From Kaslo to Vancouver in the Motorhome, With a Few Detours

October 15, 2015 by judy lawless

Our Canadian Tour has nearly come to an end. It’s been a busy time and I’ve fallen behind with blog posts, so before we start a new chapter with the US continuation of the trip, here is a summary of where we’ve been and what we’ve done since leaving Kaslo. Two posts about interesting things in Kaslo will follow. Since media uploads seem to be limited where we are, I will have to add more pictures, or do more detailed posts about some of these places later.

After a week of mostly sunny weather in Kaslo, and a trip with Sarah to Nelson, the weather turned dark and rainy when we left on the Saturday. We arrived in Vernon mid-afternoon and spent two nights with our friends, Judy and Keith. The sun was shining there. One morning Jim helped Keith pick the grapes from his vineyard, ready to be picked up by a commercial wine-maker. And I didn’t take any pictures! On the way home from dinner that night, we saw the eclipse of the harvest moon. I did take some pictures of that, but without a tripod handy, they didn’t turn out very well.

Monday morning we were on our way to Kamloops to meet up with some friends from our ukulele group in Mesa. Debby offered to put together a jam session with others from her Kamloops Ukulele Orchestra, and we had a great time playing for an hour or more. I was reminded again that I need to do more practicing if I want to keep up with that bunch, but it was fun. Thanks for organizing and hosting it, Debby.

Ukulele Jam

Our campsite was along the South Thompson River, where we could watch some dragon boats glide by on their practice night.

South Thompson River

Fortunately we were within walking distance of downtown Kamloops, since our trailer was parked up against a cliff, making it too difficult to get the bike out. We’d booked for two nights so we spent Tuesday walking across the Red Bridge and around the downtown. It’s a very interesting city to explore, but we were exhausted by the time we’d walked back to the motor home.

Crossing on the Red Bridge

Before leaving the next day, we met with another friend, Patti, and her husband Wayne for lunch. Patti is another ukulele player from Mesa, but she couldn’t make it to the jam the day before. Thanks for a great lunch! It was fun to catch up.

From Kamloops we turned back south towards Hope. On the way, we stopped at Coquihalla Provincial Park to view the old Othello (railway) Tunnels, a stop recommended by Patti. They are amazing and well worth the stop. Also amazing was the fact that we met a woman, along the trail, who’s sister lives in the little Ontario town of Hastings, where we live!

Othello Tunnels

We spent the night in Hope, and were in Vancouver at Capilano River RV Park by noon the next day. It’s conveniently located just under the Lions Gate Bridge in West Vancouver, close to Park Royal Shopping Plaza, but the lots are very close together, with barely enough room to use the slides. The day was sunny and warm, but because we had domestic chores to catch up with, we got out only long enough to walk across the little bridge to the plaza for lunch.

On Friday we wanted to go to White Rock to another ukulele jam, also recommended by Patti, so off we went on the bike, ukuleles strapped into the back pack. Since we hadn’t yet put the GPS onto the bike we were going by Jim’s memory of a map. Three hours later, after getting lost while trying to visit Granville Island first, and then ending up on Hwy. 99A rather than 99, we finally arrived with ten minutes to spare! This group was much larger and zipped through tunes from their own song books. I had trouble keeping up, and even Jim got lost at times. But again, we had fun and learned a few things. We each purchased one of the two books which we will be able to use in Mesa.

None of the family we planned to visit was in Vancouver that week, so we spent Saturday just doing some shopping and staying in out of the rain. Early Sunday morning we loaded up the bike and caught the Tawassan Ferry to Victoria. After a cool start, the sun came out and warmed things up. Victoria is a marvelous place to visit. We took the Hop-on-Hop-off bus tour and had lunch at the award-winning Barb’s Fish and Chips outdoor eatery on Fisherman’s Warf. If we couldn’t go to Arizona, this would be a nice place to spend the winters – not as warm, but seldom snow or freezing temperatures. It’s very expensive though.

