tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10023160141693393482024-03-05T19:31:50.973-07:00Jim and BevJim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.comBlogger564125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-3433734885019306152019-05-25T07:55:00.001-06:002019-05-25T08:13:44.718-06:00The Times They Are A Changin'<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">It's way past time for me to catch myself up on what we’ve been doing since our last post. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In December, we left our rig at our campsite in Tucson and drove the tow car back to our sticks and bricks home in Salt Lake for the holidays. Then we went on a Disney Cruise with our SLC daughter and fam. I had a great time but Jim came down with a bad cold that lingered for two months. Disney pulls out all the stops. And Jim was in our room on the ship for most of them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We disembarked in San Juan, PR where our Oregon daughter and family met up with us. San Juan is beautiful, and it was so nice to get both daughters and their families together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Late on January 20 we got back to Salt Lake. That night about 18 inches of snow fell. Snow is beautiful when you don’t have to go out in it -- but we had to go out to pick up the dogs from boarding. When we got home, I started googling “condos for sale Tucson.” Gee, I thought, maybe we could actually afford one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">As much as we’ve had a magical time in the RV, our 26 1/2 foot motor home seems to be shrinking. Adding two young dogs to the mix didn't help. Nor did the fact that Tucson had a chilly (well, chilly by southern AZ standards) winter that kept us inside the rig than we wanted to be. And honestly, while there are plenty of places I’d still like to visit, I don't especially want to see them via the RV. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So --- we drove back to Tucson in our tow car the end of January. Super Bowl Sunday we went to a few condo open houses, saw one we liked, called a realtor, saw a few more, and by the end of the week we’d made an offer. On April 5 we got the keys to a small but lovely condo not far from Tucson’s Sabino Canyon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Will we sell the motor home? I say yes. Jim is on the fence -- he said he always thought of the RV as his getaway vehicle if things went south with us. I think that's a joke. But, yes, we probably will sell. If you know anyone looking for a well-loved, well-maintained motor home that could tell some great stories, let us know.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">The Fam (minus Paul, Kat and a lot of animals) at Fort San Cristobal in the old town section of San Juan, PR</span></b>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Snowman leftovers after a big storm hit Tucson just after President's Day weekend. That's the Davis Monthan "boneyard" in the rear -- where old airplanes are stored on the air force base.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Bev went back to Ohio to visit her Mom the end of February. She took this photo at the local grocery store where an Amish buggy was apparently properly returned.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaX1ZsRk2x2l4T8JDNyNnbcFV9inRza6RdLb8cGsceqnsa7ZSQqaHMSffgru_CtW9BBqxP3HA-X26dhat1g1Ix6BKSL3eE096vuF1VHmupZizedqktEqnYZLij1AggOpnzxdaPldFxBIy/s1600/aaa+airshow+2_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="921" data-original-width="1600" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaX1ZsRk2x2l4T8JDNyNnbcFV9inRza6RdLb8cGsceqnsa7ZSQqaHMSffgru_CtW9BBqxP3HA-X26dhat1g1Ix6BKSL3eE096vuF1VHmupZizedqktEqnYZLij1AggOpnzxdaPldFxBIy/s400/aaa+airshow+2_Fotor.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">We went to the air show held March 23/24 at Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Daughter Ashley and kids visited us in Tucson at the end of March. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The grandkids (above) called Tucson "The Tucs," and gave it two thumbs up. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">We took the tram up Sabino Canyon, hiked, and visited the Desert Museum. They stayed at base housing and had a great room -- it was huge with a full kitchen and two bedrooms. Our friends John and Deb from Salt Lake visited as well.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">By the time we left Tucson at the end of April, many cacti were in full bloom.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Our rig next to a blooming ocotillo at Davis Monthan Air Force Base.</span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>Our Tucson condo. </b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>Son Paul, </b></span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">girlfriend Kat, and their 7-month-old pup Ro took a road trip from CA to UT in May.</span></b><br />
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Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-26513082280707562482018-12-04T17:36:00.001-07:002018-12-04T17:48:12.103-07:00Tucson<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #444444; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We got to Tucson October 29. This is the earliest in the “winter” that we’ve ever arrived at the Davis Monthan Air Force Base Fam Camp. We've snowbirded here for at least a month for the last eight years. This year we'll be here longer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The campground has 200 sites. Lots of them were empty when we arrived, but it’s close to full now and will probably stay that way into March. We got a good spot with a big Arizona garden (gravel and two big mesquite trees) on the driver's side of the rig. When the neighbors on the other side of the garden moved, so did we. Now we step out of the rig onto our 100-foot-wide personal desert.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We’re into our usual Tucson routine of going to the gym, walking the dogs, enjoying the weather and exploring. And we "explored" a lot of brew pubs. So far we’ve been to Crooked Tooth, Public House, Borderlands, Yard House, Harbottle, Arizona Beer House, Barrio, Gentle Ben's, and Ten55. (It's kind of embarrassing to type the names of all those brew pubs, but Jim says it's research so he can properly entertain </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">friends</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> who plan to visit in February. Oh sure.) They were all good but Jim gives an extra rave review to Borderlands.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We've also gone to see the movie "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" with Melissa McCarthy, taken a couple of trips to to nearby Saguaro National Park east, met people at the campground, and done some Christmas shopping. And we've taken care to two sick doggies -- especially our smaller one Maddie, but both are better now. We can highly </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">recommend the Pantano Animal Clinic on East 22nd Street, plus my veterinarian brother Bob who has helped us a <span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">gazlilion times.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In a few days we'll drive back to Salt Lake for the holidays. It won’t take too long for us to get our fill of snow --- then we’ll be back in Tucson. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIUW5m7LvzeYu5B-OnDU1v34W3U4JwWDCDWIrAnR84tWnl9Xx4BPE6vWGg14zvF58WimKr2wzYu5D1ZyqlkYRfhKBva4S1VBAtQ2xJfBfSumXOB-ol5o2gwTFGX23rhO779Rp2JPlGw2Aa/s1600/tuc+christmas+rv_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="792" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIUW5m7LvzeYu5B-OnDU1v34W3U4JwWDCDWIrAnR84tWnl9Xx4BPE6vWGg14zvF58WimKr2wzYu5D1ZyqlkYRfhKBva4S1VBAtQ2xJfBfSumXOB-ol5o2gwTFGX23rhO779Rp2JPlGw2Aa/s400/tuc+christmas+rv_Fotor.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A RV decorated for the holidays at Davis Monthan Air Force Base.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcTQ1enw03E7c03yaL86ZFRtf84takHLdaheN0ATXJqQT2IhXZ_uCIevsZ3B9eUVPYTZAOQXIdNLEPJ36Cm8Ji1W-0L23P4ycmKs6XS1K0aT3jBSxZ9MeYoQ05umTknrYsdPH8pfrMdHB/s1600/Tuc+dog+at+sag_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="470" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcTQ1enw03E7c03yaL86ZFRtf84takHLdaheN0ATXJqQT2IhXZ_uCIevsZ3B9eUVPYTZAOQXIdNLEPJ36Cm8Ji1W-0L23P4ycmKs6XS1K0aT3jBSxZ9MeYoQ05umTknrYsdPH8pfrMdHB/s320/Tuc+dog+at+sag_Fotor.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Saguaro National Park East has a short trail where you can take dogs, so we hiked it. With all the nearby cactus I have to keep Maddie on an especially short leash so she doesn't try to dive for a rabbit under a cholla.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyX_0VQqtFY6Bh664jsNGku1jsOP29X-RTogL-CE-d_RipMbgd5DIDAMsV5eBOSPaHlgS2gn2jZBc6QcLQsHVyrWJHyE8mtRXmP34-NFBD4vVy7SP-iMeEazrNgYPYi4ibCBYEHuhzJP1G/s1600/tuc+first+rv+spot_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="765" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyX_0VQqtFY6Bh664jsNGku1jsOP29X-RTogL-CE-d_RipMbgd5DIDAMsV5eBOSPaHlgS2gn2jZBc6QcLQsHVyrWJHyE8mtRXmP34-NFBD4vVy7SP-iMeEazrNgYPYi4ibCBYEHuhzJP1G/s320/tuc+first+rv+spot_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">How the RV park looked when we first got to Tucson. That's our rig and tow car to the right. </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSY-pTaeOS94QSFEOHqFAF5CBBdnKoRhmnkw91Q1bvQQFI-2jhRRHUVYDBZId9yT9RMlsTn5Fu2hnGZ338-lMA3IWPPQTv68gJJvCN7oZcNt9_-v_2Ivyt-dBzjqxXg4CVq4g_Vk496L6/s1600/tuc+jimat+sag_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSY-pTaeOS94QSFEOHqFAF5CBBdnKoRhmnkw91Q1bvQQFI-2jhRRHUVYDBZId9yT9RMlsTn5Fu2hnGZ338-lMA3IWPPQTv68gJJvCN7oZcNt9_-v_2Ivyt-dBzjqxXg4CVq4g_Vk496L6/s320/tuc+jimat+sag_Fotor.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">We hiked a four-mile trail at Saguaro National Park on a cloudy and cool Thanksgiving Day. After the hike we had a Boston Market turkey dinner with extra Bob Evans potatoes and store-bought pie. Easiest Thanksgiving ever.</span></b> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooi8Hc0ZcDeP1MBuVJOKNAfjmHPMPRYjpVYa_rWxJp_Ljrqcj5MgUclEejQAquj7d4E0xt7HBeWR2t5vJjt0X1w6emw4floxIGZAWhzXLO4vkHFY9LR_hufq72Qx9H3qsXupbX_lB2vIU/s1600/tuc+lots+o+sags_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="792" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooi8Hc0ZcDeP1MBuVJOKNAfjmHPMPRYjpVYa_rWxJp_Ljrqcj5MgUclEejQAquj7d4E0xt7HBeWR2t5vJjt0X1w6emw4floxIGZAWhzXLO4vkHFY9LR_hufq72Qx9H3qsXupbX_lB2vIU/s320/tuc+lots+o+sags_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">As seen on Saguaro National Park's Cactus Forest Drive -- a mostly one-way eight-mile loop</span></b>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28V6kN6OVnkzTlEL4XsbUBdn0ulJrr6uX_VQOztO_VCdAaJ56MCCqcpHblwBonvcL9iGKEgLIOxDJYLSsqeb5RbN2FySkL2zVCEMSRYmNXw4yEdJK6TYHp-ekshZLfq1upRhlqL6K7Bv9/s1600/tuc+moon_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="792" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28V6kN6OVnkzTlEL4XsbUBdn0ulJrr6uX_VQOztO_VCdAaJ56MCCqcpHblwBonvcL9iGKEgLIOxDJYLSsqeb5RbN2FySkL2zVCEMSRYmNXw4yEdJK6TYHp-ekshZLfq1upRhlqL6K7Bv9/s320/tuc+moon_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>One night on a trip to the commissary, Bev took this photo of a low full moon.</b></span> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtUO1r4WRP3ug0VN4apdVote32wASP2QBzxuHde69ddjPE7YHSBDAacPtQS5sWUPAkIeZo111Peejwtg22MPoHEoP_JJZd8M1ooKaw_62G3uZx3F4b-tcviSLdMNSMnF0rlN8lSyXL028/s1600/tuc+mural_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="788" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtUO1r4WRP3ug0VN4apdVote32wASP2QBzxuHde69ddjPE7YHSBDAacPtQS5sWUPAkIeZo111Peejwtg22MPoHEoP_JJZd8M1ooKaw_62G3uZx3F4b-tcviSLdMNSMnF0rlN8lSyXL028/s320/tuc+mural_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A downtown Tucson mural.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdfaS7-GWw9zWbz2HiBMbDjgC5kffaxnUAGOA-l8MYkPcx3n22gYtTE8-H7aNPnK8Axcu0Z5qbAieuj8KYwQwVQoIqnaZLaXrg4wB180PA8T6iyYcPDk1TC7buWTv2atqWIkt_T98aCdp/s1600/tuc+public+house_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="703" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdfaS7-GWw9zWbz2HiBMbDjgC5kffaxnUAGOA-l8MYkPcx3n22gYtTE8-H7aNPnK8Axcu0Z5qbAieuj8KYwQwVQoIqnaZLaXrg4wB180PA8T6iyYcPDk1TC7buWTv2atqWIkt_T98aCdp/s320/tuc+public+house_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The not especially scenic front door to Public House brew pub. It's off an alley near Tucson's Fourth Avenue area, which is full of small shops and restaurants.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VcGw9OuRrUJ1MEcpahsNl8nKVFRrNWEezYeBM8HnSMVYcSTSMBbUhRG63EG1AGlyu-q26ui7-OSN1YZlxx-orVj-cNomxNnIdtIxyQCYktII2LSP0a1N2jowBp1qpgjxSZFw2Asa_7Pf/s1600/tuc+rockdrag_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VcGw9OuRrUJ1MEcpahsNl8nKVFRrNWEezYeBM8HnSMVYcSTSMBbUhRG63EG1AGlyu-q26ui7-OSN1YZlxx-orVj-cNomxNnIdtIxyQCYktII2LSP0a1N2jowBp1qpgjxSZFw2Asa_7Pf/s320/tuc+rockdrag_Fotor.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This is what can happen when someone (not us) pulls their RV into a campground late at night with a big rig and can't see well enough to navigate a turn. Jim and another camper used a hand truck to move the displaced rock back to where it belonged. </span></b> </td></tr>
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<br />Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-48895408573007664422018-11-17T07:39:00.001-07:002018-11-17T07:39:13.860-07:00An Adventure in Pig Chasing<div style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">I have to post about the “it takes a village” moment we had in Ehrenburg, Arizona, while on our way to Tucson. Ehrenburg is a little (population about 1,500 people) town on the Colorado River and just across the water from California. It's also right on Interstate 10.</span></div>
