Our Travelscapes #4

Hi... and may I say to all of you that I hope this finds you happy and healthy and that you take time to reflect on this first anniversary of 9/11. Two days before we were scheduled to leave the cozy little campground on Fidalgo Bay in Anacortes, WA, Roger found one of rear (inner) tires on the RV was flat. Somehow, the air fill hose which is pulled through the hub of the outer tire had broken free from it's mounting deflating the tire. Of course, we wouldn't have known it was "flat" because the outer tire made it look normal. But Roger always checks the tires with a small baseball bat before we leave; it's a "good thing". We waited all day for the tire repairman to show up. You know... "we'll be there by 2:00" and at suppertime no one has showed! Another phone call promised a 9:00 visit the next morning. Well, at 1:00 the truck pulled up! The guy wasn't well equipped with the necessary tools, but he did finally fix it. We were able to leave on our exit day on the 31st! We traveled over the Cascades to Eastern Washington's apple country. The Cascades is a beautiful, rugged mountain Range. Not far out of Brewster, WA where Roger lived and installed an earth station in the 60s, and NOT ten minutes after I had talked to you, Alicia, the motor home decided to take a vacation and it just quit out in the middle of nowhere, about 3 miles from the Chief Joseph Dam on the Columbia River. We placed a call to Good Sam, the road service for RVs. Of course not only was it Saturday, but the beginning of Labor Day weekend! We waited almost two hours for a tow truck from Moses Lake, WA. But in the meantime Roger had decided it was a problem with the alternator so he ran a line from the generator to the battery and got the motor home started again. By the time the tow truck (from 90 miles south in Moses Lake) arrived, both felt the tow wasn't necessary but the mechanic agreed we should follow him back in case we failed again further down the road. We unhooked the car and I drove ahead since I didn't need to keep up with their slower pace. Before I had gone half way I realized I was going to need to get a fill as soon as a gas station appeared. I was down to the dash light blinking before one ever showed! I had my cell phone and was about to phone the tow truck to see if he carried extra gas! Such fun! But it was a peaceful ride by myself at my own faster pace. I finally pulled over just outside Moses Lake and waited for them to show up so that I could also follow the tow truck. He led us to a campground where we would have to wait over the holiday weekend. He said he'd be back at 9:00 Tuesday morning. Two full days in a really crummy campground and then he didn't come to do the job until after 1:00 pm! A nice, young, friendly and clean cut guy, but with no sense of urgency. The whole town of Moses Lake had little to offer; the area, and most people, looked like time had passed them by. So we did have a new alternator installed and were on our way by 2:00 on Tuesday. We arrived in Coeur d'Alene, ID late in the afternoon. It is a nice area, but not what I expected. I had pictured a "Rocky Mountain" look...more like Jackson Hole, WY. It had some nice shops, hotels and restaurants; the main hotel being famous for it's golf course and "floating" green. It would have been nice to play, but besides being very costly, a long wait for tee times. From there we drove on to Salt Lake City where we spent Friday through the weekend. As soon as we arrived we headed to the LDS Family History Center where Roger planned to spend several hours doing research. Within a very short walking distance were lots of shops and places to see; something for me to do! I came across the Mormon Crafts Center...lots of quilts and many other hand made goodies in the window so I went in, of course. Unexpectedly, there was a quilt shop in the back which was very worthwhile. As I was doing the usual "gazing and drooling", I made a few audible groans and a gal standing near me asked "too much fabric, too little time?" I said, "more like... no lunch and I feel nauseous!" We laughingly agreed there were other priorities and kept on shopping! I recognized her Canadian accent and next asked where she was from....Alberta. We got to chatting about our shared interests (quilting, golfing, AND staying in the SAME motorhome park) and just seemed to "hit it off". Hey...it's a "quilting" thing! At one point I showed her the book Strips and Curves that has my quilt pictured and we got into a deeper conversation. We decided since BOTH husbands were in the Family History Center, and likely would spend several hours there, we should go to lunch and spend the rest of the day together! So we properly