We like to engage in a little friendly competition on our lake each 4th of July with a boat parade. The decorated boats parade around the lake to the delight of residents young and old. The parade ends with judging at the sandbar. In addition to a bottle of bubbly, and a dollar store trophy, last years winners become next years judges. My family and I have participated in this fun filled fest the past three years. My family’s 2018 entry was “Happy Birthday America“. In 2019, our contender was “Stars & Stripes 4-4 Ever”. This past 2020 4th of July we entered “Red White and Brew BBQ”.
2018 Boat Parade Entry: Happy Birthday America
2018 was our first year participating in the North Lake 4th of July boat parade and we were not sure what to expect. We constructed a birthday cake using two kiddie pools and pool noodles purchased at the dollar store. We deck out the boat with the usual 4th of July decor and blasted the Beatles “Birthday” from the stereo. We were beat out by a boat decorated as the U.S.S. Constitution, but hey its not about winning!
2018 Boat Parade Winner: The U.S.S. Constitution
In 2019 we upped our game with “Stars and Stripes 4-4 Ever”. This boat had us dancing the parade away as stars waiting to be sown onto the American flag by our own Betsy Ross. There is a funny family story behind the phrase “4-4 Ever” which involves a stoner and a microwave cook timer, but I digress.
2019 Boat Parade Entry: Stars & Stripes 4-4 Ever
Unfortunately, we were beat out by a boat decorated as an eagles nest with eaglets. AGAIN, its really NOT about winning.
2019 Boat Parade Winner: God Bless our North Lake Nest (whatever)
This year, 2020, we rejected several Covid-19 theme ideas which included: giant toilet paper rolls, covering the boat in a giant mask and/or constructing a giant bleach syringe. Opting instead to go all in with a whimsical theme, “Red White and Brew BBQ”. The boat was covered in red gingham to act as our picnic table where we danced as a couple of beers and picnic food amongst a chef barbecuing and a few giant balloon ants. (It may or many not be a coincidence that the beers look like Corona.) The food items include: a hot dog, ketchup, mustard, watermelon, strawberry, a s’more, and a bomb pop.
2020 Winning Boat Parade Entry: Red White & Brew BBQ
This was the one! We finally–after three attempts, won the North Lake, 4th of July, boat parade!! I know I said its not about winning, but I LIED. Now we proudly display our major award on our fireplace mantel and will become the 2021 judges! (We also occasionally sing “We are the Champions–of the Lake”.) So happy!!
If you’re like me you’ve accumulated quite a few photos over the years. I love the look of a photo gallery and thought this would be a great way to showcase my favorite photos. Even better, I thought, would be to create my gallery on the stairway wall. This turned out to be quite a challenge, but I absolutely LOVE the final result.
Step 1: The first thing that I did (after perusing Pinterest for ideas) was to determine where to place the bottom, and the top of the gallery wall. A little bit of online research determined that the photos should start at 19 inches from the floor (or stair in this case) so I measured 19 inches from each stair and dropped a line of painters tape.
Bottom Line Set at 19″ from Molding
Step 2: I decided I wanted the photos to frame a wall hanging I purchased at HomeGoods so I place the wall hanging in the center. The wall hanging’s diameter determined the top of the photo gallery. I measured from the top of the wall hanging to the stair below it and repeated this measurement (47 inches) at the top stair and at the bottom stair. I dropped another line of painter’s tape using these reference points. This created two parallel lines with the same slope as the stairway.
Wall Hanging Centered and Top Line Set at 47″ from Molding
Step 3: Using painter’s tape and the slope of the stairs, I recreated this space on the floor so I could lay out the framed photos I had selected. The slope of the stairs was determined using good ole rise and run. The rise being the height of each stair (for my stairs this measured as 7 5/8″). The run is the depth of each stair. My stairs are 11″ deep. I placed a vertical piece of painter’s tape on the floor for reference . Next I measure 11″ perpendicular from vertical then 7 5/8″ down and parallel to the vertical tape reference measurements. I marked this spot with a small piece of tape and repeated until I had got to the other side or end of the stairway template. Repeating these over and down measurements created a sloped line along the floor representing the bottom line of my gallery. The top line was created by making several marks along the length of the bottom line at 47″ (the diameter of the the wall hanging.
