November 6 - Reservation Made

Not a trip report, but worthy of mention in the blog.

Several weeks ago Barb and I along with neighbors Al and Ann put down deposits on a 14 day cruise in January, 2018. Starting in Buenos Aires, Argentina and ending in Valariso, Chile it included a port in Uruguay, several ports in Argentina and Chile and a visit to Stanley in the Falkland Islands. All was well until I was poking around in the Princess website and found the our ship, the Emerald Princess, made this same trip in February, 2018 and then headed to Los Angeles. A quick conversation with our friends and we decided to try and move the cruise from January to February and then sign up for the Valparaiso to Los Angeles cruise. I spent about 45 minutes on the phone with a Princess rep moving both cruises and deposits and then getting all of us on the second leg. Worked perfect. The Princess rep was outstanding. Not only did everything get moved, but she got us in the same balcony staterooms for both segments. We will stop at two more ports in Chile, two in Peru and one each in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico. Adding 16 days, we will spend a total of 30 aboard.

Still over a year away, but we all are really looking forward rounding Cape Hore.

Day Four - Walla Walla, WA to Redmond, OR

Our plan was to have breakfast downtown, but with Main Street blocked off for a car show we opted for the hotel. Al and Ann had already left for Idaho to play golf, so we were down to four. Breakfast was uneventful as was the rest of the day.

Caught up with the Columbia River a few miles out of town and followed along with it until reaching Biggs, Oregon. Fortunately it was Saturday, so no road paving on Highway 97. We took a quick drive through Shaniko and later passed up stopping at the Eagle Bakery in Madras. Passing up the Eagle Bakery is a major test of will, because it has just about the best raisin cinnamon rolls ever.

Once home we sorted out the wine. Without counting when buying Barb and I ended up with exactly a case. All in all it was a fun trip with good friends.

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Day Three - Walla Walla Food Tour

After a quick morning snack at the gas station next door we headed downtown to met our Food Tour guide Nancy and her assistant Sally. This being Walla Walla we started off at a winery tasting room. Along with wine tasting we were served a really great sandwich. When I say sandwich I don't mean sandwich in the tradition of a "Ham and Cheese" sandwich. No, this was a very fancy sandwich with a very fancy presentation and that would be the case for the rest of our stops.

Along the way we visited an olive oil and vinegar shop and several more restaurants. All provided an small meal and wine. We finished at a sidewalk café with cheese, crackers, fruit and both a red and white wine. Before heading back to the hotel we retrieved wine purchases made along the way.

Wine Slushies	Final Stop

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Day Two - Walla Walla Wine Tour

Caught the shuttle at 8:00 with Neal and Phyllis for a short ride to Bacon And Eggs and breakfast. And it was a good one. Located in downtown Walla Walla it was a typical old building in an old part of town. That's not a negative. In fact, it's a positive. Old buildings, old architecture, wide streets and lots of wine testing rooms.

Today will be a wine day. 11:00 will see the six of us starting a guided wine tour, which will include lunch and I'm sure significant wine purchases.

Well, our driver Jarred showed up right on time in what looked like a new, large Ford van. This ex-marine, ex-security something and musician really made our day. Great driver, good sense of humor and very knowledgable about the area and wineries. Among his many jobs he carried out all our purchases and safely tucked them away in cases. I say cases because Neal and I filled two.

Ann had set us to visit five wineries, but because we ran a little ahead of schedule Jarred snuck in a sixth. Along the way we visited Amavi Winery, Pepper Bridge Winery, Basel Cellars, Tranche Cellars, Seven Hills Winery and Three Rivers Winery. The high point of the tour was lunch at Basel Cellars. Jarred had brought along a lunch from a place in Walla Walla that was clearly a 10. Laid out on a large plank were six kinds of meat, five kinds of cheese, bread, eight or ten different kinds of vegetables and, of course, grapes. The six of us shared a bottle of Basel Cellars Claret. Excellent. We have already talked about returning next year and once again getting together with Jarred.

We finished up the day with drinks and finger food at the Marcus Whitman Hotel Vineyard Lounge. All in all a great day. Tomorrow we have another tour, this one a tour of downtown restaurants.

Click the photos

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Day One - Redmond, OR to Walla Walla, WA

Neal and Phyllis showed up at exactly 8:00 AM and five minutes later we had loaded a couple of bags and were on our way to Walla Walla, Washington for three days of wine tasting and buying.

The four and a half hour drive was uneventful. Usually I'm driving, which means sorta keeping my eyes on the road and generally avoiding trouble. Today I was in the front passenger seat. Released of all driver responsibilities I was free to enjoy Highway 97 as never before. Not to say there is a lot to enjoy, but what there was I soaked up.

We followed 97 North as far as the Columbia river. Along the way towns ranged in size from small to small and included the near ghost town of Shaniko as well as Kent, Grass Valley and Moro. We attempted coffee in Grass Valley, but all three cafes were closed. Linda's at the Grand Central Travel Center in Biggs, Oregon was open and provided a rest as well coffee and breakfast.

