We made it home in one piece!

Captains Log October 15 – No we didn't fall off the face of the earth! It was just very hectic and tiring at the end. We decided to drive home from Dothan, AL. It was over 300 miles but we made good time by lunch time so we went for it!

We arrived in Winter Garden about 4:15 and all we did was take a few food items from the fridge for breakfast, Molly and we headed for home! It was so nice to walk into a much larger space than we've been in for months!

We showered and went to 4 Rivers BBQ for dinner and I did do a load of leftover laundry to get a start on it. We relaxed and watch some TV and just chilled.

We knew it was going to be a tiring couple of days as we were taking so much stuff out of the RV to wash and things we bought along the way. We did it over 2 days so we could put it away as we brought it home and not have it piled all over. On Sunday Bill helped me do theloadign and then he gave it a good bath. We have an appt at our RV place and a list of small (we hope) things to be repaired so we wanted it ready to go on Tuesday. From there, we will see!

As always, it was a great summer and we met some fun people. We enjoyed having Kam and Melissa come for a visit and share the excitement of seeing new things that we don't have in Florida. Once we get settled in it will be time to start on next year's adventure.

Thank you to my followers for keeping tabs on us and have a great Thanksgiving and a more than Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and we will be back on the road in May, 2022.

Maybe just one more day....

Captains Log October 14 – Nothing unusual about today's drive. No traffic issues, or accidents on the highway, so the driving part was fine, just getting tiring.

This morning there were some delivery trucks at the Cracker Barrel and Bill noticed they dropped 2 baking potatoes. He brought them in and was excited as we haven't had “real” potatoes at home since we left this summer. I sometimes use the instant ones if I'm making him a treat with gravy, but I've tried to do away with potatoes.

The drive went well today and we drove through Birmingham and it was hectic with lots of lanes. We stopped once so I could use the bathroom. We drove to Dothan, AL and as soon as we got parked we had lunch! We're at Dothan RV Park, easy off the main road and it's a really nice park. They appear to have some full timers, seasonals but have about 10 nice pull thrus right in front for easy in and out.

Depending how the day goes tomorrow, we might drive on home. I think I'd rather drive longer and get home and then spend Saturday emptying out the RV and then I have a couple of days to go thru the cabinets before we take it in for repairs and/or estimates.

I baked the biggest potato and had a steak (which was not a very good steak) that I cooked in my grill pan. There was leftover kale salad so it was a nice meal that was simple to make. Then we watch some Perry Mason on TV. Once I get this posted I will read along with Bill for a while and try to get to bed a little early so we can head out a little earlier.

What a day!!!

Captains Log October 13 – Super crappy day!

We were on the road by 9 and things were going really great – until traffic started backing up

Uh oh!

on the interstate. Well, it was about lunch time and since the side was plenty wide enough for us to pull over so we did. We had our lunch and there was a semi pulled over ahead of us and an RV behind us. The vehicles on the road were not moving an in on on the outside lane. The inside lane was creeping a bit. Bill went on his phone and found there

Traffic ahead

was an accident 6 miles up the road. That's a long line of vehicles! We watched numerous ones cutting across the median and turning around. Who knew what we were in for?

Lunch was put away and we sat up front just watching and waiting. By the time we finally got back on the road and on our way wait it was about 2 hours. We passed the accident scene and all we saw was an overturned semi and trailer. They set up cones and had us driving on the outside of the outer lane. It was so bumpy it was hard to look, drive and take photos. Bill tried to get a couple but they aren't very good.

Oops!

So we headed on down the highway. We were planning to stay at a Walmart but since we needed fuel and the Walmart was 5 miles or so off the highway, we decided to fill up at Loves and stay there if they had a space. Lucky us, there was one spot along the edge of the parking area. We unhooked the truck and Bill backed me into the slot and pulled the truck in front of me.

Mighty Mississippi

We crossed the Mississippi River today!  Bill managed to quickly get a photo as we went over!

We were having a nice evening and I had put chicken in the crock pot to make chicken tacos for dinner. As we sat down to enjoy dinner, a butt head was walking his dog in the grass along the side we were parked on. He started getting nasty with me with remarks like” you belong in a campground, this is a truck stop” and on and on. We pulled the shade down and you could still hear him mouthing off. We buy our fuel at truck stops and rarely do we stay in them but this was very convenient for us. Bill was worried the butthead would come down and let the air out of our tires or something. We were across a side road from a Cracker Barrel and although we have never stayed at one I'd heard/read that they welcome Rvers. I told Bill that and he called and they said we could definitely stay there. So Bill drove over to check it out and called me and said to come on over. So I closed the one slide we had put out and drove over and we have a nice level spot right out back of the building. I think we will get a breakfast roll or something in the morning. So it worked out OK and we won't have to worry about the butthead at the Loves!

Restful day!

