STILL IN VALENCIA, CA

Thought we would give you an update on our visit here in California.  We arrived here at Valencia Village RV Resort on Jan. 23, and have kept ourselves pretty busy.  Our days usually begin with the three of us going for a long walk.  Of course you understand that when I say the 3 of us that it includes Angel.  There are so many areas to walk that are but a few minutes drive to get to.   The cities and community developers really put a lot of thought (and dollars) into creating these fantastic walking/biking trails.

So far we have attended a number of shows at the College of the Canyons Theater.  Andrea's son Adam is the Managing Director of the theater and is responsible for bringing in the various acts.  We have enjoyed acrobats from China, a musical, "All Shook Up", a Cabaret on Valentines day that had tables set up on stage where we sat in a very intimate setting being entertained by an excellent entainer.  It was really a fun evening.  The show we really got into was a tribute band to Queen named Gary Mullin and the Works.  They were really, really good, and had the whole audience on their feet.  If we had lighters we would have been lighting them off as we were really rockin.

A few weeks ago we had a Murphy Cousins Reunion at my cousins house.  He lives only about 45 minutes from where we are staying.  It was great seeing them as well as my Aunt and Uncle who also live in the area.
We will be getting together again before we leave the area.

So what is ahead for us?

We will be leaving this campground on April 23, and will be doing some sight seeing in the northern part of California.  Yosemite National Park is high on the list as well as Napa Valley.  We will be meeting Adam in Carmel on May 27 - June 2.  On June 3 we start heading east to Branson, MO.  Why Branson?  We have decided to try "Workamping".  What's that, you say?  In exchange for 2 days work we get our camp site for free.  Where we are staying is a city park and therefore are considered city employees.  The big benny is since we are city workers we get into most of the shows for free, and some of the shows at a discount.  Branson is known for it's entertainment.  We feel that this should be a real fun time for us.  We start June 10 and will be there until mid-October.  At that point we will be heading back east.  More on those plans later.

Bye for now.

Miles of smiles,

Charlie and Andrea

DEMING, NM, TEMPE, AZ, AND VALENCIA, CA

For what seemed like forever we finally caught up with some very nice weather in Deming, NM.  We spent 3 days exploring the area.  We took a drive up to the Gila Cliff Dwellings that were incredible.  The drive there from Deming is 100 miles, 30 of which is a slow drive through the mountains that were full of twists and turns.  We couldn't believe the amount of snow that was on the ground.  The elevation in the area is about 7,000 feet and some areas are shaded.  If nothing else the snow looked pretty from a distance.  When we reached the ranger station we hiked up to the cliff dwellings for a guided tour of the dwellings.  It made for an interesting hike on some slippery portions of the trail that had frozen snow and though they sprinkled some dirt on the trail there were areas that were slippery.

The Dwellings were built around 1276 by the Mogollon Indians.  I would encourage anyone who travels in the area to take the time to visit the dwellings.  Pictures do not do justice.

Our next stop was Tempe, Arizona.  We really enjoyed the area as it is a modern well planned city with lots of parks.  It has several universities and is bike friendly.  With Light Rail available in many areas transportation is convenient.  We stayed at an Elks Lodge that was centrally located and very convenient to the interstate, shopping, and parks.

We continued west to California and spent one night in Indio, CA.  This is an area that is very popular for RV'ers and is near Palm Springs.  It is beautiful, but very expensive.  Sunday morning (Jan. 23) we drove up to Valencia, CA which was our destination for this portion of our travel.  This will be home for the next couple of months as we want to spend time with Andrea's son Adam, his wife Alma and the two little ones Amanda and Aldan.  Valencia is located about 30 miles north east of LA and is considered high desert.  The day time temperatures have been in the low 70's and the nights in the upper 40's to low 50's.  Just perfect.

Monday we took a drive to Ventura Beach which was about a 35 minute drive through the mountains was beautiful.  The mountains here are so different then those found on the east coast of the country.  The drive was well worth it.  The Pacific Ocean is incredible to see.  We found a nice dog friendly park with a marina that was right on the ocean.  Angel just loved it.

Well, that is it for now.  Thank you for following us as we travel.

Miles of smiles,
Charlie, Andrea and Angel.

SAN ANTONIO, TX, FT. STOCKTON, TX and VAN HORN, TX.

I know in an earlier blog that I said I would not complain about the weather.  We hoped to see so many sites in San Antonio that it is famous for.  Andrea and I ventured out to the Alamo and though it is steep in history it was not what I expected.  Perhaps it is because it is so built up around it and the big gift shop right in the middle of it kind of takes away from the image I had in my mind.  River Walk is very impressive, but because of the cold there were very few people out enjoying it.  We had lunch, and then walked along the river.  You have to appreciate what went into planning it many years ago.  After 3 days of nothing but very cold temperatures in San Antonio we left in pursuit of warmer temperatures.

After San Antonio we stopped in Ft. Stockton to rest for the night.  There is not very much going in this little town along I-10.  Many years ago (1990), my brother-in-law Mike, and I stopped there on our way back to Florida from California.  The Pizza Hut restaurant that he and I stopped at is still there.  Believe me it is not much to speak about.

We left Ft. Stockton on Thursday and arrived in Van Horn again just for the night.  We needed to just chill (pardon the pun) a little so we could walk and stretch our joints.  The temperature was not bad (mid 50's).  The camp ground was pretty empty (4 other RV's).  It was really a nice place.

On Saturday we arrived in Deming, NM.  Our initial plan was to stay here for one day.  We like the RV park here and have decided to spend a few days here.  The weather is really great.  Yesterday it was in the 60's during the day.  We were surprised how cold it got last night.  The temp dropped to 29 and the water hose froze.  Fortunately the water tank on board did not freeze so we were able to use the water pump on board.  Tonight I will disconnect the water hose from the coach to avoid this from happening again.

