Colorado Springs

When I was younger – probably around 11 or 12 – our family drove to Colorado Springs to visit some of my Dad’s relatives. We had taken many road trips as I was growing up, but this trip was different because I’d never seen mountains before. I think that was the trip that sparked my desire to travel. Returning to visit some of those same relatives was meaningful and felt like a full circle kind of moment.

On our way to Colorado Springs, I stopped in Denver to tour the Molly Brown House Museum. Historical house tours are my jam because it intrigues me to see and hear how people lived, especially courageous women like Margaret Brown. (In another life, maybe I’ll be an anthropologist or maybe I was one already.)

There’s something about a butler’s pantry that just speaks to me.

We took advantage of our Boondockers Welcome / Harvest Host membership again in Colorado Springs. I enjoy these stops along the way where we can stay in a neighborhood and have a chance to chat with the hosts. While this spot was convenient, it was also hosted by really kind people who showed me around their beautiful backyard and had a whole container full of different sites to see in the area. We exchanged stories about kids and grandkids and being on the road.

Being able to connect with family was the primary reason for my visit to Colorado Springs. My Dad’s cousins are warm, inviting people who took time for a driving tour, a hike, and a homemade meal. It was good for the soul.

This trail is near their house, and we grabbed a quick hike to view the Garden of the Gods before dinner. Breathtaking.

While it was a quick visit, it was meaningful in so many ways, and I am thankful we were able to catch up and keep those family connections alive.

Travel to Kansas

Leaving Colorado, I knew I was headed into the Midwest, which is completely different terrain than what I was getting used to with my travels in the West, but it’s what I know – what I grew up in – so there was a tug at my heart to get back there.

The BW/HH place where I stayed was getting work done on their driveway, which wasn’t an issue when we backed into the drive, but on the way out, I definitely scraped the bottom of Estella on our way out. Other than the noise it made, I didn’t think much of it. Hindsight is 20/20, and I probably would stop in the future if it happens again, but I didn’t this time.

When I stopped to grab something to eat, I was leaving, and I heard this noise. 🍫 I wasn’t sure it was coming from Estella because it was a relatively busy location, but as I drove a bit further in the parking lot, it started to sound like it was us. 🍫 🍫 So, I parked again, and I started crawling around the RV. I’m sure I was quite the sight because the problem wasn’t obvious if you just look at Estella. 🍫 🍫 🍫 Apparently, when I drove out of that driveway, I popped one of the hooks to a bracket and had been dragging it on the road for awhile. 🍫 🍫 🍫 🍫 I was able to unhook it, so it didn’t drag. I did some research on what that bracket “holds” and felt ok about removing it, so I did.

No Cows. No People. No Gas Stations.

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.

Where did you go?

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.

Big Sky

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.

Seattle

Since I was so close to Seattle, it made sense to run up there to visit my dear friend’s kiddo at the University of Washington. I drove up on a Saturday morning in the beautiful rain. It was an easy drive until I got to Seattle – the traffic there was not my favorite. Give me just rain any day!

We had a great day out and about, starting with lunch at a hand-pulled noodle restaurant. The noodles were amazing. We each got a different flavor bowl, and it tasted fantastic. There was so much food; I would recommend if you’re in Seattle. Lan Hand-Pulled Noodles.

It is any honorary “auntie’s” duty to take a college student to Target, so we found one that was in a suburb outside of the city in Bellevue. We got to drive across Lake Washington and catch up. We picked up the essentials and definitely grabbed some stuff that was completely unnecessary. It was the perfect time to catch up and hear about all of their adventures as a college student. I’m lucky to get to see my friends’ children grow up and hear about their successes along the way.

On Sunday, I was also able to meet up with a co-worker at the H-Mart in Seattle. I’d never been to one before, and since reading Crying in H Mart, it was like a full circle moment to visit one. We had lunch at a Korean stand in the H-Mart, which was also delicious, and then we did our own shopping. I was absolutely delighted to see all the different snacks and fun beverages. I even found this peach soda in a clear plastic can. My co-worker actually got groceries. My favorite were these shortbread cookies shaped like little mushrooms with milk chocolate caps. Regular mushrooms = no thank you. Cookie mushrooms = delightful.

If I wasn’t living in an RV, traveling across the US, I would’ve loaded up on all the housewares! The selection was great.

