Travel

Great Loop Adventure – Annapolis, MD

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Oh Annapolis… you were a wonderful stop but at the same time you left me heartbroken. I’ve been struggling with getting this post done and seem to have a huge case of writers block.  I never thought we would lose both of our fur babies during our Great Loop. I’ve started and stopped so many times, trying to remember all the things that I liked about Annapolis. So here we are….and to be fair, I am only going to cover all the most excellent parts of our stay in Annapolis that I can remember.

As a visitor, this high energy city is welcoming and friendly. Historic, quaint and of course, very boaty. In addition to loads of marinas, there are multiple mooring fields with mooring balls, each set up for certain sized boats. Going ashore is made easy, with public dinghy docks galore.

The historical old town area is compact and easily walkable with the state capital building, shops and several museums to visit. We did a self guided tour inside the State Capitol Building which was does a great job of capturing the fascinating history and events that happened here. Of course, it’s also home for the Congress and House of Representatives. They were not in session so it was actually fairly quiet around the campus.

Completed in 1779, it was the site of nationally important events after the American Revolution, including George Washington’s resignation as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, and the ratification of the Treaty of Paris. The rich architecture and history of the building was recognized in 1960 when the State House was designated as a National Historic Landmark.

We really enjoyed walking the neighborhoods around the old town area, seeing the old homes and beautiful pocket gardens. Not many homes have large yards and some have almost none. But people seem to find a way to dress up their outdoor space with beautiful plants and flowers come spring.

 The US Navel Academy has a huge presence here and we had planned to be here during commissioning week. It was definitely crowded but we had no issues seeing the things we wanted to see or getting into restaurants.

I loved the energy in this city and seeing all the young, hopeful naval cadets starting off their careers serving the USA! Very inspiring.

Commissioning week is filled with activities for the soon to be Naval Officers, their families and visitors. We timed our stay to be in the Annapolis Yacht Basin when the Blue Angels were going to be doing their air show. It was spectacular and we had front row seats on the bow of the boat as they swooped in and dazzled us with their precision flying maneuvers.

We took a walking tour of the Academy that was led by a retired Navy Captain who had commanded a mine sweeper and a missile frigate AND was the Dean of Admissions during his career. Yes, he gave a great tour and was very focused on the two young men on the tour, educating them on how to get accepted into this very prestigious academy. He was also very clear with the parents that their children would NOT be successful at the Academy if it was their dream and not their children’s dream to attend the academy. The acceptance rate for applicants is 10.8% and the graduation rate is over 90% – so impressive.

We were on campus for our tour when the Colors Parade was happening, so that was really special as well. Truly, the Naval Academy was a highlight of our time here and the institution of creating future leaders for our country is beyond impressive.

Great Loop Adventure Oriental and Belhaven NC – Day 68-70

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After leaving New Bern NC we only cruised about 55 miles but the scenery was beautiful and it was nice to be in rural areas again. Both Oriental and Belhaven are very small towns with a combined population of just over 2,200.

We picked up our long time friends and fellow travelers, Dave and Tanya in New Bern on the 17th of June. They will to cruise with us to Norfolk – YAY!!! The four of us have traveled all over the world together and they have been on all of our boats over the years. We also all really enjoy good wine and food, cooking or dining out and are completely compatible in small space. Dave and I love getting in the kitchen together and crafting up a great meal. It’s so wonderful to have them onboard and we really thrilled that they are part of our Great loop Adventure.

We had a quick stop between Oriental and Belhaven for some fresh fish. This dock is home to a fleet of shrimp and fishing boats. My kinda funky!!

Oriental is another small fishing village so we only stayed 1 night. It was hot, hot, hot so all we really did was walk to a local restaurant for lunch and hang on the boat. We also met some fellow loopers, one couple has the exact same boat as us – too fun.

What wasn’t fun, was that two of our four AC units have been giving us fits… of course they had to stop working on the day we expect guests onboard. ARGH….. Captain Handy has tried everything to revive the salon and pilot house AC’s but t looks like we need a new water intake pump which we can’t get until we get to Norfolk.

The Belhaven Marina Dock Master Greg was able to get a mechanic to come take a look when we arrived in Belhaven. After conferring with Captain Handy and looking the system he said it’s likely that our 24 year old, original water intake pump has gotten tired and can’t keep pump enough water through to the two big units in the salon and pilothouse at the same time on really it days. It’s a bit of a specialty pump and of course it’s not something we can find in rural NC. The good news is that it will run the pilothouse or the two bedroom AC’s so we will be just fine until we can get it repaired. Never a dull moment, living on a boat.

