Leaving Mesa in July was a good idea. Hot!! I visited a few national parks and monuments along the way, getting good use of my senior pass. I went to ancient cliff dwellings, pueblos, Bryce, Zion, and others. Utah/AZ border area has spectacular places to see. I then headed to Rapid City, SD. I got to have a brief visit with family along the way and the opportunity to visit the Wounded Knee Indian Massacre site. In Rapid City I renewed my driver's license, visited the place of my address, and spent time (and money) in Deadwood.
I then volunteered a week just south of Rapid City at Storm Mtn UMC camp. It is just a few miles from Mt. Rushmore. There I cut, drilled, & stained 72 boards that would be used to mount memory plaques in their new gazebo. It was a good week. I was able to hike with some other visitors and go into the old gold mine that is on the camp property.
Driving from there to NE, I stopped at the Archway Museum. It stretches across I-80. If you ever get the chance, stop there. Great museum about the Oregon Trail. The next week I spent at Camp Fontanelle just northwest of Omaha, NE. There I spent the week painting and detailing both sides of their large entrance sign. After ten years of weathering, the sign needed the paint job. What a difference.
It was then on to Tahlequah, OK. I spent 3 weeks there with a great team remodeling the inside of one of the houses at the UM Children's home. I did a lot of carpet removal, painting and, trim work.
While there we went to Cherokee historic sites, a rodeo, and even attended a Cherokee UMC service.
I am now in Branson, MO waiting for the start of our NOMADS annual meeting. Also, I am awaiting a new ac unit. The other one quit about a week ago. ugh. hot and humid here. Luckily I am in the shade. Along the way to Branson, I visited the Will Rogers museum and had the opportunity to spend a few days with family. During this time of waiting for the meeting, I am visiting with friends from AZ, going to a show, and catching up on paperwork.
After this I will head west. I plan to see some of the sights in Las Vegas, NM and Santa Fe, NM which I missed when I went through a couple years ago while following the Santa Fe Trail. Then it's back to Mesa. Let the parties begin.
Someday I will figure out how to add the pictures.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Friday, July 22, 2016
Summer Travels
Time to go. After moving stuff into the park model, I had to move stuff into the RV.
The first week of my trip was spent visiting national parks with a friend. We went to cliff dwellings in Walnut Canyon, pueblo ruins in Wupatki National Monument, Cameron trading post, Horseshoe Bend in Page, Lake Powell, Glen Canyon Dam, Bryce National Park, Zion National Park, and St. George. The senior pass that I got last year had a work out this year. All those places were free!
From St. George, I left to go on to NOMADS projects. I headed to South Dakota, first meeting family in Grand Junction, CO for dinner. Then in SD I visited the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre. In Rapid City, I renewed my driver's license. (My permanent address is still here.) I also picked up my mail in person. I visited Deadwood and supported their economy.
Then it was on to Storm Mountain UMC camp just south of Rapid City. I will spend a week here. I then will go to Camp Fontanelle in Nebraska for a week. I have been to both of these places before.
I will be part of a team for three weeks at a girls' home in Tahlequah, OK. After that the NOMADS have an annual meeting in Branson. When that concludes, I will head back to AZ and volunteer at the Arizona Reservation Ministries.
June
I spent the rest of April moving into the park model (see previous blog). I enjoyed May living in it and traveling in the RV for a week to other parts of the state. I had never stayed so late in the year in AZ. It was getting hot.
I still had a storage unit in PA and decided that I needed to clean that out, now that I had a place. So June 1 I flew to Buffalo and rented a car. I spent a week in Ohio visiting family and friends. I went from there to Pittsburgh for a former student's graduation from the school for the deaf. After that I went back to the Duke Center area. I stayed with friends and visited others. I worked in the storage unit, sorting stuff. I had an auctioneer come and take away all the stuff I thought I would use once I settled. (I had saved some stuff thinking I would need it in a place, didn't know the place would come with everything.) Then I loaded the car and drove to Harrisburg to visit family. My sister-in-law and I drove to NYC to take the load of stuff to daughter number 1. While there, she surprised us with tickets to Swan Lake at the Metropolitan Opera House.
Back to Harrisburg and Duke Center. I finished sorting more stuff in the storage unit, returned the rental car, and picked up a Budget truck. With the help of friends, I got the truck loaded with the rest of the stuff and I was on my way.
I visited daughter number 2 and got rid of some more of the stuff. We had a nice visit and I was on the road again. It took me three days, two nights to get to AZ. I only locked the keys in the truck once. sheesh.
I spent a couple weeks moving that stuff into the park model. Then it was time to get on the road.
I still had a storage unit in PA and decided that I needed to clean that out, now that I had a place. So June 1 I flew to Buffalo and rented a car. I spent a week in Ohio visiting family and friends. I went from there to Pittsburgh for a former student's graduation from the school for the deaf. After that I went back to the Duke Center area. I stayed with friends and visited others. I worked in the storage unit, sorting stuff. I had an auctioneer come and take away all the stuff I thought I would use once I settled. (I had saved some stuff thinking I would need it in a place, didn't know the place would come with everything.) Then I loaded the car and drove to Harrisburg to visit family. My sister-in-law and I drove to NYC to take the load of stuff to daughter number 1. While there, she surprised us with tickets to Swan Lake at the Metropolitan Opera House.
