Loving the sun here in Arizona!!! Its been comfortably warm the last two days, although its supposed to be about 10 degrees hotter today...........We visited the Desert Museum outside of Tucson yesterday; it was much cooler than I thought it would be-- not only did it have all kinds of reptiles, amphibians, and mammals native to the Sonora Desert, it had a hummingbird aviary, a bee exhibit, and a second aviary with other types of birds and ducks. The place had a number of trails that wound around the acreage, with natural enclosures with wolves, peccaries, etc and nameplates on the many different types of cacti. Apparently the Saguaro cactus doesnt start forming arms until it is 70 years old! We learned how to make tequila and agave nectar and brooms with the agave plants, and that they only live for 12 or 13 years. There was also a couple caves with the different minerals found there (malachite, turquoise, etc) both in polished and natural forms, and the second one dealt more with the natural evolution of the area over billions of years, with stalactites and stalagmites, cool tunnels, and manmade artifacts found in different areas of the desert.
Today we actually have some things that need to be done: laundry, pet vaccinations, um........I think thats it. I started the day out by sleeping in, doing some laps in the pool, showering,eating breakfast about eleven.......life is rough! Jonny is having an especially hard time adjusting to retired life-- once he finally got into the pool last night, he didnt even want to paddle around. He's exercising his xbox skills. Unfortunately, his allergies are still bothering him quite a bit-- we were told the mesquite is in bloom here. We were driving to the Museum yesterday and actually saw some green grass at a golf course! Jonny had his first (and probably last) IN-N-OUT burger yesterday; verdict: fresh, but just okay. The service was great. The patty was way too small.
Animals are doing pretty good; the cats havent gotten out yet, and Eli hasnt attacked anyone. I took kitten out on a leash in California and she did okay, but the other small halter doesnt fit Ozzy -- we need to get another one today.
Oh, met some people from Salem here at the RV park last night-- they are retired and just sold their house at the beginning of the month and are waiting for two weeks before moving into their newly acquired Arizona home. Pretty nice people. They thought it was awesome we were following our dreams instead of being scared of the unknown.
Jim and Sara are excited, they have set a date already to come down and visit us in Honduras this fall!!! Hope to hear from more of you, soon!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Preparing to prepare for take-off.............
It seems like there are so many things to do, yet a number of them need to be done at the last minute!
GPS: we found that it was cheaper to bid (and win) on a newer model gps that included all cords and automatic updates, than it was to just buy the map updates;
Trailer: being new to the whole RV thing, I have made several trips to one of our local RV outfitter stores to determine what our needs are, especially since we are customizing our used trailer
Computer: we decided on this laptop and accessories to reduce agonizing viruses and operator errors;
Communications: Here I am! A neighbor advised me of this website that will hopefully provide a good means of communication throughout our adventures, with you!
Vehicle: still lots to determine as far as weight and pulling the trailer because we arent ready to load it so we cant tell what our loaded weight will be or whether we will need suspension kits or transmission kits or what.....
We have way more stuff to take than space (and probably more weight than we can take). We will need to leave some here for others to bring down, or to come down in a container later. We are very excited about the upcoming trip and continue to finish working on the inside of the trailer so that we can start loading it! BS is replacing some of the trim, window coverings, etc after replacing damaged siding, studs, and flooring from a water leak. He tore out the dinette and expanded the kitchen area with more counterspace and a large cabinet for appliances; he attached a hinged bar table for us to eat on, and added an entertainment center as well! Just finishing up........
GPS: we found that it was cheaper to bid (and win) on a newer model gps that included all cords and automatic updates, than it was to just buy the map updates;
Trailer: being new to the whole RV thing, I have made several trips to one of our local RV outfitter stores to determine what our needs are, especially since we are customizing our used trailer
Computer: we decided on this laptop and accessories to reduce agonizing viruses and operator errors;
Communications: Here I am! A neighbor advised me of this website that will hopefully provide a good means of communication throughout our adventures, with you!
Vehicle: still lots to determine as far as weight and pulling the trailer because we arent ready to load it so we cant tell what our loaded weight will be or whether we will need suspension kits or transmission kits or what.....