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Because it's on the river, it has several big RV parks. And because it's on the interstate it also has a Flying J Truck Stop, where we stopped to get gas before checking in for the night as one of the campgrounds.</div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">As Jim was pumping gas, I noticed a man carrying a small but empty pet carrying case. A tiny pig was trotting in front of him. So cute. But the pig owner (I’ll call him PO) was not walking his well-behaved, off-leash pig. Apparently Bacon Bit escaped from the truck stop dog run. I told PO I’d help catch him. After all, I was a two-time greased pig catching champion at the Lorain County Fair in Ohio. How hard can it be to grab a miniature pig? Turns out plenty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We followed little Bacon Bit, who scampered toward the back of the truck stop. PO circled behind him. I stayed in front. We closed in. Bacon Bit squeaked past and went toward the pumps. Several others, including Jim, saw what was going on and joined in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Bacon Bit hid under a Prius; a big group surrounded the car. I almost touched piggy and the owner actually did. But Bacon Bit squealed and escaped. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Several times Bacon Bit came close to getting hit by a car or truck, but many folks (including a Colin Kaepernick doppleganger -- that guy could run) blocked him from danger.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue";">Now about 20 people, including a Flying J employee, were helping. Bacon Bit got under a second car; humans lay on the oily asphalt to create a human fence. (When humans use their bodies to corral a pig, are we creating a human fence or a pig fence?) </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Then: Success! Bacon Bit was in the hands of a very nice man and went back in the carrier. Jim said at that point he thought about yelling “BLTs for everyone!” But we’re glad little Bacon Bit is on his way home. And they should change his name to Houdini.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXnEmaDrazVWaHPENhyphenhyphenxDf7k88gLqEQB0pG06sVmXr9mOHBGTUoCuxu_mkvDaOKIB7CG8w_Hn7tlJoOrbtvvc7x7nPkBv4Vi5To9L5vRQ1h80gVSIIxoO8APX73wQwF2GspNGbMbU9BxT/s1600/pig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="792" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXnEmaDrazVWaHPENhyphenhyphenxDf7k88gLqEQB0pG06sVmXr9mOHBGTUoCuxu_mkvDaOKIB7CG8w_Hn7tlJoOrbtvvc7x7nPkBv4Vi5To9L5vRQ1h80gVSIIxoO8APX73wQwF2GspNGbMbU9BxT/s320/pig.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The finally captured little piggy. The owner told us they'd has a previous pet pig that was "laid back." Not so this one. He's gonna be a challenge.</span></b></td></tr>
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Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-17084121419174128802018-11-15T15:45:00.001-07:002018-11-15T15:45:34.712-07:00We Turned a Ten-Hour Drive into a Seven-Day Trip <div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #444444; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>October 23-28</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After a week in San Luis Obispo we made our way to Tucson by staying away from LA freeways and driving no more than 150 mikes a day. We are slow but sure. Plus we like to see new places -- even if all we see is a campground.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First stop: A night in Bakersfield, CA, at the Kern River Run RV Park -- a well-maintained campground we visited after our 2017 trip to see Paul and Kat. Last time we explored the town and went to brew pubs.This time we walked the dogs around the RV park. Also last time the Kern River was full and flowing. Now the Kern is a completely dry wash.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Boron, CA: Odd little campground (Arabian RV Oasis) with super nice staff. Boron is a town of about 2,500 people named after an ore discovered here in 1913. According to Wikipedia, Boron is home to the largest borax mine in the world. Main Street is called “Twenty Mule Team Road”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Twentynine Palms, CA: We’ve long talked about visiting Joshua Tree National Park and got the chance when we stayed in Twentynine Palms, a city of about 25,000 people. It's home to </span></span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the main entrance to Joshua Tree and also to the </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">world's </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">largest</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> marine corps training base.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The campground we stayed at --Twentynine Palms RV Resort and Cottages -- left a bad first impression. The site we were assigned looked like a trash can. Seriously, it was a mess so we asked for and got a new one. Two </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">very nice guys quickly came out to clean the old site plus trim the bushes on our new one so we could back in properly.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jim didn't recover from that first impression but I kind of grew to like the campground. There was a work out room, a really nice indoor pool, and lots of room to walk the dogs. We stayed there two nights and that was the only two-night stop on our way to Tucson.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Day two at Twentynine Palms was spent at the national park. Dogs can’t be on most national park trails, but Joshua Tree has one short dog-friendly trail near the visitors center, plus dogs are allowed on dirt roads. So we got in several miles of dog/park walking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next stop: Ehrenburg, AZ, where we stayed one night at a place called Desert Oasis, right on the Colorado River. Again we just walked and walked and walked around the campground. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then it was another one nighter in Gila Bend at a KOA where we didn't even unhook the car. The campground sites were huge and the place was spotless.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">October 29 we got to the Davis Monthan Fam Camp, an Air Force Base RV park we’ve stayed at least part of the winter for the last eight years. We signed up for a five month stay which will be our longest Tucson stay ever. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU7Ldslq6SZLCtSLbgD7krYFWTVUYSgz5VYqQyFulzfuYx9-A0J86lecvl3hF8-Fs9ww7YHsoHVXaKHRicnuz1pv5kv_WAu6mvyPruWF9HGJMnvx7jmRyIytt5VLJ_yjBqYp_uEKF2xB8c/s1600/BORON+city+view_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU7Ldslq6SZLCtSLbgD7krYFWTVUYSgz5VYqQyFulzfuYx9-A0J86lecvl3hF8-Fs9ww7YHsoHVXaKHRicnuz1pv5kv_WAu6mvyPruWF9HGJMnvx7jmRyIytt5VLJ_yjBqYp_uEKF2xB8c/s320/BORON+city+view_Fotor.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A typical town scene in Boron, California. It was a little dry and dusty.</span></b><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOmZReCogwPRvZJqgBtddzra4xUEImb6ctcdMrz4MzsqHXh2wfhAdShJ0qOhKGW9N_EiRcqiEsqe66dWscJBKV1bIapdk1qqjImb2vojv7uA6EST-mCdnwJW7hLkmvhcFSUf6syiOaRaDe/s1600/JOSH+maddiebev_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="689" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOmZReCogwPRvZJqgBtddzra4xUEImb6ctcdMrz4MzsqHXh2wfhAdShJ0qOhKGW9N_EiRcqiEsqe66dWscJBKV1bIapdk1qqjImb2vojv7uA6EST-mCdnwJW7hLkmvhcFSUf6syiOaRaDe/s320/JOSH+maddiebev_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Bev and Maddie at Joshua Tree National Park, which became a national monument in 1936 and a national park in 1994. The park includes parts of the Mohave Desert and the Colorado Desert. They'd had a huge rainstorm that caused damage a few weeks before we arrived, but we didn't see any evidence of it.</span></b><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcSJyctyXyi7WtrEXmUIWAjPWjn_fSsqT2d6kvCxQaYqeMd1XpPcocb-hqscXB-uhGEjWgcDzY7lMxlf0aPWXHcUzsYCQtG91V9_fPkrOVbF5QSR5nLeOXz_9LfKmNLWcKbcjhr20NXor/s1600/JOSH+scene_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="792" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcSJyctyXyi7WtrEXmUIWAjPWjn_fSsqT2d6kvCxQaYqeMd1XpPcocb-hqscXB-uhGEjWgcDzY7lMxlf0aPWXHcUzsYCQtG91V9_fPkrOVbF5QSR5nLeOXz_9LfKmNLWcKbcjhr20NXor/s320/JOSH+scene_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Bare boulders and Joshua trees make up most of the park scenery that we saw, giving the park a kind of "moonscape desert" look. Joshua trees are actually a type of yucca plant. I read that the plant got its name from Mormon settlers who said the plant reminded them of a biblical story in which Joshua raised his arms to the sky in prayer.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_hZawc3WuwvxkG4sVvVhZu4UiIDn-wnUKwb-FYZOvb05wHv4VHndHBjceOYeYTVfez65bvSpg__l3g8oZlb_ySgRty_xEei64SIF6955uF45GrlEzBFu9eX0A9fpECzBGQUqU40gX0oh/s1600/CORIVER_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="792" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_hZawc3WuwvxkG4sVvVhZu4UiIDn-wnUKwb-FYZOvb05wHv4VHndHBjceOYeYTVfez65bvSpg__l3g8oZlb_ySgRty_xEei64SIF6955uF45GrlEzBFu9eX0A9fpECzBGQUqU40gX0oh/s320/CORIVER_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Colorado River at sunset as seen from the Desert Oasis RV Park in Ehrenberg, Arizon</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">a. T</span></b></span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">his photo is much prettier than most of the RV park. But it was good for an overnighter and had great access to the river.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPc2emWhIBgJ7WiET26F07cbBuorAbcVliJwBkJJ0xw13Z74iB5w5QPRvX02dg0D4ei6095O58jXgW3kVA_qg-KotGpfVfHtBdjXhC1t98_HmQy6UbMAZLDYYCRBfBXDJKzrffymbhWUM/s1600/GILA+campsite_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="782" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPc2emWhIBgJ7WiET26F07cbBuorAbcVliJwBkJJ0xw13Z74iB5w5QPRvX02dg0D4ei6095O58jXgW3kVA_qg-KotGpfVfHtBdjXhC1t98_HmQy6UbMAZLDYYCRBfBXDJKzrffymbhWUM/s320/GILA+campsite_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The KOA in Gila Bend has what they call a "pet house suite"-- an RV site with a patio, grill, and a fenced area for dogs. We did not take the "pet house" -- instead that's our rig next door.</span></b></td></tr>
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Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-86977979854576735582018-11-11T15:25:00.001-07:002018-11-11T15:25:07.976-07:00San Luis Obispo, CA<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>October 16-23</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next it was a week in San Luis Obispo -- a favorite place of ours for very good reasons. It's a fun town with lots to do in a beautiful setting. And it’s where our son Paul and his girlfriend Kat live.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We went out to eat -- p</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">robably too many times -- </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">at a small fraction of SLO's great restaurants. We were treated to a lovely dinner at the home of Kat’s delightful and gracious parents. We took the dogs (many times) to an off leash dog park at El Charro Regional Park, which was close to where we camped. We went to downtown San Luis Obispo's huge Farmers Market. Paul and I took a shopping trip to an outlet mall in nearby Pismo Beach. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> We all drove north to see elephant seals near San Simeon.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were entertained by Paul and Kat's four (yes four) of the best-behaved house cats I have ever seen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We love you, Paul and Kat! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoU7lOJlF5bbAG_Awgbh7M75794JOhqxRBT9rSpfZnGDSkXRbcBqadfxo_0OziFpRkcBbbbu89n5UYaFQFq1sryS1l2UziLooar6BEEsFj2HPpWzIb0oDnXLbwvbHg4IZPQcIYMsRDMqAO/s1600/slo+el+seals_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="792" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoU7lOJlF5bbAG_Awgbh7M75794JOhqxRBT9rSpfZnGDSkXRbcBqadfxo_0OziFpRkcBbbbu89n5UYaFQFq1sryS1l2UziLooar6BEEsFj2HPpWzIb0oDnXLbwvbHg4IZPQcIYMsRDMqAO/s320/slo+el+seals_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b> A few of the elephant seals at the <span style="background-color: white; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; widows: 2;">Piedras Blancas rookery in San Simeon, CA. T</span>he northern elephant seal is the largest seal in the northern hemisphere. Adult males weight up to 5000 pounds and are 14-16 feet long. The seals spend 8-10 months in the open ocean, then come to the land-based rookery to give birth, breed, molt and rest. </b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRKiuW1vlcl8UW-DgIuz6YHStvUbMR8ZEzb2m3ucCYsWwu9LOQD8ezRFJoWKYbgJcZnppXZlWrJd_7pfFT4Y3BqRNbG6_GPU09BcpXZ9ASfmieiE0wntF7opc-rrk_XG-plU0QDd8Xw0q/s1600/slo+camp+spot_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="792" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRKiuW1vlcl8UW-DgIuz6YHStvUbMR8ZEzb2m3ucCYsWwu9LOQD8ezRFJoWKYbgJcZnppXZlWrJd_7pfFT4Y3BqRNbG6_GPU09BcpXZ9ASfmieiE0wntF7opc-rrk_XG-plU0QDd8Xw0q/s320/slo+camp+spot_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Our tow car and rig at the Camp San Luis Obispo RV Park, which has just 12 sites. The base was established in 1928 as the original home of the California Army National Guard. It's now a national guard training center and home to two paramilitary youth programs.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Kat and Paul. Jim said, "Gee, Paul looks like he's 35," sounding surprised. Well, he almost is. He's our baby; our kiddos are all grown up.</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-24250194938275785002018-10-30T10:34:00.001-06:002018-12-22T17:15:37.206-07:00Monterey, California<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">October 14 and 15</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We spent two more days in Monterey, which is famous for beautiful scenery, tourist attractions (and former industrial areas) of Cannery Row and Fisherman’s Wharf, the Monterey Jazz Festival, and nearby Pebble Beach. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We spent one day just wandering around. We stopped at the city’s visitor’s center. We drove though Cannery Row where the locations of former sardine canneries are now shops, restaurants and the Monterey Aquarium. We had lunch at Alvarado Street Brewery located on the street of the same name. We walked the dogs along the bay. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the beach we saw two people putting flowers on a marker. We spotted a women wearing a T-shirt that said "It's a John Denver thing. You wouldn't understand." She told us that every year at this time, a group cleans the section of beach near where John Denver crashed his plane and died in October 1997. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-kerning: none;">I'd always heard that Denver's plane crashed because it ran out of fuel. That's true, but the actual story is more complicated. Denver was flying an amateur-built experimental aircraft. The fuel tank switch was in an awkward position behind the pilot's left shoulder instead of the usual spot between the pilots legs. Denver knew that, but per the National Transportation Safety Board report, the odd position forced Denver "</span><span style="font-kerning: none;">to turn in his seat to locate the handle. This action ... likely caused him to inadvertently apply the right rudder, resulting in loss of aircraft control." I also read that the mechanic where Denver took off (at the Monterey Airport which was very close our RV park) asked Denver if he wanted to refuel the plane, as the two tanks were at one quarter and one half full. Denver said no because he was going on a short flight. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyway, so sad.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">The second day we debated going to the aquarium, but decided to explore the 17 Mile Drive, a curvy road with magnificent views that goes through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove. </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The lovely Golden State Theatre across from the brew pub where we had lunch on Alvarado Street. It was built in 1926, then neglected and later the restored. Some of the upcoming acts include Paul McCartney and Rosanne Cash.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbp1HggtUq5zUU3SfmsdA-vB-4fY3aMac_3igL-c4NUaAJZf4OYACGAo2y8lCfQ3OfCzIA3kO9x2rpgBxlyeFqiiwvOxVmR5g41vsjgJI16BIHsdUf1MFgM4TQcXyeH_tsyTJjIxgogkY/s1600/mont+denver2+mem_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="792" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbp1HggtUq5zUU3SfmsdA-vB-4fY3aMac_3igL-c4NUaAJZf4OYACGAo2y8lCfQ3OfCzIA3kO9x2rpgBxlyeFqiiwvOxVmR5g41vsjgJI16BIHsdUf1MFgM4TQcXyeH_tsyTJjIxgogkY/s320/mont+denver2+mem_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">John Denver's plane crashed just to the right of the rocks in the rear of this photo of Monterey Bay. </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABcLsqT9jXtzrmm0snmpP5KRywL7R9GIg3PHUkdybD3yvoslU2p_UH1PBUWUaIcyqq2u80Eh10HkeeUYGWrN9l531JYrCZDK_35qwqycCdzCzxPCwpgrgOXtI8ifQ7wcZnk3bna03jXCX/s1600/mont+painting_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABcLsqT9jXtzrmm0snmpP5KRywL7R9GIg3PHUkdybD3yvoslU2p_UH1PBUWUaIcyqq2u80Eh10HkeeUYGWrN9l531JYrCZDK_35qwqycCdzCzxPCwpgrgOXtI8ifQ7wcZnk3bna03jXCX/s320/mont+painting_Fotor.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Local artists set up their easels along the Monterey coast line. That white thing to the right of the easel is a an attached garbage bag flapping in the wind. It was a breezy but beautiful day.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">While on the scenic 17 Mile Drive we stopped at the Pebble Beach Golf course and took this photo from the clubhouse. It seemed like there were golf courses at every turn of the drive, but I read that there are actually four on 17 Mile Drive.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Called the "Lone Cypress," a drawing of the tree to the right is the trademark for Pebble Beach Golf Resort. It may be as old as 250 years, was once scarred by fire, and has been held in place by cables of 65 years.</span></b></td></tr>
