Events

It’s almost post time. 

It has been almost a year since the RV was totaled out in Colorado. Since then I located and bought (for cash) the replacement RV, M.O.B.I.  I’ve gone through it from stem to stern and top to bottom. It is ready and so are the dog and I.  In a few days we will be heading for parts unknown in a generally westward direction.

You are invited to tag along. Check us out here at Art On The Run or on Facebook Paul Sumberg.

If you are feeling generous, please contribute to our fuel and groceries by clicking on the DONATE button over there on the left. Any amount is appreciated, large or small.

Cheers

Paul and Heyleigh the wonder dog.

Heartland Road Tour

Fine tuning things before the next great adventure. 

Over the next couple weeks I’ll be double checking systems and tweaking them if necessary. 

Over the past few days I’ve left several coach lights on around the clock with “shore power” disconnected but with the 100w solar panel connected and pointed toward the sun.  Half of yesterday was overcast so we didn’t have optimum sunshine. This morning I checked the coach batteries (I usually call them house batteries) and they are sitting at 12.6 with the lights on (under a slight load). They’re at or above 80% charged. Since I don’t use a whole lot of power when boondocking this has been a good test of the solar charging system. 

Well, I don’t use a whole lot of power unless it’s cold and I turn the furnace on that is. The fans on the furnace are big electricity users (compared to burning a few LED lights). I know it will get chilly at night on the high plains and in the desert and mountains. I’ll use the furnace. Hopefully I can cover up while I sleep and just use it in the morning when I get up. 

So, the solar system is checked out and passes muster. Let me see what’s next on my list…

Cheers 

Paul and Heyleigh the Wonder Dog. 

Heartland Road Tour

Time for some serious planning

Before long the dog and I will be shoving off for parts west. I’m not a planner. I really don’t like being boxed in so my modus operandi is this: unless I’m at a destination where I want to spend time, each evening I look at maps (usually using the ALLSTAYS app on the iPhone) and decide where my next resting place will be and then what the best route will be. Now, my preferred routes are usually quite different from most folks. I avoid major highways! Frankly there’s rarely anything to photograph on them and even if there was, it’s impossible to just stop, get out and shoot pictures. No, I travel small roads through small towns and sometimes through miles and miles of nowhere!

My first real destination (not just a waypoint where I can park for the night) is the Moab area of Utah. I figure that at my pace, it’ll take me a week to get from these Georgia mountains to there. Last year I went through Alabama, Mississippi, a bit of Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona to get to Utah. And then my RV was totaled (yesterday’s news). I think this time I’ll choose a higher latitude. But not too high being that I’m a southern boy and prefer not to run the heater.


I think that on the west side of the Mississippi River I’ll do Missouri, Kansas and Colorado. Although, I really like those bath houses in Hot Springs Arkansas. On the east side it’s still a toss up. Tennessee or Kentucky. It’ll be Tennessee either way as I’ll have to go through it to get to Kentucky. But I could go straight west from Tennessee to Arkansas or Missouri.

Some of the deciding factors on this first leg of the Heartland RoadTour Rewind are sights to see, places to park overnight and people to visit.

If you have suggestions or want to share your thoughts with me. You can use the contact form below to get in touch.

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Events

I love it when a plan comes together.

My decision to purchase a motorhome was twofold. One part was to allow me to travel at what ever pace that would allow me to stop and capture some images. It is important for me to be able to spend an extra day or two somewhere to catch that shot I can picture in my mind. I confirmed this shortly after getting my first RV a year and a half ago. The itinerary and schedules went out the window. Yay!

The other reason for purchasing a motorhome was to enable the dog and me to travel further distances to participate in art shows or exhibits. I wanted to accomplish this without pulling a trailer behind me. Experimenting with this part of the equation was put on hold last May when the RV was totaled.  Finally!! After acquiring the new RV (MOBI is its name) I spent some time getting familiar with it, comfortable with its reliability and imagining how I could get everything I needed to do an outdoor show in or on it without compromising on comfort or utility. Those who know me have learned that on projects like this, I take my sweet time and try to consider all options. Well, finally I pulled all the pieces together and hit the road for the first show and test of my plan.

