The Holidays with friends in Florida! 12/22/13 – 12/30/13

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Panama City Beach, FL

Panama City Beach, FL

After New Orleans, we stopped in Biloxi, MS for a few days.   We had been through the area about 15 months ago right after Hurricane Isaac so we were curious to see how it looked after the devastation of that storm.  Plus, we needed a few days to relax and recover from our time in New Orleans!  We stayed at the Majestic Oaks RV Resort, which was in a great location and had everything we needed.   The weather wasn’t great, so we hunkered down most of the time.  We did take a walk out on the beach and explored the area a bit and were happy to see that it had been rebuilt nicely from the storm, but there was still evidence of the damage that was done.

Biloxi, MS

Biloxi, MS

After 2 nights here, it was time to head to Florida!  Part of our routine when we are getting ready to leave is to check the tires.  Turns out they were low (we think due to the below freezing temps) and we couldn’t get them to pump up with our air hose.  So, we had a slight detour to find a place to pump them up.  A bit of a challenge since it was Christmas Eve, but we found a place and were on the road only about an hour behind schedule.  We arrived at the Emerald Coast RV Resort in Panama City Beach, FL in early afternoon.  Mike’s friend from high school, Pat Bunker, lives here with his wife Allison and soon to be Baby Bunker, due in Feb.  He owns Panama City Beach Maps, so knows many people in the town.  He hooked us up with a free 4-night stay at this nice place!  Awesome!   They invited us over to their home for handmade pizza (BBQ chicken was my fave) to celebrate with a group of their friends.  Both of their families live elsewhere, so they do an “orphans” gathering for friends in the area.  We felt right at home!

At Pat & Allison's home

With Pat & Allison at their home

The next day was Christmas and it did feel a bit odd waking up and not have anywhere to be or rush off to.  I think it was my first Christmas ever, not seeing family.  It was a gorgeous day, so Mike & I grabbed a bottle of champagne and squeezed some OJ from the oranges Craig gave us from his tree in New Orleans, and headed down to the beach.  We drank mimosa’s sitting on the beach – perfect!  The sand is so white and feels like powder in your toes.   We headed back over to Pat & Allison’s for the afternoon and evening.   Another group of their friends came over for take out Chinese and homemade lumpias – very tasty.  It was so nice to have friends to hang out with!

Christmast Morning on the beach

Christmas morning on the beach

Mimosa's on the beach!

Mimosa’s on the beach!

The rest of our time here was great.  PCB is a very cool resort town that apparently gets crazy for Spring Break.  It was quieter while we were there, but we prefer it that way! Pat tour guided us around and took us to a few of his favorite local restaurants.  Liza’s Café for a delicious lunch and Marina Cantina for tequila and dinner (right up Mike’s alley)!  He also had passes for golf at Bay Point Resort.  I opted out and let Mike play with Pat and a few of his friends.  Our time here was fantastic and we can’t thank the Bunkers enough for hosting us at their home, chauffeuring us around and introducing to their town!

We departed on Saturday morning around 9 as we had one of our longest drives ahead of us to St. Petersburg, FL.  We were losing another hour, had to get gas and hit some unexpected traffic, so rolled into the St. Pete KOA in the dark, which is not ideal. (BTW, this was not our favorite park – overpriced, loud and not a great location).  We got set up and decided to just eat in and call it a night.  The weather had definitely changed – warmer and humid!  Family friends/former neighbors of Mike’s, Bill & Emily Lee, live here, so the next morning we met them for breakfast at the Cracker Barrel then headed up to their home in Palm Harbor for the day and night.  The rain had arrived so indoor activities were on the agenda.  It is different rain than we have at home — constant, loud and a lot of it.  Basically coming down in sheets.  Wowza!  We had a nice night at Bill & Emily’s watching football, drinking wine and eating Bill’s delicious Chicken Cacciatore!  We ended up spending the night at their condo instead of making the trek back to the MoHo.

Emily, Bill and Maggie

Emily, Bill and Maggie

The next morning we were treated to homemade French toast with orange syrup and mimosa’s  (a dream meal for me!).  It was so nice to spend time at their home and reminisce about Mike’s mom.  They were very interested in hearing about our adventure and gave us all of their support which means a lot!  We said our goodbye’s, Mike and I ran a few errands then decided to head down to Clearwater Beach where there was a huge beach party going on for the Outback Bowl – LSU and Iowa fans everywhere.  A really fun atmosphere.   What a difference a day can make weather-wise.  The rain was gone and hello sunshine.  Tomorrow morning we head south to Ft. Myers Beach for New Year’s Eve!

Clearwater Beach, FL

Clearwater Beach, FL

N’awlins Y’all! 12/18/13 – 12/22/13

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Bourbon Street, French Quarter

Bourbon Street, French Quarter

We were up early and on our way Wed. morning for the 8+ hour drive from Galveston to New Orleans. It was a weird day of driving; saw a truck catch on fire and a trailer’s satellite dish fly off the top of their rig. Looks like they forgot to put it done – OOPS! Finally made our way to milepost 880 and the east side of Texas. Wow that is one big state! Arrived at the New Orleans KOA at dusk and got set up. This park was nothing special except for location, location, location and the service was fantastic and the cheapest laundry yet. So, I guess maybe it was a bit special! We got settled, then our friend Craig Gambino came to MoHo for a welcome to NOLA cocktail. His home is less than a mile from the KOA, which was perfect! He took us to a local favorite, Copeland’s, for dinner. A great introduction to Cajun food and Craig proclaimed that if we both didn’t put on a few pounds by the end of our stay, then he would not have done his job. Crikey.

The next day, our tour guide Craig picked us up and drove us out to the Ninth Ward and Chalmette to see the damage from Katrina. He also took us to where one of his storage units (he owns many in the area) had been devastated and now is just a big empty lot. Hard to imagine that in these areas the water was 12 to 15 feet high. In the Ninth Ward, we saw all of the houses that Brad Pitt is rebuilding in the area. They are modern and stand out like sore thumbs compared to the existing homes that are still there. A pretty cool thing he is doing though. We met Craig’s dad and friend at Rocky & Carlos’ for lunch – a local southern joint with classic New Orleans food. It was delicious, but boy I am not used to eating that much food, especially for lunch! We then took a ferry ride over the mighty Mississippi and drove around a bit more. Craig and his wife Kim had us over to their house for dinner that night. They tried to find crawfish (Mike’s fave), but it wasn’t in season. Instead, they did a shrimp boil with all the fixins. As usual, Mike was the last one eating! He just loves that Cajun spice flavor!

Mississippi River ferry crossing

Mississippi River ferry crossing

Dinner at the Gambino's!

Dinner at the Gambino’s!

On Friday, Craig picked us up around noon and we headed down to the Quarter. Went straight to Central Grocery for Muffuletta and a stuffed artichoke. This is one of those landmark places that only the locals seem to know about. My motto these days is to try everything. I don’t really like olives and it is basically an olive sandwich, but it was tasty! Then we started walking. We lucked out with the weather, sunny and warm. I would even say a bit humid, but Craig did not agree! Stopped in at several places for a beverage…Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar for a beer, Pat O’Briens for a Hurricane and Hotel Monteleone for cocktails where the bar rotates a la the Space Needle. One thing I was infatuated with is the concept of “to go.” If you are not finished with your drink, you can get it in a to-go cup or just stop in and order something to go – classic! As the afternoon and early evening approached the scene definitely got more crowded and lively. Kim came down after work to meet us for dinner at Café Amelie. Our friend Joanna who we met in Lodi, CA suggested it and it was nice as Craig & Kim hadn’t been there. A new experience for all of us. We sat outside in the courtyard. Great ambience and delicious food! We were actually the last ones there. We headed back to Bourbon Street to walk around. The scene was in full force, but apparently this was nothing compared to big weekends like Jazz Fest or Mardi Gras. It seemed pretty crazy to me. There were a lot of ‘Ragin’ Cajuns’ there for the football game the next day. Our evening was topped off with a stop in a bar where Craig paid for Mike to sit in a dentist chair for a fireball shot from a very “friendly” server (see pic below). A site to see and quite entertaining for all of us. One more ‘to go’ beer and time to head home. We were in bed by midnight. A LONG day, but so fun!

