremoniously, for the command.

After adjusting my sunglasses, I flipped up the visor and holding my gaze on the sparkling San Diego Bay.

"Engage," I said

Jim grinned, responding "Aye, Captain" and pulled the rig south onto the Silver Strand toward the city of Imperial Beach, where we caught Interstate 5 North.

Thus, the first moments of the first day of our five-year mission to explore the world of No Fake Deadlines – Jim's appellation for retirement, Airstream style – had begun at last.

The post The Road, Home appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Rehoboth Beach and Cape May

The LIB Eastern Seaboard Tour ended with our first-ever stop in Delaware and our second visit to New Jersey. In 2019, we only explored a few blocks of Jersey City, in our campground across the Hudson from Manhattan.

So, even though we felt Summer 2021 was our first real visit to New Jersey, this was technically our second. We were relieved to see for ourselves that South Jersey is nothing like Jersey City, where a turtle's safe crossing on I-78 would require National Guard assistance.

We arrived in Delaware in late Spring with four weeks remaining before we had to turn west.

Thus began our long good-bye to the Atlantic ocean – the beaches, breweries, the fresh seafood. After three weeks of farewelling The Eastern Seaboard, it seemed like way too much work to hitch up.

The post Back At Ya’ New Jersey appeared first on Living In Beauty.

It was April 23, 2016

A knock at the door...

I peeked out from behind the curtains. The concerned faces of two police officers waited to speak with me, their attention momentarily diverted to another police officer as he apparently instructed an idling tow truck driver to circle the block so the vehicle would be properly positioned to haul Beauty, our Airstream, away.

Okay. Let’s flashback.

Big playgrounds come to those who sacrifice.

The post Making Room For Play appeared first on Living In Beauty.

For the most part, the wildlife we see is printed on road signs ...

As feral free-ranging seniors, living in the great outdoors of North America, one would think that by now we'd have spotted a real live moose in the wild.

Nope. Not a one. Grand Teton's, Canada, Indian Lake, New York, home of the Moose Festival ... and still no moose.

Bears? Okay, we've seen two juvenile brown bears foraging for wild apples near the road in the Canadian Rockies. But, for all the months we stayed in The Florida Keys, we never spotted a single Key Deer – not even when we drove thirty miles out of our way on Key Deer Boulevard to a sanctuary.

Yup, we couldn't even spot a Key Deer in a Key Deer Refuge.

It's all about priorities.

The post Assateague Island: Horses of Course appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Captain’s Log: Stardate 2021.0718 – This log entry documents the completion of our five-year mission to boldly explore where no Beaubeaux has gone before. We hope Starfleet Command will grant us a continuance so LIB (Living in Beauty) may formally begin Year Six.

Though successful beyond our wildest dreams, the assignment is not complete. We’ve yet to drop stabilizers in hundreds of parks and many places where the neutral zone remains closed as of this writing: Alaska, Baja California, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Ontario.

Our mission statement on this voyage has been and always shall be…

“… to explore strange old worlds, to seek out new life in old civilizations …

The post Captain’s Log: Stardate 2021.0718 – Five-Year Mission Update appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Real islands don't have bridges.

In mid-Spring, Living in Beauty's ongoing search for alone time took us, by free vehicular ferry, to Ocracoke Island where it is still possible to camp in the dunes with a private path to the seashore and walk for hours in solitude on a natural beach.

On The Outer Banks (OBX) of North Carolina – where the north-flowing Gulf Stream and south-flowing Labrador currents are constantly shifting the ocean floor around like two kids in a sandbox – shorelines, and even islands appear and disappear over night.

There, we found an adventurous place to test our dry-camping mettle and relax into an extravagant two-week island vacation.

The post It’s The Real Thing: Ocracoke appeared first on Living In Beauty.

This six-part monthly series, From Beauty's Doorstep, is based on five-years of full-timing, aka LIB (Living in Beauty)

This felt different, thrilling, and just slightly criminal – like being on the other side of the law, but in the right.

Light reflections from the sun-drenched alley streamed across the floor of the open four-car garage newly emptied of our lifetime accumulation. The ghosts of our old stuff lingered, reluctant to move on – the ladder, the old dog stroller, the pinecone wreath. Yet, within moments, the house keys would change hands and our get-away plan would be complete. We would walk away from our island bungalow, into the bright April afternoon to begin a new life, in Beauty.

The post Beauty: Our Retirement Un-Plan appeared first on Living In Beauty.

The Carolinas are puzzling, especially the coastal areas along the barrier islands. Everything is shifting, impermanent – even the things that are set in stone.

Every aspect of the weather, culture and geography has a flip-side. For every expanse of glistening turquoise beach, there's an impenetrable mysterious swamp; for every perfectly cinematic picnic beneath a blooming saucer magnolia, there's the threat of a tornado, copperhead or tick; and for every outrageous hissy-fit there's an earnest casserole apology.

And when that dense, muscular summer heat takes up residence, backing you into the cool corner of the porch where you and your computer submit to a cane lounger to try to attend to some urgent work ... the ceiling fan, with that low thrum, conspires with the booms of a distant thunderstorm to lull you off into the best nap of your life. Then, you wake up, wipe the drool off your chin and mumble, "I needed that" to no one in particular. But that's what I'm talking about. Contradictions abound.

The post Carolinas: The Whole Biscuit appeared first on Living In Beauty.

This post – Part 3 of 3 – wraps up The Navy Brat Tour of 2021.

In the interest of nostalgic self-care which the experts say is actually good for us these days, Jim wants to watch me rediscover the places I lived as a child. I'm supportive, but not much help.

