Bag End on Wheels

17/05/2023

Official Post from David Checketts Music

11/05/2023

I could really use your advice!

Some of you may already know that I am retiring from COX Automotive this Fall and going back to school to get a Master's degree in Film Scoring.

To aid me in that pursuit I have started a Patreon Page with musical offerings to help offset the cost.

It would mean so much to me if you would take 2 minutes to fill out this survey.

https://forms.gle/H5X6CzpKfTGryPx68

Even if you are not currently a Patron of David Checketts Music, your past association with me would prove invaluable in helping me decide what content to offer.

Thanks for being a fan!

Working to provide the best content for Patreon

10/09/2022

Thank you all for your continued patronage of Bag End on Wheels. We have started the next adventure, Jenn has taken a job in Seattle and Ashlyn started school this week, as I continue working remotely moving toward our next big thing.

Many of you know that I have been a musician and composer since I was young. I have written music for ensembles, marching bands, and even an indie film - but music has, out of necessity, always been a side hustle.

With your help I can begin my career’s second act with music at center stage.

My family recently moved to Seattle to support me in a Master’s program with the intent of composing full-time in the music industry - specifically for motion pictures.

The program in intensive, meaning I will not be able to work while attending school.

Please take a moment and select a level of support (as low as $2/mo!) and become a monthly supporter of my dream and a patron of the arts!

Scan the QR code of visit my Patreon Page directly.

If anyone would like to support me in this endeavor but does not want a monthly subscription to the Patreon page, you are always welcome to make a one-time contribution via Venmo - -Checketts

https://www.patreon.com/davidcheckettsmusic

Thank you all for continuing to follow us on our crazy adventures!

30/07/2022

We survived our first 2 weeks in Seattle. After downsizing last summer to hit the road, we are now having to upsize to outfit an apartment.

The heat is brutal. Not as hot as Utah, but there is no AC here. We have like 8 fans in the apartment just to circulate the hot air. 🥵

Here is us at the West Seattle Farmer's Market last Sunday. Ashlyn is really starting to like it here and of course Jenn and I already love Seattle.

18/07/2022

If the damn tree wasn’t in the way you’d have a great shot of the Seattle skyline. This is not our apartment however

15/07/2022

Our trip to Seattle finds us in a HIE in Yakima, WA tonight. Tomorrow we pull into Seattle and our new adventure.

07/06/2022

With less than one month to go in our year-long tour, we set our focus on a new adventure. It has been nothing short of amazing, traveling the country, seeing family, friends, dogs and too many awesome sights to count.

Dave's Favorite: Oceanside, CA.
Jenn's Favorite: Wine Country - San Diego
Ashlyn's Favorite: Washington, DC.

On the whole, the good totally outweighed the bad. We had mechanical issues, frozen water pipes, a flat tire, rude hosts and a rat who moved in and ate just about everything. We learned how to solve problems and fix many new things on this trip.

Most awesome hosts and amazing resort: Dark Sky in Kanab, UT.

We traveled 14,000 miles (Towing our amazing little Honda Element) through 26 states and stayed at 50 different resorts. Fished in 2 oceans, tried dozens of local wines and gorged on regional food every chance we got. We visited as many women-owned and indigenous-owned vendors and resorts as we could find.

A few numbers:

14,000 miles driven divided by 10 MPG times average of $4 a gallon = $5,600 in fuel costs.

Cheapest place to stay: $37 a night - KOA Tremonton, UT.
Costliest place to stay: $ 118 a night - Paradise by the Sea Oceanside, CA.

Price to have a flat changed on the RV: $750 (did require the purchase of a new tire)

Pictures / videos taken: Just shy of 1800

Number of subscribers to Ashlyn's You Tube channel: 300

Dogs met: Many

Memories: Too many to count

As for the future, we just put down deposit for an apartment in Seattle, which we move into July 7th.

We haven't decided if we are going to sell the RV or rent it out.

Ashlyn will go back to school, Jenn will take a job, and we will both work for the next year. Fall of 2023 I will be attending the Seattle Film Institute to pursue a Master of Arts in Film Scoring, finally following my life-long dream of writing music for movies.

And the story continues...

10/05/2022

Headed west from DC this week, had a crazy ass bird fly right into the windshield on I-80 just as we left North Platte. Windshield is fine, I suspect the bird is not. 🥺

04/05/2022

We’ve seen some crazy s**t at RV parks, but we ain’t never seen one with 2 miniature donkeys.

