5/2/17 West Texas Deserts and Mountains

Big Bend National Park, Texas

After an enjoyable visit to San Antonio, we headed west and south to Big Bend National Park.  Big Bend National Park is in southwest Texas and includes the entire Chisos mountain range and a large swath of the Chihuahuan Desert.  The Park is named Big Bend NP because of the large, almost 90 degree, bend in the Rio Grande (turns from southeast to northeast), which of course forms the border with Mexico. Two distinctive features of the Rio Grande are the Santa Elena Canyon and Boquillas Canyons, both carved by the Rio Grande, and feature steep limestone cliffs on the Mexican side. The Park is huge and isolated so the night skies are so dark the stars seem to jump out at you. 

Boquillas Canyon, Big Bend

We had previously been to Big Bend, once in 1985 with our son Rob on a cross country driving and camping trip when we first moved to northern California. If you can believe it, we visited Big Bend in late June or early July; the Park was deserted-no wonder with the day temperatures over 110 degrees! We only had a short one day camping stay in the Chisos Basin, but long enough to swim to Mexico across the Rio Grande, so we wanted to return and really explore the park under cooler conditions.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunset after Storm, Campground, Big Bend

This visit was very different.  It was spring, and mostly warm, and the desert was in bloom!  With the exception of one very big storm one afternoon/evening, we had sunny, clear weather.  We did a lot of hiking, including to and into the Boquillas Canyon on the east side of the park.  The canyon walls tower over 1550 feet straight up on either side of the Rio Grande.  We wanted to hike the Santa Elena Canyon on the west side of the park, but a flash flood on Terlingua Creek, which you had to cross, closed the trail while we were there.   

 

Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend

 We particularly enjoyed a visit to the Chisos Basin, a basin inside the top of the Chisos mountain range, which are wholly contained within Big Bend National Park.  The weather in the basin was at least 10-15 degrees cooler than the desert floor.  The most interesting aspect of the Chisos mountains are that they are a “mountain island” surrounded by desert.  Many species of plants and some animals are now “trapped” in the mountains, and would not survive if they left that environment. There are a few bobcat, mountain lion and bears in the high country.  

 

 

Desert Valley through The Window, Chisos Basin

 

Javelina, Rig Grand Village Campground, Big Bend

The most interesting animal we encountered was the Javelina.  These are members of the pig family and travel in small herds or “family groups”.  They are active in early morning and late afternoon, and were found throughout our campground at those times.  They usually feed on cacti, fruits and insects, but have found human food to be easy to get.  They will search in a campsite for food in coolers, or even in tents or cars if left open.  The herd we encountered was used to human interaction.   

Fossil Head, 40 Ft Crock, found only in Big Bend

Big Bend is a geologist’s paradise, partly due to easy observation of the various strata, but also the complex geologic history of the area.  The geology spans from 500 million year old rock at the north Persimmon Gap entrance, to the current sand dunes in Boquillas Canyon.  From about 200 to 300 million years ago (mya), Big Bend was under an inland sea; the sediment accumulated during that time became sandstone and shale bed.   Those strata eventually became mountains that eroded down, and are now found as the oldest rock layer near Persimmon Gap.  Subsequently, a warm, shallow sea invaded some 135 to 100 mya, allowing deposition of lime and sea organisms, which eventually became the dramatic limestone walls of the Santa Elena and Boquillas canyons, and the magnificent cliffs to the south of the Rio Grande in Mexico.  From 100 to 65 mya, the sea retreated forming lowlands which was home to dinosaurs, fish and reptiles.  The fossils found in Big Bend are incredible, including a giant flying reptile, with a wingspan of over 35 feet.  Finally, volcanic eruptions from about 38 to 32 million years ago formed the Chisos Mountains and the surrounding mountains.   Differential erosion is the key to the current topography and landscape.  There is an excellent new Fossil Discovery Center in Big Bend with incredible local early-to-late Cretaceous fossils and a fabulous explanation of the complex geology and environment found at each stage.   

