Happy Wanderers

Moved again!

2012-01-19T15:12:00.000-08:00

We have left the Pinal County Park and moved to the ELK's Lodge in Apache Junction for a couple of nights. Our windshield view has changed as evidenced by the attached pics. At least I hope they are attached. Saturday, we will move over to the Santa Fe RV Park with power, water, pool, club house, etc, etc and Lou can start quilting projects once again. I'll go scout out some appropriate flying sites. Maybe I can keep my consecutive flying day streak going a while longer. Hearing about the weather in the Northwest makes me feel a little (very little) guilty about missing it. Sunny and 70 today with a 30% chance of some precip on Sunday or Monday. We'll be all hooked up and comfy by then:)

New Pics

2012-01-14T10:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the pics taken of the sunrise and moonset plus a pic of the beautiful glass fish that Aaron made for us at his Glass Arts class. He is really gifted in so many ways and we are fortunate to have him as a grandson. The moonset and sunrise were taken at the same time. The pic of the RV shows off our new patio mat and our friends, Joe and Noreen, from CA we met in Blythe last year. Ane yes, we went flying again this morning for my 10th consecutive day:)

Back at Pinal Park

2012-01-13T18:25:00.000-08:00

We moved back to "our County Park" and have been joined by some friends we met in Blythe last year, Joe and Noreen. Joe also flies RC planes and we have flown pretty much every day at various locations. I still fly in the park here using the main entry road as runway. Joe prefers more "space" for flying and landing so we go over to one of the secondary roads and fly there. I have added a small plane to my fleet, the "Champ" and can fly it almost anywhere. It has become my "I'm bored, I'm going to go fly" plane. Just pop the small battery in it and push it into the air.

Weather has been very nice (not so much yesterday as it was cloudy all day) but quite cold in the AM's. Nice views of sunrises and sunsets and really pretty moon setting at sunrise. I'll add a couple of pics on the next entry. Time to send this while Verizon is "cooperating".

We've Moved.. again

2011-12-04T14:37:00.000-08:00

We have left the Pinal County Park and moved 5 miles West to the John Wayne RV Ranch where we can enjoy the amenities of electric, water and sewer hookups. We'll be here until we leave for Detroit but while we are gone, the RV will sit patiently awaiting our return in Jan. Then, we will figure out where we go from there. Perhaps back to boondocking at the Pinal County Park or stay here for a little longer. Weather (and $$) will have a factor in the decision process as Winter has made its presence known with AM temps in the lower 30's and, potentially, the upper 20's. Makes it a bit chilly in the rig in the mornings:( Now I won't have to worry about the batteries on the cloudy days and can watch a football game or whatever without worrying about having enough "juice" to run the furnace in the AM. Plus, the wifi is working pretty good for the moment. Much better than last year. There is even a nice field across the road with smooth lanes that will be good for flying my planes. Maybe tomorrow I'll check it out:)

Tenacity of Age

2011-12-02T15:47:00.000-08:00

As I get a little older, I notice different things that would not have interested me in my younger years. This afternoon while walking around the campground, I saw an old Saguaro cactus being crowded by a Mesquite tree and a Palo Verde tree. The cactus is at least 150 years old and has been there much longer than the younger interlopers. The Mesquite on the left and the Palo Verde on the right will NOT defeat the cactus as evidenced by the new growth on the top of the branches. The motto must be "Never give up!". I can relate to that as I look back on my later years of working toward retirement. The new, younger people would eventually look at me as one of the dinosaurs that should move out to make room for them. NUTS! With the great help of Lou, I was able to make it long enough to retire on our own terms. Now as we enjoy being in the desert of AZ I can tell all the others still working toward their retirement, Never Give Up!

Arizona Living

2011-11-06T08:46:00.000-08:00

OK, I promised some pics and have finally got them over to the computer. Hopefully, I can get them in some order that makes sense. First (??) is where we "roughed it" at the Echo Bay campground at the Lake Mead Recreational Area. I am not bothering with any pic from our stay at Wikieup:( The Echo Bay campground is on a high bluff above the lake and Marina which can be seen down in the distance. If it's blue, it's water:) The last pic is of our humble abode parked in the "desolate" gentle desert of the County Park south of Maricopa. Yesterday, just for giggles and something to do, we drove over to Florence, AZ to tour the Sun City Anthem housing. Who knows, maybe some day we'll consider living here in the Winter and traveling North for the summer? It's a thought anyhow. Sunny and cool for the next few days with a possibility of some rain showers late this evening. No winds expected with the next front coming through so we should be able to sleep through it:)

Pinal County Park - at last:)

2011-11-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

We are now in our favorite site at our favorite So. AZ "RV Park" with solar power, full fresh water tank and empty holding tanks. Upon arrival several days ago, we were in a "temporary" site until another RV moved out of "our" site. Now, we are balanced and level so we can get on with our exciting life of exercising, reading, games on the Kindle, etc. (Not all in that order) Verizon has been very exasperating as they are currently going through some upgrading of the cell towers expanding the 4G network. The result is that service drops out on a regular basis or is out for several hours at a time. Since we are retired and have nothing better to do, one would think it isn't a big deal. However, without email and Facebook, how does one start the day? At least when it works, it works great. The weather is really nice with mild breezes and plenty of sunshine, so far. The winds will pick up tomorrow. The forecast is calling for 15-25 with gusts to 35-45 for tomorrow. Not good flying conditions:( I flew the Sky Surfer this morning a couple of times in the park here. The entrance "road" is smooth enough for landing and takeoffs with the other 2 planes. It will be good for a while until the RV population starts picking up in a week or 3. The RV's are on the move everywhere:) I didn't get any of the pics downloaded from the camera yet so no pics yet.

Friday Night in Wikieup

2011-10-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

"Don't blink or you will miss it" is more than just a catchy phrase, it's Wikieup, AZ. 2 gas stations and one "RV Park and Restaurant" comprise 90% of the wide spot. People are friendly and the restaurant serves a pretty good BBQ beef sandwich but no beer:( We have left the beautiful Echo Bay campground and have wended our way further South on our journey. Dazzo's RV Park and Restaurant is where we have parked for the night. We could have continued on toward destination but would have arrived in the Phoenix area traffic rush. Not good with an RV and following spouse in the Prius. RV is doing well at 10 MPG!!!!! Oh Joy:) Look out Mike and Eva, we're on our way! As much as I enjoy driving the RV, I'm looking forward to getting set up and sitting still for a week or more at a time. I'll post some more pics on the next entry. For now, good night!

Valley of Fire Pics

2011-10-25T12:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we took a nice slow drive through the Valley of Fire State Park. We have been there before (3 years ago on our infamous first trip) but are still amazed at the beauty and grandeur of the park. 150,000,000 years of geological and historical wonder on display for all to see. And, there are still those who think the Earth is only 10,000 years old. We even saw some actual wildlife! Big Horn sheep and a tortoise that was too slowly trying to cross the road. So, I got out and "helped" him the rest of the way lest he become part of the endangered species. How lush and green everything is this year since they had the heavy snowfalls in the mountains (130% above normal). They are projecting that Lake Mead will rise some 23 feet this year as a result which will make the boating groups very happy. We hope you enjoy the pics. We'll be here at Echo Bay for at least a couple of days, maybe more:)

Pictures

2011-10-24T11:36:00.001-07:00

Probably in reverse order are some pics I took along the way showing what many of Nevada's roads look like from the driver's seat and some views from our present location. We are on a small plateau some 600 feet above the town of Overton, NV. Note: The RV in the sunset pic is NOT ours:) The winding road is the one back toward town looking down from the plateau.

2011-10-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

OK. Add tiny and Humongous bugs to the previous list. We have added Ash Springs and Overton to our hot spot list. Ash Springs was the first, and only, "RV Park" for 200 miles coming from Wells. It is a private truck stop/campground/gas station/tire shop/deli and offered electric and water. The water, however, just dribbled out of the hose and took all night to add 20 gallons to our tank. We are now on a plateau overlooking Overton, NV. The ground looks like Quartzite but the views are much better! I'll add pics to the next post of our viewpoints. We'll be here for a couple of nights and then move on down the road to Echo Bay at the Lake Mead National Recreational Area where we'll be for a couple of days, maybe more:) We are not in a great hurry to get down to AZ until the temps moderate. It is 87 here today and sunny with a nice breeze. Down there, it's still in the 90's but will be getting into the low 80's by next week. Awesome flying conditions here except for the landing area.. too many stones and rocks:(

All Bugs, Look Out!

2011-10-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

We are back on the road and killing small, medium, large and giant bugs with the very efficient Bounder Bug Killer! Hitting all the hot spots on the way like Plymouth, WA (Corps of Engineers campground) and Mountain Home, ID (ELKS Lodge). Tomorrow, we head South to the thriving metropolis' of Jackpot and Wells, NV. Then, we'll figure out how far we want to go the next day. Eventually, we'll arrive in the SW AZ area but are not in a great hurry as the 90's are still in vogue there. We did get a good look at Fall colors in the Blue Mountains of OR as we motored on to Mountain Home. I was too busy handling the RV to take pics and Lou was busy following in the Prius. Since we sold my Tacoma pickup, we don't have an official tow vehicle anymore and decided against buying a tow dolly for the Prius. At 50 MPG, it will wind up using less gas as it does twice as good on gas as the pickup did and the RV is happier without the extra 4,000 pounds hanging on the tail end. More from farther down the road to follow.

Journeys End.. Home!

2011-04-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

We have concluded this years trip. The final leg from the ELKS Lodge in Sherwood, OR via Kenniwick was accomplished in spite of some high and gusty winds. Fortunately, most of the wind was at our backs:) Nice to have ANYTHING that will improve the MPG! We did have a nice visit with Lou's sister in the Oregon area. This was NOT the best time to travel in Northern CA or OR because it RAINS a LOT. Of course it also makes everything green and lush:)
All was well at the house when we arrived and Lou enjoyed her hot shower with unlimited water. I enjoyed my shower with lots of room to turn around in without bumping and banging of elbows. No more concerns for capacities of the holding tanks or the amount of fresh water left until we venture out again, perhaps this summer.
All told, we put 4,800 miles on the RV and a good bit on the Tacoma as well. Yes, the gas bill is a doozy but still worth it. Next time to the SW, we'll do a more direct route down and back with more focus on the BLM boondocking areas in AZ to conserve money for the gas tank:) And, alas, we will most likely skip CA next trip. We were there twice on this trip and it's just too expensive.
First, we have to survive an extended La Nina season in the Pacific NW which means that a wet and cool Spring is in store for us until June according to the weather people. It will feel like being in Northern CA for 2 more months:) It will give Lou lots of time to get caught up on her quilting and I can repair a few planes while waiting for flying season.
All told, we had a really great trip and really enjoyed meeting up with sister, cousins, nephews and new babies. We also met up with old acquaintances and some new friends. We will always remember the awesome Tournament of Roses Parade up close and in true living color.
Maybe next year we can do it again:)

Escape from Red Bluff

2011-03-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

We have finally escaped the clutches of CA and the traction chain gods. We did have some gusty winds on the way and a pretty good snow storm at the top of the pass when we hit Oregon. We are now in Grants Pass. Very nice and interesting town. There is a quilt shop for Lou and a hobby shop for me to visit in the AM just across the street from each other. This is MUCH quieter than our spot in Red Bluff:) Tomorrow or Tuesday we'll head up to Sherwood, OR to visit with Lou's sister. Then, we will begin the final legs of our travel home. Should be back in Spokane by the end of the week (maybe) so NO MORE SNOW in Spokane please!

