A Travellerspoint blog

Journal Entry #8 - Back to Canada!

Las Vegas to the Border

We celebrated our last day of leisure ‘on the road’ in Port Townsend, WA. We camped near the town harbour, right on the beach. We could watch the tide come and go and everyone sailing in and out of the harbour, from cruise ships from Seattle heading to Alaska, to morning paddlers.

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The skies alternated between sun and rolling clouds, but it didn’t ever rain enough to stop us from walking the beach or into town. We spent our last day there looking through our photos, reading, sleeping and cuddling. And looking forward to our next adventures.

When we crossed the border at Peace Arch the Canadian Customs Agent, said “Welcome Home” and it felt great to see red mail boxes, Tim Horton’s and loonies again! We had a date with our great-niece Hailey (5) and nephew Fisher (7) in White Rock. While their parents, Christine and Grant, were on a little ‘get-away’ on the west coast of Vancouver Island, we got to ‘play house’. We had a blast – attended two school concerts, went swimming, balanced on the logs at Crescent Beach, had hot chocolate at Timmy’s and played Lego, coffee shop and lots and lots of card games! We also went to bed early and slept very well!

After Las Vegas

In our last entry, I was on my way to Vancouver, to meet Ryan for a few days, and deliver a workshop for the Lower Main Down Syndrome Society. I stayed with Christine and Grant, although it happened that Christine was working in Norway most of the time I was there. She lent me her car while she was away – a brave women, given that I have not driven anything, much less a standard, since November. I only left a little rubber on the road, a few times...

Ryan flew in after work on Saturday, and as soon as stores opened Monday morning, we went camera shopping. His successful savings program left him with a choice of digital cameras and he chose well. The rest of our time was spent putting the camera through its paces.

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While I hung out in Vancouver, Brad stayed in the Pahrump, NV area. In spite of being busy, I was heartsick at times in Vancouver, missing Brad more than I ever did traveling for work, even a few weeks at a time. We are so used to being together! While I was gone, he read by the pool, and swam many laps, two of his loves. I think he missed me, too!

Our plans to head north to Reno and Sacramento were thwarted by a storm forecasted for the area – climbing to 7000 ‘ with snow and high winds did not appeal to us, so we turned left, and headed around the south end of the Sierra Madre mountains, and up California’s Central Valley. As we headed into CA, a beautiful scent wafted into the truck – like oranges and jasmine – it was heavenly. Suddenly everything was wonderfully GREEN!!
After these months on the desert, what a treat to see flowering fruit trees flowering, vegetable crops in long straight rows, and budding vineyards. It was a feast for our senses!

This was our longest driving day in a long time, and about 7:00 pm we began looking for a way off the freeway and a place to spend the night. I spotted a sign for Kingsburg, sporting a Swedish Dala horse! So of course, we had to stop there.

When I was about 5, my Westermark grandparents brought me a small Dala horse home from a trip to Sweden. Last year when I was looking for an image for my business cards, I decided to photograph my horse to celebrate my Swedish heritage and creativity (note the little beaded necklace). Dala horses are an important folk art in Sweden, and are a common symbol of all things Swedish.

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Kingsburg was settled in the late 1880s, and 90% of the original settlement were Swedes, tired of the cold winters of Michigan. Dala horses, Swedish pancake houses and shops line a very quaint main street and some local teens told us RVs overnight at the local grocery store parking lot, so that is where we stayed. (We probably should have asked if there were railroad tracks nearby…).

While waiting for a tire repair the next day, we met a local retired school principal, who grew grapes for SunMaid, locate in Kingsburg. Check out the little red boxes and you will see that! He filled us on the’ must sees’ in the area, routes to Yosemite National Park (YNP)and which roads would still be closed by snow. He has emailed us since to see how our trip to the park went – I love meeting people like that along the road!

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

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Seeing El Capitan in for the first time stays with you, but living with the Rockies in our back yard, we are slightly jaded. The Yosemite Valley is very narrow and only 7 miles long, but spectacular, with high, raging waterfalls that you can see from great distances. The roar is awesome.

The Visitor Centre staff in nearby Oakhurst offered lots of suggestions that worked well for uThe best advise was to camp at the local fairground in Mariposa. (Overall, we were not impressed with CA state parks – they are small, old and scarce. On the other hand, fairgrounds are cheap, clean and green!

