I want to take a moment in this blog to answer a few of the questions that Steve and I are asked most often, and also update our blog with our last adventures.
So, our most asked question is:
"Where did you go during your last trip?"
In
March 2023 we toured some of Southern Arizona, (which I am very late in
writing about on this blog), so I will share some highlights here.
Great
weather, beautiful scenery, memorials and history abound in the
sprawling city of Tucson in Southern Arizona. We came to Tucson for an
RV event, discovered that there was a LOT to do there, and then headed North to visit our son, daughter-in-love and grand
girls. There is more about all that below!
Another popular question is,
"How do you decide where to go?"
A great benefit to traveling by RV is the opportunity to:
Visit Family and Friends
Family Time
We started our trip to Tucson and then headed out to spend time with our Arizona family for a weekend visit. Hannah and Ava have grown so much in the few months since we have seen them. They enjoyed our visit including play time on the trampoline with Grandpa, and with Grandma they like playing dress-up-dolls in our trailer, (or as Hannah calls it: "Papa's House").
As I mentioned above, during our time in Tucson for the RV Rally, we discovered so much to do in Tucson but did not have time to do. So after our weekend of family time we headed back south for the better weather and
to explore Tucson sights for a few more days.
A deciding factor in our route planning is the:
Destination
Tucson was the site for the RV Rally we attended. Above is a picture of our last sunset at the Pima County Fairgrounds where we dry camped for the week. So during the Rally and when we returned to Tucson after visiting our family, here is some of what we discovered.
This sprawling Arizona town is full of some Mexican influenced architecture and cuisine. The old town area, built around the Presidio has quaint shopping in adobe buildings. Also within the old courthouse building, (pictured at the top of this blog) we found a visitor center; historic courthouse where John Dillinger, public enemy number 1 of the 1930's, was arraigned; the University of Arizona Gem & Mineral museum; and the January 8th Memorial, honoring the victims of the 2011 shooting in Tucson, which wounded 13 (including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords) and killed six individuals. Memorials are always quite sobering and this memorial with its reflection pool surrounded with modern pictographs honoring those hurt or killed in this violent shooting, was no exception.
Tucson is also home to the Titan Missile Museum where
you can tour the only remaining Cold War Missile silo and experience a
simulation of a launch sequence. Fortunately no nuclear missiles were ever
launched from any silos!
Saguaro National Park
When National Parks intersect with our routes we definitely try to fit them into our schedule! Part of why we started RV travel was for the ability to visit our National Parks.
Two districts of this NP just outside of Tucson, preserve this special part of the Sonoran
Desert known as Saguaro National Park, named for the largest species of Cactus in America. This is also a great place to get up close to some pictographs. 
We enjoyed a drive through the forest of giant cactus, stopping for a picnic lunch and a couple of enjoyable hikes. We were glad for the cooler weather; you won't want to hike here in the summer heat!
Just outside of Saguaro National Park is the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, which houses an extensive outdoor section of the desert along with Botanical Gardens. We joined a docent led bird watching tour and saw many of the bird species which call the desert home or migrate through the area. The Sonora Desert provides opportunity to see about half of the North America Bird Species!
Also at this museum we enjoyed the Raptor Free Flight show for an up close experience of Harris Hawks, a Great Horned Owl, Crested Caracara, and other birds flying just overhead to the perches that held a bit of food for them. As we stood along the pathway, shoulder to shoulder with the crowd, we marveled at the beauty of these large and powerful birds of prey soaring above and around us!
Our route planning is partly determined by:
Unique Events
We have been able to incorporate some amazing events into our trip routes: this RV Rally, the International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, the Calgary Stampede, the rodeo in Cody, Wyoming and others.
The key event that we had planned this trip for was Escapade, an annual event of a group we joined called Escapees RV Club. This was a week long RV Rally held at the Pima County Fairgrounds on the outskirts of Tucson. Hundreds of RVers gathered to attend seminars, meet fellow RVers and get information for traveling in an RV.
You may ask,
"How do you find things to see or do?"