Red Bluff ELKS

2011-03-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

Day 4 at the Red Bluff ELKS and still watching the road reports in Yreka and Weed. Chains are still required and all vehicles are being checked 10 miles north of Redding for "maximum chains". Campers and trailers are NOT advised due to high winds. We don't have chains for the RV and I won't drive where they are needed anyway. So, maybe tomorrow or Sunday.....or Monday to begin our dash north to Oregon. Once past the state line, weather issues will usually be limited to wind and/or rain. I can live with that but NOT snow/ice:) In the meantime, we will sit and enjoy the hospitality of the Red Bluff ELKS lodge. Really nice people here. This will give Lou another opportunity to do some baking. Yesterday, she replenished our cookie supply:) YUMM!

Hunkered down in Roseville

2011-03-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

We are now in Roseville, CA watching the rain come down. Lots of rain.... and WIND! Lots of that also. It is really windy and gusty and the weather prognosticators are forecasting more rain and stronger winds/gusts after midnight until mid day tomorrow. Soooooo, we'll just stay here parked behind the Roseville ELKS Lodge plugged into electric and water until at least Monday. Maybe Tuesday. We had a great visit with Ken and Jackie Coyne while parked in front of their house for the last three days. They are very gracious hosts and super great people. We're sure that Ken and Jackie will wear out rather than rust out when the time comes:) Still a long time off for sure!
Next week, sometime, we'll head northward to Red Bluff or Redding for a few days and, keeping a close eye on the weather, plan our further travels up to visit with Kathleen.

New baby and rain...

2011-03-15T16:52:00.000-07:00

We are now in Petaluma afer a few days of a noisy ELKS Lodge in Santa Clara. We were not aware of its proximity to the San Jose airport or the waste transfer station just down the street that the garbage trucks begin their runs at 5AM... even on the weekend:( Otherwise, it was a very nice spot. They served a super steak dinner for $8.50! We arrived in Petaluma with great anticipation of seeing the latest member of the Burns family, Lila Mae Doris Burns. She is beautiful and Dad is giddy with delight and wonder. Carly, Will and Lila are all doing well:)
I was going to go out and take pictures today but it's raining! Imagine that! Raining in California. This cold front will pass through this evening, we hope, and the rain will slow to showers for the rest of the week . We will head towards Roseville, via Napa, to spend a few days in that area. We look forward to visiting with Ken and Jackie, Lou's cousin, and maybe some wineries also:) We'll cycle from parking in front of their house and checking out some of the ELKS lodges in the surrounding areas. If it's raining, boondocking isn't as much fun. Having power, water and sewer connections permits one to just be a bit more comfortable.

On the move

2011-03-05T19:59:00.000-08:00

Last night, Indio, CA. Very nice ELKS club but one night was enough so we moved on Westward past where we SHOULD have stopped (Oxnard) and continued on to Lompoc, CA. More miles then we planned but I was determined to escape the traffic congestion in the LA area. While in the Lompoc area we will visit, once again, Buellton and Solvang. We were here 2 years ago and it's worth repeating. Tomorrow, we will check out the Jamala County Beach Park a few miles away from here. It gets rave reviews for scenery and facilities. We'll see and judge it against the cost.

The Golden State isn't golden now. It's GREEN! The hills are covered in green velvet as Lou described it. Still pursuing cheap gas ($3.73 at Costco in Fontana) but we have seen it as high as $4.19! C'mon Ghadaffi, give it up and LEAVE:)

We Moved Again!

2011-02-26T14:12:00.000-08:00

We have left the lovely "gentle desert" of the Pinal County campground and are now tucked in at the Yuma BPOE RV area. This is our first stay at an ELKS Lodge since becoming an ELK in Gila Bend. We decided to begin our westward trek but needed to have a safe haven to let the current weather system pass us by. Driving in rain and gusty winds aren't as fun as they used to be in Florida. Of course, I wasn't driving an RV then:) We have been watching with trepidation the constant rise of the cost of fuel for the RV. We will pay what it takes to get home, of course, but it will still be a bit painful at $4/gal... or more. It was less than $3 when we left:(
We'll be here until Monday and then try to get our turn signals fixed. The left signal keeps blowing a fuse and I think it's in the steering column. Having it checked Monday AM. We haven't decided which route we will be taking through California as yet or where we will enter California for that matter.
Lou gets a break for dinner this evening as we will have dinner at the lodge. Reports are that the food is really good and they are serving shrimp and tenderloin this evening. YUM!
Right now, the weather isn't too bad. A little gusty and some sprinkles. Not the big storm they were predicting earlier. Weather map shows that a bunch is still on the way however. Maybe it will slide up north (hope, hope, hope).
We will get to the San Jose, Petaluma and Roseville areas on our return trek. No schedule set as yet but we should be home by the first part of April.... weather permitting. As always, we look forward to the journey and seeing family along the way. We have met many nice people along the way and even ran into some we saw 2 years ago. Really good to renew the old acquaintances. Still lots of Canadians in AZ. You'd think it got cold up there or something in the winter:)

Sunrise and Sunsets in Blythe

2011-01-20T18:36:00.000-08:00

We are still in Blythe, CA at the Mayflower County Park. We have had a great time watching the contractors work on improvements to the park. They are building a large storage area for the trailers that the summer crowd leave here until they can get here for the boating and fishing. Good money for the county. Lets see..... 150 spaces at $40/month makes about $600K/year for the county. Not bad, and it's a good deal for the summer crowd based on the going rates in the area.
We have also been enjoying the sunsets and I have also enjoyed many of the sunrises. This AM, the sun was rising as the full moon was setting. The pic doesn't do it justice but here it is anyway.
Since we are not all that far from the El Centro Navy Base, we have quite a few daily, low level flybys of the F-18 Hornets. Sometimes playing "catch me if you can" and occasionally just going like the dickens at a very low altitude over the park. They are actually following the Colorado River course which brings them right over head. Somewhere around here the Blue Angels have begun their training for the upcoming airshow season.
Yesterday, we went over to Quartzite to check it out before the BIG TENT opens on Friday. A REALLY BIG crowd is expected for the various manufacturers' booths and other stuff that will be showed and offered for sale. We will NOT be among the early attendees. We may not even be among the late attendees. We'll see:)
We'll be here for a couple of weeks more before we consider moving on to somewhere else. All's well with the world here in Blythe. Stay warm ya'll.

Post Parade and Settled in Blythe

2011-01-04T10:31:00.000-08:00

We started our week @ the Rose Parade Rally with a wine & beer party where we were issued our badges that would get us into all the activities of the week. It was a very busy week which went from float building (in a tent in the rain) to touring the Huntington Library and grounds where we saw a fabulous cactus garden with cactii from all over the world.. There was so much to see & do and so little time.

The next day we toured two more float barns to see more of the floats under construction and in the afternoon we went to see the Band-fest. This encompassed standing in many lines. While waiting for the people to all be seated, we got to practice our drumming skills sponsored by REMO Drums. What a marvelous performance! Some of the more memorable bands were the North Japan Honor Green Band whose members were very innovative & talented, North Carolina Central University Marching Sound Machine, Lindbergh "Spirit of St. Louis" Marching Band, and last but not least US Coast Guard Marine Corps Band. We finished the day with fine dining & winery tour at the San Antonio winery w/guitar music.

Each days events got more exciting with lunch @ the Santa Anita Park's Club Court restaurant and an afternoon of horse races. It was fun to try & guess who the race winner would be. By evening the staff had the tent transformed for a super New Years' Eve party with a live band. We celebrated on NY time so we could be up & on the bus next morning by 6:00 a.m for the Tournament of Roses Parade.

We made it to our stadium seats for the parade on time, as did the rest of the millions of people:) Our seating was right up to the curb so there was no one standing in front of us. The view was close and spectacular. Pics attached. The parade was kicked off with a flyover of the B-2 Stealth bomber. Very impressive.. and quiet!

The next day we said our good byes and headed over to Blythe, CA where we now reside for the next 30 days or so at a very nice county park on the Colorado River.

Bring on the PARADE!!!!!

2010-12-28T16:01:00.000-08:00

We are now in the parking lot of the Santa Anita Race Park with about 75 other RV's patiently awaiting the 5PM Beer & Wine Get Acquainted party before they feed us dinner. Many of the RV's are the "upper end" of the RV spectrum. We are nestled in amongst a couple of large units that will give us good shelter this evening when the winds pick up from the coming Pacific Coast storm. Rain tonight but forecast good weather for the parade:)
We killed some time this afternoon by visiting a really good quilt shop in the Montrose area of Glendale. Lou found some neat fabric to add to her collection she has been collecting for a quilt for the RV.
Here are some sunset pics from Senator Wash BLM, South Carlsbad Beach and the Santa Anita Race Park hopefully in that order.

Merry Christmas from Carlsbad, CA

2010-12-25T14:41:00.000-08:00

We left the highly recommended Senator Wash BLM Long Term Visitors Area just North of Yuma on the 21st to get provisions in town and move toward the West side of town for a quicker start toward CA. After a noisy and wet night in the desert at Pilot Knob BLM (along side I-8 and a railroad track just beyond) we made it to beautiful Carlsbad, CA. We have decided we are NOT candidates for Long Term desert occupation. It is a means to an end if the end is strictly to save money but we are not really geared too that.
Perched on a high bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean is the South Carlsbad Beach State Park where we now sit. We had a truly wonderful Christmas Eve dinner and games with Peter and Gabby at Gabby's parents house. The gracious acceptance of the Salazars was awesome:) After dinner, we played "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" and "Jeopardy" to assist staying awake until midnight when the family opened their presents. It seemed as though very few of us were smarter than a fifth grader:D Tomorrow we meet with Tom Jr. and his family for lunch and then will prepare for our jaunt up I-5 to Pasadena for our next adventure with the Tournament of Roses festivities. I'll take lots of pics and post what I can along the way.
Happy Holidays to all!!!

