Home at Last

March 18-21

Looking back at the blog Dave wrote for our Cross Country trip in 2011, I am struck by the similarities of these last days. [ //crosscountrycasita.blogspot.com]  So I'm ending with his words, updating only to match current circumstances...

Landon, Scott, Laurie, Owen & Charlie

Dave loves to walk the beach

From Chandler, AZ, we made pretty much a bee-line for home, stopping overnight only in northern San Diego, home of our daughter Laurie, Scott, and grandsons Landon and Owen.



We camped for 3 nights at San Elijo State Beach (San Diego County), a favorite location on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean; we could listen to rhythmic ocean waves all night long.  The last  evening Laurie, Scott, 11-year-old Landon, and 7-year-old Owen joined us for a hot dog cook-out and toasting marshmallows for yummy S'mores. 

The next day we finally arrived home in Royal Oaks about 6pm on Friday, March 21st, exactly 2 months after our departure.  We were warmly greeted by daughter Cheryl, her husband Jason, and our 6-year-old granddaughter Ava, all of whom have been living in our house during our absence.  Without their expert management of our home affairs, including care and feeding of 2 cats, our extended absence would not have been practical. 

Our camping odyssey took us through 12 states, adding Arkansas to the list of states visited previously in the Casita. We drove a total of 8,125 miles.  We were able to visit 50 people related to us by blood or marriage. We also saw around 20 other friends along the way, sharing memories and renewing relationships.  This is not counting the new friends we made in Key West or our treasured Wheat Ridge friends!

compliments of Stephanie B.

People often asked us "What was your favorite aspect of the trip?" or "your favorite destination?" or "most memorable event?"  All of these well-meaning questions are impossible to answer in a simple way.  So many vistas and event-stones and encounters occurred along the way that they now rest together in interconnected layers within our memories.  Our lives have been enriched in many ways, our eyes opened, our minds challenged, our bodies still strong, our spirits renewed.  And yes, after 2 months of togetherness, Dave and Jane are even more in love. [I especially like this part!]

Phoenix area

March 12-18

As we headed into lower altitude, we knew we were in Saguaro Land once again.  Being here in this amazingly warm, dry weather has been like a separate vacation - a nice little present!  We have had visits with friends and family that, though short, are very special.




The day we arrived we drove across Phoenix (it's a big city!) to Litchfield Park (west) to visit long-time friends Bob and Colleen, whom we knew eons ago at our much beloved Emmanuel Church in Vienna, Virginia.


We stayed with son Mike and Stacey at their new home in Chandler (southeast) for a couple of days.  Luckily we were able to leave our Casita parked in front of their house as there was no room for it at the hotel where we moved to next.  Dave and Mike enjoyed their favorite pasttime: playing Backgammon and smoking yukky cigars.  They also got in some tennis (the old man won!)  Stacey and I spent a wonderful day on pampering (mani-pedis and lunch at an Olive factory!

While in Chandler, Mike, Dave and I had the pleasure of having lunch with Susan, a friend from our France trip last September. What fun to see her again after the wonderful experience we had shared!

Nate, Dave, Terri, Stacey, Jane, Mike

For four days we enjoyed living in the beautiful Tempe Mission Palms Hotel where Wheat Ridge Ministries conducted an uplifting retreat.  Dave is on the board of this non-profit organization that seeds ministries of health and hope in the name of the healing Christ.  Check out their website at www.wheatridge.org.  We were delighted to introduce Dave's cousin Nate and Terri to Mike and Stacey when the four of them joined us for dinner Sunday night. We spent the last night with Mike and Stacey again, leaving early on Tuesday for San Diego (and grandsons!).

Traveling on I-40: Tennessee to Arizona

March 7

Turned clocks back: CST

Big Bear; Little Bear

Hopping on I-40 in Knoxville, we traveled to Memphis where we settled in at the Graceland RV Park, across the street from Elvis Presley’s famous home.  We had happy hour in the adjacent Heart Break Hotel.  Not being big Elvis fans, neither of us desired to tour the home. 

Elvis's grave

However we were told that if we were at the Graceland gate NLT 0730 in the morning, we could walk onto the estate and visit the Meditation Garden where Elvis and parents are buried. So we did!  It was a lovely way to start the day before breaking camp and heading out of Tennessee.

March 8

Turned clocks forward: CDT

Weather was holding, so we decided to stay on I-40.  We passed through Arkansas, picking up one more state for our map of states traveled in the Casita. 

We were happy to drop in on my college roommate Kay and Doug in eastern Oklahoma.  So glad they were available! We had visited them in their comfortable, rustic home above Tenkiller Lake in 2011.  Although we had very little time to spare on this trip we made the best of it, even accompanying them to their friendly church on Sunday morning.

