Carson City, Nevada

While in California we decided we would visit Carson City Nevada, since we were so close, and it would help us get one state closer to our goal of visiting all the State Capitals. We had to drop off the 5th wheel for some maintenance, so used that opportunity to drive to Carson City, tour the capital, stay the night, and visit historic Virginia City the following day before driving back home. Carson City is really small (in my opinion) for a Capital City. It is very historic, however, and we picked up a brochure that guided us on a walking tour of “The Kit Carson Trail” which follows a blue line painted on the sidewalks throughout the city. We took that walk and saw many beautiful old houses and mansions, and got a feel for the city overall. The Capital itself was very small, with almost all working government offices moved off site, and the capital itself more like a museum.

Virginia City is even smaller than Carson City, and seems to be no more than a collection of old-timey shops, saloons, restaurants, and tourists attractions. The highlight here was the Catholic Church, St. Mary’s in the Mountains. It was a beautiful old church inside and out with lots of stained glass and woodcarving. It is an active church with regular masses, but also welcomes tourists.

The pictures attached include a shot of the Capital entrance, a picture of the Great Seal of the State of Nevada, Nevada’s 125th Anniversary quilt, and a picture of St. Mary’s in the Mountains church.

Feather Falls Hike

We can’t quite remember if it’s been five or six years that we have made our Annual Feather Falls Hike, but no matter, every time there are two things that never change. One, the falls are always spectacular, and two, the hike always kicks my butt!! Feather Falls is located on a modest tributary of the Middle Fork Feather River, in Plumas National Forest in Butte County, California. At 640 feet, it is the sixth highest waterfall in the United States. It is visible from the middle arm of Lake Oroville. There are two trails maintained by the United States Forest Service leading up to it. The nearby town of Feather Falls, California takes its name from the falls.
The first quarter mile of trail is easy, gently rolling downward until you come to a split. At this point, you can take a shorter, steeper trail down (3.3 miles), or a longer, less steep trail down (4.5 miles) to reach the Falls. Going down isn’t such a big deal, and there isn’t much difference between the two trails if you are in pretty good shape. Coming back up, however, it is much easier to take the longer less steep way out. We’ve done it both ways. The first year we went we didn’t realize the difference, and took the short way in and out. Ouch!! We weren’t in shape for that and felt the aches and pains for several days. The next two or three times we took the short way down, the long way back, and it was better. It still kicked my butt, but not as hard or as long! This year we thought we would try the short trail back up because we have both taken up running in the last couple of years and figured we must be in better shape than ever. And, it may not have been such a big deal except that we sort of got off trail on the last mile out and climbing out of the hole we found ourselves in was probably harder than if we had stayed on the actual trail. Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men, now we’ll never know!

Here are a few snap shots from the hike.

Annual Wildflower Hike on the Darrington Trail

Before Dan and I started living full time in our 5th wheel, we enjoyed first, tent camping and, eventually, trailer camping in a small 22 foot travel trailer. When we lived in the Sacramento area, we would often camp, hike, and bike at the Peninsula Campground, located on the east side of Folsom Lake in a remote location, approximately 45 minutes from the closest town of Auburn or Placerville. The campground is nestled in low, rolling hills that for most of the year are dry and brown, like the rest of the surrounding area of the Sierra Mountains foothills. But for a short period of time each year, usually in late March through April, the hills turn a beautiful green, and the wildflowers explode. This is our favorite time of year to visit Peninsula, and we have made it an annual tradition to hike on the Darrington Trail (a 7.7 mile hiking and mountain biking trail) during this brief wildflower season. We have seen many varieties of flowers over the years, including buttercups, lupine, poppies, Indian paintbrush, wild iris, mule’s ears, fivespots, and larkspur. It’s hard to believe the difference in this area from early spring through the end of summer, and to be able to visit Peninsula Campground and the Darrington Trail at least once during these brief few weeks to experience the beautiful green and flowers is well worth it. Of course, while staying in Sacramento this Spring, we made it a point to make the drive for a day hike on the trail. What surprised us this time was how low Folsom Lake and the American River were. In all the years we’ve been going to this area, we’ve never seen it this low. In fact, at about the half way point on the trail, we came across an old concrete bridge that we had never seen before, never even knew it existed! It was fun to explore this area again, especially since we don’t know for sure where we will be next Spring. Here are some pictures Dan took along the trail.

