Getting home...and Tulips...

How time has flown by...

it seems as if I just planted these tulips!  We have been home a week now and they continue to brighten the patios and yard every day!

I planted the bulbs all over in various pots and am so glad the snowy cold winter did not get the best of them! 

So just how did we get home?

At the suggestion of our friends we decided on a different route.  Both Bryant and I were not wanting to take I-10 where the road debris had complicated and delayed our trip by two and a half weeks...we did take I-17 to SR89 to I-84 to I-5 to home.  We stopped at an RV resort in Hurricane the first afternoon.

I thought it was a bit pricey...but we had decided to enjoy the drive and trip home!

We are both amazed at how many RV'ers there are!  We left after tea/coffee and breakfast and got to Rock Creek RV park in Twin Falls Idaho just as it was was getting dark.  It is only open from April 1st to September 30th as the road into it is steep and has a huge curve!  First come, first served, honor pay system...and thankfully there was a spot!

The road is behind the Via on the hill!  Beautiful park, we slept well and were on our way again after breakfast.  We had already decided to spend another night out rather than get home late...so we were in no hurry...

which turned out to be a good thing with the pass weather!  And, as we got closer to Portland...rain...rain like we had not seen in months!  Turn the volume up for the video below!

 We stopped at Ainsworth State Park on the Columbia River for our last night out.  It was dark when we got there..surrounded by the NW trees...and rain!  I never stepped foot outside the Via!  I'm so glad Moxie has trained Bryant to take her on walks!
To home...

where we are slowly getting accustomed again to the sunsets...the fireplace and are not only enjoying the tulips...

but getting some spinach and brocolli planted in the garden!  It is good to be home!  Stay tuned for a "blooper" blog coming soon...and our next adventure(s)..

At Last...

I know there is an old song...'At Last'...not sure who sings it but I have always enjoyed it when I hear it!  Today we were finally able to drive the VIA to a local RV Resort where we will be doing all the chores needed from a week and a half of dry camping!

First a correction...I mis-blogged on the last blog...the VIA was taken to the Peoria Mercedes/Sprinter dealer not the Mesa dealer.

With that being corrected I'll pick up sort of where I left off.  We stayed two nights at the hotel in Goodyear...close to Peoria so we could go back to the VIA to get clothes/dog food/ other things forgotten in our rush...and to be close in case we were needed for some reason.  All the hotels were booked in the Peoria area and so expensive as it is spring training season!  I started searching for a less expensive hotel that would give us something to do during the day which brought us to the east Mesa/Apache Junction area.  After Bryant's foot started feeling better off we went to some awesome bike trails in th Usery Regional Park area.

This is actually the Levy trail...there were other trails that both of us enjoyed riding too... I just didnt get any pictures!  We spent four nights in that hotel.  Then I called the gentleman managing the repairs of the VIA because with Moxie I was not able to find an open hotel room anywhere!  I asked if we could live in the VIA in their parking lot for the weekend and he said yes...and would even park it next to a pole with power!!!  Wooohoooo!  

It was great to be "home"...albeit...not able to go anywhere!  We quickly found a bike trail at Thunderbird Park and then found the New River trail next to the Veterans Memorial Park which allowed us to increase our riding mileage!We had 25 mile days and 12 mile ride days!  Our neighbors arrived to the area in their motorhome.  We met them for lunch out one day and they had us over to their "house" for dinner another evening.  When Monday came around Chris allowed us to continue to stay in our VIA and let us know when he would need it during the week!

We even went to a Mariners Spring Training game!   We didn't feel quite so stranded! 

To today...and "at last".  After a test drive last night and again this morning by Mercedes personnel we were given the green light okay to begin our trek home...yes, we are just heading back to the lake!  We will be doing laundry and clean up here for a few days...then heading out early Thursday morning...Bryants  birthday!  We are both hoping to still be able to watch the tulips I planted last year bloom (thanks Maddie)!