Winter in Tucson AZ 2021-2022

 Once we got back, we found a storage spot for the little camper and started to enjoy the desert.

Mark started experimenting with his smoker and produced some tasty wings!

Enjoyed a beautiful morning playing disc golf in sunny Arizona .

The courses are definitely different from what we are used to.

Mark's next experiment was with ribs and once again he did an excellent job.

Linda and Greg Thompson, who we met in Port St. Lucie, Fl stopped on their way to Lake Havasu and camped in your park for a few days.  Paul and Tammy took us all on a nice hike, The Tucson Mountain Park is right in our backyard.  It's amazing how things don't rust in the desert.

Dinner with friends. Thanks Chuck and Beckie for detouring to come see us! And thanks Linda and Greg for coming to visit as well. It’s been a great few days with wonderful people including Paul and Tammy Smith from your old neighborhood in a rocky Point.

Made a trip to Gilbert, AZ so Mark could do some work on Larry and Barbs RV. We work camped with them our first summer on the road.

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Woohoo back at the bowling alley! We are subbing tomorrow so thought we would go practice since it’s been almost 2 years since we have bowled. Good thing we did because when I opened my bag the ball was cracked . Luckily the pro shop was open and Russ hooked me up with a new ball. Mark was throwing really good! Signed up for a league in January. So happy to be back bowling again .

We had an excellent day today. I became a member of the Amvets last Sunday. It’s a wonderful organization for veterans. Today they had a golf cart poker run and I won $50 for the worst hand and also won the gift basket with 5 bottles of adult beverages and a nice bottle of red wine plus tons of extras. Made a lot of new friends, feeling blessed.

I participated in a craft show in the park.  It's been awhile since I have done one and forgot how much work they are!

Spent Thanksgiving with Paul and Tammy Smith and Mark smoked the turkey.  Everything was delicious!  It's crazy how life happens, we were neighbors with them years ago and both went our separate ways and are now back together again.

Went on a rock dig today with the Old Pueblo Lapidary club to Globe AZ in search of Peridot. It was a wonderful day being back in the desert enjoying the sunshine and great weather. Hopefully I found a piece big enough to facet. Peridot was everywhere, it looked like moss on a wall.

Beautiful sunset tonight!

Tucson has a wonderful bike path system, and we got out to enjoy it today.  

A beautiful day in sunny Tucson AZ at the Groves Park for a round of disc golf

 Went on a road trip with my new friend Barb to Las Vegas to pick up a camper she bought, and we stayed the night at the 4 Queens on Freemont Street. It had really been a long time since she had been there and had never seen the downtown area. This is my favorite part of Vegas with the music light show and folks zip lining. I actually zip lined down Freemont Street when they first started doing it. Fun times showing her around.

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Well, the new Year didn't turn out so hot for us.  Mark got covid and had to be hospitalized for 5 days with double pneumonia, he almost died but worked very hard to recover and is doing well.  He went to the emergency room, and they told him he had it and just sent him home.  Nobody said anything about getting up every hour and walking for 10 minutes so he wouldn't get pneumonia, makes me so mad when I think about it.  Anyway, the refrigerator crapped out while he was in the hospital, so I filled 3 coolers twice a day to save the contents.  He told me to go outside of the rig where the frig was located and see if I could smell ammonia, I couldn't smell anything.  When he got home, he went and checked, and it was like sticking your nose in a bottle of ammonia!  I tested positive but only lost my sense of smell for about 2 months.

We replace the back of the frig with a high efficiency dc compressor, much cheaper than buying a new frig.  It was a big job but thank heavens Mark knows how to do this stuff!!!

 

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                Had a good time at the Rock n Gem show in Tucson, I see earrings in my future!

Meet Sally, she is our new ride!!!  It's no fun driving around in the dually and when I have the Tahoe Mark has to drive it, so we were looking to another vehicle. She is 19 years old, and the transmission was just replaced, paid $1,000.  Bought new tires and had some front-end work done and we love her.  She has some quarks but is great.

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Went on a tour downtown with Paul and Tammy to check out some of the many murals around the city.

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Took a Road trip to Lake Havasu to visit Linda and Greg Thompson. Mooch docking at Linda’s stepmom's house.

Disc golf, bowling and drinking beer were some of the activities.

Good time with good friends.

On our way back home, we stopped in Quartzite for pizza at Silly Al's, when in Quartzite one must eat at Silly Al's!

