Kofa National Refuge

We took a drive into the desert but apparently didn't go far enough. After travelling 10 miles on a gravel road and seeing nothing but sand and cactus, we turned around. In this picture we believe it is Ocotillo and Pipe Organ cactus in the background. Don and Pat said we should have continued to the mines where it begins to get much more beautiful. Next year. We left the desert and travelled north to Quartzsite. Enjoyed seeing the rv's in the desert, the flea market and the hustle and bustle of a desert city. On the way home we stopped at Paradise Casino for an hour to gamble. Candy won $16 and I won $8. Big win for us so we blew it on fish and chips at Parrish's Pub. Busy and interesting day.

Quartzsite or bust

Our neighbours and friends have left us and headed to the desert for a few days. They will park together surrounded by thousands of campers who survive the sand storms just to enjoy the rv show, gem show and huge flea market. Waving goodbye to Wally and Connie, Don and Pat, Marv and Donna and Don and Marge. Terry left earlier as needed propane. We would love to have gone but John is in the process of joining the Elks Lodge here and has two meetings this week. So that will remain on our bucket list until next year. Just gotta say 'been there, done it'. We will, however, drive there in the car for one day with Candy and then again to meet with our friends, Tony and Barb.

Farm Smart Program University of California

We spent the day at the Farm Smart Program, El Centro and had the most interesting time. We toured the gardens on wagons in the morning learning about alfalfa infested with white flies and trees you squeeze for fuel for your car along with much more and then spent the afternoon in a classroom. Did you know that asparagus continues to grow after it is cut ? It is packed and shipped in boxes that allow enough height for as much as 3 inches of growth. Asparagus can be cut twice a day and each time it is cut it is 6 inches tall. The website for our tour info is desertrec.ucdavis.edu. We were very impressed with how well organized, fun and informative our day was. We were given saks to pick all the fresh produce we wanted. No doubt we will be eating veggie plates and salads for the next two weeks. John and I have a whole new respect for the work done by our nephew, Jamie, in Guelph, Ont. Canada. His research station is just north of El Centro in Brawley CA.

Tournament of Roses Parade January 1, 2009

We were so fortunate to have our friends, Tony and Barb, invite us to join them for front row seats at the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. We drove their rv to a driveway along the parade route, backed it into the driveway and then placed our chairs out front along the road. The street was beginning to get full with chairs, make shift beds, bbqs, heaters and a lot of people. And it was only 4 pm Dec. 31st. Most slept in their spots in spite of the cold air so as not to risk losing the space. We partied into the wee hours and managed to get a few hours sleep before getting up early New Years Day to get ready for the parade. Tony spoiled us with tasty breakfast burritos and coffee. The Rose Bowl parade lived up to our expectations plus we had the added bonus of a warm sunny day. We had an awesome time.

Christmas 2008

Christmas with the grandkids was wonderful. We flew from AZ to Detroit where it is a short drive to their homes in Ontario, Canada. There was so much snow and, with winter storms, we were not able to make the trip to Owen Sound to see our moms. We had been looking forward to taking the kids there overnight to show them the display of lights along the river. It is one of the most impressive John and I have ever seen. We were able watch the boys skate and to see Ty win another shut out. Ty, Grace, Jack, Tate and Abby got Webkinz. Sarah will have to wait another few years for hers as she is too young. We were able to follow Santa's route on Google Earth and the kids made sure they left out lots of milk and cookies for Santa and his reindeer. John hurt his back while he and Michelle were shovelling on Christmas Eve but we were fortunate that Tim had a chiropracter friend who came to work Christmas day to work on him. He is in a lot of pain and we now know why we go south for the winter. We are so blessed to have our family to enjoy.

Home for Christmas

This is our star goalie. We have been busy driving back and forth between Baden and Belmont spending as much time as possible with the grandchildren. Papa has to pay Ty $5 for each shut out and is going broke paying his debt. Ty is so fortunate to have a coach who seems to know what he is doing because everyone on the team is playing very organized hockey. We are so proud of him and the entire Atom AE team from New Hamburg. 'Go Huskies !'