 

 

Bob Hiking, Big Bend

Linda under Balanced Rock, Big Bend
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Illegal Goods", Mexican Art Stand, Big Bend Hiking Trail

There is one border crossing from Big Bend into Mexico that is open part of the week.  Boquillos Mexico is on the other side.  The Mexicans from that town routinely just cross the river anywhere, and use the US side as if their own country.  Several Mexican artists have little “gift stands” set up on the main hiking trails.  They leave their artwork, with a price, and a can for you to put $$ in.  Interestingly, the National Park Service newspaper cautions from buying from these stands since the goods are contraband and illegal.   

Orig Jersey Lilly Bar, Only Law West of the Pecos

We left Big Bend and headed west on Highway 90.  If you go that way, do make a brief interesting stop at Langfry TX (don’t blink or you will miss it), home to Judge Roy Bean-he was the ONLY law west of the Pecos River, and a very interesting story.  

 

 

 

 

Judd Concrete Art, Chianti Foundation, Marfa, TX

We camped and spent a day in Marfa, TX.  Our friends Jeffery and Louise Leibovitz highly recommended stopping at Marfa, but the published reviews were very mixed; some good, some bad.  Marfa has become a cultural center for contemporary artists.  Minimalist, Donald Judd, moved to Marfa from New York City.  Judd acquired a decommissioned military base (Fort Russel), and began transforming the fort’s buildings into art spaces in 1979.  He began to install his art for permanent display.   Since Judd’s death in 1994, two foundations work to maintain his legacy.  We had a tour of the Chinati Foundation (you need a reservation-AM only), and saw art work by Judd and other selected artists.   After seeing it, we would say it was interesting, but not really our preferred type of art.  The most interesting aspect of Marfa town was the eclectic people: old time Texan ranchers, hardworking Hispanics, and young artist/student residents and tourists; many were young millennials and quite a few from New York City….a kind of mini New York art district. Marfa bills itself like this: “New York, Paris, London, Marfa”.  We camped in Marfa with new friends we had just made at Big Bend and dinned together at one the great Marfa restaurants.  It was a fun stop.  Go there and you can judge the art for yourself.  

"Star Party" Telescopes, McDonald Observatory

We next headed to Ft. Davis, TX, home of well restored and preserved historic 1860s to 1900 Army Fort Davis, built to protect the San Antonio - El Paso Road used by early settlers and travelers to California.  We made a reservation to attend a “star party” at the nearby McDonald Observatory in the Davis Mountains.  Research today at the McDonald Observatory encompasses a wide variety of topics and projects, including planetary systems, stars and stellar spectroscopy, the interstellar medium, extragalactic astronomy, and theoretical astronomy, including the newest project to discover the nature of “dark energy”, a mysterious force causing the expansion of the universe to speed up. There are three large telescope facilities for professional use.   

"Whirlpool",  intersecting galaxies, through telescope, McDonald Observatory

The star party program started about 9pm and WAS EXCELLENT.  We started at a large outdoor amphitheater, where there was a very interesting talk about the constellations and the planets.  Without a telescope, in addition to the stars and constellations, we saw the Iridium Satellite Flair, and even some meteors (shooting starts).  There was no moon showing that night (the moon was up during the day), so the stars were brilliant.  After learning about the constellations and why the Milky Way is not so bright and obvious in the winter, we then visited 7 different telescopes to see:  a brilliant Jupiter and 4 moons, the whirlpool galaxy (two intersecting galaxies), a star cluster, a nebula in Orion (some of the youngest stars in the galaxy), a very old galaxy, etc.  They have four large permanently mounted telescopes around the amphitheater for visitor use during this and other events, and some slightly smaller telescopes that are set up for the party.  We finished up at midnight and drove home down a dark road with incredible skies…this is a definitely a dark sky area, similar to Big Bend.  

