Mar. 25
We have finally reached the promised land of Yuma, but before we go wandering in the desert, we decided to stop and see the city a bit first. Our friends Barb and Rick Pitt in Texas, who had lived in Yuma for a while, had recommended a place to get Mexican food here. It is called “Chili Pepper” and we went there last night and weren’t disappointed. Another couple we met there agreed that it was the best place in Yuma for Mexican food. After church today, we went back there again to get some more “machado” (as sort of shredded beef pie) that was outstanding; but alas, it was closed. So tomorrow morning, I think we’ll head there for some huevos rancheros (with machado) before we head out into the badlands. After that, we have one other stop to make. An internet search revealed that there is a BLM (Bureau of Land Management) office in Yuma which will undoubtedly have map of the place that we are looking for.
The internet is really an amazing thing. The kind of church that we go to in Long Island is called “Calvary Chapel”. Lorraine looked on the internet, and not only found one of those churches here, but also got the time that the service started! As it turned out, the group rents a space, so they just put a sign up before the service and take it down after. We would never have known the place was there unless she had “googled” it. It was a great message, and the worship music was especially good. The guitar player had a “Carvin” which sounded great. I don’t think that it is an especially expensive instrument, but I am certainly going to pick one up and try it the next time I am in a music shop. It could have been the player of course, as he had a really sure “touch” and wasn’t at all tentative in his playing. He was probably all of 20. Does it make me old that I own guitars that are older than that?

Mar. 21
The weather has finally improved, and it should be 70 today. The sun was shining yesterday, but it was still chilly. We drove into Bisbee, AZ and had lunch at a real cowboy bar. Enchiladas and chili. I was going to order the stuffed “rellenos”, but the waitress could see that I was a gringo, and kindly warned me that they were jalapenos, not sweet peppers. I can’t take the heat (which is why I scrupulously avoid the kitchen) so I was grateful for the advice. Lorraine likes spicy food, and told me to “put on my big girl pants and deal with it!” But since we were splitting the two dishes, cooler heads prevailed, and I persuaded her to go with the enchiladas.
Spellcheck just informed me that I had spelled grateful wrong (“greatful”). Jerry Garcia continues to annoy me from beyond the grave.
Bisbee was interesting, and we liked it. It had a bit of a Woodstock vibe, I thought. We found a great place that was grinding coffee and bought a couple of pounds. The RV smells delicious this morning, even before we start the brewing. We plan to drive today to a place called “Patagonia” which we heard good things about; and then to “Green Valley”, which I am told has a January average high temperature of 65. It will probably be snowing there.

Mar. 23
Passed through Patagonia, which we liked a lot, and then Tubac, which we had been advised to check out. Patagonia was a real town, (as opposed to Tubac, which was essentially an expensive shopping outlet) and there (Patagonia) I was walking the dog when a man who looked remarkably like Newt Gingrich walked by. I mean dead ringer. So much so that I asked if he was the candidate himself. I thought Arizona might be having a primary election, which would explain his presence there. He actually played me along for a little while before finally admitting that he was not. Obviously he had done this dance before. The resemblance really was quite remarkable. Disappointed that I hadn’t gotten a chance to put in my pitch for a cabinet appointment in the Gingrich administration, Logan and I moved on to find a good place for him to poop. We were more successful in that endeavor.
Last night we camped in a state park called “Picacho Peak State Park”. For $25 per night we got plug-in electricity at our spot, a beautiful bathhouse, dumpsite, and fresh water refill. Went for a hike, but Logan is getting older, and could not make it all the way to the top of Picacho Peak. (That’s the excuse I’m going with.) Sunny, with temperature in the 80’s. The stars were beautiful with no city lights anywhere nearby, and the quiet was wonderful. The campsites were far enough away from each other that there was no feeling of crowding. The whole place was quite idyllic, and we could have stayed longer; but we are within striking distance of Yuma, so we got back on the road this morning, hoping to reach there by nightfall. On the road today, we experienced our first gas prices in excess of $4 per gallon. It seems to be going up steadily as we approach the California border. Tough to know who to blame, but I’m going with Newt Gingrich.