St. Louis Cathedral

St. Louis Cathedral

Muffuletta's at Central Grocery

Muffuletta’s at Central Grocery

Blacksmith Bar in French Quarter

Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar in French Quarter

Craig & I enjoying our Hurricane's at Pat O'Briens

Craig & I enjoying our Hurricane’s at Pat O’Briens

Classic Bourbon Street

Classic Bourbon Street

Craig, Mike, Kim & I at Cafe Amelie

Craig, Mike, Kim & I at Cafe Amelie

The entertaining end to our night

The entertaining end to our night

I had a much needed hair appt on Sat morning – thanks Kim for arranging! Then Craig & Kim picked us up to head to Cooter Browns Tavern to watch the Coug bowl game complete with Bloody Mary’s and lots of fried food. It was fun until the Cougs absolutely self imploded and lost. Brutal. After a bit of sulking and bitterness on my side, we headed to one of their favorite places, Jacque Imo’s for dinner. A very random, eclectic place and one of the hottest spots in town. I had a fireball shot to calm myself and we lucked out getting a much-coveted table in the bar. Craig’s sister, Susan had joined us as well. Craig ordered a variety of appies/dishes that we all could share. The most random was a shrimp and alligator cheesecake (not a dessert). And yes, I did try it! After that we headed uptown to see all of the big mansions decorated for Xmas. Beautiful. Stopped at the Columns Hotel and sat outside for a round of cocktails. A great way to end our time here. We said goodnight and our goodbyes since we would be on the road the next morning.

Woke up to strong rain and wind and feeling tired. We really lucked out on weather for our time in New Orleans. A very big thanks to the Gambino’s for making our time here so special. We invaded them at a tough time, the kids finishing exams, busy at work, their daughter’s bday and of course the Holidays with family in town. Needless to say they had a lot going on, but they took the time to host us and show us a great time for 4 days and nights! We so appreciated this. Seeing the city with locals makes for a much better experience.

p.s. Craig did his job! We both feel a bit puffier than when we arrived.

Jaques Imo's - they set up a table in the truck and you can eat out in front

Gambino’s & Miller’s at Jacque Imo’s 

The beautiful Columns Hotel

The beautiful Columns Hotel

 

Everything is big in Texas – 12/7/13 – 12/17/13

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Mike at the Alamo - huge Oak Tree

Huge Oak Tree at the Alamo, San Antonio

Hi everyone, sorry I have not posted for a while, been busy driving! We left Tucson and headed toward the state of Texas. This is the part of the trip I have been dreading the most. (Sorry you Texas fans out there, but a lot of it has very little to see on the road.) We got to El Paso and found (finally after a missed turn) the Mission RV Park on the east side of town. We arrived later in the afternoon, and just hunkered down for the night. This place was basically a place to sleep, and not one of our favorite parks, too many sketchy people hanging around.

Hit the road quite early the next morning, about 8:15AM. (We usually dilly dally around and get on the road about 10-10:30AM, so 8:15 was early for us!) We drove to Fort Stockton, a tiny little town, again for just the night to get across Texas. The drive was an interesting one for me. The temps were in the low 30’s, and there was a lot of fog and frost everywhere. I was a bit nervous, MoHo not good in ice! We came to the area that Hwy 10 splits off to Hwy 20, a particularly frosty area. About 2 miles down our side of Hwy 10, there were the remains of a huge accident on the opposite side of the roadway. Come to find out, there was a 20-car pile-up 24 hours prior, with one fatality, and a completely burned out carcass of another MoHo! I was so glad we were in the area a day later, as the whole area was frozen solid just 24 hours earlier; we missed it by just one day! Got to the campground and set up as quickly as we could, Seahawks were on at 3:25PM central time vs. 49ers. (Probably should have kept on driving in hindsight, not a great game, oh well.) We stayed at the Fort Stockton RV Park, about 5 miles east of town. A great little place, friendly staff, (tiniest showers in the world) and just a good quiet place to rest for the night.

The next morning we were off and driving again, still cold, but I was feeling better about the temps in the mid-30’s. We were on our way to San Antonio, our next destination for a few days. We got to the park, Travelers World RV Resort, on the south side of downtown, and were happy our satellite found a hole in the trees to get our valuable signal. We headed out to grab some groceries and dinner. We found a little Mexican place, Nichas about ½ mile away, with lots of cars in the lot (always a good sign when a lot of others are there.) I had Fajita’s as usual, and they were awesome. (Only second best to the ones I had in last year when I met the previous owners we bought the MoHo from, and they took me to a place near their place in central Texas.) Traci had some Tortilla Soup and we very much enjoyed ourselves.

The next day we were off to Downtown San Antonio, and the famous Alamo and River Walk. Being a History major, I was very much interested in the Alamo. Well, there was not a lot to it. I would have to say the best part for me was the landscaping, some amazingly huge foliage. We then headed to the River Walk, a famed area in downtown, with tons of restaurants and shops. There, we had a cocktail at the oldest bar on the river walk, Esquire Bar. Next was a stop at some terrible Mexican Place, quick beer and out. (OK, terrible because of the staff – on our way to being seated the server dropped his towel on the floor, then proceeded to wipe our table “clean” with the same towel. The rest of the staff just huddled at the bar, did nothing to make it a fun place that it could have been, their loss.) We went next door to the Irish bar, had a couple of cocktails and then headed to the Menger Hotel, a historic landmark in the area (thanks for the tip Allyson). We bellied up to the bar, had a couple of drinks, and then headed to another joint for dinner. We drove to Mi Tierra, a highly recommended Mexican place a few blocks away. I again had the Fajitas, and these were not good at all! Tasted like they had boiled the chicken in liquid smoke, just a poor showing for a place that was so highly recommended. The service and atmosphere were good though. Then it was time to head home. When we got back, Traci noticed she was missing one of her diamond studs, oh ****! I immediately started to call all the places we had been, but we walked so much that day we both knew it was a lost cause. We left messages with a couple places, and Traci actually got ahold of a nice guy at the Menger Hotel Bar. He went around the bar to where we sat, and it was sitting there on the floor!! We were shocked, and immediately got back in the car and drove downtown to retrieve it! What was a good day, went bad quickly, and turned out awesome in the end! Side note: These earrings are on their 3rd life…we had a similar situation happen years ago when Traci lost one downtown Seattle and she found it the next day in her parking garage at work. Crazy!

In front of the Alamo, San Antonio

In front of the Alamo, San Antonio

Esquire Bar, Oldest Bar on the River Walk, San Antonio

Esquire Bar, Oldest Bar on the River Walk, San Antonio

DSCN5113

The River Walk, San Antonio

The next day we headed to Austin for the day, about 80 miles north. We got some great tips from friends, Sean Holman, Allyson McBride and Jeff Brauns, so had a full day planned and then some. Most of the tips were food/restaurants, so we kind of ate our way through. Our first stop was for BBQ! We tried to get into Franklins (world famous), but we were 20 people back in line, past the point that they could guarantee we would get food. They only cook so much every day and we got there too late. We then found the Iron Works BBQ downtown, near the convention center. Looked and smelled good, and it was awesome! Traci had the BBQ brisket sandwich, I had the three beef rib plate, and damn those were the best ribs I have ever had, home run!! Next we headed to the capitol area. The state capitol building there is huge (largest in the US), and was open to touring, so we walked around, took some pictures and were just awed at the size of the structure. We then headed to a little old school drug store, Nau’s Enfield Drug, that still has a lunch counter, and had a really good milkshake, worth the journey out to find this little gem. Also, stopped by the University of Texas to check out Longhorn Stadium. Back to town and we walked up and down 6th street, a really busy nightlife area that was quiet as it was only about 4:00PM. A bit rough here, a lot of interesting people watching, glad we left while it was still light out. Stopped in at the Driskill Hotel, for a cocktail then stumbled upon a Gourdoughs Donuts food truck and could not resist. BTW, I think Austin is the food truck capital of the country, they are everywhere! Headed back to MoHo and relaxed, long day up and back. There was so much more to explore in Austin, wished we had more time there.

