Rhode Island and Connecticut

We are ready to be off the road. How do I know?  We are arguing about the crappy east coast drivers.  I’m trying to defend their lack of turn signals and aggressive lane changes while Kathy is beginning to be aggressive back.

Our plans to visit friends on Long Island via Manhattan have been determined not only impractical but totally ridiculous.  Why did we ever imagine driving an RV and towing a Jeep through the area even possible?!  I am worried about money, as we have dropped below the number I set as our bottom line spending limit. We also have to make plans to drive to Washington State - 4,000 miles back to the west and we haven’t even gotten to our next refuge commitment yet.

Back to now and the rest of our daily bliss of full timing.  Our RV steps are tired.  We have the type that automatically retract when the engine is on and the door is closed.  Great idea and so far, no issues with the motor. The area where the steps are is also the house battery area and is open underneath for access and dissipation of heat. The problem is that there is not enough real metal to connect the frame of the steps. With daily use, the weld along one side of the stairs has broken nearly half way through. We are worried they may fall off, or worse, get stuck in the out position.  We call our friend and master RV tech, Jim, and confirm we need to find a welder.  After a few calls, we find a company that works on semi-trucks and can get us in when we get to Providence.

We exit the freeway, drive through the poorer side of town into the industrial area and find our rescuers.  Kathy, Frances and I take a Jeep ride and find a café alfresco lunch near Brown University. Meantime, they weld and install a bracket to hold the stairs.  All this in 4 hours and a cost of $142. Yeah, happiness in Providence.  We stay disconnected and get back on the freeway to drive to the other side of town. We park at Cracker Barrel for a free night of dry camping.  The stay was loud and sleepless because we were too close to the freeway and shopping centers. Sometimes, it's the price you pay for cashless urban boondocking.

After a short drive to East Hartford, Connecticut, we meet new friends and a potential employer for dinner.

In Kathy’s previous life, she became an inspector of higher education law enforcement facilities. One of her contacts, Jack, lives in Hartford. Kathy has stayed in touch and has considered working with Jack, who manages a university law enforcement accreditation organization. We are thinking that this would be a good employment opportunity while moving around the country.

It’s always awesome going out with locals who know where to go.  We enjoyed a fabulous Italian dinner and intelligent conversation with Jack and his wife.  We hope they find the time to enjoy more travels soon.

We boondocked again at the local Cabella’s and get our fishing reels restrung.  Even though were were close to the airport, it was quiet, clean, and had a dump station available (reduced price with purchase).  Out of our regular choices of urban boondocking spots, which include Wal-Mart, Cracker Barrell and Cabella's, Cabella's is our favorite. Here's Kathy being a Cabella model.