Mother’s Day, May 11, 2025

I’m sitting in Salt Lake City, waiting out another thunderstorm with high winds predicted.  Of course, getting to the end of this awesome trip, so what’s one more storm, right?  So far, I think it’s passing without drama, but sitting in a warm RV with the hot body of my dog on my feet isn’t my idea of having a good time!   I planned this 4 day stay for my final rig cleaning and some pool time, and while I’m fairly successful with the first goal, the second is questionable today (did get some time in the pool yesterday – it was 90°!).  I will say though that after washing the red dirt of the last few weeks out of the rugs and bedding, and doing a heaving Febreze spray down and airing of all the lounge pillows, this place smells pretty sweet today😊

My journey here has been my most favorite portion of this trip, I have long been drawn to red earth canyons with their beautiful turrets, cliffs, portals and stories.  And from the Grand Canyon through the Arches National Park, it was a moving feast of views and inspirational thoughts. 

Many years back, a self-proclaimed chief in Sedona made some observations about me, then told me I was from turtle, or earth, clan – drawn to collecting small rocks as I wandered (I do) and that my totem was black bear (independent with a need to withdraw sometimes) and my guiding spirit was Shandonese, or coyote, who used mischief to coax grumpy bear out of bad humor when needed.  Yep, that is one description of me.  And rocks – I have small baggies of rocks I’ve picked up at almost every spot I’ve been too.   So, this turtle clan woman finds connection when the earth is red and when mother earth tells her stories to me.  As corny as it sounds – here’s the messages I’ve received as I’ve wandered through the national parks (please save these national treasures from the people who would destroy them!).

First – here are some random shots along this leg of the journey – desert flowers, Butch Cassidy’s Childhood home (not as good looking as Paul Newman in the movie though), and other misc. photos.

I’ve seen this place many times in my life, as a child, as a teen, as a single mother, as a maturing adult and now as an elder. And I can never get past being awed by the vastness and majesty of this canyon.  The scenes look more like a screen print of colors, depth and contrast that can’t be real.  Each visit humbles me.  It reminds me that we are all part of something greater – we belong to mother earth and need to be respectful of this planet. For me its not about a being that needs worship, it’s about feeling the power of earth and knowing we have to protect her despite her ability to make great beauty, she can be harmed by man.

I was lucky enough to visit her twice during this trip.  One day, I unhooked at the campsite and drove into the park for hiking and photography.  The next day, making my exit from the area through the park, I stopped for more views and photos.  Got a lot of miles in hiking the rim and found delight in the fact that there were so many different languages being spoken – Japanese, Dutch, German, Hindu perhaps and different cultural expressions in dress and behaviors. 

Japanese in large groups, with everyone using selfie sticks and doing cute poises (many young women were cupping their heads and titling them – must be the newest trends in poising?).  Young men from the Netherlands going over fences and out on to rocky points to show their fearlessness and an Indian family strolling with the women dresses in glittery saris with choli tops and lehenga skirts as if it were a Sunday afternoon.  I just wonder how long it will last for people to come to the USA for these experiences.  It makes me sad to think we have lost our place in the world as a respected and welcoming country.

I first fell in love with Zion National Park when I came with my young teen daughter in the early 1990s.  There was something that stirred in my growing spiritual understanding that brought me comfort.  I am awed that one small river could, over time, crave a cradle in formidable layers of ancient rock.   Just this morning, my daughter told me Zion was her favorite – I’d always known it was mine; it brought me joy to know she also felt that way.  This is one place I hope to visit again during my lifetime.

And by splurging a little here on my campsite, I scored a site with unbelievable views of the majestic, multi-colored cliffs.  And, although it started out fretfully, Audy-wee and I were adopted by a Winnebago Horizon Class A motorhome retreat!  And I made friends with Steve and Steve, the retreat’s hosts.  It all transpired when my excitement about building a campfire and enjoying the view until the stars came was disrupted by a potluck of 20-30 people, followed by a technical, recorded lecture and Q&A session on RV awning and slide problems, safe driving speeds and handy tips on how to check jack fluid levels on these massive rigs.  I almost cried wondering if all nights would be like this. 

Our sites were so close, I didn’t start my campfire out of fear that I’d smoke them out.  They had all been friendly and Audy-wee got lots of attention (once again acting as an unofficial greeter) but I felt like my burnt marsh mellow dreams were fading fast. The next morning, after weighing my options, I decided to talk to the two men at their exquisitely appointed site (their camp chairs, tables and couches were to die for!)   It turned out they were delightful, apologetic and promised that each night had a different agenda, so while people may gather for drinks, there wouldn’t be more large gatherings or lectures and invited me to join them at any time (Pity or charity for the poor little old lady in her simple, basic 24-foot Class C rig?).  Anyway, they were good at their words, and that night I had my campfire when they returned from their dinner out, I invited them over to join me.  They got fresh drinks to do so, but we didn’t get too much time to enjoy it, after 15 minutes it rained.  I was happy, and glad I used my training and belief system to try to resolve the problem directly at the source!  And in my peace keeping approach, I made two new friends.  The type you’d like to have in your life because they were good people, kind, caring and friendly.  They also happened to be a gay couple.

Yes, we are all connected in some way – regardless of who we love or how we live our life.  You see, they were able to accept me, without judgement, even though I was driving a much smaller and less luxurious Class C rig. 😉

My route took me through this national park of hiking trails in deep red earth tones and structures both coming and going to Bryce National Park.  It had formations that captured the eye at every turn.  It was the preshow for Bryce but held its own in inspiring awe.  One of those places were campgrounds were available, and if it wasn’t threatening to snow that night, I might have camped there instead of the historic RV Park I stayed at.  Was worth a stop at the Visitor Center on my way out of Bryce.

I use the term beauty here to not only recognize artistic accomplishments but even more important, the caring, acceptance and understanding for all people.  Bryce is unique in its landscape, for the forces of earth shifts, rain and wind left gardens, castles, turrets and structures that are different and yet complimentary.  The colors were still as vivid as the Grand Canyon, the Red Rock Canyon and Zion but more layered and varied.  We can be creative when we let go of our biases and privileged desires and just let humanity evolve into a place where everyone is respected and has the ability to apply their best efforts to the betterment of humanity. The results could be phenomenal as the natural sculptures of this awesome canyon.

And once again, I was delighted to hear more diversity in languages – perhaps some Spanish or Italian added to the mix.  I know most of their words would match a lot of what I was feeling inside, and I want them to feel they can come again if they wish.  For most, I’m sure these trips were long planned but were now executed some trepidation, sadly, the USA is on the “not safe for travel” lists in many countries.  Breaks my heart.

Again, beauty isn’t only external, it is a feeling of peace, acceptance and humanity.  We see it best when we see the variations in overall context – while we may see an individual trait or color, the beauty emerges when the diversity is seen through a larger lens. This individual formation isn’t lost, but beauty comes from the merging of the layers.

This was my first trip to this national park.  I entered thinking I’d just do a quick look around, I did the 8-mile scenic drive.  And two phrases entered my mind – diversity and harmony-disharmony.  All words applied, and what I saw was that it took layers of color, tumbling towers and huge boulders that were once part of cliffs. Sometimes it was as if you could see faces in the walls.  It was a diverse canyon, but it was beautiful as well.  The changes in scenes and rock layers were in harmony, even though you could see that it was subject to some disharmony from time to time, with changes appearing to be quicker and more volatile than other canyons I’d visited.

And the message of how diversity creates beauty was confirmed as I drove to my next destination through barren lands of mountains worn down to gray, lifeless hills. This scene was monochromatic, drab and uninteresting. Just as life becomes when we only have people of the same color, thought, values and beliefs around us.   And sometimes to get out of this monochromatic state of mind, we may have to content with the disharmony while those who like things homogenous learn about real beauty – which is not power and control.

One arch in particular spur this thought, and I hope I captured the view on the other side of the rock, as seen through the rock – green trees, blue skies and clouds.  We need a shared vision now, one where everyone can see how much greater we would be as a human race if we learn to accept, understand and love everyone despite the traits or characteristics we arbitrarily have selected to create “different” – a state that is opposite of beauty.  Some people can’t see through rocks, I hope I’m one of the dreamers who can.  And I invite others to join me.  Look at your personal rock wall and remove the pieces that block your vision, until you have the portal, the arch to see beyond the rock itself.

For those of you who stuck with this long post and sharing of my inspirations and beliefs, thank you!  These thoughts were a long-time brewing, as a child of the 60’s, I cannot express disillusionment I have felt over the disrespect, disavowing and mistreatment of people for reasons that are beyond my comprehension.  My offices over the years always had a message posted similar to “No matter how you look, how you speak, what your ability levels are, what you believe or who you love, you are welcome here” – it is a belief system I will always have.

The adventure isn’t over yet, and this particular part of the journey still has some life left in it as I meander homeward for my refresh and recharge respite.  More stories to come as I meandered northwest through Nevada and Northern California to Oregon. 

