AZBAMBI...On the Road Again...

[Kathleenh]

TB, your pic's were great. Sorry about your ordeal upon returning home, though... I wish we could spend more time on the road in our Bambi but the DH has a low-tolerance level, lol. We plan to spend six weeks in Tucson this winter which will test his mettle.
Well, I must go now, am looking up camp grounds in the Jemez Mountains next.

[Charlie M]

I'm glad that life is getting back to normal for you guys. We suffered two floods in the house and a third was caught by our daughter as she was leaving for work. I had a plumber install a ball valve at the water main outside at the front lawn. Now when we leave the house overnight I close the valve. If anything breaks inside the house there will be a limited amout of damage.

Hope to see you sometime this year. I think I read that no Balloon Fiesta for you this year.

[TBRich]

Kathleen... Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the pics. When yo check out the Jemez, also look at Fenton Lake State Park, which isn't too far from where we were at hte Jemex Falls Campground. We didn't go there on this last trip, but we want to the next time. It looks nice. And then there's the Bandelier National Monument which as a campground that closed for renovations when we were there. Unfortunatley the recent Las Conchas Fire burned a good deal of the forest in the monument.

Hey Charlie... Thanks... We did the same thing as you...added a turn-off valve to the house so we can turn the water off to the house while leaving the drip irrigation on (which is on a timer) ... We turn it off when we are gone over night as well. It doesn't take long for a burst pipe or other leak to create havoc.

No, we're passing on the Balloon Fiesta this year ... been there the last two years, so thought we'd do something else this time.

See you down the road!

[Queen]

Wow, what an endless ordeal!! So glad your life is returning to some semblance of normal.

[TBRich]

Thanks, Mickie & Mary... We're far away from it now that we can look at it as "just one of those things that happens"... and we got through it relatively unscathed. The Insurance covered everything, we have our house back, and we can even find a few silver linings. Again, thank goodness for the Bambi. Not sure what we would have done without it. We also learned that if necessary we can live in 19' — 16' actually, since 3' of an Airstream's stated length is tongue!

[TBRich]

We've posted the next trip in sequence to our travel log website... I's our first trip to Puerto Peñasco Rocky Point), Mexico with two other Airstreams. Sorry this is so late, but we are making every effort to get caught up...

It was a great trip...we were a bit nervous for this first adventure, but now we look forward to our jaunts south of the border...it's so nice to go to the ocean once in a awhile when you live in the desert!

This was Annie'e (our black cocker) last trip with us...she had been very ill for a long time and we lost her a few edays after we returned from Mexico, so the memories from this trip are dedicated to her. It made this particular entry hard to get through, but we did it...

Here are some pictures...the rest can be viewed at the website...

And stay tuned...we have VOWED to get ourselves current our trips!

Pic #1: On the road to Why, AZ, where we turn south to head to Lukeville to cross the border...that's our friend's rig in front of us...

Pic #2: Our "beach front" sites... it's actually at the ocean side of the RV park with a walkway along the beach with a short wall..then the beautiful white sand...

Pic #3: The view from our door...

Pic #4: Sunset from our site...

Pic #5: Aluminum all lined up with the neighboring hotel looming overhead...

Pic #6: Aluminum see from the beach...

Pic #7: To the beach!

Pic #8: A shrimp boat in the Sea of Cortez (it was shrimping season, lucky us!)

Pic #9: The gang heading out for a catamaran sunset cruise...

Pic #10: Sunset at sea...from the catamaran...

[Kathleenh]

TB, so sorry about your doggie. It sounds like she had a wonderful life with you guys.

The pic's of the beach in Mexico are totally and completely drop-dead awesome. I have to ask The Question about how safe it was where you stayed. The news from our beleaguered neighbor seems to get worse all the time. I confess to being nervous at the thought of going where you did. Still, it looks like a beauteous place and I am glad you had such a good time.

[safari57]

Looks like an outstanding trip. As I look at your pictures and out the den window the rain is coming down so hard it is difficult to see the house across the street

Keep those pictures and commentary on your trips coming. We thoroughly enjoy seeing how the other half of the world lives.

