Week 334 - Tour 2013 - 01-06-2013

Tour 2013

After spending over six months in our home area, we have headed out for a little travel. As has been our habit since we began, we will again spend our winter in Southern California and Arizona. In April we will come home for a visit and fly to Maui for a rest. Then our tour really begins. In the last seven years we have visited all 50 states and five Canadian Provinces, so you might think we've seen it all. Not even close! You could travel for 50 years and not see all the USA and when you add Canada, well, it takes more than a lifetime.

Here is our planned path for January 2013 to May 2014 and what we have to look forward to.
    Winter in the state of Warm.
    Visit family in Atascadero.
    Relax in Maui with our lifelong friend Paul.
    Visit Emily in Paradise.
    Visit new parts of many states.
    Visit the Maritimes. The Maritimes are the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. They are north and east of Maine, off our map.
    See the trees change fall colors in Maine.
    Visit the inland portion of the East Coast states, as we followed the coast in 2007.
    Visit friends in Florida and relatives in Georgia.
    Visit very Southern Texas and Southern New Mexico.
    Experience tornadoes, hurricanes and flooding in the East!
    Return to California in the spring.
    Camp out in Nebraska, West Virginia, Maine, Rhode Island and Mississippi. We have visited but not stayed overnight in these states.

While we have been in all 50 states, some RV purists consider that you must stay overnight to claim the state. This will clinch our title!

Seriously, does anyone think we will really do this? We never know where we will be next week, so at best this is a wild guess. But, you have to start somewhere. Now for this week.

When we first left home in 2006, just driving down the street seemed mystical. After our long furlough at home, it was just as exciting as day one. Here we are at Golden Hill Road and Highway 46 in Paso Robles, ready for another year of adventure.

Passing Shandon, North San Luis County shows off its beautiful spring greenery amongst the foothills.

Ellen and Mandy are happy whenever they are together.

Our goal is to head to warm country. The Tejon Pass on Highway 5 is not it! But it was fun to see on the way to Indio, California.

Lots of families stopped in Frazier Park to play in the snow.

And that reminded us to fill up on propane at the Flying J.

Foul weather was responsible for a good photo of Pyramid Lake.

And it made for wonderful color contrasts along the highway.

Arriving in Indio with the temperature in the 70's.

"Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high . . ."

John Denver, 1971

Welcome aboard the MotherShip's Tour 2013, we're glad to have you with us.

Love, Pete, Ellen and the always happy Mandy.