Wilderness Pics

2010-12-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

Attached are some of the pics I have taken of sunrise, sunset, good and bad desert camp sites. I'll try to figure out how to label and organize them:)

OK, I don't know how to label the pics in the posts yet.

Top 2 are sunrise and sunset at Pinal County Park near Casa Grande, AZ.
Next 2 are out of sequence. On the left is Quartzite in December. Nearly empty but will be packed in Jan & Feb. The right is our camp area at Pinal County Park with plenty of Saguaro cactus.

The last 3 are where we are now at the BLM area North of Yuma, AZ at the Senator Wash South shore campground. Very nice and very quiet which after our previous night we both needed:)

Out of Arizona

2010-12-18T13:52:00.000-08:00

We have left the safe environs of Arizona and are now in California... sort of. We left the great campground in Arizona, went up to Quartzite and got "solarized" with a solar panel on the roof to keep the coach batteries happy. After the install, we headed down to Yuma. After all the Westerns I have seen about Yuma with the desert, sand, rocks and nothing, it was a very pleasant surprise to see verdant green farms growing a myriad of farm crops including cabbage, lettuce, dates and much more. With water, the desert is rich and abundant. Without water, it's just dirt and rocks:)
We spent the first night in Yuma in a small BLM spot behind a VFW lodge. It is "conveniently" located next to a highway with lots of trucks. Right across the highway is a railroad track. And behind us is a crop duster that flew from 10PM to at least 2AM spraying (or watering???) the local crops. Very nervy and noisy. Did I mention there were LOTS of trains all night long?
We are now at a BLM site called Senator Wash North of Yuma. Very nice and quiet... so far:)
In a few days we will begin our sprint towards Carlsbad, CA for the Christmas Holidays and are looking forward to seeing our nephews Peter and Tom, Jr and their families.
No pics in this blog. I'll attach some later.

Desert Sunsets

2010-12-06T16:42:00.000-08:00

We are now at the Pinal County Park South of Maricopa, AZ. Beautiful sunsets in the desert as the pics will show. We'll be here for a week or so and then move Westward once again. No sewing tonight, no electric power unless we crank up the big Onan Generator:)

Various Hummingbirds

2010-11-29T08:17:00.000-08:00

Many species of Hummingbirds (wrens & woodpeckers) Winter in Arizona. Some seem to be a little larger than the average hummer as the pics will indicate. Must be something about the desert air:) The red headed hummer has been a very regular visitor. At first, I thought it was a Ruby Throat like we see in Spokane (in the summer). However, the whole head and neck is a beautiful and flashy red. The woodpeckers are quite a sight to see through the window as they crash land onto the feeder. The cold temps in the AM really get their feeding habits generated. They share the feeder better in the cold Am and late afternoon but during the day are very territorial about "their" spot.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T17:08:00.000-08:00

We have had a great Thanksgiving meal among some really nice people that were nice enough to include us in there family gathering. Our nephew, Mike Burns, and his wife Eva invited us to join them at Eva's sister's house for dinner. The company and the food were awesome! Our sincere thanks to them for sharing.
Yesterday, we took a drive up to the Salt River Canyon about 75 miles East of AJ. It is truly a scenic route and the canyon was spectacular. Not as big as the Grand Canyon but beautiful in it's own right. It is 5 miles across and up to 2000' deep. The pics are various views from a viewpoint on the edge of the West (South?) ridge.
On the way back, we searched out what quilt shops we could find that were still open. The best of them was Julie's in Miami. Miami AZ of course.
Last night, we went out for our 45th Anniversary dinner to the Mining Camp Restaurant up towards Superstition Mountain. The restaurant is at the base of the mountain. As imposing as the mountain is from a distance, it is dramatically more so at the base. The Indians had good reason to think it a special place.
We are here in AJ until the 2nd of Dec and will begin migrating around once again. We will visit with Mike and Eva for a few days and then work our way down to the Casa Grande area for a time before we head out to Yuma.
There is Fall foilage still on display in the countryside here. The Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park on the way was advertising a Fall Foilage Festival Nov 27-28. We did not have time to stop but the colors in the park as we drove by were beautiful.
There are LOTS of various hummingbirds in the RV park here. This one is a very regular visitor. It has a ruby throat and head and in the sun sort of "explodes" with color. The feeder is occasionally visited by other birds like small wrens and a woodpecker or 2. The woodpeckers are as big as the feeder and it looks really strange to look out the window and see one draped over the feeder trying to get a drink. It is the desert for real!

Live from Apache Junction

2010-11-22T17:10:00.000-08:00

After a nice 1/2" rain last night, the day started out cool and sunny. I did some polishing on the RV and Lou worked on her Drunkard's Path quilt project sewing small pieces into larger pieces. This afternoon, we took a trip up to Tortilla Flats near Canyon Lake NW of AJ. The scenery in AZ is stunning! Going by Superstition Mountain on the way gives a different perspective of its size and appeal to the area. Lots of hills of varied colors and shapes abound in the area. Here we were, driving along in the desert mountain beauty enjoying the vastness of the country with so few people around and then... a large marina on Canyon Lake with hundreds of boats in their slips! It really seemed out of place. Especially since the road up there is very windy and narrow with a 25 MPH speed limit most of the way. I can't imagine what it looks like in the summer when everyone is heading for the lake:(
I took lots of pics on the way so here's a few of them. Hard to choose the best ones so I'll just guess. If its blue, its the lake. If a boulder or hillside has a slight green tint, it fresh lichens growing on the rocks. BTW, I'm sitting outside in the cool air so the modem will work.
And we got an ice cream cone at the Goldberg Mining Ghost Town on the way back. Cherry Chocolate Chunk was pretty good:)

Jet Airplanes!!!!

2010-11-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

Sitting outside in the cool 60 degrees to keep the Aircard cool so I can do the blog. Replacement arrives this week. A little cloud overcast with the cold front coming in. Possible showers today but not likely. Hummingbird keeps buzzing me to get at the feeder. Tough life on the road:) Went to the local flying field yesterday which was only a couple of miles away. Great facilities with an 800x85 foot paved runway and 250 feet overrun areas. The local club was having a Jet Fly-in with over 60 planes in action. The planes were of all types including scale warbirds (my favorites) and many factory special hotrods doing 200 MPH and maneuvers to match. Large turnout of spectators as well as the parking lot was quite full at $6 per car. Amazing what you can do with a large population and money:) I took lots of pics but will only bore you with a few. The scenery around here is really pretty with the foothills and Superstition Mountain in the distance.

Apache Junction

2010-11-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

Lots of RV Parks in this area including the one we are in, the Santa Fe RV Park. We can stay here at Passport America rates for 2 weeks... so we will do just that. It will allow us to visit with our nephews and friends in the area and replenish our "wanderlust" for moving on to "somewhere else". We are waiting for a new Verizon aircard to arrive which will, hopefully, correct the issue we have been having about the premature disconnects.

Some more random pics attached. I'll quit now so the modem doesn't die before I can publish.

SEDONA, AZ At Last!

2010-11-19T10:13:00.000-08:00

While in Camp Verde, we went up to Sedona. As pretty as everyone said it would be. Lou went to the Quilt Shop & Gallery and had a great time looking (and shopping) for some different and really neat fabrics for future projects. I, however, just sat around and enjoyed the scenery:) Sedona is an artsy, eclectic community of rich, spiritual (lots of crystal shops) and art shops from the lower "class" to the "upper class" of art offerings. Many of the sculptures were really beautiful and amazing. From Sedona, we went back toward Camp Verde which is near the Montezuma Castle. This was built in the early 1100's by the Sinagua Indians. Really amazing what they could do with what was provided by the land without destroying the land. We should have learned something from them but sadly did not.

Made it to Apache Junction

2010-11-18T14:47:00.000-08:00

I'll keep this one short. Having issues with my Verizon Aircard. It thinks I'm on-line too long I guess as it keeps turning off before I can publish.

Fallon was cold in the AM so we went down to Pahrump,NV West of Vegas and spent 2 nights there so I could rest up. We visited a "boutique" winery and I was able to wash the deicer off the truck and RV. They both look much better. We then set sail for Flagstaff, AZ with the intent of stopping overnight in Williams just short of Flagstaff. However, after a tough climb up to the 7,300 foot elev. we decided that it would be too cold at night. Upper teens means that it will be VERY cold in the RV when we wake up. So, we continued on down to Camp Verde, AZ which made it a LONG 350 mile day. More in the next post.

Making Progress

2010-11-13T18:22:00.000-08:00

We have made it to Fallon, NV in good shape. The driving was much easier with no major mountain passes to contend with. The scenery is not as good as the mountains which made the mountain passes well worth the effort. Most of the mountains around us were dusted with snow but the roads were clear and dry:) High desert scenery has it's own beauty but not much in the way of variety. Tonight, or tomorrow AM, we will plan the next leg of the journey. Lou did find a nice quilt shop here in Fallon. Lots of unique fabrics to peruse. We know that we will be in Arizona for Thanksgiving and it will most likely be in the Phoenix area. First, we have to get past Vegas:( We will do a "short stop" before we get there so we can get through, or around, our least favorite town the next day. After that, we have the world to ourselves at Quartzite if the other 50,000 or so visitors there will let us in. We'll see:)

Crystal Crane Hot Springs, OR

2010-11-12T17:44:00.000-08:00

Here we sit after a pretty long day driving through several mountain passes at the Crystal Crane Springs campground. Water and electric included at $9 per night. (Passport America rate) Plus, an 88 degree pond to swim or float in. Really cool place. It's in the upper 30's now and going down to the mid 20's tonight. But NO SNOW! We did see some up at the top of several passes above the 4500' levels. The highest pass we crossed was 5400'. A really pretty drive but with LOTS of twists and turns and ups and downs. The RV handled it all quite well:) Fortunately, both Lou and I feel that the "journey" is worth a little more effort driving. I'm tired but still happy we decided to come down from Hermiston via US395. Tomorrow we will continue our travels toward the South. We may stop in Winnemucca or go on to Fallon,NV. We'll see how we feel when we get to Winnemucca, NV to decide the next stop. We may just stop overnight at both of them. We are NOT in a big hurry now that we have left SNOW country:)

One More Time!!!

2010-11-11T17:04:00.000-08:00

All Right! Here we go again:) We have departed Spokane without seeing any snow and have arrived in beautiful (well, convenient) Hermiston, OR. We will be watching for any weather systems that may cause a variation of our travel route. Nothing worth photos so far so none posted. As we progress, we will be going through some very pretty country and I will try to get some pics worthy of posting. For now, it's time to light up the BBQ to finish killing a chicken breast for dinner.

