Category:

Uncategorized

Windy Wyoming

After we learned that most of our favorite destination, Glacier National Park, was still covered in snow with more on the way, we headed south. We did a big ol’ circle, going back through Jackson, Wyoming, headed for Pinedale. We met a fellow traveler who said it was a cool little place to visit. It was still a bit chilly and rainy when we got there, plus we couldn’t get a good internet signal. Without internet, we had to move on.

That’s where things got really fun! You see, in Wyoming, there’s a lot of wind. And boy, did we encounter some! We’re talking about 40+ mph winds in some places. It was a white knuckle drive, that’s for sure. We were headed toward Rock Springs and I wasn’t sure if we’d actually make it! The wind in Wyoming was so bad, it literally ripped our main awning right off the trailer! I saw it in the side mirror flopping around and then went bloof! It flew off on the side of the highway.

Luckily, I was able to go back and get the roller bar and fabric, but I fear the whole thing will be replaced. Durn! The awning roller arm is about 16 feet long. So, here I am on the side of the highway with tornado winds and I’m carrying this awning that could very well be the sail that takes me away with the wind. And, the durn thing doesn’t fit in the truck! Finally, I figured out that I would remove the back window screen and slide the whole shebang in through the window. We were ready to get back on the road.

We stopped at Walmart in Rock Springs and stayed for the night. There were a ton of RVs there to get out of the wind. It was a dust storm throughout the whole city. When we arrived, shopping carts were flying around the Walmart parking lot!

The next day I did some duct taping, secured the awning arm back to the trailer and we headed out. We made a quick stop at a very nice dog park in Rock Springs. The pooches had a party.

Later, not too far into the drive on the highway, the wind picked up again. That’s when I noticed that my air conditioner shroud was flopping around up on top of the trailer! Here we go again! Luckily, I was able to get to the next gas station to figure out how to solve this problem. The ladder I have is too short, so I wasn’t able to get up top of the trailer. Mrs. TCP suggested we strap it down over the top of the trailer. The windy conditions were ridiculous and it took me about 17 times to get the strap over the top of the trailer. That was done and we were on our way.

I was starting to feel a little self-conscious about the trailer being all duct-taped and strapped together. But, a gentleman who was transporting a very expensive RV came over and told me that one of the awnings on his mega rig had flown off as well. I felt better.

We finally made it out of windy Wyoming and into Northern Colorado. Later, I read on the news that a tornado had touched down just north of where we had been driving….

June 19, 2018

Camping and Hiking in Montana

written by Mr Tin Can Plan

Montana is the kind of state we like. A LOT. Mountains, great weather (in the summer…), animals, scenery, parks, the works! Judging by the number of nicknames the state has, I’m guessing other people enjoy these details about Montana as well. It must be said that winter is a whole different story. I’m not sure I would think so highly of Montana if I were to have lived through a winter here.

Some of those nicknames for Montana include “Big Sky Country” and “The Treasure State,” and the state has slogans that include “Land of the Shining Mountains” and more recently “The Last Best Place.” Montana even has a city or area known as Big Sky.

After a quick stop in Bozeman where we got to check out the downtown area, go see a movie about stranded seafarers and of course, visit a fancy grocery store, we headed to Big Sky. Before I get to that, if you don’t know, Mrs. TCP is what you can call a grocery store aficionado.

We’re not talking about the HEB, Piggly Wiggly or Kroger here. We’re talking about the kind that have the words “CO-OP” in the name, or “market.” What this means is they usually have a nice selection of craft beer, organic items and other things you might not find at the Safeway.

Let’s not forget it also means that everything costs a LOT MORE. As in, six bucks for teensy loaf of bread! Although, I must admit I became a believer in the $6 bread when my friend Troy once told me there is a trick you can use to always tell if the bread is actual bread and or mostly air. Next time you’re in a grocery store, grab some of that delicious Texas Toast white bread and give it a squeeze on both ends. You’ll see that it deflates to nearly ¼ of the size of the loaf when said loaf wasn’t squeezed. The good expensive bread doesn’t do a whole lot of squeezing. It’s probably a good idea to go ahead and then buy the squished Texas Toast. Ignore the checkout clerk’s looks and feed it to the fish or pigeons at the next lake.