Namaste

May 4, 2025

I’m sitting in one of my favorite places in this world and reflecting on my journey so far.  I won’t write about this place today, Zion National Park, for I have a lot to experiences to catch up on that brought me here.  I have 16 days left on this adventure, then I will be home for about 6 weeks to refresh, take care of business, catch up with family and friends and plan my next journey.  When I think about where I’ve been, what I’ve experienced and learned – I’m awed.  Plus, on a level of personal changes.  I’m down about 27 pounds, my silver sideburns have taken root and grown as well as there is more sprinkling of silver throughout my scalp.  And while it may be frowned upon, even with my 50-block, I’ve got a decent tan going – that California girl inside is still alive, besides the great outdoors has been my living room and porch for months now.  And most of all, the concept of “employment” is very foreign to me.

Miracles Appear in the Strangest of Places – Fancy Meeting You Here*

So let me start with one of the greatest joys on my journey. Facebook has it draw backs and while my circle of “friends” on this media is fairly limited, I have connections to my past lives through this site.  And I was thrilled to see one of the kids from the old neighborhood in San Diego, Davi, who was my sister Mandy’s best friend and someone I used to babysit, posted that she was in Williams, Arizona!  I could not believe our paths were crossing so unexpectedly.  We were able to spend one day together before she moved on. 

Even thinking of this happy coincidence, that we both are living nomadic RV lifestyles and finally ended up in the same place, it still brings joy to my heart and a big smile on my face. It had been 51 years since I last saw this beautiful woman, who was a young teen when I first left my family and went to Alaska!  Memories shared, family stories with new endings, life paths discussed – and we only touched the tip of the iceberg, I’m sure!  My jaw hurt at the end of the day.  What a beautiful experience – my only wish is that it will not be the last shared moment, and that next time we can involve my sister, so these early age best friends can meet up again. (Mandy was still in diapers when she met Davi, and they were in their early teens when my family moved to Oregon.)

(_{*Lyric from Willie Nelson’s “Yesterday’s Wine”)}

Taos and People at Bus Stops

I spent a few days in the Taos, NM area where the desert clouds made for outstanding sunsets.  I used free public transportation while there, and you never know who you will meet and what discussions will pursue.  On the bus back from the town, after a day of browsing art, having a margarita for lunch (with a side of tacos – lol) and gift shopping, a fellow passenger at the bus stop struck up a conversation by asking me if I liked weed (and he wasn’t talking about dandelions).  He carried the appearance of someone down on his luck and wouldn’t normally be someone I’d converse with, but he was persistent and very apologetic for offending me by offering me marijuana.  (I shot that down fairly quickly).  My mind was telling me to move away, but I was also thinking about what a person like this might have to say.  He seemed fairly intelligent and introduced himself as a member of the local indigenousness tribe, waving at the mountains to show where he came from.  It was broad daylight and there were people milling about, so I relaxed and engaged.

Although most likely impaired perhaps with some addiction issues, he was fairly well versed in politics and not at all happy with the state of national affairs.  However, he also took the position that having a current president or government that lies and goes back on promises is not a new phenonium for the native Americans.  He was angry at supporters of this president.  His use of the F word was frequent when he talked of his anger, and he apologized every time he did – still respectful of his elders.  He shared a joke from his people – “Why don’t Indians like Halloween?  Because they don’t like to be tricked out of treaties”.  He also spoke of climate change was due to the earth’s disharmony – people had lost sight of being a part of it all, instead they were misguided in believing they were owners and users.

He apologized to me for talking negatively about white people, but I told him some of it was deserved.  He wasn’t quite sure about my feelings that we were all connected spiritually regardless of where our people originated and did not subscribe to the theories that we all originated in African and that his ancestors crossed over from Asian.  When we boarded the bus, he knew the bus driver and others on the bus that he sat with – end of conversation.  However, when he got off, he said good-bye, and I told him to not give up hope. (I won’t share his thoughts on what he would like to do to #47, but I related to his anger and felt sadness for his feelings that all was lost, hopeless at this point). 

You never know what you will learn or what connections you will find when you open up to someone really different that you are.  And not once did he ask for a hand-out, he started the conversation with a peace offering from his lifestyle – a little pot.

Ancient beginnings, modern problems – Taos Pueblo

This was the southwest moment I’d been waiting for – a trip onto the reservation of the Red Willow people to see the ancient community of the Pueblos that is still alive and in use.  The dwellings were up to 4 stories high and built 100s of years ago, with the ancestors living in the area long before that – the town square I visited most likely had Anasazi living there at one point. It was humbling to see this community thriving in the world built by their ancestors.  This was a Pueblo tribe. 

I started my day with cinnamon sugar fry bread and coffee, brewed over a wood burning stove.  Delicious. So much to photograph and such a calming place.  Upon entry, which was by fee, all guests were asked to not look towards the church or take pictures – there was a family in mourning there, holding vigil.  I saw them briefly, in an outside shaded area and heard drums of their mourning a few times, with very low singing.  I felt nothing but respect for this family in pain practicing their traditions to mourn the one the lost.

I look for commonalities when I meet people – where and how do we connect as humans, and in a spiritual sense.  I’ve always had something about me that encourages strangers to share their stories with me.   And this day was no different, it seemed to be focused on the worries and struggles of mothers with adult children.  I had discussions, or rather I listened to the stories of two native shopkeepers who were worried about their adult daughters. 

The first shopkeeper’s 40 something daughter had just been left by her boyfriend of 7 years and the mother, a gifted multi-media artist running her own shop, was concerned that the daughter didn’t understand she was lazy and messy and that drove men away.  We found some common ground because her father had been a decorated army vet, and she had a shrine to him in her store.  Her sons were also in the army – she stated it was one of the ways for them to get off the reservation.  We shared the hope that all people who have served our country, people of different cultures, colors and belief systems, don’t get forgotten in our government’s purge of diversity and history.

The other shop keeper, whose store I was drawn to by her sign that said she “sold real Indian shit” broke into tears as she told me about how her adult daughter had recently hurt her deeply.  She’d lost her son to cancer a few years back and felt her daughter was thoughtless in a recent family situation.   I gave her a hug.  Being a mother is universal, our worries and our ability to be hurt by the ones we love transcends our heritage – it is human.  But our joy in the existence of our children conquers all – and I hope she and her daughter find a way back to each other.

And a third shopkeeper and I discussed our mutual habit of collecting rocks.  She told me of her little dog, who has now passed, who learned this practice from her and was also collecting and bringing her rocks.  We decided we were both members of the earth-clan, again connected by something within us that cannot be explained.  She had instructed her children to place her rock collection on her grave when she has gone to the spirit world, and then she laughed because they thought she was nuts!

There is something on this journey I am discovering or confirming, and that is beyond our differences, there is common and shared human existence.  If you close your eyes and don’t see the differences, you can relate to the spirit and emotions within the other person.  They are the same within all of us.

Santa Fe Cleansing and yes! Amazing sunsets.

This was my longest layover of my trip – 4 days and 5 nights in Santa Fe.  This gave me time to clean the red dust from the dust storms in Las Cruces out of my rig, find a mobile groomer to give Audy-wee a nice close shave for the trip ahead and finally, after months of carrying it around, drop off my bag of clothes that are too big at a local Goodwill!   

I rented a car for a few days, but didn’t use it as much as I could have.  I did get into the old town of Santa Fe, and as planned wore my impulse purchase at Walmart – a long summer dress to have a drink and lunch overlooking the plaza.  It’d been over 20, 25 years since I’d been there, and I couldn’t help noticing the changes.  I remembered older shops around the square, more colorful with a lot of Mexican influence– now all replaced by upscale clothing stores and art galleries.  Although a few of the original souvenir shops remain, the shops that were selling Mexican goods are now off on side streets.  The native vendors are still there, with their jewelry displayed on rugs on the sidewalk as I remember.

Although my memory may be faulty, I seem to remember very large old trees with thick trunks in the plaza.  There were still trees, and they were tall, but appeared to be younger, smaller trunks.  Not sure if it was natural aging, ailment or disaster but I think the ancient trees were replaced at some point?  Anyway, it was another fun way to spend an afternoon.  But it also demonstrated the hazard of revisiting a place you’ve been too – for me, I am comparing what has changed and judging if it is a good or bad change.  It puts a lens, a filter on the current adventure.

Funny thing, I liked my dress and had on my mind that I should ask someone to take a picture of me – but then forgot about it.  My wish must have been in the universe because while walking back to the parking garage, I found a spot and was struggling to take a selfie – two people appeared out of the blue and offered to take a photo for me😊

Travel Back in Time

After an overnight stay in Gallup at an RV Park that honored veterans, bears and Route 66*, I spent a day driving through the Petrified Forest National Park.  This place was awesome – starting with the Painted Desert at one end and coming out at the Rainbow Forest at the other end. A 28-mile drive with multiple places to stop and see or hike, including the ruins of an ancient Pueblo village, petrographs including Newspaper Rock where travelers left messages about the area and of course the actual petrified forests.  It boggled my mind that they looked like trees but felt like rocks. 

Nature is wonderous – I try to wrap my mind around the fact that millions of years ago, in what is now a desert, there was a forest with swamps and creatures that no longer exist today.  Something happened to disrupt this environment, and millions of trees were buried and eventually turned to stone.  And then through the effects of wind and rain, they were revealed again.  The earth tells us things we may not understand but should heed for the lessons – things that are here today can be silenced and disappear overnight, and then at some future point revealed with a message we need to understand. Our existence is a speck in time that can be blotted out by the destruction of our earth – and unfortunately, we have learned how to bring this about on our own.