Sacramento, California

Even though Dan and I are both from the Sacramento area (me from birth until age 51, Dan since the 1970’s), neither one of us had ever properly toured our own state capital. Sure, we had been inside numerous times, it is a fixture in downtown Sacramento, and I’ve even ran a couple of 5K’s that started on the capital grounds. And, since visiting all the state capitals is one of our goals, we felt Sacramento should be no different. So one day when the 5th wheel was in the shop for routine maintenance, we took off on foot to tour downtown Sacramento and the capital. I’ve always felt that Sacramento has one of the prettiest capital buildings and the surrounding park, and so far I haven’t changed my mind. Not to say I won’t – we’ve only seen seven so far! I worked right across the street from the capital for 20 years, and one of my favorite things to do during my lunch break was to walk around Capital Park. The entire loop measures 1.1 mile, and is a beautiful tree-lined walk with flowers, birds, squirrels, lots of people, and changing scenery depending on the season of the year. Attached are some pictures of our tour.

Half Marathon

Two years ago when I turned 50 I took up running. It wasn’t my idea! Although always an avid walker, I never thought I could be a runner. And, the older I got, the less I considered it an option. Then my daughter had a baby and wanted to take up running to help her loose weight and get back into shape. She asked me to join her in training for a 5K (3.1 miles). That was in March 2006. Cory found a 5K training program on the Internet (www.coolrunning.com) which we used to prepare ourselves for our first 5K scheduled in June 2006. Little did I know that I would quickly grow to enjoy running like I did. Granted, I’m not a real fast runner, but I have been able to systematically lengthen the distance of my runs over the last two years, starting with 5K’s, then 10K’s, and finally today, running my first Half Marathon (13.1 miles).

I decided to tackle the Half Marathon in December 2007 as a way to keep myself motivated to continue my weekly runs. Although I enjoy this activity, there are times, as with anything, when motivation and desire wane, and I was experiencing this myself towards the end of last year. I looked up how to train for a Half Marathon by my favorite running author, Jeff Galloway, and found he recommended a 17-week plan. I started looking around for events that would be held in May or later, thinking that would give me plenty of time to prepare. Then Dan and I found out we would be in and/or traveling to Alaska during that period of time, and there weren’t any events scheduled in Fairbanks during the time we would be there. Plan B was the Shamrock’n Half Marathon scheduled in Sacramento in March, but that would only give me 11 weeks to train instead of 17 if I started training on January 1st. I decided to go for it, and just try my best.

Keeping to my training schedule was sometimes difficult while on the road. Every two weeks I was supposed to increase my weekly “long run” by 1.5 miles. I was never exactly sure where we were going to be, if there would be a good place to run, or what the weather would be like. Dan was great, always running with me on the short runs, and on his bike with me on the long ones. On January 20th on my 8 mile training run, we were in Bernalillo, NM, and the temperature when I started out that morning was 32 degrees! I’ve attached a picture from that day, it’s the one where I am all bundled up! On February 26th I fell while skiing and twisted my knee. That was touch and go for a few days. At one point I almost called Fleet Feet to ask if I could transfer my entry to someone else, as the race had completely sold out. Luckily I healed in about a week, and the worst thing that happened is that I had to postpone my 12 mile training run by 4 days. The 12 mile run was my longest run prior to the Half Marathon, so I had never actually run that distance before today. During training, I was averaging 13 minute miles on my “long runs”. I wasn’t out to set any speed records, my only goal was to finish. I employ the walk/run method recommended by Jeff Galloway which is basically incorporating regular brief walk breaks into the run. Today, during the actual Half Marathon I averaged 11:57 minute miles (total 2 hours, 36 minutes), over a full minute faster per mile than during training! Probably because it was so cold to start out, I just naturally ran faster to warm up!

