Today we want to take a break from our typical travel stories to wish everyone Happy Thanksgiving.
A popular tradition that many of us have on Thanksgiving Day is to share with those gathered at the table, something that we are thankful for.
And because we will not be with our family this year to continue the tradition, we thought we would share what we are thankful for with you.
However, this year we are going to put a little twist on the tradition. Of course, first and foremost, we are extremely thankful for our family and friends.
Without the love and support of all of them, this trip would have never been possible.
But this year, because of our travels, we have a new perspective. Therefore, we have decided to list a few things that we are thankful while we have been on our journey across the country.
The People
One of the best things about our trip has been the people that we meet.
We have shared so many stories about the amazing people that start out as strangers and leave as friends.
From those that we meet at local coffee shops, restaurants or in their own hometown that we visit, they all are simply amazing.
When they share their own unique stories with us we have learn so much. And the hidden talents that they hold are simply incredible.
We have met a 94 year old WWII veteran, a Soduko puzzle maker, newlyweds, homemakers, restaurant owners, wine makers, and even a rattlesnake catcher.
And of course, we love to meet those who follow our websites. We are thankful for everyone who we have met on our trip and the generosity of their time that each one has shared with us.
Smart Phones
But let’s get to other things that we are thankful for, such as Smart Phones.
Our phones have been a life saver for us! Not only are we able to call our family and friends, but we can also visually see and talk to them as well via FaceTime.
This helps us not only to stay in touch with them but also to make sure everyone, and everything, looks okay too.
But we also use our smart phones for GPS directions, research potential campgrounds and to find Harvest Host locations. Without the use of our phones we would be lost, literally!
Long, Hot Showers
We absolutely love our T@B camper and we are thankful that we have a full bathroom. Being able to take a shower wherever we are at, hooked up or not, is priceless.
But sometimes they are quick showers, and the space certainly is not roomy.
However, whenever we get a chance to stand to take a long, hot shower we take full advantage of that.
In fact, we have been in several campgrounds that have had amazingly large and beautiful showers. And although we may only stay a day or two, we often take 3 or 4 showers while we are there.
Ninja Foodi Multi-Cooker
As much as I love our 3 quart Instant Pot, I would have to say that the Ninja Foodi takes the appreciation award this Thanksgiving.
I love to cook, and not having an oven can sometimes be inconvenient while we are traveling for the year. However, I have learned new ways to use our Ninja Foodi to make entire meals without missing the oven at all.
For instance, not only can I pressure cook our turkey breast in it, but I can then turn on the Air Crisp function to broil the skin as well. When it is all said and done, the turkey looks like it came out of the oven, but it tastes even better!
But that is not all it can do. It has become our new way for reheating leftovers, making rice, and even baking cinnamon rolls and biscuits.
Laundromats
It has been a long time since either one of us had to use a laundromat. In fact, since our college days we could probably count on one hand how many times we have been in one.
However, because we don’t have a washer and dryer in the camper, we stop at a laundromat once a week. And we are thankful that they are in almost every town in America.
Even though we did laundry almost daily when we were at home, it seems that once a week works out perfectly for us.
And I forgot how convenient it was to wash three loads at the same time! We use the time that we are there to answer emails, work on our websites, and sometimes just to read.
Plus, what better place to people watch than a laundromat?
Recycling Centers
This may sound funny, but we absolutely miss having the ability to run down to our local recycling center to deposit our plastic bottles, glass jars, and cardboard.
Depending where we are traveling, it has been sometimes difficult to find any area that has a recycling canister.
Therefore, we end up keeping the items in a reusable grocery bag or a cardboard box in the back of our truck until we can find one.
Lucky for us, most Target stores have recycling bins located inside their front lobby. So as long as we can find a Target that is open when we drive by, we are good.
However, now that we are in California, we can find recycling bins everywhere! And for that we are thankful!
So today, while you are giving thanks for your family and friends, take an extra minute to think about some of those little things that you are thankful for as well.
Happy Thanksgiving and Traveling! Jim and Mary
CURRENT TRIP STATS
- Day 80 of 365
- States : 11 / 50
- National Parks / Monuments : 11
- Stayed In : Redway, California
- Miles Driven : 119
- Total Trip Miles To Date : 8323.3
- Total Gallons Used : 621.14
- Biking Miles : 0.0
- Biking Miles To Date : 142.5
- Hiking Miles : 0.0
- Hiking Miles To Date : 178.7
About Our Living Simple Tour
On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States
Follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.