Our DeDakis Loop
Some recommendations from the road.
July 6, 2024 Newsletter Post
June ’24 RV Update
On a recent trip to Minnesota, I learned some things. Besides the fact that I have some pretty special cousins … the two weeks the Professor and I spent on the road was a learning experience. We came home wiser.
On a recent trip to Minnesota, I learned some things. Besides the fact that I have some pretty special cousins (most of them diminutive Swedes descended from 11 brothers who left their homeland to live in Minnesota because it reminded them of Sweden). Many of them settled in Foley where we gathered. I hadn’t met most of them and a few, hadn’t seen for 50 years since we played together as children and then lost touch. Re-meeting them rekindled our affection for each other instantly.
Marilyn, our firecracker of a 97 year old cousin is the last of her generation. She has been the glue holding the family together but I’d like to think the family will hold. We’ll see. My grandparents and their parents went west to Montana: first to Miles City to homestead (where it must have been too arid and too cold) and then kept moving west, finally settling in Missoula (from which my father and his brother and other descendants dispersed from New York to California.
On top of all that, the two weeks the Professor and I spent on the road in our Nash 23D travel trailer was a learning experience too. From how many hours we could bear to travel each day to getting faster at set up and take down, we came home wiser. We drove from Idaho to Minneapolis via Blackfoot, Bozeman, Billings, Buffalo (and there the alliteration stopped) on I-94. We returned via the northern route on Hwy 2 via Grand Forks, Minot, Ft. Peck, and over to Shelby, MT before dropping down I-15 to Great Falls, Missoula, Salmon, Stanley, and on home to Boise. It was a great trip.
I hope to write about that but in the meantime, I want to share my list of informed-by-personal-experience recommendations for items I’m not leaving behind on our next trip. If you RV too and don’t already have your own you might want to check them out. Over time I’ll add to (and probably revise) my list as I learn about essential or nice-to-have items for a safe, enjoyable RV trip.
Our DeDakis Loop On Audible
Because there’s a lot of flat prairie between Idaho and Minnesota we downloaded four of my favorite mystery writer John DeDakis‘ novels (in the Lark Chadwick series) to pass the hours. Some of you will remember that John joined me on the podcast last April (Parts 1 and 2). We’ve been friends since 2010ish. Because of that, I’d have read at least one book. But I’ve either completed or am in process to read/listen to all of them because I got hooked. The Professor loves David Baldacci books so it was time to get him started too. Our 3,600 mile road trip was long enough to do that. We consumed four books. They were:
1. Fast Track (“Lark solves the mystery surrounding the accident that killed her parents as an infant.”). This book has it all. Murder, suicide, loss, a train wreck, an attempted rape, and the development of an enduring bond.
2. Bluff (“Lark helps her friend and mentor Lionel Stone solve the mystery surrounding the death of his daughter Holly along the Inca Trail” and so much more.) You’ll never figure this one out unless you go way out on a ledge and make a few really wild guesses.
3. Troubled Water (“Lark leaves her safe and comfortable job as Lionel Stone’s star reporter at a small weekly paper in Wisconsin. Just as she’s arriving in west central Georgia to be the cops and courts reporter at a kick-ass (but struggling) daily newspaper, she discovers the body of a young woman, the first victim of a serial killer. When the murderer strikes again, Lark has the inside track, but the guy she’s falling for is one of the suspects.”) More murder, devious competitors, a flailing newspaper, and a spooky hiking spot contribute to this thriller.
4. Bullet in the Chamber (“This story begins on Lark’s first day as a White House correspondent for the Associated Press. The executive mansion is attacked, the president is missing, the first lady’s life is in danger, and the man Lark loves disappears. It’s Lark’s job to figure it all out in this deadline-a-minute thriller about drugs, drones, and journalism.”) This one, John says, is personal. He and his wife lost their son Stephen to a heroin overdose some years ago. Lark loses someone close too.
5. Fake, as you might suspect deals with current events (“in the era of ‘fake news’, when facts are suspect and reporters are targets, popular First Lady Rose Gannon dies suddenly during an interview with White House Correspondent Lark Chadwick. Still reeling from the death of her photographer boyfriend, Lark is thrust into the midst of a media-bashing frenzy while covering a grieving president trying to defuse a looming nuclear war. Fake is a real-life look behind the scenes at the ethical struggles of a female journalist in a #MeToo world, walking the line between personal feelings and dispassionate objectivity – trying to discern the difference between what’s real and what’s fake.”) It sucked me right in.
