We arrived in Yuma yesterday afternoon around 2 pm. The drive from Flagstaff to Yuma was good but the most traffic we hit this trip was on the 101 around Phoenix, and even that wasn't too bad.
When we got here John wanted to do a regeneration cycle on the water softener, about a two hour process, so while that was going we went to Time Warner to get the Internet modem, then picked up some groceries. When we got back we started unpacking, I got about two thirds done and called it quits. We did a Walmart pizza for dinner and then called it an early evening.
Today we finished the unpacking and John spent most of the day cleaning up outside while I cleaned inside and did laundry. We are getting there but there is still more to do.
Yesterday when we arrived Bob & Sharon came out to welcome us back, then today we chatted with our next door neighbours Ann & David. I also had a nice phone chat with Diane, so we are slowly touching base with friends and neighbours.
Tomorrow is more cleaning and grocery shopping as yesterday I only got enough groceries to do us til tomorrow. I also need to go to the Yuma market in the next day or two to pick up a few things.
It is so nice to be back and the weather is wonderful, what a pleasure to sit outside and have a before dinner drink, even though it's dark!
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
Monday, Nov 18/13
Well, another day's drive done, and hopefully tomorrow won't be a really long drive to Yuma. We have been surprised at how good the roads have been and today was another day of fairly light traffic. Albuquerque was a breeze and Flagstaff was a bit busy but not too bad.
When we left the hotel at 7:30 this morning the temperature was 2C (34F), quite chilly. It was mainly cloudy today so no sun problems until late afternoon when the sky cleared. The high temperature today was 15C (69F), much cooler than yesterday, but pleasant for driving.
We stopped at Camping World in Albuquerque and got a new GPS, it's a Good Sam one and specializes in travelling with a RV. I was entertained all afternoon playing with it and think I'm really going to like it. It also has free map updates for it's lifetime so that is a bonus.
We are at the Drury Inn in Flagstaff, it is supposed to go down to 24F tonight so the bag with freezeables got brought into the hotel tonight. Tomorrow we should hit some nice warm temperatures.
There probably won't be an entry tomorrow night as we probably won't get the Internet until Wednesday.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
When we left the hotel at 7:30 this morning the temperature was 2C (34F), quite chilly. It was mainly cloudy today so no sun problems until late afternoon when the sky cleared. The high temperature today was 15C (69F), much cooler than yesterday, but pleasant for driving.
We stopped at Camping World in Albuquerque and got a new GPS, it's a Good Sam one and specializes in travelling with a RV. I was entertained all afternoon playing with it and think I'm really going to like it. It also has free map updates for it's lifetime so that is a bonus.
We are at the Drury Inn in Flagstaff, it is supposed to go down to 24F tonight so the bag with freezeables got brought into the hotel tonight. Tomorrow we should hit some nice warm temperatures.
There probably won't be an entry tomorrow night as we probably won't get the Internet until Wednesday.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
Sunday, Nov. 17/13
Today was another long day on the road and we are now in Amarillo TX. The traffic was very light and Tulsa and Oklahoma cities were a breeze. There were a fair number of construction zones but no problem as there was no work happening today.
The weather today was wonderful, a sunny day with temperatures in the 20-22C (70-74F) range, sure can't complain about that. We were thinking that a couple of weeks ago it would have been a pretty drive with all the leaves changing colour. So far the drive has been pretty boring as it has been flat land for three days, but tomorrow will be more scenic when we get into New Mexico.
We stopped at a MacD's for lunch and were saddened to hear about the tornados through Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. Thankfully we had cleared that area yesterday but our hearts go out to those affected.
We had an e-mail earlier this month listing US businesses that give Senior's discounts but you have to ask for the discount. MacDonald's has a seniors small coffee, the regular rate is $1.00 so in Indiana the senior's rate was $0.55, in Missouri it was $0.52, in Oklahoma it was $0.35 and in Texas $0.25, a great deal but funny that each place is a different price. The small is probably equal to a Tim's medium in size and MacD's coffee is really good, we actually prefer it to Tim's.
We are hoping to get to Flagstaff AZ tomorrow, a long drive but we do gain an hour when we get into New Mexico. I am quite tired tonight so will hit the hay early as I want to be up by six so we can be on the road by 7:30. Yes, me up at 6 am, sure won't be happening once we get to Yuma!!
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
The weather today was wonderful, a sunny day with temperatures in the 20-22C (70-74F) range, sure can't complain about that. We were thinking that a couple of weeks ago it would have been a pretty drive with all the leaves changing colour. So far the drive has been pretty boring as it has been flat land for three days, but tomorrow will be more scenic when we get into New Mexico.
We stopped at a MacD's for lunch and were saddened to hear about the tornados through Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. Thankfully we had cleared that area yesterday but our hearts go out to those affected.
We had an e-mail earlier this month listing US businesses that give Senior's discounts but you have to ask for the discount. MacDonald's has a seniors small coffee, the regular rate is $1.00 so in Indiana the senior's rate was $0.55, in Missouri it was $0.52, in Oklahoma it was $0.35 and in Texas $0.25, a great deal but funny that each place is a different price. The small is probably equal to a Tim's medium in size and MacD's coffee is really good, we actually prefer it to Tim's.
We are hoping to get to Flagstaff AZ tomorrow, a long drive but we do gain an hour when we get into New Mexico. I am quite tired tonight so will hit the hay early as I want to be up by six so we can be on the road by 7:30. Yes, me up at 6 am, sure won't be happening once we get to Yuma!!
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
Saturday, Nov 16/13
Our second driving day is done and we are now at the Drury Inn in Joplin, MO.
When we left Indy this morning it was 9C (48F) and very damp feeling. It was over cast until well west of St. Louis and we hit a bit of rain about 100 miles east of Springfield, then the sun came out and it was lovely. The high today was 19C (68F), sure do love seeing temperatures like that! The traffic was good and there were no construction hang ups today.
John forgot to put a razor in his travel case so we stopped at a Walmart to get razors and I got a new atlas, the one we had was falling apart so it was time to replace it. A couple of fuel stops, a lunch stop and stops at rest areas were our only other stops. Diesel in Indiana and Illinois is very pricey so we stopped in Illinois and got 10 gallons to get us into Missouri, we paid $3.859/gal. there, then filled up in Missouri at $3.499, now that is one heck of a difference!
There was a sunset tonight but certainly not as spectacular as last night. I took a few pictures with my phone today so will see if I can post them into my blog.
We arrived in Joplin around 5 pm so had time to clean up before going down for kick back. Tonight's menu was the usual snacks and salad, then chilli, hot dogs, mac and cheese and baked potatoes. We sat between a couple from Iowa heading for Texas and a couple heading home to St. Louis, so had nice conversations with all of them. Now it is time to relax for the evening.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
When we left Indy this morning it was 9C (48F) and very damp feeling. It was over cast until well west of St. Louis and we hit a bit of rain about 100 miles east of Springfield, then the sun came out and it was lovely. The high today was 19C (68F), sure do love seeing temperatures like that! The traffic was good and there were no construction hang ups today.
John forgot to put a razor in his travel case so we stopped at a Walmart to get razors and I got a new atlas, the one we had was falling apart so it was time to replace it. A couple of fuel stops, a lunch stop and stops at rest areas were our only other stops. Diesel in Indiana and Illinois is very pricey so we stopped in Illinois and got 10 gallons to get us into Missouri, we paid $3.859/gal. there, then filled up in Missouri at $3.499, now that is one heck of a difference!
There was a sunset tonight but certainly not as spectacular as last night. I took a few pictures with my phone today so will see if I can post them into my blog.
We arrived in Joplin around 5 pm so had time to clean up before going down for kick back. Tonight's menu was the usual snacks and salad, then chilli, hot dogs, mac and cheese and baked potatoes. We sat between a couple from Iowa heading for Texas and a couple heading home to St. Louis, so had nice conversations with all of them. Now it is time to relax for the evening.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
Check Out Our European River Cruise
Last June/July John and I did a 14 day River Cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. We also spent three days in Prague prior to the cruise and four days in Paris, after the cruise, a dream trip come true. I did a blog using Word Press and if you are interested in checking out this fabulous trip go to:
cdh5000.wordpress.com.
