The holidays were quiet and celebrated with daughter Liz, her apartment decorated to the max with all the Christmas décor I “passed down”… actually more like “guilted” her into taking. After Christmas I helped her take down the Hallmark ornaments that have been in our family for several decades, some before we had children. Each tiny molded tree decoration bringing back memories of Merry Christmases past.

This year Liz’s front yard Christmas decorations provided her neighbors with a colorful explosion of Ho! Ho! Ho! and she came in second with a prize of $75.00 off her rent. Not a bad way to start the New Year.

Somewhat out of our price range, the 2014 Allegro Bus is on the market. Considering a change, we are looking over older Foretravels. All slides are completely air (smoke) and watertight, making them very breathing friendly for me when we are in campgrounds, which is virtually all the time. Built for full timers like us, the ride is air stabilized, just like the multi-million dollar Prevost bus…a very “person with back pain” friendly ride. Now to figure out how to convince John that pampering my lungs and back would be pertinent to future travel, not having to wear a mask or leave our box on wheels for hours at a time when smoke fills LilyPad. There has to be someone out there who buys one and decides they really want a Prevost…then decides to sell it to us for a really low price, lol. Dreams aren’t earmarked for the young alone!

Switching to travel mode and stuffing the whole shebang back into the motorhome’s niches we make ready for our repair and construction trip to the Tiffin town of Red Bay, Alabama. Our planning calendar indicates a pause of approximately 2 or 3 weeks in tiny town USA. Our entertainment will be another tour of the Tiffin factory, a side trip to the famous Coon Hound Cemetery and an hour long ride to Florence to shop at the closest large grocery store and Wal-Mart. No TV, no cell reception, no water (still frozen), no cosmopolitan area. In no one’s wildest imagination is this a vacation destination but a necessary journey all the same.

Now that KatieBug has joined the ranks of Certified Therapy Dog, she was able to visit Mom in her room with us at the Waterford Health Center. We spent time with Mom, then KatieBug and I toured the center with the Activities Coordinator, visiting a few of the elder residents who needed a puppy fix. Next morning, we had no problem getting KatieBug to stand still when we put on her volunteer vest. We arrived at the Center, KatieBug happily trotting ahead in full visitation mode.

Our site at Jonathan Dickinson State Park was closer to the tent campers than the big rigs, which normally would be acceptable, except these tent campers had no clue how to start a fire. After hours of smoke blowing up against our rig from three directions, it finally got inside, chasing us out for more than 6 hours until the campers went to bed and put out their fires. It took all three air filters working on high after the fires were out and us driving around for several more hours to finally clear the smoke out so I could breathe. Asthma and a smoke filled motorhome are not compatible.

Trapper Nelson Interpretive Site is a tranquil boat ride down the Loxahatchee River in Jonathan Dickinson State Park.

Our tour guide was informative and tried to point out the local flora and fauna but it was a chilly morning and few things had rolled out of bed.

The river turns from a completely freshwater environment, through a blend of temperate and tropical vegetation, to the saltwater mangrove community. It’s largest resident, which we only caught a glance of, is the Manatee and several make the Loxahatchee River their home.

The Wildman of the Loxahatchee, as Trapper Nelson was called, became a local legend arriving in 1936 and staying for 38 years living on the banks of the river.

He built his own cabin, a guest cabin, a wildlife compound where boy scouts would come and spend the night 10 feet above the ground, cut his own firewood, grew and hunted his food and managed to make a living from a much-visited wildlife zoo.

One morning took us into Hobe Sound with TripAdvisor suggesting we try the number one breakfast restaurant, Harry and the Natives. Great food, fun atmosphere, relaxing meal.

Christmas was drawing near and Texas was calling us home. One more visit with Mom before the wheels on the bus went round and round and took us back to Texas for the holidays.

As is our usual practice, we took a side trip to see something we missed last time we had paused in Mobile Alabama. Bellingrath Gardens, with its colossal colorful mums dripping from the trees, bridges and trellises became a colorful twinkling wonderland at nighttime. Even with a cold snap chilling the air, exploring the wonders of the gardens in twinkling colorful lights was a magical experience.

Our journey South East took us from one Elks Lodge to the next as we made our way across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and finally Florida. We experienced Elks Lodges of varying degrees of decline for our nightly rest stops. Our first stay was in Louisiana with magnificent oak trees dripping pale green moss and Lilypad was nestled up against a quiet pond, the only drawback being its location, a few feet from an oft used shooting range. It went downhill from there. Our final Lodge stay was in Tallahassee Florida. The site was a rather forgotten stretch of rocky soil spread out behind an empty and desolate fenced in swimming pool next to a run-down and overgrown metal temporary building that the Boy Scouts had used several decades ago as a meeting room.

The Lodge members were a friendly lot. The actual meeting hall, which was exceptionally nice, housed the original 1912 lodge room furniture from Lodge #1 in New York. Still, staying in the forgotten thickly forested area behind the lodge triggered several abbreviated Texas Chainsaw Massacre nightmares and I awoke several times in a cold sweat.

Arrived at Walt Disney World’s Fort Wilderness Campground. Christmas is bursting at the seams, from the treetops to the sod paths that lattice the campground. Some guests decorate for a Disney Christmas so elaborately that they have to pull a trailer behind their rig to store the “Happiest Place on Earth” decor. Lighted, air filled Mickey’s with all his friends glowed far into the night, grounds and fences lined with additional twinkling Christmas lights, jolly holiday music and in a few corners, Disney characters eerily moving extended body parts. Looking out our windows nightly, in every direction, we see the explosion of Christmas, Disney style.

Thankful that Ribbit has been checked out by our mechanic from front headlights to rear double bike rack, we commence the meandering. First through the famed city of Buena Vista, stopping for groceries, a quick run by the Outlet Stores before our first glimpse of Disney’s Shopping Magic a.k.a., Downtown Disney. The evening floats an overload of strong scented boudoir gifts through the air, millions of multi-colored twinkling lights drip from the buildings and trees and we are surrounded by the sound of Christmas music, Disney style. When we reached our fill, we three (KatieBug came along to experience crowd overload) it was time to go back to our box on wheels for some shut eye. Next morning KatieBug has reservations at Disney’s Best Friends Pet Resort so we are free to scout out Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Plans are to walk all day, but keeping the wheelchair option open just in case my ankle has other ideas.

Dropped KatieBug off and entered the world of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, perfectly timing our arrival for my favorite stage presentation, The Lion King. After nine hours, John rolling me around for the last few, both of us has reached our exhaustion point and it was time to spring KatieBug from the pet resort and recline/ice/elevate everything that was swollen or ached. When we arrived to pick her up, to my surprise, the two walks we paid for were not given. They had kept her crated for the whole nine hours! Grrrr…not a happy camper. Paid, took her outside and she peed a river.

Next day I tried to contact the Resort manager but no return call. Emailed, but after 5 hours, no answer. Drove to the Resort, cancelled the next two visits and gave them several pieces of my mind. Daughter Liz was to arrive the next day and plans were to have KatieBug stay at the “resort” for 16 hours while we speed walked around three Disney parks. After I loudly clarified my displeasure, the manager returned our money and offered a free day. No way…not going to leave my fur baby at this “resort” ever again.

Called Hilda, our travel agent who booked our Fort Wilderness campground site and asked if she knew anyone who babysat at the campground. To my relief, she offered. Hilda is a permanent motorhome “guest” of Fort Wilderness. She drove up in her Mercedes to introduce herself to us and loved on KatieBug long enough for me to feel comfortable about entrusting her for the day.

Liz arrived later that night and we drove to Cape May Clam Bake for dinner. Had to wait a few minutes before our reservation so we enjoyed viewing the gingerbread and chocolate scenes in the lobby. Tummy’s filled with clams and crab legs, visions of Disney World dancing in our heads, we slept until our 7am wake call, dressed, ate a quick breakfast and began our one really long day of mad dashing through the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and EPCOT.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that we would be able to go on every ride in every park that we wanted to visit. Three parks in one day…amazing Disney spirit and determination on Liz’s part.

Next day we were off to Jonathan Dickinson State Park, 175 miles away from Disney, to visit John’s Mom, 101 years old and anxiously awaiting hugs from her youngest granddaughter. Liz flew home after two days of visits with her grandmother.

John and I managed to squeeze in a few side trips in-between Mom visits including an evening Christmas lights viewing in Palm Beach Gardens.

Happy Thanksgiving!   A morning shot in the arm of Christmas watching Disney’s “Frozen”, a sensible and healthy turkey dinner, a bit of relaxation before another trip to the movies to see “Last Vegas” ending another Thanksgiving as full-timers.

Black Friday, no shopping for this nomadic duo.  Off to the storage unit to stuff a bit more into our tiny piece of land, donating a few things then packing up for our next trip, Jonathan Dickenson State Park via Walt Disney World, FL.   Thankful for the two wonderful weeks of cheerful and comforting visits with family and friends with plans to pick up where we left off when we return from Florida the week before Christmas.

