January 2017 Update

Well, I didn't think I would get back in the RV again.  Last winter ended on a pretty frustrating note and I was feeling RV travel wasn't cut out for me.  It was very frustrating.  The 40 ft. RV/motor home we traveled in is quite sophisticated.  There are so many "systems" and it takes a lot of patience, research and stamina to understand them all and be successful in keeping the motor home safe and on the road.

So, by the end of last winter, I was glad to get home to Rhode Island.  Part of what I was experiencing was a result of the transition of moving from Illinois to the east coast.  The move was one that I was thinking about and planning for a long time.  When I was finally able to resign from my job and hire a moving company to pack up my belongings and move - I was exhausted from relocating twice in temporary locations and storing most of my belongings.  It was fun to run away from winter last year, but it delayed my adjustment to my new home area.

More on that later.

After an amazing trip to Puerto Vallarta with Don and his family to celebrate his birthday, we flew to Houston Texas where the RV was waiting for us.  We agreed we would travel west at a casual pace, and enjoy the journey across Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.  We had reservations for January and February at a RV park in Apache Junction, Arizona.  My dear friend Cathy Bremer and her husband have been wintering there for many years.  The park came highly recommended...and we decided to try it and see how we liked Arizona.

Being a coastal gal and loving being near an ocean, I wasn't sure how much I would like Arizona - or the southwest.  To my surprise, I LOVED it!  The park was fantastic, a small RV park with a great group of folks that were welcoming and lots of fun.  Within a week we decided to stay parked for the entire winter!

And full disclosure here - I was happy to be parked and not moving the RV...packing up and hitting the road. It felt good knowing we'd be in one place for a while.  Also, to my surprise, there were tons of things to do nearby!

So it was a pleasant surprise to be completely comfortable upon arrival in Arizona after being on the road traveling across the county for about 3-4 days.

Most of you know I had an ankle replacement in August of 2014.  As a result of this I found a great support group on Facebook and have quite a few new "friends."  It's a super community of folks that have undergone the same surgery and understand all the ups and downs and ins and outs.  One of the amazing women in the group had a failed ankle replacement.  Because I have felt this could happen to me, I've stayed particularly connected to her and asked if I could meet her as we traveled across Texas, where she lives.  So, it worked out that we stopped for the evening not far from her town and I drove over and met her.  She had just had her foot amputated...and was doing great!  She has the most positive attitude and we had a great visit.

It was great driving across Texas and on to Arizona.  I love taking pictures of things along the way and find myself drawn to photography more and more.  My love of taking pictures goes way back to when I was a little girl.  I was fascinated with cameras, it wasn't something my family could afford for me as a child.  The developing in those days was expensive.  I remember I had a little camera on a key chain, and I remember the negative roll...and having the pictures developed...but they were long lost in the raising of six children in a busy house.  Then thru high school I was able to get a camera and have a few pictures as a result of that.  I treasured junior and senior year of high school when I was able to collect pictures of my friends.  I still have those pictures in a box in the top of the closet.  Every time I've moved it I thought I should do something with those pictures!

The roads in the west are so beautiful!  Not only is the countryside beautiful - the highways and bridges and ramps are decorated and my picture taking just goes on and on!

Illinois friend Peter and Jodi - and Steve and Jodii Goode from Northbrook!

One of the best parts of travel is the chance to see and spend time with friends - especially friends that I knew when I lived in Illinois.  Joan and I made many road memories!

Thanks to Cathy Bremer we found Meridian RV Park...and it was amazing to have a winter near her and also enjoy visits with other Illinois friends that travels thru over the winter, like Kay Geary!

The view out the front RV window...often we are greeted by quail in the morning...and we look out on Superstition Mountain.

Reuniting with Tom and Marilee Lonze in Arizona is a lot of fun!

My special, dear friend Whin....who has been with me and supported me thru thick and thin over the years!

So you can see, time in Arizona is filled with good friends.  I'll save some of the other pictures for the places we traveled and things we enjoyed.

It was great to stay in one place until the end of April.  It was cool in Arizona - why it even dipped down in the 40's at times in January and February...but hey, no SNOW AND ICE!  So this old gal never complained!

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

I FINALLY made it to Mexico!  When I lived in California, I always thought we would make a trip south to Mexico - but the boys were young and we had other priorities.  (Disney World)

In the months prior to the trip, I wondered what it would be like.  Would I get sick?  I know a number of people that have had that experience.  Would the beaches be as beautiful as my beloved Jersey Shore?  What is the food like?  What is the city like?  So many questions.

The resort I had the opportunity to enjoy was an Amber NOW resort.  All inclusive.  Again, a first for me.  I heard about how the drinks flow...and I was not surprised and I enjoyed a Margarita every night!

Upon arrival we were hit hard with a sales pitch to buy a timeshare.  That was NOT going to happen - but they put on a pretty hard sell for it.  After we sat and listened to the pitch, we were not bothered again for the rest of the week.

Most of the week we stayed at the resort.  One day we ventured out for a bus tour of the area and what turned out for me to be a TREACHEROUS ride up a mountain to an area where there was a family tequila business.  So I enjoyed seeing a bit of the countryside.  But the bus trip was scary enough for me - the bus driver drove like a crazy man - that I really had a hard time enjoying the tour.

Another night we went in to town for dinner at a fabulous local place, Pipi's.  Margarita's were amazing, guac was good, tortilla's were great, mexican ice cream was fantastic...all around a great time!

By the middle of the week I started with a sore throat and it continued to get worse every day and upon arrival back in the states I had a full blown head cold and stuffy head.  Aside from that, I managed to enjoy my time in Mexico.

Drinks were good at the resort but food in most of the restaurants was only so-so.  A bit of a disappointment.

Beaches were pretty, there was so much activity - horseback riding, boating, jet skis, water ski, tubing, etc.  No one seemed to be in the water - most guests enjoyed the pools.

Here's the best picture of the week: