We are still (and have been) traveling in the motorhome full time, but things have been a little different since my last post in January of 2020.
Let’s face it, the Covid outbreak and subsequent shutdown changed everything for everybody. I went into a sort of hibernation mode and stopped socializing, writing, and interacting on social media. Things for me are slowly coming back to normal. It’s like waking from a two-year sleep feeling raring to go and excited for some of the changes we have made in our traveling style.
With the national virus shut down in 2020, we did have a slight panic about our decision to RV travel. State parks and national parks were closing their campgrounds, which caused privately owned campgrounds to fill up and making reservations difficult. Thankfully, we were settled in a tiny private campground outside of Sierra Vista, Arizona, when the shut down occurred and welcome to stay indefinitely. My mom had flown in three weeks prior to visit with us, and her stay extended to six months. It was wonderful to have the time with her, but I think we were all a little stir crazy from limited interaction with others.
To combat boredom, we took frequent road trips in the truck. We visited nearby Tombstone, Arizona. It was truly a ghost town during the height of the Covid shut down, but we did get to experience some of the ambience. It made single Mom happy to meet at least one amazingly good-looking cowboy. We drove the empty streets of Bisbee, Arizona. Mom and I took several trips driving through the Coronado National Forest–just picking a dirt road and hoping we’d find our way out.
The highlight of our stay with mom was finding a campground outside of Williams, Arizona, hoping the Grand Canyon would open before we had to make our way to Texas. We honestly couldn’t believe our luck when the Canyon website announced it would open for visitors for four hours the day before we were scheduled to leave. We got up at 3:00 a.m. and made our way to the visitors entrance and were granted access just before sunrise. There was literally nobody else there. If you’ve visited the Grand Canyon National Park, you know it’s uncomfortably packed with people all the time. We stopped at several different viewpoints and were often the only truck in the parking lot. It was amazing, and seeing my Mom’s reaction to experiencing it for the first time is one of my most favorite memories.
We’ve been traveling since, but this entry has gotten lengthy. I’ll save more information for the next post. We have made changes to our traveling style and added more ways to adventure. I’ll fill you in on these in the coming weeks. If you’re still out there, I’d love to catch up with you.
Much love, Dawn
P.S. Please bear with me as I re-learn the formatting on this crazy site.
How nice to see your post in my inbox, Dawn! I’ve been thinking of you guys every time I see a motorhome on the road. Looking forward to catching up on your adventures. Janet
Don’t know why it is showing up as anonymous. You can see what I’ve been up to here if you are interested. Janet’s Smiles
Thank you, Janet. I’m not sure why you’ve come up as “someone” in my comments, either. I will need to investigate because almost everyone’s has been listed as “someone.” I’m working on getting caught up and seeing the beautiful things you’ve made! Dawn
Dawn, welcome back!
Thank you! It’s good to be back! Dawn
It’s so nice to hear you guys are still out there. You are correct to say Covid has changed our way of life. I too am coming out of my cocoon slowly as well. Hopefully we’re all on the up swing. Safe travels! Barbara
Thank you, Barbara. I hope you are enjoying Louisiana. It will be in upcoming posts, but we bought an RV site on the Mississippi Gulf Coast to stay a few months out of the year. We love the area, the food, the culture, the water–loving our time here. Hope to see you again soon! Dawn
Welcome Back!
Thank you! Hope you guys are still traveling and enjoying, too! Dawn
So glad to hear from you again! We have missed your posts . Welcome back!
Thank you! Your comment came through as “someone” (thank you, WordPress!). Will you please give a link to your blog? Thanks, Dawn!
I’m so glad you are still traveling and now writing again. I’ve seen the Grand Canyon only once and enjoyed that experience again when reading of your mom’s seeing it. Looking forward to reading your interesting posts again.
I’ve been catching up on things, Anne, and I’m so sorry to read about the passing of John. As always, I’m so warmed by your loving family and friends surrounding you. I’m praying for you as you navigate this chapter in your life. Sending much love, Dawn
Thank you very much for your prayers. I’m doing very well, and I’m sure much of that is due to all the prayers for me and the family. My daughter returned to her home in Denmark, and my brother and his wife are coming for a few days this week. I’ve been very blessed.
Welcome back Dawn! Glad you got to make some wonderful memories! The Grand Canyon is one of the places I wished I had gone to visit when I lived in Arizona.
Not sure why I’m listed as Anonymous, thanks WordPress! I’m Tamara Kulish from https://tamarakulish.com/
Thank you, Tamara! We fell in love with Arizona and would probably spend every winter there if it weren’t so far from our family. It looks as if you’ve got a lot of new books I need to check out! Dawn
So incredibly happy to hear from you!!! I’m excited that mom got to visit the GC how amazing it must have been for her!! Please know you all are on my mind and in my heart, we love you so much!! Can’t wait for the next entry!! Love ya!!!
Marion and Nate
We love you guys, too! We are so excited for Nate and you and the new house. The work you guys did was incredible, and I hope now you can reap the rewards. I do hope our paths cross soon! Love you guys! Dawn
So happy to find your latest post in my inbox! I’ve missed you!
Nina
Miss you, too, Nina. Hopefully, we’ll be back on track soon. Pretty sure we’ll be back to Bambi next year so I can see my dad–hope to see you guys then! Dawn
I’m so very happy to see you back in the blog-o-sphere!! We, too, have spent the last 2 years “in our own little world”. What an amazing sight it must have been at the Grand Canyon. I have to say I’m jealous! We still have not been there, much less as the only visitors!! Looking forward to hearing all the new adventures~HMMH
So many of our adventures in the last two years have thankfully included Steve and you! I hope there will be many more! Love you guys and can’t wait to see you soon! HMMH
Welcome back to Blogworld! Good to hear from you again and I look forward to more updates 😊
Thank you, Clive! It’s nice to get my mind back in the game, and I can’t wait to catch up. Dawn
Yes! The blog is running again! You could totally be like Rick and write about your poop but your stories would certainly be better! (Lol) I’m hoping that one day, I’ll get to squeeze your neck again! We miss all of you! Love you 3….lots!
I miss those statuses of Rick’s. I hope we make it to your neck of the woods at some point, too! Love and hugs to all of you!
Good go hear from you. I was thinking about you guys as we stayed in Jacksonville FL a couple weeks after winter break and then again as we drove through Springfield MO.
For some reason, your comment came through as “someone,” but I’m assuming this is Mark from Missouri (sorry if I’m wrong). I’m catching up, so will soon see what you’ve been up to. I hope you are enjoying being on the road! Dawn
I’m so glad you’re back! I’ve missed your adventures.
So glad to see you back!
Glad your back, love the travel on someone els’s dime. Happy Christmas.
Things have been too quiet as far as our travel goes. Thank you for coming along! 🙂