I also want to give kudos to all the folks who gave advice through the Carver Voyager Facebook Group I belong to. This is when social media is the best – al group of knowledge boat owners with the are make and model of boat who can lend advice. SWEET!!!

Belhaven is tiny and it is amazing that there is an excellent Farm to Table restaurant in this town of 1,400. We really enjoyed meeting the owner of Spoon River had a great dinner there on Monday. Honestly, it was one of the main reasons I wanted to stop here and we timed it to arrive on Monday when they were open. I had made a reservation and was glad we did as the place was packed. The eclectic interior is filled with art that is all done by the owner.

I was skeptical about having soft shell crabs but figured when in Rome… they were delicious!!!

Belhaven is really a one night stop as far as things to do but we stayed 2 nights so the guys could go fishing with a local guide. They had a great time, caught some fish and saw some of the local estuaries. Sadly, according to the guide, this well known mecca for fishing is in decline. Sounds like the fishery has not been well managed thus resulting in many of the local fish populations to decline. With this in mind, the guys release all the fish they caught. Hoping some stronger regulations in size and number of fish being caught will help this area recover.

Despite being a bit rustic, funky little Belhaven Marina scored a 5 star review from me. The staff was excellent and were there on the dock to get you tied up. They had the fixed docks set up with large round fender to protect the sides of the boat. They also bring you a bag of information from the chamber of commerce about the local area. The harbor master Greg made an excellent recommendation about the fish hide as well. The setting was charming and all of a block into the small town. There is also a cute ships store, free laundry and showers, lawn games, a book trade library, a BBQ grill with propane and multiple gazebos and sitting area around the small property. Need to make a grocery store run… just borrow a golf cart and off you go! I thought it was sweet that shampoo, towels and hair dryers are all included at the showers and laundry soap and dryer sheets were free in the laundry room as well.

From here, our plans get a bit loose…the wind will dictated where we end up as we work our way north to Norfolk. See you along the way!

2022… Where Do I Begin?

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It was an interesting year… 2022. So much has happened since I last posted over a year ago but for some reason, I have had a serious case of writers block and emotional fatigue. I started posts but could never seem to get the words right or finish anything.

There has definitely been some high and lows so perhaps I’ll just try to encapsulate the year somehow.

We spent most of 2022 traveling in our coach, Road House, leaving the Pacific Northwest in the fall of 2021 bound for Florida. Our journey took us through Arizona to see my mother, who sadly ended her Alzheimer’s journey in October 2022. She was always on my mind and our weekly FaceTime calls facilitated by her caregivers kept us connected. I won’t lie to you and say I didn’t struggle with balancing our mobile lifestyle with with the desire to physically be closer to her. In the end, my fiercely independent mother passed suddenly, but peacefully and on her own terms.


After leaving Arizona, we spent a month on Mustang Island near Port Aransas Texas. What a beautiful area and it was great to be able to walk out our door and be just steps from the beach. Fellow RV friends met us there and we made our way to SW Florida together. After a relaxing but busy winter, we fired up the coach and started on the much awaited East Coast and Maritimes trip. In addition to traveling in 22 US states, we visited the Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia regions in Canada while traveling in the Road House. We also traveled to Spain and Portugal for our 30th anniversary in April 2022. It was a fantastic travel year indeed.


Below are three slideshows with some of my favorite 2022 travel pictures.

So, did I really have writers block or just no time to write?

I think it was the latter, maybe?.. Did I forget to mention we also bought another boat??? Yep, we seem to have completely lost our minds in 2022. Blame it on the pandemic, that’s my story and I am sticking to it.


es·ca·pade
/ˈeskəˌpād/
noun
an act or incident involving excitement, daring, or adventure.

We have long dreamed of cruising the America’s Great Loop and our new boat which we named “Escapade” is going to be our home afloat while we travel the great loop in 2023 and 2024. Seemed like the perfect name for this chapter of our life. It was either Escapade or Reckless Financial Endeavor – LOL!!!

Currently Escapade is in SE Florida, on a friends dock in Hobe Sound. Luckily she road out hurricane IAN without a blemish, safely on land at a hurricane facility which we took her to after we purchased her in spring 2022. IAN was absolutely devastating to so many people in the Florida… it was gut wrenching to watch it all unfold on the news and see how the aftermath destroyed so many peoples homes, business, lives and dreams.

