Search Results

Since our return from Roatan we've been busy getting ready for Christmas and New Years. The rig is appropriately decorated for the season with garland, a card hanger and even a one foot high Christmas tree on the fireplace mantel. We've been invited to Art and Christina Cena's home for dinner before Christmas Eve services. Christmas Day dinner we will celebrate with our close friends Jeff and Dana Guidi. So we're looking forward to some cheerful celebrations with good food and great fellowship. Today, I wanted to share a Bible verse with you from Luke 2:11 to remind everyone the reason for the season. This verse says, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” As Christmas is rapidly approaching, we hope that you will take time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. He came to this earth to die willing for our sins on the cross. That is right! He loved us that much! So amid the presents, cookie decorating, and Christmas parties, remember that Jesus is the reason for the season! Our prayer during this Holy Season is the following:: "Peace on Earth" and "Good Will to Everyone" Entering 2023 we are excited to travel and see many of you around the country. Our hope is to take more time visiting during this trip to the east coast and spend more than a day or two in any location. We'll be in touch!

Many of you may have noticed that on occasion we include in our travels a little figure of a character called "Gumby". I soon realized that many followers, especially the younger ones, have no idea who Gumby is and why he is featured in some of our photos along the way. First of all, who is Gumby? Gumby was the claymation creation of Art Clokey in the early 1950s after he finished film school at the University of Southern California (USC). Gumby, and his side kick Pokey, a pony, were stop-motion-animated clay figures in a children's show gentle enough for very young viewers, but weird enough for teens and adults. I remember watching the show on television during the sixties. Karen and I, early in our traveling adventures, decided to purchase a small figure from Amazon and he sits on our truck dashboard as a reminder of the term "Semper Gumby" to help us navigate through challenging situations and circumstances. I first heard the term from our son Erik while he served in the United States Marine Corps. Later, I again heard the term used by my shipmates in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. Semper Gumby is an unofficial dog Latin motto meaning "Always Flexible", used by all of the branches of the US military. It is a play on the motto Semper Fidelis (which means "Always Faithful"), the official USMC motto. It is also a play on Semper Fortis which means "Always Strong", and the official motto of the US Coast Guard, Semper Paratus, meaning "Always Ready." (The real Latin phrase meaning "Always Flexible" would be Semper Flexibilis.) While the first use of Semper Gumby is often assigned to Captain Jay Farmer of HMM-264 in 1984 who actually flew with a Gumby character toy mounted on the standby compass on the instrument panel of his CH-46E nicknamed "Airwolf", the term was in use in 1977/78 in 1st Battalion, 5th Marines at Camp Pendleton. Popular belief has it that the term was first referenced by the 1st Sgt TOW Co. 3rd Tank Battalion 7th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Task Force Ripper) prior to deployment of Operation Desert Shield from MCAGCC 29 Palms, Ca. on August 15, 1990 who said "Marines, my platoon commander in Nam used to tell us 'Semper Gumby, Always Flexible'." So when things get weird or stressful, we say, "Semper Gumby" to help us manage a challenging situation. It helps.

When we finished scuba diving Saturday morning, we still had the rest of the afternoon to schedule before our departure on Sunday. So what to do? Perhaps a leisurely afternoon on the beach relaxing, or kayaking around the resort? Maybe a massage at the Spa then cocktails around the pool? Nope, not this crazy group! And guess who floated the crazy idea for the afternoon? It was Karen who suggested we all go zip lining in the jungle canopy of Roatan before leaving. Yes, Karen! Karen explains it this way, "I try to do something out of my comfort zone every year. Zip lining was one of those things I was afraid of but wanted to "feel my fear and do it anyway. When I found out there was zip lining in Roatan, I was all in. Thankfully, my traveling buddies were up for the adventure also! To be honest, after getting all geared up in my safety equipment, I was almost in tears as I stood on the first platform ready to fly through the jungle! But once I got going, it was lots of fun. My heart was beating fast but I was screeching for joy and landed with a big smile on my face. After doing all 12 zip line stations through the jungle and landing at the beach, I was ready to do it again! Doing this with our group made it just that much more fun. And after we finished the Zip line, staff took a group photograph for the record." But wait, there's more! While we were at Gumbalimba Park, after zipping through the jungle, we were offered a tour of their animal exhibit as well. The tour included activities such as walking through trails, crossing on a suspended bridge of 237 feet long over a small lagoon, and visiting various animals in their natural state. The animals that you will see are the green and black iguanas, agoutis, white-faced monkeys, Scarlett and Green Macaws, parrots, and other species of fauna. Gumbalimba also provides a program that rescues and rehabilitates animals or are in need of an appropriate living environment. All in all, our Roatan trip was a great adventure. We made some new friends and plan on visiting Suzy in Houston, TX when we are there in February. And we look forward to connecting up with Steven in Maine during the summer.

