Welcome Home

Well, we are back in Edmonton. Wouldn't you know that the only bad weather (except for winds) that we encountered was on entering Canada!

Customs agent was more interested in whether we had had any repairs done on our vehicles in the U.S. than anything else. Guess you have to pay GST and duty on repair work! When entering the U.S., border agents come out to your vehicle and talk to you politely, and welcome you to USA. On entering Canada, fat agent sits in booth and is barely polite.

Things we have noticed along the way:

1. Americans seem polite, quick to talk to strangers, and generally helpfull;
2. American truckers have better road manners than Canadian truckers;
3. A lot of people in US seem to be nervous about Obama health plans;
4. Despite recession, people in both countries are still spending plenty on entertainment;
5. Cost of living in US cities we visited is lower than in Canada (a lot lower).

Now we will start planning our next trip, and settling on our business ideas. Will also see how difficult it is to settle back into living in one place with Miranda.

The Return

Last night we stayed at the Walmart in Pocatello, Idaho. Not much to report except that the parking lot was very small for a Walmart, and we had to squeeze ourselves in. We did buy a cheap microwave, and a nice toaster/ convection oven, so now Marlene can cook a full repetoir of recipes again!

We arrived in Great Falls, Montana a couple of hours ago. This Walmart has a huge parking lot, and there are a lot of RV's here tonight. Marlene cooked minestrone soup, lasagna, garlic toast, and salad.

Expect to hit the border tomorrow morning, and be back in Edmonton Friday a.m.

Yesterday was our last day on the salt here at Bonneville. We watched the action on the courses from about the 2 mile marker of the long course, and had a great view. There were quite a few 300+ mph runs.

Ben seemed to get a lot of attention, which he liked of course, including having his picture taken, being coddled, petted, and OOOHHH'd over! Since Ben has now been to Speed Week, he is officially a "salty dog".

We walked through the pits one last time, and bought some tee shirts. Many of the competitors have left, if they have set a new record, or realized that they weren't going to this year. They'll head home and work on improving their cars for next year.

We are also heading for home today. We hope to be back in Edmonton on Friday afternoon. Hope we have no more mechanical trouble. Yesterday our convection microwave oven quit working, and our batteries are not taking a charge properly. One of the things we've decided is that before we hit the road in October for the winter, we will install 5 new batteries, and a solar panel. We are going to replace the convection/ microwave with a separate convection oven and microwave setup, so if one dies the other will still work.

If service is available, we'll log on from Idaho next. Stay tuned...

A Day on the Salt

Today the sky was clear, and we expected it to get hot. After applying plenty of SPF50 sunscreen, and packing a lunch and lots of water, we took Ben and drove to the track, arriving at about 9:00.

This time we set up our little viewing area near the 3 mile marker of the long course. Plenty of 250-300 mph runs expected today. We weren't sure how Ben would take to the salt, but he did O.K. His biggest problem was that with no grass within 30 miles he didn't have anywhere to poop! At least he had no shortage of tires to pee on.

The sun reflected off the salt is blistering, and we were glad we'd brought our sun umbrellas. Interesting that the salt itself is cool to the touch.

After we got settled in, plenty of people arrived and set up around us, including a group of bikers from England who built a sun shade out of tarps and extending poles. They were travelling 150 miles each way daily to see the races. Not a bad bunch of guys, we had some fun with them.

After about 5 hours of watching the cars roar past, we had enough, plus we really needed to find a porta potti that wasn't overflowing, so we took the car and cruised along the pit area. Lots of cool cars to see today. Tomorrow we'll set up near the start lines. The speeds at the start are slow, but it gives a better chance to see the competitors up close while running.

Tonight the annual 200 mph club party took place at "the bend in the road". There were free burgers, but we decided to forego the long line-up and make our own dinner. There are some young "rat-rodders" from Alberta nearby, but their rowdy friends from Utah are a bit vulgar and Marlene's delicate sensibilities made us decline their invitation to party with them.

After dark people started setting off fireworks all around the encampment. It was a spectacular display that went on for over an hour. These folks really like their fireworks! This temporary camp has a population we estimate at over 3000 people. At the hotels in Wendover, Salt Lake City, and other nearby towns there are probably 20,000 people all here for the racing. We're posting lots of pictures, but not all that we took. Hope you enjoy them.

