"We've Lost One of the Fifty" - revisiting New Mexico

"Just a really awesome picture
Cliff took in NM"

So there is something very different and unique about New Mexico.  We have been there a couple of times and I could never put my finger on it .. but I think I understand more now.  While visiting there last month, we learned that there are, apparently, a lot of people in the country who don’t even know that New Mexico is a state.  We met some wonderful people who shared some stories with us and showed us a copy of “New Mexico” magazine.  There is a running column in the magazine entitled “We Lost One of the 50”.  It is all stories that people write in about their experiences trying to convince people that yes, they actually are a USA State.  They have tourists coming into their stores to stock up on water because ‘everyone knows you can’t drink Mexican water”, or tourists coming into banks to get their dollars exchanged for Pesos.  There was a couple, originally from NM who went into a travel agency in FL to plan a trip home and the agent asked them to show her where in California, New Mexico actually was.  One of the extremes was a woman who called the State Department about getting a passport for her son and when she said she was from NM they gave her the number of the “Embassy” because they would have to handle it there.  And, I think, the worst of all was the New York Times during the elections in 2008, publishing a map of the United States electoral college and placing NM in the wrong place on the map.  But the people of NM seem to be amused by it. They know who they are and how much their home state has to offer. They are easy going, light hearted and very proud of their State…as they should be.

"Hangin' out with the girls of Hillsboro"

The place where we had this discussion was in a tiny….very tiny town… called Hillsboro.  With a population of 125 people, you can imagine that they all know each other and are all quite happy to greet any new people who come to visit their town.  They have a social gathering place called Black Range Vineyards.  We stopped in for a beer and ended up spending almost 6 hours there.  Throughout the afternoon, as we sat and chatted with the owner, probably half of the townspeople stopped in, had a drink, told us stories and chatted with each other, planning what everyone was going to get for a neighbor for his birthday and how they were going to celebrate it.  There were passers-by who stopped in for directions, bikers who were out on the roads and stopped in to warm up and travelers just looking for some water or a cup of coffee.  And everyone was greeted the same way that we were – with a big smile and open arms.  At one point I looked around and realized the whole place had turned into a “ladies” wine and chat, so, missing those kinds of days with my friends I went and asked if I could have my picture taken with them.  They were so gracious, not only with the picture, but asking if they could buy me a drink and have me join them for a while.  For a long time after we left the town, I had this romantic notion of wanting to move there – where everything was so simple and friendly and unassuming – but then I realized how far it was to the store, and worse yet, I remembered the stories of how they have virtually no internet and no cell coverage – which brought me back to reality very quickly.

"Pecan Groves of NM"

One of the things we are always amazed about is what products are the biggest business in different states.  Who knew that Texas grows rice, and Arizona grows cotton and New Mexico is the leading producer of Green Chiles?  The other surprising thing for me is the abundance of Pecan Farms there are in many places, including NM…and they are one of my favorite sights.  There is something so artistically beautiful about Pecan Groves.  They are planted in precise, perfect rows, much like the graves in a Military cemetery.  No matter what angle you look at them from they are perfectly aligned, perfectly straight and almost always the same height.  As you drive around you can see them in different stages of growth..from little saplings to tremendous sprawling trees forming beautiful, perfectly matching canopies.  You can also see them at all different stages of growth and harvest.  You may go by one grove that is completely flooded with irrigated water, and the next grove is in the process of being trimmed with huge organized piles of discarded branches ready to be burned.  I am not a very organized person, but for some reason I can drive around for hours and be just mesmerized by the beauty and precision of such a huge undertaking.  I can’t imagine how much work it is.

"Our little piece of heaven for the night"

Early on in our travels we realized there would be some places that we would not be able to travel to with the Fifth Wheel so we bought a small tent and all of the accessories so we could go to some back road places off the grid.  I think in my first blog about New Mexico I told you about the City of Rocks, outside of Las Cruces…a huge outcropping of rocks that you can climb around and over and through.  We have had the occasion twice now to camp out at the base of one of the rocks and it is amazing!  You are out in the middle of nowhere..there are some other

"Cliff's Time Exposure of the night sky"

people camping, but at the time we were there, there weren’t many.   Each “site” has a fire ring and a picnic table and plenty of room to set up camp.  The main event is the sunset, which is absolutely amazing and perfect every night.  Once the sun sets and the stars come out it is one of the most spectacular sights you can imagine.  I have always enjoyed looking at the stars at night, but never have I been in such a dark, remote area, with no ambient light from nearby towns or, even from other people.  We were fortunate enough to have almost moonless nights which made the sky even darker and more spectacular.  The first time we camped out there, I  woke up in the middle of the night to perfect darkness and absolute quiet...not a single sound.  Until the coyotes started howling in the field right behind us.  I don't know how close they actually were, I don't think I want to know.  At first I was absolutely scared to death, but Cliff calmed me down, and it was pretty amazing to listen to...so amazing that this last time we were there I couldn't wait to hear them again.

I know I haven't written in a long time.  I don't want to keep apologizing for not writing, but people are so very gracious asking me when I will continue our story.  I won't make promises, all I can say is our life continues to be amazing and I will try harder to share some of our experiences with you all.  In the meantime, follow your dreams, hug your family, and if you are reading this just before you go to bed, sleep tight.

