On the Road With Doris & Ez

2009-06-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

June, 2008 - A New Beginning

It’s been about a year since my last post and our lives have certainly undergone a dramatic change. Last summer we headed back to the Puget Sound area to visit family and enjoy the great weather and beautiful scenery. I was born here, but when I first introduced Ez to this part of the country over 20 years ago he fell in love with it. So it really wasn’t that big of a stretch when we decided that this might be the place where we wanted to plant our roots.

Gig Harbor, Washington is a short hop across the Narrows Bridge from Tacoma. It’s a charming little harbor town that we’ve always said reminds us of the small coastal villages of Maine. This side of Puget Sound is much more quiet and rural than the cities along the I-5 corridor to the east. Although we first discovered our new home in August, we decided to head back to Phoenix for the winter and postpone any major decisions. Smart move! When we returned in February the price had come down considerably!

We moved into our new house in April, and it’s a big switch from the house we planned to build in the Arizona desert. We have over an acre and a half of property in a thickly wooded area covered with huge cedar trees. (We’re letting our neighbor graze his horse on part of the property that’s not landscaped.) The previous owners (the house is five years old) carved out a beautiful yard with huge lawns and dozens of rhododendrons and azaleas. We’ve been enjoying the changing floral display throughout the spring. The house has all of the appropriate amenities of course plus big windows that look out on the garden and trees. We like to sip our coffee in the morning and watch the wildlife outside our window. We have a huge variety of birds that flock to the feeders we’ve put up, plus squirrels and rabbits. We’ve even seen eagles circling in the sky high above us.
And we’ve been busy! Before we hit the road over three years ago, we downsized so that everything we owned was in a 10 X 10 storage locker. Now we have to set up housekeeping again. It’s fun, but grueling too. . Since we will be furnishing a whole house, we joined DirectBuy to take advantage of their big discounts. It’s a different way to shop. We drive 20 miles to their showroom, do all of our browsing in their catalogs (nothing to touch or sit on or try out!), wait four to six weeks for it to be delivered, bring it home in a rented trailer, uncrate it and set it up. But we have saved a lot of $$$. And we’re not done yet. We still have only two chairs and a patio chair in the living room and the dining room is a sea of boxes.

Of course, there’s lots to do besides shopping. . I scrambled around and painted the laundry room and office before moving in new furniture. I’ve been looking forward to doing some gardening, so Ez built a couple of raised beds and we’re already harvesting radishes, basil and spinach. The tomato plants are coming on strong and we’ll have lettuce soon. I expect we’ll be overrun with zucchini by August. Wild blackberries are the scourge of the northwest, so we are constantly attacking them with pruners and noxious chemicals to keep them out of the gardens. (But we wouldn’t wipe them out even if we could - they protect our privacy and we’re hoping for some blackberry cobbler.) Keeping the weeds under control is a battle and there’s always something that needs to be clipped back. Ez is a happy man though - even if the lawn needs to be mowed every five days, at least the house came with a riding lawn mower, so he can accomplish this task in style.

It’s not all work and no play though. We joined the local golf club and have participated in several events from couples tournaments to luncheons and dinners. It’s a very informal crowd and everyone is friendly and outgoing.

Another big plus from our move - family is closer, so our guest room is getting a workout. Our two daughters are both in Portland, so they’ve come for the weekend. Son Todd made the pilgrimage north when he was in Portland on business, and Matt and Amy will be here for a longer visit at the end of the month. We hosted other visitors this weekend, so we’re honing our innkeeper skills. And we’re looking forward to welcoming other friends and family this summer so we can show off our new home and this beautiful part of the country.

All in all, it’s been a big change. We’re busy most of the time, our muscles are sore from moving and gardening, and we collapse into bed at the end of the day. But it’s a good change and we’re having fun. Can’t ask for more than that. .

Keeping Cool in the Great Northwest

2008-06-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

Although gas prices are cramping our style a little, we’ve still logged a few miles since my last post. Our new game plan is to stay put in one place rather than pulling up stakes every five to seven days. That’s why we’re spending over a month just outside of Portland, enjoying the great scenery and weather and visiting with family. Our freshly-minted pharmacist has a new job and apartment here and our other daughter and her family have made Portland their home for several years.

We took a round-about way to get here though, and saw some great scenery. After traveling through the California Gold Country we headed over the Sierras to Reno. Mothers Day was spent driving all around Lake Tahoe and making a traditional “deposit” in one of the many gaming establishments Nevada is famous for. Next we were on to Boise, the newest addition to our list of “Places Where We Could Live.” Our friends Ron and Jennie did a great job of keeping us entertained and busy - we played lots of golf and went on great road trips, including an amazing day visiting the famous Hells River Canyon. The frosting on the cupcake? Jennie and I tied for third place in her ladies’ golf league tournament - Yay!

Our next stop was a change of pace for us. We headed to the plains of eastern Oregon to spend five days at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge for some bird watching. (The cowboy photo at the top of the post was also taken near Malheur.) We picked up the birding bug (and a hand-me-down bird book) a few years ago from our daughter, a real birding enthusiast. We’ve been pretty casual about it until we arrived at Malheur, a renowned birding hotspot. After spending at least two days driving s-l-o-w-l-y down this road with our binoculars trained out the window at anything that moved we racked up almost 60 species, including the American Bittern and Sandhill Crane. And it was fun - just like a treasure hunt!

After spending a few days in central Oregon we headed for Dufur (just south of The Dalles) to spend a few days with our kids at their cabin. We hung out, had some great meals, explored the countryside, and took a hike to check out the seasonal creek that flows through their property.

And, as you can see, our amazing granddaughter Nola loves the swing that her papa put up near their cabin.

Now, after a few rainy days, we’re enjoying the beautiful weather in Portland, spending time with the kids, and playing with Nola. Before the weather improved we headed east to spend a couple of nights at Hood River where we played golf, went wine tasting, and checked out the beautiful Columbia River Gorge scenery. Last week we spent an afternoon visiting the wineries in the Willamette Valley and agreed that the wines were wonderful and the scenery was reminiscent of the Italian countryside. We’ve played a couple of rounds of golf at Edgefield, a nearby par 3 course. Since none of the holes is longer than about 80 yards, you can walk the course while carrying the two or three clubs you’ll need and a pint you can pick up at the clubhouse/pub. It’s a fun way to work on your short game. . . (And is it beginning to sound like all we do is play golf and drink wine??)

In any event, we’ll be in Portland for a couple of weeks before heading north to Washington. We also have an impromptu visit to Hawaii planned. Stay tuned for the details. . .

Time Flies - April, May 2008

2008-05-12T19:58:00.001-07:00

When you’re having fun, it’s sometimes hard to find the time to write it all down. We’ve kept very busy since we left Yuma. Our first stop was at a great RV park right on Mission Bay in San Diego. We always enjoy coming to San Diego – not just for the weather and the beaches – but also to visit with son Matt, his lovely SO (significant other) Amy, and family. Of course, there’s always time to check out the sights.

Pompeii was one of the high spots of our trip to Italy last year, so we were looking forward to seeing the Pompeii exhibit at the SD Natural History Museum at Balboa Park. Of course, we paid more to get into the exhibit than we did to get in to the actual city of Pompeii (!!) but we did enjoy seeing the artifacts and the dramatic body casts of some of the volcano victims. They also featured a fascinating video program about what might happen to the nearby city of Naples if (actually when) Vesuvius blows again. Scary!

We also made our first visit to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. It’s cool to see giraffes, antelope and other animals roaming freely over the hillsides instead of being penned in cages. Of course, seeing these lions made us wonder what might have happened to the park employees who were driving this vehicle. Har Har!

Two years ago we traveled down the California coast, so this time we decided to explore the eastern half of the state. From San Diego we headed to the little town of Tehachapi at the southern end of the Sierras. This is pretty country – lots of rolling hills, oak trees and fruit orchards. Next we traveled up into the mountains to the town of Three Rivers which bills itself as the Gateway to Sequoia National Park. Both RV parks were located in spectacular settings where we enjoyed doing lots of bird watching and adding to our life lists.

We had a great day driving through Sequoia and Kings Canyon Parks. We saw lots of the giant trees, including the 275-foot tall General Sherman, the largest living tree on earth. (That's us - the two little specks in front of the tree!) Other trees are taller, but sequoias can grow up to 40 feet in diameter. And you’ve gotta love a place where they give names to the trees! We were here early in the season so there was still snow on the ground and not many visitors.

The good weather fairy followed us as we drove north to Groveland. We’d always heard stories about the glories of Yosemite, but that didn’t prepare us for the reality. After our first visit, Yosemite National Park zoomed into our Top Ten Most Beautiful Spots on Earth. There are so many iconic scenes – Bridal Veil Fall, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, and Half Dome – all packed into a few short miles. We spent one day just exploring Yosemite Valley, ending with a light dinner and drinks on the patio at beautiful Ahwahnee Lodge in the shadow of Half Dome.

Another day we hiked into a grove of giant sequoias where we enjoyed a picnic lunch and walked through a tunnel built through the huge stump of one of the trees. (That's it at the top of the post.) A few days later we drove back to Yosemite Valley with our folding chairs, a bottle of wine, and some lunch. We spent the afternoon reading and gazing at Bridal Veil Fall on one side and Horse Tail Fall on the other. With our binoculars we could see rock climbers scrambling across the face of El Capitan like so many ants. What a life. .

But it gets better! A few days later we were in San Francisco watching proudly as our daughter Jennifer collected her doctorate in Pharmacy from San Francisco State. Woo hoo! We’d rented a house close to the university and most of the family showed up for a three-day party. Great fun, great food, surrounded by our nearest and dearest! Who could ask for more? We’re headed for Gold Country next, but even if we find the next mother lode, life couldn’t be better!

Yuma Stopover - April 2008

2008-04-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

Our first stop after leaving Scottsdale was Wellton, Arizona, about 30 miles east of Yuma, to visit two of our favorite people. Joe and MJ spend winters at their casita in Wellton and travel in their motorhome for the summer. Not only are they generous hosts, they have a great group of friends who also made us feel at home. Social gatherings are kicked off when the host brings out a gallon jug filled with golden raisins soaking in gin. Plastic spoons are handed out and then the jug is passed around so everyone can have a heaping bite of raisins and “juice.” This may or may not be good for what ails you, but it’s a great way to start a party.

Joe and MJ lured us to Wellton with the promise of an ATV trip onto the Barry Goldwater Military Reservation to see the famous fence being built between Mexico and the U.S. We couldn’t have picked a better day for our trip. The weather was perfect. Not a lot grows in this part of the Sonoran Desert – mostly lots of ocotillo cactus – and they were all in bloom. (That's Ez above next to an ocotillo.) The orange of the ocotillo blossoms stretched for miles across the desert floor. What an amazing sight!

It’s a forty-mile trip from Wellton to the border fence (pretty ambitious, huh?) through lots of rugged country. We saw military camps with soldiers out on maneuvers, but not many other civilians. After miles traveling along dusty tracks and down sandy washes we reached the fence. It’s hard to see how it can keep out any determined terrorists or illegal immigrants (like the pair in the picture!), but we’re told that there are lots of cameras and other technology that have reduced the traffic through this area to a trickle.

After relaxing and enjoying lunch, we headed for home. When we made a brief stop to check out the scenery, we noticed a disturbing development – a big old spike stuck in the tire of the ATV Ez and I were driving – ACK! Stranded in the desert over 30 miles from civilization! After a brief discussion, Joe and MJ decided to head into Wellton while we waited with the vehicle. (I did have a moment of concern when they yelled “We’ll miss you at happy hour!” as they rode off on their mission of rescue. . .) Happily, they were back a little more than two hours later with a truck and trailer. And we had another “brush with death” adventure story to tell for years to come.

Another highlight of our visit was a trip to the Yuma County Fair. This is a typical small town fair featuring lots of arts and crafts, entertainment such as the “bird lady” and the Budweiser Clydesdales, and competitions like the Tortilla Toss and Belching Contest. (Sadly, we missed them.) For the local 4-Hers and FFA members, this is the opportunity to show the livestock they’ve raised. We wandered through the livestock barn and then watched the proud owners trot their animals around the auction ring. The most interesting for me was the cooler with windows where the dressed carcasses were displayed next to photos of the 4-Hers and their stock – each accompanied by a handwritten description of how they had cared for them. Made me recognize how farm kids are raised differently than us city kids. . .

After our brief stopover in Wellton, we’re off to San Diego for a week. More to follow. .

Things to Do in Phoenix in the Winter - February-March, 2008

2008-04-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

This is the second winter we’ve spent in Phoenix in the motorhome. Because we lived here for many years before selling our house and retiring, we find it hard to think of ourselves as visitors here. It’s easy to fall into a routine and forget about all of the great things the area has to offer, so we found ourselves making an effort to get out and discover (or rediscover) this part of the southwest.

Puerto Penasco (or Rocky Point as it’s known to the gringos) is the closest Mexican beach resort to Phoenix. It had been several years since we made the four-hour drive to this south-of-the-border destination, so we decided to check it out again. There are lots of new high rise resorts along the beach, but many of the roads are still dusty and bumpy. It was a treat to relax on our balcony overlooking the pool and beach with the port twinkling in the distance. We made our first visit to the legendary JJ’s Cantina in nearby Cholla Bay and checked out the residential areas where Americans are building Scottsdale-style McMansions on the beach. My favorite memory – flaming Spanish coffees prepared tableside while we watched the sun set over downtown Rocky Point.

With all the rain this winter, we’ve had a bumper crop of wild flowers in the desert so we headed out several times to take advantage of this unique opportunity. One day we headed east to Apache Junction, the Superstition Mountains and on to the historic Apache Trail. This is rugged country and the rocky hillsides were covered with a thick blanket of yellow and orange blossoms. It was a perfect spring day so lots of other folks had the same idea. Here’s the crowd at Tortilla Flat, an historic stage coach stop on the Apache Trail that’s now the top choice for lunch with all the nature lovers out enjoying the landscape. After our stop at Tortilla Flat the road turns into a twisted, narrow dirt track where we were briefly delayed by a truck and trailer struggling to navigate a sharp turn from the other direction. After that we continued on past Apache, Canyon and Sahuaro Lakes on our way to Roosevelt Lake. The desert hillsides were so green it reminded us of Ireland! No more close calls, but lots of drop dead gorgeous scenery.

One of our favorite day trips has always been the back road from Wickenburg through Yarnell and on to Prescott. It’s always a pretty drive and we like to stop and check on our niece and her husband who have spent the last nine years building their dream house in the rugged hills above Kirkland Junction. This time we decided to spend the night at the historic St. Michaels Hotel on Prescott’s famous Whiskey Row. The elevator was a genuine antique and our room hadn’t been updated since the Hoover administration, but it overlooked the courthouse square across the street. (The downside – the noisy bikers who emptied out of the saloons below in the early morning hours.) We enjoyed a couple of good meals and took the long way back through Skull Valley – a little community with more charm than its name would suggest.

We made several trips to our building site in Tonto Verde this winter. (We always claim we’re checking on the status of the sahuaro cactus that sits in the center of the lot.) While we’re there we always stop by the nearby ranch owned by the development that sits on the banks of the Verde River. Across the river is a bald eagle nest that is monitored by volunteers or Fish and Wildlife employees and we always bring along our binoculars to check out the activity at the nest. This spring there are three young chicks that are active and thriving. Yea! We’ll think of them often as we explore the northwest again this summer.

Kicking Back at the Scottsdale Trailer Corral - January 2008

2008-01-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

Our home for the last couple of months has been the Scottsdale Trailer Corral located in the heart of downtown Scottsdale. We discovered it by accident when we still lived in the valley and it’s a little gem – probably no more than thirty spaces. It’s kind of tight quarters, but we have a little spot of grass, citrus trees, and hummingbirds that make regular stops at the feeders. Plus we’re within striking distance of all the Scottsdale amenities – overpriced shopping, swanky and not-so-swanky restaurants, golf courses, and so on. . . We even had a front row seat to watch some of the 7,000+ runners in the Rock ‘n Roll Marathon go past our park.

