My parents' lovely home in the Phoenix area

 My parents have chosen a beautiful place to live.  I enjoyed sitting on their patio talking and watching the Arizona sun go down last night.  My dad cooked a wonderful spaghetti dinner. It was so good and I ate so much.  I haven't had the Gestson spaghetti for way too long. Mom dressed up and looked so pretty.  Here are a few photos of their lovely home.  It makes me happy to know they are cozy and comfortable here.

The back of the house, facing onto a small golf course.

Monsoon season in Phoenix

After a lazy morning at the BnB, we visited with my parents in Sun City West again had a delicious dinner, prepared by my Dad.  He is really an excellent chef and has many recipes that he prepares for the two of them.  He plans, shops, and prepares such tasty, nutritious meals.  Leave it to an engineer to get all that down to a smooth running machine.  He's an inspiration.

While there was still some daylight, Steve and I drove around Sun City West and Surprise, AZ to see what kind of possibilities there are for renting.  We are considering settling here for a couple years after returning from Europe.  There are quite a few condos (so there must be a few for rent) and some apartments.  Rent price will probably determine how close we can be to Sun City West and my folks. We'll be talking with a realtor to get a better idea of what can be done.

We already know that, if we have decent air conditioning, Steve and I can handle the Arizona summers.  This is monsoon season.  There are very hot days; mingled with windy days that include some rain and lightening.  The rain cools the day off and makes it more bearable.  Today, on the way to the folks house it was 105 degrees, but it cooled down to 98 degrees with the rain that seems to come and go.  It's 9:30pm now and the temp is down to 92 degrees.  All of this makes from some pretty sunsets.

Can you see the rain coming down?  We drove down a dry corridor between showers.

Sunset from Surprise, AZ.

The thing is that during this monsoon season people (mainly tourists) need to be very aware of their surrounds.  There are flash floods during this time and in a split second you can be facing a wall of water and debris when you though you were just walking in a dry river bed or, as in a recent incident, paddling around in a small swimming hole.  An extended family went to their favorite swimming hole on a hot day the day before we arrived here.  They were celebrating a young woman's 26th birthday.  They were hit by a flash flood and 9 members of their family died: the young woman having a birthday, her husband, and their 3 children were all among the dead.  This is not a rare occurrence and we are being extremely careful.

We drove through a pelting rainstorm yesterday to get to Sedona and passed flashing "Watch for flooding" signs several times.  Because the road pavement gets so dry here, when the rain comes down especially that quickly, the water just beads up and creates puddles and runoff.  It was alarming to see some drivers not seem to take that into consideration and still drive 75 mph, as the law allows under normal circumstances.  With a few sharp curves, it was a pretty hair raising leg of the journey.

Of course, I didn't take a pic while we were trying not to skid on the curves, but this is how it looked.

Tomorrow, we hope to arrive early in the Peoria, Surprise, Sun City West area and do some more exploring.  Then, it off to the Gestson's house for my Dad's super specialty - Spaghetti and meatballs.  I craved this meal for much of my childhood.  It took a very long time for him to make, so it only happened on special occasions.  This spaghetti is like nothing I've tasted anywhere else.  It has such delicious, tender meatballs; mushrooms, bay leave, and cloves.  It is a secret recipe, known only to the men in my family, so I couldn't make it for myself.  And... tomorrow I get to taste it again.  I just can't wait!  I promise spaghetti pictures in tomorrow's post, but don't ask me for the recipe.  It is guarded by Gestsons and cannot be revealed.

Sedona, AZ the beautiful - it's a fairyland, really

I expected Sedona, AZ to be beautiful, having heard of the Red Rock country and seen photographs of the area.  But, it is so much more.  The scenery is art, really natural art.  When the sunlight hits at the right angle, the rock formations light up in the most beautiful way.  My photographs don't even come close to capturing this.  But, I tried.

Sedona is a two-edged sword, though.  Along with the incredible, indescribable beauty comes commercialization.  Yes, the shops can be interesting, but Sedona has way, way more than it's share of shopping, dining, and resort living.  This is truly where the elite meet.