Once we arrived back in SW Florida, we had the opportunity to volunteer for World Central Kitchen. It was just three weeks post hurricane and it was shocking to see the devastation. We spent a day on Pine Island, driving through devastated communities, delivering warm meals to people who were just trying to survive the day. If you’re not familiar with the amazing work WCK does… check out the link above. I’ve been a long time supporter of WCK and love the organization even more after volunteering.


We also had the joy of actually experiencing Hurricane Nicole shortly after arriving in Hobe Sound. It was very nerve wracking, especially after seeing the trail of destruction left by Ian. Luckily Nicole dodged us and was only a fierce tropical storm in our area and again we came out unscathed. So grateful.


We brought Escapade over to East Florida through Lake Okeechobee the end of October and have been consumed with doing much needed upgrades. Also, getting routine maintenance done on Road House, getting her ready for long term storage while getting used to living on a boat again. We will be staying in Hobe Sound Florida until April and I admit, it feels good not to be on the move for a while. That said, we are working our butts off getting Escapade ready to start the Great Loop, perhaps cruising as far as the Chesapeake Bay this year. More on that in the next post.

So there you go…2022…definitely interesting, a bit devastating and somewhat exhausting. I do feel the urge stirring to write again and hope you will stayed tuned for more adventures in 2023.

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Farewell 2020… You Won’t Be Missed!!!

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We are close to saying farewell to the year 2020, a year in which many people will not look back on fondly. It’s been called a shit show by many and rightfully so. Many people suffer great losses, many people lost their jobs, many people’s relationships suffered, many people lost their homes, many people suffered great physical illness, many people lost a loved one… heartache abounded. I feel fortunate that all I really lost was my mind at times! I feel incredible grateful to be in this place in my journey when the pandemic hit. My heart goes out to everyone out there who have suffered big losses in 2020.

Our mobile lifestyle has actually been very conducive to saying healthy, staying sane and sheltering in place. My biggest frustration has been the unknown… well, that and so many people who haven’t taken this pandemic seriously. People who don’t have the decency to wear a mask, people who refuse to be unconvinced by simply being careful for the sake of others. For us and our lifestyle, the unknown, trip planning, knowing where and when to travel have been a constant consideration. Because we travel in our home on wheels or our home on the water we have been able to be very careful and hopefully not cause any duress to others. That said, we have had to have plan A and Plan B most of 2020. My magic 8 ball wasn’t very helpful either. Questions about COVID and travel planning were usually met with either a non-commital or negative answer – GO FIGURE!!!

● It is certain.
● It is decidedly so.
● Without a doubt.
● Yes – definitely.
● You may rely on it.		● As I see it, yes.
● Most likely.
● Outlook good.
● Yes.
● Signs point to yes.		● Reply hazy, try again.
● Ask again later.
● Better not tell you now.
● Cannot predict now.
● Concentrate and ask again.		● Don’t count on it.
● My reply is no.
● My sources say no.
● Outlook not so good.
● Very doubtful.
A standard Magic 8 Ball is capable of 10 affirmative answers (●), 5 non-committal answers (●), and 5 negative answers

We definitely didn’t travel as much in 2020 despite being in our rolling home. We spent the first four months of 2020 hunkered down in Palm Springs, three weeks in Bend Oregon, four months on the boat in the San Juan Islands, five weeks in Arizona and here we are back Palm Springs under another stay at home order. That said, I still feeling really grateful to be healthy and mostly sane.

We returned to our lot at the Outdoor Resort Palm Springs in late November after a difficult time in Arizona getting my mother moved into a memory care community. Somehow the timing actually worked out, we found a great community for her and I can breathe a huge sigh of relief knowing she is safe and actually thriving there.

Not long after our return to California, the Governor issued another stay at home order. Again, our lifestyle in Palm Springs is conducive to doing this and staying sane. We have sunshine almost everyday, warm temps and literally an adult playground that sits on 137 beautifully landscaped acres with 27 holes of executive golf, 13 Pickleball courts, 10 Tennis courts, 10 hot tubs and 8 swimming pools. It’s easy to socially distance here, sitting out in the evening by our firepit with a glass of wine with another couple feels safe.

