In early May, we drove from Kansas City to South Dakota. When we got to Sioux Falls, I had to stop for Godfather’s Pizza for a mini taco pizza (no onions). It was worth traversing the road construction and turning around in a random parking lot instead of the U-turn my navigation app suggested. It did cause me to be a little past my planned check-in time, so I called the RV park I was staying to let them know I’d be late. The owner answered and said she totally understood the need for some Godfather’s Pizza; I knew she would be a kindred spirit.
The drive from Kansas City was a windy one, but not as bad as our travel through Kansas. We didn’t detour into Nebraska at all, but – just knowing that tornados had torn through that part of the country – made the drive heavier than some that we’ve done. We have been blessed to be spared anything more than wind and hail and snow on our journey, and my heart hurt for them.
When we arrived at Dakota Sunsets outside of Salem, SD, we had one of the best check-in experiences we’ve ever had. The owner, the same gal who answered the phone, was a delight. She was curious about our trip and instantly helped me feel at ease and wish that we were staying longer than one night. She also gave us chocolate chip cookies! *swoon*
They had some rain earlier in the week, so there were sites that weren’t habitable, but our spot was dry and cozy and, as promised – a beautiful sunset.
The next morning after a glorious, quarter-powered shower, we drove the rest of the way to Mitchell where we met up with my friends’ parents for warm conversation and a good breakfast at Blarney’s. There is a comfort – after being alone for so long – to spend quality time with people who know you and share a meal and conversation with you. It was hard to leave, but we were on our way back to Minnesota, which has a draw of its own.
The rest of our day was uneventful, which was welcome. We arrived on the farm in the middle of the afternoon and were able to get set-up and enjoy the quiet of the farm.
Arthur enjoying the fresh farm breezes and the possibility of a new, little bird friend.
Annie, my parents new puppy, was very curious about Estella and Arthur, but Arthur was not at all curious about Annie.
Yep. We went to Kansas in April, the start of tornado season. We wanted adventure, and Kansas delivered. The first “sign” probably should’ve been the amount of wind we encountered just driving to Manhattan. Since Arthur has been consistently using his hideout when we drive, I can use the cruise control but not on I-70 in Kansas with 30-50 mph gusts of wind. Estella thought we were on a slippery road because of the wind, so we slowed down and took it easy.
I was inspired to spend some more time in Kansas after watching Somebody Somewhere, an HBO dramedy set in Manhattan, KS. I also enjoyed my stop through Topeka on my way to New Mexico in December. Our first stay was in Tuttle Creek Cove, which was a great location. (The showers were not as great, but I still got clean even if I spent half the time killing mosquitos. In my journal, I wrote, “Why are the mosquitos so big here?” LOL)
Our site at Tuttle Creek Cove was beautiful, but it may have been a poor decision to pick a spot on the hill – even though the views were lovely.
The wind definitely had us rocking on most of the nights we were there. 🍫🍫 There were also reports of semi-trucks and their trailers being blown over on the interstate. Previously, a co-worker recommended a weather guy on YouTube – Max Velocity, which we watched almost obsessively when we were in a tornado warning. I would also recommend the What County am I in website. It’s one of those things you don’t think about when you live in the same county consistently, but it’s been really helpful for me as I am traveling around and trying to figure out if the county I’m in is also in the path of some kind of severe weather.
The wind was so bad on one rainy night that rain started coming in through the seams on the slide-out, which I didn’t notice until morning when I noticed that part of the bed was damp. 🍫🍫🍫 I don’t think there was any serious damage, but I rigged up a containment system to catch the water as it dripped in. The last night that we were there, the winds picked up so much that I moved the slide-out in, and we just slept in a more cramped space. It was fine, and we didn’t have to worry about any unwanted water.
Prior to the tornado warning, we took a rare adventure without a rental car to visit the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Historic Site. This was my first presidential library visit, and it was much better than what I had anticipated. While I enjoy historic homes, I would not refer to myself as a history buff. I probably spent less time there than the average visitor, but I’m still glad I went.