At Home in the Desert

"It doesn't get more
 peaceful than this"

When we got on the road, it was hard to imagine ever finding a comfortable place for us to live that wasn’t in the Northeast.  Both of us were born and raised in upstate NY, and every house we ever lived in was within 20 miles of every other house we lived in.  All we knew was green forests and lots of lakes and rivers and mountains, no matter which way you traveled.  We loved the changing seasons, were lucky enough to live in one of the most beautiful areas for autumn, and even had our winter activities that we enjoyed in the snow and cold.   Getting on the road, we knew that we wanted to see as much of the country as possible and never imagined that we would “settle” in any one place for more than a month or so.  It really didn’t fit in to our vision of our “wandering” lifestyle.  As we move around the country, we certainly find places that we love, some harder to leave than others.

"The desert in bloom"

"A Beauty all of it's own"

Our first year in Tucson we knew there was a special feeling about it.  We had spent our first winter travelling in the South, through Louisiana, Texas, and on to New Mexico.  We were surprised to find that, even though we were far south, there was still the risk of snow, and we knew we had no interest in pulling our home on icy roads.  When we got to Tucson the weather was perfect, and we loved our surroundings.  We found a park that was big enough that we were able to spread out and never felt too crowded and we quickly found friendly people and realized how much there was to do in the area.  As with any new experiences, there were things to get used to.  The first day I went grocery shopping, I came home close to tears.  I told Cliff I couldn’t go back there because it seemed I was the only one who spoke English, and I didn’t recognize half the foods.  I found, in time, that I was just nervous, and have found now that there were just new kinds of foods to try and now I am recognized as “one of the regulars”.

"No, they aren't telephone poles"

"Color in the desert"

 My other big first impression of Tucson was the beauty of the natural surroundings.  In our park, you can turn around 360 degrees, and you will always have mountains in your view.  On our first motorcycle ride in the area, we went over a mountain pass and as we rode along I mentioned to Cliff that there were hundreds and hundreds of telephone poles on the mountain side.  As we got closer I realized that they were the tall Saguaro cactus, the natural asset and symbol of Arizona…the same cactus that wears a Sombrero in all of the Mexican restaurants up North.  I felt pretty silly about that until on two different occasions, when we had visitors, we took them in the same direction, and both times they asked the same question..”Why are there so many telephone poles on the mountainside?”  A lot of people don’t understand the beauty of the desert, but as much as we loved the tall majestic pines and dense forests of the Northeast, the Saguaro cactus and all of the open surroundings in the desert carries its own beauty that we look forward to exploring each year when we come back.

"We love living near the
Air Force Base"

I realized recently that Tucson is almost a mirror image of Clifton Park.  Drive a few  hours south and you are in a different country, a few hours west and you are at the ocean, and a few hours North and you are in a major city…just the opposite of driving North to Canada, East to the Atlantic, and South to NYC back home.  While we don’t really have much interest in going to Mexico, or even to the Pacific, we know the possibility is there if we are looking for it.  Maybe that gives me a sense of “home” that I grew up with.  What we did realize is that there are endless things to do here in the area.  We have been to music and sporting events, museums, festivals, we've ridden on beautiful, winding motorcycle roads and we found hiking that fits both Cliff, and myself. 

"We can't hate calling this home"

Since I’ve already written about Tucson before, I won’t go into too much detail about what there is to do, but rather, what it has taught us about ourselves.  As I mentioned before, in the beginning we never imagined settling down anywhere for any length of time.  But for us, we realized, realistically, that we needed a quiet time, a place where we could sit back, regroup and figure out our next plan of action.  Even with just slight medical issues, it is very difficult to get care and prescriptions from different places all of the time.  While the doctor’s we have had back at home, and one’s we have met on the road have been extremely gracious and willing to help, sometimes you just need familiarity and history with someone for them to feel they can do the job correctly.  Cliff is extremely conscious of caring for all of our vehicles, and he finds that, even though he does most things himself, it goes much easier if you can find people that you trust, stores that you know and time to do the job right.  So, while it may not be for everyone, we’ve decided that the best way for us to live on the road is to live “off the road” for a couple of months out of the year.

"My favorite view 
out our window"

We pull into Tucson the week before Thanksgiving and get settled in for the winter.  Before we even get there we have Dr. appointments made, repair lists and tons of “to do” lists so we are ready to get done what needs to be done.  We are right near the airport so we can travel to see family for the Holidays, and friends can come and visit us.  We have our traditions – things that we have found that we love to see over and over again, and we can always find new and fun things to do.  We have consistent people who we have seen over the years that we always look forward to catching up with, and who we leave with big hugs and promises of seeing each other the next year.  Cliff gives everything a good check up and everything gets cleaned and polished, repaired and tightened and readjusted, in time for us to pack up and get a fresh start in the spring.

"No matter where we are,
 this is home"

While we never planned on “settling down” we are so glad we found Tucson.  It gives us a feeling of security and familiarity, yet still feeling like we are living on the road.  I'm not sure how many years we'll continue to do it this way, but for now, we are so glad to have a place we have come to know and love, and that gives us a place to feel like we are "home away from home."

