Day 12: Left a rummy game for the boys.
Day 13: Sitting on a much cleaner desk.
Day 14: Hid in the cabinet by the plates, napkins, and coffee supplies.
Day 15: Somehow got stuck in the paper towel roll/holder.
Wineing in the RV: Advent Calendar Days 10-15
Day 10: White wine. Atlas Bear, Chenin Blanc, Product of South Africa. I think this was the first South African wine I had ever had. The label art alone was worth a purchase. Who doesn’t love a bear on a bicycle transporting balloons? It was a standard white wine for me. A little dry.
Day 11: Red wine. Bold Bull. It was good, nothing really stood out.
Day 12: White wine. Not a favorite of mine. It was ok. Carrete Viognier, Chile.
Day 13: Red wine. This was decent merlot, nothing too crazy. The Conductor, Bulgarian Merlot.
Day 14: White wine. This one had a little of a floral/fruity smell. It was a little sweet for a white wine with an almost tangy aftertaste. Baciato Dal Sol Trebbiano (Italy).
Day 15: White wine. This one has been my least favorite so far and would not try/buy it again. There was a slightly sour bite to the first sip, not the sweetness I usually like in a rosé. LTD Rosé Blend Grenache-Cinsault.
Hanging The Tinsel: Decorating Our RV
We wanted to have lights on the outside of the RV for Christmas. We hung some lights around the back door and the ladder, and across the front using Command hooks. We found a candy cane striped rope light and have that laying on the ground near our connections. (Helps to see it when we have to go out at night to empty the tanks). The outdoor tent also got decorated with plastic ornaments at the corners and lights on the inside. It’s not the best light hanging I’ve done, but it at least looks cheery! 🙂
Inside the RV we have a RV ornament hanging by the TV, our stockings and two large ornaments hanging off the living room slide. On the wall, we have our Christmas tree (complete with lights), and a Christmas RV decoration sent to us in the mail! We also changed the LED strip lights on the living room slide to red and green.
Elfing Around: Adventures of the Mini-Elf Days 4-11
This elf gets around!
With just four rooms, it has been a challenge for him to hide and observe. However, he is making the most of the small space as we all are.
Mini-E likes to go high for optimal viewing perspective. This round, he found his way onto valences, slide outs, stockings and even behind the mirror on the medicine cabinet.
Days 4-7
NOTE: The oldest found Mini-E in the bathroom to be creepy because he felt watched while he went. The family has requested E provide some privacy and abstain from bathroom watching in the future. Looks like he is down to just three rooms.
Days 8-11 found Mini-E hiding in Will’s messy desk, behind Ben’s green screen he uses for work, sleeping on our bedroom slide, and in the pantry guarding the bag of chips.
Wineing In The RV: Advent Calendar Days 1-9
Let’s tuck in for some drinking!
The wine Advent calendar was super cute. After you open the outer box you can see 24 little circles that you poke out for the countdown.
Day 1: Started with a Red wine. Vieux Ciseaux Merlot from France. Ooh la la. I was carving a pumpkin at the time and felt it accompanied it well. NOTE: The half bottle fits nicely in my wine glass, so technically I only had 1 drink.
Day 2: Red wine. I like reds more than white wines, so I was excited to see where this was going. Nightfall, California Zinfandel. I think I liked it. Going to have to try another to remember.
Day 3: White wine. Okay, I guess we had to have equal treatment with white and reds. Ciel Bleu D’Aquitaine, Sauvignon Blanc. It was nice for a white wine.
Day 4: Red wine. Ceilo D’Oro, Sangiovese, product of Italy. I drank this on my birthday after visiting Roswell. I was hoping for an out of this world wine, unfortunately it didn’t quite deliver that. It was nice. I enjoyed the previous Red wines more though.
Day 5: Red wine. Pasarica, Malbec from Argentina. An outstanding accompaniment to foil dinner over the camp fire. Works well when gearing up to take on laundry.
