Beaver Tales V - December 07, 2009

“Westbound” & Down, Loaded Up & Truckin’…
(We’ve got a LONG way to go and a SHORT time to get there!)

Another whirlwind adventure has been our fate and fortune during our first RV foray into the Western USA. We departed on Hallowe’en and have been greeted by the sun almost every day since we awoke in Michigan on November 1st. Viewing the changing (and quite spectacular) panoramas through our picture window has definitely contributed to this amazing journey. I was literally jumping out of my seat to take pictures from as many angles as possible from our windows as we drove by cool cityscapes, miles of ever-changing desert scenery and awe-inspiring mountain ranges and valleys displaying incredible rock formations. Notable were the gorgeous sunset in Indiana, the crop of windmills in Weatherford, OK, sweeping Texas ranches dotted with cows (as we belted out “Working At The Car Wash Blues" by Jim Croce), relaxing at the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona and our first views of Joshua trees in the Mojave desert. I was luckily sitting and seat-belted when an officer in California politely requested by loudspeaker that we “move to the far right lane and lower our speed to 55”. Oops!

The journey was mostly incident-free. We had a water-heater issue in Springfield, MS, but for $10.00 received a full tutorial from a very knowledgeable – and very kind - mechanic. The front of the coach narrowly missed a tumbleweed, or “desert snowball”, that rolled onto the highway in Texas – too funny! We also had a battery issue with the truck on our way to Amarillo, so we did the only thing we could do while charging it up on the side of the road surrounded by said ranches with the sun setting – draw the blinds, microwave some popcorn and watch a movie! Mental Note: periodically check the mile markers on a long journey in case we are ever in need of AAA – luckily, we did not. Winding roads at ear-popping altitudes in New Mexico and Arizona (6000 feet at one point!) made for an interesting ride in a 30-foot RV with a Dodge Ram dinghy, of course. What a sight to see stuccoed houses perched on mountaintops, and the outlines of sizeable and plentiful cacti against the night sky as we drove toward Phoenix. We were amazed by the commuter traffic in this city – all the cars were so clean and shiny! Guess that’s possible when it’s perpetually sunny and dry.

We made extremely good time and finally arrived at F1 Race Factory for the US Indoor Kart Championships in Phoenix, AZ on 11/05/09. We had not even indulged in a sip of wine the entire trip so that we could actually put down some hours on the road after dinner – what a novel idea! The racers were thrilled to have Rob announcing their race, and we were delighted by the downtown area in Scottsdale – we’ll definitely want to return to the incredible restaurants, art galleries and nightlife offered here. Following the event, we soaked up the sun in Mesa, AZ during our first “break” of the excursion at the Desert Vista RV Resort – it was so lovely to sit outside in a mosquito-free environment and to enjoy our lemon-drops by the pool at night.

Rob has also introduced me to several “culinary firsts”, including a “Big Texan” steak (Amarillo, TX), an extra-tasty Sunday-Night-Home-Style-Chicken platter at “Cracker Barrel” (Troy, IN), deep fried wontons with avocado and tuna tartar salsa at “Ra” (Phoenix, AZ), which incidentally could be one of our Christmas party potluck dishes, y’all!, THE best milkshake ever…butterscotch pumpkin… at the “Standard Diner” (Albuquerque, NM, or the “ABQ” as it’s known), and the famous In-And-Out Burger (Las Vegas, NV). Rob was also offered the task of being the official “brownie taste-tester” at the Hoover Dam checkpoint on 11/15/09. With our brakes smokin’, the security officers inspected the coach for bombs…yes, bombs…and asked Rob if he would like one of the chocolate goodies given to them by a lovely Grandma who had just passed through – yes, he is very brave! However, the award for the best meal would have to go to the outdoor paella cookfest at our friends’ home in southern California. Tom and Patti Kutscher are the owners of Superkarts! USA, and it is their SuperNationals karting event that brings us to Las Vegas every fall. After a week that epitomized our work hard / play hard philosophy (and Rob’s opportunity to interview Michael Schumacher!), we stayed at the Oasis RV Resort in Las Vegas for a few days before heading to their home on 11/26/09 – which happens to be right in the middle of Temecula wine country. The word “stunning” doesn’t even seem to adequately describe this city. Anyway…back to the food. We started with a basic recipe, and tweaked it to perfection – I believe there were five different types of alcohol contributing to the amazing depth of flavour that was ultimately produced…oh yes, and we achieved the “soccarat”! We also shared our masterpiece with the Doffo family, who own and operate a winery of the same name just up the road. An honourable mention must also go to what became “Lemon Meringue Pie Slushies”. We set out to blend Lemon Drops, but by using ingredients on-hand in an attempt to follow one drink recipe, we serendipitously ended up with something arguably better. Thank you, Vanilla Vodka!

So, after enjoying the tremendous hospitality provided at Casa De Kutscher – including our first American Thanksgiving (turkey and ham!), wine tastings at various “villa-esque” establishments in this countryside that is pleasantly reminiscent of Tuscany, exuberant ping-pong tournaments (I REALLY need some practice before attempting this again), and a lively discussion about the joys of RV ownership (we couldn’t stop laughing – I think I may start an MotorCoach Support Group), we made our way to the Rancho California RV Resort, where we are still parked. We have an extraordinary view of the Palomar mountain range and a segment of the golf course just behind us. Rob has actually played a few rounds, and actually shared the tee-box with a duck couple at one point. I spent one round taking several photos of this beautiful property, and topping up our wine glasses as we navigated the greens.

We have been very spoiled out here in the West. Not only have we admittedly been struck by the cleanliness of the RV resorts here compared to those of Florida, our
“wish list” now includes a palm tree on the front lawn, an outdoor kitchen / bar and our own golf cart. It will be an interesting “Dear Santa” letter this year! We have also considered the alternative career path of “RV Repair / Sommelier Service” providers. We could fix the coaches – and there is ALWAYS something to fix – and offer wine-pairing suggestions. For example, a robust Cabernet Sauvignon might go well with a catastrophic engine failure (it certainly worked for us!). A tapas bar might also be a nice addition. Yes, these vehicles can drive us almost crazy, but none of us would even consider giving up the lifestyle they offer. “Hello, our names are Rob and Kim Howden, and we are addicted to our RV.” Serenity Now!


ADDENDUM: 37 DAYS OF SUNSHINE!

P.S. We are enjoying our first rainy day of the entire trip – we could get very, very used to this! The coach offers quite a cozy environment to work from, and we will undoubtedly turn-in early this evening after having shared many glasses of vino rosso and an incredible tri-tip BBQ’d low-and-slow on a “Big Green Egg” with new friends last night, including both the General Manager and Social Convenor of the resort. Nothing wrong with a Sunday night party!