“Rise” of Stair Measurement“Run” of Stair MeasurementBottom Line of Template Created Using Rise and Run From Vertical tape. A Template of the Wall Hanging Created in the Center Using Painter’s Tape.
I tried to use a good mix of different size photo frames (4×6, 5×7, 8×10, and a few odd shaped frames). I arranged the photo frames in the template and moved them around until I was happy with the result. Once I had the layout, I took pictures to remember where each photo belonged. Most importantly, I kept track of how many photos I used of each daughter to keep it even!
Step 4: Lastly, I hung the photos (okay, my husband hung the photos). I considered using paper templates of each photo to hang and replace with the real frame but it seemed to me this would take an eternity. Instead, I decided to live dangerously and use a tool called “The Picture Hanging Tool”. This sells on Amazon for $12.99 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083TLSGNH/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_glWtEbDEYH390). This tool saved me hours as it allows you to figure out where you want to hang the picture and mark the wall before picking up the hammer. Using the layout photo and hanging tool, I carefully transferred each photo & frame to the wall.
I absolutely LOVE my staircase gallery and plan to update photos and frames as the years go by.
I feel so late to the Instant Pot party! I’m sorry but when I heard my co-workers raving about a pressure cooker I was NOT excited. I mean, my mom used a pressure cooker, therefore it WAS not cool. But, then I discovered on my best friend, Pinterest, some Instant Pot freezer meals and I am completely converted.
Instant Pot freezer recipes are perfect for RV trips
For the most part you just put all of the ingredients into a freezer bag or container, freeze, and take out when you are ready to eat. Some recipes are finished in as little as 40 minutes–that’s straight out of the freezer! The recipes I found are from Pinch of Yum at: https://pinchofyum.com/freezer-meals. These meals are delicious and I will definitely be looking for more instant pot recipes.
Fourteen freezer meals fit perfectly into my RV freezer
Even better, I’ve discovered that most any recipe can be converted into a freezer prep. The cook times should remain the same regardless or whether or not the meal is fresh, thawed, or frozen. Just remember that the Instant Pot will take much longer to come to pressure for the frozen meal than it will for the fresh/thawed version. So while it will only take say 15 minutes to cook, it might take the frozen version 20 minutes to come to pressure, while the fresh/thawed version only takes 5 minutes to come to pressure.
Below is the packing list we use to prepare for RV trips. Since our trips take us to warm and cool climates, we pack for both. Most of our meals are Instant Pot freezer meals which I prep ahead of time.
RV Items:
National park pass (Obtain at first park visit)
Surge protector
Electrical adapters
Toilet chemicals
Sewer kit- sewer hose ramp
RV-friendly toilet paper
Water pressure regulator
Drinking water hose
Leveling blocks
Tire pressure gauge
Extension chords
Wheel chocks
Shovel
Electrical and duct tape
Extra cotter pins
Extra motor oil
Extra transmission fluid
Flashlight
Scissors
Battery jumper cables
Emergency road kit
Fire extinguisher
Fuses
Saw or hatchet
Yoga mat
Free weights
Towels
Sheets and blankets
Pillows
Cooler
Kitchen and Cooking Supplies:
Water bottles
Cutting board (Our sink lid converts into a cutting board.)
Utensils
cutting knives
Can opener
Instant pot
Kitchen scissors
Tongs and skewers
Dish soap
Laundry soap/softener
Camping griddle and pie iron
Bowls, plates and cups
Coffee pot
Coffee
Toaster
Paper towels
Garbage bags
Plastic wrap
Re-usable Zip close bags
Potholders
Dish towels
Pots & pans
Disinfecting wipes
Matches and lighter
Food storage container(s)
Food Staples:
Batter mixes
Butter or margarine
Cereal/Oatmeal
Condiments, including mayo, ketchup, mustard, relish, etc.
Eggs
S’more ingredients
Freeze dried meals
Salt, pepper, herbs and spices
Bread
Baking items, including flour, cornstarch, sugar, etc.
Canned foods
Peanut butter and jelly
Snacks, including crackers, chips, pretzels, etc.
