The Fraser Journey

Done

2008-04-20T07:38:00.006-05:00

As the sun sets on our "little adventure", we remember the desert sun-sets

We even visited Brenda, Arizona - not necessarily on everyone's trip plan but, we of course LOVED it!!!!

After crossing the US border, the RV’s odometer turned 26,000 kilometers as we approached highway 401. The car’s odometer measured another 35,000 kilometers or so. The better part of 2 years and around 60,000 kilometers (not counting that little 4,500 km. drive home at Christmas). Apart from raising a great kid, this trip is best thing we have ever done!!!

We’ve learned a great deal about the US and Canada, our mutual history, people we met, and…………ourselves. We’ve had fun, seen much, and now appreciate how much more there is to see. Every village, town, city, state or region has something that is the oldest, the newest, the smallest, the largest, the best, or the most unusual. We even visited one community that boasted that it was the 7’th best place to live in the US!! We also learned that the authors of tourist brochures are masters of hyperbole. We did, however, manage to develop talents for “reading between the lines”. We have tried to be “good tourists” by trying almost anything that came along however, we met people along the way traveling to “play it safe”. Their loss.

There remain a couple of small snow piles at home where the plough pushed the snow throughout the winter, meaning we timed our return ALMOST right. Another couple of days would have been perfect. Now…………… anybody know someone who wants to buy a gently used RV? ;-)

History R' Us

2008-04-18T05:11:00.009-05:00

A replica of the Susan Constant, the largest of the 3 ships which brought settlers to Jamestown

The Royal Governors' Palace in Williamsburg. Patrick Henry was the first resident not to be appointed by the king

Two ladies discuss the political affairs of the day outside the Millinery on a Williamsburg street

An early RV

One of George Washington's militias marches to the town green to be addressed by the great general himself.

In addition to being a beautiful state, Virginia just oozes history. From Jefferson’s Monticello and Madison’s Montpelier estates, the Harrisons’ Sherwood Forest Plantation, to the historic triangle of Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown, the birth of a nation does truly come alive here. Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the US (the Pilgrims come 13 years later) is wonderfully re-created, complete with reproductions of the 3 ships that brought the settlers to the new land. But, it is colonial Williamsburg which brings the “birth of a nation” to life. The complete history of the Virginia colony is presented completely and effectively, from the landing at Jamestown to the final major battle of the revolutionary war at Yorktown. One could spend a month poking around the shores of the Chesapeake and the Shenandoah Valley discovering the history of the area.

True story – we were touring colonial Williamsburg and a couple of kids were discussing the history of the place and the struggles between the Americans and the British during the revolutionary war. One kid said that his teacher asked him what the patriots possessed to help them win and his reply was Randy Moss!!!! (for the non-NFL informed, Randy Moss is a much celebrated wide receiver for the New England Patriots – possibly not what the teacher had in mind)

We are parked just off route 81 in Virginia. 81 runs right to the 1000 Islands Bridge near Brockville so from here we can turn off the GPS and turn on the cruise control. Home soon.

Horse Country

2008-04-14T18:22:00.007-05:00

There are Redbud trees everywhere!! They are beautiful!!

There are barns and, there are BARNS. The owner of this farm is a "white fence" guy!!!

In the barns at Keenland

The "twin spires" at Churchill Downs.

The path to "Man-of-War's" grave. He had a stride of 28 feet, 2-3 feet longer than most thoroughbreds. Secretariat had a 21 pound heart versus 8 pounds for your average race horse. The "winner's edge".

The drive from Oklahoma to mid-Kentucky passed miles of blooming Redbud trees, in some areas forming an almost continuous scarlet edge to the roadways. There are many other blooming trees lining the highways but none more prolific than the Redbuds.

Touring the region around Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky is to tour the middle of Bluegrass Country as well as the centre of the Kentucky horse business. The horse farms are magnificent, surrounded by miles of either black or white wooden fences. The black fences are creosoted and, require little maintenance. The white fences are latex painted and very labour intensive. One facility we visited has 28 miles of white wooden fences. The fences require $40,000 of paint each year. Are you a “black fence” person” or a “white fence” person? I am firmly in the black fence camp!!!!

We visited Churchill Downs in Louisville, Keenland Track and the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, and drove through the rolling countryside. There are horses everywhere and horse trailers parked in every parking lot. It is said that historically Kentucky horses were revered due to calcium rich Kentucky spring water, filtered through the native limestone, contributing to strong-boned animals. That same water apparently makes great bourbon!!!! Kentucky-bred horses have won the majority of Kentucky Derbies. There must be something in that water!!!!!!

We were advised to have lunch at Sam’s Truck Stop outside Lexington and, what a find it was!! The clientele included truck drivers, stable-hands, business-men, farm owners and, the “ladies who lunch” resplendent in their riding gear. The food was great home cooking. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch complete with a “to-go box” full of another BIG meal for the two of us.

Wear the "high-water" pants

2008-04-13T06:53:00.005-05:00

Same Big Ass Beer on Beale Street

Same bands in the park

Same Rum Boogie Cafe. They hung a "Billy Preston" guitar on the wall when Billy played the club. Billy protested. (He plays the organ). Club owners refused to hang an organ on the wall!!!

Driving through Oklahoma and Arkansas on I-40 (the second worst highway we have been on in 2 years ……. I-10 across southern Louisiana still has the crown) we passed every river, swollen past its banks. Flooding everywhere! We have seen stranded farm equipment in the middle of what appears to be lakes and roads which run right into the water. The recent violent weather in “America’s heartland” has truly stressed everything. One local dam, near our Friday night stop in Russellville, Arkansas, is now spilling more water that it has ever released since it was built 66 years ago. All sluices are wide open yet there is still fear that the rising water may top the dam. It has rained a lot!!!!!!!!!!!! (BTW – Russellville is in a “dry” county and ………..we’re outta gin!!!!!!! Can you dial 911 for that?)

We have slowed our eastern progress in order to stay behind “the weather”. We are experiencing bright, sunny days however, the wind is a b*#ch. But………… guess what………….we’re back in Memphis. How did that happen???? ;-) Saturday night on Beale Street……. Damn!! We are trying not to retrace our steps but……………it’s Memphis!!!! Nothing changes on Beale Street. Same bands, same food, same fun!

From here we’ll head up across Kentucky and Virginia. That’s all new.

“Okey” Dokey or “Gone With the Wind” - Oklahoma style

2008-04-10T17:07:00.011-05:00

The reflecting pool at the Oklahoma City National Memorial

An empty chair - one for each of the 168 victims. The small one is named for Baylee Almon, the one year old girl pictured in a fireman's arms on front pages around the world

The largest Chihuly sculpture in the world: 10 tons, 55 feet tall, 2,100 separate blown glass components

I captured this Chilhuly hallway ceiling by laying on the floor

Part of the Oklahoma Land Run Memorial. From noon to midnight on April 22, 1889, the population of Oklahoma City went from 0 to 10,000.

The drive from Dallas, where Spring is fully engaged, to Oklahoma City, where Spring is emerging, was “interesting” in the “May you always live in interesting times”, Chinese curse kind of way!!! Brochures proclaim that “Oklahoma spring weather can be severe at times”. No kidding!!! After driving for 1 ½ hours with the wipers at full speed, we pulled into the RV Park, where rivers were flowing anywhere there was a sloped, paved surface. Lightning flashed everywhere. Around the area 3 – 6 inches of rain fell in 12 hours.

We were advised that the RV Park has a storm shelter, hooked up, and turned on the TV to watch reports of tornados touching down to our south and east. The technology employed here to deal with severe weather is impressive. Forecasters continuously up-date the location of “high level circulating winds” and predict to the minute at what time the winds will reach each small community. If they “descend” and form a tornado, people have ample warning. Everyone living in this area must have a “storm-safe place”. Local fire departments can map every lightning strike to the nearest foot. We watched news reports of an expensive home burning to a complete loss in a fire last night. The fire department could prove that the house was hit with 2 separate lightning strikes within one second of each other.

The return trip to Oklahoma City was sparked when we passed through before Christmas and learned that the Oklahoma City Museum of Art has the world’s largest collection of Dale Chihuly glass sculpture. They also possess the single largest Chihuly piece ever created. We have seen Chihuly glass all over the world and wanted to see such a concentrated collection of 1,500 unique pieces. If you like his work, the collection is amazing!!

OK City has much to recommend it. The old Brickyard and Stockyard neighbourhoods feature numerous bars, restaurants and clubs; all very tourist friendly. The Oklahoma City National Memorial and its associated museum poignantly detail the tragic explosion of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995 but, also portray the lunacy of terrorism. The Oklahoma Land Run Memorial depicts the race by 50,000 people, competing for free land in the U.S. “Unassigned Lands” beginning at high noon on April 22, 1889. There is much to see and do here!

Two Cities

2008-04-08T19:52:00.007-05:00

A large bronze statue by Joan Miro, long one of our favourite artists, is installed at the entrance to the Kimbell Museum

The Amon Carter Museum is a huge facility, loaded with fine art

Looking back at the Texas School Book Depository from almost the exact spot where the 3'rd shot killed JFK. The infamous grassy knoll is immediately across the street.

A happy Cindy and Ray. Note the strategically placed left hand!!!!!

The last couple of days have been spent exploring the cultural side of both Dallas and Fort Worth. Fort Worth has a very vibrant downtown focused on Sundance Square with yet more restaurants and nightlife. Oil money has played a major role, supporting the arts in a big way. The Sid Richardson Museum on the square has a remarkable collection of Remington and Russell western paintings and bronzes, all collected by Mr. Richardson, a wealthy oil-man (how odd in Texas!!) The gallery is very large yet, only 30% of the collection can be displayed at one time! The Amon Carter Museum (more oil wealth) is even larger with a much more diversified collection but, still contains an impressive number of Russells and Remingtons. The Kimbell Museum contains a small but extremely diverse collection, accumulated from numerous historical periods.

We spent hours at the Sixth Floor Museum at the Dallas School Book Depository, the scene of the assassination of J.F. Kennedy. The museum details at great length the days leading up to the assassination as well as the events of that dark day and its aftermath. Leaving the museum, the three of us could not decide, from all the facts presented, whether Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone or not. A recent addition to the museum is a seventh floor display featuring all of the amateur video footage of the assassination, including the famous Zapruder tape.

One of the big surprises of the trip occurred when we met a young woman from Brockville, and her boyfriend, for dinner. We have known Cindy (sorry kiddo - the Cynthia thing isn’t coming easily!!) since she was a young kid. She used to baby-sit for us. We arrived at the restaurant at the same time and, she popped out of the car flashing her new diamond ring!! Her fiancé, Ray, popped the question in Las Vegas over the weekend. It was great to see Cindy and, to meet Ray. They are very excited!!

Big "D"

2008-04-06T20:25:00.012-05:00

You meet the nicest people in an RV. The damn sirens never blew!!!!

Brenda and Lindsay exploring the Stockyards neighbourhood

Twice a day, a herd of cowboys drives a herd of Longhorns through the stockyards

Billy Bob's has a real bull riding ring inside the bar!!! NOTE - this ain't it!!!

The chefs at the Lonesome Dove dress Texas style

9:15 A.M. the racetrack is packed for a 1:00 P.M. start. A cold blustery morning yielded a hot, sunny, sweaty, sticky day. Fun though!!!

Great seats at the exit to "pit row". Bubba's car (Dale Earnhart Jr. to the uninitiated) was right up front!!!

Headin' inta turn 1

Question – If your ‘ol RV is parked in Abilene Texas with the entire region under a tornado watch, who do you want to be parked beside? Answer – The traveling motorhome for “Wine Enthusiast” magazine!! Jim, the driver, advised us that he had a great deal of “excellent” wine on board. If the tornado warning sirens blew, we were heading to the shelter with all the good wine and, not coming out till it was gone, no matter what. Now THAT is neighbourliness!!!

We’ve landed in Dallas and spent a couple of days with Lindsay, Brenda’s brother. He is showing us ALL the sights. The Dallas / Fort Worth area has a lot going on and, this weekend everywhere we go, there are “Welcome Race Fans” banners. I guess if we are only going to one NASCAR race in our life, doing it in Texas is a smart move. NASCAR is a religion in Texas!!!

The Fort Worth Stockyards is a large historical neighbourhood centred on (you guessed it) the old stockyards! There are many bars, restaurants, and cowboy boot stores. But nothing can match “Billy Bob’s”. Billy Bobs, at 100,000 square feet, is the “largest honky-tonk in the world”. It contains an indoor bull riding ring complete with grandstand, a showroom featuring major music acts (we saw B.B. King AGAIN – just for some thing different!!!), and more damn bar-rooms and other rooms than we could see in one visit.

Tim Love is an “Iron Chef” winner and James Beard Award winning chef who owns numerous eateries in DFW. His signature restaurant is Lonesome Dove which we frequented with Lindsay. To say that it is unpretentious is pure understatement. The blue jeans, cowboy boots and Stetsons were everywhere BUT, the food was extremely innovative and very memorable. Highly recommended.

And then there is …………….. NASCAR. With Lindsay, we attended the Samsung 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway and, left home at 8:00 A.M. for a 1:00 P.M. race. Veeeeeeeeeery smart!!! The traffic on the throughway stopped dead 4 miles from the race track. The “tailgating” and other NASCAR high jinks were already well under way. The track seats approximately 216,000 fans and, I think the seats were full! The race was relatively uneventful but full of good ‘ol boy “bumpin’ and rubbin’”. The last 3 laps were particularly exciting since a race re-start 3 laps from the finish tightened the field of leaders. Hot, long, and sticky but, good fun!

The Permian Basin

2008-04-02T16:29:00.014-05:00

The Presidential Museum on the grounds of the University of Texas - Permian Basin is a great history lesson. Our first cloudy day in months!!!!!!

A newly renovated house in which George H.W. and Barbara Bush raised 2 sons from 1950 to 1956

These "horsehead pumps" are all over the plains.........$10, $20, $30................

Some historical oil equipment outside the Petroleum Museum

A modern oil rig ready to go drilling for dollars. A 10,000 foot well costs about $1 million. Any deeper and the wells get exponentially more expensive

Driving from New Mexico through Pecos, Texas (the home of the world’s very first rodeo) and on to Odessa and Midland, Texas (twin cities ………… sort of) is to pass through the heart of west Texas oil country. Drill rigs and “nodding donkey” oil pumps (also known as horsehead pumps) are everywhere. This is also the home of George H.W. Bush (the elder) and, where he made his fortune in the oil business. The locals are all very aware of the geology of the Permian Basin where all the oil was formed and, very happy to see $100 oil!!! Drill rig companies and mechanical firms serving the oil business are everywhere, as are big “dually” diesel pick-up trucks. This is the land of fridge magnets shaped in the form of a handgun emblazoned with “We don’t dial 911”.

The Commemorative Airforce Museum in Midland features many airworthy WWII combat aircraft as well as an amazing gallery of aircraft “nose art” cut from actual WWII planes. This art collection is complete with an on-site restorative laboratory and research library. The museum also features an interesting display which portrays the WWII mission flown by local hero George H.W. Bush, flying from the U.S.S. San Jacinto, when he was shot down off Chichi Jima in the Bonin Islands off Japan. Bush was rescued by a US submarine but, his two-man crew was lost in the crash.

The Presidential Museum is dedicated to the Office of the President and, does not feature one president over any of the others. It is a great location to learn the chronology and history of the US presidents. However, it is easy to view snippets from the early lives of the two native sons; George H.W. and George W. Bush, at various venues in the area. Both lived very simply, in very modest homes for most of their time in Odessa and Midland and, in fact, the first two residences of George W. and Laura Bush were small apartments in the back of humble homes.

A particularly well done museum is the Petroleum Museum which provides both historical and modern information on the entire process of oil discovery, drilling, production and, to a small extent refining. It is very helpful to identify all the “hardware” one sees out in the oil fields and, explained to us many of the questions we had about how the whole system works. For all the focus on oil, there is very little evidence of oil wealth in the region. Both Odessa and Midland are small cities with a feel that serious economic revial is required. Where'd the money go??

Worth It

2008-03-31T19:32:00.008-05:00

There are magnificent calcite structures in every area of the caverns

Stalactites are "tite" to the roof and stalagmites "mite" grow to the roof

Being 800 feet above the plain allows you to see "forever"

A flowering Cholla Cactus alongside a desert trail

Two days of boring landscapes are a small price to pay in order to visit the Carlsbad Caverns. The caverns, another of the “1000 Places to See Before You Die” (1000 places to add to your “bucket list”), are amazing. They stretch for 30 miles underground and descend to 850 feet below the surface. The “Big Room” has the interior volume of 14 Astrodomes and takes 1 ½ hours to circumnavigate on a one mile long paved trail. Chambers with the names of “King’s Palace”, Queen’s Palace” and “Papoose Room” each exhibit unique calcite structures of enormous size. At one point in the Big Room the ceiling is 80 feet above you and the “Bottomless Pit” extends 140 feet below your feet. We have been in caves with more spectacular structures but nothing of the scale of Carlsbad. Just entering the main caverns involves a 1 ½ mile underground walk from the surface to the 745 foot level. The cave is so large that photographing the features is almost impossible because flashes will simply not cover the vast distances.

Coming back from the caverns we cruised a very rough gravel track through desert canyons and over high bluffs, allowing panoramic views over the New Mexican plains to the horizon. A very wild country indeed!!!

Nothing...............

2008-03-30T17:11:00.006-05:00

After 3 hours of driving we stopped to stretch and........ take a picture of a fence????

The UFO Museum in Rozwell. The government is definitely covering up something!!

The Pecos River flows through downtown Carlsbad

Did I mention that there is not much to see?

If you ever get a hankerin’ to hop in the car and drive through south-eastern New Mexico, let me be the first to give you the news flash – DON”T WASTE YOUR TIME!!!!! The drive from El Paso, Texas to Carlsbad, New Mexico is the most boring way to spend 4 hours you could possibly imagine. We love desert landscapes but, this is just scrub; no interesting plants or animals; nothing!! Every so often, we saw a lone cow trying to obtain sustenance from the sparse ground cover. Where “Farmer John” was, or where he lived, remains a mystery. No wonder the aliens selected Roswell, New Mexico as their terrestrial (crash) landing spot. Who the hell would ever see them????

Speaking of Roswell; our current “home base” north of Carlsbad is only 50 miles from the UFO capital of the world so, we decided to drive up and see how many “crazies” we would find. Apart from oil, aliens and the infamous army air base there does not seem to be much reason for Rozwell’s existence, although they do have one of the largest mozzarella cheese factories in the world. The Rozwell UFO Museum and Research Centre is hokey but, I was surprised at how many copies of official government reports and documents they possess. Something went on there in 1947!!!

The entire reason for visiting this “interesting” part of the country of course was to visit the Carlsbad Caverns. Today being the last Sunday of the local March break, we could not obtain tour times so, tomorrow is the day.

On The Road Again

2008-03-28T17:19:00.010-05:00

Just for something completely different........... out for a fancy dinner with Jonathan and Meghann

Mother (with the tan) and son (not so much!!) in the hot-tub

Geez ............ it was clean this morning!!!!!

Back in the Sonora............. lots of Suharo cactus

A long shadow at sunrise

I know this may not be too popular with our northern friends but……….. this winter has flown by!!! Our list of “things to do” in Palm Springs remains 50% undone and yet, we have “hit the road” for home. The Pacific Life Open Tennis Tournament has just wrapped up and the Kraft Nabissco (formerly the Dianna Shore) Golf Tournament is about to begin. We even had tickets!!!! Palm Springs is 5 hours behind us but, we’ll be back. The last couple of weeks have been filled with kids visiting and, preparations to leave. The kids visiting part was the best part!! They spent half a week in San Francisco and the Napa Valley (one of their favourite places) before coming south to “Geezerville”. (Kids can be SUCH a pain in the ass!!!)

We pulled out of Palm Springs (actually Cathedral City) this morning in yet another ferocious wind. We expected serious handling problems with the ol’ RV but, the wind was mainly on our tail or at least on the aft quarter (used to sail you know). As we climbed out of the Coachella Valley, we were sad to be leaving but, eager to be heading home……….. figure that out!!! Many snow birds are heading home because, they are saying, “it’s too stinkin’ hot!!!” We are parked for the night in Picacho, Arizona and, at 6:30 P.M. it’s 101°F. That IS “stinkin’ hot!!” We’re heading for the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, a place that we passed by on the way through last year but, which is conveniently in our path on the way to Dallas / Forth Worth. We’re back in the Sonora Desert, one of our favourite places and, soaking in the heat and the “desertness” of it all before we get back to “April showers bring May flowers”. I think we are really going to miss being “on the road”. Try it!!!!!!

