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(Picture Caption)YES, this is indeed Laura & Gary. Attending yet another class on: RV LIFE-- Living harmoniously with your spouse: Mindfulness Marital Conflict Resolution Training for PEACE--AND WAR when necessary!!" Team Building Exercise
"Don't count the days. Make the days count"
Muhammad Ali
"When I was a boy of fourteen my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years."
Mark Twain
RED ROCK DUST and an incredible lightening/thunder/rain extravaganza caused by an evening summer monsoon were all in our rear view mirror as we left Sedona and lumbered a little North to Flagstaff, Arizona.
HOPPY TRAILS: As we've said walking 'Hop', or 'iHop" as a camping neighbor affectionately called our 3-legged BEST FRIEND. is the BEST, the very BEST,way to meet people as you walk around the campgrounds or along a trail or beach. A real chic magnate- you just can't imagine how many people, mostly females, blurt out, "she's soooo cute," or "how'd she lose that leg…." If you didn't know, she was brought into Gary's Animal Hospital 8 years ago as a puppy, after just being hit by a car and having sustained a severe compound/comminuted leg fracture. Leg amputation was the only viable option, so we performed the pro bono surgery and put her up for adoption. Mitch, our son, and Laura moseyed in post-opt, saw how very cute she was and the proverbial - the rest is history…
The 28-mile drive north, meanders through the very beautiful Oak Creek Canyon up to Flagstaff. Flagstaff, at an elevation of 7,000 feet, is a city of 70,000+ people. It's named after a ponderosa pine flagpole fashioned by a scouting party from Boston to celebrate the US centennial on July 4, 1876. Flagstaff is home to Northern Arizona University, Nestle' Purina Pet Care, W.L Gore & Assoc. (wonderful waterproof rain gear), it's also very close to the Grand Canyon Nat'l. Park, and the iconic Route 66 weaves through town.
Flagstaff has a truly fantastic and vibrant historic downtown. In fact, on Summer Wednesday nights, the City hosts a very successful instructional dancing class in the 'The Square." "NEVER SAY NEVER, my friends," as Gary, sheepishly, not pig-headedly, was 'coaxed' onto the dance floor by his wife!! Gary actually asked the fellow prancing around next to him, if he wanted to exchange one of his TWO Left feet for one of his TWO right feet. Laura, who has a semi-professional dance background, was, as many of you know a natural out on the floor… Also while in Flagstaff, visit the "Steep" Tea House where "Eric," with the longish frizzy red hair, makes the very best hot Masala Chai's! And, also right next door is a fabulous popcorn store. 'TEA & POPCORN', if you didn't know- Gary's two MAJOR food addictions!
Flagstaff , and the adjacent largest contiguous PONDEROSA PINE forest in North America, was in our Rear View mirror as we headed West towards Oceanside in Northern San Diego County. Our journey West took us through Mojave, a small 'blink and your miss' dusty ragged little town, along the southwestern reaches of the Mojave Desert, 50 miles east of Bakersfield. Not much there, but fortunately, there was a 'dusty-rusty' wind-swept RV park where we bedded down for the night and early the next morning headed to the Central California Coast for a week to enjoy some cooler weather and the very beautiful coastline.
First stop, Paso Robles for a Saturday night layover, since we couldn't get into the Pismo Beach RV Park until Sunday. We spent an evening downtown walking through a charming little park and having a marvelous dinner at the 'Fish Gaucho" a mex-american themed restaurant.
Next up, Pismo Beach and camping almost right on the sand, or should we say just a Hog''s Walk to the water!. You gotta know, we are still on an active 'hunt' for another pig sighting-it's been over 2 weeks now. The beach is amazing, wide open, unusually large and expansive with the typical laid-back beach atmosphere.
San Luis Obispo, "SLO ME," is a very vibrant and robust college town, and in the middle of the famous central coast winery trail. Downtown is the 'Best!" A wonderful farmer's market, great restaurants, more coffee/tea houses in a few square blocks than probably any place on earth - well, probably.
Finally, we returned to Oceanside to celebrate Gary's Mom's 95th BIRTHDAY on the 28th of June. (Same day as my lifelong dear friend and partner in… well, let's just say life experiences growing up-enough said!!-- Wayne Zucker. We stayed at the Paradise by the sea RV Resort which is very clean and just steps from the beach. Mitch, our son, spent the week with us to celebrate his Grandma's Bday too -he flew in all the way from a 2-month adventure in Southeast Asia with his girlfriend, Rachael. He's now 'home' in Boston - he'll be doing a working internship this semester, then finishing up classes in the Spring semester and graduating May '17.
Also in future Blogs: "RV/MOTORHOME SAGAS" aka "FORGET THE NICETIES/THE ROMANCE ; Let's get "DOWN & DIRTY' (grease and otherwise) of "Living Life On the Road.' Short vignettes, serious, factual and of course, comical-- coming up in future blogs -stay tuned.
OUR JOURNEY , OUR ADVENTURES, finally BEGINS AGAIN…. We left Oceanside on July 1st - heading North to Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Dakotas, friends and lots of National Parks…. Read all about it in our upcoming Blogs…
Wishing you ALL a very happy and safe 4th of July (woops a few days late)!!
Gary & Laura
PS For those of you who actually took the time to read this blog -THANK YOU!!
BTW - For those of you who actually believed the military training photo was actually L&G - it was not! Can any of you who know Laura, even for a nano-second imagine her wearing this "non-fashionable" garb and even getting close to a gun!! Former military guys have told Gary that this is very likely an actual photo of troops, who parachuted in to either an actual combat zone or were in training.
- comments
Nancy Franco Rubin I knew that wasn't you guys! Love the stories!
Pattie Keller What a great read with my morning coffee. Thank you for posting! We miss you guys!
Butch Hiller Hoppy Trails 2 the 3 of U
Mom (Penn) Another great blog. I do so enjoy these. You are doing fabulous things and I am learning from reading. It is a wonderful way to travel, meet people and see the country. Continue to enjoy and to write!
Cyndy What a Great start to RV Adventures, Book 2! I read to the bottom to confirm there isn't any way Laura would sport such a weapon or carry a dog that way! Keep enjoying.
Wayne Zucker Thanks for my birthday shout out! I'm honored to share my birthday with your dear mother Sally.
Kathleen Johnson I love it that you are living my dream retirement life! I am so happy for you and as I read your travel entries it makes me want to go to each and every place that you have visited. Keep enjoying life, the travel, the love, the food, the people, and the incredible experiences!! Love and miss you bunches......Kathleen