Greetings!
We blinked and several months flew by since our last
communication. Much of that time was consumed by the renovation process on our “new”
little house in Southern Oregon. We had a lot of professional remodeling help,
undertook some projects ourselves, and are satisfied with the progress achieved
before embarking on the this year’s concert tour. California is now a memory,
Nevada is behind us, too, and we are in the comfortable terra cognita of Tucson, Arizona. Thanks for tuning in after our
lengthy hiatus. ~ Brian and Andi
Wish You Were Here
Ever since we began our “BusRoads” adventures more than 11
years ago, fellow travelers have been recommending a state park in Nevada
called Valley of Fire. It was always our intention to check it out, but we
never seemed to be passing through the Silver State at anything less than warp
speed. About two weeks ago we found ourselves in Las Vegas. As exciting as it was,
after a few days we were ready for an antidote to the noisy, smoky, hyper scene
of Sin City. Valley of Fire State Park, an hour to the northeast, was exactly
what we needed. In remarkable contrast to much of Nevada’s dull coloration,
Valley of Fire’s rollicking stone landscape is vibrant colors of rust, gold and
magenta. Nice hikes, a good campground, great scenery and a proliferation of
ancient petroglyphs make this a place we will now recommend to others. I hope
it doesn’t take them 11 years to get there.
Interested in a more detailed look at Valley of Fire? Click here to watch a nine minute YouTube video of our adventures at the park.
Life on the Road
I suppose this is obvious (Andi speaking here) but if you
are going to spend much time traveling, you need to think wisely about your
hobbies. Some pastimes, as fun as they might be, simply do not lend themselves
to a wandering lifestyle. Examples: harmonica playing – good, tuba collecting –
bad, crocheting – good, chainsaw art – bad. This is a case of “do as I say, not
as I do”, because I seem to possess some genetic quirk that requires me to pick
up rocks. This is not a good plan for life in a cozy RV. By the end of each
travel season, I have managed to stash away several Ziploc baggies of mineral
specimens (never from protected places, mind you) that decrease both our gas
mileage and our living space. Knowing my weakness, Brian still willingly took
me to one of the many venues in Tucson celebrating the annual gem and mineral
show. There were tents and showcases and rooms full of rocks and fossils, some
basic and some defying belief. There was never any doubt that I would not leave
empty handed. I wonder if Brian will notice a large cluster of amethyst
crystals squirreled away in his little sock drawer…
Did you know?
Tucson’s Guero Canelo restaurants are the place to get your
traditional Sonoran hot dog, complete with beans, salsa, mustard and mayo all
tucked into a soft, sweet bun. Try the sliced cucumber with cooling avocado
sauce, the pink pickled onion strips and the chargrilled green onions from the
condiment bar.
Coffee Chat
It is fun to watch animal behavior as we travel and this
year we have already observed sea otters from Avila Beach, whales at San Pedro,
wild parrots in Malibu and bighorn sheep in Nevada. Nearly as entertaining were
the two nights we “dry” camped next to the doggy park at Davis Monthan Air
Force Base in Tucson while waiting a couple of days to rotate into an RV site
with water and electric hookups. We actually recognized a couple of pets from
previous years, especially the golden retriever who lives to fetch. Animals of
all descriptions are good entertainment when you have the time to stop and
watch.
We look forward to your blog comments or email replies. Thanks for following the BusRoads Buzz!