The chapel was the most moving part of the historical site. It’s a beautiful tribute to the former president and his wife. It was interesting to learn that Dwight Eisenhower was born D. Dwight Eisenhower; he changed it when he joined the military, which apparently was a common practice.
If you do go to visit the Eisenhower library, I would recommend a stop at the Russell Stover outlet store. The smells are incredible. There’s also a very cute gift shop close to the outlet if you want some Kansas-made goods – Wilkens Acres. I found some great Mother’s Day gifts at both places.
On a rainy Sunday, I was able to drive through Topeka again and have breakfast with my coworker and his wife. They gave me a tour of their lovely home, and then we had breakfast at the iconic Hanover Pancake House. It was delicious and a delightful chance to catch up with my friend and his wife. They made another great plug for Topeka, but I think that the tornado warnings might have put a damper on my desire to live in Kansas.
I really don’t know how else to describe Wyoming. It is unique. It was windy. But I hardly saw any cows or people or gas stations as I trekked through Wyoming to Colorado. There’s something to say about so much, seemingly, untouched land. Montana is like that, but there are houses dotted around the countryside and gas stations here and there, but once you’re out of a city and on the highway in Wyoming, it’s desolate. The texture of the land is rugged but stunning, and it doesn’t look like it would be an easy life, weathering Wyoming.
My check engine light decided it wanted to see Wyoming and Colorado as well, so it stayed on throughout the drive into Fort Collins. I was able to make some plans for Estella while I was in Wyoming. First, I had to figure out what Arthur would do if I could get an appointment with Mercedes-Benz in Westminster, CO. Rover.com has been such a great resource for Arthur on this journey. I decided it was probably best to board him since I wasn’t sure how long Estella would be in the shop.
I dropped Arthur off at a super nice couple’s home outside of Denver, and it was rough. He was NOT happy, and I have the scars to prove it. The couple did their very best with him, but it was just too much change. As much as he loathes driving from place to place, he really has adapted to life in the RV and is not curious about life outside of it. Pick up was just about as awful as drop off, but once we were back on the road to Fort Collins, Arthur was in better spirits and eventually forgave me for my terrible decisions. 🍫 🍫 🍫
There has definitely been something watching my back on this journey. When I contacted the MB dealership in CO, they were incredibly understanding of my situation and my timeline. I cannot say enough about how friendly they were to me, especially Randal – who was responsive and probably had to move heaven and earth to get Estella in and repaired – and how kindly they took my money. 🍫 The good news is that Estella was back within three days, fixed, and had a general maintenance service done.
Fort Collins.
There were some great parts about my stay in Fort Collins. It’s a great town. I was able to rent a car through Turo again and tootle around a bit. I saw a play (Our Town) on the thrust stage at Colorado State University. I stayed near the Horsetooth Reservoir, which was outside of town, but it was beautiful and worth the extra money to get rides in/out of town.
Arthur enjoying the view when we arrived.
The warm weather didn’t last, but I was ok with it. We had several, short snow falls that turned everything pristine and then muddy.
While I was in Fort Collins, I received some really difficult information, which was definitely a setback in how far I thought I had come in my journey. This is a journey of thousands of miles both logistically and emotionally. I started to write letters that I will probably never send, but they helped me get the thoughts out of my head and my heart. Outside of work, there aren’t a lot of distractions, so I have a lot of time to think, process, mourn, and grow. This journey has changed me, but it has also reminded me that I have a long way to go.
Even as I struggled, there were bright spots while I was in Fort Collins. Not surprisingly, it was my interactions with people that reminded me to be grateful. I mentioned Randal earlier; his kindness helped keep me on track with my trip and dissolved some of my anxiety about getting back on the road. When I was in Denver, I got an Uber ride to the airport to pick up a rental car. My driver, Gerald, was a calming presence who was genuinely interested in having a good conversation. It helped that we were in traffic for 45 minutes, but we were able to make a connection, giving me some support that I hadn’t realized that I needed.