Enjoy!
cdh5000.wordpress.com.
Enjoy!
Trip to Yuma - November 15,2013
Friday, November 15/13
Well, we are on the road again, but without the trailer, we do miss it but the driving is a bit easier, and quicker, without it.
We got off to a late start this morning as John had to take the truck into the garage before we left. Yesterday while loading all our stuff into the truck he noticed a wet spot underneath, not nice! He immediately took it to the garage where he gets repairs done and they were busy but told him if he was there at 7:30 this morning they would take a look at it. Needless to say he was there at 7:30 and fortunately all that was wrong was a hose clamp somewhere had come loose and fluids were slowly leaking out. An easy fix, whew!
By the time he got back and we loaded the few remaining things it was after 9:30 before we got away. The weather was good and the traffic wasn't bad. When we got to the Bluewater Bridge it looked like it might be slow but it wasn't too bad at all, the slowest was waiting to pay the toll, the US Customs guy was nice, seems he knows the area and asked if we went to San Luis, Mexico to shop so we told him the go to place was Algadones.
Alice, our GPS, behaved very badly today, all the way from London to Sarnia she tried to reroute us to the 401, then at Sarnia, just at the bridge, she finally got with the program then once out of Port Huron she again tried to reroute us to Detroit. She played games like that all the way here, fortunately I knew how we wanted to go so just ignored her. Think it is time to replace her.
The sunset tonight was absolutely spectacular, it's been a long time since we've seen such a nice one. Unfortunately the pictures are on my camera so I can't include any.
The drive was great till about 15 miles before we picked up the 425 around Indianapolis, then we hit construction and it took us about 45 minutes to go those 15 miles, ho hum!. We got to the Drury Inn 15 minutes before kick back ended so checked in then dashed off to get dinner and drinks.
When we checked in they didn't have any rooms at the coupon rate of $79.99 left but with the Seniors discount we got a room for $84.00, so we were okay with that. When we finally got to our room after eating we walked in and it reeked of smoke, so off to reception I went and asked for a smoke free room. The gal on reception said all rooms are supposed to be smoke free so she moved us to another room and said she would be giving us a $20 discount for the inconvenience. How's that for service!!
It's Blue Bloods tonight so we will watch that then I know I will be ready to crash.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
Well, we are on the road again, but without the trailer, we do miss it but the driving is a bit easier, and quicker, without it.
We got off to a late start this morning as John had to take the truck into the garage before we left. Yesterday while loading all our stuff into the truck he noticed a wet spot underneath, not nice! He immediately took it to the garage where he gets repairs done and they were busy but told him if he was there at 7:30 this morning they would take a look at it. Needless to say he was there at 7:30 and fortunately all that was wrong was a hose clamp somewhere had come loose and fluids were slowly leaking out. An easy fix, whew!
By the time he got back and we loaded the few remaining things it was after 9:30 before we got away. The weather was good and the traffic wasn't bad. When we got to the Bluewater Bridge it looked like it might be slow but it wasn't too bad at all, the slowest was waiting to pay the toll, the US Customs guy was nice, seems he knows the area and asked if we went to San Luis, Mexico to shop so we told him the go to place was Algadones.
Alice, our GPS, behaved very badly today, all the way from London to Sarnia she tried to reroute us to the 401, then at Sarnia, just at the bridge, she finally got with the program then once out of Port Huron she again tried to reroute us to Detroit. She played games like that all the way here, fortunately I knew how we wanted to go so just ignored her. Think it is time to replace her.
The sunset tonight was absolutely spectacular, it's been a long time since we've seen such a nice one. Unfortunately the pictures are on my camera so I can't include any.
The drive was great till about 15 miles before we picked up the 425 around Indianapolis, then we hit construction and it took us about 45 minutes to go those 15 miles, ho hum!. We got to the Drury Inn 15 minutes before kick back ended so checked in then dashed off to get dinner and drinks.
When we checked in they didn't have any rooms at the coupon rate of $79.99 left but with the Seniors discount we got a room for $84.00, so we were okay with that. When we finally got to our room after eating we walked in and it reeked of smoke, so off to reception I went and asked for a smoke free room. The gal on reception said all rooms are supposed to be smoke free so she moved us to another room and said she would be giving us a $20 discount for the inconvenience. How's that for service!!
It's Blue Bloods tonight so we will watch that then I know I will be ready to crash.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
Many More Fun Days
I guess it’s time for another catch up but I am having trouble trying to remember what all we did.
A week ago yesterday we went to the Quechin Casino for brunch with Ginny and Gil, we had the special of the day that was very good and only $4.99, you sure can’t beat that price. After that we went to the indoor market and spent a while there, then a stop at Walmart then came back here and Ginny made fajitas for dinner.
Tuesday Ginny & Gil had to go to Mexico so we went with them, then came back and Ginny and I browsed Kirkland’s while the guys went to the sports store, after which we went to the Olive Garden for lunch – sure do like their soup and salad special. After that we went out to the Kofa Wildlife Centre and spent some time at the visitor’s centre then drove around for a bit.
Wednesday we had friends, who we met in this park but they are now in another park, over for a visit. There were four of them and we had a great visit and really enjoyed it.
Thursday we did a farm tour near El Centro at the University of California Desert Research Extension Center. The tour started at 9:30 a.m. with coffee and popcorn and then Nancy, one of their many volunteers, gave a brief talk on what we would be doing for the day and about the Research Centre. We were then divided into two groups and our group got on hay wagons for a tour of the farm – very interesting. We stopped a few times and our hostess for this tour told us about the crops, harvesting, what research they were doing etc. At one point we stopped and those who wanted to could try siphoning water out of the irrigation system manually. When we got on the wagon we were given a bottle of water and a huge orange bag and the tour ended at a large crop area where we could pick as much as we wanted to take home. There was romaine and iceberg lettuce, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, daicon radishes, plus more that I can’t remember.
When we came back from the wagon tour they served lunch, salad with any kind of toppings that you could image, the plates were huge and it was delicious. During lunch we were entertained by Nancy and her husband playing the mandolin and singing, and a lot of the songs they had written themselves.
After lunch our group went into a large hall where Nancy made a presentation on the research centre and the top 10 crops in California, with the number one crop being cattle. It was an interesting presentation and we also learned what some of the crops they are growing here in Yuma are, there is one that is quite a deep red and we couldn’t figure out what it was, it turns out it is Spring Mix. There were videos showing how some of the crops are picked and packed right in the fields, wow what an interesting presentation.
We then returned to the main area where we were treated to ice cream, served in mugs that turn different colours from the cold of the ice cream, (we got to keep the mugs), and a variety of toppings for our ice cream. There were lots of door prizes given out but unfortunately we didn’t win one, and that was the end of the tour.
Pictures from the Farm Tour
We then went into El Centro to Walmart as the California wine is cheaper there than here in Yuma. It was about 7 when we got back to Yuma so we went to DaBoyz for pizza, a good end to a great day.
Friday we did happy hour here with Gail and Don, Gil and Ginny and Sharon and Bob, time to introduce our friends to each other.
Saturday we went to the Palms RV Resort, they had a Harley Show and open house with $5 burgers and free beer. There was a huge crowd there and they had two bands playing, unfortunately the music was so loud it was hard to talk as both John and I have a very difficult time hearing people when there is loud music. We went with Ginny and Gil and met another couple there that they know from Washago, Ontario. There were a lot people dancing by the pool and one couple fell in – oh, oh not fun. There were a lot of gorgeous bikes on display, it was fun looking at them and seeing all the different ones.
Yuma Palms Afternoon
Yesterday morning John took Ginny and Gil over to the Fry’s plaza to catch a bus for their three day trip to Puerto Penasco, Mexico. They asked John and I if we want to go but we did the same trip about six years ago so passed this time. John and I went out in the afternoon and did a bit of shopping and then last night we enjoyed the finale of Downtown Abbey, what a bummer it is that we now have to wait until next January for season 4.
Today is a quiet, get caught up day and I am enjoying it. We are looking forward to our friends from B.C. arriving next Sunday and my sister’s visit in March. The time is just flying by and unfortunately it will be time to head home before we know it!
And so ends many more great gifts of days and we look forward to more great days ahead.
