The 2013-2014 Holidays were long… wonderful… and Cold. After storing our Dolphin Motorhome in Texas last November, Alice and I headed North, visiting our Baker Family in Ohio & Pennsylvania, and then staying with our Daughter & Son-in-Law in Michigan. We enjoyed Christmas…Family… and the birth of our first Granddaughter. Then in early March, we headed back to Texas for sun and warm weather… While in Michigan we drove over to Grand Haven, on Lake Michigan… the Lighthouse below is about a half mile out in the Lake… Frozen ice all around… Indeed Lake Michigan froze over completely in 2014. (Click on Pics to enlarge)
Feb 2014, Snow Squall… Lighthouse at Grand Haven, Michigan.
30 minutes later… The snow squall is over. Below is “The Beach” at Grand Haven State Park… No Bikini’s at this time of the year!
Snow Squall over! Alice, along with our Good Friends Mary & Gary DeYoung. Frozen Lake Michigan is in the background.
You might ask, “What would keep us in Michigan during THIS kind of blizzard weather?” Easy – check out the little Princess below… She arrived in January… during a snow storm of course.
This lovely little lady… New to the world & sleeping… is why Alice and I chose to stay in Michigan this Winter!
Our granddaughter, Opal Naomi… born in January, 2014. She is the little Princess that has completely captured the hearts of her her Mom & Dad… as well as her Southern Mamaw & Papaw (us) and her Yankee Grandmother & Grandfather!
Leaving Michigan
Time eventually came however, to head back to the Sun… We departed Michigan towards the end of February, traveling thru Pennsylvania & Ohio… where we spent a few days with my wonderful Foster family… Grandma Baker… Brent & June Baker… Brian & Lisa Baker… and all their children… and then we departed again heading South thru West Virginia and spending an evening in Kingsport, TN to have Supper with old Bangor High School friend Bob Ryba and his wife Paula… then on to Texas for a few days with Alice’s family… and then Finally! – we loaded up the Dolphin and hit the road!
We made good time in moving out of East Texas, traveling the Texas back roads, over- nighting in Lake Tawakoni, Gatesville, and Ozona… where we finally hit sunshine and warm temps! This picture below is an I-10 rest stop just before Ozona, Texas.
Moving West… Just before Ozona, Texas… Rest stop on Interstate 10.
After Boondocking for the night in the parking lot of the Ozona Chamber of Commerce, we drove west on I-10 all the next day, basking in the sunshine! Our destination for the day (March 10) was Tornillo, Texas where we would Boondock not too far from the Rio Grande river, 40 miles East of El Paso. Note the sunshine in the pictures below… and NO snow!
A Rest Stop on Interstate 10… West Texas… approaching Tornillo, Texas.
My Best Wife (Alice) of almost 42 years… patiently waiting on me while I take a walk.
Alice patiently waiting on me… a West Texas Rest Stop on Interstate 10, approaching Tornillo, Texas
We reached our next Boondock location at Tornillo, Texas, later on that afternoon. It was a large gravel parking lot just off I-10. It was a quiet location, no other traffic, and we quickly set up our comfortable home for the night.
Boondocking for the night… just off Interstate 10, Tornillo exit… The mountains in the background are just the other side of the Rio Grande, in Mexico.
The next day would take us through downtown El Paso, which has grown to become a large city with heavy traffic and stressful driving. We decided to try taking a ‘bypass loop’ around the City, going North on Texas 375 up to New Mexico Hwy 404, then West back to Texas I-10. It worked! Traffic was MUCH better, and few, if any, extra miles incurred.
We spent the next evening at the Deming SKP park, which is a quiet, comfortable park kept up to the very excellent management standards of the Escapees RV Club. We were up early the next morning, and made good time on the last leg of our journey West, arriving at our destination, ‘SKP Saguaro RV Park’ in Benson, Arizona during mid afternoon.
Finally… SKP Saguaro RV Park, Benson, Arizona, 45 miles South of Tucson.
After getting our comfortable Home set up by late afternoon, we took a break…
Alice and I… taking a well-deserved rest!