On Saturday, December 3, 2022 Karen and I left with three other diving friends for a scuba trip to the island of Roatan. According to Scuba Diving magazine, "About 30 miles off the northern coast of Honduras lies a precious Caribbean gem: the island of Roatan. The island’s dazzling array of marine life can be found on both shallow reefs and plummeting walls. It is well-known as a destination for hunting macro critters but equally famous for encountering the largest fish in the sea: majestic whale sharks. Roatan is perfectly suited for new and veteran divers alike. With coral gardens, shipwrecks such as the Odyssey and Aguila, sand flats full of hidden delights, and action-packed shark dives, there’s never a dull moment underwater." We flew from San Francisco, CA to Houston, TX to meet up with the rest of our traveling companions before leaving the next day. We arrived on Roatan on Sunday morning, December 4. Our accommodations and all our diving was booked at Anthony's Key Resort. After clearing customs and immigration we were all picked up by their airport transportation and driven to the resort. After checking in we went to the resort's dive shack to get equipment lockers and a boat assignment. Because our group was large enough we were provided our own dive boat and crew for the week. From there we took the water taxi to the island where our bungalows were located. Our bungalow included a private deck over the water with hammocks to relax in. After unpacking we headed to the pool bar for happy hour and the "two for one" drinks to celebrate our arrival. At 6PM the restaurant at the resort opened for dinner and our party proceeded via the water taxi over for our first meal. The meal quality, selection and service were exceptional. All the initial signs pointed to a great week ahead so we couldn't help but anticipate a wonderful vacation!

After picking up Trinity at the dealership following the repairs, we traveled to Cal Expo RV Park for our week in the Sacramento area. It was so good to be back in our rig after our visit with Erik, Tori and the grandkids. I must admit, it feels much better sleeping in our own bed again. We were bare bone glamping without many of our stored supplies and an empty refrigerator/freezer. So we picked up some essentials for breakfast and lunch at the grocery store for the week. We spent Thanksgiving weekend with Nick, Lindsey and the girls so in two weeks we were fortunate to see two of our three kid's families. While in Sacramento we had a roof rack installed over the truck's crew cab and added a Thule storage box for some additional storage capacity. We now can carry all our scuba diving equipment and inflatable two-person kayak in the 11 cubic foot storage area. The drawback to this new accessory is the added height to the truck which is now 8 feet 6 inches tall so no more drive-thru fast food or car washes. We also need to be aware of low hanging entrances to parking garage structures in shopping malls. We headed back to Sonoma County on Monday, November 28. Returning to Sonoma County we arrived at the Herrick vineyard base for the duration of this year. Our plans for December include a recreational diving trip with some of my fellow members of the Sonoma County Sheriff's dive team to Roatan, Honduras (December 3-11). We will visit with friends and church family throughout the holidays before leaving for a year on the road. Our itinerary is still in development, but the first part of January 2023 is scheduled with 6 days at Del Mar Beach at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California then east to Anza Borrego State Park for two days in the desert.