Iron Works BBQ, Austin

Iron Works BBQ – HUGE ribs!

Capital Building, Austin

Capitol Building, Austin

Inside the Capital Building looking up, Austin

Inside the Capitol Building looking up, Austin

Inside the Senate chambers, Austin

Inside the Senate chambers, Austin

Go Longhorns!

Go Longhorns!

Gourdoughs Donuts food truck. Notice the tagline - Big. Fat. Donuts. They are meals!

Gourdoughs Donuts food truck. Notice the tagline – Big. Fat. Donuts. They are meals!

Nau Enfield Drug, Best Milkshakes!

Nau’s Enfield Drug, Best Milkshakes!

The next day we thought about heading out of town, but decided to stay another night and just get some errands, laundry, etc. done. We headed out for another BBQ place, only to find it closed, and then stumbled onto one called Augies Barbed Wire BBQ. I had the ribs here and they were nothing like the ones in Austin. Traci had the brisket, and it was more like pot roast. Oh well, can’t win them all right? Back to the MoHo and got ready to head out the next morning. We liked San Antonio ok, but probably won’t return. Didn’t seem like much going on except for the River Walk.

The next day we headed south to Corpus Christi and a place called Port Aransas which is part of Padre/Mustang Island, about a 3-hour drive south from S.A. We got to our park, the Pioneer Beach RV Resort. This place was right on the water, just a 100-yard walk out of the park onto the beach and we could hear the waves crashing from our spot. We chilled that night in the MoHo. The next day was a bit of a wet start so it was a nice excuse to have a lazy morning. It cleared off and we took a 4 mile walk on the beach. We came back, relaxed the rest of the afternoon and BBQ’s some steaks for dinner that night. Sunday brought us another Seahawks game, so we headed to town and found a really nice little bar, Stingrays. We bellied up to the bar, and had a front row view to a great victory, 23-0 vs. the NY Giants. We sat there most of the afternoon and enjoyed the bar, food and beverages. After the game, we drove on the beach back to the MoHo and watched movies and got ready for our departure the next morning towards Galveston. This was a really neat resort town, pretty quiet while we were there, but I’m sure in season it would be hopping.

The Gulf of Mexico, Port Aransas

The Gulf of Mexico, Port Aransas

The MoHo's first ferry ride!

The MoHo’s first ferry ride!

The next days’ drive to Galveston was a fairly short trip, only about 4 hours. We started the trip by taking a short 5 minute crossing on a free ferry. Saved us an hour’s time! We took a lot of back roads and smaller highways, and the sights were nice. Along the way, we drove over several tall bridges. This area is super flat, no hills, just water and flat lands. When you get on one of these bridges, you can see for miles. Also, a lot of chemical and petroleum plants here. We arrived at our park, the Jamaica Beach RV Park; a nice little place, recently expanded, and going through more renovations. We hunkered down, Traci feeling a bit under the weather. I went out and did some errands and came back for dinner and movies. The next day we headed into Galveston, we were about 15 miles south at our RV park. We drove through town, did a little shopping, and went to the cruise terminal area for a lackluster lunch. Traci started to get a real bad headache, so we headed back to the MoHo and she went to bed. I went down the road to get a fishing reel re-strung.  Fishing is HUGE down here.  I found a little bait and tackle shop on the side of the road, what a place. Live bait wells, and stuff everywhere. Galveston was hit by hurricane Ike in Sept. of 2008, and I think this place never cleaned up after the storm, amazing. Another interesting thing is that all of the houses/structures are built up on stilts. This area floods a lot due to storms, so their first floor is actually one level up. Makes for an interesting looking landscape. I headed back to the MoHo, and Traci was still in bed with a full-blown migraine. I landed it in front of the TV for the night and got caught up on some of my series recording on the DVR. Traci came out of bed for some food, and was back in bed and out for the night. She woke up the next day tired, but headache gone thank goodness.

On our way to New Orleans (Nawlins)!

This is how all of the houses are built - on stilts!

This is how all of the houses on the Gulf of Mexico are built – on stilts because it floods so much.

The MoHo driving down Galveston Beach

The MoHo driving down Galveston Beach

 

Winter on the road has arrived! 12/3/13 – 12/7/13

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Saguaro National Park, Tucson

Saguaro National Park, Tucson

We arrived into Tucson to a 30-degree temperature change!  The cold weather seems to be affecting the entire US, even in the south where we were hoping for warmer temps.  My Uncle George and Aunt Ruth were also in town staying at the same RV Park, Valley of the Sun. They had been there for a few weeks visiting my Dad and his wife Jane and stayed one extra day so they could see us.  We got settled then walked 8 spots down to where they were set up with their camper trailer.  My Dad, Jane and her grand-daughter Gabby were already there.  We had a great visit and enjoyed pizza for dinner.

Jane, Dad, Me & Gabby in their backyard

Jane, Dad, Me & Gabby in their backyard

The next morning, George and Ruth came over for a quick tour of the MoHo then they were on their way heading toward California.  Golf was on our agenda for the day.  Dad’s good friend Chuck was able to get us on at the Omni Tucson National.  The four of us had a great round.  A little challenging for me, but I had never played golf with my dad before, so it made for a great day.  The wind was blowing and it was a bit chilly by the time we got off the course, but the sun was still shining.  We headed to a local bar for an after round drink, then back to Dad & Jane’s for a delicious homemade spaghetti and meatball dinner.  Mike & I headed back to the MoHo for the night.  The rain came in that night which all of the locals were excited about; Mike & I not so much!

On Thursday, dad took us for a tour around the city.  We headed up to Gates Pass for a cool view out over the desert. Then up to “A” mountain.  This is the mountain (hill) that overlooks downtown with the big A painted on it for the University of Arizona.  Apparently when rival schools come into town for football games they sneak up and paint the A their own school color.  Gotta love those college traditions; I’m sure it has been crimson at some point in time : )  We then headed down to the University District and had a beer at the Frog & Firkin, a typical college bar right near campus.  We headed back to Dad’s house for a night of relaxation.  I did some laundry (thanks Jane!) and we had another wonderful dinner of BBQ steaks and all the fixins!  Also, Dad loaded us up with supplies for the MoHo.

Dad and I on our hike in Saguaro National Park

Dad and I on our hike in Saguaro National Park

Friday was our last day.  The weather was still quite chilly, but it was a gorgeous crisp sunny day out with clear blue sky.  We decided to do a hike into Saguaro National Park.  The cool thing is that Dad & Jane’s backyard opens up into the Park.  So, we drove the car to a nearby spot and did our 3 ½ mile hike and ended up back at their house.  Dad shuttled us back to get our car.  A pretty neat spot for sure and such a different landscape than we are used to.  The Saguaro Cactus are like their trees; they are everywhere and each one so unique.  Tons of Prickly Pears, Agave and Cholla too. Mitch Cameron, you would love this park!  That evening, Chuck (from golf) and his wife Cori invited us to their house for dinner.  We arrived in time to still enjoy some daylight and thank goodness we did. Their home is absolutely amazing, especially the backyard.  Now, this is a house for entertaining!  Pool, huge gas firepit, outdoor bar and covered patio area.  They cooked up a delicious spread and we had some great wine.  We really enjoyed getting to know them and they couldn’t have been nicer.  What a great way to end the visit.  We headed back to Dad’s to drop them off and say our goodbyes.   It is always sad saying goodbye to friends and family. That is the hardest part of this trip for sure.

Love the Saguaro's!

