This cross-country trip is the manifestation of a dream we have planned for well over ten years. It has always been something that we looked forward to doing in our retirement. Approximately 6 weeks has been allocated for the trip that will reach Victoria, British Columbia, Canada at its furthest point. We are making the trip in a Dodge Dakota and a 21 foot Shadow Cruiser 5th wheel.
Our travel companion is Abby, our one year old Showshoe Siamese Cat that adopted us in September 2007. Abby is now known as the internationally famous incredible traveling cat.
She has welcomed visitors from many counties to the USA - from places like Australia, China Thailand, and Holland.
Arrived home in Marietta, GA on June 11, 2008 after an awesome cross-country trip. We traveled more than 10,300 miles through 24 states (Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina) as well as the Canadian Provinces of British Columbia and Ontario.
June 7-11, 2008 Saturday – Wednesday: Enjoyed a leisurely five-day trip back to Georgia. Stopped in Murphy, NC and relaxed for two days at Peace Valley Campground where we had been Camp Hosts last year. It was good to arrive home on Wednesday.
May 29 – June 6, 2008 – Thursday – Friday: Visited with Sandra's family in New York State. Saw most of the cousins and relatives at a 50th birthday celebration for her sister Janice. Visited sisters - Donna and her family in Rochester and Cathy and her family in Almond, NY. Took a day and did the tourist thing at Niagara Falls – it had been about 40 years since Sandra had last visited this national wonder!
May 24 - 29, 2008 – Saturday - Thursday: Enjoyed our visit with Al's family in southern Ontario. Al saw his Dad every day and looked forward to helping in whatever way he could. Stayed at his sister Linda's and enjoyed doing “fun things” with Linda's fast growing grandkids - Victoria and Christian. Al also enjoyed visiting his brother Gary.
May 23, 2008 – Friday: Had an easy day today – only drove one hour - then camped at the Six Mile Provincial Park near Port Severn. Took the opportunity to tour and visit the local areas. Honey Harbor – is a beautiful and scenic summer retreat community for people from southern Ontario. Port Severn is also a summer retreat - there we watched a boat come through the locks on the Trent / Severn Waterway. We also visited the Big Chute Marine Railway – an engineering accomplishment by which boats of all sizes are taken via land and rails from one lake to another lake that is a different level. Walked some and enjoyed the serenity of the park – it was a very relaxing day!
May 22, 2008 – Thursday: It's 5:00 AM – heard noises – looked outside! About 20 feet away from our camper a BIG brown bear (about 300 lbs) was overturning a garbage can and looking for breakfast. Now that's an exciting way to get the adrenaline going early in the morning! Met and talked to our next-door neighbor campers – a mother / son team - they had an interesting story to tell! The son was on a cross-country bicycle ride for the purpose of raising attention and doing education to encourage youth to become more physically active. They started from Victoria, BC in March and were headed for St. Johns, Newfoundland. The young man bicycles about 125 miles a day, making presentations at schools along the way. Today we enjoyed a pleasant drive with nice weather. The Canadian countryside was extremely pretty – forests, rolling hills, streams, and many beautiful sights along Lake Huron. Camped at Parry Sound – where we were greeted by zillions of black flies that luckily disappeared at dusk. Toured town – Parry Sound Harbor – the entrance to the 30,000 islands of Georgian Bay. Enjoyed a delicious dinner of clam chowder and fish and chips – what else would you expect us to order! Took a shower in the most rustic circumstances of our entire trip! Worked on photo album, drank wine – and enjoyed an overall pleasant evening!
May 21, 2008 – Wednesday: Got an early start, enjoyed many scenic drives by Lake Superior, and drove approximately 150 miles before we reached Sault Ste. Marie and crossed into Canada. Today marks the beginning of the Canadian arm of our vacation tour. Drove over 100 miles and spent the night at a campsite located right on Lake Huron. Cool weather with rain. Beautiful scenery!
May 20, 2008 – Tuesday: Continued our journey through the beautiful farmlands of Minnesota, passed Lake Superior and drove through wooded countryside of Wisconsin, and camped in Michigamme, Michigan.
