Day 66… Life in the RV

Well my trip has come down to the last full day here in Tucson, I fly out tomorrow.

Somehow I seemed to have lost a day or so in my blog counting, but trust me every day has been full, wonderful and memorable even if I can’t count.

From day one my brother Mike has been a wonderful brother, safe driver and greatest tour guide.  

Today is his birthday and I am honored to spend it with him.  It has been what?   Ummmmm 50 years?? since I have had the honor to grace him with my presense. 50 years; damn that makes us sound old.  Happy birthday, Mike!!!

I want to also thank Ms. Shirley for this wonderful trip; she has been the upmost hostess and sister in law.  I want to thank her for a sacrifice she made from day one, not that I am complaining but it wasn’t necessary.  She always  rode in the back seat.

She will say she don’t mind and  so she can keep the girls happy.

This is a deceiving picture because most of the time riding they are crying.

 When not traveling our days have been filled with things like touring, reading, sewing or just relaxing.

Sometimes a walk around to feel the pulse of the campground was in order.

We always had to be careful when we opened the door to the trailer when it was time to go in because Miss Gracie always tried to get out.  She made it out only once.

And for Miss Gradie, her attitude was “You want to take a picture of me? Hows this for a pose?”

 We enjoyed cocktail hour every afternoon and evening.

Our conversations were so enlightening,  Ms Shirley could hardly stay awake.

I have this wonderful picture of my brother;

after many many nights with this same pose it will be forever with me long after I fly home.

 I think he has one almost as good ingrained in his memory banks too.  Or at least I sure hope he does.

This is actually a good picture, and it is a typical morning shot,  but one I think he won’t soon forget.

No matter the time of day Ms. Shirley was never far away. 

I’m thinking she is clapping at one of our profound statements. 

We talked a lot about our lives and our childhood memories and I am somewhat amazed how the two of us lived such different lives in the same house.  We both remember certain parts but at totally different views points. Maybe it’s an age thingy. 

Ms. Shirley trying to read was a usual site while we reminisced .

Today being my last full day here in Tucson I want to thank both Mike and Shirley for making this a very memorable and a life changing trip for me.

Happy Birthday Michael!!

This hugs for you!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you very very much.

I love you and I will miss you both but my memories from this trip will keep me smiling and laughing forever.

Marie

Day 62 and 63......My trip west Recapped....

My trip west recapped

On my last few days here in Tucson I want to do a quick recap of my last 9 weeks.

I first need to thank my brother and his wife for giving me this life changing experience by traveling cross country with them in their5^th wheel.

The first week we ticked of about a state a day,  Massachusetts, New York, , I think we did about a 7 mile stretch in Pennsylvania , Ohio, Indiana, where we stayed a couple nights to get the RV repaired after a few flat tires. By day number 6 we hit Illinois and Missouri.  By the end of day 7 I had purchased a camera to improve on my blog with some pictures and after a week of traveling we were now in tourist mood.  Day 8 brought us to Dodge City Kansas.

And my first trip to Hobby Lobby where I bought the fixing for Sophia’s quilt,

that I sew on while relaxing or riding in the truck to our next destination.

We stayed in Dodge City for a few days of site seeing but by day 11 we were heading to new territory. Oklahoma.  Where we were sure to see grain elevators.

 I still remember the unforgettable experience of stepping in the goats heads.

I still think I am pulling these out of my feet.

After leaving Oklahoma in our dust we headed to Texas and Amarillo where they grow them big. 

And I got treated to a limo ride.

 Damn I wish I could smile for a camera.

After a couple of relaxing days playing tourist in Amarillo we head to the Land of Enchantment  and Santa Fe.

This was a very beautiful place to visit.  Very old and still alive and well.  This was the 400^th anniversary year.

We left New Mexico and headed to Arizona for the first time.

We stayed in Willaims for about a week 

and did all sorts of touristy things like visiting the beautiful Grand Canyon.

 America the beautiful.

I thought this has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. 

We did Route 66, in so many places. Williams, Seligman, Oatman, and every place in between.

Seligman, the town inspiring the movie “Cars”.

We went to Beaizona the brand new game park.

 When we left Williams, Arizona we headed to Laughlin, Nevada, little Las Vegas, for another week of rest and relaxation. 

We played tourist with a boat ride to Davis Dam and went off to Oatman to again visit Route 66. The town with the wild mules.

After a few days here in Laughlin we headed to Parhump.  This is the day I am supposed to fly in.  Imagine all I would have missed had this been the case.  I cannot even grasp in my brain all that I have seen so far and am so glad I didn’t miss a moment of it.

Parhump was just a stop before we headed into Death Valley in a couple days but it did give us time to do some touring.

Remember the brothel…..

On the 31^st of October the time had come for us to head into Death Valley, the reason I came on this glorious trip to begin with.

The next 2 weeks were filled with wonder and awe for me 

This is only one of about 200 or more pictures I took of this beautiful place.

And of course the reason we came here in the first place the long anticipated costume contest featuring  “ big Bo Peep” as a mail order bride.

Death Valley being the highlight of the trip it is to be just wind down time after that. But we did still see some beautiful country.