At Biggs we turned East and followed Interstate 84 as far as Hermiston, Oregon. With a population of 16,745, Hermiston is the largest city in Eastern Oregon. When thinking of Hermiston my mind always turns to watermelloms, for which the area is famous.

From Hermiston it was North on Interstate 82 to Umatilla, Oregon and then East on the Lewis and Clark Trail Highway to Walla Walla. Along 82 we could see the hundreds of underground bunkers of the Umatilla Chemical Depot, where 7,434,000 pounds of GB and VX nerve agents, as well as HD blister agent were once stored.

Arriving at our hotel to early to check in we met Al and Ann (the third members of our Wine Team) at a nearby pizza for a little lunch and adult beverage.

Checking in shortly after 3:00 we hung out in our rooms until meeting downstairs about 5:00. Rather than head out for dinner we decided to stick with the bar for drinks and finger food. Martinis, beer, red wine, white wine all passed through our table, along with a similar variety of hors d'oeuvres.

Before heading off to bed we set up an 8:00 shuttle to a nearby breakfast place. So, that's all for today.

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Day 25 - Las Vegas, NV to Carson City, NV

Last year when returning from Arizona we ended up driving 24 hours straight from Las Vegas to Redmond, part of which was in a heavy snow storm in northern California. Not wanting to do that again the first thing I did this morning was check the weather in Carson City. Snow possible. However, with an expected high of 51º who knows we may be ok.

Anyway, we were up at 6:00 and off to Panera for a breakfast sandwich. First stop was for gas just outside of town and I think we got just about a full tank of bad gas. I'll know more tomorrow after flushing most of it out.

The drive is mostly boring with moments of scenery popping up for no apparent reason. Cloudy most of the way, with light rain half the time. We left early to allow time to stop and wander around in Goldfield and Tonopah, both of which are old mining towns. Looked pretty interesting when we passed through a few weeks ago.

Goldfield was 39º, windy and very unfriendly towards my shorts and T-shirt. Stopped long enough to take one picture, shown below.

Tonopah was 36º and also very windy. We stopped long enough to get gas and use the facilities. Tonopah was founded around 1900, when Jim Butler discovered gold while out looking for his missing burro. Notable residents include one Barbara Graham, whose conviction for murder resulted in her execution in the San Quentin gas chamber on June 3, 1955. Her life story became the movie "I Want To Live", winning a Best Actress Oscar for Susan Hayward. Check the internet if you want to learn more about her disturbing childhood, many marriages and service to servicemen during WWII. We were reminded of Will Rogers, the man who said he never met a man he didn't like, when we saw a sign in Tonopah that read "Will Rogers Never Met Harry Reid.

The lack of restaurants on Highway 95 forced us into a McDonald's in Hawthorne. The high point was having a few words (pleasant words, mind you) in the parking lot with an older gentleman from The Dalles, Oregon.

Forgot to mention that yesterday we mailed our absentee ballots, proudly casting our votes for Lyin' Ted Cruz.

433 miles today.

Main Street Art, Goldfield, Nevada

Closed for remodeling

Click the photos

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Day 24 - Surprise, AZ to Las Vegas, NV

6:00 came pretty early, but there was much to do. After a few things around the house we headed for breakfast. Why is it that we found the best place for breakfast on the last day. Not only great food, but a great price.

With the last of the bags in the car I shut off the water and set the hot water heater to pilot.

Although I don't like the drive from Surprise to Kingman, it was made bearable by scoring a Starbucks along the way in Wickenburg.

Once in Kingman we usually take Highway 93 north to Boulder, Nevada. Looking for something a little different, we headed over to Laughlin, Nevada. My thought was maybe I could get a few minutes in a Casino, but Barb pointed out there was too much traffic. So we ended up taking highways 163 and 95 to Las Vegas. Nice drive in the middle of nowhere, except for the town of Searchlight, Nevada. Not much to the town now, but it produced something like $7,000,000 in gold and precious minerals in three years between 1907 and 1910. Once having a population larger than Las Vegas, it's now in the low 500's.

Notable residents of Searchlight include Edith Head and Lt. William Nellis. Head was nominated for an Oscar thirty-five times and won a record eight times for costume design. Nellis was a Army Air Corp P-47 pilot, who was shot down three times in WWII. He did not survive the last. Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada is named for him.

Once again we lucked out and were able to check in early. This time at 1:10.

Dinner tonight was pretty good pulled pork at Famous Dave's BBQ. Maybe not up there with Jack Stack BBQ in Kansas City, but close.

302 miles today. With the 1,944 in and around Surprise and Tucson, we are up to 3,133 and nearing an oil change. Tomorrow we are off to Carson City, Nevada for an overnight.

