California, Part 1

March 1-30, 2013

We came to California without our trailer, leaving it in Phoenix for repairs. My sister, Val, and her husband, Pete took us into their lovely home in Rancho Mirage. We figured that staying at a hotel for the duration of the repairs would be too expensive and we were right...it took over 2 weeks for the repairs to be completed, with the time mostly eaten up by the shop waiting for parts! So, we stayed with Val and Pete for 2 wonderful weeks, visiting with them and other family members who drove out to the desert to see us.

Jim drove back to Phoenix to get the trailer by himself. When he got back we moved into the Sands RV and Golf Resort in Desert Hot Springs and stayed there for another 2 weeks. The rental fees in this area in March are very expensive. After all, the winter is high season for the desert resorts. We sure have great timing!

While we were here, we found some great places to hike, visiting Joshua Tree National Park several times, which was about an hour away. (Joshua trees are relatives of the of the Yucca plant.) Driving through the park, we would stop and watch rock climbers or trek around the big rock formations, marveling at their shapes and sizes.

Jim and the Joshua Tree

Close up of an Ocotillo plant

Joshua Tree blossom

Not too many wildflowers yet. I think we were here too early. We did see some beautiful flora and fauna at the Living Desert Museum, which we visited our first weekend here. If you get a chance, it is so interesting to explore and see what makes the desert tick....all the animals, plants, trees....lots of Native American history as well.

Young rock climber in the park

 (LINK TO MORE PHOTOS)







Don't get sucked into hiking into the Fortynine Palms Oasis! Unless you really just want a grueling hike about 3 miles long, gaining and losing 350 feet altitude both ways, the oasis itself is a bust. The hike was an experience. My calf muscles were sore for at least 4 days!

Jim at the Oasis

 (The Oasis is located between the two entrances to Joshua Tree National Park on Highway 62, for all you who will not be warned away!) Now, the trail in Big Morongo Canyon Preserve was easy. Rather tame actually. But a nice way to spend a few hours. (and easy on the calves......)

Another day we took a ride over the Palm to Pines Highway to see the other side of the mountains, driving through Hemet, Warner Springs and Julian, and came back via the highway along the Salton Sea. Long day. We took a lot of drives while we were here.

Palm to Pines Highway overlook

Wildflower in Mecca

Going south on the I-10, we took the Mecca offramp and wandered among the rock formations and desert canyons. Stark beauty.
















Twice our relatives from Orange County came to visit and once we drove into Orange County for Jim to see his clients while I visited with my friends, Debi and Cheryl.

Debi and Cheryl

After lunch at the Lazy Dog in Irvine, the 3 of us walked around Balboa Island and spent the time together reminiscing and catching up with each other's lives. Then out to dinner with friends, P.J. and Roberta. Nice day.

The first time we drove toward Desert Hot Springs on the I-10, we were amazed at the number of windmills on the surrounding hillsides. Once we settled into our RV park, we understood the abundance. Most of the 2 weeks we spent there, the wind howled more often than not. I think we had 4 or 5 nights that we were able to sit outside in the evenings to enjoy a drink and a cigar.

Windmill Farm

During the course of our stay here, I had the pleasure of picking up my brother, Marty, at the Palm Springs International Airport. He came down from Oregon for a short stay so he could be with all of us while Jim and I were here. It was a mini-reunion of all the living siblings. Fun times.

T: Mary, Pete, Val, Jim, Jack, Marty
B: Liz, Bob, Jeri

T: Mary, Val, Marty
B: Liz, Jeri
The siblings

 (LINKS TO MORE FAMILY PHOTOS #1)


 (LINKS TO MORE FAMILY PHOTOS #2)








Though we were sad to bid adieu to our family in the desert, Jim and I were more than ready to hit the road again.


Next stop, Bishop, California and the surrounding Eastern Sierra mountains.

(Click on the pictures to enlarge)

　

Arizona

ARIZONA

Sonora Desert

February 15-28, 2013

We finally left New Mexico, after spending several months there taking care of our annual medical and dental appointments, as well as visiting our son who recently moved back to Rio Rancho. It feels good to get back on the road.

We got into Casa Grande RV Resort on the afternoon of the 15th and set up camp. When we were parking, a gentleman came over and told us he heard a very loud noise coming from our trailer axle and he suggested that we might have a wheel bearing issue. This was the 2nd person who had mentioned that to us. More on that later.



