No Day But Today

end of travels

2007-01-19T20:48:00.000-08:00

After Louisiana, we decided to end our travels and settle back with the family in sunny Florida. We stayed in Panama city beach for 1 last week of vacation then headed south to Stuart. We bought a townhouse, a car, got jobs, sold the rv, and returned to the "normal" way of life. While our house was being built, we stayed at a great condo on the beach which helped with the major transition. It was an unbelievable journey and we can only hope that everyone who wants to will be able to "live their dream" as we did....remember...there's No Day But Today!!!!!

heading south

2006-10-24T18:29:00.000-07:00

from Oklahoma, we headed south thru Texas into Louisiana where we parked in Slidell to participate in a Habitat for Humanity build...had a good time with all of the other people helping out...Toni learned how to use a circular saw....very, very hot!!!!

Oklahoma City

2006-08-18T18:10:00.000-07:00

visited the Oklahoma city bombing memorial....very sad and moving....what a tragedy!!

route 66 thru New Mexico to Amarillo, Texas

2006-08-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

we stopped at a car museum along historic route 66 and saw a lot of great old cars...2 quick stopovers in Gallup and Santa Rosa, New Mexico then on to Amarillo Texas...we saw the famous Cadillac ranch (old spray-painted caddies burried in the ground), and ate at the Big Texan steakhouse where you can order a 72oz. steak dinner, finish it in an hour and it's free...had a limo service to the restaurant from the rv park...what a great piece of meat!!!

rainy Williams

2006-08-18T17:36:00.000-07:00

leaving Las Vegas we drove over the Hoover Dam on the way to Williams, Arizona... heavy rains kept us inside but saw a great sunset and rainbow afterwards.....

Back to Vegas!!

2006-08-18T17:26:00.000-07:00

after a quick stop in Beaver, Utah we arrived at the beautiful Marriott hotel in Las Vegas!! king size bed and huge shower and tub...what a treat!! we visited with our friends, took in a show, relaxed by the pool and shopped at Caesars....it was great to be back....thanks to everyone, we had a great time!!!

Mormon town

2006-08-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

we continued south thru Pocatello, Idaho then stopped in Salt Lake City, Utah...walked around Temple Square where we saw the mormon church and Tabernacle choir auditorium....

grand tetons and jackson hole, wyoming

2006-08-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

we drove south to the Grand Tetton mountains, had lunch at the Jackson lake lodge, rode our bikes to Teton village and walked around the touristy old cowboy town of Jackson Hole....this area is beautiful!!!!

more yellowstone pics

2006-08-05T18:16:00.000-07:00

beautiful Yellowstone!!

2006-08-05T18:01:00.000-07:00

it's hard to describe yellowstone in words so we'll put up more pictures...we saw lots of wildlife, waterfalls, geysers including old faithful, bubbling mud pits and ponds, went on a stagecoach cowboy dinner ride....this place is incredible!!!!

Deadwood to Cody, Wyoming

2006-08-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

we left Deadwood and crossed the state line back into Wyoming...we visited the famous Devil's Tower monument....this is the USA's first national monument...also where they filmed "Close Encounters of theThird Kind"....quick stop in Buffalo then on to Cody....nice little town with lots of old west charm...saw a rodeo, took a trolley tour and learned a lot about their main man Buffalo Bill Cody!!

Deadwood, South Dakota

2006-08-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

mom and Buddy met us in Deadwood...we had a great time together!!! we saw Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse monument, buffalos in Custer park, shoot-outs in the streets, rode the old fashioned 1880 steam train, visited Presidents Park, took a mining tour, saw Sturgis before the big motorcycle rally, and ate 79 cent breakfasts.....old west prices still exist, at least for breakfast! thanks again mom and buddy for sharing this time with us!!!!!

on to deadwood thru wyoming

2006-08-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

we made a quick stop in cheyenne, wyoming and stayed at a bison ranch...had a good buffalo burger!! another quick stop in lusk, wyoming then drove thru the black hills into deadwood, south dakota....so much open land in wyoming...we felt like we were the only people on the planet!!