I know it sounds dreamy but like most of you I am ready for the 2020 shit show to come to a conclusion. I asked the magic 8 ball if 2021 was going to be a better year for the world and I was told that “signs point to yes”…hmm, do you think a scientist had any input on this answer???

Fingers crossed and in the meantime, I am going to try and reflect on the struggles that are real out there in the world, be grateful for each healthy day and for all of the wonderful people in my life.

Happy New Year…Wishing you all the best and two doses of vaccine in 2021!!!

Sheltering in Place – A Diary of Virusapocalypse: Day Fifty One – Fifty Five

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May 15, 2020

We extended our stay in Bend through May 24th and have had a great week with two different friends visiting. Additionally, today is momentous in that many counties in Oregon including Deschutes County, which Bend is in, are starting to re-open. Under phase 1 of the re-opening, Gov. Kate Brown is allowing nearly all of Oregon’s counties outside the Portland metro area to begin reopening  Friday, as well as all retail statewide (except malls and shopping centers).

It will be interesting to see how these phased re-opening go, will people continue to observe the stay at home orders in counties that are still closed, will COVID cases spike, will small rural counties be able to maintain their low cases if people start traveling again… all TBD.

Great mural that has been painted on the back side of the Les Schwab Amphitheater which is in the Old Mill District.


So here is how day Fifty One through day Fifty Five of our sheltering in place went:

  • We are hiking or walking everyday…there are so many trails yet to explore!
So Bend has it’s dark and moody side! This field is right next to the RV Resort and is where Wally takes Bentley for a run everyday.


  • Monday I made some awesome Elk Burgers. I had recently discovered a package of wild ground elk that was gifted to me last fall in the freezer so that got me salivating for a good burger. Wild Elk is actually very lean so I added some garlic that I had been soaking in olive oil to the meat along with some thyme, salt and pepper. The burgers were served with carmelized onions, homemade sundried tomato goat cheese spread and arugula. YUMMY!!!! I also did not not repeat my failed burger bun attempt…licked my wounds and just bought some nice fluffy potato buns from the store.
That is an excellent burger…


  • Tuesday we had friends from Portland drive over in their Leisure Travel Serenity aka “The Mobe”. We are lucky to have some friends who like to travel as much as we do and have joined us along the way in our travels. In this case, Donna and Steve also share our love of good food and wine so we always have fun cooking together and sharing our latest wine acquisitions. Despite the fact the weather took a rainy turn, we had three days of fun together, hiking, exploring the area and quaffing some delicious wine that they brought with. Since there were no restaurants we could visit, we co-opted some great meals together.
Donna brought this delicious bottle to share… yes, the picture is blurry but hey I took it after we drank the whole big bottle!!!

  • Wednesday, a long time friend, Connie who now lives in Burns Oregon stopped by while she was in Bend. We spent a couple of hours catching up and talking about dogs, so great to see her. Connie is a devoted Standard Schnauzer breeder and our boy Gus was one of her pups. Gus was surrendered to the Oregon Humane Society while I worked there. One of my staffers called me the day he came in day so I went down our medical clinic to take a look at him as Standard Schnauzers are a bit of a rare breed. I kinda fell in love with the dude, fostered him for a few days after he had major dental work done and eventually got him transferred to a Standard Schnauzer Rescue Group. Poor buddy had serious separation anxiety and wasn’t doing well in the shelter.
Wasn’t he a cutie!!!

A couple of days after Gus went home with the Standard Schnauzer Rescue gal, I got a call from her. She told me she figured out who the breeder was (Connie – Von Berg Schnauzers), that Connie was in Portland and that she had let Connie know that she had Gus. Being a reputable breeder meant Connie wanted Gus back and of course I was thrilled he found his way home at almost 9 years old. Long story short, Connie and I kept in touch and some how I ended up going to see him one day and somehow he came home with me!! He was my buddy and my pal, a great dog that Wally and I loved to pieces. He still had terrible separation anxiety which got a bit better over time but he was otherwise fearless, confident and loved to go any where we went. Gus also helped us raise Bentley, another puppy I couldn’t resist at the shelter.

Our second week is flying by almost as fast as the first week here in Bend did. Sadly, we have no more visitors coming by but have plenty of exploring to do still. Donna texted me on her way out of town with the location of a great farm stand where I scored some awesome fresh veggies today.

Left over slow cooked bolognese with fresh fettuccine and steamed broccoli starved with a big glass of ghost pine cab – thanks Jill and Cindy for that delicious wine.