Yuma AZ

This is where we get our drinking water in the Foothills. We pull in, put $1.00 in the machine and fill up 5 gallon jugs of salt free water. Interesting.

Yuma AZ

We had a great day in Los Algodones, Mexico. Parked the car on the U.S. side of the border and walked across to a "Welcome Back Snowbirds" party. Pharmacies had free samples set out on tables for us to pick up and take home. Also had free samples of margaritas, beer and liquors. Lots of laughs, good food, interesting shopping and a little alcohol made for a memorable time.

Yuma AZ

Last week Fran and Ian flew back to Canada and we got on the road again heading south. Thought we may stop in Quartzsite for a couple of months but, as we drove in and saw how baren it was, we decided to continue on to the foothills in Yuma. We had been to this area last year for a month and really enjoyed our stay. So we drove in, found a 'for rent' sign on a lot we liked and moved in. It's gated, inexpensive, clean and the neighbours are really friendly. The view of the mountains from our window is picture perfect. Hooked up with friends Bill and Doris (full timers) and Steve and Rene (Idaho) who come here every winter. Nice to see them again. We'll drive the car up to Quartzsite for the swapmeet in January. Have had a few rainy days so have had time to spring clean some cupboards. Met up with Tiffinrvnetwork friends, John and Bev from Ottawa, while shopping at Walmart the other day. They are on their way to the Baja. Will be interested to see how that goes for them as we have that adventure on our 'bucket list'.

Las Vegas

Took Fran and Ian to Hoover Dam with a quick stop at Lake Mead to get John's NP Passport stamped. We were surprised at how large the NWR was and had not planned on the time to explore. So added that to our list for next year. The tour guide at the Hoover Dam had told us that the water was down considerably but that, because of lots of snow this past winter melting into the Colorado River, it had gone up a foot. Hopefully this reverse in weather conditions will continue and the water in the lake will go back up to where it should be. Picked up some information on scuba diving as Dione and Bob are interested in doing an underwater adventure there one day.

Las Vegas

We were up very early in the morning to begin our long drive from Vegas to the Grand Canyon. John and Ian took turns driving while Fran and Sheila watched a dvd of Death Valley. It turned out to be a perfect day for touring. The Hermits Trail route had been closed for upgrading but it appears it may have re-opened that morning. We were able to drive along the entire route, stopping to look over into the beauty of God's masterpiece. We expected it to be similar to Bryce Canyon or Zion NP but it was completely different. Next year we may consider taking the mule ride down to Phantom Ranch to stay for a few days. Even tho it was cool up where we were standing, it was in the 80s at the bottom of the canyon with a lake and beach to enjoy as well. Added that adventure to our 'bucket list'.

Las Vegas

We have seen so much of the beauty of nature since starting our touring two years ago that we could not believe we would continue to be so impressed as we explore new areas. But Death Valley was beautiful. It was so cool to walk at Badwater Basin, 282 feet below sea level, the lowest point in North America. Fran and Ian were equally amazed at the variety of colors in the mountains. Artist's Palette accurately describes the red, yellow, orange and green colors reminding one of the minerals in the rocks and earth. This picture is of them standing at Zabriskie Point, the outlook over Gold Canyon. Furnace Creek holds the record for second highest temperature recorded on earth when in 1913 it reached 134'F. The most profitable and longest-sustained mining activities in the region centered on talc and borate. We didn't see much wild life except the cutest 'kit fox' who trotted up to the car and shone it's big brown eyes on us, looking for food.

Las Vegas

Fran and Ian flew in from Toronto this morning to spend a week with us touring the Las Vegas area. We'll enjoy gambling plus we'll do some touring as well. Found a coupon in the Motorhome magazine and decided we could splurge and stay at the Outlook RV Resort at the south end of the strip. Good decision as this resort is really pretty and clean. We are parked across from the pool, hot tub and showers and, because the park is not busy right now, it feels like the conveniences are there just for our use. After giving our family a few hours to rest and a good meal, we drove the strip to give them an overview of what to see and what to do stopping finally to enjoy the Paris, Ballagio and Ceasar Casinos.

