Winter 2024 includes new route, new fun

   Winter 2024 is now underway. As we have done for the past 14 years (minus the Covid year 2021) we find ourselves as temporary residents of Arizona. When you add up all the time we have spent here over the past years we have lived in Arizona for more than 3 years. 

   Of course because of the timing of our visits we are here during what is the best weather they have. Well, duh, that’s the whole point, right?

Our Arizona "home" for 12 years

     Anyway, our trip started on Saturday, December 23 with the first leg scheduled for a visit with my Dad and sister, Laura in Louisville. 

   The last time we were there in November my Tahoe blew its transmission so I was really hoping for a better result from this visit. After packing our stuff and then the car Friday night and finishing Saturday morning we left our home in Lapeer with the temperature at 41 degrees. 

   In relation to previous trips that is a particularly balmy start to our drive. Before we even got to Lansing a gravel hauling truck and trailer threw a stone and put a large ding in my windshield. 

   Not a great beginning. 

 The drive was afflicted with some rain and fog, but nothing serious and the temperature even rose to 51. 

    We arrived at my sister’s at 2:45 p.m. after an uneventful (other than the windshield ding) drive. 

    We enjoyed three days of fun with my sister and Dad as well as opening presents and dining on my sister’s gourmet cooking. 

   We also ate out one night. 

    On Tuesday, December 26, we said our goodbyes and headed south to the Murfreesboro, Tennessee home of our children and grandchildren. 

First hike of season

    We were greeted by the Ring doorbell and a live message from our son that we had arrived to an empty house. So thanks to the magic of modern technology he let us in the house remotely and within a short time the home was teeming with wonderful family. 

    Over the next two days there was more Christmas present opening, a family bowling outing (not bragging but I won both the games we played) and then a nice dinner out with the family. 

   We played board games and a fun game called “Sounds Fishy” which is a tame version of the adult game called Cards Against Humanity. (Again not bragging, but I didn’t win any of the games we played with the grandchildren). 

    Too soon it was time to say goodbye and we started the long trek to Tucson, Arizona. If you have been following our travels for previous seasons (and why wouldn’t you want to?) our usual route is along I-40 to Flagstaff where we pick up our trailer and head south to Tucson. 

    Last year it was a real challenge due to heavy snow and fog and we made the executive decision to pay a little more for covered storage for the trailer and relocate the trailer to a storage lot about 2 miles from the resort. 

   In addition to a much, much shorter travel for the trailer to our site it meant we needed a new route to Tucson leaving behind the sometimes iffy weather one can encounter along the Texas panhandle and New Mexico high country. 

    Our new route took us through Texarkana (we stayed there in the Fairfield Inn by Mariott) and then Dallas along I-20. When I saw this route it opened an opportunity to stop and stay with our son and his lady friend in Mansfield, Texas. 

Our first Buc-ees

   We had a wonderful, but short stay with them, once again exchanging gifts and a nice meal out. The leg of the trip between Texarkana and Dallas presented the opportunity to visit our first Buc-ees travel center. Having been to the Iowa 80 Truck Stop this was pretty much the same thing only it was more focused on regular drivers than truckers. It was an amazing place and we escaped with only the cost of a tank of gas and a soft drink. It could have been much worse. It was in Royse City in case you are interested. 

    It was about then that I made an eye-opening discovery about the drivers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. As the holder of a commercial bus license I think I can speak with some authority about the relative skill and abilities of drivers of a number of metropolitan regions in the USA. 

     For a long time I believe the worst driving one could find was in Florida, followed pretty closely by most metropolitan areas in California. 

    Well, let me introduce you to the motoring disaster that is the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. We barely escaped there with our lives. Merging is more like a high risk game of 16th century jousting. This high stakes contest of “chicken” was a real eye opener. Congratulations Dallas – Fort Worth you have surpassed the worst of what Florida and California have. 

    So the rest of journey to Tucson began Friday, December 29 in Mansfield, Texas. There is one unmistakable fact that we learned. Texas is a very wide state. More than 850 miles from Texarkana to El Paso. The terrain is often pretty stark but there were also places of unusual rock formations and beauty.

  This is our first time using I-20 so it checked a box we were missing on Interstates that we had not yet traveled on. At one point there was a large ranch that advertised “Wild Hog Hunts – Weddings and Reunions.” Hopefully, not at the same time. 

El Capitan in Van Horn, Texas

    Leaving the Dallas – Fort Worth area on a Saturday morning was perhaps the best, even if it was accidental, decision I have made. The traffic was light and we made great time as most of the route allows an 80 mph speed limit. We arrived in Van Horn, Texas (our third stop without getting out of the state) and stayed at the historic El Capitan Hotel. 

   It was an historic place that rivaled the traditional look of the Benbow Inn that we stayed in while traveling through the Redwoods of Northern California a number of years ago.

    Dinner was at the Van Horn Cattle Company and then we retired to our room to watch the Detroit Lions get robbed by the referees in the game against the Cowboys. 

   Here I am going to mention that I found a new past time for driving long distances. We listed to a 15-episode podcast about the Bakersfield Three. It was a great listen and made the miles fly by. Too hard to explain here – that’s what Google is for. 

    So on Sunday, December 31 (New Year’s Eve) we started our final leg of the trip to Tucson. Part of the route (I-20 turns into I-10 just before Van Horn, Texas) had us driving through El Paso. This is the first time either of us has been there and we were amazed at the size and scope of that city. It seemingly went on forever (well, not quite forever). 

    The trip to Tucson was smooth and we collected our trailer from the storage lot, got it mostly set up Sunday afternoon, made a quick trip to the grocery store and met our friends at the New Year’s dance at the Voyager by 8 p.m. 

   We danced until dawn (well, midnight) and then fell into bed and slept in late. On Monday, we finished the job of cleaning and organizing the trailer. I got in my first workout in the gym. We have been reconnecting with our many friends here at the resort and made a trip to downtown Tucson for Meet Me at Maynard’s. 

   Unfortunately we did not get the word that Meet Me at Maynard’s was a virtual event that night because of the New Year’s holiday and so we walked around town and then returned home to have dinner because no restaurants downtown were open. 