No internet connection last night so this is being posted from Demming, New Mexico, a convenient place to stop but........... no tourist Mecca. Today we experienced "dust devils" hitting the motor-home. Out on the high plains you could see them coming because they were full of desert sand but, every once in while one would come up the highway, containing no dust and damn near rip the steering wheel out of my hands. No need to experience that one again!!!

Biker Bash at Pioneer Town

2008-03-09T20:12:00.008-05:00

Pioneer Town doesn't have much going on any more!!

In some places the colour goes for miles

A Yucca in full bloom

A Joshua Tree in full bloom

Our new best friends in full bloom

If you push the first bike over do the rest fall like dominoes. Dare ya!!

The blooming of spring desert wildflowers is a huge event around here. Again today we ventured out into the desert and saw even more plentiful carpets of blossoms. This time it was back to Joshua Tree National Park, which has about a 3,000 foot rise from its southern to northern border. As a result, you will find flowers at peak bloom somewhere along the altitude continuum. It turns out the best show was at the southern end of the park, indicating that there will be wildflowers for at least a month to come, heading north.

Pioneer Town is a permanent community established in the 1940’s by Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, several other western movie actors and, a group of investors. Its purpose was to act as a permanent venue in which to shoot western movies and in fact, dozens of movies were shot in the community right up to 1996. The structures are real buildings as opposed to the facades often used in the movies. Pioneer Town was on our way home from the north gate of Joshua Tree Park and, we felt it our duty to mosey in and quaff back a beer (or two) at the town’s western saloon (only open on weekends). Much to our surprise a LARGE group of Harley drivin’, beer swillin’, leather wearin’ bikers had taken over the saloon, to hold a fund raiser for one of their comrades, seriously injured in a battle with a car (car won!!!) (Hillary’s health care initiatives might have been helpful in this case.) In any event, we walked in, tennis shoes, shorts, (matching top in Brenda’s case) and, started swillin’ with them!! We didn’t bother to mention that we had been out taking pictures of wildflowers!!! To say that this crowd was not in our usual circle of friends might be the understatement of the trip. More good pictures though!!!

The Bloomin' Desert

2008-03-07T17:00:00.006-05:00

Joan and John getting ready to cruise in the "Coolmobile"

Anyone remember Monty Python's skit on Lupines. These are the desert variety

A Beavertail Cactus about to reach full bloom

John & Joan, friends from Brockville, left today, after visiting the area for the better part of a week. We had a great time and jointly discovered a few new eating establishments all along the dining spectrum. Since most of our exploits were nocturnal and, since I am getting lazier and lazier, we have few photographs with which to blackmail each other. They, too, rented a sporty convertible and therein blasted out of town this morning, heading to Phoenix in order to visit with John’s brother, who lives there. Tonight we’re eating in!!!!

Brenda and I hiked through the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto National Monument today. This is a national park in which the desert wildflowers are just coming into the peak bloom season. Again this year, the lack of rain last autumn prevented many of the seed species from germinating. However, some late winter rain did manage to coax many species into bloom. It is almost impossible to believe that so much colour can be produced out of rocks and sand. We are told that in a year where there have been autumnal rains in the prior year, the desert floor becomes a blanket of colour. We’ll just have to come back again!!! Even now, hiking through the washes and trails gets very hot by mid-day. The summer heat must just bake all this flora into oblivion.

We have sadly begun to plan the trek home. Since no comprehensive road trip of the USA could possibly be complete without a visit to NASCAR, we have just received our tickets for the Samsung 500 in Forth Worth Texas. We will be spending some time there on the journey home, in order to visit with Brenda’s brother, who is posted there. He promises us a rootin’ tootin’ time so we had best rest up. We noticed that north Texas got a dump of snow last night so, we’ll stay put for a few more weeks before setting out.

The Rolling Stones were right!!!!

2008-03-01T09:40:00.002-05:00

Brenda and "JB", our golf instructor after a mid-day (hot) lesson

“You don’t always get what you waaaaant”. The Stones got it right!! Thinking my recent golf lessons would somehow improve my game, I played in a “scramble” at our local par 3 golf course, wanting nothing more than NOT to be the game’s comic relief. It was not to be!! Now… when I go to the driving range, I can put 3 shots out of 4 within 20 feet of a pin 100 to 120 yards out so, do you think I could hit the GD greens on these little par 3’s? Noooooooooooo. In fact, my short little drives were so wild, my team mates were yelling “Fore” BEFORE I swung (in the interest of safety of course). The group on the hole in front of us were always looking over their shoulders to see where I was and, took a particular interest in my drives!!! Could they ever dance!!

There was, however, SOME good news. I out-putted virtually everyone on our team and made three long birdie puts. Now if I could just figure out some other way to get that damn ball down to the greens!!! In spite of my “best” efforts, our team finished “in the money” and took third place. The golf lessons continue with a VERY understanding pro. Tuesday is “Scramble” day. I wonder if that term was coined in recognition of MY golfing ability????

One of the tiny facts that the Chamber of Commerce omits from its glossy brochures is that The Coachella Valley (Palm Springs) is one of the windiest places on earth, as evidenced by about 10,000 wind generators located just west of here. It can be bright, sunny and 85°F, yet the wind can be howling. When buying homes, the locals select their sites based upon wind exposure and/or protection. Not a phenomenon with which we Canucks are familiar. Maybe it’s the wind affecting my golf?????????

Rambling

2008-02-25T09:20:00.004-05:00

I just missed capturing the full moon sinking behind the mountains at sunrise. Oh well, it was still a great sunrise.

Some clown walked in front of the "Hello Mary Lou" sign in the background!!! ML stands for Mary Lou.

ML is perfecting the art of reading with her eyes closed!!!

Den & ML left on Saturday after a week of on and off weather, contrary to the earlier forecast. However, they left with some tan and, saw a good deal of the desert. Mid-week, my globe-trotting cousin, Andy, popped into town on his way home to England. Neither of us can remember exactly when we last saw each other but it is fair to say that we were both a LOT younger. He and his family are planning to spend time in Palm Springs every year and, so are we. It would appear that the lack of contact thing WILL get fixed!!

Because Brenda had been away, she only got to her first golf lesson this week. No cameras allowed!!! She has agreed to go back for more so, she must have enjoyed it. I am playing in a scramble tomorrow, putting my newly developed skills to a test. My goal is to rise above the comic relief level of past golf outings however, as the Rolling Stones sing, “You don’t always get what you waaaant……….”

We are finding that as “the season” in Palm Springs reaches its peak, obtaining reservations at the most popular restaurants is getting tough. Brenda called one restaurant which everyone is talking about yesterday and had to pick a reservation date and time of THEIR chosing. They are full at all other times. Damn tourists!!!

Yesterday, I took in the spring version of the car auction that I visited last autumn. Even though there are many more people in town at this time of year, the auction was a mere shadow of the fall version. There were far fewer “exotics” on the block. Could it be the economy??? One senses that the US economy has a way to drop yet. We’ll see.

Some people are lucky!!!

2008-02-15T00:51:00.003-05:00

Happy hour at one of our favourite outdoor patios just after the sun set behind the mountains.

Our friends, Den & ML, were rushing at the airport in Toronto, running a bit late because of inclement weather and, inadvertently lost the file with all of their travel plans, addresses, phone numbers and reservations at the airport. They boarded the plane to LA not knowing where they were staying or, what their rental car reservation was. They were able to finally get their car in LA and drove to Palm Springs without our phone number or address. We had earlier picked up the key to their villa and knew where it was.

Pulling into the Travel Information building in Palm Springs, they inquired about RV Parks in Palm Springs, describing what they knew of our park. There are dozens and dozens of RV parks in the area. However, the attendant pointed out our park on a map and, hearing the address, Den & ML remembered the street name as being where we are. They high-tailed it here and told their story over a beer. I have detailed the short, factual version here. Hearing them tell the tale with the usual spousal corrections was hilarious. To top the story off ……… they left our place after dark and drove to their villa complex. Almost all properties in this area are gated. After getting in the gate with much trouble, they looked for villa complex “K” and, drove around the property inquiring as to its location. No one knew!!! Finally someone told them “There’s no villa “K” here”. They were at the wrong property. Their’s was next door!!! An interesting day. When they finally returned to our place for a late dinner, there was much wine consumed.

Tired!!!!

2008-02-12T08:29:00.000-05:00

In my wildest dreams I never thought I would be walking golf courses regularly!!!

Our new location in the park is very close to one of the 6 smaller "satellite" pools on the property. It's almost like our own pool ;-)

Brenda and the “Ski Widows” made it back from Mexico after having a great time in the sun. All her bags even followed her back, which did not occur on her outbound journey. Ya gotta love the airlines!!

Is anyone else tired of Hillary, Barack and John? In California one cannot escape. Even if you chose not to turn on a TV set or read a newspaper, you are accosted as you walk through event venues by “Republicans for the environment” (a small group) or “Democrats for the elimination of deficits”. They’re everywhere!! If we were going to stay here until November, we would have to hide in cave. This is an interesting race! But….. far too long.

A former university room-mate of mine and his bride are visiting this coming week. It sounds like they are keen to have Scotty beam them out of the snow in Ontario. We are also keen to see them. The forecast is for 10 solid days of sun!!

I have found an amazing golf pro to put up with my shenanigans on the golf course. She is an LPGA pro and, has shown me at least how to make contact with that damn little ball. If I had invented this game, I would have made the ball bigger!!!! The sweet spot on the clubs is also too darn small. So far, no broken windows (touch wood) and surprisingly, it’s fun! But, by the time we get back to Brockville I’m sure that I will have forgotten everything that I’ve learned so far.

Home alone

2008-02-02T15:43:00.000-05:00

Our new view from the back of the RV

This area is smack in the middle of the city surrounded by shopping malls and golf courses

Since the lots in this RV park are all individually owned much like a condominium and, since the owner of our rented lot is arriving for February, we are getting the old “heave ho” from our wonderful, scenic location. We are being moved to another lot on the golf course but, with a less panoramic view of the mountains. The big variable is that our new lot has a huge screen on one side, theoretically placed to stop errant golf balls from dinging the side of our RV. Hope it works. The new spot is near a green; the old one near a tee. We like tees!!!

The weather is finally returning to a near normal pattern with temperatures coming up each day and, the daily sky conditions show nothing but sun for the next 10 days. This is more like it. However, it’s still a desert. It still gets cool at night.

Having abandoned my bride last week to go skiing; next week is the “turnabout”. Brenda and the “ski widows” are heading off to the beaches of Mexico for some sun and surf (no surf anywhere near here!!!). I will be left to mind the farm and continue the exploration of this area of southern California. We’re also looking at places that we might be able to come to next winter….. sans RV. I’ve been instructed to find something great! No pressure!!

Back in the Saddle

2008-01-28T10:16:00.000-05:00

Watch that first step!!! It's a beaut!!

Part of the crew on "Top of the World"

Apres ski at the outdoor "Roo Bar"

The view from our outdoor lunch table on the "last day". Good pick Waldo!!

We’ve taken a bit of a break from blogging in order to go skiing in Switzerland on the “annual guys’ trip”. During the break, I was again reprimanded by my young Toronto friend. He is one very unforgiving, but apparently regular, reader of the blog! We’re back D!

The destination for this year’s trip was St. Moritz, with the accent on the ..ritz. In my experience, St. Moritz is the top end of the scale in ski locales. I have never before seen chauffeur driven Rolls Royce limos dropping skiers off at the base of the lifts! We walked! Again, Mike, our fearless leader, planned a perfect trip; lots of sun; good ski conditions; and more laughs than could be counted. Sadly, Mike’s father passed away early in the trip, necessitating his immediate return home. Mike was sorely missed. A new twist this year was a 5 km. sled trip, rocketing down a mountain, at night, from one picturesque Swiss town to another, starting with some liquid courage and, followed with a laugh filled dinner, at which 3 of our number dined without their pants!!! It’s a very long story. I may be a mid-level skier but, I easily passed many of our number to arrive at our destination first. Could it be my weight???? Jimmy Mc. gets top marks for planning this adventure.

I returned to Palm Springs on a 14 hour flight from Zurich to LA, missing my connection, then spending the following day at LAX waiting for the weather to allow flights into Palm Springs. Never happened!! We ended up bussing to Palm Springs at the end of day II. Fun!!

The Palm Springs residents are all saying that this is the coldest winter they remember. In addition there has been a reasonable amount of rain since Christmas. It NEVER rains here!! Oh yeah??? It’s got to get better soon. We’re waiting…………….

We finally broke down!!!

2008-01-14T18:43:00.000-05:00

I'm hoping that our lessons show us which end of the club to hang on to!!!

The purpose of this blog was, and remains, to be a lighthearted reporting of our journeys, highlighting the “screw ups” and genuine “discoveries” of the trip. However, every once in while we genuinely experience something bigger than a fun vacation.

I may be the only person on earth who thinks that Sam Peckinpah’s movie “Straw Dogs” is the quintessential “good triumphing over evil” movie but, I challenge anyone to argue that “Shake Hands With the Devil” is not the definitive ”evil triumphing over good” movie. This Canadian production, shown at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, is so NOT “Hotel Rwanda”. In fact the entire production, which was filmed in Rwanda with many African actors, depicting Romeo Dallaire’s book of the same name, is visually beautiful while at the same time, being factually abhorrent. It captured the book perfectly, with one exception. The book clearly highlights that Kofi Annan, then the “go-to” guy for Africa at the United Nations, was rewarded for presiding over the genocide of over 800,000 Rwandans and doing nothing, with the position of Secretary General of the UN!! The movie glossed over this salient fact. The UN however, is shown to be nothing but a sham institution. This movie is one of the most powerful we have ever seen. Reviewers at the festival are reporting “Oscar buzz”. See this movie!!!!!

It was particularly interesting to hear the producer of the movie answering questions of an American audience, after the movie clearly pummeled the USA for its “hands off” approach to this huge international disaster. France was also assailed for attempting to prop up Hutu forces in Rwanda, in support of French interests. Romeo Dallaire’s descent into suicidal depression is so easy to understand!! One suspects that corporate support, to widely distribute this movie in the US, will be “slim to none”.

On a lighter note, we have finally succumbed to the “golf fever” in the air in Palm Springs and, both purchased sets of golf clubs. With lessons planned and golf courses everywhere, we will likely have many rounds under our belts before returning to Canada. I guess it was inevitable!!

I loved the “Earth Wind & Fire” concert on Saturday night. Brenda preferred B.B. King. To me, EW&F is the ultimate rock show band. Lots of energy, great musicianship (is that a word?) and a songbook of wonderful hits. The “boomer” audience was singing along with each song and, on their feet for most of the concert. What does Brenda know????

Lots to do

2008-01-11T10:54:00.000-05:00

Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Spring's main drag and, not a car in sight

This guy was GOOD. We had to buy one of his CD's

Every Thursday evening, the main street of Palm Springs is closed off for a street fair with vendors, musicians and food stalls lining block after block of the street. In Rancho Mirage, the grounds of the College of the Desert are filled with vendors every Saturday and Sunday for the “COD Street Fair”. “Art Under the Umbrellas” occurs every few Saturdays in La Quinta and, on the first Thursday evening of every month, El Paseo Blvd. hosts its famous “Art Walk”. Throw in a few PGA golf tournaments, the Palm Springs International Film Festival, regular concerts featuring major acts, balloon fests, wonderful shopping, great restaurants and, all the outdoor hiking and exploring opportunities. If you’re bored in Palm Springs ……… YOU”RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION!

Yesterday, one of our neighbours came knocking on our door offering us free tickets to a film showing at the film festival. We couldn’t use them because we have tickets to another film (“Shake Hands with the Devil” – based on Romeo Dallaire’s book outlining his experiences in Rwanda) and, an evening concert. Our day is full!!!! We’re going to have to make some time someday to get out in the sun and get a tan!!

People frequently ask us “How come you like Palm Springs if you don’t golf?”. The answer seems to us to be obvious ………….Duh???? I have been planning to do some flying at the local flying club and, have not yet managed to find the time. Golf ….. schmolf!

Missed us!!!!!

2008-01-07T18:31:00.000-05:00

It's snowing in the mountains but, we're out in shorts and "T" shirts

B.B.'s getting old but, he still rocks

Californians are extremely “weather aware” as a result of the magnitude of the natural disasters experienced by the state on a regular basis. If it isn’t wind-whipped fires, torrential rains and mudslides or earthquakes, it’s 11 feet of new snow!!! That’s what Lake Tahoe received over the weekend. I’ll bet the skiing is great. Too bad one can’t get there!! Even the interstate highway was closed.

All around us were severe weather events on the weekend however, we only received a small amount of rain (just overnight ……. they don’t allow rain to ruin the daytime in Palm Springs) and, a bit of breeze. This place really is an oasis ………even from weather. However, when looking out at the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountains, the snow line is decidedly moving “downhill”. Winter is getting close but, given that the mountains reach an altitude of 10,000 feet, it is a long way from ever getting us.

Seeing B.B. King on the week-end, reminded us that everyone gets old. Neither of us thinks that ol’ B.B. will be touring much longer. He can still play as well as ever but, at 82 years old, remains seated throughout his concert and, takes lots of time out between songs. Maybe he should hang up old “Lucille”. Hopefully, when we see Earth Wind & Fire next weekend, they will have retained more of their original energy! What the heck ……. we have ;-)

Oh ............ what the hell.............

2008-01-04T20:30:00.000-05:00

The balloons keep going and going.................

Off they go!

But, you have to fill em up first!

It was my sincere intention to abandon blogging for a while; at least until we hit the road for home in the spring. However, I was shocked at the number of people who commented positively on the blog upon our return home for Christmas. Somebody actually reads this stuff!!!!! And ……… no one is forcing anyone to tune in so, what the hell ……… we may as well keep this thing going.

The drive home for Christmas was a fun trip except for the last 200 feet, where we careened down our snowy driveway on California summer tires and, ended up smack in the middle of our neighbours’ front lawn. They were quite good about it!!! The car immediately got parked until spring.

Christmas in Brockville is always a fun time with friends and family ever-present. Jonathan and Meghann were able to visit for a week and re-charge. Our best Christmas gift!

Flying back to Palm Springs started out by being snowed into our infamous driveway the day before our scheduled flight back. Even 4-wheel drive would not save the day because the snow was so deep the car bottomed out!!! Enter our extremely reliable snow plough contractor to the rescue. He plowed a path out and, we spent the night in a Brockville motel (not a highlight of the holidays!) so as not to get snowed back in. The trip to Palm Springs included the usual delayed flights, missed connections and, lost luggage. Customer service at United Airlines is as bad as ever but ………. here we are.

While we were at home, Palm Springs received its first real rain in 2 years and, there is more forecast for this weekend. Rain is a huge event around here and, much celebrated. Also……. it surely beats snow!!!

As “the season” reaches its peak in the desert, there are an increasing number of “attractions” in the area. Helen Hunt opened the Palm Springs Film Festival (founded by the late Palm Springs Mayor – Sonny Bono) yesterday with the inaugural screening of her new movie / directorial debut. There is a hot-air balloon festival this weekend; a pro-am (celebrities) golf tournament is about to begin and, we scored tickets to see B.B. King in concert on Saturday night. The only problem is that it is difficult to be in all places at once.

Home for the Holidays

2007-11-27T19:02:00.000-05:00

The End (until April ......... maybe)

Tomorrow, Brenda and I are leaving for home to enjoy Christmas with family and friends. We have decided to do a cross country drive, leaving the RV in Palm Springs (we have just not had enough driving in the past 1 ½ years). I am sure that we will run into enough bad winter driving along the way that we will rethink this brilliant idea many times. However ….. more adventure!!

Upon our return to Palm Springs in early January, we will be living the life of any other “Snowbird”. We will not be moving from place-to-place and, will likely not have much to report. Therefore, we are bidding adieu to our blog friends and discontinuing our little blogfest. Since the main purpose of this cyberspace journal was to assist our aging minds in remembering where we have been, should it be required while staying in one place we will have developed VERY serious memory problems (far worse than those being accepted as our current norm). Calls and e-mails from “home” will still be very much anticipated and sincerely appreciated. We may resume blogging come early April ’08 when we reawaken the diesel in the bowels of our tin can home and again hit the road. Until then “Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!”

Santa Ana

2007-11-24T13:17:00.000-05:00

Today's fire started at around 3:00 A.M. yet was visible from space a few hours later

They brought in the "big guns" just after daybreak. This DC-10 clipped its wing on a treetop fighting the October fires!!!!

I like flying a lot but .......... I think I would pass on a ride with these guys!!