more colorado pics

2006-08-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

2006-07-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

drove thru Boulder, toured Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory, got our free samples, then headed up to Estes Park, Co., the gateway to Rocky Mt. National Park...we had lots of outdoor activities planned but mother nature had different plans....it poured!!! we made the best of it by watching alot of Wimbeldon tennis on tv...it finally cleared up on our last day...we rode up the aerial tramway overlooking the beautiful town of Estes Park

finally colorado

2006-07-05T19:35:00.000-07:00

with a quick stop in Sterling next to the prison, we continued on to Denver.... explored the downtown area...went to a nice art festival.....got tickets to see Blues Traveler at the Red Rock amphitheatre...it was beautiful for the first 2 acts but then it poured down rain, lightning, thunder..we got soaked and had to leave...went home and watched fireworks on tv...

nebraska

2006-07-05T19:33:00.000-07:00

one word for Nebraska-----cornfields!!!!! that's it...no pictures....

celebrity sighting

2006-07-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

camping with us in Adel, Iowa was the great Willie Nelson....well it was "Almost Willie"...the impersonator...he performs around the country and travels around in an old bus..

servicing "Papi"

2006-07-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

we had an appointment in forest city, iowa to have the motorhome serviced...10,000 miles in 5 months...no major problems, what a great rv! we stayed at the Super 8 motel in town...cable tv, wi-fi, big bed and shower, not too bad...they gave us a car to use so we drove to Clear lake...nice little town with a main street and big beautiful lake..highlight of the day was having lunch at the Main Cafe and meeting the owner, Linda and her mother.....they were closed for the day but let us in anyway and made us a nice lunch....it was a pleasure speaking with them and learning about the town so if you are ever in Clear Lake, Iowa, stop by the Main Cafe and tell them Neal and Toni sent ya...we also took a tour of the Winnebago factory to see how they put these things together...pretty cool!

minneapolis

2006-07-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

we stayed at the Mystic lake casino rv resort and rented a car to explore the city....first stop...Mall of America...this place is like 3 regular malls piled on top of each other....next day we drove downtown to Loring park and the Walker art center...it was gay pride week-end and festivites were in full force...saw the famous cherry on a spoon sculpture...nice town, nice people!

turkey factory

2006-07-02T07:33:00.000-07:00

we saw the jennie-o turkey factory on the way so we stopped to explore...no tours but we were able to buy turkey burgers and sliced turkey meat very cheap....toni loves a bargain!!! now she refuses to buy it in the store...too expensive!

kitch-iti-kipi state park

2006-06-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

took a detour to this park...it has a lagoon that is fed thru underground spring water...lots of fish, no fishing allowed...we rode a raft with a glass bottom that travels across the top of the water...it was so clear you could see the water bubbling up...nice rest stop!!

Toni's birthday in the northwoods

2006-06-28T06:35:00.000-07:00

we continued our drive across the upper peninsula of michigan....mostly woods and lakes...after a quick overnight stay in Iron Mountain we finally crossed into the state of Wisconsin...more woods and lakes...we stayed at a beautiful campground on Rice Lake...rented a pontoon boat and went fishing....my fishing rod must be broken because all I catch is grass!! we made our first campfire and cooked brats and s'mores for toni's birthday celebration...looking forward to minneapolis...city life for a change!!

wisconsin 's north woods

2006-06-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

onward and even further upward into the"U.P"

2006-06-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

we continued our drive though the upper peninsula...to our surprise the beauty and wonder seemed endless...a stop at the Taquemenon Falls was a refreshing treat...the amazing Soo Locks, an incredible passageway for large vessels traveling the Great Lakes...the Shipwreck Museum, told the story of ships lost including the famous wreck of the" Edmund Fitzgerald".

michigan's upper peninsula

2006-06-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

a cruise across lake huron t0 mackinac island ... the grand hotel towers through the large white pines... our coach awaits...we took a horse drawn trolley around the island... horses and bikes were the only means of transportation on the island.

more pix

2006-06-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

neal by the docks...flowers by the lake..."big mac" the mackinaw bridge...

traverse city

2006-06-27T20:18:00.000-07:00

driving up the west coast we stopped at the sleeping bear dunes...a 5 story high mass of sand along lake michigan...we could have climbed it but we didn't...we met up with Dan, a friend from vegas...sat on the beach although it was about 50 degrees, did a lot of bike riding, rented a car and drove up to Harbor Springs, Mackinac city and saw lots of orchards and vineyards..it's the cherry capital of the usa....the lake is so clear and beautiful...we had a great time!!

holland, michigan?