Love the Saguaro!

Mike in a field of Cholla's

Mike in a field of Cholla

We were up and out early this morning heading east.  We were originally going to spend some time in New Mexico, but the temps are too cold.  We are trying to avoid below freezing, as it is hard on the MoHo.  We encountered a few below freezing nights in Tucson and the MoHo plumbing did fine, but the pipes from the RV Park were frozen this morning.  So, looks like we will overnight near El Paso for the night and make a plan from there.

Thanksgiving in the Desert – 11/13/13 to 12/2/13

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Thanksgiving Dinner at the IW Club.

Thanksgiving Dinner at the IW Club.

It feels like a long time since we have last written. Well I guess it has! We spent 2 nights at the Crazy Horse RV Park in Lake Havasu, AZ. Wished we had more time here, as it was a really neat spot. Our parking place was right on the lake so we were able to use the kayaks. We did a long paddle around the island we stayed on and under the London Bridge. Apparently it is part of the original 1831 London Bridge that was purchased and shipped over in pieces in the 60’s and reconstructed here in Lake Havasu. Kind of cool. We also ran into our friend Matt’s next-door neighbor. They saw our Washington plates and we got to talking…random.

London Bridge, Lake Havasu

London Bridge, Lake Havasu

We rolled into the Emerald Desert RV Resort in Palm Desert on a Friday afternoon and just pulled out this morning. This is the longest we have stayed in one place (2 ½ weeks) and I tell you it was fantastic. This was probably the nicest park we have stayed in yet. It was very resorty with a nice pool, workout room, clubhouse and lots of planned activities. Our favorite was every Saturday morning out by the pool, Muffins & Mimosas! We were also perfectly located only a mile and a half from where our group was staying. Mom & Jeff at Palm Valley and Sunny, Mitch, Shelly, Marc, Gom, Jerry & Ann at Desert Falls.

Besides the group above, we were also able to see some other friends and family who were down in the area. Alicia & Renee were down for a getaway weekend in the beginning of our stay, so we spent one night out with them. Mike’s Aunt Melanie came over to our Apple Cup party. And, we saw Brent & Ashlie Johnson a few times, including a night out in old town La Quinta that was really fun!

Me, Sunny, Laurie, Renee & Alicia

Me, Sunny, Laurie, Renee & Alicia – prefunc in the MoHo

Jeff, Brent, Mike, Me & Ashlie

Jeff, Brent, Mike, Me & Ashlie in old town La Quinta

We golfed five times (Mike six) at a variety of courses; some we had played before and others were some new ones for us. The weather cooperated most of the time and was typically in the high 70’s, but we did run into a bit of rain, which seems unusual for PD. We were still able to get some pool time and a good dose of Vitamin D! We had some fun dinner’s out, especially at one of our favorites, Villagio’s. Also, a tasty breakfast at the La Quinta Bakery. And, a great spaghetti feed at Ann & Jerry’s and yummy taco fest with Mom & Jeff at their place.

Sunny, Me & Shelly golfing

Sunny, Me & Shelly golfing

We had a large group with us, not everyone for the entire time, but for Thanksgiving, our whole group of 11 was together. Eight of us golfed in the morning, then we went to the IW Club at Indian Wells for an early 4:30 dinner. We had a big table out on the patio with heat lamps and enjoyed a delicious dinner, nice wine and great company. We made our way to The Nest for a post dinner cocktail and all sat at the piano bar requesting songs and people watching. I can’t think of a better way to spend Thanksgiving!

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Jeff, Mom, Me & Mike at Thanksgiving Dinner

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

For the big Apple Cup game, Mike & I decided to host a tailgate and viewing party at the MoHo. We had 13 people over and even picked up a few stragglers at the MoHo park. We had indoor and outdoor viewing going, BBQ’d brats at halftime and played Bocce Ball. Unfortunately, the Cougs were not able to pull it out. We had a 3 to 1 Coug vs. Husky ratio, so Mike definitely felt the thrill of victory and let us know it. Regardless, it was a great day and so fun to have a group together for the big game!

MoHo Apple Cup Party

MoHo Apple Cup Party

Shelly, Me, Jerry & Sunny - Go Cougs!

Shelly, Me, Jerry & Sunny – Go Cougs!

Aunt Melanie, Me & Mike

Aunt Melanie, Me & Mike

Mike on the BBQ!

Mike on the BBQ!

The Pflu’s and Cameron’s left on Sunday morning and that was extremely difficult for me saying goodbye to my best friends. We had one more night with my mom & brother, then they were gone on Monday. Another very hard goodbye. This left just Mike & I so we decided to head up to Joshua Tree National Park for the day. Both of us had been battling a cold and cough, so we didn’t do any big hikes, but just enjoyed the scenery and took a few short walks. Back to the MoHo for the big Monday Night Football game with our 12th Man flag flying – what a fun game to watch! We packed up this morning and were on the road by 9am for the trip to Tucson where we will visit my dad.

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park

The Desert is a special place for us as we got married here. It has been a place where we have continued to vacation especially for Thanksgiving. This time was obviously very special since we were able to spend time with so many great friends and family after being on the road for 5 months. It has been on the books ever since we left Seattle in May, so it has always been on my mind that we had this to look forward to. But leaving feels bittersweet to me as this is now really the start of our adventure where we will be gone for a year and on the other side of the country. I am looking so forward to what is ahead, but it was very hard to say goodbye. I do have some fun rendezvous’ in the coming months though which I am excited for. But, as I type this and it is just Mike & I driving down the road, I feel at ease and very happy.

Mike & I at Joshua Tree NP

Mike & I at Joshua Tree NP

The calm and the crazy of Nevada – 11/5/13 – 11/12/13

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Lake Mead (the calm)

Beautiful Lake Mead (the calm)

We had 3 nights unplanned before heading to Vegas for Shelly’s big birthday weekend. We decided on Lake Mead RV Village at Boulder Beach for some relaxation. This was a place we stayed last year during our trial trip, so we knew it would be spectacular. The sites are facing the lake with the red-orange hills behind, making the view look like a painting especially at sunset! The drive from Camp Verde took about 6 hours, so when we arrived we got set up and enjoyed the sunset and a nice evening cooking and relaxing in the MoHo.

Our site at Lake Mead

Our site at Lake Mead – love this view!

The next morning, we took the kayaks down to the lake and tooled around for a few hours exploring. The fish were literally jumping all around us. This is a very clean, clear lake so we could see down to the bottom in places near the shore. It was about 75 out, so perfect for kayaking. Back to the MoHo for an early dinner then we headed up to the local casino. It was completely dead and no tables open. We each dropped about 20 bucks in slots and decided to just head back for a good night’s sleep.

Kayaking on Lake Mead

Kayaking on Lake Mead

Thursday, we drove through the Lake Mead recreation area and ended up at Lake Las Vegas. This place just popped up out of nowhere with mansions, condos and high end looking hotels. I’m curious if this area is surviving, as it seemed pretty deserted. We continued our drive and looped around through Henderson and back to our campsite. We decided to have an outdoor fire and Mike cooked up steaks right on the grates. We enjoyed a nice salad and some sautéed veggies and of course a nice bottle of red.

The view from our dinner at Bellagio (the crazy)

The view from our dinner at Yellowtail, Bellagio (the crazy)

Friday, we were off to Vegas, only about a 45-minute drive. The Pflu’s and Lindley’s flew down from Seattle and arrived at 10:30am. The plan was to meet at their hotel, Mandalay Bay. Mike & I rolled into the Oasis RV Park, just 5 minutes from the strip and set up. We then drove the car to Paris where we had a few comp hotel nights. We checked into the room, then made the trek down to Mandalay. On a map, it looks like 2 blocks, but these are Vegas blocks…45 minutes later we arrived. We met them out at “The Beach,” the very cool sandy beach pool. They were actually staying at “The Hotel” which is the all-suite hotel right behind Mandalay Bay, so we headed up to their rooms to get caught up and have a few drinks while they all changed and got ready for the night. The boys hit the sports book to make their football bets for Saturday and we all gambled for a bit before dinner. We found a great Italian place right at Mandalay, which was delicious. We decided to head over to the Luxor for gambling since the table limits were a bit more reasonable. The big winner for the night was Marc Lindley. I put my head on the pillow at 3am and think I outlasted everyone.