Today we plan on going to a museum here in Deming that we were told was really first class, and tomorrow we plan on going to some Gila cave dwellings near Silver Springs which is about an hour away from here.  The apartment caves were abandoned hundreds of years ago.  It should be interesting to see.  More later.

Miles of smiles,
Charlie, Andrea, and Angel

We are in Houston, Texas

We arrived here on Wednesday after a two day stay in Beaumont, Texas.  We had only planned on staying one day, but felt an extra day was needed so we could do some house keeping chores that were needed after spending 9 days in New Orleans.  Hidden Lake RV Resort in Beaumont was really nice and the staff helpful and friendly.  The drive to Houston was fairly easy until we got into the heart of the city.  Traffic in Houston even at 2 o'clock in the afternoon was quite intense.  All I can say is thank God for GPS's.  We found the Elks Lodge in Stafford, TX with no problem.  They have a really nice set up for traveling Elks in RV's.  They have 10 spaces with full hook up of water, electric and sewer.  Like other lodges we have stopped in along the way the members are very receptive to meeting members from other parts of the country.

Last night we played Bingo and had similar luck as we did at the casino in New Orleans.  Oh well it is for a good cause as the Elks provide lots of support for veterans, and do lots of work with children with medical needs. 

At this point we are thinking of leaving for San Antonio on Sunday, but may stay on for a few more days since the accommodations are so nice here.  Tomorrow we are taking a ride down to Galveston to check out the beaches. 

We found a beautiful park in Sugar Land, TX that is close to the Elks Lodge.  They have a walking trail that runs 2-1/2 miles and we really enjoyed walking it as did Angel.  They also have a reflection pond that was quite serene.  

Until next time, miles of smiles.            
Charlie, Andrea and Angel

HAPPY NEW YEAR - WELCOME 2011

Another year has slipped on by and though 2010 seemed to go by rather quickly when I look back on it Andrea and I enjoyed so many things.  While living in The Villages we enjoyed playing golf, a fun game called Pickle Ball, lots of different card games, joined a bowling league, spent lots of time with my brother Jim and Caren, and made some really good friends (Dian and Ken). 

As much as we enjoyed all of these fun things there was something missing for us.  It dawned on us that we missed traveling.  To us travel is the adventure of discovery.  So with the travel bug in our hearts we decided to sell our home, buy an RV and fulfill our desire for travel and adventure.  Our timing was not the greatest as far as weather is concerned.  We left Florida during a very cold Arctic cold front and the weather for the most part has either been cold or rainy.  In spite of the weather we have really enjoyed ourselves.  We have met some fellow travelers who too are following their desire to explore what our great country has to offer. 

The temperature has warmed up so it is so nice not to have to wear those heavy jackets, gloves and hats, but rain has replace cold.  Hopefully when we get a little further west we will see a change for the better.  At least we are comfortable in the coach no matter what the weather is doing outside.  For that we are thankful.

We leave Pontchartrain Landing RV Resort tomorrow and will be staying at an Elks Lodge just west of here.  We are there for one night then on Monday morning we take Elaine to the airport, hook up the car behind the RV and head for Beaumont, TX for one night, and then onto Houston.

One of the things that New Orleans is famous for is great food.  Sometimes it is at a fancy restaurant and sometimes a diner.  The Camellia Grill is not fancy, but the place is always packed and the food is really good.  Another great place was Pascal's Malale.  Today we are going to Commanders Palace where I have to wear a sports jacket (no jeans) and dress pants.  Oh the things we must do to enjoy a good meal.  What a way to start the year.

Happy New Year.  Until next time, miles of smiles,

Charlie, Andrea, and Angel

NEW ORLEANS, LA

As you can see by the pictures it has been rather cold here.in New Orleans.  We are seated outside of a restaurant called The Coffee Pot.  Of course the area we sat at did not have heat.

The narrow streets make for interesting driving downtown, but once we park and begin walking the sites are really worth it.  The people watching has been fun and the food incredible.  New Orleans should be a destination for everyone as there really isn't any other place like it.

Last night Andrea and I took a ride to Harrah's Casino downtown and we managed to contribute to the area economy.  We will try our luck in a few days before we head off to Texas.

It has been working out fine with our friend Elaine staying with us in the coach.  She leaves for New York next Monday, and we leave for Beaumont, Texas as a stopover as we head for Houston.

I am not sure if I will have time for any updates before the new year so just in case we want to wish everyone a happy, and most importantly a healthy New Year for 2011.  We hope you can find what it is you are looking for in 2011.

Until next time, miles of smiles,
Charlie, Andrea and Angel

WE ARE IN BILOXI, MS

We are staying at a campground directly across from the Gulf of Mexico.  We can only wonder what this area was like before Katrina.  I say that because there is so much open land along the beach as well as across the street.  Plenty of property for sale but no takers.  Insurance is high and it seems that no one wants to make the investment or should I say gamble.  Andrea and I (and of course Angel) have taken long walks along the beach and what really strikes us is that there is just no one out enjoying the beach and water view.  The area has no life to it.  Guess we are so used to seeing so much activity by the beaches in Ft. Lauderdale where there is always activity between walkers, runners, bikers, and roller bladders.

We have been trying to help the local economy over at the Beau Ravage Casino by contributing our fare share into the slots.  We gave the Hard Rock Casino a chance as well and as expected the results were no different.

Tonight we will give the casino's one last chance before we move onto New Orleans tomorrow. 

We wish all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.

Until next time, miles of smiles.

Charlie, Andrea, and Angel