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Day 23 - Surprise, AZ

Started the day way too early at 6:14, but that did give me time for a Bloody Mary out on the patio while Barb got ready. Then we headed to Coco's for breakfast followed by gassing up the car at Fry's.

We did most of the packing and loading the car before tackling the cleaning. I was assigned washing off the patio furniture, bathrooms and a final sweeping of the garage, while Barb attacked the kitchen and anywhere that needed a mop. We finished up by sharing the vacuuming.

If my search of the internet was correct there are something like 111,400 people living in the original Sun City, Sun City West and Sun City Grand. Mind you they are all 55+ and mostly retired. It is not surprising then that the three most common businesses seem to be banks, investment firms and CVS Pharmacies.

On a friend's recommendation we tried Culver's for lunch. Split burger was decent and the strawberry milkshake was excellent.

Back at the house I finished sweeping the garage and took the first nap of the trip.Then it was over to some friends to say goodby. For dinner we split a small pizza and later had a last drink out on the patio.

Tomorrow we'll head for Las Vegas as the first stop on our way home.

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Day 23 - Surprise, AZ

Started the day with a drive down to Goodyear to have breakfast at Mimi's. Split a Santa Fe omelet and had my last blueberry muffin for the trip.

Since the shops at Arrowhead mall didn't open till 10:00, we walked the isles of Walmart for half an hour. Having a little problem with the hip, so it was a slow trip around the mall. The only damage done was a stop at See's Candy for a box of peanut brittle to be consumed on the drive home.

With dinner at a friend's house tonight we decided to skip lunch. Stopping at the church where my parent's ashes were placed we discovered, for the first time in nearly 16 years, a wall with the names of those whose ashes were placed in the garden. And sure enough my mom's and dad's plaques were there.

Although the building is no longer there, we drove past the location where my mom escaped not once but twice in her wheelchair, crossing a four lane highway trying to get home. After the second escape she was sent to the second floor, from where further escapes were impossible.

After picking up a bottle of Washington Pinot Gris for tonight we fixed ourselves a drink and sat out on the patio where the temperature was a pleasant 97°.

I'm very disappointed to find that once opened the bottle of Mr. and Mrs. T Bloody Mary mix must be refrigerated. After partaking tomorrow morning I will reluctantly hand over what's left to a friend. He will not, however, get the remainder of the vodka.

Tomorrow we will clean house and pack, reservations have been made in Las Vegas and Carson City for the drive home and I have two doctor appointment scheduled May. All is well with the world.

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Day 21 - Tucson, AZ to Surprise, AZ

A rather uneventful day started with another continental breakfast and Starbucks, after which we headed back to Surprise.

Once again we avoided Phoenix traffic Interstates 10 and 8 through Buckeye. A lot of truck traffic, but nearly all of the driving was on four or six lane roads. Somewhere along Interstate 8 we ran into some really large bugs. Hitting the windshield with the sound resembling a paintball shot, they left a rather serious two to three inch splotch of clear liquid. A quick application of washer fluid and wipers cleared up most of the mess and within about two miles the attack was over. After unpacking the car we headed straight to a spray booth to remove the more serious bugs and then to a car wash for a general cleansing. Car wash here has serious blowers that remove all water and require no towel drying.

I've learned something about washing windshields in Arizona. When it's hot, the cleaning water gas stations use will dry before you have a chance to squeegee, leaving an opaque smear which may or may not be removed by the car's window washer.

Back in Surprise we split some sort of Southwest chicken wrap for lunch. Barb choose water, while I opted for a Blue Moon beer. Although I'm not a fan of anything lighter in color than a Porter or stout this Blue Moon is slowly becoming a favorite. If you try it be sure it's served with a slice of orange.

Earlier we had decided to cut short the trip and leave for home April 30. Barb has decided we will leave earlier, so I can get an appointment with a neurologist for my back. It looks like we are out of here on the 24th, arriving home on the 26th. That leaves us two days to clean house and pack. I can already hear the washing machine working it's second load.

Temperature was 99° this afternoon, so I was in hiding. Checking the Weather Channel it looks to be a bit cooler at home. Barb will not be happy, I'll be ecstatic.

Shared dinner at Chili's took forever. Nothing yet planned for tomorrow

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Day 20 - Around Tucson, AZ

Continental breakfast this morning and then found a Starbucks in a nearby Fry's. The rest of the day was spent looking at retirement housing.

First up was Sun City in Oro Valley. It was old and ruled out in short order. Next came Saddlebrooke Ranch, which quickly became our newest favorite. Distance to town was the only downside. Other than that it is clearly a winner. Either of two homes in the 1,700 square foot range would work for us and the facilities were first rate. The original Saddlebrooke was a little long in the tooth and we didn't bother spending much time there.