    In the days that followed I went on my first hike and Joan attended Zumba, the Women’s Bible Study and her polymer clay class. 

   I am coordinating the Men’s Bible Study and leading the Thursday night open Bible Study. As in previous years I am involved with the table and chair volunteer set up team and Joan is giving her time to the resort clinic every Thursday. 

    We attended our second Meet Me at Maynard’s on a very cold and blustery Jan. 8. Our friend Deb joined us for the night and we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Elliott’s downtown Tucson. As soon as we arrived in Tucson the area experienced its coldest weather in a year. You're welcome, Tucson.

    On Wednesday, Jan. 10 we attended the first of 12 weekly concerts here at Voyager and this one was a great one. Karen Hester as Dolly (Parton) did not disappoint. 

Me and "Dolly"

   Well, there was that odd bit of luck I had when out of 640 concert goers I got chosen to stand up and be embarrassed as Karen’s “cowboy.” She sang “Why’d you have to come in here looking like that?” Wish my luck extended to the lottery.

   She told everyone I looked like Kenny Rogers. (Wish I had his money). 

     In the days following (and likely many more days to come) I have been stopped by total strangers who call me Kenny Rogers. 

    It’s going to be a long time before I live this down. The only photo of this event is me from the back of my head, but you can see Dolly singing to me. If you go on You Tube or google Karen Hester as Dolly you can get a sample of her work. 

   She won a national contest as a tribute performer and has appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show. 

     Of course as we do each year we attend the chapel here and enjoyed our first Market Days this week.

    Also on Friday night we went to the 80’s theme dance here at the Voyager to the tunes of the Hardscrabble Road band. We love attending the dances with our friends and truly enjoy the chance to dance the night away. Well, if you call staying up until 10 p.m. “dancing the night away.” 

    Unfortunately, I never remember that my phone is actually a camera so I forgot to take any photos of our time with family in Louisville and Murfreesboro, Tennessee so sorry about that. 

The sky on fire at sunrise

    One minor glitch is that with the really and unusually cold temperatures here in Tucson I had to get our propane tanks filled up. A young trainee filled my two 30-gallon tanks. When I came to pick them up a manager over seeing her work noted that my tanks are five years out of date for inspection.

    Fortunately I had already paid and taken possession but he warned me that the next time I came in to fill I would need them recertified or have new tanks. At one point the trainee was being very deliberate and careful while filling the tanks and apologized to me for the delay. I told her not to worry that I would prefer that she take her time and get it right as doing that job wrong could be catastrophic to a lot of people, me included. 

    Anyway, we're in our trailer this Saturday (Jan. 13) watching playoff football and enjoying an uptick in the temperatures (in the 60s today) while back home our house is buried in snow. 

    See you soon! 

 Departure from Lapeer: 7:32 a.m. 

 Mileage: 145334 Temperature 41 degrees (maybe the highest ever getaway temp) 

 Arrival in Louisville: 2:45 p.m. 

 Mileage in: 145789 

 Departure from Louisville: 8 a.m. 

 Mileage out: 145981 Temperature 54 degrees 

 Arrival in Murfreesboro: 11 a.m. (CST) 

 Mileage in at Murfreesboro: 146197 

 Temperature 51 degrees 

 Mileage out at Murfreesboro 146197 

 Time out at Murfreesboro 9 a.m. Temperature 38 degrees

 Arrival in Texarkana, Texas: 5 p.m. 

 Mileage in Texarkana: 146715 

 Time out from Texarkana: 9:51 a.m. 

 Mileage out from Texarkana 146715 

 Arrival in Mansfield, Texas: 1:40 p.m. 

 Mileage in to Mansfield: 146941 

 Time out at Mansfield: 8:40 a.m. 

Mileage out: 146941 Temperature 38 degrees 

 Arrival in Van Horn, Texas: 3:55 p.m. (CST) 

 Mileage in Van Horn: 147440 

 Time out from Van Horn: 8:17 a.m. (CST) 

 Mileage out: 147440 Temperature: 31 degrees 

 Arrival at Tucson storage: 1:25 p.m. (MST) 

 Mileage in: 147864 Temperature 62 degrees 

 Arrival at Voyager: 2:15 p.m. 

 Mileage in: 147869

Sometimes I suck at writing or maybe I'm just good at procrastination

 

Snow in Tucson

    It goes without saying (but here I am saying it) that I have been very bad at posting during our time in Tucson this year. I could give you a lot of excuses, but then that’s just what they are, excuses. Let’s just say we were very busy this year with friends and family visitors and the myriad of activities at the resort.

   This was truly a season to remember for a number of reasons. The weather was not as good as it usually is in Tucson. This year we were on the receiving end of much of the winter weather that also visited California. In the 12 years we have been coming to Arizona we had snow twice. This year we had snow three times.

    One time we received about 3-inches overnight. Fortunately it was gone by noon.

Dad and Major

  Temperatures were cooler than usual (we never turned on our air conditioner during our three month stay). And we may have had two days where the temperatures got over 80 degrees. I had three organized hikes cancelled due to rain or a high percentage of rain. But we still had many sunny days and Joan really likes the temperatures in the 60s so this was a perfect year for her.

   One of the things we never complain about is rain. Arizona desperately needs rain and so when they get it we are happy for them. The pickleball players complain though, but then they complain about wind, court availability, line calls, new players, old players and a myriad of other things.

   This year I took on my usual Thursday night mixed Bible study, but added the coordination of the Thursday morning Men’s Bible study as well. Fortunately a number of the men stepped up and helped lead lessons, so that didn’t fall all on me. The Men’s Bible study did an in depth study of 2 Corinthians and our night study focused on the Book of Hebrews. Both were well attended and I always end up learning way more than the other people in the class.

Dad, Major, Me

Joan and Diane Bible study 

   As I mentioned hiking took a hit this year because of the weather but I still averaged two hikes a week, but due to heavy snow had to pass on a couple of my favorite hikes. Madera Canyon was heavy with snow as were the higher trails on Mt. Lemmon. As I get older I am less inclined to use crampons (spikes I add to my hiking boots to negotiate ice) and the risk of falling keeps me from trying those hikes when the trails are snow covered.

