The Perfect Travel Itinerary, or not

Our summer journey began at the end of May. We finally lifted the jacks on the RV and got those wheels rolling again. It felt great being back on the open road. After sitting stationary for nearly seven months, we felt like total RV newbies but after a couple of hours of driving, we quickly found our groove.

ATV in Colorado,

Never too old to change!

Aren’t most people creatures of habit? I know Al and I are. He and I have been doing this full-time RVing thing for over six years now (so much for a year or two), and as such, we have a basic routine when it comes to a day of travel which includes hitting the road in the morning usually around 8:00 a.m. … nine at the very latest and driving no more than five hours. A drive of three to four hours is preferable.

Our original plan was to start our summer excursion on the Wednesday after Memorial Day (May 29th). Over the long holiday weekend, we bid farewell to our children who both live in Phoenix which then gave us the flexibility to leave town when it best suited us. We were able to adjust the schedule if needed.

Although we had a well-planned itinerary, the plan kept changing at the last minute. Obviously, we were anxious to be on the road again with a firm destination in mind.

  • Plan A – Leave early Wednesday morning and take three days to get to Cotopaxi, CO.
  • Plan B – Leave late Tuesday afternoon, drive two hours and spend the night at the Twin Arrows Casino east of Flagstaff. This would shorten the next two days.
  • Plan C – Leave around noon on Tuesday and spend the first night near the Petrified Forest National Park and then spend the second night in Santa Fe, NM.
RVing at the Petrified National Park
Boondocking in the past at the Petrified Forest gift shop

And then there’s what we actually did, which is so out of character for us and something we’ve never done before, ever. Guess we aren’t too old to change things up a bit and step out of our comfort zone. We did end up leaving around noon on Tuesday, but once we neared the exit for the Petrified Forest, we weren’t ready to stop for the night. Plus, the Arizona / New Mexico border was just a little over an hour away. We figured, the more driving we did that day, the less we’d have to do the next two days.

In lieu of spending the night near the Petrified Forest, we decided to stop at any number of Indian Casinos along Interstate 40 in New Mexico, which we’ve done frequently in the past. As our day progressed and with each passing casino, Al and I would agree to keep on rolling. We eventually made it to the Route 66 Casino on the western edge of Albuquerque. The sun was about to set. It was around 8:30 p.m. We’d had a very long day of driving and were feeling ready to stop. We filled up with gas and began talking about spending the night. We planned to call it a day and boondock here, but then we discussed the next morning.

Grrr, we needed to think about morning rush hour traffic. We used to love overnighting at the beautiful Sandia Casino located on the north end of Albuquerque which would solve the problem of navigating rush hour traffic in the morning, but inconsiderate RVers ruined that privilege. We’ve noticed this ongoing theme as more and more companies are banning overnight RV parking. Some RVers don’t understand boondocking etiquette 😪. Ah, it is what it is and with the Sandia Casino not an option, we decided to go for it and continue driving another hour up the road to Santa Fe.

So much for the travel itinerary

485 miles / 775 km and nine hours later, we pulled into the parking lot at the Elks Lodge in Santa Fe (for members only). It was 10:00 p.m. with pitch dark skies. We were grateful that we had stayed here previously and knew the lay of the land. We quietly (well, as quietly as a diesel truck can be) pulled alongside a grassy area while trying not to disturb the other RVs already parked nearby. We didn’t disconnect, didn’t bother leveling, and didn’t put our slides out. We merely climbed into bed, clearly exhausted from the long day of driving, and quickly fell asleep. We both slept great. The next morning, with coffee in hand, we were once again rolling. This time, we were watching the sunrise.

So much for planning and putting together a perfect travel itinerary! We don’t normally make it a habit to drive after dark let alone put in a nine-hour day of driving, but Al and I stopped often and switched drivers regularly. Not that we were keeping track, but I believe I spent more time behind the wheel than Al did 😁

In the end, we both agree, it turned into the perfect travel day for us. Sure we were tired, but the beauty of traveling with your home in tow was we ate healthily and stayed hydrated … a must for any long day of travel. And of course, we took plenty of breaks to stretch our legs.

