The Maiden Voyage

It’s hard to believe two days ago we were still in Texas preparing for the trip west. We finished sorting through our final items to take, I completed my last day of work, and then we took the time to christen our fifth wheel, now known as the Wanderer.

And since I’m a Native Texan, it felt right to use a Shiner beer instead of champagne. And, Dan being the beer drinker, felt it was only right to stage the photo then drink the beer.

Heading west proved to be a beautiful experience, the wildflowers were blooming in the medians and we had to stop to take them in when we stopped at a roadside park. Special thanks to the late Lady Bird Johnson for her dedication to the beautification of the great state of Texas. Kudos for a job well done!

We spent the Saturday night in Van Horn, Texas, which was a last-minute decision based on a storm we saw developing in the west, near the Big Bend Region. Funny how your perspective changes when you know you’re carrying your house with you. Up early on Sunday morning, as we drove through the west Texas mountains, I snapped the sunrise picture below with my iPhone instead of my Nikon, as I had no time to grab the camera. What an extraordinary experience.

We were dreading driving the fifth wheel through El Paso but it turned out Sunday morning is the best way to get through quickly, at least that was our experience. We made such good time we abandoned staying in Globe, AZ, and decided to get to our long-term destination in Fort McDowell, AZ.

I could have done without the drive through the Tonto National Forest on Hwy. 60. Not that the view isn’t amazing, but driving your house through the mountains is very different from driving your vehicle by itself. The curves were sharp, the shoulders were next to nothing, and the downhill slopes were horrible, at least for me. Dan seemed pretty calm about the whole thing.

In the end, we made it just fine. We’re now set up for the next 30+ days at a great site, looking into the northern part of the Tonto National Forest.  Lots of signs stating to watch for wild animals. Haven’t seen any yet but they’ve left signs along the trails. Maybe we’ll see some soon. However, our first morning presented us with a fabulous sunrise. Looking forward to more to come.