Needless to say, I slept in, while early riser Mike headed back to Mandalay to meet Marc Pflu to get a table in the sports books for the day of football. Everyone was on their own schedule for the day, but eventually we all ended up together watching football for the afternoon. Shelly & I decided we wanted to look into Garth Brooks tickets. This was his last show of the season and it was sold out, so we got on Craigslist and found a ticket broker with 2 tickets. It was a bit of a splurge but this is one of the best concerts I have ever been to. It was at the Wynn in the Encore Theater, which is a very intimate setting. Our tickets were in the first row of the Mezzanine level and it felt like we were almost on top of the stage. It was just Garth in jeans, a grey hoodie, baseball hat and his guitar. He was very conversational with the audience and basically took us through his lifetime of growing up through the 60s, 70s and 80s and which music influenced his own music. He played snippets of songs, and then played one of his songs that was influenced by that particular song or artist. Very cool and showed off his talent and he was funny too! His wife, Trisha Yearwood, came out at one point and they bantered and sang a few songs together. At the end, he of course did an encore and played my favorite, “The Dance” and the ultimate crowd pleaser, “Friends in Low Places.” I loved that before he sang the Dance, he said, “This is MY favorite Garth Brooks song.” We were soooooo glad we splurged and went, because most likely we would have lost the same amount of money at a table and not had this very cool experience. We headed back to Mandalay to meet the group. In bed a bit earlier tonight – 1am.

Shell and I at the Garth Brooks concert

Shell and I at the Garth Brooks concert

Seahawks Sunday! The game was at 10am, so we all had to get rolling early. Mike and I checked out of Paris and drove down to Mandalay. We all had our gear on and ended up in a bar with some other Hawks fans. Bloody Mary’s and Beer and a great victory! Mike & Marc even won some money on the game. Mike & I drove the car back to the RV Park and got dressed for Shelly’s b-day dinner. We met the group back at Mandalay at the vodka bar, Red Square. Then we had a limo take us to Bellagio (about the same cost for two cabs and much more fun!). Marc L’s friend got us a reservation at Yellowtail with a table on the balcony overlooking the fountains. This place was amazing and probably one of the best views in Vegas! The restaurant was Japanese with a lot of fish and seafood, which is not typically what I would choose. It was family style where they brought out dish after dish and we all got a little sampling. I ate Ahi, duck, lobster, crab, sea bass, shrimp (also beef and pork). Very proud of myself for being so adventurous. For those of you who know me, this is way outside my comfort level. But, I said I would try everything and it was all delicious with great flavor and excellent presentation! The desserts were tasty too! This was the most expensive dinner I have ever had, but so worth it for the food, atmosphere, service and of course exceptional company! We all continued our evening across the street at Bally’s. At around midnight, Mike & I said our goodbyes and took a cab back to the RV Park.

Pre bday dinner drinks at Red Square

Pre bday dinner drinks at Red Square

We both slept in and it was great to be back in the MoHo. The others flew back to Seattle, but Mike and I had a few more days here. It was nice to be back in the comforts of “home” that’s for sure. We were very lazy in the morning, but decided in the afternoon to drive downtown to the Fremont area. We drove by the pawn shop from Pawn Stars and opted not to go in. We parked near Binions and had a famous Binions burger and walked Fremont Street. I had never been here before and it was a pretty cool experience. A completely different vibe from the strip; kind of reminded us of Reno. It was Veteran’s Day so the light show they had going on the ceiling was patriotic themed. There were a lot of people out which made the atmosphere pretty lively and fun. We drove back to the MoHo and were both in bed by 10.

Fremont Street

Fremont Street

Last day in Vegas. The RV Park had a mobile washing service, so we decided on a much needed wash and wax! What a difference when professionals with the right equipment do it. We have tried to wash on our own a few times and it just hasn’t turned out very good. Mike washes the front windshield often, but doing the entire 40-foot beast is a much bigger task. We ran some errands, grocery shopped and did laundry. Decided to head out for our last night in town. Jeff Brauns recommended the M Resort (He was also here for the weekend, but we never had the chance to meet up.) This place was only about 5 miles from our RV Park so we thought we would check it out. We had a great happy hour dinner. Mike had caprese salad and shrimp cocktail and I had French onion soup and a chopped salad. The casino was absolutely dead but we sat down at a Pai Gow table and treaded water for awhile. I think the weekend finally caught up with us, as we were both exhausted so decided to call it a night. I got some Pistachio gelato on the way out and we hit the sack early.

All in all Vegas was a great trip even though we donated a bit to the cause.  It was nice to do some new and different things this trip.  Garth Brooks and Yellowtail were definitely the highlights for me.  Not to mention hanging out with good friends which we always love after being on the road just the two of us.  Next stop is Lake Havasu, AZ for a few nights of chillaxing before we hit Palm Desert, CA for 2 ½ weeks. I can’t believe that Thanksgiving is upon us. So excited to spend time with great friends and family — Cameron’s, Aldrich’s, Pflugrath’s, Bob Gom and my mom and brother! It will be so nice to be settled in one place for that long!

Grand Canyon and Sedona – 10/25/13 – 11/4/13

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Grand Canyon!

Grand Canyon!

Hello all, sorry for the lack of posting, we have been all over the place and just got behind on our duties. We left the Phoenix area and headed north about 100 miles to a place called Camp Verde. A small little town on Hwy. 17, that is not visible from said highway, but has a really nice park, the Distant Drums RV Park, right across the street from their casino. We picked this area as it was close to the Grand Canyon, and we did not want to take the MoHo up there with the cold temps at night below 25 degrees! We arrived on a Friday, nice weather and we got set up for our stay – anticipating about 12 days here.

Saturday we headed into Sedona, only about 30 minutes away. If you have not been there, get there! This place is truly amazing, the colors are difficult to capture with a camera, and the landscaping is spectacular. We went through town to try a hike 30 minutes north in the Oak Creek Canyon, but the parking area was packed and there was no way to get in. We returned to town, drove around a bit and found a nice place for a late lunch/early dinner. A Mexican restaurant, I had to see the Tequila list. There it was…a sampling of 4 Don Julio Tequila’s, Blanco, Reposado, Anejo, and the one I have wanted to try, 1942. The wait was well worth it, the 1942 was so smooth and buttery, I was really surprised how much different it was, so glad I did the tasting. We took a few more photos and headed home for the night.

Don Julio Tequila Tasting

Don Julio Tequila Tasting – it came in this cool carrier

Sunday we packed up for two days for the Grand Canyon. We thought it was about 2 hrs drive up, so we would do the Canyon, come down about 30 minutes, grab some cheap motel and return the next day. We got to the park about 10:30AM and stopped in the visitor center to determine what would be a good hike for the day. We decided on one that required a shuttle drive out and back. So we geared up and headed to the site. (So far we had not seen the Canyon.) Along the way, we finally got some peaks into the Grand Canyon, and it is massive! We got to the drop off site, and immediately headed down, down, down. The hike we chose was about 1,000-foot drop and return back up. It was steep and steady, and we were dreading the return up almost as soon as we hit the trail. After about 45 minutes of going down, we came to an overlook that was truly breathtaking – Ooh Aah Point. We stopped here for pictures and just sat on the edge for about 20 minutes. (We could hear some equipment working below, so we decided this was a great spot to just return to the rim.) Heading back up, we had many stops to catch our breath, but so worth the hike. We returned to the shuttle stop and missed our bus, so we hiked across the rim to the next one about a mile away. So peaceful, as there were not a lot of people here at this time of year, we felt like we had the rim trail to ourselves. We got on the next shuttle, and headed to the west end of the park area. Here we again walked a mile or so across the rim, stopping at several lookouts and to take pictures. One spot had a naturalist with a couple high-powered scopes, focusing on a California Condor nest in the canyon wall. We never saw the babies, but there were some in the nest. Further along, I thought we could see one off in the distance, and now knowing that their wingspan is over 10 feet, I am sure of it. It was just so far off that we could barely get a picture with the telephoto lens, but it was a huge bird nonetheless. We returned to the visitors area and decided we had seen everything we needed to so we abandoned our plan for a motel and headed back the two hours to home. (The next day was forecast for high winds and cooler temps, and we did not really have a lot of clothes to combat those conditions.)