Captains Log October 12 – I spent my morning making calls to get our newspaper, etc. back on track and with one of our camping club ladies to discuss upcoming events and plans. Bill took his truck to a car wash and then washed the front of the RV.

I spent some time on the phone with friends in Venice about a get together after the first of the year and with our friend Judy trying to get some campouts on the calendar. We really need to add some new folks to our group as it is dwindling with aging and illness. It's Hell to get old!

After lunch I took a drive into town. The old downtown is pretty much deserted. There were some office that looked like they are in use but very few retail stores. I stopped at one that was jam packed with merchandise. They had everything from shoes to tools to books. I was impressed at how much was stuffed in to the space. I enjoyed perusing but didn't make any purchases.

On the way back I spotted a “flea market” sign so I stopped. It was an awesome place! It's one of those buildings that individuals have their own little spots and they mostly have antiques, clothes, books, you name it! You check out near the front. I found a book for Bill and a little item for Kam for Christmas. I think my friend Karen would have loved that place!

I made a quick stop at Walmart for deli turkey, kale salad and vitamins. Bill was relaxing with a book when I got home. We both read for a while then I made dinner. Bill did up the dishes and we hooked the truck up for in the morning. After I did the last load of laundry he emptied the tanks so we won't have much to do in the morning!

Time to post!

Welcome to Forest City, AK

Captains Log October 11 – Continuing along I-40! Not much of a fun drive but we left the desert look behind and now are in to more greenery and up and down roads. Once we crossed into Arkansas the road itself improved drastically. That's a really good thing.

Our stop tonight is actually for 2 nights to give my aching shoulder a bit of a rest. We landed in a small (under 15,000) town right off the Interstate, Forest City, AR. We were a bit leery of the campground as it didn't have a “house” number and no real website. We were pleasantly surprised that it is a very nice small park with about 20 sites and full hookups. They are very level and there's green areas, half back in and half pull thrus.

We went to a bbq place for dinner and were a little disappointed in the fatty brisket but had a nice flavor. They do have a Wal-mart here as well and a lot of nice hotels. Not sure what the attraction is or just convenience to the interstate. There is some kind of college I think also. 

Arrived in Arkansas

Captains Log October 10 – Another day of driving! We were on the road at 9 and didn't stop but once to use the bathroom. We landed in Van Buren, AK at Walmart at about 1:30. It was long drive and my shoulder was really hurting.

At least there was no “hooking up” to be done as we just turned on the generator and the AC. After we had some lunch and relaxed a bit we walked over to Aldi. I haven't been to one in probably 4 months. They don't have them in Oregon, Utah, Arizona! We picked up a few things but their produce was pretty picked over so we unloaded our purchases and then went into Walmart. Bill did his part of the shopping and I did the rest and we had 2 Trader Joe bags. Maybe we have enough to get home on!

We had some leftovers for dinner and set up the TV but CBS was not available in our area as they want millions of dollars to provide service to this particular area so we didn't get to see “The Equalizer”. Oh well, guess we will be home for the next episode!

We did watch some Hallmark and I made a Raspberry Jello Pie that we had a piece while watching TV. The time is winding down for sure. Going home is like a Catch 22 – it's always good to be back home but then there's all the unloading and getting life at home back in order.

Spending the night in Oklahoma!

Captains Log October 9 – Another day on the road! Miles and miles of wind turbines, cotton and

Texas size rest area

sorghum! There were a few cattle scattered along the way. Traffic wasn't bad at all and only one single lane area for a couple of miles. All in all a good day.

We landed in Clinton, Oklahoma. Our campground is a great improvement over last night and was $2 less.! We were parked in an area with a row for pull thrus. We got here first but by the end of the day there were 4 RV's in our row.

Since we will be at Walmart tomorrow night I did 2 loads of laundry and one load of Bill's rags. Bill cleaned the RV front

Must be full of alcohol

and we both read and relaxed some. We had a nice long conversation with our friends Bruce and Sharon. Can't wait to be home and see them in person! Actually I miss all of my family and since Covid we haven't really have much “getting together”. Time to get back together!

We were happy to have enough leftovers on hand and I didn't have to do anything but use the microwave. Not sure about tomorrow!

Overnight in Amarillo

Captains Log October 8 – The day to head back home has arrived! Once we packed up it was

Just a few wind turbines

get on I-40 and head east. It's been a great time but I doubt the next week will be as much fun. We're not planning on any real sightseeing, just driving almost daily

The main site along the way were the hundreds of Wind turbines. They were all over the place. Traffic on the interstate was pretty steady.

We decided to drive a bit further than the original plan so Bill called ahead and found a campground for us just off the interstate. However, when we arrived at the exit, the exit was closed and this was in the middle of no where so we had to pass it up and move on. Bill made several calls and found RV Cadillac Campground in Amarillo right after you pass the famous Cadillac Ranch. They were not sure we

could pull thru towing but we managed to squeak in!

