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We arrived at our southern most destination in Texas to view the launch of SpaceX Starship 31 and Booster 13 at the Boca Chica flight facilities. Our home for the next three days is Isla Blanca Park located at 33174 State Park Road 100, South Padre Island, TX. If you ever want to see a live Starship launch this is the place to do it. We are only 5 miles north of the launch pad across the Port of Brownville's main shipping channel. From the shipping channel we have an unobstructed view of the massive rocket that is stacked on the launchpad and scheduled to liftoff at around 4 PM on Tuesday afternoon, November 19. The park is managed by Cameron County and is very well maintained; all the services work well, the landscaping is kept up; there are a wide verity of sites - full pads to all grass sites; direct beach access; and security is very present. Our site was booked online before we arrived for the first time, so we didn't have the advantage of knowing what sites to request. We're on a large concrete pad (parking lot style) for the next three days. When we arrived on Sunday afternoon around 2 PM the wind was blowing in the neighborhood of 20-25 mph. We set up and walked around the 600+ site park. This place is huge and a definite do over. Next time we come here we'll get one of the larger grass site closer to the water by the shipping channel. There are several good places recommended to get fresh seafood. Some less formal than full service restaurants which are overpriced. We selected Los Tortugos in Port Isabel just over the bridge for dinner on Sunday night and weren't disappointed. It was an amazing meal that included a Ceviche appetizer. Ceviche is generally made from raw fresh fish or shrimp, that’s marinated in lemon and/or lime citrus juices. The acidity in the citrus cures the fish causing it to denature the proteins and become firm and opaque while absorbing flavor. We ordered two Sangria drinks and began our culinary experience. We shared an entree that included a small serving of fish broth. The main course was five jumbo shrimp cooked in butter with garlic, onions and green peppers along with fresh caught fried Gulf Calamari hoods! We had two sides of house salad and coleslaw and finished with an enormous slice of flan chocolate cake. The bill came to $45 for everything...amazing food and service at a incredible price. The wind blew all night long but the air conditioners created white noise to help us sleep. Some wind gusts actually woke us up when the RV rocked sideways. Monday's winds are predicted to calm down by the later afternoon and, Tuesday, launch day should be even better. This "steely eyed missle man" is getting excited for Tuesday afternoon and I can't wait to see the "largest ever" rocket take off in about 26 hours from now!

We departed from Balmorhea State Park at 9:15 AM on Friday, November 15 heading east on Interstate 10 towards Fort Stockton,Texas for fuel, From Fort Stockton we traveled south and east on US 285 and US 90 to Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site. This part of the journey follows the Rio Grand River southeast to the Gulf of Mexico. There isn't much along the route except desert scenery and the occasional US Border Patrol vehicle. We passed through the small, unincorporated town of Sanderson stopping only for lunch along the way. Before arriving at the park we crossed the Pecos River that flows into the Rio Grande. Anyone driving Highway 90 between Del Rio and Langtry will find it necessary to cross the significant canyon gorge carved by the Pecos River. Before the mid-20th century, travelers were required to negotiate a two-lane switchback to descend the canyon walls before reaching the first highway bridge across the river, built in 1923 and destroyed by flood waters in 1954. Two temporary low water bridges were also washed away over the course of the following year. The current Pecos River Bridge is the highest highway bridge in Texas, at 1,310 feet long and originally 273 feet above the water (a measurement that now fluctuates with the rise and fall of Lake Amistad water levels). An overlook alongside a pullout on the northeast end of the bridge affords excellent views of the Pecos River canyon. Upstream just a few miles, out of sight around a river bend, is the second iteration of perhaps the most famous bridge in Texas – the Pecos High Bridge, also known to railway enthusiasts as the Pecos Viaduct. Completed in 1892 to accommodate the southern transcontinental railroad, it was at the time the third-highest bridge in the world. The cantilevered bridge, composed of an iron and steel latticework suspended across the canyon, contained over 1,820 tons of metal. Reinforced in the 1920s, the bridge remained in service until a replacement was constructed during World War ll, another engineering marvel still in use today. Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site has 46 campsites. These range from primitive drive-up sites to sites with water and electricity, all with restrooms and showers nearby. One can hike and bike to the Rio Grande or along the Seminole Canyon rim. The park has almost 10 miles of trails. Saturday morning we scheduled to take the Fate Bell Shelter Tour: a fairly rugged hike to the Fate Bell Shelter. Protected by a huge cliff overhang, the shelter holds some of Texas’ most spectacular rock art. Early canyon dwellers left clues to their lives on the stone walls of Seminole Canyon. Their pictographs tell stories that we try to understand today. So we come to see this special place for ourselves along the Rio Grande near Del Rio. Almost 4,000 years ago, in southwest Texas (USA) and Coahuila (Mexico), hunter-gatherer artists painted some of the most complex murals in the world. They wove together layers of black, red, yellow, and white paint to create visual narratives. In Indigenous realities, images such as these are not passive decorations. They are reservoirs of power actively engaged in creation-past, present, and future. This exhibit