El Capitan and Guadeloupe Peak, Guadeloupe Mtn Ntl Park

Our last stop in Texas was the Guadeloupe Mountains National Park, the “Texas Alps”. Guadalupe Mountains National Park is in the vast Chihuahuan Desert of western Texas. It’s known for its bright-white Salt Basin Dunes, wildlife-rich grassland and fossilized reef mountains (the famous Permian Limestone Reef which formed about 250 million years ago - too early for any life except the earliest life forms).  Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas at 8,749 feet, has fabulous views of El Capitan peak, to the south.  We camped at the base of Guadeloupe Peak.  It was VERY windy during our entire stay, and we had to keep the slide outs pulled in much of the time…this made for much closer living arrangements than we normally have.  Our motorhome rocked and rolled in the wind gusts – made us feel like we were back on our sailboat Villomee, but at least we did not need to worry about dragging anchor  J.  We hiked a couple of the local trails, but not the very strenuous hike to the “Top of Texas”; an 8 hour,  8.4 mile hike, with over 3000 ft elevation gain and into a 20-30 (gusts to 50) mph headwind coming down the valley and 90 degree temp.  We are not quite at that hiking level …yet J, but it is very scenic. 

McKittrick Canyon and Stream, Guadeloupe Mtn Ntl Park

We did complete the McKittrick Canyon hike; a beautiful 4.8 mile hike up an increasingly lush canyon with a year-round stream at its upper end.   This canyon is considered one of the most beautiful in Texas, especially during the fall.  Thousands of visitors come to experience the brilliant reds and oranges of the canyon (maples and other colorful deciduous trees), which contrast sharply with the desert foliage, not seen elsewhere in West Texas.   There is a homestead mid-way up the canyon, which was owned and occupied by Pratt, a geologist, from the 1930s until the 60s.  Pratt donated the land to the park service in 1961. We have seen the generosity of many people in the US, whose donations to the National Park Service and various state park systems, have helped to expand and preserve the beautiful places in our country for following generations. 

We are next headed to New Mexico, starting with Carlsbad Caverns, Roswell and White Sands. 

We continue to be blessed with a great trip and safe travels.  Feel free to pass the blog link on to anyone who might be interested.  

Best,

Linda and Bob  

4/25/17 Gulf Coast Breezes and Some Favorite Places



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bob, Linda, Val, Katlynn Xmas, San Jose del Cabo                                              Val with Santa on Beach Sleigh, San Jose

 

We spent the Christmas holiday in San Jose del Cabo, Baja, Mexico with Linda’s niece Valerie and her daughter Katlynn.  We had a great time there, enjoying all the tourist activities and the warm sunny weather. 

  

 

Bob, Pam and Pat Tequilla Tasting, Todos Santos

After Val and Katlynn flew home, we drove our rental SUV 6 hours north to Loreto for a week enjoying the remote parts of the Baja peninsula before heading back south to Cabo San Lucas to spend a week with our friends Pat and Pam Cullen.  We love the Baja and all it offers; Pat and Bob caught enough fish offshore for two nice dinners at the condo. 

 

 

 

Linda and Pam swim with Dolphins, Cabo San Lucas

 

 



Panama City Skyline from our 64th floor Penthouse
 

After a few weeks home enjoying our friends in St. Augustine, we flew to Panama City, Panama and the San Blas Islands for 3 weeks.  We really got to know the city as “residents” (yes, we are now officially Panamanian residents), and found that we enjoyed “high rise condo living” in the urban environment a lot more than we thought. Panama City is a very international city, with a population and skyline resembling Miami. 

 

Tom and Linda at top of Hard Rock Cafe

Our friend, Tom Hart, joined us for a couple of weeks, so we enjoyed a lot of good wine and great food at some of the best restaurants in Panama City.  Linda cooked several excellent seared ahi tuna dinners along with the tasty fresh ceviche we obtained from the Mercado de Pescado (fish market), which was walking distance from our Penthouse rental condo.   

