Port Orchard, Washington, United States
As our year of rest in 2021 came to a close, we were left pondering what Sam and us would do next. We were still very much enjoying the mobile lifestyle so we prayerfully considered a job he could do remotely. As it turns out, the friends we have in Michigan that he went to help in September needed him on as an actual part of their medical billing company. The agreement they came to would be for him to do mostly remote work and fly back for a few days once a month for meetings. Well that was a quick, unexpected turn!
We headed out of Vegas and on to meet some friends in CA who were about to start their own full time RV life. Then on our way out, hit Hoover Damn, more national parks, and back on down to good old South Padre Island, TX. Another wonderful stint there, aside from some flooding. We also had a few visits from friends. Samson returned to rock out at his band on Sundays as he continues to show how not shy he is. He even picked up some tip money this time around. Samson has been doing great in his studies, mastered ridding his bike, and graduated to big kid legos.
For his birthday, he wanted to tour the inside of other motorhomes so we found a dealership in McAllen and he got to peruse as many 5th wheels, trailers, RV's, and campers as he wanted. We made a day full of fun things and Sam made him a Junior Ranger cake. We also got to be pirates for a day on a pirate ship cruise. We lived out our SPI beach life with a bit more fishing this time around before leaving for Oklahoma in February. Along the way, Sam bought a small boat to fish in, though he has yet to. He sold me on the idea because I think we could find more untouched beach in Padre to collect those lovely seabeans next time.
We got into Oklahoma just in time for not one, but two freezes. That really put the insulation of our 5th wheel to the test, which it failed. Thankful for propane heaters! The cold did kill off the carpenter ants that we brought back from Texas. Being that Sam has to travel to Michigan so frequently, he decided to drive our green van, "Vincent-VanGo"- because that thing will go…everywhere…forever, up there and leave it for himself.
He then flew to Vegas to get my blue van, "Eddie Van Halen" - Because “Eddie [Aikau] would go,” and drove it back for me to have. We had lot of friend time in OK. In March when I wasn't paying attention going down our stairs I fell and seriously messed up my ankle. It's still healing to this day. Sam got the boat fixed up and we loaded everything heading towards MI where we planned to spend the next 6 months. Along the way we got a in a nice visit with our friends in St. Louis. They brought the show Bluey into our lives and we are grateful. Seriously, I don't care how old you are, that show is awesome. Sam drove North from there with some tire drama on the rig and got to work with his new job and with reflooring our 5th wheel which had gotten increasingly saggy since the day we got it. Samson and I took a detour flight to Vegas and Utah again and met up with him 2 weeks later, since Michigan RV parks don't even open until 4/15.
The RV park we did find was wonderful. It has a petting zoo with mules, a Scottish Highland cow, chickens, peacocks, and pigmy goats! There is a full playground with a small lake beach where they hide jewels for kids to find and trade in for tiny prizes at the office.
They have tractor rides with big foot sightings, holiday events, fireflies, birdwatching, and stunning views. All of our neighbors were grandparents there for the season to see their families and were most gracious to ours. Samson picked up another job of collecting and turning in recycling for 10 cents a pop. We never ran out of things to do in Michigan and the scenery was gorgeous. The blue of their sky, in the Spring, is unparalleled. (Boo that they also get tornado threats.) Sam had to work quite a bit not only at his new job but also in remodeling our friend's recently purchased home. This line of work seems to be a pattern for him now as well. In our free time we would explore that area of the country. We connected with our friends there, whom we know from our Las Vegas church many years ago. They basically invited us into their Chaldean family with deep relational connections and yummy food. Samson and I enjoyed what the RV park had to offer, we dug into schooling, and he really got into building an entire town of legos! Here is a video we made of it: https://youtu.be/bpCli1GJvz4 He also found a passion for going to thrift stores and treasure hunting for ty beanie babies, but please don't send us anymore. lol
We took many out of state trips whenever we could sneak away. The first was a drive down to Florida. Along the way we had a Hill family visit in Kentucky, a stop in Tennessee to see Great Smokey Mountains, and visit a movie car museum in Gatlinburg that had a real-life Herbie the Love Bug.
(Big fan, Samson is.) In Florida we experienced what real traffic jams were, the oddly intense heat of the FL sunshine, visited 2 sets of friends, explored the keys, more national parks, ate frog legs after an Everglades fan boat ride, kayaked through a mangrove forest, spotted alligators, took a spontaneous helicopter ride, and went to the world's largest McDonalds. We're not McD people but look this one up, it's an oddity. On our way back we went to the very first Chick-Fil-A in Georgia. That was neat. We are C-F-A people. Well, 2 of us are.
On a trip out to Ohio we passed by Lake Erie on our way to see friends and do the (lame) National Park there, plus Cedar Point theme park, which was waaayy too hot. Another trip we met our SPI friends for river tubbing in WI but it was unfortunately cold that day. Still, we made the best of it and on our way back found a surprise of the country's waterpark capital - Wisconsin Dells. So of course we spent the night there to go to a theme park/water park before heading to the newest added National Park of Indiana Dunes then Holland, MI. Next year I shall go back for the tulip festival there. We also crossed visiting Mall of America off of my bucket list. In September we went down to Kentucky once again to visit cousins and grandparents. We went to the Ark Encounter museum. We also hit Mammoth Cave NP, Lincoln's Birthplace Historical Park, and the Bob Ross studio and museum in Indiana at the historic Bell family property.
