Moved On

Since I couldn't bring our jeep to California I have changed the name of my Blog
I can now be found at

http://berniencalif.blogspot.com/

Leaving Colorado

We have found our next job for the summer on the west coast and our excited to move on. I’ve made all of our necessary doctor appointments. I have even scheduled to have those dreaded taxes done. All is in place and I’m ready to leave. We have now spent two years in Colorado and now it’s time to move on.

Friday March 19 dawned with another wave of late winter storms rolling across Nevada, Utah and into Colorado that would last for four days. We were committed and had to be Arizona on Monday. I had resided in Colorado longer than I had planned and knew that if I didn’t leave soon I would become sucked back into a life of normalcy.

With a lot of well wishing from co-workers and guests in the park we headed west on interstate 70 into the storm. In Utah the snow would fall in places but not stick. We checked road reports and were told that are planned route south of Moab on highway 191 was clear and open. So it is decided we will take the usual route and should be in Payson in 9 hours.

We get no more than 10 miles outside of Moab and the snow is starting to stick to the road. It was quickly becoming apparent to me that the road was only going to get worse. We knew that going south towards Monticello we would go up in elevation.

That’s it, time to turn this beast around and back to the interstate. This has cost me an hour and a half of time. The only route left for me is to continue on 70 through Utah then south on 19 into Nevada. We were able to make it to Mesquite Nevada where we planned to get a room for the night.

Mesquite is a very nice town just across the Nevada border with several large casinos that all happen to be full this night. We’ve now been on the road for 12 hours and it’s time to stop. After locating an empty lot close to a casino we park to spend the night in the trailer.

After the $2.99 breakfast in the morning we’re on our way again with hopes that our luck has changed and the weather will permit us to go the shorter route through Flagstaff to Payson. After getting past Las Vegas and down to Laughlin we check the road conditions for Arizona. Once again the snow gods have it in for me. The report has 9 inches of snow in Flagstaff and ice on the road.

Now it’s on to Phoenix and then up to Payson. It turns into another 12 hour drive day. Along the way the snow slowly gives way to a beautiful green dessert. It has been a long time since I’ve seen this much green. We are starting to enjoy the views. After all I tell myself I am retired and this is only part of my life now. Finally in spite of the late winter’s best efforts I have made it to Payson and will be able to make all of my appointments.

Our time in Arizona is filled with doctor appointments, tests, or planned time with the Grandkids. Of course we do need to visit the local Mexican restaurants to recharge. It goes by fast and we did not get to visit with everyone we would have liked to.

All goes well and we both have a clean bill of health from the doctors. I have even changed cardiologists. The taxes go well and will get refunds from both states. Our luck has finally changed and the winter gods have lost their grip on us. Now it’s time for the final leg of our journey.

It should take us about 14 hours for the drive from Payson to our new home. I’ve decided to break the trip into two days. We drive as far as Banning just east of Los Angeles to stay in a KOA park that is part of the group that owns our park.

Finally we have an uneventful trip to Calif. I am continually amazed at how we traveled and didn’t kill each other before the GPS to guide me. Our worst disaster was travelling north on Hwy 5 and running into swarms of bees trying to pollinate the fields. They really made a mess of the truck and trailer just trying to do their job.

As we near our new home there are rolling hills with farm fields all around us. All are in various states of their process. Fields have been recently plowed. Some have their young plants covered with a plastic o aid in their initial growth. Others are close to being harvested.

Signs proclaim that we are in the “Strawberry Capital of the World.” Another claims we are in the “Garlic Capital” and we could smell the garlic. One more proclaims we are in the “Artichoke Capital.” We soon catch a glimpse of the ocean and can begin to smell the sea on the wind.

We turn off of Hwy 1 onto Moss Landing road on a small road that is lined with two Bed and Breakfast inns and Antique shops. There down the road on a corner we see the KOA flag and are relieved to know that we have safely arrived.