* Leaving Las Vegas - not quite. Do you remember what you did when you turned 20? It probably wasn't spending the entire day replacing a radiator on a pickup in the O'Reilly auto parts parking lot. Happy Birthday, Noah. (sorry)
* Death Valley is DRY. And dead. And salty. But has some really beautiful and colorful rock formations and really cool trails and canyons to walk/run. Would not ever want to be here in June/July/August. Can you say 120 degrees AVERAGE??! Crazy. That's shoe melting insanity.
*Joshua Trees are named because some early Morman traveler thought they looked liked Joshua holding up his hands to heaven. The National Park has some awesome boulders that you can really get lost in - or should I say - loose your boys in. (was a bit scared there for an hour)
* Staying in a campground with no electricity is dangerous if you run out of battery power and can't put the slide in on your RV. Thank God for a neighbor with a noisy generator. And a really long extension cord.
* San Diego has a few lakes in the middle of it. And Canadian geese. And some wacky black birds that attack each other on end for no apparent reason. And some coyotes that run and howl right outside the RV! Keep your pets inside!
* Paddle ball on the beach is a blast. So is throwing Frisbee - according to the boys. And so is surfing - at least - it looks like fun and my sons will tell me so when they try it. I will read a book thank you very much.
* Been here 4 days and I already do not ever want to leave. I admit I am feeling a bit guilty sitting in the sun in January. But since it's been in the high 30's back home I'm not feeling all that guilty!!
* 5 weeks and counting. Stay tuned!
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Rocky times . . .
Ah, to camp out by a lake. Peaceful, serene, quiet, great neighbors, lovely view, excellent facility . . . Now Vegas - um - not so much.
Phoenix is a great city. I could move there in a heart beat. The only draw back is time. As in, it takes so much of it to get anywhere. But, we had fun. The boys played disk golf, a couple rounds of real golf and we hiked to the summit of Camelback Mtn. Can not believe we did, in fact the boys thought absolutely, positively that I would never, ever, in this universe, ever get to the top. To which they stated over and over again how shocked they were that I did. Geez, oh ye of little faith. Well, it was pretty strenuous, and steep and I'm not one for heights, as in, I don't much like going on the second rung of a ladder, but - this was a mountain to conquer and conquer it I would! The boys ran, er, climbed, scampered, bouldered to the peak well before Gary and I - and while he and I were taking selfies on one side, the boys sat down on a ledge on the other side blocked by a huge group of college swimmers- (I know 'cause I chatted with them all the way down). Since the boys didn't see us, they just proceeded to climb back down and so we missed each other completely at the top. So when they got back down and didn't find us there, they thought I was taken away in an ambulance for sure. They couldn't believe that I really reached the summit. But hey, I have the pictures to prove it so come on now - and is it really, really that hard to believe? Come on guys! I mean it was hard, that is true, but it was invigorating at the same time. But I will say - I will never do it again. Bucket list #27 - check! (Thank God)
So, onward we roll. Las Vegas here we come! We climb the hills toward Hoover Dam and we loose power in the pickup and more water. OH NO! Radiator blows again! We stop every few miles, fill up with water and pray we make it to the next Walmart. Time for 'Stop Gap' again and 16 gallons of water to try to make it to the RV park by dusk. God was with us, (as always) and we sputtered in to our spot. After trips to the auto parts store, the mechanics on duty (Gary and the boys) fix the truck. Somewhat. Time will tell . . .
Sleep is a blessed commodity when you don't get it. When an RV park says 'conveniently located', it really means it sits beside a 6 lane super busy highway and right smack next to an airport. First night - no sleep. Then an angel of a front desk lady says, after a chatty conversation, "I have some ear plugs someone gave me!" They are the ones given to parents at rock concerts that they take their kids to, to drown out the loud music. Hey, I'll try anything. Miracle! Those things really work! Maybe that's what my entire family wears all day long - since they act like they never hear a single word I say!!! Finally, sleep. Nice.
After a treat at Whole Foods, we hiked the trails at Valley of Fire. Oh. My. Gosh. So now this is our new favorite thing - so far. It was breath-taking. The beauty of God's creation is so awesome we just stood there staring, trying to take it all in. Gorgeous. Majestic. Stunningly beautiful. I loved it because I could run and jump and then sit and gaze. The boys loved it because they could climb to the treacherous heights, crawl into perilous caves and leap from boulder to boulder. Fantastic. This is the Las Vegas I'm talking about.
It's raining all day today, so the hiking to Red Rock Canyon will have to wait til tomorrow, God willing. There are so so many trails just waiting to be hiked! Ah, the wonder of nature! Gotta love it.
We drove the strip to show the boys the lights and the hoop-la. The noise and the people. The hustle and bustle. They hated it. Our mantra to ask on this trip has been - Man made or God made? The God made sites always win out. They have been checking off places they DO NOT want to live. So far, there are none in the 'yes' or even 'maybe' column - so, we will move along.
I feel like Abraham, we know we are supposed to be going, we just don't know where we're meant to end up!