San Blas Islands,Panama

Traditional Dress Kuna Woman in Dugout Canoe

Our trip to the San Blas Islands on the Panamanian Caribbean coast was fabulous.  We chartered a roomy (not so fast but very comfortable) 52-ft ketch with a husband /wife crew; S/V Blue Sky. http://www.blueskysailingsanblas.com   Breeze, the captain sailed between the islands and used the motor only to anchor (Bob enjoyed tending sails only when he wanted) and Debbie,  the captain’s wife and cook, was a former chef at the Captiva Yacht Club (FL) so the food was fantastic. They worked very hard at getting fresh local seafood; they know all the local Kuna Indian veggie boats to keep them supplied with fresh fruit and veggies. 

Bob, Linda, Doug, Wendy on Kuna Island

Our friends, Wendy and Doug Pullen, joined us.  We had met them last year (they are Canadian citizens working in Panama for 5 years) while we were at the Bahia, near Coronado, Panama, on the Pacific coast.  The San Blas Islands are beautiful, with gorgeous crystal clear blue and aqua waters, idyllic islands, fabulous snorkeling (diving not allowed by the indigenous Kuna Indians), and interesting local villages on some of the larger islands.  We ate lunch locally a couple of times; the fresh seafood was delicious and the crevesas very cold.  It reminded us of our cruising days in the eastern Caribbean and our 4-day trip was over all too soon. We hated to leave and would recommend the charter highly – 4 days is too few.  We are up for going back if anyone wants to go.  

Marcello and Bob enjoying sail

After returning for a few more weeks in St. Augustine getting ready to depart on this year’s motorhome trip, we headed out on March 31.  Our first stop was to spend a weekend with our good friends, Marina and Marcello Borzatta, in Destin FL.  It’s always fun to spend time with them, and as we normally do, we ended up spending the weekend on their 42 foot Beneteau sloop sailboat out of Panama City Beach.  We sailed offshore Panama City Beach both days and enjoyed lunches anchored in the Bay and grilled dinner at the dock.  We always have a fabulous time being with them. 

Linda and Bob enjoying Sunset on Gulf Islands National Seashore

Our next stop was only a few miles west to Ft. Pickens Campground, Gulf Islands National Seashore, near Pensacola.  The Gulf Islands are barrier reefs along the gulf coast, with beautiful WHITE, fine grain beaches, dunes, and birds…lots of birds.  We enjoyed the park’s beaches and the historic forts, but also explored Pensacola.  We were able to see the Blue Angels practice: they are stationed at Pensacola Naval Air Station.   

 

Blue Angels Flyby over Pensacola Light                                        
                                                                                                              Blue Angels Overhead


 

Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola

We spent a whole day at the Naval Aviation Museum, which is excellent - a must do for anyone.  The museum is devoted to the history of naval aviation, including that of the US Navy, the US Marine Corps and the US Coast Guard.  It covers a full range of aircraft and spacecraft representing the development, growth and history of US Naval Aviation. In addition to the excellent exhibits in the museum, there are almost 100 aircraft parked outside in the rear; however, the back area was closed to visitors when we were there.   

 

Bob in backseat of F4 Fighter Jet

Bob really enjoyed this museum; he was able to sit in the cockpit rear seat of an F4B Phantom fighter jet like he had flown in while he was on the USS Kitty Hawk in Vietnam.  It brought back a lot of memories.   Bob was also stationed in Pensacola while in flight school.  We spent some time visiting his old “haunts”, including the Officers Club (O Club), which is now an All Hands Club.  We had a couple of drinks and a lunch there, but we have found many of the O Clubs in various military bases to be only shadows of their former selves.  With the crackdown on drinking and the political correctness in the military, the former “hell-raising” days of the Navy are gone (too bad for the Navy – MHO).  The clubs are mostly now open to everyone, serving only lunch, and mostly only open for a not-so-happy hour on a Friday or Saturday evening.   