Imagine our delight to find that the California Mining and Mineral Museum was in the Fairgrounds and the Marisposa Rock and Gem show was running while we were in camped right there! We had a ring side seat, could talk with rock hounds, equipment suppliers and of course, beaders!

Another hint was to stop for lunch at the elegant old Ahwahnee Hotel in the park.
(That way we would not need reservations or dress clothes…) So we did. It is old, and elegant, and the service perfect. However, halfway through our soup, our waiter came up and interrupted us. I thought she was going to tell us an entrée was not available, but she said, “Excuse me, I am sorry to interrupt you, but there is a fire in the hotel, and you have to leave through this door right now.” As if it was the most common request they make! We grabbed our wine glasses, and headed out, and the whole evacuation was very impressive! We drank our wine in the grass of the Wedding Glade, and were given fresh soup as soon as we could return. (The fire was small and on the second floor). By the way, when I raved about my beer and cheese soup, she offered the recipe, so if anyone is interested, just let me know.

We were glad we did not try to take the rig up to Yosemite and try to camp. The park is decidedly not vehicle friendly, but has great shuttle service, even from hotels outside the park.

For our bird watching friends, here is a lovely bird I followed while walking at Yosemite. I don’t know what it is – when its wings were out, the colours resembled my two favorite minerals – malachite and lazurite.

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From Mariposa, we headed up and down, up and down, toward the Interstate and ended up in a Safeway lot at the west end of Lodi. And as we drove into town, the Creedence song, “Lodi” came on!

It was a quick jaunt to Napa the next day. The vines were beginning to leaf out, and again we stayed in the fairgrounds, within walking distance of the town centre. Napa is a delightful little town, and I loved the ‘eating garden’ at Copia, a wine and food exhibition centre. Lemon trees, herbs, vegetables, bay trees, surrounding the ourdoor café. We had an afternoon of wine tasting – it could be overwhelming but we concentrated on a few of the more architecturally interesting tasting houses! The wine was good, too.

We cut over to the CA coast near Mendocino and it is on our ‘must return to’ list – it is a delightful artsy community perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Many movies have been filmed there (www.mendocinocoast.com/filmoffice/films.htm) . Brad found a hooded rain jacket he liked, and bought it just in time. As we continued up the coast, he got lots of chances to wear it....

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In 1977, we honeymooned in San Francisco, and so enjoyed visiting the city again. We took a high speed catamaran ferry from Vallejo to the city, and hopped a bus to Chinatown for lunch, then another bus to Fisherman’s Wharf. We walked, and walked, and revisited many memories along the way. Brad had a ‘walk-away cocktail’ of shrimp and crab, and I bought some Boudin sourdough bread. Then we caught the last ferry back. Was a great day.

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We have a very similar photo from 1977, but these people are much older!

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We were on a mission to settle into South Beach State Park near Newport, OR in time to meet my parents there for a few days.

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They made a detour after celebrating my uncle Tory Westermark’s 80th birthday in Vancouver to visit with us a few days. Unfortunately, it rained pretty much to whole time we had together, but being good sports, they didn't let the rain keep us from touring the area together. The highlight for us was seeing the Oregon Aquarium with them (check it out www.aquarium.org; their photos are much better than mine. And watch the commercial – it’s very cute!)

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We had a good seafood feed, checked out the coast, the Sea Lion Caves and the visit with them went by way too fast. After Dad and Sheila headed home, we moved up the coast to Nehalem State Park. It was so well situated for day trips to the hot spots along the Oregon coast - Haystacks at Cannon Beach, Seaside, Hug State Park and Astoria.

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We love Oregon state parks - well staffed with volunteer hosts, only $16 with electricity, and all the ones we saw also had yurts that you could rent. They come equipped with beds, tables, a deck, heater and lights. We are already making plans for a motorcycle trip down with our sleeping bags. That's all we will need to bring. And those rent for about $30 a night.

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Brad was still searching for a campground right on the water, and vaguely remembered one from a solo bike trip up the WA coast, so we headed up, looking for the elusive, perfect campground. And found it at Pacifc Beach. He parked the rig right at the edge of our site, about 3 feet from the beach. This is when we really appreciated all the windows in our rig! It was a million dollar view - and there were only a handful of sites occuppied. Finally Brad had the site he was craving. The tide went way out, and we could walk forever on the sand, searching for agates and beach glass.

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Our last stop was Port Townsend, a spot we visited almost a year ago, when we were wondering if we could ever get our plans together to take this year off. It is a magical little town, with lots of bookstores, coffee shops and places to walk. A real treat is a theatre built in 1923, still showing two movies every day. You buy your tickets outside and then walk into the lobby. There is even a live introduction to the movie.

On our last visit to Port Townsend, I bought some notecards in a coffee shop that was hosting a one man show of a local artist from a community arts program for adults with developmental disabilities. This trip I got to visit the studio. I got a tour of the arts centre, visited with some of the artists, and hope to connect with the director on a project promoting the art of adults with developmental disabilities. If only Port Townsend was in Canada - I think I could have easily applied to work there!

We had a leisurely drive back to Canada on May 6th, just in time to settle in before Christine and Grant headed off for Tofino. And that is when we put our first blemish on the rig - we were trying to parallel park 55 feet of truck and rig along side their garage, and put a little scratch on the side, and a little dent in a roof shingle. So knock on wood -I hope that is the worst of those sort of adventures.

We are heading to Vancouver Island tomorrow and in a few weeks will slowly work our way home to Calgary. This leg of our adventure has been everything we hoped and more. And although it will be wonderful to back, we can't return to our house until October, and the east coast beckons .... We will keep you posted.

Thanks for reading and following our travels.

Cheers,
Lin and Brad

Posted by Hermansons 13:40 Comments (0)

Journal #7 Easter in Death Valley

Lucky the Easter Bunny didn't find us!

Written March 24

Death Valley National Park (DVNP) is not what I thought it would be. Brad had visited twice without me – once on an infamous 4 month ski trip across the northwest with two buddies in the 70s, and again a few Christmases ago. I heard about skiing sand dunes and an oasis, and great vistas, but was unprepared for the 3,000,000 sq. miles of such changing topography. The park holds both the lowest and highest spots in the continental USA, and I now understand the true awe of an oasis.

Luckily the Easter Bunny did not find us, because anything chocolatey would have melted into big mess! It is HOT, and this is still the busy, cool season here. Easter lines up in CA with Spring Break in CA, so for a change, we are sharing adventures with families, and not just .Snowbirds.

We have turned into ‘those campers’ who pull into an RV site, quickly hook up and disappear into their unit to enjoy all the mod cons like air conditioning!! Lots of people are camping right behind us, and I could see Tyler and Karen enjoying that. But I have to tell you – we wouldn’t be here without hookups (well, Brad might be, but I would be in an air conditioned hotel in Pahrump, waiting for him…). We are staying in a dusty, parking lot style park– but it has power, and for $28.00 per night, we also have access to an icy cold unheated pool. Even for us melting northerners, it is very ‘refreshing’ to spend a few minutes in it!

Knowing how much I like the heat, you won’t be surprised to hear that we have either gone out early in the morning, or in the late afternoon, after the worst of the heat. And can’t get back to our wonderful air conditioned home on wheels fast enough! With a huge, ice cold beer waiting for us in the fridge - thanks, Tyler!! It went down real well!

The alarm went off at 6:15 this morning, so that we could grab some cereal, a coffee and head out. I had heard about a ghost town near the park, and when I checked it out of the Web, found that Ian McGregor, our favorite actor/motorcycle advernturer had made a film there, so of course Brad was in!

With few buildings still standing, it is hard to believe that 10,000 people lived in Rhyolite in the early days 1900s. Today the concrete shell of the three story bank, large school and very elaborate train station still stand. Broken glass, bits of rusted metal and gaping foundation holes dot the landscape. The mine was only active for a handful of years, and nearby Beatty was more accessible, and the town died. I love ghost towns – it reminds me of scouring old homesteads, trying imagine what life would have been like for those that lived there. If foundations could talk! Most structures were more modest, but there was a very grand three story bank and elaborate train station.

The setting was stunning, and were it not for the heat, the isolation and the hard mining life, I imagine it could be quite lovely! I had a blast taking photographs, again lamenting not spending the $$$ for a digital SLR camera…. But I still have not discovered all my compact one will do.

After a pit stop for fuel and coffee, we back tracked a few miles from Beatty, to the turn off for Titus Canyon. It sounded interesting in the guide book, and even though high clearance was essential and 4x4 recommended, we thought our faithful Finn could handle it.

What an amazing trip! It was 27 miles, covered at a snails pace, through the most spectacular county. We both commented that it paralleled Big Bend NP in Texas. This is certainly a part of DVNP that most people don’t see.

