Staying Found

I suppose it is natural to start any new adventure with the reasonable expectation of “Don’t get lost!” In 2019, after purchasing Koko, my main goal was, “Don’t get lost!”  We would be traveling unfamiliar roads in a rig that was new to us. I feared mistakes, misinformation, breakdowns, and many other things that could go wrong. This cast deep shade on our adventure, making the end of each day a time for us to sigh with relief when we didn’t get lost.

 

However, after a few years of living with the fear of getting lost, I knew there had to be a better way. As a slow learner, I took several years and over 20,000 miles of driving to find that "better way." And since we have been on the road full-time, I have become less concerned with getting lost than I am with “Staying found!”

 

"Staying Found" means living where I am and making the most of it. It means living proactively and looking ahead with eager anticipation. It demands that I stay in touch with myself and the world around me, remaining aware but not giving fears a veto in decision-making. Staying found means using tools like maps, the internet, and advice from others who share the road. It means doing the maintenance and making the repairs before the breakdown happens. It means remembering that there is no need to yield to despair when bad stuff happens. We have what we need to get through whatever comes along. We will get through it! Doing “Staying Found” well means keeping an open dialogue with the moment and freeing my heart and mind to explore possibilities. "Not getting lost" is oppressive and joy-killing. "Staying Found" grounds the journey in joyful expectation through careful planning and trusting the tools at hand. Yep, it is a much better way to travel. This week was a perfect example of "Staying Found."

 

Sunset on the Mississippi

We began our week in West Memphis, AR, saying goodbye to the Mighty Mississippi and preparing Koko and Nakai for Monday's drive to Hot Spring, AR. We bought groceries, and I worked on sorting out our gas stops for the next few weeks. When pulling the Jeep, Koko cannot go in reverse, and the turning radius needs to be a bit wider. This means that only some gas stops will work. I learned this the hard way early on but have now perfected using RV Trip Planner and Google Maps to find a gas stop that will allow us to pull in and out without backing up or unhooking Nakai. How did I learn this? Too many lousy choices required us to unhook Nakai at the pump and reconnect in the parking lot. Yep, experience can be a good teacher of the attentive student. The plans were ready for our drive.

 

J & J Campground

Monday dawned, and we hit the road. It was a nice day with just enough clouds to make it easy for the eyes. Light winds were a bonus. We stopped at a Blue Beacon Truck Wash, and Koko and Nakai got a good bath. We stopped for gas and then had lunch at a Rest Area. But then the winds began to pick up, and I lost my “Staying Found.”  "Don't get lost" started to creep into my spirit as I fought the winds and the foolish drivers on I-30. Every ill-informed move by other drivers drove “Staying found” further away. When we finally got to Hot Springs, I was exhausted. That is what “Don’t get lost” does to me. It wears on my mind, soul, and body. I was way past nap time!

 

Propane Pressure Regulator

Tuesday arrived, and I stepped into the bathroom to shave. The water exploded out of the faucet. High water pressure is very dangerous in an RV, so most folks use a pressure regulator on the water line to protect their plumbing. Mine, however, was set too high. So, I quickly dressed and went out to adjust the pressure. It was no big deal until I bent down to adjust the pressure and smelled propane. It was just a whiff, so I spent 10 minutes changing the water pressure and then went back around to check my propane tank. I got out my spray bottle of soapy water and checked all the fittings. I did not see a leak. But the nose knows! There was a leak, and I couldn’t find it. "Don't get lost," came creeping back. I sprayed everything I could find and finally saw little bubbles on top of the propane pressure regulator. No big deal. I turned off the propane, and we drove to a nearby RV dealer to pick up a new one.

After breakfast, I got out my tools and stool and set about replacing the regulator. I had worked on the propane before and felt relatively comfortable with the fittings. After detaching the old regulator from the tank side, I pulled it out and looked at the hose attached to the rig. I had neither the tools, the knowledge, nor the confidence to figure out how to detach it from the hose. For all I knew, the hose was [permanently attached to the regulator itself. So, I reluctantly called an RV Mobile tech and asked him to bring a hose to attach to the new regulator I had on hand. When he arrived, he said he did not have a hose but would look. A quick glance and he reached into his tool bag, pulled out a couple of wrenches, and proceeded to detach the hose from the old regulator and install the new one. That ten minutes cost us 260 dollars to do something that I should have known how to do. But “Don’t get lost” led me to get an expensive education in RV Repair. I have paid a steep tuition for an RV repair education before. Remember, I am a slow learner.) But paying the Tech refocused my attention from "Not getting lost" to "Staying found."  I need to let something other than fear and ignorance guide my decisions.

