Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Hi Ho, Hi Ho! It's On a Trip We Go!

8 days until we hit the road for our Christmas trip!

It is going to be a very open ended adventure. I have  two reservations, but there are a lot of days that I have no idea as to where we will be.


Our first stop will be in the LA area where we will spend a day at M&M, a Freightliner service place where we will be getting new Koni shocks put on the Alfa.  We decided that the shocks will be our mutual Christmas presents. I'm giving Craig the front ones, and he's giving me the backs.

When we were at an FMCA rally last year Craig heard a presentation in which it was said that one of the best improvements you can make to a motorhome is to get new shocks installed.  Our ride is pretty good, but we have had a few screws loosen and there are some rattles that make a bit of noise. We will see if there really is an improvement!  Craig says he's prepared to be disappointed...


We will spend Christmas with our daughter and her family.  

The neighbors were OK with our parking on her street for a few days last year, and I hope it will be OK again this year. At least we don't have last year's electrical problem that made us run the generator longer than we would like. It turned out we had a loose wire!

We will probably sleep in the Alfa, but spend the rest of the time in the house.  

We have a reservation for several days at Death Valley starting on December 30. It's about 350 miles from San Diego to Death Valley. I'm looking at a couple of different routes, and we may take a few days getting there. We will see some different places if we take a longer, less direct route. I think it will depend on the weather forecasts.

After Death Valley, we have three nights at a Passport America park in Las Vegas. I've never been there. I want to see the strip and the casinos. I'm not a gambler, but the bright lights call to me.

Then our plans are open. We might spend a week or so exploring the Lake Havasu area. I've found a Passport America park we could go to in Lake Havasu City. I called and was told we shouldn't make a reservation if we want to use our Passport America, but they generally have plenty of open spots.  

Again, it will depend on the weather.

I am torn. I know we should go right home and get back to work on the house if we want it on the market by summer, but on the other hand, once out of the driveway I want to keep going!

17 comments:

  1. Hey, Life is Short! With a choice between a few more days on a great trip and more work on the house...guess what....the house will always be there and the great days may not! Have fun. Be sure to check out the Valley Of Fire just north and east of Las Vegas. It is gorgeous, and will give you a bit of a reprieve from all those bright lights and big city.

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  2. And since you're there for the lights, be sure to go downtown to "old" Las Vegas! And especially at night for the overhead light show they have on the hour each night! And Hoover Dam, but unless you're in to structural details, which you might be, don't take the tour. But marvel at the new bridge! And since you're going to be near so much BLM land, try boondocking at least one night! We stayed near Bouse for a week last year in Feb. and loved it. It's so dark and you can just enjoy the stars and the solitude!!! Death Valley.... watch out for Titus Canyon RD!!! That's where we had our 2 flat tires, but cars were passing us! We just hit something that did in our tires.

    But most of all...HAVE A GREAT TIME!!! And we all get things done in crunch time!

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  3. Glad you are getting to get on the road for a bit. Have a great time!

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  4. safe travels to you both!..enjoy your time away no matter what you do, the house will still be waiting when you get back!

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  5. Well, when it comes right down to it, I suppose I'd sooner get shocks than socks.
    Sounds like a great trip. Have fun.

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  6. Sounds like a nice round trip with lots of variety. Been to a lot of the spots you mentioned. Las Vegas is worth seeing at least once in a person's life. I was dazzled by all the lights & colors there. Not a gambler either. Valley of Fire has some great rugged scenery. Been through Death Valley a couple times & for sure there are some nice boondocking sites west of Bouse. Some nice scenery along the Colorado River north of Parker near Lake Havasu too. But, it can be a busy time of year there. Sounds like a nice trip....take your time & enjoy your surroundings. Oh ya, & what a nice way to shock each other for Christmas....:))

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  7. Getting shocks is a lot better than getting an iron for Christmas. :)

    Stay out on the road for as long as you can!

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  8. You are going to have so much fun. The Mob Museum in Las Vegas is really a great place to visit. So is the Atomic Museum. And definitely go downtown to old Vegas at night. I love Las Vegas and we're not gamblers. $20 is about my limit. But I love, love, love Death Valley. One of my favorite places. Lots of boondocking places that are beautiful in the Parker, Lake Havasu area.

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  9. We went to Death Valley in 2010. Fell in love with the place. Would love to go there this winter, but right now, we are just taking one step at a time.

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  10. I'm shocked at your ... oh what the heck, the brain isn't in gear for making some smart alex pun!

    But hey - GO FOR THE DRIVE! The house will still be there, so what's an extra week or two or three :-)

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  11. Sounds like a great trip. Time with family and some new adventures. I'm not a gambler either, but I could watch the fountains at the Bellagio in Vegas for hours. Have fun, the house will still be there when you get back.

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  12. Have a safe and wonderful trip and let us know what you think of those new shocks!

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  13. Those are very sweet and thoughtful gifts you gave each other!

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  14. Sounds like a fun trip - enjoy and travel safe.

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  15. It sounds wonderful! I've never seen Death Valley in winter, but in springtime it was strangely hopeful with lovely bursts of color. I know what you mean about Vegas--I'm not a gambler, but I love the lights, even though I know they're an environmental mess. I can't advise you because I'd just keep driving, maybe head down to Tombstone or over to Sante Fe. You're right, you probably should go home, but . . . ?

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  16. If you decide to take the advice of several posters and go to Valley of Fire, then let me know. We're at the RV campground at Echo Bay on Lake Mead, which is not too far away. We'll be here till the 8th of January. I'd live to meet you!

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  17. Well,like the Alfa, I have some screws loose too. Enjoy your trip, and don't hurry home to the house.

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