Author: Rae

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US Pay As You Go SIM Card For My iPhone

I really like my iPhone. It’s like carrying a smaller version of my iPad and parts of my computer with me all the time, keeping info I need right at hand. I really didn’t want to put it away for the winter and get a new phone in the US and then again in Mexico. Surely it was possible to get a SIM card in each country while maintaining all my phone settings?

I called SaskTel and they said I could unlock my phone for $50. I made sure that unlocking the phone meant that I could use the phone with SIM cards from carriers in other countries. Yup, that’s exactly what unlocking does. I’m still newish to this whole cell phone thing, okay? Don’t look at me like that. 😀

I got to Billings last night and went to a Walmart because I knew that they sell pay as you go service and that would likely be the cheapest and easiest option. The boy who served me was obviously in the right department. I asked for a pay as you go service for my iPhone and he ran me through a battery of questions to make sure the pay as you go service they sell, ‘GoPhone’ from AT&T would work with my SaskTel iPhone, including that I have a GSM phone. He handled my phone for a bit, pulled up a few screens, and confirmed that GoPhone would work for me. I had a choice of $40 for limited talk and text and 1GB of data, or $60 for unlimited talk in the US, unlimited text to/from Canada and Mexico, and 2.5GB of data. Pricey, but it is a pay as you go service! I went for the $60 option, plus $10 for the SIM card.

When I got back to my truck, I realised that I had forgotten to bring Apple’s super high tech (not) iPhone paperclip for accessing the SIM card! I was tired and decided to go back to Walmart in the morning to ask the service desk for a paperclip. But in the middle of the night, I had an epiphany. An earring worked great at opening up the little SIM drawer. 😀

Setting up the GoPhone SIM was pretty simple, but I don’t know if it can be done without a computer and internet access. I inserted the SIM card and was told to connect to iTunes. I did and got an ‘unlock successful!’ message (so far, so good!).  I then went online to activate the SIM card and get a US phone number. I then had to reboot the phone. After that, I was able to continue in the online screens to enter the PIN number for my pay as you go top up card. I was not able to do that through the phone for some reason.

I do need to put my SaskTel card back into the phone so I can call them toll free to suspend my account, but research tells me that I can carefully go back and forth between registered SIMS without an fuss. We shall see…

That’s it! I now have US service, enough data to Netflix in the evenings, and I can text my mother in Canada every so often to let her know I didn’t get eaten by Bigfoot. 😀

I’m off to get an oil change, and then going to get closer to Old Faithful so I don’t have a huge drive tomorrow and can enjoy an outdoorsy day. At this point, I have no intention of doing any more super long days like I did yesterday. I’m in no rush.

The truck was super comfy last night and I slept well! I will sleep in the truck the next two nights as long as the weather holds. I was actually too warm last night and had to throw off blankets! I will be getting a hotel for the weekend, though. I need to do some Priceline.com research to find something under $50 a night. Since I don’t have a preferred city location for the hotel, just something between Old Faithful and Springdale, UT, that shouldn’t be hard. I found the perfect hotel in Pocatello for $54 a night base price, so I’ll probably start bidding in that area as I might be able to get something under $40. I love Priceline!

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Route Planning

This post is in reply to a comment by Ed about route planning. He favours the index card method over the GPS, where each step of the route is written on a card. Guess what, Ed? The index card method is part of how I route plan! I think the index cards are a great tool and I write on them in big bold marker. But I’d be lost if I only had them .

To plan my routes, I use a paper map, a GPS, and index cards if I am going somewhere super specific that I can’t get the GPS to route me the exact way I want to go.

I first started using a GPS in 2008 and wouldn’t be without one now. It is an invaluable resource in a strange area to quickly know exactly where I am and where the nearest services are. Today, I was able to make the decision to get gas in Malta because my GPS told me it would be the last place on my route to get some between there and Billings.

But imagine if the GPS goes down! That’s why I have a paper map as a backup. The paper map also lets me see the whole of my route more clearly than the GPS can.

Here’s the best example of how the three methods work for me: when I arrived in the Texas Gulf Coast in early 2013, my GPS wanted to route me through Houston to go to Port Lavaca. My paper map allowed me to plot a better (more RV friendly) route, I was able to use the GPS to get from one segment of the route to the next, and the index cards got me from Port Lavaca to Magnolia Beach.

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Haven to Billings, MT

I was up quite late this morning, almost 8:00. I made and had coffee, then went out to winterize the water system.  That done, I finished packing the truck. It was then time to go to the post office. My cheque had finally arrived! There was also a new SK health card giving me permission to be out of the province till May 31st, 2015. So that’s my return by date!