Wow, I’m sorry. That was a lot about some freakin’ bread. Back to Montana, shall we?

Big Sky is a nice place. It’s well known as a ski town, and in the summer, it has some great hiking and weather. There’s an abundance of campgrounds on the main highway going south toward Big Sky. We chose one that was pretty close to town that was right on the river.

http://tincanplan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/PANO_20180608_171953.jpg

Right near town is a nice little hike/walk to a place called Ousel Falls. It’s a popular trail to a great waterfall. The trail winds through the forest along the water. The trail is mostly paved thanks to a project that was officially finished in 2003. The water was rushing when we there and was pretty impressive.

Another Big Sky attraction we looked up was a trail called Beehive Basin. We headed out on the 6 mile or so hike around lunch time. The terrain and landscape of the trail changed quite a bit. Big Sky is at high altitude and still had plenty of snow on the ground for us to trample over.

There was enough snow on the ground to make snowmen if you felt like it. We didn’t see any wildlife again! We did see a lot of people and dogs on this hike/trail, so maybe that has something to do with it. We didn’t quite make it to the top of the hike due to snow cover. Bummer.

We also caught glimpses of some amazing homes in the Big Sky ski area. All I can say is WOW. I looked it up and the average price of a home in Big Sky is a whopping $2 million! Some of these houses even have the option of your very own ski lift.

Big Sky weather changes often so once the forecast called for snow and 20 degree weather, we booked it south! One day we might have to check it out during ski season.

June 12, 2018

Exploring Yellowstone National Park

written by tincanplan

When you think of national parks in America, I bet the first one that pops in your mind is Yellowstone. That’s likely the case because Yellowstone is considered to be not only the first US national park established, but was also the first national park in the world. That kind of fame, coupled with the sheer size and the vast amount of activities and sights to see makes the park JAM PACKED.

People are everywhere. Cars are everywhere. Buses are everywhere! Yellowstone really is like a city. It has car accidents, animal attacks, and it even has an area that some call the best place to commit the perfect crime, the ZONE OF DEATH.

But, let’s not forget that it is also a place to explore mountains, forests, and lakes where you can watch wildlife and witness the drama of the natural world unfold. That’s the official logline. If you want to know more about the Zone of Death, go a quick search and be shocked.

Since the park is so vast, and we were camped on the Montana side, outside of the park, we decided to stick to exploring what is referred to as West Yellowstone. Mostly, we hung around the Mammoth Falls area.

In the Mammoth falls area, you can explore the Mammoth Hot Springs, many different nature trails along the Gardiner River and the Boiling River, a hydrothermal feature popular for seasonal bathing where a hot spring flows into cold river water. Depending on the time of year, the Boiling River may be the Overflowing River and you can’t access the springs. If they’re open, check them out.

The Mammoth Hot Springs area is a very popular destination for folks visiting Yellowstone. In this area, you can walk along boardwalks above the steaming hydrothermal features. Depending on the time of year, or even the time of day, the environment changes. The colors change, the steam changes, the weather changes.

Things change so much in Yellowstone, the park service is constantly changing or moving the route of the boardwalks in order to protect the geysers. In this area, you might even see an Elk or two, some snakes and maybe even a bear…

If you’re up to it, you can hike down to the Gardiner river in an area that is across from the Mammoth Campground. It’s a steep climb back up, so make sure you know that before heading down to the river. Beyond the river, you can backcountry camp if you are the adventurous type, but permits are required. Make sure to get a permit in case you become a bear snack, the parks service will know where to look.

Bears are known to frequent this area, so be on the lookout!

Since we only were able to visit a small portion, we might just have to make plans to stay in Yellowstone for a week or more in order to see all areas of the park.

June 6, 2018

Our Top 5 Favorite Places in the First 6 Months

written by Mrs TinCanPlan

I’ve had some people, mainly my sister, ask what our top 10 favorite places were in our six months of travel. If I were to list my 10 favorite places, the first 5 would be in Montana, so I am going to condense the list to our top 5 favorite places.