"From Sea to Shining Sea"

The View from our Thanksgiving Table

When I was a young girl I took sewing lessons.   I loved sewing, picking out materials and patterns, watching the whole thing come together piece by piece, seeing the “almost finished” product.  But I hated hemming….that last final step of completing a project and seeing my completed work. And so my creations stayed hanging in my closet.  I am sure there are all kinds of psychologists who could analyze this trait – I probably don’t even need anyone to analyze it, it’s probably pretty self-explanatory.  But the reason I am starting out with this tidbit of information is – I have many “unfinished” blogs.  I start writing them, get the words down on paper, but then I seem to have an aversion to finishing them and putting them out there.  People have been so very kind to me, encouraging me to write more blogs and telling me they miss reading them.  So, I am going to try this again, but from a different angle.

A bit of Americana

First of all, for anyone who is wondering…yes, we are still on the road, and yes, we are still loving it.  We have learned so much…about our country, our history, about people and, about ourselves.  Maybe one of the most important things we have learned about ourselves is, although we love all of the adventures that we find, there is still a part of us that needs some kind of stability.  With that in mind, our travels have changed a bit from our original plan, but we are doing what works for us.  The first winter we were on the road we learned just how unpredictable the weather can be.  There was snow and ice where we never imagined it, and it made us a little uncomfortable.  The second winter we discovered Tucson and quickly learned that it could become a “home away from home” for us.  We love the area and the people, the weather is so consistent with everything we want to do, and we can find pretty much anything that we could need here.  And we found that it is good for us..comfortable for us..to have the same place to return to so we can deal with everyday issues, maintenance on the vehicles, as well as maintenance on ourselves.  There is something about “familiarity” that helps rejuvenate us. So we head down here in November, and leave early in April.  We then spend the other 3 seasons doing “loops” around the country.

A Typical View in the Midwest

Last summer we headed East, and traveled to New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Arkansas.  We took a side trip to Wisconsin, The Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Minnesota to climb their high points. And because everyone else’s life doesn’t come to a standstill because we aren’t around, we welcomed our first Grandson into the world. We got to visit family in Wisconsin, Florida and Maryland and our daughter was able to come visit us in Tennessee. We visited Memphis and Nashville, immersing ourselves in the music, history and the cultures of the cities.  We got very adventurous with our taste buds trying cheese curds, chicken gizzards, chicken livers, quail and, believe it or not, our first corn dog.   We stayed in our first tornado shelter, watched rain and wind battering other RV’s while the campground roads become rivers, and witnessed some of the most amazing sunrises and sunsets that you can imagine.  Early in the season we saw baby calves in the fields finding their “new” legs and we watched farmers diligently plowing and planting their crops.  And then, coming full circle, as we made our way back to Arizona, we watched those same cows off in the fields on their own and saw the farmers, just as diligently, harvesting the fruits of their labor.  And, we have gotten to know people.  People whose lives never would have crossed with ours, yet meeting them has made our lives richer.  We met a bartender, who remembered us from our one visit there 2 years ago, we’ve met so many locals in small towns who just want someone to talk to and always want to share their story, and those who want to hear our story and are either amazed or appalled by it, and in Iowa I started an early morning coffee routine with a park owner and forged a lifetime friendship.

The Iowa State Fair

What never ceases to amaze us, is what an incredible country this is.  I think one of the biggest things I have learned about myself, is that growing up in the same place my entire life, I came to believe that everyone’s life was just like mine.  I have come to learn so much about the background of how this country was formed, the struggles that I never truly understood, and still really know so little about; I’ve learned more about the reasons why people have the beliefs they have and I have seen firsthand why we truly are a “melting pot”.  I have always considered myself a  patriotic person, and now when I listen to the National Anthem, I see things differently, with more pride than I've ever had.  When I listen to the crowd sing along at a rodeo because they can’t contain themselves from their pride, when I watch a show start with a simple prayer, or a game start with a salute to the military, and when I watch our son carry the flag in his Honor Guard, I am so very grateful to have this opportunity to have a better understanding of just how different, yet the same, we all are, and how many sacrifices have been made to get us here.

Winterset, Iowa
Smalltown America

And now our journey will continue.  After a winter spent with familiar faces and places, we'll head north, the ultimate goal being Montana..with as many small towns, festivals and as much natural beauty as we can find along the way.

And, yes we are still alive, yes, we are still on the road and yes, it is every bit as exciting and as adventurous as we hoped it would be.  And hopefully, I will stop worrying so much about “hemming” my clothes, and try to concentrate on why I started making them in the first place.

Year Two - And Still Going Strong

Us, 2 years later

It is so hard to believe that it has been 2 years since we drove away from Clifton Park and started on this amazing adventure.  As always, when you hit a landmark, it makes you stand back and look at where you are, and where you are going.  Sometimes the best way to make that assessment is by listening to other people and thinking about the questions they ask.