While it is tempting to go out to one of the many retaurants here in Bend that are re-opening, whats more tempting are all the micro-breweries…sigh. But we are going to continue to avoid crowds of people, do occasional take out, get a growler filled to go and just enjoy the great outdoors here in Bend. Today we ran errands, stopped at the produce stand, went to Petsmart and Ace Hardware. Yep, we are cautiously venturing out so I think this will be my last entry as sheltering in place…I hope….fingers crossed.

Quiet Downtown Bend…PS…please wear your mask!!!

Sheltering in Place – A Diary of Virusapocalypse: Day Forty Four – Fifty

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We have been here in Bend for week now and loving it. What’s not to like…great weather, friendly people, hiking galore plus we are settled in a nice big site at the Crown Villa RV Resort. Liking it so much, we extended our stay another week. It has been easy to continue sheltering in place, I am still using Instacart to have groceries delivered, utilizing restaurants that offer take out and generally avoiding people as best we can. With a population just under 200,000 Deschutes County has been relatively unscathed by CODID-19 – 85 cases and no deaths. I think this could have been very different if Governor Kate Brown hadn’t shut down the state so early. Bend in particular is a tourist destination both winter and summer so with no big influx of people from all over the US, they have stayed relatively healthy here.


So here is how day Forty Four through day Fifty of our sheltering in place went:

  • We have been hiking or walking everyday. There are so many options in the Bend area that we can do something different everyday. Monday Kristen and I walked the Bend River Park Trail that starts in the Old Mill District. It is a very pretty 4 mile walk along the Deschutes River.

Dinner was a full spread of Cinco de Mayo eats complete with a pitcher of Margaritas – Thanks Kristen for the great grub!



  • Wednesday was Kristens birthday so of course we hiked!!! Our choice for a pretty afternoon hike was at the Riley Ranch Nature Preserve. There is a great trail system there with a series of small loops.

Kristen requested that the Wally Brenda pizza duo cater her birthday dinner so that’s just what we did. It was a three course meal featuring… wait for it…PIZZA. Of course, I made the dough from scratch in the morning so it could rise all day. I started the BD girl (Well, and me too) with a French 75 cocktail which I made with frozen meyer lemon juice (from our trees in Palm Springs), gin and prosecco – that’s how you get the party started!!! Head Pizza Chef Waldo started the birthday girl with a Pizza Margherita topped with fresh basil from my traveling herb pot. The second course was a Green Chile Chicken Sausage Pizza and the third course was an Apple Chicken Sausage Pizza with Blue Cheese topped with Arugula. John bought the birthday girl her favorite dessert – Cheesecake which we topped with Lemon Curd and Blueberry Compote. After dinner, we played a round of Five Crowns – it was a fun evening with the BD Girl!!

  • Wally and I took a day trip to Camp Sherman on Thursday. We brought a picnic lunch and hiked along the Metolius River. This is a gorgeous area and the crazy thing is the head waters of the river. The headwaters of the river are at Metolius Springs, where the river emerges from two clusters of springs at the base of Black Butte. Water flows to these springs from the drainage basin around Black Butte Ranch, several miles to the south. The elevation of the drainage basin is 300 feet above that of the springs, forming a natural standpipe that tends to stabilize the river’s rate of flow. But seriously, how can all that water come out of such a small hole in the ground???
  • Friday Wally and I headed out to Sunriver which is a city all in its self. It was actually developed in the late seventies and was the first luxury resort community in Central Oregon. The resort community is home to 63 holes of world-class golf, a marina, an aquatic center, stables and its own small airport. In Sunriver, you can spend the day riding bikes along 30 miles of paved trails, going on a guided horseback ride or visiting the Sunriver Nature Center, Oregon Observatory, High Desert Museum or Lava Lands Visitors Center, where the first astronauts trained to talk on the moon.  The Village at Sunriver hosts a variety of shops, restaurants, breweries and art galleries. In winter, the Village at Sunriver offers ice skating and Mt. Batchelor with first class skiing is just a 20 minute drive.