2006-06-26T22:32:00.000-07:00

after another horrible drive out of chicago, we made our way up the west coast of michigan stopping in a little town called Holland...they have a big tulip festival that we missed but we did go to the touristy dutch village....we met Tony the wooden shoe maker and saw a windmill...

chicago pictures

2006-06-26T22:10:00.000-07:00

chicago----a hotel room!!!!

2006-06-26T21:57:00.000-07:00

after a nerve wracking drive thru the streets of southside chicago, we finally arrived at the Marriott hotel, our first hotel stay in a long time!! the location was great, rail service right outside the door taking us into downtown chicago...our two friends, jenifer and leila from new york, met up with us here....we had such a great time!!! the weather was perfect, did a lot of walking, took a trolley tour of the city ( which hit a parked car along the way!)...so much to do and see...walked along the navy pier, grant park, "married with children tv show" fountain, mural water park, reflecting bean, and of course the sears tower and michigan ave...no Oprah sightings!! we took about 100 pictures...too many to show...here are a few...thanks again jen and leila for a great time!!! p.s. I got to eat chicago pizza 3 days in a row--4 if counting leftovers!!

south bend, indiana

2006-06-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to see the Univ. of Notre Dame so we headed west to south bend....a special treat for me along the way was the college football hall of fame....we road our bikes 7 miles each way from the campgrounds to notre dame...finally got to see the "touchdown jesus" mural and the golden dome.. special treat for toni...a clothing sale at the stadium of all adidas sportswear...gotta look good even if we didn't attend the college...

shipshe-what? ...shipshewana

2006-06-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

After the roaring cars of indy we drove north to amish country to the clopping sound of horse hooves...went to a huge flea market, bought lots of fresh baked goods, and learned about the amish way of life....

sorry!!

2006-06-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

sorry for the delay....bad internet connections....will blog soon!!!

race day pix

2006-06-03T08:29:00.000-07:00

more indy pix

2006-06-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

hot, hot, hot race day!!

2006-06-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

our seats for the race weren't that good so we got up early and took a chair, blanket and cooler to the grassy spectator mound to watch the race..it was the hottest day of the year..91 degrees and humid...people were dropping all around us!! thank goodness for the free Danika Patrick towels we got..we soaked them in cold water and put them on our heads to stay cool...what an event!!! it was the best race coming down to the last lap with Hornish passing Andretti right at the finish line....it really is the "greatest spectacle" in sport both on and off the track

celebrity sightings at the indy parade

2006-06-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

the parade was great!! dowtown indy is very nice and clean...here are some celebs---Pat O'Brien (the Insider)...Rachel Ray (from the Food Channel)...Jorge Garcia ( from Lost) and the driver of the pace car Lance Armstrong (Tour d'France champ)...other celebs present..Patrick Dempsey, Gene Simmons, and many more B-list people that got free tickets!!

what race? I got the Food Network!!

