Christmas in Riviera, Texas

Merry Christmas to all!  

I thought I would take a few quiet minutes to post.  After our extended stay in Red Bay and a few stops along the way, we traveled to Sea Wind RV Park in Riviera, TX south of Corpus Christi.  The park is on Baffin Bay and is somewhat isolated.  Before we actually found the park, we were diverted by the GPS to this little road.  I thought the Whale was going cross country.

We could tell right away this park is different from others we have stayed in.  People from all over the county stay here for 2-3 months during winter and are very proud of the welcoming culture of people in the park.  In fact, we met Steve and Fran while still in Elkhart, and they were the ones to recommend we come and stay for while.  We plan to do just that.  We've never gotten too involved in a park's activity schedule because we have not felt this welcomed, and of course, we often do not stay very long.  There's lots to do here.  A person can be as involved or not involved as they want.  No pressure.

The sites are sparse, but wide apart. Mesquite trees are the going fare for foliage and of course cacti some of which are just getting ready to bloom.  Since I took the picture of our site the first day, we have settled in and are quite comfortable.  The biggest battle we have are with the sand spurs.  Maci gets the brunt of those as she gets them stuck in the pads of her feet from time to time.  It doesn't seem to slow her up much.

As you can see, the overall countryside is a bit stark at first glance, but I've come to realize that every place has it's beauty.  I'm in the process of looking for that here...

Jerry has been fishing twice since we arrived.  The bay is too rough most days for our little boat, but a small group of guys with larger boats have invited him to join in.  Black Drum fish is the going fare here, and we have already enjoyed fish for dinner a couple of times.  They also have a skeet shooting range across the pond.  Jerry's in heaven as fishing and shooting are two of this favorite things to do.

My focus while here is healing.  To that end, I'm spending time preparing three different on-line courses for second semester, and I'm walking, walking, walking.  My goal is to walk at least five miles a day.  Lots of room to roam in this location.  

I've also been practicing my flute, playing guitar and plan to pull out my spinning wheel after the holidays.  Being able to go from one thing I love to the next all day long is the best part of retirement.  The flute has been an interesting journey.  At first I had to make sure all the windows were closed as I sounded that bad.  Over time, like anything when you practice, it's better, but Jerry tells me I'm not quite ready for a flute festival just yet.  Maci, the dog, is not fond of the flute.  Must hurt here ears as she shakes her head periodically when I'm playing.

Over the Christmas holiday, we have been blessed with a visit from our dear friends John and Sueann from Elkhart.  They arrived Christmas Eve and will be here until the day after Christmas.  With them are their South Korean daughter, Ji and her sister Julia.  Both are delightful young ladies who are studying here in the States.  Ji is a freshman in college, and her sister is a sophomore in high school.  They are fortunate to travel with John and Sueann, and we are fortunate to be able to spend this time with them.

I will say, the Christmas holidays are still very difficult for me when we are not with one or the other of our kids.  Being with such a welcoming group in the park and having our friends here has certainly helped to fill that void.  

Jerry and I wish anyone and everyone who reads this blog the most blessed holiday and a new year full of all that you wish for!

I still have a lot to learn...

I've long since realized this journey Jerry and I are on is not all about beautiful scenery and great restaurants.  I still have a lot to learn about being a good person.   We pulled our overnight in a Walmart parking lot in Lafayette, Louisiana last night.  Those large parking lots are entertaining sometimes so we left the shades up for a while as it turned dark.  While we were talking, there was a knock on the door.  This is highly unusual in the Walmart  parking lot as visitors don't usually come calling, and we had already checked in with the security guard.  As I was whispering, "Don't open the door," Jerry opened the door.  A lone man was there and he said, "Sir, I just ran out of gas.  Might you be able to help me?  I'm not a bum sir."  Jerry looked back at me, reached in his pocket and handed the man a five dollar bill.  "Here you go sir.  I hope this helps a little."  The man thanked Jerry and walked toward the street.  Jerry's response to me...  "Sometimes you just have to follow your gut level feeling."

After 33 years of marriage, my husband never ceases to amaze me.  So cautious and inclined to survivalist tendencies, somehow he knew that was the right thing to do.  No matter what the gentleman actually did with the money, Jerry held up his end of the "deal" to be a good human being and do the right thing.

I wonder if one can grow that kind of instinct? No pictures are available of this interaction as I think I was hiding behind the front seat...

Headed South...

After leaving Elkhart on November 11, we stayed in Indy to get our (hopefully) last dose of blowing snow.  Traveling south, we spent two days in Mammouth Cave National Park.   We stayed there last year and could not go on any of the tours due to my bad knee.  This year, I was determined to see the cave.  We chose the shortest, least strenuous tour.  I thought we would walk out of the Visitor Center and into the cave entrance, but getting to the cave entrance involved a bus ride a few miles from the Visitor Center.

Caves are incredible!  I was surprised that the air in the cave was not damp or stagnate smelling.  Our guide explained the cave "breathes" every 18-24 hours.  Stale air out, fresh air in.  Of all things, we met a new bug - a cave cricket.  The cave cricket, according to our guide, is the only cricket in the world that does not make a sound.  No chirping.

After touring the Wind Cave last summer, I expected this guide to do the lights out demonstration.  I was not disappointed.  When many of these caves were discovered initially, candles were the only form of lighting the way.  Blow out the candle, and you have deep darkness.  You can't even see your hand in front of your face.  Even more disturbing is the silence.  Our guide was able to get the group to be totally silent for a few minutes, and after awhile I had to really work at not making noise.  My ears rang in the silence.  People who have been lost in caves and found tell stories about talking, shouting and singing to themselves because the silence even more than the darkness was so disturbing.

Our tour lasted a little over an hour, but there are other more strenuous tours available including one of six hours where you are a spelunker crawling between very tight places in the formations.

 Unlike the Wind Cave in South Dakota, Mammouth Cave has constant water dripping.  The stalactites and stalagmites take hundreds of years to form as in the pictures below.

Early explorers and visitors to the cave were not as conservation-minded as we try to be now.  Visitors would just break off pieces of the formations for souvenirs.  Fortunately, that was stopped early on, or there would be no formations to look at.