Mar. 19
We got a text from our friend Stephanie in New Jersey today, and she said that she is sitting out in the sun enjoying the 80 degree weather. Meanwhile, we are in Douglas, Arizona being pelted with the hail that is beating against the sides of the vehicle! The winds are so high, and the temperature so low (42) that it seems better just to stay where we are until tomorrow when the bad weather blows through. We are in a safe location, with easy access to any food that we need, and a Redbox nearby so we can rent movies for the evening. (All that is code for: “we’re parked in a Wal-Mart lot.”)
Lorraine bought a bunch of turquoise beads when we were in Truth or Consequences, and so she is passing the time by stringing them into necklaces. I am making sure that the espresso continues to flow. Speaking of flowing, avocados are 58 cents apiece here in this part of Arizona, so there WILL be guacamole with tonight’s meal.
I’ve been reading a book that I’m really enjoying. It is by a guy named Pete Shotten, who was a boyhood and lifelong friend of John Lennon. Those of you who know me know how many books about the Beatles I have read over the years, but there were a lot of things in this book that I had never heard before. This guy was close to John his whole life, up until the point where John moved to America, living much of the time in John’s English country estate with him, working as his assistant. Lots of interesting stories about the craziness that resulted from John’s impulsive whims and decisions. It seems that he was a musical genius, but exhibited very little common sense in any other aspect of his life. Because of his enormous wealth, he was able to delegate or ignore the everyday realities that the rest of us have to deal with. And not surprisingly, it didn’t always yield the idyllic life that we all thought he was leading. But all in all, a fascinating read for a Beatle fanatic like me.

Mar. 16
The plan today is to take a hike. People tell me to do that on a fairly regular basis; but today it actually seems like a good idea. I’m gearing up while Lorraine is exploring some of the shops in town. We both really like this town, and I could see us staying here for a more extended time period sometime in the future. It is just another small town - really small - but it has that nice mix of cowboy ambiance along with nature right at your doorstep that I really find appealing. We actually saw some houses for sale yesterday that had backyards that went right down to the Rio Grande, with an incredible mountain view on the other side of the river. None of them had much land with them, and the neighbors on the left and right were pretty close, but to wake up to that view…
We also met Jack, a local guy who has bought an apartment complex that he is in the process of renovating. He runs a jewelry store in town, and as we got to talking there, he told us about this project that he works on every night and weekend. We took a stroll over there after 5, and sure enough, there he was at work on his building. Lorraine went inside and got the tour, since she is really interested in construction. I have a feeling that if we came back a year from now, he would have some of the apartments ready for rental. If we were in our RV though, it would be hard to beat the deal that we have at the “Artesian Bath House and RV Park.” It is run by a cowboy named Bill Martin, and for the price, the place just can’t be beat. It just had the feeling of “home” for us, and I know we will stop there anytime we are passing through this part of New Mexico. We were able to park the rig there, and walk to the little main street for anything we needed.
We met a really nice couple there – Chess and Allison – who have been living on the road in their van for 5 years! They usually spend the winter in Sonora, Mexico, and then come up to New Mexico when the weather gets better. They gave us some good information about places of interest to check out as we head west into Arizona, and we invited them to come visit us in Sag Harbor if their travels ever bring them east.

Mar. 17
St. Patrick’s Day finds us on the road again. I’m wearing a lovely green T-shirt that I got for $1 on the clearance rack at Wal-Mart a few night’s ago, and Lorraine is green with envy. So we have that covered.
We are trying to get ahead of some rough weather that is coming into the southwest.
It started today with heavy winds, although it was still sunny and warm. The temperature is supposed to drop precipitously, with highs in the 40’s, accompanied by some rain for the next couple of days. That was the prediction for Truth or Consequences, so it seemed like there was no need to stay there for that. We didn’t get an early start, (I blame the bookstore in town, which serves great coffee and pastries on the weekends) so we have only traveled as far as Lordsburg this evening as I am writing this. It is another small town, but with less charm than T. of C. from what I can tell. Exploring the town a little, we came across a really tiny church that we are going to go to in the morning. I am hoping that the service will be in English. I assume that it will because the sign outside says “church” and not “iglesia”; but we’ll find out when we get there.