The Grand Tetons

Probably, the most common question we are asked is “Where is your favorite place that you have been?”   You would think that this would be easy to answer, but it is very difficult.  We talk about it all the time and really can’t pinpoint any place in particular.  We have definitely learned that we are not City people.  While being 
close to a city can come in handy when necessary for a close airport or a big event, traffic is one of the things we gladly left behind.  Having to park a “big-ass” dually doesn’t help either, so we avoid cities whenever possible.  I think Iowa comes to both of our minds when people ask, and we know it’s a favorite because of the people. Everyone we met was so kind and so genuine. When we left there, we truly felt like we were leaving home and look so forward to going back again.  
Arkansas, of all places, was probably our favorite place for motorcycle roads.  Rolling hills, no traffic, lots of good pavement and lots of simple destinations…all the things we look for in a good day of motorcycling.  I guess we’ve made it clear to ourselves that Tucson is also on the top of our list …since it is the first place we are returning for a long period of time.  And the best part is, we are both really looking forward to being back there.  It’s a big enough city that there is a ton of stuff to do but small enough to feel comfortable.  And you can’t beat the weather!  The great thing is, while it’s hard to pinpoint our favorite place, there are very few places that we would not want to return to.

A little snow in Arkansas

I think the next most common question is “What was it like to leave your house?” and “Do you miss having a house to go back to?”  This is a much easier question to answer than I ever thought it would be.  Driving away that first morning was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done.  We were both like deer in the headlights – in a bit of a daze, wondering what we had gotten ourselves into.  It amazes me now that I was able to get past that.  Do we miss having a house?  No..we very easily came to think of the RV as our house and our home.   We made it into exactly what we want and the only difference for us is that we have a different view out our windows every few weeks.  The most difficult part was certainly leaving behind the memories of where our kids grew up, and truth be told, I still have twinges about that.   But I know, even if we were still in the same house, the kids would still live in other states and they wouldn’t be around all the time.   I like to think it’s easier for them because we travel to them instead of them having to travel to us.  Their homes are where all our new family memories will be made.   We certainly don’t miss the upkeep and responsibilities of having a big house and we very quickly learned the difference between “house” and “home”.  As the Billy Joel song goes “Wherever we’re together, that’s my home” and we couldn’t say it more perfectly.

Our tiny tree in our tiny house

Which leads me to “What is the hardest thing about your new life?”   Again, an easy one for me to answer…  Being away from our kids, our family and our friends.  I can remember a few weeks before we left NY, standing and looking at a map and looking at Idaho (not really sure why I chose Idaho) and thinking “I can’t possibly go that far away from everyone I know and love.”  As I have mentioned before, I don’t think I could do it without modern technology.  I talk to the kids on a regular (sometimes daily) basis, I know what is going on with them at all times and I know when I need to hear their voice, they are only a call away.  

Pine Valley, Utah

While everyone may not be a fan of social media, I love that I know what is going on with everyone at the same time that everyone else knows.  I always hated being left out.  And I am amazed and thrilled with how blessed I am with strong friendships that truly last over time and miles.  Everyone has been so genuinely interested in how we are doing and where we are going.  There are those who know at any moment where we are on the map, down to our travel days and our “hit the road” times and our “beer in hand” times when we are settled in a new place.  For a brief moment before we left, I was concerned that I would lose those relationships, and yet now as I sit here in Idaho, I am overwhelmed by how strong they have stayed and how much joy they still bring to my life even from this far away.

Air Museum in Tucson

“Is being on the road what you expected?”   Again, there can be multiple answers to this one – we have had lots of surprises.  I think for me, one of the big ones is, how very little I actually know about anything.  I was a good student all my life and I always liked to learn new things…but I am astounded by how much I have learned, and I am completely aware now that what I do know is simply a drop in the bucket.  While I used to take pride in the fact that I knew the capitals of all the states (thanks to my kids elementary school classes) I am now very proud that if someone mentions a state to me I know exactly where on the map it is without even looking.   I have drawn so much on my earliest education in Geography and History and have been able to take all those little pieces of the puzzle and put them together in reality, and begin to have a picture of how this amazing country really came to be.  Our favorite places to go are small, local museums that dedicate themselves to just a couple of topics, where we can actually comprehend what they are talking about.  We have been on the road long enough, that some of those museums are starting to cross over and we are able to see how everything is connected.   It is amazing to me how each State has its own feel, its own pride, and if you are there long enough you start to feel the same thing, or at least understand it.  

Hot Air Baloon Ride in Sedona

I think the second biggest surprise for me is the people we have met along the way.  I knew we would meet people, chat with them, and then move on, but I never imagined that we would meet people, stay in touch with them and look forward to seeing them again.  Again, social media is paramount to be able to do that, and it works for us.  We have met other RVers, people who are just on vacation, and even local people who we know we will meet again some day.  It makes the world a much smaller place.  I will always remember talking to a woman in Texas who was also a full-timer, on the road a little longer than we had been.  After we talked for a while about what our lives were like, we said our goodbyes and started to walk away.  She turned back to me and said “Can I ask you a question….do you miss hugs as much as I do?”  with a little choke in my throat, I said yes, and we gave each other a hug as if we had known each other all our lives, and then moved on.

