Sedona, Arizona

Spontaneous trips are the best! Trevor and I were hiking at White Tank Mountain in Buckeye, Az Saturday morning, when we got the idea to go to Sedona for the rest of the weekend.

By the time we finished our hike, took care of some business in town, booked a room, packed our clothes and made the 2 hour trip to Sedona, it was well past dark when we checked into the hotel. We were tired and under some delusion we'd be checking out of the hotel the next day, so we went to bed early, completely unaware of what surrounded our hotel. When Trevor opened the curtains in the morning, we couldn't believe what we were seeing! The whole town was surrounded by big, beautiful, red rock mountains. It was clear to us we were going to need another day!


As we drove north toward Oak Creek Canyon, the only word coming from my mouth was, “Wow!” The views everywhere were so breathtaking, it was hard to believe it was real.


The landscape changed quite a bit all through our Sunday drive, from the dry, cactus filled rocks of Sedona, to the snow capped mountains of Flagstaff. We arrived back at the hotel just in time to take a little hike on Margs Draw Trail before sunset. We thought about doing this hike earlier in the day, but there was so much to see and since it was located right behind our hotel in the city, we didn't think this trail could have that much to offer. We were so wrong!!!


It's all wilderness up there. The beauty of it is indescribable. Your eyes take in so much more than the camera's able to at one time, so photographs cannot come close to the beauty that your eyes behold.

Margs Draw is linked to a whole bunch of other trails. You could easily hike for days up there, but you could easily get lost as well, so be careful if you get up that way, bring lots of water and pay attention to where you're going. If you have a terrible sense of direction like me, do not hike this trail alone, unless of course, you want to spend the rest of your days in the wilderness. Then is a great place to start!



We've never been disappointed with a spur-of-the-moment trip. We did this one, not even realizing it was Valentine's Day. We could not have planned a more romantic trip!

We hope all of you are doing well. We love you and miss you lots.

Love, Trevor & Roni

We Found It!

We found the warm weather we've been seeking! But not as quickly as we'd hoped. We thought, “Surely it'll be warm down in Corpus Christi!” The only thing warm in Corpus Christi, was my heart when I saw my brother and sister-in-law for the first time in so many years!

It was such a blessing to see my big brother who stood by me through some rough times as I grew up. He was the one I drew strength from as we shared some of those times together and the one who stood by me as I struggled to face trials of my own as I grew older. He always seemed to call or come by at just the right time as if he knew I needed someone to cheer me up or just to keep me company. I'll never forget what you did for me brother! It was good to see you and I hope it won't be as long before I see you again. But if it is, at least I have a more current picture of you!


We left Corpus Christi early Saturday morning and although it took us two long days to reach our destination, we did enjoy views of mountains and prairies and got an interesting view of Mexico as we drove along the border.


We're currently in a town near Phoenix, Arizona, called Surprise. And Surprise! It's sunny and warm here! We've finally attained our goal of reaching warmth before winter's over.

This being a 55+ community, we are a little young to be staying here at Sunflower Resort, but thankfully, they agreed to let us in anyway.
We've become accustomed to wide open spaces, so it's a little claustrophobic near the motor home, but there's no lack of things to do here.


Just off the top of my head I can tell you there's a lap pool, social pool, a spa and a hot tub. There's a gym, bistro, library, billiard hall, wood shop and special events in the ballroom. There are rooms for silver jewelry making, pottery, sewing, leather tooling, stained glass art and woodcarving. There are courts for tennis, shuffle board, pickle ball, bocce ball, ladder golf, horseshoes, and a couple of driving cages where you can practice your swing (if you have one). On top of all of this, there are numerous activities going on all over the place.


If you want to come here, don't hesitate to give this place a call even if you're not 55+. Chances are they will let you in. The people are very friendly here (as most of them are from Minnesota), but they stop you all the time to ask you if you're here to visit your parents. A small price to pay for all these amenities!

As we take in the warmth and soak in the much coveted rays of sunshine, we'll be thinking of each one of you, because we miss you so much. We love you!

Love, Trevor and Roni

Where's The Heat?

It's a little colder than I expected it to be down here in the South! I'm not complaining, because I know some of you have had to shovel your car out of the snow at least once this week. I totally empathize with you. It's just that I've always been under the impression it was swimsuit weather all winter down here. My friend Dianna tried to warn me it was a little colder than that, but it was hard for that to compute after seeing the snowbirds arrive in Minnesota year after year with such awesome tans. I want to know how they do that. I can count on one hand the number of times it's been warm enough to wear a t-shirt in the two months we've been here.


Before leaving Destin, Florida, we had the great pleasure of seeing “the little people” who spent their winter break with their dad at Eglin Air Force Base. It was kind of sad they had to bring their winter jackets with them to visit us at our place on the beach, but we did manage to get them into sweaters and even swimsuits a few times before they had to head back to Minnesota.


