December 13 - 15th---> Photos to post when we have Internet!

December 15th:

Another cold night and a furnace on the blink. Doug is ready to drive straight through to Citrus Springs so we can sleep in a house with a heater. He is done with getting up every 15 minutes to wiggle the switch. And when he is up, I am up, so we are both tired.  Bandit seems to sleep no matter what, lucky girl.

I (Sharon) am hoping for a stop at Pensacola Beach, just to see it, I have heard so much about it. Then hot and heavy towards our new home. We have plenty to do there for cleaning the house and getting it ready for our container of household items to arrive.

We did see Pensacola and it was totally awesome.  Definitely will go back to do some camping.  We decided to camp at Walmart about 3 hours away from Citrus Springs.  Had some popcorn, settling in with a movie for the night.  But......the furnace did it's last dance and died at about 8pm.  Couldn't get it fixed.  It was about 30 degrees out.  So we pulled up anchor and drove the last 3 hours to our new home.  Got in around 11pm, unpacked the trailer.  Laid out the cushions for our bed and turned on the house furnace.

It really stinks in the house, very musty and mildewy.  Sharon wore a protective mask all night, it was really getting to her.  Needless to say, we have some cleaning to do.   Home depot is our first stop and then we get to work.

Photos to come........once we get hooked up to internet.

December 14th:

As many stalwart travelers know, change in food and water and sitting all day driving, often create interesting reactions within one's body.  Doug encountered such a morning, and come to think of it, it stretched backwards a couple of days.  Feeling a great desire to enjoy the wicked walmart wobble, Doug returned crying in pain, nearly in tears with anguish.  "Sharon, help me", he cried.  The ensuing hour and equipment from the local pharmacy, created an additional "in-to-me-see"   between these two travelers. An extra gallon of water later, Doug had a smile on his face and ready for another day.  What?  More than you needed to know? (you can unsubscribe at any time)

We drove through New Orleans and could see some remnants of Katrina, we were at about 13 ft. below sea level, as we drove over a bridge crossing the gulf, kinda freaky seeing the water as it appeared a little higher than us.  

As we crossed into Mississippi, the first thing we saw as we drove across the state line was a park that had a place for campers to dump waste and fill up with water.  What a nice offering and welcoming for travelers coming into or leaving their state. 

We decided to take a slower route today all along the Mississippi coast line, since we only had a short piece of Mississippi to drive across.  Absolutely gorgeous beaches. Miles and miles of white sandy beaches. Bandit had fun chasing birds into the water and all over the beach. She was in her element.  Then she rolled in the sand. Aaaaarrrrggghghghgh. 

First beach stop was Waveland. We talked with a woman that works at the recreational pier. She said it has just been rebuilt from Katrina. Sharon asked what kind of damage did they have and why didn't we hear about Waveland in the news? She said that Waveland was "ground zero" for Katrina, and they were the "forgotten ones". A 35 ft. storm serge hit the land and travelled 15 miles inland.  New Orleans' tragedy was the levee breaking.  All along the beaches in Mississippi, like Waveland, Long Beach, Biloxi, etc. we saw 2/3rds of beach front homes and mansions were missing, others had been rebuilt.  We could see the meager 8 ft. tall piers they had been built on were witness to the loss.  Then, on top of that, we saw lots of workers  on the beaches doing what we are guessing to be oil clean up from the oil spill.  

Quite fittingly, after the morning escapade, we did pass a sign for the G.I. Museum. (teeheeheehee)

We have a 45 minute drive to reach Mobile, Alabama and find a Walmart for the night.   

We made it to Pensacola, FL.  Doug was so determined to get his foot into Florida, so here we are, but we are still 2 days drive away from Citrus Springs….or so the GPS says.  

December 13th:

Drive from Sisterdale, TX through Baton Rouge, Louisiana where there were lots of bridges over swamps and canals.  The swamps were absolutely beautiful, if you can imagine that.  

We did see several signs that said that Judgement Day will be May 21, 2011……so Be aware!!!!

We camped at the local Super Center Walmart, in La Place, which is just outside of New Orleans.  At this Walmart they had at least 4 cop cars driving through the parking lot all night for the holiday shopping, so we felt very secure.  It was freakin' cold and the heater was acting up.  My first thought was to not camp and drive all night instead of freezing, but alls Doug had to do was look at the heating unit and it shaped up right quick.  Looks like the cold snap happening here and all through the south is over, so each day and night will be warmer.  

Texas visit with Bob and Karen

Been a few days since the last update, but we've been having fun.