After lunch we headed to Sun City at Dove Mountain. A good 25 minutes from civilization and up in the mountains it had stunning views and was surrounded by several high end enclaves. Homes were similar to those at Sun City Festival, except in price. A little warning message was slipped to us by a sales agent when she said this was to be a boutique Sun City. I'm not quite sure how they justify $160 HOA's when there is no golf course or restaurant certainly no need for snow removal. Nice location, but we passed.

Dinner was at the same place as last night and once again two meals, two drinks and tax came in under $30.

Tomorrow we will be heading back to Sun City.

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Day 19 - Sunrise, AZ to Tucson, AZ

Breakfast was a quick stop at McDonald's. After Starbucks we headed out on my special shortcut that avoided morning traffic on Interstate 10 through Phoenix. And it worked. And Barb said it was a nice drive. It doesn't get better than that.

Once we hit Interstate 8 south of Buckeye and then picked up Interstate 10 it was a straight shot into Tucson. Stopped by our motel in Oro Valley at 10:30 and found we could check in. Nice surprise and nice Fairfield Inn.

After trying to find the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum on my own Barb suggest I plug the address into the GPS. It worked.

If you haven't been to this Desert Museum do so when in the area. It's well worth a visit. Nearly all of it is outdoors on paths that wander around different exhibits such as Life On The Rocks, Cat Canyon, Ancient Arizona, Mountain Woodland and much more. Bring water and wear tennis shoes. We managed to get through almost half of the grounds before my right hip suggested this little excursion was coming to an end.

During the drive today we have never seen so many saguaro cactus. Thousands packed so tightly together they looked like a forest.

We spotted our second Roadrunner today as he, or she, raced across the road in front of the car. At the time I was a little concerned about what would happen if I was identified as the killer of the Arizona state bird, but it turns out the Cactus Wren has held that honor since 1931.

We had an excellent dinner at El Molinito, next door to the Fairfield Inn. Two meals, two drinks and tax for under $30. Doesn't happen very often.

Tomorrow is still up in the air.

All that remains of a saguaro cactus

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Day 18 - Surprise, AZ

No cold cereal today. Real scrambled eggs, toast and Bloody Mary outside on the patio. I could get used to living in Arizona.

Housekeeping began early with Barb starting the wash and me sweeping the garage. Needing a rest we headed for Starbucks for a drink and WiFi. Back at the house Barb dusted while I cleaned all the bathroom mirrors. Fun huh.

Lunch was an excellent split turkey sandwich, accompanied by a Newcastle Brown, at the Irish Wolfhound. Worth going back again sometime.

Tomorrow we are heading to Tucson for two nights, so packing a few things and gassing up the car were afternoon priorities.

Looks like we will be here only till the end of the month and then heading by to Oregon. Originally it was two months in Arizona and then another month traveling as far east as Indiana. Doctor appointments got in the way. We are talking about restarting the trip in the Fall.

Neither of us felt like going out to dinner, so we brought a Subway sandwich back home and eat out on the patio.

Saw this saguaro cactus today. Think it has more arms than any I've seen.

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Day 17 - Surprise, AZ

I Up at 6:15 and with plenty of time till church at 10:00, we headed out on a 35 minute drive to Mimi's in Goodyear, where we split an omelette. The blueberry muffins are too good to split,so Bard had to get her own.

After breakfast and with a lot of time to spare we drove around Goodyear, checking out the Wigwam luxury resort. Very nice, very expensive and built in 1908. Very old school.

Church today was a lot different than last Sunday. Most noticeable was a choir rather than guitars, drums, saxophone, etc. Think we will be going back for our last Sunday in Arizona.

Then it was off to a few open houses. Nothing stood out that met both our needs for space and price range. We did meet up with the couple we met yesterday and will probably get together next week for a beer. Nice people.

Dinner tonight was to be with old friends, but was cancelled do to an illness, so we were on our own. Ended up at Carrabba's Italian Grill and was a good choice. Barb picked Linguine Positano and I went with the Clam Linguine. Both were very good.

I'd run out of both Mr. & Mrs. T Bold & Spicy Bloody Mary mix and Rum. Can't believe I let that happen. Anyway, stopped at Fry's after dinner and checked both off the shopping list, along with an extra lime.

Tomorrow is scheduled as a housekeeping day. Barb plans on doing the laundry while I do some windstorm cleanup in the garage and backyard. Pretty much like being home.

Barb at the Walk For Life on Saturday. Next to her are friends Nelsine and Earl

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Day 16 - Surprise, AZ

Today was set aside for open houses, but first there was breakfast out and then Barb joined friends for a 2.5 mile "Walk For Life" sponsored by the pregnancy crises center. After that we headed to the newer section of Sun City Grand.

Most of the houses we went through were a little too large for us and, of course, more square feet was accompanied by higher prices. At one open house we met a couple who had just moved to Sun City Grand from Colorado Springs, so we had an instant 30 minute conversation out in the street. Turns out we were neighbors in Peregrine.

Toward evening we split pizza and beer with friends and made plans for a get together next week.

And that's pretty much it for the day.