The Santa Ana winds which plague Los Angeles and San Diego have reared their ugly head again today. They are formed in the winter high-pressure zones over the high deserts of the Great Basin in Utah and Nevada, in the region between the Rockies and the Sierras. As the winds descend westward, they pass through canyons in the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains, gaining speed and warmth as they go. As the Santa Ana’s descend and warm (up to 30°F), they lose any moisture they may have contained, hitting the west coast as roaring, hot, dry winds from 40 to 115 miles per hour. Any fire source can be whipped out-of-control in seconds. The parched undergrowth in drought infested Southern California seems to burn every time a Santa Ana occurs.

What is surprising to us is that today’s Santa Ana’s have been forecast for over a week. Officials have been bringing in firefighters and equipment all week and, as Santa Ana’s go, today’s winds are relatively light (top speed – 57 mph). Yet Malibu is ablaze again!! Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, just north-west of Palm Springs, is where all the fire-fighting aircraft are based and, is locally known as “Tanker Town”. Today’s Malibu fire is being fought with up to a dozen aircraft from Tanker Town, including a DC-10 and several Canadian water-bombers. Local news coverage is non-stop! Campers are thought to have been the source of today’s fires. Who, in their right mind, goes camping and lights camp-fires in a tinder dry fire-zone with Santa Ana’s forecast?????

Black Friday ............Palm Springs style

2007-11-23T21:15:00.000-05:00

"El Paseo" decked out for Christmas. The wreaths on the Palm trees are a nice touch.

There is a decided lack of snow around one community Christmas tree

El Paseo Boulevard in Palm Desert is kind of a “poor man’s Rodeo Drive”. But …… not REALLY poor. There are many Bentleys, Rolls Royces, and other exotic cars as well as art galleries selling “old masters” and chi-chi restaurants and bistros. We thought that “Black Friday” on El Paseo might be a bit different than what was going on at “the mall”. We did not hear “attention Walmart shoppers”. But ……… there were no “deep discounts” on the big diamonds and Picassos. Damn!!!

With a straight face, the local weather forecaster advised today’s morning audience to “bundle up”. Yup ………. the temperature didn’t get above 74 °F today. Bright sun all day! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr. As we wandered around El Paseo in shorts and flip-flops, we did see one ski jacket and a couple of scarves. I guess one’s blood does thin if subjected to consistent warm weather!!! However, Christmas shopping in shorts will get my vote every time. A latte on the outdoor patio also works!! The 6:00 news this evening reported that “shoppers braved the cold temperatures…………….” These people live on Mars!!!

Speaking of shopping, the Yanks do know how to get you to part with your hard earned money. In all shopping areas in this region, parking is free. Modern parking garages are strategically located and, a free “shopper’s shuttle” cruises up and down El Paseo to take you to your next spending opportunity. Brenda’s watch stopped due to an expired battery so, we went into a jewelry store looking for a replacement. They replaced the battery in a minute and………… no charge! Bell Canada (and maybe the banks) could learn some customer service pointers on El Paseo!!

Going ........... going ................

2007-11-19T09:11:00.000-05:00

2 cars every 5 minutes for three days is a lot of cars!

"Window shopping" before the cars hit the auction block.

This Ferrari "Spyder" with 17,000 original miles sold for only $40K. What would Brenda have thought?? It's black!!!

Scottsdale, Arizona and Palm Springs are known as centers of exotic car auctions. Numerous auction houses operate in and around Palm Springs but, the twice yearly McCormick’s Auctions are considered the best of the bunch. Even if you don’t like cars, the people-watching is first rate. If you like cars, it is a day of great entertainment. If you don’t like cigars ……… well ………..that’s a problem!

According to the auction program, they present a car every 2 – 3 minutes on Friday night and all day Saturday and Sunday. However, many vehicles have such high reserve bids that they do not sell. The reserve on one 1970 “Boss 429” Mustang was $450,000. Didn’t sell!! On the other hand, some beautiful looking cars sold for a couple of thousand dollars. I guess one needs to know what one is doing!!!! Even though the auction was conducted under an open-sided tent, I bailed out around 2:00 P.M. It was just TOO hot. You have to be tough to buy cars at auction!!

Alone!

2007-11-17T11:04:00.000-05:00

From Spitfires, to bombers, to Naval flying-boats - most of these planes still fly!

The cockpit of a B17 - Flying Fortress. Even former crew members have a tough time getting a ride - LIABILITY!

Rob & Betty dwarfed by a big cactus at the living desert

The Palm Springs area can keep you going or, let you sit by the pool. With Rob & Betty we pretty much kept “discovering”. Rob & I took in the Palm Springs Air Museum where most of the planes have not only been made to look good, they are airworthy and flown infrequently. A highlight was touring inside a B-17 “Flying Fortress” with a guide who flew 18 missions in one and, was shot down on mission 14, spending 2 days in a life-raft. The girls shopped!

We all spent a day at the “Living Desert”, a local park displaying flora and fauna from deserts around the world. There was far too much to see in one visit. Brenda still loves giraffes!

Rob & Betty were particularly diligent at exploring “old Palm Springs Village” near their hotel and, introduced us to neighbourhoods of mid-century homes, inns and small hotels. The preservation of these structures seems to be a regional passion and is extremely well done. We enjoyed drinks in bars and around the pool at several intimate, secluded historical properties which we would likely never have found without R&B being in the area. Unfortunately, they left for home today. I was to have provided a wake-up call at 5:15 this morning but, the phone system at their hotel would only let me leave a message. I wonder if it is a “mid-century” phone system? I hope they made the plane!!

Patton and Picnics

2007-11-14T20:58:00.000-05:00

Patton insisted that recruits run 1 mile in 10 minutes with full equipment, in heat up to 120 degrees AND exist on one canteen of water per day

The "girls" in a Cholla Cactus garden. VERY prickly! The cactii ....... not the girls!

Patton's troops didn't eat like this. More "Two Buck Chuck"

Yucca, Joshua Trees and Creosote bushes everywhere.

The Desert Training Center, established in 1942 by General George S. Patton, is the largest military maneuver area ever created. It covered 18,000 square miles in California, Nevada, and Arizona. In preparation for WWII battles in North Africa, over 1,000,000 military personnel were trained in desert warfare techniques at the center. A memorial museum to General Patton and the DTC is located at Chiriaco Summit, near Palm Springs, at the site of Camp Young, Patton’s headquarters and one of 12 WWII training camps that were part of the DTC. It’s not the best museum we have ever visited but, it clearly illustrates the hardships that 1,000,000 men and women experienced.

The DTC is on the way to the south entrance of Joshua Tree National Park, a unique desert environment which we first visited last spring. Revisiting with Rob & Betty in late autumn revealed an entirely different stage in the desert ecosystem. Many of the plants were flowering. Last spring everything appeared to be dormant. Our picnic area, in the shadow of huge boulders with Yucca and Joshua Trees surrounding is one of the most unique picnicking spots, we have experienced.

Mid Century

2007-11-12T21:44:00.000-05:00

Happy Hour around the pool at the Orbit In with the young couple who recently purchased the property. The Orbitinis kept getting refilled!! How many lava lamps can you count?

Rob parks his fancy ride in the vines

Happiness is a crushed grape!

Palm Springs is known for the abundance of “mid-century” residential and commercial architecture, with samples of work by John Lautner, Richard Neutra, R. M. Schindler and prolific regional architects William F. Cody, Albert Frey, Donald Wexler, E. Stewart Williams and, William Krisel distributed around the area. To say that “mid century” is a big deal around here is an understatement. So …………………. when Rob & Betty, the most recent Brockville friends to visit, were looking for a hotel, they selected the Orbit In (one “N”). The Orbit In is “mid century” in spades!! Our kids, who weren’t around mid 20’th century, might not “get it” but, when we see the lime green walls, pink bathroom tiles, lava lamps, arborite surfaces, and “Jetson” furniture, it is like revisiting days of yore. The Orbit In is very well done.

Like ourselves, Rob & Betty have been known to “sample the grape” from time to time. As a result, we decided to head out in search of the Temecula Wine region, a relatively new California grape growing region near Palm Springs. Rob had been practicing with the paddle shifters on the 6 speed transmission of his Audi A4 convertible and treated us to a “mountain ride” up and down and around the switchbacks on the “Palms to Pines Highway”, rising up to 5,500 feet and back down to 500 feet. In the process the terrain transitioned from dry desert to tall mountain pines and back again. After witnessing police racing to a call, some running down the street with guns drawn, we arrived at Temecula and their wineries. We sampled some interesting wines, had a great lunch then, it was back to the mountains! A great day and great fun!

Two Buck Chuck

2007-11-08T22:56:00.001-05:00

The Shiraz was good ............... the Chardonnay is an award winner!!!!

You may, or may not, have heard of the legendary family of California wines known as “Two Buck Chuck”. They really exist!! The Charles Shaw winery in Sonoma, owned by Bronco Wines, produces its line of varietal vinifera wines, which are sold exclusively through the “Trader Joe’s” grocery chain. Each bottle, regardless of grape variety, sells for $1.99 [that’s $1.81 Canadian…..yesterday;-)] in California and, $1.00 more in non-California Trader Joe outlets. We had a bottle of their Shiraz for dinner and, DIDN”T DIE!!

But get ready for this………… “Setting the stage for this year’s 2007 California State Fair Wine Competition, more than 3,020 wines were entered for judgement from more than 660 participating wineries. Sixteen panels of four judges, (that's 64 separate judges), awarded 1,529 medals this year, including 69 Double Gold, 230 Gold, 823 Silver and 407 Bronze awards. I’m sure you’ve all heard about last months, June 28th, stunning revelation Charles Shaw 2005 California Chardonnay (yes, that $1.99 “Two-Buck Chuck” made by Bronco Wine Company and sold through Trader Joe’s) was judged the Best Chardonnay from California at the California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition...”

I guess $1.99 for the Chardonnay is a good deal!!! We thought we would find a “Two Buck Chuck” label but, the label is simply a very innocuous “Charles Shaw”. Boring but, a good buy!!

And……… a word about Trader Joe’s. Entering this grocery chain is like walking through a time warp. The employees all look like throwback 60’s hippies. The food is entirely organic BUT, reasonably priced!!! The background music is all from the 60’s so, you see the aging customers (nothing wrong with that kids!) bopping down the isle to “the Dead”, Jefferson Airplane or, some other 60’s mainstay. Cool. California really is a “place apart”.

The Dollar

2007-11-08T20:41:00.000-05:00

If anyone sees Ottawa mayor Larry O'Brien, tell him we saw his likeness in the Palm Springs Desert Museum.

We have been enamoured with the Roadrunners running around, until Brenda learned that one of them ate a hummingbird in a nearby tree. Now, they are the devil incarnate!! Where is that Wile Coyote when you need him?

We just watched John (just call me John) Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems, interviewed on CNBC this morning. Cisco reported revenue growth of 17% and a net income increase of 37% in the quarter and, is forecasting continuing growth of 12 – 17% yet, CISCO IS GETTING KILLED ON THE STOCK MARKET!!!!! The reason for the negative reaction is Cisco advised that their domestic business is falling off with US banks and automakers. Well DUH!!!!! Chambers claims that Cisco is experiencing the best international economy he has ever seen, yet US navel gazers are punishing his company for its international approach to growth. They fail to recognize that the US position as centre of the financial universe is OVER! Some of Cisco’s foreign markets are growing at rates in excess of 35% per year. Methinks Chambers is getting it right.

When super-models and international sports stars are demanding payment in Euros, you know that the US dollar’s days are numbered as the de-facto international currency. Wake up America! Oh wait a minute …………… maybe I should postpone this rant until spring, when we cross back across the 49’th parallel. Traveling in the US, where the Canadian dollar broke through $1.10 yesterday, before falling back, has a certain appeal!! But, one wonders what the future has in store for Fortress America????

You can likely tell that having parked in one spot leads us to think of somewhat more esoteric subjects than “what mountain will we hike today”. Reading local newspapers and watching local news programming is convincing us that the US citizenry is totally unaware. I think I would be looking for a “fiddling Nero” if I lived here. Oh ……. found him ……… he changed his name to George!!

Sun!!

2007-11-05T11:16:00.001-05:00

Same old ....... same old.......

Red sky in the morning; red sky at night .............. it's all good!!!

Every day is the same!! We are quickly learning about desert weather systems. It’s actually quite easy …………. there aren’t any! Depending upon whom you believe, the Palm Springs area receives somewhere between 354 and 360 days of sunshine each year. I guess one can flunk out of meteorology school and still do well here as a forecaster. It is a degree or two cooler than south Florida during the daytime in December and January and, because it is a desert, it does cool down considerably at night but …….. no rain! And during all other months, the daytime highs are near the warmest in the nation. Sun, sun, sun.

The owners of the “lot” next to ours arrived from Vancouver yesterday, on their way to Cabo San Lucas for the winter. They started to spend the winter there, after wintering in Palm Springs for 9 years because they prefer the weather in Cabo. It’s warmer. Some people are never happy!!!!

As non-golfers, we were surprised to learn that desert golf courses require re-seeding twice a year because neither Bermuda nor rye grasses can tolerate both winter and summer weather. As a result, you get Bermuda grasses in the summer and rye-grass in the winter. Our on-site, 27 hole course is closed for 6 weeks for re-seeding, opening this coming week-end. It seems that the focus of this entire place revolves around that date. The lot owners are arriving daily in anticipation of “the opening”. It sounds like this place will start “rockin” soon.

More RV centric stuff

2007-11-03T20:56:00.000-05:00

Palm Springs from 8,500 feet. It's mountains and desert without water!!

The "sunshade factory" parked 10' from the front of our RV

Voila!! 94% of the UV rays gone.

Brenda toasts our first "martini sunset" from our "new home". You'll likely need to "double-click" to see her.

At our current (and final …. for a while) site, we are parked with the windshield pointed right at the rising morning sun. As a result, the place heats up quickly in the relentless (not complaining) sun. So …….. we wanted to have some sun shades made for the front of the RV to cut the sun coming in the front windows and windshield and, to keep the A/C from running all day. When we called the “sun shade store” they asked if it would be OK if they showed up in ½ hour. After telling them that we were hoping for MUCH better service, they arrived in ½ hour as promised!!! Their truck was towing a trailer which opened up to reveal a fully stocked sunshade factory, sewing machine and all. Exactly 70 minutes later they were gone and, we had custom fitted sun shades on 4 windows and our windshield wipers (don’t want them to rot in the sun). Try to tell me that RV’s don’t get catered to in the south-west!

Kathie and Kerri left this morning after a bit of a farewell dinner at their place last night. It was great to spend a relaxing week with them and to learn from their past experience. “Local knowledge” is a great thing. We rode the Palm Springs Aerial Tram with them on their last day and, rose to 8,000 feet above the city where it was 30 degrees F cooler. From such a height, it is crystal clear to see that this “oasis” of a city would be nothing but desert without the city’s abundant water sources. Lucky Palm Springs!!

K & K

2007-11-01T14:38:00.000-05:00

Kathie and Kerri get ready to show us the sights in their sporty ride

A nephew of mine inquired, regarding a previous post, "Why do women of a certain age swim with sun glasses on?" I dunno!

The view from our patio.

We have finally moved to our final destination for the winter in Cathedral City. For this week Kathie and Kerri, good friends from Brockville, have been showing us around the Palm Springs territory. Kerri is an old hand in the area, having been coming here since he was a boy (very few years ago). They are staying at the Intrawest resort in Palm Springs, a beautiful facility which has won awards for the way in which it integrates with the surrounding desert landscape. We’ve been paying attention and taking notes hoping to be able to find our own way around when they leave. They really DO know the area!

Our current site backs onto a golf course so, we will probably have to break down sometime in the next few months and take some lessons. I’m just hoping that there are no errant golf balls flying onto our site to customize our RV, particularly any that I might hit!!

Now the question is ……… will we get bored staying in one place? Time will tell.

Back in "RV Land"

2007-10-30T10:54:00.000-05:00

"Our pool" in Las Vegas (in the background) - no one else in it!!

An "improved" lot in Indio. Just pull in and park!!

Our place ....... 7:45 AM this morning ....... goodbye desert dust!! Try double clicking to see all the activity

We have to admit to having stayed at a couple of “gravel parking lot” RV parks in the past year and a half. Not on purpose ……….. just no other options at the time. However, in the US southwest, the RV is king! Each new RV park in a region tries to outdo the others. Our park in Las Vegas was luxurious. We are now in Indio, just outside Palm Springs, while we wait for our winter reservation on November 1 in Cathedral City 10 miles away. The brand new park in Indio is selling undeveloped lots (RV talk for a concrete pad ….. period) for $220,000. Developed lots, having been up-graded by a previous owner, are selling for up to $625,000!!! Just to make sure that we all understand each other ………. this is for a parking spot for a bus!!!!

But ………….. you gotta see the upgrades. One add describes the lot as follows: “Unbelievable! Waterfalls, pool, casita, complete entertainment area, resurfaced pad, remote fireplace, 2 small refrigerators, dishwasher, BBQ, warming drawer, garbage disposal, washer/dryer, outside shower. Hot tub has 5’ grotto w/jets for back and legs. Bar seating in pool. Waterfall remote. Stacked rocks on casita and pillars.”

This is nuts!!! If you’re going to spend $625k for a parking spot you MUST spend a couple of $mil for the bus!!!! Beam me up Scotty!

Rocket Man

2007-10-28T09:58:00.001-05:00

Feeling kind of small here for darn near 20 miles!

Entering the Virgin River Canyon - hang on!

The "Rocket Man" put on a great show entitled "The Red Piano". You might note that this piano is black and.............you might remember cameras were confiscated (to be returned later). Internet pic!!

The drive from St. George, Utah to Las Vegas started out through Virgin Canyon, following the course of the Virgin River down a gorge just wide enough for the river and a 4 lane highway, with sheer, straight walls up to 2,000 feet high. Talk about feeling small!! The road twisted and turned down about 1,000 feet before spilling out onto a broad flat plain. As Brenda pointed out, the rest of the trip was like traveling through a huge gravel pit surrounded by mountains. Not the most scenic desert we have traversed! But the canyon was exciting!!

When we realized that we would have to pass through Las Vegas on the trek south, we discovered that Elton John would be in town at the same time. Do you think he knew we were coming? Since we did not buy our tickets to see him within the first ½ hour of them going on sale, our seats were somewhat back from the front row (to say the least). However, he is playing the Coliseum (Celine Dion’s theatre) at Caesar’s Palace while she is on vacation (there IS a God!!). It is a wonderful facility (without Celine!!) with nary a bad seat in the house. You might be thinking that I don’t like Celine …….. you would be right! Brenda wouldn’t mind seeing her …….alone!

The Elton John show was pure entertainment. He’s still got it. When we saw the Mormon Tabernacle Choir people were jumping up and taking pictures all over the place. At the Elton John concert cameras were all confiscated. At Elton’s show two loud fans near us were ejected from the theatre for using exactly the same language that was coming from the stage. Ironic!

I think the “Strip” in Vegas has gotten busier since we were here, just last March. The street was so gridlocked that when we went to pick up our concert tickets, we couldn’t get back to the MGM for our dinner reservation so we had to make a change. (Bradley Ogden instead of Wolfgang Puck – not a hardship). One new 4,000+ room hotel nearing completion on the strip was a hole-in-the-ground in March.

More Red Rocks

2007-10-26T21:00:00.000-05:00

Entering the canyon

A bit further in

The sandstone really was a beach a few millenia ago!

After hiking 1 1/2 miles from the end of the canyon road, this is as far as you go .......... unless you want a "soaker"

The canyon has forest, swamp, desert and plateau landscapes

The early Mormons who settled this land named Zion Canyon because they felt that man could worship there as readily as in any man-made temple. They were introduced to the canyon by Southern Paiute Indians who also had revered the canyon for centuries. Visiting the canyon and its surrounding National Park IS almost a religious experience. We have been amazed how each geological destination in the Colorado Plateau is so vastly different from its neighbours. In almost all cases erosion and uplift have created the scenic wonders but, each has its own characteristics. In the Grand Canyon it is the shear enormity of the place; Bryce Canyon has its unique Hoodoos; Red Canyon its almost scarlet rocks and; Zion National Park has parts of all the others, creating its unique atmosphere. In addition, the Plateau hosts dozens of other National and State parks, National Monuments and wilderness areas. We haven’t visited them all but, we would like too!

More than any of the other places we have visited on the Plateau, we have been disappointed by our pictures of Zion National Park. The majesty of the place simply will not allow itself to be captured on film (or a 1 gig SD memory card). You do not view these landscapes, you are enveloped in them. In Zion, whether you look up, down or north, south, east or west, the natural beauty surrounds and amazes you. I thought we would be “in and out” in a couple of hours however, as the sun was sinking and the sky darkening with the first wisps of smoke from the California fires enhancing the sunset, we finally left. A good day; a great park.

