You guessed it – raining on the day we went to the rainforest, but we have to say it only added to the experience. A slight drizzle lasted during our entire hike through the forest.

One of the most colorful and absolutely beautiful fungi we have ever seen.

We weren’t in the little town of Forks very long before we realized we were in the midst of “Twilight Zone.” Since the popular movie, Twilight was shot here not too long ago the little town has become something of a tourist attraction for those interested in vampires. When Jim saw the first sign referring to the Twilight Zone, he immediately related it to Rod Sterling’s TV show, which was popular in the late 1950s.

On the way back from the forest we started to notice all the massive blackberry bushes lining the road and just like the bears in the woods, we needed a snack. With both of us picking we got a bag full. It not only made a snack for this afternoon but the next morning as well.

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Battle Ground State Park, in Washington State, was the spot for our first “Boater Home” experience. Since we had just driven six miles off the freeway to check out this park, we were happy they had availability for us to spend the night. We choose the first site available, right by the entrance, since it was a very thick wood, and being new at this type of camping and trailering a big boat behind the truck, did not want to contend with low-lying branches or too sharp of a winding curve in the road further into the campground.

We were surrounded by families huddled around campfires cooking dinner and cleaning up. We heard all the campground sounds and smells, lots of talking and laughing, and kids running around the park. We seemed to have created a little entertainment for the campers as many took a tour by our boat, with kids in tow, curious about seeing a boat in a campground.

One thing that surprised us was the smokey air surrounding Kismet. We are so used to salty, seaside aromas in and outside our boat that this was a first for us and we had to chuckle at what we found ourselves doing with this boat. We have to say though, it’s unanimous, we like this type of boating/camping, once we stock up more on the camping essentials we’ll be in full camper mode. Tonight we missed having firewood, steaks, and marshmallows, of course, but they’re on the list for our next campout.

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The first night out of Portland took us to Eureka, California, we couldn’t find our appointed campground next to the Klamath River, but lucky enough for us we had noticed this nice Rest Area/Information Center nearby. A couple of other RVers were setting up their rigs to spend the night and we decided to do the same. Lots of room, just them and us and it was actually a very nice spot with a small river right next to the parking lot. It was very quiet until just after we went to bed when the trucks started to show up and it sounded like, well… a truck stop. Needless to say not much sleep that night but it was an interesting experience, we’d do it again next time, but we’ll make sure we know where the earplugs are ahead of time.

We were visiting Santa Cruz, not to boat, but to visit Jim’s sister, Denise, and family.

Our next campsite was a dream. It was everything a campsite should be. We arrived late in the afternoon and got settled in quickly so that the next day we could spend time with our nephew, Gavin, while his parents picked up a new puppy. It was a fun day because Gavin is such a neat kid. He kept Jim busy, they played games, explored along the river, and put together a wood train puzzle. Lunch was on the back of the boat and it seemed a little bit of a novelty for Gavin.

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Some people may not think camping out on your anniversary is the romantic thing to do but in our case it certainly was. A beautiful spot in Cisco Grove – California’s Tahoe National Forest did the trick for us. All by ourselves in a 406 site campground, nestled in the Donner Summit with a campfire, a bottle of wine, a simple dinner, and each other… priceless!

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Boaterhoming on Kismet at Whiskey Flats RV Park!

After a long day’s drive, we were happy to come across Whiskey Flats RV Park in Hawthorne, Nevada. Not a lot of opportunities to find a place to stay for the night in this wide open, arid countryside. The town of Hawthorne lies just beyond Walker Lake, a beautiful, almost mirage-like, lake in a desert setting – this afternoon the skies were dark and stormy off to the east of us, and we were happy to find a spot to rest for the night.

The park was nice with all the amenities a camper might need. Clean showers, a little store, and laundromat-sized facilities. We took our time in the morning deciding to get our laundry done – another step ahead in our preparations to get right to boating once we get there.

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We decided to forgo activities in Las Vegas this trip because we were so anxious to get to Lake Powell and go boating. We found Hitchin Post RV Park, a nice park, for a one-night stay, on the outskirts of town, and enjoyed hot baths and a quick take-out dinner from the bar just outside. The park has great security but it makes you wonder why they need penitentiary-style gates to gain access to the site. Yes, just a quick stop in Las Vegas this time, got to get back on the water.