Fortune continued to be in my favor when we got back to Fort Collins. My first ride into town to pick up my rental car was with a guy from MN – a little slice of home – and his stories about his family helped me see that I’m not alone as I work through all the relationships in my life.
After returning my rental car, my driver was also an open, kind person who was open and offered me some advice about how he finds his center. I promise I didn’t overshare; he just must’ve known I needed that. I also forgot my phone in his vehicle. 🍫 🍫 🍫 🍫 I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that was an ordeal. I had been using my phone as a hotspot since the T-Mobile signal was non-existent at this site. So, no contact with the outside world without my phone. I ended up driving into Fort Collins to get a better signal with my hotspot, contacted my friend to call my phone, and then drove back out to the park to meet the driver who generously had driven back out to where he dropped me off to get me reconnected with my phone.
I am grateful. I am strong. I will continue to grow.
It’s been two months since my last post. I have been busy, but I’ve also been unmotivated. I do appreciate the ability to catalog our adventures, so I am back and trying to be more regular about posting. There is plenty to catch up on. 🙂
Jackson Hole, WY
Jackson Hole was on my list, and I had hoped to go through Yellowstone on the way there, but it was not to be since it was early April. So, I set off from Missoula into Wyoming. We got about 15 miles out of Missoula, and the check engine light came on. Because Estella is a pretty, pretty princess, she requires extra TLC – primarily because of her Diesel Exhaust Fluid needs. I’m good at keeping her topped off, but there’s a ton of sensors that are and are not covered by our extended warranty. I spent some time in Jackson Hole looking for a solution over the weekend, but – of course – nothing was open. 🍫 More to come on this when I get to Colorado.
When I was in Jackson Hole, I used Turo to find a rental car. This is an app / website where you can rent a personal vehicle from a stranger – kinda. like AirBnB for cars. It was my first time using it, and it worked out well.
This is the Jeep I rented through Turo. It was a fun ride but definitely quelled my desire to buy one of these for myself.
I had breakfast at this cute spot in Jackson Hole – Cafe Genevieve – and walked around downtown before heading to the National Elk Refuge and Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center, which had an observation deck to see the elk doing their elk thing. Wyoming – like Montana – is so vast that even viewing the elk from the deck required a binoculars. I did see a lot of wildlife – a beautiful fox crossed the road in front me, and there were deer and elk near my site at the Fireside Resort.
(left) There are these incredible Antler Arches downtown. (right) This was the view from the observation deck. If you look really closely, you can see elk…kinda.
The most awe-inspiring part of being in Jackson Hole was the quick access to Grand Teton National Park. I was able to get into the park but not far, but there was still a lot of snow, so I didn’t get to see the majesty of the whole park, but what I did see was breathtaking. Hopefully, the pictures below give you a good idea of how beautiful it is.
I was so happy to be there with snow on the ground – warmed my cold, little heart.
Bathrooms
I just have to give a shoutout to the folks at Fireside Resort for their beautiful bathrooms. King Arthur’s poop box is in the shower in Estella, so I stay at places that have shower facilities, and it’s hit or miss. Fireside had some of the best bathrooms I’ve seen – clean, modern, fresh decor, and well-ventilated. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – nice bathrooms are a luxury that I will not take for granted any time soon.
I stayed overnight in Washington and Idaho on my way to Montana. The first night, I stayed in Kennewick, which was an easy drive from Portland. It was another really nice Boondockers Welcome stay. It was Easter weekend, so no one was around. The weather was sunny and a bit windy, but it was a very easy stay with electric hook-up and water. I would love to stay there again when I get back to Washington.