It's more  of a run  down trailer  park  but  it served it's  purpose for  the night.  They  have  3 old Cadillacs at the entrance in additional to a really tall cowboy supporting the 2^nd Amendment! Go Texas! 

Last day in Santa Fe - Time to head East

Captains Log October 7 - I definitely think we are winding down, so it's a good thing this is our

last official “tourist” day. Once we had breakfast out of the way we headed out just about a a mile down the road from our campground. There's a small parking area there and a path leading to La Cieneguilla Petroglyphs. Bill wasn't overly excited over going but he was a good sport about it. He didn't sleep well and we had to walk about 10 minutes to the base of the mesa. Then it's a kinda path but rocky and not wide. The petroglyphs are 2 kilometers and over 4,000 of them. I could have spent all day out there so it was a good thing to Bill that I didn't have all that data before we left. I did get some good photos of what was at this particular area. Bill's not much on the climbing and I'm like a mountain goat. I love to climb! So, for me, this was the best part of our time in Santa Fe.

We really didn't feel like driving out to Chimayo like we had planned . It's a very nice Pueblo there and an old church with interesting history. We've been several times, but I think we were just tired !

After our hike, we dropped a package off at the post office, which oddly, is in a mall. So I did browse Penney's for a bit but no real deals and I really didn't need anything.

Then we stopped at Walmart and I did 2 returns. While I was in there Bill was chatting up a couple of locals and found an excellent place for lunch. The Pantry which is

NEW Mexican food. I have a 3 items platter and on it was a brisket taco. AWESOME! I didn't have any leftovers but Bill had part of his brisket quesadilla to bring home.

We stopped at one last pottery shop, which actual was a village of different shops. Bill watched a glass blower while I perused plants and flowers made by welding. So much Talavera and so little space to put it! More beautiful stuff.

Time to head back to the campground! I did a bit of housework and later made dinner but mostly chilled with my current book!

Day out in Santa Fe

Captains Log October 6 – After a bit of a lazy morning we headed into Santa Fe. Parking was

The famous stairs

the main hurdle of the day! In addition to lack of spaces, there was a box truck blocking the street on the old square and held things up for about 15-20 minutes. We found a city lot that had space and although it was $15 for the day, it was better than driving around forever.

We visited the Loretto Chapel which is well know for it's spiral staircase. The staircase has two 360 degree turns and no visible means of support. It is said that the staircase was built without

Chapel Window

nails—only wooden pegs. Supposedly the man who built it left when it was completed and no one ever saw him again.

Then we stopped at the San Miguel Mission. It's a small church but claims to be the oldest church in the USA. It was started in

Bill on the right

1797 by the Franciscan Order. They have a side room off the chapel that houses their relics.

And of course we have to visit St. Francis Cathedral. It's really gorgeous inside and so calm and peaceful. The stained glass windows are beautiful and it was a nice sunny day so it was perfect.

In addition to visiting the historical places, we did our share of shopping as well. We found a bargain spot close to our parking area and bought a

Inside the little mission

few things there and there was a outdoor market with 6-8 booths set up. The craftwork is beautiful but we didn't have any space left at home for anything large and new.

I bought some Talavera items, the one I bought for me is an air balloon that I will hang on my front porch. I could spend a fortune on that pottery. It's so bright and colorful, perfect to get your day started with

St. Francis Cathedral

on your table!

By lunch time the recommended places were packed with waiting lines. We had seen what we wanted and spent more than we should so it was time to head towards our campground and watch for a place to eat.

Bill knows I LOVE Chick-fil-a and was planning to stop at the one on the way. It was on the other side of the road and we had to

Their windows are gorgeous

pass it and get in a turn lane to get to it. As we passed it I saw a Greek place on our side of the road and told Bill I'd like to try it. Best decision of the day! They were not busy when we arrived so service was prompt and the food was excellent. We both had some leftovers to bring home.

The rest of the day was doing a load of laundry and chilling! 

Last balloon morning - so sad!

Captains Log October 5 – We were up early again and outside by 7:15 to see the best balloon

morning of our 3 days. They seemed to sit  still much longer in  the  same area  than  on other days. It was kind of sad to leave and say goodbye to our friends but it was time to move on to Santa Fe for a few days before making that turn east to head home.

It was a little warmer this morning but still only about 50 when we went out. The air was very still and it looked like there were many more balloons up today. Perhaps that is because they didn't get carried away with heavy currents today.

There was only the 6 of us out watching this morning as most of the other campers are balloonists. I took my good camera out today an got some nice shots of the balloons and some I don't think I'd seen before.