On our way to Corpus Christi we spent a week in New Braunfels, TX, where Trevor was able to muse about his roots as we read the many historical markers telling the story of the German people who settled there. Our daughter Jennifer and our friend Bob have each spent time in the area so we were able to get a good heads up on what sights to see.


We saw the view from the Faust Street Bridge built in 1887. It's no longer in use for cars, but is lined with benches where you can relax and watch the Guadalupe River. We had dinner at the Gristmill Restaurant in nearby Gruene, built in a cotton gin from the 1870's, we took a look at Gruene Hall, built in 1878, it's the oldest continuous running dance hall in Texas, and we went to a beautiful nearby town called Canyon Lake. On the way into Canyon Lake, is where you really start to see the hills of Texas Hill Country. We liked the hills and Overlook Park where you get a great view of the town, the water, sailboats, fly fishers and birds.

There's a beautiful, relaxing view of the Guadalupe River from the deck of Bubba's Big Deck in New Braunfels. The Guadalupe floods pretty badly at times. You can see a high water mark in a tree off the deck at Bubba's. Bob told us the water was 6 inches higher than that during the June 9th flood there. The river looks like a great place to be in the summer if you like tubing on the river. The river's loaded with tube rental places. We've heard it gets pretty crazy around there.


We arrived in Corpus Christi on Sunday afternoon and words cannot express how happy I was to see my brother Bill and my sister-in-law Patti on Monday evening. It's been too long and I know when it's time, this departure's going to be a tough one. But I hear it's in the 60's and 70's in Arizona!!! Stay safe and stay warm!

Love, Trevor and Roni

Who Am I Kidding?

I love it here in Flagler Beach, Florida, but with our front row view to the ocean, I can't write here! I can't take my eyes off the large, white- capped waves rolling toward me, or the sandpipers, seagulls and pelicans.


I get restless waiting for low-tide to arrive so I can go see what's washed up on the beach today. Will it be man-of-wars, starfish, or jellyfish? What kind of crab will I see today?
What new texture will I just have to photograph? I'm just going to have to hang on to my notes and research for awhile and try to find that cornfield in Iowa again sometime. Maybe if we park there for a few months I can get somewhere again.

In the meantime, I'll keep my notebook handy while taking in the wondrous beauty that surrounds us now. It got a little cold here, so we went to the Florida Keys last weekend looking for warmer temperatures. It was terrible! Trevor didn't want to drive home through the high winds on the day we were suppose to leave the Keys, so we were stranded on our tropical island for another week!



We felt so bad as we thought of our dear loved ones in Minnesota being dumped on by two feet of snow, while we got two feet of sand! The Keys are a great place to visit. The water's so pretty there and the sights from the bridges connecting the Keys are awesome. So many tiny little islands sticking out of the vast, beautiful Gulf on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other.
Key West was an interesting place. It's a great place if you like to shop (which you can't do if you live in an RV) and the old homes and buildings are always fun to look at. We had lunch at The Banana Cafe. It's a little French restaurant with the best French Onion Soup I've ever tasted. After lunch we took a glass bottom boat ride out to the coral reef. There's some very interesting coral out there and some pretty cool fish as well.


Arrived back in Flagler Beach on Sunday where the temps are up and down. We'll be heading out west to see my brother soon, hoping it's a little warmer there in Texas. A lot of you will be traveling this weekend. Have fun, be safe, and enjoy your time with family and friends. We miss you!


Love, Trevor and Roni

Weapons of Mast Destruction

After visiting two old forts in Florida this month, I've got to say, the Spaniards really knew how to make cannons! I don't know how well they targeted the masted warships of the day, but aren't they pretty? After seeing the ornate Spanish cannons with their patina coatings at the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in St. Augustine, the cannons at Fort Pickens National Park in Pensacola were a little disappointing to one who is partial to anything patina. Still, looking down the barrel of a cannon sticking out a window at Fort Pickens left its own impression on us, along with the setting sun illuminating the big wall cannons and the beautiful brick walls that frequently serve as wonderful backdrops for many professional portrait photographers.


While staying in Pensacola this week, I saw two other things I can scratch off my list of things I've never seen before. An armadillo that wasn't roadkill and a Man Of War; no, not a soldier, that other thing that lives in the ocean! We actually saw quite a number of them washed up on the beach. These are fascinating creatures to observe, very intriguing to read about, and the sound they make when you accidentally step on one, is akin to popping large bubble wrap. I don't think you'd want to know what kind of sound you'd make if you happened to get stung while stepping on one of these. I'm sure the sound would not be pleasant, as I've heard the stings can be quite painful.


We had a great Thanksgiving Day at Pensacola RV Park in Pensacola, FL. We celebrated the day with a great feast there, with the camp owners providing turkey, ham, duck, goose, quail, and other festive accompaniments, and campers sharing their favorite traditional Thanksgiving side dishes. Large tables overflowed their capacity as each person brought plenty of food, knowing we'd be joined by 27 Marines not able to spend the day with their beloved families. May the Lord bless the camp owners for inviting these fine young people to the celebration.


