Leaving On a Jet Plane - Sat., June 11, 2016

Bob will be holding down the fort while I'm on vacation. Thank you, honey, for letting me fly away for ten days.

After work today, Bob is taking me to the San Antonio airport and I'll fly to Portland, Oregon to visit family, friends, and do the Columbia Gorge Volksmarching Weekend! Yay, waterfall hikes galore.

I will write blogs as time allows. Look for some "gorge"ous nature photography starting June 16. Hopefully the rain will hold off.

During the four-day hiking weekend, I signed up for four hard 10k hikes, one medium 10k hike and one easy 5k walk. My feet will be ready for a rest after all that.

Thank you again, Bob, for taking care of the home front. I love you. 

Two Susans to Go...Prequel - Thurs., June 12

Tomorrow's the big day! Susan and I are off on our 5,000+ mile road trip to walk in seven state capitals (Phoenix, AZ; Carson City, NV; Sacramento, CA; Salem, OR; Boise, ID; Salt Lake City, UT, and Santa Fe, NM).

In addition to the state capitals, we will be doing seven walks in four days during the Columbia River Classic Biennial Volkssport weekend. Lots of waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon which means some steep hikes to do.

Packing has been progressing well. I hope everything fits in Susan's compact car!

The kitties are great helpers as evidenced by the following photo:

"Let's help mom pack...SHOELACES!!!!"

Excitement is building up to our departure tomorrow afternoon. Lookout everybody, a whirlwind is coming. A whirlwind tour that is. We plan to drive over 5,000 miles in 2-1/2 weeks. We have our motels reserved along the way and plan to see national and state parks in addition to the state capitals and Columbia River Gorge.

We'll have to see how we do in the heat as there are some pretty high temperatures predicted along the way.

I'll write my blog as I have time and wi-fi connection.

Travel Bug out.

Vacations - Fri., Apr. 25

What does vacation mean to you? 

• Is it a time to be off work, stay home, relax, hang out and do things locally (referred to by some as a "staycation")?
• Does it mean packing up the vehicle, making various and sundry plans (camping, hiking, museums, beach days, whatever), and spending every waking minute traveling or doing something? (In our family we refer to this as a "trip.")
• Or, do you want others to do the planning, e.g., cruises or guided tours? 
• How about volunteering with Peace Corps, Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross, or other humanitarian organizations?
• Maybe you like to do all of the above at different times.
• And what is vacation to a full-time RVer? Is their whole life a vacation?

Mt. Washburn Volksmarch in Yellowstone National Park.

We are full-time RVers, but due to our circumstances we cannot retire yet and just vacation. We work and "take vacations" in our 5th wheel, even though we live in it full time. One nice thing about our vacations is we take our home with us: cats, belongings, vehicle, food, all our clothes, etc. What's nice is we don't have to think about what to pack. Not only that, but we have a house at the mountains, a house at the beach, a house by a waterfall, a house in a national park. Wherever we park is home.

Jenny Lake on Cascade Canyon Volksmarch,
Grand Tetons National Park

If we do fly or drive only our car to our destination, we have to pack and find a pet-sitter just like we did when we lived in a sticks 'n' bricks house. It's a different kind of vacation because our home isn't with us. We're free of those responsibilities for a short time.

Opossum eating a peach near Bowral, Australia.

In a more intimate sense, vacation means travel to me. I'm never happier than when I'm exploring new places and seeing what an area has to offer.

What makes a difference in destination choices? Weather, exotic animals, Volksmarching, walking and hiking opportunities, interesting sites such as museums, national parks, wildlife refuges, estates (Biltmore, Hearst Castle), gardens, caves, waterfalls, and zoos, cultural choices like comedy clubs, theater, ethnic restaurants, the people, and the surroundings.

Wentworth Falls area, Blue Mountains, Australia

Here's my favorite quote:

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we will find it not."  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

In the end, it's all about your attitude and the way you experience the world.

Welcome to new follower Barbara of Me and My Dog ... and My RV. I've been following along with Barbara's (and Katie's) adventure and travel blog for quite some time. Thanks for coming along with us on our travels.

Travel Bug out.