15 PRIME ACRES – LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION – This sign (above-left) gave a laugh along with the one (above-right) that advertises a free room if you roll the dice right. Lots of entertainment along our route that day.

Here we sat in the Hitchin Post RV Park. Right next to the showers and swimming pool.

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Finally getting into the rockiness of Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. Our goal is to arrive at Lake Powell beginning of the week and we’ve picked a great driving route that will allow us some arid vistas and views. Although we’re not really stopping to sightsee along the way we’ve enjoyed driving through the territory we’ve covered so far. We left Las Vegas this morning with much anticipation because we’re heading to Springdale, a small tourist town just outside the entrance to Zion National Park.

Initially, we thought we might camp out in the park but after reading a few cautionary signs about the size of vehicles that can drive through the park we decided to stop at an RV park in Springdale instead and think about whether we really wanted to drive through the park or go a longer, less scenic route. Good choice as it turns out since we had a chance to walk around the town and we enjoyed the RV park which was right on the river. Jim also talked to another camper parked right next to us who was trailering an RV close to our size and had just driven through the park and thought we’d do okay with the boat.

Our campsite had a spectacular view of this rocky mountain. Not bad!

A couple of these rock shops caught our eye when we were driving through Springdale, Utah looking for the RV Park.

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Just a quick stop in an RV park in Homestead, Florida on our way to Fort Lauderdale.

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Cloverdale RV Park made us think we should do more RVing!

The little red tug, Kismet, is on the move again, we’re headed south this fall to cruise the Tennessee River; a 220-mile trip (approx.) from Grand Rivers, Kentucky to Rogersville, Alabama. The first stop was Cloverdale RV Park in Cloverdale, Indiana. Not a lot going on here but it was a very friendly stop for the night and very quiet with a tranquil setting. It had wide open grassy sites that were mostly empty and the park was surrounded by trees dressed in their fall colors. There is a pond on site that added greatly to the park’s appeal.

I think Jim thought this sign was speaking to him personally, being such a kid at heart himself.

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Our boating exploration hiatus is over. Time to head west!

Two years ago we set our sights to trailer Kismet west this summer for four months, mainly to cruise Puget Sound up into British Columbia’s Desolation Sound, and maybe even the Broughtons, time permitting. On our way, we’ll put the boat into the Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Utah. It’s been nine months since we had a cruise of any significance – the Tennessee River from Grand Rivers, Kentucky down to Rogersville, Alabama. We are happy to say that the planning is over, the boat is prepared, goodbyes to family and friends (always difficult) were made and the truck is packed.

Our first stop on the way out west will be the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, it straddles the borders of southern Wyoming and northeast Utah, and is 1,586 trailering miles from our home in Michigan. Traveling 450 miles per day seemed like a reasonable goal, so we ventured off early Sunday morning to tackle the 4th of July weekend traffic as we worked our way out of Michigan, through some road construction delays and heavy bumper-to-bumper holiday traffic south of Chicago. Finally clearing that mess, we continued to make our way west on I-80 into Iowa.

We boater homed our first night at Little Bear Campground/RV park in West Liberty, Iowa. For $26 we received a well-manicured, shady spot, with electricity, water, and an added bonus of a swimming pool, which was very refreshing in the 90-degree dry Iowa heat.

By day two, we were in road warrior mode as we plowed our way across the heartland of America. We passed Ronald Reagan and John Wayne’s birth towns, the town where the Herbert Hoover Museum is, three Railroad Museums, a Sprint Car Museum, a Big Rig Truck Museum, and more Americana folk art than you could shake a stick at, however, we didn’t make any touristy stops, we were too excited to get off the asphalt for awhile and onto the waters of the Flaming Gorge.

Our second night was spent in Kearney, Nebraska. It was 95 degrees when we arrived at our “field of dreams” at the Kearney RV park, seemingly cut out of the middle of a corn field, nice enough though for hot, weary travelers – it had the added bonus of an air-conditioned bath house. After traveling in 90-degree heat all day it really hit us when we stopped to call it a night. We found the interior of the boat was too HOT to relax in. It didn’t take us long to come up with the idea of leaving the boat for a bit and heading into town to find an air-conditioned pub for some cold beer, a bite to eat, and to cool off while the sun set and the boat cooled down a little. After two days on the road our muscles were sore from all the inactivity and long periods of sitting.