This area is also supposed to be a place of unexplained energy and a source of supernatural power.  Just to be clear, I did not sense an energy vortex.  And, I consider myself very sensitive.  Maybe I needed a crystal or two, but no vortex or vortexes spoke to me or Steve in Sedona.  Maybe that requires walking out into the high desert.  If so, it will need to wait for more toe healing because Donnie is only just starting to walk as human rather than ape.

We walked around the main shopping area, though, which was set smack in front of some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.  It was a constant puzzle to me that all of these people were shopping, walking, and chatting, but rarely looking up at this heart stopping beauty.  I guess we become immune to beauty after a while.  To a certain extent it happened to me, too, because I found more horse sculptures to photograph.  [I never thought I would say this, but "I love Arizona for it's amazing outdoor horse sculptures".  There - I said it.  A conservative bastion can be loved for other things.]

So, without further ado, here are the best of my photographs, which could not capture what I wanted them to show.

Havolinas.  You rub their snouts for luck.

The dancers' sculpture twirled around and around.

Magnificent horse.  Tempting to just mount up.

More horses. Arizona and I have a love-hate relationship.

It seems like blasphemy to shop and eat in front of that. So, I just photographed it.

Steve and I plan to go back soon and try to capture the afternoon light.  Today there were rain storms and the clouds were pretty dark.  My brother spend years trying to duplicate the sort of light that Vermeer had in his paintings.  Light is elusive, but we will try.

Tomorrow, our itinerary is undecided.  We are going to be here a while, so we thought we'd hunt for the nearest Public library and camp out in the AC to do some research on the subject.  In a conservative state, that could be a tall order.

Scottsdale, AZ - the shopping Mecca and sculpture garden

Scottsdale, Arizona looks like a western resort town.  The old town area is full of expensive jewelry and high end fashions and western wear alongside souvenir shops and cheap imports.  On top of that, there are several shopping malls with even higher end merchandise.  If shopping doesn't bring you joy, Scottsdale may not be the place for you.  There are many beautiful and expensive looking resorts, including golf courses and spas.  Seems like a playground for the rich, but we thought we might be able to sneak in and get a peek.

So, today, Steve and I got up late, ate brunch and headed for the shops.  Shopping isn't really my thing, but I am still acclimatizing and don't have the energy or the money for golf or the spa.  We browsed the jewelry shops and I found a great place to get a few of my pieces repaired.  (I have a small jewelry collection because my parents were in the business many years back and traveled the country selling at the big gem and jewelry shows. Birthdays, Christmas, unbirthdays, my gifts were jewelry.  I loved it!)  But, parts fall off well-loved jewelry or break and then what do you do?  It's either get them repaired or learn to do it myself.  Now that I'm retired maybe I will learn, but for now...

It was a balmy 98 to 101 degrees today because of the cooling rain of the monsoon season, but even going from air conditioned shop to air conditioned shop left me enervated.  So, we cruised the town and found some great sculptures.  You'll notice a theme because I love horses and that is pretty much all they had.  It got to be too late and, now, I have to go back to get a pic of the bucking bronco sculpture on one corner in Old Scottsdale.  You'll love that one!

It's buried, but the sign says, "Welcome to Old Town Scottsdale".

This was such a striking sculpture that it is actually what drew me back to Scottsdale.

Look at the colors.  It is so dramatic, energetic and just magnificent.

More horses galloping through the Old Town square.  Don't you just love it, too?

The Scottsdale version of a bus stop.  It was so lovely that I couldn't help myself.

So, if we feel well enough, it's off to Sedona tomorrow.  I suspect that, if we were to live in Arizona, it would be in the higher elevations near Sedona among the red rock formations (assuming that we could afford it}.  My brother, Mark, says that Cottonwood, AZ on the way to Sedona might be a good place to retire.  We'll see tomorrow... or the next day.  We are retired.  We have time.

Arrival in Arizona and rules for travel

We did arrive at my parents' house in Sun City West, Arizona on Saturday.  It was so good to see them.  Dad will be 91 at the end of July and they are both so sharp and independent still.  Mom's staying home for a while to get a medical issue stabilized, but not many of us would be living independently, I think, at that age.  They live simply, enjoy each other's company, and take care of each other.  What more could one ask?  Their 70th wedding anniversary is in February and we will be celebrating that and both Mom and Dad's birthdays soon.