Daughter Liz and I stopped at the Farmers Market here in the Woodlands to sample the abundant delicacies so lacking in availability during our year away.   Ran into several bike riding friends and chatted.  One came up to me and said “Welcome back to the real world”.  Funny but I thought we had been living in the “real world” for the past year.  Living in a tiny box on wheels, sleeping at Wally World parking lots/Elks Lodges/gravel parking lots next to trains and freeways, being an hour away from the nearest urgent care or hospital, shopping in grocery stores that don’t stock fresh veggies, drinking water that smells like rotten eggs or tastes like dirt, working in an non air-conditioned office where temperatures reached 113 while dust blows in and covers everything, cleaning 7 toilets every day for two months, that’s what’s out in the “real world”.  Thank heavens I’m back in privileged civilization!

Arrived at Palo Duro RV Park, another well worn, flat gravel and dirt parking lot style RV park, mighty close to the highway but comfortable size for our rig, the wind blowing fresh cattle aromas and bits of straw everywhere your nose turns.   The thought of me showering in that decrepit old bath house is unimaginable.

I suggested Wal-Mart but John wanted hook-ups and this has 50 amp full hook-ups with great WiFi and cable.  No room in the Palo Duro Canyon State Park so here we shall stay.  Guess I’ve got one more “make the best of it” left in me until we arrive back in The Woodlands.  Set up, conked out, didn’t wake until after 10am.

Ready to start another day, well rested but needing coffee immediately to jump start todays exploration.  Opened our top drawer to get the agave and there was a pile of John’s wipes shredded up.  Before my brain could comprehend the reason, out popped a mouse!  Laughed so hard I almost peed my pants.  Yep, that’s what was missing from our adventures, a mouse in our house.  Spent the day gathering and setting up mouse traps all over LilyPad.  KatieBug sat and stared at us if to say, “What?  I don’t eat mice, what do you expect me to do?”

Groceries purchased and mouse trap prepared, opened all the drawers to entice the critter to come out and eat the peanut butter.  Opened the second drawer and in the back curled up was a fuzzy body.  I screamed for John to come and do something, handing him my extension tongs, quite sure it was dead, but you never know.  Guess John slamming the drawers must have smacked it and caused it to join its ancestors in the big peanut butter buffet in the sky.  Trash can burial before our first cup-a-joe.

After paying to have the work done on the car for a third time, the idle is set so high it runs off by itself.  Major shift hesitation is still there at 40 and now at 20 as well.  Poor Ribbit will have to wait until we get home for correct repairs.

Armed with our annual Texas State Parks Pass we drove cautiously up the road to Palo Duro Canyon and enjoyed the view from the turnout.

Uncomfortable with Ribbit’s condition, we warily drove down into the canyon snaking through the switchbacks until we reached the bottom.  Too late for the musical “Texas” as it end in August, past 5:00 so nothing was open, not interested in a hike, we drove around the RV areas for future reference and returned carefully to the top stopping for Mule Deer on the road and watching Texas Longhorns watch us watch them.

Finally, a sunset worth a photo.

Back at the LilyPad, John began reading me the trifold about Palo Duro Canyon State Park…and the endangered Palo Duro Mouse…Oh oh…hope no one checks the trash can.

Slept peacefully through the night to wake again at 10am, still mouse free.  At John’s request we drove out to Cadillac Ranch.  Josh and John had stopped a dozen years prior on their way to Colorado on a backpacking trip and I wanted to see why TripAdvisor had rated it as an “experience”.  Cadillac’s partially buried, tail fins pointed skyward, covered with neon spray paint, partially filled cans dropped everywhere waiting for someone else to pick them up and show their artistic tagging talent. Interesting but we will forgo the “experience” and just observe.

Jack Sisemore has been selling RV’s, particularly Winnebago’s, since 1974.

He was the first Winnebago dealer in Texas and his RV museum includes the Flexible Bus (from the movie RV with Robin Williams),

the first Itasca motorhome ever build,

the oldest Fleetwood in existence, and other’s from the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s.  It is a delightful visit, strolling down memory lane, jam-packed with RV history.

A quick stop for groceries, back to the LilyPad and a nights rest before we wake and leave for Wichita Falls.  Arrived and spent the night at the Elks Lodge.

Early rise and on the road again.  Drove all day again and thought we would stop at the local Trucker Stop but it was completely full.  Drove to another, same packed parking lot.  Began to get a smidgen worried as the next Truck Stop was a no-way-am-I-staying-here-at-night run down dump.   Another 20 miles and we found an old KOA east of Dallas, past Rockwall.  OK place, expensive for what they offered but it looked safe and had electrical hook-ups.

Joined old bike friends Gail and Jim for a yummy late lunch and got the grand tour of their new addition, twice the size of their original house and a fascinating mineral/gem vault.  Awesome tour, sweet friendly pups, fun frisky goats escorted us to the pond for some fish feeding time and a visit to the barn to brush piggy’s and pet piggy tummies.  Time to talk before our final overnight and arriving home.

In no hurry to rise this morning, our last day on the road before we reach The Woodlands.  So nice to get back and relax for the Holidays.

