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Loree Johnson

9 Years Ago

One Step Closer To Livin' The Dream...

I just finished the renovation of my 1995 29ft. motorhome. Will move into it and become a full time "vagabond photographer" starting in September. :-)

http://www.loreejohnson.com/?p=899

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Mary Bedy

9 Years Ago

Wow, Loree, how cool is that? I would have to get rid of SO MUCH STUFF to do that. I don't know if I could part with my books.

I wish you good luck and I'm very, very jealous. I wish you safe travels and a ton of fantastic images.

 

Donna Proctor

9 Years Ago

Your time has finally arrived and I am happy for you!

I too wish you safe travels, fantastic voyages and tons of awesome images. Best of luck, Loree. :)


--Donna Proctor

 

Loree Johnson

9 Years Ago

Oh my gosh Mary, I've had to come to terms with letting go of so much! But, the more I let go, the more freeing it feels. I'm actually at a point where it's a relief not to have to worry about and care for all that "stuff." I have found there is very little I really need, aside from my cameras and lenses, of course! LOL

 

Melissa Bittinger

9 Years Ago

Loree, looks like you did a great job with the interior. The white on the cabinets looks so much better and decals was a great creative fix for the mirrors!

 

Kim Bird

9 Years Ago

Looks really great, Loree! Sounds like fun!

 

John Rizzuto

9 Years Ago

Very cool. Congrats Loree.

 

JC Findley

9 Years Ago

Sweeeeet

 

Jeffrey Kolker

9 Years Ago

I am envious...;) Looks like a wonderful time is to be had....

 

Jimmie Bartlett

9 Years Ago

Congratulations! Go follow your heart and make your dreams come true. My wife and I hitch up the travel trailer and do arts/crafts shows and once in awhile a real vacation in it! Happy for you!

 

Mary Bedy

9 Years Ago

After having cleared out two houses for two sets of parents the past three years, I'm due for some really serious purging. In a way, I'm glad I have a really old house with small closets....but there is still a lot of overflow.

Ah, I know you will really enjoy the adventure, Loree.

 

Mark Papke

9 Years Ago

Wow, great looking motor home. Good luck.

 

Peggy Collins

9 Years Ago

Fantastic, way to go! I'm envious. Happy trails to you!

 

Jean Noren

9 Years Ago

How nice! You did a great job.

 

Heather Applegate

9 Years Ago

That's my plan one day... I did live out of my truck for a little while a couple years ago. I want to convert a van. One day when I have the funds!

 

Chuck De La Rosa

9 Years Ago

Very cool Loree! Do you belong to rv.net? If so post it out there. People love to see upgrades and mods.

I noticed some wrinkling in your ceiling near the AC. Hope you don't have any leaks. Make sure to maintain the seals on the roof. Eternabond tape and dicor are an RVer's best friends.

 

Patricia Strand

9 Years Ago

Very well done! Impressive. Have fun on your adventures!

 

Colleen Kammerer

9 Years Ago

Best of luck--have fun!

 

Loree, how fun is that! So happy for YOU! A little envious, as I have a similar dream on hold! Looking forward to more of your beautiful photography! Happy trails.

 

Allen Beatty

9 Years Ago

You've got a pair Loree. Enjoy the ride.

 

See My Photos

9 Years Ago

I hope to do it one day! So cool

 

Val Arie

9 Years Ago

That is so cool! I am jealous of all the great adventures you are going to have! Congratulations!

 

Cricket Hackmann

9 Years Ago

So happy for you Loree -- enjoy the adventure!

 

David Morefield

9 Years Ago

That is awesome!! If you are ever in the Houston area, let me know.

 

Wow, what fun! You will gather no moss! Enjoy.

 

Crystal Wightman

9 Years Ago

That is really cool. Enjoy the road. It's something my husband and I would love to do ourselves...someday.

 

Karyn Robinson

9 Years Ago

You are living my dream too. When you pass through Arizona look me up. It would be fun to connect. Bon voyage!

 

Pamela Patch

9 Years Ago


You did an excellent job with the re-do Loree, congratulations on your new adventure, sounds exciting.

 

J L Meadows

9 Years Ago

I envy you. I've been looking into tiny houses and RVs myself. Maybe someday...

 

Walter Holland

9 Years Ago

Oh my goodness. I love it.

I once was the proud owner of an old 20' Pace Arrow class A. LOL. While I only used it for excursions my mom, and her second hubby bought a 36 footer and traveled to 49 of the 50 States. I am sure they would have taken it to Hawaii if they could have figured out how to make it seaworthy. :-)))

I envy you. My wife is not the type to go on such a journey. And ,,, well,,, I would feel bad if I left her at home!


Good luck on your adventure. I can't wait to see the images to come.

PS: I left a comment on your site. It is now awaiting moderation. :=)

 

Loree Johnson

9 Years Ago

Thanks for the encouragement everyone! It's very exciting, and a little scary. I've been dreaming about this for so long, it's still a little unbelievable to me that it's actually finally happening. :-)

@Chuck, the ceiling liner has come loose and sags in a few spots. I thought about re-doing that, too, but the cost/benefit didn't seem to be worth it. Especially in terms of time spent. I can live with it for now. But, I did find a place that needs attention on the top when I was washing and polishing the exterior. A small separation where the side meets the roof. Will be climbing up on top with Eternabond in hand later today. I should join RV.net. I have joined two or three facebook pages already. Lots of good people out there willing to answer questions and help.

Oh, and thanks to everyone who commented on my blog.

 

Roy Erickson

9 Years Ago

Very nice Loree - I've always wondered what 'vagabond' life on the road folks do about "real" mail and licensing of the vehicle and drivers license. How do you get one with a "I don't have an address - just the open road".