Fun with 3D chalk drawings

Another favorite question is “When are you going to stop?”  I totally understand that question, because it’s hard for people to understand that we don’t have a “permanent” house.  That is a security that we all grow up with, and it’s hard to think about a life without it.  It certainly was one of the most difficult parts for me.  For us, if you will excuse the cliché, this adventure is totally about the journey, not the destination.   We worked hard to get where we are, we have been blessed with incredible kids and with good health.  Every day is new for us and we have no idea what the future will hold.  As long as our kids are good, our health is good and we are happy, “stopping” doesn’t come up as an option.  Certainly, we will make adjustments as we go along, we will slow down, we will roll with the punches.  But in the meantime, we will take each day as it comes and each new place as a whole new beginning.

The Golden Spike - East meets West

And finally, the question we love the most – “How do you stand living in that tiny space 24/7 with just each other?”  While that sounds like an extremely negative question, it’s the one piece of advice we give to anyone who is considering this “wandering” lifestyle.  It is a small space, you are together all of the time, and you have to be sure that you really get along before you even consider it.  Do we ever have our bad days?  Absolutely.  It would be unrealistic to think differently.  I think we have become much more in tune with each other on those days, and we don’t have a problem saying “I need some space today, I’m cranky”.  For the most part, we have the great outdoors to escape to.  Our RV site, wherever we are, has become Cliff’s workshop where he works on the truck, the RV or some other project he has come up with or he finds the closest mountain to challenge himself with.  It is also my giant phone booth, where I walk and talk and keep those family and friend connections alive and strong.  But for the majority of the time, we are just sharing the journey.  We both have the same goals, the same interests and the same love for each other and for what we are doing.  If we are not making a new memory, we are talking about one that we just made.  While we have our “down” days where we just stay home and do normal, everyday living, the majority of our time is spent immersing ourselves in the area around us, learning together, being in awe together, and most importantly, laughing together.

Cliff Falling through the sky

The one question that I know many of our loved ones have had, but never asked, and I asked myself a thousand times over is “What the hell are you doing?”   I have always been a person of strong roots, and never, ever liked change.  I have only had 2 sets of dishes in 35 years of marriage, and I still use the same brand of paper towels that I used back then.  I am a creature of habit.  

Bonneville Salt Flats

So what am I doing in this crazy, ever-changing lifestyle?  We all have our bucket lists of things we want to do, and one of mine was to become a braver, stronger person.  I never expected to learn so much on the road, and some of the most important things I have learned have been things about myself.  I have learned to let go of things that aren’t important and to hold on to the things that are.  I’ve learned that I can adapt much easier than I ever thought I could and that if I face a difficult situation head-on rather than freaking out about it, it is much easier to deal with.  Most importantly, I have learned how very fortunate and blessed I am.  I have a husband/sidekick/friend who is more than willing to chauffeur me around everywhere we go, who does all the "guy" jobs (most of them which are the worst jobs to be done), who wants to learn as much as I do and who wants to have fun along the way.  I have fantastic kids who encourage us all along the way, and friends and family who are always there for us, no matter how far away "there" is.  Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for every step of this journey.  If every day can be as amazing as these past 2 years have been, we are in for a very bright, incredible future.

The Sun Shines Down on a South Dakota Morning...

Home Sweet Home

I am going to back up a little bit to try and fill in the blanks of our journey on the road.  I felt bad when I realized that I am actually a full year behind, but I don’t want to leave anything out, so I will go back to June of 2014 when our travels took us to South Dakota.

As many of you know, when you become a full-time RV'er,  you need to declare a State of residency.  Since we didn’t have property or anything else holding us to NY, as much as we love our home state, it didn’t make sense for us to keep our residency there.  South Dakota has a whole industry that helps make life easier for RV'ers, so we chose that as our residency.  That being said, our next big stop on our journey was visiting our new home state for the first time.  We decided to settle near Sturgis, but didn’t want to be part of the craziness of the motorcycle rally, so we got there in the end of June and spent the whole month of July.  It was a perfect move, since we got to feel all of the excitement and anticipation of the Rally.  We got to talk to bartenders and other locals to get the full scoop of what it was really like when the masses descended, but we were able to leave before everyone else arrived.

Fun at Devil's Tower

Devil's Tower

We realized immediately that the big draw for us there was going to be the awesome motorcycle roads and the amazing scenery.  Our first stop was Devil’s Tower.  For some reason, I was just blown away by it.  I had seen it on TV and in pictures but there was something so awe inspiring about it.  I guess I always thought you could just drive by and take a picture of it, but it was so much more when I realized you can climb and walk all the way around the base.  It was another one of those days that I felt like a giddy little child running and playing on the rocks. 

Mt. Rushmore

Peek-a-boo

 While on the subject of awe inspiring sights in South Dakota, I certainly can’t forget Mt. Rushmore.  Again I was surprised at the way you can walk all around it and you could get so much closer to it than I ever imagined.  They certainly have done it right with the surroundings, a beautiful entrance with all the US Flags and lots of history to help you really understand what went into it.  If anyone ever asked me, I would say this should be a definite #1 priority on your list of things to see in the United States.  The other thing I love about it is that you can see it from so many different vantage points…you don’t have to be right at the park, you can see it from different roads with different views.  We took the Iron Mountain Road which is a famous “pigtail” motorcycle road through the mountains, and there were places you could pull off and get pictures of Mt Rushmore even from that far away.