We have way more stuff to take than space (and probably more weight than we can take). We will need to leave some here for others to bring down, or to come down in a container later. We are very excited about the upcoming trip and continue to finish working on the inside of the trailer so that we can start loading it! BS is replacing some of the trim, window coverings, etc after replacing damaged siding, studs, and flooring from a water leak. He tore out the dinette and expanded the kitchen area with more counterspace and a large cabinet for appliances; he attached a hinged bar table for us to eat on, and added an entertainment center as well! Just finishing up........
Monday, April 25, 2011
On Our Way....
Its catfishin' time at Hidden Beaches. At least thats what the neighbor said two campsites away.... of course, he took off in his boat to do it. And he has bluegill bait. Maybe jonny can pull one out, anyway.
We are on our 7th day from homebase, on the border of California and Arizona off route 10. Its a beautiful spot, although the free wifi advertised on the sign isnt really free, (as the bartender informed me) I actually got a coupon for one hour of one day free. Maybe that is typical of the free wifi advertised most places, I dont know.....
Anyhow, our truck and trailer are fairly fine with the 1500 miles or so we have put on so far! We've added hooks and bungee cords here and there, and checked the tire pressure and fluid levels every morning of travel, but things are pretty good so far. We have had a few calls from friends back home, and I've had no personal emails yet at psorensen69@msn.com , but this is also the first time in seven days I've really taken the time to blog!
The first leg down from homebase to Merced, California, actually took a day and a half. We dropped some things off after getting a late start, visited some friends on the way, and only really drove for about 4 hours or so. Cold night. Under-all-blankets-with-pajamas cold! Second day was a.lmost a 12 hour driving day to get to Merced; I had forgotten that vehicles towing trailers are limited to 55 mph in California! It was warmer the second night although I was still under all blankets. I couldnt sleeep under all blankets from then on-- nothing but the lightweight, soft blanket. We stayed in Merced for 5 nights, visiting family and tweaking the trailer and truck.
The second leg started Easter Sunday about noon. We drove as far as Magic Mountain just before L.A. (guess what, Mom, we made it into the parking lot at Magic Mountain before turning around!! Sounds like a trip you mentioned to Disneyland?) And today, we are at the edge of Arizona, sitting near a lazy bend in the Colorado river that winds thru the hot desert! I've never been south of San Francisco, so this is a first for me!
Well, we have no schedule, but I think I better start the chili dogs for dinner; after all, its almost 8pm and the sun is mostly down. Such is the life of retired travelers!
We are on our 7th day from homebase, on the border of California and Arizona off route 10. Its a beautiful spot, although the free wifi advertised on the sign isnt really free, (as the bartender informed me) I actually got a coupon for one hour of one day free. Maybe that is typical of the free wifi advertised most places, I dont know.....
Anyhow, our truck and trailer are fairly fine with the 1500 miles or so we have put on so far! We've added hooks and bungee cords here and there, and checked the tire pressure and fluid levels every morning of travel, but things are pretty good so far. We have had a few calls from friends back home, and I've had no personal emails yet at psorensen69@msn.com , but this is also the first time in seven days I've really taken the time to blog!
The first leg down from homebase to Merced, California, actually took a day and a half. We dropped some things off after getting a late start, visited some friends on the way, and only really drove for about 4 hours or so. Cold night. Under-all-blankets-with-pajamas cold! Second day was a.lmost a 12 hour driving day to get to Merced; I had forgotten that vehicles towing trailers are limited to 55 mph in California! It was warmer the second night although I was still under all blankets. I couldnt sleeep under all blankets from then on-- nothing but the lightweight, soft blanket. We stayed in Merced for 5 nights, visiting family and tweaking the trailer and truck.
The second leg started Easter Sunday about noon. We drove as far as Magic Mountain just before L.A. (guess what, Mom, we made it into the parking lot at Magic Mountain before turning around!! Sounds like a trip you mentioned to Disneyland?) And today, we are at the edge of Arizona, sitting near a lazy bend in the Colorado river that winds thru the hot desert! I've never been south of San Francisco, so this is a first for me!
Well, we have no schedule, but I think I better start the chili dogs for dinner; after all, its almost 8pm and the sun is mostly down. Such is the life of retired travelers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)