When we got the chance to explore the state of Michigan we took it. A few trips around MI included: Port Heron to pop into all of their museums that are free for the year, the upper peninsula, Traverse City, the Soo Locks, the Detroit Eastern Market, waterfall hikes, and a boat ride through Painted Rocks National Lakeshore. There is also so much history in this state. We visited the stunning Dow Gardens for a day in the 110 acre park gifted to the public after Herbert Dow's passing. We experienced the Bavarian Festival in Frankenmuth. Sam bought a motorcycle. I got to catch up with a friend I worked at Zappos with who now lives in the area. We went to a taco festival and I had the best tamales of my life. We went to the Detroit zoo, fishing, learned to pogo stick, celebrated with friends, inner tubing on the boat, volunteering for church events like VBS, nature outings with the Wild and Free group like stream science and apple picking, and Samson even got in a work day with Daddy at the office in his fancy suit Grandpa got him.
Samson had a run at basketball classes and I think did well, though it may not be his passion. Probably track and field- lol. I got to go on a women's retreat with my friends. And of course, there was a farmer’s market down the way with ducks eggs. We squeezed all the little joys we could out of the state and I think there's more to be found still. Baby swans, peacocks, and goats were flooding the RV park with cuteness I could see every day. You really get an idea of just how vast our land is and how many people there actually are when you travel a lot.
We did finally have to say au revoir to Vincent the van as he got into his 3rd accident but left his, (still running) remains with our friend’s son to get back and forth to high school in. Viva la van! Our insurance even paid us what we originally bought it for 6 years ago! One of my best friends originally from the area, whom I know from Vegas, came to see her family so I got a day with her to explore the sights of downtown Detroit. Sam’s cousin, Kendra came out to visit so we showed her a few highlights of the area including Frankenmuth with its world's largest Christas store, Yates Cider Mill, and the beautiful area of Ortonville where we were.
We caught a nasty virus right after her visit but recouped and went on to check out the local aquarium, the Lego Discovery center, and my favorite- The Henry Ford. This is hands down the best museum I have ever been to, Smithsonian included. We spent 3 different days here and I highly recommend that experience. I could write a whole paper on how cool it was, truly. You can check out their site or channel or call me to tell you more! Or come with us next year!
It was a tricky time to try to make friends as in the warm months, Michiganders take full advantage of outside time and travel around. We found a Wild&Free, (homeschooling group) to meet up with, but they didn't start meeting until the last month we were there. The church we regularly attended had their big kick-off for the kid's program in the Fall. We did start some sweet new friendships and are scheduled to return to the same place this next Spring, when it's warm again. We headed out with the pleasant temperatures. The RV parks close October 15th so off we took off for Oklahoma.
We were there barley over 24 hours, just enough to drop off the 5th wheel at our friend’s property, say hi, and go North in our minivan. Taking this next trip in our 43 foot long home would have been expensive, cumbersome, and rigorous. Thus began the adventure we deemed “Mini-Van-Vlamping.”
Alternating camping out of the van and hotel nights, we covered a lot in a short time. A car museum, feeding wild burrows and prairie dogs, carved mountains, some van issues, a covered wagon inn, a visit with family, 7 National Parks, and some roadside attractions in 10 days. Half way through I flew back to OK to attend the wedding of a friend. It was such a special time. While I was gone the guys checked out Mt. Saint Hellens, Mt. Rainer NP, and The Lewis and Clark trails in the areas. Upon my return we drove through Seattle, had the best of coffee, visited more family, and saw the Spruce Goose at an Air & Space museum. We got to visit the oldest and largest Sturgeon named Herman at the Bonneville fish hatchery, museum, locks, and damn. Along the Columbia River we camped and hiked around the forests of Oregon. Next we went to Newport, OR for lunch at the Rouge Brewery, visited the aquarium and ocean science center, then we headed to Sam’s aunt and uncle’s. There we had some nice visits while swimming, playing with a puppy, and trunk-or-treating at the church in the area. Samson was a lego man. We attempted to catch some crabs but nothing big enough to keep, though Samson did get a tour of the family boat shop.
We also got to trick-or-treat with cousins. Sam hurt his back pretty bad in that time but it has since recovered.
Finally we reached our destination outside of Seattle. Here Sam took on a job to fully remodel a friend’s duplex property. These are good friends from Hawaii who inherited the house and are wanting to sell it. Remember how I said this line of work seems to be following Sam? So here’s to even more new adventures in this area. He’s been working very hard while Samson and I were just sort of hanging around in the bottom level of the house with cold rain outside. So while the husbands were tolling over the property, Samson and I headed to Maui to hang with the wife and sons. We had great, sunny times together for 2 weeks. Lots of bonding, praying, and laughter with these special people. On our way home, Samson and I had a one day adventure on the big island of Hawaii to go to the Volcano National park, which he wasn’t too impressed with. He wanted to see erupting lava. I told him that we couldn’t be there if that was happening.
A week later and it is now flowing lava so it seems our timing was perfect! We sought out one of only 4 green-sand beaches in the world. I intend to hike in the 2.5 miles each way but our schedule was running behind so we opted to get a $20 ride from a local boy in his truck with some other tourists. It ended up being a God-appointment as he was a newly saved Brother-in-Christ. We got to talk a bit in front of another lady that God apparently wanted to hear his story too. This saved us from getting sand-blasted and hiking back in the dark which I was very thankful for. The next day we flew back to the mainland, bought a 1969 VW Bug, and returned back to the duplex.
The work that needed done is more extensive than what we anticipated so our plans are being altered but we hope to be back through OK for our home on wheels and back down to South Padre by January. Samson and I just retuned from a Vegas trip, where it was warmer. Sam has more scheduled trips to Michigan over the year and we will likely spend another Summer there. As for his mobile home reconstruction business, we will see where God takes it. For now, we are along for the adventurous ride.
