Florence, Al

Since Leon was so far "east" as Arkansas, he decided it was time to pay his cousin Nancy in Florence, Alabama a visit. She and Tony were excellent hosts and we spent a fun filled few days with them.



We took a ride along the Natchez Trace, an old Indian traveling route that runs from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. The two lane road has been turned into a parkway with reduced speed limits and the setting is quite pastoral all along the undeveloped countryside. We stopped at many of the scenic pullouts before exiting the parkway and continuing to Nashville, Tn.


Around every curve we seemed to see deer and turkeys. I was surprised to see this turkey strutting right alongside the highway.

Lisa and Jason were kind enough to put their barge in Pickwick Lake and take us for a boat ride. They are a real inspiration and a delightful couple to know.

Leon, Nancy, Jason, Lisa and the grandsons enjoyed a marvelous afternoon riding on Pickwick Lake. The area around Florence appears to be a real sportsman's paradise.


Tony and I fished while the others rode around on the barge. We got into some nice little stripers just below the dam and of course had to take some to the house.

At last it came time to take the quads out. Nancy, Tony, Leon and I went to a hunting area that belongs to some of their friends. It was a great place to ride in the woods.

We finally found what we had been searching for. The woods are full of wild hogs. It was just another of a string of really fine days.

Mtn. View, Batesville, Jacksonport, Arkansas

After spending 10 days in Hot Springs it was time to move on again. So we went north into the Ozark Mountains and joined the WINS at Sylamore Creek Campground in Mtn. View, AR. We spent one week there hiking, fishing, enjoying country music on the square, visiting the Ozark Folk Center, exploring the cave at Blanchard Springs and the spring of the same name. This was a 4 mile hike with an overlook high above the White River on the Sylamore Bike Trail. More photos.


Not far from Mtn. View is the Mark Martin Ford Dealership in Batesville where the NASCAR driver also has a museum and many of his old race cars displayed. It was an interesting stop along the backroads of Arkansas. More photos.


We spent a night at the state park in Jacksonport, AR near Newport. We had a nice campsite on the White River in a serene setting. We ran lots of errands in town before heading for Alabama on April 26, 2006. More photos.

Seligman, AZ & Albuquerque, NM

In April we traveled east traveling to Arkansas mostly on I 40. We stopped to visit Pam & Tim in Kingman, AZ and spent the night in front of their house. Our next stop was Seligman, Az to see if the old Roadkill Cafe was still there. It is fun to stop in some of the old towns that were along Route 66 and see what still exists of the old hotels, cafes, and neon signs.


We spent the night at the Sky City Casino in Grants, NM and got past Albuquerque the next morning before we had truck trouble. After a new water pump we still needed a tow truck ride back to Albuquerque. So we abandoned the trailer in Moriarty and spent a 3 day vacation in Albuquerque. While the truck was in the shop we took advantage of their bus transportation system.


It turned out to be a fun vacation that we might never have taken.
We found ourselves running all over Albuquerque, NM. The section of town on old route 66 has some interesting sites. Further down the bus route we visited old town which was established in 1706.
More Photos: April Stops

Oatman, Az

I traveled north along the Colorado River and made a beeline for Oatman, Arizona. I kept hearing what a cute town it was where the donkeys wandered in the narrow streets of the two block long town. And sure enough! I shopped, ate ice cream, and strolled the streets. Donkeys were everywhere.

This is an old mining town in the mountains west of Kingman, Arizona. The donkeys are descendants of those that were used by the miners.

Parker, Az

On Friday, March 3, I took the long and narrow road from Tehachapi to Parker where I met my friend Joanne from Michigan at the Parker casino. This would be our home for a couple of days while we went to the Bluegrass festival. We listened to some fantastic groups and enjoyed wandering around the park along the Colorado River in the sunshine.

After the festival I headed north meandering alongside the Colorado River. I stopped at Parker Dam to look out over the river and made several other stops along the river. The WINs canoe this river each year and I was looking to see if I might be interested. It is a beautiful azure blue river, wider than I would have thought. Wildflowers were in full bloom along the way.


I then spent a couple of hours in Lake Havasu City. This is the location of the London Bridge so I had to stop and look! From there I scurried north through Oatman so I would arrive at Avi for the dinner buffet at the casino. It was a very wise choice. As the sun set I drove on to Laughlin and enjoyed seeing the casinos lit so well at night and the reflection in the river as I drove along. I spent the night in a rest stop on I 40.

southern California

A day trip to the Coachella Valley Preserve found us walking through the desert sand to an oasis. For years this was known as Thousand Palms Oasis and was a favorite swimming hole for youngsters growing up in the area. The preserve was created to protect the fringe-toed lizard.






Gary, Joanne, Leon and I spent an evening in Palm Springs at the street festival held each week. Joanne and I stopped for a visit with Sonny Bono before savoring a meal at Ruby's. Indio was another fun town and we were lucky enough to be there for the date festival where we enjoyed the Arabian Nights play.



After two weeks at the slabs we then traveled further north to Leon's home in the Tehachapi Mountains east of Bakersfield. Here we enjoyed both the last of winter snows and the arrival of spring. From Tehachapi we had a good view of the San Joaquin Valley.

Slab City near Niland, CA

In February 2006, Leon and I were each camped in the desert of southern California, where we met. The place is hard to describe in "normal " terms. The people make up for the lack of diversity in the landscape.

People come and go but each day's ritual basically stays the same for the retired RVers that stay in the LOW section on Edith Lane. Each morning begins with coffee around the campfire which is located inside a painted plywood fence of sorts. Here you meet new people, plan the day, and visit with friends. Some of us made several trips south to Algodones, Mexico. Click here to see some photos of Algodones.



This slab is transformed on the weekends to a venue for dancing with a live dj. Where else can one dance under the stars while fires burning in barrels placed on each side of the dance floor warm the chilly desert night air.



The Slabs are located outside Niland, California on an old military base that was turned back to the state of California. The concrete slabs remain from the previous inhabitants hence the name. Anyone can come and stay here without having to conform to much of anything or anybody and they do!
This day a group went four wheeling in the desert and then stopped for a picnic at the Bat Caves. I had lunch on this rock with a view of the Salton Sea behind me.


Leonard Knight's creation, Salvation Mountain, which is made from paint, sticks, and daub, welcomes the newcomers as they arrive.



Here Leon, JoAnn, and Gary prepare to cook over the coals while watching the sun set on another day at the Slabs. In this case it was setting on our stay but not our new found friendships.



Leon and I spent many hours on his quad riding in the desert, and this was only the beginning.