explores how form, color, materiality of the paint, and the image-making process infused the murals with meaning and activated the characters in the stories they relate. Archaeologists have reported more than 300 prehistoric murals in this region. New rock art sites are discovered every year. The murals range considerably in size and complexity. Some are small, less than a meter in length and height, and have only a few figures. Others hold thousands of figures and are as much as 150 meters long and 15 meters high. While some may see these as a random collection of images painted over long periods of time, trained artists have shown that many of the murals are planned compositions. Fate Bell Annex, Fate Bell Shelter and Running Horse Shelter are all situated in Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site. Seminole Canyon is a major tributary of the Rio Grande River. Fate Bell is one of the most famous and largest Pecos River Style rock art sites in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands Archeological District — A National Historic Landmark. Not only is the rock art breath-taking but the archaeological deposits within the shelter are also extremely well-preserved. Before we took the walking tour, we visited the museum at the park ranger headquarters. There were multiple exhibits about the life of the canyon dwellers including how they hunted bison, gathered plants to eat and prepared their food. This was a fascinating experience 'off the beaten path' as we journey through this region of Texas.

We departed Green Valley, Arizona on November 12 with the original destination of Deming, New Mexico as our next stop back to Texas. We got on the road by 9:15 AM so there was a good chance we could travel some serious miles. Our original destination was the Dream Catcher Escapees RV Park for one night but we were making good time so our plan changed to driving through New Mexico and getting to El Paso, TX for the night. We found a new Cracker Barrel on the east side of the city early enough to park in their huge parking area behind the restaurant. This restaurant was located in a new shopping area with a lot of new facilities, traffic and unfortunately noise. Sleeping that night required ear plugs. The next morning Karen stayed in the trailer to enjoy her "quiet time" while I headed to breakfast for eggs, bacon, hash brown casserole, biscuits and gravy at the Cracker Barrel. Yummy! Before departing we took a walk to burn off some of that big breakfast before hitting the road again. The destination for Wednesday was Balmorhea State Park, a 46-acre state park located on the San Solomon Springs in Reeves County, Texas, opened in 1968. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department manages the park. The park is open year-round, and visitation is capped at 900 people per day. San Solomon Springs is a collection of artesian springs located near the small towns of Toyahvale and Balmorhea in Reeves County, Texas. Between 20 million and 28 million US gallons of water a day flow from the springs, so no chlorination is required for the 1.75 acre swimming hole before flowing through a reconstructed marsh, all located within Balmorhea State Park. The springs line the sandy bottom of the central portion of the swimming hole, about 25 ft beneath the water's surface. The pool is home to several species of fish and turtles, including the Texas spiny softshell turtle. The main feature of the park is the 3.5-million-US-gallon freshwater pool built around the springs. It is the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool. The spring's constant flows 22 to 28 million US gallons or about 300,000 bath tubs worth a day. The water temperature ranges from 72 to 76 °F (22 to 24 °C) and up to 30 feet deep. The pool bottom is flat in the more shallow areas and has a more natural rock bottom in the deeper areas. The pool is used for swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving. Texas State Parks Board bought San Solomon Springs and the surrounding land in 1934. Company 1856 of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the pool between 1934 and 1941 as part of the New Deal during the Great Depression as a way to open up jobs for people needing work. The CCC also built San Solomon Springs Courts, which rents rooms available for overnight stays. Camping and recreational vehicle sites are also available. A private concessionaire operated the facility until 1968 when the Parks and Wildlife Department took over management and it became part of the state parks system. The Balmorhea State Park Cienega Project, started in 1995, recreats a desert wetland in the park. The original cienega was lost when the CCC channeled water from the springs into the pool. The cienega now serves as a habitat for endangered fish such as the Comanche Springs pupfish and Pecos gambusia as well as other aquatic life, birds and other animals. We arrived at the park and set up the rig then walked over to check out the spring. The water was a bit cool and there was some wind, so we decided to wait for tomorrow to get into the water with our snorkeling gear. This will be a great location to test out my new underwater housing for my iPhone before our Princess cruise and trip to Indonesia. We walked around the entire pool at the spring and as you can see there was no one there. The water is near crystal-clear and I spotted fish and turtles swimming in this massive body of fresh water in west Texas. On Thursday, November 14 we enjoyed a light breakfast of coffee and avocado toasted bagels before heading to the spring with our snorkeling gear. We had the whole spring to ourselves to explore. I wore my 3 mm wetsuit to help me keep warm while trying out the new underwater housing for the first time. I had a problem with my "cheater lens" in my mask so I couldn't really see how sharp the images and video appeared in the water. All in all, I am pleased with this first test of the new underwater housing. But I definitely need to deal with the mask issue before we leave for Indonesia.