We spent the week following our Southern California trip getting the rig ready to take to Folsom Lake RV for needed repairs. The service department said they might need the trailer for two to three weeks, so we had to figure out where we were going to live while our house was in the shop. Fortunately, we had multiple invitation from our friends in Sonoma County, but decided to fly out of Sacramento to go stay with our son Erik's family in Denver. Because we had no definitive idea how long the actual repairs would take we packed for three weeks which included the Denver trip and our dive trip to Roatan, Honduras in December. In addition we needed to store some of the RV equipment in the trailer basement so the repair personnel could access the underbelly of the rig. Lorri and Greg Herrick were kind enough to let us use their barn in Healdsburg for our extra stuff. Wednesday, November 9 Stephen from Atlas RV Inspection came and got the underbelly of the rig buttoned up so we were safe to travel. On Monday, November 14 we left Healdsburg for Dixon May Fairgrounds in Dixon, CA to spend the night closer to the RV shop to avoid any traffic. The RV sites were the back-in, full hook-up type with plenty of room between the other rigs. We went to Bud's Pub and Grill in downtown Dixon for dinner and had a great meal. On Tuesday, November 15 we checked in the rig with Moriah, our Service Rep at Folsom Lake RV. We left our home in their care and headed for the Sacramento airport. We arrived at the Denver International Airport, rented a car and headed to Erik and Tori's home in Thornton, CO, about a 45 minute drive. We spent five days visiting our son's family having great meals together and some extended quality time together with the kids and grandkids. Thanks for the hospitality and a warm place to rest our heads! It really helped us out with a place to stay while the rig was in the shop and by Friday, November 18 we got the word the rig was repaired and ready for us. Three days not three weeks; that was an answer to prayer! Perfect timing for us and our return back to Sacramento on Sunday, November 20. We picked up the rig on Monday morning, November 21 just in time to visit with Nick and Lindsey in El Dorado Hills for the Thanksgiving week!

We returned from San Jose del Cabo joyfully rested and relaxed on Sunday evening, October 23. While in Mexico we had to call all our RV pre-booked reservations and cancel our planned trip for Southern California, Nevada and Utah. It was a disappointment, but given our trailer situation and the need to get it repaired before any further extensive traveling, it was a no brainer. Semper Gumby time! I had purchased tickets to the USC/Cal football game for November 5 at the LA Memorial Coliseum anticipating our trip to SoCal. Our friends, Jeff and Dana Guidi, Cal alumni were going to fly down to meet us. We had planned to pick them up at LAX and go to the game together. With our rig out of commission we had to make alternative plans. Karen and I had Jeff purchase tickets for the same Alaska Airlines flight out of Santa Rosa airport to LAX, He also booked two nights reservation at the LAX Embassy Suites so we could all travel down together for a great long weekend adventure. We left at zero dark thirty on November 4, Friday morning. We arrived at the hotel just in time for the complimentary breakfast, checked into our rooms and planned our first day. We rented a car across the street from the hotel and I took them on "a tour". I drove towards Santa Monica via Venice Beach to the western-most end of Route 66 at the Santa Monica Pier. From there it was on to Beverley Hills (Rodeo Drive) and Hollywood Blvd. (Walk of the Stars, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Paramount Studios). After a very long day, full of travel and sightseeing, it was back to the hotel for cocktails, snacks and early to bed. On Saturday, November 5 "Game Day" we left the hotel early enough to fit in more sightseeing and took the "Angels Flight" to the Walt Disney Concert Hall at 111 South Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, California. Angels Flight Railway was built in 1901 as the "Los Angeles Incline Railway". Angels Flight began at the west corner of Hill Street at Third and ran for two blocks uphill (northwestward) to its Olive Street terminus. Angels Flight consisted of two vermillion "boarding stations" and two cars, named Sinai and Olivet, pulled up the steep incline by metal cables powered by engines at the upper Olive Street station. As one car ascended, the other descended, carried down by gravity. Angels Flight is said to be the world's shortest incorporated railway. The counter-balanced cars, controlled by cables, travel a 33 percent grade for 315 feet. It is estimated that Angels Flight has carried more passengers per mile than any other railway in the world, over a hundred million in its first fifty years. This incline railway is a public utility operating under a franchise granted by the City of Los Angeles. The highlight of the day for me was attending the USC/Cal football game at the LA Memorial Coliseum. It was bittersweet being back during "Homecoming" for the Trojan family. I couldn't help but think about my dad's shared memories and his love for this school. The atmosphere with both school's marching bands, school mascots, the colors and energy added so much to the experience. Prior to the game, we walked through the USC campus down to Exhibition Park to the historic LA Memorial Coliseum venue. It was a memorable trip spending time and exploring with our great friends, Jeff and Dana Guidi.