Reluctantly, we left Mammouth Cave and headed for our annual trek to Red Bay, Alabama.  The Whale engine and generator were in need of maintenance, and we initially had a short list of up-dates and repairs.  Our stay in Red Bay lasted three weeks and a day.  Tiffin has stopped taking any appointments for service.  First come, first served.  We started in an express bay after waiting a week to get in.  In express, we get three hours of service to complete as much as possible.  We actually would have been done after that if someone hadn't spotted our sagging ceiling.  I hadn't noticed it, but Jerry had.  The technician checked it out, and told us it would just get worse.  We needed to be scheduled into a regular bay to get this fixed - a two day job and most have to stay in a hotel while the glue dries.  When we finally were able to get into a regular work bay, our technician worked the job so we didn't have to be in a hotel.  It's worth going to Red Bay for maintenance as the techs know our Whale, and they are so great at working with you to minimize the hassle.

The best part of Red Bay this trip was meeting Cathy and RJ.  They were parked across from us, and right away we started talking back and forth.  What a great couple!  We compared stories of traveling and things we have had done to our motor homes in addition to like hobbies and interests.  We hope to see them again when we pass through Arizona this spring.

We also met Theresa and Dwayne.  They have full-timed for 11 years, and their MH is also that old.  Dwayne is a distributer for a company that makes Native American flutes.  He always has a pocket flute hanging around his neck.  I love the soulful sound of the flutes, and started thinking how playing one could help build lung capacity.  I'm now the proud owner of two flutes. Something new to learn...

Finally, our maintenance was completed yesterday, December 11, and one month after leaving Elkhart, we are on the road headed south.  Currently, we are driving the Natchez Trace headed to Jackson, MS.  The Trace is beautiful even this time of year.  We stayed last night in Jeff Bigsby Campground at mile marker 193.1 - one of three free campgrounds on the Trace.  The sites are primitive in that there are no hook-ups, but most of the spots are pull-throughs with enough room for a big rig.  At below freezing temperatures, we had our pick of spots.

This morning was clear with a promise of a great day's drive.   Soon....

On the Road Again!

So cancer diagnosis is not always an exact science...  The lung cancer was cut and dried.  At very early stage one, surgery to remove the lower lobe of my left lung is the only treatment required at this time.  The initial lymphoma diagnosis was questioned by the first pathologist.  So the slides of the lymph node were sent to Johns Hopkins who said no lymphoma.  Because I have a very thorough oncologist, the slides were also sent to the University of Chicago who also said no lymphoma.  The family joke was we would try to collect frequent flyer miles for the node on the road.  

Surgery on October 21 is now three weeks in my rear view mirror.  Elkhart is also in the rear view mirror of the Whale.  We left Elkhart at 10:30 this a.m. headed directly south to New Orleans.  Overall, I feel good.  Each day I get a bit stronger.  Rehab consists of eating a healthy diet, breathing (very grateful to be able to do that) and walking a bit longer every day.  I can handle all of that.  So why not get back at this journey we have been on?

Needless to say, as we were working our way through diagnosis, surgery and the beginning stages of recovery, we spent a lot of time counting our blessings and becoming more and more determined to not give up the dream.  So here we are starting the second lap around the U.S. Even though we've only been on the road a few hours, I can tell this will be a much slower pace for now.  That's the beauty of traveling in the Whale.  Need a nap?  No problem!

For now the travel trajectory will be Indianapolis to New Orleans to Red Bay, AL, to south of Corpus Christie, TX for extended R&R, walking on the beach and healing sunshine.  In the spring, we will head to CA for a delayed Christmas trip present with grandsons, Miles and Donovan before we head to northern Washington.

Of course, we could segue at any point in the trip.  We'll keep you posted...

Fall in Indiana

We've been in Elkhart now since the end of August.  During this time we have enjoyed family and friends and made final plans for our daughter Sara's wedding.  The wedding was this last week-end, October 12th.  Such fun!  The ceremony was at Central Christian Church, which is one of the oldest in Elkhart.  They kept all parts of the ceremony uncomplicated.  I made Sara's dress, constructing it in the first four weeks we were home.  I was able to set up in the home office of my dear friend, Sueann.  The entire time I was sewing, I spent quality time with my friend and much alone time thinking about our daughter and son, their families, how happy they are, and how at peace we are with our traveling life style.  I'm proud of the dress, and she looked beautiful.  Her brother Chris, wife Marisa and nephews / grandsons Miles (9) and Donovan (6) were here.  Miles was an usher, Donovan the ring bearer.  Rowan, Patrick's (husband) daughter was the flower girl.  You never know when young ones are in a wedding how that might go, but all three took it very seriously.  Everything went off without a hitch.

Because both Sara and Patrick love Halloween, the reception was a giant Halloween party.  Everyone appeared to have a great time.  The afternoon after the wedding, after Chris and his family were headed back to CA, the newlyweds stopped by, and they couldn't stop talking about how much fun the wedding and reception were and how many people told them it was all such a fun time.  What is so important is not that others were happy, but that Sara and Patrick now have such great memories of their wedding and reception.  They will be talking about it for a long time.  These are the memories that we fall back on when the going gets tough.

Originally, our plan was to take a couple of days to recoup and regroup before taking off for southern IN and beyond.  We were scheduled to be in CA in December for a trip to Leggo Land with Miles and Donovan.  As has been true throughout this last year, plans change and we remain flexible...

In the brief time we have been home, I have been diagnosed with two different primary types of cancer - lung and lymphoma.  This is a very rare occasion - to have two different types at the same time.  Both are stage one, or at least at this point that is what the doctors believe.  I will have lung surgery next week, and three weeks after that chemo will start if I am healed enough.  We may stay here for chemo, or we may head to Houston to Anderson.  We are so fortunate to have the flexibility to choose.  All last year we managed to avoid really cold weather, and I'm concerned if we stay here about healing in the cold.  

So I've thought a lot about our travels last year and of all the places we still want to go.  We had many twists and turns while traveling - some by choice some not.  We lived the adage... "Trust your journey." That's exactly what we plan to do now in the next few months.  We will trust this journey... that we will only become stronger and certainly more resolved to continue our travels.  

Meantime, we are totally enjoying the slow turning of the trees here in IN.  Everyday, the colors get more varied and brilliant.  It's as if the color is slowly seeping south from Michigan to Indiana and points further south.  We've also had some brilliantly blue days - sunglasses required.  If you close your eyes, turn your face to the sun, and breath deep,  fall in IN on a sunny crisp blue day just smells so pure.  I'm sure this is true of other locations, but for us this is home, and it's good to be here right now.

I'll keep you posted.  Although our journey will not involve much movement right now, I'm sure it will be an experience. 

You can go home again...

Of course you can go home again, but never expect everything to be the same.  We arrived in Elkhart, IN on Friday afternoon.  We secured a spot at the Elkhart Campground.  Bob and Geta  are owners / hosts and do a great job of constantly upgrading and taking care of the facilities.  The campground sports over 100 spots, many with full hook-up and 50 amp service.  A number of travelers come and go here, and most are extremely friendly.  Of course, many travel with dogs and cats.  So Maci has had lots of friends since we got here.  Unfortunately, Bob has not set up a dog run yet, but he tells us there will be one here next year.  This campground usually shuts down by the first of Nov. and opens the first of March - providing freezing weather has stopped.  If you ever top here, be aware the water in this area is full of iron.  In addition to our many filters, we also include a water softener to help.

By Saturday we were on our way to the local botanical garden for "A Taste of the Gardens."  Area restaurants had booths set up to sample (for a price of course). In addition, a number or local artist had booths along with small musical groups throughout the gardens.  The best part was we ran into  a number of friends who we had not see for the past year.

One of our first realizations when driving around was we could drive around town and not use the GPS or map.  It's nice to know where you are.  As we drove around, we discovered a number of changes - the old armory is being torn down, parking downtown is now diagonal, new buildings are being erected.  Life goes on, and the sense of stepping out of your community for a prolonged time and stepping back in tends to make you look through a different lens.  Getting reconnected with friends and family in person really makes us appreciate our friends and family!

The purpose of our time in Elkhart is much more than just a visit.  Our daughter Sara is getting married on October 12.  I'm making her wedding gown, which brought a new challenge.  Where to sew?  A close friend offered space in her home office overlooking the St. Joe River.  What a deal.  Dress construction is going slowly, but successfully so far.

Jerry is busy with projects - maintenance, collapsible boat trailer, wine rack, stove top replacement and anything else that comes to mind.  We had quite a list by the time we got here.  Most will get done.  When we are set up for a period of time, we usually grow a large "to do" list.

This time is also valuable for me to catch up with the courses I teach on line.  While traveling, we have to be rather discerning where we park in order to have a strong Internet connection with either one of our phones.  When we have a good connection, I plan and post ahead.  I have been known to do a chat group sitting in the parking lot of McDonalds from time to time.

The time is passing quickly - more to come later.

Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave, and the Badlands... We are "from" South Dakota afterall...

Before we got really serious about making a dash for Elkhart, IN, we knew we had to spend some time in South Dakota.  We had to go to Mount Rushmore - it's a national monument - top tourist attraction for Americans and folks from Canada and other countries.  Ho hum?  We were not prepared to to be awestruck, and we were.  Once again we found ourselves immersed in the history of the place - how it came to be, why in that spot, who all were involved.  Why those four presidents?  We decided to walk the many, many stairs - the presidential walk.  Fortunately, we also took the tour, renting the electronic devices that provide historical information at various points along the walk.  Let's just say, believe it when the sign says this is a strenuous walk.  We put both of our new right knees to the test.  It was all worth it at the end as we were literally standing in the "face of history."

After Mount Rushmore, we visited the yet-to-be-finished mountain sculpture of Crazy Horse.  When it was decided this sculpture would be created, the Native Americans were the decision makers.  According to the documentation, Crazy Horse was the embodiment of the spirituality of of all Native Americans.  Some of the most  interesting aspects of this monument are the work is all privately funded, and the work is overseen / done by family members of the original sculptor... who was an apprentice of the sculptor of Mount Rushmore.  The model of what the finished work will look like shows the head of Crazy Horse in full feathered head dress, on his horse, with his arm / finger pointing out over the land.  "My land is where my people are buried."  We speculated how long it would take to complete the Crazy Horse monument.  Time is not the primary issue.  Money is.  The family is committed to its completion.

The museum and educational facilities connected with the monument reflect a long range plan to preserve the history of many Native American tribes and to promote education. 

Our next venture was to Wind Cave National Park.  This park is a fascination blend of the prairies of the Black Hills and the mystery of what lies beneath the prairie.  As the story goes a young man named Alvine and his older brother were hunting one day and discovered a hole in the side of a rock hill about the size of a football.  As he leaned to look into the hole, a strong wind blew his hat off.  Alvine and his brother thought that was great fun and came back the next day to try it again.  This time when he looked into the hole, his hat was sucked into the hole.  The exploration of this "place" started, and Alvine discovered a cave that has now 144 miles of mapped channels. Scientists estimate that only one tenth of Wind Cave has been discovered.  The cave has the largest amount of box formations of any cave.  There are no  stalactites or stalagmites.  Formations that look like short honeycombs and crystals that are called snow crystals fill the cave.  I've mentioned my fear of heights, and now I share with you the dark close places don't thrill me either.  Mark off spelunking as a future career for me.  Our guide reminded us that Alvine explored and mapped a total of ten miles of Wind Cave before he died at the age of 21 - by candle light.  She turned off the electric lights that dimly lit our passage way after light one candle.  Then she blew the candle out.  We literally could not see our hand in front of our face.  I've never experienced such darkness, and it was unnerving!

Jerry fascinated with the rock formations

Boxwork formations throughout Wind Cave

 We completed our time in South Dakota as visitors in the Badlands.  Years ago, both our children went on distance running camps each summer, and Wall, SD was one of the stops.  They loved Wall Drugs.  So a stop there was a bit of our family history - plus the purchase of two t-shirts for Chris and Sara - that just had to happen.  After that stop for lunch, we traveled into the Badlands National Park and were able to find a camping spot in the park.  There are parts of the Badlands that look like we just drove on to another planet.

 During our brief stay in the Badlands, the temperature stayed well above 9 degrees.  Long range hiking for us was out of the question in that heat, but it didn't stop us exploring this unusual landscape for two days.  Time and again during our journey this year, we have been struck by how well the National Park Service has constructed so many of the parks to be user friendly.  We also appreciate how well versed the rangers are and how often they emphasize that these are OUR parks. 

An interesting note about the sunset picture...  I'm really into sunsets and often shoot short time lapsed pictures as the sun appears to rush to sink below the earth's skyline.  I never have issues with focus.  I tried several shots with both my camera and my phone and could not get one to focus.  My untested theory is there is a strange atmospheric disturbance in the Badlands causing this hazy result in photography...  The Badlands does look like another planet after all.

Our last stop before heading to Sioux Falls was at the Minuteman Missile Site which is now a National Park.  The tour which is a must do includes a tour of the decommissioned D-9 control building and a self guided tour with cell phone recording of the actual site where a training sample of a Minuteman 2 missile is housed.  It was at this site I confirmed my belief that no U.S. history should be taught in a classroom. Field studies of one to two years should be taken by all high school students to learn, in the field, about their country.  Financial support of this idea is yet to be worked out...