Los Angelas California

We had a great time touring Hollywood Blvd with Tony and Barb. Saw the Kodak Theatre and the autographs of the stars in the sidewalk out front. We took a tour of Beverly Hills and saw the homes of the stars (didn't see any of the stars). Ate at our first 'In and Out' restaurant and that was a lark (and the food was decent). Another fun and interesting day with our friends.

Los Angelas California

How appropriate that we are spending our time with Tony and Barb, the same couple with whom we toured the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama. We were in Selma where, in 1965, Martin Luther King led a march to the Capital Building in Montgomery demanding that African Americans have the right to vote. And last night, John and my first vote as U.S. citizens, we helped to vote in President Obama. Not just because of our options or because he is African American but because we believe he is smart, honest and sincere in his quest to make a difference. It is amazing and exciting to a part of this history. It is so sad that his gramma could not have lived just a few days more to enjoy the results of her hard efforts in raising this young man. We believe McCain's speach last nite was the best one we have ever heard

Los Angelas California

We spent the day at the Getty Center yesterday with Tony and Barb. What a totally amazing museum. It was so big and complex that we could not get all of it all in in one day. From the art collections, to the sculptures, plus the gardens and everything in between, it was very impressive. Web site it http://www.getty.edu/ if you want to take a look. If in the L.A. area, def put on your list for a 'must see'.

Los Angelas California

We change our minds daily. As it ended up, we left Gilroy Garlic Farm and their aroma therapy to head south the Pismo Beach. We arrived at Pacific Dunes RV Ranch and Resort in Oceana overlooking the sand dunes for two days. Met up with friends, Bob and Sharon, for dinner at Jockos in Nipomo for the best steak we have had in years! Money is spent on the food, not the ambience. We toured Pismo Beach, Avilo Beach and the area. Pretty but haze and cool. Today we decided to go the Bakersfield, CA for a few days then on to L.A. Well, as we drove south on hwy 101, we changed our minds and continued on to hwy 126, over to hwy 5 and straight south thru L.A. to Orangeland RV Resort in Orange, CA. Took us 4 hrs and John just took it slow. Was not nearly as overwhelming as we expected (not any worse than driving in Toronto) and, as 4 lane hwy driving, we were fine. This is a nice resort. Nice sites, heated pool, patio table and chairs (instead of picnic table), paved site with some grass and a small exercise room. We are next door to the Honda Center so hope to take in an Anaheim Ducks hockey game. Disneyland is just down the street. Will go to the Crystal Cathederal Sunday for service and then over to our friends, Tony and Barb, for a visit. And the beaches. So will be a busy week. Hot and sunny. Friday will be a down day to enjoy the resort.

Pacific Grove, California

It is difficult to see the thousands of monarch butterflies in this picture. They migrate to Pacific Grove in October and stay until March. On a dull day, they clump together on the branches and look like leaves. This was a really pretty stop on our tour of Monterey Bay area today. We also stopped at the Point Pinos Lighthouse, the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the west coast. The building, lenses and prisms of light are all original and this lighthouse's beacon has shone since February 1, 1955. We drove from Santa Cruz to Pacific Grove along the bay and enjoyed some more of California's beauty.

San Francisco Area

The tour of the Jelly Belly factory was 'sweet'. I like the jelly beans we get at Fran and Ian's better but the fruit candy from here was excellent. Lots of free bees. Love it. Then we went on a tour of the Budweiser bottling plant and enjoyed that as well. I tried two new beer that I would never have bought. Would now buy the Mic Ultra Tuscan Orange Grapefruit for me.

San Francisco Area

Spending a beautiful day touring some of the 400 wineries in the Napa Valley was impressive. The first one we visited is owned by the Andretti Family. The one that looks like the castle is the Costello di Amorosa. Absolutely beautiful. The one seen from the gates is Darioush. I think Sterling was the most impressive to us. We caught a cable car up the side of the mountain to the winery. The buildings, grounds and views were breathtaking. We spent some of our children's inheritance (what's left in our mutual funds that is) on a $45 bottle of wine. You can bet we'll be saving that for a special day. We tasted some wines that we would never have bought so it was nice to try something different. We did buy another bottle of wine that compared to the chardonnay but was lighter in taste. Even for non drinkers, this was a tour well worth our time.