A week ago yesterday we went to the Quechin Casino for brunch with Ginny and Gil, we had the special of the day that was very good and only $4.99, you sure can’t beat that price. After that we went to the indoor market and spent a while there, then a stop at Walmart then came back here and Ginny made fajitas for dinner.
Tuesday Ginny & Gil had to go to Mexico so we went with them, then came back and Ginny and I browsed Kirkland’s while the guys went to the sports store, after which we went to the Olive Garden for lunch – sure do like their soup and salad special. After that we went out to the Kofa Wildlife Centre and spent some time at the visitor’s centre then drove around for a bit.
Wednesday we had friends, who we met in this park but they are now in another park, over for a visit. There were four of them and we had a great visit and really enjoyed it.
Thursday we did a farm tour near El Centro at the University of California Desert Research Extension Center. The tour started at 9:30 a.m. with coffee and popcorn and then Nancy, one of their many volunteers, gave a brief talk on what we would be doing for the day and about the Research Centre. We were then divided into two groups and our group got on hay wagons for a tour of the farm – very interesting. We stopped a few times and our hostess for this tour told us about the crops, harvesting, what research they were doing etc. At one point we stopped and those who wanted to could try siphoning water out of the irrigation system manually. When we got on the wagon we were given a bottle of water and a huge orange bag and the tour ended at a large crop area where we could pick as much as we wanted to take home. There was romaine and iceberg lettuce, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, daicon radishes, plus more that I can’t remember.
When we came back from the wagon tour they served lunch, salad with any kind of toppings that you could image, the plates were huge and it was delicious. During lunch we were entertained by Nancy and her husband playing the mandolin and singing, and a lot of the songs they had written themselves.
After lunch our group went into a large hall where Nancy made a presentation on the research centre and the top 10 crops in California, with the number one crop being cattle. It was an interesting presentation and we also learned what some of the crops they are growing here in Yuma are, there is one that is quite a deep red and we couldn’t figure out what it was, it turns out it is Spring Mix. There were videos showing how some of the crops are picked and packed right in the fields, wow what an interesting presentation.
We then returned to the main area where we were treated to ice cream, served in mugs that turn different colours from the cold of the ice cream, (we got to keep the mugs), and a variety of toppings for our ice cream. There were lots of door prizes given out but unfortunately we didn’t win one, and that was the end of the tour.
Pictures from the Farm Tour
We then went into El Centro to Walmart as the California wine is cheaper there than here in Yuma. It was about 7 when we got back to Yuma so we went to DaBoyz for pizza, a good end to a great day.
Friday we did happy hour here with Gail and Don, Gil and Ginny and Sharon and Bob, time to introduce our friends to each other.
Saturday we went to the Palms RV Resort, they had a Harley Show and open house with $5 burgers and free beer. There was a huge crowd there and they had two bands playing, unfortunately the music was so loud it was hard to talk as both John and I have a very difficult time hearing people when there is loud music. We went with Ginny and Gil and met another couple there that they know from Washago, Ontario. There were a lot people dancing by the pool and one couple fell in – oh, oh not fun. There were a lot of gorgeous bikes on display, it was fun looking at them and seeing all the different ones.
Yuma Palms Afternoon
Yesterday morning John took Ginny and Gil over to the Fry’s plaza to catch a bus for their three day trip to Puerto Penasco, Mexico. They asked John and I if we want to go but we did the same trip about six years ago so passed this time. John and I went out in the afternoon and did a bit of shopping and then last night we enjoyed the finale of Downtown Abbey, what a bummer it is that we now have to wait until next January for season 4.
Today is a quiet, get caught up day and I am enjoying it. We are looking forward to our friends from B.C. arriving next Sunday and my sister’s visit in March. The time is just flying by and unfortunately it will be time to head home before we know it!
And so ends many more great gifts of days and we look forward to more great days ahead.
Catching Up
I guess it’s time for another update. I can’t believe we’ve been here for over a month already – where does the time go! I’m sure glad we aren’t in Ontario today with the snowstorm they are getting, Nancy, Kelly & Pat have all sent me pictures and it looks pretty but not where I want to be!
Last Thursday we went to Castle Dome and the old mining town and even though we have already been there three or four times before we still enjoyed it and they have a lot of new displays since we were last there. We packed a lunch so ate lunch when we got there then toured the town. Carol and I lucked out when we were in the hotel as the upstairs is not open to the public but Allen, the owner, was there and invited us to see the upstairs. There were two lovely bedrooms and a balcony with an absolutely beautiful view of Castle Dome, what luck to see it. In another new building we met one of the hosts and he was very interesting to talk to and told us some of the history of the town. We came home and then Bryan and Carol treated us to dinner at Red Lobster – yummy.
McPhaul Bridge
Cacti
Castle Dome Village
On Friday our friends Ginny and Gil arrived and are staying here in the park for the month of February. It’s funny as it was through Carol that we met Ginny and Gil as Carol and Ginny worked together at the K/W Public Health. Friday night we had G & G down for dinner and had a great evening chatting, we were going to play Mexican Train but were so busy talking that we never got around to a game.
Friday morning we went out shopping for a washer and ended up buying one at Sears with delivery for Monday afternoon, not what I really wanted to buy but the old one was done in and being about 14 years old and the most basic of models it wasn’t worth trying to get it fixed. John got up and had headed to the Laundromat about 7 on Friday morning to get the washing done then brought it home to dry.
Saturday morning when I got up Carol said the Keurig coffee maker wouldn’t turn on, what’s with all these electrical problems! Long story short we had to get another one as we had been having a few problems with the Keurig prior to that. So Saturday we went coffee maker shopping and Bryan wanted to shop for a camera so we ended up with a new Keurig and Bryan got his camera. Saturday night was burger night at the park so the six of us went for burgers then back to G & G’s for the evening – another evening of laughs and lies!!
Sunday we took Bryan & Carol to Martinez Lake and the KOFA Wildlife Reserve, another nice day of touring. While at the KOFA Visitor Centre John saw a really nice walking stick that he bought for $25. It was made in Waco Texas and is a Brazos walking stick with a gold Hame top. When he came home he checked it out on the internet and it lists for $72, so did he get a deal. He has had a few fellows stop him and ask him where he got it and they all said he got a heck of a deal.
Monday morning we had Bryan and Carol to the airport at 10:30 am for their flight home. We had a good time with them and enjoyed their visit. We came home and did some cleaning etc. while waiting for the new washing machine to be delivered. Wow, am I glad to have it and be able to do laundry again.
Tuesday we went to Mexico with G & G, John and I wanted to get new glasses and I had to get blood work done, so we got that looked after first thing as we had to wait 2 hours for the lab report and 3 hours for the glasses. We wandered around for a while then stopped for a Margarita and nachos. John passed on the Margarita as he was driving but Ginny, Gil and I enjoyed ours. After picking up our new glasses and lab report we headed back to Yuma and went to the Olive Garden for a late lunch/early dinner.
Wednesday was a quiet day, we went to Walmart to get groceries and did more laundry but that was about our excitement for the day.
Yesterday we went to the market with G & G and had fun wandering around and I really enjoyed spending the time shopping with a girl friend for a change. We went to the spaghetti dinner last night then came back here and finally got our game of Mexican Train in.
Today is another quiet day, just catching up on stuff. The weather continues to be beautiful but it is a bit cooler today, only in the high 60’s and supposed to stay in that range until about next Wednesday. With the sun it feels warm so we aren’t complaining!
And so ends many more great gifts of days and we look forward to more great days ahead.
Last Thursday we went to Castle Dome and the old mining town and even though we have already been there three or four times before we still enjoyed it and they have a lot of new displays since we were last there. We packed a lunch so ate lunch when we got there then toured the town. Carol and I lucked out when we were in the hotel as the upstairs is not open to the public but Allen, the owner, was there and invited us to see the upstairs. There were two lovely bedrooms and a balcony with an absolutely beautiful view of Castle Dome, what luck to see it. In another new building we met one of the hosts and he was very interesting to talk to and told us some of the history of the town. We came home and then Bryan and Carol treated us to dinner at Red Lobster – yummy.
