Winter Came Back

Well we thought for sure that winter in Nanaimo was done, but apparently we were wrong! It started to snow late afternoon on Wednesday and by the time we left here to head to Duke Point to pick up our friend at the ferry terminal; it was a full fledged blizzard! We are putting all of the blame on Jenn, as she has come from cold, snowy Ontario.

We left here just after 7:00 pm and with the quarter sized snow flakes blowing directly into our headlights, making out the road was a little tough. The speed limit on the highway there was 90 km's and I was driving along at 40 km's just to be on the safe side. I haven't driven in a blizzard in 3 winters, as the first two were in the south; and this year when it has snowed, we usually just stayed in. On the way back things appeared better; and we decided a nice hot tub and sauna at the aquatic centre would feel great; about half way there, we decided that it was time to turn back and try again the next night.

On Thursday we spent the afternoon shopping and taking Jenn for a quick tour around Nanaimo; and had that much needed hot tub later in the evening.

Today was beautiful; and we drove over to Cathedral Grove. This is a preserved area of forest with some of Canada's oldest Douglas firs. There was a smattering of snow on the ground; and it was a beautiful way to spend an hour walking through the forest. We then continued our drive and just outside of Port Alberni, we stopped at Sproat Lake for a picnic lunch and a nice walk out to some Petroglyphs. Heading back home, we stopped at Little Qualicum water falls; and found ourselves on a hike heading down to some falls. Again, just a little bit of snow, but it added to the ambiance. Our last stop on our way home was Goat on Roof in Coombs. This is a little tourist attraction that has an array of gift shops and a market. We were here earlier in the fall and both times, the goats haven't been out.

We arrived home around six and enjoyed a slow cooked blade roast dinner. Mmm Mmm good. A lot of the snow has already melted and should be gone by tomorrow.

Take a look at our pictures

February in Nanaimo

I know that it's been forever since I did an update on the blog; but we really haven't been doing too much exciting stuff lately.

Most of the snow was gone by early January and the winter up to this point has been really nice. The day time temps average around 8 and we haven't been below freezing over night in over a month. We've also have had very little rain. And when it does rain, it seems to do it over night.

We go for daily walks in and around our park. There's a really nice trail that boarders the park; and takes you along a river. The river is a playground for all kinds of birds. Just today we were over there and were entertained by a flock of Canadian geese.

Depending on how high or low the tide is decides how far we walk along the river. There's a couple of low places along the way, and when the tide is high, there's no way to cross. A few weeks back we had a really nice big rainbow going across the river; but we didn't find the pot of gold, oh well, maybe next time.

We have also been going to the aquatic centre quite a bit; and have been enjoying the sauna, steam room and hot tub. We usually go in the evenings; as there are less kids at that time.

A friend of ours is coming for a weeks visit starting tomorrow; and we'll be taking her to all kinds of places. We're both looking forward to it.

We also both celebrated our birthdays recently; and we both enjoyed our days.

Take a look at our photos

Christmas on the Island

Wow, it's hard to believe that Christmas 08 has come and gone and we're already into the 4th day of the New Year! Where does the time go?

We had a pot luck dinner at the club house before Christmas; and the turnout was really good. 32 people braved the cold and snow to indulge in a turkey dinner with many fixings to go with it. Mmm Mmm good. We also have gotten together many nights to play cards with Bob and Alvisia. Mostly pepper; but have also started to play frustration; and trust me - it is very frustrating!

Christmas day was spent talking to our family and friends through Skype. It was so nice to hear so many familiar voices; it melts the miles in between. It's great to be able to make as many calls as we want without costing us a thing. Okay, $24 for the year is pretty close to nothing. We some how managed to get our turkey in the oven between phone calls; and indulged in a turkey dinner later that day.

New Years was spent watching Shrek 2 and watching the ball drop from New York - 3 times. With the time difference, we were able to watch it from coast to coast. We were also treated to fireworks going off at midnight. Could only hear them; and intermingled with the fireworks were guns shots being fired into the air. Along with that, a ferry in the bay beside us blasted on the horn for a few good minutes. First time for gun shots and boat horns. What will next year bring?

The past couple of weeks have been mostly spent trying to keep the awning clear of snow; trying to figure out how long it will last before things go back to "normal"; going for walks; and just enjoying the winter wonderland we been living in for the past few weeks. We've had roughly 2 and half feet of snow in total.