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Day 15 - Sedona & Jerome, AZ

Taking a drive today, so we were up early. Breakfast was the usual cold cereal, followed by a stop at Starbucks. By 8:05 we were headed north on Interstate 17 toward Flagstaff.

For at least 20 plus years we have seen the signs for Montezuma Castle near Camp Verde. Thinking it was nothing more than a stone building resembling a castle we never gave a thought to stopping. Last night at dinner friends said we should stop on our way to Sedona, so we did. It's not a stone building. Rather it's a area of cliff dwellings dating back to around 1150 AD. Deserted in the early 1400's they fell into ruin, with only what is now called Montezuma Castle remaining. Now a National Monument further deterioration has been put on hold and restoration has stabilized the dwelling. The photo below does not due justice to what was once a five story dwelling housing several hundred people. While not anywhere near the quality or size of Mesa Verde in Colorado, it was still worth a visit.

Next up we continued north on Interstate 17 and then took highway 179 to Sedona. What a disappointment. A number of years ago, probably 20 or more, we spent a day in Sedona when it was a quiet, quaint little town. No more. Businesses line the roads for miles. People are everywhere, including the pink Jeeps offering tours of the red rocks. Throughly disgusted we set the GPS for Prescott and headed out of town, never to return.

There were two ways to get to Prescott. The easy way and my way. The easy way was back down the freeway and then a fairly nice highway into Prescott. My way was State Route 89A. Barb is sure the A stands for awful, when it really means alternate. 89A is a twisty, turning, narrow, side of the mountain road with you better not look views that runs through Jerome, Arizona and tops out at 7,023 feet. Most curves are marked for 15 or 20 MPH, which means you can make it through at 18 or 23 MPH. Needless to say I enjoyed the drive and actually got to use the paddle shifters. Barb not so much.

Although we didn't stop, Jerome looks like it would be a fun town to explore. Beginning around 1883, the town started down the path that would one day have it labeled as having some the richest copper deposits on Earth. Between 1876 and 1953, the United Verde Mine produced nearly 33 million tons of copper, gold, silver, lead and zinc ore. Called up by the Kansas City Royals in 1969, Jerome native Fred Rico played in a total of 12 Major League games, before spending the rest of his career in the Minors.

Once in the neighborhood of Prescott we spent an unusual amount of time trying to find the center of town. After sorting out that little problem and finding a choice parking spot, we split the Pub Burger at the Prescott Brewing Company. Very good burger, as was the Petrified Porter that accompanied my half.

The drive back to Surprise was uneventful, except for a dust storm kicked up by high winds and a lot of dry dirt.

Montezuma Castle

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Day 13 - Surprise, AZ

This has been a lazy, unproductive day. Started with cold cereal, half banana, slice of toast and a Bloody Mary. Then it was off to Starbucks for coffee and a lot of WiFi time to post the blog and catch up on my favorite websites. Barb used my spare iPad to check on real estate deals. None found.

Stopped by Wells Fargo to catch the checkbook up and then picked up a bottle of water at Safeway.

Pretty exciting, huh?

We did take time to stop by and walk around the Sun City Grand recreation center. Two big pools, lots of tennis and bocci ball courts, lawn bowling and a model train layout that's huge. There are also facilities for those interested in ceramics, photography, weaving, painting and more. If you can't find something to do here you're ready for the home.

The mid-day highlight was lunch at Archie's Deli. We split a turkey sandwich that had so much turkey, tomato, cheese and pesto that I had to eat it with a fork. Good food, we will be back.

Thinking I was back home in Redmond, I found some Roundup in the garage and took out some weeds in the backyard. Since the home we are staying in will be closed up for the summer there is some closing up to be done. Think I'll start with the window screens tomorrow.

Dinner was cheese and crackers out on the patio, accompanied by moderate amounts of vodka and rum. Tonight's movie was "Gotti" (1996), with Armand Assante, William Forsythe and Anthony Quinn.

Crested Saguaro

Toothpicks

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Day 12 - Surprise & Carefree, AZ

Our choice of an unnamed restaurant for breakfast left us thinking we will be going elsewhere next time. If you give Barb eggs with any, and I mean any, runny whites you lose.

Taking a day off from looking at homes, we headed for Carefree, Arizona. At an altitude of 2,382 feet it's 1,296 feet higher than Phoenix and usually 5 or so degrees cooler. The center of town is somewhere around the corner of Ho Hum Road and Easy Street. In years past the town was filled with shops and restaurants. In particular, there was a Mexican restaurant that always saw us for lunch. However, on this visit there seems to be a lot of vacancies and our restaurant has now been gone for two visits.

On the other hand, the Cactus Garden is still going strong. I don't know how many varieties there are, but dozens and dozens comes to mind. Somehow we hit the right time of the year, because most were blooming. And every one has some sort of spike. Some short, some long, but everyone sharp. One is named the Toothpick Cactus, which tells you the size of it's protective spike.

