San Diego and thoughts about technology

Today was about getting a few things done, including a few pics left to post.  WiFi has become my lifeblood: without it, I can't work and I can't keep up with social media.  Since we're towing the car, the gps in it only gets used when we run errands or go to dinner. Unfortunately, that also means that our RV location is NOT programmed into the car navigation system.  Twice we've scratched our heads and have had to use phones, maps and other technology to figure out where we had parked the RV.  I think we'll have to work harder at keeping track of the RV parks! 

The fence between California and Mexico.  As I look across the desert, I can't imagine being so desperate that you would send children alone across this border.

California wind turbines: they are enormous.  

We climbed from sea level to 4,000 ft and back to sea level in 3 hours time.  The mountains here a big piles of rock.  Hot rocks!

View from the San Diego-Coronado bridge.

The cottages at the Hotel del Coronado.  Gorgeous grounds!

The beach at Coronado

Southwest Arizona is a devil of a place.

We're still learning the ins and outs of driving the Breeze.  In Colorado it was all about the exhaust brakes and learning to drive slowly up the mountains (35 mph in some cases.) If we were doing this again, we might consider more than a 260 hp engine!  Air conditioning and engine temps became an issue in Arizona.  With outside temps of 100+ and engine temps pushing 215, air conditioning was a challenge: even when parked! We wondered if we had purchased a Minnesota sized air conditioner for a California sized job.  Early mornings are the coolest time to drive and never drive west in the heat of the day. We really haven't had issues, we just have to rethink the way we travel.

Tornado? Dust Devil? Car driving in circles in the middle of the desert?  I watched this from the coach window for many miles.  It started out as a dirty sky and ended up as a swirling mass of dirt. It is hot (108 degrees) dry (dew point of 8) and oddly beautiful.  I'm glad we visited but not sure I could live in Yuma!

Of all the things we saw behind fences here, this made the most sense.  These solar collectors stretched at least a mile.  I have no idea if these are efficient, or even how it all works.  They were a work of abstract art in the desert.

Did you know that there were true oases in the desert of irrigated farmland?  There were small farms in the middle of vast open spaces of dirt and rock.  Many were growing hay, others had corn.  All seemed to be thriving!

The golden hour in Yuma, AZ gives a golden hue to our Allegro Breeze.

3 states in a week...

Sometimes, I just have to take pictures.  Maybe to remember, maybe just for fun.  But these pics don't begin to describe the beauty we experienced through the dirty windshield of our Allegro Breeze.

We took a detour on the legends scenic byway.  It turned out to be 3 hours on dirt roads in the most beautiful forest, San Isabel National forest and wilderness.  We saw a car and one other person in those 3 hours.  but the views were spectacular.

Dust everywhere! at the top of the second summit, we stopped to survey the surroundings and were amazed at the dirt we collected in such a short amount of time.

Not a great technical photo, but have to say, this has been a great way to travel.

San Isabel, one of many views.

A small wildflower garden at the top of the mountain.  Serene.

I was so enthralled as I watched these beautiful animals that I forgot about taking pictures.  They seemed as interested in me as I was in them.  I was surprised that we saw three bucks together.

As we entered New Mexico, we saw some of the pine beetle damage that popped up here and there in journey.  These little tiny insects can decimate an entire forest in short order.

Beetles

New Mexico mountains are flat on top with layers of color.

The cactus are in bloom.

We stopped in Albuquerque to ride the Sandia Peak Tramway.  It claims to be the longest, although Mark remembered his ride up the Matterhorn and suspects it was longer!

They tell me it rains in the Sandia Peaks but water never reaches the ground.  What you see is rain and a faint rainbow over the valley.

A steep ride up and down but we were able to see about 11,000 sq. miles of land around us.

It was 20 degrees cooler at the top with high winds.  Lots of tourists taking pics and selfies at the summit.

We visited after peak season and they seem prepared for lots of people. We joined the others indoors at the restaurant getting out of the wind!

Big wheels!

A Pinon tree.  There were roadside vendors selling roasted pinon nuts.

And then, we crossed into Arizona.

The painted desert

It was an amazing place

Our home on wheels is hanging in and taking us where we want to go.  We're so glad we decided to tow a car.  It gives us so much flexibility and allows us to be a bit more spontaneous when we arrive at a location.

Painted desert and petrified forest.

Petrified wood.  

And we're off to Scottsdale!

Paying my respects to Damian and Evan McManus

Damian McManus and his son, Evan went missing at Mt. Evans, just outside of Idaho Springs, CO .  They have been missing since spring break when they took an impromptu father/son adventure in the Rocky Mountains.  You can still see the snow on mountain tops and the temps were a bit chilly, in the high 50s last evening.  The views are spectacular, the mountains are dangerous and the air is thin.  We hadn't yet adapted to altitude and the exertion left us short of breath and with a mild headache.  I had the opportunity to work with Damian at Cargill for a number of years when he worked in and with the Wichita businesses.  I had to see this mountain that lured them in and stole them away.  

View from the road leading to the lodge at Mt. Evans.  Photos just can't convey the stillness, the peace and beauty of this place.

Echo lake, at the entrance to the lodge at Mt. Evans

The sun blazed through the tree that has become a memorial to Damian and Evan.  Those white balls carry messages for the family: prayers, support and love for them all.  Many of the messages have been shared by the search teams who are out there looking at every opportunity.

The road to the peak was closed this week for repairs.  I wanted to see the top, but it wasn't meant to be on this trip.

This is a view from the parking lot where I believe that Damian's car was found

More pics of Echo Lake

Rest in Peace