Shakespeare with altitude

2007-10-25T19:28:00.000-05:00

An almost full moon rises over the theatre

A replica of the Globe

"Go out in the backyard to play" takes on new meaning

This guy did! Can you find him? Double click

Cedar City, Utah, where we have been parked for the past few days while exploring the scenic environs, has dubbed itself Festival City USA. From June to October it plays host to the Utah Shakespearean Festival (winner of a Tony Award in 2000 as the US’ most outstanding regional theatre). It also hosts the Utah Summer Games in June, a Neil Simon festival in August and, the American Christmas Children’s Festival in November. So ……… maybe the moniker is deserved. We happened to see “The Tempest” at the outstanding, indoor, Randall L. Jones Theatre. During the summer months, all of the Shakespearean plays are staged at the Adams Memorial Shakespeare Theatre, a striking replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Both venues are located on the beautiful campus of Southern Utah University (SUU), surrounded by the region’s pink hills.

Today, we “moved house” a mere 55 miles to St. George, Utah but, in the process we descended close to 3,000 feet. It was sunny and warm in Cedar City. It is sunny and hot in St. George (87°F at 5:30 PM). From here we can explore Zion National Park, yet another of the Colorado Plateau’s scenic wonders and, we’re only a hop, skip, and a jump from both Arizona and Nevada. Ahhhhhh the warm weather!!

St. George was the site of Brigham Young’s winter residence and, has been recently “discovered” by snowbirds for the same purpose. Building lots in the new chi-chi gated neighbourhoods around golf courses are selling in the $185,000 - $525,000 range. They are not targeting the budget conscious!! But, judging from the amount of new home construction going on (and these places are NICE), there are plenty of retirees with fat wallets.

Wow, wow, wow..........

2007-10-23T21:28:00.000-05:00

We thought "Red Canyon" was great...................

..............until we got to Bryce Canyon

Hiking down was easy ........... up caused us to wonder "What were we thinking?"

A new friend with part of the Grand Escalante in the background

Bristlecone Pines are a rare, ancient tree found only at high altitude. These were at 10,500 feet. They can live up to 5,000 years, longer than any other living organism.

The Grand Canyon is undeniably grand and, the red rock formations at Sedona and Monument Valley are mammoth however, we both agree that for pure “wow factor” Bryce Canyon cannot be beat! The canyon, in southern Utah, is at least 80 miles from anywhere but, the long drive is well worth it. When asked to describe the canyon, early Mormon rancher Ebenezer Bryce, behind whose former ranch the canyon is located, proclaimed “It’s a hell of a place to lose a cow”. We hiked down into the canyon but, at 8,500 feet altitude, the hike back up was a slow and arduous affair involving much huffing and puffing. Great to be in such tip-top shape!!

The entire Colorado Plateau, which occupies much of Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico and includes the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion Canyon, Kodachrome State Park (give the guy who named this place a gold star), the Grand Escalante, and other significant rock formations is a huge area affected by sedimentary rock deposits, uplift and selective erosion, creating numerous natural wonders. Everywhere you look is another picture. But pictures still don’t capture the 360 degree panorama. Damn!

The Other Side

2007-10-21T16:34:00.000-05:00

The entire downtown is being redeveloped but the trolleys are staying

Rollin' on the river

A great art museum with a complete collection

While Memphis is a raunchy, “happening” city at night, it does have another side. Memphis’ Brooks Museum of Art is one of only 3 US venues to present the "Pissarro – Creating the Impressionist Landscape exhibit". This touring exhibit explores Pissarro’s transformation from his early works to the development of his Impressionist style and, is very well done. The museum is located in a leafy neighbourhood of palatial homes on wide boulevards, all surrounded by the Galloway Golf Course, an established, rolling terrain, unique in the flatlands of Memphis. No blues musicians (or BBQ) for miles!

Cruising the Mississippi, one is taken by the 8 knot current and the huge rafts of barges plying the waterway. Some of the largest “tow boats” on the lower Mississippi (which oddly enough PUSH the rafts) can have engines to 10,000 horsepower and handle up to a maximum of 60 barges rafted together. One barge can hold 1500 tons of cargo or, the equivalent of 60 tractor trailers. If you do the math, a very large tow boat can propel the equivalent of 3600 tractor trailers or, a bumper-to-bumper line of trucks 35 miles long. Now THAT’S efficient!

Memphis has an interesting history full of triumph and disaster. In addition to all the Civil War stories, there was the decade long Yellow Fever epidemic of the 1870’s which killed ¼ of the citizens; the formation of the NAACP in Memphis; the automation of many cotton growing and processing techniques; several horrific floods and; the sinking of the “Sultana” which, contrary to popular opinion, was the single largest loss of life in a maritime disaster …….. ever. (Move over Titanic and Lusitania). The Sultana was a Mississippi paddlewheeler, designed to carry 376 people, but loaded with approximately 2,000, mostly freed Union soldiers liberated from Confederate prisoner-of-war camps. A boiler blew up just north of Memphis causing the loss of about 1,700 lives. A terrible tragedy then; an interesting trivia fact today.

After a bit of a “snow delay” in Denver, we flew back to Salt Lake City to find everything as it was left. It’s time to start seriously heading south!

Ground Zero

2007-10-20T08:51:00.000-05:00

Around Clarksdale, the fields are "littered" with 1000's of bales (called modules) of cotton, each the size of a tractor trailer

Ground Zero Club - outside / very classy!!!

Ground Zero Club - inside / fried catfish with turnip greens and fried ocra ........ when in Rome ......

Beale Street - Friday night - Can't you just FEEL the LOVE

One cannot "walk the street" without a "traveller"

More blues performers have come from the Mississippi delta than all other states combined. The crossroads of the Mississippi blues scene is Clarksdale, home to the “Ground Zero” blues club and, where legend has it that blues superstar Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil in order to play the blues. The Ground Zero club is now owned and actively managed by actor Morgan Freeman and, to his credit, he hasn’t touched a thing. To say that this club is a “dive” is giving it far more prestige than it deserves but …………… it’s where it all started! The early blues performers honed their skills around Clarksdale then headed off to Memphis, Chicago or New York to record and seek fame and fortune.

Returning to Memphis, we drove into the town of Tunica, Mississippi, population 10,000. Tunica benefits economically from the many Mississippi casinos scattered around the area but, for a Brockvillian, the draw is Tunica River Park. This Mississippi River interpretive centre (any of our Brockville friends beginning to “get it?”) is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!! It is precisely what the planned “Tall Ships” project in Brockville could be ……….. with tons of money! The audio / video presentations are particularly well done. In one, we descended (virtually) to the bottom of the Mississippi in an antique diving bell. Considering we were looking at 3 A/V projections, the sensation was remarkable. Have a look at http://www.tunicariverpark.com/ and, trust me ………….. the centre is far better than the web site. On the web site, take the “360 Tour” and click on the “Go” signs allowing a 360° tour of the interior.

Then there was Friday night on Beale Street – what we came for! One must see it to believe it; blues bands everywhere, in the clubs, down alleys and in the parks. And, the people-watching is better than anywhere! Friday is THE night in Memphis.

Back to the Blues (Cheating again too!)

2007-10-18T18:13:00.000-05:00

We have now seen where Martin Luther King was born, lived and died. An amazing man; an amazing life!

Even the Smithsonian thinks this stuff is important. We visited their Memphis Rock & Soul Museum last year

It's either Beale Street or a neon convention

Man ....... THIS is what it's all about!!

The Lorraine Motel, scene of the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has become, with significant additions, the National Civil Rights Museum. Dr. King was in Memphis in support of the Sanitation Workers strike and, was gunned down by James Earl Ray at the motel. To this day, controversy surrounds Ray as to whether he acted alone or not. This museum is a “must see” for anyone visiting Memphis. Very powerful!

The Stax Records Museum outlines the history of the first integrated R&B record label and, their numerous recording stars. Together with Sun Records, they made Memphis the centre of Blues and R&B music recording. There are amazing parallels between the growing civil rights movement and the acceptance, by mainstream America, of “black music” in fact, the death of Martin Luther King also became the death knell for the “black recording industry” in Memphis. By 1975 Stax Records was out of business. But, the music lives on!

We flew to Memphis, which is not exactly on the way to Salt Lake City but, what the hell, you only turn 60 once and, I wanted to return after spending a few days here last year. Brenda thoughtfully agreed. We’re actually getting quite good at NOT using the RV on our RV trip. (I think Brenda secretly likes the Blues as much as I do). The same acts are playing the same clubs on Beale Street so, life is good.

When you consider that Memphis is the most dangerous city in North America, measured by crime per capita, we have found it to be very friendly. When we were walking down a back street, looking very “touristy”, seeking an alley down which is to be found the best BBQ restaurant in town, a parking lot attendant saw us coming ½ block away, stood up, and pointed down the alley. He knew where we were going! Not so scary!!

This city has many areas much like Detroit, with skeletal buildings and slum accommodations however, there is a vibe to the place that even the cab drivers seem to sense. Much investment is being made in refurbishing entire neighbourhoods and, although the downtown has a way to go, pedestrian malls and antique trolleys are being employed to bring the people back. I definitely want to return in 5 – 10 years. Maybe NOW is the time to invest in real estate……….. hmmmmm ………. possibly a nice little blues club!

One Great Drive

2007-10-04T06:48:00.000-05:00

Maybe leave the 12' 9" tall RV at home

Slow driving is required for 2 reasons: the road is twisty and, so you don't hit all the wildlife

Mount Rushmore is perfectly framed in one of the tiny tunnels on the road

They're called Pigtail Bridges and they are used to climb hillsides employing 360+ degree turns and wooden trestle bridges allowing the road to cross back over itself

Herds of wild marauding mules begging for cookies (only good stuff please!)

The end of the road!

The Iron Mountain Road is only about 17 miles long but, it takes approximately 45 minutes to drive. It is rated as one of the “Ten Top Drives” in the US. The road twists and turns over the Black Hills from Custer State Park to the town of Keystone at the base of Mount Rushmore. Along the way one is subjected to vistas looking out over the Black Hills but, there is so much more. We took the road to have one last view of Mount Rushmore in the morning light (the best time) on our way to the airport. The only way to indicate why this road is so highly rated is with pictures. Have a look.

By the way …………… we’re home. We’ll pick this back up in a couple of weeks!!

Cheating!!

2007-10-02T22:53:00.000-05:00

Brenda gets to Mount Rushmore

No developers will be digging basements here anytime soon!

There are herds of Mule Deer and Pronghorns everywhere .......... and these guys!

Grasslands to the horizon

Brenda has always wanted to see Mount Rushmore although, after living with a “blockhead” for 36 years, one wonders why? But, I wasn’t crazy about driving all the way east to South Dakota and then angling south from there. That would likely add close to 1000 miles to our trip and possibly subject us to some significant snow in some significant mountains. So after asking ourselves, “what would Dr. Phil do?” (if you believe that, I have a bridge for sale), we decided to compromise. To fly home we have to fly right over South Dakota consequently, we decided to pop down for a couple of days, see Mount Rushmore and the Dakota badlands and continue the flight home on Wednesday. It’s not the same as taking the RV there but …….. it’ll do. Everybody wins!!

After seeing “the heads” at Mount Rushmore, we arrived at the State Game Lodge in Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota (are you sensing a theme here?), an historic, old, “woodsy” hotel, often frequented by past Presidents and, once used as Calvin Coolidge’s summer White House. Lot’s of ties to the past. This is the land of Custer, Crazy Horse, Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane; all local heroes. And, the town of Deadwood, the last gold rush mining town in North America, is mere miles away.

South Dakotans claim that their badlands are badder’n those in North Dakota. We’ll have to take their word for it. The badlands have an almost lunar feel to them. They are beautiful in a stark and inhospitable kind of way ……. if that makes any sense. We have decided that, as tourists go, we are two easy marks. We love it all!! South Dakota is so uniquely different from anything else we have seen, it will be a memorable part of our trip, even if we cheated to get here!

Rainy Day

2007-09-30T16:03:00.000-05:00

When we wake up in the morning we see that the snow has been inching its way down the mountains

Homework .......... at my age???

It is actually nice to have a quiet day once in a while. We do love to be moving and exploring but, when the weather says “take a break”, we listen. Some days we have been out early and back late. Not yesterday! Strong winds, which blew up dust storms out in the dry lake bed areas, were a precursor to a weather change which brought an “all-day” rain, sorely needed in the area. Today is back to sun, warmth and exploring.

Because we are traveling we are not immune from the requirements of “home life”; paying bills, washing clothes, etc. Yesterday was the day. Also, I have enrolled in a distance learning program in Viticulture from UC – Davis. The odd rainy day allows me to stay on top of that. Meanwhile, I think Brenda has memorized every word of “1000 Places to See Before You Die”. Rainy days have their place.

Tomorrow, we are heading to South Dakota on the way home.

Salt Lake City

2007-09-28T15:39:00.000-05:00

A great view at lunch - The LDS temple (with spires) in the foreground constructed between 1853 - 1893 with the domed Tabernacle in the background (built in 1867). I suspect that the shiny metal roof is a modern embellishment

One of Brigham Young's 2 homes. Not too shabby for someone who just crossed half the continent in an Ox cart.

Since I left my camera at home, I had to grab this picture of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir from the Internet. It's exactly what we saw.................. and heard!

Remember those smog inversions I mentioned a few days ago?

Salt Lake’s downtown is dominated by LDS church buildings, all with a unique and artful architecture, creating a homogeneous, open, airy city, surrounded by mountains ……… very “visual”. The Mormon history and their accomplishments since arriving in Utah are admirable and, much celebrated. I wouldn’t mind having the men’s “white shirt” franchise for Salt Lake City ….. everyone is in a white shirt!

We were fortunate to be in SLC on a Thursday as we were able to attend the Thursday concert of the 360 member Mormon Tabernacle Choir, along with the President and a delegation from the Czech Republic. We’ve seen the choir on TV and, heard their recordings but nothing could prepare us for seeing them live, in front of that booming organ, in what appeared to be the perfect acoustics of the Tabernacle. They sang both religious and secular music, stirring the audience with each song and, ended with a rousing Battle Hymn of the Republic. As you might imagine that got a long, standing ovation from “the red, white and blue set”! It WAS amazing. The concert was far too short. I foolishly thought that cameras would not be allowed into the Tabernacle and, left mine at home. Not only were cameras allowed but, people were walking back and forth all through the concert! Then there were the ubiquitous “backwards” baseball caps. Don’t get me started. I’m getting old!!!

Being in Utah during the Warren Jeffs trial and reading local newspaper articles on the case is interesting (to say the least)!! Not quite as much outrage as elsewhere.

Brigham Young’s two houses in SLC are both very large, ornate homes with almost dormitory looking wings to house his many wives and children. Wives with children and childless wives lived apart from each other within the homes. (My witty editorial comments have been censored!!!)

Ski towns without snow are just towns but, the drive up to Park City and Deer Valley was well worth the effort. There is a small amount of snow at the summits however the autumn foliage made the trip worthwhile. It won’t be long!!! Our ski-boarding waitress at lunch said that many of her friends have been climbing to the north facing valleys off the peaks to get in those first few runs in September. Oh to be young again!

The Oregon Trail

2007-09-26T17:40:00.000-05:00

One can almost visualize the Prairie Schooners rolling over this vast land

The 1882 LDS Meeting House, now presiding over a ghost town

Downtown Salt Lake City from outside our door

We were unaware how important Idaho was to the opening of the American West. Not only did Lewis and Clark transit Idaho on their quest for the western ocean; they crossed the Continental Divide in Idaho and headed “downhill” to the Pacific from here. Also, both the Oregon and California Trails passed through Idaho, splitting from each other at Fort Hall (now Pocatello, our Idaho location). Many Conestoga Wagons and Prairie Schooners passed through this very area on their way west. Those people were tough!!

Chesterfield was an early LDS (Later Day Saints – the Mormons) village, established in the area of Fort Hall (Pocatello) in the 1880’s. Today it is a ghost town. What is interesting to the current visitor is that the occupants lived in log cabins and simple wooden homes, with one or two “wealthy” merchants or church officials occupying brick homes. However, all of the church’s buildings, including a tithing office and a tithing grain elevator were grandly constructed of locally produced brick. The contrast in construction is striking!

The drive to Salt Lake City was uneventful. We are back in shorts and T-shirts; the pool is open and, we just might use it. After being in the crisp clean air of the mountains, it was a shock to see smog sitting in inversions in mountain valleys 60 miles outside of Salt Lake City. At one point it looked like we were coming to the end of the world as the scenery just disappeared into a veil of smog. Progress!!

Hello Winter - Goodbye Winter

2007-09-24T15:37:00.000-05:00

Heading up into the Targhee Pass

I wonder if that "Let sleeping dogs lie" thing also applies to Wolves??

The Radio Shack in West Yellowstone also rents and sells Ski-Doos and associated equipment. In fact the majority of the store is taken up with large, new snowmobiles. When I asked if they carried Canon printer cartridges, the clerk greeted me with a knowing smile and replied, “What? In this town!!”. I took that as a no. However, I could have picked up a dandy snowmobile suit.

The weather in Yellowstone has consisted of warm, sunny days and cold nights, with the evening temperature dropping like a stone as soon as the sun is down, to just above freezing. Yesterday it rained and, by morning there was a light “skiff” of snow on everything. So, it’s time to head south into the land of computer printer cartridges and lower altitudes. The locals here all claim to love the winter but ........... only for the first six months!

It’s forecast to be in the mid to high 70’s F° in Salt Lake City consequently ………. let’s go there. We waited for the snow to melt and headed south to Pocatello, Idaho. We were no more than 15 minutes out of Yellowstone and only about 500 feet higher, heading through the Targhee Pass, when everything became covered in REAL snow. I think we are “getting out of Dodge” in the nick of time. We have booked a spot in Salt Lake City to leave the motorhome when we fly home for Thanksgiving. So, our next week will be about exploring southern Idaho and northern Utah.

Yellowstone and Grand Teton

2007-09-22T21:58:00.000-05:00

The "88" fires killed or consumed millions of trees

Finding the wildlife is easy..... look for the guys with the "spotter scopes". One couple, who shared their scope with us, had been watching a single Grizzly for 3 1/2 hours!!!

I think there is a Wyoming State law that requires one to visit "Old Faithful" if you enter Yellowstone

Geothermal activity is everywhere - in the hills; in the valleys; in the meadows. BTW that black spec is a lone Bison. Double click if you don't believe me!

Our first view of the Tetons through golden Cottonwood and Aspens

We finally added "Meeses" to the list

I am at a loss as to how to describe Yellowstone. It is a special place! It is classified as an active volcano although there have been no lava flows of any kind for 70,000 years and, the last eruption was 640,000 years ago. However, with a caldera measuring 50 miles by 35 miles, it has a huge area of geothermal activity including geysers, mudpots, fumaroles and hot springs. Lots of steam wherever you look! In 1988 several fires united to burn over 36% of the park’s 2,200,000 acres (about the size of Connecticut) leaving are eerie legacy of skeletal trees, most of which have not fallen in almost 20 years. Because it is such a high, dry environment (average altitude 8,000 ft), the wood does not rot quickly.

Oh…… and there are a few animals!! In one day we saw grizzly bears, black bears, rutting elk, pronghorn antelope, mule-deer, wolves, coyote, bison, bighorn sheep and a 40 year old eagles’s nest (the nest is 40……not the eagle). What …….. no moose yet?? There is rushing water everywhere although, like many places lately, water levels are dangerously low. We have been surprised at how much of the area is high mountain meadow and grassland but, now we know what attracts all the wildlife! Hide in the forests, graze in the grasslands ……. A perfect life! Also…… it’s mating season ……… Hubba hubba!

The town of Moose, Wyoming was so named for the abundance of ……….. (how many guesses will you need for this one?) …….. moose in the area therefore, on day 2 we had no difficulty filling our moose sighting quota. We again saw herds of elk, bison and pronghorns (the locals drop the “antelope” and just call them pronghorns ……. gotta be cool and in-the-know). We have never seen such abundant wildlife anywhere! The tour guides call it the Serengeti of North America. We damn near hit a red fox as it jumped in front of our car.

We also drove south of Yellowstone into Grand Teton National Park. There is not so much wildlife here except for the town of Moose, which is outside the southern park gate however, the beauty of the Tetons is all that is required. The highest peak, Grand Teton is majestic and, we got to see it just before the forecasted bad weather arrived and the clouds began to shroud it.

Thank you Ulysses S. Grant (not Teddy Roosevelt as many think) for having the foresight to designate this place as the first national park. It’s special!

Through Montana

2007-09-20T18:49:00.000-05:00

As mountain climbs go, this one was easy!