Grand Canyon selfie

Grand Canyon “selfy”

Mike a bit too close to the edge

Mike a bit too close to the edge

Monday turned out as forecasted, high winds and cool, so we were glad we chose to go back to the MoHo. We decided to explore the Camp Verde area, and headed to Montezuma’s Castle, a Native American cliff ruin just across the highway from us. (Thanks Charlotte for the recommendation.) This is one of those places you only see on Nat Geo, mud walls and old timbers holding onto a wall, and some 700 years old. It baffles me how they could find a location and then have the engineering skills to pull it off and make it habitable, but also so long lasting, truly skilled beyond their time. We then headed into Camp Verde town and did a few errands, including paying the NAPA auto guy $12 cash to replace an overly corroded battery terminal on the MDX. What a bargain – this would never happen in a big city! Home that night for dinner and relaxing.

Montezuma's Castle

Montezuma’s Castle

Tuesday we headed to Cottonwood, about 30 minutes NE. As we entered town, it had all the stuff of a small city, the big box stores, grocery’s, etc. When we got to the west side and old town, it had a small little quaint street and all antique shops and tourist stuff. We walked the street and checked out all the neat stuff; one place had 2 acres of antiques. We came back late that afternoon and headed over to the casino across the way. A small place, quiet and clean, but not a lot going on so we headed back home to the MoHo soon thereafter and chilled.

Wednesday the weather got better, so we headed back to Sedona. Our first stop was the church on the hill, Chapel of the Holy Cross. Somehow the engineers of the church were able to carve a building right into the hillside, how I do not know. It overlooks the area with a very beautiful view all around, a neat place that is open to the public and very worth the stop. Next, we had wanted to walk the Tlaquepaque market area. We parked in the square and wandered the shops and galleries. I could have dropped some serious cash here, some of these artists are very talented and their prices reflected it. (My mom would have needed a trailer to haul her purchases home if she had ever had a chance to go there.) After a couple of hours here, we ended up at the local brewery, what a shocker! Dinner and a beverage and we headed back to the MoHo.

View of Sedona from the church

View of Sedona from the church

The colors are amazing!

The colors are amazing!

Thursday we just relaxed, did nothing. We both packed for the weekend and just felt good to not be on the run. Friday I took Traci to the Phoenix airport for a flight home to Seattle.  There was a service for her Uncle Hal who had passed away two weeks prior, and it was important for her to be there. I stayed in Phoenix at our friends the Clines for the weekend. I spent a lot of time fishing on their private lake in their neighborhood. Saturday I went golfing with my former employer Bob and his close friend Gordy. We had a great time, better conversations, and finished the night back at Gordy’s for a few laughs and beverages. Sunday I fished, and watched the Seahawks almost choke again, only to pull it out in OT. (I had two great meals at local wing joint, Hurricane Grill and Wings!) Monday I headed back to the airport to pick up Traci from her weekend at home, and we headed back to Camp Verde where we left the MoHo for the weekend. We returned to the MoHo, and our power was out, again. We had been dealing with it failing a few times the last 10 days or so and were not sure if it was the local box here at the park, or our MoHo. Monday night, we lost power completely, and I could not get it reset. It turns out our plug connector was loose inside, and completely melted the inside of the plug! Glad it was only that, it could have been much worse, affecting much of our electronics. The local ‘RV Medic’ came out and repaired it for us. Tuesday we head out towards Lake Mead, and then on to Vegas for the weekend for our friend Shelly’s bday celebration!

Mike fishing to his heart's content

Mike’s fishing hole – the Cline’s backyard

More Sedona pics HERE
More Grand Canyon pics HERE

Football & Friends in sunny AZ! 10/17/13 – 10/24/13

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IMG_0478

Seahawks Game in Arizona

We arrived in Scottsdale and the Talking Stick Resort & Casino on Thursday mid-day for the big Seahawks game and birthday gathering of our friend, Becky Kelly. We opted to stay in the hotel and park the MoHo in the lot, which was a nice treat for us. This was a very nice resort and reminded us a lot of Tulalip back home. There was a group of 12 of us, so we had shuttles organized to take us to the game. The guys got in one van and the gals in the other. Not sure what happened, but the guys made it to the stadium in 45 min’s whereas our genius driver got us there in a record 2 hours 15 mins. Obviously he went the wrong way smack dab into traffic. It wouldn’t have been that big of a deal, except one of the guys had all of the tickets. Two of the guys waited outside for us to arrive, which was so nice. We ended up missing the 1st quarter which was a bummer. Finally made it in the stadium to find out our tickets were in the family section (no alcohol). Are you kidding me?! Regardless of these snafus the game was awesome and the Seattle 12th man presence was huge! It was a great win and pretty fun to be there to witness. The shuttles back to the hotel went a bit more smoothly!

The next morning, Mike & I played golf with some of the group. Thankfully we teed off early, as it was pretty toasty by the time we got off the course. We headed back to the hotel for some R & R before the big birthday dinner in old town Scottsdale. We ate at the coolest restaurant, Olive & Ivy. We sat outside on the patio and I had one of the best meals I have had in a long time! Delicious and very reasonable. After dinner the party continued to a few bars in Scottsdale, then back to the hotel. We stopped off at the MoHo for the group to see our home on wheels and ended up having a dance party in there with 14 people (that’s a record)! Only interrupted by the hotel security “encouraging” us to take the party inside. We headed up to the hotel nightclub for more celebrating. Mike & I went to bed early at 1:30am but the youngsters stayed up until who knows when. Thank you to the group for including us in the party. It is so fun to see friends along the way!

14 people in the MoHo!

14 people in the MoHo!

Saturday morning we were up and out of the hotel by 9:30 to stay with our friends, Vickie & Bruce Cline, who were down from Seattle at their house in Sun City. We were able to park the MoHo at their home association clubhouse and stay in their house. They had another couple, Steve & Jolene, visiting as well. The Husky football game at ASU was on the agenda today. I was outnumbered 5 to 1, them in their purple and gold and me in my neutral colors. Off to Tempe we went! The streets around the stadium were packed with fun bars and restaurants with outdoor areas, misters for relief from the heat and loud music playing. What a fun, college atmosphere. There were A LOT of husky fans there, which was pretty impressive. Our seats were in direct sun for the whole first half which was a bit brutal, but the shade came over us for the second half, which was a much-needed reprieve. The Huskies were horrible and in the words of my husband, didn’t even show up for the game. This was a great place to come watch college football and I would love to return for a game in the future. Back to the house for a relaxing evening. Oh, the Cougs also lost to Oregon, no surprise.

Huskies vs ASU

Huskies vs ASU

The next three days were wonderful and relaxing! Mike played golf with the boys one morning. We drove into Cave Creek for the day and a great Mexican dinner. There was also a “Bike-toberfest” event going on there. Hundreds of pristine Harleys and lots of decked out biker guys & gals. We stopped in at the main hub, the Hideaway, for a few beers before dinner and to people watch. We all stuck out like sore thumbs since we weren’t in black or leather. It was fun up until the point where Bruce had his wallet stolen. Not much cash lost, but as we all know, such a hassle to have to cancel everything. Kind of put a damper on things, but Bruce was pretty even-keeled about it. The next few days we hung out poolside, kayaked on the lake that their house sits on, Mike fished for hours and we cooked some darn good dinners, enjoyed great wine and loved hanging out with good friends. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Bruce & Vickie for opening up their home to us!