On day three we left Nebraska and entered Wyoming. It was boat inspection time. Several western states have put measures in place to prevent invasive species from entering their waterways. Because we’re from Michigan they (Wyoming, Arizona, Utah, and maybe others) are especially concerned about preventing zebra mussels from getting into their lakes and rivers. Shortly after entering Wyoming, we came across their watercraft inspection station. After a thorough inspection of our bilge area, anchor locker, hull, and trailer we were happy, but not surprised, that no invasive species were found and we received our launch permit. Had we not passed the test our boat would have had to have been decontaminated with some chemical spray. A short fifteen minutes later we were back on the road.

At the end of the day, we found Rawlings RV Park, a KOA RV park in Rawlings, Wyoming. Again it was too hot to cook on the boat so we made our way into town for some Wyoming beef. After asking around town, we found out about a $14 T-bone special at Cactus Jacks, more importantly, the restaurant was comfortably air-conditioned.

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Seeking shade in Fruitland, Idaho after a hot day on the road.

Our last two road days included a stop in Fruitland, Idaho where we selected a shady site at an RV park for the night. Still hot but bearable with the shade of the overhead trees filtering the intense heat from the sun making it comfortable sleeping in the boat. We are excited that the road trip part of the trip is just about behind us. We can’t wait to get the boat back in the water.

The next day Seattle was in our sights. It was a long drive out, but we love to boaterhome and experience the RV park lifestyle while exploring the United States of America.

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Retrieving Kismet from Storage – Eastpoint Florida

Seems like it was just yesterday when we left Kismet at TTC Storage in Eastpoint Florida, in fact, it has been several months. We like to cruise in the fall, somewhere south of Michigan, and then leave our boat in storage somewhere near where we plan to cruise after the holidays. This time, after our trip to the AGLCA (America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association’s 2014 Rendezvous and cruise through Florida’s Panhandle, we ended up in Eastpoint to store the boat.

We arrived at TTC Storage and met the owner, Mike, at the building. Within half an hour we had Kismet out of storage and ready to go. With a little help from Mike, we located a great oyster restaurant within walking distance of the storage building and had to get our oyster fix before heading out on the road toward Carrabelle.

Eastpoint is an authentic fishing town with a heart as big as the bay. Here you can buy fresh local seafood from family-owned markets and eat a fresh seafood meal from restaurants operated by families four generations deep.

Oystermen still use century-old harvesting techniques. They use small wooden boats, under 23 feet long, using tongs that look like scissor-style rakes to scoop the oysters up to the surface where they are then sorted and separated by size.

Just past Carrabelle (going east), we happened onto Ho Hum RV Park, located off Highway 98 (Gulf side), four miles east of Carrabelle, in Lanark Village. The park is roadside, right on the beach, and caters only to adults and seniors, no children are allowed. It was overcast and a little misty while we were there, but beautiful nonetheless.

When we got Kismet parked at our park site, Jim settled into the back deck of the boat and proceeded to take a selfie of him drinking a bottle of his favorite beer, a Yuengling we got at a grocery store before we got to the RV park. We can’t get Yuengling in Michigan so he was pretty excited.

We don’t spend a lot of time at RV parks, so not familiar with all the different kinds of RV, but this one caught our eye as it has a retractable deck off one of its sides. What next?

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Boaterhoming Homosassa Springs – Florida

Nature’s Camp Grounds provided an “Old Florida” experience and a spot to ready the boat for launching in Tarpon Springs. We used the laundry facilities and enjoyed a spaghetti dinner and poker in the activities room at the campground. We liked the spaghetti but really stunk at the poker game.

Boaterhoming while traveling to cruising destinations has become one of our favorite activities, second to boating of course. Being able to use our boat as an RV while on the road has opened up a whole new world to us. The boat is very comfortable for living and sleeping while on the trailer. We cannot hook up to waste hookups but we can hook up water and electricity. We cannot use our air/heat unit while on the trailer, but we have a small electric heater which is perfect and warms the boat up quickly on chilly mornings. We usually use the shower facilities at the RV resorts we stay at, just like we do when staying at marinas. Other than that you’d think we were on the water.

We got to tour the small town of Homosassa Springs and have lunch at Mac Rae’s Restaurant right on the water.

Have you ever been to Neon Leon’s? We just passed by it, but it looks like a fun spot.

