Checking out Jerome

Today we visited the small town of Jerome, a former copper and gold mining town which is perched on the side of a steep hill a couple of hours north of Phoenix. The mine is closed now, and the population is only in the hundreds these days. But the town has a ton of character, and the drive to it, including winding road through town, make the trip a worthwhile adventure all by itself. Add in a quick visit to a ghost town at nearby abandoned mine, and it was a day well spent.

Spectacular Sedona

We have seen many beautiful settings for towns on our Excellent Adventure journey, but right at the top of the list has to be Sedona. It is simply spectacular. This place is a ‘must see’ if you are ever in the area.

Getting our Kicks on Route 66

Being an Eagles fan since the early 70s, I talked Dinah into heading to Winslow, AZ to see the location of the iconic "Take it Easy" song lyric. A statue and wall have been erected to commemorate the song...and it is quite the tourist attraction--along the famous Route 66 highway. We tried to travel on Route 66 as much as we could, but it combines with I-40 and there is not much to see on this stretch. We caught up with the "Mother Road" again in Flagstaff for a few photos. Also visited the Meteor Crater along the way. It was a good day.

Sabino Canyon

Another beautiful southeastern Arizona day, and we found our way to the Sabino Canyon in Tucson. We road the tram uphill and then hiked 3.5 miles back. Amazing weather and scenery. The saguaro cacti dominated the scene, but the soaring canyon made for a delightful day enjoying America's natural beauty. We are leaving Friday for the Phoenix area and heading to Sedona on the next step of Phase 2 of the Excellent Adventure.

The statuesque Saguaro

We spent a wonderful afternoon in 68-degree comfort exploring the Saguaro National Park east of Tucson. The array of cactus there was outstanding. I can't imagine what it must have been like to traverse this terrain as a frontiersman back in the day. A special thanks to Dinah for keeping a eye out for the serpent as i photographed...

Sandhill Cranes

Made the short trip from the RV park in Benson to see the thousands of Sandhill Cranes who are wintering at the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area in Sulphur Springs Valley near Willcox in Southeast Arizona. It was quite a sight, though I was a little under-lensed and had to do most of the photography from one vantage point. It was still an amazing sight. Appreciate the tip to go see this from Linda Hitchcock.

Lots to see in AZ

We have been making the rounds in southeastern Arizona, visiting Tombstone, including the infamous cemetery "Boot Hill," and the surprisingly-charming mining town of Bisbee. But the weirdest thing we saw was "The Thing," a nicely-done museum in a roadside store on a lonely stretch of I-10 east of Tucson. The walkthrough museum features exhibits speculating that aliens from outer space and dinosaurs interacted in the distant past. Silly, but worth a stop for a laugh. Also nearby, in the small town of Dragoon, a large yard display of metal art of dinosaurs and snakes caught our attention, especially the "Dinosaur vs. Horse" sculpture. Finding stuff like this in the middle of nowhere is priceless...

Unexpected Flashback

While visiting Bisbee, Arizona, we ran across a secluded street in the community of Lowell where time seems to have stood still. Parked along the street in both directions were vintage automobiles, trucks and even a vintage Greyhound bus. Even the businesses there, which were closed, had throwback signs in their windows. Not sure what is going on, since there were very few people around. But photographically, i was happy to see it, especially in the late afternoon light. :)

Racing to Warmth

The Excellent Adventure made a 30-hour dash from icy winter to sunshine, while experiencing snow, ice and fog on our way to the clear skies and warmth of southern Arizona. Here are a few scenes from the trip, all taken while Dinah drove the 876 miles to near Tucson. Temperature upon arrival: 62 degrees. (Sorry for rubbing it in to all our DFW friends.)

Phase II Begins!

The RV is pointed to the west as the Excellent Adventure begins Phase II today. Embarking from Ice Station Zebra (Texas:)), we are headed to Tucson, AZ. Once the cold weather is in the rear view mirror, we will proceed at a more leisurely pace than our 2020 25-state adventure. Stay turned, and thanks for following along with us!

Phase 1 Phavorite Photos

Here is a gallery of images that were some of our favorites from our 5-month, 25-state, 13,000-mile 2020 RV adventure. Hope you like them!

The Home Stretch

We are on the last leg of Phase One of Dinah and Louis' Excellent Adventure--coming back west on I-10 from Florida, we had to make a stop near my old stomping ground, La Porte, Texas, as a fitting last stop on this leg. Thanks to my lifelong friend Tim Kelley and his Corvette, we got a chance to revisit some sites around where I grew up outside of Houston. Plenty to see including the San Jacinto Monument, the Battleship Texas, and of course, no road trip through Texas would be complete without a stop at Buc-ee's for some beaver nuggets. (If you have never been to a Buc-ee's, you need to come to Texas to go to one!)

Holiday on the Harbor

Sunday activity featured the 34th annual Holiday on the Harbor Boat Parade in Destin Harbor, so we decided to go see it. It was certainly a new twist on a Christmas celebration for us. It sure beat being in snow and cold, at least for me...

Destination Destin

Today we enjoyed a sunny, warm stroll on the Destin Harborwalk. Even got to see, from the shoreline, some dolphins swimming along with the boats...it was a magical afternoon...

Gentle on our Minds

The beach in Destin, Florida has been the preferred site of much relaxation, as we make the turn to head back to Texas. The Excellent Adventure still has a few more stops, and we are especially enjoying this one. It is a little cool, but for December you can't complain...

Capturing Captivating Savannah

Spent an amazing day seeing the sights in downtown Savannah, which included:

--Forsyth Park fountain and grounds

--A memorial statue honoring Haitian soldiers who fought in Revolutionary War during the Battle of Savannah in 1779

--Jones Street, named one of the most beautiful residential streets in America

--Spanish moss, which is everywhere

--Colonial architecture featuring delightful details, including dolphin-shaped roof downspouts and ornate fencing featuring famous writers

--a delicious breakfast at Maple Street Biscuit Company in downtown, where the chicken, biscuits and gravy were out of this world. 

Lighthouse Light

A fast-moving front on Tybee Island in Savannah, GA adds to a variety of looks at the lighthouse/seascape scene on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

Carolina on our Minds…

Wrapping up a couple of great weeks of camping in North Carolina. A special thanks to Patrick and Emiko Davison for a week of sightseeing fun, delicious homemade food, a hiking trip to Pilot Mountain with their daughters, and even some much-needed RV repair. Appreciated also some great mealtime visits with Mark and Pam Dolejs and Marc Kawanishi. And, of course, had a blast with Bob and Sharon Carey and their family over the holiday. (see previous post). Heading to Savannah to start the home stretch of the Excellent Adventure...

A Family Thanksgiving

We were blessed to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with our great friends Bob and Sharon Carey and their family in Boiling Springs, NC. Besides an abundance of delicious food, we got to witness their long-time family tradition of putting the Christmas lights on the house. It was a lovely afternoon, as we watched all members of their family working together to prepare the house for the holiday season. We are truly thankful we were able to be there.

Drive-thru Christmas

A quick trip through Charlotte, North Carolina afforded the opportunity to visit the drive-thru Christmas lights experience at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was quite an elaborate display. The best part--Dinah got to drive the Jetta on the NASCAR track for part of the journey, included a portion of a banked turn on the track--it was really cool!