The main reason behind the quick travels was we had a goal and a mission to accomplish and wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible so we could get on with our summer fun. The weight on our shoulders needed to be lifted asap. We had two storage units in southern Colorado full of crap momentoes that we needed to widdle down and eventually get moved to Phoenix.

Next up, moochdocking on a gorgeous property in Colorado while we tackle those storage units.

Our sweet spot on private property WITH a full hook-up. Did we score or what?

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I’m not a Photographer

I’m not a Photographer

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of connecting with a blogging pal. He had recently purchased a new Panasonic camera at my recommendation and was interested in a little help navigating the camera’s settings. Since I’ve been shooting regularly with a variety of Panasonic cameras for the past six years, I was more than happy to assist.

Actually, I loved the opportunity, and we had a fantastic outing where I think we both learned a few things. It’s always fun shooting with another photographer considering we all see things differently. We might be photographing the same subject, yet our images won’t look anything alike.

As my new friend and I were discussing this fact, I made the comment, “As photographers, we all see things differently, and therefore, create our own unique image”. My friend was very quick to respond to my comment by saying, “Oh, I’m not a photographer”. I immediately knew why he said that and could totally relate.

For years, I have felt uncomfortable referring to myself as a photographer. I consider myself more of a snapshot taker, picture taker, a novice, newbie, amateur, beginner … photographer wannabe.

what is a photographer? photography 101 #what is a photographer

What is a photographer?

So, after pondering those thoughts, I did a little Googling and this is what I came up with …

  • Photographers create memories and make special moments unforgettable. (check, that’s me)
  • Photographers produce and preserve images that paint a picture, tell a story, or record an event. (again, check)

Okay, well then maybe I am a photographer according to these two sentences. But then I dove a little deeper.

  • A photographer is a person who takes photographs, especially as a job.
  • A photographer is a professional that focuses on the art of taking photographs.
  • Photographers are artists with a camera.
  • Photographers can work as fine artists, wedding/event photography, or sell their photographs to commercial clients.

Hmm, we’ve got some keywords there that definitely don’t apply to me. Therefore, I am not a photographer but merely a snapshot taker … or am I? I’m so confused!

Grand Tetons National Park, #Grand Tetons

Professional vs. Amateur

Have you ever entered a photography contest or read the rules to one of those contests? They seem to always use the terms Professional Photographer and Amateur Photographer making a decided distinction that there’s more than one kind of photographer.

Perfect example; The Washington Post sponsored a photo contest a while back. As I read the rules, this sentence really resonated with me.

Only amateur photographers are eligible. Professional photographers (i.e., anyone who earns more than 50 percent of his or her annual income from photography) are not eligible.

The distinction has nothing to do with the quality of a photographer’s work, but rather with his/her income, and both amateurs and professionals are considered photographers.

Dragonfly #dragonflies

Conclusion

After my research, I think I finally feel comfortable calling myself a photographer … an amateur photographer that is because I am most definitely not a professional photographer.

Whether its a hobby or a profession, we all love this thing called photography. The difference is we either sell our images or give them away. Does it really matter to those admiring a beautiful photograph? So, snap away on that iPhone, point & shoot, or nifty mirrorless camera and embrace calling yourself a photographer. After all, it’s so much easier than referring to yourself as a snapshot taker and a heck of a lot more fun too! 📷

Best Friends, #best friends, #hug it out
I told you, we ARE photographers!

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What is a photographer? Why you should call yourself a photographerWhat is an amatuer photographer? #photography #lovephotography

Timing, RVing and Chocolate

Since our January 1st arrival at Lake Havasu City, we’ve been staying on private property and enjoying time with our friends. Although we have electric and water hook-ups, we don’t have a sewer connection which requires us to pack up and visit a dump station about every 7-10 days. Earlier in the month, we decided to change-up the scenery when it was time for us to empty our tanks by booking a night at the Lake Havasu State Park. Arizona has some great state parks and the Lake Havasu State Park definitely ranks high on my favorites list.

Lake Havasu State Park
I was in love with this tree at our campsite.