On the ferry to Victoria

Tiny Floating Homes at the Wharf

Fishermen”s Wharf, Victoria

The sun was beginning to sink behind the hills when we finally got back onto the bike and rode to Nanaimo, where would stay for the night and catch the morning ferry to Denman Island, and then Hornby Island. By the time we got to Nanaimo I was shivering so much I couldn’t stop. We warmed up with bowls of hot chili and mugs of tea/coffee at Tim Horton’s, across the street from the Howard Johnson Hotel, where we stayed. We were impressed with the cleanliness and quality of the hotel, and especially liked the front desk clerk, Billy, a bubbly blond woman who was interested in the fact that we were on a motorcycle because she’d just recently bought herself a bike.

We just missed the 10:00 am ferry from Buckley Bay to Denman Island. We enjoyed lunch in the sunshine on the deck of the Subway Restaurant at the terminal, and waited for the next one.

While Waiting for Ferries

While we waited for the ferry on Denman Island that would take us to Hornby Island, we watched a seal dive for fish.

Seal fishing off wharf on Denman Island

Watching the Ferry ramp descend

The next five days we spent just relaxing with my sister Pauline, her husband Jim, and the “woofer” (young travelers who work for room and board), Stephan, and three Retrievers. My niece and her family were away on a trip, so it was quieter than usual. Heavy rain on most days after we arrived deterred us from taking our usual walks on the beach, but we did enjoy coffee on the deck of the general store at The Cove one morning, and walked among the boats moored in the harbor. We celebrated Thanksgiving with a home cooked chicken dinner on Saturday night, and then Sunday morning we were dashing for ferries again, this time back to our motor home in Vancouver.

The new Toll Bridge on Hwy 1 at Surrey, heading into Vancouver.

This is where we are as I write this blog post. We’ve shared as much time as possible the last few days with my daughter Ann and great-grandson, Lucas, and cheered for the Blue Jays. But during the day Ann has to work while the sun shines (she’s a landscaper) and Lucas goes to school.

On our own one day, we found our way downtown to Canada Place, and Gas Town, both busy and interesting places during the summer, but much quieter this time of year.

Canada Place

Where Cruise Ships dock. Sadly, none there that day.

One of the many interesting old buildings in Gastown, Vancouver

Stream Clock in Gastown, a popular attraction

The time spent with family has been precious, but today it’s time for us to start making our way to Arizona.

A Few Days on Prince Edward Island

July 31, 2015 by judy lawless

The next morning I enjoyed a leisurely shower before Jim and Dave got up. After a stop for breakfast, we had a good ride to Prince Edward Island. Although dark clouds circled around us, we didn’t have any rain until after we crossed Northumberland Strait via Confederation Bridge. On the island, we stopped at the Tourist Centre where we discovered internet connection, so we took the time to catch up on emails and check for orders on our online stores. It was with mixed feelings that we learned there were no orders, which are more difficult to process while on the road, but help pay for the trip.

The sun had been shining when we entered the building; black clouds greeted us upon our exit. We rode for only about ten minutes before the rain started, forcing us to pull into a gas station to struggle into our rain gear, and fill up the gas tanks, and by then the rain had retreated. But, we caught another deluge in a few more minutes. It lasted only five minutes and that was the end of it.

At 4:00 p.m. we were knocking on the door of our friends’ cottage at West Point, and were quickly immersed in Maritime hospitality when neighbours began showing up and bottles of rum or beer were broken open.

Friends and Neighbours relaxing on the porch after a day of renovation work

After dinner we all went for a stroll along the beach and watched a beautiful sunset. We didn’t need to strike our tents for the next few days, as beds were offered in the cottage.

In the morning we decided to ride the bikes to Skinner’s Pond, home of Stompin’ Tom Connors. We visited a fishing harbor, and enjoyed a lunch of mussels and Seaweed Pie at the Seaweed Pie Café. We learned all about the harvesting of seaweed and it’s uses, before continuing on to the Tourist Centre and the Windmill Farm on the most westerly point of the island.

Skinner’s Pond, PEI

Home of Stompin’ Tom

Fishing Boats

Mussels

Dig in, Jim!

Seaweed Pie, not what you’d expect,

Our last day was a hot one. Our friend Meg and I went into O’Leary to do some grocery shopping before Jim, Dave and I headed out on the bikes again. We left the jackets off when we rode to Summerside to the Tall Ships Festival. Having endured a half-hour of sitting in the blazing sun at a road construction site, upon our arrival in Summerside we were disappointed to find that only two of the ships had docked, one being the Bluenose, which we’d all toured before. So after a stroll along the shore, a light lunch, and another stop for ice cream, we returned to the cottage in time for the delicious scallop dinner that Meg had prepared.