Happy trails, and stayed tuned!
Phoenix is a great city. I could move there in a heart beat. The only draw back is time. As in, it takes so much of it to get anywhere. But, we had fun. The boys played disk golf, a couple rounds of real golf and we hiked to the summit of Camelback Mtn. Can not believe we did, in fact the boys thought absolutely, positively that I would never, ever, in this universe, ever get to the top. To which they stated over and over again how shocked they were that I did. Geez, oh ye of little faith. Well, it was pretty strenuous, and steep and I'm not one for heights, as in, I don't much like going on the second rung of a ladder, but - this was a mountain to conquer and conquer it I would! The boys ran, er, climbed, scampered, bouldered to the peak well before Gary and I - and while he and I were taking selfies on one side, the boys sat down on a ledge on the other side blocked by a huge group of college swimmers- (I know 'cause I chatted with them all the way down). Since the boys didn't see us, they just proceeded to climb back down and so we missed each other completely at the top. So when they got back down and didn't find us there, they thought I was taken away in an ambulance for sure. They couldn't believe that I really reached the summit. But hey, I have the pictures to prove it so come on now - and is it really, really that hard to believe? Come on guys! I mean it was hard, that is true, but it was invigorating at the same time. But I will say - I will never do it again. Bucket list #27 - check! (Thank God)
So, onward we roll. Las Vegas here we come! We climb the hills toward Hoover Dam and we loose power in the pickup and more water. OH NO! Radiator blows again! We stop every few miles, fill up with water and pray we make it to the next Walmart. Time for 'Stop Gap' again and 16 gallons of water to try to make it to the RV park by dusk. God was with us, (as always) and we sputtered in to our spot. After trips to the auto parts store, the mechanics on duty (Gary and the boys) fix the truck. Somewhat. Time will tell . . .
Sleep is a blessed commodity when you don't get it. When an RV park says 'conveniently located', it really means it sits beside a 6 lane super busy highway and right smack next to an airport. First night - no sleep. Then an angel of a front desk lady says, after a chatty conversation, "I have some ear plugs someone gave me!" They are the ones given to parents at rock concerts that they take their kids to, to drown out the loud music. Hey, I'll try anything. Miracle! Those things really work! Maybe that's what my entire family wears all day long - since they act like they never hear a single word I say!!! Finally, sleep. Nice.
After a treat at Whole Foods, we hiked the trails at Valley of Fire. Oh. My. Gosh. So now this is our new favorite thing - so far. It was breath-taking. The beauty of God's creation is so awesome we just stood there staring, trying to take it all in. Gorgeous. Majestic. Stunningly beautiful. I loved it because I could run and jump and then sit and gaze. The boys loved it because they could climb to the treacherous heights, crawl into perilous caves and leap from boulder to boulder. Fantastic. This is the Las Vegas I'm talking about.
It's raining all day today, so the hiking to Red Rock Canyon will have to wait til tomorrow, God willing. There are so so many trails just waiting to be hiked! Ah, the wonder of nature! Gotta love it.
We drove the strip to show the boys the lights and the hoop-la. The noise and the people. The hustle and bustle. They hated it. Our mantra to ask on this trip has been - Man made or God made? The God made sites always win out. They have been checking off places they DO NOT want to live. So far, there are none in the 'yes' or even 'maybe' column - so, we will move along.
I feel like Abraham, we know we are supposed to be going, we just don't know where we're meant to end up!
Happy trails, and stayed tuned!
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Cacti and more cacti . . .
Well, we finally arrived in sunny Arizona! We plan to camp out here for a little while, since the boys want to get in as much cheap golf as they can before school starts. They played twice already, golfing into the twilight hours where they could barely see each other - let alone find where they hit their balls! But they don't care one whit. Side note: they did see an actual wild Lynx cat while they were playing. A Lynx on the Links. Get it?!
We crossed yet another National Park off the list going to Saguaro, just outside Tucson. A different kind of beautiful to be sure, and trust me, those darn cactus do bite back!!! We've hiked and ran among them a bit, but I've learned not to get too close!
Ok - So, I'm standing on a boulder in the middle of the desert and my phone rings. I answer - it's India and the signal is great! I couldn't believe it. I moved and lost the call. As long as I stood on the rock, we could talk. I felt like Robin Williams in that RV movie. I just hope we don't have any of the other crazy mishaps he had. (The ugly sewer scene - been there done that - just ask Gary)
Wacky food update: Taro root burgers. The boys' new favorite. Seems ketchup will make anything taste good!!! No, seriously, they were really great. Really.
We also went to an Indian restaurant where you had to take your shoes off before you sat cross-legged on pillows to eat - which posed a bit a problem for those of us with less than limited flexibility! While we ate, some guy rang a bell and sang in some strange haunting language. We must have come during prayer time to Buddha or maybe he just had a very strange idea of good soothing dinner music. Needless to say, we prayed a bit more loudly, but hey, the food was good. :)
Camping tip of the day - Need to fight classic boredom in an RV on a rainy day? Try to see how many one armed push ups you can do. Yes, I am surrounded by way too many males and yes, they get bored way too easily!
