July 24-25, 2015. Heading back to Redding

Screen Shot 2015-07-26 at 1.12.54 PM
We are on the road heading home.  I can’t believe I have spent the last few weeks doing whatever I want whenever I want.  I haven’t carried my phone for most of it.  Sometimes we would simply curl up and read.  I am just finishing Fall of the Giants, almost 850 pages of a page turning saga of 4 families leading up to and during WW1.  I certainly feel a whole lot more educated.  Doug and I also enjoyed Eye of the Needle by Ken Follette as a book on CD’s. We either both need hearing aids or a new radio in this RV.
We both agree that staying in one place for 5-6 days is ideal.  Traveling during the busy months of summer has made availability sometimes an issue….since we only like to plan our next move.  Traveling in an RV really suits us as couple.  Being able to pee anytime you need, taking a nap when you feel sleepy, making a cup of coffee and a snack on the road are just a few of the pluses.  The people you meet, Doug and I both agree, is the very best part.  The division of labor is very obvious…he does most of it.  I am starting to learn some of the outside stuff like hooking up the Jeep, putting the air brake on, and plugging in the electricity.  I make black and gray water, but I don’t “deal” with it yet.  I also don’t and never will drive this house on wheels – its 40 feet long and weighs 34,000 pounds!  However, today we met a couple that looked to be in their 80’s….. They travel around and make funnel cakes at various events.  He unhooked their coach and she took off driving it ( at least 40 feet long) and may have parked it as well.  That puts me to shame : (
Doug is taking a little nap at the rest stop and I think I will go for a walk in one of the beautiful rest stops here in Oregon (Washington also has beautiful park like rest stops).  Should I mention that Canada has essentially no rest stops?  They almost aren’t big enough for an RV, no bathrooms, only a trash and recycle container.  We have seen very little trash or graffiti this trip.  Just to mention, in Washington, every road seems to be lined with trees.  It is beautiful, but you cannot see a thing. You may be driving next to a beautiful lake, a mall, or a farm and never see it.  For those of us that enjoy the journey and the vantage of a high perch, the scenery was disappointing from the highways.  However, the two friends we visited……to get to the their homes required a drive down a canopied driveway…..Oh so beautiful.
Did I mention that our bikes were stolen last night?   Yep, the last night of our trip.  We were staying in a rather nice Elk’s Lodge in Salem, Oregon.  Doug woke up and saw our bike cover cut and just hanging sadly on the rack.  Who ever took them knew exactly what they were doing since they were locked with a heavy cable.  These were brand new Treck’s that Doug and I gave each other for Christmas in anticipation of this trip.  We realize that in the scheme of things, this really isn’t important, just disappointing.
We travelled a total of        2838 miles of this beautiful world in the RV and another 300 miles in side trips in the Jeep.  We thank God for this privilege to see His hand in this amazing place we call home, for now.
Now to plan the next trip this fall!