02/05/2022

And we’re here in Terre Haute, IN! Driving across Ohio and Indiana is way different than West Virginia and Pennsylvania; nice and flat, but windy as hell. I can appreciate what truckers go through being in a high-profile vehicle. Constantly feeling like you are going to blow over. 💨

Jenn enjoys a toasted marshmallow as we wind down from another day of driving.

As a side note, those of you over 40 may remember Terre Haute as the home of the Columbia House Music Club. 11 tapes for a penny and you only have to buy 3 more at regular price.

30/04/2022

Froderick & Frankie are enjoying some down time. Along with their humans, they bounced along I-70 for almost 7 hours today. Our east cost travels come to a close as we make our way across the heartland. Tonight’s stay is in Zanesville, OH. To get here we left Maryland, drove through West Virginia, then Pennsylvania, then West Virginia again, then across the river into Ohio.

You might wonder how we select our campgrounds. The destinations are pretty easy. We wanted to be in Fayetteville, NC for March so we found the closest campground with a Good Sam rating. For our trek back across on I-70 we look for any park close to the freeway and within 350 miles of our last stay. 350 is the limit we set, it takes 7 hours to cover that much ground and we have to tear down and set up the same day.

350 miles also means a fuel stop, which in no reality is as easy as fueling a car. With our Toad we are 42 feet long, we can’t just pull in to a Circle K. We rely on travel plazas and even then it’s not always a fit. Plazas are set up to dispense diesel so there are wide long lanes for semis. Most Class A RVs are diesel, not us, we are gas.

Another issue we face with fuel is quantity. Bag End has a 65 gallon tank. At $4 a gallon, it costs $260 to fill the tank. Most stations have a $75 limit on a debit card transaction and a limit of 2 debit transactions. So we have to get creative about fuel stops. Best news? The outstanding 10 MPG we get. 😡 To travel the 350 per day we want, burns 35 gallons. Not cheap to drive this bad boy.

Also had to replace our first tire in Virginia Beach. There is no room for us to carry a spare so in case the tire is not repairable, roadside assistance brings along a new tire, which we have to purchase and pay to mount and balance.

Despite all the schtuff we deal with, we have no regrets about doing this. We have seen and done things we never dreamed. Ashlyn fished in 2 oceans less than 6 months apart. We spent quality time with family and friends and have sampled much food and beer/wine. Ashlyn was almost in tears as we pulled out today, she did not want to leave Washington. A year ago she did not want to leave Salt Lake.

Tomorrow we drive to Terre Haute, IN where we will stay for the week while I work.

We slowly wind our way back west landing in Seattle around August.

28/04/2022

Arlington. The changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier was was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. Couldn’t help but weep. Notorious RBG buried next to her husband. Only 2 SCOTUS justices in Arlington and she’s one. ❤️

28/04/2022

Open-air night tour of DC. It’s awesome during the day, but it’s unbelievable at night!

24/04/2022

Today was the Smithsonian Museum of African Art and the National Museum of Natural History. Ashlyn is getting a crash course of history, politics and art. Loving every minute of it!

24/04/2022

Yesterday was the National Mall. We had the dogs with us, that slowed us down a bit since Princess Frankie has to be pulled in a wagon. Saw the Washington and Lincoln Monunents and the WWII and Vietnam Memorials. Had a proper hot dog from a cart.

17/04/2022

Made it to DC / Baltimore.

07/04/2022

April 5th marked the 9-month point of this crazy s**t we are doing. We just passed the 10,000th mile of driving.

The entire month of March we spent in Fayetteville, NC near Jenn's brother. We got to meet his amazing friends James, Mike and Sarah. Had a crab boil cookout for Jenn's birthday.

Had an uninvited guest (Norway Rat) Move in for a week, destroyed wiring plumbing and HVAC. After a totally 'Caddyshack' evening of trying to get the little bastard, we had to call professionals to get-r-done.

Stayed with Ross K Whitmore (Thank you so much!) while RV repairs were done (Thank Hera for pest insurance, who knew?)

We are now just south of Virginia Beach at https://northlandingbeach.com/ and will remain here until the 16th when we drive to a town just southwest of Baltimore and stay for two weeks visiting the nation's capital.

Even though we are having amazing adventures we miss you all.