Well, after driving in rain for 3 hours, (rain in the desert?!) we are finally settled on a lake outside of Phoenix. It's a bit chilly here for the natives, but we'll take the 50's over 15 below! We can not complain a bit - I know! We plan to ring in the New Year with a little pasta, a little garlic toast and a maybe a good movie - or two!
Here's to wishing and praying all have a blessed 2015!!
We crossed yet another National Park off the list going to Saguaro, just outside Tucson. A different kind of beautiful to be sure, and trust me, those darn cactus do bite back!!! We've hiked and ran among them a bit, but I've learned not to get too close!
Ok - So, I'm standing on a boulder in the middle of the desert and my phone rings. I answer - it's India and the signal is great! I couldn't believe it. I moved and lost the call. As long as I stood on the rock, we could talk. I felt like Robin Williams in that RV movie. I just hope we don't have any of the other crazy mishaps he had. (The ugly sewer scene - been there done that - just ask Gary)
Wacky food update: Taro root burgers. The boys' new favorite. Seems ketchup will make anything taste good!!! No, seriously, they were really great. Really.
We also went to an Indian restaurant where you had to take your shoes off before you sat cross-legged on pillows to eat - which posed a bit a problem for those of us with less than limited flexibility! While we ate, some guy rang a bell and sang in some strange haunting language. We must have come during prayer time to Buddha or maybe he just had a very strange idea of good soothing dinner music. Needless to say, we prayed a bit more loudly, but hey, the food was good. :)
Camping tip of the day - Need to fight classic boredom in an RV on a rainy day? Try to see how many one armed push ups you can do. Yes, I am surrounded by way too many males and yes, they get bored way too easily!
Well, after driving in rain for 3 hours, (rain in the desert?!) we are finally settled on a lake outside of Phoenix. It's a bit chilly here for the natives, but we'll take the 50's over 15 below! We can not complain a bit - I know! We plan to ring in the New Year with a little pasta, a little garlic toast and a maybe a good movie - or two!
Here's to wishing and praying all have a blessed 2015!!
Saturday, December 27, 2014
And the journey begins . . .
Finally we're off! I'll try to keep the posts short, but with our track record of road trips, there could be a lot to report!
The first two nights, we tried our hand at living the life of a trucker, parking next to a line of big semis in a truck stop. First night - ok except for the traffic and the trains. The second night, the propane tanks went empty, and with it hovering around 28 degrees, it got a bit chilly. So at 3am we had to jump in the pick up and head out. Ok, yeah, great start. I'm already worried.
Our navigator, Judah, has the National Monuments all scoped out on our route, and the first one was in the middle of Kansas. The sign for the turnoff was the size of a postage stamp and we turned onto a gravel road surrounded by sage brush and oil rigs. 7 miles later we drive over a ridge and oh my - these huge rock formations stood rising up from the prairie. They looked like they belonged in Utah not Kansas! I stood on the ground taking pictures while the boys scrambled to the top jumping around like mountain goats. It was a bit scary to watch, but they had fun.
We brushed through the tip of Oklahoma and Texas, driving through rain, snow, sleet, and a near white-out blizzard. WHAT?? That's why we left South Dakota!! Thankfully we only fish-tailed once. (!) Yeah, my nerves are shot and we've only been gone 3 days!
The bad weather was over as suddenly as it came on, so we kept going. We drove through an old lava bed and and finally found civilization (an RV park) in the middle of New Mexico. Yes.
Gary hooked up the water, turned it on and - whoosh!!! A geyser from the toilet! You have got to be kidding! (Thank God it was just plain water since we hadn't used it yet.)
And finally - SLEEP! Praise God!
Day 4. We hitched up and drove to the White Sand National Monument. It was surreal. It looked just like snow. There were acres and acres of sand dunes. It was so strange. People actually brought sleds and slid down the hills dressed in their ski pants and boots. It was hard to get my head around the fact that it was sand and not snow! Gary and I ran up and down the dunes while the boys jumped of the edges filming with the GoPro. It was great. The sun beat down and there was hardly a breeze. Spectacular.
Onward. We got 40 miles down the road and we hear a screech, and then steam starts pouring from the engine. See, I told you we have quite the track record. I'm ready to call AAA - but a few prayers to the Father, several minutes looking under the hood, and a few strips of duck tape - and we're on our way! I'm serious! We got to the next RV park, Gary repairs the broken whatever pipe and the toilet is working again. I am so grateful to be married to Mr. Fix-it!
I hope that is the last of the mishaps!
I have to say, we all are so very very blessed to be able to go on this trip. We are blessed to see and experience all of God's amazing creation and we are just in awe how wonderful it all is!
More to come - stay tuned!!
The first two nights, we tried our hand at living the life of a trucker, parking next to a line of big semis in a truck stop. First night - ok except for the traffic and the trains. The second night, the propane tanks went empty, and with it hovering around 28 degrees, it got a bit chilly. So at 3am we had to jump in the pick up and head out. Ok, yeah, great start. I'm already worried.