2006-06-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

I was excited about the race, Toni was excited that Marc Summers (host of Unwrapped) and the Food Network had a big display set up...of course we got pictures and free t-shirts

indy 500 hall of fame

2006-06-03T07:26:00.000-07:00

our first stop after parking the rv was the hall of fame museum..pretty cool place with all of the previous winning cars in indy history....I can't believe I'm here!!

dowtown louisville and "the greatest" museum

2006-05-31T18:38:00.000-07:00

one man I have always admired is Muhammad Ali and was very excited to see his new museum...what an exhibit!! very well done and inspirational..on a side note-my father owned the pharmacy under the 5th street gym where he trained on miami beach so as a young boy I got special treatment and went upstairs to watch...still have an autographed card that he gave me when I was 12 years old...next stop the louisville slugger museum where we learned all about baseball bat making...surprising only 26 employees in the whole factory and most have worked there over 30 years...walked along the ohio river to see the riverboats....next stop..the indy 500!!

churchill downs

2006-05-31T18:18:00.000-07:00

since I was a little boy, I've watched the Kentucky Derby and dreamed of going to churchill downs and seeing the famous twin spires...it was a sure stop along our journey....we went thru the museum where I got to ride another mechanical horse then spent a beautiful sunday watching the horses run...of course we had to place a few wagers and with toni picking the horse by name and silk color we can say we cashed in a winning ticket at churchill downs!!! ...one dream came true!

kentucky horse park

2006-05-31T18:00:00.000-07:00

after a real nice drive to lexington we arrived at this working horse farm and museum...they train horses, board past champions, have competitions, and different shows all about horses...this was the only horse I could handle...cost me a quarter and still went too fast!!...this guy taught his horse tricks but he refused to get up that day...the highlight for me was seeing past champion Cigar, the winningest horse in racing history...a great way to spend my birthday!!!

virginia to west virginia

2006-05-22T21:55:00.000-07:00

virginia for me has been the most scenic state so far...the green hills, fresh air, bridges over waterways...very nice...stopped and had a picnic at a covered bridge....hiked along the riverfront to a waterfall...quick stayover in milton, west va. ...saw a real coal mine plant...then on to the kentucky horse park for my birthday..

monticello

2006-05-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

drove north to the home of thomas jefferson, a beautiful little place on top of a hill....if this picture looks familiar just look at the back of your nickel...

visting family in cumberland and farmville, va

2006-05-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

after williamsburg we headed west thru the beautiful rolling hills of virginia to the birthplace of toni's father, cumberland...visited the old homesite and paid respects to dad....drove south to farmville and stayed at a beautiful state park...once again we were the only ones there...thanks to aunt cynthia for meeting up with us in the rain...it was great to see her!!!

jamestown pictures

2006-05-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

a blacksmith, a settler, toni at the indian settlement, sailing ships that brought the settlers over from England

colonial williamsburg

2006-05-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

had a great time in williamsburg...it felt like we were transported in time back to the american revolution...saw the governor's palace and the first capitol building of virginia...had a great lunch at the king's tavern, a famous meeting place where plans for the revolution were discussed...drove over to jamestown, the first settlement in virginia...very interesting...a must see for every american!

hilton head island, sc

2006-05-10T17:18:00.000-07:00

hilton head is a very nice island with lots of upscale "plantations" which we call housing developments...it's very biker friendly with 20 miles of trails around the island..my favorite part was riding on the beach at low tide...we just had to dodge the jellyfish that had washed up on shore...we climbed the lighthouse and got a great view of the area...visited afew marinas...one had this statue of king neptune that was a sundial...pretty cool...after 4 days in hilton head we headed north to myrtle beach for a few more days on the beach...the weather was a little overcast and chilly but we did take a long walk on the beach...these were our last days on the coast as we head inland towards colonial williamsburg, virginia

a few pix

2006-05-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

our beautiful campsite...st. augustine lighthouse...toni at the beach

sick in st. augustine--- a jewel in jekyll island

2006-05-10T16:56:00.000-07:00

we drove to st. augustine and took a nice long walk on the beach....our second day was spent inside trying to fight off a little bug I aquired....toni's peppermint tea and a little rest and I was good as new...stopped at the lighthouse on the way out of town then headed to jekyll island georgia...what a beautiful place!!! the campground was shaded by big, beautiful trees...we took down the bikes and road around the island...checked out the beach (of course) and the fishing pier...next stop hilton head, south carolina for some more beaches and bike riding.