The next day, I picked up I-90, which is a road that I am very familiar with. I grew up in a town just south of I-90 in Minnesota, so it was a little piece of home, knowing that was on the western part of a road that I know so well. I was in awe of the topography of this stretch of I-90. The most lovely area was near Sprague Lake. We overnighted at Tamarack RV Park, which had an easy check-in process since it was still Easter, and the office was closed.
My plan was to get on the road and in Missoula on Monday. I didn’t have a chance really look around Coeur D’Alene, but the RV park was great – beautiful mature pines and spacious spots for my B class. I made a stop at St. Regis Gift Shop for fuel and for some postcards. I also discovered Huckleberry soda, which was absolutely delightful. This bag sums up Montana for me:
My pictures will never due Montana the justice that it deserves. Steinbeck had it spot on. “I am in love with Montana. With other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection. But with Montana it is love. And it’s difficult to analyze love when you’re in it.”
The drive to Missoula was uneventful, and Jim & Mary’s RV Park – where I was calling home for the next two weeks was perfect. They gave me a great spot on the end of a row, and it was spacious and easy to hook-up with a beautiful tree. I wasn’t sure if I’d have water or not because their website said limited water until mid-April due to the possibility of overnight freezing. Luckily, we had water!! I’ll say it again for anyone who will listen – life with running water is amazing.
On Tuesday, I took my rental car over to a salon to get a much-needed hair touch-up. Unfortunately, my stylist was pre-occupied and after waiting a half hour, I had to reschedule for another day with a different stylist. During my wait, I also realized I had entered Taco John’s land again. I do love Taco John’s tacos, cheese sauce, and potato oles. I grabbed some TJ’s and headed over to my co-worker’s home. We ate tacos, laughed, talked about prom with her daughter, and caught up – a great second day in Missoula!
On Friday, I headed out to Highlander Beer with my co-worker and a couple of her friends. There was a singer at the brewery, and they had pizza! I had a cider and enjoyed the ease of a conversation with girlfriends. How I have missed these kinds of evenings!
On Saturday, we ventured to Glacier National Park after enjoying some deliciousness from The Breakfast Club in Missoula – biscuits and gravy for me!! We were plagued with fog, but we did have a great drive up and back along Flathead Lake. We made our way back and stopped at Flathead Lake Brewing Company for a snack.
On Sunday, we hit up the Bitterroot Valley and stopped at the Big Hole Battlefield for some learning. It is a tragic story, but it’s important to remember. I’m writing this on Memorial Day, and all the lost lives to protect this country is somehow more moving after seeing so much more of this country. The sacrifices that so many have made on both sides of the weapons – if only we could do more with words and less with violence. The battlefield hosts an annual gathering to honor the Nez Peace ancestors.
My co-worker also took me to the Patagonia Outlet – a delightful way to end the day. Of course, we found some bargains, and then we ate at Dairy Queen on the other side of town.
Arthur loved Montana, too. He had some great sleep while we were there.
This is my first time in Oregon, and I wanted to spend a solid month here, but I also wanted to see other areas. Since I lived a lot of my 20s and 30s in Minneapolis, I thought Portland would possibly be a good fit for me – even if it was a little bigger than what I had originally thought I would like.
Before I could get on the road, I needed to dump my black and grey tanks. Since Arthur doesn’t like to do errands in Estella, I decided to do this right before we left. There was a dump station at the campground, but we had to drive through about 20 truck / horse trailers to get there since there was a horse show going on when we left. 🍫 This wasn’t a big deal, but it did test my turning skills. Luckily, I didn’t hit any trucks, trailers, horses, or people.
After dumping the tanks, I headed up to Portland from Corvallis in mid-March (and yes, I know I’m really late in getting to these blogs from March / early April). My co-worker who lives in Portland mentioned that the last In-n-Out Burger was just north of Albany, so I had to stop on my way to Portland. There’s a lot of hype around In-n-Out, so I wasn’t surprised that there was a line out the door at 11:30 on a Saturday. I only had to wait about 30 minutes for my cheeseburger, and it was worth it – flavorful and comforting. The fries – not so much; they kinda had the texture of styrofoam.