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<br />Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-60331539386269869232018-10-27T18:39:00.000-06:002018-10-27T19:47:49.615-06:00Petaluma, CA , then on to Monterey<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>October 12 and 13</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We stopped at a KOA in Petaluma for one night. The campground was a kid's park on steroids with a trampoline, swimming pool, rock climbing wall, playground, and a guy driving a tractor pulling a crack-the-whip-like line of kiddie cars full of toddlers. It was crazy. Plus I think we paid our all time high dollar for an RV park: $86 for one night before taxes. But we had a hard time finding a campground anywhere near San Francisco and had to take what we could get. On the plus side, the Lagunitas Brewery was nearby and we made a quick trip.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also crazy was our drive from Petaluma to our next stop of Monterey. It started with trips to two different places to get air for our tires -- hoses were both broken, so we made the trip on softer tires. We planned the drive to stay as far away as possible from city traffic, but still had two cars nearly sideswipe us. And we made one wrong turn but quickly corrected. Fortunately, Jim is a good driver and we arrived in Monterey unscathed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More on Monterey in the next post.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUSgF5d04c3-yJnrfUO-dP8QVxL0pSVxWHJAp5R5mD1gpGukOEoxFM8Dm641asiC78CmQgsx67cyOacDt22sO9rJnHZYatvoK0eGqnawhnmqqheh3Ww_pkS8d4RQ7N2diTxF8o6nuu7h6w/s1600/mont+golf_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="779" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUSgF5d04c3-yJnrfUO-dP8QVxL0pSVxWHJAp5R5mD1gpGukOEoxFM8Dm641asiC78CmQgsx67cyOacDt22sO9rJnHZYatvoK0eGqnawhnmqqheh3Ww_pkS8d4RQ7N2diTxF8o6nuu7h6w/s320/mont+golf_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">While in Monterey we stayed at the Monterey Pines Campground, a Navy campground literally in the middle of this golf course. We had to sign a statement that essentially said that if we got hit by a golf ball to try to determine the name of the golfer. </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">California: Land of amazing succulents. These were all in our campground. We also saw a lot of ice plants, which we have in our yard. Only ours look miniature in comparison. </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPBOSZJF3rwsVxoonfc8RjXHH_CdyxDZI10RBwfd__GEVt1iPa04Fug29EezHaf7ixleyKGHbZUWPn4cs9JBVjzbs0zHWzLXqWDA8KJyrJGuQFQjbXe5xGUcpPIsUe678dTRW7jpkOMoG/s1600/mont+rv+site_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="687" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPBOSZJF3rwsVxoonfc8RjXHH_CdyxDZI10RBwfd__GEVt1iPa04Fug29EezHaf7ixleyKGHbZUWPn4cs9JBVjzbs0zHWzLXqWDA8KJyrJGuQFQjbXe5xGUcpPIsUe678dTRW7jpkOMoG/s320/mont+rv+site_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Our RV park and site were nothing special, but we were in Monterey. So who cares. Fellow campers were friendly and seemed glad to be here as well.</span></b></td></tr>
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<br />Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-53224819675936048522018-10-24T19:10:00.001-06:002018-10-24T19:11:19.724-06:00Willits, California<div style="color: #444444; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;"><i>October 10 and 11</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">Next stop: Willits, a small northern California town barely off US 101 and 30 miles from the coast. We stayed at the Golden Rule RV Park south of town, which is owned by a nondenominatinal Christian church. The campground was small, wooded, pretty, and very much out in the boonies. We liked it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">There were two newspaper boxes near the office so we bought our first hard copy newspapers in a while. The weekly, called the “The Willits News," had a front page article about a local museum exhibit called “Out of the Ashes,” commemorating the one year anniversary of wildfires that heavily damaged Mendocino and five other northern California counties in October 2017. That museum was in Willits so we made a visit.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKBWwS1M1tkAoqkQh-5keujphpL4g8d7hLnB1XbRLQ2Ul3ZqkSwVNVRrU76s3GksT1Wd3M0A0rpaTKkqgZySbm9mboZqlRXXQ3n_gBgwZrxmSbvCRllMKTm2AMe15-5IZMNud-jqrZtS0/s1600/willits+campground+road_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="493" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKBWwS1M1tkAoqkQh-5keujphpL4g8d7hLnB1XbRLQ2Ul3ZqkSwVNVRrU76s3GksT1Wd3M0A0rpaTKkqgZySbm9mboZqlRXXQ3n_gBgwZrxmSbvCRllMKTm2AMe15-5IZMNud-jqrZtS0/s320/willits+campground+road_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This tiny road took us down a hill from US 101 to the Golden Rule Campground, where we stayed for two nights. </span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIz4KF5fhEg0Ld7es95779jrhK6rGkXzaNWOJHqAAb2JcM4SikHLOB75E43HugCRa6DqiThbyIgpZBBKR5srOv3VN0-dr9ERqKIIObeerfY0VmQyEaOjw_K_hKdeSmestxYJhMYIRO-jKn/s1600/willits+seabis+sign_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="918" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIz4KF5fhEg0Ld7es95779jrhK6rGkXzaNWOJHqAAb2JcM4SikHLOB75E43HugCRa6DqiThbyIgpZBBKR5srOv3VN0-dr9ERqKIIObeerfY0VmQyEaOjw_K_hKdeSmestxYJhMYIRO-jKn/s320/willits+seabis+sign_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">We drove by this sign on our way to the campground. Ridgewood Ranch is where legendary race horse Seabiscuit trained, recuperated from a ruptured ligament he suffered in a race, and lived out his retirement. When Seabiscuit retired in 1940, he was horse racing's all time leading money winner</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The RV park where we stayed was once part of Ridgewood Ranch.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMePtvaaYnPOINOvCt6WwpARKTt8nboAF6Um4_FPY8v4suFyDmhuRRudj2998Mr18nOheLvRc-Ms-RokUUDuzSPvWIaYPQ9j6zhf7v3pe9GO5y2lJgn_HMdpMi7pW0LS7ojLh0eIKS3G9k/s1600/willits+campsite_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="592" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMePtvaaYnPOINOvCt6WwpARKTt8nboAF6Um4_FPY8v4suFyDmhuRRudj2998Mr18nOheLvRc-Ms-RokUUDuzSPvWIaYPQ9j6zhf7v3pe9GO5y2lJgn_HMdpMi7pW0LS7ojLh0eIKS3G9k/s320/willits+campsite_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Our campsite site at the Golden Rule RV park. </span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4BQqRk9DuLKSw1l6glUA3DGQyeqExjwAoxH6m9L6UHtibZJa5UmYgQw4pofHuHMC06Pw7moZAO9nUq2DhyZ4ajEzJhRP9XIxqU6vNwBjcVf9qi4eFMnVqhPQX9CBEDC0qSzK8LXGhqbr/s1600/willits+arch_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="500" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4BQqRk9DuLKSw1l6glUA3DGQyeqExjwAoxH6m9L6UHtibZJa5UmYgQw4pofHuHMC06Pw7moZAO9nUq2DhyZ4ajEzJhRP9XIxqU6vNwBjcVf9qi4eFMnVqhPQX9CBEDC0qSzK8LXGhqbr/s320/willits+arch_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">In the center of town is the "Willits Arch." Parts of the arch once stood in Reno, Neva, which donated it to Willits and got a new one. The town is named for a settler who arrived in 1857.</span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><b><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">fter the terrible fire last year, a Ukiah, CA, artist held a mosiac workshop for fire survivors. Many of the "Out of the Ashes" items we saw were amazing creations made out of broken glass, melted metal, and other charred or melted objects from homes. The exhibit was at the </span></span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Mendocino County Museum in Willits.</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnY7QlCEshp86wgE8inokCJ9-FG2PekOrYTM3jKTuSjRA5_CC99m7uZEAfM9rIL9KOQEXglCwTf-_nCZfZbveYusaLBeykJrE5CJnxZKWaagIE34JykgsqQ0iyrlsmLsP_pes-QuayQqTb/s1600/willis+art+Jim_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="764" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnY7QlCEshp86wgE8inokCJ9-FG2PekOrYTM3jKTuSjRA5_CC99m7uZEAfM9rIL9KOQEXglCwTf-_nCZfZbveYusaLBeykJrE5CJnxZKWaagIE34JykgsqQ0iyrlsmLsP_pes-QuayQqTb/s320/willis+art+Jim_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>Jim looking at a display about nearby Buddhist retreat that was damaged in the October 2017 fire.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Another "Out of the Ashes" mosaic.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_844wT5QhFkBk6lE57taNGEm7Le_OKGZl2NjilKd2oM3DyVguAk628oTyOu0jS2x4CzpwXFc-vLGc-eakeXhzXQFs8A4Z1ckPKamgVSsQbyCRW30JKRIKVs3HVwOo9bRXibvM5zheCwI/s1600/willits+seabis+statue_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="552" data-original-width="688" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_844wT5QhFkBk6lE57taNGEm7Le_OKGZl2NjilKd2oM3DyVguAk628oTyOu0jS2x4CzpwXFc-vLGc-eakeXhzXQFs8A4Z1ckPKamgVSsQbyCRW30JKRIKVs3HVwOo9bRXibvM5zheCwI/s320/willits+seabis+statue_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This statue of Seabiscuit, his owner Charles Howard, and a physician stands at the Frank Howard Hospital in Willits. Frank's father, Charles Howard, was a benefactor of the hospital. It was named after his 15-year-old son who died in a truck accident in 1926 at the family's nearby Ridgewood Ranch. Howard was an auto magnet and owner of thoroughbred horses, included Seabiscuit.</span></b></td></tr>
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<br />Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-8224995488503693612018-10-19T10:55:00.001-06:002018-10-19T10:55:57.833-06:00Fortuna and Ferndale, California<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>October 8 and 9</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We spent two nights at Riverwalk RV Park in Fortuna, California. It was a short walk across a road to the Eel River, which empties into the Pacific Ocean just nine miles to the west. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Most of our local exploring, however, was done in the nearby smaller town of Ferndale. The the entire town is registered as a California historical landmark with dozens of well preserved Victorian-style homes and business. It's also the site of what we read is the only cattle cemetery in the US. We had to see that.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEv89QduLZp35LDVOh04Hia3mrNQZV07qTHXW7YJSFjzGNQtitMbwacyDz4FB12HQXI1j1PGAA9ilXjsMU9ER76wOfUYXh9Glq72dFM0n7kPBX7JTU8Vfm5iKZBTlM9ZXr3ROCVBEOkp3/s1600/fortuna+river+walk_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="499" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEv89QduLZp35LDVOh04Hia3mrNQZV07qTHXW7YJSFjzGNQtitMbwacyDz4FB12HQXI1j1PGAA9ilXjsMU9ER76wOfUYXh9Glq72dFM0n7kPBX7JTU8Vfm5iKZBTlM9ZXr3ROCVBEOkp3/s320/fortuna+river+walk_Fotor.jpg" width="319" /></span></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The Eel River, as seen from a two mile walking path just across a road from our Fortuna, CA, campground. The Eel River is 196 miles long; along with its tributaries is the third largest watershed entirely in California. </span><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">I read that the city was named when early settlers saw the nearby forests and the river and felt "fortunate" to live there. </span></span></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Above are just a few of the intricately painted and gingerbread-detailed homes and business in tiny (population 1300) Ferndale, California. Some of the buildings are known as "butterfat palaces" because they were built with wealth from the local dairy industry.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmp2VpQZif-dCt2xpMrhFqBIEkLsmCr0z1ERsjcAPaIkyw9s5EKng-39j4AsBTuhFw9XBKLre9Wf0J7YymtAGt_biCmu1dyiI1wPFL75Knu58XxYC9czjZqVLykcN99f61vnFurnycP6k/s1600/ferndale+cattle+cemetary_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="771" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmp2VpQZif-dCt2xpMrhFqBIEkLsmCr0z1ERsjcAPaIkyw9s5EKng-39j4AsBTuhFw9XBKLre9Wf0J7YymtAGt_biCmu1dyiI1wPFL75Knu58XxYC9czjZqVLykcN99f61vnFurnycP6k/s320/ferndale+cattle+cemetary_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Jim at Ferndale's Champion Cow Cemetery. It's at the local fairgrounds and the entire "cemetery" consists of three grave markers for Jersey cows. Sunny King Berna was a world butterfat champion; Silken Lady Ruby of Ferndale was a Lifetime Butterfat Champion; and Challengers Joyce VG was a national Jersey milk champion. All were owned by Ferndale dairy farmers.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijcCe8Yvgubgb9PUBu06FbJZsrKY4I-lDT5HXpuFSyJRe0MgQLI_2_TPv98u4gc8Kxm9EyhCa46EPLQn4KsZVEMsCVxmSEDgYsl5ATmf18Rl3cPNeydeji9Fz5crXgIjRvMo_6kNQRH57A/s1600/ferndale+cemetary+2_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="501" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijcCe8Yvgubgb9PUBu06FbJZsrKY4I-lDT5HXpuFSyJRe0MgQLI_2_TPv98u4gc8Kxm9EyhCa46EPLQn4KsZVEMsCVxmSEDgYsl5ATmf18Rl3cPNeydeji9Fz5crXgIjRvMo_6kNQRH57A/s320/ferndale+cemetary+2_Fotor.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">And then we stumbled across the Historic Ferndale Cemetery, which climbs a hill near downtown. </span></b><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGFS-MzR7SAsjMbFpBEg5YU5alZk6fvfKXIWwwNTKyATF9OurU7eF8U0K90eU-152oHUePXZsR7Zvu1Ft6KdhzbERyyRXFUPFqVKbBSC1p041imhtMFo-37ASLwy4vt9rGNzfEoXVQv2T/s1600/ferndalte+cem+view_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="724" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGFS-MzR7SAsjMbFpBEg5YU5alZk6fvfKXIWwwNTKyATF9OurU7eF8U0K90eU-152oHUePXZsR7Zvu1Ft6KdhzbERyyRXFUPFqVKbBSC1p041imhtMFo-37ASLwy4vt9rGNzfEoXVQv2T/s320/ferndalte+cem+view_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The Cemetery also has a wonderful view of the the city of Ferndale. Ferndale is 260 miles from San Francisco but 40 structures were damaged by that 1906 quake and almost all of the cities chimneys fell to the ground.</span></b></td></tr>