Our navigator, Judah, has the National Monuments all scoped out on our route, and the first one was in the middle of Kansas. The sign for the turnoff was the size of a postage stamp and we turned onto a gravel road surrounded by sage brush and oil rigs. 7 miles later we drive over a ridge and oh my - these huge rock formations stood rising up from the prairie. They looked like they belonged in Utah not Kansas! I stood on the ground taking pictures while the boys scrambled to the top jumping around like mountain goats. It was a bit scary to watch, but they had fun.
We brushed through the tip of Oklahoma and Texas, driving through rain, snow, sleet, and a near white-out blizzard. WHAT?? That's why we left South Dakota!! Thankfully we only fish-tailed once. (!) Yeah, my nerves are shot and we've only been gone 3 days!
The bad weather was over as suddenly as it came on, so we kept going. We drove through an old lava bed and and finally found civilization (an RV park) in the middle of New Mexico. Yes.
Gary hooked up the water, turned it on and - whoosh!!! A geyser from the toilet! You have got to be kidding! (Thank God it was just plain water since we hadn't used it yet.)
And finally - SLEEP! Praise God!
Day 4. We hitched up and drove to the White Sand National Monument. It was surreal. It looked just like snow. There were acres and acres of sand dunes. It was so strange. People actually brought sleds and slid down the hills dressed in their ski pants and boots. It was hard to get my head around the fact that it was sand and not snow! Gary and I ran up and down the dunes while the boys jumped of the edges filming with the GoPro. It was great. The sun beat down and there was hardly a breeze. Spectacular.
Onward. We got 40 miles down the road and we hear a screech, and then steam starts pouring from the engine. See, I told you we have quite the track record. I'm ready to call AAA - but a few prayers to the Father, several minutes looking under the hood, and a few strips of duck tape - and we're on our way! I'm serious! We got to the next RV park, Gary repairs the broken whatever pipe and the toilet is working again. I am so grateful to be married to Mr. Fix-it!
I hope that is the last of the mishaps!
I have to say, we all are so very very blessed to be able to go on this trip. We are blessed to see and experience all of God's amazing creation and we are just in awe how wonderful it all is!
More to come - stay tuned!!
Friday, October 23, 2009
'these are a few of my favorite things . . .'
Well, since the trip is winding down, I thought I'd ask everyone what they liked best, and here are their picks:
- India liked hiking the Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction and white water rafting.
- Noah had a hard time picking his favorites, but he chose white water rafting, hiking the
National Monument (copy-cat) and playing in the game room at the Grand Junction RV park.
- Ezra liked white water rafting, wind surfing, just being in the Hood River area and rollerblading. Falling while rollerblading, um, not so much. (But hey, the cast is off and all is well! Hurrah!!!)
- Judah's favorite was playing Buffalo Peak Golf Course in La Grande, Oregon. His second favorite was golfing at the Cedar's at Dungeness course in Sequim, Washington. Can you guess what his third, fourth and fifth picks were?!
- Gary liked floating in the Great Salt Lake and golfing with Judah.
- My favorites were white water rafting, smelling the air in Sequim, WA, eating blueberries we picked ourselves, walking the land just looking at the scenery, driving through Kanab, Utah and the Cache Valley, and having a veggie burger and fresh figs at Mother's Market in Hood River, Oregon. Sorry, there were just too many to choose from.
There was so much we did and have seen, and frankly, I'm not quite ready to quit. This country is so wide and varied and there are so many hidden gems that unless you really take the time, you'd never see a fraction of them. We're not even back yet, and already I want to do this again. I think I could sell the house, and just go exploring for a year. Yeah, it's cramped and some of us got a wee bit tense in the close quarters, (a WEE BIT??! um, I believe 'shoe box' was the term he used) but for the most part, it's been a fantastic ride. Even with all the trouble, what with the broken vehicles, broken RVs, broken arm (and broken bank account) . . . we all still have had really great fun.
Right now we are back in Salt Lake City, the nicest big city we've been to, with the nicest library and the nicest people. You can't beat it. The streets are so wide and clean and it's so easy to get around, it's just amazing. Here you have on one corner, an outdoor vegan hot dog vender, (I kid you not - and yes, we looked just a tad strange standing in line with people dressed head to toe in black leather with fire engine red mohawks, lip rings and tatoos. Why is it that all the health food nuts have to look - well - nuts?!) and just down the street there is a really great park with a wonderful farmer's market, further down is Whole Foods market and next door to it, is a Jamba Juice. AND - you're nestled in among these beautiful hills that are currently snow-capped, and, well, it's just beautiful. Not a bad place to spend a few days. :)
Last time we came here, we stayed at the same RV park, and they were having computer issues and Gary offered to fix it. He did, and the lady was so grateful, she wanted to give us a free night's stay, but we had already paid for the week and we were leaving the next day. So, when we stopped to check in yesterday, the lady remembered Gary and gave us a free night this time. That was sure nice of her. Hey, you know, there were a couple of other RV parks that could have used some computer help - maybe he should have looked into that a bit more . . .