We learned from a young ranger with a degree in history what it is like to be a missilear - working 24 hour shifts on watch.  We learned of the incredible protocol connected to missile defense in the U.S. The space provided the missilears below ground was half the size of our motor home.  The young ranger challenged us to think about being the persons (it takes two at one site along with a partner site) to launch the missiles.  Each missilear knew that in  the event of a nuclear strike, their job, and their value to the country was over.  This last visit was chilling as well as humbling.

After a brief overnight in Sioux Falls to pick up mail (Alternative Resources), eat at HuHot Mongolian Restaurant and check out our favorite sporting goods store, we are headed back to Elkhart for some much needed time with family and friends. Soon... Pam

Glacier National Park, Mount Rushmore, The Wind Cave, The Badlands

Our  trip to Glacier National Park had tremendous value added because our close friends John and Sueann took the train from Elkhart, IN to meet us in Kallispell, MT.  We enjoyed 5 days of exploring Glacier from as many different angles as possible.  We parked the Whale at the Elks in Kallispell, and John and Sueann stayed a mile away in a villa.  Every day was a different adventure starting with a trip to Whitefish Mountain where we took the ski lift to the top.  As I've mentioned before, I am deathly afraid of heights, but I wasn't going to stand at the bottom while the other three made the trip up.

From the top of Whitefish Mountain

The next day, we traveled to the park for a raft trip (scenic, not whitewater) on the middle leg of the Flathead River.  Our raft trip was guided by a young man named Ryan who was a perfect example of many of the young people, usually college students, who work the national parks.  They give tours primarily or are actually park rangers, and they do an incredible job.  Ryan was no exception. He was highly knowledgeable about the river, Glacier, and rafting.  We got to learn about the river and the park through this knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide.

Sueann and the Flathead River

The third day we took a 7 hour tour up the Road to the Sun in a Red Bus - among the original fleet (refurbished) that provided tours all throughout national parks at one time.  Now Glacier is the only National Park with red buses.  The top is canvas and can be rolled back to get the full impact of the overwhelming view.  Around every curve, we wowed at differences in landscape.  The rock formations gave us an idea of prehistoric times when glaciers carved what we see today.  One question asked was if when all the glaciers are gone, will the park name have to be changed?  No, the park is named for how it was formed, not for the glaciers that currently exist.  There are now less than 30 when in the past there have been as many as 135.  One side note...  the red buses are not driven by young guides.  The driver / guides are mature and seasoned with many miles of experience. 

On The Road to the Sun... from the top of the red bus

 Our fourth day found us exploring Whitefish, MT, an artsy town with many shops and restaurants - too many to get to in our short time in the area.  That evening, we took a ride on Lake McDonald in an antique wooden boat.  The boats were originally purposed to transport visitors to McDonald Lodge before roads through the park were constructed.  On a small portion of the shore, there are a few cabins that are privately owned.  These properties were acquired years before Glacier was made a National Park and ownership was grandfathered in.  To date, the owners could sell their cabin and property to anyone, and the sale is not governed by any particular set of rules. 

The Continental Divide from Lake McDonald / Glacier

Our last day was spent taking a tour of the park and surrounding area in a four seat airplane.  Again, I was not about to be left behind.  Although the park was somewhat clouded, we had the opportunity to get yet another perspective of this tremendous national treasure!  There 's something to be said about having a birds eye view of any location.  This view of Glacier National Park and surrounding area was close to spiritual.  The loud drone of the single prop air plan muffled by ear phones and the gentle dip of the wings one way or another added to the "other world" sense while we flew.  In the picture below, you can see a

 small lake.  Throughout Glacier there are many lakes, too many to name.  This particular lake did have a name - Birch Lake.  My brothers and I grew up on a lake in lower Michigan called Birch Lake so of course I had to text the picture to my brother Ted.  Small world

We said good-by to John and Sueann the next morning when we took them to the train station.  We couldn't be too sad though as in three short weeks we would see them in Elkhart, IN as we make our way east back "home."

Almost a year...

In about one month's time, we will complete our first year on the road full time in our RV - the Whale.  I've sporadically posted to our blog stories of our stops along the way.  Some places we visited are major stops such as national iconic spots - the North Rim, Zion National Park, Glacier National Park, Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse monument, the Badlands.  Some places we have visited have been off the beaten path, maybe not so iconic, but memorable just the same - McMinnville, Fort Worth, Vacaville.  We've focused on the places we've seen and the people we've met, and I've written little about "where" we are after this first year.  We've certainly learned a few things... about life, about each other, and about living full time in our house on wheels.

Places to stay:  We have found the more out of the way, rustic settings are preferable to those locations with cement pads, every day planned by a social director.  Army Core of Engineers parks and State Forrest Reserves and State and National Parks are our favorites so far.  We look forward to exploring boon docking in the west this next winter after the holidays.

Daily Routines:  We've found 200 miles a day, if that, is plenty.  We're retired.  No sense in rushing from place to place.  It's taken us awhile to break bad habits of driving non-stop to get to a location.  We both spent years working on tight schedules, few vacations, rushing to the vacation and rushing home, and we're now rarely drive past 3:00 p.m.  Early morning starts are still our choice as we are both morning folks and enjoy that start to the day.

Food:  We have a residential frig in our RV which means we can stock up on frozen items as well as carry produce etc for longer periods of time.  We now love to find farmers' markets and enjoy what is the going fare in a particular region.  Recently while in northern Montana we enjoyed huckleberries in many forms.  While in Oregon, we ate red raspberries and blueberries every day at reasonable prices.  We also discovered Dungeness Crabs, and stocked up on fresh salmon and tuna, which the fishery vacuum bagged for us - now "fresh" out of our freezer.  While in Florida, we discovered large green Avocados - much more tasty than the little "black" ones.  We buy fewer snacks than ever before, and before we stock up on something, we debate if we have room for the items.  In California, the produce overall was excellent.  The garlic in Gilroy is huge!

Routes:  We have always, and still do, prefer the two lane roads over the  Interstaes.  Highway 299 in CA, as I posted before is the twistiest ever.  Highway101 up the west coast is incredible, revealing a view of the Pacific around almost every curve.  In a large RV, I'd suggest planning a trip that you are headed north.  If you are the least afraid of heights, taking the inside lane going north is best.  We pay close attention to any tunnels on the route and tend to check out height restrictions before we get to the tunnel to avoid unhooking the Jeep and backing up or turning around.

