“The Long Drive from Santa Fe Through Oklahoma”

Monday, August 22, 2022 – As soon as I got up, David gave me my mug of coffee and then proceeded to help me with my Hotspot connections to my laptop. We ran out of time, stopping because some workers were due to arrive fairly soon and I had to get ready to leave. We agreed to deal with this the next time we got together.

I hugged Ev and David good-bye, thanking them for a great visit, and was on my way by 10:00 a.m., getting back on I-25N and heading for the Santa Fe Skies RV Park in Santa Fe. My reserved site was ready for me and after setting up the camper I texted friends to let them know I had arrived. About 20 minutes later, there they were – Perry and Susan, my good friends from Palm Desert, CA. They had been staying, since mid-May, in the casita next to their daughter’s house. Long before I left home for this trip, we worked out this visit and they were ready to show me around. They used to live here and there’s much that they love about Santa Fe.

Hopping in their car, my grand tour of Santa Fe began. I told them that I visited Santa Fe back in 1997, the summer I took a six-week trip around the country in my Honda CRV. I remember very little about that visit and they made sure to show me, on our 2½ hour walking tour, Santa Fe’s most historical and famous structures. We visited –

* The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi (they closed after mass for cleaning) - (https://cbsfa.org)

* The Lorreto Chapel, and the “miraculous staircase” to the choir loft – (www.lorettochapel.com)

* San Miguel Chapel, considered to be the oldest church in the USA – (www.santafe.com/san-miguel-chapel)

* The oldest house and the artifacts found there - (www.oldesthousesantafe.com)

* The Plaza, a vital center for commerce for nearly four centuries, and now a focal point to see and purchase handmade Native American jewelry, art, ornaments, etc.(https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/new-mexico-santa-fe-plaza.htm)

* La Fonda on the Plaza, a luxurious hotel built in 1922 - (www.lafondasantafe.com)

From there, Perry and Susan then took me to see the casita, their home these last few months. Just as we were leaving, Amy and Chris, their daughter and son-in-law, arrived from their day’s outing and invited me in to see their home. As it is practically everywhere in Santa Fe and around New Mexico, their house and casita are built and furnished with the beautiful and colorful Southwest theme and decor. Spending that afternoon with Perry and Susan, I could certainly appreciate, as much as they did, the cooler climes of that Santa Fe elevation.

Our time together came to a close with drinks and dinner at the Bourbon Grill at El Gancho. This restaurant was a great pick because, for the first time since my truck camper trip to Iowa and Kansas in 2019, I ordered a “steak and baked potato” dinner. My sirloin was fantastic…and so was the company!

The sun was about to set when Perry and Susan brought me back to the RV park. As they did with me at the casita, I gave them a tour of my camper. Thanking them for showing me around today, we said our “good nights and see you soon” and they headed on back to their casita.

With Perry.

With Susan.

Tuesday, August 23, 2022 – It was just one week ago that I was hot in my camper at the Cattail Cove State Park in Arizona. My goodness, last night I was cold! “Right, you’re in Santa Fe, silly girl!” Wearing just a t-shirt and shorts, I got out of bed, put on my socks and a flannel shirt and grabbed a small blanket for my bare legs. Back in bed and feeling much warmer, I fell right back to sleep. As soon as I woke up this morning, I got ready to leave and was on my way just before 9:00 a.m., getting back on I-25N for the drive to Springer, NM. Reaching the Springer exit I connected to Rts. 56/412E and headed for the Oklahoma state line.

With the mountains of western New Mexico slowly disappearing behind me, I was now driving through increasingly flat terrain, on a well-paved two-lane road that gently rose and curved with the contours of the land. For as far as I could see, it was all grassland on either side of the road.  I’m guessing, since I saw clusters of cattle here and there but no fields of crops, this grassland is used more for grazing. There were just a few cars on this country road, maybe five RVs that passed me on the lane going west, and practically no big rig trucks.

About ten miles past Clayton I crossed into Oklahoma…and lost another hour. I soon reached Boise City and, after getting on the wrong street because of a dang roundabout, I made my way to Wild Bill’s RV Park. Being a “pick your own site and complete the self-pay registration” kind of place, I had no problem choosing my site and getting the camper hooked up to the 30-amp pedestal. As I write this on my laptop, the sun has set and I’m ready to call it a day.