The road was a narrow, one way washboard, that climbed through two passes. At points I thought both truck mirrors would scrape rock! When we are bouncing over rough back roads, I often unbuckle my seatbelt, because it locks up easily, and tends to choke me on every bounce. Today I was happy to keep it on tight, and if I had a helmet, I might have worn that too! The road was just scraped out of gravel and rocks, and the hair pin turns were a little tight for my liking. Brad had to pull way to close to the outside edge to be sure he did not hit the rock wall on the other side. At one point, I just closed my eyes and hummed, and that worked. The 27 miles took us a couple hours, with lots of photo breaks. Here in Death Valley is the first time I have filed my 2 GB memory card in a day!

Brad says he has not done some much ‘four wheel driving’ since he, Grant, Jim and Howard covered every back road in Bragg Creek and the Kanaskis in his red Nissen in the 70s!

The little DVNP booklet has one enticing photo of the traveling rocks at the “Racetrack” and again, we thought the truck could handle the road, dispite warnings and the rangers 4x4 recommendation. We are truly making the best of having an easily detachable RV unit.

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Again it was 27 miles, over boulders, washboard and sand. But the reward was worth every bounce and jerk. After winding up and down, the view opened up, and we came upon a great dry lakebed in the valley. A few more miles, and we could walk out onto the ‘playa’ where rocks dot the surface, with dry trails marking their paths.

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It is mind-boggling to see! We had so much fun, following one path and then another. We had imagined that they moved straight across the playa, blown by the wind. But they don’t – they zig and zag, double back on themselves, and even make circles. Rangers have been tracking them for years, but to date, no one has ever seen on move. Theories include that they are blown across wet clay (thinking bentonite) or thin layers of ice have some factor in their movement. It is just the coolest site to see.

Into the 90s in the shade today – but local forlks are telling us it doesn’t really get hot until June….

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There is currently a full moon, and the local folks say it is spectacular to been on the dunes in moonlight. So Brad and went out one night to check it out. But we misjudged the moon rise, and we waited, and waited in the dark. And finally walked back to the truck with a pathetic little flashlight, trying to avoid the brush. Unfortunately, we never did manage to stay awake long enough to see the moon rise on the dunes - we are having no trouble sleeping these days!

Another day we toured Scotty's Castle, a large estate build during the 20s and now a part of the park.

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The estate was an engineering marvel in its time - it was completely self-sufficient with running water, 'air conditioning' (really elaborate 'swamp coolers' in the basement that circulated cool air through the house), water generated power and even a doorbell that played music!

We hiked Mosiac Canyon one evening – it is a steep canyon cut through marbe in many places. It was beautiful, and I could not keep my hands off the smooth marble walls. In places water had burnished the rock into marble shutes, and they were fun to slide down. I can imagine with a little water running, they would be cool, smooth and FAST!

Tomorrow we are giving up our RV site with hook ups (one of 14 in the park …) and backtracking to Furnace Creek to check out the south end of the park. While there are no hook ups, they do have a pub and I heard a pool, too, so I think I will survive one night, as long as I can find my way back to the rig when the pub closes!!

Thursday Brad takes me back to Vegas, for a flight to Vancouver. I am meeting Ryan for a few days of catching up, visiting family and friends, and presenting a workshop for the Lower Mainland Down Syndrome Society. Brad is going to find something interesting dto do while I am away, and I know, enjoy the quiet!!

Then off on another adventure – I think we can smell salt air ……

Til next time,

Lin and Brad

Posted by Hermansons 00:51 Comments (0)

Journal # 6 Family and Friends

A month in Apache Junction

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We did get to spend our month in one place, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was quite different than our trip so far, getting to know an area and taking day trips.

We met some folks from Shawnigan Lake, BC who suggested we check out Sunrise RV Resort, in Apache Junction, just east of Phoenix. It was just what we were looking for – had a great pool, was quiet, friendly, well located for services and had less than 500 sites. (Some near here have more than 1800!!)

We ventured into Scottsdale and lived the urban life for the weekend. I presented at the American Affiliates in Action conference. It is a two year old association of leaders of Down syndrome groups, large and small. One hundred and eighty participants represented 63 groups in 31 states and it was a wonderful opportunity to meet old friends and network. I heard some wonderful speakers, and was able to share some info on cultural competency and developmental disabilities. My workshop was on “Preventing Volunteer Burnout in Nonprofit Organizations” and as I prepared my notes, I realized how far from stressed I am! The workshop went well; and I left with several pounds of new info (Brad’s talking about the trucks weight load again…) and new contacts. The conference was held at a lovely golf resort and guests enjoyed a compete breakfast buffet and complimentary cocktails and nibblies on the deck at 5 o’clock. Brad found lots to do between the pools, the patio and channel-surfing!