Packed up and ready for our long haul back to Texas, we left early morning, driving all day, stopping at Wal-Mart for the night, then continuing on to Santa Fe to have Ribbit checked out before our journey back to Texas.

We arrived in Santa Fe and put down jacks at a small, somewhat expensive, mostly permanent resident housing RV park, Trailer Ranch RV Resort.  It would be a stretch to call this a Resort. Located very close to town and on the bus line, location is the reason one would stay here, along with cable and great WiFi available all day and night.

First morning was spent on housekeeping and the afternoon, a trip to town to view the Georgia O’Keef Gallery, first on John’s go-see list for the portrayal of Lake George, where he spent his childhood summers in upstate New York.   His comment, “she sure saw my old summer stomping grounds differently than I did.”

Window shop stop at Jackalope Mercado to admire the lively colored wares,

Glass blowing studio,

And lunch at Triple DDD’s Tune Up Café for delicious grilled salmon fish taco’s.

My enchantment with Churches was satisfied with a reverent pause in Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and Loretto Chapel in the old city section of Santa Fe.

As with most 100 year old religious relics, there is a story tied to the Loretto Chapel.  The one most popular is the Miraculous Staircase.  Legend has it that the nuns who lived on the property and used the chapel, wanted a staircase to the upper choir loft as there was none originally built when it was completed in 1881.  Carpenters claimed that one could not be built that allowed the current seating and space to remain in the back of the chapel.  The nuns prayed for 9 days and from seemingly nowhere, a carpenter arrived telling the nuns he could do the job.  No time limit was established and the exact time it took is not known.  The wood that was used was not local and no one knows how it arrived.  The staircase was built without a center pole or side support and was without hand rails.  It stood as built for years until wood hand rails were attached in the early 1900’s for support ascending and descending the steep staircase.  Many of the nuns were crawling on hands and knees up and down for fear of falling.  The legend hints to the carpenter being St. Joseph as no one knew the man and he disappeared after the job, never to be found and never appeared to collect his fee.

The story I like is the one told by the manager who was replacing votive candles in the chapel when we were listening to the staircase legend.  I asked her how the chapel came to be privately owned and this is what she told me.

In 1968 Loreto Academy, a school for women that sat behind the chapel and on Catholic Dioceses property, closed and the nuns had no funds for upkeep of Our Lady of Light Chapel.  When the chapel and the nunnery fell into disrepair and was condemned by the city, they asked the Catholic Dioceses if they wanted to pay for its repair and upkeep.  They answer came back “no”.  The city put the city block, including all 10 church buildings, up for public auction and a couple from Oklahoma bought the block sight unseen to build a hotel.  When the couple came to check out their purchase, the wife saw the chapel and refused to tear it down.  She offered the chapel, and the grounds where it stood, back to the Dioceses, at no cost, if they would do the repairs but the Dioceses again refused.  The couple then contacted their entire family for funds to repair the chapel and after the hotel was built, put the chapel into a trust so that it will never be sold or allowed to deteriorate, funded by the hotel and the small $3.00 charge per person that is now collected for entrance.

The largest church in Santa Fe, Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, was built in 1886 by Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy.  In unexpected contrast to the surrounding adobe structures, Saint Francis Cathedral was designed in the Romanesque Revival style.

The story here is literally in the huge metal door.   An older church on the same site, built in 1626, was destroyed in the 1680 Pueblo Revolt.   The door, created in 1986 during the restoration, has ten bronze panels that depict the events in the history of the church. I waited to get a shot of the door but hordes of people entered and exited and my determination waned.

The other interesting tidbit revolves around the statue of Kateri Tekakwitha (1656 – 1680) a portrayal of Saint Kateri, the first North Native American (Algonquian-Mohawk) to be beatified (blessed).  When Estella Loretto, a Pueblo Native American, completed the statue in 2002, she clothed Kateri in the local Pueblo garb instead of the attire she would have worn, her native dress of animal skin beaded clothing.  I inquired about the reasoning but the only answer given was that it was to be appealing to the local Pueblo Native Americans.  In my opinion, a odd thing to do in 2002.

Rich history, Roman style art and the reverence of quiet thought envelopes you while sitting inside enjoying the detail and precision of each area of the church.  The pillars are simple yet exquisite.  The lovely baptism pool is large enough to reflect images from the walls.  We were lucky enough to step in for a listen to guides inside and outside of the church, informing and enlightening, then having the freedom to wander through to enjoy the artistic aspects.

The town of Santa Fe is quiet and speckled with turquoise, silver, brilliantly polished fossils and rounded beige buildings.  I love the simple comforting style of these building and even businesses take on the same shapes and colors making the town monotone as you wander around discovering.  The streets are narrow and because of the style of buildings, neighborhoods take on the appearance of some of the small Mexican towns we have visited.