Wednesday, August 24, 2022 – It got a little bit cold again last night so I did the socks-flannel shirt blanket thing again. Come morning, it was sunny, warm, and the sky was nice and blue. It was 9:00 a.m. when I got back on Rt. 412E, after getting gas first. Today’s drive, with Fairview, OK as my destination, was similar to yesterday’s. The two-lane road was like a straight ribbon, unfurling through the flat terrain. As the land rose and dipped, so did the road. 

Again, it was all grass and other shrubbery on either side of the road. Here and there along the way, between small and larger towns, visual sightings included grazing cattle, bales of hay, houses (some inhabited, others abandoned) and barns (some standing proud, some dilapidated), industrial machinery, and wind turbines.

Again, it was pretty much just me on the road for many miles. Driving along I remembered that my truck had cruise control -- and this was the perfect road to use it! Setting my speed at 65-mph on this 70-mph lonely ribbon of a road, I released my foot from the pedal and the cruising engaged as it was supposed to. Nice!

Getting closer to Fairview, the terrain changed. The soil became red and rocky, the hills became hillier, and mesa-like cliffs materialized, which kinda surprised me. Spotting the junction sign just ahead I turned right and got on Rt. 60S, arriving in Fairview within a few minutes. I pulled over and activated my iPhone’s navigation system to help me find my way – through farmland – to Plymouth Valley Cellars, a “Harvest Host” winery.

Generally speaking, as is typical of the farms that we don’t see from the highway, the roads to those farms are narrow dirt and/or gravel. The crisscrossing intersection signs throughout those thousands of acres of farmland are also typically marked with numbers – N2550 Rd., for example – instead of street names. My GPS got me to the winery and as I entered the driveway, Dennis, the owner, pulled up in his truck and motioned me to follow him. We got back on the road I’d just been on and, driving faster than me (I had a camper, he had farm stuff) I trailed him a bit further behind so as to avoid the dirt and gravel his truck was kicking up.

Following Dennis on the gravel road.

This, mind you, is a winery, not an RV park. When I stopped where Dennis was now standing, I was surprised to see that he had several nicely level RV sites and each one had electric pedestals for both 50- and 30-amp RVs, plus water and sewage. He selected my site, guided me as I backed in, and helped connect me to the shore power.

It was by then 1:30 p.m. and I’ve met Dennis, his dog, and his worker. I couldn’t get the other fellow’s name so, using his long index finger (he was tall!), he wrote on the gravel “Nicolae Romania.” Oh, that’s his name and he’s from Romania. Dennis, his finger pointed to the ground, said he’s from “here.” Before they went back to their work, Dennis pointed to a nearby building and told me to go there at 5:00 p.m. for – and he gestured “drink.”

Since it had been a sunny and hot day, my camper was quite hot inside. I turned on the AC first thing, put some things away, made myself a sandwich, updated my stats, and then started writing my journal. As I did my stats, I noted that I had driven 4½ hours and covered 251 miles today. I think I’m ready to confirm to myself that four hours of driving is about the most I’m willing to do these days, especially with a truck camper.

I’ll take a moment here and explain the RV “Harvest Hosts” concept. This is a membership organization that describes itself as “… a network of wineries, breweries, distilleries, farms, and attractions that invite RVers to stay in 3587+ stunning camping sites.” Their website, https://harvesthosts.com, includes a map and I, as a new member, found this winery by checking out the state of Oklahoma. Members submit online reservation requests, or, if so indicated, they can call or email the property owners directly. Since RVs (unlike tents) are self-contained, with built-in access to beds, toilets, water, and power, the one-night stays on Host properties are restricted to RVs only. Members are required to adhere to certain specifications and are strongly encouraged to support these private businesses by buying at least $20 worth of their products. Joining Harvest Hosts just a few months ago, Plymouth Valley Cellars is my very first visit.

Plymouth Valley Cellars Winery

My site.

My camper in the background.