At fourteen years-old I had already moved sixteen times. Memories of those first eight years are mostly learned from my sister Deborah and from Dad, and also from Mama who passed on several years ago.

And, as they say, "Time is like the Mississippi. It flows in one direction and never takes you back."

My early childhood is like a sweet southern ambrosia – a slurry of innocent moments, suspended in heaps of that fluffy stuff dreams are made of – absent of schema, montage or terra firma.

Which brings me to Jekyll Island!

The post Campground Review: Jekyll Island State Park – Jekyll Island, Georgia appeared first on Living In Beauty.

"I don't ever say a final goodbye. I always say, "I'll see you down the road." - Bob Wells, Nomadland

This is Part II of Navy Brat Tour 2021.

And, yes ... It was still raining, raining, raining like the opening scene in Rashomon.

On a wet and foggy Monday morn we pulled out of Presnell’s RV Resort and Marina. We would navigate across the Panhandle in two days with plans for some serious driveway camping at my cousin's house in Middleburg. Driving along the historic and scenic 30-A, we passed through the sweet town of Carrabelle and pulled off at Ho-Hum RV Park.

The post Friendship Found appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Welcome to Part One of The Navy Brat Tour 2020-21: From Jacksonville, Florida to Norfolk, Virginia, this 4-3-2 galavant through my itinerant childhood is about visiting places I remember and have not seen in more than 55 years.

It was all Jim's idea and I'm loving it. Besides seeing the places I have described to him for decades, Jim also included a prelude – a bonus side-trip – along The Gulf of Mexico, the seashore most fluent in our favorite southern dialect, Shrimp n' Oysters.

We'd originally planned to spend winter on the Pacific coast, but with the border of Mexico closed and La Niña pushing cold, wet weather into Southern California, we took our chances on the panhandle, or as the board of tourism calls it, Where Florida Begins. But we should have consulted with our friend and weather guru Dr. David Titley on RV Weather – esteemed expert in climate, tropical meteorology, oceanography, and a retired Rear Admiral, USN.

The post Where Florida Begins appeared first on Living In Beauty.

We should get out more.

In five years we have stayed in 325 places and only three campgrounds have percolated to the top of our 5-Bambi Rating system: Chula Vista RV and Marina in San Diego County, which is closing soon; Maumee Bay State Park in Ohio; and Fort Wilderness at Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida ...

Until now. (Drum roll please)

We are thrilled to announce that Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, Alabama is the 4th LIB 5-Bambi Park.

The post Campground Review: Gulf State Park – Gulf Shores, Alabama appeared first on Living In Beauty.

It's time to get down to business, the business we all doo.

As a retired Chief Financial Officer, I find that recreational vehicle black water tank maintenance is better understood from a financial perspective.

Risk Aversion is understandable and every RVers' Risk Tolerance is personal. Me? I'm low risk. Why else would I be talking dollars and cents about fecal matter.

So, RVing Friends, let's come to Terms. Our business with business deserves serious Appreciation, and it is our Fiduciary Responsibility to evaluate our Back-End Load and its Current Yield.

So take a moment to slip on a pair of gloves and draw a deep breath before we dive into the Fluid Economy of Gross Capital Flows.

The post Business is Business appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Even as full-time, free-ranging homo sapiens sapiens, these cross-country treks to beat the weather are a challenge. Leaving Point A with the goal of reaching Point B has all the thrill of a footrace with the starting-line excitement and the finish-line euphoria. But the real drama is in the unknown developments – the tension between A and B.

Generally speaking, travelers prefer the known to the unknown. That's why cruise ships and airlines provide distractions – movies, booze, magic shows, contests and gambling – to relieve the tension of that ever-present hum of travel which most passengers find unnerving.

The post Road Candy appeared first on Living In Beauty.

We finally took the plunge and joined the e-bike revolution.

RVing cross-country from San Diego to Florida with our sassy new Dolphin e-bikes has opened up a new dimension to LIB. We get out more now – go farther – see places we've been missing due to the limitations of distance, winter daylight hours, and the natural effects of aging.

If there's anything more exhilarating than a good bike ride, don't tell us because it's either illegal, immoral, too dangerous, or we can't afford it.

Cycling time is adventure time. Riding through new places every week makes us feel like explorers – but bicycles alone are a mystery of the universe.

Science understands more about the aerodynamic force of lift in flight than about the stability of bicycles. So, when you straddle the seat of a two-wheeled conundrum of geometry and physics that even MIT can't explain ... and then, place your feet on the pedals, bear down and move forward steadily in a balanced position – Voila, you are participating in an experiment of human potential and contributing to the future progress of safe fuel-free transportation. May the camber forces be with you.

The post Playing With Dolphins appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Well, hello 2021. We've been hoping to see you.

2020 taught us a lot about praying, hoping, dreaming ... and drinking.

Last year, Jim and I lost some precious people – good friends and a close family member – to Covid-19 and cancer.

So, yes, we are hurting. But this LIB pilgrimage was born of pain – the pain of losing our dear mothers within months of each other. So the journey continues, little changed from before except for these surprise visitations, subdued as the flutter of a baby birds wings, that seem to say, "remember me."

My favorite book, The Canterbury Tales is about a rag-tag group of plague survivors taking to the road in the Spring - there's nothing like the end of a pandemic to get people out of the house looking for a different view, a word of hope, a bit of good cheer, some sort of healing, and a good stiff drink to loosen the tongue and blurt out a bodacious story.

So, here is our story about how we accumulated 100 bottles of wine in Beauty, our 30' Airstream trailer.

The post Hopes, Dreams, and 100 Bottles of Wine appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Aging gracefully is the last thing on our minds.