Unfortunately, I hadn’t realized there were two big bead stores in that area until we were back in Apache Junction. But I did get to see the Bead Museum in Glendale and saw beads that were 75,000 years old! I learned of bead tours to Europe – all organized so that you see bead makers, shops, museums – and don’t have to waste any time finding your way around. I wonder how many air miles that would take …… I may have to go back to work to support by bead habit soon ….

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We enticed Brad’s folks to come down and stay for a week. Our luxury accommodations worked well, but that is most likely because Dora and Hermie are such gracious guests. With a rented car, we toured them around to some of our favorite spots, including a return trip to Sedona, Cottonwood and Jerome. What a treat to have them all to ourselves for a week!

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At a Saturday morning patio sale, I met another beader, and we were instantly talking beading techniques and stashes. With only a week left in our stay, Sheila and I planned our time carefully to maximize the time we had to bead together, and taught each other several techniques. I left with two great bracelets – see attached photo.! We hope to stay in touch to inspire each other, and even made plans for a personal bead retreat. Maybe at their condo in Puerto Penasco, Mexico, or our cabin at Hidden Valley.

Our niece Jen and her husband Cory told us about some great motorcycle routes in this area, and we couldn't resist. Brad booked us a Harley Heritage Softail Classic for a day, and we sure got our money's worth!
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My butt was sore, but it was worth it. We rode a big loop north to Payson and back via Rosevelt Lake and Globe. The next day, we hopped on early for a quick run up to Tortilla Flats before we had to return the bike. Sigh - it was great and makes us wish we had the Voyager with us.....

Our time in Arizona has been very social – we have reconnected with folks we stayed with in January, met up Snowbirds from BC who we met in CA, had a couple pot luck dinners, and caught up with friends wintering in the area.

From Apache Junction, we had a date with Tyler and Karen in Las Vegas. They took possession of their new home in Falconridge in the afternoon, then hopped on a West Jet flight to climb in the Red Rock area west of Vegas.

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We provided a home base for them while they climbed and toured the Strip. We were happy to see them relaxing by the pool in the RV park, too.

Our time with them went by way too fast and before we knew it they were gone. Was a great ‘family fix’ for us, though. Brad and Tyler found some time to talk about Hermanson Design Group, too!

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Ty and Karen tented overnight in Valley of Fire State Park, one of our favorite places. This is a place we learned about from the Vines, and have been visiting every chance we get for over 30 years. And now we are delighted to see our kids discovering it, too.

We are heading to Death Valley next – Brad has been there twice, and is anxious to show it off to me. It will likely be busy for Easter, as it is still ‘cool’ enough for campers.

By the way, in rereading the February posting, it was the Annual CARROT festival in Holterville. I don’t know what a Carron Festival would be ….

Cheers,

Lin and Brad

Posted by Hermansons 00:01 Archived in USA Tagged automotive Comments (1)

Journal #5 Springtime in the Desert!

Changes of Plans - Back to Phoenix!

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Can it really be the beginning of March already? Brad and I look at the calendar and shake our heads – there is so much to see, and it will be getting hot down here soon. I know – I say that like it is a bad thing, but most of you know my feelings about heat!! Right now the desert is turning green, and it is spectacular!

Here is what we have been up to....

When I last posted, we were in Cottonwood, just north of Phoenix. One week there rolled into two, and then three …. We stayed in Dead Horse Ranch State Park. In spite of the name, this is a gem set amidst lots of opportunities for day trips. We walked from the campground into Old Cottonwood for coffee, to a ‘real’ bakery (if you came in early enough you could watch the crew shape all the loaves). We were there long enough to become recognized at a few of our favorite haunts; it is just that kind of place. Sedona was only 20 minutes away, so we went once to visit galleries and again to explore the canyons and see local architecture.

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From nearby Clarkdale, a train runs along the scenic Sycamore Canyon, to an old stop over point in the days of steam engines. A couple days a week, the train runs a 4 hour trip for tourists, and my dad suggested we would enjoy it. One sunny Saturday we made the trip, and two days later, we found our way over rough roads to watch the train go by and waved across the canyon! We hiked down to the river, and for once, I was easily dissuaded from picking up any rocks because it was a long way up to the truck!

