Live Work Dream Fulltime RV Travel Tips and Lifestyle Advice | Live Work Dream

El Camino Restaurant Review

March 3, 2017May 23, 2008 by Jim

Review of the El Camino Restaurant, breakfast and Sign in Socorro, NM

Living Lightly in an Earthship Home

May 20, 2008 by Rene

Learn about eco-friendly housing options at the Earthship Institute in Taos, New Mexico.

Mesmerized by Charles Medina

January 9, 2019May 19, 2008 by Jim

Artist Charles Medina has a special way of peddling chile spice mixes in Chimayo.

Magic Healing Dirt at El Sanctuario de Chimayo

May 18, 2008 by Rene

You can’t go anywhere in New Mexico without running into another miraculous historical building or energy vortex. It’s a challenge to pick which ones to visit, but checking out this church was a must for me (the last one for a while, I swear!). Because this church isn’t just any old church, it’s a church built on miraculous dirt.

I first heard about Chimayo through a family friend, who made a pilgrimage there in the 1980s, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She headed there like so many others, in search of the holy spirit that would receive her prayers and aid in her recovery. The magic worked. She beat the cancer, and swears that the reason she’s made it into her 80s is because of her pilgrimage and the miraculous dirt she took home from Chimayo.

Last week, my friend took a bad fall and is now in a rehab hospital. When I heard this news, I decided to make my own pilgrimage to Chimayo, just north of Santa Fe, to get some more of that magic dirt to send to her.

I could be a turn of the century printer.

May 17, 2008 by Jim

I must say, I never really thought much of the whole “living history museum” thing. Heck, I didn’t even know what one was until we discovered Shelburne Farms when we stayed at the city campground in Burlington, VT last year. But we didn’t even pay that one a visit.

I have to thank our new friend Roger for opening my eyes to how cool it would be to work as a docent or interpreter at one of these living history museums. Roger volunteers as the 18th century miller at Rancho de las Golandrinas.

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Happy Anniversary Baby!

May 17, 2008 by Jim

Please allow me this brief moment to shout out to the entire world just how much I love my wife. Isn’t she beautiful?

Living together in a trailer on the road, it’s hard to surprise someone with anything. But since steel is the traditional gift for an 11-year anniversary, and Rene isn’t really into jewelry – the modern choice – perhaps I can steal her heart once again with a few heartfelt words.

I recently expressed concern to René about her dancing on the precipice at Black Canyon National Park. OK, she wasn’t dancing. But her scrambling made me nervous nonetheless.

Fuel’s up, Land’s Down. To Buy or Not to Buy?

May 16, 2008 by Rene

As fuel prices rise, gen-X fulltime RV road trippers ponder settling down and buying real estate.

The Spanish People of New Mexico: Don’t Call ‘Em Mexicans

May 14, 2008 by Rene

When you visit New Mexico, whatever you do, don’t get New Mexican culture confused with Mexican culture. The two are very different, and the locals will let you know it. For starters, the Mexicans I know never eat Sopapillas like this one I had in Albuquerque.

But it goes deeper than the culinary differences. As a California Mexican, I always heard about New Mexicans who insisted they weren’t “Mexican,” they were “Spanish.” Even in my own neighborhood, some fair-skinned kids came from families who preferred this label. I don’t know if their parents came from New Mexico or what, but it didn’t matter; we insisted that by preferring to call themselves “Spanish,” they were in denial about their ethnicity, ashamed to be linked to the Mexican Indian blood that many western Latinos share.

It’s a complicated issue, but ultimately, whatever label we Latinos choose to use, the fact is, we all have our unique ancestral histories, some that we relate to more than others.

Santa Fe’s Time Machine: Civil War Days at El Rancho de las Golondrinas

May 13, 2008 by Rene

El Rancho de las Golondrinas living history museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico hosts Civil War Days.

Perks for Housekeeping Workampers

June 1, 2022May 10, 2008 by Jim

Hola, housekeeeping … me name is Jaime. I am here to clean your rooom. Knock, knock. Hello?

OK, I didn’t clean the rooms. And the housekeepers at Riverbend all spoke perfect English. Nonetheless, my workamping job at the hot springs in Truth or Consequences gave me a good taste of resort management.

Good enough to now know that we could easily run some sort of lodging business, someday. And good enough to know that we would hire workampers to do the dirty work.

The Loretto Chapel: A Miraculous Event, or Just Another Fugitive Story?

May 8, 2008May 8, 2008 by Rene

You might have guessed by now, that I’m not the churchiest person. Spiritual, yes, churchy, no. But, as anyone born into Catholicism can tell you, once you’re in, you’re in for life. You can run away from it, but it never leaves you. Just when you least expect it, you’ll put up a velvet Last Supper painting above the TV, and stick a dashboard Jesus in your SUV.

As a recovering Catholic, I love checking out old churches. Maybe I’m subconsciously facing my fears, but the more realistic Saint statues and lit up candles they have inside, the better.

In Santa Fe, I had no shortage of Catholic churches to choose from, but the Loretto Chapel was first on my list. Briefly, the story about the Chapel’s Miraculous Staircase goes:

Live Work Dream Expense Report: April 2008

May 7, 2008May 7, 2008 by Rene

Our RV road trip budget expense report for April 2008.

Road Trip Photo Galleries Updated!

May 6, 2008 by Jim

If anyone follows our adventures close enough to actually check for new photos on our gallery page, I truly wonder why. But they might have noticed some big changes there a little while back. I gave the galleries an overhaul, but didn’t announce it because we went for a while there without a camera. And what fun would new galleries be without new photos?