Our friends, Doug and Pat, live in Casa Grande and we had the pleasure to visit with them several times while we were there. We met them in Michigan....they were the camp hosts at our RV park, Painted River Hills RV Park, in the U.P. (see County Fair and the Coast )

While in Casa Grande, Arizona, our trip coincided with their Cowboy and Indian Days Celebration. There was a rodeo and carnival, as well as a parade to open up the festivities on the 16th. We met Pat at the parade Saturday morning. It was a cute, home town parade, with every local organization and association taking part.

Entry from Pat and Doug's RV Park



Who else? Wells Fargo, of course!

Calf Roping



Practicing Roping Skills

On one occasion, we drove out to the Sonora Desert National Monument. I loved the Saguaro cactus forest but talk about desolate desert!  It is lovely to see all these towering cacti marching across the desert. This is the only place they grow and they are beautiful.

A Little Perspective

Saquaro Forest

On Wednesday of that week, we had lunch with our nephew, Eric, and his girlfriend, Kathleen. It was good to visit with them for a few hours. Hadn't seen them in a long time.

After our lunch with them Jim and I went to do a little shopping. He had been dying to see this new Olympus 4/3 mirrorless camera so we found a shop in Tempe that actually had one he could hold in his hand and see how it worked. He ended up buying the camera there and he wants to convert his entire camera kit to the 4/3 format. That means selling his Nikon D300 and some of the lenses. I intend to keep my D90 so we will still have a Nikon in the family. I have to admit the small size is tempting, but I am still learning how to use my Nikon.

Since we were in town, we had arranged to have dinner with Jim's cousin, Pat, who lives in Scottsdale. We spent some time at her house, then the three of us went to Carrabba's. It was nice to see her as well. We haven't seen her in many years.

One of the days we were there we drove back to Tucson and visited the Pima Air and Space Museum. So far, that is the largest air museum we have been in. They had hundreds of airplanes, helicopters and other manner of air transportation. We spent several hours wandering around inside and outside. While we were outside, I tripped and fell, managing to injure both my left arm and leg. Ouch! That was so painful! I had the most amazing colors on my limbs for weeks following that fall. I am such a klutz sometimes!



Pentecost E-III Hoppicoptor

McCulloch Super J-2 Autogyro

Jim and Friend



Smile!

We decided to take care of the awful noise our rig was making when we were pulling out of Casa Grande on the 22nd. The only problem was that none of the repair shops could even look at it for 1-2 weeks! We found a place in Phoenix that could look at it the following Tuesday, the 26th, so we had to stay at the RV park for a couple more days. Dropped the trailer off on the 26th and checked into a hotel. To make a long story short... truly... we were looking at more than a week to get it fixed, so we decided to head out to my sister's in Rancho Mirage, California, to wait for it. Driving back to get it when ready would be cheaper than staying all that time in a hotel.

Our trailer was not finished for two weeks, mainly waiting for parts to be delivered from two different sources. I am actually still in California and Jim has gone back to Arizona to pick up the trailer now that it is repaired. We had to have new brakes put in on one of the axles. It was not wheel bearings after all, but a caliper on one of the brakes broke, causing all kinds of grief inside the rim. The entire brake assembly and the wheel rim and tire had to be replaced due to all the damage done by the broken caliper. Of course none of this work was covered by our warranty.....



Beautiful Cholla Cactus

Don't forget to click on the photos to enlarge!

Bosque del Apache

January 2, 2013

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sights at the Bosque

Jim and I are still in New Mexico, back in the Bernalillo KOA Campground after 9 days in the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge near Socorro. The time we spent down there, at the Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park (real name, I swear!), was really enjoyable. We needed a change of scenery after spending so much time in and around Albuquerque. After a particularly unpleasant dental appointment for me, we decided to spend our Christmas shooting birds. Photography, not hunting!

Got down there on the 20th of December and immediately drove into the refuge to check out the bird populations. This sanctuary is in the migratory path of a lot of species heading south for the winter, right along the Rio Grande River. We had such a warm Fall so the birds got a late start. The sunset on that day was beautiful so we stayed to take pictures. That afternoon, we didn't see very many birds. We drove around the refuge and found a large Snow Geese population settled into one of the larger ponds, and a small number of Sandhill Cranes.