^{*This general area is big on Route 66, lots of tourist shops dedicated to it. I just wonder if the newer generations have any concept of what “Get your kicks on Route 66” meant?}

So that brings me almost up to date.  I’m saving the canyons for my next blog, my most beloved part of this trip so far before I begin the final ascent into home.

April 21, 2025

Thought I’d get in a more up-to-date post while I’m enjoying some downtime in Taos, New Mexico.  Won’t include Taos in this post – will save this visit until I’ve finished my journey through this state.  The story of getting here may be of more interest and a better read for now. 

Balmorhea State Park, Texas

Upon leaving the sand dunes of Monahan Sandhills State Park, I drove a fairly short distance to my next stop, Balmorhea State Park in Texas – a desert oasis hosting the world’s largest spring feed pool.  However, pool is only partially correct, there once was a cienega or desert wetland in this high chaparral location that was developed as part of the depression era WPA program into the free flowing more than Olympic size pool with a main body and two channels ranging from 3 to 25 ft. deep.  The water is inhabited by two types of small, endangered fish, the Pecos gambusia and the Comanche Springs pupfish.   These fish only inhabit spring feed desert cienegas and this location is one of the very last locations they survive.

The thing about those little gambusia – they like dead skin.  So, when in the water, or when dangling your feet in the water, they will work dry skin on your feet and legs with little tingly nips. However, as I learned the hard way, they will really bite at scabs!  (Ouch) If you are particularly tasty or have old-lady dry skin, you earn the right to have your own groupies that would follow your legs wherever you take them.  This was a natural spa experience; the water temp was a comfortable 74 degrees and a Japanese style foot exfoliation experience all for the price of the camp site!

And speaking of the camp site, after being unsuccessful at reserving a campsite online here – nothing was available – I had resigned myself to an afternoon visit and staying at a local bare-bones RV park.  But on my drive, there I had a vision that a wish was granted.  So sure enough, upon arrival I said to the ranger, “I’m here for the day unless you have a camp site open” – and voila, they did!  That’s nights walk included meeting some turtles and another cienega in the park they are rehabilitating for a number of wildlife including a soft beaked snapping turtle also endangered and only found in these types of locations.

Journey to Las Cruces – White Sands National Monument

After a fairly blah night in El Paso (except I hit a PetSmart and stocked up on pet food – score!), I took the back roads to Las Cruces, New Mexico to get another stamp in my National Parks passport book.  What a great natural phenomenon to see, pure white dunes of gypsum for miles, not actual sand per se.  Even though the sand generated exceptional heat, raising the temp about 20 degrees when you were amongst them, it never felt more than warm to the feet.  Another good abrading of dry skin, but so soft to walk on.  After some brief hiking on the dunes, it was really too hot for too much walking for both Audy and me, we moved onto Las Cruces.

Have to give kudos (not) to our government – these white sands are also used a missile testing site.  After all, when you see a huge parcel of land that is pristine white what better use than to launch missiles into it?  Oh well, boys will be boys and blowing up gypsum seems harmless enough… And of course, there were roadside stores with lots of aliens hanging around, and I’m not talking about illegal immigrants – although I did have to go through a lot of border patrol stations along the way and declare when asked that yes, I am a citizen of the United States (and so are my cat and dog), but no one asked me if I was from this planet. Seems like they are missing the point…

Las Cruces and the Dust Storms

Las Cruces was planned to be a day layover for laundry before moving onto a camp site near Bernalillo, NM heading north.  However, on that first day, my RV Park perched on a hill overlooking the valley became an observation post of a fierce dust storm in the valley below, where the city was located.  There was dust blowing where I was, not as severe, but enough that I wore a mask to go back and forth to the laundry.  My cell phone was getting alerts about zero visibility on the highways – at one point, mine and the phones of two other ladies in the laundry all went off at the same time.  Just when we were discussing if it would get worse – lol.

The weather reports revealed more of the same for the next day, so I extended my stay at this KOA and cancelled my first night at the other state park.  And true to the forecast, the next afternoon was just as bad.  Brown out conditions below and dust everywhere up above.  Then the forecast was updated, and the third day was predicted to have severe dust storms by late afternoon as well.  However, there was a window in the morning where the winds would be much reduced for a few hours.  I set my alarm and got on the road early to take advantage of this relatively calm period, knowing that the farther north I went, the less chance of a dust storm catching me. 

Change of Plans – Snowstorm?

And it worked, yes hit some higher winds and gusts, but by now I’m an old pro – slow and steady gets you through.  Was feeling relieved until I noticed the external temperature dropping.  A minute ago, the temp on the dashboard said 49 degrees, now it’s 39 degrees.  I knew it could possibly be raining when I arrived at my camp, but didn’t know it would be cold.  And then, wait, is that rain or white stuff?  Is that snow?  Slush being moved aside by the windshield wipers?  It can’t be, this is the southwest where its warm springtime weather!  And the temp has dropped again to 37 degrees, 35 degrees!  After driving a while and realizing it was indeed snowing slightly and the temps were dropping, I pulled off into the little native American community of Isleta, got out my KOA guide and quickly made reservations in Albuquerque, only about another 30-40 minutes up the road.

And am I glad I did!  By the time I reached the city limits, it was snowing hard and there were a few inches of snow slush on the freeway.  This was a freak storm that took almost everyone by surprise – and my brain didn’t want to accept it to the point that when it was processing the white stuff on the road, it wondered if it was some type of deicing detergent they used?  It took a while for it to dawn on me it was accumulated snow.  So slowly but surely, I made it to my RV park and got set-up – wearing shorts and a light top in 32 degree or less weather.  My hands were like ice after I got the water hooked up, but once the slide was out, I could get into the side of the closet that had my winter hat and gloves. 

And as usual, even unexpected and scary events can have silver linings.  I spent that afternoon and evening watching Netflix movies and snuggling with my critters.  And napped!  The next morning?  Back to normal and moved onto Taos as planned.  That’s the next story in a week or so.  Namaste.

April 13, 2025

2 Nights and A Day in the Desert

It’s currently 97 degrees here in Monahans Sandhills State Park, Texas where I am writing this blog.  Not sure when I will post it, since my internet, cell reception is too spotty and unreliable here.  May be in El Paso, in another two days just when I exit Texas.   So, it’s hot outside, but the Wandering Spirit is comfortably air conditioned so I’m actually having a hot cup of coffee in the late afternoon.  And now, as I wait for the temp to come down again, I can enjoy a leisurely afternoon inside. 

I stayed outside late last night, listening to the Eagles (perfect music for the desert!), sipping a good Reisling, watched the sunset (glowing photos) and staring at the stars and full moon (white circle in dark sky photo).  This is truly a desert scene – dunes all around me, mostly famous with the locals for sand surfing.  And the sand, when not so hot, feels delicious on my feet.  I spent time out under the beautiful sky, thinking of my family and friends and how fortunate I am to have so many good people in my life.  I’m in no rush but do look forward to seeing them all again when I’m back in town on my respite, refresh and regroup before my second journey.

Service Dog, Untrained

I thought I’d share something that many people may not know.  I didn’t even know it. Audy-wee, one of my two furry travelling companions, is actually an untrained service dog.  Yes – you heard me -untrained and yet helpful in so many ways – ordering beers at a bar, helping me check-in into a camping spot, selecting coffee from a coffee truck, testing river water temps and alerting me to dangerous animals, like armadillos (not so much). He once again acted as an unofficial greeter at a Camping World while we were waiting for the awning motor to be replaced (again, another story) and threw in a little security work to alert them that their stock person was moving boxes around.  What would I do without my friend Audy to make me laugh?

And the cat, Spirit, well he appears to have the very important role of reminding me to feed him.  Whenever we stop for the night. It doesn’t matter if it is 2 pm or 7pm, once the jacks level the rig, he figures it’s time to be fed. He does not care for the words “it’s not time yet”.

Atchafalaya Basin and Jabalya

On the way here we stopped in the Atchafalaya Basin in Louisiana for a few days. Nice commercial but older style campsite type RV Park.  In the bayous, amongst rivers, lakes, and cypress rooted waterways. Was greeted by colorful dragonflies and had a nice green tree frog wedge itself between windowpanes for an afternoon. Mom’s favorite little animals were frogs, so whenever one appears I think she has sent it.  Really, when you look at the effort this little creature went through to look into my RV window and get my attention, you really have to wonder.  I didn’t get a picture of it, because I didn’t know it was a frog until I started to close the window to leave, and it hopped out! And then, when walking around the Wandering Spirit that morning, I had three smaller brown frogs leap out of my way.  Thanks Mom, and yes, I think of you often as well.

I happened to come into this place on their weekend to celebrate First Responders.  I was treated to a parade on Saturday morning of over a dozen fire trucks, police cars and other emergency vehicles winding their way through the campground with sirens and lights blazing and scored some candy and beads they were throwing from the units.  At lunch, I was treated to some jambalaya (my first ever – it was delicious, no crawdads in it thank God), listened to a good DJ spinning Cajun music in the afternoon (no one was doing any zydeco dancing, darn it) and then listened to a good life country western band in the evening.  It was an unexpected treat overall, even if there was a practice of driving golf carts with music blaring all day that was a bit much. 