   But I did a couple new hikes this year, one very challenging one – Agua Caliente – and one more moderate hike – Quilters Trail. The Agua Caliente hike was difficult and involved many long sections of climbing. The views were tremendous and if I get in better shape, which I am working on I may give it another go next year.

Agua Caliente hike

    Joan continued her work with polymer clay jewelry classes and she found a new activity – Zoomba – which she seemed to really enjoy. She started out in the pool but transitioned to zoomba almost immediately.

Dad and Tim skydive

   One of the first things we decided after the struggles with getting the trailer up and going in Flagstaff that we are going to store the trailer in Tucson in the future. We had avoided that previously because of the summer heat the expense of covered storage, but we’re going to bite the bullet spend the extra cash for covered storage and save the extreme hassle of trying to dig the trailer out of the snow in Flagstaff.

   Not mentioned in my previous post is that we began to see evidence that our annual rodent visitors had not left the trailer in Flagstaff. With definitive evidence they were still on board, I began setting mouse traps and the body count got to 10 before the killing stopped. This is another reason we are not storing in the frozen north of Arizona next year.

Bridal Wreath hike

   

New storage

I began to immediately begin investigating storage lots and found a couple who offered the covered storage I was looking for. The closest one to us was on Wilmot Road and after calling and investigating I decided to drive over and just look it over from the outside. Lo and behold when Joan and I arrived the gate was open so we drove in to look around. There were plenty of empty spots so we began moving back towards the gate only to find it closed and locked.

    I didn’t have the code so I called back to the office and the lady I had talked to earlier and she found it quite amusing but did provide us with a gate code that allowed us to leave.  In a ridiculous turn of events we booked this place on March 10 only to find out they sold the place to a national storage company with a whole new price schedule (more than what we agreed to with the previous company) and so we had to make a quick pivot three days before our departure in April for another storage lot a little farther away. We are still in the process of trying to get back our deposit money from the original owner.

Dad and Cousin Becky

Tucson Auto museum

   This was the year of the visitors. Our good friends from Lapeer, Michigan, Bob and Karen are now making Voyager their winter home. They came and visited with us a number of years ago for lunch at the restaurant and have returned nearly every year since, staying longer and longer each year. This year they were there for two months and next year the plan is to stay for 2 ½ months. That’s why I call Voyager the human mouse trap.

   So Bob and Karen were there when we arrived on Dec. 31, but the string of visitors started in earnest in February. My 97-year-old father arrived on Feb. 18, followed quickly by my former boss and his wife, Roger and Jessica. While Roger and Jessica were there we did our annual Southwestern wine tasting tour in Sonoita along with our friends Mike and Suzy who live at Voyager.

   Wine tasting day is always fun and we ended it this year at the Copper Brothel Restaurant, which has become our traditional dinner spot for the wine tasting tour. A good time was had by all.

Voyager table and chair team

  On February 28, Joan’s sister and brother-in-law, Diane and Denny, arrived into Phoenix for their month stay at the resort. They ended up renting the same park model as our friends Bob and Karen, taking it over the day after they left to return to Michigan. A lot of landlords like to make sure they rent for three months so last year when we heard Bob and Karen were renting for January and February we contacted Diane and Denny and let them know that March was available for them.

    Because of a mixup, the landlord accidentally double booked the place with another person, but thanks to Bob and Karen we got that straightened out before Diane and Denny arrived.

 
 During my father’s stay we visited the Franklin Car Museum which I didn’t know about until my sister Pam and her husband, Jeff, found online before their visit which started on March 11. They also stayed for a week and we had a great time with them.

Me and Denny hiking

   Another visitor was our son Tim who came for the weekend of March 4. That was a truly special weekend as my father did his second tandem skydive (he did his first the previous year) and our son wanted to go with him. As before a tandem skydive is not on my bucket list so I didn’t go.

   In addition to Dad and Tim another couple at the resort, Bob and Jean, also decided to join in the jump which was successfully accomplished on Saturday March 4. We’re hoping to get Tim back for another time so he and I can do some hiking together.

    On Dad's way out of town on March 11 we stopped in Scottsdale, Arizona to meet his niece, my cousin Becky. It was great to see her after so many years.

    Two other friends, my former colleague Jane and her husband Chuck, came to Tucson but didn’t stay at Voyager. We did get to meet them for dinner one night. So that is 11 folks total who came to Tucson for this season. We loved having them all and are looking forward to many of them returning next year.

Quilter's Trail hike

Delivering underwear

  We were able to get resort concert tickets for our guests. Here was the lineup for this year: “Arizona Highway Men,” “Piano Men,” “William Florian (New Christy Minstrels doing a Neil Diamond tribute),” McDougal Street West (Peter, Paul and Mary),” “Britain’s Finest (Beatles),” “Whole Lotta Shakin Going On (Jerry Lee Lewis),” ‘You’ve Got a Friend (Carol King and James Taylor),” “Wayne Faust Show (comedian),” Adventures in Parrotdise (Jimmy Buffett),” “Yesterday Once More (Karen Carpenter),” Uptown (a tremendous Music of Motown tribute),” and “4 Gents (Four Seasons and Beach Boys tribute).

  In between those concerts we also saw Cowboy Brad Fitch doing a John Denver tribute in a Friday concert. We also saw the Wildcat Jazz Band which is made up of music faculty from the University of Arizona and a great band.

    All the concerts were good or great and we look forward to them each year.

Chuck, Jane, Joan and me

   Off the resort we went to The Gaslight Theater three times. Twice to see the very funny performance of Two Gun McGraw and once to see The Rave Ons, which was a Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison tribute concert with my sister Pam and her husband Jeff. I surprised them by letting the staff know that it was their anniversary and my sister’s birthday. They got free ice cream for that.

   Jeff also found another great car museum, The Tucson Car Museum, which I didn’t know about. Since we left they are doing some major renovations to the place so I look forward to going back to see the improvements.

