Next stop...Canada!

After leaving Cathlamet we drove to Port Townsend where the trailer would be parked in Sue’s driveway while we went to Canada for a week. From there we went to Port Angeles. I grew up in this town and an old family friend, Kathryn, was kind enough to put Chris & I up for a night, allow us to store the truck in her garage while we were gone and drive us to/from the ferry.

Tuesday morning we were excited to get on the ferry but my hopes for beautiful views of the Olympic mountains and Canada during the crossing were dashed. It was raining. Nuts! The heavy fog hung just a few feet above it so all we were able to see was gray fog and gray water but at least the water was calm so the ride was pleasant.

As we disembarked, Angus & Rolande were there to pick us up and the next week was a whirlwind of activity as they attempted to show us as much as possible of their part of the world. Chris has already detailed many of the places and activities we enjoyed so I won’t duplicate that but I must spend a little time on Butchart Gardens.

In my “other” life, I had a friend who taught me a little about gardening and, as I came to realize how cathartic and rewarding it can be to get dirt under your fingernails, enjoy home grown vegetables for dinner and have fresh, beautiful cut flowers in the house all summer, I moved from trying to keep the yard presentable to actually enjoying doing the work.

Since I moved onto the boat I can honestly say that I have not missed mowing grass or weeding or spreading barkdust hither and yon but I do, truly, miss my flowers…especially the roses.

Butchart Gardens was a place I had always wanted to see and it was every bit as gorgeous as I had envisioned. It was originally a lime quarry owned by Mr. Butchart whose main business was making cement from the limestone. When the quarry was exhausted, Mrs. Butchart devised a plan to make something beautiful from an ugly pit and she succeeded famously. This is still a family endeavor and they are constantly adding new objects d’art making the gardens even more beautiful.

Everywhere we turned there were different displays and types of gardens. The Japanese Garden with its Bonsai trees, moss covered stonework and lily-covered ponds was quiet and soothingly meditative. Strolling through the Italian Garden with its statuary and ponds almost makes you believe you are in the heart of Rome. The Rose Garden (one of my favorites) was in full bloom and I was thrilled to be able to remember the names of quite a few varieties. When I was gardening I had quite a few rose bushes and was always surprised when friends complained that they were hard to grow. They are actually among the easiest plants I’ve had and if you keep cutting the blooms they reward you with an entire summer of beauty. The “Sunken Garden” is the real piece de resistance and it is stunning.

I was surprised how many flower names I remembered…and what simple ones I had forgotten. Since Chris is from Arizona there were many he was seeing for the first time and it was kind of fun to be able to rattle off the names and characteristics of quite a few. One of his favorites was the Dahlia with all their different varieties and vibrant colors. I never had enough yard space to grow Dahlias but have always loved them from afar. Over the years I have seen a lot of different varieties but even some of these were new to me.

By the end of the day I was just itching to spend money at a nursery and work in a garden, but, alas…the trailer doesn’t have a yard.

Cathlamet

I realize I am way behind on blog entries but, quite honestly, I have been so busy since we left Vancouver, I just haven’t had time to write anything beyond email. Now that Chris has written several blog entries I guess I’d better get busy. So…here’s number one:

Our stop in Cathlamet for the “Sea of Cortez Cruisers Rendezvous” was a welcome respite after 6 weeks of an asphalt pad in an RV park where no one wanted to get acquainted. I have been very surprised at the difference between those who “cruise” on land and those who cruise on water. As I have mentioned in previous posts, “boat cruisers” form very strong, intimate connections almost immediately when they meet. When they see each other again it is like “old home week” as if you had been separated for years. On the other hand, RVer’s tend to pretty much keep to themselves. After 6 weeks of living in an RV park…in the long term area…we had met only 2 people and that was just because I walked over to the clubhouse one morning and barged into their conversation. Still, after that, there was no further interaction with these folks. I like to think I am a fairly fun person but this foray into the RV world has left me wondering if, perhaps, I am just pushy.

