Lewistown and Great Falls, MT in 15 Below Zero

Well, we didn't make it out of Montana before it got really cold again. For all of you who have never lived in places with a true winter, I'm talking about 15 degrees BELOW zero. That is 47 degrees colder than the temperature at which water freezes.

Kudos to Daniel as he drove this 25 foot beast for the first time through icy roads and wind blasts that toyed us around like a sailboat. White knuckled and wide eye we made it to our first show.  Yikes!

People in Montana don't like this cold weather just as much as people from Texas, but they do still function in it and some are brave enough to come out and drink. Because really, there isn't anything else to do.

The Fellowship of the Eagles  was our first stop of the tour and the last place we'd see familiar faces. Thanks to all who braved the cold and made it out and we'll be back next year!

Machinery Row is a cool little spot bringing in musical acts from all over the country. Great beer selection.Once people found out we were staying in our RV across the street they were set on making sure we barely made it there. If shots of fireball mean people love you then we were really loved at Machinery Row. See ya next year guys!

-Rumeysa

The Fleetwood Tioga

And at last we found it. After weeks and weeks of dreaming, searching and hoping, days of anticipation and awaiting the results of our loan application we finally have our RV!

We learned a lot in the process. Apparently, being a self employed musician makes income proof a little complicated,  and you cannot, repeat, cannot tell the loan officer that you intend to live in your RV for any extended period of time and the definition of "living in" isn't debatable.

Me:  "Well, if you were using your RV for a month in the wilderness wouldn't you technically be living in it?" Loan Rep: "No, that would be a vacation.",

Me:  "buuut, you'd be living in it for the duration of the vacation."

Loan Rep: "No, sorry, based on what you said you would be living in your RV on the road and we cannot give you a loan but I can check with my manager." 

So, I just hung up and  called again. 

New rep: "Hi, I can help you with your RV loan. I need to ask you a couple of questions..yada yada yada... do you intend to be living in your RV at any time."

Me: "No. No, I do not intend on living in the RV at any time."

Apparently the world is afraid of people living outside of the conventions of society.

Although called a Recreational Vehicle, it has a little different meaning to us. It is our mobile home, our house on the road, a means to an end, the end being playing music on the road comfortably. 

"Comfortably" being a key word here. We can totally tour out of any vehicle, and we proved that last year. The 1987 Mazda MPV took us, in short, from Red Lodge, MT starting October 25th 2012 through the Moab desert of Utah, the magnificent huge Redwoods of Yosemite, the valley of Fresno, the taller, skinnier redwoods of Northern California, the coastal "high" towns of Mendocino and Humboldt and finally died within the gates of a small transmission shop in The Dalles, OR on December 19 2012. It was a sad day. We spent one last night sleeping in our amazingly comfortable 4 inch thick foam bed in the back of the van, awaiting a day of unknown. The MPV sold for $300 and we had enough to rent a car and get home.

The van tour of 2012,another story in it's entirety, but we learned three things: 1.) it would be nice to have a bathroom, especially in the morning. 2.) Eating out gets expensive and 3.) We'd like to shower more regularly.

And, hence, the RV. Follow us on our journey as we hit the road in The Tioga starting January 31st!

-Rumeysa