Ribbit is in the shop having necessary tweaks so we rented an SUV and drove over the Turquoise Trail to the small towns of Cerrillos and Madrid.

Cerrillos is one of the oldest and most noted of the Old Spanish Mineral Developments in the Southwest.  Turquoise mined here found its way to the crown jewels of Spain.  Now a sleepy ghost of its former self, dusty dirt roads wander through the picturesque reminder of the Old West.  The towns current charm lies in the small church and

An eclectic gift/mineral/petting zoo run by a robust lady and her husband.  They seem determine to preserve and promote the town while still squeezing a living out of the area.  In spite of the location, way off the main road in a large adobe and wood building on an oversized lot that overlooks the old mineral mining area, there were several cars parked in the lot.

There are rickety wood and adobe buildings still standing on what must have been town center when the town was full of miners who extracted gold, silver, lead, zinc and turquoise from its gigantic red mounds of earth and rock back in the 1880’s.  The visitor center for the Cerrillos Hills State Park looks to be the newest building in town but it was closed during our visit.

The town of Madrid was down the road a bit further.  In 2006, John Travolta filmed Wild Hogs and the built-for-the-movie restaurant, Maggie’s, still stands.

Only one street long, but lined with dozens of interesting little shops filled with unique items.  It is deteriorating in checkerboard fashion, one building being restored, next door falling to ruins.

After wandering through many, we found an American Indian weaving shop and I talked myself into a small but intricate Zapotec Indian wool runner that has an honored position at the foot of our fridge.   Almost everything, including Maggie’s, closed early so we walked back down the block and began our drive back to Santa Fe.

Madrid was known for having the first lighted baseball field west of the Mississippi and their Christmas lights were legendary.  It is said that Walt Disney was so impressed by the spectacular Christmas light displays in Madrid that he modeled the idea of Disneyland’s Main Street after this small town.  So impressive were the lights that Pan American Airlines would reroute aircraft over Madrid at Christmastime.

Back to Santa Fe to explore before nightfall.  Canyon Road is Santa Fe’s art scene.  The street is saturated with expressive artistic talent in every form, genres, media and style.  Kinetic, jewelry, painting, sculpture, drawing, fabric, all abound.   Art appreciation need not be a prerequisite to enjoy the dramatic art forms that are housed along Canyon Road.

Departure morning and Ribbit arrived by 9am, purportedly fixed, so we hooked up and were Texas bound.   Next stop, Palo Duro Canyon.    Miles and miles of horizontal desolate earth dotted with scrub brush, the nothingness typical of Texas flat lands, about sums up our first leg back to Texas.

The only way I could appreciate this flat treeless land is if I owned a few thousand acres.  Passed the Stockyards with its lingering odor of wet cow, straw and cow patties smooshed into mud.  Not pleasant.  Stuckey’s signs along the freeway are a reminder of days gone by.  The restaurant chain linked parents of baby boomer travelers to clean restrooms, food and phones.  Seems strange that there is still a market for this diner from the 50’s that appears infrequently along less traveled byways.

Horizons of red rocks, then nothingness takes over again for another 150 miles.  The sound of Blue Collar Radio is a life saver when traveling through sparse and boring scenery.  Twice, listening to a commercial, I had to stop and think, “is it real or is it Saturday Night Live?  The ad claimed their product let you keep your wits and boost your tolerance for liquor, allowing you to drink more and improve the health of your mind and liver.   Yea, right.  At least it provides a laughable break in the monotony of a time-consuming drive.  Sometimes it is the destination, and not the journey.

Arrived in Kanab – billed as The Greatest Earth on Show! Home of western movie filming for decades and also known as Little Hollywood.

Even the government shut down didn’t deter visitors from flocking to its National Parks. We greatly appreciate Utah for paying for its National Parks to re-open the day we arrived so we don’t miss a thing.

We are temporarily planted in the area known as the Grand Staircase. There are chocolate cliffs, vermilion cliffs,

white cliffs, grey cliffs and pink cliffs leading up to Bryce Canyon. The chocolate and vermilion cliffs are so deep in color that they melt in the rain and drip down over the white and grey stripes in the canyon walls, staining the lighter colors. Mmmmm…Hot chocolate and whipped cream views every morning.

We will be volunteering at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Angel Canyon for five days and staying on site at one of their two full hook-up RV sites that overlook the canyon. Drove by to check out the area today as we arrived a day early. Very impressive.

The town of Kanab is small, western, looks to have a few decent restaurants but our main directive is to enjoy helping where ever we are needed in Dog Town at the sanctuary.

After a night at Kanab RV Corral with our front window just a few feet from the main street we moved to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary this morning.