Cooking spray or oil
Soups
Clothing Items:
Hat (sun & cold weather)
Rain gear
Shoes, including sneakers, hiking boots, sandals, etc.
“Buy an RV and see the world,” was something I said–NEVER. This was always my husband Ted’s dream. Over the years my response to his discussions about our impending adventures ranged from mild eye rolling to a simple smile and nod. But, after a significant health scare which prompted my husbands early retirement, I decided to quit my job, suck it up, and embrace the open road. Ted purchased an RV and I did what I do best, I planned a trip.
Ted and I Ready to Start Our Excellent Adventure
For our very first road trip we decided to take on “The Grand Circle”. The Grand Circle is an area in the Southwest containing the largest concentration of national parks and monuments in the United States. Mesa Verde, Lake Powell, Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, and Arches National Park are just a few of the parks you will find in this space which covers over 500 miles in parts of five states– Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. The Grand Circle takes two to four weeks to discover only some of it’s hidden jems. Many travelers use Las Vegas, Nevada as the start and end for this road trip but other fly in destinations are Salt Lake City, Utah or Phoenix, Arizona.
We spent almost four weeks on the circle visiting ten parks: Grand Canyon-North Rim, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Capital Reef, Arches National Park, Canyonlands, Horseshoe Canyon, Mesa Verde, Lake Powell and Grand Canyon-South Rim. Below is an overview of our trip as well as a few travelers tips. We traveled in a 24 foot motor coach and towed our Jeep Rubicon to make day trips from camp and do some 4×4 drives. Details on packing, food prep and itineraries for day trips may be (or will be) found in my posts.
Day 1 – 6 (151.9 Total Miles)
NOTE – I did not include the additional 2,000 miles we traveled to get to Jacob Lake from Michigan which included a stop in St. Louis to visit friends and another stop in Denver, Colorado to visit our daughter 😍
Make camp at Kaibab Camper Village, Forest Service Rd 461, Fredonia, AZ 86022
Zion Canyon Day Trip (2 Days) (67.1 miles from camp) – Hiking
Tips for The North Rim & Zion:
The North Rim of the Grand Caynon is filled with stunning views, great hiking and even a 4X4 road adventure–actually, that is true of all of the national parks! If you’d like to dine at the North Rim Lodge, you’ll need a reservation. See my post on the North Rim for a complete itinerary.
The day trip to Zion is 67.1 miles making for a long drive after hiking all day. A better plan would be to break camp after the north rim and make camp closer to Zion or in St. George where you could spend another day exploring.
An even better plan would be to obtain a permit from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to Coyote Buttes North adding a day or two before heading to Zion to explore “The Wave”. Unfortunately, this is a highly competitive process since a very limited number of hikers (20) are allowed access each day. More information about hiking the wave may be found here. The permit lottery is held online (months in advance) or in person 24 hours in advance. I tried my luck at the in person lottery with no joy.
Zion is a very busy park, even in October when we visited. Be prepared to hunt for parking. Self driving is NOT permitted during the busy times of the year and visitors must wait in line to board the shuttle system that stops throughout the park. The most popular hikes at Zion are “The Narrows” and “Angles Landing”. If your planning to hike the Narrows at Zion, you’re going to need waterproof gear. The water temperature was around 50o F when we did it. You can rent gear at one of the shops within walking distance just outside the south entrance gate in Springdale. (This is also where you can find additional parking.)
Make camp at Ruby’s RV Park & Campground, 300 So. Main Hwy 63, Bryce Canyon, Utah 84764 (113 miles from last site)
Bryce Canyon, 2 Days (1 mile from camp) – Hiking
Tips for Bryce Canyon
There are some great hikes a Bryce but watching the sunrise is a must do. It really doesn’t matter where you watch the sunrise: Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, anyplace in between. Although the sun is rising in the East, make sure to look left and check out the rock formations in the west. As the sun casts its morning glow, a glorious spectrum of colors are released from the rock. It doesn’t get much better than that!
Make camp at Sand Creek RV Park in Torrey, UT (106 miles from last site)
Anasazi Indian Village Museum, en route
Capital Reef National Park Day Trip (5.5 miles from camp) – Hiking, Apple Picking
Tips for Capital Reef
The heart of Capital Reef is the historic settlement left by Morman pioneers who planted orchards of fruit trees. Be sure to see what is in season and go picking. We picked apples during our visit and honestly, I’ve never had an apple so good.