I already have Fake on Audible, we’ll listen to it on the next trip, and will download #6, as soon as it is released on Audible (it’s already a hard copy available on regular Amazon).
6. Enemies Domestic. So far it’s only available on Amazon but will publish on Audible soon, I’m told. What’s it about? “On her first day as White House Press Secretary, Lark Chadwick is confronted on live television by a reporter with an agenda: ‘Are you, or are you not, planning to abort your unborn child?’ His question puts Lark in the crosshairs of extremists on both sides of the highly fraught abortion issue. Ambivalent about becoming a single mother in the post-Roe era, and grieving the death of her boyfriend, Lark is now forced to make her abort-or-not-to-abort decision in a highly toxic, politicized, and polarized fishbowl. At stake: her sanity—and her life. In the political thriller Enemies Domestic, his most important and controversial book to date, former CNN editor John DeDakis dramatically and thoughtfully tackles the hot topics of abortion, QAnon, White Christian Nationalism, and mental illness at a time when America itself is teetering between democracy and authoritarianism.â€
Enemies Domestic is ripped from the headlines, for sure.
John is an unusual author in that his protagonist, Lark, is female. He carries it off nicely. If you’re the kind of reader I am who prides herself on figuring out the mysteries before the author reveals them, you may be frustrated. There are plot twists upon plot twists. Lark is a compelling character that you’ll want to spend time with and know. I recommend each of his books and suggest you read them in order (although it’s possible to start with any of the books and enjoy each on its own merits).
UPDATE: I recently finished reading Enemies Domestic. Here’s what I wrote for an Amazon review: John DeDakis has done it again. He’s written another compelling read that I just couldn’t put down. I’ve been following his protagonist Lark Chadwick through her personal and journalistic evolution from college drop out to journalist to White House Correspondent to Presidential Press Secretary and it’s been quite the ride. When I learned that this book would dig deeper into current issues and political events I wondered how he’d be able to tackle some of them without being preachy, and without compromising Lark’s balanced journalistic approach. Sure, Lark has personal opinions about things, some of them strong, but she’s always open to new information.”
The one thing you can expect from a Lark Chadwick story is that it will be a good read, be entertained, and probably can’t begin to predict the outcome. Domestic Enemies’ ending will surprise you and the middle, well, it’ll give you lots to think about.
If you’ve got a long trip ahead or even if you’re planning to be on the beach or couch next summer, do yourself a favor and read (or listen) to John’s novels. It helps to have a long loop to dedicate to it (though it’s not a prerequisite to enjoyment).
Things for the RV
Here are a few more things we used during our DeDakis Loop that I recommend.
RV Logbook to keep track of things I don’t want to forget (campground names, costs, travel time and miles, hookups and other amenities and notable experiences that I may want to write about later, etc.) I fill it out religiously every night.
RV Easy Level I got this one by mistake thinking I’d ordered the smart phone compatible version but it works fine for two people. When I travel alone, I’ll upgrade to the Smartphone compatible EZ Level so I can back up the trailer by myself and monitor levels at the same time. The one we’ve got lets us level both axes of our trailer simultaneously – a green light means the Nash’s level, red means I need to get out the curved levelers to lift a low side. With the current level monitor it requires me watching, the Professor backing, or visa versa.
Non-adhesive heavy vinyl shelf liner, a weapon in my rodent-avoidance arsenal since it allows me to keep on top of crumbs and clean shelves easily
A good memory foam neck pillow
Waterproof RV storage bags for water, electric, accessories, and black water. I’m a bit anal about organization, obviously!
Parking chocks and curved levelers (I’m not sure if leveling blocks compare favorably – I like, and will stick with this one)
An electronics organizer bag for all our cords and accessories (remember, I hate small, disorganized spaces)
An RV water filter and a water pressure regulator (with a gauge). A park we stayed at recently warned us that their pressure was fluctuating significantly. We used our regulator to adjust the flow and did just fine.