El Nino 1, Downeys 0

2010-01-22T18:50:00.000-08:00

It has been an interesting and wet trip. The weather indicators are that the weather will continue to bse "less than favorable" for the areas we had intended to visit. We experienced the NW Pacific storms with the rain and winds. Not bad but enough is enough! I easily get cabin fever so it was not going to be all that pleasant cooped up in a 28' (or 90') RV for me or Lou. So, we decided to turn the bus around and return to Spokane where the weather has been mild and overall, much better than OR of CA.
On our return trip, we stopped at the Cape Lookout State Park for a night. The Oregon State Parks are really nice to visit. The surf was quite active, to say the least! The beach is very flat so you have to beware of the sneaky waves that can quietly run up on the sand all the way to the dunes. This is even at low tide. One minute there is 50-75 yards of sandy beach, the next you could be ankle deep in COLD water with no warning! Perhaps that's why it's called Cape Lookout:)
The pics attached are hopefully in order from stormy afternoon to quiet morning after.
On the return trip, Lou visited quilt shops in Newport and Tillamook plus the Latimer Quilt and Textile Museum in Tillamook. We took the Washington side of the Columbia River route rather than the I-84 on the Oregon side on the way back. A very different look to the Columbia Gorge and really very pretty and curvy too. All journeys end eventually. This one concluded quicker than planned but was safe and got us to places we had not been before. Therefore, it was a successful journey after all.

Still Standing

2010-01-18T12:51:00.000-08:00

We survived the big blow last night. It was a beautiful storm with high winds plus Thunder and Lightning. Our location here in the park sheltered us pretty well from the winds so just a lot of little twigs, needles and branches scattered all over the rig and pickup. The attached pics were taken this AM to show an even more angry looking surf. Tomorrow we head down to Newport to get the distributor checked out. Hopefully, it is just the timing advance mechanism that is stuck and not a catalytic converter issue causing "pinging" of the valves under a load. We are hoping that will get us back on the road southward where there is even more rain:)

WET and WINDY!

2010-01-17T16:12:00.000-08:00

We are still in the Devils Lake State Park and awaiting the arrival of the forecasted "heavy rain and high winds". 40MPH with gusts of 70 are expected from 5PM tonite to 6AM tomorrow. The attached pics were taken this afternoon along the coast between Lincoln City and Depoe Bay. The wave action will get significantly more active this evening but I won't be on the beach to take pix. Sorry about that:) Tomorrow, weather permitting, we'll head south towards CA with at least one more stop somewhere along the way on the Oregon coast.

Damp and Breezy

2010-01-17T10:07:00.000-08:00

We made it all the way from Lafayette to Lincoln City. (All 55 miles of it) We were fortunate to get a very nice spot at the Devils Lake State Park with full hookups plus cable TV. Lots of light rain and moderate breezes so far although the forecast is for winds of 25-30 MPH with gusts to 50. We'll stay for at least one more day. Driving in gusty winds with a large "sail" is too exhilarating at times.
Today will be a good day to watch the waves roll in on the beach, watch some football (Dallas vs Minnesota right now), and maybe go wander around to see what else is in the area. We'll also "plan" our next step southward. Perhaps we can make it to Newport (25 miles) or even beyond! The weather prognosticators are talking high winds and rain all the way down the OR and CA coast so we'll just take it day by day. For now, we'll stay put at Devils Lake St. Pk. Maybe some pics with the next entry of the gray waves crashing on the beach with the gray skies:)

World's Largest Goose

2010-01-15T15:50:00.000-08:00

We have ventured all the way from Hermiston to Lafeyette, OR where we are parked at an "OK" RV Park. At least it's quiet and inexpensive. We went up to Wilsonville last night to visit and have dinner with Kathleen.
Today, I went to the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville just a short hop away while Lou stayed in the RV and worked with the Wii Fit and updated our finances on the computer. The museum is really great with many different planes including, of course, the "Spruce Goose". Although it's made mostly of birch, the negative pundits of the day couldn't think of anything catchy to go with birch. It is a very large plane and takes up the entire hanger. It was moved in pieces from Long Beach, CA and reassembled in the hanger. Pics attached.
Did you know that it rains in Oregon? Steady light rain all day long and will continue for awhile. In spite of that, Lou and I wandered down to the downtown area of McMinnville and wandered around. Book stores, ice cream shops, coffee shops and LOOK! a quilt shop! Very pleasant and interesting shopping area for a small downtown.
Tomorrow, on towards the Oregon Coast. If it's going to rain, we may as well be at the source since that is where it will quit first. Right? How's that for optimistic thinking??

On the Road Again

2010-01-13T15:14:00.000-08:00

Look out West Coast! The Downey's are at it again. After a Summer of sitting around and licking our wounds from last year's Winter adventures, we have decided to do it again. Hopefully without the "issues" we experienced last year. The RV is running good. It was a quick decision to "load and go" so we will be searching for all kinds of things in the rig after the quick packing job. Fortunately, Lou is a whiz at packing and stuffing so we should be in pretty good shape.
We are now in beautiful downtown (sort of) Hermiston, OR on the way to the Oregon Coast. Stay posted as the adventure continues once again.

Home at last

2009-04-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

A true Road Trip! 7,062 miles on the motorhome. 6,746 miles on the Toyota truck. 2,400 miles on the Prius! (More about that later)
It was a grand trip but about 3 months too long for us. We saw a lot of beautiful country and scenery as well as meeting lots of really nice folks along the way. All that and we got to visit with family and friends as well.
The route we took was down through California with stops in Whiskeytown and Roseville with Ken and Jackie Coyne (who took us to the great wineries in the Gold country and taught us the Mexican Train dominoes game). We had breakfast with Kelly, Will and Carlie in Castroville. We stopped to see Jon, Kirsten and Amalia (goodness, she is beautiful). It was a real pleasure seeing all the "cousins" again. We visited with Marty Burns and Michelle in San Jose and had a very nice dinner with Marty. From there, we headed down to the CA coastline south of Monterey and meandered our way down the coast highway to San Simeon and Solvang. Lou bought some really nice quilting fabric in Buellton just outside of Solvang.
Leaving the coastal area we found ourselves on the Ventura Freeway at rush hour. Not a great place to be as the brakes overheated causing us to spend the first (and last) night in a Wal-Mart parking lot! The next morning all was well with the world and the brakes so we continued onward to the desert oasis of Blythe, CA. Fairly nice campground there on the river but nothing to encourage us to stay any longer so we hit the road again towards our Christmas destination of San Antonio.
We pushed on to the Phoenix area and "camped" in front of Mike Burns house for a few days. We enjoyed getting to talk with him and Eva and got to visit with Kevin Burns too. We had our Thanksgiving dinner at Kevin and Cindy's house. Very pleasant gathering.
Our outbound journey ended in the beautiful city of San Antonio where we enjoyed the fantastic hospitality of Al and Cecelia Hernandez (our compadres). The Riverwalk is everything is was made out to be. Really special, especially with good friends along. Christmas was awesome with all the kids and grandkids that were a central part of the celebration. We missed having Debbie and Tom with us however. Lou found some more neat quilt material just outside of San Antonio.
December was in San Antonio and January was in the gulf coast area of Aransas Pass, Corpus Christi and Padre Island National Seashore. While it wasn't "balmy" by Florida standards, it did beat the almost 100" of snow in Spokane by leaps and bounds.
We were blessed with the opportunity to visit some of the prettiest country the USA has to offer.
Big Bend National Park was a real surprise We had heard that it was pretty but were not prepared for just HOW PRETTY it really was. Spectacular is the best description.
There appeared to be a lot of desert like country in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. We found out that February in New Mexico is dedicated to the arts. (Yes, more quilt shops & neat fractal art). You kind of realize that when there are National Monuments named Saguaro National Monument and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Of course, there was also the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. All were very different and still, very beautiful in their own right. All worthy of being seen if you venture anywhere in the vicinity. If it's a little out of the way, like Big Bend Nat. Park, take the side road and experience it! Some are good for a single visit like Death Valley and White Sands but should not be missed if possible.
Even in the Las Vegas area (where we did NOT have a good time for 2 1/2 weeks) there is the Red Rock Canyon and the Valley of Fire State Park to visit. We left Las Vegas 3 times. The first time the motorhome had an engine problem on the way to Death Valley. The second time was when we drove home in the Toyota truck to await word on the engine status. The third time was when we had driven the Prius down to retrieve the motorhome. We went back to Death Valley to see it before we headed home at last. It was really pretty but I won't go back. We have seen enough desert to last us a good long time.
We are now back to the trees, rivers, lakes and hills of Washington State. We have returned both richer and poorer from a great venture (for us) that was a long time in dreaming and planning. We are convinced that "full timing" is not for us and will keep our "long trips" to 2 months max. Now we will do a few short trips in the Northwest for the summer and plan on staying home next winter. Maybe we'll hit 150" of snow next year! Wahoooo!! At least I won't be commuting in it:)
For those of you that have been following the blog, you get a break as this is the last entry. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed 95% of the trip:)

Preparing for the final leg home

2009-03-26T12:52:00.000-07:00

I haven't updated lately as there was not much good to say. I was taught that if you didn't have something good to say...don't say it! Well, we were on our way out of Las Vegas and passing by Indian Springs (home of Creech AFB where the Predators are trained and controlled) when the engine in the RV decided it had had enough:( A dropped valve seat makes a lot of noise in a big engine.
After being towed to an AAA approved repair shop, we spent the next 2 1/2 weeks parked behind the shop while they proceeded to do even more damage to the engine. It is now at a Chevy dealer in Vegas having a new rebuilt engine installed. We will head back down next week to pick it up and continue our journey home. The return journey will be more direct than originally planned as we are both ready to end this great saga and get on with our lives. Hopefully the return will be uneventful and I'll let all know as to the final conclusion.
Yes, the journey had many bright and positive events and pleasures. We saw many beautiful sights as well as a lot of desert locations that we don't need to revisit any time soon.