Last night at "the bend in the road" people were partying til late at night, fireworks popping above us. The crowd of RV's has grown considerably, and space is getting tight. A truly amazing collection of cool cars and trucks has assembled, and it's hard to see them all.

At 3:00 a.m. someone decided to take their car onto the road for a few high speed runs, waking up the whole area. Lucky he didn't get caught, because it's grounds for disqualification from racing.

We left our motorhome, and the dog, at 10:00 a.m., and headed for the salt. Since this was our first time, we didn't have clue where to park, where to watch, or what to do. We paid for a full week's pass ($80 for two of us) and headed to the parking area. The immense size of the flats is staggering. You really can see the curvature of the earth. Mountains that appear to be 4 or 5 miles away are really 15 miles or more off. The pit area is over a mile long, and is packed with interesting vehicles of all types.

We decided to park and walk the pits, a mistake because once the sun peeked out from the clouds it started to get HOT. About half way down the pit area, we turned around and headed back. We stopped at the sales trailer and bought obligatory tee shirts (proceeds go to save the salt). We came across a voluble official, who was happy to explain the layout, where to watch from, and what to do. He also gave us an entry form so we can race next year. Maybe we'll "hot rod" the Echo!

The track is really 3 tracks, and they are at least 1/4 mile away from the nearest viewing spots, but still the image of cars hurtling across the salt at 200 MPH+ with the sound following behind them is really neat. One unfortunate fellow in a roadster spun out at 195 MPH, but no damage was done (except for his shorts!). There is a radio channel you can tune in and listen to race announcing, and keep track of what's going on.

After a few hours, we are tired, and ready for food and a rest, so we head back to the RV and feed ourselves. We are in need of some supplies, so we took the dog and drove into Wendover. This is a small truck stop of a town, with only the casinos to attract gamblers from Salt Lake City to keep it going between racing events. Now the town is full, no room at any of the inns, motels, casinos or RV parks. Prices at the grocery store are HIGH, but liquor is cheap (Nevada). After resupplying ourselves we went back to the RV for a nap.

At about 7:00 the parade of vehicles leaving the track began, and we had a front row seat for the show! We fired up the grill and cooked some pork chops and baked potatoes, and we will go for a walk around to see the cars and meet some people. Stay tuned.

Bonneville or Bust!

We left our overnight spot at the Walmart in Springville, Utah at 9:30 a.m. and went north on I-15 towards Salt Lake City. The GPS pointed us to a bypass route, so we were able to avoid the worst of the traffic in the area. Shortly after going around the city, we get to I-80 and head west toward Wendover, Utah. A quick stop for gas (the best price so far this trip: $2.45 a gallon), and we rolled on. Now we were seeing a few interesting cars headed west, as well as many bikes.

About 1:30 we arrived at "the bend in the road", public lands on the road into the salt flats where we will camp along with a lot of other people. Already there are a wide assortment of RV's, as well as tents and other forms of camp housing. We have found a spot down towards one end of the area, with a view of the mountains and of the road to the track, so we can see the parade of cool vehicles going to and from the track. We've got a nice setup here, very homey. Today is tech day, racing begins tomorrow.

At Bonneville, racing is against the clock. The track is a 5 mile straight on the salt, marked by a black line. Cars and motorcycles (and trucks, bar stools, go karts, and anything else on wheels) compete in different classes, attempting to set top speed records. Vehicles run in both directions on the track, and the best speed from each direction is averaged, and that is the speed for the competitor.

Tomorrow morning we will take the Echo to the track, and hope to see many cool vehicles.

Back Online

We were off-line for a couple of days, due to no service in the area of the Grand Canyon, so here's what's been happening:

Tuesday, August 4, 2009, we left the RV park in Vegas at 8:00 a.m., and hit the I-15 north. Stopped at the edge of the city to fill up with gas and propane. This is the first time we've added propane since we got the motorhome, and after our trip to Banff, and our trip down here, we only used 3.9 gallons. We were surprised, since we've been using the BBQ, the stove, the hot water heater, and when on the road the fridge, all on propane!