Five o’clock – time for the wine tasting! The neon “Open” sign at the designated building was lit up – just for me, the sole RV visitor. Dennis was my server and he had 6-7 bottles of his Plymouth Valley wine on the wine tasting counter for me to sample. Although I don’t know wine and don’t drink wine, I selected a sweet rose and then a sweet white to sample. I liked the rose wine better and bought a bottle that I will gift to a friend. For easier communication with Dennis, I’d brought paper and pen with me and he answered my questions about his winery.

My first question, since I couldn’t get it either when I’d arrived, was the name of the dog. “Dazzle” and he’s a “cow dog” – a herding dog. Very friendly, as I quickly found out when I stepped out of my truck.  And now, about the winery – since I didn’t see them on his fields, I asked where the grape vines were. There are no grapes, Dennis said. The bottles that he set out on the counter are from his 2016 grapes. That was an excellent crop, he said, giving him lots of wine to sell (only in Oklahoma, according to the label on the bottles). It hasn’t been the same since then and, over the last three years, all his grapes froze as a result of cold temperatures. He’s 80 now and in the process of selling his farm, which includes his house -- his parents’ house where he grew up. In reply to my question, he said he will move to Fairview after the sale goes through. Even though Dennis smiled during this conversation I could still see and sense his sadness about the direction his life is now taking. I decided to ask no further questions. I wished him well, he told me to have a safe trip, and I returned to my camper…with my bottle of Plymouth Valley sweet rose wine.

Dazzle came by a few times to get some scratches from me and to give me his paws in return. Dazzle, Dennis said is going to stay here. He is, after all, a “cow dog” and there are cows here and herding duties for him to do. 

Lady Liberty at sunset in Oklahoma.

May many sunsets shine upon her in our beloved USA. 

Thursday, August 25, 2022 – Before I went to bed last night, around 11:00 p.m., I decided to step outside first to see if the stars were visible. They weren’t, likely because there was a bright light on a tall pole near my camper. It was otherwise, with my camper’s lights all off, very dark where I was standing. Looking upward I got spooked when I felt something soft brush against my leg. “Oh, Dazzle, hello there, sweetie. Did you hear me and decide to come over for some more petting?” Dazzle reached up to me on his hind legs and we offered each other a nose-to-nose good night.

Sunrise...

I left the winery around 9:30 a.m. and, spotting each other in the distance, Nicolae and I waved good-bye. Dennis told me yesterday I might not see him this morning, and I didn’t. Nor did I see Dazzle. Such is life – fleeting, but I’ll have the memories of this winery.

Via my iPhone GPS, I was back on the main road within minutes. I got gas at Fairview and, just before 10:30 a.m., I was once again on my way east on Rt. 412.

Same as yesterday, it was clear and sunny all day – ideal driving weather. As I got closer to Enid, a “big town” by my definition -- multiple traffic lights and gas stations and fast-food franchises and restaurants and box stores and strip mall stores – the two-lane Rt. 412 became a four-lane highway. Enid was, to me, a sign that I was leaving “rural” behind and approaching increased areas of congestion.

That proved true when my next “big town” was actually a city – Tulsa. Traffic moved along nicely and Rt. 412 took me around and away from the city’s high rises and bustling downtown. Not too many miles later Rt. 412 advanced into a toll road/turnpike. There was, at one point, an “Alt 412” but I stayed on the four-lane turnpike. To my amazement, the speed limit was 80 mph. Knowing that a heavy four-door Ford F-350 Super Duty dually truck with a heavy camper on top will take forever to stop on a dime, I kept my speed at 65-70 mph.

Nuts! I made my first (and this had better be my only!) truck camper error at the filling station in Fairview. I had my charge cards mixed up and used the wrong card to fill up. I came away puzzled at both the low number of gallons needed to fill the tank and the low amount of dollars. When I got past Tulsa, I started to notice (hunching over the wheel and squinting as usual) that I was fast approaching the ¼ mark. I then realized, while frantically looking for “gas up ahead” signs, that I had used my debit card by mistake and, in its wisdom, the card stopped fueling when I’d reached the balance remaining in that account. I found a gas station, stared at the correct credit card for a few seconds before using it, filled up and returned to the turnpike.