We bought some grouper at this cute little fish market in town. They had quite a selection, many we never get to see in northern Michigan. We really are in Florida now! We’d have to give this fish market a high rating for being one of the best looking and with a great selection of fresh fish and shellfish. It was clean and nicely decorated. While we were deciding what to buy, we saw lots of fresh fish being brought in by local fishermen.

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Sometimes we just have to forgo a daily shower for a day. Not our favorite thing to do, but sometimes circumstances pop up that preclude us from our regular bathing routine. Our choices for boaterhoming, while driving across the country, are sometimes limited to what’s available off the Interstate. Our first night on this trip found us in Oconto, WI, at Holtwood RV Park. When registering, we were told that the showers were coin operated and while that would have been doable (we’ve experienced coin-operated showers all over the country while boating, especially in Canada), after further inspection of the facility, we decided to delay that activity and take our chances on finding suitable shower facilities at the next RV stop.

It was a MISS on this one!

One of the very few drawbacks of using our boat as an RV is that we have to be careful of discharging water off the boat, even if it is clean. RV parks frown on discharge of any kind. So, we try not to wash dishes on the boat and we use the restroom and shower facilities at the RV parks we stay at. It’s not a big deal, most RV parks have great facilities.

RV parks frown on discharge of any kind

The next day, after a long day of driving to Fargo, North Dakota, we arrived at the Lindenwood Campground a little later than we thought. We were anxious to go into town for dinner and wouldn’t have time to clean up beforehand. So excited to get out of the truck to see the town, stretch our legs, eat and return to the boat to make an early night of it. It was a little comforting to know that we did not know a soul in Fargo, we could go out on a Saturday night without the pressure of looking or feeling our best. Besides, we thought, not much happening in Fargo. RIGHT? WRONG! We soon discovered Fargo is a hub of activity in the area, especially on a Saturday night. Lots going on and everyone from a drivable distance must come into town to carouse. As we searched for a parking spot among the restaurants, bars, theaters, boutique shops, and art galleries, we were starting to feel even grimier in our comfortable travel attire. We realized Saturday night festivities were in full swing with people decked out in their finest. Parking availability was minimal, restaurants were full and the town was lit up like a Christmas tree.

Luck was going our way when we picked a restaurant that looked promising, The Toasted Frog. It was packed and we were told we’d have to wait quite a while unless we wanted to sit at the “Chef’s Bar” located in the back of the restaurant. We strained our necks to see what that meant and liked what we saw. We’d be able to watch the chefs cook while we had a beer. What better way to see a multitude of dishes being sent out to the masses before we made our decision to order? We went with the lavash pizza and salad. It was a good choice.

Never seen anything like this bike rental setup (above). What a great idea.

The next morning we took a welcomed hot shower in a very clean shower room.

A definite HIT at the Lindenwood Campground.

Definitely a HIT at Camp On the Heart RV Park!

Our next stop for the night was at the gateway to the great American West, Dickinson, North Dakota “Queen City of the Prairies.” Because of the oil boom in North Dakota, Dickinson is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. We can attest to that statement because the road being constructed that leads to the Camp On the Heart RV Park, looks like it’s being built for future expansion. The RV park looked like it was home to many boomtown workers. While the park was a little “scruffy” looking, the construction going on around it leads us to think it’s in transition. Our one-night stay was a little pricy, the most we paid so far on our trip west, was $45.00. We were a little concerned about the shower facilities. That saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” is so true. To our immense relief, the showers were impeccable, hot, super clean, and just what we needed before we hit the road again.

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Taking a Break at Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Well before we take off on a cross-country trip, Jim always does some research and tries to line up something fun to do. It breaks up the monotony of sitting in the truck day after day. Usually, it’s a visit to a national or state park. This trip was no different, he picked Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Medora, North Dakota. He timed our travel days to get to an RV park just outside of Medora. That way, we could get up in the morning and get to the park early.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, named for the 26th president of the United States, was established in 1978. The park covers about 110 square miles of breathtaking vistas, buttes, and painted canyons in the arid and rugged Badlands of North Dakota.