The drive up to Portland was uneventful. There was an accident once we got into the city, but it didn’t hinder us, and we ended up arriving at Jantzen Beach RV Park around 2:30. This RV park is on Hayden Island in the river between Oregon and Washington. We had a good spot – not too big, not too small. We were also right next to the bathrooms and laundry, which was really convenient for showers. The only downside was that there was always security light coming in from that building, and it drove Arthur bananas. 🍫🍫 I had to rig a curtain over the window to block the light, so he wouldn’t be chasing the light across my face during the night.
Portland just reinforced how much I enjoy visiting places where friends live. This time, I got to spend a lot of time hanging out with my co-worker and his wife. They were incredibly generous hosts who made sure I got to see the neighborhoods and downtown Portland on multiple occasions and ran me to / from the airport to pick up and drop off my rental car. We had dinner at places that only locals know about, I worked from their house when the power went out on the whole island one afternoon, and we even solved a mystery together! Unfortunately, we never thought to take a photo, so this visit will have to live in our memories only.
One rainy afternoon after work, I drove over to Multnomah Falls and took the quick hike up to the bridge that you can see in this picture. The path was slick, so I didn’t venture any further up, but it was a great drive, and I ate dinner at the restaurant that they have there. Full transparency, I would not eat there again, but they did have a tasty alcoholic peppermint hot chocolate…. The food was not great.
More to come on my weekend adventure to Seattle next time.
You know, I still don’t know for sure how to pronounce it, but I spent a lovely two weeks at the Benton County Fairground RV park. As a young person in 4-H, I spent a lot of time at fairgrounds, primarily the Martin County Fair. It’s a great idea as well – for fairgrounds to rent out their RV sites when there isn’t a fair going on.
We had a great spot, and it was a first long-term camping with only water and electric – no sewer. I wasn’t sure how much of a challenge this would be since we’d been staying at parks that were full hook-up (electric, water, sewer). Surprisingly, we didn’t have any issues. Our grey and black tanks were sufficient for that long of a stay. We used less water, but that’s probably just a good thing in general. We also had a spot in an area that hardly had any other occupants, so Arthur was on full-time neighborhood watch.
Must keep RV safe.
I did rent a car and ended up with one that I’d never had the chance to drive before – VW Tiguan. It was an older model, but interesting nonetheless.
Did it rain a lot? After coming up from Morro Bay, it wasn’t really that bad and definitely not unpleasant. We had a lot of days of sun and hit the 70s a few times.
The trying part of the trip to Corvallis was the stretch after we left Highway 101. It started out great. There was a beautiful snowfall and a good amount of traffic that was moving at a decent clip on 126 after Florence. There was an intersection in Mapleton where literally everyone else turned right to go to Eugene, and I decided to go straight on highway 36. 🍫🍫🍫 Not sure how the snow compared on 126, but 36 winds next to the Siuslaw River, which was high and angry. It was extra exciting because highway 36 was pretty narrow, and I was in the outer lane, right near the angry river. The good news was that there was no one else on this road, so I did Pac-Man the road for quite a long time. I did see some very beautiful small towns, including Deadwood near Triangle Lake. All in all, it was about 40 miles of white-knuckle driving.
When we arrived in Corvallis, I stopped at the Walmart to grab some supplies because – believe it or not, they don’t have a Target in Corvallis. Strike one against Corvallis. Between the RV, the Girl Scout cookie table, and somewhere in the store, I lost one of my airPods. I usually only use one airPod at a time, so I only lost one. 🍫 I didn’t discover that I had lost it until we were at our campsite. I did end up trying to go back and see if anyone turned it in, but – alas – no such luck.