I don’t know that I will do another Half Marathon. The training commitment is big, and it can interfere with other plans for a long period of time. I’m happy today to just be able to say I did it, at least once! I really don’t think a Marathon is on my horizon, but at one time I never thought past the possibility of a 10K, so who knows? The pictures I’ve attached include two from a different training runs, the starting line for the Shamrock’n Half Marathon, and a finish line picture of me getting my finisher’s medal.

Back in Sacramento

We arrived in Sacramento in a flurry of activity. Only here ten days, and already we have attended a funeral and a birthday party, gone skiing, and been to two (respective) dental appointments. We have visited with our kids and grandkids, and a few of our friends. Because this is our “home base” in a way, it is a place where we will take care of a lot of business. We will use the time here to regroup and prepare for our trip to Alaska in a couple of months. Any work that needs to be done to the 5th wheel and truck will be handled while we are here. And of course, as much time as possible spent with the kids and grandkids since it will be several months before we come back this way after we leave in April. As you can see, I am one very happy Grandma with my Grandson in my arms!

March is a very busy birthday month for us. Three of my four daughters are born in March, as are both Dan and I. Four of the birthdays are within 4 days of each other (2 on the same day), so we just have one great big party for everyone. Sort of like Christmas in March. Other activities planned while we are here include more skiing, some coastal hikes, visiting with friends, and a “real” visit to the capital. We will also take our annual Feather Falls hike near Oroville, which we have been doing for the last five years. I will be running a half marathon on March 16th, my first one! My goal this time is just to finish! I’ve attached a picture of me running on the American River Parkway trail. On that day, I ran 11 miles as part of my half marathon training. The Parkway is so pretty; I can’t count the number of times I have rode my bike, walked, and now run on various portions of the 23 mile trail. It’s nice to have the trail so close to where we are staying, only about two miles from our front door!

Yuma, Arizona

We stayed in Yuma nine days, arriving on February 2nd. Yuma is located close to both the California and Mexico borders, only minutes from each one. The Colorado River runs along the California/Arizona border. We had heard that Yuma was another magnet for RV’ers who are looking for a warm climate to spend their winter months. That makes a lot of sense because the average high temperature in February is 75 degrees. Beyond that, and realizing that Yuma is part of the desert, we didn’t really know what to expect. What we found out is Yuma must be the RV magnet of the WORLD!! We have never seen so many RV’s in one city before!! There are literally thousands and thousands of RV’ers in the numerous RV parks all over this town. The estimated population for 2006 was 87,423, but more than 85,000 winter visitors make Yuma their winter residence, literally doubling the number of people. Agriculture is huge here. We were again very fortunate to have access to lots of fresh citrus and many other varieties of locally grown fruits and veggies.

While we were here, we visited the Yuma swap meet, which is like a huge garage sale; we drove 80 miles to Quartzite (another winter haven for RV’ers, and in January and February each year where 2,000 vendors of rocks, gems, minerals, fossils and everything else imaginable create one of the world's largest open air flea markets); we visited Mexico again (this time in Los Algodones, in Baja California); we toured the Yuma Territorial Prison (now a museum); and we ran in the cooler mornings along the irrigation canal behind our RV Park – miles of flat road, a runner’s delight!

Tomorrow we begin an easy three day journey to Sacramento where we will stay a couple of months to visit family, ski in the Tahoe basin, visit with friends.

Phoenix, Arizona

While staying in Mesa, we of course did a tour of the Arizona State Capital in Phoenix. The original capital building has been turned into the Arizona State Capital Museum, with the functional offices moved to more modern buildings on either side of the main entrance. The museum was interesting; I always learn something at every capital we visit. For instance, I learned about the “Buffalo Soldier” that Bob Marley sings about (which I probably should already have been aware of, had I paid more attention in history class). I also found the USS Arizona display interesting, since I had visited the actual sight of the sunken ship when we were in Oahu in March this year. My knowledge of history and geography are growing and improving as we take the time to visit these places of historical interest. I’m learning much more than I would from a book, watching television, or even sitting in a classroom. Experience is really the best teacher! We have now visited seven state capitals – only 43 more to go! Attached are a few shots from our tour.