March 9

Lake Elk City Park

Still in Oklahoma we discovered a delightful, free campsite at a local park in Elk City, OK.  It seemed to be a popular site for the local folk, walking, playing ball, water sports on the too-low lake.  But come sundown we had the entire park to ourselves.

March 10

Turned clocks back: MDT

We had an excellent lunch at Dell’s in Tucumcari, NM and then 45 miles later had a total blow-out on one of the Casita tires.  No cause for panic.  The same thing had happened in 2011 in the middle of Washington state.  USAA came to our rescue in the form of Bobby, whom we had just seen at Dell’s.

Kirtland AFB Family Camp in Albuquerque, New Mexico was our destination for the night. The next morning we bought new tires at Discount Tires close by.

March 11

Turned clocks back: MST

It’s becoming very difficult to tell what the correct local time is!  Arizona does not move to Daylight Savings Time.  At least now we are actually on PDT so we won’t have to change our clocks again!

 

We decided to take a short cut and leave I-40 at Holbrook in Arizona.  The highway was nearly deserted and very scenic.  Several US Forest Service campgrounds along the route were closed.  It’s still cold at 6000 and 7000 feet altitude! So we settled down for the night at the Payson RV Park, among the pine and cactus, the high chaparral.  Tomorrow: Phoenix! Yes!!!

Detour to Tennessee

March 5-7




Our trip from California to Key West was carefully planned.  Not so with the return trip!  In Key West we felt safely cocooned from the crazy weather occurring everywhere north of us.  So we decided to choose our route westward according to the weather reports.  Thanks to Cousin Bert for telling us about the Intelicast app for my iPad!  Should we take I-20 west from Atlanta, or could we visit my sister and family in Tennessee and head west on I-40?  If so, we could continue the northern route or cut down through Dallas to I-10.  Weather was fair so we headed north to Louisville, TN. 


How delightful to spend two nights at the beautiful lake house Bill and Fran built just up the hill from where Fran, Jay and I grew up.  We have many wonderful memories of visits here, and we love making more! And best of all were the visits with Jill and the kids, as well as meals with good friends from Maryville and Knoxville.  Too soon it was time to leave!

Dave playing cribbage with Zak

Bill and Fran, Zak, Jessie, Jill and Cooper

Homeward Bound - Georgia

February 27 - March 5

Georgia has taken me by surprise!  Except for a brief visit in 2011 to friends in St. Marys and a walk around Savannah, Georgia has always been just Atlanta, home of brother Chuck.  But we can now add Georgia State Parks to the must-visit list!  We camped our first night out of Florida at Reed Bingham SP in southern Georgia.

Sunset at Reed Bingham SP

The next day we met Jane, a good friend from high school for lunch in Macon. Sadly we were so busy catching up that I forgot to get a picture!

Nora with Katie and Hunter at campsite

The next two days we camped with cousin Nora and James and son Burton and Whitley at Indian Springs SP closer to Atlanta.  We had quite a campsite with our little Casita and their barely larger R-Pod.  Friday night the six of us went to a Beatles tribute concert by an excellent band called The Return.  It was almost as if we were listening to the real thing!

James, Whitley, Burton, Nora, Jane and Dave

Sunday afternoon we drove to Suwanee, in the northern part of Atlanta, to stay a few days with brother Chuck and Evelyn.  Their beautiful house has been a welcoming and quiet haven for us many times.  Dave and I visited the Jimmy Carter Museum; we would highly recommend that to you. 


 Chuck and Dave had fun bottling root beer.  We swam at Chuck's community pool.  We had wonderful Chinese food.  And we celebrated Chuck's birthday at the Olive Garden.  Cousin Erica and Kenny came over after dinner for a visit and ping-pong game.  Tomorrow we leave Georgia, but we take with us many wonderful memories!

Chuck, Evelyn, Kenny and Erica

Homeward Bound - Still in Florida

February 23-27
    
Saying Good-bye to Key West after settling into the daily routine and enjoying the tropical weather brought a wee tear to the eye.  But now we are pointing our nose toward home.  We enjoyed another too-short visit with brother Jay and Julie near Miami, kayaking again and sipping coffee in the morning looking out at the lake.

Jane with Vicky, Gracie, Bert and Coley

 




We also had a much-appreciated visit with cousin Bert, Vicky and the kids in Coral Gables.  We are so in favor of making the most of short visits.

