Another love of mine

What I like most about my Casita are those with whom I share it.
Okay, I stole the lead-in quote. It should be home, and not Casita.  And to make it worse, I  don't know who to give credit to, only that it fits. Our Casita crew (two of the 2-legged type and  two of the 4-legged variety, a big one and small one) is top notch. We've been on the road now for over 60 days. All of us have honed that Casita Dance down to pretty smooth set of transactions of avoidance, space and tasks. All in all, it's a great crew that brings laughter and smiles to the team.

But this note is about another Love of mine, Tara, our Casita. Oh come, I bet a lot of you out there

give names to objects. Tara was the Goddess of travel on both the physical and spiritual plane.  I figured I probably need help with both. That being said, we're on the last leg of a wonderful Great Northern Road Trip (Alaska, Klondike).  It has been a long and bumpy road and I'm proud to say the Casita performed well. She took bumping, twisting, thumping like a champ. We had to replace only one rivet the whole trip. She's dirty with mud and dust from the construction but. she was there every night to provide us with a nice cozy HOME and to protect us from those mean ole Grizzly Bears roaming around out there in the forest that would just love to eat us.

Maybe it just luck, but the Casita suffered no road road damage (of course, let's not discount the brilliant, if I do say so myself, of naming, her after a super natural being) The only precaution that we made was to rig up a set of mud flaps hung off the truck bumper. We did meet one Casita owner who had two side (outside) light  lenses broken. Another Casita guy who had armored up his little egg with mud flaps mounted on the underside protecting the drains and on each side of the propane tanks he had welded a shield , 24. X 30  (?) inches, metal frame, Formica inserts. He had Nooooo damage.

Then, there's the view! I look at other RVs, while big they really lack the view we have. They usually have only a few windows and what they do have are tiny. I have a screened gazebo I can set up, but most of the time we just stay in the Casita. It's comfortable and the view is amazing! Such a little trailer with such wonderful windows. When we go to set up, I not only look for a nice site in which to level Tara, I look for how to situate the dinette and bedroom windows. The view from inside to out. It's, well, amazing!

Yeah, I know that a little 17-ft. minimalist fiberglass travel trailer isn't a fit for all. I mean for large families, boy scout troops, or people whose first reaction is something like, "it's damn closet;" they might consider something else. But it's great if you can get behind 'it's everything you need and not much else.' It's cheap, but like all living , moving things you've got to expect spend some coins on her.  My Casita (almost 3 years) is as low maintenance as my wife (41 years)  That being said, if they--either one of them--need anything, I get it for them with a smile. I love it when we're just sitting around, windows open, sounds and smells of our chosen 'spot'  filling our senses, and Kamala or I, or both in unison, say, "This is nice."

Thanks Tara
--Charley


Our little abode. Compact with everything I need. It has everything we need. I've even referred to 'rooms' for location of things: the foyer, the dinette, the kitchen, the bedroom, and the bathroom (the only real 'room' in the little trailer). Everything almost in arms' reach. The kitchen is my domain. It has become so because of where I sit. I sit in the busy seat. If you sit in my seat, then it is easier if I open the fridge, get things from under or above the sink, above the fridge. It's the do-er seat. Charley sits in the 'stay out of the way' seat.

This little fiberglass home on wheels lets me 'live' in many places. We're not full-timers, but when traveling, we live where we visit.

The 'Great Northern Road Trip' has evolved into more of a vacation once we are back in 'the lower 48.' Never thought I'd say that in my life. Traveling the great distances in Canada and Alaska and trying to take it all in and figure out just what to do and where to go really demanded a lot of time, not to mention the push to get down the road. Once back, Charley and I want to meander home. Lori and Lynn, became more and more homesick the closer we got to the Canada-U.S. border. So, once we crossed over, we had a teary departure and traveled our different ways to get home. The second night away from each other, we ended up choosing the same Passport America campground and had a jubilant, albeit brief, reunion and parted again the next morning. They have arrived safely back at  their New Mexico home and we are still meandering. We headed to The Grand Tetons. There, it was like reliving the Yukon and Alaska. Snow-capped mountains once again was a backdrop for lakes reflecting the blue sky. Wow! What a beautiful summer! We even saw a grizzly crossing the road! The only real difference was the amount of people taking in all the magnificence. Meandering still, the road weaves through a more recognizable Wyoming landscape of rolling hills spotted with sage brush. We find ourselves in the southwestern corner of the state at a campsite called "Fire Hole Campground" in the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. What beauty and majesty. Sandstone eroded bluffs and pinnacles silhouetting the sky. I got to live here two days! --Kamala