We want to wish all of you a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2009! Thanks also for those of you who check the blog often; makes us happy to know that you're enjoying our adventure with us.

Take a look at the pictures that are posted.

"It hardly ever snows on the Island"

"It hardly ever snows on the Island"; "If and when we do get snow, it's usually just a dusting; and gone the next day"; "The winters are generally really mild here; and very little snow". These are just some of the things that we've been told by the many locals that we've met. Well, we did "get just a dusting" on Friday; and with the rain that shortly followed, most of the snow was gone quickly.

However, we woke up on Sunday morning; and were quite surprised to see more than 9 inches of freshly fallen snow! And with the freezing cold temps that we are also experiencing, my guess is that this snow will take more than a few hours to melt! In fact, I'm pretty sure that it will still be here for another day or two. So much for local weather forecasting!

We are also having problems with our water freezing. We bought some insulation for the water hose; but it still froze at the connection leading into the rig. We managed to get everything thawed out with the help of a blow dryer and pan of hot water - not together, so no worries! lol We then wrapped the connection. Seems to have worked until last night; when the temps were down to -7 brrrrrr! So Mike spent part of today thawing out the hose again; and trying to come up with something better. Might end up turning off the water every night; and just use our fresh water tank for overnight usage instead.

We are nice and toasty warm inside though. We have 2 space heaters and when it gets really cold; the furnace comes on. Also been doing lots of baking and cooking and having the oven on seems to really help.

Molly's been having a great time romping in the snow. We weren't sure how she would react to it; as it's been a couple of years; but she's loving it! Buries her nose right it and surfaces looking like a snowman.

Take a look at our pictures.

Fall in Nanaimo

We met a couple from our home town of St. Thomas, Ontario, back in mid September. Bob and Alvisia are also full timers and have spent their fall out on the island. They are also card players, and we have gotten together quite a few times to play cards. Mostly euchre, but we've also taught them Pepper, which is a variation of euchre.

We also shared a thanksgiving day turkey with them; and took a drive over to Coombs. We went there specifically to go to "Goat on Roof" market. It's a tour attraction, with lots of gift shops offering a wide variety of goods. There's also a indoor market with a cafe and lots of fruits, vegetables and cheeses etc to choose from. There were no sign of the goats though, but the roofs are all grass. Pretty neat.

We've had a pretty nice fall so far. The day time temps hover around 9 and we've only been down to freezing once during the night. We've also had a break with the rain. Mostly seems to rain over night; and during the day it's been quite nice.

We spend our days, going for walks; puttering around the rig doing odd jobs; shopping; playing poker on-line; and sometimes just a whole lot of nothing. Suits us just fine.

And just as I'm getting ready to post this blog; it started to snow. So, went out and took some pictures. It looks really pretty, but I'm hoping that it doesn't last too long.

Take a look at some of our pictures of our rig and campsite

Recap of our adventure

I'll give you a little recap and some of our favourite things that we've done so far. We started our adventure in September of 2006. We can't believe that we're already in our 3rd year; and we both absolutely love this new life of ours.

We have stayed in or driven through 5 provinces and 29 states. We have put 57,936 kilometres on our truck; and our gas total is $9,693.04. We have stayed at 78 campgrounds and stopped in 20 casinos to play poker. It took us 18 months to go from the Atlantic to the Pacific. And luckily, we've only been snowed on twice.

We arrived at the Atlantic Ocean in late September of 06; and I finally put my feet in while in South Carolina, Dec. 06; and it was freeeezing. We arrived at the Pacific in March 08 and didn't put my feet in until August 08 on the Long Beach, Vancouver Island. Almost as cold as the Atlantic.

Our top 5 favourite places we've parked our rig on are:

1. The desert in Ajo, Arizona. Hands down the nicest place we've parked our rig on in 2 years.
2. Our current park - Living Forest Oceanside RV Park, in Nanaimo, BC. Lives up to it's name, beautiful tall cedars and giant leafed maples all over the place.
3. Goblin Valley State Park, Utah. Cliffs and slot canyons in our background.
4. Lake Fausse State Park, Louisiana. Back yard had a private dock on the bayou.
5. Glenwood Canyon Resort, Glenwood Canyon, CO. Colorado rushing behind us, with a railroad, mountains and a full moon. Beautiful.