The group at Vickie & Bruce's house

The group at Vickie & Bruce’s house

On Wednesday, they were off to the airport for their flight back to Seattle and Mike & I continued our visiting of friends. We drove 15 minutes west to Surprise, AZ and the Sunflower RV Park. This was an over 55 resort, but they made an exception for us! This was our home base for our visit with Bob & Gloria Woolsey, Mike’s former employers and now close friends. They have a beautiful home in Buckeye. We got settled then headed out to their house for dinner. Another friend who used to work with the group was also there, Brad Wallace. They made us a delicious home-cooked meal and we had a great time catching up talking about old times. Bob & Gloria were a bit of an inspiration for us with what we are doing. They bought a 40-foot MoHo over a year ago and have been doing a variety of trips. We visited them when they were in the Seattle area and toured their rig. This was in the early stages of our planning so seeing how they were doing it and talking through the lifestyle change with them proved to be invaluable. They have really been great supporters of what we are doing. We returned to the MoHo that night for a great night sleep in our own bed after being out of it for almost a week. The next morning, we headed back to their house for a five-star breakfast and more fun catching up. Mike & I had errands to run for the day, but they came down to “our house” for dinner that night. We ordered pizza and sat outside and watched the baseball game. Really, really great to see them and spend time together!

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Mike, Brad & Bob

Next we are heading north to Sedona and the Grand Canyon!

End of the wine trail…boo hoo! 10/9/13 – 10/15/13

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Paso Robles, Eberle Winery

Paso Robles, Eberle Winery

We headed out of Monterey to Paso Robles, a nice short and easy drive of just about 2 hours. We arrived at the Wine Country RV Resort around noon and got set up quickly. So quickly we had the rest of an afternoon to head out and find some wineries to enjoy! The resort had free coupons for tastings at several different of the local wineries, so we grabbed our daily allotment of 4 coupons and headed out for the afternoon. First stop was Vina Robles, a newer tasting room that spared no expense. Very large and open building, with great service from Bob, and a nice assortment of wines. A very nice concert venue here and we almost bought tickets to the John Fogerty show the next evening, just could not commit.  Next we were on to Eberle Winery. Again, great service from Sarah, and a nice little tour of the wine cave there. The wine owner, a Penn St. grad who played football many years back, has a great little thing going. He has been there for decades, and everyone knows him and respects his wines – the godfather of Paso. The third stop that day was at Tobin James winery. We were told this was a party site, and it felt a little more lively when we arrived. There were several different people at stations pouring wine, and the atmosphere was definitely more alive. We had some okay wines here, and did a little shopping in the store, but were rushed out the door promptly at 6:00PM when they closed, even though were still had a few more wines to try, a bit odd. Returned to the park and the MoHo for dinner and some rest.

The next day we were off to the other side of town, the west side of highway 101. Headed out highway 46 and made several stops, first of which was at Grey Wolf. A very small outfit, with average wines, dog friendly, and not much more to talk about. Next stop was Zin Alley. We got some great recommendations from a friend Traci worked with, Dana. This winery was right on highway 46, but not listed on any of our maps. Very basic, almost seemed as if it was closed. Well, the owner, wine maker, farmer, property manager, etc. was there with a lively couple of ladies at the tasting bar. They were having a great time, and it was only noon! We sampled his 5 Zin-based wines, and he knows what he is doing!! This is a great stop, not to be missed, but get out your wallet, wines here are not cheap, but the pricing reflects the quality. Third stop was Turley, just south of highway 46. A very nice place, and good wines here, but again just missing something to make it special. Next we were on to Tablas Creek, just off Vineyard Dr. to the west on Adelaide Rd. Beautiful grounds, free waters served in re-usable aluminum water bottles. A very nice place, we would have had lunch if we had time, definitely a great place! Next on to Lone Madrone, a new location for them, but you would never know it. We had great service here and chatted with another couple who were there picking up theire shipment and they gave us a recommendation for our next stop, if we hurried. We did, and got up to DAOU Vineyards around 5:30PM. This place is on the top of the hill, and the views do not fail! A must stop if you get to the area, and good quality wines to add to the ambiance. We headed back to Paso for some dinner, and accidentally found another place to stop, Paso Underground. This tasting room is a place that the little guys share, there were 4 tables here, only one tasting that night though, Edmond August. He had a group of 12 coming in and as soon as they arrived, we quickly finished and headed out to find some grub. We both were in the mood for Mexican, and found a nice little place called Estrella’s. We had great food, and went home full and tired, but happy with our full day of wine tasting!  Overall, the vibe in Paso was very relaxed and casual and we would highly recommend a visit to this area. And, the RV Park we stayed at was probably one of the nicest yet.  Clean, friendly and the customer service was second to none!

DAOU Winery - beautiful view!

DAOU Winery – beautiful view!

Our last full day we went over to the coast, another friend Bruce had recommended we go see Morro Bay. Oh how I wish I had looked it up on the map before we headed out. This is an amazing little town on the coast with a very large natural bay and would have been great if we had brought clothes to go kayaking, damn! We walked up and down the main road, and stopped for lunch at a little bar on the water. Did a little more scenic driving around and then it was time to head back to Paso Robles. The resort had a free tasting that night in the clubhouse, but the wine was not good, so we went back to the MoHo and made dinner and stayed in for the night.  Oh, and we got a few loads of laundry done!

Morro Bay

Morro Bay

The next morning we were off to Cachuma Lake Recreation Area, a reservoir above Santa Barbara to the NE about 20 minutes. This place is an old Mobile Home park that had been converted to a campground. We had a nice big pad to park on, it was quiet and a great location for everything in the area. We got in early enough that day to sit back and chill and watch some football, Dawgs and Cougs kind of stunk it up, oh well.  We decided to drive into Solvang to grab a bite to eat at the local brewery.  This little Danish town was hopping on a Saturday night.  Our dinner was just ok, then we headed home for the night.

Sunday we met up with Traci’s friend she worked with, Dana and his wife Sharon. They offered to take us around Santa Ynez Valley and show us the wine region that is in the valley just north of Santa Barbara to Los Olivos. A small area but it did pack a great punch when it comes to the wine quality and wineries. This is the area that the movie Sideways was filmed.  We started the day at Rideau. A wonderful little place, with very nice wines and great grounds, easily could have spent a whole afternoon here, but we had some other venues to explore. The next stop was at Arthur Earl, a winery that Dana and Sharon are wine club members with. Again, very good wines here, with a nice little tasting room, and very friendly help. The last stop of the afternoon was at Demetria. After a long drive up the entrance road, we arrived at this amazing gem in the middle of the valley and secluded as if you were in the middle of Tuscany! WOW!! We had brought some lunch from town and found an open table outside and sat down and enjoyed lunch and a bottle of wine, amazing place! You would never believe how many people were here, so far off the main highway, but when you are good, they will find you! We headed back to the MoHo, an early evening set in, so we got out the fire pit to keep warm and enjoyed a couple of our wines we brought from home with our tour guides. A great day, a huge thanks to Dana and Sharon for taking care of us and showing us the valley!

Demetria Winery with Dana & Sharon

Demetria Winery with Dana & Sharon

The next morning, moving a bit slow, we decided it was time to wash the house…in the heat of the morning. Long story short, 3 plus hours later the dirt and bugs were cleaned off the outside of the MoHo and car and we were really tired. Quick trip into town for some groceries and we were just happy to relax the rest of the afternoon.