There is no shortage of places to visit and things to do when you can take a road trip! We
get ideas from many sources, such as friends, other travelers, web
searches, or sometimes we just happen upon local events, museums or
sites of interest along the way.This is when the JOURNEY is the destination! Some trips, like this one, bring surprises such as a route change or new places to explore. Some of our biggest surprises are the people that God brings across our paths for us to pray with or share the Gospel of Jesus with. On a recent fuel stop Steve was able to spend several minutes talking with a truck driver about what God was doing in his life.
Getting
to Tucson from our Southern California home requires a couple of days
of travel. Doing our research on the route helps us identify possible places to stay and
things to do along the journey. To get to Tucson we planned to take the 8 freeway through
southern CA, stopping at Borrego Springs, then continuing through
southern Arizona, (new territory for us as we usually take the I10 or I40 to get to Arizona), with a stopover in Yuma to
explore the town before traveling on to Tucson.
Borrego Springs is
a place we have enjoyed previously and during this trip we enjoyed the super bloom of wildflowers and
enjoyed Palm Canyon Trail, a delightful hike along a stream, flowing full and fast
from recent rains, with the hike bringing us up to an oasis.
Yuma, an
Arizona town bordering Mexico, surprised us with its vast green fields
of winter lettuce. It turns out that Yuma is known as the winter lettuce
capital of America!
Along the shore of the Colorado River we visited The Crossing, an interpretive visitor center. A docent led tour explored the Colorado River and how its dams and canals supply water for irrigation and drinking in
California, Arizona and Mexico. We discovered the history of the westward expansion and the importance of the Yuma River Crossing, Where pioneers crossed by ferry, but today there is a bridge for trains, and another bridge for the Highway.Yuma was the site of a fort during Arizona's days as a territory so exhibits and buildings at The Crossing reflect that time period in Arizona's history.
Not far from the Crossing we also toured the Yuma Territorial Prison, where another docent led us through the cell blocks and related the history and significance of a territorial prison.
Yuma has a charming small town vibe and we
enjoyed strolling along the downtown area and found a very quirky and retro coffee
shop called Cafecito. An old house and large patio filled with antiques, succulents and dinosaurs, have been
transformed into a delightful spot to enjoy some coffee and recharge for
the next activity.
The most difficult question to answer is,
"What is your favorite place you have visited?"
How
could we choose as favorite, just one place out of all the amazing places we have been blessed to visit! Both Steve and I have such great memories of Moraine Lake and the surrounding area of
Lake Louise and Banff. The Canadian Rockies were just so visually stunning with the turquoise
blue lakes and glacial carved mountains that they are on the top of the
list of memorable places we have traveled. If you haven't done so already, scroll down to check out our Canada blogs!
And of course many wonder,
"Do you have another trip planned?"
Traveling by RV requires a lot of advance planning, route decisions, and timed reservations, so YES we are planning for future trips as we are able and as the Lord wills!
In just a few days we will start a trip to tour some of California. We have plans with some friends who own RVs to camp together along the coast at San Simeon, in the Gold Country of central California, and in the forests of Santa Cruz. As I said, being with family and friends is a great benefit of a road trip!
The past two summers we have enjoyed long trips of several months. This year we are in the planning stages for a long trip in the fall through some of the southern states, enjoying some leaf peeping, on our way to Georgia. Lots of places to see and people to visit along that route! We know that we can make plans, but it is the Lord who directs our paths.
It's never too early to plan for another Adventure on the Road!
and Gail, who had come along to see this little home town fair with its infamous frog jumping contest that we had talked about! Our campsites were up on a bluff with oak trees shading our outdoor area. 
Samuel Clemens, who penned newspaper articles and published stories under the name Mark Twain, lived for a short time in the area now known as Angels Camp, which during his day was a mining camp. 
tale of a man who would bet on anything, including how far a frog could jump! Later Clemens, aka Mark Twain immortalized this story in print, and this charming small country community has kept this tale alive with their annual Jumping Frog Jubilee! Children and adults alike take part in the contest for bragging rights, world records and cash prizes. The current record was over 21', measured from the launch pad to the place the frog lands on its third jump. Along the street in Angels camp bronze plaques in the pavement create a Frog Walk of Fame, to the winners of the event over the years.