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<br />Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-87597775886288606662018-10-17T10:39:00.001-06:002018-10-17T10:39:14.266-06:00In Northern California Near Crescent City<div style="color: #444444; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;"><i>October 6 and 7</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">We are at a beautiful northern California RV campground called Redwood RV Resort, and parked among huge trees. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">Our first night we got settled in and wandered around the park with our dogs. The second day we drove to the Hiouchi visitors center of the Redwood National and California State Parks, which have established a cooperative management effort. Together they manage one national and three northern California state parks covering 105,516 acres. Per the park brochure, those parks have 36 percent of the old growth redwood forests.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">Jim asked the rangers for a recommendation of where we could hike with our dogs. A very enthusiastic ranger gave us advice about that, recommended a scenic bypass on our way to our next stop, and even recommended a GPS system made especially for RVs (it’s called Garmin 769 RV, he said.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">When we got to the trail, however, a sign said “No Dogs.” We weren't sure if the sign was old, or if in the ranger's enthusiasm to describe a favorite hike he didn’t hear the word "dog."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">So we went with the first and kept the dogs on literal short leashes. In retrospect and after some research, it was a no dogs hike. We try to be responsible dog owners, so our apologies to the beautiful trail. We will not do that again. But as usual, we packed out all dog "by products."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">Later we drove into Crescent City, about eight miles north of our campground, to get some groceries. I read online that Crescent City is susceptible to tsunamis and that a large part of the city was destroyed by a tsunamis caused by the 1964 earthquake near Anchorage. in 2011 the city's harbor was damaged by tsunamis after the 2011 earthquake near Sendai, Japan.Thirty-one tsunamis have hit Crescent City since 1933.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">One of our first views (this trip) of the Pacific Ocean as we drove from Coos Bay, OR toward Crescent City, CA. It's a typical Oregon coast scene: pretty beaches and big rocks.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Our RV site at Redwoods RV Resort. <span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; text-align: start;">Jim saw a light peaking though the trees and thought it was some sort of streetlight -- until he realized it was a sliver of sunlight beaming through the heavy tree canopy.</span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;"> </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;">We are not getting a lot of natural light in this spot.</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Bev and Maddie on the four-mile out and back Hiouchi Trail at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. The tree we are standing in front has a hole near the bottom that we walked through.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>Jim and Arlo admiring a stand of redwoods. Per our park brochure, some of the redwoods along the Pacific coast are 2,000 years old.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">At our campground: A fallen redwood becomes a "nurse log," providing water and nutrients to a seedling that sprouted on top of it. Now that seedling is another very big tree. </span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A few redwood pinecones Bev picked up in the campground. So tiny. </span></b> </td></tr>
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Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-42086337401945567732018-10-15T17:19:00.001-06:002018-10-15T17:19:52.714-06:00Coos Bay<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I'm many days and one state behind on the blog, so I'm going to start adding dates. That way when I look at the blog in the future, I'll know when we were actually at a certain place</i>. <i>And so will you.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>October 4 and 5</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;">From Corvallis we drove to the Oregon Coast town of Florence, turned left and started down Highway 101 South. We traveled parts of it before and it's beautiful. But it's also curvy, bumpy, and something we just might not do again in the motorhome. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First stop was Coos Bay, Oregon, the largest city on the Oregon coast with around 16,000 people. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our tow car battery was dead again when we got to our RV Park. I called AAA for the second time this trip; the customer service rep (who later told me he was in Arizona) thought "Coos Bay" was a pretty weird name. Originally known as Marshfield, the city gets it name from the Coos Indians, one of several area tribes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Coos Bay looked a little economically depressed to us. Maybe it was the fact that it rained pretty much constantly the one full day we were there. Or maybe it was because we were just off a very active week with family and in Corvallis, and needed a "down time" stop. Sorry, Coos Bay. We probably gave you short shrift.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The McCollouch Memorial Bridge spans the bay on the north side of the city of Coos Bay. It was built in 1936 and is named for Conde McCullough who designed (or helped design) this bridge and ten others on Oregon's section of US Highway 101 -- plus over 600 others. The bridge above is on the National Register of Historic Places and is 5,305 feet long.</span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Some ships seen in downtown Coos Bay. Coos Bay was historically a ship building and lumber center. But per the web, <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;">forest products (isn't that lumber?) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;">tourism</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;">fishing</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"> and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;">agriculture</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"> now dominate the Coos County economy.</span></span></b><br />
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<br />Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-56280648813502452782018-10-14T19:01:00.000-06:002018-10-15T11:50:13.259-06:00Corvallis, Oregon<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next stop was Corvallis, Oregon, home of Oregon State University where Jim got his degree in forestry -- plus most of his hoodies and many of his baseball caps.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We stayed at the Benton Oaks RV Park at the Benton County Fairgrounds in Corvallis. I wished I had taken photos of the campground. While the sites themselves weren't anything special, the setting was pretty darn nice for a fairgrounds campground, with a huge grove of big oaks in the middle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I kept thinking "why do they call it 'Benton' Oaks?" Turns out to be the most logical of answers: Benton is the name of the county. Thomas Hart Benton served as a US senator from Missouri 1821-1851 and advocated for westward expansion of the US, including control over the territory that is now the state of Oregon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We walked and drove all over Corvallis and the campus and took the dogs to two dog parks. We had lunch at a McMenamins, a local chain that buys historic buildings, restores them, and turn them into pubs, hotels, and breweries. And Jim stocked up on his Oregon State gear.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Oregon state has an experimental turf field next to our Corvallis campground. They also had master gardener plots still in bloom.</span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Oregon State won the most recent college baseball championship, held last summer in Omaha.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Oregon State's mascot is the beaver and there are beavers galore on campus. This guy is a door knob at the student union...</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">.<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">..And this guy -- named Bennie -- posed with Jim in the student union.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The Oregon State University campus. With 28,000 students its the largest university in Oregon.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Maddie, Arlo and Jim at one of the two dog parks we visited. This one was not fenced so we kept the dogs on leash - both of then are too prone to run off, usually with Maddie in the lead and Arlo willingly joining in.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIUINWUELAuDFJt1ChY5DEvn6iNsmBJueqpZAjPOEzFEiNiDHnRR-0uzqe1uXqO_HvwXd1TtiR0nNtehLdmnfWGc7zgT0_pyf_TWjtTzSQvHfDudO4VoaXgcTlQo9nOlCtaTjceKvN8Evl/s1600/cor+jim%2527shouse_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="474" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIUINWUELAuDFJt1ChY5DEvn6iNsmBJueqpZAjPOEzFEiNiDHnRR-0uzqe1uXqO_HvwXd1TtiR0nNtehLdmnfWGc7zgT0_pyf_TWjtTzSQvHfDudO4VoaXgcTlQo9nOlCtaTjceKvN8Evl/s320/cor+jim%2527shouse_Fotor.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Jim found one of the apartments he lived in while going to Oregon State in 1973-74 and is standing in from of his former home. They were new at the time and Jim said they were especially nice for a guy who had recently gotten out of the Navy. He loved that the door of this one opens to a woods. They still look nice.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKzeIM1A0s4WoW8kfG6wr4ru1Y4xswGR37e-hlHPsfGi4hlPvYD7jy-udXCq5uDIT5KR5YN4pBSJQy7Cq8bNKnBOkTPgLXjQtBhF0znrI3mqM8LSqfebSTAAIVjQmLnw3Lwh8IQKNguMX/s1600/cor+no+bikepickles_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="787" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKzeIM1A0s4WoW8kfG6wr4ru1Y4xswGR37e-hlHPsfGi4hlPvYD7jy-udXCq5uDIT5KR5YN4pBSJQy7Cq8bNKnBOkTPgLXjQtBhF0znrI3mqM8LSqfebSTAAIVjQmLnw3Lwh8IQKNguMX/s320/cor+no+bikepickles_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">As seen in downtown Corvallis: No bikes and ... no large pickles? Tubular vegetables? Blimps? The list is endless, although it's probably skateboards.</span></b></td></tr>
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Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-13708250256224726342018-10-12T10:14:00.001-06:002018-10-12T10:14:24.274-06:00Silverton, Oregon<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">After two days in Season and Lee's yard in Stayton, we moved to nearby (18 miles away) Silver Spur RV Park in Silverton, Oregon. Big RV park, plenty of room to walk the dogs, and other than terrible signage it worked for us. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Silverton is a great small town. We were there three days and barely scratched the surface of things to see and do. We'll go back next time we visit Season and her family. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Day One we hiked a trail at </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Silver Falls State Park </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">with Season, Lee and their boys. The park allows </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 14px;">dogs</span><span style="font-size: 14px;"> on some trails, so we took Arlo and Maddie. Day Two, Jim and I explored Silverton which has lots of antique and second hand shops. I bought a pin for $3 and earrings for $2. Day Three we toured the Oregon Garden, a beautiful 80-acre botanical garden -- which again allowed dogs -- and includes a Frank Lloyd Wright house. Over the two days we went to </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">two brew pubs: Silver Falls and Seven Brides -- we liked Silver Falls the best. Better food, better beer, better atmosphere. For us, anyway. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPI0fueLAa6FEluO8kQzkDOLdpeJFAPilAstA3_6zsRkPsTv67x5RYPVHN-J7wNQn1w-ocoQaLetBG1uBecrc_FmP7elAOX831gW5uNZ_DsrIsYhHyArot2ozI0n2o0orMlpqi-Nqvd0w/s1600/silverton+narver+family_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="658" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPI0fueLAa6FEluO8kQzkDOLdpeJFAPilAstA3_6zsRkPsTv67x5RYPVHN-J7wNQn1w-ocoQaLetBG1uBecrc_FmP7elAOX831gW5uNZ_DsrIsYhHyArot2ozI0n2o0orMlpqi-Nqvd0w/s320/silverton+narver+family_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">We did a three-mile hike at Silver Falls State Park near Silverton with, L to R: grandson Owen, daughter Season, grandson Connor, SIL Lee, Jim and Arlo. Silver Falls is Oregon's largest state park and has a 177-foot waterfall that you can walk behind. We didn't get to the waterfall this time -- next time we will.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXiZSTeSWXMVkj_YcZYs0js7snBn9FGSWh_4WiuG8IoNshTVSt0zPp4R7kh7HvIk-DTxY7urkBZozR3Mm5mLgeD62WWfBossv41ytofj4UjMFbPkYyFOj6a3Vj2iK-zhNQ0LDF446nP0_/s1600/silverton+ar+treeswater_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="792" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXiZSTeSWXMVkj_YcZYs0js7snBn9FGSWh_4WiuG8IoNshTVSt0zPp4R7kh7HvIk-DTxY7urkBZozR3Mm5mLgeD62WWfBossv41ytofj4UjMFbPkYyFOj6a3Vj2iK-zhNQ0LDF446nP0_/s320/silverton+ar+treeswater_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A scene from the Oregon Garden, which is pet friendly. They had us bring our dogs through the gift shop, which seemed a little odd, but no gifts were destroyed by anyone's tail. </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMI6JxZSz5RLDBJJbPALBJ0nIkn4qYlIAq3DPl1plxpVHf2c5b5U3baqusxEXV1YdQss9M7Bs9VgYSdBGbGdrQLwq1Ko2dwYsExJSA9usKxp1dzdkPZFHeN5pWiQP51joOvIYC8UNC7dvC/s1600/silverton+arb+fir+treees_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMI6JxZSz5RLDBJJbPALBJ0nIkn4qYlIAq3DPl1plxpVHf2c5b5U3baqusxEXV1YdQss9M7Bs9VgYSdBGbGdrQLwq1Ko2dwYsExJSA9usKxp1dzdkPZFHeN5pWiQP51joOvIYC8UNC7dvC/s320/silverton+arb+fir+treees_Fotor.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Jim and Arlo at the conifer area of the Oregon Garden. Including the conifer area, there are 20 specialty gardens.