There are a few different criteria I am going to consider when making this list which include size of the town, things to do in said town, chances of finding a good grocery store, and the likelihood of finding some solid outdoor activities.

1. Glacier National Park. This is a tough one because Glacier National Park isn’t one particular town but rather an amazing park that spans multiple little towns. GNP was amazing for so many different reasons. The first being, the scenery. Just wow. We had the opportunity to hike some of the most amazing trails we had yet to see. Along with the scenery, we were lucky enough to see a few Grizzly bears frolicking from afar! We stayed in two different small towns when visiting, St. Mary’s and West Glacier. Both towns were tiny and did not have any stellar grocery shopping options, but who cares when there is one of nature’s wonders so close?! One mistake we did make, was not stocking up on groceries before we arrived in St. Mary’s so when we return we will know to come fully prepared.
2. Bend, OR. I know many of y’all are shocked it didn’t make the number 1 slot but Glacier is just too amazing to not be our top choice. We do love Bend for so many reasons. There is a plethora of outdoor activities to participate in which will never leave any outdoor enthusiast bored. There is GREAT boondocking 3 miles from the center of town. There was ZERO traffic for such a popular town. There are great little places to eat that you wouldn’t find anywhere else, meaning, they weren’t chain restaurants. The people are so very friendly. The weather was PERFECT. I don’t remember breaking a sweat the entire 27 days we were in Bend. The dogs could go on hikes with us since the weather was so nice and the trails allowed leashed pets. We weren’t far from Smith Rock State park which offers challenging hiking and climbing. All in all, it hit all of our tops requests when visiting a new place. We even tried things we haven’t done in years such as practicing our rock wall climbing skills. We are still head over heels in love with all that Bend, OR has to offer and we will be back!
3. Moose, WY. How could you not love a town called Moose? Of all of our boondocking locations, the one in Moose was hands down the most amazing place on earth to park our home on wheels. We had an unobstructed view of the gorgeous Grand Teton mountains with easy access to Grand Teton National Park which we visited each day after work. What a great way to unwind. In Moose, there is a cute little row of shops and restaurants where you can fill up on homemade pizza and craft beer. Moose is also just north of Jackson Hole which is another adorable town with plenty of things to do such as shop, dine, and hike at the resort in town.
4. Tucson, AZ. Catalina State Park is a lovely park located right outside of Tucson. The park itself was fantastic in terms of accommodations, distance to town, and the variety of trails it has. We experienced our first hike of our adventure when we hit the trail headed to 7 Falls in Coronado National Forest. In the beginning, we had planned to only stay through the weekend, but as we begin to hitch up to head out, Mr. TCP noticed one of our tires was separating so we decided to cool the brakes. It was a semi relief because I really just wanted to kick back and relax, which we did for seven days. It is a lot of fun to look back at the very beginning of our journey and think of the challenges we faced which only makes the memories much more fun.
5. Big Bear Mountain, CA. We snuck away from the coast for a weekend in the mountains and couldn’t have been more pleased with what awaited us when we arrived in San Bernardino National Forest. We had one campground in mind when we headed to Big Bear Mountain and quickly realized that we might just be the only people in our little nook of this amazing campground. Heart Bar campground has zero hookups, meaning, we were essentially dry camping. We didn’t realize that in the middle of May, it was still getting down to 28 degrees at night so we spent two very very cold nights sleeping in the forest. There were plenty of trails that were worth exploring that lead to some amazingly rewarding views. Oh, and Big Bear was when Mr. TCP started to get super serious about his bear spray obsession.

While we only listed five of our top favorite places, we truly enjoyed each and every place we parked our Airstream. Looking back at the pictures, and memories made, makes me even more motivated to figure out how to get back out there. It was the adventure of a lifetime and one I am not ready to quite put to bed, just yet.

August 14, 2017

Staying Fit While Traveling Full Time

written by Mrs TinCanPlan

Oh hey, there! It’s been a while since I’ve talked to you guys. This time I have something pretty exciting! As most of you already know, I am a huge fan of working out. It’s something that’s been a part of my daily routine for as long as I can remember.

One thing that I was hesitant about when hitting the road, was leaving the comfort of my full time gym. It had everything I could ever need to keep up with my daily WODs (workout of the day) and feel comfortable that I wasn’t going to lose any of my newly acquired skills.

