Tag Archives: tales from the empty nest

saying goodbye

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View from our Home

The view from our former home.

Leaving home is always tough, but leaving home and completely changing your lifestyle is a doozy. We’ve been full-timers for a little over a week now. I’ve been thinking about this post the whole time and believe I’m ready to write it without crying. If you don’t know this about me, I cry a lot. Television commercials make me cry, along with buying greeting cards and seeing anyone else cry. Don’t even get me started on weddings, babies and funerals. (Watch for upcoming blogs posts, “Things That Make Me Cry, Parts I, II and III.”)

Traveling around the country in the RV is a long-time dream of ours. It’s on the official bucket list. I am truly grateful that we have this opportunity while we’re this young. That being said, it’s still a lot of change. Change is good, right? Continue reading

home, home on the road

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That’s a happy camper relaxing after the move.
Leaving our “land home” for a year on the road!
Our first “home, home on the road” at Yampa River State Park.
My road captains at the wheel.
The visitor center and shower facility at Yampa River State Park.

Today, home is where the deer and the antelope play. We finished packing and moving on Tuesday, closed the sale on the house Wednesday and are spending day one of our new life on the road at Yampa River State Park, near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. There will be posts about downsizing, saying goodbye and life on the road soon. Stay tuned for more Tales From the Empty Nest!

this nest is going mobile!

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The empty nest is hitting the road!

The empty nest is hitting the road!

“Someday we’re going to sell everything and travel around the country in our RV.” That’s what we’ve been saying for years, and now it’s finally coming true. In about three weeks, we will head out for a year of travel and adventure. I’ll be chronicling the journey on this blog, so stay tuned here and follow me on Twitter (@EmptyNestTales) and Facebook.

In the meantime, here are answers to some questions that are probably starting to form. Continue reading

campground review: Fort Collins–Poudre Canyon KOA

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The view from the Fort Collins - Poudre Canyon KOA

The view from the Fort Collins – Poudre Canyon KOA

Why camp here? Location! The name says it all; the Fort Collins – Poudre Canyon KOA campground is located about 10 miles outside of Fort Collins, Colorado, and right across the road from the Cache la Poudre Scenic Byway. In our case, Fort Collins is about halfway between our kids, so it was the perfect meeting spot for a Mother’s Day family weekend. (Except for the major snowstorm, but that’s a different story.) Continue reading

because I said so, that’s why

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Perfect weather for camping on Mother's Day.

Perfect weather for camping on Mother’s Day.

If you don’t think God has a sense of humor, explain to me why the teenage years and the first years of the empty nest so often coincide with peri-menopause. Talk about ups and downs. Face it: You’re going to make some illogical decisions based purely on emotions. Accept it, forgive yourself and move on.

I’m still working on that “forgive yourself” thing for a recent mandate that I was going to spend Mother’s Day with my kids, no matter what. We live in the mountains on Colorado’s Western Slope. Our kids are in Denver and Laramie. To save them the long drive home since both had been here at spring break, I decided that we would take the RV to Fort Collins, which is about halfway in between them. We booked the campsite and started planning. Continue reading

winter weekend at the grand canyon 

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View from the South Rim at Grand Canyon National Park

View from the South Rim at Grand Canyon National Park

For the second year in a row, we found ourselves headed to Arizona on Valentine’s Day. Last year, we spent the long weekend in Scottsdale and Chandler. This year, we decided to spend the weekend at the Grand Canyon for several reasons. Scott had never been there before, and the last time I visited was in 1969. The forecast was calling for record-high temperatures. And, the icing on the cake, admission to the national park was free for the Presidents’ Day weekend.

Cruiser's Cafe 66 in Williams, Arizona

Cruiser’s Cafe 66 in Williams, Arizona

The reason for the trip was in Phoenix, so we had a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner there and then set out for the Grand Canyon the next morning. We took a quick detour to Williams, Ariz., to visit the Grand Canyon Brewing Company. Unfortunately, it was closed during the off-season, so we walked around the town a bit and decided we definitely want to come back and visit when everything is open.

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30 things I learned while traveling abroad

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We learned that, given enough alcohol, we will eat haggis.

We learned that, given enough alcohol, we will eat haggis.

Our trip to Ireland and Scotland was very educational. I learned some things about myself. Scott and I learned some things about each other. And I definitely learned some things about traveling in these countries. Here are 30 things I picked up, in no particular order.

  1. We are not good with maps. We got lost. A lot.
  2. The Irish are quite possibly the friendliest people on Earth, until they get behind the wheel of a car. Then they’re crazy.
  3. Even after touring the beautiful Blair Athol Distillery in Pitlochry, Scotland, and seeing all of the care and skill that goes into making some of the finest Scotch in the world, I still don’t like it.
  4. Given enough alcohol, we will eat haggis. Continue reading

arizona road trip, part 2: exploring chandler

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Happy hour on the patio at El Zocalo in Chandler, Arizona.

Happy hour on the patio at El Zocalo in Chandler, Arizona.

After a romantic Valentine’s Day in Scottsdale, Arizona, we headed to Chandler for a couple of days. Historic downtown Chandler is a gastronomic delight; if you’re dieting, you should not go there. The artsy area is just a few blocks long, but it’s packed with restaurants, pubs and specialty shops. Our intention was to have lunch and do a little window-shopping. We liked it so much that we ended up spending a good portion of our weekend there.

Pretzels and beer at the SanTan Brewing Company.

Pretzels and beer at the SanTan Brewing Company.

SanTan Brewing Company was founded in 2007 and is based in a renovated 1954 bank building. There’s lots of seating inside and out, but it was still pretty busy when we got there. I had a Sun Spot Golden Ale, which was light and refreshing. Scott tried the Sex Panther, because who doesn’t want to try a beer called Sex Panther? It’s a double chocolate porter that’s only available in early spring.

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