Through the Gallatin Mountains

For my lawyer friends - The City Court in West Yellowstone

News flash …….. In an effort to keep readers fully informed of pivotal events in the west ……… Within 24 hours of its unveiling, Seattle’s bureaucracy has moved quickly to rename their new transit system. The system is now officially named the South Lake Union Streetcar. However, retailers cannot get enough “Ride the S.L.U.T.” T-shirts to keep them on their shelves. That horse is out of the barn!!

Montana is one big state! In fact geographically it is the 4’th largest state in the Union with the 44’th largest population. The residents number ..... 920,000 people and, over 3,000,000 cows. What if cows could vote? The drive to Bozeman started with numerous “up and down” runs through mountain passes in the Rockies but, quickly transformed into a “cruise control” drive through the rolling pastureland where all those cows live. After a quick overnight stop in Bozeman, we turned south to head for the community of West Yellowstone, Montana, smack on the border of Montana and Wyoming. Most of Yellowstone Park is located in Wyoming.

We have seen some spectacular scenery on this trip but, neither Brenda nor I wanted the drive from Bozeman to end. Climbing into the Gallatin Mountains, following the course of the swift Gallatin River all the way, we passed through deep mountain canyons and climbed into mountain meadows where the Aspen were providing their last golden show before winter and, the mountain meadows were ablaze in the colours of autumn. The route took us through Big Sky, a favourite ski hill from a past ski trip. A nearly cloudless sky silhouetted the skeletal remains of trees left from earlier forest fires on the hilltops, with a next generation of forest springing up at the base of their trunks. Lone fly fishermen were spaced along the river at discrete distances from each other, providing the only human input to the scene. It was a great drive and…….. we made it to West Yellowstone at an altitude of 6,666 feet. Now if only the Grizzlies and Big Horn Sheep will co-operate over the next few days.

Back in the USA

2007-09-18T19:23:00.000-05:00

Did anyone know that the "pot-of-gold" at the end of the rainbow is an old RV?

The Columbia River below the Grand Coulee Dam

I missed this branch by 1/4 inch. It never touched the RV. Lucky!

The grain fields of northern Washington

There is "history" everywhere in Wallace (Double click to read the signs)

Crossing the border on Monday morning, south of Osoyoos BC, required over ½ hour to allow the Customs Inspector to search our motor-home for treacherous and evil substances such as chives, COOKED corn-on-the-cob, canned beef bullion, canned beef chili and other wicked items. Were I American, I would sleep well knowing that my government was protecting me from such terrible stuff. We could have had a radioactive “dirty bomb” in storage below, but they would have confiscated our chives!!!!!!!!!!

To close my wine whine about Okanagan (Okanogan south of the border) wines, we purchased a bottle of award winning California Chardonnay as soon as we crossed into the US. We tried it for dinner. It was as good as, or better than, any Chardonnay we sampled in the Okanagan. And…….. it was 4 bucks!!!! ($4.49 to be precise) A case of this stuff would be equivalent to the price of a bottle of good Okanagan Chardonnay. The Okanagan vintners are playing with us!!!

When we stopped in Grand Coulee, Washington to take pictures of the namesake dam, I parked on the side of a tree-lined street. Unbeknownst to me a low hanging branch was less than ¼ inch from taking off our large side awning. It’s great to be lucky!!!

Crossing northern Washington State was a surprise to both Brenda and me. The interior is starkly different from the coast. After crossing a few small mountain ranges through low passes, we drove for mile upon mile through grain fields stretching to the horizon and rolling, rocky grasslands reminiscent of Saskatchewan. Once into Idaho, we encountered low mountain ranges and entered “Silver Country” where many historic silver mines were founded. Some still flourish to this day. Last century over 1 billion ounces of silver were mined from the hills around Coeur d’Alene, Idaho (Core de Lane in American), the ancestral home of the Shoshoni and Nez Perce Indian nations and, the largest deposit of silver in the world. This century will see at least that much again taken from these hills. The town of Wallace, near where we are parked, focuses their historical presentations on silver and bordellos. We have been focusing on silver!!!

We’ve just been watching a Seattle TV news station and, I’ll bet anyone $10 that they will soon rename their new transit system, now the South Lake Union Trolley. What do you think?

"Ridin' Inta Hell"

2007-09-16T21:46:00.001-05:00

He's ridin' inta Hell

The wine is OK but the view is fantastic

Every building in Silver Star is painted with at least 5 different colours

As we were enjoying lunch and a glass of wine on the outdoor patio of a winery/bistro overlooking Lake Okanagan, a groom and his attendants arrived for a brief lunch before his “big day”. After quickly finishing their meal, the group prepared to leave when the groom, resplendent in cowboy boots, silver spurs and, a western motif suit, produced a saddled horse, mounted up and prepared to ride the 2 miles down the hill to a large marquee set up on the lakeshore in anticipation of his wedding. As the horse twisted to leave, the Best Man turned to the audience and proclaimed, “He’s ridin’ inta Hell”! A loud protest erupted immediately from the female diners on the patio. The men however, all seemed to think it was very funny. Go figure.

In the words of the old Buffalo Springfield song – “There’s something happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear…”. The Okanagan Valley produces some good wines. We did not taste any great wines or, even any special wines. But, try telling that to the people around here. Admittedly all their good stuff seems to sell out in minutes after it is put in a bottle but, for the wine that is left, $30, $40 or $50 a bottle is NUTS. The wines here are selling for at least double what they’re worth anywhere else and, I mean ANYWHERE else that we have ever been; North America, South America, or Europe. I’m glad that we are still stocked with some really good $20 - $25 California wines. But…….. it’s a very beautiful wine producing area. Compromise, compromise….. And, watching kids swimming and playing on the beach when it is still 29°C at 5:30 P.M. is OK too.

Today, we got together with some more Brockville transplants. Dave and Pat, former Brockville neighbours of ours, left five years ago to settle in the Okanagan at Silver Star and, are living their dream lifestyle. Silver Star is located at an altitude of over 5,000 feet and is modeled on an 1880’s silver mining town. Dave claims that they will have snow before the end of September and, will be skiing before the end of October. The mountain has no snowmaking equipment and, based upon the marks people put on trees to indicate previous years’ snow levels, none is required. Every residence in town is “ski in – ski out” by by-law. Another by-law requires that each building be painted with a minimum of 5 different paint colours. Very unique. We had a great visit and a great lunch with Dave & Pat before returning to the valley floor.

Something New

2007-09-14T19:45:00.000-05:00

What the hell ..... other people got here first!!!

Life in the Vineyard - I don't think anyone in this picture was picking anytime recently!!

Picking stopped for pictures

The famous "Burrowing Owl" Winery

So…….. when was the last time you toured a wine region in which you couldn’t buy wine? In our case……. today! It’s called the Okanagan Valley!! This area is so hot (Think Paris Hilton...... popular …. not temperature …… although the temperature is very warm .. ie: 80°F) that many wineries are sold out of their best wines. We went by one that was sold out ….. period! The 2005 Estate grown Shiraz at Burrowing Owl Winery sold out in 30 minutes after it was released on the internet. And, the good wines are expensive ( ie: $45 - $75 per bottle). Is this a good business model or what!! Prime grape growing land here is going for $100,000 - $120,000 per acre. In Niagara it’s $80,000 per acre. In Prince Edward County it’s $3,000 per acre. That is for raw land with the POTENTIAL to grow grapes. So buy a few acres, spend $15,000 per acre to prepare and plant, wait 3 years for your first meager crop and guess what……. you might end up with plonk!! Too bad!! Seriously though, the region is beautiful and, it is said that the grapes love the near desert climate. We, on the other hand, love the wine (that which can be had).

The Vendage (grape picking) started here yesterday for the earlier maturing grapes and will stretch for the better part of a month until the later grapes are all snug in a stainless steel vat somewhere. Grape growing regions always seem to come alive during the Vendage so, our timing was great!

We are always impressed when a sense of humour is exhibited on signs. As we drove through the mountains yesterday on the way to the Okanagan, we were passed by a septic tank pump-out truck emblazoned with “Yesterday’s Meals on Wheels”. We also passed a B&B for horses – “Bed and Bale”. So much more fun than the usual business signage!

Knick Knack Chilliwack

2007-09-12T19:42:00.000-05:00

Cozy!

By mid morning the "early morning fog" lifted from "our beach"

The main town dock in Ucluelet ... the fog bank was at the harbour mouth all day!!!

Bob was very "crabby"

Every Vancouver Island resident we have spoken to has said the same thing, “This is the best weather we have had all summer”. OK by us! Every day has been bright warm and sunny without a cloud in the sky. We continued to explore the island, spending more time in Tofino, hiking through a temperate rain forest where only 5% of the available sunshine gets to the forest floor, and touring Ucluelet, which strikes us as being the next Whistler. Somebody is spending a ton of money to open up new residential development sites and……….. these babies won’t be cheap!!!! There is an overriding feeling on the island that you are in someplace special. And, you are!!

We wound up our island visit with a return to Nanaimo and a wonderful dinner at Bob & Karen’s palace overlooking the Strait of Georgia. I foolishly left taking pictures of their location until the light was too low and, the resulting photos do not do their location justice. It is spectacular …….. on a hillside overlooking the Strait and the mountains of the mainland on the other side. Walking distance to the left is a marina and, walking distance to the right is a Country Club. Good move!!!

Bob & Karen cooked up a feed of Dungeness Crabs which we thoroughly enjoyed along with an education on some wonderful Vancouver Island wines. The most “Burgundian” Canadian Pinot Noir I have ever had! They’re not suffering!!

After a relatively early start we made the 10:15 ferry from Duke’s Point to Tsawwassenn (just south of Vancouver). I am always a bit apprehensive driving onto these boats where the 18 wheelers are six inches to either side but, all went well. We made it to Chilliwack for the night and just vegged. Tomorrow………the Okanagan.

Surf's up dudes

2007-09-10T20:39:00.000-05:00

Tofino - a beautiful little harbour

Bingo!!

Brenda "and friend" after 3 hours on the water

".........it's quiet............"

If you "double click" you will see a surfing dude zooming past the rocks

The decision not to drive the RV across Vancouver Island to its west coast may prove to be the best decision we will make on this trip. We were cautioned against bringing the RV and, heeded the advice. It’s a beautiful trip surrounded by snow capped peaks, groves of “old growth” Douglas Firs, crystal clear mountain lakes, interesting little towns like Port Alberni (on the coast …… yet in the middle of the island) and, even a grazing bear on the side of the road. We did see 18 wheelers on the highway but, those drivers were working! If you are not going up or down, you’re turning ……….. for 2 ½ hours. Lots of 20, 30 and 40 km/hour curves. My palms get sweaty descending an 8% grade. We went down an 18% grade!!!!! Never saw one of THEM before. Break out the defibrillator!!

Tofino is everything we were told it would be. It’s gorgeous, it’s nature at its finest, it’s quiet and, it’s one of Canada’s major surfing capitals. Our surfer-waiter at lunch came here for a weekend, from Montreal, four years ago and never left. He’s not unique! Lots of tree huggers, artisans, hippies, surfers and nature lovers. The coast is rugged and untamed however, the outstanding sand beaches stretch for mile upon mile, mostly uninhabited.

3 hours of bouncing and being blown around in a Zodiac yielded sightings of numerous Humpback Whales, Harbour Seals, Steller Sea-Lions and Harbour Porpoise. When we asked our boat-driver/guide how often the conditions were as perfect as we experienced (flat seas, hot sun, no haze/mist, and lots of sea life), he replied……..never. Lucky us! In Tofino, August is known as “Fogust” and, in January/February visitors are coming to storm –watch. Picking your time for whale watching is important.

Much of the accommodation in Tofino is the “full meal deal”; high-end lodging with excellent service and wonderful menus. Our room looks out over the beach, allowing the sunsets to stream in over the pounding surf. Getting Brenda back to the RV may require some rope!!

The East Coast

2007-09-09T09:11:00.000-05:00

How many Canadians do YOU know with Palms in the front yard?

The view out our "back door"

These guys were VERY unfriendly............ wouldn't even say hello!

The area around Nanaimo B.C. is said to have the warmest winter weather in all of Canada and, should any proof of this fact be required, the numerous palm trees around town should do it! We have had an opportunity to explore the south east coast of Vancouver Island (what the locals call the Central Island) including the communities of Nanaimo, Chemainus, Duncan, Qualicum Beach and several others. The Strait of Georgia is almost always in view as the land climbs away from the water and, giant west coast cedars and other coniferous varieties lend majesty to the scene.

The west coast native tribes figure prominently in the flavour of the region. Duncan, for example, has totems carved by significant native craftsmen distributed all over town providing a singular uniqueness to the community. Chemainus has its historical murals and, there is always the “sea and sky”. Nature and the great outdoors are omnipresent on “the Island” and, greatly appreciated by the residents. In our current campground (it’s not an RV Park), overlooking a small bay with Nanaimo in the distance, we are viewed with distain by the “real campers” who are communing with nature in their tents. But……..I’ll bet they don’t have chilled martini glasses in their freezers! Hell……… I’ll bet they don’t even have freezers. We’ll take all the distain we can get ;-)

Bob and Karen, who moved here from Brockville a year ago, met us for dinner last evening. It was great to see them and get caught up. We now have no problem understanding why they moved. Today we switch island coasts for Tofino.

Tourists again!!!

2007-09-06T23:12:00.000-05:00

In goes the new part.........the mechanic too!!!

The little green houseboat might be a bit cramped

The sun sets on a "cute little harbour ferry"

After learning more in the past two days than anyone needs to know in order to lead a happy and productive life, about diesel engines, their electronic control modules and the many sensors that make them work, we now have a certified working engine!! Yippee!!

We’re back into solid tourist status. Victoria is as beautiful in the late summer as it is in the spring. Just different flowers!! We hit the Royal British Columbia Museum, another of the picks in “1000 Places to See Before You Die”. This museum outlines the history and art of the west coast native tribes in a First People’s Gallery with magnificent examples of totems, masks, an entire longhouse and, thousands of examples of artwork. There is also an extensive west coast natural history gallery and, the traveling Titanic exhibit is here too.

Fisherman’s Wharf is an eclectic collection of houseboats sheltering an even more eclectic collection of residents. And………the world famous Barb’s Place (owned by a guy named Ian????) is here, serving the best fish and chips we have ever had. Their clams and mussels were pretty decent too!! It is hard to know if there are more boats or floatplanes entering and exiting Victoria Harbour however, it makes for interesting viewing while chomping on the mussels, clams and fish on the harbour edge.

We met some great diesel mechanics but …….tourism is our preferred activity.

........... Go ............ (sort of) .......

2007-09-05T19:50:00.000-05:00

Not the "Vancouver Island vista" we had planned for today

Jim (our new best friend) is under the rig trying to find the problem

Jim & Michelle drove us to the Ottawa airport; flights were great and; Victoria is just as beautiful as when we left. Our car was in the storage yard where the staff had kindly reconnected the battery and, we were off to get the RV. The repair of the door that I crunched last year was very well done. The RV dealership had the rig plugged in to top up all the batteries; we hooked up the car and headed for our first night’s stop. But, we stopped a bit sooner!!

As we were driving back into Victoria the “check engine” light came on in the RV and a loud, piercing buzzer immediately brought this fact to our attention. We pulled the rig over to the narrow shoulder on the side of the road. The passing 18 wheelers shook the RV from side to side as I secretly hoped they would shake whatever demons were in the engine into submission. Not today!! The check engine light magically went out but, as we carried on, the RV had no power at all, causing us to limp up a small hill like the Little Engine That Could. We struggled the short distance to our RV Park and called roadside assistance. So endeth day I.

Day II has also endeth and, it was spent in the company of a great bunch of diesel mechanics at the local Cummins Diesel shop. We were greeted bright and early this morning by the biggest damn tow truck I have ever seen. We now know that our problem is a faulty manifold pressure sensor (which are not native to Vancouver Island!!!). One is hopefully winging its way to us overnight from the “mainland” and, our new best friends will install it in the morning. That’s the plan! Thank God for warranties and road-side assistance.

In the “always look on the bright side” department, the oil change, after which we have been lusting all summer, was kindly worked into today’s schedule by the “Cummins boys”. Our engine may not run well but…….. it sure is clean!!

Ready....... Set.........................

2007-08-09T04:55:00.000-05:00

It's always sad to leave family, friends and the St. Lawrence River!

Summer is winding to an end and preparation is underway to get back on the road. Flights have been booked to put us back in Victoria on September 4. Allowing a few days to clean up the RV and get stocked up, we should be rolling again by the 7’th.

It has been great to spend the summer with family and friends but, we are also looking forward to new discoveries on the road. My little “customization” of the motorhome from last year has supposedly been repaired over the summer but………… it has been impossible to get an oil change in Victoria ……….. for the ENTIRE SUMMER????? What the heck is that all about?? It sounds like anyone looking for a great business opportunity should start changing oil in large trucks on Vancouver Island. Who knew??

Our plan is explore Vancouver Island, head to the Okanagan Valley (one of our favourite spots in Canada) and then turn right for Idaho, Montana and the Dakotas. Stay tuned!!

Pause

2007-04-24T08:49:00.000-05:00

Butchart Gardens is a Victoria highlight

Just another Vancouver Island vista

The trip.................so far

The RV is parked in a fenced yard, we’re at an airport hotel waiting for our flight home and, the exploring has ended………for now.

Our little journey has not been what we expected. It has been so much better. As we departed Brockville in August, we reasoned that if we did not truly enjoy moving from place to place in an RV, we would sell the rig, return home and check RV travel off our list of things to do. Instead, we have learned more, experienced more, and most importantly appreciated more of what makes up this continent on which we live. And…… in our case, it’s not about the RV. It is merely a means to an end, putting us in places to which we would never fly or otherwise visit.

So far, we have put about 15,000 km on the motorhome and, an additional 19,000 km on the car. We have explored a bit of Canada and 20 of the largest states, teaching us that there is so much more to see. We have been surprised by how many people we have met along the way that do this as a full-time life-style, year after year. They think we’re nuts to be returning to a “home base”. Then there are those amongst friends and family who thought we were nuts to embark on this trip. I guess the consensus is that we’re nuts!!!!! Our chosen name for the RV, the “Pecan”, becomes more fitting all the time!

We are eager to see friends, family and home and, we’re eager to get back to more exploring. Go figure!!

“Texture”

2007-04-21T22:03:00.000-05:00

The "Prince of Whales" in much smoother water, snapped from our ferry on the day we arrived in BC

There's a lot of white out there and, I don't mean the snow on the mountain tops!!!

Our very good luck...... an in-the-water boat show in front of the BC legislature. Some great deals. A very unenthusiastic wife!!

The view from our dinner table at "Sooke Harbour House"

Along the coast, around every corner is another picture!

When we booked our tickets for a 3 hour whale watching trip on a 62 foot “Zodiac” style boat, we inquired as to the sea conditions in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We were told that there was some “texture” on the water!! Departing Victoria harbour we could see conditions building in the strait. 40 minutes into the trip the boat, which usually cruises at 20 - 30 knots, was crawling up and over 6 foot whitecaps in a wind that had built to 31 knots. The crew decided to abandon the trip and return to harbour but, made the mistake of asking passengers if they were OK for the 45 minute return trip; giving them the option of being dropped off at another close-by harbour up the coast, for a cab ride back into Victoria. There was an enthusiastic endorsement of plan “B”.

After the “whimps” were dropped off, the remaining, albeit dramatically reduced crew had a wild downwind ride over building seas back to Victoria. Since the journey usually encompasses a 60 – 90 mile round trip to the whales depending on their location and, since our round trip had only covered 18.5 miles in our 2 ½ hour “wave dance”, we were cheerfully refunded the price of our tickets. I would equally as cheerfully have paid just for the wave ride!! It was a blast. When we return in the autumn, we will eagerly try the “Prince of Whales” once more.

Victoria and environs is everything people have told us it is: beautiful, rugged, and so picturesque. We have traveled to Sooke Harbour, along the coast and, around the city. Stunning!! We’re glad that we will be back in the fall to pick up the RV. We’ll make time to do much more exploring.

C-EH-N-EH-D-EH

2007-04-18T20:11:00.000-05:00

Our Home and Native Land

Getting ready to be "swallowed up" by the ferry

Goodbye to Washington State and the USA

" Welcome to Victoria"

Whenever I hear Brenda utter “Oh dear!” as we are pulling into an RV Park, I know that the park will not get on to our list of favourites! We got a very emphatic “Oh dear!” pulling into the park in Victoria B.C. It’s pretty bad but, what the hell, we’re back in Canada.

The ferry crossing from Port Angeles, Washington to Victoria B.C. was a great short trip which a cut a long day of driving out of our journey. There were several motorhomes and 18 wheelers in the ferry. We were alongside a 45 foot RV which prevented me from turning right to get to the exit ramp on the starboard side of the ferry but, we had to exit first. The ferry staff directed me to pull straight ahead and then crank it hard at the last minute. I was sure we would get wedged in between a post, the other RV and, the hull of the ship. We made it with less than 2 inches to spare. Those guys have done that a few times before!!!