Storage:  We still have too much stuff.  Periodically, we review contents and discuss what we have not used in a year.  Getting rid of things we own is still a struggle, even when we know we don't need it.

Planning:  We've still not settled into a routine for planning.  Before we left Elkhart, IN last fall, we had major places we wanted to see.  As we've made this first lap around the country, we have seen most, and we've seen many unintended, but there's not been a meticulous plan to the journey.  Part of the reason for that is we both are hesitant to give up the freedom that spontaneity gives us.  Just yesterday we came close to driving 251 miles further south to look at a miniature Australian Shepperd puppy.  We have the time after all...  We've learned to mull over our moments of impulse before acting.  Common sense prevailed on this one.  We certainly don't need two dogs right now.

Check list:  We don't have a written check list before starting a new leg of the journey.  We do have a mental routine check list before we move.  We've discovered attention to detail on the front side helps us avoid messes on the back side.  I asked my daughter months ago, "When do you think I will remember to secure the refrigerator door?'  Her answer: "When you get tired of cleaning up broken glass."  Out of the mouths of adult babes...  We do have a routine of banding doors shut, velcro straps for the frig and for the wine cabinet door.  We question each other before moving.  We both have things we are responsible for, but we question the other one about his/her stuff.  Although we do have some items of decoration, we've learned less is less mess when moving.  Plastic containers over glass are not always available, but are certainly preferable.  Plastic doesn't smash, nor does it rattle like glass.

Maintenance:  Jerry was in the automotive industry for years.  This part is routine for him.  He understands the importance of daily maintenance.  Tire pressures, fluid levels, changing oil, having the generator and diesel serviced regularly, wash and wax of the Whale, routinely wash the bugs off the front are the biggies.  When a more minor issue comes up, we deal with it now rather than later.  When you think about it, our house, unlike others, moves almost every day putting all systems in a bind.  Maintenance cannot be ignored. 

Relationships - ours and others:  Jerry and I have always been best friends first.  Living in an RV requires a solid sense of humor, less self-centeredness, and higher levels of communication.  No we don't  talk all the time, but we've fallen into a routine of regular "gut" checks.  We discuss our favorite places, if we are both still having fun, and if either of us want to do something else.  None of this is good unless we are both happy.  To date, we plan to keep on traveling.

Although we are not building long term relationships with those we meet on the road, we are meeting wonderful people.  Most are kind and helpful.  We learn a lot from other RV'ers and enjoy the time we have to share ideas.

We've learned so much about our country. U.S. history comes alive when you are able to be immersed in the location. A perfect examples is our stay at the Army Core of Engineers Park, Fort Peck.  This is the largest hydraulically filled dam in the world.  We spent time touring the interactive center and touring the power plant.  The history surrounding the Core formation, the time in history when the country was drowning in depression and the incredible things Roosevelt did to put Americans back to work was fascinating.  Every place we visit, we walk the history connected to a spot no matter how significant.  It's humbling to continue to learn in-depth about those who literally built this country.

Finally, a word from Maci, the dog...

I still don't like parking lots, loud semis, and strangers, but I love my people and love to be with them.  My most favorite are the rustic parks where there are thousands of smells.  Anyone with a brain can see when I am happy - tail curled high over my back, running and prancing as if I owned the property.

It's been a good year...

McMinnville, OR

From the west coast we headed inland to McMinnville to explore the wineries in the area and to visit the Evergreen Air and Space Museum.  This region of Oregon is conducive to growing the Pinot grape.  Although other wines are produced, Pinot is the top seller from the region.  We were able to enjoy visits to several wineries.  Our favorite locations were those where the rolling hills of grapevines are visible from the highest vantage point.                                                                  

On this clear day, we could see Mount Hood in the distance.  Our favorite "story" location was at Maysara http://www.maysara.com.  Three sisters, ages 27, 25, and 22, run the winery.  The oldest, with a degree in wine making - enology - from the University of Oregon, is the wine maker.  The middle daughter oversees international sales, and the youngest, who we talked with, is in charge of Oregon sales.

Another great story was of the young couple with three children under 10 who literally planted their grapevines themselves.  The vines are planted in blocks, and often the grapes in that particular block are used for a particular wine named after a child or another person in the family.  Our unofficial research indicates that female names are used primarily.  Those who are experts in all things wine often use very descriptive, lively adjectives to describe the qualities of the wine.  We asked one wine maker if the qualities of the wine were similar to the qualities of the child who the wine was named after.  He laughed and said yes!

After a day of exploring the local wineries, we spent the next day at the Evergreen Air and Space Museum.  Our primary interest was to see the Spruce Goose - the largest wooden airplane ever built.  Howard Hughes built and partially financed this giant plane's completion.  It was originally intended to haul men and equipment to Europe to aid in the efforts during WWII.  Because of it's size, few believed it would ever get off the ground...  of course except for Howard Hughes.  During an instrument test session Hughes did take off to the surprise of everyone there. The plane flew a very short distance about 60 feet off the ground.  That was its only flight.  WWII ended, and the plane was never pressed into service.  It sat in storage for years. Howard Hughes paid the storage bill which   was quite pricey.  The plane was finally acquired by the Evergreen group and now takes up a huge amount of space in the museum.  It's bigger than a football field! 

Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose / Evergreen Museum

Given the size of the Spruce Goose, it was impossible to get a picture of the whole air craft.  The plane sported eight engines, each with 3,000 hp, to power its flight.  This picture of one wing gives an idea of its massive size.

So why was Hughes' plane dubbed the Spruce Goose? The press mocked the construction of the giant wooden bird claiming it would never get off the ground.  They dubbed it the Spruce Goose.  Hughes hated the name and took every chance to say so.   The plane was actually not made of spruce at all.  It was constructed of birch.  One of many interesting points about the plane's construction is the use of many beach balls to make the plane buoyant as the plane is also a water plane.  The original beach balls are on display in the plane.

 

 The Evergreen Museum holds one of the best historical displays of aircraft from replicas of the Wright brothers' first airplanes to those utilized in the armed forces.  Many of the displays have stories of real people flying the plane which brings a very personal aspect to the importance of flight.

In addition to the air museum another building on the site it dedicated to space exploration.  The Evergreen group has secured quite a display of artifacts related to our exploration of space.  The third building on the complex houses an OmniMax theater where we were able to view a 3D movie on exploration of space with giant telescopes dubbed VBT's (very bit telescopes) by the scientists who use them.  Scientists from all over the world are working collaboratively in the Atacama Desert / Chile, about 17,000 ft elevation, using the VBT's to research the galaxies in deep space.  The 3D movie was included in our entrance fee to the museum.

