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.

January 18-20, 2025

This is a more rugged experience – no water or sewage hook-ups, electric only.  It’s camping (finally), not an RV park.  Roughing It?  Well, I do have to walk to the rest room next door to shower – does that count?  What if I tell you I am sharing the restrooms with about 50 boy scouts who are camping in the sites the next loop over?  For some reason, the restroom seems to be a destination gathering spot – they travel in twos but congregate in dozens.  The little shower/restroom complex is probably a place where they can sneak away from the scout masters to tells stories that wouldn’t pass muster around the campfire.    LOL – tomorrow I move to a site where I have water and electric but no sewage.  This is when having at least dump stations in a park is a little piece of heaven on earth (don’t get me started on black water tanks!).

65 degrees, bright sunshine in a semi-desert location.  Took a nap feeling the slight breeze, a little chilly and the warm sunshine.  Have always liked the sensation of solar warmth v. cool air – what temperature will win when they compete for control of my skin reactions?  Happy to report the warmth won. I practiced a meditative activity I used to do as a teenager (but didn’t realize I was meditating at the time). 

As a teenager in San Diego, I often headed to the beach early – at times when it was still overcast and chilly.  My mental game as the sun broke through the clouds was to lay on the beach and direct where I would feel the heat, concentrating until I felt it only on my back, my legs, my arms.  Now they sell apps to help you do that.  Was I ahead of my time?   But I digress.

And today, I laid back in my big, cushioned camp chair and played the same game. Of course, at 70 I wore #50 sunblock, a hat and prescription transition glasses, but I did manage to get so relaxed I fell asleep.   No other word for it – bliss.  Great start to this portion of my wanderings.

Have walked over 7 miles today – two trips through the campgrounds to the pedestrian or camper entrance to the little ghost town – a busy tourist attraction. It was fun – first trip with Audy, then after my nap, returned to go through the gift stores.  I didn’t find anything unique enough to capture my attention and reminded myself I have a lot of miles and gift shops ahead of me to locate something out of the ordinary as I go.

On my second trip into the ghost town, I got ice cream (can’t say that’s a highlight, hard to believe but the treat wasn’t that good) and watched people.  Lots of families, I’d forgotten this was Martin Luther King’s birthday.  Many different accents, and clothing styles and as the day passed, tired parents chasing tired children.  It was a warm day for me, but there were people wearing winter jackets to people in T-shirts. There was a family I believe were from India were bundled up – looking like they had layered their entire wardrobe on themselves.  Many may have been southern Californian’s were wearing sweatshirts/long pants. (some were shopping for sweatshirts in the gift store).    Not seeing any other license plates from Oregon or Washington state, I represented the Pacific Northwest in shorts and a t-shirt.   However, rocky trails kept me in my walking shoes.  Don’t worry sandals, your day is coming soon!

And the end of this day, after finally grilling dinner and using my little tabletop fire pit under the stars brought me back into my Wandering Spirit where the propane fueled heater keeps me nice and toasty as the temperature dips to 30 tonight.  Hard to come inside when the never-ending sky is filled with twinkling lights – it still puts me in a state of awe.  Namaste.

January 17, 2024

I’m now about 10 days into my travels, but have been visiting, driving and working through the unexpected making time for my thoughts limited.  Yes, I do feel I am living the dream – and tomorrow starts the path towards the south, with a left turn to the east.  Hopefully leaving the practical, time-consuming reality behind for a while!

My trip started as planned, left my holiday stay-over RV park, boon-docked at my daughters and then made my appointment with Camping World in Wilsonville for the oil change and road ready check. First dose of reality – a leak in a differential seal discovered.  A warranty problem for the Chevy chassis.  I am forever thankful for my brother and his connections in the mechanical community in Medford, Oregon!  I want to give a special recognition to Pro Service Center for getting my RV in and fixed in one day when no Chevy dealer had the bay size or capacity to see me sooner than 30 days!  (it’s warranty work, so had to make a choice of waiting or getting it fixed – I choose the latter and will do battle with Chevy at my next RV Park).

Once the RV was back, while my brother was installing my new TV, I discovered that the awning wasn’t working.  Dead, no matter how I pushed the button – nothing.  So, after spending time at both my brother, Brad and sister-in-law Colleen’s place (I give this location 5 stars.  A nice, rustic setting, but nice gravel lot with deer who grazed next to the rig. And the host is very helpful with technical advice and installation services), I moved to my sister Julie and husband Mike’s place.

I rate my RV pad at Julie and Mike’s place at 5 stars also – the host and hostess were delightful, and the pad was very level, in a farm setting.  Plus, she offered a tour of local shopping hot spots to pass the time.  Plus, I got the bonus of leaving with fresh farm eggs! 