We just heard that my oldest of two younger brothers, Gary, will be arriving August 1!  What a welcome surprise!  He's bringing his wife, Natalie, and youngest child, Lilia (she's an adult now).  It will be so, so good to see them again.  I last saw Gary during Mom's medical emergency about two years ago and haven't seen Natalie and Lilia since 2004, when Meghan and I went to the March for Women's Lives in Washington, D. C.  Needless to say, Lilia has changed a lot since then.  She's no longer an Olympic level gymnast and is now dancing with the Pittsburgh Ballet, on leave recovering from surgery to both feet.  I'm very proud of her.

So, instead of posting on my blog, I have been visiting with parents, computer troubleshooting (Dad and I fixed it!!! Yesss!), and touring the "acres", as Dad calls walking around the yard.   Because we arrived two days early (due to beach burnout), we stayed at Mom and Dad's house until Monday, when our BnB was ready for us.

Toe and room, both nice.

We are now settled into a very nice AirBnb in Phoenix for the next month.  We have three rooms: a bedroom with two queen beds (I feel like the Mad Hatter, "on to the next bed"), a large connecting bathroom, and a really nice, carpeted TV room/office with a foldout sofa and a huge TV (2, actually, one in each room) with cable and Roku (hog heaven).  I think we'll be able to manage. :)

Peoria, AZ is very close by.  I imagine this place that will sleep 6 would be great for a family coming to watch baseball spring training.  They even have another room available downstairs.

Steve's head for perspective.

Visited my younger brother, Mark, at his home in Phoenix.  He's about 7 years younger than I , white-headed, too, and he looks like Hemingway with his white beard.  His dog, Yogi, is so sweet and sooo big (115 lbs); this Akita looks like a polar bear when sitting up.  Mark is 6'3" with long legs and Yogi's head is at Mark's hip.  He's a great guard dog because all it would take is one look and a deep bark to send an intruder running.








The Akita personality-type, according to Mark, is intelligent, but not prone to separation anxiety, and is very comfortable with being alone.  Mark worked a full-time job until recently and Yogi came and went through the dog-door during the day.  They got a nice long walk when Mark got home; now it's at 5am.  He seems to be a very happy dog and he adores Mark.


My toe is healing nicely (as you can see in the photo of the room), but I'm still walking funny because my 69 year old big toe joint doesn't appear to like the way I've been limping.  Got new/different shoes and it's better, even normal looking occasionally.  Another week and I will be able to pass for uninjured.  I'm looking so forward to that and getting into my hiking boots (when it's not 115 degrees outside).  Our Sedona visit may be a good place for that [coming soon, with lots of pix].

So, we have been treating this Arizona trip like a shakedown "cruise" for our European adventure in September and we have learned a great deal so far:

1. Pack less than you want and maybe a little more than you think you absolutely need.
2. Remember, you aren't going to the wilderness; there will be hair dryers and stores.
3. Remember to live in the moment; maybe you need to see it more than you need to photograph it.
4. Get your medications refilled before travel.
5. Beware of aggressive drivers and don't let yourself be goaded. Arizona is rife with them.
6. Camping isn't for everyone (okay, it isn't for Donnie).
7. Expect problems and concentrate on positive creativity.
8. Compromise is essential to traveling with others (oh, boy, is it).
9. Listen carefully to your hosts, they have their own problems.
10. Give yourself time to adjust and to heal; it will all still be there.

California to Phoenix is a rather boring trip, I must say

Okay, I got up late, "I confess, Officer."  Steve partook of the free brunch and I slept in, took my time showering, etc., and dragged Steve to Denny's for a parting root beer and breakfast after check out.  This was the first (possibly the last) nice motel that we've stayed at.  You can see our different priorities.  I have been up at 7am almost every day of this trip, so don't judge.

We had an arduous 2.5 hour drive to Sun City West, AZ today, during which there was literally nothing to photograph and very few places to pull off to photograph that nothing.  We saw our first saguaro cactus immediately after crossing the virtual line into Arizona.  There must be a law, or maybe there is a custom of Arizonans riding across the border and capturing stray saguaros.  It was rather odd.