All in all our day at the Evergreen Museum was well worth the trip!  After three days in McMinnville,  we headed east to Glacier National Park.

Napa, Vacaville and Whiskeytown

After saying good-by to family in San Jose, we traveled to Napa Valley for a three day stay in Calistoga, CA.  The heat in the northwest has been extreme, and Calistoga was no exception.  We intentionally visited only two wineries.  Beaver Creek is a small winery leased by a young family originally from Czechoslovakia.  All processes at Beaver Creek are organic. The term "helping mother nature" means no chemical intervention as may be true for other larger wineries.  The wine tasting room is rustic and comfortable.  We purchased a Chardonnay and Cabernet, both made with grapes from this winery, and we enjoyed talking to the young owner who told us about his love of the California valley.

Sterling Vineyards was the other winery we chose to visit.  Sterling is as large as Beaver Creek is small.  Sterling has the only tram in the valley.  To get to the winery for the tasting, we rode the tram, and the view of the valley was incredible!  We were at the Sterling Vineyard for three hours.  We were able to walk the winery villa, spending a leisurely time on various levels, enjoying good wine and the company of others.

View of Sterling Vineyards from the tram

Sterling multi-tiered villa

After our time in Napa, we headed inland to Vacaville, CA.  This was a maintenance trip.  Our water heater was leaking internally, something water heaters are not supposed to do.  The closest possibility for a warranty replacement was Camping World.  We arrived on Monday afternoon.  The service manager, Terry, was great!  Of course they did not have our model in stock, but it was ordered and on the way, with our replacement due to happen on Thursday a.m.  Terry invited us to dry camp in the parking lot and had one of the guys make a spot for us out of the way.  Since we had just filled with water and dumped the tanks, we were good to go.  We always take these types of delays as an opportunity to do the things, like paperwork, we ignore when we are doing other more fun things.  We did just that, and by Thursday p.m. we had a new water heater.  Friday a.m. we were on our way.

Next stop, Whiskeytown, CA.  When I called the State Recreation Area for a reservation, the young person on the phone describe the spot as a parking lot, which it is.  She also said, "You know, like WalMart..." which it was not as you can see from the picture below.

 Whiskeytown Lake is a popular reservoir in this area for good reason.  It's gorgeous!  And during the hot, dry summers it provides much needed relief from the heat.  During our brief stay, there were any number of boats of all sizes in and out of the water.  Point of interest... no jet skis allowed.

Another point of interest...  biking and hiking are very popular in this area.  We were amazed at the number of bikers riding in 100+ degrees of heat.  When it comes to heat, we are both wimps.

Whiskeytown Lake from the visitors' center

The Glory Hole

 The picture to the right is just below the Whiskeytown Lake dam.  The cement structure in the picture is called the Glory Hole - given its name because it looks like the blossom of a Morning Glory.  The Glory Hole was installed when the dam was built.  The structure is attached to a pipe that leads to the river.  When waters in the lake get too high, the Glory Hole takes the overflow.  The structure is fenced off on land, and you can see the barriers in the water.  Warning signs make it very clear there are no safety devices in or around the structure.  It drops 200 feet into the hole, and there would be no getting out if a swimmer fell in.

Jerry perfecting his panning technique

The draw to Whiskey town was twofold.  First, it is at the junction of US 5 and CA 299 which would take us to Highway 101 on the west coast.  Second, this was the first area where gold was discovered during the Gold Rush.  Jerry is a gold panner at heart and just had to give it a try.  So we hiked and panned for gold in Whiskeytown.  No we did not strike it rich, but we had a ton of fun.  I will say this.  Panning for gold takes real technique and is hard work.  After three days and heat in excess of 100 degrees every day, we took off for the coast on 299.

Highway 299 twists and turns with the Trinity River

I will say this, if you are looking for the curviest, skinniest, twistiest road ever, take HIghway 299.  Oh my.  We were headed west with the intention of hitting Chrystal City in northern CA by early afternoon.  We did make it to Chrystal City by evening.  The drive on 299 was breathtaking in so many ways.  Once again we were overwhelmed my the vast beauty of where our journey takes us...  and we were exhausted by the drive itself.  All that twisting and turning and braking is hard on the driver.  It's also hard on the passenger who of course has to help the driver keep the Whale upright and on the road by leaning and pumping the passenger side brake.  I have a love / hate relationship with high places.  I am drawn to the beauty and terrified of the sheer drop.  Much of Highway 299 also runs with the Trinity River.  At times the river was close enough to touch, and at other times we towered far above the river.

We were grateful for a spot at Wal-Mart that night where we ate supper and fell in bed.  The next morning we headed north on 101 toward Oregon to enjoy time on the west coast before heading inland.

San Jose, CA

To those of you who have checked the blog for up-dates, I apologize for our absence.  We arrived in San Jose, CA on June 5 to begin our visit with grandsons, Miles and Donovan, son Chris and daughter-in-law Marisa.  We've been off and running ever since with little time for much else.  Miles just turned 9 this week.  Donovan turns 6 in August.  Both boys are involved in swimming, church camp and sports camp.  We've been involved in transportation, babysitting and play.  What fun!!!  Since we've always lived in IN, and the boys have always been in CA, this has been the longest period of time we've been able to spend with them.  They are very fine, active young men.  Marisa and Chris are doing a great job... not an easy assignment these days.

Even though we've spent most of our time with our grandsons, we have had some opportunity to explore the area and eat at some great restaurants.  The Ladera Grill, The Good Fork, and Rosey's At The Beach are our recommendations in Morgan Hill.  We've parked the Whale at Uvis RV Camp on Uvis Road in Morgan Hill, CA.  The small park is tucked between two foothills.  It's quiet, and the owners have been great! We are about 40 minutes from San Jose, but it's interstate all the way, and as long as we don't hit rush hour, it's good.

There are a lot of positives in this area.  One is access to farmers' markets.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are available in quantity.  Of course another positive is access to wineries.  Since we do like a good bottle of wine, we've taken some time to taste and buy.  The wineries are all sizes and most are beautiful with rustic wine tasting rooms and acres and acres of grapevines.  

Grandpa, Miles, Donovan and Maci watching a movie after a long day of fishing

Sadly, we say good-by to the family on July 5th.  We head north to Napa for a few days.  Then we will travel to Oregon for a week and west to Glacier National Park for a week.

Soon...