Next Stop: Yuma, Arizona!

Mesa, Arizona: Workamper Job Fair

We belong to an organization called Workampers which helps connect prospective employers and employees. Workampers especially caters to people who travel a lot or those who are looking for only temporary or seasonal work, people like us who live and travel full time in their RV. A couple of times a year Workampers sponsors a two day job fair with seminars and workshops and employer booths. One of the job fairs was scheduled in Mesa, Arizona on January 29-30, and since we were heading west anyway to spend a couple of months in Sacramento, we decided to pass through Mesa on the way and attend the job fair. (And since Mesa is adjacent to Phoenix, we would be able to visit the capital of Arizona while there, and check that off our list.) The job fair was a good experience; we were able to meet the authors of books we have read on RV’ing, and we picked up good tips for not only workamping, but living this life style in general. No matter how much you think you know or have experienced, there is always something else to learn. The employers ranged from Disneyworld in Florida, to Sequoia National Parks, and everything in between. We decided not to apply for anything this time around, but we got good information for the future.

Little did we know when we made plans to be in the Phoenix area that so many other things were also going on that week. First of all there was a PGA golf tournament in Scottsdale that drew thousands of spectators. Then there was the Super Bowl in Glendale, which drew many more thousands of people. Our RV Park in Mesa was called Green Acres, which is really funny because the location is in the middle of a very busy 4-lane road going right through town, no fields or farms or pastures to be seen! However, our space (which looked like the only one available – thank goodness we made reservations!) had a tangelo tree growing on it and we were invited to pick and enjoy as much as we wanted. The tangelos were sweet and juicy, and we ended up juicing about a gallon’s worth while we were there. One day during the job fair we walked to downtown Mesa for lunch and found a delightful display of sculptures up and down Main Street. The downtown area was very small, but delightful with fun shops, the street art, benches, and outdoor cafes. The weather was nice, so we lunched outside and came back later to take pictures of the many sculptures.

Next Stop: Phoenix (Capital Tour)
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Taos Ski Trip

We left Mission on January 16, to slowly move west, planning to end up in Sacramento for a couple of months beginning mid-February. Since we aren’t on a strict schedule, we decided to make a couple of side trips along the way. Our first stop was back to Bernalillo, New Mexico (right next to Albuquerque) to position ourselves for a trip to Taos Ski Valley for a two day ski trip. Taos Ski Valley is about 125 miles from Albuquerque, but at 10,000 plus elevation, nowhere we wanted to take our 5th wheel. Bernalillo sits at about 5000 feet, and was cold enough! We had a couple of mornings down into the mid teens, and the highs no more than the mid 40’s. This was quite shocking, after spending six weeks in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas with highs mostly in the 70’s and 80’s! So, we left the 5th wheel in Bernalillo, and drove to Taos Ski Valley for a mini ski vacation. The place we stayed was a Bed & Breakfast of sorts called Austing Haus, a charming chalet-like lodge located just about a mile from the ski resort. (I’ve included a picture of Austin Haus with this post.) We arrived on a Tuesday night following a few days of fresh snowfall. Wednesday was bright and sunny, very cold (low at zero, high only 24), and a perfect day for skiing. We hit the slopes at 9:30 and skied until 3:00 with only a couple of breaks for coffee and lunch. We had tentatively planned to ski Thursday as well, but it started snowing overnight, and Dan twisted his knee skiing some bumps, so we decided to call it done after the one day. We did a little shopping in the ski village, and headed back to Bernalillo. Dan had been to Taos Ski Valley several years ago, but this was my first trip. This was somewhere he really wanted to return to and was excited about sharing the experience with me. Although the trip was brief, it was fun and well worth the effort.

Next stop: Mesa, Arizona!

Mission: Accomplished!

