Becoming Nomads

Friday, December 25, 2020

Christmas in Southern California

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After seven weeks of rest and hiding out in New Mexico, and with the Covid-19 quarantine raising its head in California, we departing and sped quickly across Arizona and into the Palm Springs area where an RV park that handles full-time residents was able to accommodate up. We rented a spot for a month and we were happy to get this close to Fountain Valley and our family.

For the next month, we traveled to Orange County three times and spend a few days each with Bobbie's sister and family. Christmas dinner was great and it was wonderful to see all the kids and one that was born while we were overseas.

It was a bittersweet end to our adventure.

After the new year, we headed north to Washington state and Whidbey Island where we would begin our home hunting adventure.

Our world tour on hold, we opted to advance the plan and find our forever home on the island. Our plans will pick up again next December when we hope to rejoin the world circuit in Santiago, Chile.

Las Cruces, NM

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Having spent four days with our kids, we headed to Las Cruces, NM where we planned to spend seven weeks. The drive through western Texas and into New Mexico was stalled by a surprise ice storm that had un marooned in Mildand, TX for two nights waiting for the snow and ice to clear. The drive into New Mexico itself was uneventful and we reached the Hacienda RV Park in record time.

Our RV park was located a block off the freeway, was quiet, super clean, and very well maintained. The staff were pleasant and accommodating and for seven weeks we enjoyed our stay. Taking advantage of the downtime in one place, it was a great opportunity to catch up on some health issues. What ended up being a checkup for a few complaints turned into five weeks of testing and procedures to rule out a suspected heart issue and a few other maladies. In the end, all came out well with a few things to watch over the next few months.

The town of Mesilla, the historic old west captiol of the Arizona territory was at our doorstep and we took many walks and bike rides into this little piece of Mexico in the USA. The architecture and art were great and history oozed from every corner.

Las Cruces and all of New Mexico were under heavy stay at home orders so we only ventured out for outside activities, shopped with caution, and pretty much stayed out of the way. We enjoyed three days trips while there.

We visit Silver City and Gila Mountain National Park.

We drove over the Organ Mountains and to White Sands National Park. There were a lot of folks who enjoyed the dunes.

Our last day trip was to the nearby Organ Mountains and Desert Spring area for some hiking.

On to Waco, TX.

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Our drive from Lake of the Ozarks took us three days. The RV park we chose in Tulsa was clean, easy to find, and right off of the I-40 frontage road. This was an in and out for us so we did not unhook. Bobbie took her usual walk and we settled in early for a little TV and a good night of sleep.

We rose early and were back on the road by 9AM. The drive was uneventful as we traveled due south through the rolling hills of southern Oklahoma. As we neared Wichita Falls, TX everything got painfully flat and hot. We reached our RV camp in the heart of the city midday and set up camp for two nights.

"Wichita Falls" is now a man-made perma-stone waterfall that was rebuilt after a large flood in recent years. It never was a huge waterfall, but it was the city's namesake. So after the flood, the city decided to rebuild the falls. We stayed two nights in a hot, dry, but otherwise pleasant park. We took a driving tour of the city. Everything was closed. There were few people on the street. We wandered a few neighborhoods, enjoying the sprawling ranch-style homes with their long, low cabled rooflines. We stopped at a local market and it was busy. So on goes the Covid part of our story.

We missed out on a reportedly great railroad museum.

Departing WF, it was an easy four-hour drive to Waco, There we stayed at a nice, locally-owned RV park near the river. About ten miles outside of the city center, it was perfect; quiet, clean, cheap, and no bugs! Our kids drove up from Houston and together we stayed and played in Waco for three days.

In Waco we spent time at the Sports Hall of Fame, a lot of time at the Magnolia Silos, and drove out to the Mammoth National Monument to check out the bones. The most important time was spent with our kids.

Saturday, October 17, 2020

Osage Beach - Lake of the Ozarks

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Our typical four-hour drive got us to Osage Beach on the Lake of the Ozarks. Since I had never been there, and Bobbie since she was a kid, we booked a full week at an RV park on to the top of the ridgeline that is mostly Osage Beach. Across the road was a huge shopping center with everything from groceries to Lowe's and everything in between from clothing to furniture. All the name box stores, etc. The only thing not close or accessible was the lake itself.