The evening ended with us clapping our hands and stomping our feet at a Gaelic music concert in a nearby church.

Exploring Canada’s East Coast by Motorcycle

July 12, 2015 by judy lawless

We’ve been sticking pretty close to home since our return from Arizona, but plans are in the works. We will be leaving to return there earlier this year, in September, to include a trip across Central and Western Canada, before crossing into the U.S. on the west coast.

Before that decision was made, I had hoped that we could accept an invitation from friends to visit them at their cottage on Prince Edward Island, on the east coast of Canada, but we can’t do it all at once. We did that trip in 2007, before I started this blog and before we started RVing. That trip was done on our Yamaha Venture, pulling a small cargo trailer containing tent, sleeping bags and all necessary gear for a month long journey. We were a few years younger then!

This week I thought I’d share that adventure.

July 21, 2007

After stopping for the night in Brockville to spend some time with family, and having a late, leisurely breakfast, we finally got on our way around 11:00 this morning. Jim’s nephew, Dave, joined us on his 650cc V-Star with all his gear strapped to the back. The rain from the day before had cleared and the weather was perfect for riding.

I’d promised my former mother-in-law that we would stop in to see her on our way through Quebec, but my estimated time of arrival was way off. I felt badly when we arrived at 1:45 in the afternoon to find that she’d been saving a big lunch for us since noon. It was 3:00 pm before we felt it appropriate to leave.

Three and a half hours later, we rounded a corner in search of our pre-booked campground near St. Nicolas Quebec and were shocked to see a giant Santa Claus and Snowman bobbing in the wind at the entrance! While we checked in at the office we heard French Christmas Carols blasting from a loud speaker.

Campground Greeters

Along the path to our campsite we passed more Christmas decorations, including a miniature Christmas Village and what appeared to be another Santa, sleeping it off in a pup-tent, empty beer cans strewn around him. Apparently the Canadian Snow Birds who summer here celebrate Christmas in July.

Christmas Decorations

We set up our tents before riding further down the road to catch the ferry at Levis, which took us into romantic Old Quebec City.

Dave and Jim with bikes, on the Ferry

Ferry boat at sunset, Quebec City

There we enjoyed some French Cuisine on a patio, and admired the artwork of the street vendors, before heading back to the Christmas celebrations at St. Nicolas. We even joined in on some of the dancing while a family band performed country and folk music. Since no one spoke English, we didn’t get to know anyone. The party lasted until 1:00 am. It was a very long day!

Grand Canyon South

May 10, 2015 by judy lawless

Grand Canyon South

During our trip to Las Vegas I told you about our magnificent trip to the Grand Canyon. That was Grand Canyon West. One request of Jim’s daughter and son-in-law on their visit with us in Arizona this spring was an overnight trip to see the Grand Canyon. Grand Canyon South is much more accessible, especially from Arizona. We put together a plan.

We left by car early enough in the morning to arrive in Sedona at noon hour. It seems like we are often there, or passing through, but there is always a new perspective and this was Anthony’s first trip to Arizona, so we spent a few hours climbing again. This time it was Bell Tower Rock that received our attention, rather than Cathedral Rock. Being early in March we expected the weather to be still cool and we dressed for the occasion—well at least I did. However, the sun was hot that day. The hike was much easier going for the most part, but enough for me to work up a sweat. About three-quarters of the way I had to take a rest on a shady ledge, and the others carried on until the climb became too shear to navigate. I took the time to snap more pictures, of course!

Karen & Anthony, ready to start

On the path

Follow the sign

View from my perch

They’re up there somewhere!

Ah, hah! Found them!

Williams Arizona was our final destination that day. We had rooms booked at the Marriott Hotel. A stop at the Railway Station, where we could have caught a train to the Canyon, revealed a kiosk where admittance tickets to the Grand Canyon National Park could be purchased. These not only would enable us to by-pass the line up at the gate, but were much less expensive. We opted out of taking the train, which might have been fun, because of the limited time allowed at the Canyon before the return. After dinner at the hotel restaurant, we called it an early night.