Our favourite national parks

1. Bryce Canyon; hands down the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Undescribable beauty.
2. Mesa Verda; close 2nd to Bryce with the cliff dwellings dating back to the 1200's
3. Arches; incredible arches shaped from rocks, in beautiful reddish tones.
4. Rocky Mountain; snow capped, tree covered, bare, big and breathtaking.
5. Grand Canyon; deep, wide and majestic.

Some of our firsts, mostly mine, as Mike has done or seen some of these things before:

1. Seeing so many types of cactus - saguaro's, ocotillo's, prickly pear, cholla, teddy bear cholla, barrel, organ pipe.
2. Walking through a slot canyon. Antelope slot canyon in Page, Arizona was incredible.
3. Having a crawfish boil and seeing a tree house in the Achafalya Basin in Louisiana.
4. Joshua Tree National Park. Had never heard of or seen a Joshua tree and now I have.
5. Camping in the desert. Loved every minute of our 23 days there.
6. Snorkelling in Key Largo, Florida; swam over Molasses reef and saw amazing ocean life.
7. Seeing a Gannett colony; there were 10's of 1000's of them on Bonaventure Island, Quebec.
8. Seeing our first ghost town, Tin Cup, Colorado.
9. Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA.
10. Seeing the amazing cliff dwellings throughout Southern Utah.

I've included just a few pictures from each area; but if you wanted to see more pictures of one area, go to that specific album.

Hope you enjoyed this little recap.

Visit in Victoria

We ended up going to Victoria late September for another visit with Barb, Liz and Lorne. We met some new people in our park, from St. Thomas of all places; and drove Bob to the airport in Victoria; and then spent the night with Barb.

We went out to a nice pasta place and met Liz and Lorne for dinner. We had a nice time; and when we arrived back at Barb's she told me that her bathtub was all ready for me to indulge in! The thing I miss most is my bathtub; and when the park doesn't have a hot tub; I miss it even more.

I must have spent close to an hour in there; and enjoyed every minute of it! The next day, Barb toured us through Sooke; and part way to Port Renfrew before heading back to Victoria. We enjoyed seeing the gang again; and have plans to do it again.

Roughly a week later, we had some excitement at our site. We had a really bad wind storm; and this place is filled with trees. Lots and lots of really tall trees. We had just gotten off the phone with Mike's brother, Ken; and went out to get some fresh air before dinner. And much to my surprise, a tree had come down and was lying right across our fire pit; extending right across the road! WOW! Didn't even hear it come down. Our guardian angels are still looking out for us though; cause the tree fell away from our rig; and didn't do any damage to us. The park workers came and cleared it off the road the next day; and finished the clean up on Monday. Only tree in the whole park that came down.

Take a look at our pictures

Living Forest, Nanaimo, BC

We arrived in Nanaimo, BC in the early part of August. Within a short time of setting up, both Mike and I agreed that this was the nicest RV site that we had set up on, in close to 2 years.

The park is called the Living Forest Oceanside RV Park; and it certainly lives up to it's name! We have a two tiered campsite with the rig parked on the upper level and our fire pit on the lower level. We are completely surrounded by large cedar trees and can see Nanaimo Bay from our site. We are surrounded by roads; and cannot have a neighbour! It makes for good privacy.

A week or so after arriving here, our good friends, Sally and John; came for a visit. It was nice to see some familiar faces and get one of Sally's infamous hugs. While they were here, we took the opportunity to drive over to the west coast of Vancouver Island.

On the way, we stopped at Cathedral Grove; and saw some of BC's oldest and largest douglas firs. They were massive! This area is known for it's rain; and judging by the moss on everything; I believe it.

We continued on to Long Beach; and enjoyed a picnic lunch on the beach with the Pacific Ocean as our view. Sally and I also braved it; and strolled in the water for a bit - pretty cold!

We ended our drive in the roaring metropolis of Tofino. It took us all of 10 minutes to drive around the whole community 3 or 4 times! On the way back, we stopped so I could get a photo of me and my namesake creek, well at least the sign.

We also did some blackberry picking while they were here; as this place has 1000's of bushes along the river; they were quite tasty on the cheesecake and pancakes.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit with Sally and Johnny.

We spent labour day weekend up at Salmon Point; with our newly acquired friends - Liz and Lorne; and Barb, Marjorie and Alyssa. We drove up on Saturday for dinner and a campfire. And went back again on Monday to tow Barb's 5th wheel back to Victoria for her. She doesn't own a truck; so we volunteered our services; and got a whole truck load of wood (twice) and a nice dinner for our efforts. When you meet really nice people along the way; it's nice to help out.