Let me get to the point. Brandon built this super awesome website, map.fitness, that allows you to search for outdoor (or indoor) fitness gyms in your area. It’d compare it to the Campendium for workout facilities. The only way this site will be successful is if users, like you, help us populate the map with workout facilities in your area.

Our goal is to help users find a place nearest them where they can workout. When you are constantly on the go, whether full time travel, business travel, new to an area, or just looking for a place near you to workout, we want to provide you with the tools necessary to help you get in shape and enjoy the outdoors.

Steps to join:

Head over to map.fitness.
Click the “Join” tab.
You’ll create your profile.
Now you can start contributing by choosing what type of facility is it:
From here, you will then be prompted to fill in the rest of the details including a title, description, location, and pictures.

We are very excited about having a platform for people to find places near them to get fit. You’d be surprised how many parks have workout equipment so we might as well utilize them!

July 3, 2017

A Year in Review – Airstream Style

written by Mrs TinCanPlan

Holy moly! What an amazingly awesome ride 2016 has been. When we rang in the new year (I was asleep by 10PM) I had NO IDEA we’d be packing up all of our things, buying a (newer) Airstream and hitting the road. It’s stuff dreams are made of, y’all. Lets take a little trip down memory lane, shall we?

At the beginning of April is when this great journey began. We spent one of our last nights in our sticks and bricks house scrambling to get everything in storage (including the old Airstream) and out of the house. Our tenants were moving in to the house in just eight short hours.

We spent a few nights parked in a friends driveway where we learned that we would need an alternate transportation option for the generator. Thankfully we had time to grab a Thule rack while we were still in our hometown.

Once we left Austin for our maiden voyage, we spent a few nights parked in Dad’s driveway. Little did he know this was about to become a trend. We’ve spent many nights parked in that very comfortable driveway, utilizing his fancy washer and dryer, and even washing our house on wheels in his driveway. Thanks, Dad!

junction2

Junction, TX

White Sands National Monument

May is when we really started to learn the ropes. We had replaced all four of the tires on the Airstream at this point, changed the (broken but not really broken) converter, and realized that this GIANT TIN TUBE gets really really hot when the temperature rises.

We experienced our first national park in May. It was overwhelming, awesome, and fueled a fire we didn’t know existed. We hit our first milestone of tiny living for 30 full days, without any accidental deaths. All in all, May was a great month!

yosemite national park

Yosemite National Park

June is when we were introduced to Bend, “real” boondocking, and when we determined we really did need a more powerful tow vehicle. What an expensive discovery that turned out to be, but we do love the power behind the diesel.

We also visited our second National Park which turned out to be absolutely gorgeous and not busy, at all. Crater Lake National Park was partially closed in certain areas due to snow still on the ground, in June, so we were only able to explore on foot and bike.

Deschutes National Forest – Bend, OR

Crater Lake National Park

Come July we were needing to move on from Bend, so we ventured to the Oregon coast. While it was lovely, we weren’t a huge fan of the dreary weather so we turned our rig back around to make our way back to Bend for the fourth of July weekend.

At this point I wasn’t real sure we were going to make it any further in our journey and I was completely fine with it. However, we insisted we move on, so we did and boy am I glad we did! Our next stop was Seattle to visit friends and family.

We spent our evenings taking the ferry from Bainbridge Island into Seattle to dine in great company. Our first ferry experience was, um, not our brightest moment. We just got on a random ferry that was leaving the port in Bainbridge Island, and I quickly realized we might not have gotten on the right ferry. Thankfully, after asking a couple, we were informed that we were in fact on the right ferry. We loved spending time with Aunt Leta and seeing the sites of a big ol’ city.

Bandon, OR

Bandon, OR

Smith Rock State Park

Screen Shot 2016-07-21 at 12.38.30 PM

Screen Shot 2016-07-21 at 12.38.49 PM

Ferry from Bainbridge Island to Seattle

August was when things really started to get interesting, as if they weren’t already. At this point, I was adamant that Bend, OR was going to be our favorite place but here comes Montana and Glacier National Park. Wow. What an amazingly gorgeous, friendly state.