Back at the house I tried my hand at a Bloody Mary and I'm pretty happy with adding a little extra lime. Without question more experimentation is necessary and I'll try to be up for it.

Later in the afternoon we were off to Fry's for a little shopping and we discovered something pretty cool. Right in the middle of Fry's was a wine bar. Yes, there was a bar, stools and wine by the glass. I don't suppose something like that would fly with the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which controls everything liquor back home. We are finding most grocery stores carry a good number of Oregon and Washington wines.

Dinner found us at yet another unnamed restaurant, which will not be revisited. Live and learn.

Finished up the movie "Captain Kid" (1945), with Charles Laughton, Randolph Scott and John Carradine. You may remember Carradine as the Preacher who lost the calling in "Grapes Of Wraith".

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Day 11 - Surprise, AZ

Breakfast out today at Cracker Barrel in Goodyear. Don't get to this restaurant very often (none in Oregon), which makes the Uncle Herschel a real treat. Two fried eggs, sugar cured ham, hash brown casserole, grits and biscuits and gravy. I'm good till dinner.

Then to Target for a birthday card and gift card and then off to the post office. Some things don't go on hold for vacations.

After missing a turn or two we arrived at CantaMia to check out model homes, two of which seem to meet our size needs at around 1,700 square feet. It's really amazing how many dollars of upgrades they can cram into a home. Out experience over the years is that anywhere from $50,000 to $80,000 can wind up on top of the base price. They usually say something like 25% for the base, but I think that's a minimum.

Weather was a little cooler (at least for Phoenix), with a high around 77°. Rest of the week looks to be back up in the 80's. As long as it stays out of the mid to high 90's and above I'm fine.

Dinner tonight was lasagna with meatballs and sausage from My Daddy's Italian Bakery & Café. By the way, the cannoli we got the other day were great.

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Days 9 & 10 - Surprise, AZ

Day 9 - Saturday

Started with breakfast out at Coco's in Sun City Grand. It was ok to the point that we might go back again.

Since it was Saturday we decided to devote the day to looking at open houses. By 10:00 the signs were out and a hungry crew of real estate agents awaited us. Actually they were all pretty nice and some of the houses were too. It's really amazing that some people do not do much in the way of keeping their homes presentable when trying to sell. Almost like they're not looking for a sale.

Driving through Grand to breakfast we saw these fairly nice "Yard Sale" signs. Not your typical drawn by hand sign. Then there were police at the intersection heading to the Event Center. Turns out this was a major yard sale and perhaps one of the premier events in Grand. With cars parked on the streets blocks away I just had to see what was going on. Mistake. This was a yard sale on steroids. We finally broke free and continued hunting down open house signs.

By the end of the day we had a collection of home flyers and business cards, but nothing that said "Buy Me".

Although I didn't know about the WiFi situation, I did take some precautions before leaving home and downloaded some old movies off YouTube. Last night I watch "Away All Boats" (1956) with Jeff Chandler and Richard Boone (of "Have Gun Will Travel" fame) followed by "Destroyer" (1943) with Edward G. Robinson and Glenn Ford. These old movies are kinda fun to watch.

Day 10 - Sunday

Up at 6:30, dressed, bowl of cold cereal and off to try one of several Baptist churches on Barb's list. Decent sermon, but the music was way too loud and I'm too old school to appreciate guitars, drums, as a sax or two in church.

Weather was to be a little cooler, with a high in the mid 60's and possible rain. After a little grocery shopping we split lunch at a really good Mexican restaurant. By the time we finished eating a heavy rainstorm was passing through, dumping enough water to start flooding the slow lanes on some streets. We passed on doing anymore open houses and by the time we got back to the house the temperature was down to 55°.

Later in the afternoon we discovered there is only so much HGTV one can watch at a time, so we took a little drive. Then it was back to catch up on HGTV.

Movie tonight was "Fighting Seabees" (1944) with John Wayne, Rita Hayward and whoever played Fred Mertz on "I Love Lucy". Tomorrow we are headed down to the Goodyear area to look around.

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Day 8 - Surprise, AZ

Rained last night and the weather report is for a little cooling. I'm fine with that.

Dramatic improvement in the Bloody Mary this morning with the addition of more lime. Confident I'm on the right track.

After breakfast it was laundry, Starbucks, WiFi and back to the house to put away clean clothes. Barb decided we did not have enough for dessert tonight, so it was back to the Italian bakery to pick up a few mini New York cheese cakes. The Italians will be happy.

Lunch was at the Sonoran Plaza at Sun City Grand. Pretty nice eating area outside under the trees, with waterfalls and ponds nearby. Lunch on the other hand left a little to be desired.

As we were coming home from a Safeway it began to rain and was coming down pretty good when we got to the house. Apparently rainstorms in Arizona last for minutes, unlike Oregon where they can go on for days.