As we drove through Canada Customs (they still call it that don’t they?) I detailed the list of our purchases and honestly declared 2 bottles of liquor and 19 bottles of wine. The Customs officer asked how much the wine was worth. I told him and he said “Have a nice day sir”. Honesty IS the best policy! Whoopee!!

We did a quick drive right through downtown Victoria from the ferry dock. I think spring is the time of year to visit. The whole city is in bloom!!! We’ll be exploring for the next few days. Then we have to ship a surprising amount of “stuff” home. It’s amazing what we have accumulated! The RV goes into storage for the summer with some provisions for maintenance and, we’ll be flying home on the 24’th. The end of Chapter II is nigh. Maybe one more blog post before we get home.

Cool………very cool!!!

2007-04-16T18:34:00.000-05:00

From this...........

..... to this ......... in a 25 minute ferry ride

The fish market is much larger than pictured (this is the Crab section). Fish, crabs, etc. and parts thereof are flying every-which-way

Museums and the arts are found throughout the city

It is difficult to know how to describe Seattle other than cool! It’s a bit Bohemian, a little artsy, a bit “nuts and berries”, VERY high tech, a touch of outdoors, always maritime and, just a bit of “old” and “new” mixed together. All in all……unique!

The city itself is very modern and, has a young, vibrant feel to it but, what makes it truly unique is that the second largest ferry fleet in the world (BC Ferries is #1) brings much of its daily workforce in from the surrounding communities which populate the shores of Puget Sound. As a result, for many people it’s like living in Muskoka (with mountains) and working in downtown Toronto, without the traffic jam. Instead they have a very civilized 25 minute ferry ride to work, complete with on-board espresso cafes and plush armchairs. No automobiles required!! These same people then live in small, seaside towns with all the outdoor amenities you can imagine. Cool!!

If anyone can remember the “fish tossing” scene at the fish market in “Sleepless in Seattle”, we saw it replayed over and over at the Pikes Place Fish Market. These guys are good!!! We saw them tossing 20 pound halibuts and, catching them with one hand, while looking the other way and talking to customers. They do like to show off a bit but…..those damn fish are slippery!!!! Very cool!

Seattle has to be another of the US’s most livable cities.

A Subtle Difference

2007-04-14T09:30:00.000-05:00

More wine!!!!! 110 acres of nothing but Oregon Pinot Noir

From this vantage there were blossoming apple orchards for 360 degrees

Since we left Brockville in August we have been truly blessed with weather. I doubt that we have seen 8 - 10 days of rain on the entire trip…………..until the Pacific Northwest!!! Here, it rains every day; not ALL day; but EVERY day. An important distinction. In fact, we have not really been hampered much by the daily rains. It’s difficult to take a picture of Mount Hood because of the continual cloud and overcast but, that’s about it. However, if truth be told, we are both much happier under a cobalt blue sky from sun-up to sun-down. At this point we can either hightail it back to Palm Springs or, bite the bullet and continue the trek home. Alas the pull of family and friends wins.

A Brockville friend kindly put us in contact with a pal who works in the expanding Oregon wine business, who in turn pointed us in the right direction to find some really great Pinot Noirs. We tasted a number and, were very impressed. Being Canadian and used to French Pinots, we found the Oregon wines much more ready to drink young but, not quite as complex as their French cousins. Since we still haven’t figured out what to do with the cases of wine we are carrying from past tastings in California, we battled the temptation to buy our favourites. We are hoping for a VERY understanding Customs inspector.

Today we’ll finally reach Washington State and, park for a while outside Seattle in order to explore the area. Maybe the rain will let up!!

Espresso

2007-04-12T07:56:00.000-05:00

2 competing espresso stands, 20 feet from each other, in the same parking lot

EVERYTHING is in bloom

The western end of the Columbia River Gorge

This waterfall is over 600 feet high

I have neglected to mention the overwhelming number of drive-up Espresso stands in Oregon. It seems that every parking lot, supermarket and, many gas stations have an espresso stand, the size of a large walk–in closet, on their property. Mostly, they seem to be owner-run operations, competing with the dozens of others in town. As we drove the RV through the mountains on a secondary highway, we stopped at a combination realty office/espresso stand on the block long main street of a tiny village. $5.00 bought two excellent lattes and a Danish. Look out Starbucks!!!

Today we drove east through the 80 mile long Columbia River Gorge to the windsurfing capital of the world (self proclaimed) near the town of Hood River. We have seen television coverage of the windsurfing here, with the surfers jumping standing waves in the gorge, in screaming wind conditions. Our luck …….. there was only a gentle breeze blowing today so, the surfers must have been in the numerous “surfing pubs”. A surf shop owner gave us the old “Ya shoulda been here on the weekend. It was wild!!”

The gorge itself is picturesque with dozens of waterfalls, some up to 600 feet high, pouring down the walls, seeking the Columbia River. The road runs along the top of the gorge, down the steep slopes and then back up again. Here, our timing was good, as the waterfalls are all running at, or near, their spring maximum water flow. The Cascade Mountains further east, which drain to the Columbia, still have major snow-pack on their summits, with Mount Hood standing out (when you can see it through the clouds). Oregonians are justifiably proud of their surroundings.

The Neighbourhood

2007-04-09T10:25:00.000-05:00

The view out the windshield

Some of the neighbours came over for lunch

Seafood is available everywhere. $6.95 bought us all the shucked oysters we could eat at 2 meals!!!!!

Many of the quaint towns are highly rated for retirement

Our rolling home has been parked in Winchester Bay, Oregon for 4 days with our windshield literally 20 feet from the bay. Brenda, the “Queen of black and white”, is enamoured with the neighbours. Anytime we look out, we see a family of Loons (black & white) swimming back and forth along with a flock of Buffleheads (small ducks……black & white). Every so often a couple of Sea Lions appear (they look black when they are wet) looking for a meal in front of the RV. No brightly coloured wildlife need apply!!!

The Oregon coast is a beautiful, wild and rugged landscape, with a unique and different lighthouse around every corner. We have driven north and south for hundreds of miles, taking in the Oregon State Aquarium, numerous quaint, sea-side towns, great sea-food, and the ever-changing scenery. The weather changes as frequently as the scenery; one minute sunny; raining the next and, when a small storm blows through……..look out!

We have become very appreciative of the opportunity to visit places like this in the off-season. Without throngs of other tourists, one can really appreciate travel destinations in a way that the locals experience three seasons of the year. Kind of like seeing the St. Lawrence in winter!!!

Logs and Trees

2007-04-06T20:42:00.000-05:00

Within 6 miles of the town of Cottage Grove there are 7 covered bridges. We saw four of them.

So..............you think you're havin' a BAD day!!!!!

The beaches are magnificent with miles of dunes (Lots of dune buggies though)

An Oregon lighthouse through the perpetual sea spray

If the logging truck is not the state symbol of Oregon, it should be. They’re everywhere!!! Nevertheless, there are still plenty of trees. We have been fortunate to have been following Spring northward for the past several weeks. Everywhere we travel shrubs and trees are in bloom, wildflowers cover the ground and, the countryside is enveloped in that superb “spring green” colour. The drive through northern California into Oregon was beautiful, with parts of California reminiscent of Switzerland……. rolling green mountains populated with herds of grazing cattle and sheep as well as a remote individual farm here and there. No corporate farming here.

Oregon is big and “all outdoors”. The rural countryside is a world apart from big cities. Mountains, trees and…….. a good workout if you’re driving a 34,000 pound block up and down and around the mountain highways. Going up is easy (slow maybe) …….. coming down is the trick. I sure am glad I took that air-brake course. The engine brake is getting a good workout as we happily pass the many truck runaway lanes that seem to be spaced every 5 or 6 miles. I can now easily distinguish between a 5% grade, a 6% grade or a 7% grade. An 8% grade earns a martini after the descent!!!!

Today we crossed over to the coast at Winchester Bay. We were told not to miss the Oregon Coast and, we were not misled. Rugged beauty, forty miles of sand dunes that stretch a mile back from the water, blazing Rhododendrons, sea lion caves, and sea-food, sea-food. A great pick for Easter weekend

Shasta

2007-04-04T08:34:00.000-05:00

This sundial casts a LARGE shadow

The surface of the "Sundial Bridge" is thick glass

Shasta Dam, Shasta Lake, Mount Shasta (the snow covered one).............this hasta be Shasta

Small and medium sized towns and cities in the US seem to have access to many more infrastructure dollars than do their Canadian cousins. We are now in the small northern California city of Redding, in the shadow of Mount Shasta and the Cascade Mountains, in California’s Central Valley. This city of 90,000 souls has wonderful parks, trails, gardens, fountains, museums and, a huge modern conference and arts centre. We saw the Harlem Gospel Choir there last night. A wonderful show in a great venue! It seems they always have great entertainment available.

One bridge over the Sacramento River is a pedestrian suspension bridge designed as a working sundial. The sundial arm is so tall it has aircraft collision avoidance lighting on its top. A LARGE artwork!!

All of this pales as you drive out into the mountains. We motored out to Shasta Dam, the second largest dam in the US. (We drove right by #1 without stopping – the Hoover Dam near Las Vegas). Even at #2, there are 6,270,000 cu. yd. of concrete in the dam, enough to build a 4 foot wide sidewalk around the equator!! The surrounding mountain countryside offers picture-taking vistas everywhere you turn. We’re almost in Oregon.

A Little Vintner Humour

2007-04-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

It used to be "There's gold in them thar hills"
Now it's "There's wine in them thar hills"

Look out for the dogs..........

.......and the deer

More than wine for sale

The Saturday Wine Poker Run was a hoot. One winery was run by a young couple who produce fewer than 1000 cases of wonderful full-bodied wine per year in tumbledown buildings. Another was run by a veterinarian who, with underground mining equipment, spent a year and millions of dollars creating a magnificent underground wine cave, by tunneling into the side of a granite hill. This cave is complete with a formal dining room, an art collection, tasting room, lots of maturing wine and fountains cascading down the exterior of the cave. Diversity rules. After the tastings everyone, including the winery owners and winemakers, congregated in the cave at one of the wineries for a prime rib dinner and lots of fun and prizes. Coming from eastern Canada we easily stole the “longest drive” prize to get to the Poker Run.

As one vintner explained to me, due to the small output of these wineries, winemaking in this area is more of a lifestyle than a way to make a living!! We thoroughly enjoyed these friendly people and, developed a great respect for their “lifestyle”. They may not make a lot of money but, they sure know how to have fun. And…..they have a quirky sense of humour. I have attached pictures snapped along the wine trails.

The best vintner sense of humour definitely belongs to Paul Toogood (his real name), the underground miner/veterinarian and owner of the Toogood Winery, whose premier wine is labeled “Foreplay”. (The winery region is known as Fairplay) You may need to double click the picture of the T shirt available for purchase at Paul’s winery store. It, along with thongs and other unmentionables available for sale, indicate that his mind is on more than wine.

HELP!!!!!!

2007-03-30T09:22:00.000-05:00

The snowcapped Sierra Nevadas as seen from the Chateau Routon Vineyard

Every rural intersection has signs to yet more wineries

This is getting to be far too much fun!!! We thought that the Santa Barbara wine region was unique and funky. The Shenandoah Valley wine region, east of Sacramento, makes the Santa Barbara area look like a corporate realm. This area is even smaller and includes the Amador, El Dorado and Fair Play wine regions. You could easily do a wine tasting on foot. The wineries are so small and so numerous that you could walk from one to another until you could no longer stand up. The winemakers are strongly individualistic, very accomplished, and specialize in Zinfandel, Syrah, and Rhone blends, with a bit of Tempranillo, late harvest and surprisingly, Port, thrown in for good measure. The oldest winery in California is here, having commenced production in 1856. This area was, after all, the centre of the 1848 California gold rush. Towns with names like El Dorado, Placerville and Carson City link back to the “old days”.

We spent the better part of the afternoon with a bio-chemist who, after retiring from hospital administration, opened a winery, Amador Cellars, which produces a grand total of 1800 cases a year. Do the math………this guy is not getting rich!! BUT…his wines are amazing. We tasted his bottled zins and syrahs from 2002, ’03 and ’04 and, were so blown away that he offered us barrel samples of ’05 and ’06. I have never tasted a barrel sample that I did not want to spit out………until today. It is sad that the only way to purchase these wines is to knock on the winery door. They sell themselves!!

Then to cap off the day, we were offered tickets to a winery “poker run” on Saturday. These tickets cost the princely sum of $49 each and include 5 wine tastings at 5 different wineries, our choice of a bottle of any of the tasted wines at each winery (total 10 bottles, each worth at least $20), a Riedel tasting glass each, a card at each winery to be played at the end as a poker hand for numerous prizes and………. DINNER. Winemakers must have serious problems with math!!!!

If we never return to Canada……… we have found a nice little winery for sale in a quaint valley in northern California!!

Giants

2007-03-29T08:51:00.000-05:00

Redbud Trees cover the mountain slopes

We thought we were doing this trip to avoid this stuff!!!

This one's a baby ....... not much more than 2,000 years old

We headed back into the Sierra Nevada Mountains in order to see Sequoia National Park. The drive commenced on a warm, sunny morning in the San Joaquin Valley farm lands, at about 17°C and ended 2 hours later at 6,500 feet, at -3°C and, in 7 inches of fresh snow. The road into the park, up to the giant trees was restricted to vehicles with 4 wheel drive and/or chains only. Altitude is latitude!!!!

Our first hour, heading west, continued through uninterrupted factory farm land, fertile and FLAT. The farms are imposing and highly automated; employing a scale of food production unlike anything we have seen except in southern California and Arizona. Once we started climbing, the mountain meadows exploded in colour, with the Redbud Trees and Mountain Lupin Bushes taking centre stage, turning some of the mountain slopes into amazing red and violet inclines. Then we hit the snow!! Visibility dropped to zero and, we worried that we might not be able to see the tree-tops. But, as we kept climbing it almost looked like we would break into sunshine.

The giant Sequoias must be seen to be appreciated. The “General Sherman” tree is the largest living thing on earth!!! It is a 2,300 – 2,700 year old Sequoia with a height of 275 feet and a trunk circumference of 103 feet. The volume of the wood in the tree is estimated to be 52,500 cubic feet. That’s a lot of firewood!!! Redwoods can grow taller but, they cannot equal the mass of the Sequoias. And, it takes the heat of forest fires to open the female cones in order to release the seeds. Forest fire repression almost doomed the giants until scientists figured it out. Now, our buddies at the National Park Service actually start fires in the Sequoia forests in order to ensure propagation.

Fruits and Nuts

2007-03-27T21:03:00.000-05:00

Did we take a wrong turn in County Kerry???

Young fruit trees to the horizon

Lettuce to the horizon

Food grows where water flows

The Mojave Desert has to be the most inhospitable place in North America. We spent a couple of days in the desert after leaving Las Vegas and starting our move north. The US military loves the place. In addition to Edwards Air Force Base, there are numerous testing ranges, logistics bases and a few “who knows what they are” bases in the desert. Add in a few boron mines (A little test……who remembers Wagon Train and Twenty Mule Team Borax?) and a couple of the world’s largest junk yards and, that pretty much sums up the Mojave Desert. However, there are more Joshua Trees than in Joshua Tree National Park.

BUT…….start to climb into the Sierra Nevadas and, in the space of five miles, you could be in Ireland!!!! The hill and mountain sides are a lush green, with millions of wildflowers in the mountain meadows. Trees reappear. People and habitation become apparent. It’s a different world!

Across the Sierras, we entered the San Joaquin Valley, another of “America’s breadbaskets”. We drove for over 100 miles surrounded by factory farms and orchards, stretching to the Sierras to the east and the Coastal Range to the west. Some individual orchards were miles long by miles wide. Local fruit and nuts are available everywhere. Roadside billboards broadcast “Food Grows Where Water Flows”, highlighting the importance of that resource. The systems of dikes, levees, pumps and irrigation systems are a major engineering feat. Our RV Park is even in the middle of almond orchards. Free almonds after dark!!!

More Vegas

2007-03-24T18:01:00.000-05:00

And the beat goes on!! The bigger (better????) Las Vegas strip

Puttin' on the ol' feed bag..................AGAIN!!!!!

The Aureole wine tower - 4 stories of some of the best grape juice around!!!!

We bid adieu to the kids today at the Las Vegas airport, after far too short a visit. I think we all agreed that we are more “Santa Barbara Wine Country people” than “Las Vegas people”. But……..Las Vegas is certainly stimulation for the senses. One wonders how long can it continue. Vegas is the fastest growing community in the US with over 5,000 people moving in every month and, a new home completed every 20 minutes. There are currently 5 new casinos under construction on the strip. It is “Boomtown” USA. We were told that the water level in Lake Mead, from which Las Vegas obtains its water, is down 70 feet from its high water mark. I didn’t believe that and checked on the internet. The official number is 65 feet!!!! Who’s going to quibble over 5 feet? I’d say they have a problem!!!!

All that being said, there are wonderful experiences to be had in Vegas. Again, one of our most memorable occurred in a restaurant. (We are now back at the RV on a bread and water diet). Charlie Palmer’s Las Vegas “Aureole” is a huge departure from his New York “Aureole”. The Las Vegas version is slick, stark and modern, with its centerpiece being a 4 story, temperature and humidity controlled glass “wine tower”, around which the restaurant is built. The tower holds nearly 10,000 bottles. The wine list is so extensive that it is presented to you on a wireless, tablet computer, allowing searches by any variable imaginable. Once a wine is selected, a gymnastic “wine angel” ascends the tower to find your selection, employing a cable and pulley system. Very unique!!! The food, service and ambience made for a complete experience. Very, very good!

Seeing the kids made us think all the more about home so, tomorrow we will continue our northward trek. We have received lots of advice on what to see on the Oregon coast so, it’s 2 states to go and, we are back in Canada. I hope spring has arrived!!!!

Vegas

2007-03-22T09:10:00.000-05:00

Walking down "the strip"

Another great Paso Robles Syrah before dinner - So much for that liver drying out thing!!

"Excalibur" at night- It's great when a night shot actually works with a pocket digital camera!!!

Brenda has not been to Las Vegas for a long time; Jonathan, never! It’s bigger; it’s brasher but, it hasn’t changed very much. The newer hotels keep trying to outdo the ones that came before and the clientele is still one of the most eclectic found anywhere. However, the days of the $9.99 buffet are long gone, replaced by every celebrity chef on the planet vying for recognition. The kids have become bigger “foodies” than us! Last night we were at Wolfgang Puck, tonight Bobby Flay, and Friday, Charlie Palmer. I remember when restaurants had names!!! Now the chef comes first, the name of the restaurant second!! Oh yes………I also understand that there is some gambling done here!!

Last night we had tickets to the Cirque de Soliel’s “Ka”. None of us knew what to expect! The show was a sensory smorgasbord, with each scene/act more unique than the one before. The staging and the physical acts were unlike anything any of us had ever seen, making us all want to see the other Cirque shows in town. Maybe next time.

The next few days will be spent exploring the town and taking in whatever comes at us. We all want to experience each of the new hotels. We are staying at the Luxor, wandered through Excalibur and New York, New York, had a drink at Bellagio and, ate at the MGM. And…….we only got here at 3:00 P.M. yesterday. We have neither lost nor won any money, except that which continually flows from one’s pockets in the normal course of events. I wonder if I could pay for this part of the trip at the tables?????? Hmmmmmmmm………..

Goodbye Wine

2007-03-19T20:56:00.000-05:00

A "BIG" taste (the bottle!!!)

We drank so much wine........we were seeing Ostriches

Each day, we have been taking new routes through the Santa Barbara hill country (Santa Ynez Valley), finding wineries and small towns nestled in the many small valleys. As with most wine areas, there is lots of “plonk” to taste but, I think we all agree that the percentage of good wine is higher than in most wine regions. We tasted some wines of which there were only 45 cases produced (2 barrels). Very interesting!! The area excels in Rhone varietals and Syrahs. The late harvest wines are also excellent.

We explored the city of Santa Barbara today, having lunch at a wonderful shellfish restaurant on the city pier. There are even full fledged wineries in the middle of the city. The city center is one of the most well preserved historic downtowns we have yet seen. It is so well maintained, it looks new! The morning “maritime layer” (local euphemism for fog) is omnipresent in the morning but, burns off before noon to present a perfect sunny afternoon every day. I guess the grapes love it. Us too!

BUT, the livers must get a reprieve so, we are off in the morning, across the desert, on the way to Las Vegas. We’ll park our tin home in Barstow, spend the night and, then move on to the lights. Stay tuned!!

Company!!!!

