BYE BYE NEW MEXICO…HELLO ARIZONA

Sunday, October 17 - ONE - YEAR ANNIVERSARY - We begin year-2 of our Full-Timing Adventure. We pulled out of Albuquerque, NM after three weeks. We've really enjoyed our stay in the area and may return on our way back East. Our goal is Root 66 RV Park in Sun Valley, AZ.  Yes, that is Root not Route…very strange.

Four hours and 215 miles later, we arrived safely at our planned destination. The drive took us through a couple of different landscapes.

For a Sunday, there were tons of trucks on the road. We were very surprised.

Our site is not much more than a gravel field with hookups, but the price is right! We'll be here at least three days to see the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park. We also plan on seeing Meteor Crater and will check on other area attractions.

Our site

Looking down our street…not much there.

Looking out our window…very private.

We took a quick trip to Holbrook. Holbrook was a frontier town in 1881. We visited the Navajo County Historic Courthouse. The Courthouse was built in 1898.

Many notorious trials were held in the stately courtroom, but only one hanging took place in the courtyard. For seventy-eight years the courthouse was used to dispense justice to all of what is now known as Navajo County. It is now an museum working hard to preserve Holbrook's past.

Any one out there have a black and white that looked like this?

How about a radio like this?

The Courthouse also housed the Jail. The Jail was shipped as a unit from St. Louis by rail and installed during the construction. The cost for the jail was $3,000.00 the Jail was last used in 1976. No one ever broke out of this jail in 78 years.

We then road 15 miles to the Petrified Forest National Park visitor center. We wanted to watch the movie and pick up a map so we could plan our hikes.

We had to set all our clocks to Pacific Time....Arizona does not recognize Daylight Savings Time. It was pitch black at 6:00. We aren’t big fans of this time change.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you back real soon. Have a great day!

REFLECTIONS OF OUR FIRST YEAR ON THE ROAD

Saturday, October 16 – WOW…it has been one year since we left Ohio on our full-timing adventure! We can’t believe how fast this past year has gone by. As we reflect back on the past year, we would like to share a few thoughts and some interesting statistics.

So what do we think about our first year on the road? This has been one of the larger, more risky adventures we have taken in our life time. I suppose it would have been easier to remain in Canton, Ohio and live out our lives there. But Paul, for one, needed something to add excitement to his daily life, and Marsha consented to tag along. The idea that, his life is not winding down at age 60, but refreshing, was inspiring.

Full-timing is certainly not for everyone. It requires some risk taking, overcoming fears of the unknown, saying good-bye to family and friends, and doing some things that may not seem wise. You have to be flexible. Paul admits, that one of his biggest full-timing faults is, he has difficulty “rolling-with-the-punches.” He has to relax when things go wrong. He must assume that something is going to break sooner or later, or eventually you're going to get lost, or the campsite you planned on staying in is a dump. This lifestyle is NOT one big vacation. It's difficult, frustrating, and more expensive than we were lead to believe by our research. Luckily, Marsha is pretty good at keeping a positive attitude and gets Paul back on track when necessary. He is working on it and will improve with time. Hopefully, Marsha will remain strong.

Marsha finds that the most challenging thing is not looking back so much. She loves to reminisce and this leads her to get a bit melancholy. Sometimes she cries about missing her dad, family and friends back in Ohio. She knows she can pick up the cell any time and call anyone she chooses. She uses her email and texting abilities to keep in touch with so many at home. She is working on living in the present and knowing that everyone back home will be there when she gets back…Christmas is right around the corner. She already has her ticket!

We have certainly learned, we don't need an abundance of things. Much less than in our previous lifestyle. Getting rid of a lot of stuff and living within our means is gratifying. We've become more frugal. We now think about most purchases. We track our expenses carefully and have monthly goals.

We have had more repair expenses than we imagined before beginning this adventure (are largest budget expense). I guess we would have had repairs with a home, but nevertheless, this lifestyle can get expensive, at times. Our other five  largest expenses have been Medical Cost for Paul’s Surgery, a 3M Freightliner Service, an automatic satellite dish (hey....we need TV), an air-conditioner replacement, and upgrading our refrigerator. Next year we'll need to replace our tires and maybe our batteries. Our day-to-day expenses have been just about what we expected. Over-all, we are living much cheaper than when we lived in our home and are seeing this awesome country of ours.

We've learned having a great campsite every night is not that important. In fact, only a few of our sites have been memorable. But most campgrounds have been fine - or better!  Having the ability to follow the sun is an amazing feeling. Being able to be outside in warm weather 12 months of the year keeps is a wonderful feeling. We've met some wonderful people and made many, many new and amazing friends. We look forward to making more friends and enjoying more of this beautiful country. Speaking of beautiful country, we have seen so many gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. What an amazing scene!