Mamma & Baby Mountain Goat

Although those two thing are probably the most famous, there are certainly other amazing sights to see in SD.  The Badlands was just indescribably beautiful.  I have to admit, the name never sounded inviting to me, but so many people recommended that we go there, we had to give it a shot.  I am so grateful that we didn’t let the chance go by.  It was a long day trip and a long drive through the Park, but it was one of those places where every corner you turned you saw something new.  We were lucky enough to see a mother Mountain Goat with her baby, teaching her how to leap the rocks.  I could have spent all day just watching that happen.  Nature at it's best.

Cliff's View for the day

My View for the day

We were able to do 2 more High Points .. and by “we”, I mean Cliff did one and we did the other together.  Harney Peak in SD was one of my favorites that he has done.  He did the hard part, climbing the mountain, but there was a gorgeous, peaceful lake at the base of it and I got to spend the day enjoying the outdoors in my own way.  We also did a day trip to North Dakota where the “climb” was more like a “walk” so I was able to join him.  It was a fun day and we got to say we visited ND too, so it was successful.

Center of the US

True Center of the US

As strange as it seems, South Dakota is the geographical center of the United States.  If you moved Hawaii and Alaska right next to the border, the center of the whole land mass is in Belle Fourche, SD.  They have a really well done monument with all of the State flags and a great welcome center, definitely a picture taking opportunity.  The funny thing is that where the monument is, is not actually the center.  Where the geographic marker actually is, is not very convenient, so they “fudged” the coordinates a little so it would be in the middle of town.  The cool part is, if you know where to look, you can actually get to the true center – just a flag with a sign next to it out in a field down a dirt road.  I’m not sure how many people know that, but I was glad that we figured it out and found it.

Surprise note from a friend

There are 2 major “man-made” attractions in this part of SD that both kept us busy.  The first one was the town of Deadwood.  It’s very touristy, but there was something about it that we just loved…enough to make several visits there.  It is the town where Wild Bill Hickock was shot, and was the town that the TV series Deadwood was based on.  We loved the series years ago when it was first out, but we had a blast watching it all over again in the RV and feeling that we were right there in the center of it all.  In my last blog I mentioned a couple that we met in Wyoming who were travelling back to Canada, via SD.  Shortly after they left I got an email message from her with clues to where they left a message for us.  Sure enough, in one of the most popular bars, they had left us a little note under a lantern on the fireplace.  I think people thought we were crazy nosing around the fireplace, but it was such fun to find the note and know that it was left for us.  

Bird's eye view of the parade

Deadwood also had their “Cowboy Days” parade while we were there.  Just like it sounds, it was a local parade celebrating the history of the Cowboy in the West.  When we arrived, the streets were packed and we didn’t think we’d have a shot at seeing the parade.  On a whim, we went to the end of the street where we knew there was a bar with a balcony upstairs.  We wandered up and a very nice couple, sitting right at the railing invited us over to sit with them.  We had the bird’s eye view of the parade, full bar service, shade and the MC was speaking from up there.  We felt like VIP’s, which made the whole experience that much more fun.

Full Throttle Saloon

The other big attraction in this area, is as I mentioned, Sturgis and the motorcycle rally.  A lot of people were surprised that the rally wasn’t actually one of our “bucket list” items, but we are pretty simple people, and the crowds and the hype just don’t appeal to us.  What did appeal to us was visiting all of the famous bars, and watching the whole thing come together.  We have always watched “Full Throttle Saloon” on TV so we had to make a stop there.  It was fun wandering around and seeing everything we see on the show in reality, including, for those who watch the show, Angie’s “ass” wandering around.  A few days later we were in one of the other popular bars and Cliff said “there’s Michael from Full Throttle”.  I laughed, assuming that he was joking but he pointed, and sure enough there he was sitting at the table across from the bar.  That was far more fun for us than pushing our way thru the crowds just to say we saw someone famous.  Since we were there for quite a while,  we saw the Rally from the very beginning, from the tents going up and the venues opening…right to all of the motorcycles riding in, as we rode out of town.  For us it was the best “Sturgis” experience we could have had.

Mt. Rushmore

South Dakota weather gave us some challenges.  For the first time we had such extreme winds that we had to pull our slideouts in.  There was a very nice gentleman in another site who came over and asked if we had ever been in the area before.  When we said no, he said, it was very important to keep an eye on the wind, because it can change very quickly.  He suggested that we pull the slideouts in for the night, and as we looked around we realized that most people had done the same.  It was an adventure, sleeping in our little tiny house made even tinier, but listening to the wind howl outside, it made us feel much safer, and was well worth it.  We also hit our first extreme temperatures in South Dakota, needing our air conditioners more than ever.  Unfortunately, our main one blew out on us so we had to pack everything up and take the RV in to get it replaced.  We were grateful to find a dealer right nearby who could do it for us, so it wasn’t too much of an inconvenience.  After we lost the AC we got talking about the fact that we had noticed, and talked to several people who were having trouble with their air conditioners.  For those electrical savvy people reading this, Cliff had made a device that he can plug into the power source at each site and check the voltage and other bad things that can happen with the electricity (As you may have guessed, I am not one of those electrical savvy people).  Just out of curiosity, he plugged the device in to check it, and realized that the lines were uneven and that was what was causing the issues.   He spoke to the park about it and they sent their electrician, who borrowed Cliff’s device to check ours and other sites in the park.  It was kind of cool for him to be able to help them out..I’m pretty sure he could have sold the device for big bucks at that point.  In the end, we wandered around the park and found a power source that was working right and moved the RV to that site for the remainder of our stay.