May 19, 2008 – Monday: Conversations with campers who have “been there – done that journey” - generally provides the wisdom that the novice camper just does not know. Such was the case for us – as we changed our plans and decided to travel scenic Route 23 diagonally across Minnesota instead of going on I-90 towards Buffalo/Canada. We drove through gorgeous farm lands – many of which had just received their spring fertilization (very/extremely aromatic)! Stopped in St. Cloud, Minnesota and did our “first” camp-out at a Wal-Mart – a right of initiation for every camper! Interestingly enough – we had the best wi-fi connection ever! Our experience was great - and as a result we look forward to many more Wal-Mart camp-outs!
May 18, 2008 – Sunday: Started early, proceeded east for two hours, and then visited the city of Wall and drove Hwy 240 through the Badlands. We had seen billboards and signs for at least three states and heard about the Wall Drug Store from many of the campers we talked to. Started in 1931, the Wall Drug Store is known nationally for its “free ice water” policy for travelers - which literally put this tiny town on the map! We enjoyed breakfast there and spent fun time wandering through its country gift store, photo/history gallery, and “back yard”. The Badlands cover over 160 square miles and is a wonderful land of bizarre, colorful spires and pinnacles, massive buttes and deep gorges. Ruthlessly ravaged by wind and water, this land of sharp ridges, steep-walled canyons, gullies, pyramids, and knobs has become picturesque. The forces that carved these features have created a unique topography that have given a strange beauty to this almost desolate land. Continued on our journey and camped at Al's Oasis in Oacoma, South Dakota.
May 17, 2008 – Saturday: Got an early start and covered some territory today! Returned to Mt. Rushmore and walked the trail around the monument that provided ever-changing views of the monument. Rode throughout a good portion of the surrounding State Parks. The Black Hills – an island of mountains in a sea of prairies and rangelands - cover an area the same size as Delaware, about 6000 square miles, and they are vastly different from the flatlands that surround them. Visited “Crazy Horse” - the fifth face. Crazy Horse was born in the Black Hills and is partially credited with Custer's defeat. Still in construction, the 563-foot tall memorial will dwarf the presidents on Mt. Rushmore when completed. Drove Sylvan Lake Road and Needles Highway (some of the most rugged county in the Black Hills). Our journey took us through picturesque lakes, towering granite formations, six picture-perfect tunnels, tight hairpin curves, spiral “pigtail” bridges, mile-high overlooks, and the wildlife ranges where we saw buffalo, deer, goats, and burros.
May 16, 2008 – Friday: Put in another long but interesting day. Drove to Devils Tower, SD – the nation's first national monument. Best remembered for the award winning movie “Close Encounters of a Third Kind” (1978), Devil's Tower is actually the core of a volcano exposed after millions of years of erosion by the weather. Located in the Black Hills of Wyoming, the tower juts skyward 1,267 feet above the tree-lined Belle Fourche River Valley. Native American legend has 7 small girls playing, who were chased by a bear. The girls jumped on the rock and prayed for it to save them. The rock elongated - pushing the girls to the sky where they remain as a cluster of seven little stars (Pleiades). The bear clawing the side of the rock causing the vertical striations. Since our day was still relatively young, so we continued eastward towards Rapid City, and eventually camped near Keystone, Iowa. Keystone began as a small mining town in the 1890's. “New Keystone” is a mile-long retail tourist district. “Old Keystone” is the original gold mining settlement. Being adventuresome, we went to Mt. Rushmore that evening in order to see the monument “in lights” - beautiful!
May 15, 2008 – Thursday: Did a lot today! Took time-out to take the truck for a much need oil change and car wash, and bought it a new battery. Drove over 325 miles and camped in Sheridan, WY. Countryside changed continuously as we drove and provided a multitude of photo opportunities. The panoramic scenes of snow covered mountains, plains / farm land, plateaus were just awesome! The colors were amazing – all shades of green, wheat, brown, and slate.