[wilkes711]

TB, I love your travel journal. We have read a lot of your entries and have stayed at campgrounds based on your recommendations and great photos. I was so sad to hear about your cocker. We have parti (white with tan "freckles") - Bella, 8 yrs old, who loves camping with us.
Hopefully, we will meet soon!
Liz & Robin

[TBRich]

Originally Posted by Kathleenh

TB, so sorry about your doggie. It sounds like she had a wonderful life with you guys.

The pic's of the beach in Mexico are totally and completely drop-dead awesome. I have to ask The Question about how safe it was where you stayed. The news from our beleaguered neighbor seems to get worse all the time. I confess to being nervous at the thought of going where you did. Still, it looks like a beauteous place and I am glad you had such a good time.

Kathleen...

Thanks for your kind words about Annie. We miss her terribly and just writing about her blurs my vision, even though it's been nearly a year since we lost her. She was a very special little spirit.

Rocky Point is considered "safer" than other places in the northern part of Mexico...I think a big part of that is because it's a very popular destination for Arizonans and the locals want us to be there bringing our dollars. In fact, even though it's beyond the kilometer limit for the normal "free zone" (as far as documentation for vehicles, etc), the zone has been expanded specifically to include Rocky Point so as to not discourage visitors, and to make it as easy as possible to go there.

Also, it doesn't seem to be as vulnerable to drug cartel incidents as towns closer to the border are. We do take precautions...we travel together on main roads, we do not travel at night and we don't wonder off the beaten path. That being said, it is definitely another country, and as with travel in any other country, there are risks...but we don't feel much more at risk than we would driving into certain areas of LA or any other large American city. Even in Tucson, there are more shootings and violent incidents per week than there are in Rocky Point in a month. You have to put it all in perspective. The RV Park where we stay is largely populated by Americans, too.

[TBRich]

Originally Posted by safari57

Looks like an outstanding trip. As I look at your pictures and out the den window the rain is coming down so hard it is difficult to see the house across the street

Keep those pictures and commentary on your trips coming. We thoroughly enjoy seeing how the other half of the world lives.

Barry & Donna...

It was a great trip, and it helped us get over our hesitation to go there. As I mentioned to Kathleen above, we do take precautions and we remain aware of our surroundings...that helps.

Glad our travel log brings a little sunshine to you in the rain! We hope to see you down here during the winter again as soon as you can make it back... Deadhorse 5 is coming up!

[TBRich]

Originally Posted by wilkes711

TB, I love your travel journal. We have read a lot of your entries and have stayed at campgrounds based on your recommendations and great photos. I was so sad to hear about your cocker. We have parti (white with tan "freckles") - Bella, 8 yrs old, who loves camping with us.
Hopefully, we will meet soon!
Liz & Robin

Thanks, Liz & Robin...we're pleased that you enjoy our travel log...and make use of the info there...it's purpose is not only to help us remember our good times, but to also be entertaining and to provide information that others might find useful in visiting some of the places we have visited. Give Bella a pat on the head from us...cockers are special dogs... We still have Sadie with us (she's working on 14 and is therefore a pretty old lady), and a recent addition, Abbey, a very energetic 1.5 year old standard Schnauzer. She's a piece of work and keeps us all on our toes. It would be great to see you down the road...

[LHall]

Terry, Looking at those photos makes me want to go back soooo bad!

I wish we were able to join you guys in October. I am glad we were along on Annie's last camping trip, seems appropriate that we were all together with her. She was a special pup and we miss her too!

[TBRich]

Originally Posted by LHall

Terry, Looking at those photos makes me want to go back soooo bad!

I wish we were able to join you guys in October. I am glad we were along on Annie's last camping trip, seems appropriate that we were all together with her. She was a special pup and we miss her too!

Thanks, Louis... We wish you were able to go with us on our next trip as well. We'll miss you! We'll do our best to "represent." (If things change, it's not too late!) And thanks for your note about Annie.