There wasn’t much in the vicinity of the hotel to explore, so Williams at first seemed unimpressive, but when we drove through the main street on our way out the next morning we thought it might be an interesting place to spend more time.

By mid-morning we were in the hub of the park and looking at maps to decide which way we wanted to hike. We stocked up on sandwiches, water and snacks at the store before taking our path of choice. Before long, we had reached the breath-taking South Canyon Rim. It was an entirely different view than that we’d seen from the West Rim. Needless to say, we were busy closing our dropped-jaws and snapping pictures.

Risky business! Notice the fellow way out on a ledge by himself?

Another brave soul

Sitting on the Edge

Looks like a good place to rest to me…not!

Lunch Break

Breath-taking View

It was well after dark when we arrived back in Mesa and soon crawled into bed, exhausted but happy.

Another Camping World/Good Sam RV Rally

March 11, 2015 by judy lawless

Camping World is United States’ largest RV and outdoor retailer; Good Sam is the world’s largest RV owner’s organization. Together they host America’s largest RV Rally. We attended our first Rally in Syracuse, NY in 2013.This year The Rally was held near Phoenix, only an hour away from us, so we had to go.

We signed up for the Early Bird Special and arrived at the venue, Phoenix International Speedway in Avondale, at 4:30 on the Tuesday afternoon. We were very impressed with the way all the rigs were neatly and efficiently directed to the parking spots by volunteers. Once we were installed a friendly lady was at our door with our registration package, which meant we didn’t have to walk to a booth and stand in line like last time. The window stickers with QR codes, which came by mail after we’d first registered online, were a major help, and this time they didn’t have rain and mud to deal with. There wasn’t much happening that first night so we just relaxed with our books – no electricity unless we ran the generator, no Wi-Fi.

When we got up the next morning at 8:00 am we were still the last coach in our designated row and we could look across the massive parking lot right out to the entrance. We watched out the window as a new procession of attendees, in everything from small camper vans to forty-foot-plus luxury coaches or fifth-wheels, began. Over the next few days thousands of RVs would fill the several acres of space.

Rows of RVs under the sunset

We met our next-site neighbours, Bill and Jan Mains, from Casa Grande, who are avid RVers. Jan had her one leg in a cast, due to a broken foot, but she determinedly got around using a little scooter to support the foot that couldn’t touch the ground.

We got our bikes together and went for a ride around the top of the raceway stands, chatting with people along the way. Our fold-up bikes are always a topic of conversation.

Jim on fold-up bicycle overlooking speedway

At noon we were allowed into the Rally area, the infield of the race track. We looked through some new RVs until it was time for a seminar on making your RV more fuel efficient, at 1:00 pm. We got some good information. By then my stomach was grumbling. It was a long way back to our RV, so we chose to have pizza from one of the few food vendors that were open that day. There was a Craft Show that Jim wanted to see, but by the time I’d come back from the restroom next door he’d seen it all; not many vendors and not many customers. We toured through a few more new RVs, just for curiosity sake. These $400,000 to $800,000 luxury models wouldn’t have interested me even if we had the money to spend. They are very pretty and have all the bells and whistles, but most are not very well laid out and they are too big to fit into many campgrounds. We soon made our way back to the gate where we’d left our bikes chained to the fence.

Back at the camp site, Jan and Bill were trying to entertain some friends on the tiny spot of empty space in front of their fifth-wheel. The sites were wide enough for only a rig and a pull or tow vehicle beside it. “Patio” space was practically non-existent. More of their friends arrived so we invited them to join us on our site, since we had no extra vehicle, leaving us plenty of patio space. We all visited until the sun went down and the temperature dropped. Then we retreated to the comfort of our “homes” for dinner and downtime.