The next morning, we woke up at 4:00 a.m. and got down to the refuge well before sunrise to get a spot on the shore of the pond. The temperature was around 20 degrees and we stood out in the cold for 2 hours, shooting the geese and cranes. That morning was pretty unspectacular....the birds never did a "fly out" together....where all the birds take flight at once. The noise is overwhelming when they do that. This morning, they were pretty sedate.

Morning cranes

Geese Aloft

We spent several more sunsets and sunrises at the ponds around the refuge, enjoying the bird sightings and taking photos. All told, we saw Snow Geese, Sandhill Cranes, Coots, Ducks, Canada Geese, a Bald Eagle and Jim was fortunate to get a photo of a Great Blue Heron. The bird populations fluctuated all week. Toward the end of our stay, we were treated to a huge gathering of Sandhill Cranes, at sunset, just outside the boundary of the refuge. We were able to shoot photos to our hearts' content.

Places to go.....

Lone Crane

One morning I shot a video of the morning "fly out" and I believe I captured the essence of the experience. Hope you enjoy! That morning, the temperature was 12 degrees with a slight wind. Brrrrrr. Not fun standing out in the cold. I left Jim at the edge of the pond finally and went to sit in the (warm) truck.  Make sure you have your sound on!

Christmas day we stayed in the trailer and watched movies and TV series on DVD. It was so cold and windy there was no sense going outside. I made a turkey dinner, complete with all the fixings. It was a quiet day. We came back to Albuquerque in time for another doctor appointment on the 31st. Yikes! Seems like that is all we do!

The holidays are now over for another year. We will be in the Albuquerque area for another month or so, finishing up with the dental and medical appointments. Then, off to new adventures!

Click on the photos to enlarge.

If you would like to view all of my photos from this trip, click on this link: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lizbeth_54/sets/72157632300780259/

For Jim's photos, click on this link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicheplayer/sets/72157632304315650/

Traveling to Bernalillo

I have been trying to publish this blog for several weeks, having issues with Google Blogger software. I had to change browsers to get it to work.  I'm sorry I am so far behind!



It is now December 2nd and I find myself sitting in Bernalillo, New Mexico.  I haven't written for quite some time due to one thing or another.  We spent a lot of October and November visiting with family and friends in Missouri and Arkansas and headed back to New Mexico in mid-November to spend the holidays here with our son, Alex.  I have a few more adventures I want to share that took place during those two months.

MISSOURI

I left off in mid-October while we were staying in Hermann, Missouri.  We left there and headed to Cape Girardeau, Missouri,  to rendezvous with Jim's sisters, Katie and Verna, and to meet up with Jim's brothers, Gary and Jerry.  I had never met the brothers and Jim had not seen them since he was a child.  This was a "family reunion" of sorts.  We also met some of Jim's cousins whom he had not seen since he was a very young child.

Jerry and Katie

Gary

Jim and Verna




Katie and Gary's wife, Doris Jean
 

Jim's sister, Katie, has been working on the family genealogy for several years, having inherited photographs from her mother, aunt and sister.  These photos started her on a journey to discover her roots.  This trip to Missouri where we all met was a chance for us to further her research and to get to know the two brothers none of them had known as children. 

We had a great time visiting the brothers and their families, and reuniting with Katie and Verna, whom we don't get to see very often.  During our visit we ate together, drank together (a lot!)and shared stories about their Dad and grandparents.  We visited various graveyards, looking for the family headstones of their fraternal grandparents.  That was a fun day for me.....I love graveyards. 

Old gravestone

Monument to the past
 

Jim and I stayed after the girls went home and we got together with Gary and Jerry a few more times.  Jim and I both had a marvelous time and have vowed to keep in touch with the brothers.  Can't wait to see them again!

Verna, Gary, Jerry, Jim, Katie
 

ARKANSAS

We left Missouri and moved to Arkansas, where we met our friends, Janet and Jack, and stayed at an RV park right on the Mississippi River in West Memphis, Arkansas.  The Tom Sawyer Mississippi River RV park sits on the banks of the Mississippi just across the bridge from Memphis, Tennessee.  Our Excel 5th wheels were parked side by side about 50 feet from the river.



Barge on the Mississippi

Most nights we sat outside watching the barges ply their goods up and down the river, slowly and carefully, especially when they passed each other!  As Jack and Jim would say, "nothing like cheap cigars and Jack Daniels to while away an evening."  (Janet and I preferred cheap wine!)  We highly recommend this RV park if you are in this area. 