After Carlsbad Caverns, we had a couple of travel days into Texas. Please remember, our travel days consist of waking late, breakfast, walk the dog, drive, stop for the dog, drive, stop for Doug, drive, stop for the dog and Doug, find a place to stay for the night.

We're probably averaging about 40 miles an hour between starting and stopping each day but I have been getting great mileage on the flat highways - read the green digits in this photo - the Scamp is great to tow.

We've stopped at Bob and Karen Reinarz's home in Texas for the past few days. They have an absolutely lovely ranch in Sisterdale where they've raised prize winning long hong steers for years, chickens for eggs, hay for their cattle, fresh veggies for their tummies, extra bedrooms for their kids and grandkids and smiles and great stories from their many happy years together for anyone to hear.

I'd met Bob and Karen in Hawaii and recognized their Aloha spirit right off. {Doug speaking} Okay, I'll tell the truth, they had not heard all of my old jokes - so, since they were willing to listen, they were immediately "Okay" in my book - and I still like them despite running out of jokes!

But seriously, these are two gracious people that enjoy sharing good times.

One morning, while Bob chased a darn well water problem, Karen took us around the ranch. They've got three streams (or was it two streams and a river?) on the ranch. And, following a high rain, the banks of the rivers reveal new treasures - from indian artifacts, to flint tools to petrified mollusks. Here are Karen and Sharon (peas in a pod as it turns out) by the electric car near one stream where we collected some knapped flint tools and fossils (which you'll be able to see when you visit us in Florida!).

Karen had stories about her son falling out of the pecan trees and getting two broken arms. Bob had stories about trying to stop a young longhorn from avoiding it's medication and getting two broken arms in return. Karen relayed her exploits with a new vet as she "jumped" her 4X4 over a bump and broke a leg, sprained a knee and more - seems that vet got a bee sting and left her in the field so he could get himself a dose of antihistamine. He later told people that she had simply "tweaked her leg." (Needless to say, the vet fell off her phone book.) Karen drove herself to the hospital.

Well, these two tell the stories and laugh - great attitudes. Speak of attitudes here's a few longhorn that really didn't want to get out of our way as we explored the ranch that day.

And again, speaking of attitudes, here we are at renowned Luckenbach, Texas which was crowded with cowboy/motorcyle/local/music-loving/guitar-strumming/country-western singing/friendly-smiling/laughter-totting folk. We strolled the grounds, tried on cowboy hats (Sharon looked gorgeous in any of them - go figure), laughed about our, and other's, antics. Listened to the "open circle" guitar music that was going on and soaked up a bit of the culture that's been in the area for years. Bob is the fellow walking towards us in the cowboy hat to the left in the picture. Towards the right is the "open circle" with folks taking turns grabbing their guitars and singing.

Here's a better picture of Bob from years ago. Notice the stalwart hunter. Cowboy hat to protect from sun and rain, leather jacket to protect from cold, nettles and spines. Tough blue jeans to guard against abrasion and cold and goofy slippers for added traction and hilarity. Yup, that's Bob.

We followed that visit with a road tour of the area, LBJ's ranch is nearby, Admiral Nimitz was raised in the area and has a museum in Fredricksburg, which also seems to have an incredible amount of history, from early settler forts, to indian treaties that actually where honored by the pale-face, to Tanya Tucker and other icons of industry, commerce and entertainment all live within a 50 mile radius.

With the knowledge and history that Bob and Karen could recite (much of which involved their families as Bob's ancestors established the local town back in the day - and I think I've got that correct) - but as I was saying - after learning about the going's on in the area, I'm beginning to wonder what the heck the rest of the country has been doing because it seems to be pretty quiet in comparison!

Well, we had a good time and had some wonderful home-cooked meals while we strengthened our friendship. Oh yeah, the warm house and the beds were GREAT!

After checking the tires and greasing the hubs we'll be on the road this morning. Don't know where we're headed exactly, but I've got my woman by my side...

December 8th - Sharon's Surprise

December 8th:

Doug surprised me today with a trip to Carlsbad Cavern, just down the road from where we camped in Van Horn, TX.  Little did I know that he had a surprise planned for me when he was so set on camping in Van Horn, when I thought we could get a few more hours driving in for the day.

How incredible is this planet?

I am still amazed at the hugeness of this cave as well as the energy it has taken people over years and years to make this viewable to so many people. I mean, what other cave do you know that has an elevator in it?

We were 850 ft. down in the depths of the earth, the elevator started at 750 ft. to take you back up to the surface. Makes me wonder what else is beneath our feet. By the time we got to the Big Room, which was a mile and a half walk down, down, down to it, I was in an altered state.