Jan and Bill on right

During the next few days we rode the shuttle trolley back and forth between the rally exhibits and our RV, to take in a few more seminars, listen to afternoon entertainers and view more RVs. The most appreciated information we came away with was the value of having a voltage protector plus surge protector rather just a surge protector on your RV plug-in. We heard horror stories about some campgrounds/RV parks having open grounds or reverse polarity in their wiring systems that can cause major damage to an RV without a voltage protector. The Wi-Fi at the media centre was spotty so posting blogs or anything else other than doing emails was difficult. We managed to spend some money at the huge vendor tent, and dropped $14.00 for two cheeseburgers and $4.00 for a bottle of water at the Food Court, the second day there. The next day I packed a lunch. We saw a few lower-priced RVs that we really liked, but because of our poor Canadian dollar exchange even those were beyond our budget. I was disappointed because I would so like to have more kitchen space and closets.

Smiling in our first “dream” Coach

On Thursday night we sat in the grandstand to watch and listen to the Tina Preston Band. They were pretty good. It was unfortunate that the stage was set up in the infield a hundred feet away from the first row of seats, and the bleacher seating was protected by wire mesh fencing, making it difficult to see. There were TV screens though. On Friday night the entertainment was provided by Ticket to Ride, a Beatles Tribute Band and they had the bleachers rocking and stomping until 9:00 pm.

Looking onto the band stage from our seats in the bleachers

Saturday afternoon the good weather ended and it started to rain as we were riding the trolley back to camp. We didn’t go back for the Neil Diamond Tribute Band that night. It rained all night long. We’d seen everything we wanted to see, so after breakfast Sunday morning we packed up and left for Mesa Regal. It was a fun few days, but if we do another rally I think I’d rather spend more time getting to know some of the other RVers and less time dreaming about impossibilities.

Leaving the Warmth of Arizona Behind

April 3, 2014 by judy lawless

The last few weeks in Mesa were so busy, and the internet connection so poor that I didn’t get to write about all the new and wonderful things we saw and did. Now we are on our way home, so I will fill in the other stories later, and complete the trip now.

Winslow Arizona

“Standing on the Corner in Winslow Arizona” is where we were late on the first day of our trip home. After battling high winds most of the day, Jim was ready for a break. It was a Sunday so the streets were nearly empty, but we took pictures of the man “standing on the corner” with his guitar and the “girl in the flatbed Ford,” lines from the popular Eagles tune Take It Easy that put this little town on the map. One shop was open, allowing us to pick up a couple of souvenirs before getting back on the road.

Standing on the Corner

Girl in Flatbed Ford

Amana Iowa

For the last few days we’ve kept on “truckin’”, partly because the weather has been too cold and wet to do any sightseeing, and partly because we have things we need to take care of at home. But today we did make another stop along the way. Jim had read about the Amana Colonies in Iowa, a group of seven villages that were established on 25,000 acres of land by several hundred True Inspirationalists of Germans, Swiss and Alsatians who fled Europe in 1854 to pursue Religious Freedom. They originally settled near Buffalo New York, but when that area became too crowded they purchased their acreage in the Iowa prairies, near the town of Victor. Since we were passing by the turn off from I-80 that would take us to them, and it was lunch time, we decided to make the ten mile detour.

It was well worth the time. We first stopped into the Schanz Furniture woodworking shop in South Amana, where we viewed the beautifully hand-crafted wooden creations and had a peek at works in progress. The friendly staff equipped us with a map and directions to find the several restaurants in the first and largest village of Amana. What a beautiful, old style village! We enjoyed a home-style lunch at the Ox Yoke Inn before climbing back into the already cold motor home, and getting back onto I-80. We managed to get ourselves to Princeton, Illinois before calling it a day.

A View of Superstition Mountains from the Back of the Boulevard

February 28, 2014 by judy lawless

After ukulele lessons, lunch at the Cactus Grill, and a visit to Verizon to purchase some more internet data, we decided it was time for a ride on the motorcycle. We did part of the trip up the Apache Trail, in the Superstition Mountains, that we’d done in December on the Jeep Tour. It was a different perspective from the back of the Boulevard and before long I was busily snapping pictures. Sometimes they turn out; sometimes they don’t. But that’s the beauty of the digital age.

The road is a popular one for motorcyclists, with all of its twists and turns.

Bikers’ Twists and Turns

One lane bridge around the bend

Being late in the afternoon, it was a perfect time for capturing the scenic mountains and lakes.

Apache Trail Vistas

We made a stop in Tortilla Flat for another taste of Prickly Pear Ice Cream.

