Almost a year!! Last post on my blog, all about our adventures with Kingsley, was almost a whole year ago! Don't worry, I won't saddle everyone with everything that has transpired during this last year but I do want to start up again with our latest adventures on the road. We left Edmonton on Saturday, October 6th bound for Lake Louise, AB in our 35 year old GMC motorhome(named Kingsley). We met up with our family from Calgary to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday in Canada. It was a great time hiking, eating & drinking and visiting with the daughters, sons-in-law & the grandsons. Monday, we headed west towards BC and then south to Palm Springs but....we didn't make it very far. The coach had mechanical troubles just past Emerald Lake turn-off and we had to be towed to Golden, BC...radiator problems. We ended up staying there for eight days while they ordered parts and did the work on the coach. Golden is a great little spot in the mountains and we explored every inch of it while we were there. Daily trips down into town and lots of interaction with the herd of Rocky Mountain Sheep camped all around us. A week ago today all was done and we set out again. This time we made it to the little town of Revelstoke(at the other side of the Rogers Pass). This time, it was the header gasket!! Well, we decided to head home as the work would not be started until yesterday. Last Thursday we spent 12 hours on the Greyhound wending our way back home. To make things even worse, it was my 75th birthday!! This was one B-day I won't soon forget!! We have been home now for almost a week and awaiting the news from the mechanic. We are still hoping to get back on the road soon and get our Kingsley down to the desert where we will leave until Jan/Feb when we will return for the rest of the winter. Wish us luck...will keep everyone posted.

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!

Fall weather, wind and freezing temp. sends us packing!

It's the beginning of November 2011 and we are packing Kingsley for another trip to sunny (and warm) California. Our destination is Cathedral City, CA where we will store the coach until February 2012. We will fly home for Christmas with the family in Calgary & Lake Louise.
Lots of preparations and we are running out time! I will post every few days. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we wend our way south, hopefully with good weather, on our route.

Back to the BLOG!!

At last, time to start reporting again!! We have been so busy down here in SoCal that we fall into bed at night exhausted. Also, we had many days away from internet connection.
We are parked in a beautiful spot by the Pechanga Casino in Temecula, CA. We are on I 15 just south of LA where we came for a Bluegrass Festival.We parked in a dirt lot right in the heart of Olde Towne Temecula with 26 other GMC coaches, members of the Pacific Cruisers club. It has been a blast and we really enjoyed the music and shopping etc. but, the weather has turned very cold so we are now all hooked up and very comfortable with wifi & cable TV.
My last posting was Feb 10th while we were still in Quartzsite so, I have a lot of catching up to do.
I have taken tons of pictures....over 700 since the beginning of the year. I will pick out the best to post and hope to give everyone a taste of our adventures with Kingsley.

Algodones, Mexico

Yesterday, we experienced Algodones for the first time! We are staying at an RV park in Winterhaven, CA across the Colorado river from Yuma, AZ where everyone goes for four things: dental services, optical services, pharmaceuticals & cheap liquour!! Our friends picked us up at 8:00am and by 8:15 we were parked, crossed the border and sitting in one of hundreds of dental offices! I went for glasses and @ 8:30, was customer #1 across th

e hall in the eyeglass place. One hour later I had had an eye exam and was fitted for two lovely pairs of progressive lens glasses...$100.00. I am going back to pick them up tomorrow on our way out of town. After our friends had their dental work done and I was finished with the optician we went for fish tacos & tamales, then, at 11:00am the liquour stores opened. We each bought a bottle then got into the line to go thru customs. You cannot imagine the crowds!! It was colourful and crazy and alot of fun!! Old people love this stuff, what can I say!!

The "Journal in a Box" booth at the RV show in Quartzsite.

We met the mother & daughter team, Yvonne & Tonya, behind this great idea for helping everyone to keep a journal. Find out more about this unique product at: http//www.journalinabox.com A couple of great gals with great smiles!! Good luck to you both and get rested up for your next show.

Quartzsite again!

We left Palm Springs on Wednesday headed for Quartzsite (2 hours east). Camped on the desert (boondocking) with 20 other coaches. More to follow.....