Westward bound; the end of our chapters in the Keys…. ya, and the election….

Our beloved adventure mobile that we poured our hearts and souls into has moved to a new home. A wonderful couple originally from the Northeast, bought the Toyota as a shell with insulation and some of the interior wiring completed. The truck was complete and operational, so they packed her up and took her up to the Northeast to finish it to their liking. Karuna and I decided; finally, to move to Colorado. We have been wanting to move here, (Karuna to move back here), for a few years now. We were starting to make plans to make the move back in 2016, looking at a departure in 2017. Well, hurricane Irma nailed us, (story and photos earlier in the blog); and that put a large delay on plans. We decided that we would stay around and rebuild the business. We figured on a couple more years in the Keys and our company would be built up a bit and could be sold for a decent little nest egg to start our next venture out west. We had worked very hard for a solid and very tiring two years getting things in order, and better than ever. Just as we were approaching the time that we were gonna start marketing to sell the company, enter the pandemic. Needless to say, the pandemic removed all possibility of selling the business earnestly but we had to make a decision. Sit in the Keys and pay thousands in rents for our house and our shop while our income vanished; or call it a day, pack up the wagon and move on. We opted for the latter, and here we are in beautiful Colorado.

We sold the business for a song, and officially departed the Keys on the 30th of June, 2020. Two trips to move us and our belongings. As all else in 2020, it was a difficult and exhausting move. Our move consisted of our van breaking down and costing us thousands of dollars, two house purchase attempts falling through, having to rent a 32′ box truck and pull a trailer behind it across the country on the second run, and frantically hauling ass across the Northwest to avoid getting trapped with the forest fires. We were finally completely moved out here with all of our belongings in the middle of July. We then decided to travel around in our van for a bit which largely consisted of us being quarantined from most of society. Supply stops here and there, fuel stops, and the seldom take out food order. We traveled north from Colorado, and we visited Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Arizona for a hot second, and New Mexico. Te pacific Northwest is where we started getting chased by the wildfires and we tried to travel south to Oregon to escape them. Didn’t work, and we ended up sitting on the coast in central Oregon under a veil of fog and smoke. We ran east and then south, finding some clear air in Nevada….. Devastating forest fires have wreaked havoc in the west this year; one of the worst years for forest fire destruction in a very very long time. We landed in Boulder in early September to spend time with family, regroup, re-imagine, and refine our next adventure plans. Well, we have been trying to do all of the above, but things have been a bit stressful with the election, the state of our democracy, and to witness so many people subscribing to this horrific excuse for a human who has been the president.

I am not a political person. I have never been interested in politics or really gave a care about who was president. This was a beautiful stance to have with all of this bs; and a true example of the adage that ignorance is bliss. I happen to know who the president is, what kind of person and business person he is, and frankly how ridiculously disgusting he is. I lived and operated a business in the Atlantic City area from the early 90’s until the mid 2000’s and I witnessed first hand his blatant disregard for paying his bills to small businesses for goods and services used at his several casinos. I watched people go out of business when he stiffed them by hiding behind bankruptcy court. When I saw that this clown was running for president, I laughed and thought; “there is no way that used car salesman will get elected”. I guess the joke was on me. Here we are four years later; and as we wait and watch for him to be dragged out of the Whitehouse on January 20th like a temper tantrum throwing baby, we continue to have to endure every last drop of the most vulgar, dishonest, horrible, being to have ever been the president of our country. What is even sadder and equally as concerning is that over 70 million people voted for this maniac. I get why they did the first time, (2016), as he spouted out well orchestrated bull shit by claiming that he was “one of us; a working guy tired of political bullshit.” He claimed he would lower our taxes, get us better healthcare, and low cost or free prescriptions. It sounded great to everyone that had no idea who he really is. He did lower taxes; if you are in the top 1% otherwise your taxes are now higher. He attempted to take away our healthcare in the middle of a pandemic that is much worse in our country as a direct result of his irresponsibility and lack of caring about anything other than money and power, and most everything else this clown has done has only destroyed, corrupted, demoralized, and eroded anything that was good or positive before he got involved with it. What blows my mind is that it just happened again. I don’t understand. I immediately realized that if someone voted for Trump this year, I don’t believe that we can ever be friends. This troubles me greatly but I have very good reason: (here are just a few):