 

We did have an unexpected “bump” in the road, this first year. Paul ended up having spinal fusion surgery on March 1, 2010. The results have been VERY satisfactory, but it did anchor us in Livingston, Texas for three months and, of course, cost us quite a bit of money we hadn't planned on spending (our second highest budget item). But, we learned that an unexpected medical problem can be over-come and certainly won't force us off the road.

When in Canton, Ohio, our home church is St. Stephen Martyr Lutheran Church, but when on the road we have enjoyed worshipping with many different denomination and at nondenominational churches. We have participated in services with Methodist, Presbyterian, Cowboy, outdoor, MEGA churches, Baptist, etc. Each experience has given us a new outlook on what makes up our different religions and cultures. We look forward in being better educated and open to all types of worship. One thing they all have in common is the Love for God and His son Jesus the Christ.

We've really enjoyed being able to spend time with our two daughters, Kelly and Carrie. What wonderful young ladies they've become. We are so proud of them. We were able to spend the holidays, birthdays, Texas night clubbing, and just relaxing afternoons with them. That makes the whole year worthwhile!  We love you Kelly and Carrie.

Our Blog has been a HUGE under-taking, but has been enjoyable too! It's fun to share our adventure with family, friends, and the unknown “new friends” out there. The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta has brought us the most “comments” in our daily writings. That's gratifying, because Marsha put a great deal of time in publishing those balloon daily reports. Paul's DIY replacement of our refrigerator, also produced many comments and visitations to our Blog.

Regrets.....yeah, I suppose we have a few. Marsha really misses her family, especially her dad, but is persevering. All-in-all, it's been a wonderful year. We've learned a lot, enjoyed each others company (that 24/7 thing hasn't been too bad :=), and we look forward to sharing our lives with each other for another year.

Oh....we can't forget Bella (our cat). She has taken to traveling quite nicely and continues to bring us “great joy.” She seems healthier than ever and is quite popular in the campgrounds with the “cat-women” walking her around the park. People are constantly amazed how well she does on her leash. And boy, does she enjoy seeing all the animals out her window.

So, thanks for visiting our Blog. We hope you've enjoyed reading it, half as much as we've enjoyed living it! Please stop back often and leave us a few comments.

FIRST YEAR INTERESTING STATISTICS:

Starting Date: 10/17/09
Miles MH Driven: 12,357
Miles Jeep (toad) Driven: 22,186 (does not include towed miles)
Days of travel: 52

Number of Paid Campgrounds nights: 291
Private Campgrounds: 87
Escapee Campgrounds: 141
Nat'l Parks/COE/BLM: 33
Casinos (with fee): 11
Repair (with fee): 11
Elks (with fee): 8

FREE CAMPING/BOONDOCKING: 74
Walmart: 3
Relatives: 29
BLM: 14
Casinos: 6
Repair Shops: 9
Texas Rest stop: 1
Balloon Fiesta: 12

Number of different CG's/stops: 52
Average Daily CG Expense (includes all nights): $ 12.80

Total Gallons of DIESEL Fuel: 1677.86
Average price for Fuel: $2.84
Average Miles/Gallon: 7.36            
Best MPG: 9.57 
Worst MPG: 5.53
NOTE:  These MPG figures are only approximate due to difficulty filling fuel tank to same amount at each refueling stop. 

Longest Driving Day: 465 miles…9 hours

Shortest Driving Day: 3 miles…6 minutes 

Number of States Visited: 16

Paul's Top Ten Favorite Places but not in any particular order:
Quartszite, AZ
Bisbee, AZ
Washington, DC
New Orleans, LA
Bay St.Louis, MS
Carlsbad Cavern, NM
Albuquerque, AZ…Balloon Fiesta
Houston, TX…USS Texas Memorial
Goodyear, AZ
Yuma, AZ

Marsha's Top Ten Favorite Places but not in any particular order:
Washington, DC
Vicksburg, MS
Savannah, GA 
Joshua Tree, CA
Yuma, AZ
Houston, TX…USS Texas Memorial
Goodyear, AZ
New Orleans, LA
Albuquerque,NM
Gulfport, MS

NOTE: We did not include the visit to Ohio in July or Amelia Island in August. These are our very best stops…visiting family and  friends.

Our Worst Experience:
Day we were towed from Columbus, TX to San Antonio, TX

Bella's Worst Experiences…she has a couple:
Christmas at Aunt Kelly's with those kittens
Cowpens Park in Gaffney, SC left in car.....the heat! OPPS!

Longest Stay:
Rainbow's End in Livingston, TX = 73 days (Paul's surgery)

Worst CG
Flynn's in Augusta, GA

Best CG:
Chippokes Plantation State Park, Surry, VA (visit Williamsburg)

Largest Budget Expenses:
MH Maintenance, Medical Deductible Expense, Groceries, Campgrounds, Diesel Fuel, Gasoline for Jeep

A VISIT TO SANTA FE

Tuesday, October 12- We took a sightseeing trip up to Santa Fe.