And we waited for the evening hours… clear blue sky… coyotes barking in the distance…
The first evening in Benson… Clear skies, stars getting ready to come out.
Night fell. The Sun’s setting glow is now in the distance, and lights begin to show.
The sun has set… lights are on… peaceful.
One of the magical things about the location of the Escapee’s “Saguaro RV park” is that it is on the West side of the San Pedro Valley… and has a great Sunset view across the valley to the East, where I-10 comes through Texas Canyon. The night picture below is enhanced a little to show evening features of this beautiful valley. Note the small ‘beads of light’… which is vehicle traffic on I-10. And just a little to the right of I-10… are the 1862 ruins of the original Dragoon Springs Station of the “Butterfield Overland Mail’ service. And the mountains further to the right are named the Dragoon Mountains… Home to Cochise’s band of Apache Indians, and Council Rocks where a peace treaty between Cochise and General Howard was reportedly signed in 1872. Cochise was buried on the other side of the mountains just a few years later… indian manner. I often wonder what the great Chief Cochise would say… if he could see the steady I-10 traffic of trucks, cars, motorcycles… traversing his land.
After Sun Set… looking to the East… I-10 traffic about 30 miles away coming thru “Texas Canyon”. The mountains to the right were once the habitat of the Apache tribes under Geronimo and Cochise.
Alice and I are in the West, now. It is warm… sunny… and more. It feels good! From here, we will spend some time up around Sedona… then perhaps back to New Mexico… and we will end the Summer in the Black Hills of South Dakota. We will visit our family in Michigan again in July… to see our little Princess! So, thank you for looking at our blog… please check back – more travels and more postings to come!
Hi, Dad! I’m just catching up on my emails and got caught up in your blog again. I have a little princess with a full belly asleep in my arms. It’s been a lazy day so far, but the coffee pot is calling to me and the fair weather is telling me to come out and play. I think the princess and I will go try out that jogging stroller at Townsend Park in a few minutes:) We love you and look forward to July!
MOO and ONO!
Just came from Texas/I-10 myself. Wouldn’t it have been funny to have crossed paths?
What a life! Very happy for you both to be able to go where ever and when ever. You know you could have stayed on the “property” anytime in Deming! 🙂 Sorry we didn’t get together in February but hopefully will see you in July. You know you could have made a stop in Columbus on your way west…..Be safe in your travels and most importantly, enjoy your life! Love you both
Jan
Hi Jan. You know… as Alice & I drove on I-10 going into Deming… we had good fun locating Uncle Dick’s (now yours) property. We could see it to the South from the highway, albeit way off in the distance. And you know… it DOES have a nice mountain view! A little water & electricity… and that will be a nice place.
Jim
Good Morning Jim & Alice,
I see by the blog that you quickly got back into your traveling routine. Thanks for the tips on travel. We are starting to put together our vision of life on the road. Your blog makes it a little more clear for us.
I am afraid winter has affected Tn. this year too. We had snow again this week and more forecast for this weekend. Your pictures look awful warm and inviting.
Safe travels,
Bob & Paula
Hi Bob. Yes, that ‘travel routine’ is a very mesmerizing experience… downright addicting. It is a great feeling to get up in the morning on the road… drink a cup of coffee… catch the news on TV… check internet email… and know that you will be sleeping 200-300 miles down the road that night.
And thanks again for fitting Alice & I into your busy schedule earlier this month. We certainly enjoyed our time together. Would like to do it again, when schedules & location permit!
Jim
Jim and Alice: Thanks so much for sharing your travels with us. So sorry for the winter you had to experience in MI BUT grandchildren are worth it. The Lighthouse you visited is one of the first ones I saw in 1995, which started us on a journey to see ALL the lighthouses on the west side of MI, and then ALL of them on the East side of WI before my first husband went to heaven. It was a wonderful experience and I will NEVER forget it.
The RV sure looks nice and clean. We could use one of those clean jobs about now ourselves. One of these days.