ET Phone Home

We drove the Extraterrestial Highway, stopping at Rachel, NV for lunch.  The ET Highway goes through an area in Nevada where Nellis Air Force Range is located.  The land adjacent to the highway is referred to as Area 51.  Historically, there have been several 'alleged' unidentified object sightings and alien abductions.  We were unable to see the military base from the ET Highway by Groom Lake.  There are thousands of stories and a great bit of mystery surrounding this area in Nevada.  The short version is that the Federal Government has tried for years to cover up the fact that we (the U.S. Government) have in our possession the actual bodies of aliens and their ships.  You could say Jerry and I are "into the possibilities," and we have watched a number of documentaries supporting that Area 51 is one of many locations around the world where alien ships and aliens have been sighted. 

Whether you believe or not, a day's drive on the ET Highway is a great time to consider the possibilities for fun.  When we turned onto the highway, this replica of an alien in full silver suit was the first thing we saw.

Those few - and I do mean few - who live along the highway have joined the spirit of possibilities that we are not the only beings in this or other universes. 

Let's just suppose for a minute that aliens do exist, and chose this stretch of highway to "study us" through abduction.  Said aliens would have a very slim choice of humans.  The ET Highway at 100 miles has at most 20 people who live along the road.  The town of Rachel, NV is about 50 miles from Junction 93 where you turn on the ET Highway.  There is a very small motel and restaurant / bar in Rachel, and there are maybe two houses.  The population sign entering Rachel says, "Population: People - yes, Aliens - ?" 

Rachel, Nevada

The front of the restaurant sports this late '40's truck with a very small spaceship hanging from the crane.  We had a great sandwich at the restaurant and spent time looking at the picture documentation of alien sightings from all over the western hemisphere.  Of the two people who work in the restaurant, we were unable to confirm either had ever had an alien encounter.

We continued on the ET Highway headed west.  We saw few cars on the road, and fewer houses.  The mountains in front of us seemed to move further away from us as we drove.  The ET Highway went on forever.

Extraterrestial Highway, Area 51, Nevada

Given the landscape of open space, few humans, and the haze of sun that seemed to hang over the entire landscape, it wasn't hard to believe the imagination could take charge.   Although we weren't on the ET Highway at night, we imagined the total darkness and clear skies and possibly a spaceship or two in the night skies.

Our journey on the ET Highway ended at Highway 6 where we headed west toward a town called Tonopah, NV, and old mining town, which is just east of the California boarder.  We spent a quiet night in the parking lot of the Banc Casino. 

The next morning, up early, we headed for Yosemite National Park.  Our entry to CA was marked by an amazing line of mountains.  Yes, that's snow.  As we turned north off Highway 6 onto north 395, we found ourselves in the Mono Basin.

The Basin, and Mono Lake, is an area formed from volcanic eruptions millions of years ago.  The area is full of pumice and obsidian.  The lake bottom has tufu spires, some of which top the water surface.  The lake has many natural springs that go into it, but none that go out.  Water levels do go down due to evaporation.  The water is 7 times more salty and alkaline than the ocean. 

Mono Lake

We stopped for the night in a small campground in Lee Vining, CA.  The campground is literally snuggled up next to a mountain, and our campsite looks out over Lake Mono.  A short walk to town for supper will be the highlight of the evening.  Then an early start to head for Yosemite National Park.  Although we do not plan to stay in the park, we want to have plenty of time to explore and take our time before heading further west to San Jose, CA.

The North Rim

Seven years ago we traveled west.  At the top of our list of places to see was the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  This was the second attempt, since an early snow and ice prevented us from traveling to the NR a couple years before that.  As we neared the North Rim in 2006 we could see large areas of smoke on both sides of the highway 89A, and we could see firefighters in action.  When we got to Jacob's Lake, which is where 67 goes down to the Rim, the firefighters were staging with fire engines and personnel.  We would not see the North Rim that day.

The fire is referred to as the Fire of 2006.  Almost seven years later, the forest ravaged by this fire still stands scorched.  The undercover has barely started to recover.  As we drove the road down to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, we saw miles and miles of scorched land.  Burnt trees had been cut down nearest the road in order to prevent falling timber weakened by fire.  This day we were particularly grateful as the wind was gusting up to 40 mph. 

 We continued our trek to the Grand Canyon, and as we drove the landscape became greener and more plush.  I know little about the patterns of raging forest fires, but on that day in 2006 the fire would not destroy every mile - I'm sure in part to the incredible efforts and expertise of the people who fought the fire.

As we drove higher in elevation, we caught glimpses of the canyon through the trees.  We knew we would round a curve and eventually get a full view.  I felt a sense of anticipation like a little kid waiting to open a present.

Normally, I would be the passenger so distracted by all this incredible landscape, but this day I was the driver.  Jerry had driven the Whale through mountains and very narrow roads the day before.  We decided to give him a break.  So I drove the Jeep down to the North Rim.  Once we climbed in elevation, given I am deathly afraid of heights, I thought maybe this was not such a good idea.  We did make it to the North Rim without driving over the edge.  The roads there have few guardrails as the natural beauty has been preserved without distraction. 

 We were not disappointed when we came in full view of the Grand Canyon.  From one vantage point on a path around the base of the North Rim Lodge, everywhere we turned was an overwhelming view.  The magnitude of the Grand Canyon is hard to comprehend even when a person is looking right at it.  The human eye can only see so far.  I knew there was more canyon further than I could see, yet still it's hard to really grasp it.

We traveled in the Jeep to the highest point further around one point of the canyon for just one more look before leaving the Grand Canyon National Park.  Since Maci had been in the Jeep for quite some time, we thought this would be a good time to stretch her legs.  At about 8,800 ft elevation, she jumped out of the back seat and right back into the front seat.  The dog's mind is a mystery to me...  She either did not care for the elevation or the gusts of wind at this elevation.  Standing on the edge of this high point was somewhat intimidating. 

"Dimension means nothing to the senses and all we are left is a troubled sense of immensity."  Geologist Clarence Dutton, 1889

We said good-by to the North Rim the next day to continue west through Zion National Park.  All vehicles larger than a passenger car had to pull off the road before the park to read and confirm size restrictions.  Vehicles longer than 50 ft. are not allowed.  Vehicles taller than 13'1" can't get through the tunnels.  We met the height limit at 12'7", but length?  Let's see...  40 foot of Whale + tow bars + Jeep = more than 50 ft.  We had to unhook, and I followed Jerry in the Jeep.  We have navigated some pretty tight curves with the full rig, but once we got into Zion, I fully understood the need to not be longer than 50 ft.  Those are some tight switch-backs!  There are also two tunnels - the first can be driven without problem.  The second tunnel requires stopping all traffic for "over sized vehicles" so the driver can drive down the middle of the tunnel avoiding getting stuck. 