Linda enjoying raw oysters before our BBQ Shrimp

We left Pensacola and drove to an Elks Lodge in New Orleans.  We left early enough to get there in time to have one of our favorite dinners, BBQ shrimp, New Orleans style.  It is not just shrimp cooked on the grill, but the whole shrimp, including the head which adds flavor, sautéed and served in a very spicy sauce (Worchester sauce, butter, garlic and lots of spices).  It is one of our favorite dishes and worth a “small detour” to New Orleans.  We had planned to go to Mr. B’s Bistro in the French Quarter, but we found out that there was a seafood festival going on, and we decided to not have dinner with 60,000 of our “closest friends”.  So we decided to try Pascal Manale’s, the original BBQ shrimp restaurant, which is not in the quarter. It was excellent and a much better choice.  Another favorite added to our list and a great restaurant recommendation without the hassle of the Quarter.  

RV on Galveston Ferry

On the way to Padre Island National Seashore on the Texas gulf coast, we parked our motorhome on the street in front of our cruising friend’s, Judy and Bill Rouse, house in Galveston, TX.   We had met them in the Caribbean when we started to cruise in 2005.  We have stayed in touch with them as they continued cruising and spent 11 years circumnavigating the world on their 53 foot Amel ketch, much of it with kids and grandkids, particularly in the south Pacific and Mediterranean.  They recently sold their boat and moved to Galveston to be near their family.  We had a fabulous stay with them, catching up on all their cruising adventures including the week spent dodging and riding out a typhoon (hurricane) in the Indian Ocean.  It is always a lot more fun to talk with people who have experienced cruising, so they were happy to talk about their cruising and our boats in detail with us. We enjoyed a great evening and had a delicious cioppino dinner at their favorite Galveston restaurant within walking distance to their house.   Judy is an excellent cook (as we knew from eating on their boat) and she cooked a wonderful breakfast before we headed south to see the Padre Island National Seashore and to camp at the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station.   

Padre Island National Seashore, Corpus Christi

Padre Island National Seashore is a barrier island along the Texas coast.  Our best (or worst) description is: WINDY.  The wind was incessant and strong, so much so, that we could not put out the slide-outs on our motorhome.  The dunes and grasslands have made a long recovery from being overgrazed by cattle. 

Caracara, Padre Island National Seashore

The number and variety of bird species there are incredible.  It is the first stop on the migration route from the Yucatan Peninsula, with the birds flying over 800 miles over the Caribbean before they hit land and head north.   We took a birding tour with a park ranger and saw a lot of resident, but even more transient, birds.  We are not birders, but it was still interesting to see the variety.  Our biggest takeaway from this area is that it is very windy about half the year….so much so that we would be uncomfortable doing stuff outside, but the locals (and maybe crazy tourists) were on the beach.  It is a great place if you are into wind surfing, or kite surfing, particularly on the hypersaline Laguna Madre estuary between the barrier island and the mainland. 

Our stays at Gulf Islands and Padre Island completed our visits to ALL the US National Seashores and National Lakeshores.  

The Alamo, San Antonio

We were glad to head back northwest to another of our favorite stops, San Antonio.  We wanted to spend enough time to really enjoy the city.  We did the usual tourist things: the Riverwalk, the Alamo, and the San Antonio boat cruise in the downtown area.  But we also spent enough time to go visit 3 other mission sites, the Tower of the Americas, and the historic Spanish Governor’s palace. 

Riverwalk Café, San Antonio

Of course, we also had to have a few meals at the excellent restaurants along Riverwalk before we left town.

We enjoyed our visits along the Gulf Coast, and are now looking forward to going to west Texas and then on to New Mexico. It is good to on the road again.  

We continue to be blessed with a great trip and safe travels.  Feel free to pass the blog link on to anyone who might be interested.  

Best,

Linda and Bob  

 

 

 

 

11/29/16 California and GOOD FRIENDS

Golden Gate Bridge

After we left Washington state and the Olympic Peninsula, we headed to California, the last leg of our 2016 RV Adventure.  We were planning on combining a few stops at places we had missed in our 25 years of living in CA, along with spending time with good friends we had not seen for quite a while.   