We said out goodbyes to The Barmores and her relatives and headed in to have breakfast and get packed up. We stopped the dump station and Bill handled that duty and then we went across the highway to the Pueblo and VERY slowly filled the tank at the only diesel pump. It maxed out at $100 so we had to do it twice but they had the best price we'd seen and then we were able to pull behind the

Over 60 balloons in this shot

building and hook up. So it worked out well.

The drive to our HIPCO campground was only about 40-45 minutes. It's 20 miles south of downtown Santa Fe and it's a big horse area and stables. There are 30 sites here and it is very peaceful and quiet. You can also walk across the lot and check out a lot of boarded horses as well.

We decided after 3 days of being on the go that today would be a resting day. I don't rest very well so I made a batch of sugar free chocolate chip cookies and stuffed peppers for dinner. We watched some TV and Bill took a nap and we will still have 2 full days to venture into Santa Fe and the surrounding area. I also did a load of laundry and have another ready for tomorrow!

Last day in Albuquerque 😞

Captains Log October 4 – It was another COLD morning! 47 degrees when we went out just after 7 to see the balloonist. Since so many left yesterday from the campground it was just Bill and I and we walked to the other end of the arena and saw our friend Betsy sitting out. Then her sister came out walking their dogs. Eventually the husbands both showed up as well! The balloons were just as beautiful this morning but they didn't fly over us like yesterday and I got a photo of I think at least 50 in the western sky.

We headed in for breakfast and our friends were going to Santa Fe for the day. Hope to catch up with them later when they get back.

After breakfast we eventually got dressed to head out for a jewelry store Bill wanted to go to, but the navigation on his truck apparently

The most balloons I've gotten in a photo

 was way off base. We ended up stopping at World Market and Walmart. I got what I think we need for the next few days.

Bill wasn't feeling good so we headed back to our area but checked out 3 gas stations to see if we could get the RV thru them and one on the reservation looked good and was better pricing than it's neighbor so that's where we will fill up the RV in the morning as we head out.

Once Bill had a nice nap we headed to the jewelry store he had found that might have the ring I want. They have a lot of nice stuff, but not what I was looking for. On the way home we drove through downtown where our favorite native store used to be but was closed a couple of years ago. No one goes downtown anymore. We then went to see if a restaurant we liked was still open and it was. It's across from the University of NM is. It's a pretty busy place.

On the way home Bill took the wrong exit and we got stuck in horrible traffic. It was extremely slow moving and it was great to make the turn on our road!

I made one of Bill's favorite dinners: mashed potatoes, beef in gravy and grilled asparagus. I have to say it was good and we hadn't had it in a while. Nice change of pace.

Then it was TV time. We will head out tomorrow after the balloons go up. 

Awesome balloon day!!!

Captains Log October 3 – It was COLD this morning and we had to turn the heat on for sure! I

layered clothes on and went out to join Bill. We sat in our chairs and took photos of the beautiful balloons. A few were going north but most were going south. With the direction they were going from the lift off you could not really see the colors or designs until they gut up a bit and further out.

Eventually there were lots of them overhead and I love taking photos from the bottom of them.. The most exciting part of the day was having a balloon land right in front of our RV.  I took a 

series of photos of it landing, deflating and all of the helpers.  Once the landing was over, the crowd dissipated. A lot of the RV's were gone by noon. We are thinking they will be back for next weekend!

After lunch we ran a couple of errands to Wal-mart and World Market. Then we went to the Reservation and checked out their gift shops and then Bill went to watch football in the casino while I wasted my money on the slot machines. I really miss the old days of putting your coins in and actually having a clue of what the machine was doing. I really didn't have the pleasure I used to always get even if I lost  my money. Bill had

The most important balloon!!

 migrated to sitting outside when I caught up with him and we headed home.

We had a dinner reservation at El Pinto at 5:30 so we just stopped at home briefly and left for a nice dinner of Mexican food. We both had leftovers, which is always good.

Time to relax with some TV and unwind before bedtime!

Hello Albuquerque!!

Captains Log October 2 – We managed to get a fairly early start this morning. We were right off

Obviously I couldn't wait!

I-40 so it was easy on. Traffic was heavy with trucks and there were 2 single lane areas but we managed to get to Bernalillo Sheriff's Posse Arena in Albuquerque by lunchtime! The grounds were packed with RV's. It was a bit of a surprise as we've been coming here for at least 10 years and our first time there was only us and one balloonist. Now there are a lot of balloonists and other Rver's as well.

Our camping friends, Betsy and Tommy are here with her sister and brother in law. They got in yesterday and are staying 5 nights I think. We didn't see them until we got back from an afternoon excursion.

We went to Old Town. We stopped at a Jewelry store and then parked at the Old Town lot. We didn't know there was a celebration going on sponsored by the city. The old mission church was hosting it's annual festival so there were a lot of

One of the dance groups

people and dancers in the gazebo and music – it was a really nice afternoon. In addition to the sights and entertainment we visited some shops. Nothing lifts your spirit like shopping!