McPhaul Bridge
Cacti
Castle Dome Village
On Friday our friends Ginny and Gil arrived and are staying here in the park for the month of February. It’s funny as it was through Carol that we met Ginny and Gil as Carol and Ginny worked together at the K/W Public Health. Friday night we had G & G down for dinner and had a great evening chatting, we were going to play Mexican Train but were so busy talking that we never got around to a game.
Friday morning we went out shopping for a washer and ended up buying one at Sears with delivery for Monday afternoon, not what I really wanted to buy but the old one was done in and being about 14 years old and the most basic of models it wasn’t worth trying to get it fixed. John got up and had headed to the Laundromat about 7 on Friday morning to get the washing done then brought it home to dry.
Saturday morning when I got up Carol said the Keurig coffee maker wouldn’t turn on, what’s with all these electrical problems! Long story short we had to get another one as we had been having a few problems with the Keurig prior to that. So Saturday we went coffee maker shopping and Bryan wanted to shop for a camera so we ended up with a new Keurig and Bryan got his camera. Saturday night was burger night at the park so the six of us went for burgers then back to G & G’s for the evening – another evening of laughs and lies!!
Sunday we took Bryan & Carol to Martinez Lake and the KOFA Wildlife Reserve, another nice day of touring. While at the KOFA Visitor Centre John saw a really nice walking stick that he bought for $25. It was made in Waco Texas and is a Brazos walking stick with a gold Hame top. When he came home he checked it out on the internet and it lists for $72, so did he get a deal. He has had a few fellows stop him and ask him where he got it and they all said he got a heck of a deal.
Monday morning we had Bryan and Carol to the airport at 10:30 am for their flight home. We had a good time with them and enjoyed their visit. We came home and did some cleaning etc. while waiting for the new washing machine to be delivered. Wow, am I glad to have it and be able to do laundry again.
Tuesday we went to Mexico with G & G, John and I wanted to get new glasses and I had to get blood work done, so we got that looked after first thing as we had to wait 2 hours for the lab report and 3 hours for the glasses. We wandered around for a while then stopped for a Margarita and nachos. John passed on the Margarita as he was driving but Ginny, Gil and I enjoyed ours. After picking up our new glasses and lab report we headed back to Yuma and went to the Olive Garden for a late lunch/early dinner.
Wednesday was a quiet day, we went to Walmart to get groceries and did more laundry but that was about our excitement for the day.
Yesterday we went to the market with G & G and had fun wandering around and I really enjoyed spending the time shopping with a girl friend for a change. We went to the spaghetti dinner last night then came back here and finally got our game of Mexican Train in.
Today is another quiet day, just catching up on stuff. The weather continues to be beautiful but it is a bit cooler today, only in the high 60’s and supposed to stay in that range until about next Wednesday. With the sun it feels warm so we aren’t complaining!
And so ends many more great gifts of days and we look forward to more great days ahead.
A Busy Week
Time for another update, I don’t know where the time goes and it is hard to believe we have been here for a month already.
Last Saturday we had a very unusual day, we just got home from grocery shopping about 2:30 and it started to rain and it poured until about 9 am Sunday morning, we have never seen it rain for that long down here, quite amazing.
Bryan and Carol’s plane landed on Saturday at 4 pm, it was about 25 minutes late arriving as it was delayed in Phoenix due to the rain and having to wait for a connecting flight from Colorado. Although they only had carry on luggage it was put in baggage from Phoenix and Yuma and was quite wet when they got here – they had to dry a few things out. Shortly after we got home it poured again for quite a while, all so unusual for this area!
Sunday morning we went out for breakfast and then went to both the indoor and outdoor markets, Bryan and Carol had fun wandering around looking at stuff and got a neat Infinity light for their cottage. You can buy the lights either put together or do it yourself so with flying and only carry on luggage they bought the parts and will put it together when they get home. It is all a plastic type material so not hard to pack to take back. When we got home Bryan and Carol went to the pool and I laid down for a bit, they really enjoyed the pool and were surprised at how warm it was.
Monday morning we headed for California to see the sand dunes, Salton Sea etc., then on the way to the Salton Sea John mentioned going to Julian, up in the mountains where they have the good pies my cousin Noreen and her husband Paul raved about. So off we went for Julian and the scenery was fabulous - Bryan & Carol were just blown away by it. Around Ocotillo Wells we lucked out & saw an Osprey plane land like a helicopter, it was a much better view of the Osprey than we had a couple of years ago out near the proving grounds.
We stopped at Carl's Jr. In Brawley for a chocolate milk shake, so yummy & filling I had to undo my jeans in the car!
In Julian we got out to walk around the stores and I couldn't figure out for a minute why my jeans felt like they were going to fall off until I remembered they were undone, sure gave the others their laugh for the day! We walked around & toured a few stores, it is in the mountains so was only about 38F - brrr! We bought an apple boysenberry pie to bring home, then sat in the car & had the lunch we had packed. Heading out of Julian we took a road down to the interstate that we hadn't been on before & the interstate from there to El Centro was done by us a couple of times before but only in the dark, so new scenery for all of us, very interesting and constantly changing. It turned out when we picked up the interstate to come home we were only about 40 miles out of San Diego!
The Sand Dunes
Osprey
Carol & John at The Julian Pie Shop
John and I at the Pie Shop
More Pictures at the Pie Shop
Scenery After Leaving Julian
Frost On The Trees - Did I Say It Was Cold There!
In El Centro we went to Costco & WalMart so it was 8:30 when we got home, we had picked up a fresh pizza at WM so threw it in the oven for dinner. We were all full & tired so saved the pie for Tuesday night. We did the dishes, I did a bit of catching with my expenses then headed for bed as we had to be up about 6:30 Tuesday morning to go to Mexico for 9 am dentist appointments..
We got to the dentist’s shortly before the 9 am appointment and got our teeth finally cleaned again for $70 for the two of us. Carol & Bryan wandered around the stalls while we were at the dentist & arrived back just as we were finished. Our next stop was the optometrist and they were very busy so Carol & Bryan helped me pick out frames but I decided to wait until we go for blood work next to do the glasses, one of the girls gave me a card with the frame number so it will be easy to do next week. We then went & looked at some earrings Carol had looked at earlier so she ended up buying an earring & necklace set as well as another pretty pair of earrings, and I got the same earring & necklace set only in different colours.
We checked out the lab and it was very clean etc. (we were all impressed) and the price of the blood work there is $55 compared to to $138 here in Yuma so we will go back next Tuesday to do it, and get my glasses as we have to wait for both.
We got our four bottles of liquor & headed for the border and were across in about 15-20 minutes. We came back to Yuma and went to the Olive Garden for lunch, very yummy. We stopped at WalMart and Fry's for a few groceries then it was on home. The temp Wednesday barely reached 65F so no pool for Carol & Bryan.
Carol made fajitas for dinner and they were very good. We ended up sitting at the table so long chatting that we didn’t get around to a game of Mexican Train – maybe tonight.
Today John, Carol & Bryan are off to do the prison but I've stayed home to do laundry and relax as the prison is a fair bit of walking and I have already done it a couple of times. I have the first load of wash in and when it came to the spin cycles there was a very funny noise and no spin – oh, oh don’t know what is wrong but it doesn’t sound real good. Don & Gail are coming this afternoon for happy hour so it should be another fun day.
And so ends many more great gifts of days and we look forward to more great days ahead.
Last Saturday we had a very unusual day, we just got home from grocery shopping about 2:30 and it started to rain and it poured until about 9 am Sunday morning, we have never seen it rain for that long down here, quite amazing.
Bryan and Carol’s plane landed on Saturday at 4 pm, it was about 25 minutes late arriving as it was delayed in Phoenix due to the rain and having to wait for a connecting flight from Colorado. Although they only had carry on luggage it was put in baggage from Phoenix and Yuma and was quite wet when they got here – they had to dry a few things out. Shortly after we got home it poured again for quite a while, all so unusual for this area!
Sunday morning we went out for breakfast and then went to both the indoor and outdoor markets, Bryan and Carol had fun wandering around looking at stuff and got a neat Infinity light for their cottage. You can buy the lights either put together or do it yourself so with flying and only carry on luggage they bought the parts and will put it together when they get home. It is all a plastic type material so not hard to pack to take back. When we got home Bryan and Carol went to the pool and I laid down for a bit, they really enjoyed the pool and were surprised at how warm it was.