May 14, 2008 – Wednesday: Today we learned that we were in the park in what is considered their winter – and we soon understood why. Many trails, paths, and most campsites were closed because of snow, fallen trees, animal activity (kills), and unsafe roads. Temperatures were still cool - in the high 30's with slight mist / rain and moderate winds. Our explorations lasted about 8 hours and took us to geysers and hot springs, sulfuric mists, forests and lakes, mountains and canyons, waterfalls and a vast variety of wildlife. Old Faithful – was awesome – a column of scorching hot water that shoots 106 / 180 feet into the air creating clouds of cool water – lasted approximately 4 minutes. On our way back to our campsite we were detained – by bison on the road. They were part of a herd that followed the road that led past our campsite – awesome! That evening we walked Abby - once again Al had the opportunity to make foreign visitors to the USA feel welcome. This time a group of 10 visitors from Bangkok, Thailand were attracted to Abby and took pictures. We enjoyed talking with them and took plenty of pictures! Cool again this evening – cuddle temperatures!
May 13, 2008 – Tuesday: Today we pushed ourselves and arrived at Yellowstone National Park in the late afternoon. Yellowstone is the oldest national park in the world and spans nearly 3,500 square miles in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho – truly a “tiny place”- the size of the states of Delaware and Vermont combined. Since we still had daylight – we explored! Visited the Mammoth Hot Spring – travertine terraces in the NW corner of the park. Travertine is a form of calcium carbonate that is dissolved from limestone beneath the ground and is then carried to the surface by hot water. Their colors represent a variety of bacterial algae that survive at various water temperatures – amazingly beautiful! Once settled we were greeted by an elk grazing about 20 feet from our campsite and later when I went to the rest-room I was about 15 feet away from it – now that is an experience! It was just awesome to observe the animals roaming free on the complex and also in the nearby towns. Later that evening as we walked Abby, an attractive young lady from Australia came by, complimented on Abbys attractiveness, and took Abbys picture. Al took extra time to converse with the young lady – making it his personal duty to make sure she felt welcome as a foreign visitor to the USA. This was the first time on our trip that we “dry-camped”. It is interesting how you can survive without running water or electricity. It got cold in the evening (low 30's) so it necessitated that we cuddle for warmth – it's a tough life!
May 12, 2008 – Monday: Our travels (over 250 miles – 50% twists-turns) took us across three states and a range of terrains today – the desert plains and volcanic bluffs of Washington to the glacier mountains of Idaho / Montana. We crossed the dreaded “Lookout Pass” (elevation 4725 feet with over 15 miles of steep sloping roads) before we arrived at a lovely campground in St. Regis, Montana. Did chores – laundry, e-mails, web-work, etc.
May 11, 2008 – Sunday / Mother's Day: It was a foggy / drizzly / rainy morning so we relaxed and took our time as we decided whether to leave or stay another day. About mid-morning it began to clear up – so off we went! We took yet another route – Hwy 97 south – so we could see more of the Canadian terrain. Our drive took us along both Green Bay and Gellatly Bay. The highway was not as challenging as our other routes and the scenery was panoramic and spectacular – snow covered mountains, beautiful waters, bluffs, cliffs, lush valleys, wineries, and fruit orchards. In Osoyoos – the Wine Capital of Canada - we crossed into the State of Washington, US. Within a short period of time we entered into a desert landscape - rolling plains, flatlands, foothills, and bluffs. We camped at Bridgeport State Park – 748 acres with 7,500 feet of freshwater shoreline on Rufus Woods Lake. The park is located near Chief Joseph Dam and is noted for its “haystacks” - large volcanic formations / mounds of black rock.
May 10, 2008 – Saturday: We enjoyed a challenging, panoramic, scenic two hour drive to Kelowna B.C. Our campsite was located right on the Bay – less than 30 feet from the water with a panoramic view of scenic snow covered mountains just across the Bay. We visited with George and Pauline Anstee – George was Al's friend from his high school years. First they visited us at our campsite - then we went to their house for dinner where we stayed late, caught up on years gone by, and generally just enjoyed each others company. The evening ended all too soon!