Wally and I have spent some time in Sunriver, mostly on skiing vacations so it was fun to drive through and reminisce. Unlike other trips, Sunriver was a ghost town. The Village was mostly shuttered except the Bend Brewing Company which was offering take out. After splitting a burger and fries we needed a good long walk so we headed out to the marina area where we picked up the River Loop Trail. This paved walking/biking path was a great way to burn off that burger and 6 miles later we were both ready for a shower and a cold beverage. We saw a plethora of birds, a big herd of elk which were way off in the trees behind the horse pastures, deer and some ground critters. We met up with Kristen and John back at the RV Resort for drinks, dinner and some time around the fire pit. Persistence won out and we finally got through to Wild Rose Thai Eats – OMG, what a feast we had. Truly some of the best Thai food I have ever “eats”. Sorry, no pictures… we forgot!

  • Saturday was our last day with the Quaranteam so we loaded up our bicycles, a picnic lunch and headed out. Kristen and John had never been to Mt Batchelor or Sunriver so those were our destinations.
Mt. Batchelor off in the distance.

Back at Sunriver, we headed to the marina again and rode the same trail we walked the day before. Kristen brought carrots so we had fun feeding the horses. Seems they are furloughed too and were definitely enjoying the attention and treats. We had our picnic after the ride at the marina by the river – such a pretty day.

Our week together with the Quaranteam in Bend literally flew by and we spent our final evening together on our patio with the fire pit going. Dinner was a light fare, White Bean and Chicken Soup with a Mixed Green Salad which Kristen and I co-opted. Great caravanning and week with our fellow full time RV friends…our paths will cross again soon!!!

Sheltering in Place – A Diary of Virusapocalypse: Day Forty Three

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The last leg of our road trip to Bend Oregon on Sunday was just under 250 miles. We tooled along in the remote back country of California and Oregon with rarely another vehicle in sight. Our route from the Likely Place Golf and RV Resort took us along Hwy 395, then we connected to Hwy 31 which then connected us onto Hwy 97 at La Pine Oregon. Part of Hwy 31 was a bit bone jarring but for the most part it was such a pretty drive that we could ignore the bad roads for a stretch. It felt like the Indy 500 when we rolled onto Hwy 97 with all the car and truck traffic!


So here is how day Forty Three of our sheltering in place went:

  • We decided to enjoyed a more leisurely start to the day so Kristen and I took a long walk around resort on the nature trails. The area around the pond was really active with Red Winged Blackbirds.



  • The caravan was on the road Saturday by 10:30 am and headed for our final destination – Bend Oregon. Wally and I have spent the last 28 years collecting experiences and our love of travel is jointly shared so what better way to spend our 28th anniversary – Love you babe!!!



  • This portion of the drive was mostly high desert plains which took us by several lakes and through tiny farming towns. I love this glimpse into old, rural america and took so many pictures… unfortunately most through the window so please excuse the window glare and bugs on the windshield!!
  • We ate a big breakfast but didn’t stop for lunch so the caravan gang was ready for an early dinner when we rolled into Bend. We had our eye on Wild Rose Northern Thai Eats, had all the entrees picked out and were looking forward to a big family style feast. Only problem was that no one ever answered the phone even though their website said they were doing take out. How rude, didn’t they know it was our anniversary??? Our second choice was Dang Vietnamese which turned out to be a great second choice and we definitely feasted.




Our three day sprint to Bend Oregon was definitely a sprint… we usually like to take our time, stop and explore the areas we are traveling through. These are strange times to be on the road for sure. Most of the small rural towns we drove through were hauntingly quiet but maybe thats how they always are. We are happy to get settled in at the Crown Villa RV Resort in Bend and enjoy exploring all the outdoor activities the area has to offer. As things start to open up again, I don’t think we will be rushing to go out to restaurants, bars or any other big venues for awhile. Being out and about in the great outdoors is just right for now.

The Lava Butte Caldera in Bend.

Sheltering in Place – A Diary of Virusapocalypse: Day Forty Two

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Our first day on the road (Friday) was was mostly great… a few minor issues with the passenger seat side window (yay for gorilla tape) and low tire pressure in the passenger tag axle tire. … hey whats up with my side of the coach??? But that said, the scenery was amazing. Smoggy Victorville with heavier than expected truck traffic gave way to clean, blue skies, majestic snow capped mountain and very little traffic. We made it to Mono Lake where we stayed at the MonoVista RV Park. It was a quiet stopover…so glad they were able to get a variance to stay open for overnight travelers.