Take a look at our pictures

Victoria, BC

After spending 3 months at Salmon Point, near Campbell River, it was time to move on. We headed towards Victoria, and spent a couple of weeks near the Malahat mountain on the Island. Very nice, woodsy campground.

We drove in one day and toured around downtown Victoria. Walked around the harbour, past the parliament buildings; and past the Empress Hotel. We then met our new friend Barb, for dinner; and then she toured us around Victoria for a couple of hours by car. It was a nice way to see a new city.

For the August 1st long weekend; we moved into Victoria. The park wasn't the greatest, jammed in like sardines, and close to the Trans Canada; but it was only for the weekend.

B.C. is celebrating it's 150th birthday this year; and there were lots of activities downtown Victoria for the whole weekend. On Saturday, we spent the afternoon wandering around Fisherman's Wharf. It's pretty neat to walk around. There are lots of houseboats moored to the docks; they are real houses, but look like doll houses, everything pared down. Also very expensive. We then had a fish dinner at Barb's fish restaurant - very tasy; and shared our table with a couple of locals.

We then headed to where the cruise ships come in; and got out on the pier just in time to see a cruise ship docking. It was amazing watching something so huge, manuever with grace, right up to the dock. A few minutes later another one came in; and again parked with ease. I think sometimes I have a harder time parking the F-350!

The next day we went back to the downtown core; and were among 40,000 plus people! All out celebrating B.C.'s birthday. The 19th annual symphony splash was happening this year, among many other activities. There's a symphony orchestra set up on a stage in the inner harbour. And they played lots of different accompanyments. There were 10's of thousands of people sitting on the front lawn of the parliament buildings; and 1000's in front of the Empress.

We found a place to park our chairs; and listen to the music and watch people. We were also entertained by a marching scottish band; between the symphony intermission. The finale for the night was fireworks; cannons; and bells chiming. It was quite the day. We normally avoid big crowds, but it was neat being in a capital city for such a big celebration. Normally we would have been in Victoria park in downtown London Ontario, for ribfest, but this was way neater!

Take a look at the pictures

Salmon Point, Campbell River, BC

We left Mission on Monday, May 5th and took the ferry over to Vancouver Island. We noticed at this time, that Molly's face on the left side had started to swell. We spent the first night in Parksville; and continued on to Salmon Point the next day.

By Wednesday morning, not only the side of Molly's face had swollen, but also her eye; and under her chin. So off to the vet in Campbell River we went. Turns out she had an abcess. She had emergency surgery on the abcess and we picked her up the next morning. She had a drainage tube; along with her stitches; and with the cone she was now wearing, looked like frankenstein's bride wearing an easter bonnet!

She had the stiches in for roughly 3 weeks; and the cone remained on for another week after that. She was quite happy to see the last of the cone. And she has healed completely.

We had a nice view of the Straight of Georgia, with the snow capped mountains on the mainland as our main view. It was a nice place to call "home" for a few months. We also met some really nice people here. We ended up sharing a few fires with Liz, Lorne and Barb. Also met up with them in Victoria; and hope to see them again.

We ended up spending 3 months at Salmon Point; and the weather for much of the spring and early summer, was rainy, cold, windy, overcast; and generally yucky! I thought that we would have been a lot more protected from the wind, being on the east side of the island; but I was wrong! It seemed like the wind was a constant. Watching cruise ships pass by, also became a frequent thing to watch; as well as the many barges that bring supplies to the island.

Gas on the island is also quite high. The highest was 149.9/litre for diesel; so we spent a lot of time going for a hikes along the ocean or for walks around the park. We certainly did our share of boycotting the gas stations this summer. Although eventually you do have to stop; and it was $172.00 to fill the tank - ouch!

Take a look at the pictures we posted.

Mission, BC

We arrived in B.C. mid April; and the cold, wet, windy weather followed.

Mike's brother and family, Rob, Karen and Emalynn live on a ranch; just outside of Mission, B.C. After a little maneuvering to get our rig settled in; we took a tour of their place. They have 10 acres and 6 horses. And their property is beautiful. You can see a mountain top from just about anywhere on their property.

The first day was a beautiful, sunny, warm day; and Mike and the others were raring to get a ride on the horses. I had never been on a horse; so wasn't quite as anxious. Emalynn got me settled on Sky Dancer; and walked me around the ring for a while. I never really did get comfortable; and wasn't in any big hurry to ride again. Mike hadn't been on a horse for a really long time; and he was in his glory.