 

AI Image

The next day, a massive cold front swept in from the West, and we had intermittent rain for two days. After my experience with the Tech, I was well armed with "Staying Found," so I spent the time working on our trip planning and budgeting for 2025.   also spent some time reading and exploring our options for the future. e stayed in and enjoyed life in Koko. Can two people survive in 200 Sq. Feet? Yes, they can if they relax and look for joy rather than do everything they can to avoid getting lost in worry, boredom, or disappointment. Guess what? Wednesday and Thursday were good days despite the rain and dreary skies.

 

Our last full day in Hot Springs dawned with sunny skies, and it was time to do a little exploring. We drove the scenic drives on West Mountain and Hot Springs Mountain and had a picnic overlooking Hot Springs. We were here in Fall 2014 and had done all of this back then. The two days in Koko had prepared us to celebrate being outside, and we took full advantage of it. We were ready to “Stay found!”

 

While Yellowstone National Park proudly declares it was the first National Park, it was not the first nationally designated wilderness to be protected. Hot Springs Mountain was so designated by Andrew Jackson in 1832. any suspect that he did so to prevent the Quapaw Tribe from claiming their own sacred lands. The hot springs on the mountain have been places of healing for thousands of years. The old 19^th and 20^th-century spas still line the avenue leading to a National Park encompassing three mountain peaks. There is even an abandoned Naval Hospital at the foot of the mountain. Today, Hot Springs is a tourism destination that includes the Boyhood Home of President Bill Clinton. Here are a few photos from Hot Springs National Park.

 

Gulpha Creek

West Mountain looking toward Hot Springs Mountain

West Mountain overlooking Hot Springs

West Mountain Overlook

The Tower on Hot Springs Mountain

Nandina in Nature

Hot Springs Mountain Overlook

We drove down to the Garvan Woodland Garden (which we had also seen in 2014), but they had completely re-landscaped it, and it felt new. Yep, "Staying found" allowed us to enjoy something we seldom do: we retraced our steps. It was a good day. When we returned to the campsite, we packed up Koko for our drive the next day to Mt Pleasant, TX. Here are a few shots from Garvan Woodland Garden outside of Hot Springs along Lake Catherine.

 

Lake Charlotte

The Wedding Chapel

Saturday’s forecast warned that we could have rain when we reached Mt Pleasant, TX. Therefore, we left early to beat the rain because I had a planned gas stop in Arkadelphia that would slow us down. I did not know just how much that stop would delay our arrival.   I pulled into the outer pull row of gas pumps and pulled up close to a minivan sitting at the front pump. Marlene signaled that I needed to pull forward for the hose to reach the tank on Koko. Unfortunately, I couldn't. I have had this happen before. Having recovered my "Staying found," I knew the driver would be out soon. But, when the driver didn’t return in five minutes, Marlene went in to ask them to move their vehicle. No one in the store knew anything about the car. I waited another five minutes. The minivan was still there. After 15 minutes of waiting, I was getting upset. Arlene went back in, and one of the employees decided that we needed to know that the driver had car problems and had gone to get a mechanic. Yep, “Staying found” abandoned me and  “Don’t get lost” took over. We unhooked Nakai. I maneuvered Koko to another pump where we filled up. We hooked Nakai back up and resumed our drive.   I sure wish that I had remembered "Staying Found" while I sat in Koko behind that minivan. Trust me, life would have been so much more pleasant for all of us if I had!

 

We are Back!

We got back on I-30 and headed to Texas. 10 years ago, this would have felt like going home. But since we have been on the road, Texas is less home than familiar. We were coming back to the land of good BBQ and Tex-Mex. I have spent a lifetime exploring Texas, but was it really home? Not really. The State is not the same as it was when I was growing up, but neither am I. For the last two and a half years, our home has been where we park, at least for the moment.   I will enjoy the next month as we travel to Galveston to spend the Winter with family and friends. But, I suspect that “Staying found” also means that we are “home” as long as we are comfortable in our own skin no matter where we reside.

 

Mt Pleasant KOA

We pulled into Mt Pleasant KOA for a three-night stay. The rain will be our companion for this stay before we leave for Waco on Tuesday. Therefore, I am “Staying found” and looking forward to getting ourselves ready for our wintering. Besides, we have already found some good Texas BBQ. We will live in sweet anticipation of good TexMex and a Chicken Fried Steak. I have no fear of "getting lost" in Texas, and I fully intend on "Staying Found" while we wait to set out next March for the Pacific Northwest!

 

Travel well, my friends!

 

Bob