Monday morning we headed for California to see the sand dunes, Salton Sea etc., then on the way to the Salton Sea John mentioned going to Julian, up in the mountains where they have the good pies my cousin Noreen and her husband Paul raved about. So off we went for Julian and the scenery was fabulous - Bryan & Carol were just blown away by it. Around Ocotillo Wells we lucked out & saw an Osprey plane land like a helicopter, it was a much better view of the Osprey than we had a couple of years ago out near the proving grounds.
We stopped at Carl's Jr. In Brawley for a chocolate milk shake, so yummy & filling I had to undo my jeans in the car!
In Julian we got out to walk around the stores and I couldn't figure out for a minute why my jeans felt like they were going to fall off until I remembered they were undone, sure gave the others their laugh for the day! We walked around & toured a few stores, it is in the mountains so was only about 38F - brrr! We bought an apple boysenberry pie to bring home, then sat in the car & had the lunch we had packed. Heading out of Julian we took a road down to the interstate that we hadn't been on before & the interstate from there to El Centro was done by us a couple of times before but only in the dark, so new scenery for all of us, very interesting and constantly changing. It turned out when we picked up the interstate to come home we were only about 40 miles out of San Diego!
The Sand Dunes
Osprey
Carol & John at The Julian Pie Shop
John and I at the Pie Shop
More Pictures at the Pie Shop
Scenery After Leaving Julian
Frost On The Trees - Did I Say It Was Cold There!
In El Centro we went to Costco & WalMart so it was 8:30 when we got home, we had picked up a fresh pizza at WM so threw it in the oven for dinner. We were all full & tired so saved the pie for Tuesday night. We did the dishes, I did a bit of catching with my expenses then headed for bed as we had to be up about 6:30 Tuesday morning to go to Mexico for 9 am dentist appointments..
We got to the dentist’s shortly before the 9 am appointment and got our teeth finally cleaned again for $70 for the two of us. Carol & Bryan wandered around the stalls while we were at the dentist & arrived back just as we were finished. Our next stop was the optometrist and they were very busy so Carol & Bryan helped me pick out frames but I decided to wait until we go for blood work next to do the glasses, one of the girls gave me a card with the frame number so it will be easy to do next week. We then went & looked at some earrings Carol had looked at earlier so she ended up buying an earring & necklace set as well as another pretty pair of earrings, and I got the same earring & necklace set only in different colours.
We checked out the lab and it was very clean etc. (we were all impressed) and the price of the blood work there is $55 compared to to $138 here in Yuma so we will go back next Tuesday to do it, and get my glasses as we have to wait for both.
We got our four bottles of liquor & headed for the border and were across in about 15-20 minutes. We came back to Yuma and went to the Olive Garden for lunch, very yummy. We stopped at WalMart and Fry's for a few groceries then it was on home. The temp Wednesday barely reached 65F so no pool for Carol & Bryan.
Carol made fajitas for dinner and they were very good. We ended up sitting at the table so long chatting that we didn’t get around to a game of Mexican Train – maybe tonight.
Today John, Carol & Bryan are off to do the prison but I've stayed home to do laundry and relax as the prison is a fair bit of walking and I have already done it a couple of times. I have the first load of wash in and when it came to the spin cycles there was a very funny noise and no spin – oh, oh don’t know what is wrong but it doesn’t sound real good. Don & Gail are coming this afternoon for happy hour so it should be another fun day.
And so ends many more great gifts of days and we look forward to more great days ahead.
Catching Up
It’s been a while since I have done a blog so I guess it’s about time to catch up.
I came down with a rotten cold a couple of weeks ago, it was pretty well all in my chest so lots of coughing and just feeling blah. It is now pretty well gone and I am feeling much better but John now has it so he is feeling miserable. We were going to go to the club house last night for burgers but thought it would be better not to go with his cough so we passed and stayed home and did our own burgers.
We have had a few happy hours the last couple of weeks, both here and at friends, and last Wednesday we went to Gail and Don’s to learn how to play Mexican Train, a very fun game! Diane and Ben were also there so it was a fun evening with everyone and learning a new game.
I went to the Ladies Luncheon a couple of weeks ago and it was great to see so many friends again and get caught up. We also went to the Soup, Salad and dessert dinner and it was very good with a choice of turkey noodle soup or ham and bean, both delicious! Gail and Don came back after for a drink and we had a lot of laughs, another fun evening.
John has done a few jobs that he thought would be easy to do but have turned into major undertakings. He put a new toilet in my bathroom as the old one was leaking around the base, that wasn’t too bad a job to do. Then he decided to put a single handle faucet in the ensuite bathroom and put the taps he took out of there into the other bathroom as they were better. What he thought would be an easy job turned into a major undertaking and took a lot longer than anticipated, with a few trips out to get bits and pieces, but it is done and I really like my new tap! Now I would like a new light over the kitchen table – wonder what kind of job that will be!!
We have been to the market a couple of times, to the mall a few times and many trips to Walmart – I feel like I should have shares in the place! A trip to Mexico for new glasses is on the agenda for this week.
My brother and SIL are arriving on Saturday for a visit so we are looking forward to showing them around Yuma and area and I think they are planning on renting a car and going to San Diego for a couple of days so we are hoping they will have a great holiday.
I had blood work done on Monday and was happy that all was well and I was able to start another round of chemo pills, sure hope they keep working and I continue to feel so good.
We are looking forward to our friends Ginny and Gil arriving on the first of February for a month and are looking forward to seeing Janet and Dave when they arrive, hopefully some time in February. We are also looking forward to a visit from my sister in March and friends from Casa Grande for a day or two, lots to keep us busy and out of trouble!
And so ends many more great gifts of days and we look forward to more great days ahead.
I came down with a rotten cold a couple of weeks ago, it was pretty well all in my chest so lots of coughing and just feeling blah. It is now pretty well gone and I am feeling much better but John now has it so he is feeling miserable. We were going to go to the club house last night for burgers but thought it would be better not to go with his cough so we passed and stayed home and did our own burgers.
We have had a few happy hours the last couple of weeks, both here and at friends, and last Wednesday we went to Gail and Don’s to learn how to play Mexican Train, a very fun game! Diane and Ben were also there so it was a fun evening with everyone and learning a new game.
I went to the Ladies Luncheon a couple of weeks ago and it was great to see so many friends again and get caught up. We also went to the Soup, Salad and dessert dinner and it was very good with a choice of turkey noodle soup or ham and bean, both delicious! Gail and Don came back after for a drink and we had a lot of laughs, another fun evening.
John has done a few jobs that he thought would be easy to do but have turned into major undertakings. He put a new toilet in my bathroom as the old one was leaking around the base, that wasn’t too bad a job to do. Then he decided to put a single handle faucet in the ensuite bathroom and put the taps he took out of there into the other bathroom as they were better. What he thought would be an easy job turned into a major undertaking and took a lot longer than anticipated, with a few trips out to get bits and pieces, but it is done and I really like my new tap! Now I would like a new light over the kitchen table – wonder what kind of job that will be!!
We have been to the market a couple of times, to the mall a few times and many trips to Walmart – I feel like I should have shares in the place! A trip to Mexico for new glasses is on the agenda for this week.
My brother and SIL are arriving on Saturday for a visit so we are looking forward to showing them around Yuma and area and I think they are planning on renting a car and going to San Diego for a couple of days so we are hoping they will have a great holiday.
I had blood work done on Monday and was happy that all was well and I was able to start another round of chemo pills, sure hope they keep working and I continue to feel so good.
We are looking forward to our friends Ginny and Gil arriving on the first of February for a month and are looking forward to seeing Janet and Dave when they arrive, hopefully some time in February. We are also looking forward to a visit from my sister in March and friends from Casa Grande for a day or two, lots to keep us busy and out of trouble!
And so ends many more great gifts of days and we look forward to more great days ahead.
Nice Days in Yuma
It’s been a few days since I’ve blogged but we have been keeping busy. New Year’s day was spent getting organized and being surprised at what we had left here, just like Christmas!
Wednesday we did more grocery shopping, sure is a pain without the trailer and the food in it as we have to pretty well start from scratch getting in the staples let alone meat, veggies, fruit etc. Not cheap!!