Here are a few random observances:
-Always make sure the sewer hose is actually IN the sewer dump hole when you empty it.
-You know you are camping when falling leaves on the roof of your rv sound like a hail storm.
-Having a spare tire with you is a really good idea.
-Seashells do not remain intact when setting in the back of a pickup for 2,000 miles.
-An air mattress will deflate when changing elevation and going over mountains, except in Logan, Utah. Very strange.
-You can't believe everything the tour guide says. Did the Native Americans really scale a smooth rock wall, carrying a basket of deer meat up and down without ropes or ladders in the middle of winter? And those petroglyphs that they say the ancient Indians painted on those rocks - I guess I didn't know they came up with that hippy peace sign symbol, did you? I spose they also coined the phrase 'groovy man'. Um, maybe not.
-Just because an RV park says it has internet service doesn't mean it actually works. At all.
-There is a reason that used car/rv salesmen have bad reputations.
-When concrete meets bone, concrete wins.
-Cherries left hanging on the tree for 3 months are amazingly tasty.
-There actually is a place windier than South Dakota. Really.
-Sometimes Google maps is wrong. Very wrong. Trust us on this one.
-You really can do things you think you could never do because you thought you'd be too scared.
Here are some scary stats:
10 states
Over 6,000 miles
600 plus gallons of gas/diesel fuel
18 or so RV Parks
3 boxes of bandaids
8 new toothbrushes
At least 2000 pictures (Thank God for digital cameras)
Wow. A trip of a lifetime. This is a great country. Beautiful, diverse, majestic and an absolute brilliant picture of the awesomeness of the Creator - God. We have been blessed to be able to see a very, very small part of it.
Well, we should be getting back in a couple weeks, God willing. It'll be great to see everyone again, and the boys are really anxious to get back into the routine of their sports activties. Someone asked me if I was looking forward to getting back to my own bed, and well, I had to tell her that actually, I brought my bed with me! It's an air bed and even though it barely fit, I'm so glad it did. What I am looking forward to is having more than 7 shirts to wear, walking around the house without bumping into someone, or stepping on something, and having an oven that a pizza pan and a regular casserole dish actually fits in. I'm also looking forward to long walks in the country with Gary and sitting on my new patio listening to the birds. (yes, even in the winter, well, some days, anyway) Yeah, we're coming home just in time for the cold and snow. Really planned that out well, didn't we? :) That's okay. You know, you can visit other places, but you really get that aaaahhh moment when you get back home. South Dakota, here we come!
Well, we'll talk at you later. Have a great weekend everyone!!
Blessings,
jill and all
- India liked hiking the Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction and white water rafting.
- Noah had a hard time picking his favorites, but he chose white water rafting, hiking the
National Monument (copy-cat) and playing in the game room at the Grand Junction RV park.
- Ezra liked white water rafting, wind surfing, just being in the Hood River area and rollerblading. Falling while rollerblading, um, not so much. (But hey, the cast is off and all is well! Hurrah!!!)
- Judah's favorite was playing Buffalo Peak Golf Course in La Grande, Oregon. His second favorite was golfing at the Cedar's at Dungeness course in Sequim, Washington. Can you guess what his third, fourth and fifth picks were?!
- Gary liked floating in the Great Salt Lake and golfing with Judah.
- My favorites were white water rafting, smelling the air in Sequim, WA, eating blueberries we picked ourselves, walking the land just looking at the scenery, driving through Kanab, Utah and the Cache Valley, and having a veggie burger and fresh figs at Mother's Market in Hood River, Oregon. Sorry, there were just too many to choose from.
There was so much we did and have seen, and frankly, I'm not quite ready to quit. This country is so wide and varied and there are so many hidden gems that unless you really take the time, you'd never see a fraction of them. We're not even back yet, and already I want to do this again. I think I could sell the house, and just go exploring for a year. Yeah, it's cramped and some of us got a wee bit tense in the close quarters, (a WEE BIT??! um, I believe 'shoe box' was the term he used) but for the most part, it's been a fantastic ride. Even with all the trouble, what with the broken vehicles, broken RVs, broken arm (and broken bank account) . . . we all still have had really great fun.
Right now we are back in Salt Lake City, the nicest big city we've been to, with the nicest library and the nicest people. You can't beat it. The streets are so wide and clean and it's so easy to get around, it's just amazing. Here you have on one corner, an outdoor vegan hot dog vender, (I kid you not - and yes, we looked just a tad strange standing in line with people dressed head to toe in black leather with fire engine red mohawks, lip rings and tatoos. Why is it that all the health food nuts have to look - well - nuts?!) and just down the street there is a really great park with a wonderful farmer's market, further down is Whole Foods market and next door to it, is a Jamba Juice. AND - you're nestled in among these beautiful hills that are currently snow-capped, and, well, it's just beautiful. Not a bad place to spend a few days. :)
Last time we came here, we stayed at the same RV park, and they were having computer issues and Gary offered to fix it. He did, and the lady was so grateful, she wanted to give us a free night's stay, but we had already paid for the week and we were leaving the next day. So, when we stopped to check in yesterday, the lady remembered Gary and gave us a free night this time. That was sure nice of her. Hey, you know, there were a couple of other RV parks that could have used some computer help - maybe he should have looked into that a bit more . . .
