Friday, November 05, 2010

ROUTE CHANGE....WE ARE HEADED FOR MOSCOW

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SEDONA, ARIZONA

Sitting in quiet darkness this morning with the computer on my lap I couldn't help but feel how comfortable my recliner felt, how nice my ambient music sounded & how peaceful, serene & spacious my surroundings were.   And how nice my long hot shower was going to feel shortly.  In less than 24 hours this will all change as we shift our lifestyle into RV mode for the next 5 months.  We have a weeks worth of hard traveling ahead of us before the dust settles into any kind of relaxed & controlled routine again.  Long driving days, stressful traffic, questionable weather & the list goes on.  But, it’s all part of the RV lifestyle & that is what makes it all so exciting. 

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HIKING THE AJO MOUNTAIN RANGE IN ORGAN PIPE NATIONAL MONUMENT SOUTH OF WHY, ARIZONA

Four out of the last 5 border crossings has been a problem for us because of agriculture checks.  Last year’s crossing was the exception.  Those ag checks are a total PITA!!  We have to exit the coach, dogs & all,  while the border guards go inside looking for horribly infectious food products like California grown oranges, etc.  We know enough now to dress warmly because it’s usually an icy freezing wind while we stand out in the cold hanging onto the dogs who of course are totally stressed because they don’t understand what is going on.   This is never a good experience & generally holds us up well over an hour!!  We’ll have our fingers crossed Saturday morning when we get to the Sarnia/Port Huron border crossing.  Hope we get a nice young fellow with a positively friendly attitude like we did last year.

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OVERLOOKING BORREGO SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA FROM THE CULP VALLEY.....'WE LOVE IT HERE:))'

Had to dodge cold rain showers all day long while making numerous trips to the coach & back.   Finally reached the ‘ready’ point  by late afternoon so all systems are go for the morning.  But, if your like me you do not feel comfortable with that ‘ready’ feeling.  Always the nagging doubt about forgetting something & even after supper tonight we were still loading last minute things.  Looks like we’re going to fill up a few of those empty bin spots anyway.   We will probably have the big wheels rolling about 7:30 A.M.  Saturday morning.

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WILLIS CREEK SLOT CANYON, CANNONVILLE UTAH

We have made a last minute route change & have decided to head for Moscow Iowa just west of Davenport.  We have an appointment for 7 A.M. at the HWH factory Monday morning.  They are the company that manufactured the leveling system on our coach & we have decided to go right to their factory & have them repair the rear leveler that sticks sometimes & also find out why there is no power to the control box.  I’m hoping when they fix the power problem it will also solve the problem of why are rear view camera has stopped working.

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TOURING THE RUINS OF OLD FORT BOWIE IN ARIZONA

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APACHE INDIANS MAY VERY WELL HAVE LOOKED DOWN UPON THE ONCE MIGHTY FORT FROM THIS VERY VANTAGE POINT

We plan to spend Saturday night at a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Benton Harbor, Michigan.  Kelly will probably have us connected to Verizon as soon as we get over the border so tomorrow night, if all goes well, it will be blogging as usual.  We will do the Chicago traffic mayhem Sunday morning.  We used this same route on our way to Moab Utah 3 years ago & didn’t find the Chicago traffic too bad.   We should make it to HWH near Moscow Sunday afternoon with lots of time to spare before Monday mornings early appointment.  No idea how long the repairs will take but as soon as we’re out of there it will be Westward-Ho for the ranch in Arizona.

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SNACK BREAK ON THE COCHISE STRONGHOLD TRAIL IN ARIZONA

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COCHISE IS BURIED OUT THERE SOMEWHERE

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GILA CLIFF DWELLINGS, NEW MEXICO

Want to thank everyone for the comments, shouts & emails over the past few days wishing us well & a safe journey.  Much appreciated folks & keep an eye out for us on the road.....10-4:))

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WE ARE READY TO HEAD OUT IN SEARCH OF NEW ADVENTURES:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((   Paddy was waiting at the bus stop with his mate when a truck rolled by loaded with of sod.  Paddy said, "I'm gonna do that when I win the lottery."  "What's dat," asked his friend.  "Send me lawn away to be cut."