Wandering again in the deserts

2009-02-24T10:22:00.000-08:00

Wow! Real internet service from Verizon at last. It's been a while since we had really good connection to do the blog so here goes.
After 2 1/2 weeks in the desert south of Phoenix, we have restarted our journey Westward once again. Dry camping at a FREE campground for 2 weeks was really neat but showed us we were not really prepared as we don't have solar panels yet. Keeping the coach batteries happy was a fairly constant monitoring process with the occasional jumper cable hookup to the Toyota Tacoma to recharge.
We did enjoy the beautiful sunrises and sunsets as well as our travels in the area. And, I got to fly my electric plane a number of times in the campground as there were no trees, just a few saguaro cactus to dodge. All flights were successful. Translated, that means the plane was still fyable after landing:)
Last night we spent in Salome, AZ and will be going to the desert somewhere in the world famous Quartzsite area for a couple of days until our mail catches up with us at General Delivery. We will then mosey up towards Lake Havasu and Laughlin, NV and onward to Death Valley. We'll be heading homeward in a few weeks and hope the snow has gone from the RV's spot in the back yard when we get there:) The trip has been great but we are both looking forward to a larger kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. Lou will also really appreciate her own laundry facilities.
Until then, we will continue to enjoy the journey. Travel routing stays very flexible as we are still considering wether to go back via Nevada or California or a combination of both. We are tracking the weather patterns and will do whatever it takes to stay out of the snow! The RV does not have snow tires!
I'll not dwell on the weather other than to say the sun is bright and warmwith a few high clods and a lot of contrails from the Air force fast movers playing in the sky.

Organ Pipes in the Desert

2009-02-13T07:33:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we took a drive down to the Organ Pipe Cactus National monument south of beautiful (?) downtown Why, AZ. The Organ Pipe Cactus is unique to Mexico and a small part of the Sonoran Desert in the lower AZ area. The Organ Pipe will grow a stalk until a frost hits it. Then another stalk begins at the base and grows until a frost hits it. When the frost occurs, the stalks quit growing. That's why the cactus looks like a set of pipe organ pipes. They also seem to prefer rocky terrain as they grow up the hillsides where even the Saguaros don't go. The 21 mile drive on the tour is another example of the rugged terrain shared by Mexico and the US. Rugged but beautiful.
We are still in the desert west of Casa Grande and will be here for a few more days. Our mail has caught up with us and we will go pick it up this evening or tomorrow (Thank You, Mike and Eva). Then, I can get one of the DTV converters for the coach TV and see what it does for us. We will then begin planning our next move, probably north of Phoenix but not too far north:) There are still lots of "scenic drives" in the books that we want to see before we head Westward.

Desert Rats

2009-02-11T09:54:00.000-08:00

We are in Arizona once again and parked in a beautiful County Park on a hillside overlooking a valley west of Casa Grande. The view is wonderful and the desert is GREEN! A little rain here goes a long way:) The Saguaro cactus have "plumped up" from the moisture and the Ocotillo cactus have begun to blossom. The flowers are pretty but unreachable since they are on the tips of the long spindly branches that are COVERED in thorns. Even an ant would find it difficult to climb, I think.
The valley below is flat and agricultural with a lot of farms and even more dairy farms. Thousands of cattle at each feed lot create an interesting environment for all that are downwind:) Until this AM, we have been upwind. Now we rely on the distance to reduce the effects of the fragrance:) The pictue of the valley shows lots of long white roofs. Those are just a few of the feed lots in the valley. I'm sure to the owners it smells like $$$$ but to visitors is smells like manure. Oh well, at $0/nite the view is nice, cell service and internet access is good. You can't complain too much about the air quality, can you?
The campground is a Pinal County campground that was donated by a Jim Turner several years back with the stipulation that it be used as a campground at no charge to the visitors. No hookups or utilities but FREE is very nice. It's our first opportunity to dry camp in the desert so it's a good first experience to prepare us for our western journey when we leave here.
Before leaving here, we will take in some of the scenic drives in the area, especially in the Sedona area and north of Phoenix. No details on that as yet but stay tuned. I'll have the camera on the ready.

Leaving The Enchanted Land of New Mexico

2009-02-04T18:45:00.000-08:00

We are leaving this beautiful area of New Mexico. We visited the Mesilla Plaza which had an art festival going on at the time. The side car of the motorcycle had a Teddy Bear in it with a smaller bear in it's arm. The owner says the bear is his wife's insurance policy against other women looking for a ride in the sidecar:)
We, of course, just had to take another scenic ride that was in "the book". We took the Geronimo Trail over to Silver City. The route goes over Emory Pass at 8200' and gives a great view of the area. The road does some serious ups, downs, lefts and rights. Debs, this would challenge the Dragon's Tail easily:) But, be sure to pack a lunch as it's a long ways between points A and B here. Silver City is a very artsy town with lots of galleries. Lou was on the trail of a Fiber Arts event that is a statewide cooperative of artists using fibers in their crafts. This includes needle work, quilting, weaving, etc.
We also came upon a Fractal Arts group that was having a showing in Las Cruces. The professor doing the training and her class members had some of their images in a coffee shop. Very pretty images were created on their computers by layering rendered images from math algorithms. February is "Celebrate the Arts" in New Mexico and there is not a shortage of artists of all types in the state.
Yesterday we went on another scenic drive to White Sands National Monument. The gypsum sand is really white and the dunes are awesome. The plants and animals have adapted to the environment and shifting dunes. The picture of the Soap Plant Yucca on top of the sand dune shows the tenacity of the plant. As the dune moves forward and builds, the plant just grows faster to keep it's leaves on top. This one was on top of a dune 25-30' high. As the dune moves on and leaves the plant base exposed, it collapses and dies from the lack of support.
Afterwards we went onward to Alamogordo to see the Space Museum there. The rocket sled in the picture was the one that Col. Paul Stapp rode to test the limits of deceleration on the human body. The sled accelerated to 632 MPH with the help of 12 rocket motors on the back. It rode on rails until it hit a water trough for the rapid deceleration. The braking effect was quite dramatic on his body. The video of his facial distortion was almost painful to watch.
Today was a "getting ready to go" day with laundry, grocery shopping and cleaning. Tomorrow will take care of itself as we head westward once again with destination undecided. But, we're Retired so it doesn't really matter where:)

Blame it on Eddie!

2009-01-30T13:15:00.000-08:00

It’s Eddies fault for getting us those great National Geographic books.

Canyons, cliffs, rivers, wild flowers, ghost towns, vistas and hoodoos are all here at the Big Bend National Park. We came here from the Amistad Recreational Area near Del Rio and just beat the cold front that was heading here with high winds and up to ¼” of ice (in the Del Rio area). Real gusty with crosswinds all the way but we arrived safely and got set up before the temp dropped and the winds picked up…significantly. By morning, all was quiet and still, chilly, but still. Today we went over to Boquillas Canyon, a short drive away. Really pretty! I saw a couple of guys from the other side of the river coming over in a yellow float. They were apparently coming to check out their stock of walking sticks and “artwork” of twisted wire scorpions that they put out for the tourists to buy. They place them on a large rock in the parking area of the canyon overlook trail. If caught, they are arrested and deported to a location 100 miles from here. Any purchases made by a tourist will be confiscated if caught. Prior to 9-11, the town of Boquillas del Carmen, Mexico was fairly prosperous as there was pretty free open trade. Tourists could go over in a rowboat and do some shopping but after 9-11 that all ended. And, the prosperity of Boquillas ended as well. Now they scrap for anything they can get.
After we visited the canyon, we took a nice drive through some absolutely spectacular country. We went to the Chisos Basin first, then to Terlingua, Lajitas and over toward Presidio, TX. We stayed on the US side of the Rio Grande River the whole way, of course. The diversity of terrain and scenery is truly breathtaking. The pictures I took do not do the area justice. Every direction is different but just as beautiful. Wild flowers are starting to bloom, as are some of the yucca plants. The coloration, formations and character of the mountains made the trip a super pleasure. The road from Lajitas to Presidio is a real roller coaster ride following the course of the Rio Grande and the natural up and down terrain of the area. A true E-Ticket ride for all those older Disney visitors Debbie and Tom would have a real ball on their Harleys on that road!
And now, we are in Ft. Davis Historic Park area because there is a scenic loop that was in the Nat. Geo. Scenic Byways book. Can't pass up a nice drive:) We'll take the tour tomorrow and then get on the road, again. Destination is uncertain at this time but it doesn't really matter. I'm Retired!!!

Westward, no Southward Ho!

2009-01-26T18:59:00.000-08:00

We have decided to go ahead and travel down to the Big Bend National Park before continuing to the AZ deserts. We have heard too much good and read a lot of interesting stuff about it (thanks again, Eddie) that we just have to see it. Or at least some of it. So, we leave in the AM for Big Bend. We are at the Amistad National Recreation Area on the Texas/Mexico border. It's a very large reservoir formed by a dam and is world renown for it's bass fishing. Since it is a federal area, camping is quite inexpensive for us old duffers. No hookups but who cares?
I noticed that I didn't attach a group picture of the gang that enjoyed the fish fry so it's added here along with the pix of the lake and the dam. This is as close to Mexico as we'll get.
One of the pix shows Hiway 90 and the railroad trestle westbound across Lake Amistad. The dam and reservoir were built to support the close "friendship" between the US and Mexico. Unfortunately, it has become another pipeline avenue for drugs and immigrants as the large lake extends across both borders, but then, so has the rest of the border:(
It is doubtful the cell service will support calls and internet in Big Bend so it will be a few days until we return to "civilization" again:)

Stay warm and safe.

No more Gulf sunsets

2009-01-24T13:46:00.000-08:00

We have left the beautiful Padre Island National Seashore and wended our way as far as Laredo, TX. We have left an interesting mixture of Winter Texans from Michigan, Wisconsin, Canada and even Oregon. Last Tuesday, we enjoyed a great fish fry provided by 2 of the regular visitors (they come every year) who enjoy fishing all day long. After they have enough fillets in their freezers, they invite all the campground visitors that have been here as least a week to a fish fry. There was approximately 40 people that showed up to enjoy the fare. It was excellent. We even left this AM with a package of fresh caught Whiting fillets. We will have our own fish fry down the road:)
Speaking of on the road, we are going to head back to AZ to do some touring. There are many scenic areas that we want to see and the National Geographic book we received at Christmas (Thank You, Eddie) has whetted our appetite for some of the scenic routes. So, tonight in Laredo, tomorrow night at Amistad Recreational Area near Del Rio and then a run for the border:) It has been a lot of fun in Texas but it's time to leave. We opted to skip visiting our Southern neighbor, Mexico. Just too many mixed signals as to what to expect.