Around 2:30 p.m. – 235 miles and 4 hours later – I arrived at the Natural Falls State Park, located near Colcord, Oklahoma and the Oklahoma-Arkansas state line. The young lady in the office, noting that I already had a reserved site, said I was good to go. Finding my site, and with the spotting guidance from an older woman whose RV was across the road, I backed in until she said “stop.” RVers are such nice folks!

I did my usual “settling in” stuff and then sat outside in the shade of my camper to read a little bit. Back inside the camper I noticed through the kitchen window this lady and her dog in a golf cart, parked on the grass very close to my camper. Wondering what was up with that I started to go out the door when this man appeared, startling me. Realizing I was Deaf (I bet they had been calling out “hello, hello”) he spoke clearly and told me that he was informing everyone that there was no water in the state park. Nearby road construction workers damaged a pipe and they expect to get water back tomorrow. Okay, good to know.

Speaking of water, there’s a sulfur odor coming from the kitchen and bathroom faucets when I turn on the water. I don’t know if that smell is from the water that I added to the fresh water tank that first day at the state park in Arizona. Or if it’s a result of the tank sanitizing work they did for me at Galaxy Campers before I left home. I’ll have to ask David, my camper guy, but for now I’m using that water to wash my hands and bottled water to brush my teeth and wash the dishes, glasses, and utensils. Although I have a shower, I’m still using the campground showers, just in case anybody wants to know.

Friday, August 26, 2022 – It was so nice to wake up this morning and not do the usual preparations to leave and start driving. My reservation here is for three nights. I determined months ago that after three days of driving from Santa Fe and through the Oklahoma Panhandle to the OK-AR state line, I was gonna need a 3-day break. As I go forward, I think I’m going to decide, with more frequency, to stay at RV and state parks for at least two nights. Why hit the road every day? I need a bit more time these days to recharge.

Around 7:30 a.m., I stepped out to take a much-needed walk. I took the path that leads to this park’s Natural Falls, but seeing a walkway that went up to higher ground, I went that way first. The walkway ended at the park’s “Yurt Area” where I counted five yurts available for rent. I’d seen cabins at state parks but these yurts are a first for me to see...and up close, too.

From there I went down to the base of the waterfall. From online – “Located in the Ozarks, close to the Oklahoma-Arkansas border, Natural Falls State Park features a stunning 77-foot waterfall, with pristine water cascading through rock formations and hurtling into a turquoise pool.” Interestingly, the water that drops down from the high rocky cliff wall here is from a creek, not a river. The previous owners of this property called this the “Dripping Creek” waterfall.

It is a lovely area, surrounded by the cliff, rocks, trees, and different species of fern. The pool of water at the base veers off to the side, the creek slowly moving along on its watery course. To protect that forest and its ferns, visitors are not allowed to go near or in the water. Deciding that the sun would be in a better position later in the day, I went back to the falls at 3:30 p.m. to take pictures.

The Natural Falls near Colcord, Oklahoma.

Saturday, August 27, 2022 – It was nearly 8:30 a.m. when I woke up this morning…another nice “staying in” start to the day!

First things first – “camperhold” chores! I swept the floors; cleaned the counter, dinette table, and bathroom; and shook dirt, grass, and gravel off the doorway mat and the “foyer” rug. This rug is rather sentimental. It was made from strips of bedsheets by Ernie Hoffmann’s Deaf sister, Myrna. She had a pile of rugs to sell and I bought this one from her when I traveled to Faith, South Dakota in 2008 to visit Ernie’s family and his gravesite. All these years with me in the camper and this durable rug has not unraveled one bit!

Taking it easy the rest of the day…and enjoying my final night in Oklahoma.

On the Road Again…Finally!!

Monday, August 15, 2022 -  I’m no Willie Nelson fan -- for an obvious reason -- but I’m aware of the popularity of his “On the Road Again” song among hearing (and maybe some deaf) RV travelers, truckers, and, I guess, Willie Nelson fans. Since I’m finally traveling again in my truck camper -- starting today! -- I thought I’d look online for the song and post the lyrics here on my blog. It’s a sentiment I can relate to!

On the road again

I just can't wait to get on the road again

The life I love is makin’ music with my friends

And I can't wait to get on the road again

On the road again

Goin' places that I've never been

Seein' things that I may never see again

And I can't wait to get on the road again

On the road again

Like a band of Gypsies we go down the highway

We're the best of friends

Insisting that the world keep turnin’ our way

And our way is on the road again

I just can't wait to get on the road again

The life I love is makin' music with my friends

And I can't wait to get on the road again

And I can't wait to get on the road again

I left home at 11:00 a.m.  – on a very hot Palm Springs, California morning – and arrived at the Cattail Cove State Park at 3:00 p.m. – on a very hot Arizona afternoon. I stayed at this state park once before and I like it very much. It’s located on the Colorado River between Parker and Lake Havasu City, AZ.

 

My last truck camper trip was in summer-fall 2019 -- a fantastic and memorable three-month journey around Iowa and Kansas. My next trip [to Utah] was in the planning stages when the COVID-19 pandemic became rampant everywhere and kept me home. And kept my camper in storage, too, under the watchful eye of David Yavelak, owner of Galaxy Campers in Ontario, CA. David is the fellow who sold my 2005 Lance 1121 camper to me back in early 2006 and has been my “camper guy” ever since. I said it before and I say it again – it was truly my lucky day when I met David at the 2005 RV Show in Pomona, CA. As an outstanding, knowledgeable, and professional Lance camper/trailer agent, David is exceptional and genuinely cares about his customers. He has an excellent staff working with him, too!

 

The pandemic dragged on and I adhered, best I could, to CDC guidelines, getting my vaccinations and boosters and struggling to lipread people through their masks. Struggle? HA…‘twas impossible! Keeping busy with personal projects at home, I stayed well…and then I eventually felt that itch. The road was calling. Or was it Willie Nelson?

 

In early March of this year, I contacted David and asked for a meeting. Although David and I communicate quite well, for this particular meeting my brother Bill came along as my interpreter. I told David it’s been nearly three years, it’s been long enough, and I was now itching to travel again. I’d made some decisions and wanted him to get my camper checked out and prepped for my next trip, scheduled for August-October. Giving him my “Please do the following…” list, we discussed logistics and timelines. In addition to checking things out and doing a few repairs, I asked David to also install a solar panel and replace my two batteries and two propane tanks with new ones. By the time the job was completed, just last week, I discovered that David took it on himself to also replace the TV with a new model that provides better closed captioning features. Such a dear man!

With both my camper and my 2006 Ford F-350 dually ready to go, I returned to David’s lot on Saturday, August 13^th. After David, Miguel, and Juan loaded the camper on the truck, I stayed around for a couple of hours to make up the bed there (not the easiest thing to do!) and transfer stuff from truck to camper. I figured Ontario would be a tad cooler than Palm Springs and David made it so much better by connecting my power cord to his 30-amp outlet and turning on the camper’s air conditioning. Did I mention he’s a dear?

 

By the time I returned home, although the air was hot and humid, the sun was obscured by storm clouds. “Do it…do it…do it, Mappy, ole girl!” Yup! You see an opportunity, you take it! With the sun missing in action, I gave it an hour or so and loaded more stuff (clothes, food, and other essentials) in the camper. The camper was fully loaded and mostly organized by noon on Sunday and I FINALLY left home this morning. My travel destination – ARKANSAS!

My truck and camper on my driveway.

I reached the Cattail Cove State Park via I-10E and Rt. 95N. Immediately after backing in at my reserved site I connected to the shore power. Stepping inside the camper I opened the slide-out and then activated the air conditioning. Next, I retrieved my water hose and filled up the fresh water tank. I still had a lot of things to put away and organize but…there’s the Colorado River, just steps away! Priorities!! I knew exactly where my swim suit was!

Tuesday, August 16, 2022 - I was quite tired when I went to bed last night, more mentally than physically. It does require a lot of careful thought to plan for and begin an RV trip. For me, since it’s been nearly three years since my last truck camper adventure, I started off yesterday with some concerns. Today, I’m now feeling a bit more reassured that camper-related features and necessities are coming back to me as I move about inside and outside the camper.

On a personal note, I was 56 years old when I took my first truck camper trip in 2006. I’m 72 now, which means an unbelievable sixteen years have gone by. This 6-7-week trip -- to and around and from Arkansas -- will be a test of sorts.

Firstly, can I still handle the physical aspects of traveling in a truck camper? What challenges will I discover, both personally and otherwise? For example, the camper chore I detest the most is dumping the Black and Gray water tanks, mainly because I have to get down on my knees and crouch under the camper to access the camper’s tank dump outlet. From that position, I then have to get up. I’ve tried, but I can’t spring back up like I used to. I’ll report on this particular “adventure,” definitely!

Secondly, will I have trouble finding available campground sites without a reservation? This is a new RV scenario -- a problem, and a challenge, really – as a result of the pandemic. Unable to travel by plane, train, ship, fellow Americans, primarily those with kids, discovered camping. Other folks discovered they could work remotely…from anywhere. RV sales boomed and campgrounds filled up. Advance reservations became a requisite, which is not how a spontaneous traveler like me wants to journey around the USA. Which is why I asked David to install the solar panel. If I have to boondock somewhere or look for a Walmart parking lot, I’m prepared for that.

This state park, I should mention, is not full. As far as I can see, there’s lots of empty sites. It is Tuesday, after all, and school has started. Which is why, never mind the propensity for heat and humidity, I decided to start this trip in mid-August.

Anyways, I was up at 6:00 a.m. this morning and spent a couple of hours focused on putting things away where they best belong. I slept reasonably well – AC off, windows open, bare skin exposed. It was a little bit uncomfortably warm, admittedly, but I didn’t want to leave the AC running all night. Some of the other campers here are sleeping in tents…ugh! On second thought, maybe that’s OK. Like I said, the Colorado River is just steps away and always “open.” And that’s where I was at 9:00 a.m. -- me and one friendly loon!

I was back inside my camper after an hour on the beach. With the AC back on, I sat at the dinette table, laptop open in front of me, and between frequent glimpses of the Colorado River and the mountains on the California side, I got to work on this, my “MAP’s Camper Adventures” blog. This blog is documented in my file folder as Blog #100 – my goodness!

Three o’clock p.m. found me back on the beach for another dunking in the river. This time I brought a new book with me to read -- Our First Discovery, by Marvin T. Miller, a Deaf man and single father of four, writing about the challenges and joys of his RV experience with his first Fleetwood Discovery diesel-pusher motorhome. The book is a gift from my friend, Mel – thank you!

Fluffy white clouds adorned the beautiful blue mid-afternoon sky as I sat there on the beach under the shade of a small tree. Coming our way from the California side – and impossible to ignore -- was a huge mass of dark rain clouds. There were a few people in the water and I kept an eye on them to watch for any reaction to the sound of thunder. There was none of that and those clouds didn’t release rain on us. They did, however, kick up a wonderful breeze that lasted for about 20 minutes. Brief as it was, it was a most welcome respite to today’s heat!

Rain clouds above the Colorado River, approaching the cove.

Wednesday, August 17, 2022 - I slept in the buff again last night – just laid there in bed, tired, sweating a little bit, and waiting for sleep. My mind wandered to the folks of yesteryear, especially the ladies, and marveled at how they managed to do all that they did – toiling the land, keeping house, cooking over a hot fire, raising children – in those bulky clothes they wore. Those thoughts put things in perspective for me. Then I fell asleep. I didn’t wake up once, not even to go to the bathroom.

Up at 6:00 a.m., I put on my swim suit, t-shirt and shorts and took a walk. There are trails here at the state park and I found one that went up to a high vantage point. I took pictures of the Colorado River and the cove where the beach is. As I went back down the trail a young woman was coming up with her two dogs – a German Shepherd and a Doberman. The woman was petite and those dogs were huge! She stepped off to a spot away from the trail and held on to her dogs – tightly, I could see – so I could pass. The Doberman sat on its haunches and heeded her every word (whatever they were), but the German Shepherd was overly excited and kept wanting to approach me. Two beautiful dogs and a pretty girl – my morning got off to a good start! And the refreshingly cool water, when I returned to the beach, was a bonus!