Jerome is a small town perched on the side of a mountain (although a Calgarian has trouble calling it a mountain...), overlooking the Verde valley. A ghost town in the 60s, it has grown into a lovely artists’ community, and an easy jaunt from our campsite, so we visited several times. On our last visit, the day before we were leaving unfortunately, I met Suzann Trout, a bead artist who shares a studio with her daughter in the old Jerome High School. The school houses working studios for fibre artists, painters, photographers and furniture makers. So the studios have walls of windows, creaky wood floors and blackboards! How I would have loved to hang out there for a few more days!

But we had a date to keep - a highlight on this leg of our trip was meeting our niece Christine and her husband, Grant at the Grand Canyon (GC). They had come out from Vegas, in their rented convertible. What great way to explore the roads in the park! It was fun to spend time with them, taking photos, telling stories and laughing late into the night.

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Perhaps if we would not have had so much fun that night, we would have thought about bringing in the slides before we went to bed, as snow was forecasted. Live and learn…. We were able to bring the slides in, but an inch of heavy wet snow came with it. Thinking that it was likely not a good thing to have snow melting inside the unit, I used Brad’s super window washer to scrape the snow from the top of the slides, scooped it into a large bowl, climb down and throw the snow out the door. Ten bowls later we were ready to go, and it was still snowing. I am sure it was huge entertainment for the folks in the only other rig in the park! After a quick breakfast in town with Chris and Grant, we headed our separate ways, hugely fortified with a family fix and hugs.

Getting Wifi connections while we travel continues to be a challenge. In one small town the library had a great signal, but no power outlets available and my battery was done. So I put my lawn chair on the shady side of the truck, plugged the computer into the inverter, and proceeded to catch up on emails!

Heading south from GC, we stopped in Yuma for a few days, to visit Brad’s aunts and uncles there, (and can those ladies cook!!), then off to southern CA, bucking incredible winds. We thought there must be a hole in the gas tank, the way the fuel was disappearing!

Anza-Borrego State Park appeared as a side bar in our “Scenic Drives in America” book, so of course, we had to check it out. We explored dry lakes and badlands, and followed roads we had no business taking the truck on! We hiked to native palm groves and watched the sun set from atop a mesa. The park is quite isolated, although a day trip from San Diego or Yuma, one of those well kept secrets.

So there in the middle of nowhere, I got a craving for Chinese food. Brad held little hope but was game to drive by both restaurants in Borrego Springs. No luck, but he also tried the high end RV resort on the way back to our campsite and our leftovers. And there was "Hog Heaven Bar and Grill", serving Mexican and Chinese food! Brad just shook his head, not believing my luck as I happily ordered chow mien and Kung Pao chicken! What can I say - I guess I’ve been living right!!

Our plans to spend a month at a great RV park east of the Salton Sea did not pan out, but was worth the trip because we loved Anza-Borrego. I had even bought a book on the geology of the area, thinking we could go back on day trips to explore some more, but the Fountain of Youth RV resort was full, and a 10 day wait in dry camp didn’t seem worth it, with so many other areas to explore. Some folks from Edmonton told us about an RV park east of Phoenix, and I was speaking at a conference there in a few weeks, so we headed east.

Driving through the small town of Holterville, CA on a Sunday morning, we happened upon their annual Carrot Festival. There was music, vendors, games, and great food. No corndogs here! Local eateries were competing, and who ever collected the most $1 food tokens from patrons would be crowned champion! So Brad and I did our best to sample everything, and left most of our tokens at the Tequila Shrimp stall, but the fish tacos with grilled grilled peppers and pickled jalapenos on fresh tortillas were a close second! An hour later we were back on the road with more fond memories. You gotta get off the Interstate!

The night before we got to Phoenix, I went to extend one of the slides when we stopped --- imagine our surprise when its electric motor fell on the pavement!! Luckily we were not off-road somewhere, and the slide was IN when it happened! The warranty folks with K-Z were very helpful and set us up with a dealer in Phoenix. Living in smaller quarters while we waited for parts to arrive was cozy, but no problem for us.