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsjk6hjyx84nqBoDp2lIgVR9g6FiYmZkI6P0yKNlbYQzq5PI2jwvovgfUfHxmyxcB4s2r3AwOcLWDHPYSbHnV6AkaSmSNULHfpnMyUgssMreLzncigDOgRDKQRUXBJadwAA28qMPmB0Ln/s1600/silverton+jim+arb_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsjk6hjyx84nqBoDp2lIgVR9g6FiYmZkI6P0yKNlbYQzq5PI2jwvovgfUfHxmyxcB4s2r3AwOcLWDHPYSbHnV6AkaSmSNULHfpnMyUgssMreLzncigDOgRDKQRUXBJadwAA28qMPmB0Ln/s320/silverton+jim+arb_Fotor.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">You can barely see Jim, but he's in the middle of this Oregon Garden photo going up steps with Arlo.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKBsWmTYjZ9PVkzKR5Bt7RFU8WmrU9gEEhnU742ePG1kbSM_KVwWMKCs2AApNgyYGpydosRSmiy4q2IAM3Jms_hJBzVVzoaRCbgb2Tj0e6zgm-Oc3ACIxXapd-LVr-6AYFRIdTmGH2khz/s1600/silverton+bobbiedog_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="683" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKBsWmTYjZ9PVkzKR5Bt7RFU8WmrU9gEEhnU742ePG1kbSM_KVwWMKCs2AApNgyYGpydosRSmiy4q2IAM3Jms_hJBzVVzoaRCbgb2Tj0e6zgm-Oc3ACIxXapd-LVr-6AYFRIdTmGH2khz/s320/silverton+bobbiedog_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A downtown Silverton memorial to "Bobbie," a dog who was lost by his Silverton family while they were visiting relatives in Indiana in 1923. Per the story, Bobbie found his way back to his family's home and became a celebrity once his story got out. People who said they saw/fed/cared for Bobbie on his journey wrote to the family. From these letters it was determined that Bobbie may have traveled 3,000 miles.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMv9nQX_NXSly6AUD6QzqRu9MkscTypQfdJvZbuJo8dzq6GggPLVp4e15xUMc35yWEVYtJr62bMseb3UvwfgeZsaPv1Rw5cNw69Vdk5d9iukDuVjCSFlh5kh0DI4IjTf09PVHsO3cIey9n/s1600/silverton+brew+pub_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMv9nQX_NXSly6AUD6QzqRu9MkscTypQfdJvZbuJo8dzq6GggPLVp4e15xUMc35yWEVYtJr62bMseb3UvwfgeZsaPv1Rw5cNw69Vdk5d9iukDuVjCSFlh5kh0DI4IjTf09PVHsO3cIey9n/s320/silverton+brew+pub_Fotor.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">When my Mom sees photos like these she says "Did you really eat that much food?" Yes, Mom. We did. But my grilled cheese sandwich and Jim's sliders </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">at the Silver Falls Brewery </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">were both lunch and dinner that day.</span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVhKDYZBv2GaHl_KquIY12GcP1bXTSia_Oy5VOlg1vJ3DTMujKWm-ujqPmEbUQ1R0MHoQEtKu93H5mKdz8pZfQnX5Z577XGZTl2M1ZQSUAfxPb-8fIph67Hxl-zhAC8fiw3PfPlKXH5Y4y/s1600/silverton+frank+lloyd_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="653" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVhKDYZBv2GaHl_KquIY12GcP1bXTSia_Oy5VOlg1vJ3DTMujKWm-ujqPmEbUQ1R0MHoQEtKu93H5mKdz8pZfQnX5Z577XGZTl2M1ZQSUAfxPb-8fIph67Hxl-zhAC8fiw3PfPlKXH5Y4y/s320/silverton+frank+lloyd_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This Frank Loyd Wright-designed home is part of the Oregon Garden. It was designed in 1957 and completed in 1963, four years after Wright's death. It was one of his last designs meant for "working class" Americans.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXwz3C1PTiCyAhhBvnLSBYEfCNFF2xqI1is4hknq6Wn91FI8udVbsljryjB6Q-p9zBszBeB6KzJP5EkBpl7OkhA2WYboBiB5NKW_PC_KDM7RXnX0ci56jZps7zWuzqpTFvI4RSZ8FvRYY/s1600/silverton+murals_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="765" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXwz3C1PTiCyAhhBvnLSBYEfCNFF2xqI1is4hknq6Wn91FI8udVbsljryjB6Q-p9zBszBeB6KzJP5EkBpl7OkhA2WYboBiB5NKW_PC_KDM7RXnX0ci56jZps7zWuzqpTFvI4RSZ8FvRYY/s320/silverton+murals_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Like a lot of town we visit, Silverton has murals painted on building walls. This one honors NASA astronaut Don Pettit, who was raised in Silverton, traveled twice to the international space station, and per NASA's web site is still an active astronaut.</span></b></td></tr>
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Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-51987421605829963642018-10-07T20:52:00.001-06:002018-10-07T20:52:46.965-06:00Family Time in Stayton<div style="color: #444444; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After Sisters, we drove west to daughter Season and SIL Lee’s home in Stayton, Oregon, which is near Salem. Season and Lee have a big yard, a creek, huge trees and plenty of room to park the rig and tow car. Not to mention two of our grandsons. And then there are the chickens, rabbits, dogs, and reptiles. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We “camped” in their yard for two nights, went out to dinner with them in Salem, and had a great enchilada dinner made by Season. We walked our dogs all over their property, Maddie took of after their bunnies, Arlo took off after a deer, and the boys roamed between their house and our motor home. And none of their livestock was injured by our livestock.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1BhRkkVz55rpW6MeR1rncnop91sHsAwwP0qlA7ONwnUBZhBxM-wZS3_qRfXGR7IhGHc1wnhNY146u9tNl-cZOz7bdJem18CiOuUaNuQYF8QIt7SVvCAn_tIJz7uZqaIzpdJGIJZXynC2/s1600/stayton+yard+rig_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="776" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1BhRkkVz55rpW6MeR1rncnop91sHsAwwP0qlA7ONwnUBZhBxM-wZS3_qRfXGR7IhGHc1wnhNY146u9tNl-cZOz7bdJem18CiOuUaNuQYF8QIt7SVvCAn_tIJz7uZqaIzpdJGIJZXynC2/s320/stayton+yard+rig_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11.199999809265137px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Season and Lee have a big front yard with a forest and creek in the back yard. We parked in front of their big garden.</span></b><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzt-gZ0VpYdskL0yKPDEne78Z8_V8JKwKCbW1ITh_brtIvyN_XBDWc0hZKDlHapcs-LSrMGdnZIDupNeuHCJnBugIZpYSOXCkP0Qy1BcrCVOvyU_pCWMg_xoknFYUXEGo-OYDEsYtslVE/s1600/staydton+owenmaddie_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="763" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzt-gZ0VpYdskL0yKPDEne78Z8_V8JKwKCbW1ITh_brtIvyN_XBDWc0hZKDlHapcs-LSrMGdnZIDupNeuHCJnBugIZpYSOXCkP0Qy1BcrCVOvyU_pCWMg_xoknFYUXEGo-OYDEsYtslVE/s320/staydton+owenmaddie_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Grandson Owen is nine, in the fourth grade, and posing with Maddie in our sleeping loft .</span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Seven-year-old Connor in the sleeping loft with Maddie. I think Connor explored every corner of our RV.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Chicken Hedda thinks she's a dog and always wants in the house.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQybNkno0fiHAEDsWuK70ZrD2Cpo8tD73YlZGfdeivkS6uJTEXumZlQ7KK4n0huUIjO4ZjCbVagaJTGo814kbHbFcUHLY29Qt9rkAxTRfjkAXuapxxGc5TV8EwhwdP9alpilpVThTSLNz/s1600/stayton+blue_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1002" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQybNkno0fiHAEDsWuK70ZrD2Cpo8tD73YlZGfdeivkS6uJTEXumZlQ7KK4n0huUIjO4ZjCbVagaJTGo814kbHbFcUHLY29Qt9rkAxTRfjkAXuapxxGc5TV8EwhwdP9alpilpVThTSLNz/s320/stayton+blue_Fotor.jpg" width="303" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">One of two roosters. This guy seemed like top rooster and is named Blue.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkl8es44J3BT-2OGS4Yi2Ws4s0vxS2vC0fhClD8fwsX_FUmX-2-4yuNxiTSjtb3xLfHyL0qRmVQeU90c_rIad4hmlC3HVaBO2hv9sZjkPluZErnByhSfKOr1xGqzftr7ARVo2ElZ7_rdNI/s1600/stayton+lizard_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="607" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkl8es44J3BT-2OGS4Yi2Ws4s0vxS2vC0fhClD8fwsX_FUmX-2-4yuNxiTSjtb3xLfHyL0qRmVQeU90c_rIad4hmlC3HVaBO2hv9sZjkPluZErnByhSfKOr1xGqzftr7ARVo2ElZ7_rdNI/s320/stayton+lizard_Fotor.jpg" width="314" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Season and Lee have a lizard and a snake. Here she's feeding Mr. Lizard who -- if you look closely -- is in mid grab of a meal worm. Mr. Lizard has an actual name, but I had a hard enough time trying to remember the chicken names, let alone names for a lizard and a snake. :) </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Connor, Season, Owen, and Lee on Monday Night Football night. Jim told Lee he had his "full Amish" on; Lee said we should have seen his beard earlier as he'd just done a major trim.</span></b><br />
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Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-23029739740844662452018-10-01T23:33:00.001-06:002018-10-01T23:33:05.876-06:00Bend and Sisters, Oregon <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next stops were Bend and Sisters, two great places in Oregon for the outdoorsy crowd. In Bend we did one of our favorite outdoorsy activities and another less outdoorsy one: visiting dog parks and brew pubs. We did two of each, and a good time was had by both humans and canines. In Sisters --where Jim once fought a nearby forest fire -- we walked the dogs on two long trails and walked ourselves in and around the many tourist shops. Jim bought a heavier long-sleeved shirt and Bev bought a sweater wrap. And we went to a brew pub. Of course.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXDVvbVq5WHgymiIZG7HQt4a3sni-gauHRzaSg-xsV75052ECdoI9dfkyu0S6UadKIkjLGJHBeYb0VHyzQ78YRd7HWC8pb4wyEpr5a6Z34twpDI1FFKx2Osx4rfz2Rha-gBFN95R5v1QF/s1600/bend+beer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1153" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXDVvbVq5WHgymiIZG7HQt4a3sni-gauHRzaSg-xsV75052ECdoI9dfkyu0S6UadKIkjLGJHBeYb0VHyzQ78YRd7HWC8pb4wyEpr5a6Z34twpDI1FFKx2Osx4rfz2Rha-gBFN95R5v1QF/s320/bend+beer.jpg" width="284" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">In Bend we visited the Cascade Lakes and Sun River Breweries. Above is the sampler -- if you can call six 6-ounce glasses samples -- we got at Cascade Lakes. Jim likes IPAs and I like stouts and porters, and we thought the beer at Sun River was better.</span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OZxfjtWkZZ20GxznsbDUd4MakXFNSZvOC5exS9UcbbkXeTjrhIfcWXxkREfwOk3n7zPYAsYwMGG95MSA2Uz2xkTZACvVI8mzGeN7dwzwZj_S8ojJsf6FGK_mAFwuBGZ77OffiGZu_692/s1600/bend+sage_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="837" data-original-width="1600" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OZxfjtWkZZ20GxznsbDUd4MakXFNSZvOC5exS9UcbbkXeTjrhIfcWXxkREfwOk3n7zPYAsYwMGG95MSA2Uz2xkTZACvVI8mzGeN7dwzwZj_S8ojJsf6FGK_mAFwuBGZ77OffiGZu_692/s320/bend+sage_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Bend is full of dog parks and people parks. This path of flowering sage was between the Deschutes River and one of Bend's 8 off-leash dog parks.</span></b><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3fFMxrZa_T4C4VLYZXcgu9R973yo9FBiFDHpqWag2lE6HCWGdxfpVyrvFTWQmfDlcv5OAwvRe3oPkxLIAaJGDgvL9_f5N8cchxLax4jlHhAibm2CVVZHTtfX-uUc6WAXQuwZRXf1RD-r9/s1600/bend+mountain_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="671" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3fFMxrZa_T4C4VLYZXcgu9R973yo9FBiFDHpqWag2lE6HCWGdxfpVyrvFTWQmfDlcv5OAwvRe3oPkxLIAaJGDgvL9_f5N8cchxLax4jlHhAibm2CVVZHTtfX-uUc6WAXQuwZRXf1RD-r9/s320/bend+mountain_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Riverbend Park in Bend, Oregon, with a view of Black Butte -- an extinct volcano -- in the background.</span></b><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgrxvODdXlzpd-TxKWAiGsLhwVAZRRVcWEsPnX1EKIpg_Knlv8emQArrrch1KVEb-WLB5CQhDK3Ndm4nUUVzFgQCwCBDZDID60JyLQwT3WyjD-F4t8JZMh70N6cxZ5Eo7KVu1nIHyQkrn/s1600/sisters+arlo_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="401" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgrxvODdXlzpd-TxKWAiGsLhwVAZRRVcWEsPnX1EKIpg_Knlv8emQArrrch1KVEb-WLB5CQhDK3Ndm4nUUVzFgQCwCBDZDID60JyLQwT3WyjD-F4t8JZMh70N6cxZ5Eo7KVu1nIHyQkrn/s320/sisters+arlo_Fotor.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Arlo hanging out in the RV at Sister, Oregon. We stayed at the Sisters/Bend Garden RV Resort. It was pricey: $60 a night with an AAA discount -- if that's not the most we've ever paid, it's got to be near the top. But it was beautiful with lovely walking paths, lots of greenery and flowers, a long dog walking area, and access to a huge field for the dogs.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>Tourism is a big part of the economy for both Bend and Sisters, and probably more so in Sisters. Oregon State Route 20 goes through downtown Sisters; the street is full of shops like this garden ornament store.</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">A montage of license plates </span>honoring<span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> Jim's favorite college team, as seen in a tourist shop in Sisters. That's us outlined in the reflection of the store window.</span></b></span></td></tr>
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Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-12996714077150119472018-09-26T21:21:00.000-06:002018-09-26T21:23:21.649-06:00Do Not Drink the Water<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After one night each in Heyburn and Bruneau Dunes, we did two more one-nighters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">First stop was Bully Creek Reservoir Campground, a county-owned park about ten miles west of the tiny town of Vale. Vale was the first Oregon stop for pioneers on the Oregon Trail.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">When we made reservations and again when we checked in, we were advised to NOT drink the water as it contains arsenic. We were also told that it should take about 50 years of ingesting it before the water would probably cause any real damage. But, added the camp host, "none of us drink it." A flyer indicated that arsenic levels are nearly 30 times higher than what’s supposed to be safe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">So we didn’t drink the water. </span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But we enjoyed walking around the tranquil, wooded </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">campground, which has 40 campsites with electricity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Next stop was Burns, Oregon, named for the Scottish poet Robert Burns, says the city website. Burns is the county seat of Harney County Oregon; the city website says Harney County is the seventh largest county (by area) in the US and bigger than some states.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Jim and I have driven through and near this area several times before, and decided that we would stay in as many new-to-us campgrounds/towns as possible. So we looked for a place that had good reviews and chose the Burns RV Park. Only to realize when we pulled in that we had been there before. Oh well. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">L</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ast time we didn't even unhook our tow car -- we just just hunkered in for the night. This time we needed groceries, so we found a nice Safeway and </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">did some exploring. But I didn't take a single photo in Burns. Sorry Burns.You are a very nice town.