Molly, on the other hand; never really did adjust to living with 6 horses. She finally did get brave enough to sniff one, without barking; but most of the time she just barked and tried to avoid them. One of the horses, Dylan, ended up going after her twice - picked her up by the scruff of her neck and dropped her. I know she wasn't liking this - at all! Needless to say; she did her barking from a safe place after that.

It was nice being on the ranch with Mike's family; and getting to see the daily workings of a ranch. We both decided it was way too much work. We ended up staying here for 3 weeks; and then we headed to the island.

Take a look at the pictures.

Avenue of the Giants

Our trip north found us driving along The Avenue of the Giants. This 33 mile stretch of highway found us surrounded by great, big, huge, 350 plus foot giant red wood trees.

And what a sight that was. We were pulling the rig at this time; and more than once were hugging the yellow centre line. Thank goodness this highway was pretty quiet.

There are trees in this area; that are hundreds of years old; among the oldest in north america. Some of these trees were so wide; that you need 20 plus people, linked by their hands; to fully circle a tree.

We continued north through Oregon, and spent roughly a week in this beautiful state. We found a couple of nice state parks to stay in; and found lots of neat places to take day drives. Next stop was Washington. The weather on the West coast; is usually fairly moderate in the early spring; but this year was an exception. It was cold; wet; and windy for most of our time here. Great planning on our part. The state parks from California right on through to Washington are beautiful; with large, private sites. And great hiking trails, usually close by.

We also spent a week on the beaches of Long Beach, WA. It was still pretty chilly at this point; but the park we found was nice and right at the beach. In fact, we were able to drive our truck along the beach for a bit. Molly also spent a lot of time chasing her frisbee and had a great time.

While in Washington, we visited another relative. We hadn't seen Victoria for close to 9 years; and it was nice to visit and catch up. She treated us to a nice Mexican dinner; than toured us around Seattle; before coming back to our place, another state park, out near Puget Sound to hear some stories and see some pictures. A good time was had by all.

Next stop, Canada.

Take a look at the pictures.

San Francisco and area

Our next stop along the way was San Francisco. We stayed at a nice RV resort about an hour south of San Fran. We drove in one day and did a self guided tour. We drove past fisherman's wharf; alcatraz; went through the golden gate park; and of course, we drove across the bridge. That was pretty neat. We also drove to haight/ashbury. Mike lived in that area, briefly, during the early 70's; and although that was a long time ago; he pointed out the house he lived in. The whole area is pretty preppy and a lot different from those earlier days.

We also followed a cable car up and then down, one of San Fran's really steep hills! We were here during the spring break time; and couldn't find a place to park our F-350 - anywhere! So needless to say, we didn't have a chance to get out and walk around. But we were satisfied with what we did see.

We also spent a day in Carmel. Again, we picked a really busy time to go and see this little gem of a town. But we did manage to find a parking spot down by the beach; and spent an hour or so walking and watching the waves.

We also took a few more scenic drives around this area; those twisting, curving, tight roads. And again were wowed by the beauty of the area.

It was on one of these drives, heading "home" for the night when we passed a pier, completely covered in sea lions. There must have been hundreds of them. All piled on top of, or right beside each other. It was quite comical watching the jostling when a new one came out of the water. After an hour or so of being entertained, we had a nice fish dinner at the restaurant beside the pier; and for desert, we watched the sea lions before heading home.

We then headed north up the coast; and were wowed by the rugged beauty of the Big Sur Highway. Unfortunately we couldn't stay in the park as we're too long for their spots.

Take a look at the pictures.

Driving along the coast in California

After pampering ourselves for a week at the Fountain of Youth Spa, we started to make our way to the Pacific Ocean. Again we found ourselves on a secondary highway; one of those twisty, curvy roads; and all of my driving skills were put to the test.

We spent a night in San Matteo; and although we had planned on spending a week in this area; it was really booked up due to Spring break. So we moved on the next day. We drove through places such as Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Long Beach; Redondo Beach, Santa Monica. These are places that the Beach Boys sang about for years; and many of us dreamt about. We also drove under LAX, while a plane was landing. That was as close to Los Angeles that we came to. As we avoid most big cities like the plague.