With the discovery of a fifth wheel problem that would keep us off the road for the better part of a month, we were fortunate to have the Total Concepts trip to Mexico on our calendar. Karen has worked for Total Concepts for 18 years and the company owners offer an incredible opportunity to the employees every year. They pay for an all-inclusive trip to those that want to participate. This year it was a five day trip to the Hyatt Ziva resort in San Jose del Cabo. According to Trip Advisor, "Located on one of the most majestic peninsulas in the world and offering spectacular views of the Sea of Cortes, Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is a luxurious all inclusive oasis of sophistication and comfort. This magnificent beachfront resort is minutes from beautiful downtown San Jose del Cabo and features plush accommodations, impressive amenities, impeccable service and is just minutes from the international airport. Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is a unique, all inclusive experience that offers a myriad of activities from fine dining options at six restaurants and two gourmet buffet restaurants, to unique spa treatments, children’s programming and nightly entertainment shows. Enjoy deep-water fishing, scuba diving, world-class golf and many more adventure activities nearby. Or, simply relax and soak up the sun in one of the resort’s five swimming pools and breathtaking beachfront. This luxury resort also features 35,000 square feet of meeting facilities and ideal locations combined with the special touch of event planners who will attend to every last detail". We departed SFO on Wednesday, October 19 and traveled with 30 plus members of the company on Alaska Airlines to Cabo. This crowd knows how to have fun together, so spirits were high and laughter was a common sound heard among the group. Karen and I took advantage of the the pools everyday, an 80 minute spa massage on Thursday and shared gourmet meals with many of our friends in the group during the five days of relaxation we experience at the resort. Lord knows, after a stressful couple of days dealing with our broken rig situation, this couldn't have been a better thing to do. A big thank you to the Rechin family for their generosity and love, The employees truly recognize the way they honor their people, making Total Concepts successful in the construction industry in Sonoma County. This faith and trust in a Christ-centered business model is a testimony to their clients and community as a whole.

Monday, October 17 was departure day from our Doran Beach campsite back to Healdsburg, CA prior to our departure to San Jose Del Cabo on Wednesday, October 19. I was getting the rig ready to travel and went underneath to check some patches I had installed the prior evening. I noticed something odd about the underbelly liner near the rear axel. I could see a tear on the edge next to the leaf spring on the driver side. Upon closer examination it appeared the front edge of the fresh water tank had dropped and was resting on the interior of the underbelly liner. Was it safe to drive with the tank loose? I called the customer service department at Alliance and told them about my situation. In the meantime I tried to dump all the remaining fresh water from the tank to reduce the weight in the tank and on the liner. After talking with Stephanie in customer service we decided to take the slow road back to Healdsburg. Semper Gumby time! While en-route, Karen was calling a local mobile RV repair technician to see if we could get an appointment to have the damage assessed. Fortunately, by the grace of God, we made it to Healdsburg with the tank still attached. We set up the rig with electrical, water and sewer service on site and continued working the problem. By days end we had an appointment with Atlas Mobile RV Repair for Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday was a work day for me. I had another scheduled deposition at 10 AM and it lasted 7 hours and 15 minutes. Fortunately, Karen got home from work and met with Stephen the mobile RV repair technician. He removed the underbelly liner to get a closer look at the situation. My deposition over, I talked with him about our circumstance and he was extremely informative and helpful. He took pictures, which we forwarded to Stephanie at Alliance, of a broken steel frame bracket that was holding the tank in place. He jacked the tank up so it wasn't putting pressure on the electrical conductors and propane gas lines to the oven/stove appliances. With the tank jacked up and no propane gas leak detected we got ready to follow up with Stephanie at Alliance who was running point on our situation opening a case and arranging reimbursement for the mobile service call. A few more emails back and forth and that was all we could do for now. So, we left on Wednesday morning for Mexico for a five day, all expenses paid trip with the crew from Total Concepts (Karen's amazing and generous employer). She and I needed a vacation after a couple of trying days. Everything could wait until our return on Sunday, October 23.