Down the street from the Old Town area is a major Talavera pottery place. Wow! They carry other décor items in addition to wool woven rugs, blankets and more. We picked out new rugs for at home as ours are getting a bit worn. Hope we did a good job on the colors!

After dinner we walked to our friends and visited until the fireworks went off at the Balloon Fiesta. Then it was time to head home as it was getting pretty chilly out! We have to get up early in the morning for the balloon lift off!

Another long day!

Captains Log October 1 – It was a rough (in more than one way) drive today. We were on the road a bit earlier than normal and of course it started off curvy and up and down. That went on for an hour! Then the road crossed a valley and was totally straight and flat, well, it looked flat. Then there must have been a problem putting down the tar, as  every 6-8 feet it dropped and that is not how we want to handle our RV. So I had to drop to 35MPH for at least 45 minutes until we must have changed counties and the road smoothed out considerably. It stayed straight for over 100 miles! Our route was odd as we started in NM, then drove through AZ along the south to north border and eventually went east on I-10, which took us to NM again! I-10 was where the rain started and we ran out and back in a couple of times. I was so glad when we got to our exit in Gallup. If we had time I would have liked to visit the Historic El Rancho Hotel where many black and white movie stars stayed during the movie shoots.

Our campground was easy to find and enter and then we were #6 in the line. 2 more showed up behind me before Bill came out of the office and motioned me to go around the other RV's. They were a group and ended up parking in the row next to us. They traveled together from CA to go to the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque.

Since it was still a bit rainy out we just rested and chilled until leftover time for dinner. There were RV's still arriviing in the pitch dark after 8:00.

Heading to Albuquerque in the morning for 3 nights and then Santa Fe for 3 nights and sadly that's where we turn East and head for home.

Heading east - kind of a sad day!

Captains Log September 30 – Another month is ending, but it's been a great one – well until

Not sure what was going on in this field

today!

Our day started well and we managed to get on the road about 9:20. Bill had a rough night so once I got on I-10 he laid down. Traffic was a bit busy but that was no big deal. I'm cruising along the straight flat road and I had 2 “messages” pop up on the console. CRAP! One said water in the fuel and one said 0 days to oil change. I called for Bill to come and told him what I was seeing. Luckily we were 3 miles to the exit where there was a TA truck stop in Wilcox. We pulled in to the truck service area and Bill went in.

They don't work on RV's but sent us over the intersection to a place that does. We were shocked that we didn't have to wait. We unhooked the truck and I backed in to the edge of the door as they had vehicles in each stall. He said it was the fuel filters that are a pain to replace and they had NOT been replaced when they should have. Once he had the new one installed the engine would not turn over as he said there were air bubbles. So he ended up tweaking it 3 times and it started. He said it might do it again but just keep letting it run.

BIG Copper and Turquoise Mine

We drove back to the TA place and filled the tank then pulled around back and finally had some lunch. Today we lost an hour once we got into NM. The RV started right up and drove fine the rest of the day.

The GPS told us to turn left on the truck by-pass at Silver City and I was almost right on it and there was no signage warning me and I had to brake kinda hard going down hill and I heard everything falling into the sink or on the floor. CRAP! Bill went back as I drove and put everything back and the handle of my favorite coffee cup, my Hedgie cup, was broken in 3 places. I don't think it can be glued but Bill wants me to try.

We had leftovers, which is the normal travel day meal, but we had Huckleberry ice cream sandwiches for dessert!

PS: We did not expect to have WIFI at this tiny campground but we thought we'd have cell service – not!! 

Out and About!

Captains Log September 29 – Nothing on the agenda today until afternoon/evening, so we decided to go take a look at the RV's at La Mesa. We had 2 really nice, low key sales guys take us out on golf carts. Most of the units were as long or longer than what we currently have and we wanted to look at something a little shorter. There was a Tiffin that was a 33' so we checked it out. It could be a possibility if we could change out the bench dinette and get a few other things a little differently done. The downfall is just having one bathroom sink, and a tiny one at that. At least it could be a possibility. We're going to start looking when we get home and of course at the annual show in January in Tampa.

By the time we wrapped that up and got over to where the Wal-mart was, it was time for lunch so we stopped at Brush Fire, where we both got brisket. It was tender and moist but I wish I had told them to put my sauce on the side as it was too much sauce in my opinion.

We got our grocery shopping done and Bill picked up one of his prescriptions but they didn't have the med for the other so that will be when we get to Albuquerque.

Once we put the groceries away we headed to Carole's. The 4 of us visited and then the conversation turned to “who's getting what of Carole's stuff when her time comes”. The one thing Bill wanted, she showed him that she had already put his name on it. She said her daughter in law asked for one piece of furniture and she has her name on that. I don't remember what else has been ”assigned”, but we don't need another thing in our house!!