Day 6: White wine. Ballun, Pinot Grigo, from Moldova. Nice wine after a long day with the cattle. I enjoyed this after seeing the Fort Worth Stockyards. Nice grassy overtones or that might have just been my jeans. Either way, solid white wine.
Day 7: Red wine. Heros, Syrah, Vin de France. This one comes with a story of regret. It was a little drier than I normally like. But, unfortunately due to a 400 square foot, child induced earthquake, we lost this wine and a seat cushion before I could give it a thorough review. Fortunately, no family members were harmed in this winetastrophe.
Day 8: White wine. Octopads, Macabeo, product of Spain. Drank this after a visit to Dallas. It was fine, but not one I would seek out in the future.
Day 9: Red wine. A nice Pinot Noir, not my favorite, but not bad either. Three Brothers Pino Noir.
So far, so good with this experiment. I will say, I am a little behind with my consumption (only averaging a bottle every 3 days). I guess I should have started this in early September. So either I am going to start day drinking for the rest of December or these bottles may go to just tastings for some of the wines, especially the ones I don’t love at first sniff.
Wish me luck!
San Antonio River Walk
We had been looking forward to seeing the San Antonio River Walk for a long time, years in fact. So, of course, one of our first stops in San Antonio was the River Walk.
After driving around to find parking (everything is paid parking, even street parking), we lucked out and found a spot near one of the River Walk bridge entrances.
The River Walk is as neat as everyone says. There were sections of just walking (or running for some people) with plants growing along the walls or decorations in the retaining/bridge walls. Then there was the shopping and restaurant section of the River Walk. The restaurants certainly had great patio views.
Our first trip there was during the day, which was great. But Ben had seen online that the Christmas lights really make it beautiful. So, we went back during a Luminary weekend, which was too pretty. We found a restaurant next to the river to eat dinner (Casa Rio). All the wait staff wore masks, and there were plastic curtains between tables. They also seated customers with a table in between them for spacing. The ducks that occupy the canal are expert beggars at these restaurants. The kids named them water pigeons. While eating it was fun to hear snippets of the boat tour guides speeches as they passed. Ultimately, we got to sit and and enjoy the lights as they came on at dusk.
The restaurants were decked out in lights, there were lights hanging down from the trees and they had luminaries placed along the sidewalk. It looked like open-drink carry was allowed, as we saw several people with (plastic) glasses of wine or even baggies with straws for frozen margaritas.
CAUTION: Most of the sidewalk does not have railings. Be careful while walking along the edge. It would be really easy to fall in. Luckily, we did not.
It was a really neat treat to see the River Walk and so far it has had my favorite Christmas decorations.
Nice job San Antonio!
Wineing in the RV: An Advent Calendar with a Kick
During our Costco adventures, we found a wine advent calendar! Ben got it for me and I have been enjoying it since October. It contains 24 half bottles of wine. I started Advent early this year (on Halloween), because there is no way I could drink that much wine in 24 days! It has been a neat adventure. There are a lot of different types of wines in the calendar, most of which I probably wouldn’t try on my own.
The wine Advent calendar cost $99.99 (+tax). I’ll have a few posts with pictures of the bottles from the wine journey as we prepare for Santa’s arrival over the coming month!
So far I like this type of wineing a lot more than what we normally have in the RV.
NOTE: For you beer lovers, I also saw a beer advent calendar at some locations.
Merry, Merry Advent!
This Was our First Rodeo: Fort Worth Stockyards Coliseum Rodeo
The Fort Worth Coliseum holds weekly rodeos on Friday and Saturday nights. They have competitors come in from all over (on the night we went they had one cowboy from Alaska and two from Brazil). They had timed events and rough stock events. (According to their website, Saturday nights have more rough stock events.) We learned that a rough stock event is normally bull and bronco riding, whereas a timed event is the roping and barrel racing.
