In a matter of 5 weeks (or was it 4?) we sold our house in Idaho, sold our plane, procured our next RV, filled a storage unit with everything that wouldn’t come with us, and hit the road. In June 2020 our third stint living on the road full-time had officially begun.
We had a few goals for the summer ahead…
- Re-establish residency in Colorado (not an easy task with no permanent address)
- Shop for a piece of property in Colorado (this could help with the residency thing)
- Don’t get COVID
Although we planned to travel full-time, we knew we wanted Colorado to be our home base again and that we would like to spend 4 months there every summer. With that, we were interested in finding a piece of property that could serve as a basecamp of sorts.
Other than that, we mostly spent the summer laying low, moving from one dispersed camping site to another every week or two. We knew we wanted to travel at a slower pace this time around in an effort to sustain this lifestyle longer than we had in the past and so I originally thought we might spend a month or two here and there at RV parks. As I type, I laugh recalling the idea. We love wild, open spaces. We don’t love tight, congested RV parks. So instead, we took advantage of the 14 day limit on public lands and only moved 60-90 miles at a time (at least for the summer). That pace turned out to be our sweet spot.
Mark outfitted our rig with a solar system that suited our electrical needs perfectly. Furthermore, the 80 gallon tank we have onboard our toy hauler could last us the entirety of our 14 day limit. Choosing a toy hauler turned out to be everything we had hoped and more. All in all, we rode out the summer of 2020, and all the uncertainty that came with it, in a way that was safe, affordable, and enjoyable beyond measure.
Our first stop, somewhere in Utah, where Mark got our solar panels mounted and inverter installed. Because he had previously outfitted two different travel trailers, he was able to have us set up for off-grid camping in no time. 
Inverter installation day. 
Where I would spend my summer editing photos. 
White River National Forest, Colorado 
We hadn’t been at high elevations in two years and were far from acclimated but as soon as we got back to Colorado I was ready to stand on some mountain tops. 
Sharing one of our favorite spots with family that came out to Colorado to visit us for 4th of July. 
Sharing those insane Colorado views with our nephew Jaxon. 
The toy hauler immediately proved to be an excellent choice. 
I could not have been happier to be back in the mountains. 
Routt National Forest, Colorado 
Moving day. We moved spots every 1-2 weeks. 
Comet Neowise 
This was an awesome spot until a couple of rangers came knocking on our door at 8am on a Saturday informing us we were camped on an illegal road. We had no idea (nothing was marked or looked as though we would have a problem). Luckily the rangers were kind and we only had to move a short distance down the road. 
Visiting family in Denver. 
Park County, Colorado 
Two thumbs up for an RV with a deck. 
Most of our 2020 weddings postponed to 2021 but a handful remained. The income was welcome but it was incredibly stressful worrying that we might pick up COVID at one wedding and take it with with us to another. 
This hike to the top of Bison Peak was not something we should have attempted prior to being reacclimated to the altitude. 4,000′ of elevation gain in 5 miles was no joke. 
Cottonwood Pass, Colorado 
We eventually found some shorter, more moderate hikes, to get us back in shape. 
The moment we arrived back in Colorado we began shopping for property. This 5 acre parcel was the first serious contender. Hot damn am I glad that the offer we made was outbid because something truly incredible was on the horizon for us. 
Our little home isn’t always this tidy, but when it is I proudly snap a pic. We love it so much. 
Buena Vista, Colorado 
San Isabel National Forest, Colorado 
Come August the wildfire smoke we had done well keeping away from finally caught up with us. 
The best day of the summer. 
BLM land, Grand County, Colorado. 
September 5th and our sign that it was time to leave Colorado’s high country. 
Buena Vista, Colorado 
Grand Mesa, Colorado 
Delta, Colorado 
The day we discovered the unexpected beauty of Grand Mesa. 
Of the many years we’ve lived in the rural Colorado mountains, this was the first antler we’d ever found. And it was on a piece of property we had a feeling was “the one”.