Before I left Southern Oregon, I was able to make an appointment with a Camping World in Anderson, California.  After driving over the notorious Siskiyou Pass on a dry, sunny, 51-degree day, I stayed on track by staying at the Win-River Casino RV Park overnight in Redding, California.  Great steak dinner, and after playing $20 on the pennies slots, I won back the cost of the RV spot plus a few bucks (I mean like $3.00).  It was fun and I loved coming home from the casino (via the little shuttle v. walking 4 minutes) and being welcomed to a cozy, warm bed by my travelling companions, Spirit and Audy-wee.

The only change I’ve had to make was having to cancel my first night at a winery via my Harvest Host winery.  I spent most of the day at Camping World getting the awning fixed. Audy-wee did his job as social director and before we left, we’d met all the employees, people buying new trailers and people waiting for service on their RV’s.  There is really a community feeling among RV people, time passed quickly talking about travel tips, places to visit and of course, dogs. Audy enjoyed hearing what a great, handsome dog he was – the cat slept through it all in his carrier with his back to the commotion around him. 

I made it to Sacramento that night and stayed at the fairground’s RV park.  Nice, accommodating staff – but had to question their engineering.  It appears that whoever designed this RV park may had it confused with a drive-in movie theater – the spaces were skewed down-hill.  The slant was so extreme that even my self-levelling jacks couldn’t get my rig completely level, they were extended so far that the front wheels were far off the ground.  So, I gave up, the bed was level across, so I slept with the slant.

Made it to Visalia, after a brief detour to Lodi, where I went to visit the winery where I had planned to stay – these Harvest Host host were understanding of my delay and ultimate cancellation and told me I could pull anytime of the night if I needed a place to stay overnight – even though they required people to be there by 6 pm.  While I missed my wine tasting and watching a sunset in a vineyard experience – I was happy to stop by and say hello.

I’ve had a great visit with two of my cousins here in Visalia, California – shared memories of family gatherings over our youth, with some more recent visits when our parents were still alive.  I look at them, remember our youth and see us all aging, and as Bonnie Raitt sings “I see my folks are getting on and I watch their bodies change, I know they see the same in me and it makes us both feel strange”. 

I have always felt blessed to have an extended family that I’ve kept in touch with over the years, my parents taught us the importance in family.  I feel lucky that I’ve been able to see so many of them on this trip, including another cousin I visited in Medford while there.

My adventures are about experiences, reconnecting with people, seeing beauty and trying to understand more about this human existence.  This past week plus has been about spending time with loved ones. Tomorrow – well that is the beginning of exploration, seeing beauty great and small, and coffee at sunrise and wine at sunsets.  I’m ready!

So, my remaining time is short in my holiday layover location – in 3 days I will pull out of here and begin my trek southward.  More about the planning and preparation in a minute.  However, first I’d like to share how thoughts/priorities begin to change as you adapt to this RV way of life!

You know you live in an RV when:

• You have an urge to check your tank levels* at bedtime.
• Your new favorite reading is a road atlas, and your favorite app is RV Life’s Trip Wizard.
• You have a 3-way garter device securing your mattress cover to the mattress.
• Your dish drainer sits partially on your stove.
• The floor of your passenger seat has a litter box in it.
• When you drive by a gas station you don’t notice the prices, instead you are trying to determine if they have a propane tank for refilling your tank and if their ceilings are over 11 foot tall.
• You purchase chains for your house.

Yes, in a few days I’m pulling out.  After another overnight boon-docking stay at my daughter’s home, I will spend part of the following day with my cat and dog in the customer lounge at Camping World while I get my rig serviced and checked out to make sure it’s road-ready.  I’m happy to report that last weekend I started up the rig, Wandering Spirit, and she immediately warned me to consider changing her oil – LOL, I was way ahead of her – the oil change was already scheduled!

And then, making me even happier, the generator started up easily – good news since I’d had to invest some major bucks and warranty to get its jets. filters and pump replaced earlier this year. Long story, after initial warranty work on the generator I was told to run the generator monthly after driving the rig for about 30 minutes. Then when it gummed up again, I was told that driving it around probably stirred up stuff in the gas tank that gummed it up? – Learning, generators run off gasoline and share the rigs gas supply – so the quality of gas impacts the function of the generator more than it impacts the vehicle itself.

Anyway, all seems to be working well now.  And the forecast is looking good to get me over all the mountain passes and on my way into California without hitting snow or ice.  Since I’m feeling lucky, I scheduled my first night in California at a casino with an RV park – the fees were good, but they know that I’ll make up the difference in the slot machines.  The rest of the trip includes an overnight at a winery, visits with cousins and then a couple of state parks – a few days of camping in the desert and along the Colorado river in the sunshine!  I’ve planned through the end of January, which will see me crossing the state line from Arizona to New Mexico. 