We passed from Nevada to Arizona to Utah, and back to Arizona on the way to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. After leaving the interstate at St. George, Utah, we headed west. After the town of Hurricane the road turned to 2 lane with no shoulders, and started a long climb up from 2000 ft. to 8000 ft.. The scenery is spectacular, even if the drive is slow, due to the steep grades (in some cases 9% grades).

We arrived at our campground in the Kaibab National Forest around 3:00 (or was it 4:00, or 5:00? Don't even know what time zone we are in). This place was certainly a change from the concrete jungle of Vegas. Our site was nestled among towering pine trees, and backed onto the forest. The temperature was mild, and we were actually cold the next morning when we encountered 60 degrees instead if the 100+ we were used to.

The first night we settled in and enjoyed a nice meal and bottle of wine. Didn't sleep well, though, maybe because it's too quiet, maybe it's the altitude (almost 9000 ft.). In the morning we discovered there is no cell service at all in the area, so no internet! We load the car with packed lunch, water, and the dog, and set off on the 30 mile drive to the Grand Canyon. At the park gates we paid our $25 entrance fee and rolled through the park to the visitor center. Quite a crowd here already this morning. The first thing we find out is that dogs are not allowed on the trails! Doesn't make any sense to us since there is plenty of wildlife around. We ignore the signs and take Ben on a hike to Angels Point, where we get a nice view of the canyon. We then headed back up the road to a picnic spot for a nice lunch.

After lunch we drove a windy road to Point Imperial, where the views were simply spectacular. Photos just don't do it justice. We would have liked to go further, to more viewpoints, but there were active fires in the area, and heavy smoke. The long walk, nice lunch, and high altitude seemed to have taken all our energy, so we headed back to our campsite for some R &R. Ben and Marlene enjoyed petting the horses at the ranch next door. We all went to see the historic ranger station (built in 1910) but it was not open, windows were boarded.

Thursday morning we packed up our rig, loaded the car back on the dolly, and headed back downhill, retracing our route to the I-15. The wind was ferocious, and it was hard to keep the rig on the road. Quite nerve wracking with no shoulders, steep drops and long hills. Once we hit the interstate the wind was just as bad, so we took it easy, watching the big trucks weaving and bobbing in the wind, and fighting to keep our machine under control. After a 6 hour drive (including a half hour stop for lunch) we made it to Springville, Utah, just south of Salt Lake City. Our plan is to overnight in the Walmart parking lot, then leave for the Bonneville salt flats around 10:00 a.m., hoping to avoid the gridlock of Salt Lake rush hour. Stay tuned for our exploits at Speed Week.

So yesterday we went shopping to stock up on groceries for the next week or so. Also had a guy come and wash the rig. The old girl looks pretty good now, and only cost $68 including scrubbing down the roof and treating the tires, all done right where we are.

While we were at Walmart we also picked up a ladder, and using that and half a roll of duct tape and a pry bar, and in our best Red Green impersonation, repaired our damaged awning. It will come in handy at Bonneville.

We wanted to satisfy our hunger for donairs, so we looked up gyro places online and found a highly rated one. All day we anticipated sinking our teeth into a juicy pita roll, but when we got to the place it was closed! So lets go have a pizza and beer. Looking up pizza restaurants on the trusty GPS, we found several close by. You know, we stopped at 4 pizza places and not one of them had tables, not even Pizza Hut!

Now thouroughly discouraged, and getting darn hungry, we head back to the RV. On Tropicana ave. we spot an italian restaurant called the Sicilian Caffe and decide to give it a try. WOW this was a great meal and a great deal. The room is pleasant, the waiter very attentive. We had calamari (not some little portion of tough morsels but a huge plate of tender pieces), followed by fantastic minestrone soup. This was all accompanied by an entire loaf of fresh baked bread. For entrees we had cheese filled tortellini in meat sauce and veal canneloni. The entrees were huge, and the taste was exquisite. Our waiter suggested an Italian beer called La Rossa, a dark, tasty variety. We had to bring back a doggy bag. Total cost $49, which is about the cost of just one steak (with no potato, veggies, soup or anything) in the tourist restaurants. If you are in Vegas, we strongly recommend the Sicilian Caffe at 3520 E. Tropicana Ave. Only open for dinner Tuesday thru Sunday. www.siciliancaffe.com .