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWksov40WsFdXVqeQvfcu-EWVxICSbx3qGIFwWfbjIUVRx3QmoWhwc5nATaxevzLMW7ANdyQ7Uo6i6v_uMRjs1E5DNvDEZj4yTBMH5kjABlIcO1DJ390nrthdhx3BV5Sp5ST4D58BrhYM9/s1600/a+onion+truck_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="362" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWksov40WsFdXVqeQvfcu-EWVxICSbx3qGIFwWfbjIUVRx3QmoWhwc5nATaxevzLMW7ANdyQ7Uo6i6v_uMRjs1E5DNvDEZj4yTBMH5kjABlIcO1DJ390nrthdhx3BV5Sp5ST4D58BrhYM9/s320/a+onion+truck_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">On our way to Bruneau Dunes we drove behind a double semi truck load of straw, which created a windstorm of bedding until the truck exited I-84 after about 50 miles. Then we followed the above big load of onions most of the way to Bully Creek, and onions flew off the entire time. Jim was going to pass it, but stayed way behind because he wasn't sure how much windshield damage could be caused by a flying onion. If you look closely you can see the truck was still losing onions as it took the exit ramp.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXy3KzhgIxeqGIMlify002pDjV8FtmsytEPju3yNAzwT5eIrSlL_zlVNzHLuxSn0BgMb5-AU3zQTe5fyO3LLxNmY6zAmFX3UCYK_9fmcnmCgwGevuMZUiVp3Xi_tZyDb9sce2v1ObET_wI/s1600/a+bully+campsite+close_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="980" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXy3KzhgIxeqGIMlify002pDjV8FtmsytEPju3yNAzwT5eIrSlL_zlVNzHLuxSn0BgMb5-AU3zQTe5fyO3LLxNmY6zAmFX3UCYK_9fmcnmCgwGevuMZUiVp3Xi_tZyDb9sce2v1ObET_wI/s400/a+bully+campsite+close_Fotor.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Our camping spot at the Bully Creek Reservoir near Vale, Oregon. Bully Creek is a tributary to the Malheur River, which in turn is a 190-mile-long tributary to the Snake River.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUTlD_ik1Imz71DhB_iJSTAF1VryeuQSnA09K5awqKUOnNpZHX7oQWmWDJOS8Ovskfj_M8xvaeugwRHSDSyfxKqtH6tHmdmQpgqMg6p9V2LIL8osNmiCtBbn7ar8eBSk-NUlKHNO1XTglz/s1600/a+bully+larger_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="727" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUTlD_ik1Imz71DhB_iJSTAF1VryeuQSnA09K5awqKUOnNpZHX7oQWmWDJOS8Ovskfj_M8xvaeugwRHSDSyfxKqtH6tHmdmQpgqMg6p9V2LIL8osNmiCtBbn7ar8eBSk-NUlKHNO1XTglz/s400/a+bully+larger_Fotor.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">That's our rig and Bully Creek campsite near the center of the photo, which was taken from land that was once under water. Obviously the reservoir is way down. The dam that created the crescent shaped reservoir was built in 1963.</span></b><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1JlXgvfsaYn0ucTxYnoljS7k7otmgjpMLgw_-5jY8qsfwYUhd82rx7I74mnijB4EYuKrkvaUHB7TLW-zaWt3b9JU3yIFXP5RJSy8pntiD5Wi2doqXdp1g0l8SEEJdh5_R828HEEXVjttZ/s1600/a+bully+dry+dock_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="753" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1JlXgvfsaYn0ucTxYnoljS7k7otmgjpMLgw_-5jY8qsfwYUhd82rx7I74mnijB4EYuKrkvaUHB7TLW-zaWt3b9JU3yIFXP5RJSy8pntiD5Wi2doqXdp1g0l8SEEJdh5_R828HEEXVjttZ/s400/a+bully+dry+dock_Fotor.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A boat dock at Bully Creek Reservoir is yards away from the water.</span></b></td></tr>
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<br />Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-85428846231493614732018-09-25T12:28:00.003-06:002018-09-25T12:33:30.054-06:00Going north for now<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After a five month hiatus, we are on the road. We had a great summer and I’ll blog a bit about that later. But now I want to write about now.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We headed north from our home in Salt Lake City, pulling our shiny new-to-us tow car. Whose battery died after 100 miles.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So we pulled off the road, detached the brake on the toad, pulled the lifeless car to the Riverside RV Park in Heyburn, Idaho, and called Triple A. After a successful jump we settled in at a very pretty RV park. Then we explored Heyburn and nearby Burley. Burley was named for a railroad official and has a population of about 10,000 people. Heyburn has about 3,000 residents and was named for a former senator. Per Wikipedia, the region got a big economic boost when In 2012 Chobani opened the world's largest yogurt processing plant in nearby Twin Falls.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next day we drove the car and the RV separately to Bruneau Dunes State Park near tiny Hammett, Idaho. It was another lovely stop. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Both days Jim did some research on our towing situation. A</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">lthough our 2013 Honda CRV towed just fine when we did a test trip last month, apparently </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a fancier car needs a fancier brake set up. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> So we'll work on that.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAjJVz7wpL2GkapvRDdTbF9nok0sJlQKtiwQrBebvy6WbH91SjrmzNdbnFVG_U9AVKMbmOCXw73c6TehzZs0IDF33JZVaToy8zXAoA6-mV0fi5gUAbgZl6QWpKghG2JOPk3NLzBDU_XEf/s1600/heyburn+snake+river+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="792" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAjJVz7wpL2GkapvRDdTbF9nok0sJlQKtiwQrBebvy6WbH91SjrmzNdbnFVG_U9AVKMbmOCXw73c6TehzZs0IDF33JZVaToy8zXAoA6-mV0fi5gUAbgZl6QWpKghG2JOPk3NLzBDU_XEf/s320/heyburn+snake+river+view.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">View of the Snake River from a bridge on US 30 and right next to the Heyburn Riverside RV Park. What a great place to stay. </span></b> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhf6_xQXIZ04RYpSTHRCAwYwhyphenhyphenNQMCEWPteLIkWSUs-et4gLG52w58iy-mQh_YhB5RojB6Iw_Cc2XuY2JbbmwmWGW5Kz-cme_Nu8_QwpnZXqsQsCfDxthfMsOcfLEntChkCuw8flpCrhYt/s1600/heyburn+river+path.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="792" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhf6_xQXIZ04RYpSTHRCAwYwhyphenhyphenNQMCEWPteLIkWSUs-et4gLG52w58iy-mQh_YhB5RojB6Iw_Cc2XuY2JbbmwmWGW5Kz-cme_Nu8_QwpnZXqsQsCfDxthfMsOcfLEntChkCuw8flpCrhYt/s320/heyburn+river+path.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>Jim and Arlo on a path next to the RV park and along the Snake River.</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicI35zm4iD2G96B7E6ijKuXPsGs69KIIn2u0ydobYoGiZk7jjxM2ApyDNG5pRawbbfxEFysQaybyw9fat9tk4DGhuKClKrX6vkyOamLA4DA3_ZqtfA5C0pRpfTYiWNuggUc9-nQOnmGFu0/s1600/heyburn+arboritum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="792" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicI35zm4iD2G96B7E6ijKuXPsGs69KIIn2u0ydobYoGiZk7jjxM2ApyDNG5pRawbbfxEFysQaybyw9fat9tk4DGhuKClKrX6vkyOamLA4DA3_ZqtfA5C0pRpfTYiWNuggUc9-nQOnmGFu0/s320/heyburn+arboritum.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>Part of the path consisted of the Heyburn Arboretum, created about 12 years ago by the city and filled with 200 trees from all over the world -- including exotic ones like rubber trees that you wouldn't think could survive in southern Idaho.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XE2MZQurt1JC4LupTvDDPgzP4DpTK8PbT-JRiJb3jz6Nx-WRmYnPMb9U2dYYVyuycP7J9eRuhobbqAEceAcVapbCBLDdXpfcdEQOM-I-tCaEKh8fsPLAVc0g8buWwotdjWlWwdRDkJks/s1600/heyburn+courthouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="792" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XE2MZQurt1JC4LupTvDDPgzP4DpTK8PbT-JRiJb3jz6Nx-WRmYnPMb9U2dYYVyuycP7J9eRuhobbqAEceAcVapbCBLDdXpfcdEQOM-I-tCaEKh8fsPLAVc0g8buWwotdjWlWwdRDkJks/s320/heyburn+courthouse.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Across the Snake River from Heyburn is the larger city of Burley, which is the county seat of Cassia County, Idaho. Above is their very pretty courthouse. When I first moved to Utah I heard a story on the news about "a Burley woman" and I thought "how rude." But Burley is a well kept town and Burley women -- and men -- should be proud. </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCczpKxktY-9a31lg5BOAK8ihRp2WmnsvOjeEk3nPLZnBHRADWBvrw6YlT4l-YOoMtAkFjHgdgf2jW5AEA-E44wADp3DY7vOvw4HXEKcdOHQmG5Qs7C-mBkgikBbgvVvpuz75yuL1fEXHt/s1600/dune+kids+on_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCczpKxktY-9a31lg5BOAK8ihRp2WmnsvOjeEk3nPLZnBHRADWBvrw6YlT4l-YOoMtAkFjHgdgf2jW5AEA-E44wADp3DY7vOvw4HXEKcdOHQmG5Qs7C-mBkgikBbgvVvpuz75yuL1fEXHt/s320/dune+kids+on_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>People play on the big dune at Bruneau Dunes State Park, near Mountain Home, Idaho, and where we stayed the second night of our trip. The big attraction is sand sledding; the park rents slides so people can cruise down the tallest (470 feet) single structure sand dune in North America. Single structure means the sand hills are connected to one another instead of spread out. Maddie and I climbed to the top of this one. </b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfGuzna9oyLkRAGpjEK20chIpaROk2OvbaUFjNr-KnMVuY0QM7sGzitTK4RKCJAViu2GKG9E3a4WFKKH00yk4KdY_YjMIEpwQw1eMEynX0qi2zYxdt1Iu2DCotwEfxGY8d709YAGNoFJOU/s1600/dune+view+of+campground_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="1600" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfGuzna9oyLkRAGpjEK20chIpaROk2OvbaUFjNr-KnMVuY0QM7sGzitTK4RKCJAViu2GKG9E3a4WFKKH00yk4KdY_YjMIEpwQw1eMEynX0qi2zYxdt1Iu2DCotwEfxGY8d709YAGNoFJOU/s320/dune+view+of+campground_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">View of our campground from the top of the dune. At the right is a star gazing observatory which we didn't visit as there was a full cloud cover the night we were there.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The pink and coral colored plants around the dunes were stunning. They looked soft and fuzzy but were actually hard and prickly -- but still beautiful.</span></b></td></tr>
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Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-75457105045885521012018-04-09T17:25:00.002-06:002018-04-09T17:25:25.956-06:00Cattail Cove State Park, Arizona<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cattail Cove is a great Arizona State Park just south of Lake Havasu City. We stayed there April 3 through April 7. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We really like it and hope to go back. Besides being close to the lake (created by a dam on the Colorado River about ten miles downstream from the park), it has 61 camping spots, a white sand swimming beach, a boat dock, lots of hiking trails, a dog beach (the only one I've ever seen in the years we've camped near water), a big dog walk area, a really nice staff, and ice-cream for sale at the office. Can't beat that. A marina, restaurant, and 70 more camping spots are supposed to be added by next March.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Jim and Arlo on the dog walk path at Cattail Cove. Last fall the Arizona State Park system was named the best managed state park system in the nation. Runners up were Washington, Tennessee, and Wyoming.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQnKh31Ezpof_ZJWbChgxU2GESmpyVkYgtezOMS34i6TPMX3pcjShacZP9BOqGj0piXZAaFUVrSZB4IWrN80411AkwV-1qyVDvxPtl4W17DrvcEIWUAAVIR87V7TB13wVIx_pQxSS0IeWa/s1600/cattail+beach_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="949" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQnKh31Ezpof_ZJWbChgxU2GESmpyVkYgtezOMS34i6TPMX3pcjShacZP9BOqGj0piXZAaFUVrSZB4IWrN80411AkwV-1qyVDvxPtl4W17DrvcEIWUAAVIR87V7TB13wVIx_pQxSS0IeWa/s400/cattail+beach_Fotor.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Cattail Cove swim beach. They must have trucked in tons and tons of white sand. </span></b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsh78abX5nrnXYseg8ugTIwTmArdgYpkJ5VrzOinEbcDUCi1ln0MFOnMnckdJ25PMwSuHe333quQSIP3nE8Oh85XOffhMPdnh6Se0klcmUYz4sK9kOhuFPYbVWHuNcwbPE-oWUQeWgogh/s1600/Maddie+Collage_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsh78abX5nrnXYseg8ugTIwTmArdgYpkJ5VrzOinEbcDUCi1ln0MFOnMnckdJ25PMwSuHe333quQSIP3nE8Oh85XOffhMPdnh6Se0klcmUYz4sK9kOhuFPYbVWHuNcwbPE-oWUQeWgogh/s320/Maddie+Collage_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Maddie at the dog beach. Throw a ball at a dog park and Maddie will most likely ignore it. Throw a stick in the water however, and she's right there. </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1F-kBTtntE4QLEA5KW_KfzrnrjUc8RyW_SLke30RTGfuqrmZGg3ldcUG0ZirWJ8fGPNLl7gyzW8d5zVakpARVsvLYNBrYQRTYPSY98JNcTCHFV-mN6QHymUG4gexp8nWL0Nfo1AuxOka-/s1600/cattail+campground_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="792" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1F-kBTtntE4QLEA5KW_KfzrnrjUc8RyW_SLke30RTGfuqrmZGg3ldcUG0ZirWJ8fGPNLl7gyzW8d5zVakpARVsvLYNBrYQRTYPSY98JNcTCHFV-mN6QHymUG4gexp8nWL0Nfo1AuxOka-/s400/cattail+campground_Fotor.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">The campground. It has water, electricity and a dumpsite.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DHlT8h7V606egVZfnYJ-HoJp6dlAAd8s3VX6L3znqUUd-6Q6SzF1J27P9-Zaz0IAEdMfXLSvFZKKOxsTIWKHFuVJtrdiBQiIe02RxZFnXAVCNn6yQTgR17ZgL0VkgA0r29iMJFOQ03UV/s1600/cattail+entrance_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="588" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DHlT8h7V606egVZfnYJ-HoJp6dlAAd8s3VX6L3znqUUd-6Q6SzF1J27P9-Zaz0IAEdMfXLSvFZKKOxsTIWKHFuVJtrdiBQiIe02RxZFnXAVCNn6yQTgR17ZgL0VkgA0r29iMJFOQ03UV/s320/cattail+entrance_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Front entrance to the well-cared for park. We talked with a couple who have been camp workers there for ten years. They were about to head home to South Dakota after their latest six-month stint.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3xxyELK09zgLEhOa6q1Q1ETz2JSpZMxx2TeRmjUyg_0aYwLtgKoQAoqjoD7gkscHPmI7QOnDtziSqrh7lQ4mjcNtQBKbHanL2QDOnPvYS7-fotCSs_x8j7FYm27kxDsDC90ztDac8Pnu/s1600/cattail+jim+brew+pub_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="895" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3xxyELK09zgLEhOa6q1Q1ETz2JSpZMxx2TeRmjUyg_0aYwLtgKoQAoqjoD7gkscHPmI7QOnDtziSqrh7lQ4mjcNtQBKbHanL2QDOnPvYS7-fotCSs_x8j7FYm27kxDsDC90ztDac8Pnu/s320/cattail+jim+brew+pub_Fotor.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">We spent one afternoon in Lake Havasu City picking up supplies, then went to a brewpub called Hangar 24. It had a lot to choose from in porters and stouts (that I like) and in IPAs (which Jim likes) so we got a flight of four of each kind.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpZUGmVOIpLQqrVmpmfG2PmFZnPOMVvtZLkAAdP_ZfhVuNf1k7kCDHzWE5QLEH7Dpgc1bboUMubSjwZzJ-rZor-WaM0lodtMKkvUc03jixN09CnFGuiX9vlO0b6aSNVvyTliGKpRsdLTu/s1600/cattail+kayak_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="738" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpZUGmVOIpLQqrVmpmfG2PmFZnPOMVvtZLkAAdP_ZfhVuNf1k7kCDHzWE5QLEH7Dpgc1bboUMubSjwZzJ-rZor-WaM0lodtMKkvUc03jixN09CnFGuiX9vlO0b6aSNVvyTliGKpRsdLTu/s320/cattail+kayak_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Jim paddling into Lake Havasu from Cattail Cove's beach. Right after I took this photo the small wave you can see forming rolled water into the kayak. </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvvcJxIo5w3v5ZD_LINhfCnV1NClXUG-r6kkCrzXuh9bUYvWMgQwVFGpFoVPzUk1NaSTPhFtp3OhhaKz-DJSZ_7BhSLU1bdHfIFw2TKCinK9hBHe8QNcBMdYVpV66is83Rx6dOKZp5G2A/s1600/cattail+maddie+bloom_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1488" data-original-width="1600" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvvcJxIo5w3v5ZD_LINhfCnV1NClXUG-r6kkCrzXuh9bUYvWMgQwVFGpFoVPzUk1NaSTPhFtp3OhhaKz-DJSZ_7BhSLU1bdHfIFw2TKCinK9hBHe8QNcBMdYVpV66is83Rx6dOKZp5G2A/s320/cattail+maddie+bloom_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Maddie near blooming blue palo verde trees. Up close the blossoms look like yellow cherry blossoms.</span></b> </td></tr>