May 9, 2008 – Friday: Left very early so we could get to Kingston,WA, cross the floating bridge across the Hood Canal and catch the 7:50 AM ferry to Edmonds, WA. Then we drove north and crossed into Canada in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Opted for scenic Route 3 so we could drive through Manning Provincial Park where we saw incredible snow covered mountains, observed a snow/rock avalanche, saw deer/elk grazing in the forests and walking in a stream, and were constantly amazed at the many beautiful, deep, rich green valleys. We thought the Olympic Peninsula was scenic and remote - but up in the mountains of B.C. is even more so. It was a challenging, panoramic, and incredible drive! At times the mountains seemed so close it was as if it were 3-D and you could reach out and touch the snow covered hills and ground. We spent the evening at the Princeton Golf Club & RV Park where we enjoyed dinner and a gorgeous sunset. Even had an opportunity to apply for a position as summer camp host at a nearby campground. The camp host here was a Canadian named Al with the same accent and sense of humor. When the two Als got talking – they resonated and played off of one another. Later - Al had to translate much of what they said for me to understand “Canadian rap”! The effect of the beetle that is attacking pine trees is very evident in these virgins forests. In some areas over 75% of the pine trees are affected or dead – leaving hundreds of areas naturally deforested – a truly unfortunate circumstance.
May 8, 2008 – Thursday: Two significant factors made us decide to stay for another day (1) this area is extremely scenic and beautiful therefore providing more we wanted to see and (2) the campsite is by far the nicest we've stayed at during our journey. The Olympic Peninsula is very unique – bordered on the west by the rugged Pacific ocean/beaches, on the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and on the east by the spectacular Hood Canal – it is anchored by the majestic Olympic Mountain and provides diversity in terrain and weather. Today we traveled west towards the Pacific Ocean on scenic State Route 112 – the highway along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We stopped many times for photo opportunities along the route, visited significant points of interest, and ate at a road-side diner on the Makah Indian Reservation. The highlight of todays adventures was a walk through the rain forest to Cape Flattery on the Pacific Coast – the most NW point in the continental US. The Pacific coastline scenery was spectacular! It was a wonderful way in which to end to our Washington adventure.
May 7, 2008 – Wednesday: Caught the 8:30 AM Coho Ferry (one hour trip) across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada where we spent the day. The highlight of this adventure was our visit to Butchart Gardens – 55 acres devoted to beautifying a worked-out limestone quarry through the skillful use of rare and exotic shrubs, trees and flowers. The Sunken Garden was our favorite – although the others all were beautiful in their own right – Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, Star Pond, Italian Garden, Piazza, and Mediterranean Garden. In Victoria we enjoyed seeing China Town, Fisherman's Wharf, Parliament, and the famous and impressive Empress Hotel. The ferry trips were fun and Al enjoyed watching the crew maneuver the ship in tight quarters. It was a fun day!
May 6, 2008 – Tuesday - Happy 68th Birthday Al: Started the day with the birthday guys “favorite” breakfast – oatmeal that also included a candle, cards, and birthday breakfast scone. Got a late start on our drive because I made and sold three magnetic bracelets to the park host – it is so much fun when people are familiar with the pain relief principles of magnetics and hematite. Our morning excitement was a deer that selected to cross our lane of the highway, that seemed oblivious to our honking horn, but eventually moved – pretty much just in time! Otherwise we enjoyed a scenic and relatively short drive of about 90 miles to Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula. After getting settled in our camp spot at Elwha Dam Park we did the tourist thing- drove into Port Angeles and got a feel for the city, enjoyed birthday ice cream, drove through a part of the Olympic National Forest/Park (designated a World Heritage Site and Biosphere) that took us towards snowy Hurricane Ridge (most visited section of park) on Mount Angeles, stopped and enjoyed a wine tasting at the Harbinger Winery, and visited the Elwha Dam near the camp site. At this point Al declared birthday rights – some R&R and a moratorium on driving for the rest of the day. So we went back to the camper, broke out the wine and cheese, enjoyed watching TV, catching up on emails, and just chilling out and spending time with Abby.