We departed Grants Pass, OR on Sunday, 10/09 heading for JGW RV Park in Redding, CA on our way to Doran Beach, CA. While in Redding we called Jim and Mary Hanrahan, more of the cousins on the Hilen side, to see it they were up to a spontaneous visit. In true Hanrahan style they invited us over for some adult beverages and pizza. We had another great visit with family. We are so fortunate to have places along our route that allow us to connect with family for a get together. Monday, 10/10 we departed Redding, CA continuing south on Interstate 5 to route 505, Highway 80 to Hwy 37 and eventually Bodega Highway. This 5 hour route got us to Doran beach by 4PM with plenty of time to get settled in for our week stay on the California north coast. I booked this location about one year earlier due to its popularity. We were hoping for an "Indian" summer weather pattern but got some fog in the mornings with broken overcast. The temperature was moderate, in the low to mid 60's, and a welcomed change from the 90's the previous day in Redding. We were in site 69 of Cove Loop next to the USCG Bodega Bay Station so I could do some work with their personnel. Tuesday we were tied up with a number of appointments in Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park on our return to California. I also had a Coast Guard Auxiliary meeting in Petaluma. Wednesday Karen went in to work at TC and I walked to the USCG station for a meeting. Wednesday night, Greg and Lorrie Herrick drove out to meet us for dinner at Lucas Wharf restaurant. Thursday I went into Santa Rosa for some doctors appointment then returned early afternoon to get ready for our weekend company. On Friday, Nick and the family arrived to set up camp with us and on Saturday, Richard Schneider and crew arrived to add to the party. Eleven of us together for fun, food and even a tour of the Coast Guard Station too! We ended the family get-together with a bike trip to Captain Davy's Espresso and Ice Cream shop. It was a great time of family fellowship with Nick, Lindsey, Milo (Morgan) and Grace and our adopted family Richard, Portia, Silas, Owen and Eli.

We had a great four day visit with Jeff and Becky Hilen in Gig Harbor. We played a round of golf together, had some delicious meals and got to see some areas of the Puget Sound's south peninsula. We enjoyed the relaxing pace and getting to know our extended Washington State family. On Thursday, October 6 we left Jeff and Becky's heading south to a Harvest Host at the Ranch Hills Golf Course in Mulino, OR, We drove about four hours and arrived at our destination early enough to play 9 holes of golf before going to a small Mexican restaurant for dinner. Today we are in Grants Pass, OR at Schroeder Park. This is a great little park if you want to stay close in to the city of Grants Pass but don't want the big commercial type parks. It's right next to the Rogue River, quiet and well kept. The driveways have become buckled somewhat by the large oak trees but not a huge issue. Occasionally we hear an unexpected noise from acorns falling on the roof. The camp host was very friendly. If you are looking for seclusion near the city, this is a good bet.

Before leaving Whidbey Island Naval Air Station we posted our sign in the wayfarer section of the RV park. Being a Navy veteran I felt a strong reconnection to the memories of my service days while staying on the base. Our daily encounters with sailors and aviators welled up my strong appreciation for the young men and women who are presently carrying out the Navy tradition to protect and defend our life and liberty. Red, white and blue with some sea shells seemed a fitting theme for our flotsam and jetsam sign. We enjoyed every day on Whidbey Island and hope we will be able to return in the future. After posting our sign, we headed out for the Coupeville Ferry Terminal. Upon arrival at the Port Townsend terminal we travelled south to stay with Karen's cousins, Jeff and Becky Hilen in Gig Harbor, WA. We arrived at 5 PM and backed the fifth wheel into their driveway with no incidents. We are planning on "mooch docking" here for the next four days while hanging out with the family.