Welcome back to Notes From The Road, a monthly recap of where we’ve been and what we’ve been up to over the last 30 days.
You may remember back in June we were raving about our new mini split A/C unit that Mark installed in our travel trailer. In years past, we would spend the month of May on our property and then get back on the road as soon as the summer heat became uncomfortable. With air conditioning, we thought, we could have more freedom to decide when we wanted to leave rather than be at the mercy of the weather. That was until the heat ramped up and ramped up some more and soon we found ourselves entirely disinterested in trying to pack up and relocate in 100+ degree heat while simultaneously wishing we were somewhere else. And so July was spent hanging out in our A/C kind of hoping the heat would just relent already. That day never came and so last week we finally relocated.
Here’s a look back at July and getting back on the road…
AirBnB life is not for us
Almost every weekend we photograph a wedding at one of Colorado’s ski resorts. In years past, we would park our rig in whatever national forest was near our work. This summer, we thought we would try staying on our property and renting an AirBnB on the weekends for work; for the sake of mixing things up if you will. It didn’t take long to learn that AirBnB life isn’t for us. Packing every Friday, driving 3 hours, working all day Saturday, then driving home every Sunday for many consecutive weeks is a surefire way to make the weeks go by in the blink of an eye. Then there’s the fact that no residential home or condo in Colorado’s mountain towns have ever been built with A/C. The mountains are experiencing unprecedented heat and yet A/C isn’t an option, making every AirBnB uncomfortably hot. Add to that the poor night’s sleep from an uncomfortable (or unfamiliar) bed and we began to feel silly for spending money on such a thing when we could simply relocate our home closer to work.
If you’re wondering why we didn’t just pack up the truck camper to go to work every weekend it’s because trying to remain clean enough for a wedding while living in the truck is practically impossible. Further, leaving a wedding at 11pm and trying to find a place to camp on a Saturday night is, again, practically impossible. With our trailer, we can secure a site and come and go as we please. And, during wedding season, the trailer’s full-size indoor bathroom is a must.
Why we had to be strategic on moving day
We love our truck, probably too much. Because we waited until mid-summer to relocate to a cooler climate, it meant we would be towing in triple digit temps–not a friendly thing to do to the truck we love. Not only because our trailer is heavy but also because an 11,000’ mountain pass stood between us and our destination. As long-time Coloradans, we’re well acquainted with the toll that altitude + heat takes on vehicles. We see blown tires all over the interstate this time of year, burn scars from vehicles that caught fire, and people pulled over waiting for overheated vehicles to cool down.
So we came up with a plan to divide our 170 mile drive into two stages. On our departure day we left in the evening and drove an hour and a half to a Costco where we spent the night in the parking lot. This put us thirty minutes away from Vail Pass. At sunrise the following morning we got on the road and tackled the pass before the heat of the day took hold. All went well and we were happily settled into a beautiful spot in an alpine forest by mid-day. That 170 mile distance put us 3,000’ higher in elevation, effectively decreasing temps by a minimum of twenty degrees. Hallelujah.
The all new twohappycampers.com is here
Last week we launched an all new version of this website! (Cue cheering sounds) To make our years of stories and guides easier to explore, we’ve completely reorganized everything here. You can now navigate Two Happy Campers through three main hubs:
1. Full-Time RV Living
If you are looking for practical logistics, this is your new starting line.
- New Detailed Rig Pages: If you’ve ever wanted a close-up look at either one of our rigs, we now have two dedicated rig pages—one for our Four Wheel Camper and one for our Desert Fox toy hauler.
- The A-Z Guide to Full-Time RV Living: You can now easily browse every A-Z post or sign up to have the guide delivered directly to your inbox as a daily email series!
2. Baja Camping & Travel
Our many Baja resources are now easy to find in one dedicated space. If you’re planning a trip to Baja, this page is a must-see. We hope the many things we’ve learned over the years will help set you up for success as you navigate your trip south of the border!
- You can also sign up to receive our 82 Days in Baja or Roaming Mexico “day in the life” series delivered right to your inbox.
3. Mindset & Well-Being
Living on the road, for us, goes so much deeper than wanting to see new places and have new experiences. Nomadic living has allowed us to prioritize the things in life that matter to us most, our physical and mental health being at the top of the list. This corner of the website is dedicated to the many essays that dive into how and why we’ve crafted a life that feels right for us, no matter how unusual it may be.
- The Nomad’s Mindset: I’ve recently written seven essays that encompass the core beliefs that drive our unconventional lifestyle. These personal stories dive into the various decisions that led us down a path of non-conformity. If you’re interested in exploring new perspectives, you can sign up to receive this seven-day email series here.
We’ll be at Overland Expo Mountain West, will you?
We’re excited to return to Overland Expo Mountain West in Loveland, CO August 21-23. On Saturday the 22nd you can find us in the Learning Lab at 3pm for our class “Life on the road: insights & advice for full-time travel”. If you’re there, please come say hello!
A few scenes from July:
We got to spend two blissful days with some of our dearest friends. The post “Sometimes you’ve gotta just say f*ck it and go” was dedicated to this particular weekend and the importance of making time for friends. 
Our friends Heather & Adam closed escrow on a piece of property not far from ours. We’re absolutely delighted to have friends and fellow nomads so close by. 
One of the reasons it was so hard for us to leave our property is because, despite the sweltering heat, come sunset, the place becomes absolutely dreamy. 
On this particular night we were captivated by the full moon casting light on the cliffs. 
It took longer to get here than it should have but we’re delighted to be back in Colorado’s high country for the remainder of the summer.
If you made it this far, thank you for reading! We love having this space to share our unconventional lifestyle and to inspire others to craft a life that they love.
Wherever you are, we hope you’re keeping cool.
Cheers,
Michele & Mark
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