The Colorado River, looking north.

The Cattail Cove and beach.

By 9:00 a.m. I was on my way, getting back on Rt. 95N for the drive through Lake Havasu City to I-40E. As soon as I was on the interstate, I settled in for what I figured would be a 4-5-hour drive – my first of this duration and many miles in nearly three years.

It was a good drive through a truly beautiful Arizona desert terrain. The road was typical – smooth here and there and patchy rough elsewhere. The other drivers sharing the road with me were also typical and there were lots of big rig trucks. Monstrous as they are, usually fast and sometimes annoying, too, I was actually glad to see them on the road. It’s a post-COVID sign that those drivers are out there transporting goods, which is what we need.

The flat landscape soon became hilly and it didn’t take me long to feel like I’d gotten my groove back with driving the truck. I had it serviced a week before I left home and, burdened with the heavy camper on top, it was handling the hills just fine. I spotted some cattle and horses and, without even looking for them, saw a pair of pronghorns grazing near a barrier fence. It’s always a thrill to catch a glimpse of this beautiful “…species of artiodactyl mammal indigenous to interior western and central North America.” At some point along the way, I turned off the truck’s AC and opened the windows. The memory of my previous two hot nights in the camper faded away as I felt the cooler air of these higher elevations.

For the most part, the day was both sunny and partially cloudy. In the distance the sky was a foreboding dark – rain, most likely. On the approach to Flagstaff -- and that rain -- I realized I was now surrounded by pine trees. The transformation from the desert landscape had been so gradual it was as if that forest of trees had appeared in the blink of an eye. And, yes, it did rain on me!

Flagstaff fell behind, I had a clear blue sky again and was back in the desert environs, heading towards and arriving in Winslow around 1:30 p.m. I stopped for fuel and then looked for a place to get a late lunch. Winslow is one of the famous old towns on Route 66 and, finding a great place to park, I went inside a small café. They didn’t have Wi-Fi, unfortunately, but their hamburger was very good. Most of the customers there, I noted, were Native Americans. Being that the revered Homolovi Ruins were nearby, it’s likely those folks were Navajo and/or Hopi descendants of the people who lived around this area and at those ruins. From that café I went to McDonald’s, ordered a Diet Coke, and used their internet to check emails on both my iPhone and iPad.

By 4:00 p.m. I was settled in at my reserved site at the Homolovi State Park. I was here once before, with Navidad, my cat, and I visited the ruins at that time. Sitting outside at sunset, enjoying the breeze with my Rum & Diet Coke, I thought about those customers at the café. It’s always an honor, it really is, to visit the lands of our Native Americans.

The nights are dark at this state park and as soon as some of the cloud cover moved off the stars became visible. Among those thousands of twinkling stars was the Big Dipper, right where it has always been for time immemorial. The Milky Way, too, but it was hard to see because of the light pollution from Winslow.

Thursday, August 18, 2022 - Last night’s sleep in the camper was much cooler and pleasantly comfortable compared to my first two nights at the Colorado River. The first thing I saw through the cabover side window when I woke up this morning was a narrow band of orange along the horizon. Wasting no time, I got out of bed and went outside to watch and take pictures of the rising sun. Looking out over that expanse of open land, it was a humbling thought to realize that the peoples of long ago watched this same sun rise over that same horizon…everyday throughout their lives.  

Leaving the state park at 9:00 a.m. I made my way back on I-40E and settled in for the long drive to Rio Rancho, NM. Moving along at a steady pace, Arizona soon looked less like “Arizona” when the desert scenery morphed into a landscape of rocky cliffs and “tabletop” mesas. The “Welcome to New Mexico” sign appeared…and I lost one hour.

It was raining pretty hard when I approached Albuquerque. Traffic was steady and after I connected to I-25N I started following my sister Evelyn’s directions to the new house that she and David bought in Rio Rancho last year. I arrived shortly after 3:00 p.m. (4:00 p.m. AZ time), parked the truck camper in front of their house, switched the fridge power to propane, and brought inside the items I will need during my visit with them.

