FIRST YEAR TRAVELS - Western Loop and Southern Loop
In May, 2007, we left our just-leased home in Phoenix, Arizona and picked up our new Lynx travel trailer in Kemp, Texas
outside of Dallas. We arrived at Marshall's RV with everything we needed for our new lifestyle packed into the back of our truck.
After staying near the dealership for ten days, just to make sure all the systems worked okay, we headed west. We traveled
between I-10 and I-40 on small country roads through west Texas and New Mexico. We arrived in Flagstaff, Arizona, and
installed a solar panel and finished some personal odds and ends, wrapping up our old life in Phoenix.
We left Flagstaff in June, 2007 and went to
Mammoth Lakes, California where we
enjoyed snow-capped mountains and crystal
clear lakes. From there we went to Yosemite
National Park via Tioga Pass on the eastern
side, and then took the tiny roads out of the
mountains to the west, skirting Sacramento
and landing at the California coast at Fort
Bragg, 150 miles north of San Francisco. We
wandered north along the Oregon Coast in
July, 2007, awestruck by the rugged beauty of
the craggy cliffs and crashing surf. At the top
of Oregon we turned inland, following the
Columbia River along the northern part of
Oregon. Next, we ventured into southern
Washington, exploring the often-foggy coast
and the steaming cauldron of Mt. St. Helens.
Then we made our way up to northern
Washington, where we visited Olympic
National Park and Mt. Rainier.
In August, 2007 we took a ferry from Port Angeles, Washington to Vancouver Island and spent most of the month on the
southern half of the island. At the end of our visit we spent several days in Victoria, BC, before boarding a ferry for Anacortes,
Washington. From there we traveled east along the North Cascades in Washington to northern Idaho. In September, 2007
we traveled further east to visit Glacier National Park in Montana. Then we dropped south to Yellowstone National Park in
Wyoming where we enjoyed both the tamed wild animals and the hot springs and geysers. Just a little south of Yellowstone
we spent a day touring the incomparable mountain and lake scenery of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming and then made
our way east to Devil's Tower in northeastern Wyoming.
At the end of September, 2007, we reached our turnaround point at Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota in the
southwest corner of the state. We could feel the chill of fall in the air. We headed west through Wyoming along I-80 and
dropped down into northern Utah, wandering from Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area over to Park City outside of Salt
Lake City, Utah. Caught in an early snow storm we quickly dropped south again to Green River, Utah, and the San Rafael
Swell where we were awed by the easy access to ancient petroglyphs and dinosaur tracks. We dipped down from there, in
October, 2007, to Goblin Valley, Utah and then to Zion National Park and Kodachrome Basin, all along the unbelievably
scenic Route 12 which zig-zags across Utah. Chased by cold weather, we went south to the outskirts of Las Vegas, Nevada,
where we found the stunning Valley of Fire State Park. Here we saw sunrises that looked like sunsets and cycled on an
exquisite road through geological formations of every shape and color. As the nights grew cold in November, 2007, we sought
warmth at Death Valley National Park in California and then cruised into southern Arizona in early December, 2007, where we
made our first visit to Quartzsite, Arizona.
We had completed a loop tour of the western states, and we were pooped! We recovered completely during Christmas, 2007,
visiting with family in Phoenix before returning to Quartzsite, Arizona in January, 2008 for their big RV show. While freezing in
howling winds under grey skies, we kept looking at the weather map on the back page of USA Today and seeing that Florida
was toasty warm. It was time to leave. We made our way east through Texas the long way, skimming the Rio Grande and the
Gulf Coast, dashing across Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama on I-10 and arriving in Florida in February, 2008. We spent
three months in Florida, criss-crossing northern Florida several times. We visited Daytona just in time to see the Daytona 200
motorcycle race and Spring Break. Then we cruised along the southern and western coasts of Florida, swimming at
beaches near Miami and Sarasota as we looped around to the Florida panhandle.
At the end of April, 2007 we visited the Gulf coast town of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, amazed at this town's enthusiastic revival
following Katrina. From there we traveled north to Natchez, Mississippi where the great river was cresting higher than it had
since the 1930's and the historic mansions told stories of a different culture in a different era. We drove along the Natchez
Trace Parkway north to Jackson, Mississippi, exploring ancient Indian mounds and cycling this unique commercial-traffic free
road.