visiting Mickey

2006-05-02T17:29:00.000-07:00

we had a great time in fort wilderness in disney...the campground was very rustic...in the woods...they had movies at night around a campfire with the kids making s'mores..the first day we went to epcot...next day animal kingdom...no matter how many times you go it's always fun..we saw the Hoop-dee-doo review...a musical show with an all-you-can eat dinner...what a great time..next stop st. augustine then jekyll island on the way to hilton head, sc

miami---key largo pix

2006-05-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

bike riding in miami...sister Toby niece Jenna and Toni on the dock in key largo..mom and the girls...toby, jenna, neal in the pool

family visit

2006-04-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

we're having a great time here in miami with the family....leaving for walt disney world fort wilderness on wednesday....can't wait to hit the road again!!!

south to miami

2006-04-11T17:36:00.000-07:00

we left tampa and drove to titusville to stay at the great outdoors resort...it was a very nice, relaxing place....very outdoorsy!!...lots of biking and a nice visit from our nephew Mitchell and his girlfriend...saw 2 alligators, a racoon, lots of birds and an armadillo....after 4 days we drove an hour north to the daytona speedway where we attended the national rv rally...had a great time!! looked in lots of big rv's...bought some rv products...my favorite part was seeing the group America in concert friday night...a real blast from the past....and now a day in Jupiter on the way south to visit with family for 2 weeks....sorry no pictures...

more pictures

2006-04-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

neal at Tarpon springs....clearwater beach...the race track overlooking tampa bay

tampa pictures

2006-04-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

toni looking at the pits at the race....the st. pete pier....toni at Tarpon springs

tampa

2006-04-06T08:49:00.001-07:00

sorry for the delay in posting---no good internet service.....tampa was great!!...went to a greek fishing village Tarpon springs...had the best greek food ever...opa!!!.. spent the day at clearwater beach...had a great dinner at the famous Bern's steak house (thanks mom)...saw my alma mater univ. of south florida....and the best part for me was the indy car races in st pete....we didn't have tickets but this nice man saw us standing at the gate looking in and he gave us 2 tickets to enter...then this nice lady saw us holding our ears because it was so loud and she gave us 2 pair of ear plugs....I was just waiting for someone to buy us lunch!!! went to the st. pete pier....off to titusville to stay at the great outdoors resort, a top rated campground, then off to daytona for the national rv rally...lots of pictures to follow when we get a better connection

tampa

2006-04-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

still at the beach

2006-03-23T20:43:00.000-08:00

ending our second week in panama city....enjoying just relaxing on the beach and bike riding....celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary yesterday .....heading south to tampa saturday...hopefully we will see a yankee spring training game and the honda grand prix indy car race....

more pix

2006-03-17T20:06:00.000-08:00

gone fishin'

2006-03-17T19:50:00.000-08:00

what a day! we went out on a charter fishing boat and caught a bunch of fish...this was Toni's first time and she really had a lot of luck....her arms are sore!! we caught huge red snappers but we had to throw them back because snapper season starts april 15th...the other snappers we could keep...dolphins were swimming alongside the boat...had the fish cleaned and fileted..cooked them on the grill....mmm good...a picture perfect day...

finally florida !!!!

2006-03-17T19:26:00.000-08:00

from alabama we went south to panama city beach...it is so nice to see water!! this rv resort is beautiful and we decided to stay for 2 weeks instead of 1 week...it just happens to be spring break so there are thousands of crazed college kids here...we can walk to the beach from here...we rented a car and drove to Destin for the day...they have the largest outlet mall in the southeast..of course we had to go...saw picturesque town of Seaside.. went to a nice park in downtown panama city with big banyon trees....bought bikes so we can ride around ....

three states in one day

2006-03-17T19:09:00.000-08:00

leaving arkansas we drove thru louisiana then to mississippi....lots of cotton fields and prisons...the winds were howling when we woke up in meridian, ms... weather forcast, heavy thunderstorms with chance of tornado...we decided to try to outrun the storm and get to troy, alabama before it hit...I really had to hold the wheel but we did it!! it was a good thing because it hit right where we just left and did a lot of damage....best part of the day was driving thru the town of Chunky, MS....nothing special, just the name....