The high point of this Arizona leg of the trip was pulling into Tonapah, AZ.  Does anyone remember the old song with this lyric "And I been from Tucson to Tucumcari, Tahachapi to Tonapah"?  [Willin' by Steve Earle.]  Well, Steve and I just solved another musical mystery: where the heck is Tonapah?  The place is just a truckers' wide place in the road for gas and vehicle services, but they were civilized enough to have a Subway Restaurant and Barq's Root Beer; a very enlightened truck stop, I must say.

We are now safely tucked up at my parents' house in Sun City West and are contemplating our next move.  Stay tuned.

Endless LA and wasteland with surprise General George Patton Museum & gas station

By Friday morning, I was desperate for my beloved Barq's Root Beer.  California has let me down on the root beer front on several occasions and, so far, I have only found it at the odd Subway restaurant and at Denny's.

So, we started today at Denny's and, oddly enough ended it at a Denny's farther down the road.  There is undoubtedly symmetry there.  In between, we passed through the California where the old cowboy movies were filmed - golden grass with a few trees here and there, madronas and many that we couldn't name - interesting rock formations and groupings of vegetation, horse and cattle country co-existing with vineyards and orchards.  We started to see many of the LA area names that appear in films: Pasadena, Cucamonga, San Bernadino.  [I found a great online map of all the sites where The Big Lewbowski was filmed for those who would love a Big Lebowski tour.  Just know that some of these places are private residences now.]  And, I found my birthplace on a map, finally.  Huntington Park is right next door to Inglewood.  I just didn't know where to look before, assuming it was over near Huntington Beach - what a maroon?.

My parents lived in LA proper; next door to a well-known old cowboy actor (his name was Uncle Bill, but Mom could never remember his last name), one of the character actors who seemed to be in the background of every cowboy movie in the 40s and 50s  He and Mom would have coffee and play pinocle almost every day before I was born.  When the time came, though, the nearest hospital was over the municipal line into Huntington Park.  Fact - I am a California girl and appear to have been born with a craving for caffeine.  Coincidence? I wonder.

If you haven't visited this part of the world, you would be surprised how many oil pumps you see in some areas.  Miles and miles of them; some not working, some rusty and worn, some very close together.  I was so slack-jawed that I did not get one photograph, but I will on the way back.

The end of our day took us through the Southern California Mars-like terrain - rocks, piles, and hills - an endless looking wasteland.  Now and then, there were dead or dying scrubby little trees and plants that made me think of the Zombie apocalypse for some reason.  There were surprises, though: the huge wind farms with white windmills for miles and the sudden appearance of a very large palm tree farm, and the biggest surprise - the General George Patton Museum sitting out in the middle of nowhere next to a gas station, with a dirt yard full of tanks and military equipment surrounded by steel fencing and nothing else for miles and miles.

These windmills went on for miles.

Palm tree starts for as far as you can see.

General George Patton, one of Steve's idols.

Tonight is spent in a much nicer motel, very close to Denny's where we sat in air conditioning (outside it was 108 F) and savored an ice cold soft drink before coming back to see if our room was less like an oven after turning on the AC.  Dinner, however, was at the appropriately named Sizzler Restaurant where the AC had broken down and they were trying to compensate with 4 big, free-standing room air conditioners, which really didn't do the job.  I inquired: the AC had been down for a whole month and the kitchen staff, slaving over the steak grill, had NO AC in 113 degree weather.  Criminal!

Sunset in Blythe, CA.  It hit 113 that day.

Tomorrow, Phoenix at last, where it's a cool 104 degrees.  We are arriving early by a couple of days and will be staying with my parents for that short period until we can move to our reserved BnB rooms on Monday, July 17.  It will be SO nice to stay in one place for a few weeks and explore the area without having to lug all our stuff around or wonder where we will sleep tonight.  I'm SO ready.

The California wasteland punctuated by Los Gatos and Santa Cruz

After meandering along the Pacific Coast Highway from Newport down to San Francisco, the sheen has definitely dulled for the "road trip", although it is proving to be an invaluable learning experience.  It has been frustrating to deal with a broken and slashed toe because how long can one be satisfied with watching the beach, the waves, and watching other people walking on the beach and playing in the water?  I believe that I have proven that period is not long.  I want to frolic in the waves, damn it! But, this stupid bandage will get wet and sandy.