SECOND YEAR TRAVELS - Southwestern Loop, Florida Dash & Heartland Detour Back West
In May, 2008, we arrived in Chanute, Kansas, putting our sightseeing on hold for a month as we immersed ourselves in
learning all we could about NuWa fifth wheel trailers. After a lot of thought, we decided to take the plunge. We made a deal at
the factory with local dealer H&K Camper Sales to buy a new Hitchhiker fifth wheel trailer. We moved into the new trailer on
May 20, 2008, the exact same day that we had left Phoenix to begin this new fulltime RV lifestyle a year ago. Thrilled with our
new purchase, we needed to get it set up for solar battery charging, so we returned to Flagstaff, Arizona where we upgraded the
solar system we had had on the Lynx. We felt a little like we were repeating history--but with greater knowledge and
sophistication: we stayed in the same campground and had a similar (though more complex) solar installation project as we had
had during the same time period one year before. We had learned something important during this year of travel, however: to
slow down. Taking a break from our solar installation work on the buggy, we cycled and hiked through the sights of Sunset
In late June, 2008, we left Flagstaff, Arizona and went all the way around the Grand Canyon to its North Rim. We stayed for
three weeks in an idyllic setting about 18 miles from the Rim. From there we wandered north through Kanab, Utah and
discovered one of Utah's great animal sanctuaries. After hugging and petting many non-human friends, we continued north to
Ruby's Inn and Bryce Canyon where we spent a month in a bucolic setting. In a past visit in our former lives, we had squeezed
the North Rim and Bryce into a few days. We were really learning to sloooow waaaay down.
At the end of August, 2008, we wandering among the small communities that dot the mountainous and red rock strewn terrain of
southern Utah. We basked in the small town comfort of Kanab and Alton, meandering along their pretty streets on brilliant
blue-sky filled days. And we enjoyed the hometown fun of a three-day Labor Day county fair in Parowan, Utah. During
September we stopped in at Pioche, Nevada, a once bustling mining town might have been the wildest frontier town in the
heyday of the wild west. From there we revisited our former lives with a stopover at Interbike, the annual bicycle industry trade-
show in Las Vegas. We caught up on the latest bike gear and saw Lance Armstrong in a night-time cyclo-cross race (but forgot
to bring our cameras, so there's no proof!).
Sweltering in the 100 degree Vegas heat, we dashed across the California desert (hot hot hot!) to San Diego's Shelter Island
and Mission Bay where the cool breezes, bright sunshine and salt air seduced us into staying for the entire month of October,
2008. Heading inland, we spent November in Yuma, Arizona, where we enjoyed the last warm days of 2008 before the start of
winter.
We stayed in the Arizona Desert for most of December and January. In Quartzsite we installed a vent-free heater just as the
first freezing winter storm hit. This kept us warm through the holidays in Phoenix, til we hit the San Diego waterfront once again
to attend the sailboat show in January. We were reluctant to leave the unusually warm, sunny coast, but great friends, good
times and the RV show awaited us back in Quartzsite.
Ready for a change of pace, we made a mad dash across country, and spent six weeks on the quiet rivers and sugar-white sand
beaches that fringe the Florida Panhandle's emerald waters. State parks and seaside villages highlighted our visit and made
our photo journal spill onto two pages (Florida Panhandle 2). Heading north, we visited the Natchez Trace in Mississippi a
second time and made some enjoyable stops in central and northern Arkansas. Warranty work on our trailer took us to
Chanute, Kansas next, followed by a long slog back along I-40 to Arizona.
We stopped at Roosevelt Lake in Arizona and had two blissful weeks of cycling, kayaking and photography. Spurred by a
desire to expand our travels onto the seven seas, we went boat shopping around San Francisco & Los Angeles.
THIRD YEAR TRAVELS - IN AND OUT OF THE TRAILER:
Midwest (by car/hotel), West (in trailer), SE Caribbean (by hotel) & Mexico (by sailboat)
An accident in May, 2009 put us in Michigan for seven weeks with friends and family but without our trailer. We looped around
Lake St. Clair, which borders both Detroit and Canada, and then dropped down to N. Ohio & Elkhart, Indiana where we visited
the RV/MH Hall of Fame and toured Amish Country and the Heartland RV factory. Later in June, we traveled up Michigan's
west coast, stopping in the charming waterfront town of South Haven. Continuing north, we traveled along the scenic coastal
roads of Lake Michigan (with a detour through Detroit) to hit Saugatuck, Higgins Lake and Traverse City, alternating between
seeing new sights and having Mark take me on nostalgic trips down memory lane. We continued north along the Lake Michigan
coast, visiting the harborfront villages of Charlevoix and Harbor Springs and driving under the unique green limbed canopy of
the Tunnel of Trees.
In late June we crossed the Macinaw Bridge into the Upper Peninsula and visited the towns of St. Ignace and Hessel, making a
brief stop at the Great Lakes Boat Building School. A trip to the Soo Locks revealed both north and southbound freighters in
the locks simultaneously, one going up and one going down. We ended our Michigan visit with a trip down the Lake Huron
shoreline, marveling at lighthouses, shipwrecks and hydroplane boat races, and finally wrapping it all up with a stroll through the
German immigrant town of Frankenmuth.
