Category Archives: Travel

Van Life: A Minimalistic Journey

Van Life and RV Storage

A new movement of leaving behind normal life and possessions and living out of a van that has been converted into a living space, has become widely popular. A simple search of “Van Life” on Google will bring up pictures of people in a converted van parked in a picturesque location. These pictures are enough to make most wish to leave their busy life and search out a simplistic, more nomadic way of living. Some people choose this lifestyle of rent and mortgage free living in order to save up to purchase a house, but others choose it for the ability to travel and see the world in a very convenient manner.

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Military Deployment and Storage Space

military storageYou’ve just received deployment papers and, depending on your military unit you may have anywhere from several months to a few short weeks to prepare. There are plenty of things to worry or stress about during this time, but don’t let moving be one of them. Rather than trying to haul your car, furniture and personal items to another location, consider renting storage space. Regardless of how long you are deployed, having your items stored is a hassle-reducing solution. You can rest easy knowing that your possessions are safe and that if you end up being gone longer than you originally thought, Dollar Self Storage offers month-to-month rentals.

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Retirement Travel Dreams

globeI have always been one of those people who hopes to travel the world when I retire. Reading this article in Forbes really fanned the flames of that desire. Lynn and Tim Martin, two self-described senior gypsies in their seventies, have been traveling and living abroad since 2011. They sold their house in California and everything else that wouldn’t fit into a 10 x 15 storage unit, and set off to live, as they describe it, “home free”. It has worked out incredibly well for them, and that is very encouraging to me. Continue reading

Spotlight on Eastvale

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The San Gabriel Mountains Behind Eastvale at Dawn

Eastvale, California is a burgeoning new city in northwestern Riverside County with a strong sense of community and an eye on the future. Incorporated in 2010, it is one of the fastest growing cities in the State of California, with a current population of over 63,000. Eastvale is bordered on the north by Ontario, on the south by Norco and Corona, on the east by Chino, and on the west by Jurupa Valley. It gets its name from the East Vale school district, which was on the record when Riverside County was created in 1853.

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Spring Training 2016 Comes to Glendale

baseball-stadium-seatsIf you are a baseball fan, the Cactus League spring training in the Phoenix area offers an unparalleled experience. You can see half of the Major League’s 30 teams play, all within less than an hour’s drive of each other. Not to mention the beautiful surroundings and the warm weather, when much of the rest of the country is in an icy grip.

One of most impressive spring training facilities is in Glendale, AZ, a neighborhood in West Phoenix. The amazing Camelback Ranch facility is home to the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox. With more than 118,000 square feet of Major and Minor League clubhouse space, 13 full baseball fields, three half-fields, and seating for more than 13,000 fans, Camelback Ranch is one of the largest and most scenic facilities in the Cactus League. Continue reading

Spotlight on Laveen

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The Estrella Mountains west of Laveen

Laveen is a community southwest of downtown Phoenix. The area was originally inhabited by Pima and Maricopa tribal members.  In the 1870’s, dairy farmers and cotton farmers settled in the area. By the early 1900’s, a large enough community had grown up that Walter Laveen was able to open the first general store, and the town became known as Laveen. Walter also became Laveen’s first postmaster, and later a Sheriff for Pinal County.

Laveen was long separated from Phoenix by the Salt River, which has water in it year-round.  As the twentieth century progressed, more bridges were built and Phoenix kept on growing, until the previously rural Laveen finally became part of the larger urban area of the city of Phoenix. Continue reading

Spotlight on Chandler

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Chandler’s Tumbleweed Christmas Tree

Chandler, Arizona has grown from a small townsite established in in 1912 (the year Arizona became the 48th state), to a prominent suburb of Phoenix, with a population of over 230,000 residents. Originally, the town’s economy was based on agriculture (cotton, corn, and alfalfa), but these days Chandler is home to businesses like Intel, Verizon Wireless, and Microchip Technology.

In addition to its impressive business resume, Chandler is very popular with tourists, and hosts many colorful festivals, including the annual Ostrich Festival, a tribute to the days when ostrich farms in the Continue reading

Spotlight on Mesa

mesaMesa, Arizona is beautiful, bustling city that is located in Maricopa County, 15 miles east of Phoenix. It is a must-see destination for tourists and outdoor enthusiasts, as well as a thriving community in its own right. Mesa is the third largest city in the state of Arizona, with a population of 439,041 according to the 2010 census, and still growing. Considered part of the larger Phoenix Metropolitan Area, it is bounded on the north by the Tonto National Forest, 3 million acres of rugged and beautiful country which includes the legendary Superstition Mountains. To its west lies Tempe, to its east lies Apache Junction, and to the south is Chandler. Continue reading

Extended Travel Storage

extended-travel-storageOccasionally the need arises for an extended leave of absence from your home or apartment. Maybe you are taking a long-term assignment for your job in another state or country. Or maybe, if you’re lucky, and have a nomadic streak, you have decided to take a year off and travel the world. Either way, you are going to have to do something with all your stuff.

There are a lot of things to consider in this situation:

  • Are you going to sell your home or give up your apartment?
  • If not, then, are you going to rent or sublet your home?
  • If so, are you going to rent it furnished or unfurnished?
  • If the renters have their own furniture, what are you going to do with yours?
  • And even if you rent it furnished, what are you going to do with all your stuff?

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