First, I’d like to say I can’t believe it’s been over two weeks since a travel update on this blog. I really did imagine weekly updates at least, and it really just hasn’t worked that way. No good excuse, just good living and having fun. I guess since V and I have both been on social media more, I haven’t felt as much of a need. I guess that’s why people have social media accounts now and blogs aren’t really “where it’s at”. Plus, I have felt a little bit of a guilty pang or two. I’ve heard from many who want to keep up with our travels, thanks for the encouragement, but I haven’t wanted to shove our good travel fortune down folk’s throats. I guess a blog is perfect for that then; if you don’t wanna look you don’t haveta click.

We rejoin the boring/exciting escapades of the Stevens Pack as we leave Borrego Springs and head into the desert. This was on February 4th, the one month anniversary of our leaving home. I wish I could say we went wandering far beyond civilization, but in reality we were 15 minutes from El Centro, CA. We camped in BLM land next to the Naval Air Station so we could watch the Blue Angels Practice. Turns out, it was just fun being out there in the sun, for free, gathering solar energy and just doing nothing. Well, not nothing. I did dip into town to go to Lowes to order a refrigerator and pick up some really decent Chinese food. You know, roughing it.

We left the desert and headed toward another BLM spot, Lake Mittry, for one night. Nice short scenic hike and birds everywhere. Highlight, fantastic fish and chips on the way through Yuma the next day on a recommendation from an old school chum (thanks Beth).

We then went back to Phoenix for round two of backyard “mooch-docking” with our friends. Fixit projects, food and friends, hiking and biking. Schedules aligned with our regular Pack members from NC who were visiting family in Scottsdale, so we all met at a great German place. I got full again. Seems to happen occasionally during these travels. We have, on the contrary, discovered “Salad and Go”, a really great drive through salad operation with locations in AZ and TX. I did a predawn hike up a nearby peak to watch the sunrise. It was not a romantic shared moment with V, as she would not at all enjoyed the creepiness of the required headlamp and the goat path of a rocky trail.

Heading away from our paradise oasis, we considered this essentially the start of our journey home. One night at the KOA in Tucson where we watched the Super Bowl on our outside tv, shaded from the hot sun. Yeah, we had some good weather over these Western weeks. Rockhound State Park NM was a surprising beauty and I’ll remember it as a place to come again. Monahans Sandhills State Park TX, sand dunes and sustained high winds, so we roamed quickly but stayed inside for the evening. We did as the meme indicates. We were grocery shopping and picked cards for each other before returning them to the rack. This whole trip has been solid romance, we don’t need no stinkin’ cards.

So we continue to do all of this without really planning too far ahead. I don’t remember when we decided to head north toward Dallas, but we did. We’re here now as I type this and are heading out tomorrow. This has been our first below freezing nights since leaving home and yesterday was cold and cloudy. With a couple of nice days now, but icky stuff in the forecast, we’re fortunate to have plans to go south. Just a couple of days here, we didn’t do a whole lot, but we have enjoyed our time here. We visited George W. Bush’s library, which was a big item on our travel lists and is very nicely done. The Texas Gun Experience was freaking cool. We walked in and the nice lady told us it was “Full auto Friday”. V says my eyes lit up like she’s never seen. We shot guns. Gotta say, food was again a highlight. A great noodle place and a great chicken and waffle/soul food place. I’m so full tonight from lunch that I’ve skipped dinner. I might not eat breakfast tomorrow.

I mentioned we head south from here. We’re heading toward our Pack members, my Mom and her husband, Bill, who were originally supposed to be with us for this adventure. They had a vehicle setback way back before we even got a chance to meet up with them, so it’ll be good to get the intended group back together. Especially in Texas Gulf Coast weather. Cross fingers. It would be nice to have some beach weather around the gulf before heading back North toward home in a few weeks. Back to all you poor souls who have been stuck in it. We’ve missed you. It’ll be nice to see NC folks again, even if we can’t wear shorts yet.