And enjoyed the Colorado River again in Buckskin Mountain.

After Buckskin the trip was all about getting here to Tucson, with a stop in Yuma for Thanksgiving.

With a couple more days of relaxing.

Now that I am in Tucson and the time is moving rapidly toward my flight time for home.

I have enjoyed this trip beyond words and I hope my recap will refresh your memories of it also.

It will be with me forever as the time when my life changed. 

Marie

Day 61: Nov 30

Today we played a little bit of tourist here in Tucson.  I have been here before so I didn’t really need to see the Sonoran Desert Museum again, and I virtually drove through it on the way to Tucson.

We drove by the skyline of Tucson;

I was thinking they didn’t have any buildings taller than 10 feet but I guess I was wrong.  Actually Tucson is a very large city.

Next we went to lunch at a fabulous little place.

The food and the service were both excellent.

Then we went to the San Xavier Mission

On route to the mission we went past an Indian Cemetary.

Such a lovely place, such a lovely place.

On our way back to our place we went over the Santa Cruz River.   I was told it was good for white water tubing…

 

I am thinking Hyytinen Hollow Tubes would do a booming business with all these rapids.   And my tubers wouldn’t need to worry about a ride back.   They could either walk, if not I’m sure the 4 wheelers would gladly give them a ride. Would be real good for the sun bathers though.

We went again to Bookman’s and picked up a few more books, gathering up my winter reading material.

Then we headed back home for a nice leisurely afternoon and a couple glasses of red.

Until tomorrow.

Marie

Days 58,59,60: Nov 27,28,29

Well for the last 3 days, not a thing has happened, we just sort of unwound and relaxed. 

We did go to a wonderful used book store named BOOKMANS  where I bought the missing books to some series I have been reading.

For this highlight I should have taken a picture but forgot, so I will just put one in for the fun of it. 

Beautiful Death Valley.

In the evenings Ms Shirley and I went to the club house and swam and sat in the hot tub.

I told you that things would be winding down here in my blog sorry for the delay in bringing you this lengthy blog.

Until later and yes there will be a couple from my final days.

Marie.   

Day 57: Nov 26 on to Tucson

We headed out of Yuma Friday morning at approximately 8:36 am.  We had a 4 ½ hour ride to our final destination of Tucson, my tour guide and hostess’s winter home.

There road was again straight and flat. Isn't that a surprise.

Most of the country is a real easy place to learn to drive I guess. Flat and straight, doesn’t help you learn how to turn corners.  I guess it’s like NASCAR drivers they only had to learn to turn left.

After a few miles out of Yuma we came upon a Check point Charlie, which I didn’t take a picture of because I was too busy watching the K-9 dog sniffing all the cars and our unit also.   And I promised myself I wasn’t going to take any more road pictures or mountain pictures.

Not far from there we saw a field workers bus with the essential porta potties along for the ride. 

Have to treat the hoers right I guess.. I was going say illegals but I am sure they all had the correct papers with them on the bus.

After a couple hours of travel I noticed we were in the Sonoran Desert, known as the greenest desert in the world.  And the only place the Saguaro grows natural. 

 Feeling like my right hand was cut off without my camera in it, and kicking myself for not getting a picture of Check Point Charlie, I had to take it out and turn it on just in case something else exciting came into site.

I took about 45 pictures of the saguaro cacti trying to get a good shot but traveling at 60mph or so I could only do so much.

Digital cameras are amazing but you have to sort of focus 10 seconds before the shot goes off.  I am amazed that any of my pictures even came out… this shot I whipped my camera almost backwards. Not bad though shows the backseat of the truck and the RV behind.

The Saguaro grow like the oak trees back home. Here is a forest of them.  These went on for miles. They are one of my favorite parts of the southwest.

Okay that’s enough cacti for one day even if I could look at the all day long.  I know in my heart as much as I love New England with all its trees, I love the southwest and the cactus look.  Maybe in my past life I really was a mail order bride and headed west.

We arrived here at our final destination about 1ish got all set up and a big sigh of like relief came over Mike and Shirley.  They are home.

It feels good to me also. And I am glad to be here, and glad that we don’t have to pack up and head out again in a few days.  I have a week to get myself ready for my plane trip home.  I will have to go buy a new suitcase because when I first got here I threw my old one away.  The zipper only went half way around, not good for flying I didn’t think.

I don’t know if I will have much to blog about for the next few days because this is really like home and I’m not hearing whispers about touring anywhere new as I was here a few years ago and did it all then.

So I hope you all have enjoyed my trip with me and I hope my pictures were adequate to give you a glimpse of my time and fun on this venture.

 I promise to blog again if anything does happen of importance. And I will let you all know when I fly home.  I leave here on Southwest Saturday morning at 6:20 am.  Right now we are approximately 1 mile from the airport so I am sure I won’t be late even if I have to walk.  But we all know that won’t happen, Mike I am sure is so ready to get me on the plane I will be 3 hours early.

Thank you all for reading my blog,

Until the next time,

Marie.  
P.S.  Yes I intend to blog later today... I am working on it in my head.  This is not the last you have heard from me.