In addition to the winter visitors here, there are a few long term residents, including our eccentric next door neighbor who lives in an ancient mobile home. We hear his TV set going full blast whenever he’s home, punctuated by long strings of invective directed at his poor cat. We’ve spoken to him a few times but never get more than a surly nod in return. Late one night, Ez couldn’t sleep and went outside to finish his cigar. He was startled by a tirade of blue language – “Get the #?#! out of that garbage you #&!$ cat!” – and turned to see our portly neighbor standing buck naked in his living room! Never a dull moment at the Scottsdale Trailer Corral!

We’re both getting in more golf while were back in the “land of a 1000 golf courses.” Ez has hooked back up with his weekly men’s league and I’ve joined a nine-hole ladies group that plays on Thursday mornings. We also try to get to the driving range periodically or play a round together. I’d like to say that my game has improved dramatically, but that would be a lie. It’s fun to get out and enjoy the sunshine and the good company though.

Our holidays this year were marked by a change from tradition. Instead of celebrating in sunny Phoenix as we have for over 20 years, we flew to Portland, Oregon to spend two weeks with our daughter, her husband, and their new adopted daughter Nola. Our other daughter and her boyfriend also joined us there for a busy, fun-filled Christmas. We all complained about the rainy, gloomy weather - until the day it turned to snow and for the first time in ages we enjoyed a white Christmas! (See the photo below.) Of course, the best part was getting acquainted with Nola, an active, confident 21-month-old who kept all of us running in circles. Anyone with kids will remember the joy of watching them the first Christmas they learn to open gifts – sheer pandemonium! Nola is a delight and she enjoyed all the attention she got from her adoring family, but my sympathies are with her parents who were left to undo the after effects of all of our doting. We arrived back in Phoenix on New Years Eve, just in time to unload our bags, mix up a toddy, and crawl into bed to watch Dick Clark ring in the New Year.

A major item on our list for 2008 is to begin serious planning for the new home we will build in nearby Tonto Verde, a golf community about 40 minutes north of Phoenix. We’ve talked and dreamed and fiddled with a floor plan for years now, but since arriving back in the valley we’ve spent lots of time visiting model homes and design centers, researching on the internet, and pouring over magazines. I’ve started to fill an accordion file with clippings and brochures and we spent seven hours (!!) at the local home and garden show. This week we took a big step – we turned that basic floor plan over to a designer who will convert it to actual blueprints! We’ll be working with the designer to make changes and finalize the plan before we leave on our next adventure. Right now we’re talking about leaving in early March for Yuma, San Diego and points north. Stay tuned. . Details to follow. . .

Almost Home - Santa Fe and Northern Arizona - October 2007

2007-10-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

After so many quick stops on our drive across the country, we were ready to kick back and enjoy our week in Santa Fe. We’ve been thinking more and more about building our next house and, since we love the architecture in Santa Fe, we spent lots of time driving through some of the quaint neighborhoods and visiting open houses. We were lucky to run into the contractor at one location and Ez spent over an hour quizzing him about building methods and materials. We made a day trip to Taos in search of the perfect green chile stew that we remembered from an earlier visit but, alas, there was a new chef at the Taos Inn restaurant. His (less than perfect) green chile stew was still pretty good.

We made the required visit to the downtown plaza in Santa Fe and checked out the wares of the Native American vendors under the portico. Then we strolled through shops full of beautiful artwork and handcrafts (and a lot of cheesy tourist souvenirs). And because it’s chile harvest season, we bought a cheery red chile ristra to decorate the entrance to the motorcoach.

Next we left Santa Fe and headed to Page, Arizona for Ez’s high school reunion. The planners put together lots of activities including a great dinner and dance. It was fun for Ez to reminisce with old friends and catch up with folks he hadn’t seen in over 40 years. Not so much fun was the reunion golf tournament that took place on a day when the wind gusts reached over 50 miles per hour! It’s hard to concentrate on your golf swing when you can barely stand up! (That's the Colorado River seen from the Navajo Bridge near Lee's Ferry.)

Our home for our two weeks in Page was the Wahweap Campground which overlooks Lake Powell and is one of the most scenic places we’ve ever stayed. Visiting Page is always a great opportunity to visit with relatives and old friends and explore the red rock country of northern Arizona. This time we really ventured off the beaten path. Our first adventure took us up into Cottonwood Canyon to see the changing colors of the cottonwoods and tamarisk along the Paria River. A few days later our group took off with quads and a 4-wheel drive truck to explore the top of the Vermillion Cliffs that look down on the Paria where it meets the Colorado River at Lee’s Ferry. The scenery was breathtaking, but a truly amazing sight was a California condor being harassed by a feisty red-tailed hawk. With its nine-foot wingspan, the condor looked like a B-52 bomber being buzzed by a fighter jet!

Another day we took off with Ez’s brother and his wife to explore the top of southern Utah’s Kaparowitz Plateau. We made our way back and forth up the narrow switchbacks to the top of the mesa for a spectacular view. The “road” down wasn’t much more than a sandy wash scattered with wildflowers that wound its way between steep red cliffs laced with seams of coal. Needless to say, we didn’t run into much traffic on this trip!

There was more great scenery (and more people) on our trip to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. We hoped to catch the fall colors on the Kaibab Plateau, but only a few aspens still sported their yellow foliage. The view into the canyon was memorable though and we saw dozens of mule deer along the roadway as we headed back at dusk.

Now we’re spending a few days in the Verde Valley in central Arizona. This is a favorite spot, close to Sedona, Jerome and Cottonwood. Yesterday we drove to Clarksville to catch the Verde River Railroad for a scenic trip up the Verde River Canyon to the old town of Perkinsville. It was a brisk, sunny day and we agreed that this trip ranked up there with other train excursions from Durango to Silverton, Colorado and from Chama, New Mexico to Antonito, Colorado. We didn’t see a lot of wildlife, but we were rewarded with a couple of bald eagle sightings! Not bad, huh?

It’s been great to get back to Arizona and the West. We’ve really missed the long horizons and beautiful vistas. We’ll be spending about in week near Fountain Hills before settling into our winter home at the fabulous Scottsdale Trailer Corral. Check back for occasional posts about highlights like our upcoming trip to Portland to visit our daughter and son-in-law and our new adopted granddaughter Nola!!

Traveling West (and a Bump in the Road) - September 2007

2007-09-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

When last we met our heroes, they were about to head out for a (somewhat) leisurely trip back to the west and home base. Unfortunately, the bad luck troll reared his ugly head in the form of a nasty back injury. As we were getting ready to leave, Ez pulled his back lifting a bucket of water leaving him in no shape to do anything but lay on his back in agony. Anyone who’s had a back injury knows what the first days after the trauma are like – sheer hell! We made a trip to the emergency room and visited two MDs – a family practice physician and an orthopedist. The meds helped some, but time is the real healer for these injuries. And of course, since Ez couldn’t sit comfortably (and I can’t drive our 42-foot coach) we were stuck in Madison, Virginia. Thanks to the nice folks at Shenandoah Valley Campground who pulled strings and rearranged reservations so we could stay in our site!

After six days, Ez had made some improvement. He couldn’t walk or stand without pain, but he could sit – and that’s all we needed for him to drive! We set out to try and make up some of our lost time. As I’ve said before, we’re lazy travelers. We like to travel about 150-200 miles at a time and then stay put for up to a week. On our new schedule we would travel up to 400 miles a day, staying only overnight at each stop. Usually we didn’t even both to unhook our tow vehicle – too much pain and trouble since we weren’t doing any sightseeing on such a short stay.

We did make a couple of exceptions however. During our two-night stay in Memphis, I headed for the quintessential Memphis tourist trap – Graceland! (That's where most of these pictures were taken.) Ez had to pass because he couldn’t stand or walk long enough to make the pilgrimage to the Mecca of Rock and Roll. I’m not a rabid Elvis fan, but touring this monument to 60s and 70s kitsch is not to be missed. I don’t think the formal living room, with its white couch and grand piano, got much use, but I’m sure the “jungle room” and TV room were popular hangouts. It’s also cool to see all the sequined costumes and hundreds of gold records and other awards on display. Elvis, his parents, and grandmother are buried in the “meditation garden” on the property, but I doubt that much tranquil reflection happens with the streams of tourists passing through. And it’s amazing to see the dozens of tributes that continue to be sent by legions of adoring Elvis fans. Long live The King!

We also indulged in a two-night stay in Hot Springs, Arkansas. In days past, Hot Springs was a popular destination for well-to-do folks who came to relax and enjoy the “therapeutic” benefits of the mineral springs. Many of the luxurious hotels, spas and bathhouses that were built to accommodate them are still standing, although only one traditional bathhouse is still in operation. Ez and I decided to sign up for a $50 package at the historic Buckstaff Baths – it sounded like fun and it might be good for poor Ez’s back!

We were each directed to the separate men’s and women’s facilities, but our experiences were pretty similar. After doffing our duds and donning a sheet, we were escorted to a whirlpool bath – basically an old-fashioned cast iron bathtub with a whirlpool generated by a device that looked like a small outboard motor. Ez voted this the best part of his bathhouse experience. After 20 minutes, it’s on to the sitz bath – a small half-tub situated in a curtained alcove. You sit in the tub for about 10 minutes with your legs hanging out over the edge. While Ez then when on to enjoy a steam shower, in the ladies section I was directed to a steam bath. Yes, I sat in one of those metal boxes with just my head sticking out of the top – like you might have seen in the old movies! What a hoot! Next you lay wrapped in hot towels on a padded table for 20 minutes – very relaxing. The bathhouse experience concludes with a 20-minute Swedish massage. Not a bad deal for 50 bucks!

After Hot Springs, we continued our mad dash west. We made quick overnight stops in Oklahoma City and Amarillo and now we’re kicking back for a week in Santa Fe. We’re enjoying relaxing in this beautiful city, and Ez is finally able to get out and enjoy himself a little. He improves a little every day. There's more to come so stay tuned for the next episode in our travel adventure.

New Hampshire, New York and Virginia - August, September 2007

2007-09-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

We had a couple of sights to tick off of our “don’t miss list” as we headed west from Maine. But first we headed to New Hampshire for a couple of nights. We loved driving through the small towns and the hardwood forests where the leaves were just beginning to change. We tried to imagine how spectacular they’ll be in another month or two when they’re in full glory. Another plus – in three days we never encountered a single presidential candidate – amazing! Ez indulged me by spending an afternoon searching for all of the covered bridges in the area. I guess I owe him one, but I got some great photos.

We really logged some miles (unusual for us!) on the next leg of our journey to Montezuma, New York in the Finger Lakes Region. I always picture New York as such an urban area, so I was again pleasantly surprised to be driving through rolling green hills dotted with picture perfect farms with red barns and silos. We passed neat-as-a-pin Amish and Mennonite farms with draft horses in the barnyard (but no power lines to be seen). This is also wine country, so we stopped for a tasting at a couple of the vineyards and picked up a couple of bottles of surprisingly good Riesling.

But our ultimate New York destination on the "don't miss list" was Niagara Falls. Now, I admit, I always thought Niagara Falls was just a cheesy honeymoon destination with low-rent motels. And the American side does have its share of seedy gift shops and tourist attractions; the Canadian side has more of a Vegas feel with casinos and high-rises. But we spent most of a day touring the falls, and now I’ll put Niagara on my Top Ten List for this trip.

We traveled to several scenic points overlooking the falls, but my favorite stops were the ones where you get wet! After donning our “souvenir” raincoats and sandals, we hiked to the Cave of the Winds (which isn’t a cave at all) and climbed so close to the windswept mists from the American Falls it felt like being in a shower. I made the mistake of wearing jeans on this adventure, and they were soaked from the knees down! But what a thrill to be standing so close to the thundering torrent.

We got another “souvenir” raincoat for the boat trip on the Maid of the Mist. Standing on the open deck, we sailed up the Niagara River to the base of the Horseshoe Falls where we were surrounded by the roar of the cascading water. Nothing cheesy about this experience! That evening we capped off our Niagara Falls adventure with a swell dinner in the revolving restaurant at the top of the Skylon Tower on the Canadian side of the falls. After the up-close-and-wet adventures of the day, it was nice to sit back and watch the illuminated falls from a distance.

We headed south from Niagara, made a quick overnight stop in Pennsylvania, and then headed to the Shenandoah Valley region of western Virginia. Once again, the scenery is worth writing home about - hardwood forests, rolling hills, lush fields and quaint historic towns. We spent most of a day touring Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson (and the building pictured on the back of the nickel). Like Mount Vernon, Jefferson’s home and farm have also been restored to appear as they did when he lived here. Monticello is not only architecturally stunning, Jefferson also designed lots of unique features (such as pocket windows and built-in sleeping nooks) to make the building more efficient and convenient. When you tour this beautiful home, it’s easy to imagine what a joy it would have been to live here so long ago.

We also toured Montpelier, the home of James and Dolly Madison, which is also nearby. Although the grounds were stunning, the building itself is undergoing major restoration and the walls inside have been stripped down to the lathe. Not very elegant, but interesting to see the meticulous work that goes into the complete restoration of an historic home.

We’ll continue to head west across the Allegheny Mountains and into Tennessee. Check back soon for another update.

Massachusetts and Maine Coastlines - August 2007

2007-08-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

Our next destination was Salisbury, Massachusetts on the Atlantic coast. Ez and I both read 1776 - the great history of the Revolutionary War by David McCullough – so it’s cool to see some of the places mentioned in the book. Many of these small coastal towns were here long before the Revolution, so while we used to get excited if we saw a pre-1860 home, now we’re seeing buildings from the 1600’s! The historic parts of towns like Gloucester, Newburyport, and Salem look much like they did, with doorsteps that open right out onto the narrow streets.

You may have guessed that I’m a cemetery buff (I love reading the memorials to the long-dead people whose lives were so different from our own), so I found these ancient headstones fascinating. The skulls look pretty morbid, but they were a common element in many of the cemeteries we saw.

We checked out some historic sites - like the fort where 400 brave American patriots overwhelmed the six British soldiers in residence and walked off with all the powder and ammunition. We spent an afternoon walking around old Salem, which has at least 10 tourist sites based on the witch trials of 1692. The “museum” we visited featured illuminated wax museum scenes and narration describing the events – cheesy but interesting.

But the highlight of this part of the country is the seacoast. Every little village looks like a perfect picture postcard with sailboats and fishing vessels bobbing in the bay. There are lots of great shops and lots of opportunities to indulge in our search for the best lobster – from lobster risotto to lobster rolls to fresh, whole lobster served with butter and corn on the cob. Yay!

So we thought Massachusetts was really cool, but we LOVED Maine! It has to be one of our top five fave places on this trip! The coastline is rugged and picturesque, the towns look like movie sets, and the people talk cool. Every day we explored the little roads along Penobscot Bay and oohed and aahed over the scenery. One afternoon we checked out a country fair in the small town of Union. Although we missed out on the free blueberry pie (damn!), we strolled the agricultural tents to see the chickens, sheep and cows and learned all about Moxie, the traditional soda pop of Maine.

Our home base was in Thomaston, Maine. In 1840, three of the seven millionaires in the U. S. lived here – so there are lots of lovely, historic homes. This is Montpelier, home to Revolutionary War hero General Henry Knox. He built this home after he retired from the government and lived here until he died of complications from choking on a chicken bone.

A favorite way to enjoy fresh lobster is to stop at one of the casual restaurants where you BYOB, pick our your lobster, and sit at picnic tables on the deck. So we did that. But one evening we bought three live lobsters from a roadside stand, borrowed a big pot from the RV park and cooked up our own meal on the grill. After an hour on the flame we still hadn’t achieved boiling water, so we borrowed a propane cooker from a neighbor and within a few minutes we were cooking – literally. What a great meal, and one of the highlights of our trip!

Leaving Maine marked a bittersweet moment. While we look forward to what we’ll see in the next couple of months, this marked our turnaround point. From now on, we’re headed back to Phoenix. We’ll miss scenes like this, but there’s still more to come.