Great dinner and conversation with friends to finish the day.

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Day 7 - Surprise, AZ

I'm getting better with the morning Bloody Mary. Might have something to do with increasing the amount of vodka. I'll know for sure in a few days.

Stopped by Starbucks for a mocha and WiFi and then headed out to Sun City Festival. Ken took us to what are called "Move In Ready" homes and most were in fact move in ready. All were nice with lots of upgrades and discounts. Hideaway remains out favorite. A few were still under construction, but they can tell you interior paint color, granite pattern and appliances before concrete is poured. Very organized construction process.

After lunch we checked out a resale that had a pool and a lot of nice features. It will probably not be on the market for long. Too bad, Barb really liked it.

We then made the mistake of taking a drive to Buckeye, Arizona. Festival is in the city of Buckeye, so just how far could it be? How about 29 miles and 32 minutes. And there's nothing to see except a whole lot of "Watch of Animals" signs. Last time we fall for that drive.

Tomorrow night it will be dinner with Italians so we finished the day at an Italian bakery to pick up some cannoli and napoleons for dessert.

Looks like another housekeeping day tomorrow. What fun.

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Day 6 - Surprise, AZ

Started the day with another attempt a making the elusive Bloody Mary. With the addition of a little more lime today score a little higher, but not yet up to Neal's standard. Breakfast was cold cereal and toast on the patio. Not a bad way to start the day.

First stop was at Starbucks for a drink and WiFi. The place was packed with old people, including us. Actually managed to get a photo posted after figuring the Blogger App.

Next up was a drive into Phoenix to check out the Costco. This seems like quite a drive from where we want to live, but it's actually only about 5 miles further than we drive now. Next door is the Arrowhead Mall, which we made our way through without a purchase.

Lunch time found us at On The Border to share a chicken quesadilla and Dos Equis. Ok, I didn't share the XX. While at lunch I checked Google for my ex-employer and found they were only 2.8 miles away. After 33+ years there was only one person I wanted to see and that was the lady who was man best man when Barb and I got married.Yes, I said lady.

We then headed for the original Sun City and drove past my folks old house. And old is the right word. Really old. Then we stopped at the church to visit the garden where their ashes were spread.

Last up we checked out golf carts. Golf carts are everywhere in Sun City and are a must when heading up to the club for lunch or scooting off to that morning Bocce Ball game. I'm told you can even use them for golf. Electric models cost everywhere from $3,500 to $10,000, with looking like new refurbished ones in the lower range. Equipped with headlights, turn signals and license plates they are street legal. If we end up here I will have one.

We tried sitting out on the patio with a drink, but a dry 100° is still hot.

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Day 5 - Surprise, AZ

Started the day by making a pair of Bloody Mary's. Barb was quick to tell me Neal's were better, which for me is an excuse to keep trying.

Out the door about 7:00 for a quick breakfast and then to Wells Fargo to catch up the checkbook. A few forgotten items were picked up at Fry's and we were ready to get on with the day.

For the last three or four years we have visited Pebble Creek and Sun City Festival. For several years Pebble Creek topped our list, but Festival has finally won out. So that's where we headed this morning.

Our contact there had the day off, so we wandered around the model homes, finally confirming our first choice is to be the Hideaway. At close to 1,600 square feet it fits our plan to downsize and it's just a darn nice home. In the afternoon an agent took us to see a few resales, but nothing jumped out at us. So we are still looking but, nothing has been decided for sure yet,

Coming back from festival a decision had to be made about what to have for dinner. It boiled down to Weight Watches box dinners or Papa Murphy's.

Tonight Barb will be glued to the TV watching primary results and I'll probably study a little more for the upcoming test.

Today was 94°, which means we are Sun Birds rather than Snow Birds.

Don't know what this cactus is, but the blooms are really big. Was told they only last one day.

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Day 4 - Surprise, AZ

Today was the first of many in Arizona and turned out to be mostly a housekeeping day. Our first stop was Einstein Bagels for a pair of their best and once again we resisted Starbucks.

We will be staying in a friends home for up to two months, so there are few necessities we need to procure. Like food. I don't know if food costs are more here or the spirits drove up the costs, but we walked out of Fry's looking at each other and wondering out loud "what just happened". After stops at Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond we headed home to put groceries away.

Next up was a stop at Wells Fargo for a roll of quarters to feed the car wash. After two plus days of driving, the front of the car had accumulated hundreds of bugs. Not the large yellow splats of summer, just the little black spots covering the bumper, grill and headlights. Four bucks worth of the high pressure sprayer and they were gone. After that the car was clean enough to run through a regular car wash.

After lunch a short drive and then back to the house for the afternoon. Barb sat outside and enjoyed the warm weather while eyeing the orange on the neighbor's tree. I think I've convinced her not to acquire it in an over the fence maneuver. I began going through the 426 possible questions from which 35 will be selected for the test to get a Technician Class Amateur Radio License.

