http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Wandering-Nan/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Wandering Nan en-us Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:58:30 +0000 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:58:30 +0000 Debbie Bobby and their neighbours Melinda and Lauren rented a cabin in Fontainebleau State Park for the New Yearrsquos weekend. Melinda and Lauren have two children Thomas is 12 and Grace is 8. Thomas was away hunting with his uncle for the weekend. We had a wonderful weekend. Bobby barbecued steaks on New Yearrsquos Eve and Lauren fried fish on New Yearrsquos Day. Needless to say th http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Louisiana/Mandeville/Fontainebleau-State-Park/blog-464404.html I left Albuquerque with Texas on my mind. I stopped over in Weatherford to visit with Janet and Garth Tayler but unfortunately Garth had to go out of town so I missed him but had a pleasant visit and supper with Janet. On to Austin.Beverley and Casey live in Austin Texas so I made reservations in a very nice park there for five days. I hadnrsquot seen Bev since I was in California in April http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Louisiana/Mandeville/Fontainebleau-State-Park/blog-463538.html I had been looking for a Silkie Terrier puppy for a few months and had finally found a litter in Albuquerque. So I arrived there on September 24th got set up in an RV park and planned a visit with the breeder of the litter from which I would select a puppy. This liter was an unexpected ldquoblessingrdquo for this breeder she had not planned for Maddie her female to have another litterhel http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Albuquerque/blog-459601.html Well I backed up my computer while I was in St. George Utahmdashthank goodness. Unfortunately I didnrsquot have another wireless access park until I got back to Texas then my computer crashed. I lost all the pictures I took in Lake Powell and at the Balloon Fiesta so Irsquoll try to describe what I saw as best I can and use some pictures I have copied from the Internet and from a calen http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/blog-454163.html I fell in love with Utah from the moment I came here in from Colorado in 2007. My recent four week stay has reestablished my fondness of the state. The Utah scenery is breathtaking. Salt Lake City is in a deep wide valley and looks absolutely beautiful from the approach regardless of direction. The red rocks that make up most of the landscape are just awesome. For the first ten days I was in http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Utah/St-George/blog-436268.html I left Medicine Hat on August 10th after a great time with family and friends. We spent a long weekend in Banff National Park. The girls went ziplining and we had time to visit Lake Louise. Its always good to spend time with the girls they are growing and becoming lovely young women. I look forward to next summer when Sarah graduates. Jayne and Kevin are more than good to me Irsquoll be e http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Wyoming/Yellowstone-National-Park/blog-430878.html I broke the journey from Seattle to Spokane at Moses Lake Washington. Some of the names of the towns in Washington State are interesting to say the least. Puyallup for example pronounced Puhal up Walla Walla Ephrata the list goes on and on. I guess the folks that got across to the side of the United States were a mixed bunch of all nationalities that got thrown in with several tribes of A http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Washington/Spokane/blog-416883.html Although this blog starts in Northern California the majority of it is based on my experiences in Seattle. There is so much to do there. The pioneers who made it across the continent were a wild bunch....women and men alike. They were so determined to make a go of it. Hats off to themUnfortunately after three lovely sunny days at Klamath River the clouds rolled in and a fine drizzle alterna http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Washington/Seattle/Pioneer-Square/blog-407694.html I arrived in Bodega Bay in a cool drizzle. Thankfully the next morning the clouds had cleared and the sky was blue again. The little town of Bodega is tiny its claim to fame is that it was the location for Alfred Hitchcockrsquos ldquoThe Birds.rdquo Bodega pronounced ldquoBodaygardquo Bay is about 5 miles from Bodega. The inhabitants of the Bay are quick to let you know where they http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bodega-Bay/blog-395987.html The pace of life is much more to my liking here. The scenery is beyond beautiful. I stayed in San Luis for a week then moved to San Jose for a week before going into a beautiful California State Park in Bodega Bay which is about 60 miles north of San Francisco. California is obviously very fertile and produces a huge portion of the fruits and vegetables for U.S. markets. I have driven through f http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Santa-Cruz/blog-393787.html My next stopping place was San Luis Obispo which is on what is known as the California Central Coast. What a beautiful part of the worldmdashLos Angelesnot so much. Beverley had to come back for meetings so I met up with her for the evening in Torrance which is on the coast south of LA. Since I was there I decided to take a bus tour of Los Angeles. Well I have now been there done that and http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/blog-393776.html Lots of pictures with this one. Debbie Bobby and the kids had come to San Diego last year and were really impressed with the city. I must echo their opinion. San Diego is the eighth largest city in the U.S. I have been to the zoo the mission and on a whale watching cruise and can honestly say that I have never sat in traffic Their highway system takes a person right where you want to be. I ha http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/San-Diego/blog-385087.html The day Bev left I had an appointment to get my car cover modified unfortunately the guy I was to see had been called away in emergency. So since I was close I decided to go to the Richard Nixon Library. The Library is located on the property where Nixonrsquos boyhood home stands. The house has been renovated but the original furniture is still in place. The grounds are absolutely beautiful http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/San-Diego/blog-385082.html My first stop when I got out of the desert was Wilderness Lakes Resort in Menifee California. Beverleyrsquos corporate office is close to the resort and she was flying in to attend meetings and spend a couple of days with me. One of the lady friends I had made this past winter used to be a tour guide in Santa Barbara invited us to meet her so she could show us around which was something that http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Santa-Barbara/blog-384111.html I went from the beautiful Indian Waters RV Resort into the parking lot at the Fantasy Springs Casino. My friend BJ Barbara Jean arrived on time and we enjoyed a couple of hours walking around the casino grounds and then out to dinner. The casino is on Indian land and is run by the Cabazon Indian Tribe. The grounds are really beautiful. We registered at the casino for the freebees and got ours http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Palm-Springs/blog-384108.html I left Ehrenberg Arizona and travelled west to Indio California. Only about 100 miles but it was drizzly rain and I had just cleaned the motor home and car. UghAlthough Indio is in the Coachella Valley which is still in the Sonoran Desert it is quite lush around here compared to Quartzsite. The area is surrounded by mountains and fortunately for me since I have been here we have had two cold http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Joshua-Tree-National-Park/blog-373999.html It is going to be difficult for me to explain what the experience of Quartzsite is like.Quartzsite's name is pretty self explanitory. Still in the Sonoran Desert which from what I have read was created millions of years ago by volcanic eruptions Quartzsite is arid generally flat desert that is sprinkled with quartz. Everywhere you look. No one even bothers picking it up except the tourists. Du http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arizona/Quartzsite/blog-370443.html Casa Grande is about 60 miles east of Phoenix Arizona. One of the membership parks is there and since I wanted to leave my motor home in a secure place while I went to spend Christmas with the family it was ideal.I liked Casa Grande although there isnrsquot a heck of a lot there. The town is laid out over a large area all of the gardens of course require low or no water supply. There is a S http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arizona/blog-362104.html The day Bev Casey and I went to Sedona was cool and cloudy so I went back a couple of days after Bev and Casey left so that I could take some better pictures. We hadnrsquot had time to go to see Montezumarsquos Well so since it was close to the campground I decided to go there first. This Southern Sinagua settlement surrounds a well that is a limestone sink formed long ago by the collapse of http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/blog-353716.html It is about 360 miles from Pahrump to Camp Verde Arizona which was my next stop. The NevadaArizona border is marked by the Hoover Dam. I was enthralled the dam was a fantastic undertaking in the 1930s time is bringing improvements and a suspension bridge is in the works. I want to go back there when it is finishedI spent the night in Williams Arizona about 100 miles south of the Grand Ca http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arizona/Sedona/blog-353400.html