We had a great time catching up with several friends we have cruised with in Mexico and meeting others who are on their way. Everyone was suffering a little from the chill as it is clear that fall is in the air and, those of us who spend winters south of the border seem to have thinner blood. At any rate, all were getting excited about the warm days coming up in Mexico before long.

Our friends, Mike & Pat, from Vancouver, sailed in on their boat, “Somehow”, while we were in Cathlamet and we were able to share a couple meals and play a game of Mexican Train with them.

If you haven’t been to Cathlamet, WA, it should go on your bucket list. It was an easy walk to town which is quaint and a little funky. The residents are friendly, helpful and sometimes a little quirky as is typical of most small towns. I would guess that this is one of those places where the residents still leave their doors unlocked.

The views from the trailer were stunning and wildlife abounds. For us, it was especially interesting to see the entrance channel (at low, low tide) from the land side after we had negotiated it by boat 2 years ago. Quite a few of the cruisers went out kayaking one beautiful morning on glass smooth water. If only I had my new kayak I could have joined them. Sigh… Well, maybe next year.

Land vs Water Cruising

We are now two months into our first real summer of “land cruising” and still learning the ropes so to speak. Last year we did a little living/traveling in a borrowed RV and decided it was a good option for the “Where do we live during the summer?” question. Shortly after we returned from the South Pacific we purchased “Errol” (we’ve been told they are like a boat and must have a name/identity), a 27’ Wildwood travel trailer and “moved in”.

It was so much fun furnishing the trailer and making it “home”. Kind of like moving into our first apartment together. We made lots of trips to Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, Fred Meyer, etc for linens, kitchen stuff, and all the other things we needed for day to day life. My first wake up call was s-t-o-r-a-g-e! Mind you, before the purchase, Errol “appeared” to have lots of storage. In reality, the kitchen cupboards are minimal and most are about 6” deep. No pantry (as in places to put food). Linen storage for towels/sheets? Not so much. Clothes storage? Yikes! Just so you know, I am quite used to having very little storage as boats are not exactly set up for living aboard for more than a week or two. It would appear travel trailers are the same way. Errol is a “bunkhouse” model so he has two bunks in the back which we now use for storage. There is also storage under our bed and we recently discovered we can put stuff under the dinette seats as well. Most of the “underneath” storage is really being used for boat stuff. After all, who wants to have to lift up the bed every time you need to get a can of tomatoes out? Oh! Wait! Any time I need a can of tomatoes on the boat I have to tear the settee apart to get it!

And then there are bathrooms (heads). Both versions are roughly the size of a refrigerator box. Not to be indelicate but when you are doing your business, your hip will likely be wedged against the toilet paper roll while your knees are inches from the bathtub (which, by the way, is a great place to store the liquor and the laundry basket). Most boats don’t have bathtubs but the tubs in trailers are pretty much the same size as the showers on boats...almost enough room to contain an anorexic midget. Hence why marinas and RV parks are successful…the luxury of a long, hot shower that you can turn around in cannot be described.

OK…on to the actual “cruising” experience. When we tire of an anchorage on the boat it generally takes about 30-60 minutes (depending on how long we’ve stayed) to get everything stowed and the anchor up so we can move on. Of course, long before leaving, we have already spent much time checking weather, putting waypoints into the GPS, re-provisioning, getting last minute laundry done, fueling up, filling water tanks, etc, etc. Land travel, by comparison is much, much easier. All that we need do is store the lawn furniture, unhook the utilities, retract the slide-out, hitch the trailer to the truck and we’re off.

Weather. Well, what can be said about weather except “it is what it is”. On the boat, there are a few simple “rules” we hold dear with regard to weather. 1) If it is snotty…wait until it isn’t. (Snotty means big wind and big waves.) 2) If it is cold, go south. 3) If the weather guy says a system will be past on Tuesday don’t leave until Wednesday. (It takes a good 24 hours for seas to die down a bit.) Pretty simple, huh? The fly in the ointment, as is generally understood among the cruising community, is that the weather predictions are most often only suggestions. The wind will usually be much more or much less and blowing from an entirely different direction than predicted (usually dead on the nose). Last season we spent 3 days in one anchorage waiting for the 25 knot SE wind to change or die off and every morning on the net the weather guy predicted 10-15 knots out of the NW.