2007-03-18T10:44:00.000-05:00

A great picnic with Dawn and Bill at Curtis Winery

Overlooking LA from "the Getty"

Having been away so long, it is always wonderful to see people from “home”. We spent the past two days with Dawn and Bill, fellow wine lovers from Waterloo. They arrived on Wednesday and helped us tour yet more wineries. Great friends, great wines, and fun times. We even watched the movie “Sideways” in an effort to figure out why both couples thought it had been filmed in Napa. All the places we have been visiting were clearly there!

The visit seemed to pass in a heartbeat. We then drove back into LA to pick up Jonathan and Meghann who will be with us for a week. While in LA, we took in the Getty Museum, a spectacular hilltop complex, unlike most museums. Very modern, very busy but, very efficient. It is itself an architectural artwork.

Our wonderfully democratic group decided to buy a “star map” and tour the homes of the Hollywood elite. We saw some wonderful gates and hedges!!!! Then up the Pacific Coast highway for the 2 ½ hour drive back to the old “Pecan” in Buellton. Along the way, we passed through Malibu and the sea-side towns. 100’s of hearty surfers were in the surf all along the route. It is difficult to see the appeal of Malibu real-estate given that the beach houses are literally touching each other. Not our cup of tea!

We are very much looking forward to the next week of touring with the kids. After the wine region, we’ll be heading back across the desert to Las Vegas for a few days of “livin’ large” at the Luxor.

Sideways

2007-03-14T22:49:00.000-05:00

If I were a grape, I wouldn't mind living here.......

It ain't Chateau Souverain but, the wines are remarkable. Many ....... Robert Parker 90+

Our absolutely favourite sign from the entire trip.........so far

One little fact that we overlooked when coming to the Santa Barbara wine region was that the movie “Sideways” was filmed here, not in Napa Valley as we thought. And……. has this area ever made a BIG deal of that. Our RV Park is next door to the hotel used in the movie. Darn near every winery we have been in was used in the movie. We had dinner across the street from a restaurant used in the movie, yadda, yadda………

Fess Parker (Davy Crockett to us old farts) has a winery here (yup...he's still alive); the Firestone Winery (of the “Bachelor” fame) is here; and our favourite so far, the Foxen Winery (“if you don’t know Foxen – you don’t know Dick……or Bill”) is here.

What a great region. The wineries are run by owner/operators who grow their own grapes and produce hand-crafted, limited production, estate-bottled wines, of which they are justifiably proud. There is none of the corporate nonsense and silliness associated with Napa………yet! These are real people and real honest wine production on a small scale. The entire valley is bursting with spring as the grape vines bud and the fruit trees blossom. You can just tell that in ten years it will all be Napa II but…….. for the moment it is a real treat. The winding, hilly roads between wineries have none of the Napa traffic…..yet. The prices for vertical or horizontal tastings are not high……yet. Walk-in customers are welcome at wineries and restaurants……….so far. A bit of advice………get here soon! The scenery is beautiful!! The little towns of Buellton, Solvang, Los Olivos, etc are extremely scenic and, almost devoid of tourists.

Crunch Day

2007-03-12T20:33:00.000-05:00

Looking out over Simi Valley from the Regan Library - Air Force One and a Presidential Chopper in the corners

Ouch!!!!!!!!

They say that a bad day on vacation is better than a good day at the office. I had some great days at the office!!! I think a bad day is just a ……….BAD DAY. We saw a lot in LA, which was good because we were staying in one of the worst RV Parks we have seen on the entire trip. We only slept there. And to top off our stay, as we left, I misjudged a corner and scrunched one of the “basement doors” of the motor-home on a VERY immovable bollard alongside the roadway. That’ll cost!!

We have been in and out of some very tight spots on this trip and I guess I got too cocky for my own good as it relates to my ability to maneuver the RV in tight spaces. Reminiscent of another vacation a few years ago. (eh R&B)

On our way to Buellton (Santa Barbara) we stopped at the Ronald Regan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. After climbing a winding mountain road to the library and maneuvering around corners not meant for an RV, then parking in the back of a parking lot not meant for RV’s (remember I just crunched the side a few hours ago), we were told by a guard…………..no RV’s (A sign at the bottom of the hill would have been nice!!!). Simi Valley is beautiful and, the site for the Regan Library is breathtaking (there’s that word again), on a hilltop, overlooking miles of surrounding countryside.

We are now in the middle of the Santa Barbara wine country and, are looking forward to visits from Waterloo friends and Jonathan and Meghann. So…..we’ll be here for a while. Beats LA!!

Natalie, Dick and Wolfgang

2007-03-12T19:10:00.000-05:00

Catalina could almost be the "Cinque Terre" in Italy

Brenda practising her "Presidential" departure at the Nixon Library

Rated #3 in the US - It lives up to its billing

Remember the bad, old joke….”What kind of wood does not float?” Answer…….Natalie! For those whose memories may be foggy, Hollywood starlet Natalie Wood drowned while swimming off the stern of a yacht, rented by she and her husband, actor Robert Wagner, while anchored in a bay on Catalina Island. VERY bad joke!! Sunday, we took the ferry to Catalina from Long Beach. The major town on Catalina, Avalon, is reminiscent of Mediterranean, Italian, sea-side hill towns. You wonder what is anchoring some of the houses to the hill. A very unique tourist destination and, very busy on an 85°F winter day. Glad we visited in off-season!

Saturday, we visited the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda. Another excellent history lesson and, in light of events surrounding the Nixon resignation, a very interesting tutorial in marketing!! The facility dealt at great length with the Watergate situation and presented what amounted to a balanced reporting of the events. The Spiro Agnew resignation got almost no mention. I guess Tricky Dick wasn’t responsible for that one!! John Dean was certainly made out to be the Watergate “Bad Guy”. We met Dean and his wife many years ago and……… he seemed pretty sleazy then.

After the library, we talked our way into a dinner reservation at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago, in Beverley Hills. (We’re actually getting quite good at last minute tables in good eateries……the first maitre de said “no way” but, a sweet young blonde said……”sure…no problem” ). Our dining success rate has been about 50/50 at celebrity chef restaurants so, our expectations were muted. Often it’s a case of the “emperor has no clothes” but, not at Spago. The staff was the best, the service excellent and the food…….. unbelievable. Brenda was hoping for Puck’s signature smoked salmon pizza appetizer but, it was not on the day’s menu. No problem…..voila……one smoked salmon pizza. That’s service! The entire meal was memorable and excellent.

The air in LA is much more “chewy” than we remember from previous visits and, the razor wire surrounding highway signs suspended from I-10 freeway overpasses to prevent tampering tells a story. Not a happy one methinks. All in all…… LA is nowhere as “livable” as San Diego. Next!

Palm Desert, Springs, etc., etc.

2007-03-09T11:31:00.000-05:00

A desert sun rise ........... unretouched......honest!!!

The sun sets on our stay in Palm Springs

We’re smitten!! We traveled all around Florida trying to fall in love with some spot to which we could return in future winters. No joy! So, imagine our surprise when we discovered that we love this place and, WILL be coming back here. The weather is as good as south Florida (likely better based upon historical averages….also….no humidity); it is not crowded in the winter; there is so much to do and, our new favourite city, San Diego, is less than 2 hours away. (LA – 1 ½ hours). Our selection criteria insisted that we MUST be on the water and………..the nearest water here is about 1 ½ hours away, on the coast. Do we know what we want OR WHAT???????

We are sad to be leaving after only 4 days in the area, with so much that we have not seen. But, we plan to return for the month of November in Chapter II of our little journey. Then, hopefully, we will see it all.

The Salton Sea and Joshua Tree

2007-03-08T13:27:00.000-05:00

[Hot as Hell but, fun to see!]

The "tree" for which they named a National Park.........white blooms just starting

I thought "Boulder" was in Colorado

I cannot tell a lie.......I did not take this picture but, it is the Salton Sea ...and white Pelicans

Joshua Tree National Park is located north-west of Palm Springs and, is so named for the abundance of Joshua Trees (go figure), which are unique to the Mojave Desert. The park encompasses part of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts (The Colorado being a sub-set of the Sonora……..got it?) The Joshua Tree is actually not a tree at all but, a type of Yucca, which in turn is a type of lily (anyone confused?) We visited the park because this is the peak time of year for the blooming of all the desert wildflowers ………..except for this year!!!!! This winter has been so dry; the wildflower seeds have not had enough moisture to germinate. (“You shoulda been here last year!!!”) But……the Joshua Trees are just beginning to bloom. The south-western US has some of the most interesting geology we have ever seen and this park has its fair share…….granite boulders the size of houses all piled one upon another.

As one drives from the northern edge of the park and out the south end, you descent from a 3,000 foot elevation, until reaching the Salton Sea at 220 feet BELOW sea level. In the process the desert ecosystems continually change with the altitude. We’re getting quite good at identifying all the desert flora and fauna. The Salton Sea, the largest lake in California, was formed from a massive two year flood of the Colorado River in 1905. It is highly saline and endorheic (my new word for the day……no outflow……only evaporation). In fact, in a few years only Tilapia will be able to survive in the high salt environment. Sonny Bono’s widow, Mary, is one of the lead proponents for cleaning up this waterway but, like the Imperial Valley to the south, the presence of water (after filtering and treating) has created a vast agricultural oasis in this area. Figs and dates anyone??

Right turn

2007-03-06T19:23:00.000-05:00

Wind generators......they're everywhere.......up, down, and all around!!!!

Not too shabby for an "RV Park" huh????

An oasis in the desert

We wrapped up in San Diego by attending an organ recital in Balboa Park, taking in the vista at Cabrillo National Monument, a few good waterfront restaurants and, lots more. There is so much to do in San Diego. But, we had to leave something for next time!

So now we have turned right and are heading north…..slowly. Based upon the weather we are seeing in Washington and Oregon (and Ontario), we may take our own sweet time making much northern progress. We thought we had seen big wind farms in south Texas. They are nothing compared to the mile after mile of wind generators around Palm Springs. They are in the valleys, on the hill-tops and, everywhere in between. But, how come only about 20% of them are spinning in a stiff breeze????

Yesterday we arrived at a beautiful RV Park in Cathedral City, between Palm Springs and Palm Desert. This place actually DOES have 8 pools and, with 85º F and sunshine, we made good use of one of them. The RV Park is located around a 27 hole golf course, all of which is beautifully landscaped.

Palm Canyon is a 15 mile long canyon surrounded by hilly scrub desert. In the bottom of the canyon flows a small stream which is sufficient to keep thousands of indigenous California Fan Palms alive in this canyon oasis. We hiked down into the canyon and along part of its length, finding an abundance of wildlife and hundreds of hummingbirds of 5 different species. An amazing experience in the middle of the desert. Hiking down was easy…….coming back up in the heat, a bit of a workout.

USA 34

2007-03-03T21:33:00.000-05:00

This boat looks fast tied to its stable mate "Abracadabra". Not enough tourists today to race the two boats. Damn!! Gotta come back in the summer.

Great way to spend a sunny Saturday

My biggest sailing thrill has been racing for 18 years with a great group of guys (and a girl) on Jim and Michelle’s “Express Passage”. Until today!!! I have never followed Americas Cup racing very closely and, did not realize that, over the years, the Dennis Connor syndicate has commissioned 11 different “Stars and Stripes” boats in his numerous quests for the Americas Cup (he has skippered 3 winners). Today, we sailed on his 10’th (USA 34); the boat in which the Connor crew won their last cup challenge series. What a machine.

The winds were fluky, with 180° wind shifts being the order of the day but, “Stars and Stripes” made the best of it, posting an 11 knot top speed in light air. With a 114 foot (11 story), 5 spreader mast, the boat picks up any available wind and, has achieved speeds in excess of 18 knots in heavy downwind air. None of that around today. When newly built, for a current race boat, the high-tech, carbon-fibre main sails cost $115,000 each!! The present owners of USA 34 buy second hand sails, once they have been retired from racing. Makes good sense to me!

Sailing around the San Diego harbour triggers one to realize how militarily significant this port is. Warships are coming and going hourly. Small patrol craft with bow mounted machine guns are everywhere, with F-18’s or Blackhawk helicopters often overhead. An AWACS plane took off from the Navy Airbase as we re-entered the harbour, presumably to circle overhead to “spy”. I doubt they were looking down on the sailing!!!

Pets

2007-03-03T12:01:00.000-05:00

If only you could pet these on your lap.........Brenda would get one!!!!!

Feeding a "Land Whale"

Brenda, who is the world’s biggest dog lover that DOES NOT own a dog, is diversifying. We took a photo safari through the San Diego Zoo’s 1800 acre Wild Animal Park where we had an opportunity to see African and Asian animals in an almost natural habitat. I think giraffes have displaced dogs as Brenda’s favourite four legged mammal. She took every possible opportunity to feed them. Both the San Diego Zoo in the city and, their rural Wild Animal Park are world famous with good cause. They are sooo well done and, there are major improvements in process at both locations.

Whales are not quite as cuddly as giraffes but it is always an awesome (one of the correct uses of this word) experience to see them in the wild. The California Grey Whales are in the middle of their northern, spring (you know…..sunny and warm!) migration and, a perfect day on the water was highlighted with “up close and personal” contact with them. Although the large, 400 passenger boat we were on is a less intimate viewing platform than the fishing boats we have been on in the Bay of Fundy, the offset is the extra height of the craft, enabling better distance viewing. We saw a young mother and calf, following them for over ½ hour. Their ability to blow, breathe and dive is faster than my ability to focus and click the shutter. I have many pictures of smooth water where a whale had been an instant before. Oh well….it was a great day.

Wow

2007-03-01T01:31:00.000-05:00

A fancy place for lunch. This was a "rainy" day. Works for us

A not so fancy place for lunch.....cuddly though

San Diego is rated as one of America’s most livable cities and…… we’re convinced! What a great place! After driving from Yuma through the most inhospitable desert we have seen yet, the lush landscape of San Diego was a remarkable sight. The Imperial Valley that we drove through is almost like the Sahara in places. In fact part of the valley is known as the Imperial Sand Dunes. However, wherever irrigation is present, the Valley morphs into a lush agricultural oasis, providing a major percentage of all US grown fruits and vegetables. If evidence of the importance of available water was ever needed, this place is the empirical proof.

But…….San Diego……livable doesn’t begin to cover it! The city is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, mountains, deserts, beaches, and beautiful, neighboring hillside towns and villages. All within 1 ½ hour’s drive. Year-round temperatures are temperate. One can golf in the morning, sail in the afternoon, head home in the evening and pack for skiing tomorrow. How cool is that? (The skiing isn’t so good in the summer months) We are already beginning to think that we might not be able to pack everything in to the one week we have allowed here. Today, we hit the zoo, had lunch at El Prado (Zagat actually knows about this place!! Likes it too). Our whale watching trip was cancelled due to high off-shore winds (No place is perfect!!) But, we rescheduled that for Friday and booked a sail on “Stars and Stripes”, the America’s Cup challenger, for Saturday (This IS February…right???). Tomorrow we will take in a safari trip at the San Diego Zoo’s satellite Wild Animal Park, a visit to the San Diego Museum of Art for an Annie Leibovitz exhibit and, dinner back at El Prado (we liked it!!) with old high school friends. AND, we haven’t even scratched the surface of our list yet!!! The sunset from “Sunset Cliffs” is even exactly like the Chamber of Commerce advertises! We’ll just have to return!

Air Power

2007-02-26T08:56:00.000-05:00

Civilian pilots flying Czech military trainers and.........were they ever good!!!!

I don't think Santa Claus visits here - no good little boys and girls

Yesterday, we took in the Yuma Air Show at MCAS (Marine Corp Air Station) Yuma. Very impressive! Even Brenda, who has sometime been a hesitant pilot’s companion, enjoyed the show and was awed by the piloting skill, particularly the civilian aerobatic pilots. The military pilots were very good. They flew FA-18’s, A-10 (Warthogs) and other elements of the US air might. The civilian pilots were even better. Planes were tumbling through the air all day. The raw fire-power of the US military is unparalleled however, as an Oregonian RV’er seated next to us at the show stated, the Iraqis are still making them look silly. Equipment isn’t all it takes.

We are finding that the dust in the Yuma area is insidious. There is always a breeze blowing, which offers a pleasant offset to the heat however, the wind is continuously picking up dust from the surrounding desert and depositing it wherever it is not wanted. My computer keyboard looks like it’s been in a sandbox. We have given up on maintaining a clean car and/or RV. We’ll get washed up once we get into California and experience water, grass and trees again. Sun and heat are great……..sun, heat and continuous dust….somewhat less great! Sun, heat, dust, and spending time in a primitive prison must have been REAL punishment. We visited the Territorial Prison in Yuma which housed guests at the pleasure of the state from 1876 to 1909. Best to behave!! We’re hitting the road for Escondido (San Diego) California today ending almost a couple of months of desert. It’s been great…..dust excepted.

“A Little Nip & Tuck, Senor?”

2007-02-23T15:15:00.000-05:00

A street of Optometrists and Dentists

Never could determine if this guy was a Surgeon or Dentist

All the Spanish I ever learned was acquired during multiple viewings of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and, since “Esto es un robo” (This is a stick-up) and “Los manos arribas” (Put your hands up) would likely not accomplish much of a positive nature during a visit to Mexico, we made a point of sticking to English during our visit “south of the border”. No problem! We expected to be hassled by street vendors and…. we were. BUT, we did not expect to be approached for dental work, plastic surgery, eye glasses and exams, or pharmaceuticals!!

Los Algodonas, Mexico is a Mecca for Americans looking for cheap (very cheap) medical and dental procedures and prescription drugs. Street after street are lined with medical clinics and pharmacies, all with the requisite “smooth talker” outside, extolling the virtues of each particular medical practitioner and, announcing “today’s special”. Many of the clinics are clean and modern looking, occupied by staff in crisp tunics or medical “scrubs”. Others ……..not so much. Remove the large garish signs and, many of these facilities would not look out-of-place in any Canadian community. As for the quality of the services offered………who knows? Somebody must keep them all in business.

Of course, one can also buy Mexican blankets, local silver jewelry, leather goods, and just about anything else you can imagine. (Yesterday, there must have been a special on large, carved, wooden turtles judging by the number coming back across the border????) Which brings us to…….crossing the border. We (and several 1000 others) parked on the US side and walked across into Mexico. We did not show ID and, in fact, no-one even approached us as we entered the country. No border guards of any kind. We could have been walking down any street anywhere. No hassles. HOWEVER, coming back was slightly different!! The queue of people and cars attempting to get back into the US, snaked down a street, around a corner and off into Los Algodonas. We patiently entered the “people lane” and inched our way towards a typical US border entry point. Surprisingly, the whole deal was relatively efficient and, we were back in the “Land of the Free” in about 30 – 40 minutes. We also found out why it is recommended to walk across…….the US Border Guards really search the cars. An interesting experience but….been there….done that (No T shirt)

Up the Creek

2007-02-21T17:46:00.000-05:00

Fast and ugly........hmmmmmm....reminds me of an old girl-friend!!!

The desert starts about 6 feet from the river edge

Kilroy was here...........2000 years ago

Today took us 52 river miles (20 miles as the crow flies) north of Yuma on the Colorado River, via jet boat. Now I don’t know about you but, when I hear “jet boat” my mind conjures up an image substantially different from the craft pictured above. However, the boat employed two 50 gallon per second jets powered by large, gas-guzzling engines, which moved it smartly up the swift but shallow Colorado. In this area, at peak flow, the river moves 7 acre/feet of silt past any one spot each hour (that’s seven acres covered to a depth of one foot of silt). I guess we all know where all the material from that big hole at the Grand Canyon went. They say: “the river is too thick to drink and too thin to plow”.

Along the route we visited old mining towns from the late 19’th century, which have been swallowed up by the desert; 2000 year old petroglyphs; a nature preserve housing bighorn mountain sheep, coyotes, wild burros and scores of bird species and; remote State Parks, accessible only by water or overland 4 wheel drive. (The bighorn sheep obviously had the day off). The desert in this area is more in line with the mental image I had of deserts before embarking on this trip……..a whole lot of sun-baked nothing. Very hostile and very unforgiving country and, nowhere near as scenic as the Sonora Desert. You have to wonder if all the gold and silver made living in this desert worthwhile.

But, take a batch of desert; over 300 days of hot sun each year; add a splash of silt filled Colorado River water and….presto, you have the market garden of the US. Over 80% of all the lettuce grown in the US comes from Yuma (Who knew??) They also grow most all vegetables on huge corporate farms stretching for miles. Parsnip anyone? This area is also known for our new addiction……..dates….. Medjool Dates to be precise. They are delicious and nothing like what we buy in Canada that passes for dates. These are like eating a date square, without the square. Dangerous stuff!!