Here are a few random observances:
-Always make sure the sewer hose is actually IN the sewer dump hole when you empty it.
-You know you are camping when falling leaves on the roof of your rv sound like a hail storm.
-Having a spare tire with you is a really good idea.
-Seashells do not remain intact when setting in the back of a pickup for 2,000 miles.
-An air mattress will deflate when changing elevation and going over mountains, except in Logan, Utah. Very strange.
-You can't believe everything the tour guide says. Did the Native Americans really scale a smooth rock wall, carrying a basket of deer meat up and down without ropes or ladders in the middle of winter? And those petroglyphs that they say the ancient Indians painted on those rocks - I guess I didn't know they came up with that hippy peace sign symbol, did you? I spose they also coined the phrase 'groovy man'. Um, maybe not.
-Just because an RV park says it has internet service doesn't mean it actually works. At all.
-There is a reason that used car/rv salesmen have bad reputations.
-When concrete meets bone, concrete wins.
-Cherries left hanging on the tree for 3 months are amazingly tasty.
-There actually is a place windier than South Dakota. Really.
-Sometimes Google maps is wrong. Very wrong. Trust us on this one.
-You really can do things you think you could never do because you thought you'd be too scared.
Here are some scary stats:
10 states
Over 6,000 miles
600 plus gallons of gas/diesel fuel
18 or so RV Parks
3 boxes of bandaids
8 new toothbrushes
At least 2000 pictures (Thank God for digital cameras)
Wow. A trip of a lifetime. This is a great country. Beautiful, diverse, majestic and an absolute brilliant picture of the awesomeness of the Creator - God. We have been blessed to be able to see a very, very small part of it.
Well, we should be getting back in a couple weeks, God willing. It'll be great to see everyone again, and the boys are really anxious to get back into the routine of their sports activties. Someone asked me if I was looking forward to getting back to my own bed, and well, I had to tell her that actually, I brought my bed with me! It's an air bed and even though it barely fit, I'm so glad it did. What I am looking forward to is having more than 7 shirts to wear, walking around the house without bumping into someone, or stepping on something, and having an oven that a pizza pan and a regular casserole dish actually fits in. I'm also looking forward to long walks in the country with Gary and sitting on my new patio listening to the birds. (yes, even in the winter, well, some days, anyway) Yeah, we're coming home just in time for the cold and snow. Really planned that out well, didn't we? :) That's okay. You know, you can visit other places, but you really get that aaaahhh moment when you get back home. South Dakota, here we come!
Well, we'll talk at you later. Have a great weekend everyone!!
Blessings,
jill and all
Monday, October 12, 2009
From fall to winter in three days . . .
Well. We woke up yesterday to our water in the RV completely frozen. The water hose was hard as rock. Thankfully, nothing busted. Weather's just a tad unseasonable here. We drove out in the country a ways, and there were inch thick icicles hanging from the fruit trees and the grass was frozen and looked like it was growing up in icey spikes from the ground. It was so bizarre. Beautiful, but very strange. This sudden cold has caused all the leaves to fall from the trees seemingly overnight, much to the boys delight. They have been disappearing in the piles they have made and quickly they'll pop up like 'Leaf Man' or something. Too much fun.
The hillsides are covered with this vine/tree kind of bush that is beginning to turn a deep, dark red. It is absolutely gorgeous. That, along with the brown of the barren land against the bright yellow of the cottonwood and the green of the pines; well, it's simply magnificent.
Can not believe the cold though. They already have a dusting of snow in the high hills around us. It is breathtaking, but gee whiz, it's not supposed to be this cold this early here. Sure is remarkable how wimpy we've already gotten being away from South Dakota. We're ready to head south. Way south. Like Arizona. But, we won't. We are headed a bit south the end of this week as India is taking her Calculus mid-term in the Tri-cities of Washington on Friday. (God willing) It will be a bit warmer there, but they are having a cold snap too. Oh, what was that? Al Gore groaning in confusion?? MMM.
We drove up to the Grand Coulee Dam yesterday. Wow. Pretty amazing. We were too late in getting there to take a tour, which was sad to everyone but me. The thing terrifies me. One guy told us that when he took the tour and stood on the top, he could feel it shake when the turbines were running. Okay, I do not need to experience that. That and the fact of it being 500 feet high and my being extremely afraid of heights, well, that just does not sound like an enjoyable afternoon. I mean, that's a loooong way down there. Can you say, 'gulp'? Come on, isn't there a video you can watch about it in the comforts of your own living room or something? It's got to be on youtube - right??