[R2DTube]

T, I'm going to echo the sentiments of everyone else... Your travel blog is always a delight to read. Your pictures never cease to inspire me. Travel on, my friend! Laissez les bon temps roulez!!

[TBRich]

Originally Posted by R2DTube

T, I'm going to echo the sentiments of everyone else... Your travel blog is always a delight to read. Your pictures never cease to inspire me. Travel on, my friend! Laissez les bon temps roulez!!

Thanks R2... Your comments are appreciated. Glad you enjoy the pictures and travel log. What's really the best thing is having a wonderful trip with friends like you...a trip that we'll remember forever. Wait till THAT trip makes it to the website!

[TBRich]

Happy Merry and a Ho-Ho-Ho to All!

[Cally]

Same to you guys & we'll see you at Picacho Peak.

[TBRich]

Well, after a long hiatus from updating our travel log we are once again posting. We are still very very behind, but at least we are moving forward. The reason for the interruption is that when we returned from the 4CU New Year's Rally ( and was it a great time) on 3 Jan 2011, we walked into a flooded home and our lives were immediately consumed with other priorities. A pipe in the ceiling had frozen and burst and water had been gushing out of the ceiling into two rooms for most of 3 days. There was 6" of water in the back portion of the house and every room had condensed moisture dripping from the ceiling. We ended up living in our Bambi in our front yard from 3 Jan through 17 April 2011 while repairs were being made. (Nearly 4 months if you count the time spent during our holiday trip). It would not have taken so long but we had to remove everything from the house — the whole kit & kaboodle — in order for the repairs to the walls, ceilings and floors to be made. Even when we were able to begin moving back into our home, it was a long process. We didn't get the garage empty enough to put the truck into it until Labor Day weekend of 2011.

There's no excuse for us not staying up to date with the travel log, other than our life being so disrupted that our energy was focused on other things. But we are pushing on!

We have treated "The Flood" as the first trip of 2011 and the whole story is on our travel log. We considered it a "trip" because we were forced to full-time in the Bambi ... quite an experience ... but we were so grateful to have the Bambi as a escape pod from the chaos.

While still living in the front yard in the Bambi, we took two "side trips"... the 4CU Dead Horse 5 Rally in February and the first Spring Break at the Lake Rally ... then back to the chaos. Both are logged. Then we made another trip to Mexico ... and a Pride gathering in Flagstaff. Then the Zion & North Rim Trip. We have a lot of catching up to do yet, but we are committed to doing it as quickly as we can. We decided to try to do it chronologically so things will make more sense. We'll be in 2013 soon, we hope!

We took the "restart" as an opportunity to reformat the travel log from Jan 2011 forward ... with a fresh, new look ... and more easily updated format ... and we are looking forward to catching up and keeping caught up! So far we have logged the first 6 trips of 2011, #6 of which was a wonderful trip to Lake Mead, Zion and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon with our AS friends, Andy & Jason (R2DTUBE). It was fabulous. Be sure to check it out. Below are a few pictures to get you interested. Also be sure to check out "The Flood" and the trips in between ... and stay tuned. We are rolling again!

The link in our signature will take you to our travel log ... Enjoy!

Photo #1: The ceiling in our dining room collapsed.
Photo #2: A flood discovered upon returning home
Photo #3: Greg & Tamara at the 4CU "Cowboy & Cowgirl" Dead Horse 5 Rally
Photo #4: 4CU Dead Horse Rally in Cottonwood, AZ
Photo #5: 4CU Spring Break at the Lake Rally
Photo #6: Rainbow at Spring Break
Photo #7: Beach Bums in Puerto Peñaso
Photo #8: Aluminum in Mexico! Ole!
Photo #9: Our campsites at Watchman Campground in Zion National Park
Photo #10: Our campsite at the North Rim Campground (not too far from the Canyon itself...see that blue sky through the trees?!)

[eubank]

Cool pictures, Terry! Keep traveling ... and taking pictures!

Lynn