 

 

 

Huge waves hit CA Coast

We were initially headed to the Redwoods National Park, just over the border from Oregon.  We were going to be camping along the Klamath River on the coast.  Unfortunately, the bad weather we had lived with for weeks in Washington continued to follow us. A big northwestern storm was predicted to hit the whole northwest; the Redwoods National Park area was predicted to have 75 mph winds, 10-12 inches of rain with heavy flooding, and 25-30 foot waves.  Going to our campground would be like driving into a hurricane…and not a good idea.   

Pat Cullen and Bob at Poor Reds

Instead, we headed to the Placerville area earlier than planned and spent a few extra days with our friends Pat and Pam Cullen, and kids Kelly and Krista, who have both grown up to be delightful young women. Placerville had been our ranch home for about 7 years, and it was nice to see the area again and interestingly, not much had changed since we left in 2002.   Poor Red’s, a local favorite and the home of the Golden Cadillac, has been nicely remodeled and was open again.    It was fun to visit our favorite wineries and taste the spicy old vine zinfandels we love from the area;  Apple Hill provided a tasty day trip for Linda and Pam.  



Wine Tasting in Sonoma Valley

From Placerville, we spent a few days tasting wines in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, but were surprised at how expensive it has gotten to just taste wine…. $20 to $40 per taste was not unusual.  Linda spent some time researching wineries on-line, and found enough wineries that did not charge, or waived the tasting charge with a wine purchase…. a much better deal.  It made us appreciate the Amador and El Dorado wineries all the better.   

Golden Gate from Lands End

We spent a week in the San Francisco area.  We parked the RV in Pacifica, right along the cliffs.  The RV park had lost some of its land and RV parking spots to cliff collapse the year before, so we kept an eye on the small swath of land between us and the ocean…. the big waves from the large NW storms were still attacking the cliffs.  We enjoyed visiting places we had previously missed on our many visits to SF, including hiking the Marin Headlands and Land’s End right in SF.   



Fishermans Wharf Boats

We really had fun learning a lot at the SF Maritime Historic Museum and visiting the historic boats on their two docks.  But we also spent some time just walking around and enjoying all the SF has to offer:  dinner in Chinatown, shopping in Ghirardelli square, sampling seafood on fisherman’s wharf, watching the seals at pier 39, and just people watching.  We were there on Halloween, and almost EVERYONE wore costumes… the kids were cute but many of the “adults” were a bit much.  The day after Halloween, Christmas decorations were already going up!  Friends of ours that live in SF suggested dinner on a “locals” alley, Belcher Place, with outdoor cafes and lots of excellent food. 
 

SF Maritime Museum

While in SF, we had an opportunity to spend time with Bob’s Navy buddy Tom Hart and Linda’s former co-worker, Larry Reynolds and his wife, Susan.  It was great seeing them again…everyone is looking good and enjoying retirement.  

Rt 1 Coastline Vista

From San Francisco, we drove the most beautiful road in the country, Rt 1 along the Pacific Coast between Half Moon Bay and Morro Bay.  We have driven this route several times, but this was the first time in an RV.  The narrow, winding roads, with sharp up and downs and switchbacks, were “interesting” in a 36 foot RV.  To make it easier on the RV and driver, Linda drove the Jeep Cherokee so we did not have to tow.  Linda was free to stop any time for photos, but Bob managed to pull off the road once to get a closer look at “seal beach” where huge numbers of elephant seals, along with other sea lions and other seals, were sunning on the beach in huge numbers.   

Seal Beach, Rt 1, CA

 

Rt 1 in Early Morning Mist

Big Sur Lighthouse Sunset

McWay Falls, Big Sur

We spent several days in Big Sur.  The huge fires that engulfed hundreds of square miles had only been out for 2-3 weeks, and all the trails east of Rt 1 were closed due to the danger of landslides with all vegetation burnt off.  We did some great hikes along the coast including the Old Post Road before Rt 1 was finished, and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and McWay Falls.    