Glacier National Park is where we encountered our first Grizzly bear, mountain goat, and weird giant beaver looking animal. It’s where we fell even more in love with the life we were leading. It’s where we acquired our first National Parks Pass. It’s where we dusted off our passports and headed into another country, aka, Canada.

As we made our way south, we spent some time on the outskirts of an adorable little town on the border of Montana and Wyoming. We were able to boondock right on the Yellowstone River all while being just fifteen miles from Yellowstone National Park. At this point, we are just knocking National Parks off of our list. After work, we’d venture into Yellowstone National Park and partake in some mini hikes. We saved a good ol’ mountain biking trip for a weekend and it nearly killed me. Fortunately, I survived and we headed onto Grand Teton National Park.

There is this awesome little boondocking spot right outside of the park that over looks the Tetons. And holy moly, it was hands down the most gorgeous spot we had yet to stay. Needless to say, we were starting to love Wyoming as much as we loved Montana.

avalanche lake glacier national park Screen Shot 2016-08-05 at 5.45.29 PM

Screen Shot 2016-08-10 at 8.45.10 AM

Glacier National Park Screen Shot 2016-08-11 at 10.55.47 AM

Yellowstone River

panoramicsmall IMG_5321small

Grand Teton National Park

September is when we started to really head back south. After leaving Wyoming, our next big stop was Colorado. This is where I really started to feel the affects of the altitude. You’d think I would be used to it at this point, but for some reason it became even harder for me to breathe.

Anyway, we spent some time in various towns throughout Colorado with our favorite being Pagosa Springs. We had visited a few years ago to ski and loved the fun, vibrant little town so we were excited to be back in the summer.

After leaving Pagosa Springs, we headed to Taos, NM to visit some friends from college. They were kind enough to let us moochdock in their driveway and then take us downhill mountain biking. We had just acquired some new sweet mountain bikes so we were excited to put them to the test. And wow. They aren’t the type of mountain bikes made for downhill mountain biking, but they got the job done and we had a blast. Taos is an adorable little town and we hope to visit during ski season!

At this point we were wrapping up our journey and hadn’t been swimming ALL summer. Which is unheard of for a couple of Texans so I begged to turn our rig southbound straight for the beach. Given a love for the white sandy beaches of Florida, we didn’t object. We spent a few days driving a ridiculous distance to get to our favorite little campground in the Southern United States, Grayton Beach State Park.

IMG_5385small hot springs pagosa springs IMG_5471small

Pagosa Spring, CO

Angel Fire, NM

sunset

Grayton Beach, FL

October was the month that we were expected to arrive back in Austin, TX so we tried to make the most of our final days on the road. We made our way to Tennessee because I really wanted to visit Nashville. We found a great campground right outside of Nashville to spend the week. The spots were GIANT and the leaves were starting to change which was gorgeous.

After leaving Nashville, we made our way to Arkansas which is such a beautiful state that I believe is underrated. One of my favorite little towns in Arkansas sits right in the Ozark Mountains with a fun little downtown area and great hiking all around.

buffalo national river arkansas Thorncrown Chapel

Eureka Springs, AR

We are incredibly grateful for the time we spent exploring the beautiful western United States and cannot wait to see what the eastern portion has to offer. It’s fun to think up all of the places we can (and will) go. One major adventure I have in mind, includes turning this adventure south and heading through Mexico into South America.

One of my favorite things about our journey is sharing adventures with our family and friends. Our parents have been nothing but supportive and I’d have to say my Dad is our number one promoter. I mean, he is the reason we have so many subscribers.

December 21, 2016

Top 10 Gift Ideas for Your Nomad Friends

written by Mrs TinCanPlan

Just this morning, one of my run buddies had asked if anyone in our group had started their Christmas shopping. The question was met with a response of everyone being shocked that Thanksgiving was this week. Needless to say, no one has started to fill their tree with gifts just yet.

I am rarely one to prepare for Christmas by shopping months in advance. Actually, I usually wait until the week before. Had we been super thoughtful in our travels, we could have picked up gifts along the way for everyone. But we didn’t. To be honest, it would have just taken up space in the Airstream so it’s probably a good thing we didn’t. Sorry friends and family who are reading this!