One downside, although the park was full of first responders, it is the first place I’ve stayed where I wasn’t greeted with southern hospitality – while I was looked at, no one acknowledge me unless I initiated a hello.  Then it was a quick reply followed by turning away.  Hmmm.  Was I in a red state that didn’t like liberal northerners or are the people of Cajun descent weary of strangers? 

But I will say this, when I watched the parade, it was with a big smile on my face.  It made me think of my brother, who retired from the fire department where he blended his mechanical abilities and volunteerism into a new career and retired as a Maintenance Chief for his rural district.  He was definitely a first responder, and I think he would have enjoyed the celebration.

Houston, RV “Resorts” and Flat Tires (Again)

When drifting back into Texas, I was amazed to find a walkway over the swamp right at the rest area/Tourist Information building.  What a great idea!  A break from travel with something to do to stretch your legs and, if you are lucky, perhaps see an alligator or snapping turtle.  I was not lucky and needed to finish my drive to Houston for the night.  And Houston was another “you can never tell what the RV Park is like until you get there” experience. I have found that “resort” is often used by older parks trying to entice you to stay with them, but often it is misleading.  This place was full of long-term residents, some with much older rigs and their only parking was on the street, leaving little room to maneuver my rig through and the space?  Tight.  The water faucet was broken, although the manager quickly came over and made it work (not fixed). 

But the worst part of the experience?  When I parked, at least the site was level – no levelling required.  Always a plus.   After watching TV, I stood up and immediately felt off-kilter.  I wasn’t drinking, so I was pretty sure it wasn’t me.  I looked at the leveling gauges inside my rig and saw the bubbles had completely shifted both lengthwise and horizontally.  Did the ground sink? Was I in a sinkhole? 

Outside with my flashlight, I checked out the pad, the ground and didn’t see anything unusual – until I looked at my front tire, drivers’ side.  Flat.  Second flat tire on this trip.  So used the jacks to relevel the rig and went to bed.  Thankfully I have Good Sam roadside assistance, and this is the second time they got someone out quickly to get me back on the road that next morning – even if that’s the second new tire I’ve had to buy.  Another nail.  I know I’ve been blessed somehow; both my flat tires have happened when I’m stationary, not while driving.  Knock on wood.

Guadalupe River State Park

After turmoil, there is often a reward.  I loved this park – nice quiet camp site (wish I would have stayed longer), lots of hiking paths and a river to cool off in.  It was a gem.  Audy and I walked well over 6 miles and returned to the river twice for refreshing wading and water play. 

The camping spots were tree shaded, and while it wasn’t as insanely hot at this state park, it felt so good to sit in the shade and read after our walks.  And we were awed by the appearance of an armadillo who wandered through our campsite grubbing for insects and worms with little regard for our presence.  I suppose if you are from this part of the country, that would be no big deal – perhaps on the same plain as seeing a possum or raccoon at home.  But for Audy and me, it was exciting – video worthy! 

Love the boulders in this river and the cliffs where swallows were busy making their nests.  Truly scenic.  Didn’t actually get into my bathing suit, too far of a walk on my already tired legs to the campground to change, if I had had another day, I would have been out on my floatie enjoying the river like the kids and, I say this with genuine admiration, the senior citizen in her hot pink bikini on her hot pink, gigantic flamingo floater!  I could only think I need one of those!  Although her husband had to rescue her a few times as she drifted down the river, he was kind enough to stop and take a picture of Audy and I on one such mission.

McKinney Falls State Park

In between my trips to Camping World (part had to be ordered, so spent two days hanging out there), I stayed at this campground outside of Austin. Once again, nice, shaded spot and got in a longer than expected walk.  I went looking for the falls, upper or lower, didn’t matter, and found the path had vegetation grown up so much that if there was a fall where the little map said, there was no way to view it.  However, I did find the boulder and shelf area of this creek with its deep, welcoming pool below where the water went through a rock.  Beautiful and extremely close to Austin!  Too bad I never got into Austin as planned, instead had to go back to finish repairs on my awning and then drive west to my overnight spot in San Angelo, before travelling here to this little piece of the Sahara where I soon hope to venture outside for the evening again. 

Tomorrow?  A trip to a desert, spring fed oasis.  More to come as I continue my adventures back into New Mexico where my plans are made up to Taos and Santa Fe.  In the next few days, I will need to plan the final leg of this journey, which will be almost 6 months in length – and deeply enriched in experiences.  Namaste.

April 5, 2025

If you are a Jimmy Buffet fan, you will recognize these themes in my opening.  I was in Biloxi when I drafted this blog, and I have changed my latitude, attitude and, in general, my route back home.  I went back along the Gulf Coast to escape Tornado Alley, to retrace my path at least through Mississippi, Louisiana and the eastern part of Texas before I head a little further north for my final months/weeks of this journey.

After the threat in Myrtle Beach, I’ve got two different weather apps I’m checking about twice daily.  On Thursday, March 28, I didn’t like what I was seeing – another storm brewing with the potential for destruction along its path (tornados and extreme hail).  It was going to hit Nashville, where I’d stopped for a few days, on Sunday, 3 days away.  I decided to enjoy the day and monitor the storms. 

The next day, Friday, the threats were still there with radar maps showing that Nashville wouldn’t be safe.  I began searching for an escape route – looking north into Kentucky, east into North Carolina and south into Georgia – where could I go within 300 miles or so that would clear me of tornado warnings?  I landed on Atlanta, about 260 miles away.  It would get the storm, with potential for severe thunderstorms but no tornados or high winds predicted.

On Saturday morning, I checked all apps, watched a weather channel and by 11 am, had new reservations in Atlanta, completed my departure routines and hit the road, thinking I’d at least weather the storm in Atlanta, then return to my route through Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Northern Texas.  But something in my gut was telling me head south and stay south until you’ve cleared Tornado Alley, since April was the beginning of the season for twisters.  The forecasts for the next few weeks in those states proved my gut was given good guidance.

The storm didn’t hit Atlanta on Sunday, it stalled a little.  And I used the time to look at the forecasts of yet more storms following the one I was running from.  I made the decision, following my gut to head to the gulf again and pick up I-40.  No guarantee of good weather, but more chance of no tornados. I spent that Sunday cancelling existing reservations and planning my new route, making new reservations.  I’m glad I did.

On Monday morning, and learned the storm was now due to hit Atlanta by noon.  So, I got up radar apps and tracked the storm -at what point it would clear what city, and what were the official “warnings” for that area (i.e., did they include tornado warnings).  I created a chart of what would happen.  Atlanta was still the mildest prediction for the overall storm.  I could not go west without driving through some portion of the storm and leaving when it hit Atlanta would be my best chance of getting through it.   Being from the Pacific Northwest, I have lots of experience driving in heavy rain and even thunderstorms.

My calculations were correct, I left at 12:30 pm and immediately hit the worst deluge on the freeway – it was like driving through a car wash rinse cycle.  There was inches of standing water on the road and everyone slowed to at least 10 miles per hour, putting their flashers on and we slowly moved through it. After 15 minutes, I was clear of the heavy rain, within 45 minutes the rain stopped and when I arrived at my campsite in Montgomery, the sun was out. One of the best reasons ever to open a beer and sit in the sun reading for a few hours.   

My former coworkers will tell you that I am a planner, applying logic and strategy.  But what isn’t as obvious, my intuition often drives me to conduct the analysis and evaluate risks.  I’m letting my gut (intuition) lead me more these days but still calling on the other tools.  In this case, my gut steered my clear of a nasty storm and made me rethink my entire route home.  Facts were applied to logic analysis.  It is paying off.  I wish more people in this country would stop and listen to their guts and evaluate the facts.  If they did, maybe we wouldn’t be in trouble as a nation as we are today.

Okay, now that my changes in latitude and adventure have been explained, let me do some recap on the fun I had before and after the escape!

The Great Smoky Mountains – where the moon shines

I visited both sides of the mountains – Cherokee, NC and Gatlinburg, TN.  Beautiful, scenic but I had to miss the most viewed parts of the park since they tend to happen on a highway that is narrow, twisty and often have steep drop offs without guard rails – and in general, not recommended for RVs.  So I enjoyed what I could, visiting one of the park’s visitor centers on the NC side and shopping in Cherokee.  Then I drove around on the recently reopened I-40 to Gatlinburg.  This freeway was washed out by the Hurricane last fall.

In Gatlinburg, I stayed at a new, cute little RV Park that was really into bear carvings. However, they also warned of real black bears that wander through the park. This area had a great free shuttle system which picked me up and dropped me off right in front of the park. Which was a blessing because even if I could drive into town, traffic was a mess! Picture one of those scenes of a major city in Asia where pedestrians, cars, bikes all converge with little room between them.  Well, this was Gatlinburg without the bicycles!

It was a fun place to wander around; there were multiple ski lifts to take you up into the local mountains, all kinds of tourist attractions (of which I did none).  I had the best steak for lunch that I’ve had in a long time.  And I went moonshine tasting!  Whoa.  The first thimble was something like 220 proof!  One small sip and I think it completely cleared all the cholesterol out of my system. The rest were strong thimblefuls, with a variety of flavors – root beer I liked, waffles and syrup I passed on and the rest, well after about 10 thimbles of at least 80 proof, who can remember them all?  Warning to my family – I am bringing some home with me!

