It’s been brought to my attention by several people that it’s been a long time since I last posted here. They’re not wrong.
Somewhere along the way, the humdrum of life settled in, and what once felt post-worthy started to feel… ordinary. But over the past few days, I’ve been thinking about just how lucky I am to live the way I do. And it occurred to me that what feels routine to me might still be interesting to others.
I wake up every morning to a view I chose. I have a new “home” every couple of weeks. For nearly five months now, my front yard has included spectacular lakes, sunrises, sunsets, and star-filled night skies.
So, here’s a long-overdue catch-up since my last post from the Keweenaw.
Heading South from the Upper Peninsula
After leaving the Upper Peninsula, Nana and I headed south through Wisconsin, where I spent a few days with my dad and knocked out a couple of long-overdue projects. Thanks to his welding skills, I finally completed my outdoor shower/toilet enclosure. I no longer have to hope nobody drives by while I’m indisposed.
Ask me sometime about my shower at Valley of the Gods in Arizona. I’ll admit, I’ve taken my morning peace sign with some pretty incredible views.
Hoosier National Forest & Amazon Lockers
We continued south into northern Indiana to sort through mail and packages, then headed to Hoosier National Forest near Bloomington, where we stayed for two weeks.
This is where I learned that Amazon has pickup lockers — which felt like both a dream come true and a logistical nightmare. In theory, shipping to wherever I am sounds perfect. In practice, there’s a decent chance lockers are full and deliveries don’t happen. When that occurred, packages often just… vanished. Amazon was good about refunds, but the lesson was clear:
Don’t order anything if it’s scheduled to arrive the day before you leave unless your departure is flexible. Pickup locations with actual people (like a UPS Store) are far more reliable.
Despite my Amazon habit, Nana and I spent a lot of time walking, relaxing, and visiting our friend Mary. Nana also learned two new skills: check and circle.
“Check” is incredibly useful — she positions herself parallel to me in a sit, keeping her body and tail out of the way. It works great at checkout counters and sinks.
“Circle,” on the other hand, sounded like a good idea until I realized that a dog circling me on a leash mostly results in me falling over. We still practice it occasionally. At worst, it’s a decent parlor trick.
Hiker Trailer Campout & Land Between the Lakes
Next, we headed south again for the annual Hiker Trailer Campout, hosted by Matt and Wendy DeWitt of MDW Adventures. This year it was held at Land Between the Lakes(LBL), on the Kentucky/Tennessee border. Mary came along to trial her car-camping setup.
The four-day event included trailer tours, seminars, and access to fenced bison and elk herds. For a small fee, we were able to drive through the preserve multiple times. We got impressively close to the bison; the elk were more elusive, though we did spot a couple of doe from a distance.
Back North, Then Fort Wayne Logistics Mode
With nowhere specific to be, we spent another quiet two weeks in Hoosier National Forest before heading toward Fort Wayne. Along the way, Nana passed her annual public access test with ICAN — she did beautifully and is cleared for another year.
Fort Wayne was a change of pace: an urban campground with hot showers, flush toilets, and hookups. While there, I caught up on mail, vet visits, VA lab work, Jeep maintenance, and attended an ICAN training session with Nana.
I also started tinkering with a Raspberry Pi–based dog tracking system using Meshtastic nodes. I had zero experience with Raspberry Pi, Python, or Meshtastic. It was wildly ambitious and probably not a great idea — but with a lot of trial, error, and help from ChatGPT, it’s now working remarkably well. More on that in a future post.
Michigan, Micro Center, and Manistee National Forest
A stop at Micro Center in Detroit (imagine Radio Shack on metabolic steroids) led us to Proud Lake, followed by two weeks at Sawkaw Lake in Manistee National Forest. This was dispersed camping — no services except a pit toilet.
We hiked sections of the North Country Trail and experimented with more off-leash time, though Nana was far more interested in neighboring campsites than staying put. A makeshift long-line dog run solved that problem nicely.
Cookson Lake & Bill the Trapper
From there, we headed back into the Upper Peninsula and spent about two weeks at a quiet place called Cookson Lake. Trappers occasionally passed through, including a man named Bill who always stopped to chat after checking his traps.
Bill caught muskrats and an otter while we were there. Nana adored him — mostly because he let her smell everything. He shared fresh venison jerky with me, and even gave me beaver and muskrat hides to pass along to Mary. His kindness is something I’ll remember for a long time.
Cold Weather, Family Time, and Heading South
By November, temperatures dropped into the 20s at night, and snow arrived. After a brief warm spell, we packed up and headed south through Wisconsin to spend Thanksgiving with family. My sister was hospitalized at the time, but I’m happy to report she’s since returned home and is recovering well.
Thanksgiving dinner came from a local place called Bobby John’s, and I’ll admit my expectations were low. I was wrong — it was excellent.
From there, we stayed at Indiana Dunes State Park. With overnight temps in the teens, shore power meant I could safely use a small electric heater instead of propane. That alone felt like luxury.
I spent time with my kids, caught up with Mary, and then it was time to migrate south again.
Six Days to Quartzsite
I don’t love long driving days, so I split the trip into six shorter ones:
- Missouri: Danville Conservation Area (free, quiet)
- Oklahoma: Sequoyah Bay State Park (cheap hookups and water)
- Texas: A quiet wayside south of Amarillo with incredible views
- New Mexico: This was easily Nana’s least favorite stop. The ground was covered in sharp, pokey vegetation, and she initially refused to walk on it. I put her buckskin booties on, which made things tolerable enough that she took off running and burned off some pent-up energy. At one point she got out of sight, so I checked my new tracker and saw she was about a half mile away — and not moving. When I reached her, it was clear why: all four booties had come off while she was running. We took a longer route back using ATV trails and roads with less harsh foliage, and there was no wandering that evening.
- Arizona: An abandoned park near Winslow overlooking a canyon — absolutely worth the stop
- Quartzsite: Finally arrived
Settling into Quartzsite
Quartzsite sits amid about a million acres of BLM land and becomes a winter hub for snowbirds. The town’s population jumps from around 2,400 to well over 100,000.
I purchased a Long-Term Visitor Area (LTVA) pass, which allows stays from September 15 to April 15. I settled into La Posa South, where water and trash are easily accessible. No hookups — but with near-constant sun, my solar setup keeps me topped off.
We’ve been here about a week now. Days are in the mid-70s with a steady breeze, nights cool into the 40s, and life feels… good.
Looking Ahead
I hope to update more regularly, but I don’t want this to become a chore — because chores breed resentment.
Mary reminds me that I’m living my dream. She’s right. This is everything I’ve talked about and hoped for. I’m loving it, and I’m learning how to love life along the way.
Bear Belly Adventures 
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