This shot of the Whale from a safe vantage point behind gives you an idea of the incredible landscape in Zion National Park...  although I do suppose shooting pictures while driving a mountain road is much like texting and driving.

Since parking the Whale requires quite a bit of space, many of the pull-offs were too small. We finally made our way to the South Campground where we were able to hook up and continue our drive west. 

We stopped at Young's Campground, a very small camp with full hook-up in Caliente, NV.  The owners were welcoming and thanked us for stopping.

We're now headed to the Extraterrestial Highway and Area 51 which as I have said before does not officially exist according to the Federal Government.  Since aliens are not for abductions in the day, we anticipate traveling this highway without incident... 

Westward Ho!

After leaving Ft. Worth, TX, we traveled to Hobbs, NM and on to Santa Fe.  Our target destination was the state park outside Santa Fe at the edge of the Santa Fe National Forrest.  Once we arrived we realized there were no campsites big enough for the Whale.  Nor were there any spaces wide enough to turn the Whale with Jeep around.  So we continued up the mountain - 10,000 feet to the ski resort at the top of the mountain, turned around, and crept back down the mountain.  A quick stop at the scenic view pull-off on this clear day gave us picture reminders of just how high we were.  If you look at the bottom of the first picture, you can see a sliver of the road dropping off down the mountain.  That's steep!  Jerry says the trick is to not let the Whale go to fast and at the same time don't get on the brakes too often.  How would I know?  I had my eyes closed.

 Once we were down around 8,000 ft we secured a spot for the Whale in the National Forrest Campground just south of the State Park.  No hook ups, but a beautiful spot. I again had a new experience in this location - altitude  sickness. Ugh!  The least little bit of exertion made breathing difficult.  Of course I went to the Internet for diagnosis and solution - go to a lower altitude... duh.  We did that the next day spending most of our time in Santa Fe.  What a unique city.  We had lunch at the Blue Chip and dinner at La Choza.  Both meals gave us a chance to experience local cuisine.

Santa Fe National Forrest, NM... on top of the world.

Our time in Santa Fe was too short, and the area is now on our list of places to return.  I was particularly drawn to the adobe structures - which most are.  Both color and form blend into the landscape around Santa Fe.  Our time in the downtown area showed us more of the same.  Fortunately, we had too little time to stop and wander the shops in the downtown area...  I probably saved a lot of money. 

After two days in Santa Fe, we continued west on 264 avoiding the Interstates for now.  We stopped for the night at the Hopi Cultural Center just west of Keames Canyon.  An overnight stay turned into 2 1/2 days.  Luck would have it that we met another full time couple while at the Cultural Center while walking our dogs.  Sandy and Orlan had scheduled a tour with a Hopi guide the next day and invited us to join them.  Bertrand met us the next morning, and we traveled to our first stop - the Prophesy Rock.  Bertrand detailed the meanings of the petroglyth which was thousands of years old predicting the future - some of which has already come to pass.

Bertrand was a wealth of knowledge not only about the Hopi culture, past and present, but he also made multiple connections between other cultures and his ancient culture.  Interestingly, he spent the first seven years of his life with his mother and father in an urban area in southern CA.  He returned to his native village Old Oraibi with his mother at age seven.  He admitted this was quite a culture shock, but the move was ultimately for the better.  He is now working his way toward the "man society" as he gains knowledge and continues to share his culture with visitors to the area.  The Hopi in this process are the ultimate life long learners.  They believe no one ever knows everything.  The elders disperse knowledge to the younger men a little at a time in keeping with this philosophy.

Bertrand then took us to the other side of the Second Mesa to his home village, Old Oraibi.  We were restricted from taking pictures of the village, and we were only able to visit a small portion of the village.  We did get to see the central area of the village where the kiva was located.  This kiva, or ceremonial lodge, was underground.  There was a large ladder made out of tree trunks that gave access to the kiva.  We were not allowed access to that area for understandable reasons.  In the early 1900's photographers were allowed access to ceremonial proceedings and areas, and it become very clear to the Hopi people that if continued, they would be invaded.  Around this time, restrictions were put in place.  In my mind, how wise the Hopis were to restrict photographs and observations.  They have been able to preserve some of the deepest meanings of their ways. 

From the village we walked a ways across the top of the mesa to an area where there were many petroglyths along a pathway that winds around the upper portion of the mesa.  We were allowed to take pictures here.  As you can see, the pictures show the striking contrast of stone and sky, but do not do justice to the petroglyths that have survived centuries. 

It's not too hard to imagine the Hopi living in the caves of these areas even before villages were constructed.  The elevation of the mesas served as protection against invaders.  As our guide explained, the Hopi's are not aggressive people.  They do believe in peace, but were not afraid to defend themselves when necessary

We walked the path around the top of the mesa.  I have to say that my fear of heights was diminished by the sheer striking beauty of the landscape...  and a good solid rock to hang onto.

 Once we left the mesa and returned to the village, we were able to step inside a dwelling that served two purposes.  It was there to give us a glimpse of what the inside of the original structures looked like, and it was also a gift shop showcasing the jewelry and pottery of the Hopi artisans.  Again, we were unable to capture this in pictures. 

It's important to note that across all three mesas in the Hopi Land, people do reside in the villages.  Those in Old Oraibi do not have electricity as in poles and wires, but some use solar power.  There is no running water or toilets as we know it.  The fifteen or so families who still live in the village practice the ancient daily job of carrying water from a central location.  This does vary from village to village depending on how that clan has decide to adopt or not adopt different ways.

Our two hour tour turned into four hours.  Exhausted and overwhelmed with information, we said good-by to Bertrand with promises to send curious visitors his way.  We returned to the Cultural Center and decided to stay one more evening.  We left the next day after purchasing artifacts from the artisans who had set up tables outside the center.

We now are in a state forest campground just north of the North Rim, Grand Canyon.  The whale was able to climb yet another mountain as you can see below. 

The Whale on the road to the North Rim

A word from Maci...  You know dogs really don't like change, but it's something I have become accustomed to in order to be with my people.  I ride on the couch now, much more comfortable than the floor unless the going gets bumpy.  I prefer parks over parking lots, and I certainly prefer grass over dirt.  Sometimes I just refuse to get out of the Whale.  As long as I can keep any eye on things from the inside, I am good to go.  What an adventure this is!

Maci keeping watch from the drivers seat.