It was our first ever rodeo and we weren’t sure what to expect. The Coliseum had a few different seating options: General Seating, Silver Spur (set of 5 reserved seats, in first two rows), Gold Buckle (reserved seats in the middle, cushioned seats with cup holders), VIP (3 rows with a bar). We were worried about taking the risk going to a rodeo during the pandemic and chose the Gold Buckle seats to ensure our greatest chance at social distancing. We were lucky enough to be sponsored for these seats from an award Ben had received from work. It turned out great! The chairs were very comfortable and gave us some distance from other people. We were also close to the action. So close we even had dirt flung up from the arena floor a couple times.
We saw bull riding, roping, barrel racing, bronco and bare back bronco riding. The strength and flexibility to do these events was remarkable. Even with the high skill of these athletes, one cowboy get knocked out and had to be carried off the field.
Due to COVID, the Coliseum limited seating to 75% and required masks to enter. The announcer was great about reminding people to socially distance and to wear masks throughout the event. However, there was no real enforcement. Once people were inside, it seemed like at least half of them took their masks off (not for eating/drinking, just off). We left ours on the whole time.
VIDEO: Fort Worth Coliseum Rodeo 11/21/2020
Post Event Notes:
We delayed putting this blog out until we were sure we did not end up with COVID from the experience. Luckily we are all still healthy (i.e.-no-COVID fallout from the Rodeo). Yee haw!
We were worried about the animals. It was amazing to see these athletes demonstrate their craft, but it concerned us that the animals could be hurt for our entertainment. Specifically, we wanted to know what was being done to make the bulls and horses buck. I did some reading and discovered it is a combination of breeding and the use of a pressure inducing flank strap. Here are a couple of the articles on why bulls buck: Arlington, LiveAbout.
Overall, our first rodeo was a lot of fun and definitely a learning experience. I’m not sure that I would go out of my way to see another Rodeo, but I am very glad I had the opportunity to see it.
Christmas Gifts for RVers
We have been traveling full time for over 150 continuous days in a travel trailer. Below are a list of some of the products that have helped us the most along this journey. If you get to buy presents for a RV enthusiast these are sure to please.
NOTE: The costs listed are what we paid and may change. Please use these as general guidance and check for yourself as you may be able to get better pricing.
LevelMatePro* While some of the newer (and nicer) Class A and C’s have auto-leveling, ours does not. It does have an electric jack and stabilizers, but you still have to level it. Instead of taking a level and doing it the old fashioned way, LevelMatePro was recommended and we love it. It mounts in your rig and uses your phone to show how level you are from left to right and front to back. I would recommend this product especially for those that are in travel trailers or have an older rig. Unless you are parking on a perfectly level concrete pad, it is super useful on travel days. (Cost: $145)
WeBoost* This helps boost all signals in the area, so we use it for our cell phone hotspots and the independent hotspot. There are a few different types of the WeBoost (home, car, RV, etc.) to meet your needs. We have seen a little bit of a difference in the signals. When you work/school from home, it’s important to have good internet signal. (Cost: $400)
Leveling Blocks*. These are like giant Legos used to help level the RV. We use these for the stabilizers, the jack, and to level the RV. We’ve even add them under the steps when there is too big of a gap. (Cost: $30 – we bought 3 sets)
Blackout curtains. Great for keeping the sun out for sleeping, heat out on hot days, and the cold from sneaking in on cold days. (Link to post on hanging our curtains.) (Cost: $25 each – we bought 4 sets for our 11 windows)
Air purifier*This is great if you have allergies. As we have traveled the country we have each discovered new pollen and molds to be allergic to. Luckily I had this air purifier at home before we left. It may be a little big for RV life. It does work really well though! (Cost: $85)
Costco membership. Although we don’t buy quite as much as we used to (just don’t have the room for it), we still love our Costco membership. We love the organic ground beef and chicken, as well as the frequently changing inventory. It’s fun to discover what each Costco has. Many of them carry different things. For example: Ohio doesn’t sell liquor; New Orleans sold Ben’s favorite “souvenir” (a collapsible tote); California sold boogie boards; Many have specific city/sports team gear. Gas prices are usually pretty good as well, but we’ve only come across a couple that carry diesel. Plus, it’s hard to beat their hotdog/soda ($1.50 special) and pizza ($9.95 for a very large pie) prices! (Cost: $60 for Basic; We upgraded years ago to the Executive for $120 because we spend enough that the 2% cash back just makes sense for us).