Makes fun of a handicapped reporter, incites racial unrest, and racial violence, is a scumbag sexist (“grab her by the pussy”; just one of countless recorded incidents, has been impeached for soliciting foreign interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election to help his re-election bid and then obstructed the inquiry itself by telling his administration officials to ignore subpoenas for documents and testimony, has caused tens of thousands of deaths from Covid 19 and his utter ignorance for the well being of our citizens, has undone countless environmental regulations that prevented companies from polluting water supplies with their waste products, fracking in wild life reserves, cruelly separating parents and children at our borders, getting rid of competent scientists that disagree with his fantasy world, complimenting and bragging about being friends with one of the most evil dictators on the planet, has illegally received millions of dollars from foreign governments, and now the election….. We have had enough from this piece of shit, and I hope that somehow we can all pick up the pieces and become Americans again. I hope that when the fountain of lies and bullshit is drug out of the white house, (and I so hope is thrown right into jail), that people will start to undo his ridiculous fairy tale conspiracy stories that only exist in the head of that pathetic little man. I could go on and on and on with reasons why this guy is so absolutely unfit, and so impossibly wrong to be our president but I have better ways to spend my life.

I’m sorry that politics have so deeply affected me and my life, but it is what it is. Lets pull together, rebuild again, and remember forever who we are and what we stand for.

Just Published: Cuban Refugee Chugs

One of our stories just came out in the Summer issue of National Parks Magazine. Hats off to the publishers, the folks at the National Parks Conservation Association who work tirelessly to preserve our open spaces  — as well as to the hundreds of thousands of refugees and immigrants who have risked and are currently risking their lives to try to fill basic human needs and find a safe place to live with their loved ones. Read on to find out secrets about Dry Tortugas National Park as well.

https://www.npca.org/articles/1861-the-meaning-of-the-chug

A Bit of Bhutan at the Tipping Point

In the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, they decorate their cargo trucks with bright colors, and often paint wild faces on the differentials. I am not sure all of the symbolism behind that, but certainly warding off ill-meaning spirits and keeping the driver safe are part of it. Yesterday I got the fun job of painting the gas tank, axle and differential with a protective bright orange paint Steve had picked out. We won’t be able to see much of it once it’s back together, which is good, since my painting skills are lacking, but I do hope the festive color will serve a similar purpose. I may just need to sneak back in there and add a couple of eyes.

Yesterday we also passed a milestone on the motorhome — instead of taking it apart, we finally put the first few pieces back together. The amazing Calvin nestled the engine back where it goes under the hood. It has a lot of shiny new parts on it, and no longer are there mystery hoses and wires flapping in the breeze.  Meanwhile, the intrepid Steve welded a new bracket to hold the gray water tank, which we moved from the very back to a bit farther forward for better weight distribution. He also welded much needed aluminum bracing to reinforce the floor.

The reanimation of our adventure mobile; recap, perspective, and moving forward

Just a little while back, we dove into this adventure of gutting and remodeling a 1984 Dolphin motor home that had served as a temporary house for hurricane Irma victims. We spotted her in the parking lot of one of our local grocery stores, where one of the over one thousand families that lost their home were living. They had received a FEMA trailer, and were selling their dolphin to recoup their purchase monies.

Gutting became rebuilding, and we undertook the task of fabricating a new body; upgraded to lightweight and waterproof aluminum with a 2″ wall thickness. We also purchased nearly every engine part needed to perform a complete and “deep” tune up to awake our Toy power plant. (haha) We knew it would be a while until we could address the mechanical maintenance due mostly to the fact that we need to get the interior dried in to prevent water damage to the cab. The framework for the body is coming along well and is teaching me first hand that this undertaking is quite a bit more complicated than initially meets the eye. Windows, openings, weight distribution, roof vent placement and arrangement along with wiring considerations are all part of the fun. It is coming along well, and the learning aspect of this process has been fantastic. As you read in our previous post, (if you haven’t then you should read it), we have been incredibly fortunate and are immensely thankful for our luck in meeting our new friends, Erica and Calvin Rowley. Calvin is a Toyota 22R wizard in my opinion and with his knowledge and love for these die hard power plants; ours is getting a new lease on life. (check out Erica and Calvin’s blog: http://chasingbootyadventures.com/

After asking Calvin and Erica if they would be interested in helping us out with the engine work; we took a look at the condition. Well, more accurately, Calvin took a pretty deep look. The doctors’ findings were not great, or even good for that matter. Coolant in the oil, several of the systems under the hood were incorrectly connected, or not properly operating at the least. He gave it to us straight and pretty much informed us that this project would require a top to bottom renovation as well.  Out came the engine, and apart came most everything else under the hood. The engine has been inspected internally, and any questionable parts are being replaced.

Engine work and engine bay upgrades:

All new gaskets, including the head gasket; new oil and water pumps; upgrade to double row timing chain; Weber 34/36 with jet kit for economy/ power fine tuning; fuel regulator; new fuel pump; valve job; complete and proper de-smog; upgrade to heavy duty gm brake master cylinder, upgrade to 160 amp heavy duty Gm alternator, upgrade to electric fan kit with thermostat control; eliminate smog air pump; eliminate in cab air conditioner and compressor; ceramic coated equal length headers; stainless steel low restriction muffler and aluminum exhaust pipe; (2.25 inches diameter).