Our first exposure to the Sanctuary will be a tour in the afternoon giving us an overall lay out of the land. About 90 minutes long, meet and greet cats and dogs and load up on information helpful when volunteering.  Wandered into the Visitors Center and helped Lucy Lu socialize.

The Sanctuary was founded in 1984 and they have a No More Homeless Pet Partner Network of over 900 across the country. Their mission, No More Homeless Pets. Their battle cry, Save Them All. They have a strict adopting guidelines that helps keep returns down. The sanctuary owns 3,700 acres and lease another 17,000 acres from the state. There are approximately 1,700 animals at the sanctuary at any given time. It is an amazing organization and was high on my Bucket List for the past 10 year.

Our tour began with a movie of introduction, then a guided driving tour of each area with explanations and questions answered throughout. Horses, pigs, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, rabbits, birds and wild animals all make their home at the sanctuary until they find their forever home. A wonderful heartwarming experience.

Absolutely prepared for our early evening relaxation, slippers donned, full wine glass in hand, enjoying the darkness taking over the sky and brilliant stars shining in the night for the rest of the evening. Being in the presence of peaceful silence, where ancient peoples have gathered in centuries past, is healing for the soul and reminiscent of the tranquility we so thoroughly enjoyed at Millpond.

Daybreak and we had to take the chill off Ribbit before heading off to Bryce Canyon.

Because of a mix-up in our schedule, we don’t have the required orientation class until Monday so we are free to wander off for the day. With KatieBug along for the ride and snug in her crate, we headed to another of my Bucket List destinations, Bryce Canyon.

On our way, KatieBug got to meet saddled horses waiting in their trailer. Later we found out that horses in this part of the country are not just used for trail rides by tourists.

Passed through Red Canyon shortly before arriving in Bryce Canyon. A small but remarkable example of what was to come.

We first visited the small museum at the Visitors Center and read about the creatures that walked this area in pre-historic times. Always thought T-Rex and raptors were scary until I read about the gargantuan Deinosuchus…Predator of the Predators.

Stopped by the Lodge but they had a roaring wet fire in the fireplace and smoke was thick so we left quickly.

Up next was Inspiration and Bryce viewpoints, marveled at the Hoodoos (odd-shaped pillars of rock left standing from the forces of erosion) and took so many pictures I almost filled our memory disk. Beauty beyond belief!

Perfect weather and so few tourists that I actually got pictures without people wandering through shots. I made the 1000 foot hike up to Inspiration Point alone while John stayed with KatieBug…no pets allowed on the trails.

There are no words to describe the feeling you have looking out over Inspiration Point, especially at the highest point. The climb is very steep, very high elevation, with uneven paths. If you have stability problems, getting to the top is an accomplishment in itself.

Amazing, gorgeous, breathtaking…all fall short when you lean up against that chain link fence, the wind gently blowing in your face, gazing out into the distance, a forever view of nature’s awe-inspiring splendor. Each person that reached the top fell silent as they witnessed the layered columns of colors swirled in patterns only nature would dare to compose. It was an experience beyond anything I could have imagined.

Brice Point was an easier walk to reach the canyon view.

Fairyland Canyon was our last stop.

After seeing the columns from above, I plan to return to hike down among the columns on our next visit.

Leaving Bryce Canyon we drove leisurely out of the park, pausing to watch the jack in the box prairie dogs pop from piles of red earth and Mule Deer wandering along the side lines.

Driving into Panguitch through intermittent rain produced my first shot of a full, pot of gold to pot of gold, rainbow.

When we saw a second rainbow, we chased it through town only to be abruptly interrupted by a cattle drive crossing the roadway. Those saddled horses KatieBug and I met earlier were mounted by a family of cowboys, the youngest looking no older than six.

Poor Ribbit is standing on its last legs. Could be the transmission that I have been claiming was going out for the last 6 months, but what do I know? We had to rent a car to get us back and forth from our RV site to Dog Town for the next few days. The song lyrics, “This isn’t exactly what I had planned” running through my head. Luckily Kanab had a total of one rental car so our plans rolled forward.

Early rise next morning so we turned in after watching the resident Mule Deer grazing along in front of our motorhome window.

Six a.m. came awful early but it’s our first day volunteering at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary so we don’t want to be late. We were requested to volunteer at the puppy socialization for the first hour but quickly decided that constant bending and chasing around after wild unruly puppies was not going to happen on our second day. Next few hours were spent walking the seniors, some quite spry, on the sandy trails at Old Friends.  The facilities rival some of the best and most well kept kennels we have seen.

John walked the spunky oldies, I asked for easy walkers so between the two of us, we walked nearly the entire three hours on the trails. High altitude and constant movement really worked up an appetite!  Each day we joined the staff, other volunteers and some of the founders at the on-site lunch restaurant. It is open every day, only $5.00 per person and is a buffet of vegan delights including drink, meal, dessert and a heavenly view of Angel Canyon from nearly every seat in the picture window lined room.