I came in and did some banking stuff, called SaskTel to suspend service (need to wait till I have US service to do that since they can’t postdate it), and called my mother to let her know that I was heading out. I then did the final swing around the property, putting away the garbage barrel and propane tank, reading the metre, putting away the power cord, etc.

I made a set of keys for Caroline and was halfway to her place when I realised I had forgotten something important: PILLOWS! I went back and grabbed then, then went to C&C’s. They are away this week, so there were no goodbyes. Caroline had told me where to leave keys and I did so with note informing her that I only have one house key (really?!) so to please not lose it. I can get back in through the cab when I get back. 🙂

It was 11:30 when I pulled out of Haven and I was at the border by 12:15. I crossed at Opheim, MT. There had been big changes since I was there in April; CDN customs now has a shiny new building and the US has a new scanner thing that I drove through too quickly… Oops. The customs official was super nice about it and told me to just circle around the building and try it again. I was mortified!

We had a nice chat while two other officers poked through what I had in the bed of the truck. We talked about my job, why I picked Mazatlan, my hamlet, and my planned route and meetups while in the US. He was kind beyond words and just when I was thinking, “This is going too well. Secondary inspection, here I come!” he said, “Drive safe and have a wonderful winter. Exit’s that way.” Wow!

From the border, it was about an hour to Glasgow, the only sizable community between Haven and Billings. As is normal for me on departure day, I’d left on an empty stomach. The stress of the border behind me, I was ready for lunch. I’d done my research into some yummy, quick, and filling and headed to Flip Burger, formerly Quick & Tasty. I had a (veggie) burger my first night in the original Glasgow, so I think my choice was appropriate. 🙂 The burger was great and made exactly to order, no stock toppings. I had cheese, bacon, tomato, mustard, and relish. Service was great and pretty quick.

Quick&Tasty in Glasglow.

Quick&Tasty in Glasglow.

From Glasgow, I continued my European tour by stopping in Malta (ha!) for gas. $3.41! Wow!

After Malta, there was just… land. If I felt so isolated and overwhelmed by the open country around me flying down the highway at 70 miles per hour, imagine how it must have felt to the pioneers trekking across it on foot!

My ETA for Billings was 6:00 and I drove straight through from Malta. I decided to land at a Walmart and from there find a suitable place for overnighting. Because I sleep in my truck, I am not going to share the place I found, but it’s perfect and was the first location I scouted. I’m getting good at this!

Heading into mountains.

Heading into mountains.

I went into the Walmart and came out with an AT&T SIM card with 2.5GB of data, all for $70. I forgot to pack a paperclip, so until I get my hands on one, I can’t set up the phone. Who comes up with these designs?! I have to go back to Walmart for an oil change tomorrow, so I’ll go back to the tech desk and see if they one I can borrow.

Once I found a place to spend the night, I went to a nearby McDonald’s to do research on sushi. I knew Billings has several well rated sushi joints, so I just wanted the closest one, which turned out to be Nara.

Nara was surprisingly packed for a Tuesday night and the kitchen was slammed. Service was slow, but still managed to be attentive. My Sapporo and “OMG, so delicious!!!” miso soup came quickly once I was finally about to put in an order, but the wait for my food was interminable, about 40 minutes. After 15, I really should have gone out and grabbed a book. I wouldn’t have minded the wait then. I did have a whole evening to fill.

Just at the point where I was ready to walk out, a server plopped a big bowl of edamame (soy beans in pods) in front of me. “On the house, ma’am.” That changed everything. They realised that the service level was unacceptable and did something to fix it before I got huffy. The edamame was a smart choice: it’s a super overpriced delicious treat that I never get in restaurants because I can buy a huge bag for less at a supermarket. Their cost was small, but the value to me was big.

My meal came out after. Everything was very expensive, so I just went for a spicy tuna and salmon roll and splurged on two pieces of octopus nigiri. The food was worth the wait and the prices self-explanatory! Look at that roll! Just about every sushi place I’ve visited has had way more rice than fish to cut costs.

Succulent tako (octopus).

Succulent tako (octopus).

The spicy tuna and salmon was melt in your mouth delicious. I like how the salmon was whole piece, which varied the texture a little. It’s funny how I don’t like spicy food, but I love this roll!

Wow, rare to see sushi that focuses on the fish. No wonder this was so expensive!

Wow, rare to see sushi that focuses on the fish. No wonder this was so expensive!

As for the octopus, I can’t remember the last time I had some and I hoped I wouldn’t be disappointed. Not in the least. It was so tender and succulent. I think this is the first time I’ve had some with the little suckers still attacked. They’re very chewy, but not in a rubber band sort of way.