The Badlands

We decided one day to go to a local fish hatchery.  We had seen them before and didn’t know anything about them.  It was really interesting and we learned a lot about the history and the whole process of “farming” fish.   We were walking along, ready to leave, and we could hear someone yelling behind us.  They couldn’t be yelling for us, after all, we were in South Dakota, who would possibly know us?  They were persistent enough to get up our curiosity, and it turned out that they were talking to us.  It was someone we had met in Albuquerque back in April. Lon and his wife, Barb, “work camped” at the Hatchery and he recognized us walking around the park.  We ended up having dinner with them and enjoying the company of our first “repeat” people on the road.  Once again, emphasizing what a small world it really is.

Fun With Presidents

Rapid City, SD is known as the “City of Presidents”.  It’s a great little city to walk around, but the coolest part is the Walk of Presidents.  There is a bronze statue of each president on every corner.  You can pick up a map and just wander the streets and get a little history of each president.  We loved the way the poses were done, really depicting the personality and the impact each one of them had on the country.    We had so much fun wandering around, finding our favorites and quizzing each other on how much we could remember learning about each one.  It was a great history lesson while having a great time.

Our time in South Dakota was also filled with kayaking, geocaching, a visit to the famous Wall Drugs, several cute and clever local bars, each trying to outdo the others, lots of history and lots of local culture.  Add that to the amazing, breathtaking scenery and it made for an unforgettable stop for us.  It's fun to leave a place and know that you will have no problem returning someday to redo some things and spend time looking for new and memorable adventures.

If You've Never Been to Tucson.....

"Our winter home"

So, I will admit, one of my personality flaws is that I am a procrastinator.  And the more I put something off, the harder it is for me to start again.  Not an excuse, just an explanation why I haven’t written in so long.  I am far behind on all of our adventures, so I think I will start with our winter in Tucson, and then go back and fill in the blanks. 

We arrived in Tucson in early December.  We found a nice RV Park, the weather looked decent and the airport was nearby making it easy to go spend the holidays with the kids, so we decided to stay into January.  In mid-April, three months longer than we had planned to stay, we left to head north, with so many memories and for the first time, with reservations to return next winter.

"New York, New York"

One of the big things that made Tucson so special was the people.  OK, back up a step.  One of the big things that made Tucson so special was that our RV Park had an awesome bar where we met so many awesome people.  Our first visit to the bar we met Ricardo, the bartender and a native to Tucson.  It may not surprise anyone that knows us, but within a short time we had our own seats at the bar and our own “reserved” signs for special occasions. When Ricardo wasn’t there we met Jeromy, who lives full time on the road with his family, and home schools his kids.  Between the two of them, our glasses were always full and we never lacked for conversation or laughs.  One of the first Friday nights that we were there, there was a singer, Patrick, and his wife Sharon, who quickly had us up on the dance floor and singing along to our favorites.  That first night, we requested “New York, New York” and they weren’t able to do it.  The following week, Patrick came over to us and said he had a surprise for us at the end of the show.  When the time came, his finale was “New York, New York” and we had several people up dancing with us.  For the next several weeks, it became the standard and we had our “regulars” (even the bar staff) up dancing with us.  It doesn’t matter where you are from in the country – people seem to love to kick their heels up to that song.

"Slap-shot

We also realized in the first week, that our friends, Kim & Christi, who had “watched over” our RV in Louisiana while we were away last Christmas were going to be in the same park with us.  It doesn’t happen often, so it was great to see some familiar faces.  They also introduced us to other friends of theirs whom we got to spend an awesome evening with at a local Christmas lights festival, dinner and learning all kinds of new things about life on the road .  Another “people” highlight was meeting Scott and Annie who live in Wisconsin but were spending the winter in Tucson.  We quickly realized when they had their own “reserved” sign at the bar too, that we would enjoy hanging out with them.  We had some fun evenings watching sports, hanging out at their place and even doing our “slap shot” with them.  With any luck they will return next year and we will be able to have a reunion of the whole bunch of us.

The top “people” memory that Tucson brought to us was our first real visitors from our family.  Cliff’s sister and her husband, Kathy & Herb, flew out from Wisconsin and stayed for almost a week.  Our house is tiny for 4 adults to live in, so they stayed in a nearby hotel, but we were able to spend each day with them doing all kinds of fun things in the area showing them around Tucson and spending the evenings hanging out at "our place.”  As  much as we love all of the new people we meet on the road, there is nothing like the comfort of hanging out with people who share memories, who know where you come from and who are truly excited about your new adventure.  I love having the memories of spending that special time with them in our own little house so far from New York and can't wait til they come visit us again.