Two large screen TV’s display bios of this week’s furry enticements, cute faces with pleading eyes ready to come home with whoever is ready to adopt.

Our afternoons were spent with the three of us exploring. One trek led us to Coral Pink Sands State Park where movie stars came to make movies as far back as the 1940’s.

Somewhere in the park are dinosaur prints but a four wheel is needed and our rental can only handle regular roads. We settled for looking out over the sands from the large pavilion complete with stadium seats, watching two red bundled figures hike far out onto the sand.

A robust pink color and silky to the touch, we let it slip through our fingers before brushing off and driving back to LilyPad in preparation of another early morning.

The statement greeting us all each morning entering Old Friends, “We Owe it to Them to be Worthy of Such Devotion” touches every heart that walks through the door.

There were five of us volunteering for most of our time at the Sanctuary. Some come every year for several weeks, some come for months at a time, some have come almost daily for years but all come to give of themselves and shower these lost but hopeful furry souls with love and affection. Dog walking, washing dishes, sweeping, poop scooping, socializing, all are chores that the care givers in each Octagon dog home are very grateful to you for performing.

Into town for a look see and to snap a few shots of the local attraction, The Little Hollywood Movie Set Museum. Sets from Kenny Loggins Live, The Outlaw Josey Wales and others are together outside the museum and free to the public to explore.

The area is small but interesting and we returned in the daytime to explore a second time. After another morning volunteering at Best Friends, our afternoon trip took us through Zion National Park.

Our last day at the Sanctuary before leaving for The Woodlands. We made a reservation for next year, 10 nights with plans to volunteer at Old Friends and perhaps Piggy Paradise. Gave out lots of belly rubs and hugs before leaving. Knowing that two of those we walked and fussed over were soon going to forever homes helped our separation from these special Old Friends.

Our site at Las Vegas Motorhome Resort was perfect for entertaining but the weather wasn’t cooperating.  A bit cool when we had our game night group over for a bar-b-q so the six of us relocated inside to chat.   One of the game night group couple’s daughter was to be married in Vegas and all were invited to join in the happy occasion.  We were delighted to attend and totally enjoyed the visit with dear friends that we haven’t seen for almost a year…my how time does fly.

A few days later we were off to the wedding in the late afternoon.  To set the scene (no pictures were allowed) imagine a beautifully confident and radiant bride, a handsome somewhat nervous but happy groom, a picture perfect mild evening in an intimately surrounded enclosure, but open to the sky, chapel setting of elegant black and white.  Enter Elvis, singing and walking the bride down the aisle to her awaiting groom.  Now imagine the surprised look on the bride and groom parental units faces when they realized that Elvis was to be the preacher and officiate the wedding.  This is Vegas after all…real vows first, followed by original, only Elvis would dream up vows that included the bride promising never to step on his blue suede shoes and the groom promising to be her hunk-a-hunk-a-burning love.  Most fun we have had at a wedding since forever.

Road through the old town area to look at the refurbished lighted signs,

Ran ourselves ragged when Josh and Liz arrived in Vegas.  Up early morning and going non-stop until the wee hours, rinse and repeat for five days and nights.  Celebrated all three of our Birthday’s over dinner at “M” Buffet.  Early the next day, a must visit for us Italians, was the Mob Museum and marvelous pictures of Las Vegas in its evil prime.

Night time was filled with Beatles LOVE Cirque du Soleil, David Copperfield, funny lady Rita Rudner show, Freemont Street Experience,

Breakfast followed by walking the strip, a quick break for a frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity and a peaceful resting spot outside Caesar’s Palace,

tour of George Racz’s Las Vegas Distillery (with samples of his Grandma’s Apple Spice Whisky and hardcore Moonshine…a pleasing, breathtaking, eye watering experience and visits to all the major casino’s.

wandering through the Venetian, Caesars Palace

Hilarious  people watching,

Circus Circus which we had visited our first time in Vegas 40 years ago…and it still looks pretty much the same.

NY, NY

When we said good-by to the kids their last morning, we packed up and drove to Kanab Utah, collapsing exhausted on the bed as soon as we set up camp and slept for ten hours straight.  Confirmation that we are so much past the party animal stage of our lives.

Friday morning and we bid farewell to Millpond Recreation Area/Campground/Pavilion as our time here has drawn to an end.   Our host job is done and it’s farewell until next spring.  I will miss the quiet, the misty green entirety of the park, cool nights/tepid days, the absence of flittering biting bugs and slithering serpents, our grumpy but entertaining neighbor, a picture-perfect back yard, relaxing strolls and Mr. Toads Wild Golf Cart Rides through the campground.  One thing for certain, I will not miss cleaning all those damn toilets!