The plan for the evening was to order carryout to pick up and take to Doug's for dinner. Doug and Shannon had to make a quick trip to Idaho the day before we arrived and were flying back tonight at 7:30. So we ordered the food and picked it up and the 4 of us ate at their house then at 7:00 Nansi left to pick them up at the airport. So Bill, Carole and I just sat at the table and chatted until they got back.

They were sorry that they didn't get to spend more time with us but it is what it is. We visited while they ate and then for another hour. It was great to see them, such good people. They are planning to visit Jeff and Kim in Georgia in the spring so we would plan to drive up in the RV and get a campground near by. Looking forward to it! 

More Family Time

Captains Log September 28 – Not a very exciting day! Bill took the truck to the car wash and then went to Camping World and La Mesa to get a new water regulator . He said La Mesa had a lot of Class A Rvs if we wanted to go and take a look.

I caught up on my blog and posting it and made some cookies for us and some to take over to Carole's later.

When Bill got back he washed the RV windshield since we leave on the 30^th. I did some laundry so we're caught up as we won't have full hook ups when we get to Albuquerque.

We went over to Carole's in the afternoon. I took a seasoned pork tenderloin and a bag of kale salad to make for dinner. Nansi, Carole, Bill and I sat outside on the screen patio and enjoyed the nice weather out and just chatted. It is amazing the subjects we can get started on. Still, it was a lovely afternoon and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the pork loin and kale. We cut the Orange Jello Pie that I brought over and they had not cut it yet. I wasn't too sure about doing the orange but everyone liked it so now I can add another flavor to my jello pies.

It was dark when we left for home and Molly was glad to see up.

Shopping and a bit of sightseeing

Captains Log September 27 - Jeff and Kim left early this morning for Georgia. Safe travels to

The second tower is getting it's
facelift!

them!

Nansi was taking Carole to the DMV for her vehicles' annual check up, and this afternoon Nansi has plans with a couple of her friends here so we pretty much went off on our own for the day.

Kam asked me to find some Talavera pottery planters that you hang on the wall. I had looked up several places that carry Talavera (which I love) and we tried to see them in location order. No luck at the first place. They had tons of beautiful pieces but not wall hanging. The 3^rd place had not opened timely according to their website and we waited til 11:10 and no answer on the phone so we headed across town to San Xavier del Bac Mission. We love the mission and often they have Native Americans whose land it is on that have stalls there and sell jewelry and food. Sadly for us, today there was no one making Indian Fry Bread – bummer! After visiting the Mission we stopped at another pottery place, like the other they had lots of Talavera but not what I was looking for.

So we headed back to the closed one. She had 10-12 of the pots I was looking for and after 30 minutes of measuring and sending photos to Kam so she could pick what she wanted, we added her 2 pots to the items we chose to leave with and Mission Accomplished!

Once we got home we had a late, late lunch! Too tired from driving around to venture over to Carole's house. So we turned on some TV and as always, we spent some time reading.

Time with Bill's family

Captains Log September 26 –  Today was  pretty  much  a “family  day”.    We  headed  over to Carole's at 10 and then Kim and Jeff arrived with apple pie that Kim made. I took Carole some Cranberry Orange muffins I made this morning and an Orange Jello Pie. We pretty much just sat and visited and talked on the screened porch. It was nice out and we watched some of Carole's outside kitties that she feeds.

I thought we were having dinner out with everyone but found out it was lunch. So at 1:00 we

Our server sits in while Bill takes the photo

loaded up 2 cars and drove to downtown Tucson to the El Charro. Bill discovered that this specific restaurant was the oldest continuing Mexican restaurant under the family in the country. It opened in 1922. The building was an old home and the food was great as was the service. Everyone enjoyed their meal and we all had a dessert as well. We met the husband of the owner and he explained about how they make the Machaca that is cured outside. It's native to Northern Mexican dried beef. Jeff kept insisting at the table that the flies get to it but it is in mesh container and hangs up high. We could see one of the containers above the back of the building

as we left. It was very interesting.

After a delicious lunch, we took a long way back that and drove thru some of the downtown since it was Sunday and there was no traffic. We regrouped back at Carole's until Kim and Jeff had to head back to their Casita. She wanted to do their laundry and pack as they leave in the morning driving back to Georgia. So we stayed a while longer with Carole and Nansi.

Once we got home we were still full from the big lunch we had so no need for dinner. I got the satellite dish up and running and we watched a movie. I posted a few blogs but haven't taken many photos in the last few days.

Long tiring day!

Captains Log September 25 – Not a fun day! Time to head south to Tucson and we were up and ready earlier than normal. As we were ready to leave Bill couldn't find his RV key ring. Crap! We looked all over inside and outside and he checked in his truck – no keys! I even checked inside each compartment in case he set them down. So as we left he he stopped at the office to let them know that we lost a set of keys in case they were turned in.