With all my reading, and hiking and rereading, I am slowly making sense of the words, and beginning to understand North American land formation. Learning to recognize some rocks and minerals - (even if they are not beads!) is fun. It even makes the drives more interesting, watching road cuts along the route. In Anza-Borrego it was interesting how different rocks from different, but nearby hills, were. Mostly I am fascinated how rocks feel different – some are rough as you would expect, some feel almost waxy, others so smooth. Some just fit perfectly in your hand. Brad and I tend to collect the ones that feel good. This is the month long stay in one place that we have been waiting for!

Our spot here is very quiet, close to the pool and recreation centre, library and the gates. Apache Junction is the very east edge of the Phoenix valley, and up against the Superstition Mountains. The 5th wheel was "in the shop" while we stayed in a resort hotel in Scottsdale, while I attended the Affiliates in Action conference there. One hundred and eighty leaders froml Down syndrome organizations, large and small from across the US attended. For me, it was the chance to connect with folks I have met over the years, network, and learn first hand the amazing services and programs groups offer families and professionals. I presented a workshop on preventing volunteer burnout, and enjoyed the opportunity immensely. When we can laugh at ourselves, there is hope, and I had a very engaged audience! While I was 'working', Brad enjoyed the view, the pools, and channel flipping.

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Most of our exploring takes us into the desert, and it is glorious as it turns green! The wild flowers are every where, and it is still cool enough to hike.

I have always wanted to take in a Renaissance Festival, and we had an opportunity very near here. We cheered for our knight in the jousting contest, ate food on sticks (who knew frozen cheesecake on a skewer tasted to good?), watched the falconry show, and axe throwing. I especially enjoyed the music and the costumes - if we lived here, I would most certainly have a gorgeous costume to parade in - at least on a cool day...! We arrived in the mid-afternoon, and did not leave until it was all over - the music stopped and the last cars were leaving the parking lot!

Someone asked us if we feel like we have been away a long time, and no, we are more surprised by how fast the time flies. I do have fits of homesickness, but when you are away with your best friend, it passes quickly. Lately most days I spend in my bathing suit and a cover up and flip flops, and worry how I will ever go back to wearing real clothes?! The thought boggles my mind....

Since leaving Calgary in August, we have travelled 24,168 km; we're still married, the sun is shining, life is good. And there is still so much to see!

Cheers,
Lin and Brad

Posted by Hermansons 10:51 Archived in USA Tagged automotive Comments (0)

Journal #4 Study Butte to Phoenix

January 14, 2008

Happy New Year to All!

As we came south, Brad and I began reliving experiences from our 1978-79 trip. In October 1978, Brad and I had a huge garage sale, bought a ¾ ton Dodge camper van called Max and toured North America for almost a year. While we traveled, I had kept a journal. (Over the years, that journal ended many arguments!) The journal is showing its age, but I packed it carefully for this trip.

As we began to overlap with places we visited on that trip, I read our journal entries from that time aloud. When we realized that we were so close to Big Bend National Park (BBNP) in West Texas, we knew we had to see it again. In February, 1979 we planned to spend one night in the park – a stayed for a week! So, we were curious – would we be as enchanted as we were then, or was that a magical time that would not come again?

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Because we needed power, we stayed in the “RV park” in BBNP, RV park being a generous label! It was a small parking lot, marked into sites. It could never be full, because campers could not park or leave – we could barely drive to our site! But it got us in this amazing area, and that was enough for us and we were lucky to get a spot at the far end of the lot, with a lovely park area to view.

We saw lots of wildlife – javelinas (sometimes stalked by a coyote), road runners, deer and a bob cat! Road runners look just like they do in the cartoons – you expect to hear the “Beep Beep!” Another feathered friend was a gorgeous red summer tanager who kept attacking the side window of the truck. We weren’t sure if he was suicidal or trying to mate with “Finn”, our stuffed Puffin mascot sitting on the dash. Later a ranger told us he likely saw his reflection, and thought he was competition to scare away, so we moved the truck to save him so wear and tear!

December 13th was marked on the calendar so we would not forget the Geminids meteor shower. We took lawn chairs, blankets, and wine to the middle of a field near the camp site and settled in for the show. Big Bend has the darkest night sky of any national park in the US, so we were in the perfect spot. And it was spectacular! Reminded us of laying on the golf course at the cabin, watching the annual August meteor shower with our kids.

One treasure in BBNP is the Hot Springs. A small pool about 18” deep is all that remains of a 1920s spa. The water is about 105 degrees, and crystal clear. It is a slice of heaven to sit here, watching the Rio Grande flow by on the other side of the wall. A young Mexican living on the other side of the river would come by and water his horse and burro and wave to us. Here is Brad, showing you what relaxed looks like!