Today we will finish stocking up on food and stuff at the 99 cent store, then start packing up in preparation for our departure tommorow morning. Maybe we'll even get time to get that gyro!

When last we left you, we had been downtown having fun. They had been having big name bands from the 60's playing on street stages since spring, and in two days the Fifth Dimension was to play (you know: Aquarius). We decided to go back and see them. Big mistake! The crowds were so thick, even 45 minutes before show time, and everyone was sweating in the 100 degree heat (at 9:00 p.m.). We braved the smelly crowd and actually made it through the first 2 numbers before we couldn't stand everyone rubbing up against us. We escaped into the nearest casino after fighting our way out through the throng, and soothed ourselves with beer in a deserted casino bar. The air conditioning was exquisite.

Saturday, July 25th. 2009

We are at the pool, and get talking to a guy from Florida who sells performance engines. We tell him of our frustrations looking at properties, and he suggests going out to Lake Las Vegas. We've never been there, but decide to go and check it out, maybe on Wednesday.

Last time we were in Vegas, Michael really wanted to go to the Las Vegas Speedway and drive a NASCAR stock car at the Richard Petty driving school, but he didn't do it. This time he decided to try it, even though it is expensive. I'll let Michael tell you about it:

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

I had heard about the Petty Driving Experience before, and always wanted to try it. Like Marlene says, I made excuses not to, and she was happy because it is expensive ($399). This trip I decided to do it, and Marlene agreed, although she was not happy about coming with me to watch.

I made my booking for Tuesday the 28th, at 6:00 p.m. We misjudged the traffic and arrived too early at the track, but the staff there are great, and immediately signed me in and fitted me with a Nomex driving suit, and had me sign two pages of waivers. We went outside to watch the action on the track. This is a wonderful facility, and it is easy to imagine it full of fans on race day. There were two cars lapping the track, apparently these are the cars with the extra seat doing ride-alongs. There was quite a line of people waiting their turn to go three laps as passengers. Of course, I was going to DRIVE.

Watching the cars doing laps at 140 MPH, Marlene gor very quiet, and a little pale. She told me she didn't know if she could stand to watch me drive. I thought it looked like great fun, and couldn't wait. But first, we had driver's school to attend. There were 8 other guys in my class. First, we got a nice welcome to the class, followed by a rundown on how our lessons would work. We would be in actual decommisioned NASCAR grand national cars, on our own. We would follow our instructors in lead cars, one student per instructor. The instructors would follow the correct line around the track, watching us in the mirrors to check our progress. If a student fell back too far, we'd see a flashing green light on the rear of the instructor's car. If we got too close, the light would flash orange. We were to try to maintain a distance of 3 car lengths from our instructor. Passing was to be done only following our instructors. Sounds easy!

Next, we got safety briefings. How to handle a fire, or a blowout, or a crash. What the flagmans signals would mean. Where to shift gears and apply brakes. All very interesting. We were measured to fit us to the cars. Next we were sized for helmets, and then everyone was told to go to the restroom because the suits are fireproof not waterproof!

Time to head to pit road for photos, then for assignments to our cars. I would be 7th. onto the track. The sun is starting to drop below the top of the grandstands, so it is cooling off a little. Track temperature is showing on thecomputer as 130 degrees. The first two students are strapped into their cars with hans devices on their necks and full 5 oint harnesses. Their instuctors pull up in front of them, flash the signal lights, and they are off!

The first two guys are out on the track, trying to stay those 3 car lengths behind the instructors, and the next two guys are sent out. It is great watching those cars roaring around the track, up to the wall on the straight aways, down to the apron in the corners. One guy is having trouble keeping up with his instructor, and is setting a slow pace. The others look like they are doing fine. As each student completes his 8 laps, he comes into the pits, carefully following the instructions on braking points. A few minutes to get them out of the cars, then the next students strap in. I am still waiting because two guys have paid the extra $400 to go 18 laps. I will be the second last to run, which I think is great because I can watch and learn, but Marlene is looking more and more nervous.

Finally it's my turn. First, I'm escorted over the wall to the car. My crew chief attaches the Hans device to my neck and back, then I crawl through the window and settle into the seat. It's a tight fit. I'm told to sit right back and push the clutch to the floor, then the harness is cinched tight. The crew chief fires the car up, and the whole thing starts shaking and rattling. My instructor pulls in front of me, flashes his lights, and I give the thumbs-up. Before I know it my instructor is disappearing up pit road and I'm struggling to catch up. Got to remember those 3 car lengths!

We accelerate up the pit exit and into 4th. gear at 4000 rpm. It is HOT in the car already and we've just begun. As we reach minimum track speed (100 mph) we slide up the banking onto the track. I am getting the green light from my instuctor, which means I must move up to him. Not so easy when you are trying to hit your deceleration points, watch the flagman, watch the instructor, keep the car directly in line as we rocket down the straight. The car is designed to turn left, so the straight requires lots of effort to keep in the groove and not drop too low or climb into the wall.

By the 3rd, lap we are gaining on one of the other students. It looks like we might catch him, but he drops onto pit lane before we can. I'm getting a feel for the car now, and it really wants to go faster, but I am getting the orange light from my instructor now which means BACK OFF. It wouldn't do to "trunk" the teacher.

Before I know it I'm getting the checkered flag and we are slowing for the entrance to pit lane. Remember to test the brakes. Remember where to shift. Don't hit the crew. I pull to a stop, drenched in sweat, and my crew chief leans in and asks how I liked it. All I can do is smile and give thumbs up, I am out of breath. He asks if I'd like to go again, and I nod. "Only another $200" he says. I think of Marlene, and sadly shake my head. Exiting the car as gracefully as I can, I see Marlene beaming at me.

Time for our class graduation now. We get our certificates, a little speech, and a welcome to try their other tracks at a reduced price. My average speed for 8 laps: 135 MPH. Over to the trailer to order my DVD of in-car video, and buy a couple of hats for the two of us. Despite the cost, this was a fantastic experience, and I would like to do it again, maybe at Daytona in the winter. MIKE

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

We are heading out to Lake Las Vegas. We looked it up on the internet, and there are several foreclosures of condotel suites there. Previously sold for $300,000, they are now being sold for $40-50,000. It's about a 25 minute drive from the RV park, on the road to Lake Mead. When we get there we are enchanted by the place. It is designed to resemble a Tuscan lakeside village, and it is beautiful. Cobbled lanes, Italian style buildings, fountains everywhere. It is lovely, and we fall in love with it. Only one thing: there aren't many people about. From our research we know that the place has fallen on hard times. The Ritz Carlton hotel is in bankruptcy protection, and the casino at Montelago is in trouble. It is a beautiful resort, but we think it needs to be promoted more. We knew nothing about it, and we've been to Vegas many times.

We spot a real estate office, so we decide to check out some of the suites. We look at one bedrooms and studios, and we like the studios. Only 450 sq. ft., but lovely suites with top notch kitchenettes and furnishings. Lots of secured underground parking, lovely pool, fitness center, gardens, etc. We are tempted to buy. We decide to come back in the evening to see it a night.

In the evening we find the place enchanting. Only problem is there are no people around. Lovely looking restaurants, with no customers. A nice casino, with no gamblers. Tequila bar with no drinkers. It is like a gorgeous ghost town. We discuss it and decide to come back in the fall when it should have more tourists. If not, we don't know if the upside is worth the investment.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

We've discovered the 99 cent store. Two eggplants, four zuchini, two red peppers, three tomatoes, a jar of gourmet olives, all for $5. Amazing! We'll stock up on groceries before leaving next Tuesday.

Dropping Out in the 21st. Century

Hi, my name is Mike, and this blog is going to follow the adventures of my wife Marlene, our dog Ben, and myself as we change our lives and "drop out".

We are a 50 something couple, tired of the rat race, and looking for adventure. 18 months ago we were living in a beautiful big house on over half an acre of land in East Sooke on Vancouver Island. Our 18 year old daughter Miranda was living in our guest cottage, we were running our small service business, and we thought we were settled.Then things changed. Miranda decided to move back to Edmonton, to be near her friends. Suddenly Marlene and I were alone, in a big house, surrounded by lots of "stuff" that we had accumulated. We were not happy.