 

Loree Johnson

9 Years Ago

@Roy, you need a mailing address and there are services to provide you with one. They collect your mail and hold it until you tell them to forward it. The state where you hold the mailing address becomes your "domicile," or state of legal residence. There are some states that are more advantageous to do this in than others (mostly tax reasons), and those states are where the mailing services are prolific. I will be a resident of Oregon, no matter where I am physically located. I believe I will need to show up in person to register my vehicles the first time, and then renew by mail. For my driver's license, I will need to show up once every 4 years (maybe 5, I can't remember for sure). I plan to do most everything online as far as bills and such, so will need very little mail forwarded to me. On top of that, I love Oregon and cannot imagine a better place to "have to" return to once in a while. :-)

 

Roy Erickson

9 Years Ago

Loree - West of Eugene - there was once a small winery called Forgeron - since sold to someone else - they had the very best Pinot Noir. (LaVelle Vineyards is one such place: a family operation founded by Doug LaVelle after a long corporate career. The vineyards and winery, formerly Forgeron Vineyards, was South Willamette Valley's oldest, planted in 1972. Forgeron closed its doors in 1992 and Doug opened LaVelle in 1994) I was there in the early 80's when Forgeron was going strong - oak casks imported from France.

 

Loree Johnson

9 Years Ago

Thanks for the tip, Roy. A little wine tasting and winery exploring sounds like fun!

 

Chuck De La Rosa

9 Years Ago

Loree, I've owned trailers for over 20 years. It's how we take most of our vacations. I've helped my dad maintain his old '77 Jayco travel trailer. Feel free to PM me if you ever have any questions. I've never owned a class C though so I can't help with the specifics of the drive train and related electronics.

 

Loree Johnson

9 Years Ago

I saw this quote today and it made me smile. 1--because I am a huge Thoreau fan and 2--because I am advancing (confidently?) in the direction of my dreams, lol.

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.--Henry David Thoreau"

Thanks for the offer Chuck. You may regret it, lol.

 

Lynn Palmer

9 Years Ago

I'm so jealous Loree!

I've daydreamed about doing the same thing for several years. I hope you maintain a blog of your travels so we can all enjoy your adventures with you.

 

Greg Norrell

9 Years Ago

Congrats Loree and good luck. Motorhome looks nice. Will you tow something to get around when the RV is parked? It's nice when you can do that. I went from a 22 ft old (1977) motorhome that I've used for several years to a new travel trailer this spring. I spend about half the time in it.

If you need tips on dispersed camping spots around Yellowstone and the Tetons, I can pass along a few spots.

 

Loree Johnson

9 Years Ago

Lynn--I plan to blog (hopefully) weekly about my adventures.

Greg--I will be towing my 2008 Toyota Yaris. Small, light, and gets great gas mileage. Of course I would rather be towing a Jeep Wrangler, but gotta work with the budget I have, lol. Also taking my bike on the ladder rack for shorter jaunts. Yellowstone and Tetons is on the list, but probably not until sometime next year. Haven't planned that far ahead yet. I know enough to avoid summers there, but spring or fall would be nice.

 

Kathleen Bishop

9 Years Ago

Loree, I am so excited for you! Living on the road is great fun, especially when you don't have to answer to anyone. I always feel way more self-reliant and empowered when I'm on the road.

Greg, I'm heading out to Wyoming in a couple weeks and will spend a bit of time in GT and Yellowstone before moving on. Sleeping in the truck the whole time. I have a few ideas about free camp spots on FS land around GT but will appreciate knowing about others. I'm thinking I'll have to pay for a site in Yellowstone because it will cost more for gas to get outside the park and back than to pay for a site. Maybe you could PM me if you don't want to derail this thread?

 

Greg Norrell

9 Years Ago

@Loree - A Yaris a perfect vehicle for what you're doing. My favorite time in the Tetons is the last two weeks of June and the last two weeks of September.

@Kathleen - I know most of the spots for dispersed camping around GTNP and the spots on the west side of YNP. In GT, you can camp very close to everything. On the west side of Yellowstone, dispersed camping is about 20 miles out. Just message me and I can tell you some spots.

 

Paul Velgos

9 Years Ago

Congratulations! That's awesome. I've always loved the idea of hitting the road in an RV to take pictures or for a vacation to see the country. Sometimes the journey is as great as the destination.

 

Janine Riley

9 Years Ago

Well done . What an excellent adventure this all will be.
I can see this bold and brave step turning into a very lucrative move for you.

Safe and happy journeys wherever you may roam.

 

Peggy Collins

9 Years Ago

I meant to mention that there's a website and blog you might find very helpful...he has tons of info: http://www.cheaprvliving.com. He hosts get-togethers (the Rubber Trump Rendezvous) twice a year for people living in their vehicles.

 

Gary Slawsky

9 Years Ago

Good luck on your new adventure.

 

Loree Johnson

9 Years Ago

@Janine, funny you should say that. Just in the past week, I have sold 3 large canvas prints, including a 72", which is the largest size I have ever sold. I think the universe is telling me I'm headed in the right direction. (At least that's how I'm interpreting it!) :)

 

Janine Riley

9 Years Ago

I see Travel magazine opportunities for you - you are also a good writer.

 

Judy Kay

9 Years Ago

How exciting, I checked out your website and really thought it was interesting...You incorporated interesting articles with great photos..a "win, win"!

 

Loree Johnson

9 Years Ago

@Judy, I'm happy to hear you found it interesting. Sometimes I wonder if the details of my life are good blog fodder. Thanks for the positive feedback!

 

Terry DeLuco

9 Years Ago

Awesome! Enjoy!!

 

This discussion is closed.