I've never been exposed to the American Legion before our visit to Arizona. Our good friend Mary Johnson is an active Auxiliary member and leader of American Legion Post 66 in Green Valley, Arizona. We had the opportunity to meet some of her friends in Post 66 and attend the Veterans Day ceremonies on Monday, November 11, 2024. American Legion Post 66, Green Valley, AZ was chartered in 1966 has been welcoming veterans from all branches of our armed forces who qualify for membership based on the rules established by Congress. Today, they continue to welcome all military personnel serving our country. Joining their Post enables individuals to continue serving God, country, and community. Together, members of The American Legion, The American Legion Auxiliary, The Sons of The American Legion and The American Legion Riders make up what is known as The Legion Family. All four organizations place high importance on preserving our American traditions and values, improving the quality of life for our nation’s children, caring for veterans and their families, and teaching the fundamentals of good citizenship. Veteran's Day is a big deal to the American Legion Post 66. They had a wonderful celebration of all veterans on the morning of Veteran's Day which included presentation of the colors, some inspirational speeches, musical numbers by the local high school band, a US flag folding demostration by the Boy Scouts and a fly over by four US Air Force F-35 Lighting II jets in formation. Probably the most memorable event was the meaning of the flag folding. While I was in the Navy I was a member of a honor guard unit at military furnerals. I was a Boy Scout as a youth and a adult leader in the scouting program when my boys were involved. I've always been a stickler for flag prodocol when our club scouts and later boy scout units handled or displayed the "Colors". However, I never was made aware of the tradition and reason the U.S. flag is folded in the triangle for storage. This was the most meanful part of the ceremony for me. If you’ve ever attended a military funeral, perhaps you noticed that the honor guards pay meticulous attention to folding the U.S. flag that once draped the casket. Guards make crisp, precise folds a total of 13 times to complete the ceremony. Much like every other aspect of our nation’s greatest symbol, each of the 13 folds holds a special significance. Flag etiquette dictates that every time an American flag is to be stored or presented during a ceremony, its handlers should fold it in half twice lengthwise; then starting with the end opposite the blue field, make a taut triangular fold. Handlers continue to fold the flag in triangles until the flag has formed a triangular “pillow” with the blue field showing on the outside. It’s a dignified way to treat the flag, and gives a powerful touch to patriotic ceremonies. What Happens After the Flag Folding Ceremony? The source and the date of origin of this Flag Folding Procedure is unknown. However, some sources attribute it to the Gold Star Mothers of America while others to an Air Force chaplain stationed at the United States Air Force Academy. Some sources also indicate that the 13 folds are a nod to the original first 13 colonies. The flag folding ceremony is provided as a patriotic service. This is what the 13 folds mean: The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life. The second fold signifies our belief in eternal life. The third fold is made in honor and tribute of the veteran departing our ranks, and who gave a portion of his or her life for the defense of our country to attain peace. The fourth fold exemplifies our weaker nature as citizens trusting in God; it is to Him we turn for His divine guidance. The fifth fold is an acknowledgement to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right, but it is still our country, right or wrong.” The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The seventh fold is a tribute to our armed forces, for it is through the armed forces that we protect our country and our flag against all enemies. The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor our mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day. The ninth fold is an honor to womanhood, for it has been through their faith, love, loyalty, and devotion that the character of men and women who have made this country great have been molded. The 10th fold is a tribute to father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since he or she was first-born. The 11th fold, in the eyes of Hebrew citizens, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The 12th fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost. The last fold, when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God We Trust.” After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it has the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under Gen. George Washington and the sailors and Marines who served under Capt. John Paul Jones and were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the U.S. Armed Forces, preserving for us the rights, privileges and freedoms we enjoy today.