Life is too full of splendor to shift focus and agonize over wrinkles and thinning hair. And we'll never give up our big boy and big girl jeans.

The ebb and flow of twenty to forty pounds is the destiny of migratory beasts as we press on through fertile craft beer country like Colorado, and then forge through dry brew wastelands like Utah until we finally reach the golden suds of California. Feast or famine. It's all part of living in the wild.

It's futility to fuss over the inevitable effects of aging ... unless it's about Beauty, our 2001 30' Airstream. Beauty gets everything. Spa days, make-overs, glitter, massages ... she's twenty years old and almost everyday an admirer declares she looks brand new.

The post Fresh Start appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Fire season is always an adventure. But even with the risks, late summer to mid-December is our preferred time on the Pacific coast.

Two years ago we were held up by the Carr Fire in Redding. This year it was the LNU Lightening Complex Fires. Passing through Sparks Nevada on the 80, we saw flames lapping up a Sierra mountainside.

The smoke cleared a bit as we climbed the 89 toward Truckee, but the traffic thickened.

Summer traffic is always heavy in Tahoe but on this August day it was insane. We had expected lower tourism impact due to the pandemic, but evacuees escaping wildfires were arriving from the valley. Tahoe was overflowing with refugees camped any way they could in any available parking space.

The post Lake Tahoe: Escape To The Sky appeared first on Living In Beauty.

We saw it coming for a half-mile or so.

Positioned low, a few inches above the vast saltbush and sage crusted landscape bordering the unfinished asphalt edge of Highway 50 – The Loneliest Road in America – we spotted a sign.

Passing it at 58 mph, the bold 12" letters clearly read, "Strange Days Indeed." I noted that the sign was so fresh I could almost smell the paint. Jim – the guy at the wheel with the encyclopedic Beatles Brain – sang a few bars of Nobody Told Me.

Seriously? You think that's referencing John Lennon's UFO?

"Look around," was his response.

Point taken. This is exactly the kind of place to experience a random sighting that gets you committed to lunacy for a lack of corroborating witnesses.

The post The Lonely Road appeared first on Living In Beauty.

I don't fish.

On a family fishing trip I crept too close to the rushing creek. Now, some sixty-odd years later, I am alive only because Daddy could run faster than water. As he ran, he periodically threw his lanky frame down upon the soggy bank - pressing his chest against the mud so he could stretch his extra-long airplane mechanic arms down into the opaque water to fiercely claw up any fragments that felt promising.

Tree roots, clods of clay and slimy branches littered daddy's determined path as he worked hair-on-fire down the bulging creek.

Onlookers agonized that his efforts were only a pitiful heartbreaking futility. But, at last, in one great swoop, he caught something that turned out to be my hair, and by those strands flung my gasping flailing self onto the grassy bank, kinda like a bear does a salmon.

And that was the last time they took me fishing.

The post Hooked appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Road hazards, deer crossings, distracted drivers, steep grades, narrow mountain roads, blinding fog, lightening, ice storms, wind storms, sand storms, high winds, wild fires and tornados... Since we set out over four years ago, Living in Beauty (LIB) has passed through all of these driving anomalies. We signed up for it.

So Peace of Mind is real currency while towing a five-ton rig on a strange highway through unfamiliar territory.

On our first official camping trip in Beauty we accidentally drove through a suburban San Diego county neighborhood where rooftops were on fire. That was five years ago and it wasn't the first or last major fire we've encountered on the road.

We took that early LIB experience as a providential warning, an atavistic murmur of the trials ahead in this full-timing adventure.

The post Peace of Mind appeared first on Living In Beauty.

It all began as a Bucket List thing.

For decades I'd heard about Dead Horse Point and hoped one day to see this place which inspires rapturous testimonials about the views, the beauty and the grandeur which many travelers will swear on a stack of red rock shale rivals The Grand Canyon.

If canyons had a beauty contest, I'd be a terrible judge. They're all winners to me. But if you're looking to avoid crowds, Dead Horse Point is a good bet.

The post Campground Review: Dead Horse Point State Park – Moab, Utah appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Under watchful Aspen-eyes we packed up and drove away from the cool columbine beauty of Steamboat Springs. The temperature rose 30 degrees as we headed south, about 125 miles. We stopped in Gypsum on the Eagle River and spent the night at Stoneyard, a unique distillery.

For the next three days, we would have neighbors! Our Airstreaming friends, Ronnie and Joe Harris were joining us at Crawford State Park.

Interfacing with friends – even friends we adore – had me tethered between feelings of excitement and dread.

Six months without extensive contact with anyone other than Jim and Pico made me feel a bit skittish about my conversation and entertainment skills.

The post Small Towns, Creature Comforts, Great Friends appeared first on Living In Beauty.

High Country in Colorado panned out all of the golden nuggets we desired for this historic Summer Of COVID: cool air, shining lakes, mountain trails, and quaint and cozy villages with outdoor seating at charming restaurants and top-notch breweries.

Kayaking and hiking are important to us right now.

Staying fit during the pandemic is crucial, but I haven't had a good pool workout since January. So kayaking has become a substantial part of our summertime fitness plan, and Colorful Colorado's abundance of cool, serene high-country mountain lakes is the solution.

The post Lakes in the Sky With Sunsets appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Today is the 4th anniversary of the day we left San Diego.

Tomorrow we begin the 5th year of our LIB sojourn.

In these 1,461 days, we have traveled more than 40,000 miles and stayed at 276 overnight locations in 46 States and 4 Canadian Provinces.

Our first blog post in January 2016, seven months before we hit the road, was to inform our friends and family of our new lifestyle and to clarify – to ourselves and to others – why we were leaving a perfectly good situation to travel indefinitely in our 200-square-foot Airstream trailer, Beauty.