   If you remember from last year, during my Dad’s visit in addition to his sky dive I got him a personalized tour of the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and the A-10 base there.  During that visit he met an Air Force Major who took a liking to my Dad.

Sonoita wine tasting group (I'm taking photo)

   So this year I contacted the major and we made plans to meet with him, his wife and son for dinner while my Dad was in town. In addition the major invited us to a special in house base air show. This is an annual training event for pilots who perform at nationwide air shows and is just for base personnel.

  The major was kind enough to get us onto the base and to visit the flight line during the air show. It was truly a wonderful memory for my father.  He was with his at the Voyager for 3 weeks.

   There was some sadness at the resort as several of our longtime friends have either died or not returned to the resort for health reasons. One of those, Frank, a 96-year-old World War II veteran I used to hike with died at his home in Nevada in October on the eve of his scheduled departure to his home at Voyager. We had a nice memorial for him. Also attended a memorial for my friend Ron, who used to attend my Bible study and for TC, another Bible study friend.

Tucson superbloom at Picacho Peak

   
One good thing the Men's Bible study did (besides studying the Bible) was to collect new men's underwear and socks for the Gospel Rescue Mission in Tucson. On the second to the last day in Tucson we delivered several containers full of the donated items to the Mission.

  One other excitement that occurred while we were there was the fatal accident just outside the resort on I-10 that involved a truck carrying Nitric Acid. The truck began leaking the toxic chemical and for more than 24 hours we were on lockdown in our trailer (we actually violated that order a couple times to go shopping and to a doctor’s appointment). Fortunately the wind was blowing in a direction favorable to us so we were never in real danger, but it did cause a day’s worth of activities to be cancelled or postponed at the resort.

Newman Mountain Petroglyphs

   One other great event was the day that my sister, Joan's sister, the two brothers-in-law and Joan and I went to Picacho Peak State Park to see the superbloom of flowers caused by all the rainfall this winter. So that was another benefit of all that foul weather. The poppies and other flowers put on a great display. Afterwards we took a windy dirt road to view some ancient petroglyphs at nearby Newman Mountain.

   It's amazing to see ancient writings that were done on rocks more than 1,200 years ago. 

   So all in all a successful and fun time in Arizona. I will be putting together another post about our trip home from Tucson in a day or two. Again sorry for the delay.

   

 

 

Here's a hint. If you want to see the photos larger, click on them.

Meeting new and old friends and having fun in the desert

 

    In our last report Joan and I had arrived in Tucumcari, New Mexico which is a frequent stop for us on our journey west to Tucson.

Broken battery cable

    On Friday, we left our hotel and began the journey to Flagstaff where we would reunite with our trailer. This stretch of road holds a very bad travel memory as one year we were stuck in a major snowstorm that ended up costing us many hours. It took us nearly 8 hours to travel about 100 miles to Moriarity, New Mexico. This day would be much better.

   High winds greeted us again as we traveled across I-40 in the high country of New Mexico. We were treated to a herd of prong horn antelopes and a unique sighting of a luxury Lincoln pick up truck, maybe the first one I have ever seen. As it usually is when we pass by it, Crazy Creek was dry.

   The rest of the trip across New Mexico and Arizona into Twin Arrows Casino in Flagstaff was relatively uneventful, The eventful would come soon enough.

    I dropped Joan at the hotel about 2 p.m., but check in wasn’t until 4 p.m. so we stored our luggage in a closet and Joan occupied her time in the casino while I went the 30-plus miles to pick up the trailer. It was my choice that she didn’t come with me because setting up the trailer is pretty much a one-person job and I can get a little testy when things don’t go right. And they didn’t.

Back to the mountains

   Once I got to Bellemont, Arizona (just outside Flagstaff) I topped off the Tahoe’s gas tank and drove the short distance to the storage lot. Once inside the lot I discovered that the trailer was surrounded by about 6-inches of snow. The owner of the storage lot had plowed a path to the gate but because of the closeness of the stored vehicles there was no way he could have plowed between the vehicles.

  So I trudged through the snow depositing luggage and boxes of supplies into the trailer (I’ve learned to balance the load between the car and the trailer for smoother operation). Then I had to knell down in the snow to remove the tire covers which meant my hands and legs started to freeze.

   Here’s where everything went haywire. I have a decorative US Navy metal hitch filler that I paid $45 for. Not wanting someone to steal it I used a hitch lock to keep it in place. But when I went to remove the lock, it would not budge. I’m now laying down in the snow under the back bumper doing everything I can to make the lock turn and let loose. No luck.

   By this time it is after 4 p.m. and I’m starting to panic. If I can’t get the hitch receiver open my trailer is going nowhere, snow or no snow. So I got up off the snow, brushed myself off and headed out the gate as I remembered that there was an RV sales and service center just down the road. Remember now this is Friday afternoon, the day before New Year’s Eve and when I drove by the place it looked closed.

The weekly weather forecast

   I drove the half mile to the business and sure enough the sign on the door indicated they were not open, but I saw someone inside sweeping the floor. I entered the business (door was unlocked) and explained my predicament to the man sweeping the floor. He said they business was actually closed, but he and another employee were doing a year-end inventory and were just 10 minutes from leaving.

  Seeing my difficult spot they tried jiggling the lock, heating it with a flame, banging on it with a hammer with the same results I had. I asked them if they could just cut off the lock. The employee went back in the shop, grabbed a metal saw and in just about 5 minutes had the lock off. They only charged me a minimum amount of time for their labor and I was on my way. Arizona Route 66 RV Sales and Service are in my debt (I did give them a very positive review).

   Back at the storage lot I began the process of hooking up the trailer and discovered one of the hot leads to the battery had corroded to the point that it had broken off its connection. Now I’m getting mad. So I back the car up close enough to the trailer hitch that I can connect the trailer hitch electric lift to the Tahoe so I can use the Tahoe to provide power to the lift. That works. So I raise up the trailer, back the Tahoe and connect the trailer to the Tahoe. As soon as I’m done putting on safety chains, securing the anti-sway bars I realize that the tailgate is still up and it is impossible to shut with the trailer attached. Now I’m livid.