Well, better run. Making lentil soup today and chili tomorrow. Hey, we have to stay warm somehow!!!! You know, that's actually a pathetic thing to say when it's currently only 42 degrees, isn't it? I know. Maybe we're just getting soft out here listening to the natives. There was a lady from western Oregon complaining about the cold and their 'long' winters they have over there. She wasn't looking forward to it getting down to 50 degrees, she whined. Good grief. Well, I guess it's all in what you're used to.
Anyway, have a great week, everyone!
Blessings,
jill and all
The hillsides are covered with this vine/tree kind of bush that is beginning to turn a deep, dark red. It is absolutely gorgeous. That, along with the brown of the barren land against the bright yellow of the cottonwood and the green of the pines; well, it's simply magnificent.
Can not believe the cold though. They already have a dusting of snow in the high hills around us. It is breathtaking, but gee whiz, it's not supposed to be this cold this early here. Sure is remarkable how wimpy we've already gotten being away from South Dakota. We're ready to head south. Way south. Like Arizona. But, we won't. We are headed a bit south the end of this week as India is taking her Calculus mid-term in the Tri-cities of Washington on Friday. (God willing) It will be a bit warmer there, but they are having a cold snap too. Oh, what was that? Al Gore groaning in confusion?? MMM.
We drove up to the Grand Coulee Dam yesterday. Wow. Pretty amazing. We were too late in getting there to take a tour, which was sad to everyone but me. The thing terrifies me. One guy told us that when he took the tour and stood on the top, he could feel it shake when the turbines were running. Okay, I do not need to experience that. That and the fact of it being 500 feet high and my being extremely afraid of heights, well, that just does not sound like an enjoyable afternoon. I mean, that's a loooong way down there. Can you say, 'gulp'? Come on, isn't there a video you can watch about it in the comforts of your own living room or something? It's got to be on youtube - right??
Well, better run. Making lentil soup today and chili tomorrow. Hey, we have to stay warm somehow!!!! You know, that's actually a pathetic thing to say when it's currently only 42 degrees, isn't it? I know. Maybe we're just getting soft out here listening to the natives. There was a lady from western Oregon complaining about the cold and their 'long' winters they have over there. She wasn't looking forward to it getting down to 50 degrees, she whined. Good grief. Well, I guess it's all in what you're used to.
Anyway, have a great week, everyone!
Blessings,
jill and all
Monday, October 5, 2009
Autumn has come to central Washington . . .
It's beautiful here. The leaves are turning and falling and the very green grass is littered with a carpet of gold. (aahh) We are in a cozy little RV park next to the river and except for the trains that run all night, and the loud traffic, it's quite nice. :) The park has bikes to use and so the children have been riding around, and there is a bright yellow tandem bike from the 50's that they have had a blast on. There is a rec room with a couple of exercise machines, one of which is one of those vibrating machines - you know - where you put a strap around your waist, turn it on and it jiggles the fat off and rattles your teeth in the process. Hysterical. And there are a ton of books and videos to use for free - you just take what you want and bring it back when you're done. You do that with the game/sports equipment as well. It's the old honor system. Gee, that still exists? Amazing. And refreshing. Great owners - they are wonderful.
Ezra turned 12 yesterday and of course, he had his favorite meal of tacos. That's one day out of the year I never have to wonder about what to fix. I do believe he'd eat tacos every meal, every day for the rest of his life and be perfectly content!
And it's now 2 weeks and counting for the cast to come off. That is, if he doesn't break it again jumping off the RV or trying to climb trees! (worried mother rolls eyes in frustration)
Here's a little piece of advice - when you're in the state of Washington - always wear shoes, and take a couple extra bike tires with you when you go for a ride. Why? Well, because of the goat heads. Yes, the goat heads. Does anyone remember 'stickers' growing up? You know, those little round size-of-a-pea kind of weed things that had sticky pricks all over it, and you were always worried going barefoot that you'd hit a patch or even just one stray one and it would stick into your skin and, well, OUCH! Anyway, multiply that by 10 and you got yourself a goat head. It's a - thing - with about 2 to 3 sharp points on it - kind of like the points on a tack and about that long. And they penetrate into - well - everything - like a knife. Just ask Gary, as his feet can testify to it. Or Judah, as his hands can atest to it. You find they really stick well to your shoes and to vehicle tires. And you also find they stick really well to bike tires - that is - bike tires on borrowed bikes. And you know what - it's not all that fun sheepishly walking that borrowed bike back to the office because BOTH tires are completely flat - on every single bike!! Rascally things, those goat heads.
So - have you ever heard of a library that has only 8 parking spots and 2 of those are handicap? And have you ever heard of an interstate being closed because of a dust storm so bad it hinders visibility? And have you ever driven around on roads that don't exist and probably haven't been driven on since the time of the Oregon trail and you wonder if you'll ever see civilization again or just end up covered in sand next to a broken wagon wheel? And then you rejoice when you finally find the real road you were supposed to be on and discover it was just a little ways down from where you started when you took the wrong turn and ended up driving in the barren hills for hours?
And have you ever had a woman in a blue jeep follow you all over town just because you pulled into her drive way to turn around because you were lost? No? Well, you just haven't lived!!