The Big Room felt holy and sacred. The walk around the Big Room was another mile.  Absolutely amazing.  It took us 3 hours with stopping and taking photos. Unfortunately for me, my photos didn't come out so well.  But I am still learning how to work my camera. Doug's i-Phone did fabulously.

Another night in Van Horn and then off to another day of intensive driving.

December 7th - Texas, here we come

December 7th: (make sure you saw the prior posts which we've added now that we have WiFi access for the first time in several days - just scroll down...)

Up and at 'em……Sharon made breakfast and asked Doug to cut the cheese.  Doug said laughingly….."you don't realize the significance of that statement in such small quarters" and proceeded to do as instructed. (Insert your own musical interlude here.) What a musical, creative guy he is. Of course, a little coffee and some cheese omelet were all the stimulation needed to send him on what we affectionately call "the early morning wicked Walmart waddle," as we weave wapidly toward wonderful welief.

On the road by 9am and a balmy 45 degrees and climbing. First stop is Costco for the belated rotate and balance of the tires, hopefully this time that will be all the car needs. Then heading into Texas, staying on the southern route I-10 where it is warmer.  I-10 is also just across the border from Mexico.  Here is a glimpse of Mexico and the silvery color is the Rio Grande River.  You can double click on the photos to make them bigger for viewing.

Had to go through a Border Patrol......oooohhhhhhh!!!

The day is upon us once again...we ended up only getting to Van Horn, TX and decided to call it a day.  We found an RV park to hook up in, they have internet, hot showers and a dump site. Eeeehaaaaaa.  Living large in Texas.

December 6th - The Thing

December 6th:


Woke up at Walmart outside of the Casa Grande area. On the road by 9am which means we may be starting to get this travel thing together. Having dallied about for so many days (it's taken us 15 days to go 1,000 miles! At this rate we won't be in Florida until mid January) we decided it was a long distance travel day to catch up, so only occasional stops for Bandit and for us to take turns driving.

Ron, our friend from Hawaii, always talked about seeing THE THING. As the erstwhile traveller in the Southwest knows, there are billboards galore along the highways and the surest way to get customers is to promise mystery, ice cream, drinks, mystery, dangerous animals, unique attractions and mystery. So, the entrepreneurial owner of a Dairy Queen had plastered the highways with giant billboards proclaiming the never-ending delights that can be found ONLY when you actually see THE THING! 

We obeyed the signs from the universe and followed all the trails to see THE THING but, we didn't pay the $1.00 to go in and actually see IT.  Instead we bought ice cream. A good choice...but.....we took lots of photos of the billboards, but we cannot find them on any of the three cameras we have.  That's what happens when you don't pay the $1.00 to see THE THING.  All evidence disappears.

We ended the day in Las Cruces. Looked around for RV campsites and found they were ridiculously expensive (Doug is a Scot, as many of you know). So we did another night at Walmart, our home away from home.

This particular Walmart was located very close to a Starbucks and we thought we'd park close enough to pirate the WiFi from inside the trailer. We haven't had internet access for days and were behind on the blog and wanted to catch up before we lost our avid readers (Hello! That's you guys! Now you're all world famous as we've mentioned you here!). 

We were parked in a vacant lot out by the street and just settling in when we saw flashing lights outside the windows. Needless to say… WE WERE BUSTED!

We were greeted kindly by a security officer who suggested we move onto the Walmart lot for safety as they didn't patrol the area we were in. So we brought up the stabilizers and brought up the hitch and moved the trailer to where all the other RV's had been herded. We saw a little Casita, which is like our Scamp, but it was dark and we didn't get a chance to chat with the folks that owned it.

Here are some photos or a rest stop just outside of THE THING, and before we reached Las Cruces.

Disaster on the road - Homeless at Costco

December 4th.

We woke up early for the first time on the trip. We were glad that we finally accomplished this feat, however it was mostly because it was so dang cold and our flimsy blankets and little heater could not keep up with the all night freeze (remember, we're from Hawaii). That night had gotten down to the 30's.  Even though we have a heater, it couldn't keep up with the cold air coming through the walls. We aren't fully equipped for these temperatures. This made us research the weather in Colorado and learned it would be in the 20's at night.  

Hmmmmmm, and snow...

Hhmmmmmm, and mountain passes...

Hmmmmmmmm…  and not knowing where we would end up camping…

Hmmmmmmmm.

So we made an emotionally difficult decision to keep to the south for the warmer weather and not take the trek into Colorado to see Sharon's family. With regrets and sadness we informed Sharon's family of the decision. 

