Author: mchazen

We woke early to a typical desert morning.  There was lots to do and we wanted to get an early start.  First on the list was the workout, which would be our last in Las Vegas for a while.  Afterwards, we went to Walmart, Vons and fueled the car.  Back at the coach, while Jeanne washed one last load of laundry, I checked the oil, tires and washed the windshield.  It was the usual hit-the-road stuff.

Knowing we would be away from the convenience of the big city, I asked Jeanne if there was anything she wanted that wouldn’t be available for a while.  Baja Fresh is her favorite fast-food place, so that was our dinner choice.  The meal was as good as expected.

We returned to the coach and settled in for a quiet evening, but around 7:00 the wind started blowing.  Howling is more like it.  We hadn’t experienced wind like this for a long time and it went on for hours.  Knowing we had to hit the road tomorrow was concerning, but we had driven in bad weather before.  If nothing else, it would be exciting.

Ready to go, we went to bed around 10:00.  Buffeted by the wind, the coach rocked us to sleep.

Sometimes the best laid plans are laid to waste.  Today was no exception.

One of the unexpected things about this lifestyle is how difficult it is to keep the inside of the coach clean.  Specifically the carpet.  The surface of the campsite can be concrete, asphalt, gravel, sand, dirt, grass, etc. and all of it gets tracked into the rig.  The limited floor space doesn’t help.  We try to take our shoes off and vacuum regularly, but eventually the carpets have to be cleaned.  Today was the day.

The carpet cleaning process should have taken about an hour, but it stretched into a three hour ordeal.  Adapting to conditions, we rescheduled our activities.  Our first stop was Emeril’s restaurant at the MGM Grand hotel.  Jeanne likes the crab cakes and the fried calamari does it for me.  So we sat at the bar, ordered beer and appetizers and enjoyed the ambiance.  Rarely in life do you get what you want; this was one of those moments.  Afterwards we crossed the Las Vegas Strip to the Excalibur Hotel and went directly to the Krispy Kreme shop for dessert.  Yes, we had crab cakes, beer and donuts for lunch.  My mother always said that when I’m an adult, I can eat whatever I want.

We had some time to kill while the carpet was drying out.  Jeanne produced a two-for-one coupon to the Liberace Museum and in a moment of alcohol-induced weakness, I agreed.  Located a few blocks east of the Las Vegas Strip, the Liberace Museum is a few non-descript buildings that used to be a strip mall.  Skepticism quickly turned to amusement and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  Despite his eccentricities, he was a talented musician who enjoyed putting on a great show.  If you’re ever in Las Vegas and get tired of the casino scene, the Liberace Museum is a great diversion.

We finally returned to the coach in the late afternoon and found the desert air had mostly dried the carpet.  The cleaners did a good job.  The rest of the day was spent quietly watching TV.

The day couldn’t have turned out better if we had planned it.

We are waiting out the weather and for the most part, very little was accomplished these past few days.

Generally, the weather has been overcast and windy, but the daytime temperature reaches into the high 60’s.  We mostly run errands or do a workout in the morning, then spend the rest of the day lazing around the coach.  We recently discovered the TV series House at the local Blockbuster and zoned out watching the 20 episodes of season one.  Without all the commercials, it goes fast.  Also, we’re back in the land of the Walmart Supercenter and took the opportunity to stock up on all our usual brands at Walmart prices.  The in-coach Wi-Fi internet is certainly a luxury.

Readers wanting to hear about our big winnings at the casinos will be disappointed.  Except for the once-per-trip breakfast buffet orgy at the Mandalay Bay, we stay out of the hotels.  Been there, done that.  Maybe, just maybe, we will hit Emeril’s at the MGM Grand for a special lunch treat, but leave before loosing any money.

As the sun was just coming over the horizon, we woke to someone tapping on the coach.  We are always cautious about opening the door to anyone, especially in a place like Barstow.  We carefully peeked through the curtains.  Nobody was there.  The tapping continued.

What gives?

It turned out we had parked under a bird nest and the birds could see their reflection in the chrome support of the front mirror.  Believing their territory was being invaded the birds were furiously pecking at the mirror support.  The tapping sound echoed through the coach.  How annoying.  Without success, we tried to shoo them away but they were fearless.  There was only one thing left to do: eat breakfast and leave.  I wonder if the birds really believed that they beat off an attacking 32,000 pound motorhome?

As usual, the drive to Vegas was uneventful.  From Barstow, there are three very long uphill-downhill runs before you cross into Nevada.  Crossing the state line is no surprise, since you can spot the casinos several miles in the distance.  We stopped at the state line to rest and have lunch and then made one more stop at the small gambling town of Jean for fuel.  Our destination was the Oasis RV park on the south edge of Las Vegas.  As big as the place is, over 700 sites, we were lucky to have reservations.  The town was slowly filling up for a NASCAR race on March 11.  We arrived, checked in and parked.  The plan was to spend a week in Las Vegas before moving on.  Since we had been here before many times, we knew the town and could get anything we would need for the rest of the trip to Grand Junction.