May 5, 2008: - Monday: Todays drive took us through the remainder of the Oregon coastal towns – the most popular of which were Seaside (Oregon's first oceanfront resort) and Astoria where we enjoyed a hearty late breakfast in the Logger Restaurant. From here we headed west and picked up Route 5 north into Washington. After days of winding coastal roads it was actually nice to be on a major highway again. We quickly learned that Washington is a state of constant change, breathtaking surprises, and drastic changes in scenery – sea meets forest, forest meets desert, and snow-capped mountains tower above all. In Olympia (south of Seattle) we headed west as our destination was Port Angeles and ultimately Victoria, British Columbia. We followed the scenic route along the Bay and Hood Canal to Brinnon a secluded community known for its boundless oyster beds and wildlife. Here we spent the evening in the beautiful Dosewallips State Park. Dinner was crab cakes and chowder at a local restaurant - delicious!
May 4, 2008 – Sunday: Todays trip took us through a number of relatively small towns along the coast so we could once again enjoy the coastline views and scenery – we were not disappointed! Outside of Florence we stopped at the Sea Lions Cave – the largest sea lion cave in the world and home to a colony of Stellar sea lions. An elevator took us down 208 feet to the cave where we observed the sea lions in the ocean and their natural habitat – it was awesome! In the city of Waldport we enjoyed miles of sandy beaches and a beautiful bay. In the coastline community of Newport we stopped for lunch and enjoyed fish & chips and white clam chowder at the Newport Cafe. We camped in Tillamook – best known for its delicious cheeses. We visited both cheese companies – Tillamook Cheese and Blue Heron - enjoyed samples, and bought cheeses and delicious ice cream! We took a scenic drive and visited the 38 foot Cape Meares Lighthouse located on a viewpoint 200 feet above sea level. From that vantage point we had awesome views of the ocean, bluffs, and rock formations. We also had a chance to see the oddly shaped Sitka spruce tree appropriately called the Octopus Tree. It was a full and fun-filled day with numerous photo opportunities!
May 3, 2008 – Saturday: Today our journey took us north and well into Oregon. Our choice was to drive Route 101 along the coast through Oregon so we could enjoy the coastline views and scenery. It's a route that is somewhat more twisty-tourney - that will most likely take us a little longer – but one that we feel is worth the extra time. We drove through the two adjacent cities of Brookings/Harbor and then the Gold Coast – both of which provided awesome panoramics of ocean, seashore, jutting rock formations, and cliffs. Lunch – chowder in a rye bread bowl – was enjoyed at the “Crazy Norwegians” in Port Orford, a community of 1200 population. Our destination was Bandon-By-The-Sea, where we camped in a State park and then toured the Bandon “Old Town” and waterfront. We had enough time to include a drive to Charleston near the Coos Bay – a quaint fishing village off the beaten path but worth the drive. It was a full and fun-filled day!
May 2, 2008 – Friday: Friday we headed north up the coast. Our first stop was Trinidad State Beach – a rugged, rocky bluff overlooking the Trinidad Bay and Pacific Ocean approximately 25 miles north of Eureka. We hiked up Trinidad Head – a 350 foot elevation that provided views of the coastline and nearby rocks. Lunch was enjoyed at a local fishing dock restaurant where we embellished fish /chips and white clam chowder. The Redwood National Forest was our next stop – here we drove the Newton Drury Scenic Parkway and observed gigantic/huge redwood trees and drove through meadows/prairie where we saw grazing elk. Other stops/sights included the Big Lagoon County Park/Agate Beach and the Clam Beach County Park – both of which provided awesome beach/coastline views. It was an wonderful day that provided tremendous photo opportunities and great memories!
May 1, 2008 – Thursday: Arrived in Arcata /Eureka, CA and decided to stay put for a few days and leisurely drive to the scenic areas located nearby by truck. Tuesday we started our exploration of Eureka by driving on route 255 – a scenic drive on the peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and Humboldt Bay. This route took us by the Coast Guard Station where we observed USCG boats practicing maneuvers and watched a ship entering the Bay. We accessed dunes, the beach, and the ocean via public access roads. Our next stop was a marina on Woodley Island – one of three natural islands in Humboldt Bay – where we observed the “Fisherman” a sculpture to commemorate loved ones lost at sea. Our drive through Old Town Eureka took us past many famous Victorian structures – including the Carson Mansion and Carter House. We ordered dinner at a local crepe restaurant. It was a fun and interesting day with plenty of photo opportunities!
