We're Going On the Road...and Trail, and Bike!

For Sale!

S.D. and I are hitting the road! We're selling the house, leaving our jobs, changing our state of residence to South Dakota, trading the car in for a van, selling almost everything in the house, packing what's left into the van and heading West. If it doesn't fit in the van, its not going.  For the next three or so years we plan on traveling around the country, camping, backpacking and bike touring.

Me and Austin

Thirty-six years ago, my sixteen year old self dreamed of packing her dog, Munchkin and her windsurfer into her Austin Healey, and heading West....and now it's going to happen. Sure, Munchkin will be with me in my heart, the windsurfer has been replaced by a bicycle, and the van will be much more practical than an Austin Healey, and I'm much older but now, and best of all I'll have my best buddy ever with me, S.D!

Ah, I fondly remember that awkward first date when S.D. defiantly told me he had no interest in having a house (although he did have a very nice house), his plan was to retire, buy a van, convert it into a stealth camper and wander around the county. Little did he suspect that was exactly what I was looking for, and that rather than scare me away, made me take a second look at the bearded, ex-boatbuilder-turned-fish-biologist-turned-government-bureaucrat. And good thing too! We're only two months away from making it happen.

Here are the details. S. D. is retiring as of May 29. I can't use the "r" word myself, but I'll be leaving my job, effective the same day. If all goes well the house will sell, or have sold just about the same time. We put it on the market today, and with the market being pretty "hot" here, hope to be under contract by mid-April, and on track for a late May closing.

Meanwhile we've begun making arrangements to establish residency in South Dakota. Why South Dakota you ask?  It's a little known fact but South Dakota is a virtual meca for folks who need a residence, but don't actually want to live there. With no income tax, no capital gains tax, a one-night once-every-five-year stay required for a driver's license, and a couple of companies that provide mail forwarding services, it's the perfect state if you plan to be on the move.  Once those arrangements are complete we can buy, and register the van (in South Dakota, by mail).

After the house sale, a week or two before the closing, we're selling almost everything in the house. If you're interested in buying anything let us know. Or stop by. We don't own anything fancy, but what we do have is useful and in good shape. Some stuff will be difficult to part with, it's funny how much things can mean to you, but if it won't fit in the van. It's got to go.

Then the house sale, then we head West!

First stop will be Traverse City, Michigan to visit Lyss, then UP. We're going to South Dakota via the Upper Peninsula.  Once in South Dakota, we have to spend a night in our new state, get our driver's license and move on. We might linger awhile in the Badlands, they sound really interesting. Lots of nice camping and bicycling locations.

We'll continue meandering west, camping, hiking and bicycling until early to mid July when we arrive in Ashland, Oregon. There we'll rent a storage unit for the remaining stuff.

*Route subject to change

And then the real adventure begins.

At the beginning of August we'll store the van too, put on our backpacks and head North on the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail). We'll hike until the snow gets too deep, or our legs too woobly. Whichever comes first.

And then we'll just see what happens, but for now the idea is to bike around over the winter, eventually ending up at the Southern terminus of the PCT in early spring, then hiking North again. We'll hike until our legs get too woobly, or the snow gets too deep (the snow pack in the Sierra's usually lasts until June).  Once the snow is gone, we'll continue on to Ashland, and complete the PCT.

...and beyond that... who knows. That's a long way away, and a lot of new things away.