We had arranged to stop at the storage facility also owned by the RV park to use their compressor to air up our tires. I pulled in and Bill was no where to be seen! He left in front of me. So I waited on the driveway and he finally drove up and checked in with the office and they let us through the gate.

The good news was he drove back to the round about and found his keys. Apparently he left them on the back of his truck and they had been run over! So we put that issue aside and he started on the first tire and the pin in the valve got stuck and the air was pouring out. So we put the cap back on and he called his brother Bryan who was in Cottonwood at a car show. He said he'd stop and get a part to repair it and so it was at least 45 minutes before he arrived. The part worked and they finally got that tire done and checked all the others. By then it was starting to rain, crap!

We thanked Bryan profusely for leaving the show and coming to our rescue and he said the show would close down anyway due to the rain. So we got on I-17 and headed south.

It was a slow drive between the curvy mountainous road in the rain to boot! Then it takes forever to drive thru Phoenix. We had a choice of 2 directions to take and as luck would have it we took the wrong one and it had closed lanes and a detour. Geez! I thought we would never get to Tucson! The rain cleared and at least we didn't have to get unhooked and parked in the rain.

Once we settled in we drove over to Bill's sister Carole's and had a nice visit with her and her daughter Nanci. The storm hit and we sat out on the porch in the cool breeze with the tapping on the roof of the rain. We've been to Tucson many, many times in 33 years and this is the first time it has ever rained. They get bad flash floods here but this was a new thing for us. Luckily when we drove back to the RV park it was down to a drizzle and no deep water to pass through!

Family Birthday Lunch

Captains Log September 24 – I was up at 6:30 so I was definitely ready to leave by 9:20 for the

BIG Kokopelli

“meet point” in Phoenix. Not sure why we needed to follow Bryan as we do have GPS on our phones. Then he said were we OK to drive 75MPH and I said emphatically , NO. I asked what restaurant and said we can find our way so don't wait on us. He said we should have started earlier. Well, he ended up slowing down and we could see him a few cars ahead and we arrived at 10:40! So we sat in the lot until they opened the restaurant. There were 2 cars coming from Tucson and they pulled in just after us and so at 11 we went in and got seated. The last 2 arrived just as we were getting settled in. Guess we did fine on the speed limit!

Carole was very happy to have us all together to celebrate. She's so thin but she ate pretty good. She loved her cupcake with ice cream. She asked about some of my friends that she had met and/or traveled with. We're looking forward to spending more time with her down in Tucson, which is where we are headed tomorrow.

Lunch out and visiting

Captains Log September 23 – Bill left out at 8:30 with Bryan to get some lumber to make pads for under the tires of the RV. Ours were splitting badly and we still have about a month to go!

Later they picked us up to go into Cottonwood for lunch. They took us to the place they last took us where they go often and request a specific table and have the same server all the time. The food was good, as was the service but it was a bit chilly in their for me.

On the way back we stopped at a place we thought did RV repairs to see if they could air up our tires. They can but not on Saturday morning, we'd have to pack up and go today or tomorrow. We saw another place more convenient that I called but they don't do tires and recommended a tire place. I called but got voice mail so Bill went by and said it's closed due to blacktopping their lot. Then we asked one of the staff here at the campground and they said they own a storage facility just up the road and they have a compressor there. He spoke to the lady in charge there and she said any time after 8AM and there's no charge since we're staying in their campground. Yea!

I made meatloaf for dinner which always makes Bill happy. We are meeting Bryan and Janet at 9:30 in the morning to leave for Phoenix to meet up with the rest of the family for Carole's 89^th birthday luncheon. Not sure why we have to be there at 11?

Bye Melissa! We will miss you!

Captains Log September 22 – It was a sad day, especially for me! Once we had our breakfast and packed up, it was time to leave the Grand Canyon and head south. Sadly, our first stop was the Flagstaff Airport to drop Melissa off for her journey back to Florida. We had such a good time together and she's a joy to travel with. Bill was even sorry to see her go. We miss you Melissa but have enjoyed the Ghirardelli chocolates and Jameson you left behind!

The drive to the airport was about 1 1/2 hours and we got her there plenty early. I was concerned about driving thru the airport so Melissa called ahead and asked about driving thru in a big motorhome. The lady said it was fine but stay in the outer lane as to not hit the overhang. It was no problem and we were early enough that there was no one in the lanes but us.

From there it was down the road to Camp Verde where Bill's brother Bryan and his wife Janet live. We booked a different campground this year to change things up. This one is brand new and very large but they kinda don't tell you things up front. We used a discount with Passport America for half price and those sights are short and on a hill side and not graded to be level. I called in to the office and asked about a leveler space and she said that would not come under Passport America but I could use Good Sam for 10%. So the price when up and we move to a much level space. You'd think they would provide a picnic table at the price they charge! So, I doubt we will come back to this one!