Pulled into Hi-Way RV Park for the night.  Lady who was work-camping at the front desk was from The Woodlands, same park where we held our open house when we first bought our motorhome…small world!

Love the concept of this RV Park.   All sites are within eye sight of a drive in Movie Theater screen and we got a front row seat.  Bought black truffle popcorn in anticipation of the Western movie playing that night.  More than a bit disappointed when I found out they don’t show movies in the rain, which had just begun as dusk approached.   Way to cool to pass up so we will return, even if just to watch the movie from inside our motorhome.

For the next few days the Oregon coast will be slammed by heavy rains and storms that will drift inland just about the time we leave Oregon.  Sprinkles started as we left Eugene after having the motorhome’s wheels aligned.   Weather wise, our timing couldn’t have been better.  In the morning we are California bound.

Cold and wet start to our day, passed up the rain and ran headlong into Grants Pass fire smoke.  Over the border in California the hills lost their green and within an hour we had Mount Shasta in our sights.

Late lunch at the original Black Bear Café, packed when we arrived but so worth the wait.  They serve breakfast all day so I got a yummy veggie omelet and John had a burger.  The counter chairs all had sayings on the back, the entire café covered with bears and fun bear country décor.   A refreshing alternative to Denny’s.

Overnight in Santa Nella California, on the road early.  Past the foul-smelling holding stockyards, a golden straw landscape covered the land as live tumbleweeds turned into dead piles clinging to barbed wire and weathered wood fencing.

Curious sighting along the freeway, hundreds of tomatoes lined the sides of the road.  John spotted a few pallets of tossed off, still in the wrapper, loaves of bread.  We finally spotted the reason for the roadside tomatoes scattered everywhere but never found out the cause of the forlorned bread.

Cotton fields melding into California produce lands fed by the Aqueduct.

The California Aqueduct supplies water to southern California.  Over pumping the ground water has decreased the permanent aquifer-system storage level to a loss.  The 701 mile aqueduct runs from San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta down to serve the Los Angeles Basin.  It is truly an amazing feat of engineering.  Although taxes paid for the Aqueduct, signs boarding the highway spout displeasure of the additional money’s the state is demanding of those areas receiving the water.

Hellacious road, I-5 in California, from South of Santa Nella to Las Angeles.  Horrid porpoising, rumble stripped steep highway, pushy totally unfriendly truck drivers and passing through so much smog that the road was only clearly visible a mile or so ahead.  Hwy 5 is always under repair and currently the truck lane is torn up and scraped, ready for recovering.  Had to slow to 45 mph so LilyPad didn’t shake apart.

Arrived in Canoga Park Elks Lodge RV park in the afternoon for a short visit with my aunt and sweet elder fur pup Jay Jay.  We were welcomed into the cool shade of the back yard and relaxed under the orange scented trees.   John happily removed some of the sweet juicy fruit to take on our journey.

KatieBug enjoyed her visit with Jay Jay who followed her around in awe of her curiosity.  Jay Jay’s dog door was foreign to KatieBug so when she stuck her head in, one woof of warning was all it took to keep a distance between the door and KatieBug.  To have the luxury of visiting relatives at will and still be close to home fills me with warm fuzzy feelings.

Perfect wedding weather and we are off to Vegas to meet up with the kids and celebrate two becoming one at a Vegas wedding with friends.

Our choice for lunch was Peggy Sue’s Nifty 50’s  Diner.   Ever start a conversation with someone that sounded cutesy when you first began but ended up being irritating after a few minutes?  We had Ms Betty Boop for our waitress, a nice, efficient, friendly lady but her voice got less and less pleasing throughout our meal.  By the time we finished, we were ready to leave and grab something chocolate to sooth our nerves.

This was our second stop at Peggy Sue’s and what a fun break in the hours of boring desert drive leading to Las Vegas.  Burgers, curly fries, shakes, 50’s decor and waitress that look like Lucy when she worked as a waitress.

So many movie autograph photo’s, old film star posters, full size replicas of Elvis, tables set in 50’s ware and so much to look at we returned just to visit the memories of our youth and the burgers are juicy and tasty.

In the gift shop are the most elegant unusual wall clocks and I want one!  Musical Seiko and Crystals from Swarovski movement to music in a wall clock.  As soon as I can figure out how to talk John into an unnecessary wall clock that will need to be carefully wrapped and put away each time we are in motion, I will give one of them a home.

Into the desert, passed naked hills and valleys full of tumbleweeds, rocks and scrub brush so even the scenery was unfriendly as we began our slow rise into Las Vegas.  Bill Boards lined the highway advertising the approach of Las Vegas as ostentatious casino’s emerged from the vast desert sands.