It can be challenging enough shopping for loved ones, but even more so for the ones who live in less than 200SQFT and are constantly on the move. It’s hard to get them “stuff” because they don’t have room for it and gift cards might even be a challenge since some stores aren’t nationwide.

That is why I am putting together a list of things that can be super useful to folks who live full time on the road. I know I know, this could just be a ploy for our parents to see what we want for Christmas, which would have been awesome as a kid, but we have most of the items I am going to list so the selfishness is a bit removed.

Gifts for people you kind of like:

National Parks Pass ($80). Each park costs roughly $35 per entry so if you hit more than three parks a year (or the same park multiple times) then you have exceeded the cost of the pass. We didn’t purchase our pass until our third National Park so in all, we spent a hefty amount of entry fees. But hey, we are happy to support the parks.
National Parks Map ($40+). There are a few things I love about this map. For one, it’s aesthetically pleasing. Second, you’re supporting a small business by purchasing through sites like Etsy. And lastly, it’s a lot of fun to map out which parks you’ve hit and the ones you with to visit in the future.
Hiking Pack ($59+). When setting out on long day hikes, you usually need to bring some snacks, camera, and an extra layer in case the weather changes, and it will. The hiker will want something lightweight and bright in color.
RV Club Memberships (35+). There are a variety of RV club memberships you have sign up for save you on campground fees. They usually are only valid at private RV parks so keep that in mind if the one you are buying for nomads who leverage the state and national parks more. There is a neat membership that allows RVers to stay for free overnight at various wineries, breweries, farms, and museums. It’s called Harvest Host and they are gaining traction amongst the RVing crowd.
Bear Spray ($50). While this gift may not be super exciting, it’s very very very useful. One thing we heard A LOT while on the trail was, “It’s too expensive so we didn’t buy it”. WHAT! Do you know how expensive reattaching a limb is? Or reconstructive surgery? OR A FUNERAL!? Anyway, it’s something that should be a part of any hikers, beginner to advance, day pack.

Gifts for people you really like:

GPS Watch ($$-$$$). For serious adventurers, a GPS watch can help guide them successfully through any hiking, biking, or kayaking trips. Sure, you could use a compass, but what is the fun in that? Some can even measure elevation which can be very helpful to determine how much further one should proceed. Another option is to use an app on your smart phone, but most of the places we have been seeking adventure are places cell service doesn’t reach.
Kayak ($-$$$). If the nomad in your life has the proper transportation setup for some kayaks, they can be invaluable to them. There are plenty of lakes, rivers, and oceans that have great little islands where you can explore but you can only get there if you have a mode of water transportation.
Foldable Solar Panels ($$-$$$). This is actually a very tricky gift because you have to know what the nomad’s battery set up is like in order to purchase the correct panels. This shouldn’t even make the list.
GoPro ($$). Capturing the places your nomad friend adventures to could be a great way for them to share their journey with you. A GoPro is a good option because it’s easy to use, takes high quality photos/video and it is small enough to carry or wear without it getting in the way.
Goodyear Gift Card ($-$$$). Tires are probably the least exciting thing to purchase but when you are putting tens of thousands of miles on your vehicle (and trailer) per year, but new tires are something that creep up on you quickly. There is no better feeling than fresh rubber under your house when you’re cruising up the interstate.

To take this gift giving guide one step further, you could even purchase some (most) of these items from a mom and pop shop nearest to you. Not only are you scoring some sweet gifts, you’re helping a small business.

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

November 22, 2016

What is Next to Come – Airstream Style

written by Mrs TinCanPlan

Once we realized we weren’t going to be moving back into our home, because it’s still rented, we decided that we would start shopping for a new (used) property. Our thinking was, which ever property we purchased, it would have to be something we could rent out while we are on the road. But again, we would be putting ourselves in the same situation, of being “houseless” when we come back to Texas.

Then we thought we would find a property with a “guest house” so we could use the guest house as a home base while renting out the main house. There aren’t too many “affordable” properties with guest homes on them so that idea is scratched. My next grand idea was to buy some land and start a farmlet. However, this makes no sense to use given our lifestyle. The idea of farm animals was enough for me to try to convince myself it was a good idea. Then we started looking for land to turn into a “tiny house” community so we I could incorporate my farmlet dream into a money making machine. This one is still an option, just not right now.