We arrived at the Green Valley RV Resort (GVRV Resort) a day earlier than expected. We had expected to stop in Yuma, Arizona after crossing the state line and stay at the local Escapees park, but the wind was horrendous so we only stopped for diesel fuel. From Yuma we traveled to Dateland for a brief stop for a propane refill and an obigatory date shake. This really put us close enough to complete our day of travel in Green Valley, which is south of Tucson. We pressed on and arrived around 3PM after leaving California early in the morning. We did lose an hour because Arizona is in Mountain time so we had to spring forward when we crossed the border. GVRV Resort is a 55+ gated community with 304 total spaces, each approximately 35 feet wide and 50 feet long. 144 of those lots are permanent park-model homes, another 104 are annual RV’ers, and the remaining 56 spaces are for seasonal / short / mid-term campers. We had made arrangements with our good friend Mary Johnson, who works in the RV park, to stay there to visit her and many of our friends in the greater Tuscon area. Each lot consists of a gravel area for your rig, a concrete slab next to that for landing your stairs, then an asphalt pad next to that for your vehicle. The clubhouse is central to the resort and contains their offices, laundry, commercial kitchen, a large banquet and entertainment hall, a library, professional billiards room, and several craft rooms. And just outside the clubhouse proper you'll find professional-grade shuffleboard courts, a salt-water swimming pool, hot tub, fire pit, and a comfortable outdoor seating area with a gas grill. A full men’s and women’s shower area and restroom is in the pool area. Mary arranged for a corner site with plenty of room for our rig that faces predominantly north near the club house and pool area. Karen is in her happy place having daily access to the pool every morning so she can swim. We spent five weeks in the Tuscon area a couple of years ago dealing with some needed RV repairs to our fresh water tank, so we had plenty of time to take in many of the tourist sights back then. This time around we are enjoying a more relaxing pace and are looking forward to seeing our new and old friends in the area. The last two mornings so far have been slow and lazy. I'm getting out to walk and swim, watching YouTube segments on TV and napping in the afternoons. No real projects need to be addressed in the time we are here so I'm truly "chilling out". The weather is mild this time of year, in the 70's during the day and down to the low 50's at night We will be here for the Veteran's Day festivities on November 11 and plan on returning to the road the next day headed for Dream Catcher RV Park, an Escapees Rainbow Park in Deming, New Mexico for a two day stay.

Located in Southern California just east of Temecula, Jojoba Hills is surrounded by beautiful mountains and high desert. Temecula is the second largest wine region in California and a short drive to the coast, ski slopes, Los Angeles or San Diego. This is a 55+ RV Membership Cooperative Community, part of the Escapees RV Club system of resorts and parks. While visiting the resort we got a tour of all the facilities which include a community center with a full commercial kitchen, library, game room, craft room, sewing room, exercise room, wood shop, pottery shop, pickle ball courts, bocce ball courts and more. Oversized sites have full hookups, including cable TV and in-park phone service with Internet is available. Each site has a concrete patio and storage shed. We were assigned to site 520 for the week we stayed at the resort using it a base to visit Karen's Aunt Jean and our friends, Bob and Gail Conrad. We took advantage of some of the activities during the week we visited. Karen did a hand weight class at the community center. Unfortunately the complex pool was closed during the remodeling process, so we resorted to driving into Temecula so she could get some lap swimming in during the week. We participated in the Halloween dinner and dance event on October 31, dressed as Hawaiian tourists We also had the opportunity to join with the Calvary Chapel Bible Fellowship two Sunday's while in the area. Sunday, November 3 we left the resort and headed for the town of Brawley, in Imperial County, not far from the Salton Sea. We are staying at a Harvest Host called Bel Cielo Farm, a Wedding and Event Venue, for one night before continuing on to Arizona.