Gettysburg, the Big Apple and New England - August 2007

2007-08-21T16:34:00.000-07:00

I’ll bet you remember studying about the Civil War and the battle at Gettysburg. (Maybe you’re like me and had to memorize the Gettysburg Address.) But this doesn’t really help you get your head around what happened on those three days in July in 1863 when over 44,000 men were killed or wounded. We took a driving tour of the battlefield and tried to picture the troop movements on the current landscape - which looks much as it did then. The fields and farmhouses are still there, no condos have been built on the hill called Little Round Top, and the same clump of trees still stands where Pickett’s Charge almost breached the Union lines. It’s very peaceful and bucolic today, with only the 1300 monuments that have been erected across the battlefield to remind you of the carnage. I took a horseback tour of the battleground to get a closer view of the countryside but it’s only the cemetery that gives you the sense of how many men died here.

From Gettysburg we drove on to Florida, New York, about 20 miles outside of New York City. The Hudson River Valley is beautiful country, very green with picturesque small towns and neat little farms with red barns and silos. We signed up to take a van tour into the big city to see the sights. (Al, our tour guide, has been married for 40 years to a former Rockette - and has he picture to prove it!) Unfortunately, this was the day when an actual tornado hit Brooklyn and it rained so hard it flooded the subway system. As a result, our one-hour drive into the city took three excruciating hours. We still got to see all the required tourist highlights including the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Ground Zero, and Rockefeller Center. I guess we’re not big city people though, because when our tour guide let us out to wander around for 45 minutes in the theatre district, we took one look around at the buildings and crowds and retreated to the nearest Planet Hollywood for a drink! And that was enough of NYC for us!

We felt much more at home on the coast of Connecticut. Ez was stationed in Groton at the submarine base during his Navy days, so we visited some of his old haunts and toured the nuclear submarine Nautilus. Then we drove a short way down the coast to the town of Mystic. Not only is it a charming old seaport town with great historic homes, it’s also the home of Mystic Pizza! And guess what? They make great pizza – so we ate there two days in a row!

We also spent an afternoon exploring Mystic Seaport, the New England seaport equivalent of Williamsburg. We toured a couple of historic sailing ships including the last wooden whaleship in the world. These youngsters were part of a group of about 30 getting ready to take their small sailboats out for a lesson. We watched them chase each other around the marker buoys with only a few upsets. Mystic Seaport also features a recreated 19th-century seafaring village complete with stores, taverns, a chandlery, a print shop, and a cooperage. And like Williamsburg, docents in period costumes are available to tell you about their field and answer questions. We’re suckers for this historical stuff, so it was a great day.

From Connecticut we moved on to Hatfield, Massachusetts to visit Mike and Florence, friends we met on the road. They’re spending the summer as work campers at an RV dealership and arranged a spot for us to stay for a few days. This area is home for them, so we enjoyed letting them show us around. This is the best time of year in Massachusetts and the gardens are at their absolute peak. We also visited the famous Yankee Candle factory which is like the Vegas casino of candle shops – so big you can get lost and never find your way out!

Now we’re off to the Massachusetts coast and then to Maine. Ez wants to get his share of fresh lobster before we leave this beautiful part of the country.

North Carolina, Virginia, Washington D.C. - July 2007

2007-08-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

There’s so much history in this part of the country that it just blows your mind! Driving down the road, the historical markers go by in a blur. At some point, something significant happened at every bend in the road. You’d like to stop and read every one, but it’s just not possible.

In Fayetteville, we saw our first Confederate cemetery. In addition to the small, identical white headstones that marked most of the graves, we saw a monument to commemorate seven brothers who were all killed or wounded during the Civil War. Beaufort, North Carolina is a historic city with lots of houses (like this one) dating to before the Civil War. The tour we took included one house that dated back to the 1700’s and another that was the home of a Confederate spy. It was interesting to compare the building techniques, decoration and the lifestyles of the people from those different eras.

Another fascinating feature of the North Carolina countryside is the small family cemeteries we saw along the roadsides. They might contain anywhere from five to 30 monuments, many of them obviously very old. Here’s one we spotted in the middle of a cornfield on the road to our RV park near Elizabeth City. Outside the chain link fence were three or four other graves that were untended and overgrown with brambles and weeds. Slaves? The black sheep of the family? We could only guess.

I’d looked forward to seeing the Outer Banks along the North Carolina coast, so we headed off one Saturday on a day trip. Instead of lonely, windswept dunes, we saw miles of the wall-to-wall beach houses and condos that have sprung up along so much of the coast. I checked out a real estate magazine and noted that the listings included how many rows back the property was from the water. First row = good (and expensive!); fifth row = not so good (but you still can’t afford it!). This house was remarkable only because it looks like it won’t survive the next big storm – first row, but not a good investment!

Our next stop – Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia – was one of the highlights of our trip. For less than we paid for a one-day visit to Epcot (what a waste!) we had three days to explore Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown – three great historical sites. Williamsburg is a large area of the city with both original and restored structures. You can wander down streets that look much as they did in colonial times, stopping to visit an apothecary shop, a wigmaker, the blacksmith shop, and others. At each location you’ll find a craftsman in vintage attire ready to demonstrate and explain how illnesses were treated, what’s involved in making a wig, or how clothing was made by hand. At the courthouse, we acted as justices in a demonstration of a colonial trial. When we visited one of the taverns, an actor recounted the news of the day and explained which town leaders were active in pressing for independence. No crowds (even in high season), very few lines, and the kids we saw really enjoyed it! Colonial costumes were available for rent, so we saw lots of children in tri-corn hats and long dresses.

At Yorktown we drove around the battleground where General Cornwallis finally surrendered. In the town we saw colonial era homes with cannonballs embedded in their walls. (Look closely between the windows to see the cannonball!) Very impressive, but we learned later that some of them were placed there after the Revolutionary War – it was kind of a fad at the time to show that your house had survived the battle!

The Jamestown site includes replicas of the fort, the Indian settlement as it looked at that time, and the three sailing ships that brought the settlers to the first permanent English settlement in America. Again, costumed guides were available to explain the layout of the ships, how the Indians lived, or how to shoot a muzzle loader rifle. If you ever have the opportunity to treat your kids or grandkids to this experience, do it!

Our next stop was the nation’s capital. There’s so much to see in Washington, D.C., it’s pretty overwhelming. We took a bus tour of the city and saw all of the requisite sights – the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, Arlington Cemetery, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, U S Capitol Building, and more. This gave us “the lay of the land” so we felt more confident taking the Metro to town the next day to see a couple of the Smithsonian Museums and Ford’s Theatre.

My favorite part of our DC visit however was Mt Vernon, home of George Washington. In pictures, the Father of Our Country always looks pretty dour and stiff. Not so! He was a real man’s man! A veteran of hand-to-hand combat in the French and Indian War, an accomplished horseman, a successful farmer and entrepreneur, and quite the good dancer. The home is lovely too, and Mt. Vernon provides a realistic (and fascinating) picture of life on a working farm from that era.

We sometimes joke and say that visiting all of these fabulous places around the country is our job. Well, some days it does start to feel like work. It’s all been a little overwhelming, and while we’re looking forward to our next stop in Gettysburg, we’re starting to think about what happens after this. We find ourselves spending time in the appliance department at Home Depot, looking at house plans on the internet, and buying design magazines in the grocery store. I think the nesting instinct is starting to kick in. I guess we’ll be doing more of that when we get back to Phoenix in the fall. Stay tuned though for the rest of our trip to New York City and New England.

The Georgia/South Carolina Coast - June, July 2007

2007-07-13T11:39:00.000-07:00

We’ve spent the last couple of weeks exploring the small communities along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina. This is pretty country – miles of dense, green forests and acres of coastal marshes laced with waterways large and small. St. Marys, Georgia was typical of many of the small towns we’ve seen – a charming downtown with some historic buildings (like this one), a cemetery dating back to the 18th century, and a few quaint tourist-oriented businesses. This is where we spent a few hours on the 4th of July, joining the locals for a typical small town celebration. We missed the parade, but we saw part of the nail-driving contest, checked out all of the homemade crafts for sale, and listened to a perky 10-year-old sing a medley of patriotic songs. My only regret: I didn’t buy Ez the tee shirt that said “If you mess with me, you mess with whole trailer park.” Oh well, maybe we’ll run across it again!

We quickly figured out that we’re not the first folks to be drawn to this section of the coast – the old robber barons have been carving out exclusive hideaways on the coastal islands for well over 100 years. The Carnegies owned Cumberland Island near St. Mary’s and built several huge homes there. Our first visit was to Jekyll Island near Brunswick, Georgia. Wealthy families like the Rockefellers and the Fords got together to buy this island and then built a group of “cottages” (like this one) around a “clubhouse” that’s now an elegant three-story Victorian hotel. We had fun exploring the millionaires’ neighborhood and then driving around the island to see the homes of the “common” people that have been built since. Next door to Jekyll Island is St. Simons Island where lots of today’s millionaires have built some lovely homes - another place where it’s cheaper to drive around and look than actually live.

Our next stop was just outside of Savannah, Georgia – a city that could end up being one of our “top five fave” of this trip. Savannah was founded all the way back in 1733 and the historic area is designed around a grid system. The best part – there are small squares located every few blocks. These “pocket parks” are filled with trees and flowers (and the occasional historic monument). We spent a Sunday afternoon touring a few of the many historic homes in the area. My favorite, the Owens-Thomas House at the left, was host to General Lafayette back in the early 1800’s who delivered a couple of speeches from the upper balcony. The house had some really interesting design elements, but I enjoyed hearing about the slave quarters in the basement and the lives of the slaves who lived there. The best job in the house was family cook because of the occasional opportunity to sample some of the finer things enjoyed by the owners. This house had a water catchment system on the roof and a huge cistern in the basement which provided one of the first indoor plumbing systems in the country – decades before the White House!

Our last stop in South Carolina was in the town of Florence which offers few places of interest to the traveler. We drove to nearby Sumter to see the Swan Lake and Iris Gardens, one of America’s “best freebies” according to Better Homes and Gardens and home to all eight known species of swan! Of course, there are also hundreds of Canada geese in residence, so you have to be careful where you walk.

The most exciting part of the trip was the violent thunderstorm that struck as we started the drive home. We pulled off into a parking lot and sat amazed as the rain came down in sheets, wind gusts shook the truck and thunder rattled the windows. We drove around a downed tree in the road as we left town. We’d seen some stormy weather in the last few weeks (like this photo taken in downtown Savannah) but this was probably the most severe. The weather has been very hot and muggy, so we’ll be heading north in search of relief. We’ll let you know if it works!

The Robinson's European Invasion - June 2007

2007-06-30T15:22:00.001-07:00

After more than a year of traveling the U.S, we headed off to Ireland to visit our daughter and son-in-law who will soon be finishing up a two-year job assignment there. They’ve spent much of their free time traveling across Europe and serving as tour guides for the steady stream of friends and relatives they’ve hosted since they arrived. Home (shown here) is about 20 miles outside Dublin in the caretaker’s cottage of an old walled estate that still comprises over 350 acres. The countryside is beautiful and we enjoyed exploring up and down the lanes that crisscross the estate and where a few thoroughbreds and some surly looking cows still graze. Their house was probably constructed starting in the late 1700s. The stone barn next door is arranged around a central courtyard and is dated 1803. These were just some of the constant reminders of the history in this area. Driving along the narrow hedge-lined roads, it’s not unusual to see a small heap of stone ruins in the middle of a field. The locals call them “castley-bits” and they’re everywhere!

We saw our share of castley-bits as we traveled through the local area and again when we headed out on a four-day driving tour of the Dingle Peninsula on the western coast. County Kildare (where the kids live) is horse country – miles of leafy lanes where you might glimpse an elegant manor house at the end of a narrow road behind high stone walls. The west is more rugged and barren with high, steep cliffs and miles of stone walls. For centuries the residents of this part of Ireland have stacked the rocks that cover the landscape to make walls, huts, and churches. We joked that nobody stacks rocks better than the Irish! But it’s amazing to see the ruins of beehive huts constructed without mortar in the 12th century and before. We saw the stuff of calendar photos - sheep grazing amid the ruins of Norman castles (that's one in the picture), old forts and early Christian abbeys scattered across the landscape.

We visited some charming little west coast towns, staying in B and Bs and sampling the Guinness in the local pubs that are the heart of Irish social life. The pub in Dingle town served a dual purpose - boxes of work boots were arrayed on the shelves of one wall while the ancient bar took up the opposite wall. Most of the local women sat laughing and chatting on benches in a narrow cubicle separated by a door from the rest of the bar. In Doolin, famous for its traditional Irish music, the local musicians sat around a table quaffing Guinness between tunes. While this pub draws lots of visitors, town residents (including the local priest) also crowded the establishment to toss back a pint and enjoy the scene.

Our stay in Ireland also included a trip to Dublin to see Trinity College, the Book of Kells and other landmarks (ie. more pubs). One day we visited Trim Castle (at left) where parts of Braveheart were filmed. (Remember the poor unfortunate who gets tossed out a castle window? That’s Trim!) We’d love to see more of Ireland (maybe someday. . ) but we were looking forward to the second part of our visit – five days in Rome!

Our home base in Rome was an apartment in an old building near Santa Maria Maggiore – one of the more than 900 churches in the Eternal City. It was fascinating to live in a neighborhood, eat in the local restaurants and shop for groceries in the small stores.

In five days we saw many of the major attractions. Our first night in the city we walked to the Trevi Fountain to join the crowds who come to toss a coin and wish for a return visit. It was lovely, but we returned to the apartment tired, with sore, blistered feet! We tried to pace ourselves during the rest of our visit, but that’s not easy to do in Rome.

We visited the Pantheon, the Roman Forum, the Coliseum and the Pallatine Hill. Several times we spent some extra euros for a guided tour of an attraction. Our guides turned out to be informed and personable and we were rewarded with stories and historical facts we would never have learned otherwise. But some of our favorite visits were unexpected - like when we decided on a whim to stop into a church (St Ignatius of Loyola) and were amazed to look up at the beautiful frescoed ceiling and see angels and saints looking down upon us from a cloud- and light-filled heaven. Breath-taking!

We spent a morning at the Vatican with hordes of other visitors struggling to take in the thousands of antiquities and works of art. We walked through hallways lined with Roman statues and priceless paintings, never pausing because there’s just not enough time to see it all. We wandered through the Sistine Chapel, our necks stiff from gazing at Michelangelo’s famous ceiling. And just when you think you can’t possibly absorb any more beauty, we were whisked to St. Peter’s Basilica and there’s Michelangelo’s Pieta`! Too much!

After several days of visiting the glory that was Rome, we were glad for a respite. We’d heard about the opulent lifestyles of the caesars and the popes, but the city of Pompeii provides a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people cut short by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. We took a train through the Italian countryside to Naples and then a second train to Pompeii. The ruins of Pompeii spread over several acres and have been undergoing excavation since the 1700s. Here you can walk down streets past the houses of wealthy merchants and simple craftsmen. There are temples, theatres, small cafes, and commercial buildings. Although most of the ceilings are gone, you can see the remains of frescoes, fountains and floor mosaics that decorated the homes. One of the highlights of our trip!

After a week of recuperating in Orlando, we’ve hit the road again. Stayed tuned for further adventures!

Miami and the Florida Keys - May 2007

2007-06-02T14:32:00.000-07:00

After a long drive across the Everglades we arrived at our next destination in south Miami. There were only a few campers in this large park that appears to have been created in a former papaya orchard (at least I think that’s what was hanging from the trees. .). Lots of bird life too – white ibis, blue jays, and even a flock of feral monk parakeets.

But we quickly became fascinated by the trials and tribulations of the pair of red-bellied woodpeckers who had set up housekeeping in the hollow post next to our coach. You can see the female peering out while the male perches on top of their home. Our little couple was constantly bedeviled however by an aggressive group of starlings intent on taking over their nest. The woodpeckers took turns tending to the eggs, but when they both left the nest, a starling took advantage of the situation in an instant. After watching the woodpeckers’ unsuccessful attempts to drive out the competition, Ez came to the rescue! Using a long metal rod with a hook on the end that’s used to pull the awnings into place, he fished down into the post hollow until he finally hooked and dislodged the stubborn (and very annoyed) starling. YAY!! The woodpecker pair quickly re-established residency, although I must say they really didn’t seem very appreciative. That’s OK, we were glad to help.