Beautiful Mono Lake


So here is how day Forty Two of our sheltering in place went:

  • The caravan was on the road Saturday by 8:30 am and headed for Likely California. We have never RV caravanned with another couple and who more perfect than our shelter in place buddies Kristin and John?
  • The drive between Mono Lake and Gardnerville is absolutely gorgeous. Snow capped mountain, lakes, roaring rivers and massive plains capture you and delight your eyes. One of my favorite parts of the drive is following the Walker River as is roars down into Topaz Lake.
  • Our first stop of the day was in Gardnerville, NV for fuel. Diesel for $2.49 a gallon – woo-hoo. Not only was it a very scenic stop but someone served me a mimosa!!! WHAT…now this is why caravanning is so fun. What wasn’t so fun was the DEF incident… luckily it all turned out fine thanks to Mr. Handy Pants but he wasn’t a happy camper for sure. If your curious what DEF is you can read the link, but suffice to say it isn’t windshield wiper fluid. I drank my mimosa while he flushed the DEF tank and refilled it with DEF.



  • We made a lunch stop at Del Taco in Carson City. Wally and I normally find a rest stop, grab a sandwich and keep on trucking but something about a taco salad just sounded good! Kristen found us a great parking spot at the nearby Walmart. She also ordered online and walked thru the drive thru to pick up our lunch – now that’s good service. We ate in our coaches and got back on the road with a full belly.
  • After leaving Carson City NV, it was about 185 miles to Likely, CA where were spending the night at the Likely Place Golf and RV Resort. The stunning scenery and virtually no traffic made the drive feel easy. Well, easy for me as I was sitting in my plush passenger seat or up taking pictures the entire time. I had great intentions to get some driving time in but somehow that just didn’t happen.
  • We arrived at the Likely Place Golf and RV Resort road weary and ready to put the jacks down and relax. Seems the computer reservation system didn’t relay our reservation to staff so they were a bit befuddled when our two big rigs arrived. No pull in sites in the big rig area were available but they took our guys in a golf cart to look at the sites “up the hill” by the group gazebo. Yep, we would fit and would not have to unhook the tow cars. It was kinda funky and for the most part neither coach could get level but whatever… it was just one night and it really is a beautiful spot in the middle of nowhere.
Heading into the Likely Place Golf and RV Resort
Circling the wagons!!!


  • Our coaches were right next to a three sided gazebo designed to block the wind which was blowing a bit. We took advantage of the outdoor setting and enjoyed our dinner in the gazebo with our propane fire pit taking the chill off. Kristin and I co-opted dinner, she did a whole chicken in her Ninja air fryer/pressure cooker and I provided all the sides, garlic-rosemary roasted baby potatoes and asparagus with clarified butter. After dinner, we hung out in the gazebo and played a game of Five Crowns. It was actually quite cozy despite the serious sideways blowing rain that started up.
Kristen was the only one not making goofy faces for the photo!!!





It has been an interesting few travel days. As we move further from the populated cities of California, we have seen less signs of lock-down. As an example, in Modoc County where we were spending the night moved Friday to reopen hair salons, churches, restaurants and the county’s only movie theater which defies the Governor’s order. There haven’t been any confirmed cases of COVID-19 among the 9,000 residents of Modoc County, but the reopening came with strict social distancing limits. Businesses could only have half the patrons, and customers must stay 6 feet apart. I sure hope this works out for them.

The county is an outlier in every sense of the word. It is tucked into the far northeast near the Oregon border, hundreds of miles from the capital of Sacramento and even further politically from the Democrat-controlled state; it’s a place where seven in 10 voted for Donald Trump in 2016.

One could argue that technically we aren’t sheltering in place either but actually our road travel in the coach has kept us mostly isolated from other people. We are still being careful, wearing masks, lots of hand washing and wiping down of things to keep us safe and healthy.

Sheltering in Place – A Diary of Virusapocalypse: Day Forty and Forty One

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We are in the road and rolling today. Our first overnight stop on the 900 mile trip to Bend Oregon will be near Mono Lake California at the MonoVista RV Park.

The caravan is ready to roll!



So here is how day Forty and Forty One of our sheltering in place went:

  • To beat the heat, I only got up early yesterday morning to walk. I said my goodbyes to a few friends and the beautiful resort.
  • Frank’s Wash and Wax gave the Road House the full beauty treatment on Thursday. We have it waxed twice a year to protect the paint. The guys showed up at 7:45 am and the two of them were done around 11:30. The Road House is looking good!
  • We spent the day Thursday doing all the final pack and prep inside and out. We took advantage of the large commercial washing machines at the resort laundry center to do all of our bedding and rugs. We will enjoy at least one cat hair free nights sleep!
The lot looks so empty.