Suspension work and upgrades:

New front and rear shocks; new rear inner and outer bearings; change rear dif oil, new rear brakes, inspect and repack front bearings, new upper and lower ball joints, new steering stabilizer, new air lift rear system with in cab air controls, inspect and check front brakes.

Frame work and upgrades:

We have completely removed the camper from the frame. We also removed the floor from the frame chassis. There were spots in the floor that were “spongy” and since we were faced with the choice of replacing the floor we chose to take advantage of the extra work space. (the space to install the air bags, reinforce the floor support, and re-wire the vehicle tail light wiring.)

This past weekend we have painted the frame and we are in the process of installing floor supports. Calvin is in the assembly phase of the engine and is preparing to re-install the engine in the coming days. For the floor frame system, we are using aluminum for weight savings to fabricate the bracing. We are also going to try a composite floor to save weight and increase interior comfort. We are fabricating the floor using a 1/2″ sheet of marine plywood, 3/4″ thick rigid foam insulation with 3/4″ x 3/4″ aluminum support stiffeners, and sandwiched with another 1/2″ sheet of marine plywood on top. We plan on gluing the floor panels together. The exterior bottom of the floor panels will have .040 aluminum sheeting to protect the floor from water and deterioration. Hopefully the result will be a well insulated, strong and light floor system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An End, a Start, and a Double Trinity

It was with some nostalgia that we waved farewell to Steve’s 2004 WRX wagon this afternoon. Even before the hurricane, we knew she was a goner. Her name was Trinity, and her frame was nearly rotted through. Since being partially submerged in the storm surge, she was now even worse for wear. It took a good deal of hammering and a small bit of cursing to get her onto the tow dolly, then break the e-brake free so the back wheel would spin, but she finally agreed to disembark on her final voyage up to the scrap yard on the mainland. It’s always hard to say goodbye to an old friend. After all, the first time I saw Steve was when he pulled up to our date driving Trin. And, well, since we both drove Subarus in a land where they are scarce, we had a feeling we might just get along pretty well. She went to a good cause, though, a hardworking local who can use some spare cash. Her parting also made room for a new set of friends, who showed up just an hour later.

Enter Calvin, Erica and Booty the cat, a trinity from Utah who happened to be visiting the Keys in their ’86 Dolphin. Calvin is an intrepid Toyota mechanic, among many other talents, and Erica an inspiring writer, filmmaker and photographer. They arrived with impeccable timing, and will be camping out for a bit to help us get everything under our Toyota’s the hood working well. Steve and Calvin didn’t waste any time opening the new parts, like kids at Christmas. I’ll let Steve detail the plethora of fixes and upgrades that are being made under the hood. And check out our new friends’ blog www.chasingbootyadventures.com. They’ve been living on the road for almost a year; happy and lucky souls.

Below Biscayne & Sunken Pirate Ships

Nearly 200 years ago, the Spanish slave ship Guerrero ran aground in the Florida Keys. Today, archaeologists are searching for this historic shipwreck in order to illuminate the stories of the 561 prisoners aboard the pirate vessel, and to bring understanding to a dark period of human history.

The story is one filled with intrigue, adventure, and most of all hope. It is one that we have had the privilege of sharing in various outlets for the last 15 years. I’m proud to announce that National Parks magazine recently published a bit of it, along with Keys Style magazine. The award-winning documentary is available on amazon prime.

Thank you to everyone whose research and wisdom made it possible, including historian Gail Swanson, Dinizulu Gene Tinnie, Biscayne National Park, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and the tireless enthusiasm of the volunteers at Diving with a Purpose. Diving Photo courtesy Matt Lawrence, FKNMS. Guerrero pirate Captain Gomez illustration by Sam Turner. Historical ship’s log of the warship HMS Nimble (which was chasing the Guerrero) courtesy theguerreroproject.org.

 

Smaller, Sweeter, Cheaper

We were pushing a shopping cart full of Thanksgiving ingredients through the Winn-Dixie shopping center on Big Pine Key last night when we noticed something had changed. The ’84 Toyota Dolphin motor home that had been parked there for a month was suddenly sporting a brand new “for sale” sign. Its owner agreed to meet us at the uncomfortable hour of 8:30 this morning. This is a time of day most people do not enjoy in the Keys.