We flew back to California and moved back into our trailer just in time for San Diego's 4th of July bash. Taking the long route
north and east, we traveled to Ketchum, Idaho, where we unwound in bliss and rediscovered our inner joy for a month. We
worked our way down much of the Visitors Center's 50 Fun Free Things To Do in Ketchum/Sun Valley list. There was the
symphony's free summer concert series, the Sun Valley Lodge itself, and winter sports memorabilia all over Sun Valley, ID. A
little further north we stopped in Stanley, ID, enjoying several blissful kayak rides in the crystal clear lakes among the mountains.
We got a lesson in salmon lifecycles too. As August, 2009 ended, our lessons shifted from fish biology to cattle ranching in
Stevensville, MT (just south of Missoula) at our good friends' neighbor's ranch. They took us to the annual Labor Day
Weekend Hemville Rodeo to see how ranchers unwind on the weekend. This event was so much fun we had to create a
In September, 2009, we hustled south along I-15, stopping several times between Logan and Cedar City, Utah to take in the
sights and drive the scenic roads through the mountains. A stint in Las Vegas, Nevada split us up between the glitzy annual
Interbike bicycle industry trade show and the soaring peaks at Red Rock Canyon. A brief detour along I-15 finally landed us at
Valley of Fire State Park for a second visit (first was in 2007). Red rocks, petroglyphs, jaw-dropping drives and exhilerating
bike rides. A little further down the Colorado River, we stopped at Laughlin, Nevada where the RV snowbirds were flocking on
their flight south. By the end of October we were back in Arizona for a free stay at Havasu Springs Resort in exchange for
listening to an RV membership program presentation. We returned to our home front, Phoenix, Arizona in November, 2009, and
visited two Phoenix area parks.
Looking for new excitement and warmer climes, we jetted to Grenada in the southeastern Caribbean to begin a 10-week tropical
adventure. Going aboard a 75' wooden yacht that Frank Sinatra used to sail on was one of many highlights as we stayed on
Grenada's main island. Paradise Beach on Carriacou Island captivated us, and we enjoyed several walking adventures. We
spent many days in total relaxation and pure joy in Carriacou, Grenada, and eventually took the ferry to Union Island in the
country of St. Vincent & The Grenadines where Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations were in colorful full swing. Next
day, a 15 minute flight landed us on the island of Bequia, at one time a charming oasis of peace and tranquility where we
planned to spend a month. Accosted by scam artists at the airport and finding the locals both sullen and mean, we searched
hard to find the pretty side of this island.
Meanwhile, an online search had turned up our dream boat for sale at a rock bottom price in San Diego. We submitted an
online bid as a lark and suddenly found ourselves thrust into the boat buying process once again. A wild 33 hour walk/ferry/taxi/
jet ride to San Diego put us face to face with Groovy, our new home. After two weeks of non-stop preparations, on January 31,
2010 we left San Diego and went south to Ensenada, Mexico via ports at Puerto La Salina and Hotel Coral & Marina.
Getting out and about in Ensenada, we found small thrills in the markets and in "Gringo Gulch," the tourist zone. Over
Valentine's weekend we got downtown to witness the amazing spectacle of the Carnaval Parade. Returning to the US a few
times we learned a little about the border and were grateful at last to return home to the boat. Despite an El Nino year, a
tsunami and an earthquake, life in Ensenada was very sweet. In April, 2010, we watched two races back to back: the
Rosarito-Ensenada bike race and the Newport-Ensenada sailboat race. Settling back into our routine, we continued to prep for
cruising and discovered some colorful neighborhoods in Ensenada.
FOURTH YEAR TRAVELS - Ensenada, MX...
As May, 2010 ended, we continued exploring the area around Ensenada, Mexico, including La Bufadora, the famed blow hole.
In back-to-back contrasting adventures, we experienced both the genteel and the raucous at the Riviera Cultural Center and
Baja 500 off-road race. Sticking to the genteel, we took a daytrip a few miles inland to experience the flavor and beauty of
Ensenada's wine country. Back at Marina Coral we met many interesting travelers passing through Ensenada, and we
discovered a vibrant running and racing scene in town. In early August, 2010, we moved Groovy to Ensenada's Baja Naval
boatyard for a few projects that were beyond our skill set, and said farewell to Ensenada.
Towards the end of August, 2010, we sailed up to San Diego and enjoyed the free anchorages that are available to cruisers
there, learning how to boondock on the water.