December 13-January 5, 2011 Alaska

 We were so excited to be on our way home for the holidays. Jeremy and Lalanya picked us up at the airport and it was so good to see their smiling faces. As we walked into their house, we immediately got into the holiday spirit when we saw their lovely decorations and smelled the fragrance of the Christmas tree. It was special to spend some time with Jeremy and Lalanya. We also got our Christmas shopping done in two days before heading down to the Peninsula.

It was good to be home! We spent the next day shopping for groceries and getting our tree. It was slim pickings but we did find a nice full one.

Our first night home, Eric and Holly came to dinner and it was wonderful to have them back in Alaska, after living in Colorado for three years. We had lots of fun catching up and enjoying time with them while we were home.

 I had to restrain myself from taking out all of the Christmas decorations since in three short weeks it would all have to be put away. Once the tree was up and the presents wrapped, it was time to see family and friends. Christmas eve came quickly and we spent the evening with Bob's brother, Denny and his wife, Kelly. We awoke to a white Christmas morning and relaxed until the Eric, Holly, Jeremy and Lalanya arrived for brunch.

We then opened our gifts. Bob and I thanked everyone and expressed that the best present was having us all together. Just then, Lalanya jumped up and said that there was one last present and that we had to open them at the same time. We were shocked to see two little bibs that said “I love Grandma” and “I love Grandpa”, some booties, and a picture of a sonogram that said, Merry Christmas Grandma and Grandpa! I cannot express the sheer surprise and exhilaration that we felt as our tears of joy fell and we hugged Mom and Dad-to-be! It was our favorite present to be sure.

It was time to call Mom and Dad in NY to see if they had opened their gift, announcing the news that they were going to have their first great grand-baby.

That evening we had our traditional Christmas dinner of King Crab and shrimp. It was delicious, as usual. We were happy that Justin, Randi Marie(our adopted daughter), Rylan, new baby Colbie and Lalanya's Mom could join us, also. Unfortunately, Lance was back on the North Slope working.


















A few years ago,the boys started a new tradition of watching old videos of their childhood. Eric found one that we had not remembered seeing for many years. It was of Jeremy doing a PeeWee Herman impersonation in his underwear. We were all laughing so hard, we did not hear Den, Kelly, Corey, Kevin, Chelsea, Chelsea's sister, Alaina, and Lori and Johnny Bea come in. Before long, we were all stuffed into our TV room roaring at the antics of Jeremy and Eric. Enough for movies, it was time for another tradition, our annual card game.

 There were so many of us, the guys sat at one table playing Texas Holdem' and the women played “21” at the other. Jeremy was the big winner at Texas Holdem' and Alaina won at our table. It was a perfect and memorable Christmas.

After Christmas, the weather warmed up and I was able to do some cross-country skiing around the lake and on our trails. It was fun to be out playing in the fresh snow.

 We celebrated a quiet New Years eve at home and we spent New Years Day with Jay, Marta, Eric and Holly.



On January 3, Eric drove us up to Anchorage and Jeremy met us at Kriner's Diner for lunch. On January 4th, Jeremy and Lalanya took us out to dinner to celebrate my birthday. The next day we left for Phoenix. It was hard to say good-bye and leave Alaska, but the sun and new adventures were beckoning.

Arizona and New York

November 16-17, 2010

After leaving Tortilla Flat, we drove back into Mesa to the Valle del Oro RV Resort, one of the Cal-Am Resorts that honors our Passport America membership. Since they did not offer storage, we found a public storage for the truck and 5th wheel while we are in NY for Thanksgiving and Alaska for Christmas. Unfortunately, it was across from a cattle feed lot or dairy farm and it smelled pretty ripe.

November 18-30, 2010 NY

We were excited to be in Plattsburgh, NY to spend Thanksgiving with our families. Bob's parents went with us to Jim and Sherry's for an excellent dinner.

We got to see their “pet” skunk that comes every night at 7 pm to eat the cat's food.

After Thanksgiving, my oldest brother Harold came up to visit and we went on some hikes, in spite of the chilly weather



We also went to visit my other brother John, in the Malone ICU. I had a feeling that it would be the last time that I would see him and said my good-byes.

