We start the trip!

Saturday, November 5, 2011
Left home around noon, all packed up for the trip to California in Kingsley. Half an hour out of Edmonton and we discover we didn't have the travel health insurance cards! Back home to retrieve.
Arrived at the Dundas residence @ 7:oo pm. Everyone there and a fabulous dinner...BBQ steak & ribs, rice etc. plus Karen's apple pie!
So good to have those big tall boys giving lots of hugs and towering over both of us!!

Sunday, November 6th
Headed out before noon and ended up at Warner, AB, at one of our favourite RV spots. Very cold but we had power and a functioning furnace!

Monday, November 7th
Left Warner and crossed the US border without any hitches about 9:00am. We arrived in Conrad, MT to see cousin Ann & Larry Boettcher. We spent about 1 1/2 hours then carried on, reaching Butte, MT.@ 4:30pm. We stayed at the Butte KOA for $15.00. We bought a great chicken dinner with all the fixins' for $10.00! The furnace still works!!

Tuesday, November 8th
Left Butte at 9:00 am, gassed up @ Dillon, MT. Sunny but windy and cold. We stopped at Pocatella, ID for gas at Costco. It's always fun checking out Costcos in the US. Hardly anyone in the store @ 2:00pm...no lineups at the pumps. We travelled on to Downey, ID and stayed a wonderful place called Downata Hot Springs, 100 years old, open year round with an amazing mineral spring-fed pool, hot tub and sauna. It is quiet this time of the year. A very popular family resort in the summer.

Wednesday, November 9th
Alan & I went up to the pool this morning...wonderful showers and mineral pools! It was a great start to the day.
Back on the road @ 9:30 am and crossed the border in to Utah @10:00am. Sunny and warmer; roads dry. We pulled in to the Filmore, UT KOA @ 4:00pm after spending entirely too much time looking for and finally finding a Costco for gas!! It was warmer in the afternoon so I donned pedal-pushers and sandals. Silly me! It went to 10F overnight.....we were @ 6000 feet!

Friday, November 10th
Fetched water from the washroom to make coffee this am. We left the camp at 9:30 am. We reached the Utah/Arizona border before noon and Nevada @ 12:17pm. We stopped at the Welcome Centre in Mesquite, NV, had breakfast, and both of us changed into shorts! This a ritual which we have enjoyed several times on our trips south! Mesquite is the place where everything changes!! Back on the road @ 12:17, thanks to our being in the PST zone. Heading to Vegas!! I am now too tired to type any more so I will close until tomorrow! We have arrived at our first destination in Quartzsite, AZ and we are very happy!