Timing is everything …

The last time we stayed here, the state park was undergoing some serious renovation and this time wasn’t much different. They were doing some major road grading and paving which provided a few obstacles for RVers, but our view more than made up for any inconveniences. Some of the trails were also closed due to the state park adding a new campground complete with cabins. From what we gathered, the cabins will be basic (not much more than a shed) and will adjoin a RV campsite. Interesting concept! Something to keep an eye on for those of us that enjoy sharing our adventures with family or friends who don’t have RVs.

And more about that timing thing …

bloggers meet
Judy and me at Mudshark Brewery in Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Blogger pal, Judy, and her husband just happen to be staying at the Lake Havasu State Park during our one night stay on January 9th. Our campsites were actually in view of one another.  Serendipity! I don’t think we could’ve planned this encounter any better.

She and I have tried to connect for quite some time. As a matter of fact, we almost made it happen in Texas last winter. But alas, a year later, we finally managed that meet up in Arizona. A couple of happy hours complete with great conversation ensued. I’m sure we’ll see them down the road sometime!

More about our state park stay, or not …

We made the most of our one night stay at the Lake Havasu State Park, up to the point of sitting at our picnic table until minutes before noon, official check out time. Granted, we were all hooked up and ready to roll by 11:00, but I wanted to enjoy this spectacular site as long as possible. I took a ton of photographs during our stay, and I’d love to share more, but I’ve got a problem …. actually, I’ve got two problems.

One: my computer is acting up and has been ever since the latest Windows 10 update. Two: I’m sick. Yeah, timing sucks! Okay, I’ll admit, there’s never a good time to get sick, but when the weather is glorious, and has been all week … you know, light gentle breezes, an abundant amount of sunshine and temperatures are in a comfortable 70 degree Fahrenheit range in mid January …

(Sorry to those of you in colder climates. I’m not trying to rub it in. Well maybe just a little, cause isn’t that what friends do 😀)

bird photography

Anyway, I didn’t have time to be sick. I wanted to be out and about exploring and taking advantage of the unbelievably gorgeous weather this past week. Fortunately, before I ended up flat on the couch, I did manage to shoot a fair amount of photographs, mostly during our twenty-four hour state park stay, BUT unfortunately, I can’t process the photographs. We’re back to the computer acting up thing again.

I’m no techie, but I do know just enough to get myself, or rather my computer, out of a pickle … at least in the past I’ve managed. Right now, I’m a bit at a loss and may have to seek professional help.

After backing up all of my photographs, documents, downloads, etc. on to three external hard drives (hey this gal wants a backup to the backup to the backup), I reset my computer to factory settings, wiping out everything. “You got this girl”, I said to myself while my heart skipped a beat or two before hitting the return key or rather the key of no return. This computer is like an extension of my life! Lots of minutes later, the computer was started and restarted and appeared to be working well, but before I download Adobe Lightroom, I wanted to double-check the computer was indeed working properly.

After a little use, I closed up the laptop with the intent to reopen it within fifteen minutes (I did not shut it off, just closed the lid). Now here’s the ongoing problem – when I open it up and try to wake it up, I’m greeted with a black screen with occasional white blips or a white screen with what looks like a repetitive pattern. I’m left with no other option than to turn the computer off with the on/off switch.

never alone in the woods

Maybe it’s my heavy, illness filled head talking that makes me feel like I’m in some sort of old 1950’s horror film and being given slide show therapy for mental illness; black screen, white screen, flickering screen. Thank goodness there were no blipped images of clowns. That may have sent me jumping off the London Bridge. I have a serious clown phobia, but shh, don’t tell anyone 🤡

bird photographyWith the computer problem clearly not fixed, I decided to reset the computer yet again. After all, I had only downloaded Chrome and the TD Ameritrade platform along with a few minor changes. All easy enough to redo. This time when the computer restarted, a few of my personal screen saver images greeted me. There shouldn’t have been ANY personal items left on the computer after the first factory reset.

You know that sound from the Twilight Zone – yeah, that tune – it’s been playing in my head a lot the past week dealing with this computer. Perhaps it’s time I admit, I need professional help … for the computer, the computer I say, seriously it’s the computer that needs help. I don’t care what my husband says, it’s the computer, not me 😵

Sharing is a beautiful thing, or not …

After a wonderful, albeit short, stay at the Lake Havasu State Park, Al and I were flying rolling on cloud nine …. smiles from ear to ear! Our little jaunt reminded us why we love RVing and why we embarked on the full-time RV lifestyle. Yeah, we enjoyed it that much.

