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.

January 22-25, 2025

You never know what you are going to get when you book online, you can view the websites, look at the pictures and read the reviews, but unless you already know the town, you don’t know the area where RV Park is located.  Some people may mention surrounding noise, but I never expected what I got with my first RV park in Phoenix.  I purposefully booked a space for 2 days, 3 nights to do laundry and clean up the rig – plus just enjoy some time in the sunshine before returning to camping and travel.

The first Phoenix RV Park was a disaster.  It was basically an older mobile home park with a space set aside for RV hook-ups.  I pulled in later at night, in the dark and the space signage was very confusing.  My utilities for my assigned space were directly in front of the pad for the next site over.  So, I spent the first night in the wrong site.  Plus, since it was a difficult site to back into, I managed to take out the signpost with the space number – it was right in front of where you back in – sigh.  The next morning, I flagged down the maintenance guy and even he was confused about which space on the gravel pads was mine.  I then moved the rig to the spot next to where I parked and he said no big deal about the smashed space signage.

About the noise, while the park was toted to be on the light rail line and convenient for shopping, it turned out the light rail ran until midnight, leaving me hearing constant dinging of the rail crossing arms going up/down, exposure to the accompanying flashing lights and, as for the convenient shopping?  A combo gas station/mini mart that attracted small suped up vehicles with bass booming all night long, just on the other side of the concrete wall next to me.  And apparently when the trains weren’t in motion, the external road was a place to race – engines revving and tires squealing.   I felt uncomfortable and was trying to think about how to leave while minimizing my expenses.  Adventures have unexpected turns.

The answer was gifted to me the next day.  Reminder – my primary reason for stop-over was to do laundry.  Well, this site forgot to mention on its website that boasted about 2 laundry facilities that they temporarily had 0 laundry facilities.  They had closed one and were renovating the other!  The manager was nice and apologetic and gave me a full refund for all 3 nights.  After an hour and multiple phone calls, I found a nicer place with an awesome laundry room about 15 minutes away.  Nice neighbors, clean and excellent hot tub (spent about an hour in it last night, getting to know fellow RVer’s!) And even my rugs are now clean again.

Today, I was able to get Audy-wee into PetSmart for a much-needed grooming – a bath and a haircut.  We are cutting his hair short for the next phase of the trip.  So here I am sitting in my RV for a few hours waiting while my dog is being pampered.  Then we will restock some supplies and head to our next campsite between Phoenix and Tucson.  The good news is that between yesterday and this morning, I’ve been able to book my next few weeks through New Mexico and into Texas, ending at a state park for my first few days of beach camping on the Gulf Coast.  Trying to book longer stays in places, but the trip through Texas will be a lot of RV Park overnighters through San Antonio. Long distances between towns in some spots.  But I’m looking forward to the next chapter of my travel guide.  Hope you’ll continue to come along.

Namaste from me and Spirit who is taking advantage of mommy and me time by snuggling up and sleeping as close as possible.

January 20-23, 2025

Picking up where I left off.  My next stop was Lake Havasu for more camping.  The drive from central California to Arizona was an arm and shoulder muscle strainer – high gusty winds across the Mojave Desert and a terrible road (Highway 40) tested my resolve and high-profile rig (11 ft) driving skills.  Luckily had some practice driving in high winds last summer.  Slow, steady and both hands-on wheel at all times for constant concentration and correction, made it through and into my beautiful camp spot at Cattail Cove, Lake Havasu!  As the song goes, Mama said there’d be days like this.  The drive was challenging no doubt with the biggest frustration is most of the rest areas were under construction along the way.

Arrival at this site was instant peace, calm and relaxation.  High desert environment with majestic views of the high red mountains that helped capture the Colorado river to make this lake. Still chilly at night and a good portion of the days, but sunshine allowed for some good outdoor time.  This place was far enough from the tourist area of Lake Havasu city to be off the beaten path, and had a wonderful white sand beach – and, more importantly, a dog beach!

This location, on the second night, finally allowed me to fulfill one of my new routines – wine at sunset on a beach.  And of course, tossing a ball into the lake for Audy’s entertainment pleasure.  I may end up over-using the words – but bliss and pure joy are apt descriptions of what I felt.  Yes, the dream includes coffee at sunrise, and wine at sunset.  I’ll try not to overuse those experiences, because once I hit the gulf coast it may become a boring conversation (yeah, Sandy’s drinking more wine on a beach somewhere- blah-blah-blah.)

Got some minor hiking/walking in – will build up to longer walks, but I think I’ve had plenty of 6–8-mile days so far.  My weight is coming off with new eating behaviors (not starving, just not a lot of snacking) and hoping to firm up more.  Gone down a pant size already.

After reluctantly leaving my lakeside oasis, I travelled through Arizona to Phoenix (more about my experience there in another post).  Along the way, again following the path of my parent’s old snowbird stomping grounds, I stopped in Quartzsite, AZ and spent an hour or so browsing rocks in large stores.  If you are unfamiliar with this location, it is known for two things – multiple vendors who sell rocks (natural, polished, crafted and otherwise in any shape or form you could desire) and large flea markets.  The flea markets weren’t active (or I missed them) but it was amazing to see huge buildings with large tables of stones.  I’m a member of the earth clan, so I’m drawn to rocks but not a geologist or rockhound and can’t tell you the different types of rocks, but I was fascinated by all the different colors and veins in them.  Yes, bought a few – the ones that spoke to me.  Well, I guess more the ones I was drawn too – but I was in a desert with little civilization, the mind adapts – so maybe the rocks were talking to me?  After this part of the country is known for alien territory – and I don’t mean immigrants from other countries. (Bless them all and keep them safe in the next 4 years)

Oh, and now may be the time to mention my other travelling companion – Prickly Pete.  A plant who rides in my dash, next to a Big Foot my nephew gave me (one of my favorite nephews – I’ll let them fight out who actually deserves that status 😊).  I gave away all my houseplants when I moved, otherwise I’d have a small jungle in my rig.  But this one has special meaning to me. 

A few years before Dad’s passing last year, during one of his visit, we went out to breakfast at a local Mom & Pop restaurant (his favorite type of place, after Shari’s).  He was intrigued by a plant with both broad leaves and little, prickly spines growing from it.  The waitress told us she nurtured all the plants in the place, and told us about the plant (like rocks, I can never remember the names of plants).  She then cut a clipping and gave it to Dad and me – this is Prickly Pete.  He’s low maintenance, can survive my forgetting to water him and loves the sunny perch in my front window.  Now he has rocks from Quartzsite, in addition to Big Foot, to keep him company.

Namaste.