Mar. 15
Today we arrived in Truth or Consequences, NM. We stayed in an RV park here some years ago and we’ve come back to the same place because I like the town. There is a laundromat right on the premises, so today is laundry day. The heavier clothes can be washed and stored away. I think we’ve finally gotten to the climate where not much clothing is required anymore, so it should be mostly just tee shirts and shorts from here on in. As God intended.
This particular place has everything we need. We are connected to electric and water, and there is a waste dump right at our site. This afternoon, after taking Logan for a walk down to the Rio Grande, we set up our lawn chairs, and enjoyed an iced espresso while soaking up the sun right on the side of our vehicle. The place also has wireless internet, and I am able to write this tonight from the comfort of my couch/bed. And of course, the hot springs! This town has long been known for the hot water that comes right up out of the ground in certain places. Bathhouses have been built over those spots, and there is one in this trailer park. For $12 we get a private indoor hot tub for an hour. They say the mineral waters have “healing powers”. I can’t vouch for that, but they certainly are relaxing. Coming out and looking up at the stars in the black sky just makes you feel like you are floating. Right now, Lorraine is on the Ipad googling another hot springs along our route that is outdoors in the desert. That will really be a trip on a starry night!
Tonight there was a slideshow/lecture at “The Geronimo Museum” in town about a 3 mile hiking trail that has recently been built parallel to the Rio Grande River that winds through the outskirts of the town. Apparently they have just completed it with help from some federal grant money. It sounded so good that Lorraine thinks that we need to hike it tomorrow. So I guess we are staying in Truth or Consequences at least until Saturday morning. If we finish that hike, we will no doubt need to experience the recuperative powers of the hot springs again tomorrow night.

Mar. 13
The front brake pads and rotors needed replacing, so we had that done around mid-day when the parts arrived. It was diagnosed yesterday afternoon, but there wasn’t enough time to do the work before the close of business. Since the coach was up on blocks, with the wheels off, we couldn’t drive it anywhere. So they let us stay there overnight in it, in one of the work bays behind the business. It was absolutely fine, as the whole property was fenced and gated. The mechanic emphasized that once they left and locked up, we would not be able to get out until morning. No problem. We had everything we needed in the coach. (Lorraine says she had “more than she needed”, and I think that may have been a reference to me.)
There was also a leak from the grey water tank, which they are going to fix this afternoon. And we saw some anti-freeze leaking the other day, so they are going to check that out too. By the time everything is done, I think we will have lost another day as well as my Social Security check from this month. So for now, we remain in Las Cruces. At least the weather is beautiful - 80’s and sunny. We went for a walk today while they were doing the work and found a place where we got some really good barbeque for lunch.

Mar. 14
I’ve been reading a book that I’m really enjoying. It is called “The War for Late Night” by Bill Carter. It is about the time in 2009 when Conan O’Brien took over the Tonight Show from Jay Leno, and then Jay Leno took it back again 7 months later. I remember being fascinated by the whole business at the time, and convinced that Jay made it impossible for Conan to succeed by not going away quietly, as any decent retiree would. (Let the record show that I have not made the same mistake.) The machinations that went on are explored in great detail, and I find the details riveting, even though I know I am not going to like the ending when I get there, because Jay wins. The book keeps saying that Jay appeals more to the Baby Boomers, while Conan appeals to the younger viewers. Personally, I never cared much for Jay. Conan seems to me to be more in the Letterman mold, which I much prefer.
The TV stations that we are able to get on our TV in the RV are all broadcast channels that come in via the antenna on the roof of the rig. It varies widely from night to night what we can get; depending largely on how close we are to a city. Last night interestingly, most (though not all) of the stations were Spanish-language stations. After Lorraine fell asleep, I happened upon one that was showing a “Police” reunion concert from 2007. I had heard about the tour when it was happening, but it was one of those big deals with extremely high-ticket prices, so I never got to see them. In the televised concert, they were playing in some South American venue, and Sting spoke to the crowd briefly a few times in Spanish. But the entire concert was sung in English. So I got to see a concert by a band I really like in English on a Spanish station, in my RV (on a nice flat screen that my friend Barry Pavesi installed), without Lorraine insisting that we change the channel to watch “Dancing With the Stars”, or some such thing. Life is good.

Mar. 11
Today Lorraine asked me to do something while I was already doing something else. I patiently explained to her that I didn’t have her facility for multi-tasking. She said that she had long ago resigned herself to that; and that she would be “more than satisfied” if I would just “task.” You see? That is the kind of blatant disrespect that I have to put up with on a daily basis. If it wasn’t dead-on true, I would be highly offended.
Our RV, which we purchased in 2008 ago from a guy I used to work with, passed the 100,000 mile mark today just outside of Carlsbad, New Mexico. It continues to run great and provide very comfortable shelter and transportation for us. The former owners, our friends Bill and Jan Daly, who I hope may be reading this, are the only ones other than us who can really appreciate the significance of this, since they have logged even more of those 100.000 miles in the “Born Free” than we have. I know that they loved it like we do (and took much better care of it!) After all their years of travel, they decided to pick a place in Arizona where they now rent for 3 months each year. If we find ourselves on that trajectory, we may try to stop by to say hello. I think they stay there until the end of March before they go back to their home in Minnesota. They may not be all that anxious to see me (few are), but I know they would love to see the RV again.

Mar. 12
On Sunday, we stopped into a little church outside of Carlsbad that we remembered fondly from the last time we were through this way about 4 years ago. We received a similar warm welcome. I am always surprised, and delighted, at the “neighborly” treatment we experience in this part of the country.
Last night, we went back to a “Cracker Barrel” restaurant, since we have discovered that the Sunday night dinner special is fried chicken; and it is out of this world! My objection to the Colonel (Sanders, that is) has always been that his chicken is fried with the skin on. So to get that tasty batter, you have to eat the skin, which I’ve never been fond of. But at Cracker Barrel, at least for the Sunday night special, they skin the chicken breasts before they batter and fry them. As God intended. The Cracker Barrel was in Las Cruces, about 200 miles further west from Carlsbad. It would have been worth the trip even if we weren’t going in that direction, trust me.
This morning, we planned to travel a bit north to Truth or Consequences, NM where we know some hot springs to be. We have stayed before in an RV park there that has a hot springs right on the premises. When we got on the road however, the brakes started making a noise that sounded very much like “HAVE ME LOOKED AT RIGHT NOW.” So as I write this, I am sitting in the waiting room of a repair place waiting for the diagnosis. The place is very dog friendly (there are two wandering around the room I am in), and they said that Logan could stay in the vehicle while they are working on it. The mechanic took my key and got in the car to drive it into the work bay, with Logan inside. That must have been a bit confusing to him - seeing someone else sit down in my seat and drive off, with us nowhere in sight. But like me, he is just happy to be in the southwest, and sees everything else as negotiable

Mar. 9
Back on the road today after a brief stopover last night in Texarcana to see our friends Rick and Barb Pitt. We met them several years ago on an earlier trip west, and they were kind enough to offer us their hospitality once again. After some good Mexican food at a restaurant they knew of, we got to watch some TV on their big screen, catch up with what has been happening in each other’s lives, and sleep inside in a real bed in their guest room. Logan made himself right at home in their house, but couldn’t understand why he couldn’t sleep on the bed with us. He may have been worried because in the night, we heard what we thought were coyotes howling. Rick thought that it was more likely that it was some neighborhood dogs. There are coyotes in the area however, and we have seen a couple of their carcasses on the highway as we were driving.
Tonight we are stopped in Abilene, and it is really beginning to feel like the west. I mentioned the other day that in North Carolina I was beginning to see a few guys wearing cowboy hats. Here in Texas, everyone I see is the real deal. I wish I could pull off wearing western gear, because I really like the look. Always have. But if I tried it in New Jersey (and I have, unsuccessfully) it is clear that I am just some kind of a “wannabe” poser. And in the west, I know for sure that I’m not fooling anyone into thinking that I am a real cowboy. So I guess I just have to be myself while trying to avoid mirrors long enough so that I can imagine that I look like Sam Elliot. His voice is all over truck commercials on the radio and TV out here, by the way. He could make a good living just with that voice, but the iconic cowboy looks make him the total package. (I need to stop now. This is sounding too gay.)