We headed out to do some sightseeing in fabulous South Beach. Although we certainly felt right at home with all of the other Beautiful People, the glamour of South Beach paled by comparison to all this bird drama. After checking out the art deco architecture and the beach scene, we decided to relax with an alfresco lunch and do some people watching. No Britney or Paris sightings, but we did see a couple of gals on the beach showing their ta-tas to the tourists.

Miami has lots of high-rise condos along the beach, but we prefer the lovely old neighborhoods with expensive homes surrounded by the kind of lush gardens you only see in the tropics. We drove several times through a tunnel of banyan trees that lined a beautiful avenue that curved along the ocean. This mansion is in that area and was originally built in 1916 by Charles Deering who owned International Harvester.

After listening to Jimmy Buffett songs for years, we were anxious to get to the Florida Keys and experience that Margaritaville magic. The Keys truly are among the most beautiful places we’ve visited – from the white sand beaches to the crystal clear turquoise water to the hurricane palms swaying in the breeze. Of course, the breezes were pretty stiff while we were here, so unfortunately we had to pass on the boating and snorkeling we had planned. Instead, we settled for exploring the area and making a couple of visits to Key West.

We both enjoyed the Hemingway House in Key West where Ernest Hemingway lived with Wife Number Two (and met Wife Number Three). The house itself is charming and still home to over 50 six-toed cats, descendants of the original Hemingway pet. Many of the cats over the years have been named for celebrities and are buried in a corner of the garden after they go to the great kitty box in the sky. (Above is the final resting place of Zsa Zsa Gabor.) We did lots of sightseeing in Key West. It was fun to walk the streets that Papa himself walked (and maybe even toss back a few in some of the same bars???).

We were reluctant to leave the Keys, but we have commitments to keep. We worked our way back up the Atlantic side of Florida, stopping at Pompano Beach and Vero Beach. We’re headed to Orlando next and will fly out next week for a two-week visit to Europe with daughter Jennifer and son-in-law Eric. Details to follow. . .

P.S. I know I missed the photo of the alligator on the golf course - instead, here's an iguana on the golf course in Pompano Beach!

Florida Gulf Coast - May 2007

2007-05-23T06:02:00.000-07:00

After leaving behind the beautiful beaches around Panama City, I didn’t hold out much hope for tiny Old Town, Florida. It’s inland, so no beaches, and it’s small, so the WalMart is the only real happening place in town. All true, but this part of Florida has a charm of its own, and they call this The Nature Coast for good reason.

Our RV park was literally “way down upon the Suwannee River” in a pretty rural setting. A long boardwalk ran through the marshy woods from the campground to the river’s edge. Wildlife abounds, from the fireflies that flickered in the trees at night to the armadillo who went scuffling through the leaves when I surprised him one evening on the way back from the laundry. We watched a couple of crows harass the great horned owl who hung out in the area. Another day we drove through the pine wood forests to the coast to see what the historic seaside towns of Old Florida must have looked like. The variety of birds was amazing and we added several new species to our “life list.” Here’s Ez relaxing on the deck of restaurant that overlooks the coastal marshes in the town of Suwannee.

Next it was back to the beach at Palm Harbor just west of Tampa. We were looking forward to this stop because our son Todd and his wife Stephanie flew into Tampa to join us for a few days. Of course, as you can see, we spent one day relaxing on the beach and doing some people watching. We drove through the coastal communities of Clearwater, St. Pete Beach and St. Petersburg and checked out the beaches, the marinas, and the fabulous homes. This was all pretty grueling of course, so we had to stop occasionally at the closest restaurant with a waterfront deck for sustenance and the appropriate adult beverages.

One afternoon we drove into a part of historic old Tampa called Ybor City. This was originally a working area with factories, warehouses, and the homes of immigrant laborers from Cuba, Italy and Eastern Europe. Now it features shops, restaurants and lots of clubs – Tampa’s version of Bourbon Street. Cigar manufacturing was an important industry then and there are still plenty of cigar shops in the neighborhood, including the one where we watched this old gentleman rolling them by hand in the traditional way. Of course Ez indulged his favorite vice by picking up a few cigars to add to his humidor back at the coach. Ybor City is also where we had our best meal in the Tampa area. The Columbia Restaurant serves great Cuban cuisine and we loved the pitcher of mojitos our waiter prepared tableside using loads of fresh mint. Yummm!

Our last stop on the Gulf side of Florida was at Fort Myers Beach, another great spot to get in some beach time. Across the bay from Fort Myers lie the beautiful islands of Sanibel and Captiva. We spent a great day exploring the beaches there, having a quiet lunch, and checking out some of the beautiful homes – like this one.

Of course, not all the homes in Florida look like they should be featured in Architectural Digest. This little casa was just down the road in the RV park we stayed in – a classic example of mid-century modern meets Airstream!

Finally, while in Fort Myers Beach we had the quintessential Florida golfing experience. We were playing a round on a local course when a foursome on the fairway across the pond started shouting at us. After a moment of confusion, we saw the source of the excitement - an eight-foot alligator went scrambling across the grass and plunged into the water hazard! I was so surprised, I missed the photo, but when we came back a few days later I was determined to be better prepared. We searched the water looking for our alligator friend until we finally saw something suspicious sticking out of the water. I was quick with the camera this time – but all I came away with was a great picture of a half-submerged rock! Oh well, wish me better luck next time. .

The Gulf Coast - Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle - April 2007

2007-04-29T17:37:00.000-07:00

We’re in Panama City Beach now and, as you can see, it’s just about perfect! The beaches here are some of the most beautiful we’ve ever seen. Miles and miles of white sand, and the shallow water close to the shore is a brilliant emerald green. Of course, we’re not the first to figure this out, so the coast has a real Miami Beach quality with lots of high rise condos, restaurants ranging from plain to fancy, and the requisite tee shirt shops, goofy golf courses and bicycle rentals. Our second day here we gathered up chairs, towels, ice, beer and snacks and carted it all down onto the sand to spend the day. The breezes were balmy, the view was stunning, we checked out all the boats going by with our binoculars – and I got the worst sunburn I’d had in years. (Yes, I used the sunscreen, but I missed a few spots that don’t usually see the light of day!)

Our RV park is nestled away from all the hustle and bustle – a great little hideaway with lots of grass and palm trees. The folks here are a lot of fun – the day we arrived they made us feel welcome by inviting us to dinner with lots of tasty food and an assortment of adult beverages. We’re so crazy about this place, we even picked up some info about their winter rates in case we decide to come back for an extended visit!

Another day we drove back west toward Destin, Florida on the coast road through tiny towns like Rosemary Beach, Grayton Beach, and Seagrove. With their pastel colors, white trim and neat, flower-lined streets, they look like Disney towns or Stepford-on-the Beach – very cute but almost too perfect. (Wish I’d stopped to take some pictures!) Of course, many of them are the typical slightly run-down, need-a-little-work beach rentals – but they’re still just steps from that fabulous beach! I guess that’s why even the seedy ones cost over a million bucks..

Panama City Beach is a real contrast to our previous stop on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. We had planned to drive along the coast road from Louisiana to our next stop in Gautier, Mississippi. Unfortunately, we had to change our plans because two major bridges along this road were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and were still being rebuilt. This was our first clue to the extent of the damage along this part of the gulf.

We’d heard stories about how hard Mississippi was hit by the storm, but we weren’t prepared for what we saw over 18 months later. I knew that many of the historic homes on the beach in Biloxi, Gulfport and Pass Christian had been destroyed, but we were shocked to see whole neighborhoods that stretched blocks and blocks away from the beach that were now only foundations. It reminded me of the photos of the tsunami damage in Indonesia. You could see from the narrow streets, huge oaks, and ruins of tennis courts and swimming pools that these had been lovely areas. Today you see dozens of for sale signs and only a few new homes under construction. (Again, I forgot my camera so no pictures - drat!) We talked to people who told of us homes half a mile from the beach that had suffered storm surge damage up to 14 feet. The storm surge on the coast was as much as 28 feet!

In the business districts, many of the big Biloxi casinos are rebuilt, but most of the other businesses are still boarded up or even just piles of rubble. The story was the same when we drove along some of the smaller roads along the beach. Here’s a picture of some homes along the golf course near the beach in Gautier. Their beautiful flowers are still there, but all that’s left of the homes are the foundations. Many people we talked to said it would be 10-12 years before the area is fully recovered. I guess we’ll have to come back then.

Cajun Country - April 2007

2007-04-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

We were glad to head out of Houston and into the heart of Cajun Country – home of crawfish, alligators and drive-through daiquiri stands. It was after 8:00 p.m. when we rolled into Betty’s RV Resort in Abbeville and we knew immediately we were in the right place. A group of fellow RVers were gathered in Betty’s Louisiana room sharing a few adult beverages and listening to a couple of local musicians playing Cajun music. Happy hour at 4:00 o’clock was a daily occurrence at Betty’s where we all shared stories about the day’s adventures.

And we always had a story to tell. We enjoyed exploring nearby New Iberia, the home of detective novelist James Lee Burke and the setting for many of his tales. We visited our first antebellum mansion here – Shadows on the Teche – located right on the banks of the Bayou Teche, and drove to Avery Island where they make Tabasco sauce. The Tabasco factory wasn’t very exciting, but we were in for a surprise when we drove through the 200-acre Jungle Gardens created by McIlhenny family. The gardens were certainly lovely and we saw our first alligators here, but the real surprise was the thousands of Snowy Egrets we saw nesting in the preserve here. The McIlhennys built platforms over a pond and now over 20,000 egrets and other water birds come to breed every year. Some of the nests held two or three pale blue eggs while other pairs were busy caring for their fuzzy little hatchlings. The McIlhennys now bring in truckloads of sticks and twigs every year to provide nesting materials for the birds. A really amazing sight. .

We saw more wildlife when we took a swamp tour a few days later. Our guide was a local fellow who took us deep into the swamps that surround Lake Martin. I think I saw most of the herons and egrets in my bird book, plus nutria (like a cross between a beaver and a rat!), snakes, turtles, and a barred owl with three fuzzy chicks. Of course, the big attraction is the alligators and we saw several – from little two footers to big guys about twelve feet long.

There are lots of beautiful antebellum mansions in this part of the country and we’ve seen several. Sometimes our tour was made up of twenty people or more, but other times we’ve been lucky enough to be the only two. One of our favorites was the tour of Oaklawn which is now home to the former governor of Louisiana. They open up the first floor of this glorious old mansion to tours while the family lives on the second floor. We said hello to the guv while he was loading the car for a weekend trip. Here’s a picture of Ez sitting at a desk formerly owned by Napoleon Bonaparte!

Most of you have probably seen pictures like this one of the moss-covered oak trees at Oak Alley, but we thought the gardens at Houmas House were even prettier. (Plus Miss Norma made some dynamite mint juleps in their quaint Turtle Bar.) That's Houmas House at the top of the blog. After leaving Abbeville, we moved on to Convent, Louisiana (near New Orleans) where our RV park was next to the Mississippi River on the grounds of a plantation formerly owned by a Judge Poche. According to the current owner (who took us on a fascinating tour of the house) the judge was probably a Union spy who built his home using artifacts looted from the homes of his neighbors. He never felt welcome in the area and left the house soon after it was built and later became a Supreme Court justice.

Our final stop in Louisiana was in Robert on the north side of Lake Ponchartrain. From here we drove across the Causeway for a day trip into New Orleans. We made many of the traditional tourist stops – coffee and beignets at Café du Monde, a carriage ride around the French Quarter, and watching the ships moving up the Mississippi. Fortunately, we were here for the first day of the French Quarter Festival so there were bands and music groups playing in streets around the quarter. After exploring for a while, we settled in on a balcony overlooking Bourbon Street and listened to jazz and Dixieland from the street below. What a great place to people watch!
We’ve really enjoyed the people and sights of Louisiana, but in a day or so we’ll be headed to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and then down into Florida. Stay tuned. .

Disaster Strikes - March 27, 2007

2007-04-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

After almost a year of relatively uneventful travel, we finally got a taste of bad luck. We were leaving Galveston and looking forward to our first stop in Louisiana at Betty’s RV Park in Abbeville. To avoid the Houston traffic, we decided to take the ferry from Galveston to Port Bolivar. We were directed to the dock where the ferry was loading and, after watching a couple of other RVs cautiously drive onto the deck, we were motioned forward. There was a sharp slope from the dock down to the ferry deck. Ez told the crew member that it was too steep for our long rig, but he insisted everything was fine and we should just drive ahead.

There was a sickening scraping sound as we drove down the ramp. We got out to inspect the damage and watched as all the engine oil drained out onto the deck. The oil pan had been ripped open when it dragged across the ramp. Ez let loose with the most inspired stream of invective I’ve ever heard from him. I would have tried to shush him, but I figured his anger was totally justified. Then two other motorhomers came over and told us that their rigs had also suffered damage (although less severe) while boarding! ARRGHH! We traded names and phone numbers with them to share with our insurance companies.

With no oil in the engine, we couldn’t drive the coach, so the ferry had to be moved to another dock and a wrecker was called to tow us off. We followed in the Durango as it was towed to the nearest Cummins shop 60 miles away in Houston. The tow truck guys told us they had towed several other motorhomes with similar damage in recent months! ARRGHH!

We settled in to a motel for the next three days while the Cummins shop worked on the coach. I imagine there are some cool, interesting places in Houston, but we never saw any of them. We did meet Don and Marianne, a fun couple who were also having their coach worked on at Cummins, and enjoyed a nice dinner with them.

As you can imagine, we were real happy to say good-bye to Houston a few days later. Our insurance will cover most of our expenses and then they’ll work to recover all of the costs from the Texas Department of Transportation. With luck, we won’t be out any cash because of their incompetence – just time, irritation and inconvenience!

We headed out for Betty’s a few days later than planned. More about that next time. . .

Driving Clean Across Texas - Del Rio, San Antonio and Galveston

2007-03-29T17:02:00.000-07:00

Drive Clean Across Texas is actually the catch phrase for the state of Texas’ clean highways initiative – we’ve seen it on roadway signs across the state. So while we certainly didn’t toss any trash on our trip across the Lone Star State, I also thought it was a good description for this leg of our journey.

There’s not much going on in Del Rio, a little military town on the banks of the Rio Grande. Our neighbors at the park recommended that we drive to nearby Brackettville for an event at historic Fort Clark. This was a real small town celebration featuring a home-grown version of American Idol, line dance demonstrations by some local ladies, a bake sale, and a parade of historic costumes. There were craft displays and the local motorcycle club also sponsored skill contests for their riders. It was a nice, laid back way to spend an afternoon.

A day later we had some excitement with our first dose of real Texas-style weather – tornado warnings in the area brought some serious rain, hail and wind that rocked the coach for much of the night. No damage thankfully, and the next day dawned clear and sunny. We didn’t realize that the unsettled weather would follow us to our next stop.

In San Antonio we stayed at a park outside of the city in a quiet rural area where Medio Creek flowed by our camp and cattle grazed on the far bank. In fact, shortly after we arrived we watched a new-born calf struggle awkwardly to his feet, take his first tentative steps, and enjoy his first meal. This was fascinating stuff for a city girl like me and I thought often about that little calf over the next several days, especially since we were about to suffer two days of torrential rains. The brown waters of Medio Creek swelled beyond their banks and created a small lake in the field at the far end of the camp. Happily, we were high and dry at our end.

We made several trips into San Antonio to see the sights. Of course we made the obligatory visit to the Alamo and filed slowly through this historic landmark with hundreds of other tourists. The crowds took away some of the luster from this monument, but we enjoyed the beautiful grounds that surround the mission itself.

From here we crossed the street and descended the stairs to the famous Riverwalk. This attraction is what makes San Antonio stand out from so many other urban areas. We took a boat tour around this area of the San Antonio River and enjoyed a leisurely meal on the bank. What a great place to people watch!

We took another day to visit the four other historic missions near San Antonio. Together with the Alamo, they were established in the early 1700s, became centers of farming and ranching, and sometimes served as military outposts. Today Mission Espada, Mission San Jose, Mission San Juan and Mission Concepcion are still active parishes and serve as charming reminders of old Texas. We finished our trip along the Mission Trail at the Alamo and headed across the street to enjoy another great meal at a Riverwalk restaurant.

