Chasing That Horizon!

It is still dark out at 0545 in Southern California. Through the window, I can see our holiday lights winding around a tree that graces our campsite. We call them holiday lights because it is December, but, like many RV'ers, we put up the same lights year-round. Lights and hanging bling are decorations that remind us of our former life, and provide an artistic touch to the sometimes monotonous rows of 20x50 plots of ground. And, they are much easier to store and carry than pink flamingoes.

Our journey across the southwestern plains seemed to go by in a flash. Tulsa, Palo Duro, Amarillo, Red Rocks, Gallup, Homolovi, Winslow, Show Low, Grand Canyon, all had their attractions. Grand Canyon was a four-day stop (long for us), in which we hiked a portion of the South Rim, and took two bus tours. Dee also followed up on our last day with a mule ride along the rim, in driving rain and snow. We have many beautiful photos, and lots of souvenirs and memories.

Heading toward our daughter's home near Menifee, CA, we elected to bypass the recommended interstate route (as usual), and took the road through Prescott, AZ. It was a gorgeous trip over winding roads and mountain ranges, as we decended from 7500ft down to the desert floor at 400ft. The sun was setting and we had no specific plans for that night's campsite. Up ahead in the distance, we saw the shimmering light. My head was heavy and my sight grew dim, so we stopped for the night. An RV park popped up in the middle of Nowhere, Arizona. We paid, plugged-in, and went to bed. I don't think we even took the time to lower the stabilizing jacks.

Early the next morning, we were on our way on the final leg of this particular journey. Crossing the Colorado River and entering California was another notable milestone for us. The traffic increased as the speed limit dropped from 70 to 55. Date trees appeared as we passed through Indio. Palm Springs, with its golf courses, green lawns, retirement communities, and Indian casinos continued to defy the surrounding desert and stark mountain ranges. Desert scrub soon mixed with brown cattle ranges and hobby farms, and the landscape was dotted with boulders the size of houses. Impatient drivers blew past us as we entered the commuter capital of the world, the LA Basin. We were back in Southern California. Brown smog, tumbleweeds, blowing dust, ever-present drought, decent Mexican food, In-N-Out Burgers, high fuel prices, and ass-gaskets.

Last, but not least, our family is here, and that is why we are here. We arrived just before Thanksgiving, and were able to help a little with dinner preparation. Seeing everyone was gratifying, and the turkey dinner was delicious.

Keith immediately began the search for a replacement towed vehicle, as the Mini Cooper was showing increasing signs of wear. Traveling so close to the ground behind a large RV is not good for the paint or glass. He looked online for several weeks while we were traveling, and then started visiting dealers. A few days later, we purchased a 2014 Jeep Wrangler that had only 2280 miles on it. It is perfect for our kind of trail riding, and should tow well.

We will head for SF Bay area after two weeks here. There are friends to keep up with, a boat to check on, medical and dental visits, and business dealings. Then, we will move on to Reno, NV to visit our son for the holidays. After New Years, we will come back to SoCal to borrow our grandaughters for a trip to Joshua Tree National Monument, then down to Borrego Springs, and back up to Las Vegas for the last week of January. After that..we will move, slowly, EAST.