Thursday I did some laundry and puttered around while John went out to get a few things as well as a TV, at least now we will be able to watch Downtown Abbey’s new series starting on Sunday night. Diane & Ben invited us for happy hour so we had a nice visit and Gail and Don and Gail’s friend Fran were also there. Shortly before going over to Diane & Ben’s I was outside and saw Fred, across the street in his shed so he came out to the front and Valerie, his wife, came out, John came over and Sharon & Bob came home and joined us for a good chin wag. We certainly have nice neighbours!
Yesterday we went to the outdoor market, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Best Buy, Marshall’s, Target and Walmart – sure got shopped out and lots of walking. When we went to the market both John and I took our canes – we looked like a couple of old crocs but we managed to walk around for almost an hour, a record for me.
We were looking for a new toilet for my bathroom as the one in there is leaking a bit around the bottom so we found one we thought would do the trick, and that is higher than the one that was in there, so John went out this morning and bought it and is now in the process of installing it – lucky him.
The weather is still cool, only about 15-17C (60-64F) but the sun shines brightly so we aren’t complaining as it is better than home.
Tomorrow we are planning on going to the indoor market then to the afternoon matinee to see Lincoln, another tough day in paradise!
And so ends more great gifts of days and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
Wednesday we did more grocery shopping, sure is a pain without the trailer and the food in it as we have to pretty well start from scratch getting in the staples let alone meat, veggies, fruit etc. Not cheap!!
Thursday I did some laundry and puttered around while John went out to get a few things as well as a TV, at least now we will be able to watch Downtown Abbey’s new series starting on Sunday night. Diane & Ben invited us for happy hour so we had a nice visit and Gail and Don and Gail’s friend Fran were also there. Shortly before going over to Diane & Ben’s I was outside and saw Fred, across the street in his shed so he came out to the front and Valerie, his wife, came out, John came over and Sharon & Bob came home and joined us for a good chin wag. We certainly have nice neighbours!
Yesterday we went to the outdoor market, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Best Buy, Marshall’s, Target and Walmart – sure got shopped out and lots of walking. When we went to the market both John and I took our canes – we looked like a couple of old crocs but we managed to walk around for almost an hour, a record for me.
We were looking for a new toilet for my bathroom as the one in there is leaking a bit around the bottom so we found one we thought would do the trick, and that is higher than the one that was in there, so John went out this morning and bought it and is now in the process of installing it – lucky him.
The weather is still cool, only about 15-17C (60-64F) but the sun shines brightly so we aren’t complaining as it is better than home.
Tomorrow we are planning on going to the indoor market then to the afternoon matinee to see Lincoln, another tough day in paradise!
And so ends more great gifts of days and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
Home in Yuma & Happy New Year
We have arrived safely in Yuma, after 4-1/2 days on the road and travelling 4,004km (2,489 miles).
We want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and all the best in 2013.
We had a great drive here, good weather, except for yesterday when we hit a bit of snow and freezing rain between Flagstaff & Phoenix - right, the worst weather in Arizona! We breezed through Indianapolis, Saint Louis, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque and Phoenix, travelling over the holidays made for a good trip with very light traffic.
We arrived in Yuma around 12:30 and the first stop was Time Warner to get the Internet as, if we didn't do it today, it would be Wednesday before we could get it. Time Warner was a zoo, full of people and very slow service - grrrr! Next were stops at Fry's and Walmart for groceries so it was almost 3:30 when we finally arrived home.
Diane & Ben were just coming by as we were pulling in the driveway so stopped to give us big hugs and welcome us back. Then Sharon & Bob, who live across the street, and their friends Carolyn & Gary, came over to give us more hugs and invite us for dinner. We got the truck unloaded, the water on etc. before we went over for a delicious turkey and ham dinner, and a great visit with friends.
When we came into the house the first thing we noticed that our friend Gail had come in and cleaned our place and washed the towels and sheets so everything was nice and clean. Then there were flowers on the coffee table with a lovely card from Sharon, Bob, Carolyn, Gary, Ann, David, Fred & Valerie, all our neighbours. What wonderful friends we have here, we are so blessed to have such nice friends both here and at home!
When we came back from dinner John started on hooking up the Internet, 1-1/2 hours later and a lengthy phone call to Time Warner finally got us on line, so that is why I'm so late doing this and won't post it until tomorrow.
Talking about late, me thinks it is time to head for bed, so again happy new year all!
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
December 30/12 - Phoenix AZ
Well, we are now in Phoenix so hopefully we will be in Yuma around noon tomorrow, we probably won't head out until about 9 am so as to miss Phoenix rush hour traffic! At least we are only two miles from 101, that is the ring road around Phoenix, so once we get on that it shouldn't be too bad to get out of town.
This morning the weather channel was calling for a winter storm to hit Flagstaff late this afternoon so we debated heading south at Albuquerque, but when we got to Albuquerque it looked fine to the west so we decided to head for Flagstaff. The weather was great all the way to Flagstaff, but just as we got there we had a bit of a snow shower but we were going to be heading south, as well as downhill all the way to Phoenix, so I figured it would be okay. Well, between Flagstaff and Phoenix we had snow showers and some freezing rain but, fortunately, not enough to make for hazardous driving just nervous hoping it wouldn't get any worse.
We enjoyed reminiscing on the way to Flagstaff about all the places we had visited when we came home that way in 2006. We had never driven from Flagstaff to Phoenix before and today we were thankful we didn't have the trailer as there are a lot of twists and turns as well as lots of steep downhill grades. For sure if we ever come back with the trailer we will take the more southern route!
Love The Scenery
Flagstaff Area with San Francisco Mountains
Today the temperature yo-yoed all over the place, it was -2C (27F) when we left Santa Rosa and we hit a high of 10C (50F) at Holbrook AZ but in between of these high and lows it was all over the place. It was only 8C (46F) when we arrived here, pretty cool for Phoenix!
Tonight we are at a Drury Inn again and still the same great deal as at Joplin, the only difference is that at dinner in Joplin it was pretty well all older people whereas tonight it was mainly families with very noisy young children. The food was good but we didn't linger long with all the noise, wonder if it will be as noisy at breakfast!
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
This morning the weather channel was calling for a winter storm to hit Flagstaff late this afternoon so we debated heading south at Albuquerque, but when we got to Albuquerque it looked fine to the west so we decided to head for Flagstaff. The weather was great all the way to Flagstaff, but just as we got there we had a bit of a snow shower but we were going to be heading south, as well as downhill all the way to Phoenix, so I figured it would be okay. Well, between Flagstaff and Phoenix we had snow showers and some freezing rain but, fortunately, not enough to make for hazardous driving just nervous hoping it wouldn't get any worse.
We enjoyed reminiscing on the way to Flagstaff about all the places we had visited when we came home that way in 2006. We had never driven from Flagstaff to Phoenix before and today we were thankful we didn't have the trailer as there are a lot of twists and turns as well as lots of steep downhill grades. For sure if we ever come back with the trailer we will take the more southern route!
Love The Scenery
Flagstaff Area with San Francisco Mountains
Today the temperature yo-yoed all over the place, it was -2C (27F) when we left Santa Rosa and we hit a high of 10C (50F) at Holbrook AZ but in between of these high and lows it was all over the place. It was only 8C (46F) when we arrived here, pretty cool for Phoenix!
Tonight we are at a Drury Inn again and still the same great deal as at Joplin, the only difference is that at dinner in Joplin it was pretty well all older people whereas tonight it was mainly families with very noisy young children. The food was good but we didn't linger long with all the noise, wonder if it will be as noisy at breakfast!
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
December 29/12 - Santa Rosa NM
Well, another day done and we travelled 1045 km, a record day for us!
This morning we started out with a great breakfast with many choices of cereal, fruit, yogurt, all kinds of bread, bagels etc., scrambled eggs, home fries, sausage patties and biscuits and gravy. Lots of juice & hot coffee to wash it down.
Kel, to answer your question re the three free drinks last night there were lots of choices with the draft beer being Bud Light, and all kinds of wine & liquor - even Margaritas, plus non alcoholic drinks.
When we got in the truck at 8 am this morning the temperature was -8C (17F) - BRRRR!! We had to put on gloves until the truck warmed up and we were really glad we had brought anything that could freeze into the hotel last night.