We took Mom and Dad down to Saratoga Springs to the Casino and stopped in Glens Falls, NY to see my niece, Jennifer and my sister-in-law, Barb. I had not seen them since my brother Jerry died a few years ago. We had a nice visit with them,



While we were home, we got together for dinner with some friends, Julie Lattrell and Frank Preston. They had come to Alaska to visit us the previous summer and it was fun to see them again. Just before we left, we helped Mom and Dad put up their outdoor Christmas lights and decorations. As usual, it was sad to say good-bye to everyone.

December 1-12, 2010 Mesa Regal RV Park

We were back in sunny Arizona and after cold, damp New York, it felt good on the body to feel the warmth of the sun again. We decided to try a new park called Mesa Regal RV Park.



 It was right next door to our friends, Rik and Val's place called TowerPoint. We backed into site 1605 and met our neighbors behind us, Harvey and Carol Robb from Olds, Alberta.

That was the start of a great new friendship. After getting settled, we took a walk around to check out the park. We found the main pool and bar,the huge Regal Hall where the dances and concerts are held, the workout room and another pool with a hot tub closer to our RV site.



We could not believe how many activities and clubs that the park offered. We were impressed with how friendly and helpful everyone was. Looking at the activity calendar, we noticed that there was a daily Happy Hour with live music at the pool from 3:00 – 5:00 pm. Of course, we had to check it out and we were not not disappointed.



Every Friday, there is a dance and you can bring your own drinks and snacks. It was fun to see hundreds of people our age and some much older dance the night away, smiling and having a good time. We had a reservation for a week but decided to stay the full 12 days before we flew to Alaska for Christmas. The Robbs invited us to dinner and we enjoyed their company. They introduced us to nickel beer night at the Wild Hogs bar, down the street from our Park. When we got there, Bob went up to the bar and ordered two beers. He was surprised when the bartender said that it was $11.00. Bob said, “what happen to the five cent beer?”.  She replied, “oh, that is in the back!”. The rest of our friends headed that way to buy the much cheaper beer. Needless to say, Bob still gets teased about how he prefers paying $11 for two beers instead of 10 cents. The music was good and the locals were entertaining, including the smallest Hell's Angels that I have ever seen.

Before we left, we drove up to Surprise, AZ for a car show.



Bob tried to talk me into riding on the elephant but I passed.















We also went hiking in the Superstition Mountains on the Hieroglyphics trail.

On December 13, we drove the truck and 5th wheel to the public storage and took an early morning shuttle with the very entertaining “Flying Scotsman” to the airport.

Tortilla Flat, Arizona

November 13-15, 2010
From Clear Creek, we drove to the Glendale, AZ to the Cabela's store. There were about 30 “teardrop” campers in front of the store, all with a different theme.

Someone we met along our travels suggested that we visit the Tortilla Flat, along the historic Apache Trail. We headed toward Apache Junction and up the 17 miles of winding, narrow switchbacks with lots of sharp corners. It was an interesting trip pulling the 5th wheel. Along the way, we passed Canyon Lake, a gorgeous lake for sailing, fishing, kayaking.

Tortilla Flat located in the Tonto National Forest in the Superstition Mountain Range, dates back to 1904 when it was a stage coach stop. It looks like an old west town complete with a boardwalk leading to the Superstition Saloon with dollar bills pasted on the walls and saddles for bar stools.



Across from the “town” is Tortilla Campground that sits on a ridge above Tortilla Creek with some scenic views of the mountain bluffs. We loved the spacious sites and the solitude of the campground. Our daily visitors included the rock squirrels, grackles, and cactus wrens. The campground host told us about a trail to Canyon Lake and one up the mountain called the “Boot”.

We enjoyed a nice leisurely walk to the lake and relaxed in the sun before heading back. The campground hosts told us that the campground closes in April because when it gets warm it is full of rattle snakes. Even though it is November, I kept my eyes peeled for any kind of movement. We also had to be careful not to get to close to the cactus along the trail!