Once again, it was good to be back on the road.

We got lucky with a break in the weather and woke to a beautiful morning with plenty of sunshine, puffy clouds and a light breeze.  Perfect weather for travel.

With all the preparation during the past few days, we were ready to roll.  Despite the coach sitting for over a month, the motor immediately kicked over and the beast came to life.  The suspension airbags filled, the levelers were raised, slides were pulled in and utilities disconnected.  Jeanne kept an eye on obstacles while the coach was moved to the hook-up area.  We attached the Jeep to the tow bar and did a brake check.  After one last walk-around, we were on our way.  It was sad leaving family and friends, but life moves on.

Our destination was Barstow, California, which is about half way to Las Vegas.  The route took us due east along highway 126, then briefly south on I-5.  Turning east again onto highway 14, the road slowly climbs out of the coastal mountain ranges into the high desert around Palmdale and Lancaster.  Once reaching Lancaster, we keep heading due east through the desert until we turn north on I-15 heading towards Las Vegas.

Any TV viewer would recognize this area as the background for many movies, TV shows and commercials.  The traveler passes through miles of brush, sand, rock and Joshua trees.  You don’t want to venture too far off the highway, since almost everything around will either stick, sting or bite.  Such is the environment around the small town of Barstow, California.

Barstow is one of the places you generally want to avoid.  Situated in the California desert, it can be freezing in winter, blistering hot in summer and the wind can blow hard enough to blast your car with sand and gravel.  Barstow has three things going for it:  The intersection of I-15 and I-40, a gritty mining industry and miles of open land where the military conducts war games and tests equipment under harsh desert conditions.  The only reason we stayed in Barstow was to avoid the KOA campground in Victorville.  Readers of this triplog may remember the Victorville KOA was not friendly to big rigs.

We pulled in around 1:30 and set up for the night without unhooking the Jeep.  We call this the GO position.  The rest of the day was spent quietly enjoying the warm sunshine and dry climate.  In fact, the dry climate is the first thing you notice.  Towels dry in a few minutes, sponges are rock hard and you quickly run low on soft drinks.  What a change from our tropical South Florida experience!

Overall, despite leaving family and friends behind, it was good to be on the road again.  We are imbued with the illusion that we are back in control of our lives.

Our final day in Santa Paula.

The past few days has been taken up with preparations for leaving.  There were several mad dashes to our long-term storage, stowing things in the coach, trips to the market, etc.

The Sunday before leaving, the family had a sort of farewell get-together at CeeCee’s house.  Most of the grandkids were there and it was the last time we would see them for several months.

Marley

Adam and Caralyn

Heather and Erika

Erika and Grandpa

Tyler and Adam

On that same Sunday, I went to the driving-range with Adam to launch a few golf balls.  He did great, sending the ball well downrange when he connected.

So with all the farewells said and chores completed, we are ready to hit the road again in search of adventure and the perfect place to live.

This is our last week here in Santa Paula and we’re getting ready to leave.  Like two kids who put off doing their science projects, we have to confront any chore we put off for the last three months.  Needless to say, there has been a flurry of activity that included several trips to our storage.  One of the most dreaded tasks was organizing documentation for David, the CPA who prepares our taxes.  It used to take longer, but the task still burns most of a day.  Dropping the package into his capable hands is always a relief.

Danny and Marty at the driving range.

Ryan

Hailee

Ali

Despite all the activity, Jeanne found time to spend a day watching the grandkids.  The school they go to is on break, so it worked out well for everyone.  One morning, Danny and I hit some golf balls at the driving range.  Finally, one evening we didn’t want to sit around the coach so we headed for the shopping mall to window shop.  Big mistake.  Jeanne ended up with a new leather coat we found at a price that was too good to pass up.  Next time, we’ll stay home.

Now, if only the weather cooperates over the next few days. . .

You never really know what to do for Valentine’s Day.  This year, since we are in Santa Paula, we decided to return to the venue of our first Valentine’s Day dinner.  Twenty-something years ago, we were living in Santa Paula and planned

to go out for a nice Valentine’s Day dinner.  Problem was, it was pouring rain and most of the roads were closed.  We ended up walking two blocks to Tia Babe’s, a neighborhood Mexican restaurant where you can get a good meal and a severe case of heartburn for about $6.  It is a order-and-wait-for-your-number-to-be-called place that is clean, but certainly not a place to impress.  So, after exchanging cards we dressed in jeans and t-shirts and headed to Tia Babe’s.  Except for the price, it was just as we remembered it.  We even sat in the same saggy-seat booth.  Very romantic.

