Travel Trailer Remodel Reveal!

     After 7 weeks of remodeling Drew and I have finally completed our 2006 Keystone Zepplin II travel trailer.  Drew did most of the heavy lifting, I helped painting and tile work. We left all appliances, cabinets and electrical elements. Drew gutted the rest. He removed all the furniture, painted every surface imaginable and put in new floors.  He did an awesome job. I am so glad I did not have to operated the power tools!

We did some special adjustments to fit our full time lifestyle. For example, we purchased a normal queen and had it refitted so our backs don't think we are rv living! Drew added a cat door and curtain in the second bedroom so Mojo's Litter box will be out of the site and smell!  Also we took every opportunity to have multifunctional elements. We used an Ikea entertainment center instead of traditional bed frame to add style and storage. The couch we bought is very deep and can double as a single bed for overnight guests. The ikea table in the kitchen has 6 drawers in it and can be pulled out to open on both sides. The table when opened can sit 5-6 people. In addition, Drew will be using the second bedroom as a gaming area. He will use his projector to throw the TV image against the interior wall. It looks great! The process was stressful, but also very rewarding.

The Before Pictures:

Ok so now you have seen the before.....Here is the after!!

The "Master"

The Tiny Bathroom

The Living Room and Dining Room

The "Second Bedroom"

The "Eat In" Kitchen

Home Sweet Home! 

Massachusetts Travel Adventures

Massachusetts Travel Adventures.

                In the last eight weeks Drew and I have been so busy we have neglected to blog about some of our best adventures.  We were lucky enough to have both of our sisters and their significant others up to visit.  Drew’s sister Rachel and her fiance Bryan visited us mid-august.  Rachel and Bryan are both Boston enthusiast and showed us several sites they have enjoyed during their travels.  During their visit we hired a tour guide and explored the freedom trail.  For those of you who are unfamiliar, the Freedom trail is a red line on the pavement that connects significant historical landmarks in Boston.

                 Our tour guide was dressed as a “daughter of liberty” during the revolutionary war. She guided us around the sites and brought history alive for us using a creative blend of storytelling and humor.  My favorite story from the tour was the history of the Boston Common. The Boston Common is a beautiful park, and is the oldest in the United States.  Its original owner was the first European settler named William Blaxton, who was a little quirky and enjoyed riding his white bull naked.  He was a compassionate man, and felt sorry for the Puritans that settled at Plymouth Rock due to the fact that they had no fresh water and pastures to graze their cattle.  Kindly, he invited them to the area to share in his available resources.  Not surprisingly, when the puritans arrived they were less than thrilled with his nude bull riding habits.  Frustrated with their constant judgment, Blaxton sold the land to the puritans and moved to New Hampshire where naked bull riding was not as taboo.   Overall the tour was illuminating in its information and enjoyable in its delivery.

                 The following day, Drew joined Rachael and Bryan at Fenway Park to take part in one of the greatest historical rivalries in sports, between the Boston Redsox and the New York Yankees.  For those of you who are baseball enthusiasts, you may remember this game in which pitcher Ryan Dempster  beaned steroid using Alex Rodriguez.  You could hear the crowd cheering on Dempster blocks away from Fenway.  Drew said that he has never been a part of something so exhilarating in the sports arena.

                It was a wonderful weekend and was a great reminder that while traveling alone can be freeing and convenient,   it cannot compare to the joy of shared adventure with people you love.  With that sentiment in our minds we were excited for our second set of visitors. My sister Brianna and her husband Joel came up last weekend to celebrate Brianna’s 30^th birthday.

                During this trip we drove to Providence town at the tip of Cape Cod.   Ask any New Englander what town you should visit at the Cape and 90% of them will say, “well P-town of course!” After visiting I could understand their devotion to this small quaint fishing village. The town is situated on the bayside of the cape and has a beautiful port filled with sail boats, yachts and fishing rigs. Unlike many beaches in MA, the ocean meets wide sandy beaches instead of a pebble and rock filled shore line.   Historic homes, churches, and meeting houses have been converted into shops, art galleries, theaters and cafés.   We enjoyed a day of leisure in p-town, walking the narrow streets, perusing the art galleries, eating the seafood, strolling the beach and we even snuck in a visit to a genuine Pirate Museum.

                The following day we headed into Boston.  The boys did a beer tour at the Harpoon Brewery while Brianna and I visited the Museum of Fine Arts.  Satisfied and hungry from our adventures we ate at The Top of the Hub, a skyscraper restaurant selling a view as much as their amazing cuisine.  After a fabulous dinner we took the subway into Cambridge for a night of slam poetry at the Lizard Lounge. This experience was a throw back to my college days, without all the amazing poetry, beer, and underground venues.  In short, it was way better then the college haunts Drew had at LBC and I had at Bloomsburg. I guess the saying location, location, location, holds true again.

               

Speaking of amazing locations, Drew and I were able to visit the playground of the rich during the Industrial Era.  Newport RI, was the summer home to the Kennedys, Vanderbilts, and many other rich and powerful people during early 20^th century.  Eleven of these summer mansions are now opened to the public to tour. These homes did not allow photography indoors, but we did get some great shots of the properties.  If you ever get a chance to visit Rhode Island, I would make Newport one of your destinations. The tours were affordable, well produced, and very relaxing. 

                While there were many other fun experience and adventures during the Traveling Triad’s time in New England these three were among some of our favorites. Thanks for letting us share our adventures with you on this blog. Stay tuned for the photos of our remodeled travel trailer, our continental road trip and arrival of puppy Murphy into our family!