Back to Harrisburg and Duke Center. I finished sorting more stuff in the storage unit, returned the rental car, and picked up a Budget truck. With the help of friends, I got the truck loaded with the rest of the stuff and I was on my way.
I visited daughter number 2 and got rid of some more of the stuff. We had a nice visit and I was on the road again. It took me three days, two nights to get to AZ. I only locked the keys in the truck once. sheesh.
I spent a couple weeks moving that stuff into the park model. Then it was time to get on the road.
It's about time !!!
Forgive me friends, it's been a long time since my last blog.
For the most part, I didn't have anything to say. I was in Mesa, AZ at Towerpoint RV Resort and spent the winter there. I did the same boring things-swim, party, happy hour, make jewelry, party, visit with friends, explore the area, and party. I also volunteered at the nearby school for the deaf once a week.
I spent February away from Towerpoint. Friends and I drove our RVs to Yuma and spent time in Algadones, Mexico. We then went to Quartzsite, AZ to the rock show and flea market. Then on to Scottsdale, AZ for two weeks. We worked at the Arabian Horse Show. What fun!! We parked our RVs right on the property (Westworld), worked 4 hours every other day, and attended any of the shows we wanted. There were at least 5 arenas going on all day every day for the 12 days of show. We had a lot of perks as a volunteer and had a good time. Then we spent the last week of the month at Lost Dutchman State Park, at the foot of the Superstition Mountains. We hiked and enjoyed the time in that beautiful park. We also, sadly, watched a helicopter search and recovery of a hiker.
March was another 'boring' month at Towerpoint and then........I bought a park model. That's what they call the small trailer homes that are more permanently placed in those RV places. I hadn't thought I would do that for a few years. My plan was to reassess my traveling lifestyle after ten years (it's been seven). I knew I liked Towerpoint because I keep going back, so I figured I would end up there, and then downsize the RV.
I had my eye on this one place since it was for sale a couple of years ago. I liked the location, interior, set up, etc. Since the new owners just bought it two years ago, I didn't think they'd sell, but I would let them know that I was interested if they should decide to do so. The Canadian dollar was so bad last year, many Canadians were selling there places. And surprise!!... I got a call from the owner that she would sell. Oh my. Decision time.
April 1 I moved in. I couldn't believe all the stuff in the RV that I could now store in the park model and it's storage shed. Woohoo, but the park model was loaded- it came with everything; dishes, pots, silverware, furniture, appliances, towels, sheets, vacuum, bike, grill. I almost didn't have room for my stuff. hehehe. I made it fit.
Now the downsizing of the RV. I thought I would start doing 'homework' on smaller ones. I found one right away. It's a Pleasure Way. Very small compared to the ones that I had. I loved living in the Sunseeker and hated to see it go, but, in my mind there's no reason to have two big places. This way I have a vehicle to go around town and still go on trips. yeeehawww! Lots happened in a short time.
So yep, that makes four.
For the most part, I didn't have anything to say. I was in Mesa, AZ at Towerpoint RV Resort and spent the winter there. I did the same boring things-swim, party, happy hour, make jewelry, party, visit with friends, explore the area, and party. I also volunteered at the nearby school for the deaf once a week.
I spent February away from Towerpoint. Friends and I drove our RVs to Yuma and spent time in Algadones, Mexico. We then went to Quartzsite, AZ to the rock show and flea market. Then on to Scottsdale, AZ for two weeks. We worked at the Arabian Horse Show. What fun!! We parked our RVs right on the property (Westworld), worked 4 hours every other day, and attended any of the shows we wanted. There were at least 5 arenas going on all day every day for the 12 days of show. We had a lot of perks as a volunteer and had a good time. Then we spent the last week of the month at Lost Dutchman State Park, at the foot of the Superstition Mountains. We hiked and enjoyed the time in that beautiful park. We also, sadly, watched a helicopter search and recovery of a hiker.
March was another 'boring' month at Towerpoint and then........I bought a park model. That's what they call the small trailer homes that are more permanently placed in those RV places. I hadn't thought I would do that for a few years. My plan was to reassess my traveling lifestyle after ten years (it's been seven). I knew I liked Towerpoint because I keep going back, so I figured I would end up there, and then downsize the RV.
I had my eye on this one place since it was for sale a couple of years ago. I liked the location, interior, set up, etc. Since the new owners just bought it two years ago, I didn't think they'd sell, but I would let them know that I was interested if they should decide to do so. The Canadian dollar was so bad last year, many Canadians were selling there places. And surprise!!... I got a call from the owner that she would sell. Oh my. Decision time.
April 1 I moved in. I couldn't believe all the stuff in the RV that I could now store in the park model and it's storage shed. Woohoo, but the park model was loaded- it came with everything; dishes, pots, silverware, furniture, appliances, towels, sheets, vacuum, bike, grill. I almost didn't have room for my stuff. hehehe. I made it fit.
Now the downsizing of the RV. I thought I would start doing 'homework' on smaller ones. I found one right away. It's a Pleasure Way. Very small compared to the ones that I had. I loved living in the Sunseeker and hated to see it go, but, in my mind there's no reason to have two big places. This way I have a vehicle to go around town and still go on trips. yeeehawww! Lots happened in a short time.
So yep, that makes four.
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