Tornado warnings (not tornadoes!), mosquitos, and nonstop humidity—life on the road in Illinois has been a little itchy and a lot damp.

New blog post is up:
catanddogtravel.substack.com/p/mosquitos-...

Put a tiny house on wheels there for when you visit.

I'm going to hit the road as a single woman traveling with my dog starting in June. If you're looking for a story about why I'm doing this, let me know. I'm happy to help.

VAN UPDATE: Tonight's mission - remove the last 4 seatbelt anchors with a grinder. The sparks will be flying!

EDIT: Mission accomplished! 🏅

Next job is to experiment with the rivnut tool and learn how to use it.

VAN UPDATE: With help from a friend, I got the roof rack on. I also got the wood floor in and got water/mold protection on it. Now I'm moving on to the 2nd layer of insulation.

I also ordered a 12 volt AC/Heat, power station, & 200 more watts of solar panels. It's coming together!

#VanLifeDreams

I know it well! I lived the the Sacramento area for 32 years. Before that, I lived in Redding, CA. Northern CA is so lovely!

I've done quite a bit of clean-up, blacked out the back windows, and now the first layer of insulation has been installed.

This week I'll install the vent fan and roof racks for the solar panels.

Next weekend, I'm getting the brakes fixed. I'm so excited to hit the road! I can hardly stand it!

Where is this? It's lovely!

The last 6 months of my husband's life/care were paid for by Medicaid. I can sadly and honestly say I'm glad he's gone now because we couldn't afford for him to live and get the care he needs without Medicaid. This is criminal negligence on the part of this administration.

Thanks! I'll check it out.

Safe Travels! I hit the road for the first time in June. Maybe we can connect later.

This is true! I was asked to do an ice-breaker activity at a work meeting. I asked the citizenship questions and most of my co-workers (all natural born citizens) would not have passed this test. I found the questions really easy to answer.

What state is this in?

I live in Rio Rancho, NM near Albuquerque. Any interest in meeting up while you're in NM?

This is AMAZING! Thanks for sharing. I'm planning an AK road trip in a year or 2 (or 4 🙄). I will plan on visiting here too! 😊

🚐🐾 Next up: cleaning the grime! A mix of Formula 409, a wet vac, & elbow grease did the trick over a few days. Scored flooring underlayment at Habitat for Humanity Restore for $20 (a steal vs. $65 at Home Depot)! On to the next step! #VanConversion #VanLife #DIYRV #BudgetBuild

🚐🐾 First step: rip out the nasty, sticky, greasy floor! Underneath? Rust, grime & broken glass from a past accident (it’s a salvage title). Wish I could’ve used it as a template, but nope—it came out in pieces. On to the next phase of the build! #VanLife #VanConversion #RVBuild

Enjoy your trip!

🚐🐾 This is where it all started! When I bought my van, it was just an empty shell—but soon, it’ll be a cozy home on wheels for me & Molly.

Follow along as we transform it into the ultimate adventure rig!

#VanConversion #VanLife #RVBuild #TravelWithDogs

I currently live in Rio Rancho. I've been here since 2022 and really loved it.

The correct answer is YES! There needs to be a nurse in a nursing home 24/7.

We need the Democrats to grow a spine and move from right of center back to the left. Progressive policies are popular across the board if Democrats would just embrace them.

Please add @CatAndDogTravel and @RedOwlBiz to your New Mexico Network.

Hi Everyone! I'm Cathy and I bought this 1997 Dodge Ram Van Wagon 3500 in January 2025. I'm in the process of converting it into an RV so my dog, Molly, and I can travel around the US full time. #Vanlife #VanlifeDreams