Another day of driving and we were finally back to the sea – at Galveston Island south of Houston. We had a great spot right on the Gulf of Mexico at Galveston Island State Park. We planned our trip to coincide with our friend Janice’s visit to her parents and brother here in Galveston. This meant we kept busy with lots of dinners, cocktails and conversation, including a very special party for her mother’s 91st birthday!

Galveston is full of charming neighborhoods with lovely old Victorian homes. The historic downtown area is going through a renaissance so there are lots of restaurants, clubs and shopping. The seawall goes for miles along the Gulf of Mexico; across the street are more restaurants, hotels and condos. All of the homes along the shore are built on tall stilts to protect them from the storm surge that would accompany a hurricane. And yes, their insurance rates are sky high! But we had a wonderful time walking the beach, checking out the beach houses (some fancy, some not), and watching the shore birds. We’ll look forward to coming back another time.

Exploring Southern New Mexico and West Texas – March 2007

2007-03-16T16:31:00.000-07:00

We are traveling through the land of far horizons. Sometimes the terrain is so flat and the horizon so distant it seems you can see the curvature of the earth. That doesn’t mean it’s boring or featureless, just big. We sometimes drive for miles without seeing another vehicle or human habitation. It must be tough to scratch out a living in this harsh country. The roadsides are scattered with abandoned buildings, dilapidated trailers and faded signs for businesses long shuttered and gone. Some of these seem like somebody’s good idea gone bad; sometimes it doesn’t even look like a good idea!

There are still interesting sights, even if you have to drive a long way to see them. Mesilla is a small town just outside of Las Cruces that’s been a bustling burg since the 1850s. We loved the old adobe buildings lined up around the central square and the ceilings made of plaster, wooden beams and willow branches. In some places you could still see the straw and corn husks used as original building materials. Most of these buildings are now home to restaurants, gift shops and other tourist traps featuring what a friend described as “everything chili.” Billy the Kid hung out in these parts and we saw the building where he was tried and convicted of murder. Of course, I guess Pat Garrett gunned him down before he could keep his appointment with the hangman’s noose.

Today the town of Mesilla is surrounded by acres and acres of pecan farms. I hope we can return sometime when these beautiful orchards are green and leafy. We also made a stop at one of New Mexico’s few wineries – the St. Clair Winery in Las Cruces. The tasting was fun and we even picked up a few bottles to add to our “cellar.”

The Carlsbad Caverns are the big attraction in Carlsbad, New Mexico. We took ourselves on the self-guided tour and then joined a guided group to see another part of the cave. It’s awesome! Some of the cavern rooms are enormous and filled with an amazing variety of formations. On our tour, the guides turned off the lights for several minutes so we could experience absolute darkness – a bizarre and slightly unnerving feeling.

Our first stop in the Lone Star State was the town of Alpine. Despite the name, you won’t find Bavarian architecture or townspeople dressed in lederhosen, but there are some pretty large hills around! Alpine was our starting point for a day-long, 250+ mile road trip to Big Bend National Park. The Rio Grande didn’t look very grande when we visited, but the rocky cliffs rising above reminded us of the Grand Canyon and other familiar Arizona landscapes.

This is rugged, desolate country. You wonder what life was like for the people who eked out a living here over a hundred years ago, because it doesn’t look that easy even today. Before the national park was created, farmers lived the area close to the Rio Grande River, but their fields are gone today. We saw the ruins of a small adobe hut where Mexican farmer Gilberto Luna raised his large family until he finally died in 1948 at the age of 108! The crumbled remains of other old adobe buildings and abandoned settlements are scattered across the area. Ours was a quick trip, but this scenic area is definitely worth a longer visit.

Life at nearby Fort Davis might not have been as difficult as that of Gilberto Luna, but it was not without its hardships. Just north of Alpine, this fort was most active after the Civil War and protected traders and settlers traveling through the area from marauding Indians. When the two regiments of the famous Buffalo Soldiers who served at Fort Davis weren’t out on patrol, they reportedly suffered from long periods of inactivity and boredom. Some of the buildings here have been restored and furnished as they were during the 1860s and recorded versions of the bugle calls that marked the daily schedule of activities gave us an idea of what routine at the fort was like.

We’re headed toward San Antonio and Galveston, but our next stop on the way is Del Rio. Check back soon and we’ll tell you about it.

On the Road Again – February 2007

2007-02-26T19:51:00.000-08:00

After two and a half months in Phoenix, Ez and I decided we had itchy feet and it was time to hit the road. Our game plan is to head east, follow the gulf coast, and arrive in Orlando in early June. From there we’ll be flying to Europe to spend two weeks with our daughter Jennifer and her husband Eric who live in Ireland. Lucky us!

So far we’ve made it as far as Deming, New Mexico, a wind-blown town under cloudless blue skies at the end of miles of arrow-straight interstate. We were fortunate enough to be here when the winds reached 30-40 miles per hour, so we spent the first day tucked away in our bouncing, rocking motor home. A perfect day for Scrabble and cocktails!

The next day we headed out on a road trip to the old mining town of Silver City, over the rugged Mimbres Mountains and down to the Rio Grande Valley. We passed through a couple of other small, picturesque historic towns on our way to Hatch, the famous chili capital of New Mexico. At this time of year the fields are fallow and all is quiet, but we did see some chili stands (see the pic above) and stopped for lunch at a little local restaurant where Ez sampled some chicharrones (pork skin simmered in a red chili sauce). He now knows he definitely prefers burritos . . .

Before coming to Deming, we spent a week in Tucson, one of our favorite Arizona cities. Here we took the opportunity to visit Biosphere 2, a popular tourist stop that we’d always missed in the past. You might remember the Biosphere, an immense greenhouse-like building where a small group of researchers was sequestered for months at a time in an attempt to see if humans could replicate the earth’s environment in outer space. We toured the various climates created inside the structure and heard how the low oxygen levels and lack of food led to conflict and strife between the researchers. Of course, some of the scientists married after they left the experiment, so I guess not all of their time was spent fighting! No experiments are going on now, but it was cool to see this amazing structure.

We headed south another day to visit the Arizona wine country. This is a beautiful area with golden, rolling hills scattered with cattle ranches. There are a few small wineries centered near the little town of Elgin, but they sure are a far cry from some of the charming wineries in California and the Willamette Valley! At the winery we visited the bottling equipment is outside under a porch and the tasting room was used to store an old TV and other rummage. I know we bought a couple of bottles when we visited before, but this trip we passed on their current selections.

We’ve also played a few rounds of golf in the last couple of weeks at some very different courses. In Tucson we joined our good friends Bill and Melanie for a fun afternoon chasing the little white ball followed by dinner at a terrific Mexican restaurant. (Check out El Sabroso when you’re in Tucson!) We traveled down to the historic town of Tubac and played at the beautiful Tubac Golf Resort. And in Deming we battled those 30-mile-an-hour winds for 15 holes on a scrubby local course before we finally gave up and ran for the shelter of our home on wheels.

It’s fun to be back on the road again. The territory we’re passing through is new to both of us and we can hardly wait to see what’s around the next bend. We’ll be going through Las Cruces and Carlsbad before heading to the Lone Star State. Stay tuned. .

California & Arizona - November 2006 - January 2007

2007-01-10T15:19:00.000-08:00

Well, did you miss us?? Yes, the blog was on hiatus for a few months, but we are still alive and well. Since our last entry we have traveled down the California coast, spent Thanksgiving with friends near Yuma, and landed back in Phoenix where we are golfing, hiking, and catching up with family and friends. Here I am hiking near Phoenix this week.

After leaving the Bay Area we headed for Salinas, California. This is one of the first places where we were amazed by the miles and miles of green fields – or as I dubbed it – “one giant salad.” We were puzzled by the acres of strange green plants we drove by, until we later discovered they were artichokes.

We also saw some of the most beautiful scenery of our trip when we made drives to nearby Monterey, Pebble Beach and Carmel. We spent a day exploring the Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of the best in the country. We both sat for hours watching an amazing variety of fish swimming in the huge tanks and watching the tiniest of sea creatures with our noses almost pressed against the glass. The weather was perfect on the day we drove the famous 17 Mile Drive. We stopped at all the spectacular ocean viewpoints, spent some money in the golf shop at Pebble Beach, and ended the day with a great meal and a glass of wine in Carmel.

We were treated to more spectacular scenery as we worked our way down the coast through San Luis Obispo to the Ventura area where we spent several great days visiting with Ez’s sister Louise and her family in Camarillo. This pic was taken in Pismo Beach where Ez sampled another entry in the "Best Clam Chowder Contest."

From there we drove one of the most harrowing legs of our trip so far from Los Angeles to San Diego – ACK! Once we were safely in San Diego, we had a great time seeing the sights and visiting with son Matt, his delightful girlfriend Amy, and his kids Hannah and Jacob. Matt and Amy share our enthusiasm for wine and we spent a couple of great evenings sampling the fruit of the vine.

We spent another fun day seeing all of the wild life at the San Diego Zoo. We especially liked the giant aviary, the pandas and the hippos, and of course, all of the little babies! Here's a photo of one of the polar bears checking out the zoo visitors.

San Diego was also the jumping off point for a quick trip back to Portland to see our daughter Jennifer and her husband Eric who were visiting from their home in Ireland. Todd and Stephanie and Ez's Jennifer also joined us for the long weekend. We spent a couple of days exploring Portland before heading to their cabin in Dufur, Oregon. In addition to visiting, playing games and exploring the nearby mountains, we were surprised by a sudden snowstorm that blanketed the area - a nice change from the sunny weather we've had for several months.

By now we were starting to look forward to seeing the familiar faces and places in Phoenix. But not before spending a few enjoyable days with friends Joe and Mary Jane at their home in Wellton, about 30 miles east of Yuma. Like many of their neighbors, Joe and MJ have built a small “casita” on the lot where they park their motor coach. While they spend most of their time in the coach or on their sunny patio, the casita has a full bath, laundry room, kitchen, and a big garage where they keep all their toys. They also have a second set of hookups so they can accommodate visitors (like us) with RVs. We enjoyed a great Thanksgiving with Joe, MJ and a host of their friends from the neighborhood. This lively group likes to get together for happy hour almost every night – our kind of folks! Here we are out enjoying the desert with Joe and MJ.

A few days later we spent both Ez’s birthday and our 20th wedding anniversary in Lake Havasu City on the Colorado River. Luckily we spent our anniversary golfing, because the next two days we endured 50 mile an hour winds and frigid temperatures. Here we are celebrating 20 years on the beautiful Refuge Course in Lake Havasu. On December 1st we rolled back in to Phoenix, seven months after we left on our motorhome adventure.

Our temporary home is a park in northeast Phoenix. Most of our neighbors are seniors (ie. “older than us”) living in park model homes. There’s a big clubhouse with lots of activities, but so far we’ve been too busy to join them for line dancing lessons or shuffleboard. We’re both golfing regularly – Ez has his weekly men’s league and I’ve been golfing with him or my girlfriends. We both recently splurged on new golf clubs, so we’ll see if our scores improve as a result.

Our son and daughter-in-law recently moved into a new house and we spent some time helping them get settled in before they hosted everyone for a big Christmas celebration. In addition, we’re both at serious risk for gaining more weight since we’ve been enjoying lots of dinners with family and friends. We’ve tried to combat this by working out in the exercise room or taking hikes in the desert, but so far the dinners are taking their toll! We’ve made several trips to visit our lot in Tonto Verde (a.k.a. the piece of dirt with a cactus on it!) and agree that even though we’ve seen some beautiful country on our trip, we still like it here best.

Central California Coast - October 15-29, 2006

2006-10-31T21:18:00.000-08:00

Our next stop was a unique RV park south of Willits, California on the site of the Ridgewood Ranch, home of the legendary race horse Seabiscuit. The location was gorgeous – acres of rolling hills and huge oaks and maples covered with magnificent fall foliage. But we were surprised to see a herd of small white deer feeding in the distance. We learned that the former owner of the ranch was a friend of William Randolph Hearst who made a gift of several European white fallow deer. Today dozens of their descendents roam the area along with wild turkey and California quail. Look closely to see one in the photo – it’s hard to get close to these shy, skittish creatures.

That evening we went outside to admire the beautiful night skies. We heard a low growling sound and walked into the dark to investigate. Could it be a wild boar, or maybe a mountain lion? (They’d been seen in the area. . ) Then we heard a loud snort that was too close for comfort and beat feet back to the coach! We learned later these deep groaning belches are made by the male fallow deer during the mating season, but it sure made for a moment of excitement!

We spent one afternoon hiking over the ranch’s hilly terrain. During our walk we scouted the elusive white deer, sampled some wild grapes (that's Ez eating the grapes) and spied our first Pileated Woodpecker! This bird is spectacular and as big as a crow!

Another day we took a drive over to the coast and traveled through Fort Bragg and the charming Victorian seaside town of Mendocino. We’ve enjoyed many days driving this beautiful, rugged coastline, making stops along the way to check out the seals and sea lions lounging on the rocky outcroppings.

We also made our first wine tasting excursion through the vineyards of Mendocino County. Many of the tasting rooms here belong to small, family-owned vineyards and so they’re much more casual than those in the Napa Valley. The tasting rooms aren’t fancy, there aren’t any tasting fees, and the hosts don’t hesitate to offer an extra sample. We picked up a case of a particular favorite and a few other bottles as well. We should be well stocked for the holidays. The folks in the picture had taken a limo for their day of wine tasting. After a few samples, they found the picnic tables outside too much to resist!

The liquor cabinet-stocking tour continued as we traveled to Vacaville,
just a hop and a skip from San Francisco, the Napa Valley and Sonoma. Our daughter Jennifer is working on her doctorate at UCSF and came out to join us for a couple of days. We spent a great day with Jennifer and a friend driving through the quaint towns in the Sonoma Valley, stopping at some of the small tasting rooms along the way. Sonoma was a step up from the wine tasting experience in Mendocino – a little more upscale, but still low or no cost. A few days later we headed out for Napa – another glorious sunny day driving through the vine-covered countryside. Napa is the Saks Fifth Avenue of wine tasting however so we paid for our tasting privileges (sigh.. ).

Another day we drove into San Francisco to spend some time with Jennifer in the big city. We checked out the old masters at the Legion of Honor Museum and Ez honed his driving skills chauffeuring me up and down the hills of San Francisco. While most people head to Fisherman’s Wharf or Alcatraz, we spent an hour or so watching the surfers just a few blocks from downtown. (And of course, one of the highlights of our visit to the Bay Area was getting to know Jennifer’s friend Eric who we’ve heard about for so long!)

We’ve been on the road for about six months now and we’re still having fun. Living in 400 square feet does present some challenges, but they’re easy to overlook when we think about all the amazing things we’ve seen. Check back soon for the next installment!

Redwood Country - October 1-14, 2006

2006-10-14T16:42:00.000-07:00

This is coming to you from Arcata, California, just north of Eureka. We’ve been here a week exploring the redwoods and the northern California coast. But I’ll start by telling you a bit more about Gold Beach, Oregon, our previous stop and not technically “redwood country.”

On our last day in Gold Beach we took a trip up the Rogue River on the popular Mail Boat Tour. The mail boats have been have been provided postal service to the tiny town of Agness about 30 miles up the river for over 100 years. These days they carry tourists as well on a day-long trip in their open-air craft. It was clear but chilly when we set out in the morning, but the awe-inspiring scenery made us forget about the cold. We spotted great blue herons, egrets, a trio of frisky river otters and several bald eagles before we made our lunch stop in Agness. We had our choice of dining options, but Ez and I picked the historic Lucas Lodge where we had a full-on fried chicken feast served family style for us and our fellow diners. On the return trip to Gold Beach, our river pilot thrilled us by turning “doughnuts” in open areas of the river – fun, as long as you didn’t get wet!

Here's another photo of the stunning coast south of Gold Beach.

Our drive to Arcata took us down Highway 101 through the heart of the redwoods. These travel days are sometimes frustrating because we can’t always stop to check out the scenery or roadside attractions. That’s why we decided to backtrack up 101 for our first day trip. We stopped at the redwood grove dedicated to Lady Bird Johnson where we took a hike back into the forest. Words can’t describe how amazing it is to be in the middle of these towering trees – like being in a medieval cathedral with the arches soaring above. Maybe that’s why when we arrived at the Trees of Mystery, a popular tourist site that charges a $13.50 admission fee to walk a paved path through carved bears and Disney characters – well, we decided to take a pass. .