I’m not sure if I mentioned this before or not, but I love to tour old houses. Frank Lloyd Wright homes are my favorite to visit, but any historic home will do. So, I toured the Deepwood Mansion in Salem, OR. It was a great tour with knowledgable guide and a friendly group of young women. When I told them about my journey, one of them offered me her phone number and said to call if I needed anything while I was in this part of Oregon. Really can’t emphasize enough how many extremely kind people I’ve met on this journey.
The gardens were just starting to bloom, and the woodwork in this place was amazing.
After Salem, I headed over to Silverton, OR, for lunch at the Main Street Bistro and for a tour of The Gordon House, the only publicly accessible FLW house in the NW. The couple that commissioned the house were farmers, and the conservation group had to move the house from the farm land when new owners decided to tear it down. I’ve been able to tour Kentuck Knob, Fallingwater, and Taliesin. Can’t wait to see more on my travels.
On my way back from Silverton, I stopped by the Willamette Valley Pie Shop. This was a great idea provided by the gals I toured the Deepwood Gardens house with. I picked up some gifts there for my Dad’s birthday, and a Marionberry hand pie for me!! It probably goes without saying that it was delicious, and Dad enjoyed the gifts I found for him there.
I did end up swinging by and touring the other historic house in Salem – the Bush House. This was a grander house than the Deepwood Mansion, but it wasn’t as lovely. Before the tour, I was able to walk around a small gallery on the grounds of the house that featured art from local school students. It was really nice, and I ended up getting to meet one of the young artists who was there with her Mom.
The last highlight of Corvallis was the Ol’ Spaghetti Factory. The last time I had eaten at one of these was when the one in Minneapolis on Washington Ave was still open – maybe decades ago? The food isn’t great, but sometimes it’s the nostalgia that enhances the flavors.
It’s not your imagination; I’ve been neglecting the blog. Since leaving Arizona, I’ve been enjoying shorter stints at different locations. It never feels like there’s enough time to sit down and do some blogging, but here I am – in Idaho and reflecting on the last six weeks.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit a lot of different places in California before – San Diego, LA, San Francisco, and Sonoma – so I wanted to stay somewhere I’d never been before. I threw a dart of over-analyzation at it and came up with Morro Bay – just northwest of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. Unfortunately, California is getting an unseasonal amount of rain, and I didn’t have a rental car, so we hung out solely in Morro Bay for two weeks.
We stayed at a great RV park – Cypress Morro Bay – that was only about two blocks from the bay. It’s a smaller park, so Estella was a perfect fit. We were sandwiched between a group of folks who have been camping there during the winter months for a number of years. They were so welcoming and kind, so it was a really comfortable. The bathrooms were delightfully clean and empty every time I used them.
Without a rental car, I got a chance to take some great walks. The picture above is from a stroll around the bay after a lovely lunch at House of Juju on the Embarcadaro. The main town part of Morro Bay was nice as well – very walkable. There were some opportunities that I missed out on – like a farmer’s market and a gathering with the other folks in the RV park – but I think I just needed the solo time.
I did have an adventure totting 2.5 gallons of DEF a half a mile from the O’Reilly Auto Parts store. In hindsight, which really is 20/20, I probably should’ve just gotten a Lyft ride back to the RV park, but this was character building and sweaty. 🍫
And that was kinda it in south central California. On March 1, we took started our drive north through the rest of California. It was really amazing to see the state from the road. We took the 101 all the way into Oregon. Along the way, we stayed at a county fairgrounds in Cloverdale and a great RV park in Northern California overlooking the Klamath River. It rained..a lot, which seems to be the story of California this time.
The upside from the rain were the number of rainbows we saw along the way. I lost count at 5, and they were all perfect in their own way.
We also drove through the Presidio, crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, wound our way through Sausalito, were dwarfed by the majestic redwoods, and saw the power coastal waves. It really was a remarkable journey, perched in Estella’s driver’s seat. Arthur did well in his hideout during the drive, and I am grateful to have his love and support – even if it’s because I give him treats, food, and water.