Land yachting isn’t nearly as dependent on correct weather predictions. Certainly it is not advisable to travel during a blizzard or hurricane but if bad weather develops while you are “underway” it is pretty easy to just pull over and park until it is over. Not so when on the water. You just keep on going until you get to a place where you can “park’ with some protection. At an average speed of 5 mph that involves a lot more commitment and discomfort. Oh…and while you are waiting to find a safe anchorage you will likely be continually thrown from one side of the boat to the other and regularly blasted with saltwater.

Even though weather isn’t as big an issue with a trailer (RV), the road conditions most certainly are. The one constant about water is that it is always different. It can be glass smooth or have waves as high as skyscrapers and all sorts of “interesting” conditions in between. It is a given and we all understand that what is going on inside an anchorage is not necessarily indicative of what is outside. Roads, too, can be wonderful or “exciting”. As I reported in a previous blog, we burned up the truck brakes going through Yosemite. We knew the road going through it wasn’t an interstate but the map did not elaborate that it was 2 lanes, narrow, few guardrails and constant switchbacks as you climb and then descend 10,000 ft. Some roads are smooth as a baby’s bottom and others can launch the teeth right out of your jaw. The only hint you have from a map is the width and color of a given thoroughfare…and the condition of roads are different in every state. We like to explore new places so we tend to take the secondary roads that are a bit more unpredictable. Sometimes they are more difficult but they’re usually worth the extra interest.

Amenities are different between land and water cruising as well. Unless you are into wilderness camping (we aren’t) most places you stop on land will have all the comforts of home close by. And…you will likely have a vehicle to take you there. Water cruising (at least in Mexico) is not so cut and dried. Even in a marina the water may be questionable, the nearest grocery store may be a 30 minute bus ride away, and the showers may have no more than a trickle of cold water. The ability to call home or check email is often “interesting” south of the border and if you are at an uninhabited anchorage it will be non-existent. Not so in the States. Most RV parks have cable TV, Wifi and all sorts of extras.

The one common is scenery. It really doesn’t matter whether you are meandering down the California coast in an RV or the only boat anchored in a serene spot, the scenery can be spectacular. Sunrises and sunsets to die for, the continually changing colors of water and land, unexpected glimpses of wildlife that you wouldn’t get if you lived in a house in one place. Those are the rewards. Those are the really special things that make the difficulties worthwhile.