I’m glad that I was able to get to Seattle. I didn’t do any touristy things – other than get lost, but it was a great weekend to get away.

My time in the Pacific Northwest was a full of delicious food, including MEAT HUMMUS. This was a must-try at Lil’ Shalom in downtown Portland. It’s not actually called that, but if you’re there, the burnt beef ends in the hummus are a delight. We also had chocolate-themed drinks at Rosie Chocolate House; I had the Marzipan Moon – swoon! We also had brunch at Screen Door where the praline bacon was definitely a highlight.

Even with all the options in Portland, I did some fine dining at Ikea one night. It just so happened to be an Ikea Family deal night, so I got this whole plate for $4.

Arthur was on neighborhood watch our whole visit. It helped that our neighbor liked to feed the birds and squirrels, so there was always entertainment.

Next Stop – Portlandia!

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.

Cor-vuh-lis or Cor-vah-lis?

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.

Two Weeks in Morro Bay

A beautiful view of the bay from Tidelands Park.

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.

Adios, Arizona!

California – Here we come.

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.

Weekend Adventure in AZ

A Castle?

It was my last weekend with the rental car, so I decided to make the most of it.

The RV park where I was staying was minutes away from Montezuma Castle National Monument, which I had never heard of before getting to AZ. On Saturday, I took a walk back into time to see how people built homes into the sides of the hills of northern Arizona. There was even a narrated diorama on the walking path that was really interesting.

The Arizona Sycamores in this park were beautiful. You can see some of the dwellings from the ground, but they stopped tours of the actual dwellings in the 1950s. Unfortunately, it looked like the park had recently disturbed by vandals, including the area by the creek. 😦 There may have been a sign that I may have ignored, so I could grab a peak at the creek (pic below).

After my visit to Montezuma Castle, I had time to stop at the Camp Verde library, which was great. They had a great assortment of used books for sale, so I found some more books for the road.

Then I headed south to meet a former co-worker for lunch. We ate at a restaurant in Anthem, AZ, and it was so great to catch up. We estimated that it had been 10 years since we had last seen each other, and it was like no time had passed.

After lunch, I found a new pair of hiking boots at an outlet mall close to the restaurant. I discovered, after walking part of the Grand Canyon rim trail, my feet are now too old for my hiking shoes. After three different stores, I found a very comfortable pair of hiking boots that support my old feet and have some ankle support, which my old hiking shoes were lacking.

I headed back to Camp Verde for a massage that I had scheduled, and my massage therapist gave me a bunch of recommendations for the rest of my time, including a small mining town called Jerome.

Sunny Sedona on Sunday

I thought I’d take advantage of being close to Sedona and take a day trip to visit. I found a local breakfast spot – Cafe Jose – and headed up there early Sunday morning. The potatoes were awesome, and the cinnamon roll was even better – a great way to start the day.

I also scheduled two trolley tours with Sedona Trolley. This tour made it easy to see the city and some of the sights surrounding the area.

Red rocks of Sedona! We also went to the Chapel of the Holy Cross, which was surprisingly tiny but lovely. One of the great parts of the tour was that trolley dropped us off at the chapels, which was great because parking near the chapel was pretty limited. The afternoon trolley drove up to the north canyon, which was so peaceful that I managed to fall asleep on the trolley, so the pic on the right is my post-nap face.

From Sedona, I decided to drive up to Jerome, AZ – a small, former mining town. This drive was not for the faint of heart, which I didn’t realize until I was driving the road. If you go to the Jerome link, you’ll see some excellent pictures on their home page to give you a sense of how far up the mountain I was. I went to the local museum, which had a lot of great information about the origins of the town, when it became a ghost town, and how it has recovered. I also grabbed some lunch at Clinkscale, a local restaurant.

There were probably other shops or sights to see, but I wanted to get to Prescott, Arizona, so I finished lunch and drove to Prescott. Coming out of Jerome, you drive through the Prescott National Forest, which was just amazing. It had recently snowed, so it was extra lovely. I was on the interior side of the road, so I had fewer butterflies taking that road down the mountain.

When I got to Prescott, I parked near Whisky Row and walked around. I had hoped to visit a historical site (Sharlot Hall Museum) instead, but it was closed because of recent snow. There were some interesting shops and plenty of bars. I had a nice walk around the square and in the nearby neighborhoods.

A view from Jerome.