The park has a dense population of wildlife. Bison, pronghorn, elk, white-tailed and mule deer, wild horses, and bighorn sheep inhabit the park, as do numerous smaller mammals, prairie dogs, amphibians, and reptiles. Over 500 species of plants can be found here. It didn’t take us long to realize that we were in for a treat as far as the availability of viewing wildlife was concerned. Our first stop was a scenic overlook at the beginning of the park. A hugely massive buffalo greeted us right in the parking lot, making his presence known as he slowly made his way across the lot to the grassy fields behind a picnic area.

After leaving the scenic overlook, we drove to the Visitors Center in the South Unit. We wanted to drive through the Scenic Loop Drive. We parked our rig and disengaged the truck from the boat. We didn’t want to drag the boat all through the 36-mile park and the park ranger assured us that it would be okay to leave it in the parking lot. Afterward, we headed to the Scenic Loop Drive in the South Unit. We couldn’t wait to drive through this section of the Badlands.

Not long into our drive, we encountered a herd of Bison lingering on the road. We got right in the midst of them and crawled along the road at their leisurely pace. We got really close to them and they didn’t seem to mind our presence. This went on for about twenty minutes and without a doubt, it was the highlight of our cross-country road trip.

The prairie dogs were cute and in some open fields, they were EVERYWHERE.

We saw mule deer, wild horses, buffalo, turkeys, and many, many prairie dogs.

At the end of our scenic drive through the park, we were hungry for a late lunch, so we headed to Medora to find a real cowboy restaurant. A lot of places were closed due to the main season-ending, but some locals directed us to a place close by and, as promised by them, we did see some real cowboys. The menu below lists a delicacy I had never heard of. I said, “Who would buy oysters in North Dakota?” Jim had to explain to me what they were. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about them…

Rocky Mountain oysters is a term for a dish made of bull, pig, or sheep testicles. The organs are often deep-fried after being peeled, coated in flour, pepper, and salt, and sometimes pounded flat. This delicacy is most often served as an appetizer with a cocktail sauce dip.

Okay, good to know!

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Miles City and Cardwell – Our Montana RV Park Stops

Miles City, Montana RV Park was our next stop while driving to Portland, Oregon. In this part of the country, while driving west on I-90, we look on one of our RV apps to see what place is closest to the Interstate. We don’t need to drive way off our route to get to an RV park. We aren’t necessarily looking for a primo park, our requirements are very simple. We like a pull-through if possible, our rig is a total of about 55 feet (35 feet for just the boat and trailer), but we can back in and disengage the truck to park alongside if the site is not long enough. Our only other requirement is a 30-amp power hook-up which most parks have, but not all. We need electricity to power our small plug-in heater. While the daytime temps are quite warm, it can get cold at night in these parts.

Our pick on this day was Big Sky Camp and RV Park. Sometimes we just get lucky and by this I mean we stop somewhere and because of a smile and lighthearted conversation, we feel right at home. That was our experience at Big Sky Camp and RV Park. Owners Jim and Amy Asher greeted us with all smiles and made us feel welcome. We were directed to a favorite local restaurant in town and were promised there’d be some cowboys there. The park is located near Yellowstone, Glacier, and Little Big Horn Battlefield National Parks. For $22.00 we had a pull-through site with access to water, electricity, and cable. That’s a great deal!

The next morning it was foggy when we woke up. Jim decided we’d try to empty our holding tank at the park’s dump station before we left. We don’t have a full hook-up to use on the boat, right at the site, as regular RVs have so we have to go straight to a dump station behind the office (which was free to use if you have stayed at the park).

Back on the road heading west into a fog bank and eventually to our next stop of Cardwell, Montana.

Second to last night on the road found us in Cardwell, Montana at Cardwell Store and RV Park. With a population of only 40 residents, Cardwell is a small town. This park is located behind the gas station and convenience store, but it was pleasant with lots of grass and trees lining the park. We ended our travel day a little short on this day, just a little tired of driving. It was a nice day to cut it short. We found a nice spot near the back under a couple of trees and settled in for a relaxing evening.

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Having never stopped in Coeur ď Alene before, during our travels across the northern part of the U.S.A., we decided it was high time we stayed at least a night near town and had a look-see. It is so much fun driving through parts of Montana and Idaho. The mountainous vistas and open skies are inspiring and entertaining, perking up the weary bodies near the end of our cross-country trip.

Mid-afternoon, our RV Park app directed us to a park on Blackwell Island, located just across the Spokane River from Coeur ď Alene. Nice looking RV park with a great location near the downtown area. With it being off-season, plenty of available sites for the night. However, we had a little snag while checking in.