April 30, 2008 – Wednesday: After a scenic drive through rolling hills and mountainous scenery we spent the night in Leggett, CA – a sleepy little rural town. Visited the Chandelier Drive-Thru Tree Park - a world renowned attraction that is the first large redwood grove on US 101 north of San Francisco. The Chandelier Tree has a height of 315 feet and a diameter of 21 feet. Our truck easily fit through the hand-hewn opening at the base of the tree – great photo opportunity!
April 29, 2008 – Tuesday: Our route to Sacramento took us across the level San Joaquin Valley which is noted for grazing lands, rich farms, orchards, vineyards, and nut groves. Stayed at the KAO campground in Sacramento Ca. That evening we walked through historic Old Sacramento along the Sacramento River, where California's Gold Rush era is kept alive. Later, enjoyed dinner and “catching up” with Dorel Harms, (California Hospital Association) a colleague and friend from Sandra's career at the Georgia Hospital Association.
April 28, 2008 – Monday: Spent the day at Yosemite National Park. The geology was breathtaking! We drove and stopped often – taking many pictures along the way. We also took the park shuttle tour – just in case we missed something on our own. It was a wonderful experience!
April 27, 2008 – Sunday: Today we completed our drive through the Mojave Desert – again leaving very early to get a jump start on the hot weather. After the desert, passed through rolling cattle country and rich fertile San Joaquin Valley containing over a million acres of irrigated farms. Countryside changed considerably – much more to our liking – more trees, grass, and greenery. Arrived at High Sierra Campground in Oakhurst, CA about noon - just outside of Yosemite National Park. Went to the Chukchansi Casino for lunch and then drove around the city just enjoying the change of scenery and the sights. That evening I sat outside on the picnic table and made magnetic bracelets. People came by and as a result I sold a womans single and mens double.
April 26, 2008 – Saturday: Today we initiated our drive through the deadly Mojave Desert. Temperatures were expected to be in the 90's so we got an early start – before sunrise – as we did not want to drive in the heat of the desert afternoon. Destination California City, near Edwards Air Force Base – alternate landing site for space shuttle when weather does not permit a landing in Florida. Found a shaded and pleasant campsite – Oasis – a true statement for this part of the country. Drove around some, enjoyed Mexican for lunch, and then went back to the campground and just relaxed. Temperatures were comfortable, so we slept with the door open, leaving only the screen door closed so we could enjoy the breezes. About 3:00 AM a black cat came “a courting”. Abby sat intently at the screen door and watched and listened as her courter made known his wishes. Al was horrified! His baby kitty was growing up!
April 25, 2008 – Friday: Today we visited Oakman, AZ an authentic western ghost town and mining camp born in 1906 and located on historic Route 66. The drive there took us through majestic desert scenery. The town is kept as authentic as possible – even friendly burros walk the streets and cowboys have gunfights for visitors - thereby giving tourists a look back into history showing the wild west as it really was. Thousands of motorcyclists were here today – which made it a unique experience for us . Sandra actually walked ahead of Al in the truck and took pictures – as the streets were jam packed with bikers.
April 24, 2008 – Thursday: Today we had a 6 hour ride leaving the wooded mountains and descending into the desert. We stayed in Mojave Valley, AZ at the intersecting corners of AZ,CA, and NV. After settling in, our first destination was the casinos where we enjoyed a good meal and proceeded to gamble away a small fortune ($12.00 – we are such big spenders). We then went to the beach and saw the Colorado River up close. As it turned out, our visit coincided with a River Run – so thousands of motorcyclists were also in town. We stayed here for two days so we could do the required maintenance work – laundry, cleaning the camper, shopping, trip planning, etc.
