Places We Have Called Home In 2019

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

December 31, 2019

 

Well, my friends here we are again.  Just hours before the lettuce drops.

Yup, out here it is a head of lettuce and it drops at 10 pm to coincide with when the Crystal Ball drops in NYC.  But before we get to the New Year, a brief look back at 2019.

This is where we began the year 2019.  We were work campers at Dade Battlefield Historic State Park.  What an adjustment that was!  Having to get up and out at 8 am most mornings was a real shock to the system.  Yet, by the time it was over we both agreed it was a wonderful experience.  The best being we met two terrific people, Steve and Patti, who we remain good friends with to this day.

When our time there was over, we were on the move.  We traveled here, there and everywhere.   Here, in brief is where we went and what we saw.

While still in Florida we visited the Kennedy Space Center, St. Augustine, and a whole bunch of different museums before we even left Florida.

We continued on through the Panhandle of Florida. 

We were able to attend a practice session of the Blue Angels

and visited the National Museum of Naval Aviation.  I spent so much time there Barbara joked about seeing if they would allow me to just camp off in a corner of the Museum.  We also visited the Battleship Alabama, Submarine US Drum and the Pensacola Lighthouse.  This lighthouse was the true test of my new knees.  Yup, I made it to the top, and of course back down again.

Leaving Florida we moved on

to the Big Easy.  I wanted so much to hate this city but within a day I had fallen in love with it.  It has its own distinct vibe which is unlike any other city.

We continued up the Natchez Trace eventually making our way to a factory tour of Tiffin Motorhomes.  We also visited the US Space and Rocket Center.

We were also able to visit The Corvette Museum, The Ark, and The Creation Museum.  We were just getting warmed up.

  Nashville was a wonderful stop with lots to see and do.  What a time we had at the Grand Old Opry.  We hope we can go back some day.

Two unusual places we really enjoyed were The Popcorn Museum and The Cardboard Boat Museum.

We were able to visit the Flight 93 Memorial  and the Tower of Voices

with our daughter Amanda.  The trip from her home to us sort of took a toll on her!  This is also when Marti went to live with her.  We still miss him.

Next we moved into Pennsylvania and

were so grateful that we got to spend two weeks during the summer with my Mom.  What a wonderful two weeks we had.  We laughed, played dominoes, went out to eat and just had a fantastic time together.  Little did we know then that her time here on earth was running out.  Within months she went home to be with her Lord and Savior. Mom, we miss you but we know you are ever with us in our hearts.

While moving through Ohio

we spent time with my son, Paul, and his wife, Brittany.  Together we visited the Armstrong Air and Space Museum. This was another great visit.  Time with family is oh so precious and visits like this rate high in our book.

Next up was Indiana and a visit to

The Studebaker Museum.

We also took a factory tour of Newmar but pictures were not allowed.

Still so many places to come.  We’ll never forget our time at The College of the Ozarks.

Often call The School of Hard Work.

Ever student graduates debt free.  How?  They are required to work on campus at one of several spots, and they are encouraged to pick up a part time job off campus.  We also were fortunate to again be able to visit with friends, Charles and Linda.

Down through Arkansas, Texas and New Mexico we went.

We went looking for aliens in Roswell.  We visited what is now our newest National Park,

White Sands.  Also in Deming

while staying at Dream Catcher RV Park we were able to spend some time visiting with our good friends Bobby and Mary.

We made our first trip to Mexico while we were in Deming.  This is where we purchased our new eye glasses.

The Pink Store is a store we will never forget.

Around the bend and back up the map we went to Tucson and then to Phoenix.  This is where we officially became a part of the NOMADS Family.

This was our First Project at TMM in Tucson.  Tight quarters indeed!  This is where we officially became a part of the NOMDS family.  We met and made so many new friends.

While here we volunteered for a Pack-A-Thon.

Then it was on to UMOM in Phoenix.  This was a fantastic experience from start to finish.  What a great staff to work with.  What a great group of NOMADS.  Once again we met and made so many new friends.

In total we worked Three NOMAD Projects, back to back, from November to December.  It felt so good to be able to finally give back for all the blessings we had received all year.  Once again it was a big adjustment having to get up and get out early Monday through Thursday. But we did it and in the end actually enjoyed it.  We also, once again, were able to visit a number of fantastic places.

One of the highlights of our time here was our visit to Saguaro National Park.

I for one will also never forget the visit to the Franklin Auto Museum.  

I know I’ve missed a number of places that we’ve visited in 2019.  If you want a full list of where we’ve been, please,  click the link in the heading above Places We Have Called Home In 2019 and you’ll be given a short summary of each place we stopped at and what we did.

Here we are today.  As we say Home Is Where We Park It.

Home right now is Rancho Rialto RV Park.

 In the process of getting here to our new home in Yuma  we traveled through 16 states, stayed at 40 different places, and traveled 5,486 miles – give or take a few hundred – during the year.  We stayed at Harvest Host locations, Boondocker Welcome spots, National Parks, State Parks and Private Campgrounds.  We’ve taken time out for maintenance, continued to upgrade our home, and dealt with the odds and ends that threw us a curve or two along the way.  Speaking of which, we’re dealing with one now.  The bottom line though is We have truly been blessed this past year and give thanks every day for this fantastic life that we live.  Truly, God has been good to us and we never forget it.

So much for the year in the rear view mirror.

Now looking forward through the windshield 2020 is before us.

  We’re about to begin yet another New Year.  Another 365 opportunities to do our best.  Another 365 opportunities to make life count.  Another 365 opportunities to love, smile, hope, dream, pay it forward, to do amazing things, to boldly go where we have never been before,  and to live each day to the fullest.  My hope and prayer is that in the New Year each of us will do something more significant than put on more pounds, watch football or Hallmark, or whatever.

So, here’s to a new year with a clean slate.  Maybe some things didn’t go the way you wanted in the old year.  Maybe you’re still dwelling on some What If’s.  I say throw all that old baggage overboard and concentrate on the infinite possibilities for love, life, happiness and good health that God is presenting you with in the new year.

So, go to it.  Go spend time with family and friends.  Go make some new friends.  Launch out and test the waters.  Begin living that dream you’ve only till now been toying with.  But most of all spend the first day of the new year with someone you love.  And let them know even now how much they mean to you.  And always remember We may never know what is around the next bend in the road of life but we count on God being there to walk with us to see us through.

Thanks for traveling with us throughout the year.  We always appreciate your company and as always appreciate your comments.  Catch you next year!

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before

See you on down the road!