Steve and I have agreed to cut to the chase.  He has enjoyed his share of beaches for this leg of the trip and we agreed to cut over to the direct route to Phoenix, AZ.  So, today...  we left Walnut Creek after our early morning breakfast with the cousins and we struck out for I-5.

There was a blur of heavy traffic, wrong turns, and mistakes that we have mental blocked and never intend to mention again.  We drove around the little town of Los Gatos, where I lived for one year, and found that the old saying is true "you can't go home again", in fact, you may never figure out where that home was.  We drove and drove and nothing looked familiar in any way.  I even stopped to use one of my "life lines" and called my father to find out what street we used to live on, or even what the name was of my elementary school that one year we lived in Los Gatos.  Neither of my parents could remember and I realized - the universe is telling me to "Let it Go, Donnie, Los Gatos no longer exists for you".

So... we ventured down to Santa Cruz, the site of some happy memories - the boardwalk, the amusement park, and the Concrete ship.  The boardwalk and amusement park are still there, better than ever!  My toe didn't want to walk around and check out the rides and games, but it was there.  (We, of course, forgot to take any pictures.  We were enjoying the moment.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)  The huge Concrete Ship, a merchant freighter, was no longer docked (sunk) at the Santa Cruz pier, though.  It was fascinating to that little 5th grade girl that something that large, made of concrete, could actually float.  I think it was my first real musing in the physics arena and my Dad came through with the explanation - air.  A ship made of just about anything will float because it has air inside the hull, cabins, rooms, holds, etc.

Central California, we agreed, looked an awful lot like the terrain of the Moon - all one color and sort of sculptured.  After an untold number of miles of that, we rolled into a little town called Buttonwillow, CA after dark to find a motel.  It was literally a truck stop town and the Super 8 was the best available.  [No photos.  It was a very long, rather trying day.]

Plans for Southern California

Tomorrow, we leave after breakfast with the cousins and head for San Jose and Los Gatos.  Hopefully, we will be able to make it to Santa Barbara by the end of the day.  But, I really want to mouse around in Los Gatos and take a look at Monterey, Morro Bay and maybe a little bit closer to the "no fly zone" where the Pacific Coast Highway has been closed by avalanches.

More to come...

Walnut Creek reunion

We arrived in Walnut Creek, CA (not of Little House on the Prairie fame, I think).  It was wonderful to share a home cooked meal in these lovely surroundings with Steve's cousins and just chat about family and whatever came into our heads.  Steve got to catch up on all the family news and I learned a lot about traveling, since both of them are much more experienced world travelers than we.  They have a lovely apartment and gave us a bed for the night, for which we are very grateful.

Tomorrow, we head for nearby San Jose and Los Gatos where Donnie spent an interesting year during 5th grade.  My father was given a temporary job in San Jose at General Electric and he took the whole family with him.  This was the eventful trip on which we (me and two younger brothers) traveled across the U.S. by car from Lynchburg, Virginia with our parents, a tranquilized Siamese cat, a very sick female Dachshund dog, and her litter of 2 week old puppies.  Poor Pixie couldn't nurse her babies, so my brothers and I took it in turns feeding all six puppies, whose  eyes were barely open, with tiny doll baby bottles and trying to keep the pups cool with the breeze from the open windows all the way across this great land.   We were driving the Southern route in late July with extremely high temperatures, especially in the Mojave Desert.  [Children, this was before cars had air conditioners and it was not pretty.]

I would like to see Los Gatos again, especially because this was the scene of my pre-teen suffering.  So much happened that year in that rented house.  It was hard to be wrenched from my friends and the culture that I had adopted in Lynchburg to live in this place where I knew no one, had a sick Mom, sick dog, and two little brothers to watch.  I chewed my fingers (yes, fingers), had my two adult eye teeth grow in on top of the baby eye teeth (yes, a trip to the dentist), and suffered mind numbing boredom (thank goodness for the bookmobile and horse riding lessons).  It's possible that I was not very good company during much of that year, though. :)

After the San Jose area, we will continue toward Los Angeles on the Pacific Coast Highway and see if we can sneak some peeks of the beaches on either side of the closed road between Monterey and San Luis Obispo.