Tortilla Flat in the Valley. Great Prickly Pear Ice Cream found there.

By the time we were heading back down, the sun was setting, dusting the rocks with gold, before becoming a blazing red aura around the peaks.

Sunset on the Apache Trail

Another glorious day in Paradise.

Up, Up and Away…to Lake Havasu

January 28, 2014 by judy lawless

After nearly two months in one place, a road trip was calling us. We pulled up stakes on a Thursday morning – well it was actually afternoon by the time we’d gotten everything disconnected and packed away for the jaunt – and started west toward Lake Havasu City, bypassing Quartzsite on the way. Our plan was to spend a couple of days taking in the Balloon Festival in Lake Havasu before returning to check out the draw of RVs in Quartzsite.

It was getting dark by the time we arrived in Lake Havasu and found the Good Sam parking area where we’d booked a spot for two nights. The price was right at only $20 per night. Although it was dry camping (no electricity, water or sewer, also known as boon docking) it was close to the lake and the site of the Balloon Festival, to which frequent shuttle buses were supplied. We had dinner in the motor home, read the information provided by the Good Sam Club, and then turned in early so we could be up at dawn for the first balloon launch.

The next morning we were on the shuttle bus by 6:30 am, after a quick breakfast and no coffee. We watched while numerous balloons were inflated and readied for launch. Multi-membered crews pulled ropes and organized the various stages while trying to keep spectators from getting in the way. It was an amazing thing to watch.

Laying one out

Crew at work, pulling it up

At 7:20 am the Opening Day of the Balloon Festival began with a Flag Ceremony and the first balloon was launched,rapidly followed by many others.

Inflation Began at Sunrise

Nearly there

Flag Ceremony

Up, up and away

Balloons filled the sky

For $200 each we could have taken a ride in one; for $20 we could go up a few hundred feet in a tethered balloon. The former would have been fun, but was too expensive; the later didn’t hold much interest. We waited to see the massive Wells Fargo Balloon leave the ground, but learned that it would only be tethered, so we finally wandered to the mile-long circle of vendors in search of more breakfast.

Tethered Wells Fargo Balloon

After filling our bellies with a shared jumbo breakfast burrito, and re-energized with coffee, we toured around Vendor Circle where we were impressed with the variety and quality of products for sale. We snapped pictures of vintage cars on display.

1962 Studebaker Avanti

Who knows what this one is?

At 1:00 pm we were getting weary so waited in line for a shuttle bus back to the campsite, only to be told that the school buses being used were tied up transporting school children until 3:00, so we went back through the gates, found a table under the tent and enjoyed Teriyaki bowls while listening to the musician performing on the outdoor stage. Then we roamed some more, discovering more balloons in the sky and more treasures in the Vendor Circle. We drank several bottles of water. The temperature had climbed up over 80˚F. The weather turned a little too breezy for a few hours, so the balloons gradually returned to the ground. At 4:00 pm we finally caught a shuttle bus back to the RV to rest and unload the extra clothing and purchases that we’d been carrying around all day. But we had to go back again at 6:00 to catch the “Night Glow” or “Field of Fire”. As the sun set, we stood beneath a ceiling of colourful balloons lit up by the gas flames that inflated them. What an awesome experience! Exhausted, we fell into bed very early again that night.

Night Glow Balloons

The next morning we were up early enough to have coffee and donuts with our fellow Good Sam members at the campsite, and we took more pictures of the launched balloons from the roof of the RV before setting out on the road again.

Witches, Butterflies and even a Pink Elephant

We made a stop at London Bridge, in downtown Lake Havasu City, before finding a place to fill up the propane tank. We would be boon docking again in Quartzsite, so we had to make sure we had plenty to run the furnace (it still gets cold at night), water heater and stove.

London Bridge

Then we were on the road once more.

A Beautiful Day to Ride

January 4, 2014 by judy lawless

At 10:00 am yesterday morning, fourteen motorcycles carrying twenty people set off from Mesa Regal toward the open road. Jim and I were among them, having just hooked up with a group of regular riders. Most of the bikes were Harleys, but another Suzuki and a Honda were part of our minority. That didn’t seem to matter.