To explain: First of all, the map did show that the road continued on through her land - (which she admited to when I finally stopped to talk to her) - and she did have a gate that was open, that she could have closed if she didn't want people driving in her driveway. Right? That's what we thought. But, see we were a little concerned that someone called the FBI on us, because they saw us driving around and around in circles in the golf course parking lot the other night. See, we got one of those compass/thermometer/tacometer devices you plug in to the cigarette lighter and it displays all this wonderful information you just can't live without - as long as you can actually figure out what all the numbers mean, that is. Well, in order to calibrate the silly thing, you have to push the reset button and then drive around in a complete circle a couple times so it can get the directional thing set properly. Well, we tried it - let's just say - a couple - um, few -times that night and we kind of thought how strange it must look - this vehicle driving round and round in circles in the golf course parking lot - at night like that. You'd call NCIS or CSI or the CIA or some other crime solving cop agency thing - right?! So when blue jeep lady starts following us street after street - talking on her cell phone - we thought for sure it was the Feds and she was calling her backups. Turns out she's just sick and tired of people driving in her yard and decided to find out what we were doing. I was waiting for the AK-47 to pop out at any given moment, I gotta tell you. But, thankfully, all was explained and all was well. Except for the fact that we never did get the goofy compass device thing to work. We sent it back. Guess we'll just have to look to the stars to find out what direction we're going and guess how cold it is out. Hey, isn't that how they did it on the Oregon Trail??
Have a great week, everyone!
Blessings,
jill and all
Ezra turned 12 yesterday and of course, he had his favorite meal of tacos. That's one day out of the year I never have to wonder about what to fix. I do believe he'd eat tacos every meal, every day for the rest of his life and be perfectly content!
And it's now 2 weeks and counting for the cast to come off. That is, if he doesn't break it again jumping off the RV or trying to climb trees! (worried mother rolls eyes in frustration)
Here's a little piece of advice - when you're in the state of Washington - always wear shoes, and take a couple extra bike tires with you when you go for a ride. Why? Well, because of the goat heads. Yes, the goat heads. Does anyone remember 'stickers' growing up? You know, those little round size-of-a-pea kind of weed things that had sticky pricks all over it, and you were always worried going barefoot that you'd hit a patch or even just one stray one and it would stick into your skin and, well, OUCH! Anyway, multiply that by 10 and you got yourself a goat head. It's a - thing - with about 2 to 3 sharp points on it - kind of like the points on a tack and about that long. And they penetrate into - well - everything - like a knife. Just ask Gary, as his feet can testify to it. Or Judah, as his hands can atest to it. You find they really stick well to your shoes and to vehicle tires. And you also find they stick really well to bike tires - that is - bike tires on borrowed bikes. And you know what - it's not all that fun sheepishly walking that borrowed bike back to the office because BOTH tires are completely flat - on every single bike!! Rascally things, those goat heads.
So - have you ever heard of a library that has only 8 parking spots and 2 of those are handicap? And have you ever heard of an interstate being closed because of a dust storm so bad it hinders visibility? And have you ever driven around on roads that don't exist and probably haven't been driven on since the time of the Oregon trail and you wonder if you'll ever see civilization again or just end up covered in sand next to a broken wagon wheel? And then you rejoice when you finally find the real road you were supposed to be on and discover it was just a little ways down from where you started when you took the wrong turn and ended up driving in the barren hills for hours?
And have you ever had a woman in a blue jeep follow you all over town just because you pulled into her drive way to turn around because you were lost? No? Well, you just haven't lived!!
To explain: First of all, the map did show that the road continued on through her land - (which she admited to when I finally stopped to talk to her) - and she did have a gate that was open, that she could have closed if she didn't want people driving in her driveway. Right? That's what we thought. But, see we were a little concerned that someone called the FBI on us, because they saw us driving around and around in circles in the golf course parking lot the other night. See, we got one of those compass/thermometer/tacometer devices you plug in to the cigarette lighter and it displays all this wonderful information you just can't live without - as long as you can actually figure out what all the numbers mean, that is. Well, in order to calibrate the silly thing, you have to push the reset button and then drive around in a complete circle a couple times so it can get the directional thing set properly. Well, we tried it - let's just say - a couple - um, few -times that night and we kind of thought how strange it must look - this vehicle driving round and round in circles in the golf course parking lot - at night like that. You'd call NCIS or CSI or the CIA or some other crime solving cop agency thing - right?! So when blue jeep lady starts following us street after street - talking on her cell phone - we thought for sure it was the Feds and she was calling her backups. Turns out she's just sick and tired of people driving in her yard and decided to find out what we were doing. I was waiting for the AK-47 to pop out at any given moment, I gotta tell you. But, thankfully, all was explained and all was well. Except for the fact that we never did get the goofy compass device thing to work. We sent it back. Guess we'll just have to look to the stars to find out what direction we're going and guess how cold it is out. Hey, isn't that how they did it on the Oregon Trail??
Have a great week, everyone!
Blessings,
jill and all
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