Cell Phones – How different this trip would be without cell phones and the internet! To begin with, we agreed that Kevin would carry some version of tracking device. His durable dumb phone didn’t have that capability. So he now has his first smart phone (the phone formerly known as Suzi’s Galaxy S5.) Perhaps you know other youngish boomers who have made the choice of a dumb phone all the way to the year 2021. Perhaps not. We know at least one other couple who share one smart phone. If you’re puzzled why a person who can easily afford a smart phone would make that choice, join the club. But we are each wonderfully unique and Kevin sometimes prefers to rely on the technology of strangers. Being a bit of a hermit, surrounded by family members and work associates who assist him, it has worked out OK thus far. Also my brother Andy has labeled him Amish (no offense intended to actual Amish people; compliment or insult?)
So back to the topic of technology. GeoTracker is the app we’re using to track each other’s whereabouts. It’s free (surprise!) and has ads. So far it’s working fine for our purpose. For much of the trip, Kevin will have another adult riding with him, so we have backup for safety and also for tech competence.
The two things next most important for making this trip easy are cell service and electrical power. Though we move through some areas without cell service, we always have it for parts of the day, and we usually have it overnight. We have been in a few campgrounds without cell service and that is refreshing from time to time. But I wouldn’t want to be cut off from my loved ones for too long, and cell service helps us manage our home life while we’re on the road. I had little experience using my cell phone as a mobile hot spot for my computer. How easy that turns out to be!
The benefit of having Riley and Lauren with us for the first two weeks of the trip cannot be overstated. Though I am comfortable with tech and persistent in troubleshooting, there’s nothing better than having resident tech support. Riley is all that and a bridge player! He came prepared with tools for remote work and left a few of those tools with us for the rest of the trip.
Electricity – When we’re at a campground or RV Park with electrical hookup, it’s all easy. Plenty of electrical outlets in the trailer and Riley’s surge protector/power strip keep us running. Nights spent without hookups sometimes call for reinforcement. We have a generator in the pickup but have only used it once so far, to inflate an airbed for the tent (why suffer?) Riley and I discussed backup power and he brought a handy Jackery device, a rechargeable battery power system.
While I’m driving the truck from camp to camp, the reliable internal combustion engine recharges the truck battery, trailer batteries, phones and the Jackery. Well done, 18th and 19th century inventors!
Internet – Honestly, where would I be without email and Google? In the years spent imagining this trip, I eliminated as much of our snail mail as possible. So my email inbox allows me to keep our life on track, which mostly means banking and bill paying. Our other major uses of internet day to day are: evaluating the route/roads on the Adventure Cycling maps that Kevin is using, which sometimes means zooming in on Google Maps’ satellite images to see the road surfaces and shoulder for biking; finding and booking campgrounds and RV Parks at roughly 80 mile intervals; and writing this blog.
Finally, I want to give credit to our dear son Ballad who is another of my trusted assistants. There is no tech device to mow the lawn, check the mail, water the plants and love on sweet Roxy at home. And the bonus is that he invests time in feeding humor to us for our mental health. We love you, Ballad 💕
Cycling with Kevin & Suzi 