Since the cell service was poor in Tortilla, we drove into Apache Junction to check in with the family and get some groceries. On the way back, we stopped at the Superstition Mountain Museum, full of artifacts, history, and folklore displays.

The Superstition Mountains is rich in legend and intrigue. You might remember the story of the Lost Dutchman Mine made famous by Jacob Waltz, who supposedly took the secret of his mine to the grave in 1891. Several of the locals believe that there is not a mine, but perhaps a cache of gold that he found. Others believe that he was a miserable old man and used the lure of the mine to entice people to take care of him in his old age. Apparently, to this day treasure hunters still search for the Lost Dutchman Mine, some never coming back. In fact, the remains of 3 men who were searching for the Mine were recently found in the Superstition Mountains in the area where we were hiking.

The museum also offers reproductions and authentic parts of many old buildings, including the Elvis Memorial Chapel, the Apaceland Movie Land Ranch, and a 20 stamp ore crusher. In the 1800s, this mill was state of the art technology for recovering gold.

Many well known TV Shows (Have Gun Will Travel) and full length movies (Charro with Elvis Presley and Arizona Raiders with Audie Murphy) were filmed at Apaceland Movie Land Ranch.

We would like to come back to Tortilla Flat again and make the 30 mile drive to Roosevelt Lake to do some fishing.
Click HERE to see where we are.

Alamo Lake State Park/Clear Creek

November 10-12, 2010
We had heard about Alamo Lake State Park, 37 miles north of Wenden and decided to go explore. On the way to Wenden, we passed fields of melons owned by Dole. As we came though the blink-of-an-eye town, we stopped at a roadside stand and for $2, we bought 3 tomatoes, a red pepper, 2 bananas and a melon. What a deal! It is 63 degrees today and not a cloud in the sky. Arriving in the early afternoon, we found plenty of available sites in the campground. We settled into B13 that had a great view of the Lake from our big window.



 According to our neighbors Grant and Jim from Mesa, the fishing is outstanding on the lake. They caught 8 large mouth bass today, in addition to some crappie and talapia. We rode to the Alamo Dam and the Look-out, followed by a stop to the store to get some wood.



When we got back to our site, we cooked some chili outside in the afternoon sun, enjoying the lovely view. Apparently, there are wild burros that come down to the lake at night to drink, but we did not spot any. After sunset, we sat around our campfire appreciating the peace and quiet. The only sounds were the coyotes singing to the moon.

 On our way out of the park the next morning, a coyote ran in front of our truck, turning to give us a curious glance before he was on his way. It was only 10:30 am and we were on the road to Clear Creek Campground near Camp Verde. On the way, we stopped in Prescott for lunch at Bill and Kay's Tastebuds. You never know what to expect when you randomly pick a restaurant and we were pleasantly surprised how good the pizza was.

Clear Creek Campground is in the Coconino National Forest, south east of Camp Verde.





The campground is a grassy, flat area surrounded by huge cottonwoods and has a relaxed atmosphere. The sites are large and are quite a bargain at $8 a night. We went for a 2 mile hike along Clear Creek ending up at a popular swimming hole. The evening was cool but we kept warm by the campfire.



Friday morning was sunny and a good day to drive to Fossil Creek, one of only two, wild scenic rivers in Arizona. It was a 7 mile trip on a dirt road that was narrow and one lane wide with switchbacks descending 3000 feet. On many of the turns, I winced at the huge drop-offs into the canyon.



 I would not trust my life to anyone else but Bob on that road. Several times on the way down, he said, “this is really stupid”, but there were not many places to turn around. We parked at the Irving Flume Trail Head and hiked to the Fossil Creek Bridge.







 We did see one person meditating down by the river and 3 kayakers that looked like they were having fun shooting some rapids.








We had a picnic lunch and were entertained by colony of ants who found a dropped Doritos chip and managed to move it about 10'' and worked on getting it down their hole. It does not take much to keep us amused when we are out in the wild.



 Our ascent for me was not as scary since the passenger side of our truck was hugging the inside of the road.


 We were glad that we did not meet any oncoming vehicles. On our way back, we did a little shopping in Camp Verde before going back to Clear Creek.
Click HERE to see where we are.