The landscape up to Santa Fe was very green which is unusual for this part of New Mexico.

This is more of what we thought it would look like.

You can see there was some rain in the area.

They have a fast-rail train between Albuquerque and Santa Fe called the Railrunner. It runs between the lanes of I40.

Our first stop was the New Mexico Capitol Building, “the Roundhouse”. Its design is a New Mexico territorial style.  This type of architecture is of Pueblo Indian adobe, an adaptation from the Greek revival period.  The capitol building forms the shape of the Zia Indian Sun Symbol, which appears on the state flag.

It is filled with beautiful art work.

Hoshonzeh

Buffalo, 1992…very unique with paintbrushes, wire, magnetic film, etc. used.

 

We also visited the Senate and House of Representatives chambers. Both of these chambers were very impressive. They look very similar with the House having more seats.

Senate

House

 

This was a very interesting tour.

Next, we visited San Miguel Mission, the oldest church in the USA. The adobe church was built in 1610, when Santa Fe was founded, and the foundation of the original church can still be seen under the sanctuary of the present structure.

Altar

Old Confessional

This original bell was cast in 1356.

Archaeological investigations beneath the foundation reveal evidence of Native American occupation of the site as early as 1300 AD. Today, in addition to being an historical treasure of cultural heritage and visitor attractions, it serves as a shrine to St. Michael and Mass is celebrated here weekly.

Our next stop was the miraculous staircase at Loretto Chapel. Fashioned after Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, it was built in 1870 to serve the Loretto Academy, operated by the Sisters of Loretto.

 

Believed to be the first Gothic structure west of the Mississippi, the Chapel had a design flaw; there was no way to get to the choir loft from the chapel! Many carpenters were called in for advice, but all came up with the same answer: because of the height of the loft, a conventional staircase would take up too much room in the chapel below. It became a question of using a ladder or rebuilding the balcony. Seeking divine guidance, the Sisters made a Novena to their patron saint, Saint Joseph the Carpenter. As legend has it, a mysterious carpenter arrived to design and construct a circular staircase to the choir loft. The tools on his donkey were just a saw, carpenter's square, a hammer, and tubs in which to soak the wood. His “miraculous staircase” contains 33 steps in two full 360-degree turns. The staircase has no center support, nor is it held from its sides. When the staircase was completed, the carpenter disappeared without seeking payment.

The church has a unique ceiling.

Original doors.

Across from the church is a very lovely building called the Loretta Inn. We had to take a picture.

We then crossed the street to the alleged oldest house in America.  It is controversially claimed by the owners of a structure located at 215 East De Vargas.  The house was supposedly built around 1646. The Oldest House rests on part of the foundation of an ancient Indian Pueblo dating from around 1200 AD.

The current owner is a local Santa Fe lady who took on the task of reopening the once closed house. She currently welcomes the public to tour the home at their leisure. She serves cookies, brownies and beverages to help defray her costs. As a special treat, her 95-year old mother was present today celebrating her birthday. Many of the furnishings were donated by her mother.

Birthday girl and niece. They were very friendly.

Paul just made it through the door way.

Before more site seeing, we decided to stop at a local Mexican restaurant called The Guadalupe Cafe. It came highly recommended by several locals. What a treat! We were told that we must have the eggs the traditional Mexican way called Huevos Rancheros. YUMMMMM!

We don’t normally take pictures of our food but this was excellent!

We next walked through many of the 175 shops in around the Plaza of Santa Fe.

These shops specialize in Indian handcrafts including jewelry, blankets, carvings, and other handcrafts popular in the Southwest. We enjoyed our shopping without purchasing anything. We were amazed at the expensive prices on much of the jewelry. We're talking in the thousands! YIKES!

We then visited the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.

The cornerstone for the Cathedral was laid in 1869. The Cathedral brings together three styles of architecture: adobe, French-Romanesque and modern. The Stations of the Cross along the walls of the main nave are done in the Santero style reminiscent of the historic churches.

Baptismal font.

Altar area.

 

What a beautiful church.

A recent addition to the church grounds are life size bronze statues of the Stations of the Cross. These are located in a newly constructed tranquility park like area just outside the Cathedral. If you would like to see these statues, please click here.

Our last venture of the day was to drive North about 45 miles to the city of Cordova. This tiny town of narrow winding streets is famous for their woodcarvers. We stopped at several, but again left empty handed.

We were about two hours from home and darkness was approaching, so we felt we better head South. It was a fun adventure and another tiring day being a tourist.

Thursday, October 14 – One more visit to “old town” Albuquerque.

Marsha wanted to be sure she didn’t miss any shopping opportunities. Well, it seems she did miss one item that she couldn’t live without. Bella can’t believe her eyes!

She found a few more things she couldn’t pass up including the “perfect” hot air balloon spinner. OH MY…we will have a picture of that at a later date.

Another long day but a great day!

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you back real soon. We hope you have a great day!