little rock, arkansas

2006-03-17T18:58:00.000-08:00

after memphis we drove over to little rock to see the new clinton presidential library...it was very interesting and the building was beautiful...I MISS BILL....

memphis pictures

2006-03-11T14:46:00.000-08:00

walking on beale street after our great bbq rib meal.....lorraine motel and the civil rights museum ....graceland....mom and cheryl...neal and mom...the happy couple at the breakfast buffet...
...

memphis pix

2006-03-09T18:59:00.000-08:00

will add later...

memphis-ribs and elvis

2006-03-09T18:43:00.000-08:00

we had a great time in memphis...we stayed at the grand casino resort in tunica which is about 40 mins. south of memphis...rented a car and drove up to beale street home of the blues and bbq ribs...had lunch at blues city cafe then walked to the peabody hotel to see the famous ducks in the fountain as seen on the travel channel....then it was over to the national civil rights museum..this was really interesting...it centered around the lorraine motel room where dr. king was assassinated...lots of other exhibits including the room window where james earl ray shot from...we could have spent all day there reading everything about that time in history...the next day we drove up to graceland to see elvis's little house...pretty cool...a real step back to the 70's...the best part was seeing mom...we really missed her...special thanks to cousin cheryl for all the comped meals...we love you

more pictures

2006-03-03T12:19:00.000-08:00

natchez trace parkway...in the woods...

louisiana to scary mississippi

2006-03-03T11:51:00.000-08:00

drove from galveston to kinder, la where we parked at an indian casino resort...can't seem to break away from the slot machines....had our first minor set-back...discovered a flat tire on the inside rear...drove slowly to BoBo Creuder's tire shop where he replaced our split tire...thank goodness for BoBo!!!....drove north to vidalia, la for a quick stop along the mississippi river...crossed the mighty mississippi and caught the scenic natchez trace parkway north to vicksburg, ms...parking at another casino resort...the parkway was very nice..saw some plantations and drove down many dusty dirt back roads...kinda creepy but we made it to the great river road state park along the mississippi delta...we cranked up the blues station on our sirius radio just to make us feel like we were home...we were the only camper in the whole state park in the woods...slept with one eye open...no "deliverance" or "white sheet" experiences thank goodness..made it to tunica, ms which is about 40 mins. south of memphis...had a nice reunion with family who were here on a gambling trip....more about memphis later....

foggy galveston

2006-02-25T08:10:00.000-08:00

headed up the coast to galveston island....road the trolley around the historic town...wish the weather was better!! it is nice to see rain after living in the desert but not this much....we stayed at a nice park on the water...off to louisianna...

more beach pictures

2006-02-23T15:44:00.000-08:00

to the beach

2006-02-23T15:36:00.000-08:00

after san antonio we headed to port aransas close to corpus christi...we just wanted to get to the beach...the first day was beautiful sunny and warm..we walked on the beach which was right outside our door...then it turned cold and rainy...we did get a chance to walk on the pier and I caught this huge fish which I had mounted and put up in the rv...this could be a "fish tale"...

you've got mail!!

2006-02-17T17:49:00.000-08:00

Here's Toni with our first package of mail from Mom....Doesn't "Papi" look good with it's awning out? just a few minutes after I took this picture, our new neighbor drove in running over the red post and water spout behind it causing a water gusher...Papi needed a washing anyway....

san antonio-alamo-riverwalk

2006-02-17T17:28:00.000-08:00

San Antonio was fun! We took the bus downtown to riverwalk, which is the main entertainment area of town. There are lots of restaurants along this nice waterway...we had texas bbq and took a boat ride tour...Toni says "forget the Alamo"...I thought it was interesting although I expected a little more. It was right next to the mall and across from the Subway (sandwich shop)!? Now it's off to the beach in Port Aransas near Corpus Christi.....

santa fe pix

2006-02-15T17:16:00.000-08:00

toni in front of an adobe style hotel and a shot of the indians selling their stuff....

cavern pix

2006-02-15T17:07:00.000-08:00

this is the natural opening of the caverns in carlsbad that we walked into....Neal in the rocks..

more pix

2006-02-15T17:00:00.000-08:00

driving the long open road in new mexico.....

alien museum

2006-02-14T16:07:00.000-08:00

neal checking out the alien and toni in front of the ufo museum

pictures coming soon....

