Time to Catch Up!

It's hard to believe that it's been a year since we last posted.  It's been a great year for us, but after 18+ years on the road and over 300 posts most of our activities are a repeat of things we've previously posted.  But it's time to catch up, so here we go.

When we last posted, we had finished up our summer of volunteering as the program hosts for Farragut State Park.  We made many good friends in our four summers there and left with fond memories of the park and the great staff. 

 We finished up with a goodbye dinner and headed back to Oregon for annual doctor visits and a chance to do a little whale watching.  Each winter Shore Acres State Park, a beautiful area of flower gardens left over from a former mansion, lights up the area for Christmas.  And each year they add to the hundreds of light displays to make the gardens a winter wonderland.  It's a great way to get into the holiday spirit and enjoy a chorus of Christmas songs and a stop at the caretaker's cottage for hot chocolate and cookies. 

Then it was off for warmer weather.  We decided to return to the Mojave Valley where we enjoyed the park, the weather, and new friends.  We spent the winter investing money in the Laughlin casinos and relaxing in the sunshine.  Then in the spring it was back to Oregon, this time to the far southern town of Brookings where we were once again volunteering for US Fish & Wildlife.

One of the perks of volunteering is receiving a free full-hookup site, and our site at Brookings' Harris Beach State Park was one of the best we've had.  It was the same one as two years ago, with lots of space and even an ocean view!

We spent most of our days at a beautiful overlook of one of Oregon's arch rocks.  The path to the overlooks was forested and the ground was covered by False Lilly of the Valley with an occasional wild Iris poking through.  At the overlook, we used our spotting scopes to show visitors the nesting Pelagic Cormorants and chicks sheltered in the rock.  There were days when suddenly the fog would roll in and we'd find ourselves enveloped in the cool mist while Arch Rock and the ocean would disappear.

One of our favorite times at Harris Beach was our Saturday Junior Ranger class.  Each week we'd teach the kids how to tell the difference between sea lions and seals, how Gray Whales live off our coast, and finished with the kids seeing just how massive a Blue Whale can be.  We finished with a bag of "trinkets" for each child, filled with stickers, decals, and a "finger" flashlight.

We had a great time volunteering here; the kids were great, the weather was beautifully cool, and the area restaurants were wonderful.  But in September, it was time to leave and this year we decided to stay in Las Vegas at Nellis Air Force Base.  

We traveled to Medford for RV service and to stock up on tax-free clothes, then traveled down the eastern side of the Sierras.  Our travels took us through the lava beds and forests to Susanville, CA, and then into Reno for a short stay.  From Reno to Las Vegas the terrain is stark - miles and miles of...not much.  We stopped in Goldfield, a town that in the early 1900s was once Nevada's largest.  But the gold petered out, a fire destroyed most of the town, and now the population is less than 300.  The RV Park we stayed at was on a high point above the town, and the view was interesting.

Goldfield is also home to the one and only International Car Forest.  Words fail me in trying to describe it, so I'll let the pictures do the talking.

We're at the Nellis AFB Desert Eagle RV Park, a beautifully landscaped 200+ site park.  It's quiet except for the roar of fighter jets overhead, convenient to shopping, and has a number of programs for the winter residents.  Our daughter and husband visited and she surprised us with tickets to the Browns/Raiders game at the new Allegiant stadium.  We had great seats and watched the usual Browns listless offense in 74 degree comfort while it was 104 outside.

So that's it for now.  We'll be here until spring, so if your travel plans include a visit to Las Vegas, Let us know!