Our last week in camp was spent by the men building and painting eight redwood boxes to house the cabin electrical breaker boxes and constructing redwood forms for concrete slabs thoroughout the complex. The women worked on a bulk mailing project and made candy in the camp kitchen. Thursday, October 24 the camp staff fixed us a great lunch and "thank you" cake as a farwell along with some going away gifts. We truly enjoyed spending this month in Sonoma County not only visiting life-long friends but also serving on project at the camp too. If the opportunity to serve at Mt. Gilead ever comes up again in the future, we are definitely signing up to come back. Friday morning, October 25 we left around 9:30 AM and planned on traveling to the Harris Ranch to "overnight" in their parking lot but we could find a place to park so we continued south on Interstate 5 ultimately to Lancaster, California to the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds for the night. I broke my normal driving rule limit of no more than four hours on the road on any driving day. We went seven and a half hours on this leg and arrived in the dark. We both slept soundly that night. The long day of driving only left us with a two and a half hour trip on Saturday to the Jojoba Hills SKP RV Resort just outside of Temecula in Aguanga, California. This is a beautiful Co-op Escapees park we have wanted to check out as a possible long-term option for the future. We've booked eight days to stay and get a feel for the community and the facilities.

We're Baaack! And we've been busy ever since we arrived at the Herrick Vineyard Ranch in Healdsburg, CA on Monday, September 23 hanging out, visiting family and friends plus doing our RVICS volunteer work at Mount Gilead Christian Camp. We got all set up at the Herrick's HipCamp venue. They have three beautiful RV sites with full hook ups. They've made a number of improvements and they're getting a number of return RV's. On Tuesday we went to dinner and a movie with Lorri and Greg (Mexican food and the Reagan movie). Our immediate plan for the next ten days here in Healdsburg was for Karen to work a few days at Total Concepts while I help out at the Coast Guard Training Center in Petaluma (Two Rock) with the Operations Specialist "A" School. We really enjoyed two dinner get togethers at Mike and Jean Chirhart's home with old Santa Rosa East Rotary Club friends. We talked about our Alaska trip and caught up on their adventures. We also got together with our old church small group community and Karen has been reconnecting with dear friends in the area when she's not working. The weather here is HOT! High 90's to low 100's every day, so our RV's air conditioning is getting a real workout. Tuesday, October 1 was my first day working out at USCG Training Center Petaluma in Two Rock. Wearing the Operational Duty Uniform (ODU) in the heat is not confortable even with our sleeves rolled up, so we're glad to work inside a building with A/C. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) Operations Specialist (OS) School is a 13-week program at the Training Center Petaluma in California. The OS rating is responsible for tactical command, control, and communications. OS's are the voice, eyes, and ears of the Coast Guard in the maritime community. The Training Center Petaluma is the Coast Guard's largest West Coast training center. It also hosts the Chief Petty Officer Academy, which is part of the Coast Guard Leadership Development Center. I was part of an USCG Auxiliary team to help conduct training exercises that week roll playing different communication scenarios with the OS students utilizing the USCG Rescue 21 System. My first situation revolved around a MAYDAY call from a fishing vessel taking on water. I got to role play the vessel's captain, a USCG coxswain on a responding 29' surface asset and a USCG helicopter responding to the same call. I had a blast improvising the search and recovery (SAR) scenario from the basic script provided. In between my duty out at the Coast Guard Training Center and Karen working in Santa Rosa with Total Concepts we moved our RV on Wednesday, October 2nd from Healdsburg to Mt. Gilead Christian Conference Center west of Graton, California. This is where we will be for three weeks doing our fifth Roving Volunteers in Christ's Service (RVICS) project. The project officially starts on Monday, October 7, but we wanted to get to the site early and settle in. Over the weekend we met our co-workers from SOWERS: Craig and Jane Lucas, Roy and Donna Olson all from Salem, Oregon. They are lovely people that we are enjoying working with and hanging out at Mt. Gilead for the next three weeks. The men are de-constructing two of the girl's camp cabins for renovation and building new wooden containment structures for the electrical service panels providing power to the cabin complex. The ladies have helped doing housekeeping, office work, cleaning and applying silicone to water proof exterior lightbulbs. While in Sonoma County both Karen and I have had some wonderful visits with old friends, fellow workers and our church family at Living Roots. Catching up with everyone is a full time job but worth every minute! We feel loved and thankful for all the great fellowship we've enjoyed. A week ago on Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October 12 I headed to Emeryville for boat crew duty with the CG Auxilary during Fleet Week in San Francisco. It was great to be on the water again. At the time of this posting we just finished our second week of the project at Mt. Gilead and are in the home stretch. Only four more working days are left before we leave Sonoma County yet again. The time is flying by even though it feels like we just got here! The busy schedule makes the time go by quickly. The balance of visiting and working is a good way to spend time in the area.