Make Camp at Moab Rim RV Campark 1900 US-191, Moab, UT 84532 (160 miles from last site)
Arches National Park Day Trip (8.1 miles from camp) – Hiking
Canyonlands National Park – Island in the Sky Day Trip (43.1 miles from camp) – Hiking, 4X4 Drive
Canyonlands National Park – Needles Day Trip (80.5 miles from camp) – 4×4 Drive
Tips for Canyonlands
Canyonlands is really four separate areas (Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and The Rivers) that may not be accessible from one area of the park to the next. Check out the park website and map before you leave for logistics.
Make camp at Mesa Verde RV Resort, 35303 US-160, Mancos, CO 81328 (122 miles from last site)
Mesa Verde National Park Day Trip (21.6 miles from camp) – Hiking, Ranger led hike to Cliff Dwellings
Durango & Silverton Railroad Excursion (34.6 miles from camp)
Tips for Mesa Verde
Mesa Verde is home to the famous cliff dwellings. Self driving tours are allowed and cliff dwellings can be viewed from various viewpoints. However, the park also offers Ranger guided tours which allows you to climb into the dwellings. These tours are limited and are not open during parts of the year. Be sure to check the park schedule when planning a trip to Mesa Verde National Park.
Make camp at Page Lake Powell Campground, 849 Coppermine Rd, Page, AZ 86040 (225 miles from last site)
Lake Powell Boat Tour to Rainbow Bridge National Monument (7.8 miles from camp)
Antelope Canyon Day Trip (5.1 miles from camp) – Hike into/through slot canyon
Glen Canyon Dam Tour (4.4 miles)
Horseshoe Bend Day Trip (6 miles from camp) – Hike
Tips for Lake Powell & Antelope Canyon
Tours are available at the upper and lower canyon through several companies individually owned by members of the Navajo Nation. It really doesn’t matter which one you choose, or what time you go. Antelope Canyon is breathtaking and you will not be disappointed!
Make camp at Grand Canyon Railway RV Park, 601 W Franklin Ave, Williams, AZ 86046 (163 miles from last site)
Four Corners’ Monument (En route)
South Rim Grand Canyon Day Trip (55.1 miles) – Hiking, Scenic Drive on Shuttle
Day 24 – 28 (60.6 Total Miles)
Make camp at Rancho Sedona RV Park, 135 Bear Wallow Ln, Sedona, AZ 86336 (60.6 miles from last site)
Three days of mix and match Sedona site seeing, hiking, and 4X4 drives (walking distance from camp)
Tips for Sedona
Sedona is filled with awesome hiking and 4×4 drives. Stop by the ranger station on your way in to get suggestions and maps. Click here for online versions of the hiking map and a 4×4 drive map.
Two summers ago I discovered Ghost Pepper Margaritas–Delicious! I learned the recipe for these beauties contains Ghost Pepper Jam. I also discovered that ghost peppers and its resulting jam are hard to find! I decided to grow them in my garden and make my own jam. Below is the recipe for Ghost Pepper Margaritas as well as my recipe for a variation of Ghost Pepper Jam using raspberries. This jam is delicious on brie, croissants, toast, ribs, chicken–in fact I’m still finding uses for it! Enjoy!!
Ghost Pepper Margaritas
Ingredients
1.5 oz Tequila
1.5 oz ghost pepper jam
0.75 oz orange liqueur
2 oz fresh lemon juice
1 dash (a spoonful) of agave
Directions
Salt the rim of a glass and fill with ice. Fill a shaker with ice. Add all the ingredients and shake. Strain into glass.
Ghost Pepper Raspberry Jam
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 green bell pepper, halved and seeded
5 ghost peppers, stemmed using gloves
6 cups white sugar
2 (12 ounce) packages frozen raspberries
1 box pectin
9 Jelly jars with lids and rings
Canning jar lifter
Canning funnel
Directions
Fill a large stockpot or canner at least half-full with water. Cover and bring to a simmer (180°F). This will be used to pre-heat the jars as well as processing the filled jars.