We ended up spending the night in Ventura; and were parked right up to the ocean. This park was also a dry camping park - no facilities; but for one night; we managed just fine. We also had surfers right behind us; and they kept us entertained until sunset.

Take a look at our pictures.

California, here we come!

We arrived in California early March; and were met by a beautiful warm, sunny day.

At this time, we decided to head to the Sultan Sea; and spent a week at The Fountain of Youth Spa. Talk about going from one extreme to the next. Dry camping to more spas than one person needs. This place had 4 spas; a couple of steam rooms and we tried out everything.

We also took a tour through Joshua Tree National Park. I had never seen nor heard of a Joshua Tree before; and it was pretty amazing to see.

Take a look at the pictures.

Back to Mesa, Arizona

After leaving the bliss of the Ajo desert; we headed back to Mesa, Arizona. Another of Mike's Aunt's from Ontario was there for a visit; and we decided that one more visit with the relatives would be a good thing before leaving the area.

We also took this opportunity to get hair cuts; wash our really dirty truck; re-stock our fridge and freezer; and get a few good games of pepper in while there.

We only stayed a week this time before moving on towards California. We spent a few nights in the desert near Quartzite, Arizona, which is really close to the California border. During the months of January and February, Quartzite is booming. There a 1000's of RV's parked throughout the desert; and 100's of vendors selling their wares. Thankfully, when we arrived; there were only a handful of both. We found a nice place to call home for a few nights. Although it's wasn't near as peaceful as the first boondocking experience. The I-10 was only a few miles behind us; and the traffic never seemed to let up.

Take a look at our pictues that we posted.

Ajo, Arizona

We left Mesa on February 1st, and headed south towards the Mexican border. We spent a week in a small town called Ajo (pronounced Ah-ho); which was roughly 40 miles north of the Mexican border. While there we met up with some nice people, Pat and Phip, from Wisconsin. We shared lots of stories and a few meals with them while there.

We spent one day touring around the Organ Pipe National Park; and were again wowed and bedazzled by the beauty of the desert. I had never seen an organ pipe cactus before and it was quite the introduction to them.

At this time, we also met up with Kelly and Al, from Ontario; and decided to look into boon docking - aka dry camping. We found a beautiful place roughly 8 miles outside of Ajo on BLM land (Bureau of Land Management). This land is free; and although there is a 14 night limit; it was on day 12 before the ranger caught up with us. So we got a bonus 11 nights there. Our closest neighbour at this time was about 1/2 mile up the road; and it was so quiet and peaceful.

We only have 1 battery on our rig; and thought that we would only last a few nights. A week later, our battery was empty as well as our water tank; so off to Ajo we went to recharge and dump/refill our tanks; and then right back out we went.

We ended up spending 23 nights in total in the desert; and absolutely loved it! Mike and I used to drive deep into Northern Ontario, load up our canoe; and paddle for hours looking for peace and quiet. So this was a real treat for us. Having a nice bed to sleep in; a shower with hot water; and all the comforts of home.

We spent our days going for hikes; bike rides; wood runs; and just enjoying mother nature at her best. We were serenaded by coyotes on a regular basis; and had a nightly camp fire. The night sky was incredible there; constellations that we had never seen before; a full moon cycle; and strange lights in the night sky... which turned out to be flares dropped from the military planes flying over the desert. We were fairly close to an airbase; and during the week warthogs flew over us - night and day. Glad that we found out that they were just flares... and nothing to worry about. While there, the lunar eclipse happened and it would have been the perfect place to see it; but unfortunately the sky was overcast that night; and we missed the show.

We were also surrounded by mountains and a wide variety of cactus. Molly ended up getting some cactus spines in her; and we had to use pliers to pull them out.

We went back to the Organ Pipe national park a few weeks later; and were met with 1000's of blooming desert poppies. As far as the eye could see. It was really pretty. We also went into Mexico, just briefly; and then right back out to the desert. We thoroughly enjoyed our time while here; and would go back in a heart beat!

Take a look at the pictures that we've posted.

Christmas in Mesa Arizona, 2007

We celebrated Christmas with Mike's relatives in Mesa Arizona. We had a great time; and it was nice for us to have family to spend Christmas with.

While in Mesa, we went to a few basketball games. Pati's 13 year old son Zach was on his school's basketball team; and we took in a few games. The second game was a semi-final game which they won; and a few nights later we went to the championship game - which they also won. First time for his school. We celebrated afterwards with a pizza dinner.