Our travels have taken us back to California to celebrate the life and memory of Karen's cousin Jim Hanrahan, who suddenly passed away on June 2, 2024. Jim and his wife, Mary, have lived in Redding since Jim retired from the US Forest Service some years ago. Jim dedicated 35 years of his life to the US Forest Service, specializing in fire management. He also served as a reserve deputy sheriff, EMT and volunteer fire chief. He was a committed and passionate individual who left a lasting impact on his community and the environment. Jim adored his wife and daughter Stephanie. We left Oregon on Friday, September 20 and drove to Redding for a cousins dinner. Our cousins from Washington State as well as brother Chris and his wife Sarah have all gathered together this weekend. The memorial and celebration of life for Jim is on Saturday afternoon, September 21 at their home. I wore my Shohei Othani number 17 blue T-shirt to his event in memory of our shared passion for Dodger baseball. Karen and I, with Chris and Sarah sat at the Dodger table during the festivities. Jokes were told, an Irish toast was made and stories of Jim and some of his antics were shared by attendees. I'm sure Jim enjoyed the party as his spirit was definitely present. Mary, Stephanie, family and friends put together a wonderful tribute to Jim; a fitting close to his life and memory. All of the cousins and extended family felt privileged to be a part of the celebration.

Our journey through the high desert region of central Oregon traveling south on Highway 97 took us past Redmond and Bend. We entered the Deschutes National Forest and decided to take a slight deviation on our route to Crescent Lake, Oregon. Crescent Lake is on the Deschutes National Forest in a naturally glaciated basin behind a moraine dam and lies just east of the summit of the Cascade Mountain Range in Northern Klamath County. It is located about 3 miles south of Hwy 58 via Deschutes National Forest Road 60 from Crescent Lake junction. We decided to stay at the Crescent Junction RV Park for two nights.The park is at 4,810 feet of elevation with the air temperature in the 50's. Unfortunately, the road to Crescent Lake was closed by the US Forest Service due to a wildland fire near the lake. We opted to vist the nearby Odell Lake instead. This large lake is 3562 acres, 6 miles long and 1 1/2 miles wide, and reaches a depth of 282 ft. The place was also known as Odell Lake Resort, and today is the site of Odell Lake Lodge. The historic lodge building was constructed in 1903. We stopped there for a light lunch which included their World Famous Marionberry Cobbler Ala Mode for just $8.95. From Crescent Junction we drove south to Train Mountain Railroad Museum, the world's largest miniature hobbyist railroad, near Chiloquin, Oregon, in Klamath County which is in the south central region of Oregon. Train Mountain is approximately 26 miles north of Klamath Falls, Oregon. This was a Harvest Host destination and well worth the stop and visit. The 2,205-acre property borders Highway 97 on the east side, Highway 62 (Crater Lake Highway) on the west side, and Highway 422 on the north. The track and facilities which are not obscured by trees are clearly visible on public satellite images. The elevation at Train Mountain varies from 4,200 feet at South Meadow, 4,293 feet at Central Station, 4,406 feet at Ward Passing Track (the highest point accessible by train), to 4,780 feet at Steiger Butte, the highest point on the property. The Train Mountain 7 and 1⁄2 inch gauge miniature railway track consists of 37 miles of track, switches, turn tables and spurs. There are miniature towns and train yards throughout the property. Train Mountain is a club and museum, not an amusement park, so it does not offer "rides." Volunteer members however, offer train rides "tours" which may vary from 30 minutes to eight hours in length. On the longer tours, the group will still not see all of the Train Mountain track. The club often provides 30-minute tours on a regular schedule weekdays from 10 AM to 3 PM during the summer (the gate opens at 9 AM) and 11 AM to 2 PM during the off season. After our museum tour we met Mike, one of the members, who offered us a most extensive ride on his train, seen above. The website https://trainmtn.org/tmrr/index.shtml gives more information on this unique and fascinating place. If you're a model railroader or just enjoy trains in general, this is a must see.