"Up close with the raptors"

Tucson completely surprised us with all that there was to do.  Probably one of our favorite things was the desert museum.  We have certainly found ourselves in more museums in the past year and half than we have the whole rest of our lives.  This one ranked up there as our favorite so far.  It was described as a combination museum/aviary/zoo, and it didn’t disappoint.  It gave great descriptions of everything that we were about to find ourselves surrounded by while exploring the area over the next few months and it made it so much more fun as we traveled around the desert and had a much better understanding of just what we were looking at. 

Garden Eels..now you see them..

It had an incredible raptor show, an aviary of just hummingbirds and it was actually a zoo with all the wild animals you may or may not see in the area.  My top favorite was the garden eels…one of those things I never knew existed.  It’s hard to explain – but they were like worms sticking straight up out of the sand underwater, and every time a fish would swim by they would slip under the sand so you didn’t even know they were there.  It sounds simple but it was an amazing aspect of nature that just fascinated me.  I could have watched them all day…and was so excited to show them to Cliff’s sister when we took them there.

 We spent a day in Old Tucson, a fun park that was a movie set for hundreds of westerns, old and new, including Cliff’s all-time favorite “Young Guns”.  They did all kinds of shows and tours and you could wander around the sets on your own, imagining what it would have been like bustling with people and cameras.  Cliff got chosen to go up on stage with the dancing girls and play the triangle in their “jug” band and I got chosen to go on trial in the courthouse for being “a woman dressed in blue jeans.”  I was found guilty and sentenced to “leave town” by 6:00 (closing time).

Go Wings

We made two overnight trips to Phoenix.  One to see a Detroit Red Wings Game – our favorite team since the beginning of hockey.  We were anxious about being the only ones in Red Wings Jerseys – but as soon as we got to the town square, all  we could see was red.  It turns out that so many people have moved to that area from Detroit, there are more Red Wing fans than there are Arizona fans.  It made for a really fun evening, and it didn’t hurt that the Wings won.  Our second trip to Phoenix was a huge bucket list item for Cliff... flying an aerobatic plane.  The pilot would demonstrate a move, and then hand the controls over and let Cliff do the maneuver himself.  He was able to do loops, and spins and torque rolls, slides and tumbles, all things that don't sound like you should be doing them in an airplane.  In the end, the pilot and ground crew were all extremely impressed with how quickly he learned and how well he handled himself, the plane, and the “g force.”  He was like a little kid at Christmas for weeks after.. something he will always remember.

We went to the Titan Missile Museum – the only missile site left from the Cold War.  It was an amazing place to visit, especially for those of us who remember living through the “bomb shelter” days.  It was just fascinating to realize the conditions that the entire country lived in during that time.  I was chosen to sit in the commander’s seat to demonstrate taking the call and turning the key that would launch the missile that would change the world.  It was such a humbling experience..one that still stays with me.  It was one of those times that I really wished I could have a conversation with my Mom & Dad and hear just what it was like for them, living through those days, with a total understanding of what was going on.

We did a weekend in Vegas, where, for me the highlights were zip lining over Fremont Street and riding the new Eye in the Sky, the giant Ferris wheel that overlooks the city.  You can get a car that has a bar in it, usually holding 30 people.  We had 6 people, but the bartender seemed to think she still needed to make enough drinks to serve 30, so thankfully we were walking home that night.  The view was absolutely amazing at night..it was a real treat.   We are not big gamblers, but we saw some great shows, shot some big guns and tried to take in as much as we could.

We went to the amazing Air Museum, kayaked in a beautiful reservoir and drove up Mt. Lemmon a couple of times.  It is such a great drive – you start out in true desert, pass through 4 temperate zones and end up with beautiful lush, green trees, water, and sometimes even snow at the top.

Early on in Tucson a lot of people asked if we were going to Mexico, since we were so close to the border.  Having talked to a lot of people in previous places, we had decided not to make that venture.  But after being in the area, and feeling more comfortable, we decided to go for it.  It was very easy (thanks to Cliff's pre-planning).  We drove about an hour, parked the truck and walked across the border.  Nogales is probably one of the nicest places you can cross into in Mexico.  Many of the other border towns have become scary and dangerous.  But this was a lovely little town, with shops and bars and lots and lots of pharmacies.  I have heard people say that they cross the border for their meds, but I had no idea.  In other countries, the locals will be out on the streets trying to sell their pukka shell necklaces, or wanting to braid your hair or charge you to take a picture with their parrot on their shoulder.  In Mexico they stand there yelling.."Valium, Prozac, get your  Xanax here".  I'm not sure how the whole thing works, but we certainly could have come home highly medicated.  All in all though, we were so glad we made the trip.  As much as we enjoyed wandering around the streets, it was a fabulous feeling to walk back across the border and know that we were home.

So for those of you who have wondered, yes we are still on the road and yes we are still loving it. Thank you so much to everyone who has asked about my blog and have said that they miss it.  I will try to be better about it, because after more than a year and a half on the road, there isn't a day that we don't remind each other how fortunate we are and how we look forward to seeing what other adventures lie ahead of us.  And as for Tucson, we can't wait to get back in December and start all over again.