Anyone who happens to be reading this probably already knows that Dan and I are full time RV’ers, which by definition, means we travel full time. Granted, we’ve only been doing this for 5 months, but I am already recognizing certain patterns, an ebb and flow to this lifestyle. For most of my life there have been long stretches of time between moves to new places. Eighteen years in one house growing up, and then after brief moves when first leaving home, 5 to 10 year stretches between moves. And, most of my life has been spent in one town – Sacramento. So, I really didn’t know what I would feel when embarking on a way of life that has us pulling up roots every month or so. What I have found is the transitions are hard.

First I thought it was just the arriving. That’s hard because you don’t know the town, the stores, the people, what there is to do, and what is the area code, for heaven’s sake? Are you driving on freeways, highways, expressways, or business roads? And what is an F.M. road? (Found out that means “Farm to Market”). And pulling into an RV Park and a town for the first time always makes me apprehensive. I can’t always tell if the vibes are good. Is it a “nice” town? A safe RV Park? Will there be noise at night? Will I be able to take my runs without being chased by dogs? But then I discovered leaving is also hard.

Depending on how long you stay somewhere, you may have just learned all those things I mentioned above, and then its time to move on. Or, you may have developed some friendships that will be difficult to leave behind. Apprehension of another kind sets in. Where will we end up each night as we travel to our new destination? Will the truck and trailer be okay on the road? Is everything road-ready? Thinking about packing everything back up for traveling can also be overwhelming, as you have most likely become fairly spread-out during a several week stay somewhere. And there is something just sort of sad about leaving a place that you have called “home”, even if only for a while.

We are leaving Mission in two days. I’m not sure if we will ever be back, there is so much to see, so many places to go. We don’t want to establish a pattern of returning to the same place each year as many folks do. Maybe in a few years when we become weary of the road; when we find a place that seems too good to be true, and want to settle down there. But for now, we are “On the Road Again”, and I recognize why I am feeling a little blue, a little gloomy. I know this is the transition period, the Traveling Blues, and is only a launching point to our next new adventure.

South Padre Island

Dan and I didn’t really know what to expect when we got here – having never been to this part of the country, and coming here only on the recommendation of other travelers who find the winter weather here very pleasant. And, the weather has been wonderful, as promised. Warm for the most part, a couple of cool days every once in a while, but usually warms right back up. No rain since we’ve been here, and most days are shorts and T-shirt weather. What we have discovered is the “Winter Texan” community. Most of the people at this and other RV parks in the area (and there are a LOT of RV parks around here) come for the winter, usually arriving in December or January and staying through March or April. Many folks are here from the mid-west and Canada. Once here, they form their own temporary community, and some people meet up here every year. Most people have a fixed residence they go back to, unlike Dan and me. There are some full-timers, though.

On December 28th, we took a drive to South Padre Island, the true southern-most tip of Texas on the Gulf of Mexico, to celebrate our “real” retirement date. South Padres is a very small beach community, mostly geared towards the tourist. The day we went happened to be cool and breezy (wouldn’t you know), but it felt like a real ocean climate. We walked on the beach, did a little window shopping, looked at the boats, had a nice dinner out, then came home. I attached some pictures from that visit.

There are lots of activities sponsored by our RV park; we get a monthly activity calendar with many different things to choose from, including outings (movies, lunch, trips to Mexico, shopping), crafts, game nights (Pokeno, Poker, Bingo), line dance lessons, potlucks. You could be busy every single day if you wanted to. Dan and I have participated in a few things – I made cookies for the Christmas cookie exchange; we came to the Christmas dinner potluck; and we attended the New Year’s Eve party. And, as shocking as it was to me, Dan and I sang a karaoke tune together at the New Year’s Eve party!! And, it was my idea!! And, even more unbelievable, this morning Dan and I came up to the club house for line dance lessons. We learned a few basic steps and danced to “Electric Glide” and “Achy Breaky” heart. Six months ago, you could not have told me I would be doing this, I would never have believed you! But it was fun, and great exercise!! Well, like they say, “When in Rome…”. We will be leaving this area in a couple of weeks. Who knows what we will find ourselves doing at our next stop!

Next Stop: Back to Albuquerque, NM, for a brief ski trip in Taos.