Summer Fun

Yesterday was a real highlight of our summer vacation. We went to the drag races in Woodburn, OR to watch my 10 year old grandson, Anthony, race and he ended up by winning his first race. I don’t know who was more excited…Anthony or the adults who were there to cheer him on. It is hard to believe kids this age are racing dragsters but that is what is happening, and in a big way. The NHRA Junior Drag Racing program is open to all kids ages 8-17. The cars they race are half-scale versions of Top Fuel dragsters with 5 hp single cylinder engines that can go as fast as 85 mph and run an 1/8 mile track as quick as 7.90 (that would be seconds, folks). This is Anthony’s second season, although last year he was only able to make it to one race. He is in the “8-10” Class which is the beginning class where they learn the ropes. These kids are not allowed to go quicker than 12.90 or 45 mph. The next class up is the “Thunder” class which is also 8-10 year olds but these kids are allowed to go as fast as 12.70. “Lightning” Class is for ages 10-12 with a time limit of 8.70 in the 1/8 mile. Finally is the “Fast” Class for 13 and up. These kids may go up to 7.50 or 89.99 mph. If they go 7.4999 or 90.00 mph they are immediately disqualified. Oh...and lest you think this is a male sport…there are many, many girls racing as well. They are capable, smart and often beat the pants off the boys. Given that many of these girls are very pretty as well, I suspect they create other issues for the boys as well. Ahhh…the joys of being a girl! Honestly, it is great to see the camaraderie between the genders that takes place at the racetrack. These kids do not seem to have those same stereotypes that those of us from the 60’s grew up with. They treat each other as equals and that is a very good thing to watch. Oh...and one of the really great things is the sportsmanship the kids learn. Win, lose or draw, they always go up to their competitors and congratulate them on a good race and wish them luck in the next one! I know a few adults who could stand to learn that lesson. Here’s how the racing works: Everyone arrives early so they can get as many time trials as possible completed. This gives them an average speed for the car and driver on that day at that track. Then they try to figure out what might change as the day goes on and how that might affect the performance. Will it get warmer or cooler? Will the wind pick up or die off? Will that make the car run faster or slower? All this must be taken into consideration so they can “dial in” an accurate time which will establish this driver’s handicap. The trick (and it can be very tricky) is to get as close to the speed and time the car will actually run on that day. If the dial in is too fast, they may end up too far behind the competitor to catch him. If it is too slow, they run the risk of “breaking out” (beating their own time) which is an automatic loss. Fortunately, dial in’s can be changed between races but it is better to get it right the first time. As you might imagine, the parents (“pit crew”) are kept busy re-tuning and tweaking the engines between races so they will go fast but not too fast. Another big part of racing is the driver’s reaction time. The faster your reaction time the more advantage you have as far as getting to the other end before the guy in the next lane. Anthony’s reaction time is quite good for a beginner but he tends to stage deep so he worries about red lighting (another automatic loss) and is a little slower to leave. Yesterday there were some amazing reaction times…several 0.00’s. Anthony’s was around .40, which is very good for a beginner, but he is working on improving that as it is key. It was a lot of fun to watch the kids in particular but there were adults racing as well and many were racing “vintage” cars from my era. I have to admit that the sights and sounds brought back a lot of memories. I used to race back in the late 60’s and spent lots of time at the track. My ex built the engines and I drove the cars and we really did quite well. A lot has changed since then. The car I drove most often was a ’64 Fairlane and it usually ran the quarter mile in the low 14’s. That car is still around but has been severely modified over the years. My son drives it now and, as I understand it, his times are in the low 12’s. Much faster! His son, Jordan, is also in the Junior Racing program but at the moment his dragster is not running. I don’t miss the noise or the sunburns or going home from the track smelling like burning rubber but there are a lot of memories from that time. The thrill of racing at an NHRA National competition. The agony of catching a great light and then leaving spider gears all the way down the track. Blowing by a guy with a big handicap just before crossing the finish line. Watching some of the greats…”Big Daddy” Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, Jim Dunn, Don Prudomme…as they set record after record for speed and elapsed time. Life moves on and we all change but, somehow I have never lost that competitiveness. I have shown dogs, done a bit of downhill ski racing, raced sailboats (though that seems a bit like an oxymoron) and constantly pushed the envelope in an effort to experience new things. I’m trying to slow down. Honest. But that adrenalin rush is hard to deny. It looks like that gene has moved on down the line! The picture at the beginning is Anthony with his trophy and his best bud (and competitor), Shawn, who won a medallion for being the first qualifier in his class.

Leaving Las Vegas

I tried to remember how long it had been since I was last in Las Vegas and it seemed like 10 or 15 years but then it struck me that just last year we had stopped to visit Chris’ son on our way north. We didn’t go to the “Strip” then so it didn’t feel like we were even in Las Vegas. This year is different. Sterling has moved to Portland and our main objective in stopping here was to pick up some of Chris’ belongings from a storage unit.

Las Vegas, to me, has always seemed like Disneyland for adults (not grown ups) and it was surprising to learn that Chris had been here numerous times without taking in the attractions. He doesn’t gamble much, he hasn’t wandered the Strip looking at the amazing hotels and casinos, and he never attended a single show. OK. This was going to change. I’ve only been here a few times but I’d always enjoyed the stimulation overload that you get from the excess that abounds. What I didn’t realize was how much things have changed since I was last here.