Our time in Arizona has come to an end already. Hard to believe how quickly the month flew by. The combination of having a work trip and making the most of my time with the rental car helped expedite our visit, so it’s time to say goodbye to the Grand Canyon State and head out to find our fortunes in the Eureka state.
The road from Camp Verde to Twentynine Palms, California, was not for the faint of heart. We took off around 10AM local time, and we traveled about 2.5 hours when Arthur really started to struggle. In hindsight, I think it was the frequency of the DIPs on the route. State route 72 and Aqueduct Road seemed to be the main culprits, and he was relieved when we arrived at our RV park – Twentynine Palms Resort – that afternoon. He had found another spot to hide while I was driving, and I decided that it would be better to just keep going instead of stopping and letting him rest and having him think we were done with the road. A short drive made very long.
There are some amazing sites when you drive across the country. It’s hard to capture them in words, and I really try not to take pictures while I’m driving. On this trip, there were two things – outside of the scenery – that piqued my interest. On one particularly open space, I looked out the window to my left, and flying parallel to me were two helicopters. I think they were military, but it was not what I was expecting to see. Where were they going? What were they doing? On that same road, there was a car full of stuff – no people from what I could see – that was just on the side of the road upside down, laying on its roof. How did that happen? Is everyone ok? No answers; just mysteries on this road trip.
When we arrived at the RV resort, I signed up for the Saturday night dinner that the park offers for $12 for first-time attendees. That night, it was chicken-fried chicken with corn, mashed potatoes, and a delicious cake for dessert. I ended up sitting with a great couple from Arizona who are just starting going out on long weekend trips in their motorhome. We talked about where they live, what we all do for work, and they had suggestions for future cities for me to explore.
The weather was beautiful, so we were able to open the sunroof and bathroom vent and pull in the fresh air, which was great for sleeping.
On Sunday, we drove out to the Yucca Valley and went on a horseback ride in Joshua Tree National Park with Knob Hill Ranch. Cara and Madeline were very accommodating, and the ride was great. My horse, Biscuit, was a trooper and loved being out on the trail. It was a great way to see the park and, according to my watch, it was great exercise.
Because I didn’t have a rental car, Arthur made the trip to Yucca Valley with me and Estella. He did great, but by the time we headed back to the park in the late afternoon, he was ready to be done.
Glamour snap of Arthur, advising me that he’s done traveling.
Unfortunately, Estella sustained her first injury under my care. When we were leaving Knob Hill Ranch, I didn’t turn wide enough and ended up scrapping the step on the sliding door. 🍫🍫 It’s surface damage, so nothing terrible, but it’s a bummer. Sorry, Estella.
Planning around weather is just part of the journey. Our venture further into California called for us to drive through an atmospheric river on our way to Morro Bay. I like to use Weather on the Way, but it really doesn’t tell you about road conditions – just about the, you guessed it, weather on the way. Luckily, our neighbor at the RV park used to work for the California Department of Transportation, and she was able to give me so solid advice about our upcoming drive.
We arrived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday, December 16, 2023. It was a beautiful drive in and relatively flat on I-40. We did see some snow, which was great because it wasn’t on the road, and it just added to the beauty of the bluffs and hills. ❄️
Our first stop was Target to replenish our supplies. We honestly hadn’t used that much stuff since we left MN, but I thought we should probably get some fruits and veggies and some actual food for meals. But, seriously, look at this view from the Target parking lot.
That’s the Sandia Mountains from the Target parking lot. What a view. You can see these mountains from most places in Albuquerque, but it never ceased to amaze.
After Target, we headed over to where we’d be camped out for the next month – Coronado Village. I picked this location because it seemed like it was pretty close to a lot of different things and would be easy to get deliveries. It also had a good reviews, bathrooms and showers, a staffed clubhouse, and was a mix of RV and modular homes.