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Once our batteries were recharged and we had explored the east side of the park, we moved to the Cottonwood Campground, where we had our own wild turkey to patrol our site! We rediscovered the magic of Saint Elena Canyon. You see the opening in the rocks from many high places in the park – it is a beaconing landmark. As we hiked far into the canyon, we heard scraping, and talking and singing, and thought there were more hikers deeper in the canyon. But moments later, a lone canoer came around a bend. Don’t know who was more surprised – him or us. We were the first people he’d seen in 4 days!

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Can you see the opening to Santa Elena?
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In the Canyon
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From the Canyon

Big Bend NP is immense, and many rough roads cross the park. A snow storm hit the park a week before we arrived, so the roads were particularly rough, but so worth the effort. We rocked and bounced and jiggled, and loved every minute. Here is one of our rewards!

We found Big Bend as magical as our first trip, and the experience was enhanced with our new interest in geology and rocks. Sadly, there were some ch anges, too. Since 9/11, you cannot cross the Rio Grande to walk into Boquillas for lunch. The informal border crossing is closed, and Boquillas is dying because residents now have to drive 160 miles south for the most basic supplies. And the river is drying up. The Rio Grande starts in CO, and we saw the great canyons it cut near Taos. Now all the water isused up in New Mexico and Texas before the river gets this far south, and what there is comes from what it picks up as it cuts through Mexico. The rangers are burning the tamarisk trees introduced for shade, but have taken over the river banks (known here as ‘water pigs” because they are florishing along the banks, and indigenous trees are drying. A reminder that we shouldn't mess with nature.

We moved into campground in the small town of Study Butte (pronounced “Stew-dee”) for a night to enjoy a meal out and electricity, and decided it would be a good place to spend Christmas, so one night again turned into a week!! You can’t underestimate the allure of WiFi, a grocery store and Kathy, the Kosmic Kowgirl’s Koffee Kafe! The Study Butte store sells liquor, gas, propane, hardware and grociers, including fresh fruit and veggies and great homemade bread – in about 800 sq ft. We stocked up for Christmas, got the ingredients for the Hermanson tradional Christmas tacos and even found a bottle of bubbly to toast in the new year. Our other option was to drive 90 miles north, and it just didn’t seem worth it.

People live in Study Butte because they want to – and find a way to make a living. We enjoyed our time there meeting very interesting folks, who were friendly, generous and resourceful.

On a day trip, we popped across the border at Presidio to the Mexican town of Ojinaga, or "OJ" as it is called there. A ranger suggested a place for lunch and the food was delicious, cheap and tasty. Brad ordered beef tacos, and got a platter of cubed beef, bacon, onions and chilis covering about 5 flour tortillas. No lettuce, sour cream, etc - that must be Tex-Mex style. I had a Swiss Enchiladas, with vague memories of making something like this from my Mexican cookbook. Yum. And a huge bowl of guacamole for 35 pecos. Whole lunch was $22 – likely a lot for "OJ", but the food was very good, and we left stuffed.

Christmas was reduced to its essence for us – our favorite coffee mugs, carols and connecting with our friends and family. Our kids sent us a treasure box filled with things to remind us of home and use on the road. We are truly blessed in their support of us taking this year for ourselves.

When we first entered Texas, I said to Brad as we drove along – “Gee the rocks in Texas aren’t very interesting – unless you count the ones holding oil” – and I could not have been more wrong! I am carting back as many samples of agates, calcite, rhyolite and quartz as Brad will let me. It is a veritable feast, and we continue to learn more about geology and minerals as I read and check out museums. Of course, I am imagining what they would all look like as beads …..

After a month of Big Bend back country, small towns and secondary roads, it was a shock to our systems to be heading into Phoenix, to visit Debbie and Bob, folks we met in Alaska. They chauffeured us around, (a real treat for Brad!!), helped us get our chores done, and generally treated us royally. Brad got to talk to someone besides me, and I got to do ‘girl stuff’ with Deb. But the highlight – Deb set me up with a luxurious bubble bath in their huge jetted tub, classical music, a bottle of champagne, - it was bliss!!!

Now we are in Cottonwood, about 30 miles south of Sedona, AZ. The weather has been bright and sunny, but cool at night. But more on that soon!

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Lin and Brad

Posted by Hermansons 13:11 Comments (2)

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