Traveling Square Dancers: On the Road Again

Who We Are

We sold our home in June, 2007, and spent the next 7 1/2 years traveling full time in a Cross Roads Fifth Wheel. (We had been traveling during our summers for several years before going full time.) We loved the full-time lifestyle! Each summer we spent a month or two volunteering in State Parks, first in Indiana at McCormick's Creek State Park, near our family, then in later years as the grandchildren got older, at the Bluewater Lake State Park in New Mexico. We spent 6 months each winter at Cactus Gardens RV Resort in Yuma, AZ, where I worked mornings in the park office. The remaining months were spent on the road, seeing this great country of ours. Our favorite places are our National Parks. Anita loved photography and the freedom of digital photography, taking sometimes hundreds of photos in a day. We hiked as much as our legs will allow. We also really enjoyed square and round dancing as we travel across country, and meeting all the wonderful people who dance and/or travel.

But as in all things, there comes a time for change, and we decided it was time to create roots once more. In the fall of 2014, we purchased a home in Cactus Gardens, and in the spring of 2015, sold the 5th wheel. Anita also retired in the spring. We will continue to travel each summer, but for a shorter period of time. We hope to continue blogging about those trips, but it will obviously be on a more limited basis than in the past.

Please explore our past posts if you are interested in traveling this great country. You'll find an index in the left column. We hope you enjoy our blog, and appreciate all comments

Monday, April 16, 2012

On the Road Again – Leaving Yuma

When it’s time to leave Yuma in the spring, we always do so with mixed emotions. We have such good friends in Yuma during the winter, and Ron enjoys his Shuffleboard and Pool so much, it’s hard to leave.

We decided to have one last gathering of friends before leaving Yuma. Together with Bob and Dianne, we hosted a Salad/Dessert Dinner. It was a lot of fun with over 35 people attending.

But even though it’s hard to leave, we’re always eager to “hit the road again”.

We left early on April 12. The sun was just rising as we entered the pass between Yuma and Wellton.

It seemed like no time until we were driving through the Sonoran Desert with it’s mighty saguaros.

It’s unusual to have a cloudy day in Arizona, but the clouds and a chilly wind stayed with us all day. We stopped for the night in Marana, AZ, on the north edge of Tucson. Granddaughter, Emily and her friend, Eric joined us for dinner. We had a great time.

Friday morning, we were ready to hit the road at daybreak. There was wind in the forecast, and we wanted to stay ahead of it as much as possible.

We spent 2 nights in Deming, NM, visiting with friends. It’s a good thing our visits were finished before Saturday afternoon, as the winds rose to as much as 60 mph, creating a dust storm so severe, the interstate, I-10, was closed for the entire width of the state for several hours. The sun was completely obscured throughout the afternoon.