We had time to kill before we could move into our site at the state park. After driving around, Al thought it would be funny to park the RV on the boat ramp and make it look like he was going to launch it. The lighthouse in the background is Lake Havasu’s newest addition.

Less than forty-eight hours after our blissful state park experience, Al was hacking and coughing and bedridden for a couple of days. He had come down with the crud, but with the aid of nurse Nellie Ingrid and her Southwest Chicken Soup, he was quickly on the road to recovery. As is common with most loving spouses, we enjoy sharing experiences. With that said, Al felt compelled to share his crud induced stupor with his loving wife, moi. However, wife wasn’t satisfied with the basic crud, she felt compelled to out perform her husband by adding in the queasy stomach.

live laugh rv

Dogs! I love dogs and miss mine terribly, but I don’t miss the cleaning up after. (Where is she going with this? Stay with me. I swear it’ll make sense soon enough.) One of the things I always appreciated about dogs is they give you fair warning when they’re about to toss their cookies. And it’s your job to sprint over to them and either guide them outside or off the carpet asap before the nasty deed commences.

Kids on the other hand, rarely give warning. Let’s say it’s a beautiful sunny day as you run a couple of quick errands in your immaculately maintained Honda Accord. As you happily drive to your next destination be-bopping with the tunes on the radio, you pat yourself on the back for your wonderful mothering skills. You’re well-behaved child wild westwho’s sitting quietly in his car seat in the backseat decides then and there that this is the perfect time to showcase his talents and upstage Linda Blair in the Exorcist by sharing his projectile skills. The warm chunky substance slowly slides down mom’s head and a quick U-turn for home commences. Come on kid, a little warning would’ve been nice! Yeah, dogs are great!

So back to me being sick and upstaging Al in the illness department. It all started with a scratchy throat followed by the loss of appetite and energy. Wanting to reciprocate the nursing skills, he thought he’d warm up some soup for me. The result was like that dog warning followed by, “Oh dear God, take it away”. I couldn’t eat a thing for more than twenty-four hours. The mere thought of food put me into pre purging doggy mode. Thankfully, there were no child like Exorcist moments around the RV during the worst of my illness.

When I finally thought about eating something, the only thing that didn’t sound repulsive was chocolate. I didn’t even drink coffee for three days which really concerned Al. Concerned me too because I love my coffee and never go a day without. So my return to eating started with a Kit Kat for breakfast followed by German made Ritter Chocolate later for supper. The next day was a repeat but with the addition of soup for lunch.

I’m still not back to eating normally just yet but I’m definitely on the mends. Now as to my mental state? The jury is still out on that one!

sunset at Lake Havasu State Park
Watching the sunset from our RV at the Lake Havasu State Park.

But let’s face it, chocolate makes everything better. It’s at the top of my must have list of items required for successful RVing. An ample supply of chocolate is the secret to marital bliss while living in less than 300 square feet 24/7. Spousal dispute? Chocolate, but go for Belgian or German … some of the smoothest chocolate you’ll ever taste and it’ll smooth out any dispute.  Europeans make the best chocolate! Flat tire on the RV? Eat chocolate while assessing the situation. I swear the repair will go a heck of a lot better or at least any discussion with your partner will. Sick? Go for your favorite childhood candy bar and bring back fond memories of your youth.

Ah, the medicinal value of chocolate is endless. So while an apple a day may keep the doctor away …. a chocolate bar a day will bring harmony and peace into your life, or at least fill your tummy and make you smile. Namaste!

By the way, if any one thinks they know what might be going on with my computer, I’m all ears and willing to try just about anything. Next week, my sleek Dell girl may have to go in for help 😪 And one final tidbit – I almost wrote down the wrong name of the Exorcist actress. I originally typed Linda Lovelace instead of Linda Blair. I’m used to being corrected by my educated followers with my misnaming of birds, animals, and plants, but this faux paus may have resulted in my face flushing from severe embarrassment. Oh my gosh, my face is red just typing this!

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