We were assigned spot 7, which was a short walk to the showers and laundry as well as kinda tucked back in a mini cul de sac, which meant that no one drove directly by us. We also backed up to a tall wall, so it was pretty private. The spots were really good sized and were a mix of gravel and concrete. Our neighbor was a traveling nurse and her husband and seemed very nice even though I didn’t get to know them that well.
Estella – seen here looking like her lovely, radiant self in ABQ.
Time to Think Differently
Arthur really started to settle in pretty quickly. I did tell him that we were going to be here for a month, and I think he understood. 😹 Or at least as much as cats understand about these things. I knew I didn’t want to move him any more than I needed to, so I thought I’d rent a car.
I had toyed with a lot of ideas for alternative transportation while we were on the road (ie. maybe a scooter would work or an e-bike or a used manual transmission car that I could tow), but none of those ideas seemed to fit the bill for every location I was hoping to stay. I hadn’t really thought of renting a car until one day at work, it just came to me.
I found a good deal, and I rented a car for two weeks. It was perfect. I could come and go as I pleased, and Arthur and Estella could just chill at the RV park without the stress of moving and re-parking whenever I wanted to go on an adventure. With access to wheels, I could really start planning what I wanted to see and do when I was in Albuquerque.
My First Adventures in ABQ
I picked up the rental right before Christmas weekend, so I could drive to see the Christmas lights, a favorite pastime, and run some errands. On Saturday, December 23, I crossed the Rio Grande River and stopped at the Open Space Visitor Center off Coors Blvd. There were several exhibits with local history and artifacts and a great outlook and view of the Sandia Mountains.
After the visitor center, I went down the road to an independent bookstore called Books on the Bosque, which was a warm, local bookstore with new and used books. I found some new books to read and left with some chocolate chip cookies for later.
I went out to REI to get some different gear and spend a gift card that was burning a hole in my pocket, and I decided to go see Wonka at a movie theatre. The best surprise was how cheap the popcorn was; the matinee ticket was $12, but the popcorn was only $5 for a large – what a bargain! The movie was delightful and touching, which I wasn’t expecting but thoroughly enjoyed.
On the way back to Estella and Arthur, I stopped for a bowl of bulgogi at a Korean fast food spot. It was delicious, and they gave me free Korean pancakes. Another bargain! NM was starting out in the most amazing way.
On Sunday, Christmas Eve, I got up early to head to Old Town Albuquerque. My first stop was the Albuquerque Museum where they had a Georgia O’Keefe exhibit, which is free on Sundays. The exhibit was outstanding. They were contrasting her work with the work of Henry Moore, a sculptor who was creating at the same time she was. I had known about O’Keefe’s close-up floral work, but her landscapes were so vivid and outshined the floral work they had on display.
In addition to the O’Keefe / Moore exhibit, there was an Albuquerque-centric permanent exhibit that displayed a variety of Albuquerque’s industry and its people. I also enjoyed the journalism section they had, which detailed, from multiple perspectives, different events in ABQ history. There was smaller gallery that housed some beautiful nighttime pieces paired with poetry. So good. This was an outstanding experience and for free. What a gift to the public.
After the museum, I walked over to Old Town and got lost – literally. I popped into a few stores and bought an ornament at the Christmas shop before I found my way back to the car.
That evening, I found a small Lutheran church and attended their Christmas Eve service. There was a brass band, a kids choir, and all the readings were done by the kids. It was very sweet, and everyone was very welcoming and kind. I had Google where the best light displays were and drove through a few of those neighborhoods with roads lined with luminarias and houses festively lit up.
I have running water again.
This is its own section because I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to de-winterize the RV and have running water again. I hooked up my heated hose with my Freeze Miser, and I crossed my fingers that I wouldn’t run into any frozen pipes because there were nights that could get and stay below freezing and winds that could keep things quite cold.
I’m sure I’ve forgotten some things about that first full weekend in ABQ, but it definitely kicked off the start to a great stay.
The Adventures of Ms Haps & Arthur 