   So I have to complete unattach the trailer, pull the Tahoe up about 1-foot so I can close the tailgate and then redo the entire process of hitching the trailer to the Tahoe. I make a quick check of the hookup, put my cold wet self into the driver’s seat and then put the Tahoe in high four-wheel drive and pull the trailer out of it’s snowy spot.

Deb, Joan and a sunset Arizona style

   It’s now about 5:15 p.m. and I call Joan who is pretty worried that she hasn’t heard from me and let her know I’m on my way back to the hotel. By this time the wind has whipped up again and the drive back to the hotel was harrowing. Once back at the hotel, I park the Tahoe and trailer in the RV lot which is in a different zip code from the hotel and walk back and meet Joan in the lobby.

“Did you remember to bring in the cooler with my medicine?” No. So it’s another long walk in the snow back to the rig to bring back the medicine. By this time I’m ready to sell the vehicle and trailer to any stranger walking by.

  We have a nice dinner and I head back to my room to rest and watch football.  Oh, but there’s more.

  In the morning we get up early and happily the 6-inches of snow and ice on top of the trailer has melted over night (temperatures were in the low 40s overnight).  That probably reduced the weight of the trailer by a few hundred pounds.

   Off we go on I-40 and then connect with I-17 in downtown Flagstaff for the long drive down the hill. At this point we are at 7,000-feet and heading to Phoenix which is at 1,000-feet. Things are going well, but then it turned not-so-well. Just outside Flagstaff the fog kept getting thicker and thicker which meant I needed to slow down. In just a very short time you could not see the taillights of a car 50-feet in front of you. Fortunately most everyone had slowed way down, but trying not to out drive your headlights was impossible. And of course I was worried about vehicles coming up behind me and not seeing me in time to stop.

   It took nearly 40 miles for the fog to lift, but eventually it did and the drive was much easier after that.

  We had the usual stupid drivers who don’t understand that with a 33-foot trailer behind me I am unable to stop on a dime, but they still pull out in front of me at speeds much slower than I am going.

Phone line Trail in Sabino Canyon

   But we made it to Voyager RV resort in the early afternoon and with the help of a resort employee were backed in and parked by 2 p.m. The weather was beautiful and in the low 70s.

   In case you have forgotten ( and there is no reason you should have remembered) when we left Tucson last April we discovered at the last day that our water heater had sprung a leak. We were able to isolate it and shut it down, but there was no way to repair it before we left.

   Among our luggage and supplies was a large square box that I purchased in October that contained a new RV water heater. Problem was that the installer was not available until Tuesday, Jan 3. So we knew we would be without hot water until then. (More on that later)

  So we put away some clothes and then discovered that while the trailer was stored in Flagstaff that some local mountain mice had had a party in the trailer. We ended up spending two days throwing out the linens, blankets and pillows they had destroyed and thoroughly cleaning the trailer. Fortunately for them they had departed the trailer before we got to Tucson. My only hope is that they departed while I was traveling at 60 mph on the freeway.

   We also made a quick Walmart run to pick up some food to eat on the holiday weekend.

    Being that it was New Year’s Eve some friends of ours at the resort (Joe and Sharon) had purchased us tickets to the Albert Galli dance. Some other friends (Mike and Suzy) also joined us and we had a wonderful night catching up and dancing.

  We woke up Sunday morning and went to chapel services here and met many of our old friends. We also did a week’s worth of travel laundry.

   Once back at the trailer it began to rain and rain and rain. So we continued our cleaning efforts and watched some football and consumed some of the goodies we bought at Walmart the day before.

   On Monday, we spent our time setting up our snail mail post office box at the resort, picked up our concert tickets and did even more cleaning. I also had breakfast with my friend Les who is leaving the resort for good to live in Florida near his daughter. Then Monday night, the rain let up a little and we headed downtown with our friends Joe and Sharon to complete our first Meet Me at Maynard’s of the season

The view from our camp spot

   We went to dinner at HiFi a local sports bar and had an unusual encounter with a bartender who lost my credit card when I went to pay for dinner. He insisted to me that he had given me back my card and I knew he had not. At one point he just shrugged his shoulders and walked away from me.

   Another employee walked by and I spotted my credit card on the floor behind the bar under the cash register. When I pointed it out to him he picked it up and examined both sides of it like maybe it wasn’t mine. Finally he handed it to me without apology. HiFi is not on our list of restaurants we will visit in the future.

   Tuesday is usually hike day around here, but the wet rainy weather was still here so that hike was postponed until next week. The rest of the day was spent waiting for the water heater installer and then we went to our first Pot Luck dinner of the season in the dining room.

  On Wednesday we went to our first concert – The Arizona Highwaymen – and it was really good. Once again I am on the table and chair set-up team and have reconnected with many of my old friends.

  In case I didn’t mention it I am again leading the Thursday night Bible class and facilitating the Thursday morning Men’s Bible study. That keeps me very busy with study and research.

   Joan is active in water exercise, rumba classes and is once again making polymer clay jewelry. She is very active here and has many friends. 

  Lots of our friends are arriving from out-of-state and it is such fun getting reacquainted and catching up. Our friends Bob and Karen from Lapeer are here for two months (they first came for lunch with us a few years ago and now this is their winter getaway each year). As I have said before Voyager is a human mouse trap. Two other friends Bob and Joanne just arrived from Minnesota and we are looking forward to time together with them as well.

  This past Monday – January 9 – we again went to Meet Me at Maynard’s and took our friends Joe and Sharon along with Deb a longtime friend of ours from the resort. Deb’s husband, who was a tremendous person died a couple years ago, so we love including her in our activities whenever we can. Deb and I also hike with the Voyager hiking group on Tuesdays.

  Speaking of hiking I went on a 8.3 – mile hike on the Phone Line Trail at Sabino Canyon on Tuesday and it was great to get back into the mountains.

   On Wednesday night we went to our second concert – The Piano Men – which we have seen here at the resort before but we had a great time again. The father and son piano duo do a great job with the songs of Billy Joel and Elton John.