Giant Redwood Forest and Pacific Coast Highway (and lots of elk)

We just drove through the Giant Redwood Forest in Northern California.  It's indescribable, of course, but I'll try.  Photos seem an impossibility right now, not that I didn't take quite a few.  Eventually, these photos of the Redwoods start looking the same, like the views of the beach.  I have a few photos that include Steve or myself, just to give a perspective.  But, many have seen photos of the Redwoods.  Being there is so much different.  What struck me was how MANY there are of the giant trees and the realization of how very old they are.  These trees can be up to 2000 years old, according to the U.S. National Parks.  How does a person wrap their mind around that idea?  Some of the trees I saw today could have existed during the Roman Empire, when there were still pharaohs in Egypt, during the Dark Age of Europe and the Renaissance.  Some will still be here when I and my children's children's children are long dead.  They are up to 375 feet tall, wider than the average human is tall, so silent, and so many.

Here Steve is asking if this tree makes his butt look too big.

There were two places to turn off of the Pacific Coast Highway in order to drive through these forests.  The State Parks person in Eureka at the State and National Park information center gave a lovely map and directions for the two scenic tours.  They are both well marked on the highway.  I particularly like the Avenue of the Giants, which includes large segments of the Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

The inside of a giant redwood.

The elk came out to send us off in search of a bed for the night.  This is where we learned that elk love to eat our roses just as much as deer.  The herd must have been at least 20 or so and they were definitely having their evening meal outside a small company house.

Those are definitely delicious roses next to the back steps.

Looks like the females and young grazed here and the adult males watched protectively from  across the street.

We were unable to find a campsite in the forests, so we ended up in Benbow, California in a lovely KOA beside a river.  We have another clean, tiny cabin (this time with air conditioner, private bathroom with shower!) at about 7pm, just in time before we both hit critical mass.  This was a very long day that started at 7am, on the road at 8:30am.

Tomorrow... we head for San Francisco and a short visit with Steve's cousins Kerry and Nancy, who live in the Orinda area.  

Oregon beaches, Siuslaw National Forest and Brookings, OR on the Calif. border

Florence, Oregon is a quiet little town on the Pacific Coast Highway.  My parents lived in several places in Oregon including Florence after they retired and quit the jewelry show circuit business.  [We are a gypsy family at heart.]  The beaches along the way after Florence were gorgeous.

We camped for the night in the Siuslaw National Forest (50% for Seniors with the National Park Card, friends) at the Sutton Campground.  Camping was not bad at all.  We set up at a site directly across from the bathrooms (running water, but no showers).

The cell service appears to be iffy for those with ATT and Tmobile on the Oregon Coast.  I'm told you need Verizon out here.  So, we have been off the radar for a few days.  Since I have Tmobile and ATT is the provider for the "bars" that I am finally getting right now, my service is very slow and uploading photos is not happening.  The scenery is outstanding and I will do a photo dump when I can manage it.

I'm sitting in the car (resting my healing, but broken toe) and looking at the beautiful beach at Harris State Park right now.  Those beautiful Oregon rocks are strewn just off the coast.  Steve is walking the beach and taking photos.  I am walking the sidewalk and doing the same.  (Sand and toe lacerations do not mix, not yet.)

Steve driving.

Steve in front of Harris beach.

Beach without Steve.

We spent the night in a great little RV resort near Brookings called At River's Edge.  They rent RV parking, little cabins, and tent space.  For two nights, we are renting one of their cute little cabins.  Ours could sleep 4 people, but it looks like a "tiny house".  They are clean, have a front porch and electricity, and best of all they are a short walk from bathroom and shower facilities.  They even have washer/dryers.  Heaven!

Indeed a "little house" and it's close to shower/toilets, too!

With the scent of dead sardines in our nostrils we ate our dinner in Brookings, OR and watched pelicans feed.  If you look really hard you can see pelicans all over the second jetty.

Tomorrow morning early, we make a run for the border.  As long has we don't have any produce we should be fine.  We've already crossed once because, oddly enough, you can't seem to buy a California road map outside of California.  (Believe me, I've been trying for 100 miles.  We are only a couple miles from the California border here, but Fred Meyer and two other places do not have California maps.)

False alarm.  We stayed one more day in Brookings (the sun belt of the Oregon coast) to explore its potential.  Steve definitely didn't want to leave.

As I finished packing, Steve gazed off into the misty banks of the river.