On the way back we took a scenic bypass along narrow gravel roads that hugged the cliffs above the ocean. A fog bank had settled along the coast and the scene from the cliffs above the clouds was like looking out the window of an airplane – too cool!

This was a great day, but sadly we FORGOT THE CAMERA!! Which led us to ponder the eternal question: If you didn’t get a picture, did it really happen!?!

Another day we drove south from Arcata through the Victorian village of Ferndale. This entire town of original Victorian structures has been declared a national historic site. Here are some examples of the ornate architecture.

After leaving Ferndale, we traveled another narrow, winding road that took us to the remote Lost Coast area. We saw just a few cars, some scattered ranches, and lots of glorious scenery. When we reached the Pacific the road traveled right next to the rocky black sand beach. We stopped in the small town of Petrolia for lunch and visited with some of the locals in this off-the-beaten-path location before circling back down to the redwoods. In the John D. Rockefeller grove we saw some of the largest known redwoods and also spotted two young deer feeding in the forest. Sorry - it was getting toward dusk and the photos didn’t turn out very well.

At different times on our journey we’ve explored Native American ruins, old ghost towns, and historic mansions until we’d had our fill. But at this point, we’re still a long way from burning out on redwoods! That’s OK – I’m sure we’ll have other opportunities as we work our way south through California.

Down the Oregon Coast - September 12-30, 2006

2006-10-04T11:54:00.000-07:00

We’ve spent the last few weeks exploring the glorious Pacific Coast. We started out in Washington on the Long Beach Peninsula, across the Columbia River from Astoria, Oregon. From there we moved on to Lincoln City, Florence and Gold Beach on the Oregon Coast. Of course, this took us through the heart of one of the most scenic areas of the country - like the photo on the left. Here’s a rundown on some of the highlights.

Long Beach claims to have the longest beach in the world (hence the name!) – over 20 miles of flat, dark sand. We drove the Durango for miles watching the gulls, sandpipers and kite flyers. We bought kites and tried to fly them, but we picked an afternoon with gale force winds. But there was another guy out there though who was buzzing his six-foot kite around like an angry hummingbird.

We visited a couple of spots on the route of the Lewis and Clark Expedition – a monument marking where Clark traveled up the Washington coast, the beach where they first saw the Pacific Ocean, and a spot on the Columbia River called Dismal Nitch (I love that name!) where the party was trapped for several days by a violent storm. It’s amazing to realize that was only 200 years ago – time flies when you’re transforming a continent!

The scenery changed as we moved down the Oregon Coast – lots of rugged headlands, pounding surf, and rocky outcroppings – a different, spectacular view around every bend. Just south of Lincoln City was a little bay formed where three streams flowed into the ocean. We had fun here watching the crabbers throw their traps into the water and pulling them out a few minutes later filled (hopefully) with crab. The bay was also home to a colony of harbor seals. We watched them feeding at the mouth of the bay until late afternoon when about 25 seals hauled out onto the far beach to relax on the sand.

They have a different attitude toward sea mammals in Gold Beach where the Rogue River meets the sea. The salmon were running and there were dozens of fishing boats trolling the mouth of the river. We spotted several seals and sea lions in the area, as well as a small boat labeled Sea Lion Patrol. Apparently the sea lions have become especially aggressive recently, often stealing the salmon right off the fishing lines. We watched the Sea Lion Patrol chase the sea lions out of the bay by throwing M-80 firecrackers behind them! We were assured that the animals weren’t hurt, and it did seem they weren’t too discouraged because they returned quickly. Frankly, I was rooting for the sea lions!

Gold Beach is also where we did our first whale watching. A couple we met clued us in that several gray whales had been hanging out at a spot just off the coast. We spent a half hour watching them spouting, blowing and flashing their tales as they sounded. Pretty cool! We’re looking forward to doing more of this as we travel south.

On a drive north from Lincoln City we came to a location where hang gliders sail from the top of a cliff to the beach below. An instructor was coaching some beginners and asked if I could take some photos and email them to him. Who knows? I may have my first photo credits in an upcoming issue of Oregon Hang Gliding Magazine.

Not that there haven’t been lots of other great photo opportunities! We stopped to check out a few of the famous lighthouses along the coast.

Another day we drove east from Florence and saw some glorious fall colors on our way to discover some of Oregon’s remaining covered bridges.

We’re looking forward to continuing our journey down the coast. Next stop – northern California. Come back soon. .

I've Been Tagged!?!

2006-09-29T20:30:00.000-07:00

Which means (I’m told) that I’ve been singled out to share more about myself than you might like to know. So if you’re reading this for the travel stuff alone, you might just want to scroll on down or check back another day. This is a good time – my birthday was a few weeks ago and I’m still feeling pretty self-indulgent. My daughter is the one who’s wished this on me – you can check out her great blog at www.differentdirt.blogspot.com.

I am. . on the adventure of a lifetime. Not just because I’m seeing so many new places, but I’ve changed my life so completely.

I want. . very little. We’ve distilled our lives down to the basics. The things I might have coveted in the past – now there’s no use or no room for them.

I wish. . I could find more good, fresh produce in the small towns we visit.

I hate. . traffic. We’ve avoided it pretty successfully the last few months, so it’s hard when we have to deal with it again.

I miss. . just dishing with my girlfriends. Ez is great, and we meet some fun people, but there’s not the shared history.

I hear. . a continuous buzzing in my ears – tinnitus. It’s not as annoying as you might think – just like constant white noise.

I wonder. . what my future grandbabies will be like.

I regret. . not doing more things that scare me.

I am not. . ready to start wearing the baggy, matronly clothes I see other women my age wearing. (So I guess I’d better drop a few lbs. then. . )

I dance. . when I’ve had a couple of drinks! You know, that window of time when you’re relaxed and the music feels right and before you think, uh oh, I’d better sit down now.

I sing. . just like my mother – ACK!! The most pitiful bleating, especially when it’s done with enthusiasm and gusto! In church as a little girl I used to wonder why she couldn’t PLEASE just move her lips!

I cry. . when I hear bagpipe music!?! Also at weddings, in cheesy movies when the underdog finally makes it, when I talk about our kids who are trying to have babies.

I am not always. . as put together as I used to be. I seldom wear makeup these days and sometimes I just put on a hat rather than do my hair.

I make. . pretty good pork chops and scalloped potatoes. My mom taught me the recipe.

I write. . because it helps to clarify things in my head.

I confuse. . a hook and a slice.

I need. . to do some of things I said I would do – like getting more exercise and taking a writing class.

I should. . start getting up earlier.

I start. . a new book only after I’ve finished the one I’m on.

I finish. . my husband’s sentences when he can’t find the word he wants.

So. . that's it! I guess it's customary to pass the torch so to speak and tag someone else, so I guess I'll tap my daughter-in-law. How about it, Princess Shine?? No pressure - remember, it took me a couple of months to get this one done. .

2006-09-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

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The Great Northwest - August 17 - September 17, 2006

2006-09-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

We’re Ba-ack! I’d like to say we’ve been sooo busy that I haven’t had time to work on the blog, but honestly - it’s not true. You’re talking about two people who can sleep ten hours at a stretch, so who are we kidding!!

We had a great time exploring the Puget Sound area. Our first stop was the quaint little town of Gig Harbor – across the Narrows Bridge from Tacoma and one of our favorite spots. We made a visit to the Tides Tavern, one of my old haunts from years past, where we enjoyed the view of the harbor and some great food. I’ve been hunting down the perfect crab louis and Ez is looking for the world’s best clam chowder, so we both did some research. Ez also indulged me by driving around Tacoma to check out the old neighborhoods and scenes from my childhood. Some places have really changed; others, not so much. Tacoma has the reputation of being a real blue collar town – which is true; but it also has some beautiful old neighborhoods that look down over the bay. Of course, I always lived in the blue collar part of town. .

We took the ferry to nearby Vashon Island to visit Ez's former brother-in-law and his wife at their lovely home. She's quite the gardener as you can see and the yard is overflowing with flowers. We enjoyed ourselves so much, we missed the last ferry and had to spend the night. Darn!

Next we traveled south to the little town of McKenna where we spent a week camping out at my brother’s place. He and his wife have a great log home on a big wooded lot that looks like a park! They don’t have a driving range of course, but that didn’t stop us from giving them their first golf lesson by driving golf balls out into the woods!

We took a drive down to Mt. St. Helens one afternoon – the first trip for all of us. The devastation is still pretty dramatic, even though the mountain blew its top way back in 1980. The forest is beginning to recover, but there’s still that big crater where half of the mountain used to be.

One of our favorite days was when we went sailing out of Olympia with some friends on their two sailboats. It was sunny and a brisk, fresh breeze came up that made for a perfect day on the water.

We left McKenna and moved on to Hood Canal – which isn’t a canal at all, but an arm of Puget Sound. As you can see from the photo, our RV site looked right out onto the canal, so we had a front row seat for watching seals, eagles and osprey. My cousin and his wife have a home right on the water nearby, so we enjoyed spending time with them and some of their friends. They also loaded us up with fresh crab, smoked salmon, and clams, so we’re set for seafood for a while. And my brother and his wife brought their boat over for a day, so we were treated to another day on the water. We added Hood Canal to the growing list of places where we’d like to spend more time.

From Hood Canal it was an hour's drive to Bremerton where we walked on to the ferry to Seattle. From the ferry terminal in Seattle we were within striking distance of Pike Place Market, the Seattle Aquarium and all the other waterfront sights. We had lunch at the Athenian Lunch at Pike Place Market (where scenes from Sleepless in Seattle were filmed) and did further crab louis/clam chowder research.

Our odyssey was interrupted when we got bad news – a very dear friend succumbed to cancer and we flew back to Phoenix for the services. We were glad to see some family and old friends, but the circumstances were heart-breaking. We’re back on track again now, but with a new appreciation for every day we’re lucky enough to have together.

Whidbey Island, WA - August 10-16, 2006

2006-08-21T16:28:00.000-07:00

We traveled to the Puget Sound area was over the North Cascades Highway, one of the most spectacular drives we’ve experienced so far on our trip. We ran into some heavy rain on the trip, which explains why this is such a lush, green part of the country. We stopped at a viewpoint where we learned that writer Jack Kerouac spent a summer as a fire spotter at the watch tower on a distant peak. Who knew??

We were headed for Whidbey Island, a laid back haven separated from the mainland by the bridge over treacherous Deception Pass. It seems a lifetime away from the congested urban corridor that stretches from Everett to Olympia. Our RV park was less than a mile from the Deception Pass Bridge, so we were close to its spectacular views as well as lots of other picturesque scenes. Whidbey is home to a naval air station, lots of small farms, and the shores are lined with vacation getaways as well as full time residences.

We spent lots of time exploring Whidbey Island from one end to the other. We wandered through the small towns, strolled the beaches and even took in the Highland Games one Saturday. If you’re not familiar, the Highland Games could be described as a Scottish cultural festival – Scottish dancers and music, bagpipe band competitions, and distinctly Scottish athletic games such as the caber toss (that’s the picture of the guy getting ready to toss what looks like a telephone pole!). We had a great afternoon watching all the happenings, eating scones, and discovering that Robinsons are part of Clan Gunn!

One day we caught a ferry across the sound to Port Townsend, a charming seaside town with lots of great Victorian homes. We did some sightseeing before grabbing dinner on a deck looking over the harbor and then sailed back to Whidbey at twilight. We did another day trip to nearby La Conner which also included lunch on a deck with another great view of boats sailing by against a backdrop of water and mountains. What a life! (That's a view of LaConner in the pic at the top of this blog entry.)

Whidbey also makes a great jumping-off point for a trip to the San Juan Islands, so one morning we drove to nearby Anacortes to catch the ferry to Orcas Island. We picked a ferry that stopped at a couple of other islands on the way so we could spend more time checking out the glorious scenery from the deck. Then we spent the day sightseeing across the island including (guess what?!) lunch on the deck with a view of the docks at Westsound harbor. At Deer Harbor we trained our binoculars on tiny Deer Island in the middle of the harbor where Gene Hackman is reputed to have a home. We saw a sailboat, but no Gene!

We were blessed with glorious weather while we were on Whidbey Island. Even if the day dawned cloudy and foggy, the sun was out by early afternoon. We decided this was another reason to sleep in, since we didn’t have to worry about missing any sun! What a pair of slugs! The last pic is the western shore of Whidbey at sunset - stunning. . .

We readied ourselves for the next stage of our trip, driving through the traffic on the dreaded I-5 corridor through Seattle. Our destination is Gig Harbor, just across the Narrows Bridge from Tacoma, my home town! Check back soon to see how it went. .

Northern Idaho/Winthrop, WA - July 28-August 9, 2006

2006-08-21T16:08:00.000-07:00

We were excited to get to Idaho and see the beautiful lakes and scenery we’d heard so much about. Our first few days were spent in an RV park near Sandpoint which made a convenient jumping off place for exploring Lake Pend Oreille. Sandpoint is a great little town – good shopping, decent restaurants and lots of charm. We added it to the growing list of places where we could see ourselves spending more time. As we explored the small communities around the lake with their summer homes and marinas, Ez rekindled his interest in boats and soon he was cooking up plans that involved buying a boat to use in Phoenix and our fictional seasonal getaway in Idaho. (Actually, it sounded pretty good!)

Next we moved a few miles down the road to Coeur d’Alene – the city and the lake. Coeur d’Alene is like Sandpoint’s bigger, richer neighbor. The homes are larger and fancier and there’s more traffic on the roads and on the lake. We took a couple of long drives along the lake and had fun checking out the homes that ranged from modest cabins to palatial estates.

We had two memorable dinners in Coeur d’Alene. One night we ate on the floating dock of a lovely shoreline restaurant and watched the moon rise over the lake – very romantic! Another time we did a dinner cruise around the lake with a fun couple we met from Casa Grande. The scenery was great even if the entertainment consisted of a senior citizen in an Elvis costume playing the accordion!

Even though we were in one of the most scenic areas of the country, I didn’t take as many pictures as I might have because of the smoky haze in the air. We found out later it was caused by a huge forest fire in north central Washington that was sending smoke to the east. Then we found out that the fire was near our next destination, but wasn’t expected to give us any trouble. More about that later. .

Although we enjoyed exploring the lake, we logged the most miles traveling between our RV park and Spokane attempting to solve our DVD problems. We’d already purchased and returned several DVD players trying to find one that would replace the original one that came with the coach. Next we took the defective machine to an electronics repair store to have it fixed – but it was diagnosed beyond help. Then we spent a couple of afternoons consulting with the various techno-geeks at Circuit City and Best Buy. They proposed some pretty creative solutions, and we finally bought a new unit that had the necessary connections. Ez had to cut away the back of the electronics cabinetry however to make it fit, but now we can watch movies again! Woo Hoo!

Our drive to Winthrop, WA took us through some great new scenery – the rolling wheat fields and orchards of eastern Washington. We saw the Grand Coulee Dam and lots of country that reminded us of Arizona.

The town of Winthrop is on the eastern slopes of the Cascades though so we were soon back in the trees. This is another little town that ranks real high on the charm register, and it was just voted one of Sunset magazine’s top ten places to have a second home! Our RV park was right next to a little lake about a mile outside of town and one of the most picturesque places we’ve stayed. That forest fire was burning northeast of us, but the winds were blowing in the opposite direction so we had less smoke than when we were 180 miles away in Coeur d’Alene. One evening we took our lawn chairs down by the lake and watched the full moon rise over the lake. At the same time we could see flames from a back fire rising up over a distant ridge. Both beautiful sights, but in very different ways. . .

I’m thinking that it’s good to be back home in Washington and we’re looking forward to seeing the Puget Sound area. Next stop is Whidbey Island north of Seattle. . .

Missoula and Glacier National Park, MT - July 18-30, 2006

2006-08-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

Missoula is the “big city” of western Montana, so we used this opportunity to make visits to all the big box stores. Our DVD player is acting up, so we’ve been on a mission to find another that has the appropriate connections and will actually fit in the available cabinet space. As we would soon learn, this is an effort that will consume lots of time and effort without success. .