Eleven days have passed since our last blog posting. It's amazing how the time just flies by as we travel! On Friday, September 6th we arrived at the Evergreen Coho SKP Park and spent more time exploring the area around Chimacum, Washington. Karen and I placed a deposit to get on the waiting list to purchase an RV lot in this park back in September of 2022, We started at number 230 on the list and have moved up to 153 in two years. At this rate we are likely three years out for a spot! But honestly, it's okay with us because we still have a lot more traveling left to do before we land somewhere more permanently. We are thinking this part of Washington in the Olympic Peninsula is a good place to seriously consider because of the weather, proximity to extended family and the pace of life. Evergreen Coho RV Park is clean, beautifully layed out and nicely appointed. The residents are friendly and actively involved in the park landscaping and operations. Each of the RV property lots have full hook-ups, a concrete patio, a gravel pad for an RV plus tow vehicle parking and usually some kind of additional storage or utility structure. We are happy to wait for now. On Saturday we traveled south to Poulsbo, Washington to have lunch with Dan and Vickie Hagemeier. We met them on the road earlier this year on the east coast staying at the Kennedy Space Center, KARS Park, Florida. It was good to reconnect! We wanted to get caught up on their travels and they wanted to hear about our journey to Alaska. They are on the way back to Florida again for the winter after spending the summer with family in Washington. We'll keep in touch and look forward to seeing them again in the future if our travel paths cross. Sunday we drove out to Sequim, WA and met Bret Keehn for lunch after attending church at Calvary Chapel. Bret is the brother of Karen's former employer's John and Mark Rechin of Total Concepts in Santa Rosa, CA. I had never met Bret, so it was nice to finally meet and get in a visit with someone who has lived on the Olympic Peninsula for a long time. After lunch we drove the Ediz Hook Road on the spit all the way out to the entrance of Port Angeles Coast Guard Station. It provided a 360º view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Port Angeles Harbor. The weather was so clear and with the light breeze we could see across the strait to Canada. Monday and Tuesday were spent by me installing a new and improved kitchen faucet that we purchased at the Costco in Sequim. Multiple trips to different hardware stores for plumbing supplies to adapt the residential faucet appliance into the RV plumbing were required. I didn't do much more but recover from the "yoga" session under the sink the next two days. Karen got some laundry done and visited with some of the park residents. We drove from Chimacum on Wednesday, September 11 to Jeff and Becky Hilen's home in Gig Harbor to "Moochdock" in their driveway for two days. Becky was returning from visiting her sister in Salt Lake City and Jeff was heading to the airport to pick her up that evening. So we decided to go to T-Mobile Park to see a Seattle Mariner's baseball game. This was ballpark #16 out of 30 on my bucket list. Since it was 9/11 they had a special opening ceremony before the game that night to honor all those who were lost on that fateful day. The Seattle Fire Department had their Honor Guard and Pipe and Drum Corps on the field for Amazing Grace and the National Anthem. It was a moving and fitting tribute to those lost.. This impressive and solemn tribute was followed by something so totally American...a major league baseball game with peanuts, Cracker Jacks and hot dogs. It was such a positive way to honor their memory. This is a stadium with a retractable dome for when it rains in Seattle but this was a gorgeous night so the roof was open. We had incredible seats in row 10 at field level for $16 each so we splurged on parking right next to the ballpark. The Mariners beat the San Diego Padres helping out my LA Dodgers, so I was a happy fan. The next day we hung out with the Gig Harbor contingient of the Hilen clan. While we were there, I worked on yet another project installing an accessory refrigerator fan on the back of the exterior RV frig panel to help the chilling efficiency of the appliance in warmer climates. Easy peasy! From Gig Harbor, Washington we trekked on Friday, September 13 the 162 miles to Troutdale, Oregon in about three hours. Troutdale is just outside Portland, Oregon to the east along the Columbia