What was interesting about my visit to the Smokies is getting a very tiny insight into how we might be divided or how us northerners might be suspicious.  In Cherokee, I was talking to a man in the dog park. Nice man, we swapped stories of business and travel.  As he was saying good-bye, he asked me “are all northerners as friendly as you are?”  It took me a minute to respond, he took my delay as agreement at first – but I corrected him and said that I’ve meet people all over the world and find people to be the same everywhere – friendly, rude and/or indifferent. 

At the moonshine tasting, I arrived a little late and everyone had already stated where they were from.  This round tasting bar was full of laughing people, talking and the host asked me to state where I was from.  When I said Oregon, the whole table went silent.  People stopped laughing and talking and looked away.  I can’t read too much into it, but the host finally recovered the moment by saying they didn’t get too many people from my area. The people next to me awkwardly stuck up a conversation, and as the drinks were poured, we were laughing and talking about life again.  It was strange.

Chattanooga and Ruby Falls

A friend recommended a stop at Ruby Falls, a natural* waterfall inside a mountain.  It was definitely something to see, hiking deep into Lookout Mountain, walking 1 mile roundtrip through caverns to see this free-falling waterfall, about 62 feet.  I asterisk (*) natural, because this is a commercial venture and the falls are subject to water available, drought impacts the free flow significantly.  So, the venture has engineered a water recycling system that collects the fall and pumps it back up to the opening, so it doesn’t dry up.  Not sure if I saw true, natural conditions or the engineered one – but it was spectacular!  Music and water/light show deep in the earth.  Along the way I saw many natural and interesting cave formations.  There is an interesting story behind the discover and naming of these falls as well – the passage followed to find them is one only a serious caver would attempt (belly crawling would have been the method used!) I stayed in Raccoon Caverns RVP, which I did go to but thought the rocks and old structures were interesting.

Nashville – short visit

Since I left early, I didn’t get to the original Grand Ole Opry (Ryman Theater) or downtown as planned.  However, I was lucky enough to stay at a KOA that had live music every night.  What a great evening, sitting by the pool and listening to a very talented duo, but not a couple, who sang and played guitar. She had a wonderful voice. Their repertoire was eclectic, she did her best when singing country songs (go figure, it was Nashville) but they threw in some Beatle songs.  Interesting choice?

Down around Biloxi – where the girls all look like sisters in the ocean

I’ve always liked that line, not that we’re girls in the ocean, but that all women are part of a sisterhood, all women, period.  And all men are my brothers.  Anyway, making it down to Biloxi and then spending a few days here helped me unwind and relax.  It was muggy and was mostly overcast, but I still got a long walk on the beach walk (no dogs on beach) and some pool time in.  During yesterday’s walk, Audy and I stopped by Shaggy’s, right on the beach, and enjoyed lunch on the second-floor deck (of course, due to the high stilts, it was technically the first floor) Gulf shrimp served 2 ways, grilled, bacon-wrapped with bourdon glaze and coconut crusted.  Yummy.  So was the pina colada.  And Audy got a beef patty, served on a keepsake frisbee.

Along the way, it was interesting to see the new requirements for stilts since Katrina and other hurricanes.  If you look closely at the pictures, you will see an older construction next to a newer one.  And for the new construction, note that the stilts are above the streetlights and compare the height against the cars on the street.  For me, if you have to build your house a mile off the ground, I’d be terrified to think waves that high could come along.

 Life is good if you take your time and remember to enjoy the good times after the challenges.  Namaste.

March 25, 2025

NOTE: Date blog written and date blog posted may not be the same 🙂

My mantra when I started this adventure was “doing” wine at sunset and coffee at sunrise.  I think I’m more of the first – a wine at sunset kind of gal.  However, I am very pleased to report that on my final day on the Atlantic Coast, I set my alarm (yuck), made coffee and made it to the beach in time to watch the sun rise.  I will say even if that is the only time I have that experience on my journeys, it was worth the effort.  I left me feeling whole, balanced and at peace – sensations that can be hard to come by in today’s world.  I sat long enough to say goodbye to this ocean for a while, knowing that once I did my stowing and departure preparations I would be turning westward and soon would enter landlocked states.

But before this special moment, I spent a few days at the largest RV Park I’ve ever seen – possible one of the largest in the USA.  Ocean Lakes Family Campground in Myrtle Beach, SC.  850 RV sites, 300 rental units on 310 acres of ocean front property – I could be on the beach after a 3-minute walk from my campsite.  And the beach was great – clean, nice white sand – over a 3-day period, Audy and I walked 23 miles on that beach.  It had its own water park with huge slides, a village with a grocery/gift shop and little lakes throughout where kids could fish.  Quite a set-up – a great way to finish my visit to the Atlantic Ocean – and also the site of a tension-filled day!

I was at this site when the storm that generated the devasting tornados in the mid-west headed my way.  At first, it was predicted as high-winds and severe thundershowers for Myrtle Beach.  The National Weather service toyed off and on for a nice, sunny day with Tornado warnings coming our way.  I knew I could deal with wind and rain, even some boomers (my rig felt protected by trees and RVs close by) but when I woke up Sunday morning, there was a tornado watch in place!   I grabbed my safe bag with my personal papers, put together another bag with water, snacks and flashlight and made sure my laptop and phone were in my backpack.  I harnessed and leashed the cat and had his carrier set-up for quick loading.  The brochure for this location stated that the concrete restrooms were storm shelters, and they weren’t far away. 

The warnings remained for hours, but in the meantime, I walked Audy around the neighborhood under clouds and in a warm, humid atmosphere.  I listened carefully to external noises; I had the weather channel on TV.  Waiting and ready to run for it if needed!  By 8 pm, we got sprinkles.  Between 9 pm to 11pm, there were some distant infrequent booms with some brief monsoon like showers.  By midnight, it was all over – the storm had fizzled out and went gently out to sea.  All warnings were dropped.  And I went to bed.  Every good story needs a little suspense and drama, even if the denouement is pretty lame.

When I turned west, homeward, I felt some melancholy knowing this first half of my travel was over.   And yet, I knew there was much more to come – the whole trip back.  And then the second journey east in the summer.  I refocused on my next major park visit, the Great Smoky Mountains where I am as I write this chapter – but I’ll leave the narrative for this visit to a future blog. 

Let’s talk briefly about my journey to eastern North Carolina.  Part of my journey includes connecting with new people I didn’t know before.  I’m thankful for my Harvest Host membership, because it gives me the opportunity to make such connections.  I had two wonderful experiences I’d like to share along the way, staying at a farm and a horse rescue.  In general, the hosts who participate in this program are just naturally kind and hospitable people.  They open their fields and parking areas to sojourners looking for a stopping place overnight – at no cost.  The program works because the RVer’s are encouraged but not required to spend a little money on the host’s business or to make a donation.  In many places, this means having some good wine or beer and perhaps dinner, in others it might be purchasing sausage, eggs, fruits or veggies from the farmer, or as in the case of the horse rescue, it was making a donation to their non-profit.

At Wilde Rose Farm, I met Kenneth who runs an organic meat operation – chicken and pork.  He supports his family through the sale of his organic meat and honey (well, almost, he also does some property management to cover living).  I bought some kielbasa from him, but more importantly I learned a lot about his newest venture into bee keeping and honey harvesting.  He is very educated and has done his research into the apiary business and takes loving care of his queens.  It was fascinating to learn how he creates new hives by taking a certain type of egg and cultivating it into a new queen bee.

At Curtis Creek Ranch, I met Karen and her husband Lenny and the two ponies and two elderly horses she cares for.  It’s a small operation, and I was happy to help feed the horses that evening.  She is pursuing her passion which came to her after reading a book written by a woman who runs a horse therapy ranch in my home state.  Karen only has one guest at a time and had a nice concrete pad under a tree for the rigs.  However, on this night high winds and snow were predicted, so she had me park Wandering Spirit in a little protected cove next to her brick house to buffer the winds.  And it worked, I didn’t hear or feel a thing although I didn’t put my slide out for additional stability that night. Instead, Audy, Spirit and I shared the “couch”, where the table converts to a bed.  We slept soundly, warmly and comfortably while apparently the wind raged around us. 

We woke up to a dusting of snow the next morning, and Karen arrived with a cup of coffee for me.  We shared a  wonderful conversation about our life journeys.   It was like talking to a dear friend. I did feel bad for her, for she told me that her electricity was acting funny, going in and out, working in some areas of the house, then in others – but not at the same time. By the time I left, a good neighbor had done some checks of their electrical circuits and pointed out a wire hanging off the power line on their property when it should have been attached.  I left as they were contacting the local power company to come fix it – a causality of the windstorm I slept through.

Karen also shared the story of her community during last year’s hurricane, Helene.  She talked of waiting it out in her basement.  She also talked about how her community came together to help each other out.    She was on a well and after her power was restored, had ample access to water.  Many of her neighbors, who were on municipal water systems did not. She welcomed community members to her home for showers and to do laundry.  She also helped with supply distribution and coordinating donations of pet foods to the supply locations.  I am awed by her kind heart and generosity, which seems to come to her naturally.  The nation needs to learn about kindness from people like her.

She also talked about the transition back to normal life, how the closeness is dissipated among neighbors – they are still friendly, but the glow of pulling together has faded.  I can relate to that feeling, I remember my peers and I had similar feelings as we navigated through the COVID epidemic with daily changing directives – our objective was to help a workforce through this serious national health crises in their transition to remote work and social distancing so we could keep the agency running.  Contrary to some recent statements made at the national level, public employees are not lazy. I’ve known many of them, including myself, who work long hours to get things done.