Plan on leaving around the 6th of April for IN for most of April, or heading there anyway. Should be fun, BUT we are waiting for the SNOW to melt and be GONE for this season.
Again, thanks for sharing your travels with us on this blog.
Harold and Donna
Thanks for the update and pictures. We could feel the warmth clear over here! Of course, the best picture was of “the little princess”. Her daddy called me the other day to say that she had giggled for him. There’s a whole lot of love in that household! Enjoy your travels. We look forward to some more croquet in July. 🙂
Hi Bonnie. “The little Princess” has a great Daddy… you can easily see it when around. That is a wonderful thing that money can’t buy! Match that with a great ‘Mommy’… and Opal is off to a good start.
Jim
What a wonderful experience. Keep enjoying
Hi Alex. Thanks for the comments… We will be back in July for a few weeks… Hope to get in a cup of coffee with you and catch up on things. Hope all is well – you are a very excellent Township Supervisor! Catch you later…
Jim
Glad we got to meet Opal , see Mary and Alice,for a short time…….. your off again ? Now that is the life!!! Enjoy and we wish you all the best!! Love the posts and pics too : ) Your Mi frozen friends hahah
Hi Ellen and Mike. Thanks for the kind words about our favorite granddaughter… We will enjoy Arizona… Just as Elicka is!
Jim & Alice
Godspeed and congratulations on the granddaughter. Enjoy the blog and photos.
Hi Rob. Thanks for the kind words… Hope all is well with you and family. Perhaps lunch in July?
Jim
Hi Jim,
Good to hear from you again. Congratulations on that new granddaughter. She will have you wrapped around her little finger in no time. Our daughter is expecting our second grandchild in September. We will be in Michigan in June and then back to Ohio in September. Did not miss the brutal cold weather and snow this year.
Safe travels,
Gail
Gail, it is good to hear from you… And thanks for the kind words – You are right about grandchildren… we miss our “little Princess’ already, and are looking forward to July, when we head back to Michigan for a few weeks.
Perhaps some time if you are ever in Michigan at the same time we are… We could get together sometime and have lunch? I’d like to hear what it is like down in Costa Rica…
Jim
Hi, guys!
We hope to connect with you when you come up towards Sedona in a few weeks. Stay in touch and we will see what we can do. We will be going to Omaha from April 11-20 but we’ll be here in Surprise until then and after the 20th until we leave here sometime in May. You are welcome to stop in on your way up to Sedona. There is a Sam’s Club just a few blocks from us where you could park, and we could come & get you and bring you over to our place to visit. Let us know!
Ron & Cindy
What a beautiful baby girl. Safe travels to you, will see you at Hart Ranch this summer.
Was just thinking about you guys last night and received this update today. I am, of course, AT WORK. You two are my heroes! You’ve cracked the code! Safe and enjoyable travels, Brent
Hey, Jim; good to hear from you again. If you ever get the urge to travel the Blue Ridge Parkway, I’m very close!!
Jim
Hi Jim. Good to hear from You!
To be sure… we have not forgotten about the Smokeys… and the Blue Ridge Parkway… and their proximity to you. We had a great, albeit short, visit with with Bob & Paula back in early March. One of these days, we will swing thru the South East on a more leisurely trip… and we would certainly want to come by the Mount Airy area for a visit, and catch up on things.
We find that, with Alice being a Texas Gal and loving all things ‘Western’… and me living in Texas my first 10 years… that we tend to gravitate out to the Western States where we get real comfortable very quickly. The sunshine doesn’t hurt, either. Lets stay in contact, Jim – I am sure something is going to work out.
Blessings to you and your family!
Jim
Hi friends! Good to read your blog update and glad to be your neighbors here in Benson for a while. Be well! D & T
Hi Back, Tom & Diane!
Yes, it is good to have neighbors such as you folks. We enjoyed the get-togethers over the last week, and look forward to perhaps some more before we move on to our next travel direction. And I still ENVY your Summer job in Pinedale, WY… Sounds great.
Safe Travels
Jim & Alice