After searching and searching, we realized that we couldn’t pull the trigger on purchasing another property. Here is why: we don’t want to be house poor. Up to this point, I like to believe we have been lucky in past real estate purchases and do not want to test that luck. Not at this point anyway. There are a two different criteria we consider when purchasing any property.

Location. This is an obvious one when it comes to purchasing real estate, but it really isn’t something people are willing to really push when they buy their “dream home”. Because of that reason right there, they are looking for the perfect house. We just look for the perfect location.
Rentability. When we consider purchasing a property we do research to determine what the median rental rate is for the area we are looking. If it doesn’t clear our mortgage (tax/insurance) and generate enough income to cover any expenses that will surface, we do not move forward. While we might not be generating an insane amount of income from the rental properties each month, we do ensure all monthly costs are covered.

Those are the two top criteria we consider when looking for a property. We don’t look at the floors, walls, or crown molding. We don’t look at any property as our “forever” home, whether it is or isn’t, instead we look at them as our ride to “financial freedom” so if that means we have to live next door to tenants, so be it.

Now for the real reason behind this post, after going back and forth and then back and forth again, we have finally landed on a decision as to where we are going to live. I’d like to credit a specific Reddit post I read recently that really helped seal the deal for us and give me the extra push I need to finally make a decision.

Here is it, we are in the process of making the backyard of one of our rental properties accessible for the Airstream. I know what you are thinking, WHAT THE HELL! Well, hear me out. As you know, our decisions are usually financially based so lets look at the numbers:

Option 1: Purchase new “home”.

To keep the numbers somewhat easy, lets say the purchase price is $200,000 (which won’t get us anything in Austin if we follow our number 1 rule.)

Down payment: $40,000

Closing costs: $6,000

Taxes: $4,500

Property insurance: $800

Monthly payment: $1,200

Total upfront cost: $51,300

Continual cost: $1,200/mo mortgage + whatever breaks.

Option 2: Live in the backyard

Driveway installation: $10,000

Electrical work: $500

Fence installation: $4,000

Other misc things: $5,000

Total upfront cost: $19,500

If we were to go with option 1, we would have another property that we could potentially rent out down the road, which is a plus. For the minuses, we would also have to come up with $51,300 to dump into the property and then keep up with a monthly mortgage payment along with anything that ~~might~~ would break down the road. Additionally, we would have to figure out a way to offset the cost of another mortgage once we get back on the road. Also, interest is a nasty little booger. Even if your interest rate is lowish (3.5%), you are still putting a hefty amount of money towards it, especially in the beginning.

If we were to go with option 2, we will be out the initial $20,000, but we would have ZERO reoccurring monthly payments and we could rent out our spot for at least $500 a month once we move on. While we won’t be moving into a “house” per say, we do have an awesome structure that is already in this backyard which would serve as our laundry/living area. Which I am PUMPED about. Here is a good example of what we could do with the space that is already there. We do have concerns as to what our current tenants might think of this new “improvement” but I guess we will cross that bridge when we get there.

While we have made up our mind, I still catch Mr. TCP looking at real estate websites for a house, and dare I say I still do the same thing! I think once we start construction on the backyard, we will be committed and those searches will end, but until then look at what a mere $400,000 can get you in the great city of Austin, TX!

I am sure this will all change tomorrow and we will be to looking at houses….

November 5, 2016

Working Remotely While Traveling Full Time

written by Mrs TinCanPlan

When I first started my career, just six years ago, I quickly came to love my job and my office environment. While the jobs I had didn’t last longer than a couple of years before I jumped onto the next best thing, I came to enjoy my colleagues as well as our working environment.

Over the years, my priorities have changed in terms of what I find a “healthy work environment”. A lot of that has to do with the nature of which Austin is moving, which is overcrowded in return jamming the few highways through the city. I have quickly learned to love working from home.