Today's drive was pretty boring going through the Great Plains, very flat for miles on end, we saw lots of hay bales, some cotton bales and lots of cattle. Tulsa and Oklahoma City were a breeze, the bonus of going through on a Saturday! Amarillo is quite spread out and it was fairly busy going through there. There is a huge windmill area around Weatherford OK, we saw that back in 2006. Today we came across miles and miles of windmills just east of Amarillo, we hadn't seen them before and were surprised at how many there were and that they were pretty well all moving.
The high temperature today was 9C (48F) and it was sunny all day. At different times we saw a fair bit of snow in the ditches but the roads were dry and good all day. By the time we stopped tonight it was -1C so I think it will be another chilly night.
Originally we had planned on stopping in Tucumcari NM for the night but when we crossed into New Mexico we changed to Mountain Time and gained another hour so decided to come on to Santa Rosa. We are now two hours behind home in time.
We stopped at the New Mexico Welcome Centre and a man came over to John and asked if we had been in Joplin last night. Turns out they also stayed at the Drury Inn last night and he remembered John and even funnier they are from Hamilton ON. They also left on Thursday and are headed for Green Valley, AZ, south of Tucson. At least I knew where Green Valley is as one of the volunteers at the Grand River Cancer Centre goes there so we have had a few chats about Arizona over the last year.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
This morning we started out with a great breakfast with many choices of cereal, fruit, yogurt, all kinds of bread, bagels etc., scrambled eggs, home fries, sausage patties and biscuits and gravy. Lots of juice & hot coffee to wash it down.
Kel, to answer your question re the three free drinks last night there were lots of choices with the draft beer being Bud Light, and all kinds of wine & liquor - even Margaritas, plus non alcoholic drinks.
When we got in the truck at 8 am this morning the temperature was -8C (17F) - BRRRR!! We had to put on gloves until the truck warmed up and we were really glad we had brought anything that could freeze into the hotel last night.
Today's drive was pretty boring going through the Great Plains, very flat for miles on end, we saw lots of hay bales, some cotton bales and lots of cattle. Tulsa and Oklahoma City were a breeze, the bonus of going through on a Saturday! Amarillo is quite spread out and it was fairly busy going through there. There is a huge windmill area around Weatherford OK, we saw that back in 2006. Today we came across miles and miles of windmills just east of Amarillo, we hadn't seen them before and were surprised at how many there were and that they were pretty well all moving.
The high temperature today was 9C (48F) and it was sunny all day. At different times we saw a fair bit of snow in the ditches but the roads were dry and good all day. By the time we stopped tonight it was -1C so I think it will be another chilly night.
Originally we had planned on stopping in Tucumcari NM for the night but when we crossed into New Mexico we changed to Mountain Time and gained another hour so decided to come on to Santa Rosa. We are now two hours behind home in time.
We stopped at the New Mexico Welcome Centre and a man came over to John and asked if we had been in Joplin last night. Turns out they also stayed at the Drury Inn last night and he remembered John and even funnier they are from Hamilton ON. They also left on Thursday and are headed for Green Valley, AZ, south of Tucson. At least I knew where Green Valley is as one of the volunteers at the Grand River Cancer Centre goes there so we have had a few chats about Arizona over the last year.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
December 28/12 - We Are Now In Joplin MO
We are now in Joplin, Missouri, about 8 miles east of the Oklahoma border. Today was overcast all day, with a bit of snow west of Saint Louis and again at Springfield, but thankfully nothing too bad. Once we got to Effingham IL there was no sign of snow on the ground, and even though it was snowing at Springfield there was just a trace on the ground there. The drive was good with little traffic and thankfully Saint Louis was a breeze.
We are at the Drury Inn & Suites, a chain that Ginny & Gil recommended. For $70/night we have a really nice room and we got tickets for 3 free drinks each, plus dinner and breakfast. Dinner was a buffet with salad, cream of broccoli soup, penne pasta, meatballs, hot dogs and all kinds of chips and dips - can't go wrong! A couple from just south of Chicago asked us to join them for dinner as it was really busy, so we had a great chat, they have their RV with them but are motelling it on their way to San Antonio for the winter.
Will be an early night as for some reason I find travelling very tiring. How can that be when I just sit in the truck all day!
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
We are at the Drury Inn & Suites, a chain that Ginny & Gil recommended. For $70/night we have a really nice room and we got tickets for 3 free drinks each, plus dinner and breakfast. Dinner was a buffet with salad, cream of broccoli soup, penne pasta, meatballs, hot dogs and all kinds of chips and dips - can't go wrong! A couple from just south of Chicago asked us to join them for dinner as it was really busy, so we had a great chat, they have their RV with them but are motelling it on their way to San Antonio for the winter.
Will be an early night as for some reason I find travelling very tiring. How can that be when I just sit in the truck all day!
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
December 27/12 - On Our Way to Yuma
Today we headed out for Yuma, hopefully for three months. We were a bit concerned about what the roads would be like after last night's snow storm but they were fine and about Flint, MI the sun came out and stayed out the rest of the day.
We cleared Indianapolis and are in Plainfield IN for the night. We didn't bring the Airstream on this trip as we have the house in Yuma and planned on doing straight runs coming and going so it seemed to be better to do the trip without the trailer, but sure do miss it when it comes time to stop for the night. Motels aren't our favourite but guess we can suck it up for a few nights!
It's been a long day so time to get to bed.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
We cleared Indianapolis and are in Plainfield IN for the night. We didn't bring the Airstream on this trip as we have the house in Yuma and planned on doing straight runs coming and going so it seemed to be better to do the trip without the trailer, but sure do miss it when it comes time to stop for the night. Motels aren't our favourite but guess we can suck it up for a few nights!
It's been a long day so time to get to bed.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
Home Again
I thought I had better get this updated and sign off. We had three nights in Ottawa but it rained most of the time so we didn’t do a whole lot. We stayed at Recreationland RV Park near Rockton, a nice little park and at $31/night (plus tax) the price wasn’t too bad. It was another $2/day for wi-fi but it worked pretty good so I didn’t mind paying the extra.
Saturday night we took Serita and Derrick out for dinner and it was so nice to see them again – we haven’t seen Derrick since Christmas and Serita since Easter, too long a time.
Sunday we went to Port Perry to Goreski Marina and RV Park, not a nice park by any means and at $45/night for hydro and water only, a real rip off as far as we were concerned. Of course wi-fi was totally unavailable! Unfortunately there are very few choices in that area and we wanted to visit our daughter Kel so that is the only reason we even stayed there.
We got set up at Goreski’s then went over to Kel’s about 4, we had a great visit and our daughter Nancy and her husband Carl came for dinner so we had a good time – sure do love to see our kids! We also got to see our granddaughter Cara for a bit before she went to work. It was neat – we got to see all three of our children just before we left on our trip and the girls at the end of our trip.
Monday, yesterday, we got back to Kincardine around 1:30, it was nice to be back but we sure enjoyed our trip and look forward to getting out again soon.
Today we took the trailer to London to get the leak in the black water tank fixed then on home to Woodstock. Tomorrow we will head up to Kincardine again and look forward to our time there until the park closes in mid October.
We travelled 8000+ kilometers on our trip and had a wonderful time and are looking forward to getting out again in mid September.
Saturday night we took Serita and Derrick out for dinner and it was so nice to see them again – we haven’t seen Derrick since Christmas and Serita since Easter, too long a time.
Sunday we went to Port Perry to Goreski Marina and RV Park, not a nice park by any means and at $45/night for hydro and water only, a real rip off as far as we were concerned. Of course wi-fi was totally unavailable! Unfortunately there are very few choices in that area and we wanted to visit our daughter Kel so that is the only reason we even stayed there.
We got set up at Goreski’s then went over to Kel’s about 4, we had a great visit and our daughter Nancy and her husband Carl came for dinner so we had a good time – sure do love to see our kids! We also got to see our granddaughter Cara for a bit before she went to work. It was neat – we got to see all three of our children just before we left on our trip and the girls at the end of our trip.
Monday, yesterday, we got back to Kincardine around 1:30, it was nice to be back but we sure enjoyed our trip and look forward to getting out again soon.