Mar. 10
Still in Texas as I write this. It goes on and on! We should make the New Mexico border before the day is out however. I have taken to measuring our progress west by the decreasing price of avocados. Both Lorraine and I love them, but they are quite expensive in New Jersey. They were going for about $1.25 each when we left. In a Wal-Mart in Louisiana, we paid 96 cents a piece, and today in Texas, 68 cents each. Soon they’ll be cheap enough to have with every meal, and the guacamole will flow like water. I love the southwest!!
I am NOT loving the southwest weather yet however. Cold and rainy again today in the 50’s (and 30’s at night). It has been this way for the last 3 days, and Logan does not like the thunder and lightning, I can tell you that! It freaks him out, and he looks for someplace to hide, and of course there is nowhere in the RV. So he shakes. And I don’t like taking him out for walks in the rain and the cold wind. The TV weather report says to hold on until Monday and then it will be in the 80’s. Can’t wait. At least the colder temperatures are keeping us focused on covering ground in our quest to get to Yuma, Arizona before all the snowbirds leave. We’ve been told that there is a contingent of them who camp each winter outside of Yuma on some government-owned land completely off the grid. It sounds intriguing, but we need to get there before everybody leaves at the end of March. So we keep the wagons rolling – westward ho!

Mar. 5 finds us in Durham, N.C. We ate last night at a “Cracker Barrel” restaurant, and stayed overnight in their parking lot. Quiet, safe, nice. The chain has a policy permitting overnight stays, which we found out about some years ago. In the restaurant, guys were wearing cowboy hats un-ironically, so I know that I have left the northeast.
The news has been full of tornado stories. The most amazing one that I heard was that of a 2 year old girl who was picked up and found 10 MILES AWAY from her home in a field!! I wondered how that was possible until I saw another story about a bus that had been picked up and flung across a parking lot into the side of a building. The news story said that the child was found alive, but badly injured. I haven’t heard whether she ultimately survived. It really makes you think about how much we are at the mercy of elements totally beyond our control.


Mar. 7th, and we have crossed another border into Meridian, Mississippi, where surprisingly, we found the best place for gas prices since we left home. Regular was $3.48 last night when we filled up (to the tune of 30 gallons, so you do the math). For that we get about 300 miles, which is what we have been doing each day so far. That works out to about 10 miles per gallon, or 11-12, if we set the cruise control to 55. (It really does improve your mileage, but you kind of have to stay in the right lane all the time, because you are going so much slower than everybody else, even when the speed limit is 55.) There is a Bob Dylan song with a lyric where he says he “stayed in Mississippi a day too long”. I don’t think we are going to find out what that would be like, since the section of the state that we are passing through on our trajectory is pretty narrow. We will be crossing the Mississippi into Louisiana later today.
We are settling into our road routine of waking around 9:30 or so, having breakfast in the RV (we have a refrigerator and a propane stove so we can cook eggs or whatever), and then getting on the road a little before noon. We usually drive for about 6 hours, with breaks to stop to walk the dog, get a coffee, etc. Around the time that it is getting dark, we begin to look for a place to park for the night. As I said previously, “Cracker Barrel” restaurants allow overnight “guests” as do Wal-Marts, which is where we stayed last night. When the weather warms up, then staying in a state park where you can get out and hike is preferred, and that may happen as early as today. Yesterday it was sunny, and in the high 60’s. I think the plan this morning is to get on the road a little earlier (read: 10:30) and find a “Waffle House” rather than having breakfast in the RV, so I’ll have to end for now.

Hello from Maryland

After considerable delay due to mostly unavoidable problems, RV-related and otherwise, we are finally on the road, and checking in from New Carrolton, MD. It is just outside of Washington D.C. We stopped for the night at a Chinese Buffet for dinner, and I asked the owner if it was permitted to stay overnight in the parking lot in our RV. He said it was fine, as long as we were out by 10 AM. - a beastly hour, but on reflection, not an unreasonable request. It will force us to be on the road at a time that qualifies as “very early” in my private lexicon; but that is probably a good thing, as we do want to cover some ground and hopefully get to warmer weather sooner rather than later. Besides, most of the “snowbirds” in Arizona will be gone by the end of March, and we had hoped to check out a contingent of them in Yuma that we heard about a few years ago from a couple returning to their home in Michigan. The news lately has been full of stories about tornadoes throughout the Midwest, and some parts of the South. Hopefully, we have plotted a course that will keep us out of their path. If this turns out to be my last entry, you can assume that we miscalculated.