When Miranda was a baby, we moved to Israel for a while (just in time for the first Gulf War). We had a lot of experiences, both good and bad, and we learned to live by our wits. By the time we returned to Canada we had developed and "edge", and lived our lives by our own rules. Then, over time, we became complacent, we made some money and we started to live like everyone around us: we bought lots of "stuff", we did the accepted things, we followed the rules. Boring.
Well, now that Miranda is set up on her own in Edmonton, we decided to sell our business, sell our home, and "drop out" of society. We are going to try to get back our "edge", and have some real experiences. Our goal is to buy an RV, and find out just how cheap we can live while travelling the U.S. and Mexico.

We invite you to follow along as we pursue our dream. You never know, you might also get the bug to simplify your life and concentrate on having fun too.

Friday, May 8, 2009
Marlene and I have been shopping for an RV. We've decided we like a Class C style motorhome, with slide outs. We saw a very nice Sunseeker motorhome which will suit our purposes nicely. It has the over-cab entertainment centre we like, as well as TONS of storage. All the features we like are there, except for an easy chair. It is a 2007 model with only 18,000 Km on it. A bit on the expensive side at $55,000, but maybe there's a deal to be done.Posted by Mike and Marlene
Wednesday, May 20, 2009Well, our shopping continues! We have seen so many RV's now that they are all looking alike. Having studied many class C units, we think they are just too small to live in, so we have now focused on Class A motorhomes. We've developed a list of requirements:1. At least 32 ft. Long
2. At least 2 slide outs, living room and bedroom
3. Large kitchen counter
4. LOTS of storage inside and in the basement
5. Dual Air conditioners
And a list of "like to haves":
1. Washer/ dryer or set up for them
2. Auto levelling
3. Satellite dish
4. Leather seating
So far we've found one machine in our price range with a lot of the features we need and want. It's a 2001 Georgie Boy Landau with 38,000 miles. Has the V10 Ford chassis. Not sure about that, because I prefer GM. Marlene wants to have another look at it this week.We have also been sorting out our travel plans. We will probably go to Phoenix in July, for a shake down run of our RV, and also to look at properties that we can make money with. We expect to be away for a month at most. This should teach us what we need to add to our RV, and what works and doesn't work for us when on the road.Our next trip will be for the winter, leaving before the end of October, returning to visit our daughter in May or June. We'll travel the lower U.S. states and into Mexico.

Saturday , August 1, 2009

Well, it’s been a long time since we last reported here. Since our last post we purchased the used 2001 Georgie Boy Landau motorhome that we liked. It's 34' long, with a living room/ diner slide-out and a bedroom slide-out. We really like the floorplan, and the tons of storage in this machine. It felt like home when we first saw it.This motorhome has the Ford F53 chassis with V10 engine and 4 speed transmission. I expect it to do about 10 MPG on the highway.

Once we had our motorhome, we had to find a way to take a "dinghy" vehicle with us. We looked at trailers (too big), flat towing (would have to buy another vehicle), and finally decided on a tow dolly to carry Marlene's Toyota Echo. Kind of expensive, but cheaper than another vehicle and flat tow set-up.With our equipment needs met, proceeded to outfit the rig. Not easy to know what you'll need until you have a little experience, but we did our best. We also decided to take the rig to the mountains (Banff) for a few days as a shakedown run.

The trip to Banff was great fun, even though the weather wasn't great. Only got 9 MPG though. Everything seemed to work fine, and we found Georgie Boy very comfortable. Time to start planning our first trip.In the end, we decided to go to Las Vegas to look at foreclosed properties, and perhaps buy one. Then we'd go on to the Grand Canyon, followed by a few days at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah for speed week racing.

July 13th. we hit the road, excited but a bit nervous. Our little dog Ben had suffered the indignities of grooming and vet visits for this, but he seemed to really like travelling in the motorhome. Our goal for the first day was to get to Taber, AB where we'd spend the night at a Walmart parking lot. The drive was fine until shortly before Taber, where we ran into a HUGE windstorm. The rig was barely controllable. We were able to get off the highway, and park alongside a wall for some shelter. As the storm passed we continued into Taber, and found a parking spot at Walmart. Mileage 40873 miles. A couple of other RV's also were there, as well as several semi-trailer trucks. At 9:00 p.m. the security guy went around and chased off the trucks, but left us RV'rs alone.