The past few days we noticed water leaking from the water heater and decided to call for service.  It was as we suspected, the hard Santa Paula water caused sediment in the tank which caused the temperature and pressure valve to malfunction.  We had the hot water heater serviced and all now seems to be in order.

Although we’re scheduled for another month in Santa Paula, we’re already in the get-on-the-road mindset.  The holidays are over, the equipment has been maintained, chores are done and we’re ready to move on.  Problem is, as nice as the weather is in Southern California, it is still cold where we’re going.  So here we are in Santa Paula, sitting it out.

For Christmas, we received a $50 gift certificate to The Cheesecake Factory.  Not able to use the entire amount ourselves, we invited Doug and Karen to join us.  The meal was excellent and we all had a really good time.

Early one Sunday morning, we had breakfast with Frank and Sonia at the airport cafe in Santa Paula.  Both recently started new jobs in the Ventura County area and it was good to hear all about it.  They plan to marry in June and they were telling us about the wedding plans.  We look forward to attending.

Jeanne in front of Air Force One at Ronald Reagan Library.

Marty with presidential seal at Reagan Library.

Danny is taking golf lessons and we now have a Tuesday morning ritual at the local driving range.  Although he improves each practice session, it is dangerous to stand anywhere within a 170 degree arc of his shot.  No windshield in the parking lot is truly safe.

One day I had lunch with Rick, who has a contracting business in Santa Paula.  We met many years ago when I worked in Santa Paula and we somewhat kept in touch even since.  We had not seen each other in many years.  Over a two hour lunch at La Cabana, we caught up on the best we could.  It was good seeing him again and renewing the friendship.

With all the tooth-pulling behind me, there are no restrictions on exercise, which means we are back on a regular workout routine.  The workouts are a hassle, but we definitely feel better for the effort.

Aside from the above, the rest of our time is spent running errands, visiting family and just enjoying the warm California sunshine.  In contrast to last year, the weather is fantastic.

From the 26th through the 29th, I was in Seattle visiting with my brother Larry and his wife Linda.  Although we regularly talk on the phone, it has been about two and a half years since we last saw each other.  All in all, I had a great time.  Of special note was the birthday party for Linda, where I re-connected with several people who I hadn’t seen in years.  I even visited with Dan, who was Larry’s roommate in college.  It seems most everyone knew Jeanne and I were traveling and there were lots of questions about the trip and lifestyle.  After a few minutes discussing the trip, people begin visualizing themselves cruising down the highway.  They get that distant look in their eyes.  For most, it is something they always wanted to do, but never will.  Somehow daily life activities gets in the way of living.  Anyway, a good time was had by all and, as usual, the meal Linda prepared was delicious.

Seattle is home for the Boeing Aircraft company and near the Boeing offices is a fantastic aviation museum.  Larry and I spent an entire day there.  Besides having a great time viewing the exhibits, it was a good place to hide out from the awful Seattle weather.   The museum was an unexpected treat and a must-do for anyone visiting Seattle.

The Seattle trip was my first airplane ride since retiring.  There I was, surrounded by business people talking on the phone and doing paperwork.  Anxiety was in the air.  In another life I seem to remember doing the same thing.  Now, it was sort of like an out-of-body experience.  Leaving the airport was a relief.

Retirement is not without its challenges and upon return, the electric toilet needed attention.  The repair didn’t take long, but moving the coach is always a hassle.  In the end, the electric toilet saga had a happy ending.

It should be noted that January 26 is a milestone of sorts — we have now been on the road for two years, although it doesn’t seem that long.  Jeanne and I frequently discuss it.  We expected the trip would last a year at most, but now we are planning events in the third year.  Overall, we achieved our goal of finding a place to live and we’re glad we went about it in this fashion.  A few places we considered for settlement revealed a dark side once we spent some time in the community.  It was a good thing we took time to learn about these areas before buying.

People interested in our travels frequently ask questions like what was our favorite state, strangest experience, most interesting sight, etc.  When confronted with these questions, we’re usually at a loss for words.  How can you begin to describe all the places, people and experiences of a two year journey, let alone make any comparisons?  The conversation usually ends with a referral to this triplog.  The important question, usually unspoken, is “has the trip changed our outlook on life”?  The answer yes.  I now know firsthand that this is a big country with many beautiful things and interesting people.  Most people don’t live a corporate lifestyle, sit in freeway traffic or think of a community as a temporary residence.  Also, the things we buy come from Somewhere and are produced by Someone — usually from one of the flyover states located between California and New York.  We’ve tried to share this with you through this triplog, but words don’t do it justice.  You just have to get out there and see for yourself.

But in the meantime, you’re welcome to travel with us via this triplog.