He and his wife had been living in the Dolphin since they lost their house to hurricane Irma. They had bought it up in the bizarre failed-development community of Lehigh Acres on the mainland. A few days ago FEMA finally came through with a brand new trailer for them. They decided to ditch the Dolphin to pay for a new roof. Despite a number of people eyeing it from afar while we examined it, he gave us a few days to decide. We only needed an hour.

It has just 81,000 miles and measures about 18 feet. It mostly fits in a standard parking space, and set us back $3,600. The frame is solid. It needs a little TLC under the hood, but it runs well. We had considered a bigger model, but the simplicity of the Toyota and the much smaller price tag won. Steve will surely want to add more on the technical side of the blog. Signing off to go begin the renovation. Woohoo!

Destination Homer, Alaska…. (the other end of the road!)

We have decided that this summer is the time for an amazing road trip adventure! An adventure that we plan on documenting, from the beginning of the journey; motor home search and purchase, until the end; our arrival and time in Homer. We are not certain of the exact parameters of this project yet; maybe a travel book, maybe some sort of destination guide, or perhaps just a project that we enjoy while in Homer or on the way. I guess we will see, and we invite you to join us if you like.

Motor home search and purchase:

When we started to discuss our adventure, we were back and forth between our mode of primary travel and lodging. After having several lengthy discussions, debates, and agreements; we think that for us and our destination it will be best to drive a motor home. A motor home will afford us the comfort and stability of our own space, (won’t have to pack and unpack again and again as we would if we were car camping/ hotel staying), and we can centralize all of our asset’s and be mobile or static in a moment if necessary. (Unlike a travel trailer that we would have to “dock” and mobilize). Our mobility while staying at destinations will be an off road/ on road enduro motorcycle that will probably be in the 250-400cc range. Easy to carry on a hitch platform, very fast and easy deployment, and decent accessibility. This of course is in addition to our bicycles and long boards. Now that we have established that we want to acquire a motor home; we have been back and forth between a mini motor home, and a larger class c. We were looking at the Toyota models from the late 80’s into the early 90’s, but then we found out that my parent’s friend is selling a pretty sweet class c with two slide outs. As we mulled over the pro’s and con’s, it seems that the fuel economy is not a large difference so it really comes down to comfort and usefulness.  The toyota models, although very attractive with their nostalgic and mini allure; are older vehicles with marginally powered engines that are most certainly going to need love to get them in top shape for a 6000 mile each way journey. Unfortunately; our day job work is extremely busy after the hurricane and I am a bit short on extra time to take on a project like this. (We have a “WRX wagon bugeye project happening as well as a “camper Boat” project so we need to slim down the roster. 😉  All of this taken into account, we are looking for a sweet class c that we can set up in for the long haul, comfortably, and carry our local transportation easily. We are looking for a class c with slides and we really need to find one for 15k or less. We will keep you posted on the friend of my parents, as it is a beautiful 30′ class c with two slides that is worth an easy 25k. The owner is selling it for 19k; still a little out of our range but we will see what happens….. (we emailed him asking for his best deal – we’ll let you know as soon as we know)

 

 

 

 

 

Hurricane Irma, Tales from the Lower Keys

Photo: Radar of Hurricane Irma making landfall over the Florida Keys. The red pin is our house on Cudjoe Key. Phone screenshot was taken from our evacuation site in Sebring.

The trip odometer read 6,965 miles when we pulled into our driveway on Cudjoe Key. It was Sunday. We had just returned from an epic road trip that included traveling to Wyoming to witness the solar eclipse. Three days later, we pulled out of our driveway as evacuees. We never imagined that our tiny Key would soon be infamous as the epicenter of one of the most powerful storms on record.

The eye made landfall over our house, and 12 hours later hurricane Irma centered her eye over our evacuation site in Sebring, Florida. The aftermath is an experience to behold: the largest evacuation in our country’s history, millions without power, a swath of destruction, and a coming together of kindness and resilience.

We were fortunate to be able to return just a few days after the hurricane had passed, reporting for local media. Over the coming days, we will post some of these experiences, and the tales of those we meet along the way, as well as recovery resources for those living in the Keys. If you’re interested, please follow the blog and feel free to contact us: karuna@quixotictravelguides.com and steve@quixotictravelguides.com.

 

Sand Key Lighthouse

Oct. 1, 2016: The Sand Key Lighthouse 7 miles off of Key West is often full of seabirds, including pelicans, magnificent frigatebirds, cormorants and terns. The structure itself has been part of several amazing history tales, including an 1846 tragedy, when a hurricane obliterated it along with the keeper and his family. Today the snorkeling here is among the best in the Keys, thanks to its super-shallow structure and vibrant marine life. Often seen here is everything from sea turtles to parrotfish, barracuda to anglefish. Read about both in our Key West & the Lower Keys Travel Guide, available on amazon.com.