Our park is full, with only space available on the weekdays. This was what we woke to on Saturday morning. we were both one of the smallest and one of the oledest....smile.

We took one day and drove around some of the "lake." Lake of the Ozarks is actually a huge snaking reservoir formed by the Bushnell Dam on the Osage River in Lake Osaze, Missouri. It was up one hill and down the other. All along the shoreline were private access roads for residents and guests. We barely had a clear view of the water.

Over a few bridges, we got to Sunrise Beach. Midday and no beach, we did find a Mexican restaurant and an interesting bar next door. LOL.

We took a whole day and drove north for an hour to Jefferson City, the capital of Missouri. It is a sleepy city of 50,000 and the streets were barely active. Shops and a few restaurants were open. We toured the capitol building. All floors with accessible and we wandered past the offices of most senators and representatives, as well as the Governor. He was seated at his desk and the only thing between him and us was a receptionist and a welcome sign. I quickly googled his party affiliation and moved on. The building is magnificent and there is a nicely updated museum on the ground floor. We were two of possibly five tourists in the building. It was tomblike in many regards. There were people working in the offices, but the doors where most often closed and few could be seen walking around the upper floors.

We spent our last two days with a few lazy walks in the immediate area and lapped up a few movies like hungry dogs.

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

St. Louis - All About Family

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Another short drive brought us to the St. Louis area and the Granite City KOA RV park. This would be home base for the next week as we visit Bobbie's family. Sister Andy and brother Dan, and cousin Aleana (et al) live within a few minutes drive of the park. It has been four years since we have seen everyone and it was a great week. And herein lies the rub. We did not take a single family photo other than the one shown below. LOL It's been so long since I take photos daily that I have lost my tourist skill.

Mixed in with ou.r visits we also both hiked and then road the Old US Route 66 through the Chain of Rocks area. On our own we wandered the present desolate Union Station area and rode the ferris wheel. On our last day, we went downtown and wandered around the Arch National Park with Andy and had lunch at a Bosnian deli outside of the city

Springfield, IL

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It was a short drive, only three hours, as we traversed the Illioins "corn plain" and into Springfield. The only purpose for our visit was to be close enough to Chicago that our friends Nettie and Dennis could drive down to visit. We found a great spot at the state fairgrounds, just north of downtown. It was pretty, but we had great services for $25 a night. This made up for this few $70 nights that had us over budget.

The fairgrounds were closed but all of the spaces were open. Huge exhibition halls, animal stalls, and lots of open space made for an interesting daily walk for Bobbie. I rode my bike a few times. We were also across the street from the cemetery where Lincoln's tomb can be found.

Nettie and Dennis drove down on Sunday and we had a really lovely lunch and spent lots of time catching up;. It was great to see both of them. They were at our wedding...and although we see Nettie every other year on our travel club tours, we had not seen Dennis face to face for 18 years.

We visited the Lincoln museum. The library was not open to the public. We had a free small group tour of the Old Capitol building. We and a woman with three kids made up our group and our guide was great at keeping everyone apart. We treated ourselves to an inside lunch at a nice restaurant where only five tables made up the dining room. Well-spaced out and only three tables being used, we felt safe and the food was great. This was the third time we have eaten inside a restaurant since March 2020.

Across the street were the governor's mansion and the Dana Thomas House, an Frank Lloyd Wright design. We tried with no luck to see either. The rest of our short visit was spent wandering the history area of downtown Springfield.

Turkey Run, IN

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We departed Ohio and drove almost all the way across Indiana to reach Turkey Run State Park. In the middle of nothing but corn and bean fields, and surrounded by numerous very small towns, the state park is the first in Indiana. The park is covered in lush hardwood forest. It offers the chance to explore deep, sandstone ravines, walk along stands of aged forests, and enjoy the scenic views along Sugar Creek. We were here for a week walking the trails and riding our bikes. It was a really great campsite and we loved the quiet, peaceful area. The park was about 50% full and there was lots of daily activity. It is open year round.