   So Thursday I led the men’s Bible study, but had to leave early so Joan could make her doctor’s appointment at the allergist which has been in the works for months. She is allergic to just about everything and will be getting shots to help alleviate all her symptoms.

  I’ll be back soon with more fun.

On the road again! Winter weather fails to derail

 (Note: I have no idea what is going on with the margins on this post. Sorry I'll try and get it fixed befoe I post again)

   On the road again! After 9 months of doing circles in my bus, van and trolley in Oakland County, Michigan the road warriors are back on the open road. And it feels so good.

  Now the beginning was a little interesting as a early winter storm blew in on Friday, December 23 just one day before our wheels up departure time of Christmas Eve. Weather forecasters made it sound like the storm of the century (which it clearly wasn’t) but it would have been dicey to leave on Friday.

   So with everything packed and sitting in our front hallway I braved the frigid temperatures on Friday to take down all the Christmas decorations in the house (it is kind of depressing to have to take down Christmas before Christmas Day, but it is what it is). I also pre-packed some of our stuff in the car so I would have less to do Saturday morning.

Interstate Inn key -old school

   We got up early Saturday, finished packing the car, secured the inside of the house and headed off for our first destination which was Louisville, Kentucky and Christmas with my sister, brother-in-law and father. When we left Michigan the temperature was 3 degrees and it didn’t get much better until we got near our destination in Louisville. The roads were in so-so condition but for anyone used to winter driving in Michigan – doable. We did run into an issue in Ohio when an accident near Dayton had I-75 closed for about 9 miles which meant a 45-minute detour. Traffic was slower than normal so the usual 6.5-hour trip ended up taking nearly 9 hours, but we arrived safe and sound.

We had a wonderful dinner and then settled in for a quiet Christmas Eve.

  On Christmas morning I picked up Dad at his senior living place and we returned for present opening and another dinner, this one prepared by Joan at my sister’s house. Joan wanted to make dinner because my sister Laura is always making us great meals when we are there and Joan wanted to return the favor.

   So leg two of our trip started on Monday morning when we left my sister’s house. It was a balmy 21 degrees so a little improved over the first travel leg. We made a quick stop at the nursing home where my stepmother Janet lives and then we were on our way again. Roads were slightly improved from the Saturday travel, but we did hit some snow squalls and slow traffic, but nothing a seasoned winter driver shouldn’t be able to handle.

  With the prospect of seeing our son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren for the first time in a while we were determined to make it to Murfreesboro, Tennessee for another Christmas celebration with more family. We had fun watching the grands open the presents we had sent (and brought with us) and then had a wonderful prime rib dinner with the family.

   The next day we were surprised (well, the children were) with a trip to a local movie theater to watch “Avatar.” The three-hour extravaganza kept us riveted (which means I didn’t fall asleep like I usually do in movies) and then we went to dinner at a nice restaurant called Bonefish. 

    Our two grandsons made us wonderful gifts – one was a balloon airplane and two Lego individuals that had some of our characteristics. We will treasure these gifts (well, at least as long as the balloon holds air). Way too soon it was time to depart for our ultimate destination – Tucson.

    Wednesday morning we said our good byes to the children and grandchildren and began the long trek to Arizona. The temperature when we left was up to 44 degrees and rose into the 60s by the end of the day. Last year, we went a different way because we had my father with us and left from Louisville and not the Nashville area. But we have gone this way previously so it was fun to see old sites.

    You truly know you are in the South when you pass exits with city names like “Buck Snort” and “Toad Suck.”  The latter was a recreation area. The Mousetail Landing State Park also is a strange name.

   As we did the last time we stayed in Roland, Oklahoma we stayed at the Interstate Inn, which to our delight has upgraded many of the rooms, including the one we got and it was a very pleasant stay. Happily they have retained the old school motel keys and dial telephones that we enjoyed in the past. Across the freeway from the Inn is the Cherokee Casino, which we like because it had great food the last time we were there. (We also played for a few minutes and left $300 to the good last time).

    So we checked in and discovered that the restaurant we liked is not open on Wednesday night but only Thursday-Sunday, perhaps as a result of staffing issues. We discovered that we had a few dollars of free play and so we grabbed a sandwich at the snack bar and promptly sat down and enriched ourselves to the tune of several hundred dollars without spending any of our own. So that was nice. We left after a short time and counted our financial blessings. We have a very fond feeling for the Cherokee tribe.

    Our blessings also include the opportunity and ability to make this annual trek to Arizona where we escape much of the dark, cold days of winter in Michigan. We are extremely grateful for that.

   This morning (December 29) we left Roland, Oklahoma and set sail (literally) for Tucumcari, New Mexico.  We have traveled I-40 at least a dozen times through Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona and you can count on one finger the times it hasn’t been blowing a gale. I truly believe that Oklahoma must mean “hurricane winds.” Without the trailer it is not a huge problem, but I lose at least 5 – 6 miles per gallon fighting the winds.

   A few years ago while pulling the trailer through Oklahoma I asked a gas station employee, “Is it always this windy?” And she said without hesitation, “No, sometimes it’s way worse.” We are extremely glad that gas prices fell a little over the last couple months before this trip. The lowest price I have found so far was the $2.32 at Costco in Murfreesboro. Mostly it has been in the $2.59-$2.79 range.

   So tomorrow we will be in Flagstaff (the weather looks decent) and we’ll pick up the trailer and head down the hill to Tucson on Saturday, December 31. Friends have already purchased tickets for us for the New Year’s Dance so more on that later. We hope all our friends have enjoyed a wonderful Christmas celebration and we wish you all a Happy New Year!

 

Time out from Lapeer, Michigan: 6:57 a.m.

Time in to Louisville, Kentucky: 3:51 p.m.

Mileage out: 113721

Mileage in: 114143

Time out from Louisville, Kentucky (Dec. 26): 8 a.m.

Time in to Murfreesboro, Tennessee: 11:45 a.m. (CST)

Mileage out: 114237

Mileage in: 114465

Time out from Murfreesboro, Kentucky (Dec. 28): 114473

Time in to Roland, Oklahoma: 114997

Time out: 8:42 a.m.