South Padre Island

2009-01-16T10:16:00.000-08:00

We are enjoying our stay on the beach so much that we have pretty much decided that we will stay here until they throw us out:) In spite of the occasional cold front that comes through with gusty winds, it is really beautiful here. Walking on the beach is breezy but very pleasant. Certainly, not crowded:) And, no vehicles to dodge! We have a spot where we can watch the waves come in and the birds fly around while sitting in our RV. Since we are on the water, the temperatures are moderated so it doesn't get all that cold. It's 5-10 degrees warmer here than inland.
We have come into town today to get our mail, fill up the propane tank and do exciting things like laundry. We managed to beat the price jump of propane by a day or so but have watched the price of gas go from a low of 1.29 to around 1.60 now. We are hoping they don't go crazy again.
The Blue Heron is George, patiently awaiting a handout of a fish from one of the surf fishermen. Our RV is in the middle of the RV picture.
Sleeping and waking to the sound of the surf is a great end and start to another great day! Being a "Winter Texan" isn't all that bad:)

On the Beach Again...

2009-01-10T16:58:00.000-08:00

Here we sit, gently rocking on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. The rocking is due to the gusty winds of the latest cold front to come through the area. We enjoyed our stay in Rockport but have returned to the campground in Aransas Pass for a couple of days. It was time to update the blog as we may be out of cell phone and internet contact for a week or 2 as we will be moving down to South Padre Island to the National Park there. $4/nite sounds really nice now:) By the way, our last gas fill up was at $1.29/gallon. It has gone up to $1.59 in the area in the last few days however. Oh well, maybe it will go down again???? Right!!!
The first picture is sunset on Aransas Pass Beach with a little bit of mist in the air. .
The second is what seagulls do when a cold front with gusty winds come through. They land in a group, face the wind and hunker down for warmth. The odd shaped object is a jelly fish (one of dozens washed up on the shore) proving that not all jelly fish are round. This one looks like it could fly. It is approx. 12" across.
The grey beach scene was our first arrival at Aransas Pass when there was a bit of fog. It was late in the afternoon.
Yesterday when we returned here, we had to wait for an hour or so for the tide to come up. With the full moon, the tide was "extremely low" and the ferry boats that get you to the island could not accommodate the RV.

Today we took a drive down to South Padre Island to check it out. Very pretty and we will be going there for at least a week (maybe 2). The downside is that cell service is very limited so if you call and don't get an answer, please leave a message. We'll get back to you when we get "up by the flag pole at the visitor center" where many people find a signal. I don't think I will be blogging until we get to the Rio Grande Valley... whenever that will be:) Until then, time to go get some shells!

On the Beach!

2009-01-07T13:01:00.000-08:00

Prior to leaving San Antonio, we traveled by car up to Fredericksburg in the hill country north of San Antonio. Fredericksburg is a very "artsy" town and is also home to the National Museum of the Pacific War. Lou visited the shops and I visited the museum. They have a PT boat on display in a "mission prep" environment complete with the full armament of torpedos, depth charges and guns. They also have a TBM Torpedo Bomber on display plus a "Fat Boy" atomic bomb that was the backup for the Nagasaki A-Bomb. Supposedly, it does not have the explosives or plutonium installed:) The museum also includes a Japanese Garden of Peace, Veterans Walk of Honor and memorial walls. Very moving exhibits.

Fredericksburg is near the Enchanted Rock Natural area. The Enchanted Rock is a REALLY LARGE pink rock some 47 acres in size . It is a very pretty area but we were not prepared to take the hike up to the top of the rock on a warm day. We just did not have enough time for the trek.

We have now departed San Antonio with all the Texas Hospitality so generously afforded us and headed South to the Corpus Christi area. We spent the first foggy night here on the beach at Port Aransas. Yes! We actually took the RV on the beach to get to the campsite:) Very pleasant listening to the surf until the front came through in the early AM hours with high, gusty winds. We still slept very well. While there, we visited the Univ of Texas Marine Institute and saw all the displays and aquariums they had. Very impressive and informative. We took a drive down North Padre Island past the Mustang Island State Park. We had expected the State Park to be a little larger but it was a fairly compact camping area for RV's. Plus, there is a $4/day/person entry fee that would be added to the camping fee. Texas is the only place we know of that charges a daily entry fee to campers. It is usually included in the site fees.

We are now at our campsite in Rockport and the weather is beautiful. Very cool the last 2 mornings (around 40) but is near 70 today and sunny. I tried my hand at fishing in the 2 lakes here at the park but with no luck so far. Weather permitting, we will try to stay on the beach again before we head out to the Rio Grande Valley. If what we have heard from so many RV'rs, Mission is the place to go for many of the "Winter Texans". The consesus so far is that the economy has kept many of the regulars home this year. This park is usually full but still has a fair number of spaces available. Hopefully that bodes well for us in finding a comfortable and affordable site in the Mission area.

Very slow internet connection so no pictures on this entry. We hope that everyone had a safe New Years.

The Day After......

2008-12-26T06:47:00.000-08:00

Here we sit, well fed and well entertained after all the festivities of a family (large family) Christmas celebration. It's nice and quiet in our RV this AM. It's also probably quiet at the Hernadez's as the boys went over to a cousins house last night. Christmas was a most pleasurable experience with all of Eddie's extended family in San Antonio. Seeing Eddie's Grand-parents again (the last time was at the wedding reception in San Antonio some 15 years ago) was one of the highlights of our visit. They add a new dimension to "graciousness and hospitality". The gathering at Al's parents house was full of energy and love. And food, I might add. Nobody goes hungry at a Hernandez or Ramirez gathering:) The family gatherings fill the houses with noise, love, laughter and, always, music. Grandpa Tony, Cecelia's father, is 97 and still very active and engaging. He played the guitar and sang with gusto as we sang the traditional Christmas carols. Later he & Eddie played some of the Mariachi songs & Grandpa Tony & Grandma Amy sang to them. Grandma Amy is also very engaging and makes a wonderful Pecan praline. An added bonus was getting to meet Cecelia's brother & his wife from Mountain Home, ID who are not usually present at these gatherings.
Today we'll take a breather and a ride out to the country and tour one of the recommended scenic routes from a National Geographic book that Cyndi and Eddie gave us for Christmas. We always enjoy those rides.
The picture is of Grandpa Tony, Aaron and Eddie playing the guitars and singing to lead the group in song.

Happy Holidays to all

2008-12-21T09:18:00.000-08:00

Still here in Texas and following the weather reports back home with mixed feelings. We're glad we are not there but feel badly for those that are having to shovel in the very cold temps and drive in the snow. On the other hand, we will miss the beauty of a white Christmas (at least so say the local weather prognosticators). Another cold front hit us at 4 AM today with colder temps and high winds (low 40's and 30-50 MPH Gusts). I won't even try to calculate "wind chill" as it would still pale by comparison to the temps in Detroit, Spokane, Rockton and even the Portland/Seattle areas "actual" temperatures.
We have had a great time in San Antonio visiting with Al and Cecelia (Eddies folks) and touring the downtown Riverwalk. It was beautiful at night last week with Al & Cecelia and again yesterday AM when Lou and I went to see it before the weather system came to town. Pics attached.
Al and Cecelia have made our visit very pleasant. Lou has learned to heat tortillas for the lunch fajitas and Al showed me around the garden (that is a better term for what he calls his yard). He has a marvelous variety of plants, bushes and flowers in addition to the 3 pecan trees in the back yard. He has managed to collect some interesting plants like milkweed which is the favorite of the Monarch butterflies. One even came with a caterpillar that turned out to be a Monarch. Their graciousness and hospitality have made our visit to San Antonio a real pleasure.
We are now awaiting the arrival of Cyndi, Eddie and the kids from Detroit. They are scheduled to come in this afternoon and we are "patiently" waiting to see them. It will be a great Christmas here and we hope that it will be for you all also.
It was a bit warm in the RV when we returned from the Riverwalk yesterday so Lou took her sewing machine outside to do a little quilting work. No outside quilting today as it's very windy and the RV is rocking from the gusts.

Still Standing in San Antonio

2008-12-10T08:19:00.000-08:00

We are now in San Antonio at a nice RV park just south of SA. We had a delightful visit and dinner with Al & Cecelia, Eddie's parents, at the Riverwalk downtown. The Riverwalk is lit up like a Christmas tree and looks beautiful. Our meal was very good and the company was even better.
We are seriously considering just staying here until after the first of the year although the weather system that came through last night indicated it wanted to move us further south. Steady winds of almost 30 MPH broadsided us with some really serious gusts that really "rocked the boat" kept us moving all night. And, it was a cold wind at that! It was in the mid-30s this AM and will be colder tomorrow AM. At least we didn't get any of the "white stuff" they had in the hill country north of SA.
We attempted to have some BBQ at the "Texas Pride BBQ" last night. It supposedly has "to die for" ribs. After driving 17 miles to get there, it was closed! They are closed Mon & Tues. So, we ate at Bill Miller's BBQ which is the local equivalent of Sonny's BBQ but not anywhere near as good. Oh well, we'll try again in a few days. I also want to try some of the Mexican restaurants here of which there seem to be LOTS of them around the area. I'm sure that Al & Cecelia can give us some good direction there.
Oh! And I've added some new stuff to the RV. We are now the proud owners of an RV with brand new spark plug wires. I'm so proud! It seems to have cured the latest ignition problem. Time will tell:) I'm also the proud owner of a new Mass Air Sensor in the Toyota truck as well. Oh Joy!
No pics today as I forgot to take the camera with me to Riverwalk. Next time for sure.
This looks to be a good day to spend in a shopping mall doing Christmas shopping (if there is a good day for that). It must be done, however.

Seminoles, Shamans and petroglyphs

2008-12-06T18:37:00.001-08:00

We are at the Seminole Canyon State Park near Del Rio, TX. It's also close to Mexico but we won't be going any closer. The canyon is named after the Seminole Negros brought from Florida to aid in the battles against the indians. They were apparently excellant warriors.

The canyon has petroglyphs from the "Pecos Man" ancients that go back over 3500 years. There were many sites like this around the area until they flooded the Amistad Reservoir and inundated over 300 of the sites. In this area, water is more precious than history. The large caves where the petroglyphs survived are natural amphitheaters for the religious ceremonies.

The campground here is blissfully quiet. Very nice spot with a grand view of the desert and, in the distance, the mountain ranges in Mexico. Plus electricity, free WiFi and palatable water. Makes for some great sunsets!

On the road again tomorrow. We can't stay another night hear because the park is closing on Sunday for the deer hunt that begins Monday. Judging from all of the "deer blinds" I see all over the area, the deer won't stand a chance. The hunters apparently climb up into these "boxes on stilts" and shoot through narrow openings when they see a deer... or cow, or whatever. Doesn't seem sportsmanlike to me but based on the number of road kill deer I saw today, the deer population is in no danger of extinction.

Pics for yesterdays blog

2008-12-05T06:17:00.000-08:00

Top Left - P-38 at War Eagles

Top Right - Texas 54 on the way to Carlsbad from Van Horn. The mountains are the Red rock mountains.