River. We found the Sandy Riverfront RV Resort nearby our kid's home. The plan was to spend the weekend visiting the Edgington family. On Saturday the whole gang showed up for lunch at the RV park. Elisa and Aaron left early for a previous event commitment but the three girls stayed to have dinner with us; we barbecued a couple of Tri-tip roasts and played cards after dinner. On Sunday, Karen and I attended the 9:30 AM Harvest Christian Church service in Troutdale followed with a drive east on Historic Highway 30 overlooking the Columbia River Gorge. We stopped at Crown Point and got some incredible views up and down the river. For lunch we visited the whole family at Tom and Denise Hatch's home in Gresham, Oregon. It was a good visit and a time of emotional and spiritual healing for me personally. We left Troutdale on Monday morning, September 16 and headed for US Highway 26, up and over the Mt. Hood Scenic Byway towards Bend, Oregon. Our campsite for the night was in the E Loop of the Cove Palisades State Park above the lake formed by the Metolius, Crooked and Deschutes Rivers. We had amazing views here too; the volcanic geology is on a massive scale so this park venue is beautiful. Monday evening was spent visiting and enjoying Chinese food for dinner at David and Jessica Rising's home in nearby Redmond, Oregon. They moved up to Oregon from Marin County about a year ago. Karen and Jessica have known each other since they were teenagers. Their parents were close friends and the Thomas/Hilen families spent many good times together over the years riding horses and having parties!. There, all caught up for now. Tuesday, September 17 we drive to Crescent Junction RV Park near Crescent Lake, Oregon. for two days in the Cascade Mountains. It's also my dad's birthday. So I'm thinking of you and missing you Dad!

The morning sunrise here is spectacular. We were so thankful to spend eight glorious days visiting family on Camano Island. During the week our time included hanging out with a bunch of the cousins. Labor Day at the beach cabin included a big barbecue with Becky and Jeff Hilen, their daughter Annie and son-in-law Tom, Maree and Roger Haug, their kids and grandkids. Tuesday night we had dinner at Creigh and Rick's gorgeous new home up on the hill. We also made a trip out to see Emmett's home on the island and his latest pride and joy, a 26" Nonsuch sailboat in the La Connor Marina. On Wednesday we drove into Everett to have lunch with cousin Maree including a walk around the marina and sightseeing around Everett. It's always a joy to spend time with the Hilen cousins! Emmett's boat, for all my boating friends, the Nonsuch 26 is a unique recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with a balsa cored deck and wood trim. It has a cat rig, an unstayed mast with a wishbone boom, a plumb stem, a vertical transom, an internally-mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a wheel and a fixed fin keel. It displaces 8,500 lb and carries 2,750 lb of ballast. The boat has a draft of 4.50 ft (1.37 m) with the standard keel fitted. The boat is fitted with a Westerbeke 13 diesel engine of 13 hp (10 kW). The fuel tank holds 24 U.S. gallons and the fresh water tank has a capacity of 60 U.S. gallons. It has a hull speed of 6.62 knots. Sounds like a hectic schedule but we had plenty of the time to ourselves relaxing on the beach cabin property reading and tweeking the fifth-wheel. Karen got to the YMCA in nearby Stanwood three times so she could swim laps at their pool, so she was in her happy place. On our last night, Thursday, we went out on a date to the Blue Heron Restaurant for a wonderful dinner on the island. Friday was moving day. The morning was spent getting things packed up inside the trailer and hooking the truck back up to the rig. Our destination was Chimacum, Washington at the Evergreen Coho SKP Co-op RV Park. the route involved driving around Skagit Bay to Coupeville on Whidbey Island. There we had a reservation for the Coupeville/Port Townsend Ferry across Admiralty Bay and Inlet. From Port Townsend it's a short 15-20 minute drive south to Chimacum.. TIGHT FIT FOR TRINITY!!! This RV park is a proud member of the Escapees RV Club system, Evergreen Coho SKP RV Park is a cooperative 55+ RV community consisting of friendly folk who enjoy participating and living in the RV park. They offer both permanent memberships for qualified Escapees members and also short-term rental lots. We used our current Escapees RV Club membership to book for five nights.