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As we headed out for our first expedition, we tag teamed it. Adam drove the RV and I drove the car behind the RV. Ace was my co-pilot and he did very well. However, he still is not fond of motorcyclists and is notorious with telling me they are within proximity of the car.
Awhile back, we decided it would be better to tow a car rather than use the KLR dual sport motorbike as our main mode of transportation. So, we got rid of the KLR and have been looking for a tow car ever since. We haven’t found one, yet. I had no clue how tough it is to find one.
Tag teaming it is very different then all of us being together in the RV. The driver is responsible for, well, driving the RV to the destination. The navigator (usually me) is responsible for mapping out the route of getting to the destination, reading and interpreting navigation tools/road maps (if needed), pay attention to road signs (ensure it matches the information the navigation tools provide), determining what lane to be in after making turns, determining and knowing what exit to take, looking for cars, pedestrians, and protruding objects that could damage the RV. Not to mention, the navigator has to communicate all of this information to the driver AND being the “flagger” for the driver when parking the RV (especially in tight spaces). In other words, the navigator is responsible for, well, navigating the RV.
It is a bit more daunting when the driver has to become the navigator as well. Adam had to strategically place the Samsung Tab A 8.0 tablet (using google maps navigator for directions) and walkie-talkie (to communicate with me).
Not only was he leading the way and navigating; he also had to mechanically use the diesel pedal, jake brake, and brakes in between weaving in and out of traffic. He did a fantastic job wearing two hats!
There are some advantages of tag teaming it. For instance, if Adam needed over into a lane, I could assist him by getting over first and giving him ample room to maneuver over. If I couldn’t get over first, then Adam would flip his blinker on and to my surprise people let him in. Even slamming on their brakes to let him in. You see, Adam is focused on not hitting any vehicle as he maneuvers into a lane and its difficult to see the distance between the back end of the RV and the approaching vehicle. In other words, he doesn’t exactly know how much room he has to maneuver over. That is where walkie-talkies can be handy!
I have to say, I’m fairly impressed with our Midland X-tra talk walkie-talkies. Although, we originally got them to help us when parking, they’ve been very useful for other things.
I will say, as newbies, it can be stressful moving the RV regardless of who drives or navigates. Hopefully, we will get better at this.
Our visit to Yakima was at the beginning of May. During our stay, some friends of ours let us park the RV at their house.
It was a real treat to be reacquainted with our friends, as it has been many years since we last saw each other. We truly appreciated their hospitality!
Lesson learned.
From now on, I will be sure to always place wood planks on top of the plastic jack pad. As such.
Another lesson learned.
Do you see that bush towards the back of the RV? Be aware of bugs living in bushes. We couldn’t open the windows for too long on the driver side because itty-bitty tiny bugs (small enough to fly through our window screens) covered our windows. Ugh. Who wants bugs in their home? No thank you. From now on, I will be prepared to spray the RV in desperate times. I do realize that at times, bugs do come with the RVing territory.
When we weren’t visiting and catching up with our friends (after all, they are still employed and had to attend to their employers’ needs during the weekdays), we managed to see a little bit of Yakima. I was surprised to see so many orchards. We took Ace to Randall Park so that he could get some exercise with his favorite thing in the world….. his ball.
This was a very nice park. It had plenty of open grass space for Ace to run around. It was equipped with picnic tables (if you wanted to have lunch in the park), a basketball court, a playground for the kiddos, and disc golf (if you’re into that sort of thing). Not to mention a pond for the wildlife (geese) with a small stream running to it.
Portions of the park was getting a small make over as the main walking path was dirt. Also, we saw some workers in other areas of the park working on, I don’t know what. The park is so spacious that their work wasn’t even bothering us.
If you’re about to head to Yakima, and need some tranquil time, or a place where the kiddos can get some energy out, I highly recommend Randall Park.
CAUTION: Allergy season in Yakima was terrible…
I normally don’t have too much irritation with my allergies when allergy season rolls around. However, my allergies were going bonkers during our stay. For those of you who like geography, Yakima is in a valley. Mountains are to the west and the rolling hills, and other valleys, are to the east. This is the perfect location for those nasty allergens to move in and stay put for awhile.
Pollen, juniper, mulberry, and grass were extremely high and the reason why I headed to the nearest pharmacy in hopes of relief. Even Ace’s left ear ballooned up (referred to as a hematoma). Although, Ace’s ear could have been the result from something else (doubtful), there was no evidence of bites, scratches, strange odors, increased shaking or tilting of the head, ear twitching, or ear scratching. After researching the net, I called a very dear friend to seek her input (and moral support), as our vet wasn’t open on Sundays. My sweet friend is a dog lover and owner and hey, maybe she’s experienced this before and could offer some tips. After I chatted with her, we decided to administer benedryl and called the vet first thing Monday morning.
So, if you’re planning on experiencing Yakima, be aware of the time of year and do your research regarding allergies.
Beyond that, Yakima is a beautiful, warm place in Central Washington. Its amazing for all of those geology geeks out there.
We are heading north to get out of the heat and allergens (hopefully) and experience Cle Elum.