Back then, we could not have imagined that in the Summer of 2020, we would have 131 posts, more than 4,600 followers, and a blog registering more than 140,000 visitors and 312,000 views.

The post Four Years and Counting appeared first on Living In Beauty.

The air is cleaner and the water is clearer. The open road has never looked better - a silver lining of The Great Anthropause.

As we entered Colorado the halcyon skies buoyed our expectations for quiet wilderness camping and maybe even some outback kayaking.

Now, twenty days in, we are fully acclimated to the elevations. However, learning to heed erratic weather will take us much longer. On the Western Slope, the thrill of being caught in a rogue thunderstorm, far from shelter, is always on the table.

The post Through Wilds of Thought appeared first on Living In Beauty.

When the desert fired up to a blistering 102 degrees, we broke camp and pulled out of Fisher's Landing heading up toward cooler ground.

We took U.S. Route 95 north to 60 east to 71 into North Central Arizona, and ascended the Bradshaw Mountains on the 89 into the Prescott National Forest.

For three soul-searching weeks in late Spring, we would acclimate at 5,367 ft. in the centuries old domain of The People of The Sun.

The post Rocks Of Ages appeared first on Living In Beauty.

We had to leave, but where to go?

In California, all city, county, state and national parks and even BLM land were closed or announcing planned closures. Private parks were open but most were not accepting new arrivals and, besides that, most private park spaces are way too tight for serious social distancing.

Then, Jim got an idea. Fisher's Landing! His old stomping grounds on the Arizona side of the Colorado River.

The post Campground Review: Fisher’s Landing – Martinez Lake, Arizona appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Beauty and The Beast – our Airstream trailer and Ram truck – have been road-tripping together for almost 1,400 days straight.

Occasionally, we've been asked to explain how we store our gear, if we have anything in storage, and how do we fit so much in the truck.

When Carmen and I started out, we agreed to only take things we can keep inside our rig when we're in motion. Carmen struggled a while with what she called the "No-Flamingos" philosophy.

The post Beast of Burden appeared first on Living In Beauty.

We're in a good place for a time such as this. And, at least for today, Arizona seems willing to put up with us. Out here in the open wilderness, we're exercising the usual precautions and keeping a low COVID-19 profile.

And, on the rare occasion when we do go to town for provisions, we keep our hands clean, our hearts open and our words kind. It's so important to be thankful for The Providers right now. They are the heroes. Spread love, not Coronavirus.

We're in Jim's boyhood recreational area on the Colorado river where the family set up camp to spend summer days fishing, waterskiing and off-roading together. I'd never seen this spot, so Jim brought me to take a look ... and I fell in love.

The post Breathing in Beauty appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Wow. Slab City seems like months ago. So much has happened in the last few weeks.

I almost titled this one, "When The Shit Hits The Fan In Beauty" but decided against because I don't want to pile on any more media stress.

Strange and uncertain times call for agility, clear-headedness, beer and corn chips ... and we have all those things, including toilet paper.

The post Taking Cover at Joshua Tree appeared first on Living In Beauty.

There is a place in the Sonoran Desert at the foot of The Chocolate Mountains and east of the Salton Sea where those who have the sand can live free - free from rent, mortgage and taxes and all the other stuff Americans take for granted like publicly funded water, sewer, and electricity.

Slab City is the last free place in America.

Slab City began like most cities, and with the exception of solar panels, satellite dishes and plastic IBC tanks.

It is probably the spittin' image of western settlements that began 150 years ago before the rich folks hired a sheriff to force law on everyone else but them.

Yet, nostalgic tourists who flock to Tombstone to celebrate the charm and romance of the lawless Old West with all it's hell-raisin' saloons and brothels, would probably shun Slab City's authentic ramshackle patina and declare it off-putting, filthy and profane.

The post Slab City: It’s Way Out appeared first on Living In Beauty.

I'm a desert rat. Jim is doing this whole SoCal desert tour thing for me because Borrego is my favorite place in the world. I love this remote, sunshiny and sparsely populated area and could happily live here year-round.

Jim says, that's okay, he will visit me once a year in wintertime.

Nestled in a valley within the 600,000-acre Anza-Borrego Desert State Park we found the The Springs at Borrego RV Resort and Golf Course.

The post Campground Review: The Springs at Borrego RV Resort – Borrego Springs, California appeared first on Living In Beauty.

We haven't moved in three weeks and plan to stay-put for another week. It feels like a long time to take a rest.

But don't think I'm just sitting around staring at the floor. We're both focused on health, eating clean and exercising in the dry, dry desert.

Over the last couple of years our cork floor has enhanced our travels. It's a time saver, comfy to walk on and has a beautiful color that reminds me of a full-bodied unfiltered red ale I tasted at a micro-brewery in Ohio.

Remodeling slowly, one step at a time, is our style. As homeowners we had the same philosophy. Since the moment we set our eyes on Beauty, we committed to giving her something new every year.

We waited this long to spotlight the new floor because we wanted to find out if it worked.

The post We’re Floored appeared first on Living In Beauty.

We've grown up since we began Living in Beauty.

From our first starry-eyed blog post in January 2016, we've learned that "home" is a concept that can mean anything from a ballgame, to a cooking style, to a place of origin or a military base and even a camping spot in a vineyard. We always kinda knew that, but it's good to clear up any doubts.

Travel changes chihuahuas and their people - people for the better chihuahua's, not so much.

From the universal chihuahua position where every incidence, encounter and object is a red-alert situation our security team, Pico de Gallo has conditioned us to be responsive to All The Dangers, imminent or otherwise.

Well, he's right. Life is a precarious situation.