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Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-415378619799189172018-04-07T20:51:00.004-06:002018-04-07T20:54:23.837-06:00Chandler, Arizona and friends<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We spent the nights of March 31, April 1 and 2 at a pretty fancy RV park (their website calls it a "boutique" RV park) in Chandler, Arizona, a southern suburb of Phoenix. Chandler is home to lots of high-tech companies including Intel, where Jim used to work. Intel has a chip manufacturing plant there with over 11,000 employees. It's also home to some of the autonomous (self driving) vehicle companies and we saw a lot of those cruising nearby.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We spent part of a day walking around downtown Chandler, which looks like its being torn down and rebuilt. Easter morning we hiked part of a nice trail at South Mountain Park, a Phoenix municipal park and the largest city park in the US per Wikipedia. And there was an outlet mall on the other side of I-10 from where we were staying so I had to go there. Our type of camping is usually closer to deserts and forests (which we like) but I couldn't pass up a trip to a very nearby outlet mall. I did more looking than buying.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But most fun were visits with two friends of mine from my former lives.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First was dinner with a friend from high school who now lives in nearby Mesa. Another day Jim and I drove to North Phoenix to see someone who worked with me at the Postal Service. It was nice to see old friends and catch up.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQjj8kTDgKg-FDTHzR2HiASzUYZiugCsyyS9W8pG7xrr187lUkUchrIrOM3KUkqo9QyTkFzbzoeJRsq2i8Qqz9mxbEUYqUfI1i-u-xiTAVPluV5mKVflXyQ7I5UyU4uuzBni5wJwElLdF/s1600/Chandler+April_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="924" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQjj8kTDgKg-FDTHzR2HiASzUYZiugCsyyS9W8pG7xrr187lUkUchrIrOM3KUkqo9QyTkFzbzoeJRsq2i8Qqz9mxbEUYqUfI1i-u-xiTAVPluV5mKVflXyQ7I5UyU4uuzBni5wJwElLdF/s320/Chandler+April_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Bev and April, who graduated from Wellington, Ohio, High School, class of 1969. I remember going to an alumni meeting the year I graduated. When the 50-year class was introduced I thought "How do those people even walk?" April and I are walking quite well, thank you. Thanks for meeting up with me, April.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOVaRSdI2TV54xSvjU5QBZZ96O7C-uxR_hNqiC1RqNftyi2BlGtXNUg_6GY-wfVAjsMVAh9veGinjZ-7HT1qBLHE3h_CfzdDgKMjpEBEgV7AMuZ2i77lQoedwWn14wCtpcOVRp62bUg-2/s1600/Chandler+campground_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="958" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOVaRSdI2TV54xSvjU5QBZZ96O7C-uxR_hNqiC1RqNftyi2BlGtXNUg_6GY-wfVAjsMVAh9veGinjZ-7HT1qBLHE3h_CfzdDgKMjpEBEgV7AMuZ2i77lQoedwWn14wCtpcOVRp62bUg-2/s640/Chandler+campground_Fotor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">We stayed at MotorCoach Resort in Chandler. The 18-month-old RV park has beautiful desert landscaping, was very clean, and had level cement parking pads. But it was the most expensive place we've ever stayed at $65 a night. I find it hard to find a good RV park at a reasonable rate near Phoenix. A lot of them have age restrictions on motor homes (rigs older than ten years not allowed) or weight restrictions on dogs (no dogs over 20 pounds.) Our rig is a 2003 and our dogs are 40 and 50 pounds so we are a no go on those. Motor Coach Resort disallowed trailers and fifth wheels. Jim said he thought it was because none of their sites were pull throughs, but that's the first I've ever heard of a "no trailers" policy.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8W50zYz_HnwX1Wz5TVEoPph8wP9wIx5NSz3hjc91WxKZJYznVhdkbJplU9VWl82TGoafleseJqAay4M_QA2Um1t1Exws5Sf8Ndk8palE22KN9O0dIeF6BvjBCdnGQY6_GnaVoTPThB_T/s1600/Chandler+dogs+at+window_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8W50zYz_HnwX1Wz5TVEoPph8wP9wIx5NSz3hjc91WxKZJYznVhdkbJplU9VWl82TGoafleseJqAay4M_QA2Um1t1Exws5Sf8Ndk8palE22KN9O0dIeF6BvjBCdnGQY6_GnaVoTPThB_T/s320/Chandler+dogs+at+window_Fotor.jpg" width="264" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Arlo and Maddie looking for who knows what out the window of our RV. Maybe for a trailer trying to make an illegal </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>entrance.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTnvDiSDcdgeiKBuAFvz9hWdDPdBocUh6-NMBVaX1fJ_pJlWEq_RMDqciwGnGgTZUwx2JHmjwvAHmgMht1dzRci8FDKXeWHI9_ck9kojnRD60EGuoP1PoB9Ox2p1cgTbAU-R9Ta-t7kfv/s1600/chandler+fountain_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1328" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTnvDiSDcdgeiKBuAFvz9hWdDPdBocUh6-NMBVaX1fJ_pJlWEq_RMDqciwGnGgTZUwx2JHmjwvAHmgMht1dzRci8FDKXeWHI9_ck9kojnRD60EGuoP1PoB9Ox2p1cgTbAU-R9Ta-t7kfv/s320/chandler+fountain_Fotor.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A fountain at the RV park where we stayed. The park was in an industrial area, just barely off of I-10, and across the freeway from a race car track. But it was very convenient to shopping, restaurants, and all the stuff you need when you travel.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBtrkIk1S2X1BXfcMllRAayVLtS7RKStQaVGLgebbSBwdzK5V19La0hBPM-6st8d7PnR5kJrBZGtwgg6xuFCtRe8FjPz2BSf7oM4CdjdPu_EnglyyYCMeoeHDKnyPMrqy-A_mCmtmGGDh/s1600/Chandler-+Bev+and+Craig_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="725" data-original-width="715" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBtrkIk1S2X1BXfcMllRAayVLtS7RKStQaVGLgebbSBwdzK5V19La0hBPM-6st8d7PnR5kJrBZGtwgg6xuFCtRe8FjPz2BSf7oM4CdjdPu_EnglyyYCMeoeHDKnyPMrqy-A_mCmtmGGDh/s320/Chandler-+Bev+and+Craig_Fotor.jpg" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Craig and I worked together at a USPS Law Department in Utah. He and his wife Maryanne now live in North Phoenix. Craig listened to the radio at work and was my news source -- he reminded me that he's the one who told me Elizabeth Smart had been found (just a couple of block from our office) nine months after being kidnapped. When Craig retired I became way behind on the latest news.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOF0w9sFjuapIUU3TjyDrxVBSeoHJZDwPmoZQXzFE0NmdLL8Kak_2ljvXf16RvqWubWcbNB3U9NDGqnCVPAWc6DtWuyZ1oAVEEGDUkQc18J3XrocIfQp0YqcqjAxbR6kvcPblzNLtEAGo/s1600/Chandler-+Craig+and+Maryanne_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="984" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOF0w9sFjuapIUU3TjyDrxVBSeoHJZDwPmoZQXzFE0NmdLL8Kak_2ljvXf16RvqWubWcbNB3U9NDGqnCVPAWc6DtWuyZ1oAVEEGDUkQc18J3XrocIfQp0YqcqjAxbR6kvcPblzNLtEAGo/s320/Chandler-+Craig+and+Maryanne_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Craig, Maryanne, me and Jim at Craig and Maryanne's lovely home in north Phoenix. I might never recover from the video Maryanne showed me of a snake slithering up a saguaro. </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZG3m3AGD5NUPUf_Li5g3pDeSPC700un-cKimXFKekhrt2OG4ZXKRdxjMGfgLTu2rT6YruB0ZtDxTLqJDaitJP6c4p1xGy9Zj1zKw0hQSmv8BTzftyHt1cW91MwoIYk5jp4EzLUum9K5g/s1600/Chandler-+South+Mountain_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="910" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZG3m3AGD5NUPUf_Li5g3pDeSPC700un-cKimXFKekhrt2OG4ZXKRdxjMGfgLTu2rT6YruB0ZtDxTLqJDaitJP6c4p1xGy9Zj1zKw0hQSmv8BTzftyHt1cW91MwoIYk5jp4EzLUum9K5g/s320/Chandler-+South+Mountain_Fotor.jpg" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Jim and the doggies at South Mountain Park Preserve in Phoenix, which has 16,000 acres and 50 miles of hiking trails. We did only about a mile and a half, so there is plenty for next time. Unfortunately, it was also the site of the slithering snake mentioned in the above photo. I'd still go back.</span></b></td></tr>
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Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-51035374820370818442018-04-04T14:31:00.002-06:002018-04-04T14:31:37.377-06:00Three weeks in Tucson<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our stay in Tucson was shorter than usual. For three weeks we had great weather, well behaved dogs, and nice RV neighbors on each side of our rig -- one couple is from Boise and the other from Gresham, OR.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During those three weeks we read (Bev), watched TV (Jim), went to the Air Force base gym every day (except for on the weekends, as the base closed the gym on weekends to retirees, which was a bummer), and walked, walked, walked the dogs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other major activities:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">--Visited the downtown Tucson Museum of Art and North Tucson's DeGrazia in the Sun Gallery.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-- Made our usual tour of local breweries and beer bars: Barrio, Yard House, Ermanos, Arizona Beer House, Public Brew House, Pueblo Vida, Drunken Chicken, Crooked Tooth, and Black Rock. Wow. That was a lot of beer places to type. Guess that pretty much delineates our major activity. Like lots of cities, Tucson has breweries popping up all over. We'd recommend any of the ones mentioned but especially liked Public Brew House, Crooked Tooth, and Black Rock. Those are tasting houses (no food.) If you want food, go to Barrio.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-- Went to Bev's favorite Tucson restaurant, El Charro.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">--Walked around Tucson's funky, artsy Fourth Avenue area.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">--And then walked the dogs some more. We saw another dog on base that looked like Arlo (lots of small black spots with one big black spot on his back, brown spotted lower legs, and a brown face). We stopped the car to talk with the human. I rolled down the window on the passenger side, and doggie put his paws on the open window and hauled himself right into the car and onto my lap.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-- And, we spent most of one day on a rig repair. We got the rig ready to drive to an air compressor so we could fill the tires, but the truck battery was dead. We have road-side assistance through both AAA and our RV insurance (Foremost). After a long wait to get a jump from one of them and see if the problem was only our old battery -- or something more serious -- turns out neither service could get on base. Luckily for us, the base has an auto repair shop and they had the battery we needed -- so Jim just changed out the battery.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCB9tjJNrD0KCbN5xdZLWYNzSmL0Z1oKgzGq-o-mnfDhbCSi8R5O3YgSZXnT-k8pwmrCXkupq_REZf5_msZmyMELlDqroh7bJpZecnbF8Y9oIJeyx7NbajWVQeIe9IfzI2asNX0yLXzqN/s1600/kid+face+Collage_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCB9tjJNrD0KCbN5xdZLWYNzSmL0Z1oKgzGq-o-mnfDhbCSi8R5O3YgSZXnT-k8pwmrCXkupq_REZf5_msZmyMELlDqroh7bJpZecnbF8Y9oIJeyx7NbajWVQeIe9IfzI2asNX0yLXzqN/s320/kid+face+Collage_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A painting at Tucson's downtown Museum of Art, plus a close up of the same painting. Exhibits also included western scenes by Tuscon artist Howard Post (including three paintings of fence posts, which were actually cooler than that sounds), and a display of mid century modern paintings and objects.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GUSX1otLTO68o_ltxImboW6xQt_lTsX4cpCgBiteC0Dc5-BLU1zQ85XDUvsrE8NY1GiHt1vyHRDx-06DrGwES5ULrVK9Zov17Zc1N6bG1FTcZt_1-OiWVpIM5UjIW_qfSdmoEy8B9LUe/s1600/degrazio+self_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GUSX1otLTO68o_ltxImboW6xQt_lTsX4cpCgBiteC0Dc5-BLU1zQ85XDUvsrE8NY1GiHt1vyHRDx-06DrGwES5ULrVK9Zov17Zc1N6bG1FTcZt_1-OiWVpIM5UjIW_qfSdmoEy8B9LUe/s320/degrazio+self_Fotor.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A self-portrait of Ettore "Ted" DeGrazia, who designed the many buildings and rooms of the ten acre DeGrazia in the Sun Gallery. He also built it himself with the help of native American friends. Lovely building and grounds. DeGrazia is famous for colorful painting of native cultures of the Sonoran Desert. His gallery is home to more than 15,000 of his works.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJl01dRuyfUQLbEhEyhKkMgrNqoSXNi_5nWQTYjbG0E5ZWiHqn-K-R-UdcFx4Lk6cPdmPbP3ceVSh9j9Fp3QtPH1g_r6zEvvodVaQ_Paxj4MH-OBFsrcmXMqCI2Yz2rk62FR6SB-umQyBU/s1600/degrazio+floor_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJl01dRuyfUQLbEhEyhKkMgrNqoSXNi_5nWQTYjbG0E5ZWiHqn-K-R-UdcFx4Lk6cPdmPbP3ceVSh9j9Fp3QtPH1g_r6zEvvodVaQ_Paxj4MH-OBFsrcmXMqCI2Yz2rk62FR6SB-umQyBU/s320/degrazio+floor_Fotor.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">DeGrazia used materials from the southwest to build his home/gallery, including one section that used slices of cholla cactus. DeGrazia died in 1982. A few years before his death he hauled 100 of his paintings via horseback to a mountain where he burned them to protest inheritance taxes on works of art.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwIkEoS1SxdFuzrfr76C2xeo6OisbnguU0Hl7T0cZBR-n5oLYxj6S8EM7lwZkeOB6vdVRy7nYpugOYbMyNs3cqVGf7IFlitbc7IKjAFcBuwMVCa_4pL98Dkzcbh5ISCyhA08bcRZGqd-qH/s1600/public+house_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="998" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwIkEoS1SxdFuzrfr76C2xeo6OisbnguU0Hl7T0cZBR-n5oLYxj6S8EM7lwZkeOB6vdVRy7nYpugOYbMyNs3cqVGf7IFlitbc7IKjAFcBuwMVCa_4pL98Dkzcbh5ISCyhA08bcRZGqd-qH/s320/public+house_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">One of our new favorite Tucson bartenders in Tucson, this time at Public House. Jim keeps track of his beer in an app called "Untapped" which says he's tasted 398 different beers. Mind you, that is over the course of five years -- not just our three weeks in Tucson. But I'm guessing he'll pass 400 this weekend.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00MvvBnbPNNCVpHCm1sbLw7P5SaOM99zXcLmlA8ZLpEhIJQ1-lbq3nZiVDBVojVcVtSaFdHFQdgWnL9XsFXEtieHMYM_SU17efZ485n42MUdECFz8IVt8FMUCWa2Fo04ItvqW4PtV9BFm/s1600/locks+tucson_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="952" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00MvvBnbPNNCVpHCm1sbLw7P5SaOM99zXcLmlA8ZLpEhIJQ1-lbq3nZiVDBVojVcVtSaFdHFQdgWnL9XsFXEtieHMYM_SU17efZ485n42MUdECFz8IVt8FMUCWa2Fo04ItvqW4PtV9BFm/s320/locks+tucson_Fotor.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">On Tucson's Fourth Avenue we saw displays of locks. Right before Valentine's Day people could buy locks from a charity, decorate them with a friend/love, then lock it on the display and throw away the key.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ45WFE7aCPoC_ERyFifK_S3RDOiXWWoXX3l8c28-KDPAHPziYaKbIDuqy1EaoekEHvF9CNSN8DC_8Tzawvl4hf9RPpHD-JLB57weJpNob3jk3EjsMIIPL10uz7Ih-OKr2pSHe0v1hnaI/s1600/Mural+Collage_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ45WFE7aCPoC_ERyFifK_S3RDOiXWWoXX3l8c28-KDPAHPziYaKbIDuqy1EaoekEHvF9CNSN8DC_8Tzawvl4hf9RPpHD-JLB57weJpNob3jk3EjsMIIPL10uz7Ih-OKr2pSHe0v1hnaI/s320/Mural+Collage_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Murals like these cover a lot of building walls in downtown Tucson.</span></b></td></tr>