A 30 Amp Smart RV waterproof surge protector. This was worth its weight in gold when it tripped a breaker at a park in North Dakota rather than frying the trailer’s electrical system!
Trailer Helper Steel Trailer Jack (flat tire ramp). This heavy-duty honey is also worth its weight. I initially got it to keep in my horse trailer but just before we left on our last trip, we had a flat on the Nash (it has tandem wheels too). Rather than mess with a jack, we just backed up onto it with one tire and changed the other. Easy-peasy. Then, just to be safe (our tires were at least 4 years old) we bought four new tires at Discount Tires in Boise ($500-ish, including replacement, if qualifying, at Discount Tires). We’re no dummies!
And one thing we didn’t have (but will next time), was a 20′ sewer hose support! It wasn’t a huge deal but would have been nice.
Clothing and Personal Hygiene
A good sun hat and at least one (I have two) UPF 50+ UV Sun Protection Safari shirts. I’ve had skin cancer on my scalp so I’m careful now. I wore my Sunday Afternoon Adventure Hat all over Uganda and it was cool and provided good coverage. Make sure to take water and sweat-resistant sunscreen products and the bug repellent of your choice too.
Compression socks that support but don’t constrict my ankles. They’re comfy.
Stretchy leggings, because I have long legs. These are long enough and so far, the fabric hasn’t pilled after many wearings and hasn’t gotten thin in the wrong places.
Skecher slide in shoes (for women, for men). I’m a HUGE fan of these. Gone are the days I had to lean down and tie laces if I don’t want to.
Personal wipes for the days I can’t get to a shower (these never go down a toilet). I buy the one for babies. If it’s good enough for a baby, it’ll do for me!
Pet-related
Waggle RV RV Camera with treat dispenser. This puppy does it all: tosses treats, has a smart wif-fi 360 degree camera with 2-way audio and night vision, etc. I haven’t had the nerve to dispense treats from it yet (Tex would likely figure it out and wrestle the thing to the ground to get the treats) and I’m still getting used to it, but it’s a great concept.
Waggle RV Temp and Humidity Sensor (wireless via Verizon, it requires subscription) that provides alerts if the temp or humidity rises beyond our preset limits and when power is lost and restored. It’s great to take the pets, but if you can’t take them somewhere during your trip this provides the assurance that if the AC goes off (or the heater in winter), you know immediately and can return to rectify things.
Dog safety belt/restrainer for harness in the car. This little jewel is something we’ll never be without from now on. It clicks into the seat belt receptacle and to a harness to keep a dog in the backseat where you want them. Imagine Tex’s surprise when she jumped out of the backseat (we left a door open) and she just dangled in midair above the ground. After rescuing her, let’s just say she no longer leaps out of the car without being invited.
Dog Hair Removal Tool. The FURminator is what we have now. It would work better if I were consistent about using it. I wish we could say we’ve found the perfect tool to keep Kota from shedding but I’m not sure we have so for now, this will do. I’ll just get after it more often. Ideas? There’s more than enough hair everywhere to make sweaters for all of our friends. Want one?
Nice to Have
Countertop Convection Oven. I keep it in the trailer all the time. It’s especially handy when we want to cook meat to taste like it’s been grilled but can’t do it outside. The mess, splatter, and grease are confined to the glass bowl and can be easily disposed of when cool. That’s a huge win for me!
Meal prep dishes (freezer and microwave safe apportioned). I cooked a huge batch of Mediterranean Chicken, rice, and veggies before we left. I took 4 meals with us and left 2 behind. It was really nice to come home to a good meal I didn’t have to cook. Last night I froze lasagna for our next trip and homecoming. Yum!
Kindle Fire. I don’t typically take my laptop with me since it could get stolen and all my important files would be lost. Instead, I take my lightweight Kindle with a case and bluetooth keyboard. They keyboard’s smaller than I generally use, but workable. Taking the Kindle instead of my laptop gave me peace of mind in Uganda last year, but make sure that you have yours configured to upload photos, videos, etc. to a secure online photo storage site. My friend’s I-Phone was stolen when she visited Uganda last year. She lost every photo, every video she’d taken of gorillas, villagers, and landscapes there.
How About You?
Help me out. Are there things you absolutely have to take along in your RV? What are they? Tell me, please!