Blackwell Island RV Park, in Coeur ď Alene, has a policy about not allowing boats to stay at their campground.

First, we explained how we are like any RV, but just a different shape with the added benefit of being able to float. Not sure if the policy has something to do with the park being right next to a marina (same owners). We’ve only encountered this once before, the first year we started boaterhoming in Santa Cruz, California. It was kind of a slap in the face to arrive at an RV park on a hilly windy road in the dark, after making reservations earlier in the day. We then had to scramble to find another place to stay. Not good!

In the end, since the park was practically empty at Blackwell Island RV Park, the employee made a call to someone higher up. we were allowed to stay the night, but were rather rudely and sternly warned that we would NEVER be allowed to stay during their busy season. Guess this is what discrimination feels like!

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Boaterhoming Cross Country – Time to head home! –

Our 2016 boating trip in the Pacific Northwest came to an end. What an adventure it was! We will be boaterhoming cross-country, back to our home state of Michigan.

A slight delay on the first day of our road trip!

After we dropped our grandson off at his parent’s house, we started the trek home. Within minutes we were on I84 heading east along the Columbia River. If you notice in the photo (above), we are stopped on the shoulder of the highway. Unfortunately, we blew a tire on the trailer and had to have a tow service meet us on this busy road to change the tire. Not a fun experience with all that traffic zipping by. Immediately after, we had to drive to the nearest tire store to get a new tire. This whole process delayed the start of our trip east by several hours, but this stuff sometimes happens.

Back on the road. Here are some shots of the beautiful drive along the Columbia River.

Our first-night boaterhoming was in Umatilla, Oregon. We didn’t get very far on the first day due to the hours lost from the flat tire incident. When we are towing the boat long distances, we typically like to cover about 400 miles per day.

Turah RV Park & Store, in Clinton, Montana was a great stop. The friendly owners have put a lot of thought into their establishment. The convenience store is well-stocked with an interesting selection of goods offered for their camping guests.

Clinton, Montana has a very interesting festival idea (above). Going to have to put this on the itinerary for the next trip west.

Another great find on our cross-country trip was Curry Park Camp Ground.

After six days on the road, a sight for sore eyes. This sign means we are in our home state of Michigan. “Home Sweet Home” and the end of another amazing boating adventure in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

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On the Road Again! –

We were dubious about trailering Kismet back home; it was already mid-April. The temperature should be okay, right? We kept a close eye on the weather as there were serious low digits on the horizon for our hometown of Traverse City, Michigan. Ideally, we’d like to not have to winterize the boat when leaving Florida. Not looking too good as our departure day inched closer. We even stayed a couple more days, hoping not to do this chore. However, as serious blizzard conditions headed for Traverse City, our outlook seemed glum. We couldn’t wait much longer as we had a multitude of things to do at home. When a predetermined time comes to leave our winter digs, our thoughts always turn away from where we are to where we are going next. After a relaxing winter escape to Florida, Kismet was ready to go home.

Reports from friends and neighbors did not help our outlook. They told us how many inches of snow still covered the ground – a lot. There was a weather forecast for another two feet to dump on our home. So, we started the winterizing process in Florida and did the last bit in Ohio while we visited Jim’s mom.

Sure enough, the projected late spring blizzard came only days before we arrived and it took its sweet time melting. Oh well! Such is life, right? As soon as he was able, Jim took the boat to a storage lot we use. He wrapped the boat in a huge tarp and the boat sat there until we were ready to launch it for summer boating in northern Michigan.

On the way home we only used an RV park once – Ocala RV Park, in Ocala, Florida. It was a good find, we enjoyed our stay. Unfortunately, after that, it got too cold and we stayed at motels.

Jim is getting organized to do boat and house projects.

Definitely not what we like to come home to in April!

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Trailer Tales – Overland Boating

Jim and I have been trailering our boat, Kismet (we are on our third Ranger Tug, an R25) to cruising areas around the United States and Canada, ever since we completed our second Great Loop adventure in 2010 (we did those two Loops on two 40-foot boats). After experiencing the joys of Looping, many boaters gain a thirst to explore new cruising territory. That’s what happened to us. Once we took to the road, trailering our boat, there was no going back.