Today we took the trailer to London to get the leak in the black water tank fixed then on home to Woodstock. Tomorrow we will head up to Kincardine again and look forward to our time there until the park closes in mid October.
We travelled 8000+ kilometers on our trip and had a wonderful time and are looking forward to getting out again in mid September.
A Couple of Travel Days
We waved a fond farewell to Prince Edward Island yesterday, (Tuesday), as we started our journey home. The Trans Canada in New Brunswick is a really good highway so it was an easy travel day. We stopped about 3 pm at out favourite campground in Woodstock and as always enjoyed the view of the river.
Today we travelled to Levis and once we left New Brunswick the road wasn't nearly as good - it was very inconsistent with some really good sections and some god awful ones!
We arrived in Levis and unhooked then went into town to get fuel and groceries. Diesel was $1.309/liter, very painful, but still a lot better than gas which was $1.429/liter - ouch!
Tomorrow it is off to Ottawa for three nights and we are looking forward to dinner with our grandson and niece on Saturday night.
And so ends a couple more great gifts of days and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
Today we travelled to Levis and once we left New Brunswick the road wasn't nearly as good - it was very inconsistent with some really good sections and some god awful ones!
We arrived in Levis and unhooked then went into town to get fuel and groceries. Diesel was $1.309/liter, very painful, but still a lot better than gas which was $1.429/liter - ouch!
Tomorrow it is off to Ottawa for three nights and we are looking forward to dinner with our grandson and niece on Saturday night.
And so ends a couple more great gifts of days and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
Some Quiet Days
I guess it’s been a few days since I did a posting but we haven’t done anything very exciting to blog about.
On Wednesday it rained in the afternoon but stopped around four so Leonard came by and said happy hour would be here at 5 as from here he could still keep an eye on the office. We had six people, including John and I, and around 7 Mish left then about 7:30 we moved inside as it was getting cool, Leonard, Brent & Krista left at 9 so I am presuming a good time was had by all. Lots of laughs and Airstream talk.
Thursday morning I woke up to my knees and hips screaming at me, they didn’t like the dampness from sitting out on Wednesday night! I rained most of the day so we didn’t do much but did go to North Rustico in the afternoon and bought some fresh shrimp for dinner.
Friday was a nice day so we went into Charlottetown and picked up a couple of groceries, went to the liquor store and Canadian Tire. My stomach was upset all day so I wasn’t feeling like doing much more than that, actually I slept a fair bit of the day and food wasn’t on my agenda – I had yogurt for breakfast and a Mars Bar for dinner - and yes in my opinion Chocolate is one of the food groups.
Yesterday was another nice day but quite hot. It was a big race day at the racetrack next door and the park is full this weekend with people coming for the races. We wondered how much noise we would hear from the cars but were pleasantly surprised that we didn’t hear much, probably because the wind was blowing the noise away and there are a lot of trailers between us and the track to help block the noise. Tuesday night the noise was a lot worse from the practice runs!
Mish came down this afternoon and said the noise was quite loud at their place but then they are right at that end of the park.
Today, Sunday, is another beautiful day. We are going to go to North Rustico to get lobsters for dinner and Mish and Larry are coming down this afternoon for a drink, not too much excitement. Lots of rigs pulling out this morning, it has surprised us how quiet the park is even when full. The sites are quite large and there is a huge field between our row and the one behind us so nobody is right in your face here, although the seasonal sites are closer to each other.
And so ends many more great gifts of days and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
On Wednesday it rained in the afternoon but stopped around four so Leonard came by and said happy hour would be here at 5 as from here he could still keep an eye on the office. We had six people, including John and I, and around 7 Mish left then about 7:30 we moved inside as it was getting cool, Leonard, Brent & Krista left at 9 so I am presuming a good time was had by all. Lots of laughs and Airstream talk.
Thursday morning I woke up to my knees and hips screaming at me, they didn’t like the dampness from sitting out on Wednesday night! I rained most of the day so we didn’t do much but did go to North Rustico in the afternoon and bought some fresh shrimp for dinner.
Friday was a nice day so we went into Charlottetown and picked up a couple of groceries, went to the liquor store and Canadian Tire. My stomach was upset all day so I wasn’t feeling like doing much more than that, actually I slept a fair bit of the day and food wasn’t on my agenda – I had yogurt for breakfast and a Mars Bar for dinner - and yes in my opinion Chocolate is one of the food groups.
Yesterday was another nice day but quite hot. It was a big race day at the racetrack next door and the park is full this weekend with people coming for the races. We wondered how much noise we would hear from the cars but were pleasantly surprised that we didn’t hear much, probably because the wind was blowing the noise away and there are a lot of trailers between us and the track to help block the noise. Tuesday night the noise was a lot worse from the practice runs!
Mish came down this afternoon and said the noise was quite loud at their place but then they are right at that end of the park.
Today, Sunday, is another beautiful day. We are going to go to North Rustico to get lobsters for dinner and Mish and Larry are coming down this afternoon for a drink, not too much excitement. Lots of rigs pulling out this morning, it has surprised us how quiet the park is even when full. The sites are quite large and there is a huge field between our row and the one behind us so nobody is right in your face here, although the seasonal sites are closer to each other.
And so ends many more great gifts of days and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
A Touring Day
Yesterday was a quiet day, we didn’t do much but went into Charlottetown in the afternoon as the pantry badly needed restocking.
We have gone three weeks without a TV but John decided if we were going to be here for over a week a TV would be nice so that was also on the shopping agenda. I was talking to Leonard in the morning and as well as owning and running this park he and Michael work at Sears, and Leonard mentioned that they had a couple of good sales on TV’s so that was where we went. We got a nice 22” LG LED TV at a good price and it has a great picture so we are pleased.
Today was a gorgeous day so we decided to drive to the east end of the island. We drove as far as Souris, a very pretty town on the Strait of Northumberland, but decided there wasn’t a lot more to see so at the end of the island so that was as far as we went.
We had lunch in Souris, a yummy bowl of clam chowder and watched the ferry come in from Isle de la Madeline, a 134 km trip. There were a lot of vehicles that came off and we were surprised at the number of RV’s that came off and were waiting to go over as it would be a very expensive trip and like Newfoundland there is only one way over and one way back.
Ferry
Looking Across Harbour at Souris
Historical Souris Lighthouse
We then headed back and took some of the scenic roads but there is nothing scenic until you get to the small town at the end of the road if it is on the water. We stopped in Montague for a bit, a pretty town with a pretty harbor, then home from there. It was a nice day and we thought it would be good to get it done before the weekend traffic starts and when the weather was so great as tomorrow it is supposed to rain.
Montague
Leonard is planning on having a happy hour tomorrow night with a couple of other Airstream owners here in the park so that should be interesting, hopefully it won’t be raining then!
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
We have gone three weeks without a TV but John decided if we were going to be here for over a week a TV would be nice so that was also on the shopping agenda. I was talking to Leonard in the morning and as well as owning and running this park he and Michael work at Sears, and Leonard mentioned that they had a couple of good sales on TV’s so that was where we went. We got a nice 22” LG LED TV at a good price and it has a great picture so we are pleased.
Today was a gorgeous day so we decided to drive to the east end of the island. We drove as far as Souris, a very pretty town on the Strait of Northumberland, but decided there wasn’t a lot more to see so at the end of the island so that was as far as we went.
We had lunch in Souris, a yummy bowl of clam chowder and watched the ferry come in from Isle de la Madeline, a 134 km trip. There were a lot of vehicles that came off and we were surprised at the number of RV’s that came off and were waiting to go over as it would be a very expensive trip and like Newfoundland there is only one way over and one way back.
Ferry
Looking Across Harbour at Souris
Historical Souris Lighthouse
We then headed back and took some of the scenic roads but there is nothing scenic until you get to the small town at the end of the road if it is on the water. We stopped in Montague for a bit, a pretty town with a pretty harbor, then home from there. It was a nice day and we thought it would be good to get it done before the weekend traffic starts and when the weather was so great as tomorrow it is supposed to rain.
Montague
Leonard is planning on having a happy hour tomorrow night with a couple of other Airstream owners here in the park so that should be interesting, hopefully it won’t be raining then!
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another great day tomorrow.
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