Take a look at our pictures that we've posted.

Mesa, Arizona

We arrived in Mesa, Arizona, which is a suburb of Phoenix. Mike has relatives that live in and around this area. Some he hadn't seen in over 20 years.

Our home base was Apache Wells RV Resort; and it was a nice place to call home for a few months.

We took a beautiful drive through the Superstition Mountains. And what a drive that was! The first time we got as far as Tortilla Flats; when we were met with water rushing over the road. Not sure if we wanted to go on or not; we decided to ponder this over lunch.

The only restaurant was old and delapitated. There were signed $1 bills stapled all over the walls, window sills, bars, etc. And the bar stools were saddles. The food was great, but I'm pretty sure the place wouldn't pass a health inspection.

We decided not to go on; as we weren't sure if there would be more running washes or not. A few days later, we decided to take this drive again. This time we approached it from US 60; and started the drive at the Roosevelt Dam.

Now, we have been on some beautiful drives; but this one takes the cake - so far. The road was dirt and very narrow. Now keep in mind, we drive a Ford F-350. The posted speed limit for this road was 15 mph and for the most part I averaged around 5 to 8. The mountains were on our left; and there were 3 lakes on our right. First the Roosevelt; then the Apache; and then Canyon Lake.

Of course there were sagauro's and other variety of cactus all over the place. It was a little surreal though; as it was just before Christmas and we were singing along to "let is snow" "white christmas" etc.; as the sun was shining; and no sign of snow anywhere.

The drive ended at Tortilla Flats; and the water was still rushing; but not as deep or as fast as before; so we went through. The drive was from start to finish was roughly 40 miles; and took around 5 hours.

There were a few times we had to pull over for another vehicle; and hoped that our mirrors wouldn't hit each other. That's how tight it was. This is also where we earned our first "desert pinstriping". Desert pinstripping is like a badge of honor. Shows you're not afraid to take your vehicle off road. Well, we met up with a nasty looking ocotillo. The scratch starts at the headlight; and goes right to the tail light on the passenger side. It was while passing another vehicle when this happened. And trust me when I say this, it wasn't the only scratch that we got.

A few days later, December 21st, we took this drive again; and took part in a special tribute to our sister-in-law Rosie's, mom. It was a very special day.

Take a look at the pictures we've posted.

Camp Verde, Arizona

We left Page, Arizona, early December and started to make our way to Sedona. Well that was the plan anyway.

The drive from Page to Flagstaff was fairly uneventful, except for the beauty surrounding us. But from Flagstaff to Sedona, it was a bit of a challenge. The reason we couldn't bring our rig into Zion was that we were over the 50 foot maximum, but just. The highway that we wanted to take from Flagstaff to Sedona had a 50 foot maximum also, but we decided to risk it.

The road was curvy, twisty, tight; and all of my driving skills were put to the test. But since I had already done the north rim of the Black Canyon and the hogs back; I figured I would do okay. So off we went. Some of the hairpin switchbacks were a bit of a challenge; but I took my time. I'm sure that the train of cars I had behind me were wishing that I wasn't ahead of them; but I do pull over whenever I can to let people pass.

Sedona is a pretty little town. All the houses and business have a real "southwest" feel to them; and the views surrounding the town are beautiful. The park that we planned on staying in was outrageously priced; so we continued on to Camp Verde. About an hour south.

We found some really nice scenic drives to take - what a surprise - and also played a bit of poker while there. The rv resort was fairly new; and very well put together.

We then left Camp Verde and headed towards Mesa. Took a secondary highway and this is where we saw our first saguaro cactus. We were again on a twisty, curvy highway; when Mike saw a saguaro. I was in a really long curve and couldn't take my eyes off the road. When we came out of the curve, there were hundreds, maybe even thousands of saguaros! They were everywhere! And this was just the start of them.

They come in a variety of shapes, and sizes. Tall ones, short ones, skinny, fat, one armed; multi armed, it was pretty cool.

We also took a nice drive into a place called Jerome. Very small, quaint village. Glad that we only had the truck with us; as the roads were very narrow. There was a pizza "bordello"; but it was closed.

Take a look at the pictures that we've posted.

Lake Powell

Page, Arizona was our next stop. When you first enter Page, you are greeted with the Glen Canyon Dam; this dam is responsible for Lake Powell. And is a beautiful area.