Early on, we coined the term “boaterhoming” for this type of land/water recreation. If we head out to explore on the other side of the country, we use our boat as an RV, staying at campgrounds as we trailer it across the country. We took this photo (above) of our first Ranger Tug (an R27) in Zion National Park. We had stayed at a campground just outside the park for one night, then drove through the park the next day. It was a shortcut to our destination of Lake Powell, otherwise, we would have had to go a couple of hundred miles out of our way.

The opportunity to take part in an interview with POWER & MOTORYACHT magazine (May 2025 issue) was exciting for us. Any chance to share a different way of boating with others has been our goal since we realized how much fun trailerable boating is.

Trailerable boats are lower on maintenance and ongoing expenses, due to their size.
They are more affordable and lower cost on, storage, dockage, and insurance.

Our trailerable boats may not be big and roomy, like most that cruise on America’s waterways, but in our way of thinking, they are big on possibilities for exploration and ease of use. There is a growing community of boaters who have discovered the benefits of this type of overland boating, we have met many on our travels. Jim and I feel that we have not compromised our thirst for adventure by owning a smaller, trailerable boat. In fact, we have taken that enthusiasm to another level to expand our cruising horizons.

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The Long Goodbye! –

Last summer, Jim and I were brainstorming future travel plans, an exercise we engage in once or twice a year as we look forward to new adventures. After ruling out foreign travel, because we had different ideas about where that might be, or the logistics did not feel right, Jim offered up an idea we both immediately liked. As happens occasionally during this process, our picks usually veer back toward where we can “cruise” next.

Jim’s suggestion was for us to tow the boat out to the Pacific Northwest to cruise the Broughton Islands, British Columbia, Canada, again. Not sure why I did not think of this myself; it is one of my favorite cruises. I guess it was because I was thinking another trip out west was not in the cards for us. Towing the boat for at least five days to reach Anacortes (and back to Michigan again months later) is grueling and hard on our bodies. However, I have to say, having Jim offer one of our favorite cruising destinations as a future adventure was intriguing.

What we had to give up…

After hashing out the pros and cons of such an endeavour, we both jumped on the idea and set the plan in motion. One thing we had to give up to do this trip was the three months we usually spend in Florida during the winter, January to April. We would have to stay home during the winter of 2025/26, taking that time to plan and prepare for our trip. Unfortunately, last winter in Traverse City was a bad one weather-wise. It seemed unusually long and harsh, with major snowstorms almost into April. We would also give up our cherished time boating on the Great Lakes during the summer of 2026. The beautiful summer months are the reward for suffering through a northern Michigan winter.

The last time we cruised the Broughton Islands was in the summer of 2016. It is, by far, the most remote cruising we have ever experienced. It challenged us as trailerable boaters! New things to learn about provisioning and existing on the small-scale capacity of our tug, Kismet. There are no garbage services, few spots to provision, and no pump-out locations. Finding reliable fresh water in this area is difficult and takes careful planning and additional storage options.

Our Route…

In addition, as we make our way to the Broughtons, we’ll pass along Vancouver Island, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Strait of Georgia, the Gulf Islands, the Salish Sea, the Discovery Islands, and Desolation Sound. On the way back, we’ll head down the eastern side of BC’s mainland Malaspina Strait, visiting the Sunshine Coast’s Princess Louisa Inlet and Chatterbox Falls.

Many of the marinas in the Broughtons and local points of interest exist in places you can only reach by boat or floatplane. Most marinas were unlike any we had ever experienced before, each one different from the others with a natural, unique charm reflecting the owner’s personality, paired with interesting aspects of remote boating.

So, in the middle of winter, we began getting organized. Jim concentrated on the trip routes out west, both road and water travel. He also started several lists of spare boat parts to purchase and what needed fixing on the boat to get it ready. I started my list of what we would need to purchase and pack to survive in the wilderness. We both also had lists of what we needed to do to our house to get it ready for our absence. We tried to look forward while remembering what the challenges were the last time we cruised the Broughton Islands. That process helped us prepare for a successful trip.

The Long Goodbye…

Spring arrived, and we got the boat out of storage and started loading supplies onto it. Then, the long goodbye started! We arranged extra time with our adult sons, daughter-in-law, our grandchildren, and friends. As I have said before, when you embark on an adventure, there is always someone/thing you leave behind. We had a lot of support from them all, but saying goodbye is never easy for me.

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