Chris had never attended a single Vegas show so I set out to change that. The shows are very, very expensive but they are the best part of being here. I made reservations for us to see Ka (one of the numerous Cirque du Soleil shows that are always here), Defending The Caveman (a one man comedy show) and The Tournament of the Kings (the dinner show at the Excalibur). They were all very good but KA was the best of the best and blew us away. Chris has devoted an entire blog entry to this show. Not only was it the first Las Vegas show he had seen, but was the first Cirque du Soleil show as well.

On previous visits I’d enjoyed wandering through here the incredible hotels/casinos here and I wanted to see some of the new ones. We really didn’t have time for that but we did peruse the MGM Grand, the Excalibur, the Luxor, the Mandalay Bay and New York, New York all of which were new to Chris.

Things have changed a lot since I was last here and one of the biggest is in the gaming arena. I’m not much of a gambler but I used to enjoy playing the slots or a bit of blackjack (at a table with a low bid minimum). Not so much now. The new slot machines are like video games and really not much fun. No one is wandering around with plastic cups full of nickels or quarters as the machines now only take paper money, printed tickets or pre-paid cards. There is no “one armed bandit” feel to them anymore. Now you just push a button to roll the electronic dials. Instead of the sound of coins falling into the metal tray there are electronic noises emanating from everywhere. Even worse, you are invited to play an unlimited number of lines (each one costs a “coin”) so you can lose a dollar in a nickel slot with one quick punch of the button. Chris and I played a couple nickel machines and lost about $5 each in under 2 minutes. Onward to the Blackjack tables. Alas…there aren’t any! Well…that’s not entirely true. There are a few, but very few. Most of the games now seem to be of the oriental persuasion (Pai Gow being the only one I can remember how to spell) which I wouldn’t have a clue how to play. I saw a few Blackjack tables of Blackjack but the minimum bet was $10 which, quite honestly, is more than I want to spend. In the “old days” I could sit down to play Blackjack with a $20 bill and, win or lose, have had a great time for hours. Am I getting old or is it just that since my disposable income is greatly reduced these days I am more conservative in how I spend it? Something about plunking down $10, $20 or $50 (or more) per bet just seems excessive.

Food & drink aren’t the same, either. Does anyone besides me remember when you could go to all-you-can-eat buffets with fabulous food any time of the day or night for under $10? Those days are gone boys & girls. Now, all the casinos are filled with high end restaurants with world famous chefs and exorbitant prices. Following the KA show at the MGM, Chris & I wanted a late dinner. We wandered around perusing the menus until we located an Italian place that had entrees under $40. The food was very good though, as the waiter had forewarned us, the portions were quite small. Still, it was enough to fill us up and the butter in the sauces could bring on a cardiac arrest in the best of bodies. We soon realized how the place managed to keep their meals affordable. They had an 8 page wine list and the prices were through the roof. The cheapest bottle on the menu was a Rex Hill Cabernet for $65. That’s right friends & neighbors…sixty-five dollars! This is a wine that sells for under $15 in the local Safeway. After the shock settled a bit we decided on the cheapest Sauvignon Blanc on the menu at $12 per glass. Lest you think this incredible scalping is just in the high end restaurants, yesterday, while we were waiting to see Defending the Caveman, we decided to have a quick drink at a bar on the gaming floor. Chris had a bottle of beer (and, by the way, it is rare to find any beer other than Budwiser, Miller or Coors…the bottom of the beer barrel as far as we are concerned) and I had a glass of very bad Chardonnay. The bill? Sixteen dollars!

One thing about Vegas that remains the same is the people watching. Oh my gosh…the things you see! Skirts (with nothing underneath) that almost (but not quite) cover important female parts…stilt shoes that look like they came from a dominatrix’ wardrobe…breasts that are only a deep breath away from escaping their confinement…hair styles and make up to put a drag queen to shame. And these are the guests. These women are clearly looking for a little action. The men, on the other hand, have come to drink…and drink…and drink. Everywhere are men carrying 3 ft tall glasses of foo foo drinks and wearing t-shirts to advertise either their lack of class or where they last shopped. Is it any wonder there are oxygen bars and mechanical massages available everywhere?