We also used our brief stay in Missoula to make a nice day trip. I’ve been reading Stephen Ambrose’s history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, so I was excited to visit Travelers’ Rest, one of the actual campsites on their journey. The location was confirmed from mercury deposits in the soil at the location of the old latrine. Apparently, Dr. Rush’s pills, made primarily of mercury and commonly known as “Thunderclappers”, were a favorite medication of the time used to treat just about everything. Pity the poor soldiers who had to endure the treatments that left behind those telltale signs. . .

At the same site we surprised a couple of fawns hiding in the underbrush. See if you can pick out the two pairs of ears sticking up. . .

And later that day we indulged one of our favorite pastimes – wandering through a fabulous house from days past, thinking about what it must have been like to live there. This house in Hamilton, MT is in a beautiful park-like setting and was owned by the widow of one of the Montana copper kings.

The trip to Columbia Falls north of Kalispell was short in miles but long on grief. There was road construction most of the way, so we bumped along on miles washboard road and threaded our way through hundreds of yellow traffic cones. No easy task in a 42 foot motorhome pulling an SUV. The rig arrived in good shape, our pleasant dispositions – not so much. Luckily, it didn’t take long to get over it. .

Glacier National Park is awe-inspiring – as beautiful as the Tetons, but instead of just looking at the mountains, you can also drive over them! We drove across the park on the Going to the Sun Highway, a twisty road with beautiful vistas and wildlife around every turn. We stopped at one point and saw four female mountain goats on the cliffs above, each accompanied by her kid. It’s amazing to watch the babies gingerly tip toe along the narrow ledges following Mom.
Another amazing sight – the folks in the SUV ahead of us who stuck their heads out the moon roof to watch the scenery and the biker gang going by in the other direction!

We got in a couple of rounds of golf during our stay – beautiful courses with lots of character and some challenging holes. But my favorite part was the doe with two fawns on the third hole. The fawns were gamboling and playing together like puppies while the doe quietly grazed on the nearby trees. Deer are a common sight here – it’s not unusual to see them standing or resting in the yards like animated lawn ornaments.

We spent a couple of days exploring Flathead Lake – once by car and then again when we rented a pontoon boat for half a day. The boat trip was one of our favorite days – we got to relax, swim, drink beer and check out all of the great lakefront homes. We decided it was unfair that our parents didn’t have money so we could inherit a little log cabin with a boat and dock on Flathead Lake – damn!!

Oh, well – we’re off to Coeur d’Alene where I’m sure we’ll see more objects of envy. Sigh. .

Anaconda, MT - July 11-17, 2006

2006-07-17T14:44:00.000-07:00

This time we’ve landed in an RV park between Butte and Anaconda, MT – both towns with a long history with mining. Butte was once a wealthy mining center; the scaffolds of old head frames still tower above the town and the hills beneath are honeycombed with over 10,000 miles of tunnels. Anaconda is a small, neat community dominated by an old smelter stack and miles of coal black slag piles. In either town you’ll have to look hard to find anything built after World War II.

The big money was in Butte. We toured the mansion built by William Clark, one of the so-called “Copper Kings.” Down the street is the replica of a French chateau he built later as a wedding gift for his son. There are lots of other stately old homes as well. The historic downtown section stretches for blocks. The office buildings are well preserved – it looks like a movie set – but they’re primarily occupied by coffee shops, print shops, and other small businesses, not major employers.

Anaconda is a working class town that has also seen better days but is trying to capitalize on its former glory. They have a first class Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course (The Old Works) that uses the fine black tailings from the old slag piles in the traps instead of the usual sand. The course is built on the site of an old smelter operation, hence the name. It’s a beautifully maintained course with lots of character that’s a real challenge to play. We had dinner at a steak house that looked like someplace I might have gone with my folks back in the 50’s – shrimp cocktail appetizers, dim lighting, and black leather banquettes. Like most restaurants in this part of the country, your best bet is to order the steak – anything else is a risky choice – trust me!

On Sunday, we visited the local craft fair in Anaconda. One of the fund raising events was a duck race. I got a photo of all of the kids who were "helping" to capture and tally the winning ducks.

One of our day trips took us to Deer Lodge, site of the old Montana prison. This place will remind you of the prison featured in “The Shawshank Redemption” – only not as luxurious. Some cells had no plumbing – just two buckets – one for water and one for waste. It almost makes Alcatraz look like a resort. We spent well over an hour in the vintage car museum located adjacent to the prison featuring some vehicles from the earliest days of motoring through the fifties. I liked the “motor home” from the 1930’s where the kitchen was located in the same space as the bathroom?!?

Also in Deer Lodge is a perfectly preserved cattle ranch, basically untouched from the early 20’s. It was a treat to see the old bunkhouse, the vintage wagons and farm equipment, and the elegant farmhouse where several generations of this well-to-do family lived. We also got to meet several draft horses and some longhorn cattle whose horns spanned at least four feet!

Our other excursion was to Phillipsburg, another western town that saw its heyday during the mining boom. Again, many of the buildings here are restored or perfectly preserved. (The picture at the beginning of this post is in Phillipsburg.)
Our favorite stop was a candy factory where they make dozens of flavors of old-fashioned taffy as well as a mind-boggling assortment of chocolates and fudge. You would have been truly amazed at our restraint given the level of temptation.

Another authentic feature of these old towns is the number and variety of bars, saloons, and taverns. Some of them have a certain charm, others are still as sleazy as they probably were “back in the day.”
Note the smaller sign on the bar in Phillipsburg!

Next we will make our way to Glacier National Park, making a stop in Missoula along the way. Stay tuned. .

Yellowstone National Park - July 5-10, 2006

2006-07-17T12:48:00.000-07:00

It’s just a short, scenic drive from Grand Teton National Park to Yellowstone. We’d heard stories about the tourists and traffic jams so we were gratified when our initial trip through the park went smoothly. Because we were in the motor-beast and pulling the Durango, we decided to drive directly to our next destination without making any stops. We’d save the sightseeing for another day.

Driving through, we couldn’t help but notice how the park is recovering from the devastating forest fires of 1988. I never realized what huge sections of Yellowstone were blackened by the fires that year. Even though it’s been 18 years, you can still see acres of small lodgepole pines that have grown up since that summer. Scattered among the smaller trees are the charred remains of the big trees that were destroyed. It’s all still beautiful in its way, but a dramatic reminder of how widespread the devastation was that year.

All the stories you’ve heard about the wildlife in Yellowstone are true. We’d only gone a few miles inside the park when we had to stop to allow a doe and her fawn to cross the road and it’s common to see large herds of elk and buffalo grazing along the highway. They all seem relatively unconcerned with the many tourists that stop to watch and take pictures. A pair of bald eagles had set up housekeeping in a nest just a few feet from the road. The park service had posted a helpful sign asking cars not to stop along that stretch of highway, but the result was a stream of vehicles that slowed to a snail’s pace as they tried to catch sight of them. Again, the eagles perched on the nest appeared oblivious to the cars below.

Our home base for this part of our trip was several miles from the park along the Madison River. This area is known for world-class fly fishing and every day we saw dozens of anglers along the river, either fishing from the shore or navigating their boats down the rapids. This is cattle ranching country with golden plains that stretch up to the mountains in the distance. We made a couple of trips to the little town of Ennis where we played a round of golf and enjoyed lunch at an old-fashioned drugstore/soda fountain. We also had some real decent Chinese food in a western bar with a restaurant in the back. A few miles up the road are the old silver mining towns of Virginia City and Nevada City. In Virginia City we saw the old building where four outlaws were strung up from a beam by a band of local vigilantes. Their graves are now a tourist attraction at the local boot hill.

Because we were quite a distance from Yellowstone, we only took one trip back for a closer look at the attractions there. We spent a day checking out Old Faithful and many of the other geothermal phenomena in that area. It’s quite amazing to see all of the bubbling, smoking, gushing, and blowing out of the ground! It’s humid, hot and everything smells like sulphur. And of course, you’re experiencing all of this with thousands of other people. I preferred trying to imagine what it must have been like to come upon this scene 150 years ago when this was truly a wilderness. I know we missed lots of other great Yellowstone sights, but we’ll save these for a future trip.

Next, we’re headed up towards Butte, MT. This RV park was quite remote; we had to drive over 25 miles to the nearest “real” grocery store. We made a plan to try to stick closer to the trappings of civilization. . . Check back to see if we're successful.

Grand Teton National Park - July 1-4, 2006

2006-07-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

When we came over the mountains and saw the Grand Tetons for the first time, all the other fabulous sights we’ve seen in our travels were forgotten. Even if you’ve seen pictures, you’re never quite prepared for the reality of this scene – it’s overwhelming!

Our campground was just about six miles from the park entrance – a good jumping off point for our exploring. Driving down through Jackson Hole to the town of Jackson, we stopped at every turnoff for a Kodak moment. Jackson is a hoppin’ place – real stores like Eddie Bauer and The Gap mixed in with the obligatory tourist traps and some good restaurants. We joined a couple from Salt Lake for dinner at a great restaurant – he’s a former restauranteur who looks at fine dining as research – good company and fun to share a table with!

The wildlife in this area runs a close second to the scenery. We had to stop the car at one point while 20 or more buffalo crossed the road in front of us. We saw more elk than deer on our sightseeing drives – and we saw quite a few deer! Near our RV park, two pairs of osprey had built their nests on platforms constructed on top of power poles near the river. Every time we drove by you could expect to see the female sitting on the nest and the male perched close by watching for a likely fish dinner to swim by.

But above all, the Tetons are moose country! Lots of good habitat – ponds and slow-moving streams or rivers filled with grasses and surrounded by willows. We found that the best indicator of wildlife is when you see lots of cars parked at the side of the road with people staring off into the distance.

That’s how we found our first moose sighting – a cow and her calf standing in a reed-filled pond next to the road. They were feeding contentedly, apparently oblivious to the near pandemonium on the road above them! We snapped a bunch of pictures and went on our way. When we passed again a few hours later, mother and baby were still calmly entertaining the crowd!

Not all of our wildlife encounters had the same Disneyland-like atmosphere. We took off exploring on some dirt roads a few days later and came upon a pair of young moose who trotted down a hill near us, munched on some shrubs for a while, and then wandered back up the hill and out of sight. They seemed more concerned about the deer on the far side of the meadow than they were about us. This was the perfect time of year to be exploring because the remote forests and meadows are carpeted with dozens of varieties of wildflowers. Wish my pictures could do justice to the beauty of it all.

We drove up to Teton Village one afternoon. That’s where the ski resort is located. Even though it’s not ski season, the restaurants and shops were bustling and the tram to the top was running. We spent some time watching a classic car auction that was going on while we were there and somehow managed to resist bidding on any of the cars.

We decided to spend the 4th of July at the RV park and avoid all the crowds and noise at the big celebration in Jackson. What we didn’t know was that the park was hosting a youth group get-together and over 100 teenagers would be setting up camp across the road from our RV! ACK!!! Ez thought that blasting classic rock on our iPod player would send them packing, but no. . We finally relented, went inside the coach, closed the windows, and watched old movies on TV.

Don’t forget to stayed tuned for our next episode when our intrepid adventurers tackle the vacation hordes at Yellowstone. .

Across Wyoming - June 24-30, 2006

2006-07-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

We spent the next week traveling across Wyoming toward Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Our first stop was in the small town of Buffalo where we spent three days relaxing, playing golf and checking out the local sights. Our park here was situated in a lovely, tree-shaded spot where we were visited daily by deer and three wild turkeys. The park featured a short trail through an adjoining wooded area where we spotted red winged blackbirds and meadowlarks. The golf course was lovely – lots of trees and big, grassy fairways. My game is improving so I’m enjoying it more. Soon I may have to start keeping score!

We spent a couple of delightful happy hours with Mary Jane and Joe, full timers who spend their winters in Wellton outside of Yuma. When they reported seeing moose on the highway a few miles out of town, we had to go take a look. I’ve never seen a moose! We saw lots of great scenery (as usual) but no moose . . Better luck next time. . .

Another day of driving through the “big wide open” of Wyoming brought us to the small town of Lander. Like many of the towns we’ve passed through in the west, this one is loaded with historic charm. It’s easy to see why so many retirees and telecommuters are moving here from the big cities. But we always have to remind each other – just think what it’s like here in the winter!

Lander had one advantage missing in many of the towns we’ve visited – a better-than-decent restaurant (with a funny name)! We spent a great evening dining on the vine-covered porch, drinking good wine and listening to a funny little band that wandered in to provide some background music. If you’re ever in Lander, Wyoming – visit Cowfish!

We decided to take a guided audio-tape tour through the mountains around Lander. It’s kind of fun driving along and listening to the narration which included western music and cowboy poetry. . Our first stop was Sinks Canyon – a remarkable spot on the Popo Agie (rhymes with ambrosia!) River where the stream cascades into a cave and runs underground for over half a mile before rising into a tranquil pond where dozens of huge trout hang out year round. Alas, no fishing allowed!

Our tour also took us to South Pass City, a historical mining town, where we looked through the restored buildings and tried to get a sense for what it was like when it was a bustlin’ burg. Times were tough – in the cemetery we saw the grave of a 19-year-old girl who died when her kidneys burst because her corset was fastened too tight! And I thought low-rise jeans were unforgiving!

We also stopped in at the bar in nearby Atlantic City for a couple of cold ones. This is also a historic town, but folks are still living there, trying to eke out a living where the snow drifts can reach 23 feet in winter and the snow plows don’t come through on the weekends. There was a picture on the wall of a young Robert Redford relaxing at the bar – I bet he was there in the summertime!

Before leaving we made a pilgrimage out to a small cemetery on the Shoshone Indian Reservation where it’s believed that Sacajawea is buried. According to stories, she lived to be 100 years old! I’ll be reading a history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to learn more about this remarkable woman who left on her journey when she was just 15 years old.

Stayed tuned – next stop Grand Teton National Park. .

Black Hills, South Dakota - June 17-24, 2006

2006-06-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

The Black Hills of South Dakota boast some of the most beautiful scenery we’ve experienced so far. The terrain is rugged, but the forest is laced with beautiful, grassy meadows – each one prettier than the last. We stayed at a rather remote location about 25 miles from Rapid City and about 8 miles from the Mount Rushmore Memorial. Driving to and from the RV park was always an adventure since we often saw deer (as common as rabbits according to one resident), antelope, wild burros, and buffalo along the way. One morning we drove around a bend in the road and saw 30-40 buffalo grazing along a hill. There was a solitary bull that liked to hang out at one particular spot along the road. You can see the photo that Ez got by sneaking up close while I stayed back in the Durango with the door closed! We even saw a family of Bighorn sheep in the area near Mount Rushmore.

The Black Hills are also a tourist mecca, so in the midst of all this natural beauty is also a bizarre assortment of other attractions. You can visit the National Presidential Wax Museum, Holy Terror Mini-Golf, the Flintstones campground and the Museum of Woodcarving. We visited Bear Country U.S.A., a drive-through park where you can see elk, bears, mountain lions and other wildlife. (Of course, we heard in the news that the owners have been accused of selling bear gall bladders for use in Chinese medicinal treatments – maybe they should call it Gall Bladder U.S.A.??) See the picture below of bears at Bear Country U.S.A. "doing what comes naturally."

We visited the Crazy Horse Memorial where they’ve been carving a huge monument to the Indian leader for over 50 years ($10.00 per person admission, nightly laser light show, museums and gift shop). So far they’ve finished the 9-story-tall face and are working on the horse’s head. We did see one blast while we were there, but this may not be completed before our grandchildren are dead and gone. .

Of course, it’s the Mount Rushmore Memorial that everyone comes to see and it is spectacular. We spent part of a day visiting and then returned a few days later with our friends Mike and Florence to see the evening show. During the evening show they ask all military veterans (and their spouses) to come to the stage for a special ceremony, so the four of us joined other veterans of all ages for this special part of the program. It really is very moving. .

We also got a very important bit if business handled while we were in Rapid City – Ez and I got our driver licenses, so we are now officially citizens of South Dakota! We also played 9 holes of golf and I got the worst haircut of my life! After glopping three different kinds of product on my locks, my head looked like a brillo pad with a face! Oh well, I knew this would occasionally happen when I said good-bye to Kimberly who’d styled my hair for 20 years!

