Shakedown Trip: Eugene With the Dogs

ByErin Chase

I was fortunate to have a trial run before the big journey. And it was exactly what I needed. I learned what I’m capable of, what it’s like to work from the road, the different types of parkups for the van (campground, free stays at wineries, fancy KOA resort RV parks, Walmart parking lot — although I only stopped there for a nap).

And I learned what it will be like to drive alone. It was not good. I needed someone to talk to to help keep me awake. The dogs didn’t bother trying to stay awake. I tried podcasts and books on tape, but that made it worse! There were a couple points when my eyelids were so heavy I thought I really would fall asleep behind the wheel. So I pulled over and had a nap. And I decided to spread the drive home over 3 days instead of just 2.

Very important lesson learned: I will not schedule any driving day on the cross-country trip for more than 5 hours. And most will be less than that.

The highlight, of course, was seeing Anna, her apartment, and some of her hangouts. Had a drink with her in a restaurant for the first time since she turned 21. And she got to spend a lot of time with the dogs, which she enjoyed a bit more than time spent with mom, I think.

Here are some photos of that weeklong practice trip!

Doggies got used to their car seat quickly. But they also tried never to take their eyes off me.
Moonbeam Farm, my first “Harvest Host” stop, on the way up I-5. I’ll write more about Harvest Hosts, but I’ll just say that it this stop was very lovely and a good first experience on the road alone.
And the moon rise that night went perfectly with the name of the farm. This photo doesn’t even come close to how gorgeous it was.
Arrived in Eugene at this lovely campground just barely on the edge of town. Just a 15-minute drive to Anna’s apartment.
This was my first attempt to work from the road. The swivel table was temporary, to help judge how big would be ideal. I put my monitor on a swivel also. It actually worked out extremely well (which is the reason I feel confident I can do this on the long trip!).
Another Harvest Host stay outside of Medford, OR. The top of the hill looking down at a beautiful winery and view of Mt. McLaughlin.
The view.
Final stop on the way home, because I was too tired to drive another 6 hours: A KOA Resort RV Park. It’s essentially like a cookie-cutter suburban neighborhood, but for RVs. It was very helpful for getting water and doing some maintenance, though.