Propane Fire Pit. We just got this and have only used it twice. It had great reviews, rather light weight, small enough, and runs on propane. There are separate things you can buy for it, including a rack to cook on top of. We were looking for a wood alternative (although Ben loves a wood fire), since most of the places in the West have had a wood fire ban. NOTE: Some places are out of stock, with more coming in the first week of December. Try calling the store. It was listed as both in stock and back-ordered online at Camping World. I called and they did have one in stock (and they held it for me at the desk). (Cost: $150)
Viair Compressor*. As expected, this is an air compressor. This guy does a great job with the RV and truck tires that require higher pressures. The real win is the compressor connects directly to the travel trailer battery to run and has plenty of accessories to allow a reach to all of the tires without too much relocation. (Cost: $300)
Dehumidifier. We have been in locations with unusual heat waves and deserts lately. There have been a few times (mostly in the beginning of the trip) where the humidity in the RV has gotten high, even with the A/C and the bathroom fan on. The one thing we have read a lot about, is that RV’s can grown mold somewhat easily. We try to keep the humidity at a normal level. I have used this humidity/temperature sensor* for years, and it does pretty well. We brought it with us on the trip. We ended up buying a small dehumidifier* to help with the humidity in the RV. (Cost: Dehumidifier $45, sensor $17)
Fire extinguisher*. Most new RVs come with a fire extinguisher by the front door (kitchen area). We have one in the outdoor kitchen and one in our bedroom as well. You just can’t be too safe. (Cost: $30)
First aid kit*. My mom made ours for us before we left. She combined many of our existing kits and confirmed everything was in date. This is a great gift if you have the energy and time to DIY. She did a great job of getting most of what we needed, but still kept it to a reasonable size. We used an art container with internal dividers. It slides nicely between the bed and the wall. We have already had to restock the bandaids from multiple falls from bikes on gravel. If you don’t have the time or inclination to make a first aid kit, this looks like a thorough one that should fit most situations. (Cost: $30)
Solar Decorations*. This one is just for fun, but we ended up loving them. We got solar powered coloring changing balls. We hang them on the awning arm. It makes it nice to find the RV in the dark and adds some ambience when sitting by the campfire. (Cost: $17)
Hope these suggestions make your holiday shopping a little easier! If we missed any RV essentials, please remind us in the comments. Happy holidays!
*Affiliate links
Cooking In The RV: InstantPot Lasagna
Ok, so this isn’t a real lasagna, but it is a noodle dish that really tastes like lasagna! I was trying to find some easy InstantPot recipes that I could make in the RV. I made a few modifications to some I found online, and this is our recipe. It turned out really well and everyone loved it! (Well, Will got his portion before the cheese was added.) Click here for printable PDF recipe.
INSTANTPOT LASAGNA
Sarah Tepe
You will need:
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 jar spaghetti sauce (about 24 oz)
- 1 box uncooked penne pasta
- 1 can diced tomatoes (I used the diced tomatoes with green chilies, mild)
- 1 small onion, diced
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried basil
- 2 tbp olive oil
- 2 cups water
Directions:
- Add oil, diced onions, and ground beef to InstantPot. Set to sauté.
- Cook until ground beef is no longer pink. Stir and break up frequently.
- Drain any grease. Place back in the InstantPot and turn it off.
- Add in garlic powder and basil, stir to combine.
- Make sure ground beef is in an even layer on the bottom of the pot.
- Add spaghetti sauce, 2 cups water, can of tomatoes.
- Add noodles on top. Do not stir, just gently push down to make sure they are in the liquids.
- Cover with lid, set to seal and pressure to High.
- Cook for 5 minutes and then quick release.
- Stir in mozzarella and ricotta cheeses. Stir to let melt.
- Enjoy!