Vegas is nothing if not excess. I guess that is why people come here. To escape their mundane existence and be whoever they want for a few hours. This weekend was the 4^th of July and there must have been a million people here to “celebrate”. It was an eye-opening experience but I was always happy to return to our little portable house where there were no flashing lights, no cacophony and no wall of people to negotiate to get to the restroom. I really did enjoy coming here for a couple days of grown-up play in the past but from now on I think I’ll just keep driving. Maybe I’m just getting old. Maybe I’ve just found a better way to have a good time.

Sedona

Sedona. So much has been written and said about this area in the Arizona desert that I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from it. Certainly I knew there were wind blown red cliffs to be seen. Previous visitors I have known have reported it is quite a “spiritual” place. There are “vortexes” reported to be all over the area. As I understand it, a vortex is a place that has very high energy emanating from it. I was excited when we left Phoenix because I would finally get to see this very special place. As we pulled off of the highway and into Oak Springs (the first real glimpse you get of the rock formations) I was…well...shocked. The first thing you see is a good sized community of condominiums, upscale homes and strip malls. There is even a large outlet mall. Granted, all the buildings are painted almost the same color as the rocks but still, one rather expects to see some natural grandeur as opposed to just another cutesy little burg catering to the kitsch buying public. Chris took me to a shopping mall that is disguised quite nicely with flowers, sculptures and pretty little shops and restaurants. There is even a beautiful little alcove that is chock full of kinetic sculptures that move with the wind. We wandered from gallery to gallery and shop to shop admiring all manner of specialized wares for the souvenir hunter. These would be the “much wealthier than I” souvenir hunters. To be honest, I came close to letting Chris buy me a very pretty watch but then I realized how much that money could buy that was really needed in our lives. Further, I haven’t worn a watch in two years so it isn’t likely I would wear one with a price tag in excess of $250. We had a great lunch at a brew pub in the shopping area and then pushed on to Flagstaff. As we proceeded beyond the construction that was being done to widen the road and yet another group of buildings housing more opportunities to shop, take a jeep tour to a vortex or have your tarot cards read I found that I felt cheated. Where is it possible to get away from the commercialism and just revel in the beauty of nature’s (or God’s) creation?. We continued on to Flagstaff and spent the night in a lovely forested campground with a couple hundred other “campers” 100 yards from the highway. The next day we had planned to go to a museum in Flagstaff but I really needed a second look at Sedona so I asked Chris to take me back. It was a good decision. Without the trailer following behind we were much more mobile and were able to pull off at the different turnouts to admire the beauty and take photos of the incredible cliffs. I realized this area is rather like a mini-Grand Canyon and it is quite breathtaking. We even drove to a “vortex” that had a view of several beautiful mounds. Try as I might, I didn’t “feel” anything. I am not one of those extra sensitive people who feel the harmonic vibrations emanating from the universe. Still, I can appreciate the beauty and the fantasmagoric majesty of places like this. We had a lovely lunch at a restaurant that seemed to be hanging on the side of a cliff at treetop level where hummingbirds were feeding next to us and we were able to, for a moment, ignore the adjacent diners and focus on the beautiful red cliff across the valley. By the end of the day I was happy to have given Sedona a second chance. It is as special a place as many of the beautiful anchorages I have enjoyed in Mexico. I tried to keep my eyes averted from the strip malls but they are still there. They are for the other tourists. Having living spaces that are so small one is hardly able to find room for necessities much less trinkets has caused me to lose much of that “need” to buy. I think it is a good thing. I tend more to collect pictures and memories these days. The memories will be mine until the end of my days. The kids can have the photos.

Sedona will be one of the special memories.

Arizona or Bust

July 1, 2010

It is 6:30 am and Chris is still sleeping. A good time to write a blog entry. Now, if only I could get a useable internet connection here all would be good.