Eventually, something's gonna get us. So Pico keeps us ready for everything, except a nap.

The post Hit a Bump appeared first on Living In Beauty.

The legendary Cannonball Run is an illegal competitive cross-country American road trip from New York to California. The tradition started when Erwin "Cannonball" Baker (1882-1960) said, "I dare ya."

And because enough folks took him up on it, the "Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash" was established in the 1970's.

Honestly, all of this smoke and steel is news to me. I'd never even heard of the Cannonball Run until last month when I read the news report. We're always learning, aren't we? And now, the next time a car full of young people pass us on the highway at 180 mph we will have something to consider other than bank robber, drug runner, Uber and Amazon.

We certainly do not endorse risky highway competitions, but it's tough to keep our excitement under the radar because we completed our first Sea-To-Shining-Sea on the same day (December 3rd) as the amazing Tabbut/Toman/Chadwick team achieved their stunning new record.

FYI: Not stealing any thunder here - just basking in the glory a bit.

The post The Cannonball Crawl appeared first on Living In Beauty.

I know ... My favorite mountain range is always the last one I met. I'm a sucker for gushing streams, pine scented paths and sparkling ponds.

Sure, our Autumn encounter with the Adirondacks had much to do with luck and timing, but these hills greeted us with such sweetness and purity it was like going home to mama.

We immediately recognized and sank into the bosom of America's First Wilderness, the natura naturans of colonial culture.

The post Adirondacks! appeared first on Living In Beauty.

All I have to say about Jim's Birthday Week in Montreal is, Holy Cow ...

... which might be the only thing we did not see in Montreal - a holy cow. But, I'll bet someday they get one.

Sure, cathedrals are the dominant architecture in the New France colony but every other world religion manages to sidle in-between the narrow gaps. This positively divine 377 year-old city-around-a-hill boasts three summits - all less than 800 feet above sea-level that float like emeralds above the spectacular skyline.

It was a last minute idea, this side-trip to Canada.

The post Discovering Montreal appeared first on Living In Beauty.

A watched pot never boils and the trees rush for no man.

Despite our best laid plans, we missed peak Autumn foliage in Vermont. Two weeks of carefully planned leaf-peeping only rewarded us with teasing blushes from the canopy.

But we're not complaining.

Viewing the most coveted displays of blazing fall leaf color in New England was not in the climate cards for us.

Fortunately, James (Jean-Luc) Beaubeaux plans for every snafu and wisely booked us in advance at Little River State Park where an abundance of superb kayaking, cycling and hiking made central Vermont feel like home-sweet-home.

The post Campground Review: Little River State Park – Waterbury, Vermont appeared first on Living In Beauty.

There are many Acadias.

Acadia the beautiful…

Acadia the historic…

Acadia the maritime paradise…

and, Acadia the tourist haven.

Those who call it a “tourist trap” have probably only paid it a weekend visit or less.

I mean, this park has over 3.5 million visitors a year. Figure the math and stay away from Bar Harbor and the bus routes on weekends. Even with the cruise ship traffic, we never felt the crowd crush we’ve heard others complain about.

The post Acadia, Acadia, Acadia appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Like the slow cooking movement, slow travel and adherence to the 4-3-2 Rule is the LIB way.

New England is an ideal place to exercise this philosophy because all of the sights and natural wonders are as near as your best friend. Day trips are seldom more than a three mile jaunt.

Coastal Maine, where quintessential small towns – each with a proud Main Street where the library and town hall and the vintage Chinese restaurant are clustered around the impressive clock tower in the public square – are strung like white pearls evenly spaced along the evergreen lined shoulders of U.S. 1.

The post The Maine Thing appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Our usual vetting system couldn't turn up a desirable place on the New Hampshire coastline.

So turning our research inland, Jim hunted for a place with rail trails, hiking, kayaking, breweries, seafood, and bam! the Ashuelot River area near Swanzey, New Hampshire gained Google ascension.

These travel snafus - when we're thrown off our preferred direction - usually result in delight and surprise.

The post Somewhere In Ashuelot appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Writing this journal of our travels is usually done on a stormy day, or a smoky day, or a sandstorm day, or a crazy-hot day, or freezing day, or during any condition when staying inside is a solution for what’s going on outside.

In our first year, I wrote these entries at night but …

... you LIB and you learn.

The post We’ll Take Two Capes, Please appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Ever have one of those days when nothing goes as planned, but everything turns out perfectly?

We have them a lot.

After leaving Mystic, we pulled into Buttercup Farm in New Hampshire and pastured beside a pond with a small herd of grazing cattle.

Far from the highway, in the quiet countryside, we discussed a short list of activities for our four day stay in Newport.

The post Following Breadcrumbs to Newport appeared first on Living In Beauty.

What’s Mystic?

An old fishing village in Connecticut.

Why is it called Mystic?

No idea, but they say the kayaking is good.

Okay, let’s go.

That’s how the conversation went in Maumee Bay, Ohio, as we sketched a plan for what we’ll always remember as “that crazy hot July on the East Coast.”

Mystic is a confluence of lands, towns and cultures brought together by the water, or missituk, the native Pequot word for estuary.

The post So Much Mystic, So Little Time appeared first on Living In Beauty.

New York City. The thrills, the sights, the food - all, more amazing than we could have imagined while touring metro-style with a dog.

The city was his juicy bone. This once-feral swamp chihuahua has a taste for infrastructure and he knows how to use it. The next week would be all about him.

Our original plan was to leave Pico home every other day with his plush entourage.

We'd skip off to Off-Broadway matinees and splurge on caviar and champagne at Tiffany's to celebrate our 44th Anniversary month.