My preparations included pulling my summer clothes out of storage and washing my winter clothes.  Next will be making those take/store decisions for the summer clothes. For the past week, I’ve been going through my original choices and pulling out the excess for putting in storage.  I will now focus on major house cleaning, which will be an exhausting 45 minutes.  By the time they pick up the propane tank, I will have the slide in and the mirrors out – and it will be wings up for flight.

I’m looking forward to being in places where I can set out my comfy camp chairs and use my tiny tabletop fire pit – and to grill my meals on my bar-b-que (imaging cooking without 25 MPH winds bringing the internal RV temp down to match the 30 something degree external temperature to avoid the smoke alarm going off).   My current location has served its purpose, I was here for the holidays with my family.  And I learned how to live comfortably in a tiny space. 

I’m ready to take my home on the road – and hoping I won’t have to chain it up along the way!

*For those unfamiliar with RVs, mine has a three-tank system onboard – fresh water, gray water (sinks) and black water (toilet).  My RV can go about 4 days until the gray and black tanks need to be discharged into either a site or public dump station.  I’ve got this activity down pretty well now!

I’m two weeks away from moving on, starting the grand adventure. Been in a holding pattern for a few months as I learn this lifestyle and spend the holidays around my daughter and her family. When I woke up this morning on Christmas eve, I felt a heaviness in me. And on top of that, I sat on the brass tray where I sit my coffee while journaling, turning over the cup and spilling hot coffee all over me and my cushion!  Living in an RV park with long-term renters has been a good experience, however it was marred by two experiences that were weighing on me.

First, unfortunately, I attracted the attention of a neighbor who lacks filters, boundaries and cannot recognize social cues.  I believe him to be harmless, I suspect this person may be on the autism spectrum. He began ambushing me when I was out walking, and I had the feeling he was watching me to accidently “run into” me. I felt a little stalked and trapped – hard to pull out when your rig is connected to a 120-gal propane tank.  I would feel special that he chose me, but my neighbors have stories about escaping his oversharing of medical, dietary and employment issues and showing up on their walks. However, I think he developed a crush on me, for he talked about having 2 venison steaks to share, even though he told me he was vegan? Even added, for my listening pleasure, a long medical explanation about needing more protein and all the bio-chemical digestive changes that occur, in graphic detail, from eating too much bean soup (won’t go there, but cloudy urine was mentioned).

For my HR friends – this experience was like living next door to your worst RTW employee, lots of excuses for not working and lots of complaining about physical issues, even though the doctor said he could return to work… My brain said run, run – don’t get sucked in, don’t think/say terms like ADA, Paid Leave, Short Term/Long Term Disability, modified work, accommodation – run!

Next, and more devasting, 12 days ago I opened my door to put my dog out and Spirit, my cat, went flying out, across the drive and over the bank towards the creek. I was stunned. For the past week plus, I’ve been calling him and shedding a few tears because he is old, on thyroid medicine and has a heart murmur. I felt terrible, thinking I’d never know what happened to him. Just this morning, I was talking to another neighbor who asked if I’d found him yet. I talked about my hope leaving me as the days go by. Last night, I reluctantly threw away his litter box and today, I put his food into the back of my car to take to my daughter tomorrow.

It was a mild afternoon for a Christmas eve – I cleaned out my car and the front of the RV. Then two things happened that lifted the weight. First, when my intrusive neighbor stopped by, uninvited, started playing with my dog and talking to me, I firmly stating “Please do not come around me, my dog or my RV anymore” (what I didn’t say earlier he was starting to show up in the dark, which did freak me out a little). I repeated this three times, and he walked away. I finally feel like I took control back in this situation. I have compassion for him, he is lonely, but I’m interested in any role beyond “neighbor” with him.

Next, and here’s the Christmas Miracle. Shortly after running off the stalker, I was looking towards the creek. I saw a little black head behind a neighbor’s RV right at the edge of the bank to the creek. Was it a squirrel or could it be? I got on my shoes, ran over and suddenly, to my disbelief – there he was, my Spirit Cat! He still had his collar on. Skinnier, skittish but verbally responding to my calls. It took an hour of offering food and several unsuccessful snatches at him, but I got him. I laid on the muddy ground tossing him canned food with my fingers until I finally got a good hold on him, put him in his carrier and brought him home! I felt such great joy and happiness.  Spirit is in good spirits, the Christmas kind I think, just waking up from naps and yelling for food. He is probably as surprised and happy as I am that we found each other again.

We’ll be making some changes in our routines, but in a good way.  Like Spirit will wear his halter during the days and we’ll start some outdoor leash time to let him get out occasionally. And with two weeks to go, I’m thinking my potential suitor (not) will avoid me now. It is a great Christmas – all is shiny and bright. Love, Peace and Joy – and I hope that once I start my grand adventure, Spirit will accompany me instead of going on his own.

Namaste.