Salad tonight along with a glass or two of King Estate Pinot Gris. Yes, they have Oregon wines here.

If you notice the postings are a day late it's because there isn't WiFi where we are staying. I know, how will I survive. Anyway, I'll find something tomorrow. Maybe Starbucks.

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Day 3 - Las Vegas, NV to Sun City West, AZ

As usual we were up early and headed to Henderson, Nevada for breakfast. Sunday traffic in Las Vegas was light, so the drive was not the usual stop and go weekday stuff.

Breakfast was at Mimi's like always the food was good and the blueberry muffin was excellent. On the way back to the freeway was the Sunset Station Casino and Hotel. Since it was the last chance before leaving Nevada we stopped. Barb promptly lost $2 and said that was enough for her. I on the other hand doubled my money. Unfortunately I started with only $20, but leaving with $40, and leave we did, was a good start to the day's drive.

At the Hoover Dam we crossed the Colorado River into Arizona and entered "The Land With No Trees". Seriously, no trees. Scrub brush and that's it. We stopped at one Colorado River overlook, which consisted mostly of indians selling pottery and jewelry under the "No Selling" sign.

It is also the land of single wides. I have no idea what people do out there in the middle of nowhere. The drive into Kingman would have been really boring except for the excitement of watching cars zip by me while I'm doing 5 MPH over the limit. The best thing I can say about Kingman is it's where you get on Interstate 40 and the legal limit gets up to 75 MPH.

A few miles later we head south on US 93 to Wickenburg passing through the town of Nothing, which is in fact nothing. We stopped to again visit Wickenburg Ranch, which has the perfect home in an imperfect location (at least for us). The rest of the drive into Sun City West was uneventful.

After unpacking we stopped at Fry's (a sibling of Fred Meyer) for a bottle of wine and headed to a friends house for dinner. And it was a great dinner and they are great friends.

292 miles today.

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Day 2 - Carson City, NV to Las Vegas, NV

Up at 6:00 and off to IHOP at 6:45. Closed. Turned out for the best as we had a great breakfast at Grandma Hattie's, which meant we could skip lunch as planned.

Highway 50 took to the cutoff and highway 95. I have to say it was a pretty boring drive broken by moments of darn good scenery. For the most part the road was good and traffic light in our direction. For those heading north it was another matter. From the number of RV's on the road I think a lot of Snow Birds were on their way home.

Today the state of Nevada provided a number of warning signs advising motorists of potential danger. The most number of signs simply said "Dust". I'm thinking the dust comes from dry lakes, of which there were a number. Other signs kept me on the lookout for steers, wild horses, horses with riders, mountain goats and burros. Speaking of animals, I should mention the dozens and dozens of chipmunks that crossed the road yesterday. Crossing from my left to right gave most ample time in the oncoming lane to anticipate my arrival. I shall say no more.

First rest stop was Tonopah, where gas was a lot cheaper than California. Between there and Goldfield the Joshua trees showed up. And as suddenly as they appeared they disappeared.

Goldfield would be a fun to explore. Gold was discovered in 1902 and between 1903 and 1940 mines there produced more than $86,000,000 in the precious metal. The current population of around 270 was once nearly 20,000 and included old west characters such as Wyatt and Virgil Earp and Samuel Clemens. Goldfield is also the home of The International Car Forest of the Last Church, which turns out to be a forest of vehicles sticking out of the ground like trees. Personally I don't get it.

Last rest stop was at Amargosa Valley, which is home of the Area 51 Alien Center. We passed. From there the drive into Las Vegas went quickly and without incident. We checked into another free night at a Marriott Courtyard and finished the day with dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.

442 mile today.

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Day 1 - Redmond, OR to Carson City, NV

After a slight delay in getting away we managed to be on the road by 7:25. Breaking with tradition we did not stop at Starbucks. Trying a new route with unknown rest stops we decided coffee was not a good idea.

Headed south on highway 97 to just past La Pine, where we took highway 31 through small towns and past lakes that only exist on maps. The first small town was Silver Lake, which is significant for the Cowboy Dinner Tree. The restaurant serves only two entrees - a whole chicken or a steak the size of a roast. Call, make a reservation and pick your meal. And bring a cooler for the leftovers.

With a population of 243, Paisley is more than just a wide spot in the road. The town motto is "Home of the Mosquito Festival" and the City Hall has a set of well keep restrooms.

Picking up US 395 we continued south into California, eventually stopping in Alturas to split a sandwich at Subway and fill the tank. At $3.89 a gallon gas was almost $1.90 more that Redmond.

A short cut at Standish took us to a nice rest stop at Honey Lake and then on to Reno and an overnight in Carson City. A free night at Marriott Courtyard and split raviolis at Olive Garden finished the day.

I will add that I really like the new 65 MPH speed limits in central Oregon. Makes a lot of sense out in the middle of nowhere.

455 miles today

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