 




After driving across Alligator Alley and turning north, we reached our "campground" in Bradenton.  I wish I had a picture to show you of this campsite.  It was actually a mobile home park!  Our little Casita was dwarfed by the homes on each side.  But the people we all so friendly.  Two nights seemed a short time to stay there.

     We packed in three visits, all so much fun!  We had dinner with cousin Jon and Ellen at the Seafood Shack.  We laughed, and told family stories, and ate well. 

Dave, Jane, Jon, Ellen

John and Cindy

Next day we were taken to Anna Marie Island for brunch with John and Cindy, parents to our son-in-law, Jason.  What quality time we had with them. 


 Then we spent the rest of the day with long-time friend, Linde, and her husband, Frank.  We got a resident's tour of Sarasota, both walking and driving.  Then we drove over and around several keys before arriving at their delightful home on Longboat Key for dinner and more visiting.  It was hard to leave as we see one another so rarely any more. 

Summer in the Florida Keys - Part Three

This is just a footnote to our experience in Key West, dry camping for 16 days.  We probably will not repeat it, but we loved it.  When we left Key West, we drove back to brother Jay's and Julie's beautiful home near Miami.  I close here with a song that Jay wrote for us - and pictures that I omitted before.

Old sandals replaced by new ones

Pelicans abound

Walking by the Gulf at the campground

Campsite at NAS Sigsbee - very large

KEY WEST by Jay

Silver recovered by Mel Fisher

Three hours south from Cutler Bay

     another world resides

A military memory where sunken ships

     and salvage hides.

Excessive drinkers hide their pain,

     while shoppers make their quest

Through sunshine, storm and falling rain,

     we must be in Key West.

Truman Little White House

 

No longer just a sleepy town,

     these pilgrims come from everywhere.

And sometimes in her water holes

     both men and women’s chests are bare.

These funky, freedom-fighting folk

     still give the finger to the best.

When hurricane predictions come,

     Key Western folk inhale and rest.

 

Cruise lines dock, unload and feed

     as sailing vessels masts unfold

Scooters, bikes, and cars abound

     one thinks her streets are full of gold.

My sister and her husband trekked

     to camp there sixteen days

To revive their humanity

Key West Aquarium

     and bask in wind sun’s rays.

And then one day we too joined them

     there with butterflies galore

Then ate delicious seafood,

Hemmingway's house in Key West

     taking photos round her distant shore. 

Butterfly Museum

Summer in the Florida Keys - Part Two

Friday, February 7 - 23
    

Our very generous campsite

     We arrived at our southernmost destination two weeks ago:  NASKW (Naval Air Station Key West) Sigsbee Beach Annex.  We are “dry camping” which means we have no electricity.  But with our battery and propane we have everything except air conditioning and the microwave oven.  The first week was too hot and humid for us central coast Californians.  But there are always cool restaurants for lunch, the cool camping office for wifi, and on weekends, a bracingly cool pool at another NASKW annex.  After a heavy two-day wind and rain, the temperatures cooled off to the

Dave's Life Is Good t-shirt

high 70’s and the breeze picked up so we are more comfortable and enjoying life more.  Or maybe we are just acclimating!  Unfortunately we had to take down our tent canopy when a gust broke a piece of it.  But we have enjoyed it's shade and wind protection for many days!

Best meal: filet, southern beans, red potatoes, salad

    

     This place is full of surprises.  One is that the keys are coral rock, so there is very little sand.  Another is that the pace of life is very, very slow.  People drive slowly - often from necessity because of the congested, narrow streets.  People are very helpful and friendly – tourism is the main industry today.  The history of Key West is fascinating – we have accumulated bits of pieces by frequenting the many museums. Although our campsite is at the edge of the Gulf and we have been to beaches both gulfside and oceanside, we don’t swim. (too cold, Man o’ War jellyfish, rocky bottom, etc.)  There are beautiful roosters crowing all over the island - originally brought here by Cuban cock-fighters, they are protected here and flourish.  We have enjoyed worshipping for two Sundays at the beautiful St. Paul's Episcopal Church.  As modern as it appears on the outside, there are beautiful, old-world style stained glass windowsn..We have been introduced to Pickle Ball - does anyone know of a place to play this in Monterey???

      We were told that it is a different culture down here.  Some of that culture probably revolves around Duval Street, Mallory Square, and the many restaurants and bars.  But bar-hoppers we are not!  However, since we spend a lot of our time at the campground, we have discovered the “winter camper culture.”  Most of the folk at our campground have come here year after year, not just for two  weeks like us, but for three to five months.  So many folk have made friends down here that they reunite with year after year.  While we have met really nice folk, we probably will not come back to Key West.  There are too many other places to visit in our US!

Jay and Julie visited for a fun day!