Check jars, lids, and bands for cracks, scratches, and nicks. Jars with nicks, cracks, uneven rims or sharp edges may prevent sealing or cause jar breakage. The underside of lids should not have scratches or uneven or incomplete sealing compound as this may prevent sealing. Bands should fit on jars. Wash jars, lids, and bands in hot, soapy water.
Lower the jars into the stockpot or canner to pre-heat in the hot (180°F) water. Leave lids and bands at room temperature for easy handling. Lower the jars into the water until they are filled. Keeping jars hot prevents them from breaking when filled with hot food. Leave lids and bands at room temperature for easy handling.
Blend vinegar, green bell pepper, and ghost peppers together in a blender until smooth. (I use gloves to handle the ghost pepper and resulting pepper mixture.)
Stir pepper mixture, sugar, raspberries, and pectin together in a another large stockpot; bring to a boil and cook until the jam is smooth and the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
Use a jar lifter to remove a pre-heated jar from the stockpot/canner. Fill one jar at a time with jam using a ladle and a canning funnel leaving 1/4 inch head space at the top. Run a knife or thin spatula around the inside of the jar to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp paper towel to remove any jam residue. Top with lid and screw on band until fingertip tight. Repeat for remaining jars.
Once all jars are filled, return them to the hot water bath using the jar lifter and leaving space between the jars (about 2 inches). Pour in more water if necessary to bring the water level to at least an inch or two above the tops of the jars.
Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, process for 15 minutes.
When processing is complete, shut off heat and remove the lid. Allow jars to rest in the canner for 5 minutes.
Move jars from canner and set upright on a towel. Leave jars undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours to allow them to seal. No need to re-tighten the bands as this may interfere with the sealing process.
After 24 hours, check to see if the lids are sealed by pressing the lid in the center. NOTE: There should be no flex when center is pressed. Remove the bands and attempt to lift the lids off with your fingertips. Properly sealed lids will remain attached. If a lid fails to seal within 24 hours, immediately refrigerate the product.
The north rim on the grand canyon was the first stop on our National Park Grand Circle tour. This first stop definitely set the bar high for the stops to follow. A little research will tell you the best time to travel to north rim is March through May and September through November when daytime temperatures are cool and the crowds are thin. We arrived at the rim in chilly October and were rewarded with stunning views, great hiking and even a 4X4 road adventure.
October greeted us with high temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s and lows in the 20’s–yes you heard me 20oF. Although, we were prepared for the cooler daytime temperatures we were not expecting the frigid nights and had to make some modifications in our RV living. First being, unhook the water line every evening to prevent freezing and second, installing a Styrofoam block around the instant water heater each night.
As the less popular grand canyon destination, the north rim has less traffic which means you may self drive the entire park. Driving from our campsite at Jacob Lake we entered the park from the north entrance station on highway 67 and drove east on Cape Royal Road to view Point Imperial, Roosevelt Point, Wahalla Overlook, Cape Royal, and Angels Window. Each of these breathtaking vistas each may be viewed with less than a mile walk round trip.
Me in front of Angles Window
Driving back to the main drive, we discovered on the map in fine print: “Point Sublime. Four-wheel drive, tow-strap, and saw recommended.” This immediately peaked our interest and we decided to take a detour out to Point Sublime. This turned out to be a 17.8 mile wild ride out to absolutely stunning views. Once back on stable road we finished the day with dinner at the Grand Canyon Lodge followed by an amazing sunset viewed from Bright Angel Point.
Point Sublime
North Rim One Day Itinerary
Scenic drive with short hikes to view: Point Imperial, Roosevelt Point, Wahalla Overlook, Cape Royal, and Angels Window.
4X4 Drive to Point Sublime
Dinner at Grand Canyon Lodge
Sunset at Bright Angel Point
Map of Grand Canyon North Rim from National Parks Service
Grand Canyon Lodge Patio
Interesting to note are the animal crossing signs we encountered throughout our trip. Everything from deer crossing to prairie dogs. I hate to admit that it did take a scare for the “crossing” part of these signs to sink in. Driving on 67 to the north entrance we passed a Buffalo crossing sign. After dark on the way out well, lets just say that evidently, “crossing” means “roaming”.
