Well, it finally happened. We have bottomed out!
I don’t mean personally, chemically, emotionally, politically. Well, maybe politically. But I am actually referring to the Tow-hitch on the bus. We found a driveway with too big a dip. Safety Cables cut through as was the cable that operates the tow car’s lights. The good news is, there is a Camping World in Flagstaff! We drove there on the way to Sedona. They said they could order the replacements and have them for us when we leave Sedona to head East.
In the meantime, we spent 3 nights in Sedona, and not by coincidence, two sites down from our friends, the McDowells. While in Sedona, we did a couple of magnificent hikes. We had a couple magnificent meals. And basically relaxed under the direct supervision of Relaxation Sensei Mike McDowell.
Our departure from Sedona was the day before SNOW WAS PREDICTED. We do feel we are being stalked by the weather…we learned it was 70 and sunny in Chicago while it was 45 and rainy in Sedona.
One of our Sedona hikes was in search of one of the famous (in some circles) Psychic Energy Vortices. Apparently, this place is the nexus of certain energy conditions. Who knew?
Apparently many people!!! According to our dear friend and Dance instructor Kathy Brown, who is an expert in matters of energy, “Sedona has a very strong Vortex. Many people feel a huge difference there. It has a much higher vibration that gives some people a peaceful experience and others a strong energy surge. Others are not aware of it at all. It depends on how you are wired.”
I cannot say I noticed any such thing…except I felt very peaceful after a local craft beer and an enchilada.
But, maybe there is something to the Vortex thing. After our last newsletter, at 12 dark 00 I got an email from a Chicago Neighbor. She had read our blog, and noted they, too, were in Sedona!!! Now there are two pretty mystical things about this. Why would our neighbor from Chicago be in Sedona coincident with us. (Stalking is one possibility, of course)? The second mystical thing is that someone actually reads our blog!!! And, I guess that means there are THREE mystical things…the abovementioned, and the fact that only other person reading the blog was also in Sedona!!
Now that I think about it, Fran McDowell and Liz were clearly experiencing something that cannot be attributed to beer.
After Sedona, we headed east, stopping first at Flagstaff Camping World to procure and install the replacement cables for the toad (towed….). Our destination is Lafayette, LA for Mardi Gras via Vian (not a duplicate!) Oklahoma where friends from our Dance Club now live. Along the way we stopped and/or drove past some “interesting” sites (and sights).
One night, we stopped overnight at a Navajo Casino after being turned away from yet another Walmart. I wonder if word is getting out that wherever we go will have torrential rains (which are still occurring in California)? Anyway, this casino set us back the princely sum of $11 for a full hookup and there was a Dairy Queen across the parking lot. We’d have spent more than that for sure at Walmart.
We drove past the Cadillac Ranch, near Amarillo, Tx. and stayed at a great Walmart near Amarillo. There we discovered (or created) a new problem with the bus…The Generator would not start.
Now, let me explain the seriousness of this. If we cannot start the generator, we cannot make coffee. Nor can Liz dry her hair when we are in places like Walmart with no electrical hookup.
This is a near disaster, especially since our plans in Lafayette include 5 days of dry camping (no hookups) at parade-central. 5 days with no coffee is just not possible.
To troubleshoot this problem, we accelerated our transit to visit friends in Vian, Oklahoma where I knew I could get a power cord and a day to noodle the issue.
Re: “We do feel we are being stalked by the weather”
Dan, I’ve got it: it’s this thing called … winter. It does not just strike Chicago!
Good luck with the generator thingy!
Hi Liz. Hi Dan. Love reading about your adventures. So maybe I’m the 4th or 5th person reading this. Your “way with word” and sense of humor (and, of course, your skill in presentation) make for a great read. This post actually got me to do some research. Checked out the Sedona Vortexes (loved your “video” of Liz and Fran Spinning” in the vortex) and also Cadillac Ranch, which uo until this morning, thought was a western bar/dance hall like the one in Bartlett. Duh!!
See you in about 3 weeks. Enjoy Mardi Gras.
I went on a hike trip a few years ago in Sedona with the Road Scholar program (formerly know as Elderhostel). What a great area to explore! Another great stop in that area is Jerome AZ, aka Largest Ghost Town in America. If you are ever back in that area a must see.
It seems that you just glossed over the being turned away from Walmart. That is truly bottoming out!
Happy Anniversary. Have fun at Mardi Gras.
Enjoy reading about your great adventure. I am very jealous.
Don’t forget where you came from and make sure you come home for at least a little while this summer.
Love
Janet
Happy Anniversary! Rest assured that there are many more than 3 or 4 readers of your blog posts. I was on a JHI conference call the other day and all the participants mentioned what a laugh we were having reading your posts and living vicariously with you and Liz on your travels. Very entertaining!
Best regards,
Jack & Sherry
Hi Jack and Sherry! Great to hear from you…we are looking at possibly swinging thru you area late next summer…TBD. We’ll try to give you more notice than honking at the end of your driveway. I recommend you have a Go-bag ready so you can leave town quickly when you get that call!
Happy Anniversary, dear friends! Looking forward to Painkillers with you.
Hey there my friends! Happy Anniversary. Now that Liz and Fran are full of that magical energy you never know how that will benefit you and Mike. Hope your wishes come true!!? Have fun at MardiGras
Happy Anniversary. Sorry I did not respond sooner but we had family visiting the area and helped entertain. Stay wherever you are–we are having great weather and don’t need you to botch it up. We would love to see you, but from a “far and away” distance. We like the sunshine. I love your blogs and read them. Please keep them coming. The last time we were in Sedona it rained and we were told that we were lucky to see it.
Enjoy Mardi Gras.
Love it. Some of the fun of being there with you, and none of the troubles of travels. I like your choice of stops: Sedona, Vian OK, Lafayette. Have a few pounds of crawfish for us. Becky’s mother came from Lake Charles. Years ago in Houston, one of my coworkers told me to go to the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival near Lafayette. He told me to wear a cap so my blond hair wouldn’t show and give me away as a foreigner. I still want to go. You can too, but you’ll have to stay until May or go back. I also like the sound of the Atchafalaya swamp. I belong to a bar association that has a similar name: AFLCTACAFC, which I just call Atchafalaya for short.