IT'S NOT A VACATION....IT'S A LIFESTYLE

ATOP CORONADO PEAK NEAR SIERRA VISTA, ARIZONA 

Yesterday's late afternoon storm swept in a cold front so today we are shivering under cloudy skies & a noon hour high of 48F.  My internal engine does not start or run well on cold cloudy days anymore so I had myself a rather physically unproductive day:((

BRYCE CANYON, UTAH 

Seems to have been more 'Blogger' problems today with folks including myself not being able to leave or publish comments off & on.

THE GRAND CANYON'S NORTH RIM 

When I started this post today I figured my thoughts on comparing Ontario & the Southwest would maybe be a paragraph or two in tonight's blog.  I soon realized it was going to take more than a couple paragraphs to describe our two kinds of lifestyles so I will break it into two parts.  I will write about the cultural differences in a later post.

CITY OF ROCKS STATE PARK, NEW MEXICO 

I have never considered our Snow Birding 5 winter months in the Southwest as a vacation or a holiday & there are reasons for that.  Our main home of course is Ontario Canada but we consider all of the Southwest as our second home.  There is a big difference in landscapes & climate between Ontario & the States of New Mexico, Arizona & California & therein lies one of the lifestyles greatest attractions.

ARIZONA'S MITRY LAKE NEAR YUMA 

Our home near Bayfield is located in a fine area of Southwestern Ontario, Canada.  Rolling farmlands & green forests.  Our house is surrounded by both Maple & Pine trees & the Park we live in is like no other we have ever seen.  We have more room between neighbors than most urban homes do.  No crowding here & we can even keep our Motor Home right on the property.  We could easily park half a dozen cars in our driveway & we have a hundred acre forest of hiking trails at our door.  No kids or families in our Adult community & how nice is that:))  Our Park is located in the country so no urban development anywhere near us until we reach Bayfield about 2 miles away.  Malls & Big Box stores are 20 minutes up the road to Goderich.  Three minutes west of is the never ending sandy beaches of beautiful Lake Huron.

ZION CANYON, UTAH 

By sheer contrast, the areas of the Southwest we love so much are totally opposite to our Ontario home environment & therein lies one of the greatest attractions for us.   Compared to our Bayfield area there is little greenery & quite often very few, if any trees on the desert floor.  Visibility for the most part is unrestricted with sweeping panoramic views all around us for as far as the eye can see.  The crystal clear starry night sky stretches for as far as the eye can see.   Mountains ring the horizons & we see sunrises & sunsets of untold beauty.  We prefer areas of as few people as possible so the roads & highways we travel on are quiet & free from traffic.  It is not uncommon to look either ahead or behind & not see another vehicle in sight.  We can be on the hotter desert floor walking among Saguaro Cactus & a short time later be in a forested Alpine meadow sitting in the cooling shade of a large Oak or Pine tree beside a babbling creek.  I am never bored by the fascinating diversity of scenery.  It is the great differences between Ontario & the Southwest that I find so appealing & it is the main reason we prefer the Southwest over the Southeast.

HIKING IN THE AJO MOUNTAINS....ORGAN PIPE  NATIONAL MONUMENT, ARIZONA

BORREGO SPRINGS CALIFORNIA....THE BADLANDS  

The Sonoran Desert of the Southwest has a hauntingly appealing magic all it's own.  The desert beauty may not be everybody's cup of tea but for people who have spent any time in the deserts & mountains we know the true beauty & magic it posses.  

RELAXING ALONG THE COCHISE STRONGHOLD TRAIL IN ARIZONA'S DRAGOON MOUNTAINS

I will later write about the laid back lifestyle we love so much.  To us, the American Southwest has it all.....in Spades:))  And, I should mention that we have the same feelings for the Northwest as well but it's just with our short 5 winter month traveling time we can't get to the other great States in those months because of the harsh winter conditions.  I have been to most of the Northwestern States many years ago & I have to say they are every bit as wondrous & beautiful as their southern neighbors:))  And let's not forget western Alberta & British Columbia in Canada.  Here is where we get into some really fine majestic beauty.

THE WHITE SANDS OF ALAMOGORDO, NEW MEXICO 

Anyway, to sum up.....it is the complete change of lifestyle & scenery that fires my imagination & excitement as we alternate between our stationary home in Ontario & our home on wheels in the Southwest.  Yes, you could say we have the best of both worlds alright.  I just wish we could tip the scales a bit & spend a little more of our time in the traveling world.  But, that's just me......10-4:))

SUNSET OVER NEW MEXICO 

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Taxiing down the tarmac, the jetliner abruptly stopped, turned around and returned to the gate. After a hour-long wait, it finally took off. A concerned passenger asked the flight attendant: “What was the problem?”
“The pilot was bothered by a noise he heard in the engine,” explained the flight attendant,” and it took us a while to find a new pilot.”

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