But this was not to be.

The post Pico Does Manhattan appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Yesterday marks the first day of our fourth year of Living in Beauty.

We will never forget that Monday morning on July 18, 2016 when we pulled out of Fiddler's Cove in Coronado, California.

The moment was so profound that my life passed before my eyes.

The post Counting Moments: 3 Years appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Maumee Bay State Park is a cycling, paddling, swimming and dog-friendly suburban campground situated on Lake Erie, just a twenty-minute drive from Toledo, Ohio.

It's is a spacious campground with wide shady loops featuring 252 back-in sites with large lawns and long tract-home style driveways.

It is a fabulous place to pitch a sprawling and comfortable camp and then relax, kick back and enjoy your new lake home in the burbs.

The post Campground Review: Maumee Bay State Park – Ohio appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Well, hello Put-In-Bay. Let’s explore!

Ah, the island life fever struck immediately. It didn't take much for Jim to talk me into a beer rather than a kayak paddle.

So, we walked the short distance to town and stopped in the Put In Bay Brewery and Distillery for IPA, friendly conversation and tips from the wonderful staff who hail from all over Ohio to work through the summer season.

For such a tiny island town, PIB hits every sweet spot. There's a vibrant night life ... Fishing and recreational boating ...

The post The Way To Put-In-Bay appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Why has outdoor life has made us happy since childhood?

The post Heaven on Earth appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Weeks of Texas solitude instilled a longing for familiar company.

Navigating through unfamiliar territory is heightened reality. Stimulating, but exhausting.

We find that happenstance is a great friend-maker.

The post Silver & Gold appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Going on the advice of friends, Bill, Kim, Carol, Cindie, Leah, Margie, Michael, Judy, Linda, Christy ... our sixty-one day tour of the southern border of Texas was as fine as cream gravy.

From the time we entered at El Paso and exited at Beaumont we felt like we were riding a gravy train on biscuit wheels.

If dumb was dirt, LIB could cover half an acre, but on good advice we went south for the winter and stayed as close to the Rio Grande and the Gulf of Mexico as possible - mostly ranch country with only the rare corporate footprint.

The post Texas Border Wrap-Up appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Today, a LIB milestone. A thousand days on the road.

Focusing on our heart's desire and staying true to the dream.

This day is a time to reflect on the thousand "half-loves" we left behind (property, stability, position). To mourn the myriad comforts (routines, doctors, community pool, hair stylist, gardening ...) that we forsook to go a-toddling off like babes in the woods - old babes ...

Too old to nest and not ready to rest.

The post A Thousand Days appeared first on Living In Beauty.

A kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but a great campsite is LIB's best friend. No dreary RV parks for us. Having a robust solar system frees us from high rates for hook-ups that we don't need and opens up more opportunities for peace, quiet and adventure.

We get a kick out of being unleashed from grid dependence for weeks at a time with minimal conservation effort.

The post Hot Stuff appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Big Bend may be the best national park you've probably never heard of, but even if you have heard of Big Bend, you will probably never see it.

That's because Big Bend is not an easy reach by any mode of travel and the park welcomes only about 350,000 visitors a year.

But maybe that's good for Big Bend - less is more and all that. Low attendance reduces infrastructure and provides a more authentic experience.

The post Big Bend Rules appeared first on Living In Beauty.

It’s a hot topic these days, the border.

We're visiting the southernmost destinations along the U.S. side of the Colorado and Rio Grande rivers where diverse cultures relax into a mutually beneficial peace and harmony.

The post Hugging The Border appeared first on Living In Beauty.

In nearly 1000 days traveling full-time on the road, we’ve encountered two kinds of RV travelers.

The post Miles vs. Smiles appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Are we pushing our luck? Is full-time travel together too much of a good thing? The intrigue merits reflection and a thoughtful answer.

The post Prickly Pair appeared first on Living In Beauty.

We'd like to share our experience at two campgrounds: a National Park in Ocean Springs, Mississippi (a stellar get-away for art and cuisine) and, a floridorable private resort right off the Tamiami Highway in Sarasota called Sunny south RV Resort.

The post Places We Remember appeared first on Living In Beauty.

RV water conservation techniques, tips and suggestions. How do YOU save water while dry camping or boon-docking?

The post Water, Water… appeared first on Living In Beauty.

What a surprise in Mesa, Arizona

The post Campground Review: Viewpoint RV & Golf Resort – Mesa, Arizona appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Some folks have too much tumbleweed in their blood to settle down.

The post The Sunshine Gang appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Port Townsend, The City of Dreams, is a classic, cozy yester-year hometown, perched on the proud tip of the densely wooded Olympic Peninsula.

The post Is Port Townsend For Real? appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Reflecting on four months in Canada… lessons learned!

The post Coming Clean on Canada appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Oh, that haunted feeling. Ghost stories around the campfire.

The post CariBOO Ghost Stories! appeared first on Living In Beauty.

A soothing wind, a healing balm, a tamed beast – so, the ancients described power under control. In Canada, the thermal springs bring the mountains to their knees.

The post More Radium Please appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Awesome shoulder season in Banff, British Columbia.

The post Falling For Banff appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Not sure what words to use…. except SPECTACULAR!

The post Breakthrough on The Icefields Parkway appeared first on Living In Beauty.

In the four hundred miles between Jasper and Drumheller, the land speaks every language under the sun – sand dunes slithering with lizards, vineyards that look like Northern Italy, high desert oozing with hoodoos, brooks gurgling through alpine meadows and goats frolicking upon hillsides.

The post From Here To Drumheller appeared first on Living In Beauty.

By popular demand! Here is our pork carnitas recipe.