2006-02-13T05:50:00.000-08:00

pictures will follow

2006-02-12T07:35:00.000-08:00

santa fe- carlsbad caverns

2006-02-12T07:14:00.000-08:00

we pulled into a nice little campground in santa fe about 3 miles from the historic plaza area....took the bus into town where they have "authentic" mass produced indian items for sale and lots and lots of art galleries...nice adobe looking buildings..did a lot of walking...we were going to head towards oklahoma city but this cold weather is making us want to head south so we changed our route and decided to go to carlsbad caverns thru roswell new mexico...we stopped at the ufo museum in roswell ...back in 1947 a man claimed he saw a ufo crash into the ground and now this town is dedicated to aliens...it was a fun stop off...carlsbad caverns is incredible!! we walked thru the natural entrance down 750 ft into the cavern...huge formations everywhere..too hard to describe with words and the pictures just didn't capture the beauty....long, boring ride to san antonio where we are now...we are finding out that internet access isn't as easy to find as we thought so we have to take advantage when we can...looking forward to exploring riverwalk and the alamo today before we head for the padre island beaches wednesday...

sedona to gallup

2006-02-07T20:48:00.000-08:00

We left Sedona and headed to Gallup, New Mexico with a few stops along the way...first stop, meteor crater, a big hole in the ground caused by a huge meteor thousands of years ago...it cost $30 dollars to take a look...we were there about 20 mins....not something you can see everyday so it was worth it! Then we drove thru Winslow, Arizona where we were going to stand on the corner...but we went too fast and passed it right up! Looked pretty deserted.. old route 66 looks like a ghost town road...old motels and stores..next stop petrified forest state park and painted desert...28 mile loop with nice scenic viewpoints of the colorful rock formations...ended up in the US rv park in Gallup...temperature 5 degrees...a nice man told me I better disconnect my water hose or it will freeze.....we bundled up and made it thru the night with the help of our nice furnace pumping away.. next stop...Santa Fe, New Mexico

Sedona,AZ

2006-02-05T17:10:00.000-08:00

Sedona is just breathtaking. We hiked the HuckabyTrail at Red Rock Pass... toured the art galleries in Tlaquapaque...had a spa treatment at Sedona Spa... ate buffalo burgers at the Cowboy Club... now it's time for football Super Bowl Sunday.... Go Steelers.

quartzsite, az

2006-02-03T20:19:00.000-08:00

we passed thru Laughlin, NV on the way to Quartzsite, AZ where every year at this time they have a huge rv show/swap meet...walked around a little while then settled in to a very nice campground about 15 mins away in Brenda, AZ..walked to the country store to stock up on supplies and relaxed, did laundry, waved to a lot of nice people with grey hair...

a few more party pix

2006-02-03T20:11:00.000-08:00

Toni looking like Whitney Houston....Neal pouring the wine!!!

las vegas farewell party at circus circus

2006-02-03T20:03:00.000-08:00

our first few days were spent at Circus Circus campground on the strip....not far from home but we had to tie up some lose ends and figure out how everything worked...thanks to all our friends who came by to say see ya......

Our new home

2006-02-01T19:34:00.000-08:00

we bought a 24ft itasca cambria that we named "Papillon" because "butterflies are free" and that is how we feel...we put on our personalized license plate that says "there's only us-no day but today" from the show Rent...that also explains how we feel !!

house sold!

2006-02-01T19:20:00.000-08:00

we sold the house, had our motorhome delivered and finalized our plans to hit the road!! First stop, Las Vegas behind the Circus Circus hotel to figure out how to use everything and learn to downsize....

our new travel blog

2006-02-01T18:51:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our travel blog!!! Follow along with us as we travel across the country in our motorhome "Papillon."