I chose the Winthrop Arts Festival in the Brandon/Riverview area in Tampa Bay for this inaugural trip for several reasons. Growing up in Tampa, I have lots of friends there. Friends to visit and who are close by in case I need something (just because I took my time planning doesn’t mean I thought of everything 🙂 ). Equally important is that this particular show limits the number of artists (I think this year it was 40). The benefit here is that the venue is small enough for patrons to walk through and see everything. Most visitors made several loops through the show which allowed them to really look at everything. It also means that the jury process really must select only the best artists so the visitors will enjoy and appreciate the art. Of course, this means that the participating artists have a great chance of getting new as well as repeat customers because people come to see and purchase art. I guess the simplest way for me to say it is “it isn’t a flea market where Venders are selling trinkets”.

I’m happy to say that this experiment was a success for me all the way around. I did get my tent, all my art and needed equipment in and on the RV with out impeding my use for travel and living. I have to say that being able to grab a shower after setting up or enjoy a meal and of course sleep in comfort while being close to the show is awesome. And in this case, close was parked right there at the show. The dog could enjoy the A/C in the RV and I could grab a cold bottle of water whenever I wanted. Perfect!

Here are some photos of the rig and equipment.
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Events

Heartland Tour Rewind

I was just sorting through some images and came upon this one from the Grand Canyon.

I can see for miles and miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles and miles

What a shame that just a few days later the RV was totaled and this adventure ended.  While only a few weeks into the roadtour, I’d had countless awe inspiring views along the way.  It was amazing.

But you know what they say, “All’s well that ends well.”, right? No one was hurt and we made it home with relative ease.  With the new RV now checked out and equipped with some extras, the dog and I are ready to set out again on this Heartland RoadTour.

We’re looking forward to having you along with us so check back often, follow us on Facebook or Twitter and drop us a line if you wish.  And if you are inclined, you can chip in and help to keep us on the road by clicking on that donation button up there on the top of the page.  Honestly, every cent is appreciated.

Cheers.

Paul and the dog.

Events

Oyster docks

In the late 80s I took a small tugboat from Tampa to the Apalachicola River where we picked up a couple barges tied up to some cypress trees and towed them back to Tampa.

We sailed right past this oyster boat dock near the mouth of the river.

 
I stopped here yesterday and thought about that voyage. We struggled in a gale all the way home. Sometimes there is no place like home.

Heartland Road Tour

Dismantle The System

I drive back roads.  I mean BACK ROADS.  Back roads to the back roads.  On this particular day I was heading to Hovenweep National Monument in Utah.  I left the Grand Canyon in the morning and was heading through Monument Valley on U.S. 163 to get there. Just because it is a Federal highway, don’t think it isn’t a long lonely drive through some desolate spots.

This was somewhere close to the Arizona – Utah border.

Abandoned near the Arizona - Utah border
Abandoned near the Arizona – Utah border
Uncategorized

ALLSTAYS Camp and RV app

I’ve talked about ALLSTAYS before. It’s my go-to app for traveling. In addition to all sorts of places to stay (campgrounds, overnight locations like Walmart or casinos, national, state and county parks and government land) it has important info for folks on the road like fuel and propane suppliers, low clearance bridges and steep grades, RV service and dealers and so much more.

A couple days ago, I was investigating BLM (Bureau of Land Management) locations. If you aren’t familiar with BLM, a large amount of federal land is controlled by them. And since it is public land, we all are entitled to use it. Numerous BLM areas allow “dispersed” camping. This is boondocking at its finest. And in most cases, it is free.

To get back to what I was saying, I found conflicting information. One source said that BLM managed Bastendorff Beach in Oregon was open but I could not find any information on ALLSTAYS supporting this. ALLSTAYS’ app has a feedback feature ( It’s a great process where we travelers can review and comment about various points on their maps) so I asked that they update and include Bastendorff.

Shortly, I received a reply from ALLSTAYS. It was from Adam L., the founder of ALLSTAYS himself. He was very courteous and explained that he had been contacted by BLM and asked to remove Bastendorff as camping was no longer allowed. We corresponded back and forth onece or twice and each time he was very helpful and obviously willing to work with ALLSTAYS users.

So, here’s my point: You can find entirely too much information on the Internet, the majority of it comes from questionable sources and the quality of the information is equally as questionable. And, everybody and their cousin is willing to sell you some app or access to their “special” website. How many of these apps and websites are regularly updated and how reliable is their data?

Here is the big question. How many of these apps and websites have a founder who is committed to actively making their produce work for you. One who will actually talk with you???

ALLSTAYS. Seriously, if you spend your time on the road, you should have the app in your phone. It takes a whole lot of uncertainty out of your life.

View Camp & RV in the App Store

Cheers and safe travels.

Paul and Heyleigh the wonder dog.