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

Until one has loved an Animal, part of their soul remains un-awakened.

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The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

22 comments:

  1. Safe travels Al! We hope to be leaving in the next week or so ourselves... Time will tell.

    John
    RVlifeonwheels

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  2. Good luck, safe travels and keep us posted!!!

    Hope they can figure out all the problems with the motorhome!

    Cheers!

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  3. I'd almost rather eat glass than drive anywhere close to Chicago in an RV. I've been there a couple of times in the last few years in my Jeep, and that was bad enough. Midwest drivers are fairly friendly though, when they realize you are from someplace else.

    Good luck and safe travels.

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  4. Have a safe trip.

    Good luck at Moscow, I have had very mixed results with their work. I would recommend that when they say it is done, check the operation several times before heading out.

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  5. Thanks so much for the photos of AZ...I miss it so much!!

    Hope you guys have an easy border crossing...too many horror stories lately.

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  6. Have a safe trip, and Iowa is fairly sleepy on a Sunday, so you'll be fine in Moscow!

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  7. I found myself smiling thru you post today...not that I don't smile at others but the pics on this one fascinated me. Knowing my feet may have touched where ancient Indians trod is quite moving to me. The molded evidence of ferocious winds and water appeal to me, like I want to sit there for hours and listen to silence... Loved this post. K

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  8. Safe travels to the Bayfield Bunch as you point the rig south!!..

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  9. Safe travels and good luck crossing the border tomorrow!

    It'll be worth the detour if you can get those levelers fixed up and the back-up camera working.

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  10. C'mon, Border crossings are FUN! But not when you are due to join a cruise ship within 24 hours and they ask for your Visa which you didn't think you needed. We ran into a newby crossing near Abbotsford who thought New Zealanders need Visas to enter Canada. Something we hadn't even considered being members of the British Commonwealth. It took nearly an hour of anxious waiting for her to find someone experienced to advise her and send us on our way.

    We'll never take those crossings lightly again.

    Hope you get things working properly without too much bother.

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  11. Have a safe and enjoyable trip. Hope the factory can repair the levelers and camera. Good luck at the border, you'll feel a lot better when that is over with. My thoughts will be with you. Have a good look at your Jeep to make sure I am not tucked into a corner in there ☺

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  12. Happy Travels!!!!!! Arizona is waiting for you!!!!

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  13. Good luck getting your repairs done, and good luck at the border, we just did the thing with the dogs at the border, all they were worried about the was dog food.

    Jean and skip

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  14. Thinking of you guys this morning as you head out. Sure wish we were going along too! Safe travels and take time to stop and smell the roses!!!

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  15. Have a safe trip Al & Kelly! I can't wait to hear about this year's adventures. :)

    Connie

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  16. Safe travels guys! Hope your border crossing goes as easy as ours did this year...it is always a relief when that part of the trip is over. Maybe we will bump into you in Arizona!

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  17. Travel safe Al and Kelly--hope to see you this winter.

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  18. Particularly loved your pix today, as we have been at or near many of those places in our travels, and are itching to go to some of them again. Although we are really itching to go just about anywhere!

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  19. Your pictures and post inspire us to get out there and enjoy what awaits us. Trying to get past this next knee replacement surgery and get to the point of doing it. Enjoy your travels and maybe sometime we will meet each other out on the road. Safe travels and Happy Trails....

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  20. Hey,
    Are you guys coming through KS at all? If you are, let me know! Maybe we could buy you a coffee or something!!
    Hope all the work goes smoothly for you! Hope that plan for the back camera works out too! We've been waiting for a new one for our coach since April! But, since it was ordered, the one on there works better than ever before!

    Happy Trails~Safe ones too!!

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  21. Asta lavista, baby!! Hope our paths cross someday...

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  22. We look forward to reading about your adventures and seeing more of your great photographs. Perhaps we will bump into you as we will soon be AZ too. Safe travels!

    Martha and Terry
    gypsylife.net

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