We left Pensacola early this morning and are currently heading further south where we're hoping to find warmer temperatures and some good beach walking on the Atlantic side of the state. We hope you all had a great and safe Thanksgiving and may God richly bless you all.


Love,
Trevor and Roni

Speed Bumps

We usually don't have a problem with them, but two particular campgrounds we've stayed in had some killer speed bumps. Trevor only inched over one in one of our last locations, but the damage sustained delayed our departure by almost an hour. If you can approach a speed bump head on, there's usually no problem, but if the only way you can take the bump is at an angle, you've got trouble.

But who has time to fret over broken dishes when the beaches of Florida's panhandle are calling your name? The RV had to go in the shop for repairs, so we decided to turn off the computers and give our brains a break for a few days as we enjoyed the emerald colored waters and the white sandy beaches of the gulf coast.


I left the camera in the hotel room, so I don't have photos to show you, but the sand there, really does look like snow. So much so, we had the strangest experience one night as we took a drive down the barrier island of Pensacola Beach.

As we drove along, we saw piles of white sand. It was quite windy, so sand was blowing across the road and sticking to the pavement in the lane next to us. There was a man up ahead who managed to get his car stuck in the sand on the side of the road. He was trying to dig his car out when we stopped to offer assistance. Nothing strange, about any of that, right?

But this is what our Minnesotan BRAINS were registering: Snowdrifts, blowing snow, “Are the snowplows out yet?”, “We need to help this man quickly, he's got to be freezing.” And then being surprised by the blast of warm air on our faces when we rolled down the windows. It was so strange how our minds just couldn't seem to register “sand”.


We spent 2 nights at Pensacola Beach and then headed to Jacksonville Beach, where we saw beautiful sunrises, dolphin, Navy ships, horseshoe crabs, starfish, and even had the pleasure of visiting with some familiar faces and marveling at what an incredibly small world this is!


We arrived in Georgia last night to await the news that our “house” repairs are finished and were so blessed this morning by the warm embraces of our dear family at Calvary Chapel Alpharetta. We've really missed you all and were so happy to see you this morning. I can already feel that it's going to be difficult to leave here again and am sorry to be missing out on all that's going on there with the new Heritage Institute of Biblical Worldview. If you've never heard of it, you should take a look at the Institute's website at http://www.hibw.org

No matter what denomination you are, it's something you may well be interested in. It's good training for everybody, and especially good for those interested in being trained for some kind of vocational ministry.


We hope to be able to see you all during our short stay here, but if you really want us to hang around for awhile, we hope someone has a REALLY LONG driveway and full hookups!

Love, Trevor and Roni

The Cutest Sound

The cutest sound to me is that of a baby laughing hysterically. The runner up is the sound of birds walking across a rubber roof. Each time we hear it, it makes us laugh.

A lot of baby Cranes and Starlings visit the campsites here. I googled Starlings yesterday and learned they're part of the Mynah Bird family. An article said in some areas they're used as pets, and if you say the same word to them 50 times a day for three days, they will repeat that word back to you. I spend a lot of time outside while Trev's inside at work. I plan to use this information to freak Trevor out. He's going to walk outside in a few days and hear his name being called from all the trees, bushes, and rooftops. Trevor! Trevor! How cool will that be?

Myrtle Beach is full of wildly fascinating things. Trevor said I'm like a 3 year old when we're out on the beach. It's because, not unlike a 3 year old, most things out here are new and exciting to me. There are the things I showed you in the last post, but there's been much more since.

I've seen schools of small crab make their way out to the ocean at sunrise, a live Sand Dollar washed up on the beach, schools of Mullets jumping out of the water, a Shark diving down after them, fishermen pulling in Skates and Sharks, flocks of Sea Gulls and Pelicans diving for food, and a fishing pier highlighted by awesome sunrises. How could one not be fascinated but such wondrous things?

And the fish we caught when we went deep sea fishing on Saturday! I caught a Trigger Fish, so named because it has two fins on top of it's head. If you try to push the first fin down, it won't budge. But the second fin goes down easily and brings the first one with it. Like a trigger.

Trev had an interesting catch that day as well. He caught what they call a Piggy. Or Pig Fish. When you pull this fish into the boat, it grunts like a pig. I've never heard anything like it before!

It was supposed rain, so we didn't set the alarm to beat the sunrise today. I wish we had, because it hasn't rained yet, and I sit here wondering what all we missed this morning. And so what if we had gotten wet? If it's raining too hard I won't bring my camera, but we'll continue to beat the dawn from now on and if I can't photograph what we find, I'll just have to tell you about it.

We hope all of you are well. We love you!

Love, Trevor and Roni