Pat led us out Hwy 60 and then south towards Florence, where we made a pit stop at the River Bottom Grill, and had a bit of time to get to know a few people better. It turned out that Pat and Catherine are from another Arizona city just north of here – Prescott. I told her that I’d lived a good portion of my life in the community of Prescott also — Prescott, Ontario that is. We chuckled over our different pronunciations of the word.

Riders, taking a break

From there we turned west onto Hwy 287 and then south on Hwy 87 through Coolidge. The day was warm and sunny, although a haze of sand could be seen in the distance at the base of the mountains.

Desert Haze

In a couple of spots the winds got really strong, hampering my efforts to take pictures. We passed fields where cotton had been harvested and clumps that had escaped lay on the ground in a rectangle marking where the bales had sat. I would have liked to pick up a handful.

We continued south until we hit Hwy10 and rode north-west for a few more miles until we reached our destination – Eloy, home of Sky Dive Arizona. No, none of us planned on jumping, but after an excellent lunch in the Bent Prop Saloon & Cookery, we sat outside to watch plane-load after plane-load of braver souls silently and skillfully drift to the ground with their colourful parachutes above them.

Look closely. See the man below the tail?

Perfect Landing

The ride home was by a more direct route, and, except for a ten minute delay in a construction zone, much faster. There was some confusion when Pat pulled into a parking lot and we were waved on to follow the next bike in line. We lost a few more along the way, so never got to say thanks for the ride to anyone but Dan. We enjoyed it.

Our First Christmas in Our Home-away-from home

December 22, 2013 by judy lawless

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been here in Mesa Arizona, at Mesa Regal RV Resort, for two weeks already. As the saying goes, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” There is so much to see and do here.

One evening we were out on the bike, looking for a coffee shop I think (or perhaps ice cream), when we noticed, not for the first time, three lit up camels in a yard along Main Street.

This time we decided to investigate. We were awed by what we found! The camels were on the grounds of the Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon) Temple, and the camels were only a small incentive to draw people in to see the thousands of other lights, listen to a choir performance, and view the many Christmas Nativities. Several of these were life-size, on the temple grounds; others were miniature nativities from around the world, displayed in a room inside the Visitors Centre. We tried to take pictures with what cameras we happened to have with us – a point-and-shoot and an iPhone, while holding onto our motorcycle helmets. Needless to say, we didn’t get the pictures that we’d hoped for, but here are a few of the best.

Miniature Nativities

Mesa Regal is very much in the Christmas spirit, with street decorating contests, street parties with Santa Clause, a Christmas dinner, and school choirs entertaining.

Street Lights

We’ve had our picture taken with Santa a few times.

On Wednesday we took advantage of a Gift Certificate given to us as a Christmas gift from Jim’s daughter and family. We signed up for a four hour jeep tour with Apache Trail Tours, and had a great time bouncing over rough, twisty trails and holding our breath, while at times looking straight down the side of a cliff, as we were transported from and elevation of 1100 feet to 9000 feet, up the Superstition Mountains. The view of Canyon Lake, and the changing rock formations and vegetation, and the history told to us by our driver/guide made it a very worthwhile adventure.

Looking down to Canyon Lake

One of many sharp curves on the edge of the mountain

We hope to go back another day to the old west village from where the tour began to do some more exploring, but by the time the tour was done we had just enough time left to get to the Christmas dinner, for which we’d purchased tickets.

The Western Village

Despite all of the decorations and parties, we’re still having trouble believing that Christmas is just a few days away. We’ll spend Christmas Eve with some of our new friends at a house party. Christmas Day we hope to connect with our families back home through the internet. We miss them all.

WISHING EVERYONE A MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, AND SAFE TRAVELS.

See you in the New Year.

Mind Traveler

Sharing Life's Journey

Tag Archives: travel

From Kaslo to Vancouver in the Motorhome, With a Few Detours

A Few Days on Prince Edward Island

Exploring Canada’s East Coast by Motorcycle

Grand Canyon South

Another Camping World/Good Sam RV Rally

Leaving the Warmth of Arizona Behind

A View of Superstition Mountains from the Back of the Boulevard

Up, Up and Away…to Lake Havasu

A Beautiful Day to Ride

Our First Christmas in Our Home-away-from home

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)