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Our bowling league started up the first week in January, our team name is the Bowling Stones, new friends Mike and Terri, and good times!

Our bowling league is part of the Baja group and they had a cornhole tournament.  Mark came in second and won the 50/50 drawing!

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We are so blessed to have tons of hiking opportunities available to us.  This morning we went to Kings Canyon with Paul & Tammy Smith and Barb Wellnitz.

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Paul and Tammy took us to the Desert Museum, which is only about 10 miles from us, to see the Raptor show. Beautiful location and I highly recommend it, these birds are amazing.

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We feel we have found utopia in Tucson and especially Tucson Estates, so we are in the process of purchasing a home!!!

Our winter has come to an end and its time to headed to our summer work camp gig in Spearfish SD.  We have left the small camper and my Tahoe in covered storage and will take Sally.

As always, thanks for following our travels and check out my Etsy shop for one of a kind handmade jewelry!

www.etsy.com/shop/wanderingdesigns

Fall 2021 San Antonio TX

 The Gypsies are back on the road headed to NC to visit family, friends and bring back the little camper.

Road runner made out of recycled objects just west of Las Cruces NM at rest stop off 10.

Pecos Bill, in Texas, is to the Southwest what Paul Bunyan is to Northern Minnesota and Maine. He is a bigger than life figure captured in a statue of him riding a dust devil holding onto a rattlesnake. There are these 7-foot tall brightly painted boots throughout the town. “Fun Fact”-as Sheldon would say, Pecos held the first rodeo!

2,193 miles and we have arrived safely in Leland NC.

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Upon getting back we got busy shutting down Mark's RV business.  First up was selling his van and we got really lucky.  Went back to the dealership we bought it from, and they bought it back!  I started listing things on Marketplace and we were able to move a lot of stuff.  

Enjoying time with my fabulous Aunt Ruthie, she is the toughest woman I know, always my inspiration .

Spent a nice day thrift storing and then lunch downtown on the riverfront with Lori.

The grandkids will have grown inches by the time we see them next.

The Gypsies are locked and loaded, just pulled out of Ryanville! Headed back to Tucson AZ for the winter . Thanks, son, for everything .

11 October

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I enjoy seeing the river boats and barges, Lanett, Al.

We landed at the Elks Lodge in Opelika, Al for the night.

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The Gypsies have arrived safe and sound in Atchafalaya, LA. Waiting for the swamp people to show up with some gators.

The next day we landed at the Elks Lodge in Katy, TX.

Took off from there and made it to Travelers World Sun RV Park in San Antonio, TX.  This was an area we always wanted to experience and we a finally doing it.  This is a great park for exploring as there is a city bus stop across the street.

Started the day out visiting the Mission Concepcion and then proceeded to The Alamo. Then did the Riverwalk which is beautiful and should be on everyone’s bucket list. Left downtown and had lunch then went to Mission San Jose which is super impressive, the bride and groom were having pictures taken. Went inside looked around and the bottom dropped out with rain, so I guess you could say it is still protecting folks. This really is a fun location.

The Mission is a popular location for wedding photos. We always enjoy visiting the missions.

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Today we went back downtown to see more of the city, the weather was finally pleasant as yesterday was very hot and humid. Went to Hemisfair Park to check out the Tower of Americas. Standing at 633’, It was built in 1968 for the Hemisfair World's Fair that celebrated San Antonio's 250th anniversary. We walked some more of the Riverwalk, but it was packed with people, some much better on a weekday! Peeked in the St. Mary’s Catholic Church that was beautiful, the stained-glass work was mesmerizing. Walked the streets checking out the architecture was nice as there were less people. Decided to head back to the camper and enjoy the weather, in front of our bus stop stood the Tower Life Building. Construction of the building began in 1927, it rises 404 feet and has 31 floors. It was the city’s tallest building for almost 60 years and housed the first Sears, Roebuck and Company store in San Antonio. Unfortunately, it isn’t open to the public anymore but still very impressive.

At dinner at Southern BBQ and Kitchen, it was excellent, and we highly recommend it.  Also ate the previous day at Lum's BBQ which was really good too.  

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Left San Antonio and made it to Fort Stockton, TX and stayed at the Hilltop RV Park.

The next day we stayed at the Elks Lodge in Las Cruces, NM.  We will be home in Tucson tomorrow!

Thanks for following our travels!

Check out my jewelry at 

www.etsy.com/shop/wanderingdesigns