Our last full day in the area, we headed to Santa Barbara for the day. We drove down to the waterfront and headed to a little bar in the Marina that Dana had recommended, Brophy Bros. His tip was to sit at the bar (the best seats in the house).  We did exactly that, had a beer and peered out at the marina, what a little gem of a location. Next we headed back up the beach to another little restaurant for lunch, the Shoreline Cafe. We sat on the beach, feet in the sand and enjoyed the sun and sand, along with a nice meal. We headed into town, I dropped Traci off at the Color Room for a hair appt (another rec from Dana & Sharon), and I headed back to the beach for a couple hours, super relaxing. I picked her up and we headed to Dana and Sharon’s for dinner in the Santa Barbara hills. A gorgeous home with amazing touches and an incredible patio, we sat outside for appy’s and dinner and wine. A perfect finish to our weekend in Santa Barbara, we again can’t say enough thanks to our hosts for a great time!  We really loved this portion of the trip.  Paso Robles, the Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Barbara are places we will return to for sure.

Toes in the sand, Shoreline Cafe in Santa Barbara

Toes in the sand, Shoreline Beach Cafe in Santa Barbara

Tomorrow we are off towards the Phoenix area, with an overnight stop just east of the CA/AZ border. It is another double, Seahawks on Thursday, Husky’s on Saturday, sandwiched with a birthday party for a good friend in Scottsdale. Then, finishing the weekend with two more couples in the area. Going to be a great weekend!

 

Are you ready for some football? 10/2/13 – 10/8/13

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Cougs vs. Cal

Cougs vs. Cal

We left Yosemite disgusted with the Government closure of the park (and for that matter, all National Parks. What a shame for people who had planned their vacations and events who are not able to see these amazing places). We planned the drive out of the area a bit better than the drive in. We opted not to hook up the car and I drove separately from Mike in the MoHo. MUCH more pleasant for all! Our destination was San Jose and the Coyote Valley RV Park. We were now in the Bay Area and the prices reflected it! We got settled for the night and enjoyed a relaxing evening ‘at home’ in the MoHo.

The next morning the wind was howling, but we had a tee-time at the Coyote Creek Golf Course so we decided to go for it. We were paired up with another guy and ended up having a great time. It certainly wasn’t our best round, but the course was in great shape. We headed into the local town, Morgan Hill, for pizza that night.

Friday morning, I was in desperate need of a pedicure so we headed into town and found a local nail joint. Mike went to wash the car and I enjoyed my hour of bliss! Then it was off to Saratoga for the day our new friend Joanna planned for us (we met her and her husband in Lodi and they basically planned an entire afternoon/evening for us). First stop was Mountain Winery. We drove up a steep, windy hill to the winery and felt like we were on top of a mountain with amazing views of the valley. It was a gorgeous, sunny day so we opted for glasses of wine and a cheese plate. We walked over to the concert venue and were instantly jealous that we had never been here before. Bonnie Raitt/Marc Cohn were playing that weekend but it was sold out. We were determined to get tickets as this was a venue NOT to be missed (more later on this topic). We enjoyed another glass of wine, then decided it was time to head back into Saratoga. Next stop was ‘The Bank,’ a dive bar where we enjoyed an ice-cold BL. Then onto stop 2.5, ‘The Basin’ for a recommended Martini. Mike actually had a Moscow Mule and I opted for refreshing glass of sparkling wine. The menu here looked incredible, but we were determined to honor Joanna’s itinerary and hit La Fondue for dinner. This place was very similar to Melting Pot (our local Seattle fondue restaurant), but more upscale. We did the typical cheese, salad, meat and dessert courses. My fave was definitely dessert, but we both left feeling overly full. Good food, but definitely way too much of it!

Mountain Winery concert venue, Saratoga

Mountain Winery concert venue, Saratoga

Today, was the day! The reason we came to the area. COLLEGE FOOTBALL! Mike had scoped this out months ago. Cougs were playing Cal in the day and the Huskies were playing Stanford in the evening. We were doing the double! We were up early and on BART to Berkeley on the 9am train. We met Mike’s aunt Melanie for breakfast and bloody mary’s and a quick visit. Then it was time to head onto campus and prefunc for the game. Surprisingly, it was hard to find a bar to get a beer in. We ended up in some random hotel, then found a Coug rally area where we got a cold beer. The game was a bit boring to be honest. Yes, the cougs won, but the turnout wasn’t great and the Cal fans were quiet! I’ll take the win though! Off, we went back to BART for the trip back to Fremont where our car was parked. It just so happened that there was also an Oakland A’s playoff game that night, so the train was packed with A’s fans. Kind of fun to feel the energy of these excited fans. We made it back to our car and headed to my very dear friends house, Renee Kaplan. We have known each other since middle school. She lives very near Palo Alto with her hubby Evan and darling sons, Jace and Penn. The game was very exciting and I must say those Husky fans definitely outshined the Coug fans. They had a HUGE presence at the game, which was very impressive. The energy at this game definitely kicked butt over my Coug game. Sad, but true. We also ran into good friends, Mike & Dawn Cameron, who were down from Seattle to cheer on the Dawgs. I was shocked at how close this game was and hard to admit that the UW Huskies are no joke. They actually could have won this game and it was too bad that it came down to an officiating call. A great game to watch! We headed back to Renee & Evan’s and said our goodbyes and back to the MoHo. A VERY long day, but so fun. We did it!

Miller's and Kaplan's at the UW/Stanford game

Miller’s and Kaplan’s at the UW/Stanford game

Needless to say, we slept in on Sunday after our 16-hour day! It felt great to relax and just hang out at the RV Park. We watched the Seahawks lose (boo!) and went to the grocery story. We got a new neighbor, PGA pro Charlie Beljan. He rolled in his mac-daddy MoHo for the Fry’s tournament just south of San Jose. We were watching the President’s Cup on the TV when he came over to talk with us, so it was very cool to find out he was in the PGA! We had a relaxing night on the MoHo and getting ready for our morning departure. We were going to try to get tickets to the Bonnie Raitt concert, but lost our steam after our busy day. But, I still believe this could be one of the best concert venues ever! It would be worth it to scope out next year’s concert calendar and fly down for a long weekend.

Our drive was an easy one. Only 90 minutes, which is a dream come true! This never happens so it was a pleasant surprise. We arrived in Monterey to the Monterey Fairgrounds by noon. This area was a challenge to find a place to stay, as there aren’t may options. So we felt fortunate to find a spot. However the airport was right next door (loud!) and the spots were not level at all, so our jacks had to lift the front end of the MoHo 6 inches off the ground. But, the location couldn’t have been better. We got settled and headed right out to the 17-mile drive. This is a drive along the Monterey Peninsula/Pebble Beach area. Talk about gorgeous scenery and amazing mansions. We did stop at Pebble Beach Golf Course for a light lunch at the Lodge overlooking the 18th green. This was so cool for us to be at such a recognized location that we have seen so many times on TV. Loved being here!  We checked out the pro shop and inquired what green fees are…$495!  We drove back to the Fairgrounds for the night. Wow, those planes were loud!

The Lone Cypress near Pebble Beach

The Lone Cypress near Pebble Beach

18th green at Pebble Beach

18th green at Pebble Beach

The next day it was off to the coast. We drove the 1 down to Big Sur. It was a pretty foggy day, so the scenery wasn’t perfect but pretty impressive. We drove as far as Nepenthe, a cool restaurant on the side of a cliff overlooking the amazing scenic coast. We drove back and stopped in Carmel (or Carmel by the Sea, the official name) and strolled through this quaint town. They were gearing up for their film & arts festival the next day, so I was hoping for some celebrity sightings, but no luck. I think there is some cash-ola in this town! We drove back to Monterey and decided to hit Cannery Row downtown. This is a vibrant, touristy area right on the waterfront. We walked and walked and decided on an early lunch at the Cannery Row Brewing Company. Then headed back into town for the local farmer’s market. We nabbed some blackberries, raspberries, lettuce and delicious caramel apple. We love to hit these local markets when we can!

North Coast

North Coast

Bixby Creek Bridge, near Big Sur

Bixby Creek Bridge, near Big Sur

Next stop is Paso Robles and more wine tasting! Yippee!