2007 In Review

Time goes so quickly - another year has begun with promises of new places to see and new friends to make. 2007 was a great year for us; we traveled through 10 states staying at 32 different RV Parks, saw our daughter married, explored new areas, and completed a gratifying tour as volunteers teaching children to become "Junior Rangers". Our year started in Alpine, Texas, where we enjoyed a New Year's dinner in an 1890's hotel that housed a German restaurant and brewery. The next day we headed west to Las Cruces, NM where the RV park featured free Margaritas in the clubhouse each Friday. They were so good, we stayed for two Fridays! Moving on to Benson, AZ, we woke up to the anguish of snow - fortunately it was only temporary and lasted just a bit longer than the horrible flashbacks of winter in Ohio. Spring came, and with the desert cactus blooming, we headed to Southern California to prepare for the wedding. The wedding was a wonderful experience that we'll always remember. Like all weddings, it had it's moments of last minute glitches but in the end was perfect! The setting was beautiful, the gathering of friends and family was truly enjoyable, and most of all, the Bride and Groom had a wonderful evening to remember. As the newlyweds left for their honeymoon, we said goodbye and began our travels by spending a month in Silver City, NM, at the edge of the immense Gila Wilderness. We spent days roaming the mountains and back roads, exploring small towns, and touring the Gila Cliff Dwellings. This is truly a magical area and one we'll always remember. As we continued north, we stayed on the back roads and traveled through small towns, then on to Chama, a picturesque town on the New Mexico-Colorado border and on the edge of the Rocky Mountains. We rode the Cumbres-Toltec railroad, visited with friends, and continued on through western Colorado, into Utah and through Salt Lake City, and then detoured to the west and Salmon, Idaho where we followed the Salmon river north. We spent a few days at North Fork, ID, a one-store town that provided some of the most beautiful scenery we've ever seen. We crossed the formidable Lost Trail Pass into Montana, descended into Montana's Bitterroot Valley, and stayed at the Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge where we visited with old friends and happily volunteered to help out. Again heading west, we drove over Lolo Pass back into Idaho and were amazed at the beauty of the Clearwater River Valley area. Clear running rivers, mountains, and high plains covered with wheat and rye were everywhere; what a beautiful area! On our final leg west we crossed into southwest Washington state, drove the Columbia River Valley to Portland, Oregon, then headed down the coast to Brookings Harbor, OR, just north of the California state line. Our six weeks there as volunteers had us teaching children, leading nature walks, and doing some carpentry work. We explored the area up and down the coast, marveling at the "sea stacks", marine life, and deep forests. Leaving Harriss Beach, our route then took us south past Mount Shasta, into Nevada, and down to Las Vegas where we met our daughter and son-in-law for a week. Then back to Tucson and Sierra Vista Arizona for visits with friends, and a final journey east to our winter home in the San Antonio area. Along the way we saw some memorable sights; for example, this gallery in Montana that had a unique and very coyboy-ish way of announcing when they were open or closed. And yes, the sign says "Yup" when they're open. Our travels for the year saw beautiful sunsets, rugged mountains, and ocean beaches. Our favorites for the year: Best RV Park - A tie between River Forks RV Park in Forks, ID; right on the Salmon River with Elk grazing along the river each evening, and Harris Beach State Park, OR, with it's secluded sites, forest canopy, and view of the scenic Oregon coastline. Most Disappointing RV Park: San Onofre Beach, a Marine Corp campground on Camp Pendleton, CA. The great views of the surf were offset by the traffic, and late night partying, and lack of rules enforcement. Most Scenic Area - Idaho's Salmon River and Clearwater River valleys were beautiful, but the area surrounding Chama, NM wins our vote for it's mountains, valleys, and incredible vistas. Most Interesting Area - Silver City, NM and the Gila Wilderness. A town of truly independent souls; from biker bars to coffee houses, gourmet restaurants to art galleries, with ghost towns and aging hippies, surrounded by forested mountains and rivers - each day was an adventure! Least Interesting Area - Las Vegas, NV. Dusty, crowded, overpriced restaurants, unsavory characters on each street corner passing out invitations to "showgirl" bars.....not much to like. Biggest Surprise of the Year - That we could learn so much about marine mammals and plants of the Pacific Northwest. Thank you "google" for all the information! Most Fun of the Year - Teaching the "Junior Rangers" the "secret sign".....then having them run to their grandparents and offering to sell it to them. Financial Bonus of the Year - Signing up for our senior discount cards at Ryan's Buffets. We even learned the correct strategy from the nice girl at the counter...."get here at 3:00 for the free senior's drink, then slowly eat salad until 4:00 when they put the steaks on....whooohooo!" Wish We Could Have - had you join us on our travels! Please come back and visit & if you get the chance, come see us!