The post A Walk In The Pork: RV-made Carnitas! appeared first on Living In Beauty.

It is by studying little things that we attain the great art of having as little misery and as much happiness as possible.

The post The Little Things appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Celebrating our full-time traveling 2-year anniversary while attending the Calgary Stampede in Alberta, Canada. After 730 days, 24,074 miles, and 157 different overnight locations in 37 states and provinces, we feel we’ve only begun to explore this vast continent.

The post Canadian LIB Moment appeared first on Living In Beauty.

On our way to Canada, Beauty joined more than 650 Airstreams at the Wally Byam Airstream Club International Rally in Salem, Oregon.

The post Legacy, Lost and Found appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Cocooning in Depoe Bay Oregon.

The post Safe Harbor at Depoe Bay appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Trinidad! Northern California’s gateway to the Redwoods.

The post Trinidad: Finding Silence on The Lost Coast appeared first on Living In Beauty.

We’ll soon enter our third year of a location independent retirement as seasonal exploiters of the most beautiful places in America.

The post Same House, Different Paradise appeared first on Living In Beauty.

My Dad was a home brewer, so I’d already fantasized about brewing in our Airstream well before Craft-A-Brew invited us to participate in National Home Brew Day, May 5, 2018.

The post Brewing in Beauty: Crafting Beer On The Road! appeared first on Living In Beauty.

In small spaces, it’s important that everybody get along. Relationships thrive on communication, so Carmen and I talk about everything – food mostly. How replacing a noisy stove top fan with a quiet fan changed everything!

The post Home, Home On The Range Hood appeared first on Living In Beauty.

It’s where migrations of floaters and rollers from all over the world gather on the southernmost end of the beautiful San Diego Bay to luxuriate in the blessings of the Baja California / San Diego lifestyle with fresh air, wildlife, sunshine.

The post Campground Review: Chula Vista RV Resort – Chula Vista, California appeared first on Living In Beauty.

It’s that time of year again! We’re almost back to our home base in San Diego where we legally reside, register our vehicles, receive mail, pay taxes, vote, bank and visit our docs.

The post A Far Horizon appeared first on Living In Beauty.

It should be no surprise that our first 5-Bambi rating goes to Disney’s Fort Wilderness!

The post Campground Review: Fort Wilderness – Disney World, Florida appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Boondocking our way to Disney World’s Fort Wilderness.

The post Magic Carpet Ride to Disney World! appeared first on Living In Beauty.

No fancy restaurant dinners for us. Big ol’ hot pink buns are the LIB way to say, “I love you.”

The post Flamboyant Flamingo Buns! appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Do you sleep better and dream happier in your RV?

The post Am I Dreaming, Or Is This Savannah? appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Wintering in Florida with no reservations.

The post Campground Review: Outdoors Resorts of America – Melbourne Beach, Florida appeared first on Living In Beauty.

What is your inspiration for traveling in your RV?

The post Sunny Daze appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Jim introduced the "4-3-2 Rule" several months before started traveling full-time. His idea to drive no more than 4 hours, stop by 3 pm and stay for 2 weeks

The post Groovin’ To The 4-3-2 appeared first on Living In Beauty.

An enchanting getaway on Hilton Head Island.

The post Campground Review: Hilton Head Harbor RV Resort and Marina – Hilton Head Island, South Carolina appeared first on Living In Beauty.

A little known gem of a campground in South Carolina.

The post Campground Review: Dreher Island State Park – Prosperity, South Carolina appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Does Airstreaming make you feel like a kid again?

The post Be Home For Dinner! appeared first on Living In Beauty.

What’s your definition and motivation for “full-time” RV living?

The post The Footpath Way appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Is Myrtle Beach too commercial for you? Check out our review of the State Park.

The post Campground Review: Myrtle Beach State Park – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Are you prepared for a roadside emergency? Don’t be scared, be prepared! Here’s what we’ve learned in 15 months full-timing on the road.

The post Roadside Debacle Busters appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Are you escaping your current reality or just trying to create a new one?

The post The Other Side Of The Mountain appeared first on Living In Beauty.

A tour of our no hassles carbon credentials and our “clean living is clean leaving” philosophy.

The post Big Life, Small Footprint appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Locked out of our trailer! What a messy business.

The post Locked out! appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Waiting out the storm and making the best of it.

The post Wait and See appeared first on Living In Beauty.

A hiking wonderland, Found!

The post Campground Review: Hocking Hills State Park, Old Man’s Cave Campground – Logan, Ohio appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Harvest Hosts – a membership model that joins old-world hospitality to grass-roots commerce resulting in complimentary camping.

The post Harvest Hosts – An Elegant Alternative appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Is any place really safe? Carmen listens to her instincts and saves LIB to live to survive another day.

The post The Trees Are Falling! The Trees Are Falling! appeared first on Living In Beauty.

One year on the road – Just the Facts!

The post The Facts of LIB appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Small, but ten times better than Yellowstone.

The post Campground Review: Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Cottonwood Campground – Medora, North Dakota appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Reflecting on one year of retirement and full-time Airstreaming.

The post It Just Gets Better appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Beauty dislodges us from the conventional, the static, and the tedium so we can range wide and hunt down moments.

The post When Beauty And Beauty Meet appeared first on Living In Beauty.

How to make the perfect cup of coffee on the road.

The post Café Beaubeaux appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Two for the price of One! Camping and 2 hot springs!

The post Campground Review: Miracle Hot Springs – Buhl, Idaho appeared first on Living In Beauty.

The big solar test to survive one week on NO hook ups in rugged BLM sorta-Wilderness.