July 14th. the weather was a bit better as we headed for the border crossing at Coutts. A couple of quick questions and a scan of passports and we were welcomed politely to the USA. Our goal today is Butte, Montana where we have a reservation at a KOA campground. Filled up with gas: 50 gallons for $130. We arrived on schedule in Butte, and found the KOA to be a nice place. Marlene definitely liked the layout, and the cleanliness, and the little stream running through it. Mileage 41115 miles.

July 15th. we got an early start, and headed down the I-15, goal today Springville, Utah. A long drive, but we felt up to it. Gassed up in Pocatello, Idaho: 40 Gallons for $100. Unfortunately, we hit the Salt Lake City area at rush hour, and for miles and miles we fought gridlocked traffic. Had no idea the size of the metropolitan Salt Lake area. By the time we made it to the Walmart in Springville we were beat. Mileage 41603 miles. Marlene wanted to start cooking, but guess what... no onions. So into Walmart we go to buy a few things. Shock... groceries cost as much here as back home! Marlene made one of her usual great dinners, we relaxed with some wine and watched videos, and turned in early. Several other RV's were overnighting here.

July 16th. we decided to make it a short drive, so we headed for Cedar City, Utah. Made a reservation at the KOA there. On the way, we spotted a small sign that said "Historic Fort", so with a short drive for the day we decided to detour a bit and have a look. It turned out to be a restored pioneer way station built in 1867 and lovingly restored by the Mormon church. Had a very interesting guided tour, followed by a nice lunch catered by the McGuiver of the kitchen, Marlene. It was hot there (about 90 degrees) so we fired up the generator and air conditioners for a bit, and they cooled things down. After luch we got back on I-15 and headed toward Cedar City, where we found the KOA (thanks to the GPS). Marlene was not so pleased with this one, but I found it to be clean and well run, just not as picturesque. Mileage 41801 miles.

July 17th. and our last day on the road for a while. We left early and headed to Vegas. Temperature is rising, and the dash air on the rig keeps cutting out. We stop in Mesquite, Nevada for gas and the temp is over 100 degrees. We fire up the generator and air conditioning again. At the gas station there is a tour bus stopped for lunch. All these geezers buying fake coonskin hats and stupid sunglasses at high prices! We continue on, and arrive in Vegas in the late afternoon. Found the Sams Town RV park, but the GPS took us on a stupid route! sometimes a map is better. Mileage 41974 miles. We hook up the rig, and Marlene gets out her ornaments and things to make it "homey" for our extended stay here. We check out Sams Town hotel, and find it quite nice. It is HOT here!

July 18th. we decide to take the free shuttle bus to Harrah's on the strip. Nothing much has changed on the strip, but the prices are rising. The crowds are thick, and the heat is oppressive. We decide to check out the prices in restaurants, looking for any deals. All we find is steaks for $40 to $50, soups for $12, and other ridiculous prices. It amazes us how people are LINING UP to pay those prices. Thought there is a recession! After wandering around and drinking a couple of 99 cent frozen margaritas, we catch the bus back to our gloriously airconditioned rig.July 19th. we stuck close to the RV park, checked out the other hotel next door, and went shopping at the Walmart across the street. We also went to Albertsons grocery store and bought a whole bunch of liquor at ridiculously low prices. Then we drank some...

July 20th. its time to start looking for properties. We contact a realtor, and she tells us they don't show foreclosures, just tell people "like us" to drive by the listings spat out by the computer, and if we see anything we like she'll try to show it. Get this same speech from 3 realtors; 4 others never return our calls. Guess they are making too much money or something. We start driving around town, looking at these properties. We have a list of 31 to start with. It is difficult and frustrating. So many of the places are wrecked, and the others are in terrible neighbourhoods. Also, Marlene's car has NO AIRCONDITIONING!!!We spend several days driving around looking at crappy places, getting very discouraged.

Time for a break, so we take the free shuttle downtown, and have a fun time on Fremont Street. Marlene and I prefer the downtown hotels and atmosphere to the overblown, overpriced and over-hyped places on the strip. Downtown is celebrating "Summer of '69" an era close to our own hearts. Hotel staff are dressed in tie-dyed shirts, and bands on the street are playing music from the '60's. We decide to take a couple of days to relax. Marlene does not like the heat. The airconditioning in the rig works O.K., but the fridge is having a hard time keeping up with the outside temps.