Initially, I started out just working remotely Tuesday’s and Thursday’s. Each of those were days I spent early mornings with my run crew or getting killed in the gym. Either way, they were early mornings, but not early enough for me to get home, shower, and then make it to Slopac before the traitorous traffic set in.

The days I worked from home were some of my most productive as well as my most calming. Mr. TCP didn’t come home to an angry commuter cussing about how ridiculous traffic was that particular day. Instead, he came home to a happy, calm wife.

Enough about that nonsense, here are a few ways I make working remotely work, for me, at least:

Have a schedule. When you work remotely, it’s easy to always be working. You’re always connected in a way so it’s hard to delineate how you’re going to separate work from your home life.
Reliable internet connectivity. We use Verizon for our internet which allows us to be connected practically anywhere in the United States. I check the coverage map before we move to a new location to make sure we will have coverage, and sometimes there isn’t so we have to change our plans. The western United States has a few more “white” spaces which means no coverage, so you just have to navigate which areas you can stay. When we are somewhere with a weak signal we use a WeBoost to boost our signal. In order to get an even better signal, we will put the antenna on a pole and beam it into the sky, in which ever direction we see a cell tower. We also have an antenna that we put on the truck so I can work while Mr. TCP drives.
Designated work space. Working remotely from the Airstream means we have multiple uses for each space, meaning, my desk is also our dining table. During the day, I try my best to keep it uncluttered which keeps me from getting distracted. Some days this is a success and others, it is not.

Aside from the points listed above, the number one thing is to just do your work. Remote workers can get a bad reputation due to one rotten apple who spoils it for everyone. I will say, that I work more efficiently from the road knowing that if I don’t perform, I will get canned. It’s sometimes easier to just “scoot by” when you show your face in the office, but when you are remote, you have to show your worth 10 times over. Working remotely isn’t f0r everyone. There are some people who could never imagine such a thing and truly enjoy an office environment. You have to determine what is right for you and your family.

October 27, 2016

Milton Reimers Ranch Park – Austin, TX

written by Mrs TinCanPlan

When we lived full time at our duplex in West Austin, we would frequent some of the awesome hill country parks since it was a straight shot. Our first time at Reimers Ranch was a couple of years ago when we tried out the “beginners” trail on our old bikes. It was the middle of August when we first visited so it was sweltering to say the least.

Along with well mapped out mountain biking trails, there are plenty of hiking trails and apparently some pretty awesome rock climbing areas within the park.

MiltonReimersParkMap

With our new bikes, we decided we would give the “Sport” trail a go. After having downhill mountain biked in Angel Fire, I thought a little ol’ Texas trail would be easy peasy. Holy moly. It definitely gave us a run for our money.

After having been thrown off my bike a couple of times due to the way I was hitting some rocks, I realized that there are two aspects to surviving this trail.

Confidence. At first, I was a bit hesitant when I came up on the really rocky areas. I was scared I’d hit the rocks wrong and go flying or even worse, fall into a snake infested cactus. Once I gained the confidence necessary to master the trail, I was able to climb the hard parts with ease. I also was getting thrown off less, and could “rock hop” much easier.
Coordination. The trail narrowed to roughly 6 inches wide in places with VERY tight squeezes between trees at times. There were many times I didn’t think our handle bars would fit, but with some coordination and proper maneuvering, we made it through. In order to stay up right, you have to have just a little coordination, but in order to make it through this trail, you have to be able to chew gum and walk at the same time.

There were a few man made ramps throughout the trail that you could launch your bike off of and one of us even attempted them a few times. And that someone, might have wrecked their bike a few times. I did have a good brush up against a tree that resulted in a bloody elbow. We are hardcore, y’all.

mountain bike

The way the trail is laid out, you can tell an expert helped plan each course. It’s well marked and pretty hard to land on a trail you weren’t expecting such as one of the “Professional” level trails.

Once we dusted off our cuts and bruises, we packed up the bikes and headed down to the river area of the ranch. You know, since it’s still 80 degrees here in dear ol’ Texas, a swim in the Pedernales is quite refreshing.

It’s been is exciting weekend and we were happy to bookend it with a challenging ride at Reimers Ranch. If you’re ever in the area, definitely give the park a visit!

October 24, 2016

Newer Posts

Older Posts