Summer Vacation Starts Early!

We ran away from home a little bit early this year, January instead of May, and we've already had an exciting journey! Our plans are to visit the "Third Coast", also known as the Gulf Coast, along the states of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida, and then head north into the middle east coast. But first…

We've been busy around the house during the holiday season since our return home in early November.  A quick trip to the desert to enjoy the dune buggies, a bit of carpentry work for friends and family along with a block retaining wall project that has been lurking in the background for almost 14 years (!) and washing and waxing the motorhome, all stuffed in between El Nino's conveyor belt of storms into Northern California has kept us hopping. Fill in the gaps with Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, and all the things that happen then and you begin to see what I mean. We're beginning to anticipate a few relaxing months on the road!

We spent the last night at home with our best friends, Steve and Suzi. They invited us for dinner and delicious it was!

Sourdough bread bowls and chicken pot pie filling was extraordinary! We ate and ate, and talked late into the evening! D and I had a bunch of things to do to get ready to leave the next day, so we were up until the wee hours, but it was worth every second to spend our last hours at home with our friends!

Leaving the next morning, we headed south toward the Los Angeles area to visit my Mom and Sister. On the way the GPS in the motorhome quit working and the tow bar attached to "Gus", our tow car decided to spit out a few spacers, allowing the car to sway violently from side to side every time we crossed the slightest off camber bump! A few phone calls later, the various pieces and parts are being shipped and hopefully all will be well.

Three days with the fam, catching up on all the latest, was very enjoyable. Mom is about to reach her 96th birthday, and continues to be full of energy. Monday is wash day for her, and cooking is her passion, with a bit of gardening for the free time she has. She likes to have an afternoon nap, but after all, who doesn't?

Today we left SoCal heading east.

We expect to stay awhile in Quartzsite, AZ, for the annual RV festivities, and will arrive tomorrow for a week and a half of glorious dry-camping in the windy, dusty, Arizona desert. Hmmm. We have stopped tonight in Ehrenberg, AZ, just across the Colorado River from California. There are a number of RV parks along the river catering to snowbirds and we were fortunate to score a spot for the night. We hope to load up with water in the morning, dump all our waste tanks, and do laundry before we leave. Arizona Oasis RV Resort is where we're staying, and it is quite comfortable. Site 12 is a pull-through just long enough for us without disconnecting the "toad", and it will be easy to get out tomorrow. While the spaces are rather close together, the staff is extremely friendly and helpful, and that goes a long way toward making our brief stay a happy one.

Stay with us as we explore this summer. We will be meeting friends and acquaintances, and hopefully making new friends. We would love to share our experiences with you!