  • Bentley got a refreshing bath outside … wow is he shedding in this heat.
  • Wally picked off the remaining lemons on our tree and found this “dude”!
Definitely a dude!!!


  • I made pulled pork in the instant pot for easy meals on the road.
  • We enjoyed our final cocktail on the patio while Bentley laid in the grass behind out wall zesting lemons! I packed ten extra lemons just for him.
Bentley the zester, lemon molester!


  • Dinner was a simple Smoked Salmon and Beet Salad with a glass of Italian Chardonnay.

As excited as we are to be rolling again it comes with some trepidation. The great thing about RV travel is it is easy to maintain social distancing. Our route is remote and rural so that makes us feel more at ease too.

Sheltering in Place – A Diary of Virusapocalypse: Day Thirty Eight and Thirty Nine

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So here is how day Thirty Eight and Thirty Nine of our sheltering in place went:

We are just a few days from pulling up the jacks and hitting the road. The record high heat here in the valley makes being outside a sweaty endeavor so we do a bit of work outside then come in and cool off. Our three roof top air conditioners have been running almost 24 hours a day. There are three zones in the coach for heating and cooling and it’s great being able to set the units differently as needed. The sun hits the back of the coach in the morning and works its way around the south side, eventually blasting the huge front window in the hottest part of the day. We, aka Mr. Handy Pants also put reflective foil insulation across the entire windshield on the inside. We also put the day night shades down for triple insulation and it is really saving our bacon but its such a bummer as it blocks our beautiful mountain view and makes the coach really dark inside. Another reason to get rolling for sure!!!

These flowers are on the top of a very old madagascar palm. Hoping someday ours gets this big and is happy enough to flower.

  • To beat the heat, I only got up early one morning to walk. Definitely missing being active… its hard enough to be quarantined but not being able to get outside as much is making me a little crazy (crazier?). Luckily, I have plenty of pre-departure chores to do inside.
  • Spent the morning yesterday outside with the mister on getting things ready to pack up and move to storage. Gave all the geranium pots a manicure so they would look nice at their new home.
  • We took a load out to the airplane hangar in Thermal. The big move is on Wednesday. On the way back we stopped for gas at the Costco Fuel Station – whoo-hoo, gas was $2.09 a gallon… it’s usually almost $4.00 per gallon here in Southern California. Sadly, its all virus related and not a good thing for the long term economy but for today we took it as a positive. I spotted two juvenile desert iguana in the landscaping as we pulled out of the fuel station and got this fun video of them scrapping it up.



  • I made some basil simple syrup to take for cocktails at a friends place on Monday. The Basil Bourbon Orange Smash is a very refreshing cocktail on a warm evening. A word of caution… smash = getting smashed so drink at your own risk!
  • We enjoyed a nice evening outside on Sunday, at proper social distance of course with friends here in the resort. Lots of peeps are rolling outta here for home or other summer destinations. Our friends who hosted have a fairly shady lot and had their mister on so it was great to chitchat and say our goodbyes to our dear friends Dawn and Fran.
  • Monday, we spent the evening with our other SIP friends in Palm Springs. They graciously offered a home for the geranium pots so we took them over and Wally aka Mr. Handy Pants installed a drip watering system that connects to their existing sprinkler system. It was international night so we all took a trip to Morocco… it is not what you are thinking, no huka pipe…the incredible meal was all moroccan dishes! Thank you Mike and Nanette for a wonderful time!
The Moroccan meal literally transported me to another place…virtual travel, right?


These next few weeks will be interesting, California joined the growing ranks of U.S. states and countries around the world preparing to ease coronavirus-containment measures, with many planning gradual rollbacks to help reduce the potential for new waves of infections. As more states look to reopen their economies, health experts have said officials need to put in place measures that include expanded testing capacity and contact-tracing teams to safely return to some version of normalcy. It’s confusing, its unsettling and downright scary. Most of us have settled into a relatively safe existence where we can limit our exposure but the idea of going back to the normal pace we knew before COVID-19 is seductive. I have mixed feelings and I know so many other people do as well. Our northern migration will be very different this year for sure.

This deserted campsite we found last year on our southern migration would be a blessing this year on the northern migration.