April 22-23, 2008 – Tuesday/Wednesday: We enjoyed a peaceful two hour ride to the Grand Canyon – arriving around noon. After settling in and eating lunch, we were anxious to get started exploring! The Park system is wonderfully arranged and set up to make a tourist experience a memorably positive one. Their free shuttle system takes visitors to three different routes along the south canyon rim – blue, red, green routes. Every fifteen minutes, a shuttle arrives to take you to the next stop on the route – so , life is easy! On Tuesday we visited the Hermits Rest Route (west) and Village Route (central). We visited the Kaibab Trail (east) and re-visited the Village Route on Wednesday. Words cannot describe the sights as they were spectacular and breathtaking! We walked along many of the rim trails and enjoyed the scenery - as much as our feet and bodies could handle, as you could spend years here and still not walk all routes available to tourists. This destination was one of the much looked forward to highlight of our trip and one that was well worth the effort it took to get here. Weather pleasant – 60's during day, 30's at night – windy.
April 21, 2008 – Monday: Today we spent the day in Sedona, a city located in a valley south of Flagstaff amidst the breathtaking and beautiful red rock mountains of Arizona. It is a beautiful, spectacularly scenic, and spiritual city. While there we visited three vortexes – Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, and Airport Mesa. A vortex is said to be a phenomenon of energy that interacts with who a person is inside. We also visited the Chapel of the Holy Cross – a chapel built into the side of red rock mesas – a place of spiritual and natural beauty. On our return to Flagstaff we decided we had time to visit the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument – it turned out to be an awesome experience. We traveled on roads surrounded by black lava stones as far as you could see. We drove the entire 36 mile tour route and saw the Sunset Crater cinder cone, acres of lava fields, the Painted Desert as it touched and met the landscape of volcanos and forests, and Wupatki Pueblo – remains of Indian masonry dwellings made from stone, red rocks and mortar. It was an awesome day!
April 20, 2008 – Sunday: We only had a 90 mile trip today, so en-route we visited the Meteor crater – the best preserved meteorite impact site on earth! Over 50,000 years ago a giant meteor formed this crater that is 550 ft deep, 2.4 miles in circumference, and one mile across. We were impressed! Once settled in our campsite we took a tour of the Flagstaff Historic District – it included ethnically diverse shops, bars and eateries, unique bookstores, outdoor outfitters, art galleries, restaurants, cafes, and microbreweries. That evening we enjoyed BBQ ribs at our camp restaurant - Black Barts/RV Campsite - and retired early as we looked forward to Monday being a day of new explorations and adventures.
April 19, 2008 – Saturday: Got an early start (6:45 AM) as we planned to drive approximately 5 hours to our destination of Holbrook, AZ. We crossed high desert plains and had scenic views of rocky plateaus. On the way we took the opportunity for a side trip and spent a few hours in the Petrified Forest National Park and Painted Desert. The views were spectacular! Especially awesome sights were the Mesas and Badlands - formations layered in whites, reds, blues, purples, and grays created by iron, carbon, manganese, and other minerals. Colorful petrified wood logs were abundant. It is hard to imagine that this high, dry grassland was once (225 million years ago) a vast floodplain crossed by many streams, that was a home to an assortment of trees, reptiles and dinosaurs. It was an exhilarating day – fun sightseeing in the wind and sun. When we arrived at OK-RV Park, we were exhausted. Ultimately the wind, sun, and driving took its toll on us and we were ready for dinner, a shower, a quiet evening, TV and some rest.
April 18, 2008 – Friday: Took our time getting started, and then went on an adventurous tour of Albuquerque. Drove on the historic Route 66 into Historic Old Town where we spent the morning browsing the art galleries and shops lining the streets and alleyways. Spent some reflective moments in the San Felipe de Neri church that was started in 1706 and enjoyed the music of local musicians in the courtyard. In the afternoon we visited the Petroglyph National Monument – the world's largest collection of prehistoric rock art. That evening we pulled things together, showered, and just relaxed in preparation for an early take-off in the morning.
