CROSS COUNTRY DRIVE: BOCA RATON to HOUSTON After disembarking Celebrity on January 5, 2012, we had a very busy week in Boca Raton. Getting ready for our 9 month circle the USA car trip necessitated appointments with doctors, dentists, car check ups and the biggie:…

TUCSON and SCOTTTSDALE, ARIZONA We celebrated Ron’s 75th birthday in Tucson at the beautiful Loew’s Ventana Canyon Resort. This was a marvelous deal from luxurylink.com. It included 5 nights lodging with a full breakfast each morning, one 3 course dinner for two, and two massages…

PALM DESERT FEBRUARY 7, 2012: We arrived in Palm Desert, California. I looked at renting a house here but they were all in gated communities; you had to drive everywhere. Consequently, we settled at the Embassy Suites for our 3 week stay. It was ideal….

PALM SPRINGS, TEMECULA, LA JOLLA and RANCHO SANTA FE In the last few weeks, we have stayed in Palm Springs, Temecula, La Jolla and Rancho Santa Fe. Years ago, when we had our motorhome, we spent some time in Palm Springs. It has changed. Many…

CENTRAL CALIFORNIA We spent several days on the border of Oxnard and Ventura. We had hoped to visit the Channel Islands National Park, five islands just off the coast, but were discouraged by cold, windy, rainy days. Fortunately, the weather was in our favor during…

PISMO BEACH, PASO ROBLES and MONTEREY California has everything! From seashore to desert, valleys to mountain peaks, it is an ever changing landscape. It also has ever changing weather! Unfortunately, the 2 days we spent at Pismo Beach were cold and rainy, but going inland…

MARIN COUNTY It was a pleasure to settle down for 9 days at Acqua, a charming boutique hotel in Mill Valley. Our room faced Richardson Bay which we enjoyed walking and biking along. The highlight of this stop, however, was visits with several friends including…

NAPA & SONOMA We were fortunate that Marcia, yet another friend we met on the World Cruise, was at her house in Napa the day we arrived. Combine a brilliant sun, roses blooming and the beauty of her 25 acres and you have the picture…

SACRAMENTO When we told people we were going to spend a few days in Sacramento, they said “Whyyyy?” Nevertheless, we’re glad we did. Yes, there are economic problems, vacant buildings and homeless people on the streets. But there is also much to see and enjoy….

OREGON Upon leaving California, we headed to Bend, Oregon. Situated in the center of the state along the Deschutes River, and surrounded by volcanic mountains, Bend is a lovely town that has easily doubled in size since we were here with our motorhome in the…