Time in: 4:40 p.m. (CST)

Time out from Roland, Oklahoma (Dec. 29): 8:30 a.m.

Time in to Tucumcari, New Mexico: 3:51 p.m.

Mileage out: 114999

Mileage in: 115538

A windy trip home from our 'happy place'

    Home sweet home!  But getting here was pretty involved.  So soon the fun is over.

Stored for the summer

    We started the journey home as we always do with a stop at Camping World in Tucson to get the trailer winterized. While we were out killing time, actually watching a movie called “Dog,” I received a text notifying me that my trailer brakes were not working.

    The word was they had not been working for a long time so I authorized the shop to fix them as trailer brakes can be very important or perhaps you already knew that. The problem turned out to be a fried brake controller which was probably the most inexpensive fix possible.

   With that we rehooked up the trailer and began the trip to Flagstaff to store the trailer. But first, we got to do our annual (except for years when Covid screws everything up) stop in Casa Grande for a leisurely dinner. Unfortunately, our favorite restaurant there – Mimi’s – apparently didn’t survive the pandemic so we settled for Buffalo Wild Wings, which is the same place we grabbed food and ate in the parking lot in 2020 during the opening weeks of Covid.

Killing time at the mall

   After dinner we gassed up in Phoenix and began the long slow trip up the mountain to Flagstaff. We refueled again about 9:30 p.m. on the mountain and then arrived at our usual rest area about 10:30 p.m. only to find it completely full of trucks and RVs. Soooo,  we made a turnaround on the freeway and headed back to the rest area on the opposite side of the freeway where we found lots of room. It did mean about a three-mile back track but we both got a good night’s sleep.

    The trip up the rest of the  mountain in the morning was uneventful and the temperatures dropped to around freezing when we arrived at the storage lot about 6:50 a.m. It took us about 40 minutes to transfer our luggage and other stuff back to the Tahoe, secure the trailer for its storage and then made our departure.

    After picking up a cup of coffee for Joan we started the first leg of our trip to Bakersfield. Much of the freeways on the way there have been significantly improved and the journey was smooth all the way. We did have to negotiate the California agricultural inspection stations, which has become a joke.

 The inspectors merely stand at the finish line and wave everyone through. They used to ask if we were carrying fruit but apparently there is no need to do that anymore.  We could have been carrying a half a ton of citrus into the state and they didn’t even ask. Not saying we were carrying any citrus, but my lunch was really good that day.

California gas (cheap)

 We checked in at the Comfort Inn and had dinner at the same restaurant we ate at several years ago. As always this served as Joan’s birthday dinner. I really know how to treat a lady on her special day.  It was 82 degrees when we arrived.

    The next day, Sunday, was a shorter trip up the California valley. It was sad to see how many former farms are now just wasted fields overgrown with weeds. Lots of signs bemoaning the lack of water coming to the valley.

    Again, an uneventful journey and we arrived at cousin Cynthia’s at 1:12 p.m. The area was enjoying warmer than usual weather. Cynthia cooked us a wonderful dinner (it was our anniversary after all) and we enjoyed a nice dessert. Cynthia is a world class host and we have been the recipient of many wonderful visits there.

   On Monday, I headed over the hill to Santa Cruz to visit our son William arriving in the late morning. William and I enjoyed a nice day catching up and then we watched movies and William’s favorite – professional wrestling.  On Tuesday, I got up early, dusted his furniture and did some extensive yard work in front of his mobile home to satisfy the rules of the park. HOA rules and all that.

  While I was working Cynthia and Joan were enjoying lavish spa treatments, wine tastings, shopping and great food.

Joan and William

   I returned to Cynthia’s Tuesday night and enjoyed a night with my cousin and my wife and then on Wednesday, Joan and I got up and went back to William’s to spend the day. The weather was incredible and we were able to sit outside William’s patio and enjoy a wonderful time of visiting. 

   That night we met with William’s mother, husband, William and Joan and I at the Hindquarters Restaurant for a family dinner. All too soon it was all over and Joan and I dropped William off at home and headed back to Cynthia’s.

    On Thursday, the three of us got up, enjoyed a great breakfast and then headed out to do a little Livermore wine tasting. We had a delightful afternoon eating lunch and Joan and Cynthia did the wine tasting at Garre Winery. I, as always, was the designated driver. We had a delightful waitress there who made it a very fun day.

    On the way back to Cynthia’s house from the winery we noticed that traffic on I-580 eastbound was completely stopped. Several California Highway patrol officers were walking side-by-side down a long stretch of highway looking for something. I speculated shell casings and later on the news I learned I was right!  Just a routine California highway shooting and fortunately on the other side of the road from us.

Jim and Liz at Cliff House

   Then it was Friday morning and Joan and I headed out for a visit with our friend Jan who lives in Hidden Valley Lake California. We enjoyed a wonderful visit with Jan, including a short trip to the local Twin Pines Casino for dinner. Back at the house we visited some more and then headed to bed. I also found the cheapest California gas ($4.89) that I would find during our week stay. The other two tanks we purchased (at Costco) were $5.25, which in California terms is a real bargain.

    Just as a reminder Jan and her late husband Norm are longtime friends of mine and now Joan. They drove to San Antonio in 2012 to visit us there and we had a great time. Sadly, Norm died just a few months later, but we love visiting with Jan at her wonderful home.

    Saturday morning came quickly (hard to believe we have been gone from Arizona for a week now) and we were off on the first leg of our long trip home to Michigan. First we had a lunch date with another good friend of ours.  In recent years, we have always stopped in El Dorado Hills to visit Kenny, a man I worked with at the Atherton Police Department in the 1970s, and his long time partner, Liz.  Sadly, Kenny died earlier this year, but we wanted to stop and visit with Liz. We had a beautiful lunch at the Cliff House Restaurant on the American River in Folsom.

Liz and Joan at Cliff House

   And then too soon that was over and it was time to really start the trek home. The first part of the trip is a 60-mile climb over the beautiful Sierra Mountains near Lake Tahoe. Some years we come through and the snow is piled higher than our car. This year it was not so deep. In fact there was a severe shortage of snow. Another storm was expected just a day after we drove through so while we are happy they were getting more snow, we were equally happy it waited until we got through the pass.