The day after we arrived, Janet and I went into Memphis and visited Graceland, world famous home of Elvis Presley.  I know it sounds hokey, but it is one of the best house tours I've ever been on.  Probably because it was Elvis' house.  I saw him  perform in person when I was in high school.  I went with 3 of my siblings to Las Vegas, and I remember thinking I was too cool to be going to see Elvis!  Now I'm glad I went.  He was truly a superb entertainer.

Me, in front of Graceland

His home was everything I'd heard it would be.  Janet and I felt like we'd stepped back in time to the 70's.  All the furnishings and decor were left as they were when Elvis was alive.
I took way too many photos to include here, but here is a link to the album. (Graceland)







One night while we were there, we visited Beale Street in Memphis, home of the Blues.  Even though it was a weeknight, every joint had live music.  The street is blocked off from cars, so we could wander down the street from one place to another sampling the different bands that were playing.  That was a fun night.  Sometimes the music was a little loud but overall, the groups were very good.  The people watching opportunities were great!

Beale Street



Bridge from Arkansas to Tennessee
 

In the tram to Mud Island

Another day we all went into Memphis and took the tram to Mud Island, which is a long, skinny island just offshore in the Mississippi River.  This island is the home of the Mississippi River Museum - everything you always wanted to know about the history and evolution of the life and times on the Mississippi River, along with a recreation of the river itself in cement, with actual water flowing down the channel.  Beautifully done museum.  We spent a few hours learning about life on the Mississippi through the ages.

In the museum - Riverboat exhibit

Salon in the Riverboat

We were really sad to bid Jack and Janet adieu, but they were moving on to the Natchez Trace and ultimately Florida.  We headed toward Hot Springs, Arkansas, on our way to New Mexico.

Our last night in West Memphis on the Mississippi
 

We spent a week in Hot Springs.  We didn't do any touristy things there.  Jim worked some and I read a lot of books.  Left there and went to Oklahoma, stayed in a little RV Park near Atoka, called the Little Pines Cabins and RV Park.  The gentleman who owns the place, Chester Hall, only charged us $85.00 for a week with full, 50 amp hookups! The park is really nice, full of well-spaced pine trees and has it's own little walking trail.   It is less than a mile from the entrance to McGee Creek State Park so the area is pretty nice.  If any of you are in that area, we recommend this RV Park.  We will definitely go back when we're heading that way. We spent 6 nights in this park.  Decided to leave a day early to get to New Mexico a little sooner than planned.  We stopped just outside of Albuquerque, in Moriarty, to have a few things fixed on our rig.  Spent 3 days in Moriarty, then headed to Bernalillo, where we are now.

Our son just got our of the Army and moved back to New Mexico, so we are planning on spending the holidays with him here before we start on our next adventure.  Who knows?  We may have a few while we're here!

Katy Trail and Jefferson City

Covered in kudzu

October 16, 2012

Staying in Montgomery City, we decided to look around for hiking opportunities in this area and ended up on the Katy Trail near McKittrick, Missouri. The Katy Trail is built on old railroad beds, just like the trail we traveled in South Dakota. (See Wind Cave National Park and Mikelson Trail) This one stretches 240 miles across Missouri and is quite beautiful.

McKittrick "station" on the trail

Years ago on a visit to St. Charles, Missouri, we hiked a section of the Katy Trail as well  Today we didn't go far, maybe about 1/2 mile.  The weather was really hot and neither of us were really into hiking today.  But I did snap a few pictures.  We saw quite a few birds on the trail, one of which was some kind of owl shadowing us as we walked.

Beautiful Katy Trail

We left the trail and decided to take a big loop and drove through the capital city, Jefferson City.  The state capital building is magnificent, built along the lines of Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's famous home.

The Dome

We didn't get there until after hours so we couldn't go inside.  The grounds are nicely laid out and the dome looked beautiful in the afternoon light.

Jefferson

I had a terrible time getting a good photo of the statue of Thomas Jefferson because he was in partial shade.  This one is the best I could do. 

The grounds

The afternoon light was gorgeous

All in all, a nice day.  We got to see some of the scenic Missouri countryside, ate dinner in an "authentic" Mexican restaurant and saw the beautiful capital building.