introduced ourselves, dropped off our quilter's goodies at Marilyn's car nearby and set off to find sustenance. We found a pizza place where we got to know each other better. Once we gobbled our lunch off we went to do more shopping. After gathering a few more packages we decided to check on our spouses' status. By this time it was after 5 pm and the guys were still busy but, by now, pretty hungry! We agreed dinner "out" was a good idea! We introduced the men at the and settled on a restaurant where we had a great time. The guys "buddied" up really well also. By 8:00 we were all ready for jumping into the hot tub at the park. But it had closed at 6 pm so the Armstrongs decided to spend a little more time at "our" place. We finally said Good Night with a promise to meet again if only by e-mail. But they often come to AZ in the winter as Marilyn's brother owns an RV Park near Lake Havasu, AZ. He used to own one in Casa Grande which is very close to us. So perhaps we'll get to see them again. The next day we drove up into the mountains to Park City to see the ski areas and all the new building that was done specifically for the Olympics held there last February. After doing some shopping on the main street which is like an old western mining town, we came back to the car to find a flat tire....still hissing as if to drive the point home! Roger used a can of inflator gas and we drove a little further to the Visitor's Center. It was almost 6:00 pm on Saturday; the only available tire repair was closing in 10 min and wouldn't make an exception. We went to a Texaco station and their repair garage was also closed. Since the back of the van was so loaded up with cruise luggage, golf bags, etc. etc., Roger was hoping not to change the tire. So we drove to Wal-Mart, bought 2 more cans of inflator/sealer and got ourselves back to Salt Lake City where almost everything closes up tight on Saturday evening! We would have to wait. Surprisingly, Roger found a tire center open on Sunday and bought a new tire as they could not find a problem with the original one. This same tire has had a history of going soft but nothing could ever be found to cause it. This time it was more than "soft" and we weren't going to take chances with it leaving us high and dry again. Today we have driven South through Utah and now at 3:00 (Arizona time) we have just crossed the AZ border. Tomorrow we plan to take a jeep tour through Canyon de Chelly (d'SHAY); an area in AZ's northeast corner we've yet to visit. Hopefully it won't be too awfully hot there, and most likely we'll be home by Wednesday. Arriving back a little earlier than we thought but we're ready for a real house, real air conditioning, the pool and a washer and dryer that doesn't eat coins and Roger's socks! I'm sure it will take us a couple of weeks to clean out the RV, clean up the house and yard after the sand storms, but Roger has already made Tee times for Friday and Monday. Again....priorities! Wednesday---- Well...nothing is ever easy! By the time we had left Canyon de Chelly at shortly after noontime, headed to Show Low for one, last night, we had a phone call that there was a serious problem with the pool. We also were in a terrific monsoon within a few miles of leaving Canyon de Chelly which continued to pelt rain all the way into Show Low (The lightening strikes were awesome!) The RV was leaking in a few (?) places; I never knew it could rain that hard, but it was interesting to watch the water fill up in the washes, the creeks, (the BEDROOM!!), etc. In fact, at one point, all traffic was re-routed due to the entire road being under water. Another highway had police patrols as the water had limited the road to "1/way". It was only about 4pm when we had gotten that far and decided let's just drive another 3 hours and go home! The pool was certainly a disaster with extensive algae. The pool guy was great and has already been and gone today. $275 later and we are on the "mend". One, the filter elements had calcified and clogged: now replaced, and possibly the chlorine generator element which will be checked again tomorrow. The pool guy had never seen such algae before; thought it might be bacterial but never having seen algae like it here in AZ, was stumped! It was so thick you could actually scoop it up! Anyway, we should be able to swim within a couple of days....PLEASE!! "Pool Guy" said we should get some "marine life" and it would be clean in no time! Care to come to the Sullivans and swim with the dolphins? Landscaping so overgrown that we have hired a crew to do it for us. They'll come Saturday. Soon back to normal?? Otherwise....a really fun summer! Hope yours has been the same! Love to all, Dennie and Roger