   We did pass a semi truck and trailer that had an interesting slogan written on the side: “India kills minorities.” And something about “Never forget the Seik Massacre,” or something like that.  When I get a chance I will do a little research and find out what that’s all about.

   The temperature ranged from 55 degrees in the morning, to 76 degrees near Sacramento and then down to 53 degrees a little east of Reno. We saw a pretty persistent dust devil along I-80 in Nevada, a few wild prong horn antelope and we cruised into Winnemucca, Nevada about 5 p.m. at the Days Inn. There was time for Joan and I to visit a local casino and leave behind a small donation for the locals.

   The next morning we were invited to take our free breakfast back to our room due to ongoing Covid regulations and when I stopped to drop our room keys off at the office on our way out I forget to look where I was going and tripped on a curb. The fall was stopped by my face on the concrete walk which left my face a bloody mess. I’ll post a photo. Fortunately, the only thing really injured was my pride as I failed to break any bones. Just a solid bonk on the head.

On I-80 near South Lake Tahoe

   During our trip through Nevada, Utah, including the endless Bonneville salt flats, and then Wyoming we once again marveled at the varied beauty of the west. Also Wyoming has done a great job of building overpasses that allow deer, coyotes and other wildlife to safely cross the freeway. They have erected very high fences on both sides of the freeway and the animals are funneled to the overpasses for crossing. In some places there are tunnels under the freeway that serve the same purpose. We also went through Pumpernickel Valley, which must be where pumpernickel comes from.

   Our highest temperature in Utah was 46 degrees. I haven’t mentioned yet, but will start now describing our windy conditions that really began almost as soon as we left our friend Jan’s house in Hidden Valley Lake. 

   The wind would plague us in varying, but non-stop degrees all the way to Illinois. We were grateful that we missed the other bad weather that was following us, but the wind played havoc with gas mileage and with the ease of driving. Sunday ended in Rock Springs, Wyoming a place we have never stayed before.  We stayed at the Clarion Inn there and it was very nice. They had a nice restaurant where they served a wonderful free breakfast for people who stayed at the hotel.

   It would be good to mention here that Wyoming and it’s sister, Nebraska are very long states when going across them. Wyoming has some interesting scenery, but aside from a small area where flocks of Sand Hill cranes can be seen east of Kearney, Nebraska, not much to see in the Cornhusker state. We had a nice dinner at a local chain restaurant called Whiskey Creek.

Busted face

   We stayed, also for the first time, in Kearney, Nebraska at the New Victorian Inn and Suites which was a nice stop also. The wind was still following us and at this point it would have been a big money saver if I had purchased a spinnaker and main sail to aid us on the rest of our trip.

   On the long trip out of Nebraska from Kearney, we witnessed a semi-truck and trailer completely engulfed in flames on the lanes opposite ours and were confident that the fire had been reported but it was quite a while before we saw the emergency vehicles headed in the direction of the fire. It appeared the driver had gotten safely out of the vehicle, but we offered a little prayer just in case.

    A little further along we witnessed a semi-truck and trailer that had literally been blown over on its side. The winds were probably to blame. As for the sand hills we have seen more on previous trips.

    Our final stop (usually we stop at my sister Laura’s in North Aurora, Illinois the night before we head home, but she moved a couple years ago and I’m sure the new owners would probably not let us stay) was in Davenport, Iowa at the Rhythm City Casino and Resort. We had a nice dinner and after using up my free play and a little extra I went to our room and started on this blog post. Joan stayed behind in her never ending quest to aid the local economies of numerous reservations. The hotel and casino were relatively new and beautiful, but out in the middle of nowhere.

   On Wednesday, we headed out in only mild winds for a change, for home. We had a pretty easy Illinois crossing, but as we approached Michigan the rain started falling and we spent the rest of the trip wet. As we left I-69 in Lapeer for the final three miles to our house I quipped to Joan that we would probably get stopped by the train. Sadly, that turned out to be prophetic as our final leg home was delayed by a medium length freight train.

   We pulled into our driveway a little after 4 p.m. and almost 4 months after we left in December. Thanks again for joining us on our latest adventure. We started out on December 21 from Lapeer and landed back at home on April 13. We drove a total of 11,563 miles during those months.

Departure from Voyager RV park April 1

Mileage: 89952

Time: 8:22 a.m.

Departure from Camping World Tucson

Mileage: 89998

Time: 5:26 p.m.

Arrived at Flagstaff storage lot April 2

Mileage: 90282

Time: 6:49 a.m.

Departure from storage lot

Time: 7:34 a.m.

Arrival at Bakersfield April 2

Mileage: 90756

Time: 2:50 p.m.

Departure from Bakersfield April 3 (Happy Anniversary to us!)

Mileage: 90756

Time: 9:15 a.m.

Arrival at Cynthia’s house in Danville, California

Mileage: 91008

Time: 1:12 p.m.

Departure from Cynthia’s House April 8

Mileage: 91350

Time: 10 a.m.

Arrival at Jan’s house in Hidden Valley Lake, California

Mileage: 91449

Time: 12:15 p.m.

Departure from Jan’s house April 9

Time: 8:30 a.m.

Arrival at hotel in Winnemucca, Nevada April 9

Mileage: 91882

Time: 5:26 p.m.

Departure from Winnemucca April 10

Time: 8:15 a.m.

Arrival in Rock Springs, Wyoming April 10

Mileage: 92412

Time: 4:47 p.m. (MDT)

Departure from Rock Springs, Wyoming April 11

8:37 a.m.

Arrival in Kearney, Nebraska April 11 (CDT)

Mileage: 92982

Time: 5:42 p.m. (CDT)

Departure from Kearney, Nebraska April 12

Time: 7:56 a.m.

Arrival in Davenport, Iowa April 12

Mileage: 93465

Time: 3:05 p.m. (CDT)

Departure from Davenport, Iowa April 13

Time: 8:02 a.m.

Arrival at home in Lapeer, Michigan April 13

Mileage: 93923

Time: 4:09 p.m. (EDT)