Now we will hug I-10 all the way into Florida. We are already planning our next trip, which will be to visit Sharon's family in Colorado as the primary reward and all the other parks and monuments we've bypassed due to cold and distance.  

We had a travel day, departing from Joshua Tree towards Phoenix. We ended in Chandler just outside of Phoenix. Sharon did her virgin drive with a camper attached, and Doug managed to contain/maintain his whimpering throughout that terrifying period of the trip. (This is Doug --> All kidding aside, Sharon is a great driver and the only new stuff was making sure turns were wide enough for the trailer to follow - easily done. As a bonus, those few pedestrians that used to stand so close to the curb sure did learn a thing or two! ) Wayyyy cool.  Such a light camper I couldn't even feel that I was pulling anything (including the pedestrians).  

Stopped at Costco to get tires balanced and rotated and promptly found out that the front right tire was loose, Holy Crap……we were certainly looked out for. We called Sears which was only 375 yards away, according to GPS and they could take us in the next morning at 9am. So we camped at Costco. Here's a picture of Doug, homeless, no jeep, trailer stuck in some parking lot, all his possessions in a cart stolen from Target. If you look up "Despondent" in the dictionary you'll see this picture.

December 5th - Casa Grande.

The car was all fixed up by 1:30, seems we had a broken hub assembly and bad bearing. In the old days, this would simply have been a bad bearing - but we live in a parts swapping world and the lowest "assembly" available was the hub - which contained the inner and outer bearings. After the fix we were ready for another adventure, except someone parked in front of the camper at Costco and we couldn't hook the jeep up until the guy came back. Oh well, might have been traffic anyway…

Started our trip and only got about 30 miles outside of Chandler when we took a detour to see Casa Grande National Park. 

Very cool!

Hohokam Natives inhabited here and there still isn't a whole lot of information about these people as far as where they came from. Unknown as to why Casa Grande, meaning Great House, was even built. Some say it was for their form of Government, others say its possible it was used as an observatory of sorts, tracking the sun and moon. Sharon likes this idea the most, Doug thinks it could be for some sort of religious worship. In either case, it was exhilarating.

It was a quick tour, as we got there just before dark. Starting to see a pattern here?  

Another gorgeous sunset as seen with the ruins in the foreground, and a night of camping at the nearby Walmart.  Nice and warm.

A day at the Spa (oh my!)

We left Jacquie and Ralph's and saw fields of wind farms on the way east. Sadly, few seemed operational when we past by. There were thousands of them - millions of dollars standing idle.

Desert Hot Springs…..Sharon talked us (quite easily, I must admit) into stopping off for a soak and having a leisurely day. We found the place soon enough, grabbed our bathing suits and towels and headed to the spa. They had eight pools, all with different temperatures from about 80 to 104 with one devilish fountain-crowned pool at a bone shaking 66 degrees. 

We enjoyed the 101 degree soak for a while, not being true shock-your-body health enthusiasts, and then graduated to the 104 degree pool for some deeper warmth and conversation with an ancient fellow named Frank that was willing to share all the knowledge of the universe with us. Surprisingly, he was entertaining and a bit of a hoot!

Everything was fine as we went from pool to pool until Sharon was convinced to "take the cold plunge" by a devotee - yes, she decided to try the icy plunge and the scream was heard throughout the valley. 

Once we were well done and limp, we sauntered off to Joshua Tree. The first stop was at the Joshua Tree Lake RV Camp to set up. This was the first time we made it to any destination in the light, because, as you know, we haven't gotten on the road all that early…..yet.

We unhooked the jeep and went merrily to the Joshua Tree National Park. Totally amazing.

Sharon found a rock that looked perfect for meditation.  For those going to the Joshua Retreat, I jumped into the future for the retreat, so keep your eyes open, you might see me around.

This is what Doug looked like just before he fell on his ass!

Because of our late start….. ahmmmmmm….. we made it just before sunset and I can't even start to describe the beauty of the colors, the shapes of the clouds and rocks, and the contrasts of the shadows and textures all around, which formed numberous a kodak moments that just can't quite capture what we saw and felt on that grand day.

This is the view from our campsite

We stayed at Joshua Tree Lake RV Campsite. They had showers, warm showers, but frigid cold as you scuttled back to the camper in the early morning light. It was cold so we didn't sleep too well and woke up very early for the first time. We did our first dump with the trailer, and made a mess….oooopppppsss….

And, as many of you have noticed - it's time for our daily alliteration - however for a change we're going to coin a new phrase, namely "Illiteration" and here is your first example to ponder...


The philosopher's funny phantom fish floundered photogenically, first falling, finally flying phantasmagorically.

Well - I did imply it was illiterate, no alliterate.