Along the way, my spots included the only national park in South Carolina, Congaree National Park, an RVP with an outstanding lazy river, the Boones Plantation (used in 3 movies) and a brewery where Audy met his girlfriend – another goldendoodle who didn’t want anything to do with him at first but then arrived at our door the next morning ready to play. 

Life is good, my adventures continue, and I hope that if the black bears roam this park tonight, they pass by my rig.  That will be part of the next blog, with perhaps some stories of tasting moonshine in the Smoky Mountains?  Again, a good story needs a little suspense…

March 10, 2025

Woke up this morning to find the Wandering Spirit sitting in a mini-lake of about 2 inches of water – large puddle that encompassed the whole rig, but thankfully did not reach the electrical supply!  (NOTE: The water had already begun to recede when I took the photo). This was after a night of monsoon-like rain and rolling thunder.  Second night in a row, a different state park.  Welcome to Georgia?   Actually, both parks are very nice – Crooked River and Fort McAllister – just had some had some nasty weather catch up with me.  Unto all great adventures a little rain must fall (but honestly folks, it’s been a bit much considering this is supposed to be the sunny south).

I just returned from a 5-mile hike around the park and am enjoying a cup of coffee while writing this blog.  Seems my intentions were good to set a regular cadence for my postings, and an irregular cadence has been set, whenever I am moved to spend my time with my creative side!  I love to write, also journal every morning, but it competes with driving, planning, setting up/taking down camp, hiking, sunbathing and household tasks.  So, in a way, I am loving a free, cloudy, drizzly afternoon here in my home.

LEAVING DISNEY

So let me go back about 12 days – when you last saw me, I was leaving the land of Disney to venture to the Keys.  It was a great drive – found a county park that rivalled any state or national park in size – just south of St. Petersburg, FL: Fort Soto County Park.  Research of “RV friendly” and “dog friendly” lead me to this great place. I wish I had found it earlier; I would have loved to camp there.  We spent an afternoon on the designated dog beach, and I soon gave up trying to read in my new bathing suit!

Audy off leash is constant boundary setting, which he forgets when someone new comes along.  “Don’t drink the salt water” meant we had to walk the salt water out of his system before leaving (never learns).  “Leave the dead jelly fish alone” (command – partially successful “leave it”) meant Audy goes back on the leash until I could find a stick to move it out a little further away from the shore. Give that ball or frisbee back to those people and their dog, i.e., “drop” and “leave it” commands, only meant you gave it to them long enough so you could chase it and steal it again.

This last behavior was totally my fault.  My first throw of his toy went out too far (big muscles from driving the rig?) and the current swiftly took it away, leaving him desperate and playing Lassie – he was running up to everyone walking by and barking desperately, saying “please, I think a little boy named Timmy is drowning out there, and while you are at it – could you retrieve my ball?”

Well, guilty mama that I am, we went to a PetSmart the next day and he picked out a new toy- a ball of course. Actually, he got 4 new toys, but hey it was “buy 3 get one free” sale!).  I loved the sunshine at the beach, and although I never got to truly relax, it was worth the stop.  And both Audy and I came away with something new – he, a case of purging salt-water and me, well what would a trip to a dog beach be without sand flea bites? Still itchy.

ALONG THE WAY

That night was a boondocking night through Harvest Hosts.   I couldn’t have planned on a better place to stay.  Wayside Bar and Grill, in Palmetto, FL – a jewel.  A nice level mowed field for a good night’s rest and dinner at the fun little, out of the way grill and outdoor spaces.  Had the very best blond ale ever, savory steak tacos and listened to a reggae soundtrack.  I really set me up for the journey to Key Largo the next day.  Wish I could remember the name of the ale!

KEY LARGO

Florida uses a lot of toll roads, and most of them have a program that captures your license plate and then they bill you.  Waiting to see what the overall cost will be when I start receiving the invoices.  Anyway, after meandering mostly down the center of Florida, staying west of the big cities of Miami and Fort Lauderdale, I made it to Key Largo!  Mostly laid out along Highway 1A, I stayed at a funky 1960’s style camp.  There were quite a few long-term residents living there, and I was parked in between a single-wide and a large 5^th wheel. 

The electrical probably wasn’t even up to 1960’s code (if you look closely in the picture, you will see my electrical plug hangs below the water facet)– but I was within feet of the tiny “marina” for guest boats and had my own lanai (a fancy word used for the concrete paid that had been painted green, many times/shades, over the years.)  The people were friendly, in addition to the year-round residents, there were some groups of people who’d been coming for years and long-lost hippies and surfers who’d been hiding in the keys for years.  Very nice people who asked me if I needed anything from the “dollar store” since he was going. Not sure if I did need anything, since those stores are more wander and find the bargain, you weren’t looking for – lol.

But this funky community had its charm, a little beach of white sand on the blue of the warm gulf waters (Caribbean water I was told), unbelievable sunsets and a few places within walking distance.   There was an alligator warning on the beach, and I spotted a few dolphins, but it was amazing just wading in the ocean and visiting with other people from all over the USA while sipping an iced tea.  Just felt bad that I didn’t have any plastic pink flamingos to put in front of my rig for the few days I was there. 

Did I mention this park had a fun custom?  At sunset each night, one of the groups had some type of bugle/horn that was blown 3 times to end their happy hour. (Technically, they continued to party on the beach and back at their campsites).  I wonder if they were descendants of Vikings, or perhaps just people who got drunk one night at sunset and thought wouldn’t it be cool to blow a horn at this moment?  And from this, a great tradition began (although I heard some arguing over what the official time was for sunset, as us seniors tend to do).

THE EVERGLADES

Once I left the Keys, a major pivot point, I started my journey north.  But not without stopping for the majority of the day at Everglades National Park.  And finally, saw alligators in the wild – safely, from a raised boardwalk.  Pretty awesome.  Audy ignored them, and surprisedly, they eyed him cautiously, not with hunger as some fellow tourists speculated, for if we moved closer, they would turn and run into weeds or deeper water.  Audy was oblivious.

It is a shame to think these national treasures are being dismantled by this current administration. They actually generate revenue way beyond their costs for this country and are beloved by both Americans and tourists from all over the world. Sad. No respect for what belongs to all of us.

Boondocking Discovery

After a few nights of boondocking at a winery/brewery and family farm, I arrived in St. Augustine.  But during these two nights, I had a big “duh” moment and solved my morning coffee problem while boondocking.  I use an electric coffee pot most of the time, but unless I kick on the generator while boondocking, I can’t power the pot.  So, for most of my boondocking, I’ve left groggy and looking for my first cup of coffee.  Can’t do drive-thrus obviously, so sometimes it’s been truck stop convenience store crap, I mean coffee.  Then, at the winery, it hit me – I had packed my camp percolator!  As my emergency back-up.   Well, any time you don’t have coffee when you need coffee is a full-on, red-light emergency.  And it was right up there over my lounge all this time.  Problem solved, I’m cooking with gas – propane and making coffee the old-fashioned way. However, need to see if I can find some old-fashioned coffee grinds to go with it.  Drip grinds are finer and tend to escape the basket, meaning that you may need to use a strainer when you pour from the pot to the cup. Boondocking provides opportunities to meet fellow RVers.

At the family farm host, right by their pond, I had an impromptu happy hour with another traveler – he stopped by to talk for a minute and ended up grabbing a chair and another beer while I got my wine. Fun way to pass the time, talking about things we’d seen, done or where we’d stayed on our adventures – his lady friend and he had been living 100% in an RV for 10 years.

St. Augustine

Big, loud motorcycles are popular along Florida’s Atlantic Coast – lots in my KOA Campground and roaring around town.  Not sure it they were Wanna-Be’s or the real deal, or a mixture but when I went into historic St. Augustine to wander around for an afternoon, I notice the places where you could sit and drink had notices saying things like – no leathers, no colors, no insignias targeted at Harley riders.  I kind of thought of it as middle-aged and senior men on spring break?

For those who aren’t aware, St. Augustine is one of America’s oldest cities. It is where the lyrics for the Star-Spangled Banner originated after a battle from this old fort – our flag stood proud after the battle ended. Another American treasure at risk? Probably not because there aren’t any natural resources to take here.

Although by the second day in St. A’s, the weather was turning cloudy, Audy and got a good walk on a beach – not bathing suit weather but was comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt.  The Atlantic was dark and broody, but not that cold on my feet.  And I made a little collection of pearls like seashells prevalent on this beach.   Made this part of the trip complete for me – standing in the Atlantic as I did as a child, but much further north.  I will revisit my youth later this year when I make it to Rhode Island, Narragansett Bay, where I ran barefoot among the horseshoe crabs and rode in the basket inside an innertube while my father raked for quahogs.  More of that later, when I make that part of my journey.

Georgia on my mind

And that brings me up to date, where I am sitting in my home in Fort McAllister State Park in Georgia with the door open (it’s getting chilling) after a long walk through the salt marshes.  Love the tidal aspect of this area – see the photos taken at the same spot last night and this morning, Georgia is beautiful with its collaboration of pines and palmettos growing in the same sandy soil.  Deer roam freely through the campgrounds.  Storks, herons and pelicans roam the water ways at low tide looking for delicacies. I’m just happy it’s not raining at the moment. Also enjoyed Crooked River State Park, where I saw a baby armadillo! In Georgia? Expected that in Texas.