Once we moved to a better spot and had some lunch Bill went to visit his brother and wife while I did 3 loads of laundry and got busy trying to catch up on all the photos we took so I could post my blogs. I was way behind! There was no WIFI in the park and no where to really get it so I was pretty much at a stand still.

Last day !

Captains Log September 21 – Our last day at the canyon so we actually adventured outside of the park. We headed south to Tusayan. It's a really short drive from the area of the park where we were staying at the park.

I had reserved tickets yesterday online for the IMAX theatre movie of the Grand Canyon. So that was our first stop. The movie was great on such a big screen. Flying over the canyon and seeing it from the bottom. The movie covers the trek of John Wesley Powell and how dangerous the currents are.

We checked out several gift shops then decided to head south to Williams. We had lunch and then walked the main street. There are a lot of shops there and we enjoyed buying a few things here and there. We were parked across from the train station and runs to and from the Grand Canyon. It was a nice and relaxing afternoon. We were on the famous Route 66 which the town exploits all over. There were quite a lot of people roaming the shops like we were.

We got home in plenty of time for dinner and to get ready for our exit tomorrow.

Back to the East side

Captains Log September 20 – Today's adventure in the park was to drive the 24 miles to the

My best buddy with the Watchtower

East Entrance and work our way back. We had 6 designated stops to make and a couple that have pull offs but are not noted on the map.

We started at Desert View Watchtower which was rather crowded. There is quite a bit to see there and they have a Market and Deli store there, a trading post and nice restroom facilities. Of course Melissa and I continued to take a lot of photos at each stop. We went to Navajo Point, Lipan Point,

Looks sculpted

Moran Point and Buggein, where we attempted to find a picnic table but nothing was available. We then hit Grandview Point where there were no tables available, so we parked along the wall and sat on the wall and enjoyed our lunch.

Another awesome day at the South Rim!

Exploring the South Rim

Captains Log September 19 – Time to get out and see the Grand Canyon! This was Melissa's

first time and if she was wowed at the North Rim, she was was astonished at every turn and and overlook at the South Rim. For me, that was the highlight! I've been there a few times and to see it thru someone's eyes for the first time can't be beat. Between the 2 of us I'm sure we took well over 200 photos of the various stops and rocks and points of interest.

We agreed that photos will never do justice to what the eye sees. The brilliance can't be reproduced in a photo or a painting. To do our sightseeing today we decided to go on the free

shuttle system provided by the park. Did every stop along the route and no 2 places looked the same for sure. The depth of the canyon is awe inspiring in itself. We were blessed that we came after Labor Day when the crowds were much smaller and not a lot of children running wild.

Wildlife spotting for the day included a ground squirrel, 2 elk, a wolf and male mountain goat. Unfortunately I only managed to get the squirrel and the elks! Bummer! We were on the shuttle when I spotted the wolf and the lady seated behind me looked and saw it as well. The goat I
heard along one of the view points and moved  and I saw his horns but he started moving downward and across the front of the viewpoint and disappeared. Another guy heard me saying it was there and he got a shot of its butt on the way down the mountain.

We had lunch reservations at El Tovar which is the area where the train from Williams, AZ arrives and departs. We sat at the train station and took some photos of the tracks and building and as they say, “timing is everything”, and here came the train!
We got some pictures but headed up the walk to the rim where El Tovar and the other buildings were so we could avoid getting caught up in the crowd departing the train.

Train station

We visited the shops and historic buildings and walked along the rim until it was time for our lunch reservation. We were seated on time but the service getting started was a little slow. We all had a Navajo Taco and we all ate every bite and thoroughly enjoyed it. Our server was an older gentleman and he had been working there

for many, many years. He was a very good server with an awesome personality. 

Made it to the South Rim

Captains Log September 18 – The drive to Trailer Village at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon was  140 miles.   We stopped  on the  way and  filled up  the RV  with fuel  at Cameron  and  we stopped along the road before the park  at a Native shop.   I bought  a gift  and Melissa  found a bracelet she liked.

The road wasn't so bad until we actually got into the park. The road was curvy and 25MPH so it took a bit to get to the other side to the village where the campgrounds are. We had no problems checking in but our site was a bit less than flat and level. Bill had to put boards under the tires and then we were not comfortable putting the legs down on the gravel.

We got settled in and it was pretty brisk out, not what we've been used to for the last couple of weeks.

Melissa and I went for a walk about the campground and the other side from us was nicer and had a lot of big rigs. Our side has 3 rows in the back with identical Coleman RV's that appear to be winterized and all have big propane tanks. Not sure if they are rentals for guests or housing for staff. We did see an apartment housing area behind the campground and there is a bus stop at the edge of our campgrounds so there must be children living there.

The sightseeing begins tomorrow!