They have a lovely house – it’s spacious with lots of large windows and, looking south, a great view of the Sandia Mountains and, at night, the lights of Albuquerque. We visited, had supper, post-supper drinks, and soon called it a day.

Friday, August 19, 2022 - I slept very well on a comfortable bed and woke up just before 6:00 a.m. Wandering into the open kitchen-dining-living room area I saw, again, this band of orange and decided to stand at the living room windows and wait. I soon felt a soft tap on my shoulder and David was there with a good morning hug. He had coffee ready and we stood outside and watched the sun make its appearance. Ev soon joined us and, since we’d already determined last night that we would be staying put today, I got started on the blog-related writing that I needed to catch up on.

Around mid-morning I took a break and joined Ev and David for a walk to their community mailbox. Back at the house I invited my shorter-than-me sister to climb up into the big truck and take a seat at the wheel. She did and she took a good look at my truck’s [black] dashboard. I had described, yesterday, the optical difficulties that I’m now experiencing with my truck’s dashboard and I wanted to show Ev and David what I was talking about. Hands on the wheel, Ev looked (David did, too) and concurred that, even with the dimmer switch as high as it will go, it is indeed hard to see some of the dashboard symbols, specifically those that are green and red. It’s an issue for me now because I’m finding that I have to hunch forward, eyes off the road for a mini second, and squint to see the fuel indicator needle, the odometer numbers, a few other symbols, and the clock. A small flashlight hasn’t worked so will try a larger one. Hopefully it’s a dashboard fuse that can be remedied later.

The rest of the day I continued to work on my blog. David did his thing on his computer and Ev looked through our Mom’s photo albums that I had brought from home. Following cocktails and supper David and I exchanged thoughts and perspectives about history and today’s current events. Being British, David speaks with an accent that’s a bit hard for me to lipread, but both his verbal articulation and fingerspelling have improved immensely, making my need for Ev’s interpreting less necessary. (Thank you, David!) Before we headed off to bed, we watched a program about how a cat’s mind works. Interesting!

Saturday, August 20, 2022 - We woke up to heavy clouds, rain, and to news reports that rain and flooding are impacting certain regions in New Mexico. Safe and snug inside this lovely home, we’re staying put here again today. 

Sunday, August 21, 2022 - Ahhh, after yesterday’s rainy day I woke up to a bright and sunny morning! David was also up and after giving me my mug of coffee, he pointed out hot air balloons rising from above Albuquerque. We stepped outside to the patio and, by the time Ev came outside to join us, we’d counted 17.

Around mid-morning, since I will be resuming my truck camper trip tomorrow, we did a grocery run for me to get milk and other items for the camper. Back home, after a bite to eat, we hopped in the car and David drove us to State Road 4 to visit the Pueblo of Jemez. To quote from online -- “The Pueblo of Jemez is an independent sovereign nation with an independent government and tribal court system. Since time immemorial the Jemez people have maintained their traditional way of life, a life supported by strong values, deep cultural respect, and the unique Towa language. The Pueblo of Jemez is a federally recognized tribe located 50 miles northwest of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jemez is one of the remaining 19 Pueblos of New Mexico, encompassing over 89,000 acres of land and home to over 3,400 tribal members. The people of Jemez cherish their ancestral customs and integrate their culture with modern society.”

Our 30-mile drive on State Road 4, a scenic two-lane byway, took us through the Jemez Pueblo Reservation, colorful rocky cliffs, a pine forest, a village, and to the Valles Caldera Preserve. A caldera is a “…large depression formed when a volcano erupts and collapses.” This 13.7-mile wide Valles Caldera, which presently looks like an expansive grassy meadow – and is home to a large herd of elk -- is actually a “supervolcano,” one of three supervolcanoes in the USA. From that beautiful preserve we turned around and returned to Rio Rancho.

David & Ev, driving through the Pueblo of Jemez.

David & Ev at the Valles Caldera.

Ev & me.

Ev & David at home...and my truck camper "next door."

Me, working on Blog #1, with the Sandia Mountain
in the background.