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<br />Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-73783469556139007922018-04-02T22:55:00.001-06:002018-04-04T14:34:41.062-06:00The snow birds are flying<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't know if we've ever stayed at the Davis Monthan Air Force Base RV park when there were so many empty camping spaces. There were at least 30 available spots every day near the end of March. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But it's getting warm -- hot actually -- and the snowbirds are homeward bound. I'm a little behind on my posting and we've left Tucson as well. We were only there three weeks this winter and are going to miss it.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFprw1MgnIDgDEI3AKaouj9vnw3BJ2EcJqSJszBpK3wIBDx6DxBa5VfgYhcmf6zeAIYxcIgvFhGM3b1-z9eZtABeoeO57HRpteb7LmNUNnTJPFx7q_B-3dTZ6xsOU40JcfL2HA7RqEGDWH/s1600/empty+spots_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="1600" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFprw1MgnIDgDEI3AKaouj9vnw3BJ2EcJqSJszBpK3wIBDx6DxBa5VfgYhcmf6zeAIYxcIgvFhGM3b1-z9eZtABeoeO57HRpteb7LmNUNnTJPFx7q_B-3dTZ6xsOU40JcfL2HA7RqEGDWH/s640/empty+spots_Fotor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Our spot at Agave Gulch, the RV park at Davis Monthan after our next door neighbors left. They were nice folks from Portland and Boise. The campground has about 200 camping spots and we've been there when there was a long waiting list to get in. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Not this time of year, however.</span></span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This is from several weeks ago but I had to post it. It's the Oscar Meyer weinermobile. We saw it March 9 on I-15 just south of Salt Lake. </span></b></td></tr>
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Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-44294092168200959722018-03-26T15:05:00.001-06:002018-04-04T14:36:37.278-06:00An amazing crested saguaro<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I love the magnificent saguaros we see in southern Arizona. Especially interesting are the "crested" saguaros, which have a fan-like growths instead of -- or in addition to -- human-looking arms. Per the Saguaro National Forest website, it's not known what causes a cactus to crest. Maybe a freeze, perhaps a genetic mutation. Even lightening strikes have been suggested as a cause, although it would have to be a minor bolt because we've seen saguaros that were blasted apart by lightening. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This year we noticed a huge crested saguaro right off the main entrance to Tucson's Davis Monthan Air Force Base, where we are staying in our RV. We've camped at Davis Monthan six out of the last eight years and have never noticed this particular saguaro before. It must have been transplanted recently, as the poles supporting (plus a fabric fence around it) suggest. But no matter when it showed up, it's beautiful.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDO1aIM8xWwfplpOCP2W8ugDKHKH44V5v1tfE_JEz4rgUy8JVc_mimHUF83NZor2_2ArMMz_ix8qS8uiIdpW9YBgFnhKRiV4yjr6iuQ6YwlJXv5pyBSjuXMhTJzt0UtQ6B7mD3RRFD8JL/s1600/sag_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDO1aIM8xWwfplpOCP2W8ugDKHKH44V5v1tfE_JEz4rgUy8JVc_mimHUF83NZor2_2ArMMz_ix8qS8uiIdpW9YBgFnhKRiV4yjr6iuQ6YwlJXv5pyBSjuXMhTJzt0UtQ6B7mD3RRFD8JL/s400/sag_Fotor.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>The crested saguaro near the entrance to the Davis Monthan Air Force Base at the corner of Craycroft and Golf Links Roads. I did an online search for any news about it being transplanted and couldn't find anything. But it must have been moved from somewhere else, which is a big job.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>A close up of part of the crest. Just amazing.</b></span></td></tr>
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Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-59995341972422163812018-03-11T14:56:00.001-06:002018-03-11T14:57:34.520-06:00It could have been a lot worse<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Friday morning we left Salt Lake for Tucson. We'd stored our rig at Davis Monthan Air Force base last November. The plan was to drive to Arizona in our tow car, get the rig, and enjoy some warm weather. Then this happened:</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the middle of the photo is Brian, the friendly AAA guy who came to our rescue when white smoke started puffing up from underneath the car.</span></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were in Henderson, Nevada, on the southern outskirts of Las Vegas, when we got off the freeway to get gasoline. We'd just left the exit ramp when we both smelled oil burning. Jim said "Is that us?" White smoke lofting from under the passenger side of the car said yes. He immediately pulled into a parking lot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh crap. Here we are with a back seat full of clothes, folded dog kennels, and everything else that needs to go back into the motor home. Two big dogs are behind all that, two kayaks are on top of the car, and we have obvious car trouble. This is not good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jim called AAA. I did a quick iPhone search; a Honda dealership was just four miles away. Honda said they could get us in Monday. With some convincing from Jim they said "bring it in and maybe we can take a look today."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So we set off for Findlay Honda with me, Jim and Brian the AAA guy in the front seat of a tow truck, and dogs Maddie and Arlo being towed in our car.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">William, the service manager at Findlay, came out right away and took a look. He talked with a technician. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Turns out out our car had a failed oil pressure sensor and t</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">he tech said he'd handle it right away. Three and a half hours from smelling burning oil, we were back on the road. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We easily could have been further down the road where there is literally nothing -- a town named Nothing on US 93 about 100 miles northwest of Phoenix. Per Wikipedia a town sign (which we saw -- it looked forlorn, but I might</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> be anthropomorphizing) </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">once said "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The staunch citizens of Nothing are full of Hope, Faith, and Believe in the work ethic. Thru the years these dedicated people had faith in Nothing, hoped for Nothing, worked at Nothing, for Nothing."</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Nothing against the fine citizens of Nothing, but Henderson is probably a better place for travelers with car problems.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">We'd like to give a big shout out to Findlay Honda in Henderson, Nevada. They were great. So was Brian of AAA. Thanks, folks. We made it to our evening's planned destination of Kingman, Arizona, where we spent the night an then traveled on to Tucson.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCEOLFsHI-oydUo6Ao6PrbnWRlHVoR9C5DOg7m-LwzG_aMTaxkc6tPWDYjhBTbu2ACNTG0KLUw1GQAt8e42AqmxBC19eXUfYMmwWR6gIXRyEtiWCG9aeCRgb_ROIceNesdDaj68Y56GpQ/s1600/car+agave+gulch_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1004" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCEOLFsHI-oydUo6Ao6PrbnWRlHVoR9C5DOg7m-LwzG_aMTaxkc6tPWDYjhBTbu2ACNTG0KLUw1GQAt8e42AqmxBC19eXUfYMmwWR6gIXRyEtiWCG9aeCRgb_ROIceNesdDaj68Y56GpQ/s400/car+agave+gulch_Fotor.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The Honda where it should be: parked near the motor home and down on all four tires. We got the motor home out of storage at Davis Monthan Air Force Base </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>yesterday, and now have a spot at the base's RV park.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span></span>Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-50408739065354259252017-11-23T10:30:00.002-07:002017-11-23T10:31:34.086-07:00Some time in Tucson and Happy Holidays<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We spent six days at the Agave Gulch Fam Camp at Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. We really like the base and have spent part of the last six winters there. The base has a large commissary and exchange. They have two great gyms. The Fam Camp is clean and well run and right next to the base's bone yard -- the largest airplane storage lot in the world. It's interesting to be right next to all those planes lines up with military precision, waiting to have their parts reused. We're also close to a mall, lots of restaurants, brew pubs, movie theaters, two national parks, a great art museum -- there is a lot to do in Tucson.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And of course, it's warm in the winter. Which means we don't have to shovel our ski run of a driveway back in Salt Lake City.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We enjoyed the 80 degree weather in Tucson, but most of our hours this trip were spent cleaning the rig and packing, as we stored the rig on the base and drove back to Salt Lake City for the holidays. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So as I write, I am siting in the kitchen of my sticks and bricks home in Salt Lake City. (Actually the city of Holladay, Utah, but close enough.) With the exception of five days in July, I haven't been in SLC since last May, and I want to spend time with the kids and grand kids. When it turns cold (today is sunny and in the 60s) Jim wants to get the heck out and go back to Tucson. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While we are figuring out logistics, I'm not sure how much I'll be posting. But on any given day, just figure I'm picking up the grand kids up from school, which is one of the things I want to do for a while.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'll be back to writing at some point. So check back every now and then. Happy Thanksgiving and have a wonderful rest of the holiday season!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWe4RCwRf6ogNGtp0qAxXJNbR47hbWYBBwRF9gWuBG4aiJq5V4gfVbaXarbSnyKASmtN5k8fjgplIFEpiJrh6txdwJSbJm0MQo864kLcXPdBoabmwHcVoH13PyLSGGxgUaBFQ7b23t4aht/s1600/KIDS_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1243" data-original-width="1600" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWe4RCwRf6ogNGtp0qAxXJNbR47hbWYBBwRF9gWuBG4aiJq5V4gfVbaXarbSnyKASmtN5k8fjgplIFEpiJrh6txdwJSbJm0MQo864kLcXPdBoabmwHcVoH13PyLSGGxgUaBFQ7b23t4aht/s320/KIDS_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>The Salt Lake City grand kids.</b></span> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3F7ksJL-91fetZeogBKPtzr3XE6T1AKMVPKIlzTWBwYpWAYcGQbar_avJXGu-2ORGhH9rRF9wv1CzRi_7OjQdZMeknRft-DkHMGKPw-kfTtxLCUBuHpeNh9BNbR14Jf_JvtaSKV3fDfr/s1600/DEER_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1346" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3F7ksJL-91fetZeogBKPtzr3XE6T1AKMVPKIlzTWBwYpWAYcGQbar_avJXGu-2ORGhH9rRF9wv1CzRi_7OjQdZMeknRft-DkHMGKPw-kfTtxLCUBuHpeNh9BNbR14Jf_JvtaSKV3fDfr/s320/DEER_Fotor.jpg" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A buck that greeted us on our second day home. I took this photo through our kitchen window as he stood in our front yard. When he wasn't staring at me and the dogs, he was eating crab apples. With him were a younger buck and a couple of does. </span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002316014169339348.post-70896187358340787992017-11-20T10:23:00.001-07:002017-11-20T10:23:20.445-07:00Las Cruces, New Mexico<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We spent three days in Las Cruces. Lots of relaxing in 70 degree, calm weather. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stayed at Sunny Acres, a 55 and over RV Park that was neat and clean but didn't have any record of our reservation when we arrived -- luckily we still got a spot. Met a lot of people and dogs at the RV park's own dog park. Visited a big public dog park nearby, again with nice dogs and nice people. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We walked up and down Main Street where a huge farmers' market is held twice a week. This particular market included a parade that would start with a cannon blast. We had the dogs with us. I'm not sure how they would have reacted, but we didn't stay to find out. But the shopping was fun and again I got a scarf. For $3.99.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We also stopped at Ristramnn's, a store that grows and sells what appeared to be anything and everything chili pepper related. Bev was having trouble breathing by the time she left -- not big trouble, but apparently concentrated chili particles are not my friends. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had a decent dinner at Ranchway, a low key, order-at the counter, and highly rated little Mexican restaurant. We were served by a very perky employee at High Desert Brewery. We visited nearby Mesilla, a historic little village with shops and outdoor venders; we parked the car in the shade in the exact spot we parked several years ago when we drove up in the tow car from El Paso. We grabbed an IPA and a stout at Mesilla's Spotted Dog Brewery.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In other big news we did the laundry, and bought groceries at the funky but interesting Toucan Market, which advertises itself as having "<span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-center; widows: 2;">15,000 square feet of exotic, healthy, affordable and '</span><span style="box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-center; widows: 2;"><span style="box-sizing: content-box;">Just for the taste of it'</span></span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-center; widows: 2;"> foods." </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-center; widows: 2;">Nothing exciting but a good New Mexico visit.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqGg1sKrccyHl6TGfpqa6h_L6lMUTBgwCWuVPiOQnZ4_nSPqGaJfH_kEeTN3VVYENpPncjQ8N6f0IlJNnro52za1h5WRVqw-SLUGo1LQLlojyR16pOb4Wgg6QjCkiCDS4y4C9liyfQaR0/s1600/LC+Collage_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqGg1sKrccyHl6TGfpqa6h_L6lMUTBgwCWuVPiOQnZ4_nSPqGaJfH_kEeTN3VVYENpPncjQ8N6f0IlJNnro52za1h5WRVqw-SLUGo1LQLlojyR16pOb4Wgg6QjCkiCDS4y4C9liyfQaR0/s320/LC+Collage_Fotor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Street views of the Las Cruces Farmers' and Craft Market, which the local Chamber of Commerce calls "one of the top farmers' markets in the country." It's held in downtown Las Cruces on Wednesdays and Saturdays.</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-center; widows: 2;"><br /></span></span>Jim and Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765322668122800819noreply@blogger.com1