Sunset, Morro Rock

We spent the night in Morro Bay State Park to have dinner with near-by friends Yvonne and Bob Huggins, and breakfast with Bob’s cousin’s husband, Jim Pauly.  The waterfront in Morro Bay has not changed much either; many of the places we enjoyed in the past are still there.   

Oval Office, Regan Library

We continued down the coast to stop in Simi Valley; we wanted to spend a day at the Regan Presidential Library.  It is excellent.  In addition to the usual historical perspective about the president’s life and his years as president, Regan’s Air Force One plane is there available to see.  Regan certainly lived in “interesting times”; and in our opinion, he improved the US stance in the world (in disarray after Carter), won the Cold War with Russia and oversaw the “collapse” of the Soviet Union.  “Peace through Strength” was his motto.  Many of the same challenges face the US today after the Obama administration; Trump should take lessons from Regan’s successful first 100 days.   

Our "Home" overlooking Crystal Cove

We finally headed to Laguna Beach, our last home while in CA.  We were able to get reservations at Crystal Cove State Park, right on the beach.  From there we spent all our time visiting old friends.  We spent one night with our sailing and church buddies Pam Polzin, Peter Colgrossi, and Ann and Bill Odlum watching the presidential election returns.  We drove down to La Jolla to visit friends Mike and Lonna (Williams) Stolper for dinner, and then finished up with a dinner party adding friends Phil and Laurie Owens to our Laguna Beach group.  We drove by our former home in Laguna; it was identical down to the furniture, drapes and outdoor potted plants (why change a good thing); even the same gardener was there working and we said hi to him.    

Sunset over Catalina Island, Crystal Cove

We even managed enough time to have lunch in Dana Point Marina with our long time sailing friends Jim and Janet Prideaux. We even happened upon the owner of the boat that Linda used to crew on for Wednesday races – a fun reunion.  We heard that the boat that Bob crewed on is still racing.  We viewed our former 30-ft Newport sailboat – still in the same slip and our additions are still looking good.   

Joshua Trees, Joshua Tree Ntl Park

We finished up with a visit to Joshua Tree National Park, near Palm Springs.  We spent a day driving around the park, and taking a couple of short hikes.  Our La Jolla friends Cindy and Del Foit joined us for our visit to the park.  We loved visiting the Living Desert, a desert garden and zoo in Palm Desert.  We got to see the animals we didn’t see on our hikes…. and an incredible array of desert plants from deserts all over the world.    

We left Palm Springs, but made an unplanned overnight stop in Phoenix (thanks to the Elks Lodge).  Linda’s great nephew, Sammy Puma, had just been diagnosed with brain cancer; he was recovering from his surgery but had not yet started chemotherapy at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.  We spent a little time comforting Sammy, and providing some emotional support to Kristen, Linda’s niece, and her husband Charles.  They are going to have a very difficult time over the next 5-6 months; Sammy will essentially be living in the hospital through his treatment.  WE ASK THAT YOU PRAY FOR SAMMY AND HIS FAMILY, for a successful treatment, and comfort while going through treatment, and for his family to have the strength to help him though this difficult time.   

Waterfront, Night of Lights, St Augustine

We bolted across Interstate 10 to arrive home in St Augustine in 4 days.  It is great to be “home” again.  St Augustine just feels right to us as our home.  It was great to be back to see our friends and family, who we missed greatly during the 8 months we were gone this year.   We will be here until March 31, 2017, when we will depart on the final leg of our 3 year adventure.  

It has been an awesome year and we have been blessed with a safe and almost trouble-free trip.  We Thank God for His many Blessings!   

We have listed some of the statistics from this year’s trip below, for those who are interested in more information.   

Feel free to pass the blog link on to anyone who might be interested.  

Best,

Linda and Bob   

STATISTICS                               This Year              Cumulative 2 Years

Months on Road                                    8                                    13

RV miles (point to point)               11,000                            21,000
Car miles (touring each area)         16,500                            26,500
US National Parks                               17                                    22
US National Seashore/Lakeshores         1                                      8
Ntl Historic Sites/Landmarks               32                                    37
Canadian National Parks                       9                                    15