Yuma

2007-02-20T22:06:00.000-05:00

Located in the southwestern corner of Arizona, immediately adjacent to both the Mexican and Californian borders, lies the city of Yuma. The metropolitan area has a population of 190,000 people and, 175 huge RV parks. It appears that the main local industry is Canadians!! The RV Park and Golf Resort (where is Gary Becker anyway?) in which we are located has well over 50% Canadian license plates (I was just told it’s 80%). No wonder there are few RV’s in Canada. They’re all here!

On the highway between Phoenix and Yuma the traffic was heavy and composed of at least 25 – 30% RV’s (maybe more) and other mobile habitation. The number of toys being hauled behind these vehicles was amazing. Many RV’s were towing mobile garages which can carry one car and a couple of Harleys (or a whole bunch of Harleys). One such rig had 4 ATV’s on its roof. There were hundreds of big dune buggies with huge supercharged engines being towed. Not one VW bug conversion in the crowd. The desert along the route was criss-crossed with tracks which ran for hundreds of miles from all these off-road vehicles. This is definitely the area for “boys with toys”. Golf shmolf!!

With an average daytime temperature in July of 106.8 F (it’s one degree cooler in August) this place is hot and dry even for a desert. It’s hot enough in February. Get me outta here for the summer. But, it sure makes sitting around the pool in winter enjoyable ;-) We’ve been told that Los Algodones, Mexico is the one Mexican border town that should not be missed (we have systematically missed all the ones along the way so far). It is a few miles south west of us. If there is no new blog posting by this time next week, we had a problem there.

Brenda Does Desert

2007-02-17T14:36:00.000-05:00

Water in a waterless land

Brenda gets "framed"

We headed back out in to the Sonora desert yesterday to give Brenda a flavour for the beautiful, rugged landscape. Although she was not interested in the “full meal deal”, driving back over the entire Apache trail, we picked Tortilla Flats as a destination. This former stage coach stop is in the middle of nowhere however, has become a popular lunch stop for those interested in touring the Sonora without committing to the shake, rattle and roll of the rough roads further into the desert. Between Mesa and Tortilla Flats, one passes Superstition Mountain and, the rumoured site of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine (it is still lost). There has even been a museum dedicated to the mine. To this day, treasure hunters are still looking for the “Dutchman’s” (actually German Jacob Waltz’s) secret.

The Superstition Saloon in Tortilla Flats looks as if it is still in the same condition as it might have been back when the 1880’s gold miners were converging on the area. The 100’s of tourists tend to detract from the authenticity of the scene but, put them together with a funny country band, the hot sun, cold beer, and yet another BBQ and it is a winning formula for noon-time fun. Like many “fun and games” restaurants the walls of this saloon are covered, several deep, in dollar bills with messages from their former owners.

I must admit to being captivated by the Sonora Desert. It is a harsh, but beautiful environment which, for some reason, draws people to it. Those who live right in the desert in the summer months must be made of tough stuff.

On a housekeeping note………you may note that the blog looks slightly different as a result of a change to the blog software and web site, forced upon us bloggers by the site management. I am having some problems marrying text and pictures in the new format. If anyone is having troubles with the new site, please let me know by e-mail.

Smog, Mesquite and Brownie Points

2007-02-15T11:15:00.000-05:00

Fancy houses and crappy air

Valentine dinner with a Camelback Mountain back ground. Great spot!!

The boss is back. No more slacking. We’re getting ready to head to Yuma on Monday. Until then, I’m told we have to discover every corner of the Valley of the Sun!

Readers who have attained a certain age will remember that, years ago, anyone with asthma or respiratory problems was told to move to Arizona for the dry, pollution free air. That was then. This is now. Currently, residents of “the Valley” are launching major initiatives to curb the rapidly escalating problems of air pollution, smog and dust. It is a very real problem. While taking pictures of hill-top and hill-side homes surrounding Phoenix, we captured a shot with downtown in the distance and the buildings enveloped in “mucky air”. You may have to double click the picture in order to see the detail but, trust me, it’s there! Hold your breath!!

We were up in the hills on our way to a romantic Valentine Day, sunset dinner at an out-of-the way restaurant, located in an historic adobe hacienda ranch house, overlooking Camelback Mountain. By the way, this is the brownie point item!! The restaurant, Lon’s, was once a home built by Alonso (Lon) Megargee, a painter known for having captured the cowboy history of Arizona. We ate on a beautifully landscaped, outdoor courtyard, surrounded with fountains, gardens and numerous fireplaces roaring with mesquite fires. I wonder where that smog comes from?? The aroma of mesquite was everywhere, even in the indoor bar. Wonderful! Chef Michael Rusconi, did a masterful job, justifying, at least to us, his reputation as one of the better chefs in the valley. And, in the “timing is everything” department; after dinner, we finished the last drop in our bottle of wine when we felt the first drop of the advancing rain storm!!! Dessert inside in the bar and ….home (you know the tin can home!). Perfect. Glad we didn’t have the late dinner sitting!!

Waldo’s

2007-02-12T22:28:00.000-05:00

One of the fellow members of the “B” Team on the annual guys’ ski trip quickly earned the nickname Waldo as a result of his propensity for getting lost, leading to the oft repeated question “where’s Waldo?” Over the years his ability to stay with the group has steadily improved however, we are an unforgiving group and……..the nickname has stuck….bigtime! In fact, a couple of years ago there were a few new guys on the trip. I am sure that they went home never knowing that Waldo’s real name is Bob. Because Bob (Waldo) is a good friend, there is a warm spot in my heart for the name “Waldo”.

The experiences on this RV trip have also created a warm spot in both Brenda and my hearts for real southern BBQ. We have sampled this regional delicacy on many occasions, always looking for the definitive example of the “craft”. Until today, the “hands down” winner by a long margin, was “Jack’s BBQ” on Broadway, in downtown Nashville. And, since we are no longer really in the “south”, I assumed that real southern BBQ was but a fond and distant memory.

Imagine my surprise when, driving down a Mesa, Arizona street, I saw a big neon sign for “Waldo’s BBQ”. Be still my heart!!! I HAD to try it. Greeted outside the front door with a “Sorry But We Are Open” sign, I knew this place was a winner. Upon entering, another large sign exclaimed, "Waldo’s Proudly Announces that We Have Never Been Shut Down By The Health Department”. Could it get any better? The front of the menu advised, “If you can find a better BBQ – Eat there”. My kind of place (the Zagat rating was sadly missing)

Waldo’s is now the undisputed #1 Fraser RV Trip BBQ Restaurant of the Year. (Look out Zagat – this might catch on!). The food was great! It’s homey atmosphere was enhanced with humorous signs all over the walls: (I want to die in my sleep like Grandpa – not yelling and screaming like everyone else in his car). A fun place and wonderful BBQ – the best yet!!! AND……….Bobby………when we get back to Brockville……..I have a present for you!!!

Life with the “Trailer Park Boys”

2007-02-08T11:57:00.000-05:00

The "Peacan" under a palm tree

Mesa Spirit's central office and activities area

One of the 3 pools

We have been in great RV parks and not so great parks. “Mesa Spirit RV Resort”, our current location is somewhere in the middle. It has all the amenities you can imagine including “8 heated pools and spas” (translation – 3 pools and 5 hot tubs), fitness centre, tennis courts, putting greens and driving net, 13 pool tables, as well as the usual shuffleboard, bocce and horseshoes. This place even has woodworking, ceramics, lapidary and silversmith shops. However, we find that the RV’s are crammed in with far less “wiggle room” than we like. Great way to meet the neighbours though!

The people who spend the winter in these “resort parks” are a friendly lot and, do get involved in many of the activities offered. Each day there is an activity sheet with dozens of offerings including overnight travel excursions. But, people who “park for the winter” do not necessarily relate to us “roamers”. The roamers tend to be younger, less interested in participating, and more interested in planning the next travel leg. That’s us! (Maybe not the younger bit!!)

Speaking of younger…….a FORMERLY young friend of ours (He’s still a friend…just not young anymore…….GOTCHA) e-mailed the other day, complaining that the blog postings are becoming less frequent. So, in deference to his urgings, I will attempt to share day-to-day life in a trailer park until my bride returns and, we hit the road again. This park seems to be a little microcosm of society anywhere. There’s the nosy neighbour (“So, where did you say your wife was again?”), the helpful neighbour, the crabby neighbour and, all the usual cast of characters. There are no other “roamers” near us in the park so, I have become something of a subject of interest for the nearby winter residents (just what I have always wanted to be!!) I’ve had the RV gone over from end to end, with some minor repairs completed and, am now making sure that we are ready to roam. I wonder if the nosy neighbours will miss us when we leave?

Phoenix and the Sonora

2007-02-06T09:20:00.000-05:00

The Sonora Desert is - R-U-G-G-E-D

What's coming around the bend??

Phoenix and its attached municipalities (Mesa, Scottsdale, Tempe, Glendale, Sun City, etc. etc.) form a megalopolis known locally as the Valley of the Sun, occupying a space roughly 40 miles square and, home to over 4,000,000 residents. It’s an area where grass seed and sod companies must be on permanent strike! There’s NO GRASS! ANYWHERE! (Golf courses excepted…but…not always). Must be a great place to be in the “pea gravel” business. No lawn mowing but lots of gravel raking. Interestingly, 50% of the land within the cities is undeveloped making for a huge sprawl and, lots of room to grow. There are more damn “old farts” here than in Florida!! Gotta get outta town fast for fear that we might fit in!!!

One tiny little FACT that the guy who said “you MUST drive Arizona Highway 88 to the Roosevelt Dam” forgot to mention was that many people drive this route in caravans of rented jeep CJs. There is a VERY good reason!!! This “highway” is 42 miles long and is paved for 6 or 7 miles at MOST. The rest is dirt (not gravel). About 30 miles is a single lane!! Oncoming trucks are a bit of a problem. Who blinks first? Backing up around a switchback is REALLY fun! Oh yeah…it also climbs and drops 1000’s of feet through the mountains of the Sonora Desert and there have to be 100’s of switchbacks. I drove it in about 4 ½ hours. Take out lunch at the one (1) restaurant/bar on the route, a few picture stops and a few “fear stops”. 42 miles and say 3 ½ hours of driving. You do the math!! The whole road is washboard, potholes and shear drop-offs. BUT……….the scenery is breathtaking (I know, I know, I use that word FAR too much). The problem was that there was nowhere to stop in order to take pictures. A local tour guide says -

“40 miles of steep, winding and mostly unpaved road past magnificent scenery of twisted igneous mountains with dense forests of saguaro and ferocactus, and several deep blue lakes. Past the lakes, the trail continues in more traditional fashion to the former copper mining town of Globe, but it is the western half which is the most scenic and well-known; however caution is required when driving and it is not recommended for large RVs or caravans; the largest RV rental company in the US does not allow their vehicles do be taken on this route.”

This road is also known as the Apache Trail since it follows a migration route used by Apaches between their winter and summer homes. It is probably the worst highway I have ever been on and, as soon as Brenda returns, we’re heading right back there. She’s GOT to see it. If you are ever in this area don’t miss it! Maybe rent a jeep. Our Honda 4WD – the “Puny Peacan” kept right up with them ol’ jeeps. The couple in the formerly shiny yellow Ford Mustang (top down) looked like refugees from a “Dust Bowl reunion”. The price of being cool!!!

Mesas and Monuments

2007-01-30T17:04:00.000-05:00

About 200 people would have lived in this village. Friends just "dropped in"

These monument rocks are the size of small mountains

Mesa Verde is a short distance south of Durango and well worth a visit. The top of the mesa is from 7,000 to 8,000 feet high and, at one time, supported a population of as many as 40,000 Anisazi, ancestors of the current Pueblo Indian tribes (more people than live in the entire region today). The mesa has been inhabited since 400 A.D. Early settlers lived in pit-houses dug into the mesa’s top surface, graduating to adobe pueblos, also on the surface. As time went on the inhabitants moved onto the numerous canyon walls and built fabulous cliff-dwelling “settlements” inside the many cave-like openings, suspended midway down the walls. Sleepwalking could have been fatal!!! These people eventually vacated the mesa and the area, due to years of drought and, moved south. By reason of the overhanging canyon walls, the settlements are extremely well preserved. They are largely protected from the elements,. The primitive technologies used in building and, other life skills are impressive. The National Parks Service wins again!!

It was a race to get to Monument Valley before sunset. With a quick stop at “The Four Corners”, I got someone to take a picture with parts of my feet in each of Colorado, Utah, Nevada and New Mexico. The drive passed places such as Wildcat Canyon and Rattlesnake Gulch (I now know what a gulch is…..) After almost running out of gas…….(gas stations are not so numerous in the open spaces), I made it to Monument Valley in time to catch a so-so sunset. But, the monument rock formations are anything but so-so!! It is easy to see why the Indians considered the area sacred. John Wayne is BIG in these parts ma’am. He made a lot of movies here!!

The big open spaces of southern Colorado and Utah and northern Arizona are very empty. I was without cell phone coverage for a couple of days and, learned to keep my gas tank at least half full. In severe weather, I would be traveling with a week’s worth of groceries………just in case. Funny how we get used to all the conveniences near-at-hand.

Ski and Sky

2007-01-28T21:45:00.000-05:00

The "Killer B's"

Our leader attacks the hill

Durango has mountains - We have a river

A week of skiing in Vail has come to an end with everybody going home having all of their parts more or less in tact. Our fearless leader, Mike O, has been organizing these annual jaunts for more than 20 years and, he does a great job!! It is always a week of great skiing, lots of laughs and, once in a while, a libation or two (one tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor!!) In the past few years the group has divided into the “A” team and the “B” team. The “A” team is focused on jumping off cornices, racing through the trees and finding the “steep and deep” stuff. The “B” team, on the other hand, is more concerned with preserving life and limb and getting a good seat at the bar. I remain a proud member of the “B” team! Funny how the “A” team members want to ski with the B’s when they are injured, ill (hung over), or otherwise not up to the challenge. We B’s wear their abuse with pride!!

The run back to Mesa (Phoenix) Arizona started with a trip south on the “Million Dollar Highway”, so named for the continuous million dollar views along the route. The road runs through the very high San Juan Mountains, taking in three mountain passes of 10,640, 10,910, and 11,018 feet. (The highest PEAK at Vail is 11,570 feet) The road is paved but extremely narrow and, for most of its length is sign posted for 10, 15 or 20 miles per hour. Speeding would be insane. There are few guard rails and, it is up to 2,000 feet straight down off the edge of the road. I wondered how many snow plough operators they lose each year?? I was told by a local not to even think of driving this road if there was one snow flake on it. There wasn’t! Someone does a good job of snow removal but, I sure am glad I wasn't driving the motorhome here!!

The old Colorado mining towns have found rebirth as holiday destinations with 5,000 square foot mountain vacation homes popping up everywhere. Towns like Leadville, Silverton, Durango and, of course, Telluride have all maintained their 80’s ambience (that’s 1880’s) and, welcomed the “boomers” with their desire for comfort and modernity. It would be nice if someone at Brockville City Hall would pay attention. The influx of “new money” has certainly caused these “dead mining towns” to flourish!! A night in Durango revealed numerous good restaurants, bars, and even a live music scene. Maybe a bunch of moneyed retirees moving in isn’t all bad!!

Arts and Crafts

2007-01-17T22:12:00.000-05:00

Verrrry interesting .... the buildings in Santa Fe

No electricity and no running water but still going strong

Watch that first step ..... it's 400 feet straight down

It is claimed that Santa Fe has more art, artists, and art galleries than any other city in North America save New York City. Not per capital; just the most. Having toured the city, we would have thought that New York would be in second place!! Santa Fe is one big art gallery inhabited by a bunch of very interesting, arty people. Throw in the fact that it is the state capital, that most of the older buildings are adobe and, that the entire place is surrounded by beautiful mountains and, you have a very livable city. The climate is great too! A few inches of snow really throws ‘em for a loop though!!

Albuquerque has much of the same adobe architecture as Santa Fe but, without the arts. More of a “working city”. Still surrounded by desert and mountains and still very unique.

We have learned a great deal about the Plains Indians and, spent most of today at Acoma, an Indian pueblo village on top of a 400 foot mesa. This village has been occupied since the early 1100’s and, figures in the Acoman (the tribe) culture since much earlier in recorded history. It is the oldest, continually inhabited settlement in North America. The Plains Pueblo Indians (they make it VERY clear that they are not First Nations, Aboriginals or any of the other PC labels – they are natives or Indians and, prefer to be referred to by tribe) have historically been agrarian, living in permanent “pueblos”, putting them at odds with the nomadic and warlike Plains Indians (Comanche and Apache). Hence living on top of a 400 foot rock!! The history of the Pueblo Indian tribes is fascinating. (There are 6 - 7 tribes remaining) Even today, they remain matriarchal and, have endured over a millennium of persecution from nomadic tribes, the Spanish, and the Catholic church. But now they are thriving, due in part to their proud history but also their artistic skills in making the very famous, fine Acoma pottery, made without benefit of a potter’s wheel. It is feather light, very fine and holds liquid without benefit of interior glazing. The patterns are extremely intricate. Oh yeah, I almost forgot………the casino on the reservation helps a bit too.

Rocks

2007-01-15T22:30:00.000-05:00

With 2 glass end walls, you can see right through the chapel

We'll be going back to Sedona!!

Just after sun-up at the Grand Canyon

Hanging on the side of a mountain, the Chapel of the Cross in Sedona Arizona is without a doubt the most beautiful place of worship we have ever seen. The beauty of this church lies in its stark simplicity surrounded by the remarkable red rock formations of Sedona. A 5 story wall of glass behind the altar allows worshippers a panoramic view of the surrounding red rock mountains. The signature cruciform support behind the glass wall extends downward almost to the valley floor 200 feet beneath the chapel. The entire area around Sedona is populated with unique, mammoth, eroded, red rocks. Just as in Banff, cameras are snapping everywhere but, trying to capture a panorama on a tiny; two dimensional piece of paper is a mug’s game.

Which segues into trying to capture the Grand Canyon in pictures. Can’t be done!!! The canyon is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles across and averages 1 mile deep. Try and capture that!! It seems to go on forever. Some of the major Colorado River rapids, which are visible from the south rim, look terrifying from one mile up. It’s hard to imagine how they would look when they are about to hit you in the face, in a raft. One interesting fact about Grand Canyon Park is that the Rangers will not allow salt on the roads. There have been light snow showers over the past few days and, the roads have become totally iced as a result of traffic and a beating sun. The temperature is just cold enough to ensure that the ice stays firmly attached to the roadways. We are getting very good at spotting Alabama, Georgia and other southern license plates and, we give them a WIDE berth. They seem to have SOME difficulty on the ice!!!! Sometimes funny, sometimes destructive!! According to a ranger, there were 3 rollovers yesterday plus numerous other fender benders and, the park isn’t busy!!

We didn’t get slammed from behind by any of our southern friends, so made it back to Flagstaff, then eastward to Albuquerque. No cell phone coverage much of the way??? Passed through the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest. Ho hum, more beautiful scenery!! Dozens of long, long freight trains. Saw 3 at one time on the high plains. Vast spaces!! I know I sound like a shill for the US tourism industry but this is one big, beautiful country.

Brenda makes new friends!!

2007-01-11T08:39:00.000-05:00

8 billion pounds of copper came out of the original "Queen Mine"

Brenda's Tombstone gang!!

In the late 19’th century southern Arizona was a major engine of US economic growth, due to the vast deposits of minerals beneath its surface. Gold, silver, copper, zinc and other minerals were being discovered and mined at a furious pace, resulting in instant “boom towns” such as Bisbee and Tombstone. Companies such as Phelps Dodge (recently on the acquisition trail [unsuccessfully] for both Inco and Falconbridge) got their underground mining starts here. With the new wealth came the lawlessness made famous by Hollywood. Although the Hollywood versions have been embellished, the legends of Wyatt and Virgil Erp, Doc Holiday, and other famous gunfighters are founded in fact. In modern day Tombstone, Allen Street, the historical main street, is lined with plaques outlining who killed whom along each side and, the original “Boot Hill” cemetery is still being maintained. Brenda got in with the “wrong crowd” in Tombstone.

We are taking a break from our RV trip, heading to Phoenix today to leave the motor-home with a dealer for maintenance and, heading off by car to Santa Fe, Albuquerque and more northern (think snow) parts of Arizona and New Mexico. I’ll end up skiing in Vail with some Brockville buddies and Brenda will be heading to Florida to visit her parents and, wind up on a cruise with the “ski widows”. We may have an opportunity to “blog” along the auto trip but, I know that blogging from the ski trip would be a frowned upon activity. My body is very likely incapable of both skiing and blogging on the same day anyway!!!! IF….. there is no blog for the next couple of weeks, I’ll pick it back up in Phoenix in a couple of weeks.