So while the wait was disappointing, my overall experience at Nara was positive and this restaurant will be filled into the category of some of the best sushi I’ve had.

Now, I’m at a McDonald’s near my overnight spot, getting a start on downloading work for the weekend and also just passing the time because I don’t want to go to bed too early.

Not sure how tomorrow is going to go. I have to get an oil change and run a few errands. I think I’ll meander my way towards Yellowstone National Park and plan to spend the day there Thursday.

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Ready

Oh, I do hope the cheque is here tomorrow because I am ready. One might wonder what I would have done without this three-day delay. Well, I could have definitely been just as ready to leave first thing Saturday morning. I just stretched out the final chores to fill the days.

Here’s what’s left on my list for tomorrow (or whatever day that dang cheque comes…)

-pack final items into the truck (overnight, computer, and food bags)

-rinse out the black tank and put away the sewer hose (I leave the grey water open so the hose is always hooked up)

-drain the water system, apply the water heater by-pass, and add potable anti-freeze

-put away my garbage barrel

-buy my  US travel medical insurance

-put my SaskTel service on hold

-pack up the booster

-turn off the power, lock the breaker box, and read the metre

-drop a set of keys off at C&Cs

I can do some of those things before checking the post tomorrow, but there’s no sense winterizing until I know for sure that I’m going.

If I am unable to leave tomorrow, I will have to make yet another run into Willow Bunch for food. 🙁 What I bought on Friday was just the right amount to get me to tonight, but otherwise I’m down to nuts and miso soup, not quite a healthy diet!

Mail is sorted by 9:30, so I should know by ten if I am good to go. If so, I’ll be out of here by noon. I’ve conceded that the Opheim crossing makes the most sense even though I haven’t had great experiences crossing there. Should I get through with minimal delay, I’ll be in Glasgow for a late lunch and then I am going to drive hard to Billings. Google Maps says I’m looking at a seven hourish drive, so I wish I could set out sooner than noon, but it is what it is.

In Billings, I need to get an oil change done on the truck (my oil levels are fine for the drive down), buy a new GPS unit (the app I downloaded on my phone is not working well for me) as well as a paper map book, and see about getting a US SIM card for the phone. So that should eat up a good chunk of Wednesday (or the first day after departure…).

Twelve hours to go before I can for mail. Hopefully my next post will be about heading out! 🙂

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Why You Should Take An RV Trip At Least Once In Your Life

I took the ultimate RV trip, five years of full-timing in a comfortable unit traveling to the far corners of North America. From Alaska to Florida, Vancouver to Montreal, RVing allowed me to see more of the continent than I could have ever dreamed.

Regardless of how you might choose to RV, I think you should take an RV trip at least once in your life.

One of the best parts of RVing is traveling at your own pace with your bed, kitchen, and bathroom. You can keep your surroundings familiar while changing the view outside your window. You can visit large cities and quiet forests without having to pack and unpack. RVing is like going cruising on land.

RVing is also a great way to travel if you have pets. I traveled with two cats that adapted well to the lifestyle. Their perches never changed, but the view outside the window did, and I was able to give them enough routine to keep them happy and stress-free.

You will be surprised by the friendships you make RVing. The more you travel, the more you will find yourself meeting up with the same people. From happy hour to community potlucks, there’s always an excuse to socialize in the RVing world. You will find yourself sharing stories of the places you’ve been, your worst disasters emptying holding tanks, and tips on how to find those magical out of the way places you can’t find in travel guides.

Traveling in an RVing can be very economical. If you choose to make the jump to full-timing, you’ll learn that the cost of maintaining an RV is less than the cost of maintaining a residence. Even if you’re just traveling part-time, you can make most of your meals yourself, cutting down on the cost of eating out. Fuel costs can be intimidating, but are less terrifying when other costs are so low. For example, accommodation doesn’t have to be five-star resort-type parks because there are so many free or nearly free parking locations available, from Walmarts for one-night stays to beautiful beaches for an extended vacation.

If you’re unsure about RVing and just want to try it out for a bit, consider renting a unit. You can rent from large companies or from private owners through a service like RV Share. These owners recoup some of the cost of ownership by renting out their RVs when not using them.

Renting an RV is a great way to try out a variety of units before making a decision to buy. The most common rental unit seen on the road is the class C type, with the overhang over the cab. By renting directly through the owner by way of a service like RV Share, you can get the opportunity to try out a larger class A motorhome or even a towable like a bumper pull trailer, fifth wheel, or tent trailer, which are rare in the commercial RV rental markets.

RVing is a wonderful and affordable way to travel, offering all the conveniences of home on the road. Whether you choose to buy or rent an RV, I really do think you should take an RV trip at least once in your life.

(this is a sponsored post)