When we left San Carlos for the trek back to the Northwest, our first stop was Tucson. We stayed at the same RV Park we were at last fall only to discover the facility had made a few changes. The most irritating was that their internet “service” is now “Tengointernet” which is somewhat expensive ($5/day or $15/week). Internet was free last fall. Their rates to stay in the park seem to have increased as well so we will likely go elsewhere on our southbound loop. Since Chris’ brother, Lee, had installed a high speed connection at their Mom’s house when he was there this spring, and the house is air conditioned, and there’s a pool just out the back door, we opted to take the computers over there for a few hours each day so we could stay connected. We may have gotten a bit spoiled.

While in Tucson, we were able to visit quite a few of Chris’ relatives and friends as well as having the time to re-pack the trailer, do a bit of shopping and just plain relax. It was pretty warm there every day (low 100’s) but cooled off nicely at night. Turns out the heat was only a little acclimatization stop before Phoenix!

Monday morning we were up and on our way to Phoenix before the temperature climbed too high. Chris wanted to take the scenic route so we did and the drive through the desert was very pretty. Saguaro cacti were just losing their blooms but the yucca was magnificent with ten foot high stalks topped with huge, white blossoms. Since I’m a Washington girl this terrain strikes me as being mostly stark and uninviting but there is still something quite exotic about it as well. Chris, having grown up in the desert, knows the name of all the different types of cacti and scrub bushes as well as their unique characteristics so he tries to educate me a bit. For example, there is a type of cactus called a Cholla that is kind of interesting. It is built like a bush with twisty arms (my favorite version of this is the Teddy Bear Cholla which is kind of fluffy looking). It is also, somewhat infamously, known as a “Jumping" cactus. Apparently if you get too close to it, the spines will “jump” into your skin and the more you move or try to remove them, the deeper they go. Ouch! So, even disregarding the rattlesnakes that are undoubtedly in attendance, this little tidbit would deter me from a stroll through the desert.

As lunchtime approached we decided to stop for a bite at the Subway in Florence in Pinal County. I don’t know whether the name of the county was in place first or if it was changed but it sure fits. As you drive into Florence the first thing you pass is the huge prison complete with its own farm (being tended by, apparently, the “good” inmates in their cute little orange jumpsuits). Actually, it was refreshing to know that in some prisons at least, some of the "guests" have the opportunity to get outside for a little fresh air. At any rate, as we sat eating our sandwiches I realized that we, and the employees, were the only people in the place who weren’t police officers of one sort or another. None were wearing uniforms as such, but there were plenty of badges, official vehicles and firearms in view. Quite clearly, law enforcement is THE industry here.

Appetite sated, we continued on to Phoenix. As we got closer I began to see more and more mobile home parks until it appeared there were double wides as far as the eye could see. Phoenix and the surrounding area is a huge “snowbird” metropolis and a mobile home is probably one of the cheaper ways in which one can spend the winter in a warm clime.

We checked into an RV Park that Chris had stayed in back when he was teaching in Phoenix and living in Tucson. It was actually a mobile home park that rented out temporary spaces to travelers. It was nice enough and close to my sister’s house but the services were pretty limited. No showers (except co-ed ones at the pool), no TV and no internet. OK. For two nights we could manage.

We visited with my sister, brother-in-law and niece and it was good to see them all. Chris contacted an old friend, Steve, who came to the trailer for dinner and a bit of reminiscing. Thursday we drove to Apache Junction to see my friend, Lisa, from middle school and then to Mesa where my cousin, Pam, lives. Pam & I tried to remember when we'd last seen each other and were shocked to realize that it had probably been close to 30 years. Jeez! It was nice to get together and catch up. Actually, I could have spent a lot more time with all but, even though we are not on a schedule, the summer is moving on and we needed to do that as well.

The weather in Phoenix at this time of year is pretty incredible. It's almost as if you have awakened to find that you are in h-e-double-toothpicks without realizing you passed on. At midnight the temperature had cooled off to a "balmy" 99 degrees! And I use the term "balmy" quite loosely since the humidity hovers around 3 percent here. Two days was enough for this girl and yesterday morning I was up early getting the trailer ready to go. By 7:45 am we were on the road to Flagstaff – via the much lauded Sedona. I was excited!

Stay tuned...more to come.....