Lower Left - Mt. El Capitan, the highest point in New Mexico. This is in the Guadalupe mountains near Carlsbad.

Lower Right - Lions Tail stalactite formations in Carlsbad Caverns. I took a lot more pics but lighting and flash doesnt work well in a cavern that large.

Now, we're on the road again......

Trucks, Trains, Airplanes, Cattle and Caverns

2008-12-04T19:00:00.000-08:00

We had a good day yesterday sharing Interstate 10 with every truck in the world. Traveling from Las Cruces to Van Horn, TX I had a pleasant interlude (for me) at the War Eagles Air museum in Santa Teresa, NM. It is a really nice museum with many of my favorite planes from WWII and Korea. The P-38 that was there had been a Reno Air Racer and was still glossy black with chrome props. It was very menacing in appearance. They intend to reconfigure it back to the original military color/markings when they come up with $10K for the paint job.
We then journyed through El Paso and all the cattle feed lots (whew!) and on to Van Horn, with a 200 mile long truck convoy just past the Time Zone change. We picked an RV Park that was convenient but was not well thought out on our part. It was next to I-10 and a railroad track. Instead of counting sheep, I counted trucks going by. I lost count at 65,128:) That was in addition to "many" trains that were too difficult to count as they all sort of blended into one giant train. It was sort of like disco music. Once you hit the floor, the songs were just continous without a break.
This morning we decided to go north to Carlsbad Caverns. A really beautiful drive up by the Red Rock mountains and views of El Capitan in the Quadalupe mountain range in our windshield . And no truck traffic or trains! Carlsbad Caverns was quite spectacular although we were both surprised as to how dry it was inside. The 10 year drought and the addition of an elevator and lighting has contributed to less moisture in the caverns. They said that years ago water was added to the pools to improve the effects of the caverns. Still very pretty, however.
I'll add some pics on the next blog. The WiFi here is not very cooperative:(

Boulders, Flowers, Thorns & Sunsets

2008-12-02T20:10:00.000-08:00

We have exited the State of Arizona and have arrived in New Mexico. We saw a lot of desert and then came through what is called the "Texas Canyon" still in Arizona. The transition from desert to lots of very large boulders was quite dramatic. After we passed the Texas Canyon, it was all desert again. Shortly after that we crossed the Continental Divide. Still lots of desert and even more to go I'm sure.

We are now at a beautiful park, Leasburg Dam State Park, just north of Las Cruces. Really pretty in a desert setting. This is where the pics of the flowers, thorns and sunsets were taken. It was very quiet until a train came by (only one so far and NO horns).

Tomorrow I'll visit the War Eagles Air Museum in Santa Teresa, NM to see some WWII & Korean War era aircraft (always my favorites) on the way to Texas. Since we don't have a schedule of getting out of here and I don't know how long I'll spend at the air museum, we have no idea where we'll settle tomorrow night. Oh Well! I'm retired and we're not scheduled to get into San Antonio until Dec 20th, or so. Routing is variable also so we land where we land. Hopefully it will be in a somewhat civilized spot.

Big Ugly Hole in the Ground

2008-11-30T17:31:00.000-08:00

Today we drove down to Tombstone and Bisbee. We didn't stop in Tombstone as it was early and very "tacky touristy" looking. Very predictable, unfortunately. We continued on to Bisbee, AZ which is known for a very large open pit copper mine. It doesn't appear to be larger than the one in Butte, MT but still big... and ugly looking. The color of the water in the bottom of the pit is a little scary looking. Downtown is built in a canyon and everything is up and down, including the houses. Bisbee is a very interesting town full of artsy shops showing gems, indian art, sculptures of all types, lots of antiques and a few coffee shops.

After touring around Bisbee we drove back via Sierra Vista and Ft. Huachuca. The desert scenery is really beautiful and stark as the pics show. We stopped to visit the Historic Fairbank Town and took a picture of the school building. It is pretty much what's left of the ghost town.

Tomorrow is our last day here with power so Lou will get busy with the sewing machine and work on some of her projects. I may do some really important stuff like check fluid levels, air pressures and count the tires. Then, I may go fishing in one of the "lakes" they have here since a license is not required. Supposedly there are bass, catfish and bream in the lakes. We'll see:)

Cactus, Airplanes and Tombstones

2008-11-28T18:33:00.000-08:00

After a delightful visit with Lou's 2 nephews, Mike and Kevin, in Chandler, we are on the road again towards Texas. We had a great Thanksgiving (Thank you Kevin and Cindy for including us). Since we took a lot of street space at Mike's, we felt that we needed to get moving. An added impetus was an offer for 5 days and 4 nights FREE at an RV Resort in St. David, AZ. Of course, we'll have to listen to a sales pitch in the AM as an accomodation. But with full hookups, it's still an offer hard to refuse. St. David is between Tucson and Tombstone so the location will allow us to check out the area and revisit the gunfights at the Tombstone OK Corral:)

On the way here, we stopped at the Pima Air & Space Museum so I could go drool over all the neat airplanes there. The collection is very large and diverse including the SR-71 Blackbird and the Super Guppy. Don't laugh, that's what they called it. I was surprised that there was not a P-51, P-38 or F4U Corsair. It turns out that they are being built in a different hangar and not open to the public as yet.

After that, we stopped at the Saguaro National Park and took the drive through tour. Saguaros are a very interesting (and slow growing) species taking 50 years to attain a height of 7 feet. By 100 years the saguaro may have reached 25 feet.

The attached pics should be self explanatory as to airplane or cactus:)

Thanksgiving in Chandler

2008-11-27T19:21:00.000-08:00

The turkey is officially dead and consumed. We joined Kevin Burns and his girlfriend's family for dinner today and enjoyed getting to talk with him. Our visit to Chandler has given us the opportunity to visit with Mike and Kevin both. The gathering in Spokane for Grandma Marie's memorial was nice but there was too much going on to actually talk much with either one.
It's actually raining in the Phoenix area! The clouds look like those in the Orlando summer sky. Large cumulonimbus and rain clouds with lightning are really pretty. We'll wait for the weather system to pass on before we hit the road again.
And, yes, I forgot to take the camera with me today - so no pix.
Tomorrow, we'll plan our next destination point to begin the rest of the journey towards San Antonio. We plan to arrive in the San Antonio area around Dec. 20th. Along the way I want to see the Pima Air and Space Museum near Tucson. Perhaps we'll check out one of the "Free 5 Day/4Night offers at one of the resorts along the way. Perhaps not:) We'll know after we call them to see what it's all about.
It's raining again. A really pleasant sound on the RV's roof. Time to sign off for tonight.
We hope that everybody had a great Thanksgiving!

Safe and sound in Chandler, AZ

2008-11-25T20:42:00.000-08:00

We have arrived in Chandler to visit with Mike and Eva Burns. We are parked in front of their house and may be here through Thanksgiving before moving on again. We had our mail forwarded here so we can get caught up with the bills and late political stuff:)

The trip from Blythe was uneventful, YEAH!, through a lot of beautiful desert country. I'll worry about pictures on the return from San Antonio. We bought gas at Costco for $1.83/gal. Love the direction that the prices for gas are going:)

Brain is fried so that's all for now. More later.

In the desert oasis

2008-11-24T15:29:00.000-08:00

Here we are, at last, on the edge of the CA/AZ border outside of beautiful(?) downtown Blythe, CA. What a great place to spend our anniversary, huh? Friday, we had a delayed departure from Lompoc because we both wanted to go see Solvang before we left. The delayed departure put us in the middle of Friday rush hour traffic in the LA area. It's a REALLY BIG area for traffic. It slowed our travel significantly with stop and stop and go (a little bit) and stop. Well, all the "stops" did a number on the brakes. They got hot and started to disappear. Finally made it across 24 lanes of traffic (actually 4) and got off in Irwindale to check them out. We have now joined the legions of RV'rs that have stayed at a Walmart! whoopee.... It was noisy but allowed me to verify the brakes were still OK after they cooled. Hit the road again in the AM.

Made it to Beaumont and stayed in a very nice County Park up on a hillside Saturday and Sunday nights. Price was nice also. With the Passport America discount, it was only $6 per night. (Paul's idea of "nice" is almost empty:) The stop there also allowed us to catch up on our laundry and for me to get a much need haircut.

On the way here we visited a Costco in Coachella for provisions and Gas for the RV. $1.84/Gal!! Then we visited Love's Truck Stop to dump the tanks and T/A America for propane. 3 hours later, we have full gas, water tank and empty holding tanks. Not many miles covered today but great progress in maintaining our valuable resources.

Tomorrow, we may make it all the way to the Phoenix area, or not. We will see the Mike Burns family while there and spend Thanksgiving somewhere yet to be determined. We need to find a spot for a week or 2 to rest up for the final dash to San Antonio for Christmas. At 150 to 200 miles per day, we need to monitor our progress and plan accordingly as to where we'll be staying between Phoenix and San Antonio as well as in the San Antonio area. It is a 5-6 day run with the RV and do not want to be late!

More new parts!

2008-11-20T20:01:00.000-08:00

Slowly rebuilding the old motorhome on this trip. First was the transmission. Today, we added a new distributor cap and rotor. Much less expensive than a transmission. Anyway, the engine is purring smoothly once again and the transmission is shifting as it should. We got lucky again with a competent and honest truck mechanic that diagnosed our problem starting with the simple things (spark plug wires, etc) and then the distributor. He didn't even try to sell us a new distributor! I'm still tired of meeting the mechanics on our journey but it seems to be inevitible these days, even for those with much newer rigs than ours.

We enjoyed our visit to San Simeon and Cambria. Saw the Hearst Castle (from a distance) and some more beautiful beaches and cliffs. We stopped at the Elephant Seal Viewing at Piedras Blancas where the elephant seals come to rest and procreate. They keep the beach pretty busy with a diversified schedule.

Sept-Oct is the time for the young-of-the-year and juveniles to haul out to rest.

November is when the subadults males haul out. Mature males begin arriving at the end of the month.

December - The bulls continue to return. Females arrive. The first birth is usually mid-month.

January - Females continue to arrive. Peak of births usually last half of month.

February - Births continue. the peak of the mating is around Valentines Day. More females leave.

March - Last adults leave. Weaned pups teach themselves to swim.

April - Females and juveniles return to molt.

May - Females and juveniles molt.

June - Subadult males molt.

August - Last of males molt

Then, it start all over again.

When you first see them on the beach, it looks like a lot of driftwood laying around... until they move.

We are now in a county park in Lompoc, CA, just south of Vandenberg AFB. Tomorrow we journey Eastward which means we will avoid LA and miss seeing family in the San Diego Area.