Our campsite was beautiful, and because we had no television, WiFi or cell phone service, we spent a lot of time reading and relaxing. We enjoyed a spectacular lightning storm one evening, and one afternoon we hiked to the top of the hill behind our camp where we could see the Rushmore memorial in the far distance. Even though we were here for a week, the days slipped away and we never did see the northern Black Hills where Sturgis, the badlands and Deadwood are located. I guess we’ll save these for a future trip. Next we’ll be working our way back across Wyoming toward Yellowstone and the Tetons. Stay tuned. . .

Fort Laramie, WY - June 13-16, 2006

2006-06-25T07:44:00.000-07:00

While the high plains of Wyoming have a unique beauty, our RV park in Fort Laramie was probably the least charming stop on our journey so far! It didn’t help that we arrived with temperatures near 100 degrees and 30-50 mph winds! The park was right by the railroad tracks and freight trains pulling 120 to 150 cars went by at all times of the day and night – and since there was a train crossing nearby, they blew their whistles every time! (Actually, even when they woke us at night, we generally went right back to sleep..) Another unfortunate circumstance – a forest fire several miles away filled the air with smoke, cutting our visibility and burning our eyes. The fire persisted for several days while we were in the area, although it really affected us just one evening.

In spite of these little problems, Fort Laramie gave us a fascinating look into the history of the American west – especially the westward migration of the wagon trains. Much of the original Fort Laramie is preserved as part of the very comprehensive national park exhibit. We toured the old officers’ quarters, commanding officer’s and surgeon’s homes, barracks, and other buildings. Many of the displays were decorated as they would have been back in the 1870’s and our audio tour included narratives from people who lived at Fort Laramie during that time. We also watched a firearms demonstration featuring two different types of rifles used during the civil war and later – Ez liked that! It’s easy to imagine what a welcome sight the fort would have been for the pioneers who had already traveled many months across the prairie to get to this spot.

Also near Fort Laramie were two other glimpses of life on the trail west. A few miles after the pioneers left Fort Laramie, they came to Register Cliff where many of the travelers carved their names and left other messages for those who came later. You can still see dozens of these names and dates carved into the stone. Unfortunately, every fool who came along after that also thought they needed to add their name to this historical landmark! They’ve tried to fence off the area where the oldest names are located, but the desecration still occurs. Too bad – it really takes away from this interesting site.

Just a few miles away you can see a vivid picture of what the pioneers went through at the Oregon Trail Ruts. Here the covered wagons were forced into a single line as they traveled up a hill and wore ruts into the rock over the years. At some places the ruts are as much as five feet deep. Here's Ez standing in the middle of one of the ruts. You can certainly imagine that this trip was no picnic! I’ll take the comforts of the motor home any day!

Next we’re off to the Black Hills of South Dakota to see the sights and take care of some business – getting ourselves set up as South Dakota residents complete with driver licenses!

Golden, CO - June 5-12, 2006

2006-06-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

After spending time in so many small towns, we were anxious to sample a taste of urban living again. Golden is a suburb of Denver and we stayed in a small RV park on Clear Creek just a few blocks walk from downtown Golden. This spot is real popular with Golden residents who stroll and walk their pets in the nearby park and on the path along the creek. We had fun watching all the kayakers who practiced their skills in the rapids along this section of the creek.

We had several places we were looking forward to visiting in the Denver area – Costco, Camping World, and Home Depot were on our list. I wanted to get to Nordstroms, but had to settle for a trip to Foleys Department Store to stock up on my favorite lotions and potions. We made the obligatory pilgrimage to the Coors Brewery to sample their products and actually developed a taste for Blue Moon, the Coors version of a microbrew. We took a tour of the Molly Brown Mansion in a lovely old area of downtown Denver where they lived in over 5000 feet of luxury with only one bathroom!!

We crossed paths with our friends Mike and Florence again. Mike is a real railroad buff – he had an elaborate G scale train set in the backyard of their home in Massachusetts – so we went with them to visit the Colorado Railroad Museum. We also spent time with our niece Jana and her family who live in Aurora One evening we watched her son Casey, who’ll be on his high school varsity basketball team next year, play a couple of practice games at a local gym. Casey is in with some pretty talented company – three of the players are the sons of former professional athletes, including John Elway’s son! Jana and Paul also took us to some downtown Denver hot spots, including a comedy club. Needless to say, this was the most sophisticated entertainment we’d experienced in a long time. .

On the last day of our visit we walked to downtown Golden where they’d blocked off the main streets for a classic car show. It was a glorious day and we wandered among the crowd looking at all the vintage cars we can’t afford! Of special interest – a perfectly restored travel trailer from the 1940’s! It as very cool and had all the bells and whistles from that time, but certainly a lot different from what we’re traveling in. .

Getting around the Denver area means spending a lot of time on freeways, so although we had mixed feelings about leaving the advantages of city living, we were glad to head back to the less traveled roads. Next stop – Wyoming!

Buena Vista, CO - May 30 - June 4, 2006

2006-06-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

After leaving Chama, NM we traveled up through the center of the state to Buena Vista, CO. Now we have our first sight of the highest points in the rugged Rocky Mountains. Our route took us through wide grassy plains surrounded on all sides by snow-topped peaks. Buena Vista (pronounced Byoo-na Vista by the locals!) is a charming little town nestled between the mountains on the west and the Arkansas River on the east. We enjoyed driving around town looking at the historic downtown and the quaint Victorian homes. Another flashback – the Comanche Drive-In Theater! We hadn’t been to the drive-in in over 25 years, but we couldn’t pass up seeing Tom Cruise in MI3 on the really big screen. No portable speakers these days – you tune to a specific channel on the radio to pick up the audio feed. That was the only high tech aspect of this flashback experience though!

The mountains of central Colorado are littered with the remnants of old gold and silver mines and the ghost towns where the miners settled. We visited several of these old towns – St. Elmo, Winfield and Vicksburg . Some of them are still inhabited or are partially restored, others are just falling into decay. But all of them are fascinating glimpses into how people lived back in the day.

One of our day trips took us across the Continental Divide over Independence Pass to Aspen. This road would almost qualify as a carnival ride with all of the switchbacks, steep drop offs and narrow roads. Aspen is pretty swell – lots of swanky shops, fancy dining and fabulous homes – so of course, we fit right in! We stuck around for a coupcouple of hours, had dinner at a Mexican restaurant, and then headed back home over the pass.

On our drive we noticed some old buildings on the far side of a lake we passed – we even stopped to check them out with our binoculars and wondered how you could get there. Well . . . our neighbors at the RV ranch told us how we could get to a trail that would take us to the buildings and some great fishing! The next day we hiked about two miles to the old Inter-Laken Resort that was built by a successful mine owner from Leadville. We visited his elaborate summer cabin by the side of the lake as well as the hotel and other buildings designed to amuse the wealthy visitors from Leadville and beyond. One highlight – a round outhouse with six separate compartments that featured leather seats! The height of luxury in those days I guess. .

The other highlight of the day was catching a nice mess of trout from our spot at the edge of the lake! I caught most of them – but Ez claims this is because he was always having to unhook my line when it got caught in the rocks or take my fish off the hook, etc. . . There may be some truth to that, but the fishing gods were also smiling on me that day.

We enjoyed the area around Buena Vista so much that we extended our stay for a couple of days. That gave us time to visit Salida, another quaint historic town, and get in a round of golf at the little course in Buena Vista. The course wasn’t world class, but the views were amazing! One evening we saw over 20 deer in a meadow that adjoined the course. We also saw about 15 Rocky Mountain big horn sheep grazing along the side of the road near the Arkansas River.

After enjoying the charms of small-town Buena Vista, we’re off to the Denver area on the next leg of our trip. Check in later for more of our hair-raising adventures!!

Chama, New Mexico - May 22 - 29

2006-05-31T12:05:00.000-07:00

The next leg of our journey took us through some of the most beautiful scenery we've ever seen! We took the short trip from Durango to Chama with a couple we'd met in Durango - Mike and Florence - formerly from Massachusetts and now full-time motorhomers like us.

In Chama we had our most spectacular camping spot so far - right on the banks of the Rio Chama! I'm sure we won't often be so lucky! We did some fishing along the river and enjoyed walking through the woods and checking out the wildlife. Saw deer and some new birds to add to our life list. There were lots of hummingbirds in the area, so we bought a couple of feeders in town and the little dive bombers kept us amused throughout our visit. A couple of nights we sat by the fire, sipped our wine and watched the stars come out - what a life!

Our daughter Jennifer Miller worked in this area a few years ago doing consulting with the Jicarilla Apache Tribe, so we followed up on a few of her dining suggestions. One day we drove about 20 miles to Dulce, NM for lunch and tried the Jicarilla taco at the Best Western Hotel and Casino. Somewhat different than a Navajo taco, but delicious just the same. (Also dropped about $20.oo in the slots. . ) We also stoppped at the little taco stand in Chama for lunch one day and took a picture to send along to our restaurant critic!

Our biggest adventure in Chama was our trip on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. We were lucky enough to get tickets for the first day of the season. We'd taken the famous Durango-Silverton train some years ago, but we both agreed that this trip is more spectacular. After an hour bus ride to Antonito, CO, we spent the rest of the day on the return trip by train. Our seats were in the parlour car, but we could step out onto the open air viewing platform whenever we chose. That allowed for great views, but also meant smoke and soot when the wind blew the right way. We went over mountain passes, looked down steep cliffs, and crossed trestles that were over a 120 years old! The scenery was amazing. We stopped at one of the old train stations for lunch. We agreed that this was one experience we might want to do again - maybe in the fall when all the aspen are turning colors.

We were sorry to leave Chama - it was a beautiful, relaxing week next to the river. The hummingbirds were sorry to see us go as well. One little guy actually buzzed into the coach looking for his missing feeder! We gently shooed him out and went on our way. Next stop - Buena Vista, CO - in the center of the state. Check back for pictures later. .

Durango - May 11 - 22

2006-05-31T11:09:00.000-07:00

June 12, 2006
For those of you who have been following our journey, you may have noticed that the Durango entry just up and disappeared!! Had a little problem. . Rather than try to recreate all of the text, I'll try to post some fun pictures from our trip to Mesa Verde where we toured several of the old Puebloan ruins. A little hair raising at times!!

Monument Valley - May 11 - 15

2006-05-20T20:21:00.000-07:00

Our next stop was Monument Valley, site of dozens of classic movie Westerns. It was amazing to be in the middle of scenes that were beautiful and familiar at the same time. Home base for our stay was Goulding's Campground, a shady park located in a narrow canyon surrounded by red bluffs and just a short distance from historic Goulding's Lodge and Trading Post.

Monument Valley is located on the Navajo Reservation. Although you can drive a 17-mile loop through the site, to see the remote locations and Anasazi ruins, you'll need to take a tour with a Navajo guide. That's how we found ourselves with a group of other visitors spending the day in an open air four-wheel truck with Billy, our driver and cook. Billy navigated us over dirt roads and sandy washes, showed us off-the-beaten-path Anasazi ruins and petroglyphs, and led us scrambling up over rocks to see natural arches and beautiful views. Around noon we stopped in a remote canyon near some ruins and he cooked our lunch over an open fire. Later in the afternoon when our truck got stuck in the sand, it took Billy, a shovel, and all of the guys on the trip to dig us out. It's the occasional brush with danger that really make your travels memorable!

Mothers Day found us exploring more ancient ruins at Canyon de Chelly. You can see much of the canyon from the roads along the rim. The canyon is lovely with lots of trees and Navajos farms below. We decided to take to hike down to the canyon floor to see White House Ruin, the most famous at Canyon de Chelly. It's somewhat strenuous, but it's worth it to see the shady washes and view the ruins up close. While Ez and I were slowly descending on the switchback trail, we saw a young Navajo running down over the rocks toward the bottom. When we chatted with him later, he said that he can sometimes make the trip out of the canyon in seven minutes! And it's about a mile each way on the trail! And while I didn't get a fancy Mothers Day brunch that day, we did have posole and green chile stew with fry bread for lunch at a restaurant in Chinle. . .

Next we are off to Farmington to have a oil leak problem taken care, and then it's on to Durango, Colorado! We love seeing your comments and getting your emails. . Until next time. .

Page - April 30 - May 11

2006-05-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

We are finally on the road! Yay!

We checked into our first "home away from home" at the Wahweap Campground where we had a site that looked directly over Lake Powell. The view changed constantly throughout the day as the weather changed and the clouds rolled through. I know we won't have such spectacular scenery everywhere we go. .

Ez's family lives in Page, so we spent a lot of time visiting with his brothers and sisters, playing golf, and visiting his old childhood haunts. Ez's sister Rosemary got married on May 6th at Lee's Ferry on the Colorado River. Her husband David told us they chose that site because that's where he got his "first serious kiss." It was a charming, simple ceremony set amidst jaw-dropping views - couldn't have been more perfect!

We took one day trip to Kanab, Utah and Fredonia, Arizona where Ez lived until he was 12. We drove up to the old Robinson Ranch where one of his great-grandfathers kept a home for one of his wives(!) for a time after polygamy was outlawed. Today it's a small ranch set up against the red rocks with a pond filled with baby ducks, fruit trees in bloom, and one very friendly dog. Across the road is an old movie set built over 50 years ago where several old westerns were filmed. It looks like a ghost town now. We watched a 1952 movie with Ez's sister Joyce called "Westward the Women" starring Robert Taylor that was shot at the movie set and in the Kanab area. The movie didn't win any awards, but the scenery was spectacular!

Another day we went out and did some four-wheeling in the Durango. We drove high up on the bluffs that look down on the lake and a site where a developer is beginning to build an exclusive resort. We saw some cool rock formations and more stunning scenery. I had a few "heart in your throat" moments when we came down a steep hill over some big boulders - but we made it!

I have to confess that not everything has been rosy. . Driving up from Phoenix we realized that we had an oil leak that was blowing oil all over the back of the motorhome and the Durango. We made to call to Lou of Lou's Roadside Service who (with help from Ez and his brother) diagnosed the problem as a cracked dipstick housing. Lou ordered a new dipstick assembly, but it couldn't be installed at our campsite, so he sealed up the dipstick housing so it wouldn't leak. We'll be making a little side trip to Farmington, NM to have it installed. In the meantime, we're good to go - just can't check the oil. I suspect that we'll often be faced with the "problem du jour" and will have to just make the best of it. .

Our next leg has taken us to Monument Valley. We'll be here about three days before moving on. Watch for our next post soon - and we'd love to hear from any of you who are following our trip.

April 2006 - The Scottsdale Trailer Corral

2006-04-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

We feel like baby birds who are ready to leave the nest. We've been living full time in the motor home since our house closed on April 7th. On Sunday we take the first step of our journey when we travel to Page.

The last few weeks have been our chance to organize things and adjust to living in 400 square feet rather than 2600 square feet! We've put things in one place, then reconsidered and moved them someplace else. Ez has spent hours storing things in the slides underneath the coach. We've already decided that some things were unnecessary and have tossed them or moved them back to the permanent storage unit. I suspect this process will continue as we travel.

We've also taken care of maintenance on the motorhome, the Durango and ourselves. We've run errands and arranged for things to happen while we're on the road. Happily, we've also spent time with the good friends and family we won't be seeing for a few months.

In the middle of all this activity, Ez retired on April 21st. His co-workers treated him to several nice celebrations, including one featuring the traditional plaque and cake.

Staying here at the Scottsdale Trailer Corral has given us a preview of what life on the road may be like. It's a small place with flowers, trees and lawn just a short walk from all the swinging hotspots in downtown Scottsdale. Our neighbors are a varied bunch - from retirees, working folks, full-time travelers, and permanent residents. Our immediate neighbor is a cranky fellow who spends all his time at home watching TV and swearing like a sailor at his cat. He's the exception of course - everyone else has been very friendly. It's interesting getting to know them and hearing their stories.

Well, I hope to be much more conscientious going forward about documenting our travels. I hope you'll check in occasionally to see how we're doing. And please, feel free to drop us an email and let us know what's going on in your lives as well. Adios for now. . .

Getting Ready

2006-01-28T11:39:00.000-08:00

We're busy getting the motorhome ready for our big adventure. . .