When I lived in the city, I only went to the Dollar Store to buy 2 things – party decorations and holiday cards. Otherwise, I avoided this place like the plague. They were disorganized, disheveled, and full of cheap crap the wasn’t worth a dollar. They smelled bad, sold low quality merchandise and in general…
Author: Steve Ainslie
Eating Alone
Since I’ve been on the road, I’ve been craving good Mexican food. I’ve identified highly rated restaurants and local joints in several places I’ve camped near. But circumstances, timing and laziness prevented me from eating at any of these places. Instead I’ve eaten at Dos Tacos (fast food), Chipotle (I didn’t get e-coli) and…
Surprise…surprise!
Back in the dark ages when I was a kid, we had a black and white TV that got 3 channels. Sometimes. Other times the signal could drop down to 2. And after theJohnny Carson show or the news, the stations went off air until the next morning. So although I didn’t really like the…
Small Town America
I thought I would love small town America. After all, I have only fond memories of the first seven years of my life that I spent in Tamaqua, PA (pop. 7000). I remember walking down the street and talking to every person I saw. They knew me, my parents, my grandparents, my aunts, my…
No Blue Highways
Before I began my life on the road, I planned to avoid interstates. I would meander down the backroads of small-town America to get a flavor for what “real America” was like. I’d shop at local mom and pop stores. I’d eat delicious food at local restaurants, I’d have real conversations, meet interesting characters and…
Useful
Yesterday was the first day since my wife died that I felt truly useful. I didn’t plan for things to turn out that way.
How Can She Be Gone?
It’s been four months and twenty two days since my wife died. That final day, I made a conscious decision to not go to the hospital. I had been by her side everyday for last 9 months witnessing her suffering, her pain and her steady decline. Her final 2 months had been horrific for her,…
Finding My People
I am camping with a group of 10 others who are full-time vehicle dwellers. This group was formed to introduce newcomers to life on the road. The concept is that a few experienced people make themselves available to offer advice, tips and suggestions. The newcomers get a chance to meet others like them, learn the…
Fearless
I was fearless until I was 6 years old. Life was great. I had a wonderful family. We had a house with a backyard and a dog. School was fun. Playtime was more fun. Summers were fantastic. I had lots of friends. I walked to the store, the park and my friends houses by myself. …
A Real Ghost Town
Yesterday, I visited Tombstone Arizona to get some Mexican food, dump my trash and refill my water. The town of Tombstone is tiny. Its main street, Freemont, runs about 1 mile through the center of town. There were many FOR SALE signs and empty storefronts on Freemont. I saw at least 3 historical museums and…