We are getting a little travel weary of spending 1,2 or 3 nights in different places and are looking forward to being able to stay put for a week or 2 or 3 or 4 at a time. So, it's onward to Arizona where there are no beaches.

This trip has very pleasantly provided beautiful weather with the exception of 3 days of rain in Redding which was really quite enjoyable, however. Otherwise, it has been splendid. While most here are wishing for rain (it's very much needed) it has been great for traveling. The reservoirs are all very depleted and boating activity has been greatly restricted.

We've seen lots of wine country, strawberry, lettuce, cabbage, artichoke and other farms that are struggling with the reduced water supplies. While they need the water, we have enjoyed what we have had.

Yes, It's that pretty!

2008-11-19T08:43:00.000-08:00

At last, a wireless signal for the computer! Time to update the blog. Caught up with our mail in San Jose. Thank you Marty for your asistance there.

From the Coyote Lake County Campground in Gilroy, we took a drive down the coast from Monterrey to Lucia. It was beautiful, sunny, clear and warm. Traffic was light and much more pleasant to drive than I remembered it to be since it was a Monday. Previously (40+ years ago, it was a weekend trip with the rest of the population on the road) it was a real parking lot.

Today is Wednesday, the 19th and we are at the San Simeon State Park. Yesterday was in the high 70's, today will be high 60's but still sunny and bright. We'll journey up the coast towards Lucia (to complete that coast highway section) but will skip the Hearst Castle tour ($20/person) and enjoy the day. Very nice town close by, Cambria, where we'll do a little running around.

The pix are of the campground area in Gilroy and, obviously, the coast highway and beaches plus an interesting roadside erosion area.

Can you smell the Eucalyptus??

2008-11-14T14:49:00.000-08:00

Here we are nestled in among the eucalyptus trees in the Anthony Chabot Regional Park. It's 6 miles North of Castro Valley and 10 miles East of Oakland.

At the moment, there is only 1 other RV in the area but that will change this evening when the rest arrive. It will still be nice as there is plenty of space between the sites.

We will try to see Kelly Burns (if she can get back from Rhode Island), Marty Burns and Jon, Kirsten & Amalia while in the area the next 2 days before we head further South. We also hope to get connected with our mail which we had forwarded to Marty:)

The weather is absolutely beautiful. Sunny, 70's and a nice breeze (could "breeze" up to 40 MPH this evening) which is very fragrant with the smell of the eucalyptus trees. We had a very nice time at the Rancho Seco Reg. Park and visited Angels Camp and Columbia. We stopped by and saw what was a "recreation" of Mark Twains cabin where he wrote about the jumping frogs of Calaveras County. Didn't see any frogs, however.

I'll try to update any success of meeting up with the relatives tomorrow. For now, it's relax time.

Know the way to San Jose??

2008-11-11T20:00:00.000-08:00

We're not there yet. We are now at the Rancho Seco Recreation Area nestled nicely by a beautiful lake and 2 monstrous cooling towers from a deactivated nuclear power plant. Quite a skyline here in the mostly flat cattle country near Ione, CA.

Last night we stayed at the Indian Grinding Stone State Park not too far from here at Volcano, CA. Very interesting place. There is a very large granite stone with lots of indentations where the Miwok indians ground the acorns and other nuts they gathered. Lots of history in the Gold rush area.

Today we took a drive up to Placerville, one of the first gold rush towns. Unfortunately, it's turning into a yuppie tourist haven like many of the other gold rush towns. We'll visit Angels Camp tomorrow and take a ride up toward the Sierra Mountains unless it snows:)

We'll be here 1 more night then head down to the San Jose area to see more family. I'll update again tomorrow after our jaunt to Angels Camp.

AH!! In Vino, Veritas

2008-11-08T12:36:00.000-08:00

We had a great time yesterday visiting some (many?) wineries in the rolling hills of the local wine country. Tasted some very fine wines and munchies plus a few wines that were not exactly stellar at least to our individual pallets. We could get used to this part of Central California but certainly NOT the traffic! There appears to be an over abundance of people, all of whom are driving their car in singular mode.

We'll spend the next couple of days here enjoying the company of our parking hosts and doing some more touring of the area. There is much to see here with the history of the gold rush and railroad days. We won't see all of it on this trip. Maybe on the next one:)

Sunshine and Wines

2008-11-07T08:42:00.000-08:00

A beautiful day in Roseville, CA. Yesterday, we traveled from Bidwell Canyon near Lake Oroville to Roseville, via Marysville, to visit with Lou's cousin. The camp sites at Bidwell are "Yellowstone Level" as Adam and Aaron may remember from our trip there this past summer. We almost had enough leveling blocks to level the rig but were able to sleep without sliding out of the bed.

We are currently parked in front of their house (WAHOO, Free Camp Spot). Today, we will enjoy the sunshine (low 70's) and visit the wine country. Many think that all of California is wine country but our trip yesterday proved that wrong. We passed through walnut, pistachio and olive orchards plus many other crops like strawberries and unknown veggies. The route took us down a number of connecting farm roads, narrow and unmarked but our GPS got us here with no problems. At least 1 more night here in Roseville before we continue our journey toward the Gold Rush country of Angels camp.. or thereabouts.

Did I mention the wines? We had a glass of Double Dog Dare, Cab Sauvignon last nite. For $1.67 / bottle, it was really good. Not Rosemount or Arbor Crest, for sure, but a good table wine. May even get a couple of bottles for the trip to enjoy down the road.

Still here in Whiskeytown

2008-11-04T15:51:00.000-08:00

Whiskeytown Lake looking West

Remnant of Town of Whiskeytown

The rains have quit for now so construction on the arks has slowed. Today was a really exciting day. We did laundry at a laundromat! Interesting experience indeed.

Weather very pleasant today, cool but pleasant. On our way back from town we noticed the mountain directly behind us had a significant accumulation of the "white stuff" on it. Time to move on southward.

A couple of pictures attached to show the area when it isn't raining. The lake and surrounding area is really pretty. The General Store picture shows all that is left of the town of Whiskeytown.

Tomorrow, we'll move on and head toward Roseville, just NE of Sacramento. We'll spend the night somewhere between here and there. Thursday, Fri & Sat nights we'll be parked in front of relatives house. After that, who knows just where we'll land. We'll worry about that on Saturday or Sunday.

Welcome to Whiskeytown

2008-11-03T08:27:00.000-08:00

A couple days of R&R in beautiful downtown Whiskeytown. Actually, we are outside of Redding , CA at the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area on Whiskeytown Lake. Whiskeytown was an actual town during the gold rush days until the dam was built forming the lake. Since the town was inundated with water, they named the lake Whiskeytown. It's a really pretty area, just a little damp with the rains from the Pacific storms. We'll probably just be here 1 more night before heading down towards Sacramento. At $3.50 per nite the price isn't too bad at all:)

The new tranny is performing as expected, nice and smooth. We discovered a small leak around the kitchen window that I'll work on when we hit a dry spell. Not sure yet just where the water is getting in.

While the stew is cooking in the slow cooker, we'll take a drive over to Weaverville (a little West of here) and look around. I've still got to get used to being a "tourist". Too many years living in Orlando, I guess. Enough for now, I'm going to read my book and listen to the pitter patter of rain drops on the roof for a while.

Our best to all!

On the Road..... Again

2008-11-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

After contributing mightly to the local economy of Bend, OR we are once more on our way south. The transmission was indeed quite ill. We lucked out with a really good (best in town, possibly state) transmission repair shop, Scott's Performance. He happened to have a new tranny in stock that he had been saving for his own RV. The options were to get the new one and be out the same day or have our old one rebuilt and be on our way in 4 days. The cost was equivalent so we now have a brand new transmission with which to continue our journey. We are quite a bit poorer but in good spirits just the same.

After spending the night in a repair shops parking lot at no charge, we are now in Redding, CA where it is raining with vigor. In fact, it has been raining pretty much all day so we passed on going to Crater Lake as we wouldn't have been able to see much and we may have encountered some of that white stuff. We are not prepared for that white stuff!

Tomorrow we are expecting more rain from the Pacific storm that is working it's way across the state but will head south anyway as it may be a little warmer rain:) We'll work out where and how to get there this evening but it will be around Angels Camp or Sacramento or ??????

Our best to all who are trying to follow this ramble.

Paul & Lou

A Little Speed Bump in the Road

2008-10-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

After a great evening in Plymouth, we hit the road on the way to Bend, OR to get a small water leak repaired. Approaching Redmond, I noticed that I no longer had Overdrive (transmission issue). Stopped to check the Trans fluid level. When we resumed, we only had Low Gear. No shifting. AAA to the "rescue". Got towed down to Bend to a transmission repair place. We are now "camped" in the parking lot awaiting the word on the status of our transmission tomorrow AM. We had considered spending a couple of days in Bend anyway, just not in a repair shop parking lot:( At least they provided a electrical connection for us.

Otherwise, we have had a great trip through the high desert of Oregon. Tomorrow will be even better, we hope.

2008-10-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

Day 1 on the road:

Made it all the way to Plymouth.......WA. Left after lunch and hit the road at last! Found a really great US Army Corps of Engineers campground with Electric and water for only $9/nite. You gotta love the 50% discount with the Golden Age Passport. There has to be some advantages to growing older.

Weather nice but cool, so far. Rain forecast for the weekend. Oh well, it's been some time since we had rain. We'll probably go as far as La Pine, OR tomorrow. Not much to see or do between here and there to slow us down, we think. Who knows? We are retired and could get mesmerized by some totally unusual desert or cactus formation and spend a couple of days pondering why we are sitting here staring at a cactus.

Enough for now, more tomorrow perhaps.

Paul

On the road again.......

2008-10-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

Almost all packed and ready to go. Need to shut off electric to some appliances, secure from shore poser, crank up the beast, attach Toyota pickup and GO! After we eat lunch, that is. No idea how far we get this afternoon but it doesn't really matter does it? I'm retired and no specific schedule to follow other than Christmas in San Antonio with a bunch of really great people.

More to follow as we progress from the peak of fall colors in Spokane to the WA and OR desert climate. Supposed to get some rain Friday and Saturday so it may affect our plans to visit Crater Lake. We'll worry about that when we get there.

Ready, Set, Go!

2008-10-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

The Bounder is being packed (stuffed) and is certainly approaching the Gross Vehicle Weight allowed with the provisions. We'll work the consumables off soon enough. Still waiting for some last minute items coming via snail mail. Then it's getting the AirCard for the computer, haircut, get rid of aluminum cans, disconnect Comcast, etc, etc. Might take a few days to get it all done but it will get done!