April 17, 2008 – Thursday: Took our time getting ready this morning as we only had a two hour trip ahead of us – eventually getting on the way around 9:00 AM. Weather forecasts had Santa Rosa on the edge of rainstorms. However, we weren't 30 minutes on the road when the snowflakes started to fall. It wasn't much longer and we were in a the midst of a full-blown snowstorm and blizzard. The next 1-2 hours were just horrible! At one point we were at a standstill among tractor trailers that were jack-knifed all along the highway and median. Visibility was minimal, snow was 3 inches deep, and ice was forming on the highway. By some miracle we made it through and eventually arrived in Albuquerque around noon. We were exhausted! Checked into the Enchanted Trails RV Park – and camped right next to Hank Dowling, a former employee and friend of Al's from Beckman (pre-arranged). Spent the afternoon shopping and getting provisions. We cooked dinner and enjoyed an evening with Hank – catching up on the years gone by and getting an insight into what to do and where to visit in Albuquerque.
April 16, 2008 – Wednesday: Got an early start and put in an 8 hour day driving. Drove through Oklahoma, north Texas, and arrived in Santa Rosa, New Mexico about 3:00 PM = MDT. Scenery was nice – followed oil base buttes and plateaus, crossed plains devoted to cattle and dry-farming, and observed many windmills (OK -> TX) and semi and dry-farming regions, crossing high, gently rolling plains and broken canyon country noted for livestock and oil production (TX -> NM). Once settled in our camp spot we visited the local attractions – natural oasis Blue Hole lake and Puerto de Luna an ancient village ten miles south of Santa Rosa. Scenery along the way was beautiful! Ate awesomely delicious food at a local Mexican restaurant.
April 15, 2008 – Tuesday: Today was another long drive day – about 7 hours. Crossed dense forests, rolling hills, farmlands, and lakes/rivers (AK ->OK). Camped at Red Rock Canyon State Park in OK – making sure to see the canyon and its sights/attractiveness. Windy / cool night – very pleasant.
April 14, 2008 – Monday: After a delicious breakfast together, pictures, and plenty of hugs, we departed at about 10:15 AM = CT. It was truly a bittersweet moment – wanting to leave, but hating to go. We drove about 300 miles for about 7 ½ hours that day – driving across densely wooded, sharply rolling terrain with mostly rural scenery (AL, MS -> TN) where we observed the very swollen banks of the Mississippi river, and then the fertile farmlands that produce cotton, rice and lumber (TN -> AK). Spent the night at Burns State Park in Little Rock, AK.
April 9-13, 2008 – Wednesday – Sunday: Today we worked in the yard. Mike cut the grass, Al edged and provided ankles for the fire ants to attack, Sandra cleared an area of grass and planted hosta (a gift from our yard to theirs) and transplanted roses, daffodils, and peonies, and Deb was in charge of feeding the crew lunch and dinner. Had a fun day working together – weather was beautiful. Since it was the calm before the storm with bad weather predicted (rain, tornados, flooding) for the direction in which we would be traveling, it didn't take much for Deb and Mike to easily convince us to stay until we felt it was safe to be on the road. As a result we spent the rest of the week at their cozy Bed & Breakfast and had a marvelous time together – toured the countryside on nice days, and on cool/rainy days completed puzzles, watched television and movies, stayed warm during cold and rainy weather, ate good – especially fresh laid brown eggs, and just really enjoyed the company of one another. Even Summer (their rat terrier) and Abby (our cat) seemed to get along well together during the week.
April 8, 2008 – Tuesday: Got up, talked, ate breakfast, talked some more – just enjoyed one another's company. Decided to get out and around, so Deb and Mike took us for a tour of the countryside, nearby towns, and eventually stopped for lunch at Quiznos in Muscle Shoals. Returned home, relaxed, and spent a pleasant evening talking and watching television.
April 7, 2008 – Monday: Spent the morning getting the “last minute” things together and finalizing the packing for our adventure. After an eclectic lunch of whatever remained in the house – we were ready! We pulled out of the driveway at about noon – and, we were “on the road again”! Followed the directions provided by“Garmy” (Garmin) and as a result traveled many of the back roads of GA and AL. Even passed a bunch of chicken farms (evident by their unique aroma). Arrived at Mike and Debbie's around 5:00 PM and went out together for a Mexican dinner. It was great to see them and we thoroughly enjoyed talking and catching up with one another since our mutual time together as camp hosts at Peace Valley Campground.