We found a few neat places to visit while in this area. The first was Horseshoe Bend. This is a natural bend in the Colorado River; and you don't get it's full effect until you're right up to it. There were some boats in the river; and they looked like tiny little spots from where we were.

This is where we also tried our first deep fried turkey. Our new neighbour treated us to one; and we enjoyed it so much; we had another one a few days later. Even though it was tasty; I still prefer the old fashioned way.

We also took a slot tour while in Page. The antelope slot is on Navajo land; and the only way to get to this amazing place is with a Navajo guide. Al, our guide, picked us up in a chevy suburban and off we went.

The slot canyon is only a couple of feet apart at it's widest and a few inches at it's closest. Here, mother nature worked her magic. This is probably the coolest slot canyon I've ever been in. The tour starts at the entrance to the slot; and from the first moment; you're awed by the beauty. Wind and water has shaped the inside of this canyon; and the shapes were incredible. The walk through was roughly and hour and when you get to the other end; you turn around and walk through again. And the shapes are totally different. It was pretty cool.

We also found ourselves on a hike in "cathederal wash". This dry wash starts out at road level; and drops a foot or two every 500 feet or so. As you walked along; the walls got higher and higher; and from the water, wind and stones working their magic; there was amazing details all around. We eventually go to a point where we had to turn back; as the drop was just too high. As it turned out, Mike had to help Molly up a few times on the hike back.

This whole area was beautiful and we really enjoyed our time here. Take a look at the posted pictures.

Onto the Grand Canyon

Our next national park stop was the Grand Canyon. Our home base for this amazing place was Kanab, Utah.

The drive from our park to the Grand Canyon, was roughly an hour; and there was significant fire damage for quite a few miles heading into the park. The park officially closes mid October; and although we were now into late November; the weather was still unseasonably warm and there was no sign of snow.

We were on the north rim of the grand canyon; and the views were spectacular. It certainly is big; and deep. There was some haze in the air; but you were able to make out the cars parked at the south rim; roughly 11 miles across; from the sun glistening off of them.

Take at look at the pictures of this natural beauty.

Zion National Park, Utah

Our next stop was Zion National Park. The "plan" was to camp inside of Zion; but we ended up being too long to bring our rig into the park. We ended up staying in Mount Carmel Junction instead; and it wasn't too far from the park.

The switchbacks leading down into Zion were pretty steep; and as it turned out; I'm glad that we didn't have the rig with us.

Zion was also very beautiful and we took a driving tour and a couple of hikes through the park.

Take a look at our pictures.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Bryce Canyon National Park is also on my list of the most beautiful places I've seen.

Our home base for Bryce was at the KOA in Cannonville, Utah; and this is where we met fellow Ontarians, Al & Kelly from Bayfield. We were going to the same places; and ended up travelling together for the next couple of weeks.

The first day at Bryce, we did the driving tour. There were many stops along the way, and the scenery was breathtaking! The rich red colours of the "spires" or "hoodoos" in this national park were incredible. The drive took us to the end of the park; where you're eyes are treated to the Bryce Amphitheatre - and WOW! Didn't know which direction to look first and the camera went into overtime while here. It's a good thing we have a digital.

The next day we went back to Bryce and took a hike down into the Navajo Loop and then into the Queen's Garden. Wow! We started off on a pretty steep tight switch back trail; once you were down into the canyon, it was just a normal hike. Except you're surrounded by these amazing "hoodoos" and it's incredible. The loop then takes you into the Queen's Garden; and I guess it got it's name cause there's a lot of "royal" shaped "hoodoos" in this area. And again, absolutely breathtaking.

The whole hike was roughly 4 hours; and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there.

Take a look at our pictures that we've posted.

Goblin Valley State Park, Utah

After leaving Moab, we continued on our loop through Southern Utah and found ourselves at Goblin Valley State Park. This park was very secluded; 25 miles to the next town; and was filled with "goblins".

These goblins are shaped from the sandstone that's very prominent in this area. Over a very long time; the wind along with mother nature has worked their magic. It's best to take a look at the posted pictures to get a better idea of what I'm talking about.

We took a 3 mile hike through 3 fields of goblins; and we were surrounded by beauty at the end of the walk.

We also had some pretty neat looking cliffs behind us; and the full moon only added to the ambiance. Having only one other camper in the park was also a nice treat.

Capital Reef National Park was our next stop. We had more deer for neighbours than we did people. We took a few neat hikes and drives through this area; and came across some petroglyphs.