The post Campground Review: Water Canyon Recreation Area – Winnemucca, Nevada (or BLM for Beginners) appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Installation of solar! Meet our technician Vinnie, at Vinnie’s Northbay Airstream Repair in Wilton, CA. Our first Excella Cafe interview!

The post Vinnie Lamica & That Lucky Old Sun appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Reflections of our first year living full-time in our Airstream. Begin Year two!

The post One Year in Beauty appeared first on Living In Beauty.

A riveting triune love story of Frank DiBona and his trailer, Diva, and Everyone Else’s images.

The post Diva Ex Machina appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Stumbled onto Route 66. Change of plans!

The post You Know The Song … appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Traveling The Natchez Trace. Four-hundred and forty-five miles of peace, quiet, history, free camping and great food!

The post Retracing the Past appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Bellingrath Gardens near Mobile, Alabama. A southern pilgrimage.

The post Rx: Learn To Play appeared first on Living In Beauty.

He’s been Everywhere, man, and he’s bit everyone!

The post Pico’s POV appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Data connectivity on the road and Verizon goes Unlimited …. well, kinda.

The post Data Bing-Data Boom! appeared first on Living In Beauty.

A hidden gem campground 75 miles north of Tampa, Florida. Currently, our favorite place – or at least the place that has charmed us most.

The post Campground Review: Chassahowitzka River Campground – Homosassa, Florida appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Carmen’s dad’s 3,500 square foot home burns down and we discover deeper lessons about “hanging on.”

The post It’s Just Stuff appeared first on Living In Beauty.

This is how we smoke enough fish for a week on our small Weber grill.

The post Smokin’ Sheep Head! appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Yep, our first-ever but NOT last-ever visit to the Bourdon capital of the World

The post Kentucky Bourbon Trail appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Located right on the Gulf of Mexico where the best oysters in the south are harvested!

The post Campground Review: Ho Hum RV Park – Carrabelle, Florida appeared first on Living In Beauty.

It's not so much where you are or what you're doing, but how you feel when you're among those you love.

The post Paradiso Trovato appeared first on Living In Beauty.

How we got rid of all our possessions and prepared for full-time Airstreaming.

The post The Clearing appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Surviving the holidays in the worst Smoky Mountain fire season in history.

The post Close One … appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Catching up with an old friend I hadn't seen for 40 years.

The post When You’re in Loves, the Whole World’s Delicious appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Reflections on our first 6 months of living full-time in our Airstream, Beauty.

The post Six Months In Beauty appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Truck problems. Solutions.

The post Trouble With a Capital “T” appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Delights and challenges of adapting to changing weather and changing cell signals.

The post Color and Connectivity: Rare Treats appeared first on Living In Beauty.

We love our kayaks! A quick look at our top-notch, lightweight inflatables.

The post Our Kayaks appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Trying to wrap our heads around the idea that we're not on vacation ... !

The post We’re In Hot Water! appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Our goal is to drive no more than 4 hours, stop by 3 pm, and stay at least 2 weeks.

The post The 4-3-2 Rule appeared first on Living In Beauty.

An animated illustration of our journey, so far.

The post Introducing: Our Travel Map appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Blocked black water tank! You can’t suck it out, you can’t blow it out, you can’t beat it out. You just gotta give it what it needs and let it flow.

The post We Met the Enema and It Is Us appeared first on Living In Beauty.

We left our home behind. San Diego was our starting place … was.

The post Pushing North appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Trailer tire blowout in the Mojave Desert in 100 degrees! It could have changed our lives forever, but miraculously, it only changed our tires.

The post The Blowout of Destiny appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Our first week traveling full-time on the road outside San Diego.

The post Frying High! appeared first on Living In Beauty.

The day we left San Diego ... remembering and loving our home.

The post Saying Goodbye appeared first on Living In Beauty.

We are standing at the threshold of a new and wondrous beginning. Let the journey begin!

The post Retired! appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Only two-and-a-half weeks till Jim retires and in about a month we'll begin our full-time travels.

But these cold, flat, gray skies in concert with Jim's long days - beginning with the dreaded 5 am commute - threaten to wind up and backhand the joy right off our faces.

The post Are We There Yet? … Are We There Yet? appeared first on Living In Beauty.

The day we moved out of our home into our Airstream was anything but smooth.

The post All Hell Broke Loose appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Preparing to ‘fly the nest’ and leave our home of 20 years and live full-time in our Airstream.

The post Breaking Out! appeared first on Living In Beauty.

“Stuff” can be both nurturing and burdensome.

The post Need vs Want appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Only 94 days until Jim’s last day in the office

The post 00094 appeared first on Living In Beauty.

The day we pull out we will go … Our coordinates are “Second star to the right and straight on ’til morning.”

The post Tell The Beaubeauxs Where To Geaux appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Ever get trapped inside your Airstream? No? Well …

The post Trapped!!!! appeared first on Living In Beauty.

The unavoidable subject you must acknowledge when you’re choosing which year you will sign up to receive your social security benefits.

The post The Elephant In The Trailer appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Right on the beach, beauty everywhere, but you better be home by 7 pm.

The post Campground Review: Silver Strand State Beach RV Penitentiary – Coronado California appeared first on Living In Beauty.

How to replace old fluorescents bulbs with LED lights.

The post Let There Be LEDs appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Why we chose to live full-time in a 30' Airstream trailer.

The post You’re Living In … What? appeared first on Living In Beauty.

The best part of adventure is the anticipation. Any chance to look up from our packing & prepping activities brings on butterflies. We feel like kids.

The post Da Plane! Da Plane! appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Our first post! July 2016, we will drive away from our home for the past 20 years & get a move on. Our communication about our adventures will be found here.

The post The Rig appeared first on Living In Beauty.