In the morning, I am moving on, northward tomorrow.  In another week, I will be turning west again.  I have been at this for over 2 months now, and even though I’ve got a lot of adventure ahead of me, feels a little sad to think of beginning the journey back – for this portion of my wanderings. 

I’m not done yet😊 Namaste.

For the fun of it, I’m throwing in some life on the road photos too!

February 25, 2025

For years, retirees have flocked to Florida for the sunny days, resorts and orange juice.  Well, I don’t drink OJ anymore (A1C)), my resorts have been RV parks and farmer’s fields, and sunny days?  Not so much.  Although, if I am honest this RV Resort just sent me a text that there is bingo tonight at the community center- what could be more senior-like than that!  Before I go there, I’ll share some of my practical experiences with traveling in an RV.

First, asking Google or whatever app you use to find a place to eat nearby is a futile exercise.  It can’t tell you if there will be RV parking when you get there.  So, I have found the best way to find somewhere to eat is to drive around.  It also means you may have to forgo breakfast because by the time you find a place, it is lunch time.    It also means when you do park, you have to be extremely rude and position the vehicle so no one can block you into the 3-4 spaces you occupy. (I’ve adapted pretty well to maneuvering Spirit Warrior so I can get out with a few moves.)

And driving through the cute, little tourist towns with adorable little coffee shops and restaurants is the worst – these upscale towns, such as the ones along highway 30A on the Florida panhandle, are made for walking tourist, not RVers.  I saw many places that I would have like to stop at, but parking any vehicle would be challenging, let alone a RV!  Sigh, that cup of coffee and pastry will have to wait for somewhere further down the coast?

Similarly, if you want to shop for some summer clothes, you will have to follow your instincts to take you to the roads that follow the bay or gulf.  Then you find a tacky, beachy gift shop where sleeveless t-shirts are still on the racks and shelves.  Down here, its winter so most stores are carrying their versions of winter clothes – although, thankfully, some have started coming out with shorts and capris now.  Malls usually have plenty of room for you to hog multiple spaces. (you park horizontally instead of straight in)

On one such journey in Panama City, I lucked out by following the call of the ocean.  It was cold and cloudy, but I finally found a place for gulf shrimp with the parking I needed at the marina.  Wasn’t 5-star dining, but it was a nice gathering place for a few locals (4 women at the next table were on their 3^rd martinis/tropical drinks when I left, wished I could have joined them) and the shrimp was tasty.  Been too cold and wet to be able to grill my own.

The rest of the trip to Kissimmee has been marked by two nights in the mid-20s (can’t believe I had to use my furnace again and had water freeze one night!).  Stayed in a nice, older RV Park – really like the ones that are still set-up like campgrounds.  Had one that I shortened to an overnight stay, since it was 3 miles from the beach (not “close too” as advertised) and to get there you had to cross 6 lanes of very busy highway traffic with a significant palm tree and grass medium.  What I really liked was the peaceful night at a Harvest Host nursery and farm – just parked on the grass and boondocked for the night (when the temp was 29 degrees) and the next day, bought a little succulent from the host before heading to where I am now, Orlando area. And the trip to the Orlando area became a stressful ordeal when I got stuck for over 3 hours to go less than 25 miles on the Florida Turnpike due to construction. They could learn something about driver safety during major construction from ODOT – there were miles without an exit if you were having car trouble or a medical emergency and narrow lanes with no shoulders to pull off.

I lucked out with some sun on Sunday; old Town Kissimmee is right across the street. So, Audy and I went over to walk around and enjoy a rum and coke at one of the little bars along this pedestrian only street.  I then took Audy back to the RV to sleep off his drink (water) while I returned to browse the shops without being pulled to up to every stranger that made any type of facial expression his way (he’s cute and knows it – but more importantly, everybody is his friend!)

So today, my last day of 4 in one spot, I went to Epcot.  Not my most exciting experience, it cost way too much to wander around looking in stores.  Seems to have lost its shine – I remember the Disney special when the park opened in 1971.  I got on one ride, Spaceship Earth, which was so-so.  What I found incorrect was that it started man’s experience on earth with Mammoth hunters.  Seems liked a huge oversight, not acknowledging that man originated in Africa?  The rest of the rides? Geared towards children’s movies with long wait lines.  And the adult entertainment also had lines – even in the drizzle people were willing to stand in line for 30 minutes for a margarita, wine or beer.

However, I did walk 8 miles today – and had fun with both my Lyft drivers, Daimer and Jaime.  Both were immigrants with limited (or no) English speaking skills.  So, I got to practice Spanish with both – and Jaime had an online translation program which we had fun talking through (it even translated my Spanish to Spanish – the only word it struggled with was “timid” – which was interpreted as “shy” for my new amigo from Columbia – I had to explain I am not shy, or timid – lol.) 

Jaime was after me about getting a boyfriend to travel with (typical Latino male) until I told him my age and that having un amor no es importante anymore!  He was shocked that I was 70, and of course, my ego loved that:-).  I told him I make new friends every day, and my dog and cat are my companions I talk to – he told me I now have a friend in Columbia, and when I come to visit, he will have his family take care of me.

Just want to note here that both of these “immigrants” were not my enemy, and made my day a little brighter with their delightful banter and the service they provided me getting to/from my destination – it infuriates me when people imply that immigrants are this nation’s problem. I love diversity in all its forms, preferences and languages – this is what makes our country strong, the ability to accept others. And I admire people who are brave enough to start a new life in a strange land, just as most of my ancestors did.

Tomorrow, start my journey south to the tip of the USA.  On the way, I have a fun boon-docking night at a bar and grill along the gulf coast.  And of course, since I will be driving, it is supposed to be warm and sunny!  But I fooled the weather system, my next overnight stop is only about 90 minutes away -leaving me plenty of time to find a beach and enjoy the day.

Namaste

February 17, 2025

It’s been a while since I’ve posted.  What I’m finding is that when I have a lot of travel days, my energy goes into keeping house, hooking/unhooking the Wandering Spirit from her three lifelines – power, water and sewage (sometimes only 2) and experiencing whatever weather and location I am in.  I think I left off in New Mexico – Oh My! How it is flying by! Because I’m sitting in a state park in Mississippi as I write this.  Which means Texas and Louisianna are in my rear-view mirror.  I’ll do my best to remember what I did two weeks ago!

The highlight of Texas was arriving at the gulf in Goose Island State Park.  Probably more of a fisherman’s paradise, but I loved parking my RV right on the bay waters and enjoying my first taste of warm, sunny days before the gray clouds began again.  But on the way, across Texas, I did a couple of overnight stays in RV Parks which had seen their better days – but they sufficed. 

At one such park, there was a colony of feral cats that roamed from RV to RV seeking hand-outs.   Funny how the universe provides – as my cat has responded very positively to his thyroid medication, the special tummy diet food I had him on became to rich for him.  I had a bag of this food ready to donate the first chance I got – and here was a feral colony just waiting for a hand-out!  So, after providing a treat of “sensitive stomach” food to some beat up looking cats, I left the remaining cans in a location where someone else could do the same. (Still looking for a location to donate my old pants and shorts – I’ve dropped 20 pounds already and have replaced most of my jeans!)

My plans for my San Antonio stop changed when my hot water heater stopped working, plus the heavy traffic and lack of RV parking around points of interest – the Alamo and the River Walk – were seriously lacking. My initial thought was that by the end of the trip, I will have replaced or repaired all systems under warranty – but thanks to Camping World in New Braunfels, Texas it was a quick fix.  Apparently, those wash board roads in New Mexico had loosened a wire.  I changed my RV park to be closer to Camping World for my appointment, I ended up, literally sleeping under a freeway bridge.  Good thing I’m a deep sleeper; after getting used to the noise of semi’s zooming overhead, I actually got a good night’s sleep.

So back to Goose Island.  What a great couple of days of R&R complete with a couple of good sunsets and a lazy day of watching the shrimp boats circle one apparently very populated spot of those gulf delicacies. They were so fascinating that even Spirit Cat spent most of the morning, between naps, watching them outside the back window of the rig.  Although this park had signs “do not feed the allegators”, I was both relieved and disappointed I didn’t get to see one in the marshes.  Only their ghosts in the swaths of trampled grass and mud tracks crossing the roadway.  Alligator sighting came later in a very controlled environment in Louisiana.

Upon exiting Goose Island, I found myself in the first episode of using my girt to get to the mainland – I crossed my first high “causeway” bridge over a part of the bay with a strong wind.  Although I’m not religious (I am spiritual), I found myself praying for someone to give me the concentration and grip on the steering wheel to get over it safely.  I did it but not loving it, and I am improving my wind driving skills all the time! 

I spent another few days at Jamaica Beach on Galveston Island, Texas where the weather was cold to slightly warm.  I walked the beach a few times – once all bundled up, the next time in sleeveless shirt and shorts. Did heavy loads of laundry here – when you share a blankets and spreads with a dog, things get dirty quicker. 

One of my neighbors there was from New Hampshire and was driving a huge Class A (the ones like a bus).  He shared that he’d borrowed the rig from his son who lives in Florida but was considering cancelling the rest of the trip.  They’d had to live in it in the snow for 3-4 days and driving it in the wind was more than he’d bargained for.  We commiserated on both of us coming from northern climates to find sunshine, but with very mixed and unexpected results.

Remember those windy causeways that connect many gulf islands with the mainland?  Same for leaving Galveston!  But here, the navigation played a cruel trick on me.  After crossing the first time, white knuckled (wasn’t the worst wind – but I’m always on guard for those unexpected gusts), the system told me to take an exit.  I did.  Then it told me to turn left after the overpass.  I did, with a sinking feeling – and sure enough suddenly, there I was driving across the same causeway going back onto the island.  (The gods must be crazy?)  So, I stopped, got gas, looked at my map and headed back across this causeway a third time.  This time I ignored all of her commands (that navigation trickster) and pushed on.  She tried to entice me many times with “make a U-turn, exit next right” and I kept going until I hit a major highway and used my own sense of direction to get me back on track.  It worked, except, well- I’ll deny it- I think I drove on a tollway without paying the toll? (Never saw a toll booth.)  Not my fault, I blame the navigation system that told me to do it when she realized I was hell-bent on going my own way – payback, I think?

In Louisiana, I researched their tourist information “by-ways” drives – the first being called the Zydeco by-way.  This led me through the back country, broken old roads where I was often the only vehicle and for sure the only RV, past homes on short stilts.  I arrived in the town where Cajun music and zydeco dance are famous, and nothing was opened.  Oh yeah, February isn’t the peak tourist season.  I did a quick walk around the little Cajun town buildings, then went on to my next resting place.  I was delighted here to find the woman work at reception spoke with a real Cajun accent – I was fascinated with her way of speaking and could have engaged her longer, but she was in the middle of juicy gossip on the phone when I arrived, so I let her go.  This place did have its own Cypress swamp to add to the charm.

The next day, I hit another Cajun Village tourist spot – circa the 1960’s.  It was here I got to see an alligator up close and had my beloved beignets and café au lai.  It was warm and muggy, but one of the small fans I bought for this type of occasion helped keep the RV comfortable for Audy-wee and Spirit while I browsed.  My only disappointment was that instead of a sleeveless t-shirt, I found a lot of LSU merchandise!  I guess college fans exist everywhere – not just in duck/beaver country (lol).

I like to refer to the last two pictures in this next set as the before and after photos. Although, for the life of me, I cannot understand why anyone would eat these creatures. I admit that on one trip down south during my independent consulting days, while out with clients in the Jacksonville area, I tried allegator strips – not really impressed than, lots of deep-fried breaded stuff is what I remember of the tasting.

The drive through the rest of Louisiana was crazy – I must have driving over 25 miles on a highway on pillars through bayous.  Was a different experience – no turn-offs for the majority of this part of the drive outside of Baton Rouge and around Lake Pontchartrain before heading into Mississippi. I purposely did not go to New Orleans – not RV friendly, too close to Mardi Gras and not just into big cities this trip, so I drove around it all. Wish I could have found a place to stop and do some viewing, but one thing I’ve noticed about the states down south, they just don’t have the blue signs to tell you about tourist attractions and if they do, you see them right at the exits as you drive past unaware (pretty much the same for rest areas too). They do have the food, gas and lodging signs.

With the wind and storm warnings (at that time, possible tornado warnings for later that night), I kept going until I reached here, Buccaneer State Park, Mississippi. The tornado warning had been reduced to a “watch” by the time I called the park to check – I began to consider turning around and heading west until the weather improved – and upon arrival the watch had been lifted, leaving only a warning for an extreme thunderstorm in the wee hours of the night.  That storm did materialize but was short lived and now it has been sunny since yesterday, just chilly.  That brings me to today, which I need to get outside and enjoy even if bikinis aren’t an option (well, to be honest, they never are for me anymore anyway). 

I’ll be in Florida tomorrow – with extended stays in both the Orlando area and Key Largo!  Hoping for a more interesting blog next time – Disneyland and the Spirit of Jimmy Buffet!

NAMASTE (I honor the spirit within you)

February 3, 2025

This post covers the week or so since leaving Phoenix.  Lots of territory, but in terms of adventures and experiences, not so much.  I’m sitting in Van Horn, Texas tonight – 80 degrees upon arrival, but it’s cooling down nicely for a good night’s sleep at the Wild West RV Park.  A little past its prime but reasonably priced for a dirt lot with full hook-ups and free wi-fi for a little TV watching tonight.  Last night was broken sleep, Audy-wee decided to eat charcoal out of the fire ring where we were camped, and he woke me multiple times to purge his system.  The good news is that Audy was fine and hungry by morning.

Of my trip to southern Arizona, the highlights were definitely Picacho Peak State Park and Saguaro National Park.  At Picacho Peak, I was able to drink a Modelo while capturing sunset and an unbelievable night sky in the desert.  I realized that a little past dusk, when there was still a little backlighting to the mountains, that the rock formation looked like a dragon or dinosaur, can you see it in the photos?  Got in a long hike through the cactus, allowing me to work with Audy on the command “close” to navigate without picking up anything prickly.  We were successful.

After 2 days in my desert camp, I headed into Tucson.  Have to say, this wasn’t the best part of the trip for me, with one exception.  I did love seeing the huge saguaro forest, and getting my national park passport stamped!  Just for fun, last summer I bought my passport at the Painted Hills national park in Oregon.  I now have 2 stamped pages!  (Many more to come) Anyway, with the exception of the Maps program trying to take me down 15 miles of wash board road that was clearly marked “RVs not allowed”, I spent ½ day trying to find one of those funny tall saguaros people post online – gosh darn it, no luck, just couldn’t find one that looked like it was flipping people off!  (Note: I’ve become very adept at maneuvering the rig around so I can turn around quickly and did not proceed down the authorized road!)

Tucson wasn’t too exciting; in fact, I scheduled 3 days there and by day 2, I was ready to leave.  Did the other part of the Saguaro National Forest, not quite as exciting – it is the newer forest to the east of Tucson. By then, I was at the “if you seen one saguaro, you’ve seen them all”. 

I also have decided that when I use the Harvest Host program, I will stick to wineries, maybe some breweries.  I stayed two nights at farms/ranches under this program, and both required long drives (2 miles) on extremely wash boarded roads. I’ve had to tape, reattach and come up with some creative solutions for what got shook loose or detached.  A penny under the strike plate on the bathroom door seems to keep it closed now.  I also had a poor experience with a host who was attempting to charge for boon-docking on her property – a violation of the program’s ethics.  My review of her property called out for her practice.  Enough said.  But even with these marginal experiences, I still was able to capture some awesome sunsets in the desert – and a faint rainbow over one of those grand cactuses.

I ended my stay in the Tucson area at the Fairground RV Park, where I got in early enough for an afternoon nap in front of the TV and continued just to chill as the temperature dropped to 30 degrees and rain pummeled Wandering Spirit – which was the universe’s answer to my unsuccessful search for a car wash where I could rinse her off.    How I love that my rig is my sanctuary when I just want down time. (And she still needs a good wash).

My faith in Harvest Host was restored once I reached Deming, New Mexico and boondocked at Luna Rossa winery.  Great Gewürztraminer wine!  And engaging host, Joe.  The tasting room became my haven, because when I arrived, I found I had a flat tire, one of my exterior dualies.  Thankfully, the Good Sam Road Assistance program got someone out right away – I didn’t even get halfway through my first glass of wine before they showed up with a new tire.  My tire had a 2-inch nail it.  Where, when and how I picked that up is a mystery but add a new tire to the unexpected expense list.  I would add the 2 bottles of wine I purchased also, but that is an expected expense for this trip, actually.  And, yes, sunsets over vineyards are gorgeous as well.

On my way to my campsite, I took a side trip to Mesilla, NM to visit their old town plaza.  Quaint, wasn’t busy – but finally I could do a little souvenir shopping.  And came away with a colorful Baja actually made in Mexico. Love the way they lined the plaza with chilis.  Had a delicious Mexican coffee, Tres Leches Latte, at El Chanate Coffee Company.  (El Chanate is a small black bird).  And found a soul mate in terms of opinions with the owner, a striking young female entrepreneur of Mexican decent, about what is happening in this country.  I’ve trying to avoid being political in my posts, let’s just say we both agree that we both have ancestors who came to this country either to escape something bad or to make a better life for their families – we are not that different. And in both of our heritages, we have people who were here long before any of the current nations.

Finally, I took a few more days to camp at Caballo State Park north of Las Cruces, New Mexico.  It wasn’t the most interesting spot, or scenic, but still got a few good shots of the lake and the rocky crags behind it.  The site was big and level with ramada, grill and firepit (where Audy decided to eat the charcoals I’d discarded, as previously mentioned.)  It provided some water play for Audy, and I finally hit days above 70 degrees and was able to sit in the sun in the afternoons.  I’m definitely in shorts and sandals now, and I’m proud to say I stopped in Las Cruces to get new shorts.  I am officially one size smaller now!  Have bought 3 new pairs of pants/shorts at different locations to confirm it.  So yes, adventures have many perks, including changing eating habits and increasing walking.

And the change of scenery?  In three days, I will be on the Gulf Coast! Namaste.