From Birthday Parties in Lake Havasu City, Arizona to Home in Ontario

First, this post is greatly delayed as we drove home immediately following our visit and within 24 hours of arriving safely, both of us came down with a very bad flu virus. Once I recovered, there was mounds of laundry, housework, grocery shopping, trailer unpacking to do and a trip to the vet with kitty. But anyway, here is the final blog post for the 2015-2016 season.

Our last weekend in the southwest is spent partying back in Lake Havasu City. Along the drive between I-10 in California and Parker, Arizona is this strange "shoe fence". We often see wacky stuff like this driving through the desert, and this day we make time to stop and take a few pictures. It's crazy - shoes and clothing just stuck in this fence. Need a shoe, take a shoe. Have a shoe, leave a shoe.

We arrive at Paul and Sue's on my birthday, and this beloved group of friends surprises me with a delightful chocolate cake after a dinner out for dollar tacos. How did you know chocolate was my favourite? I guess the t-shirt is a dead giveaway (it says "Give me chocolate and nobody gets hurt").

We're really here to celebrate Paul's 60th birthday. To party with friends is why Paul and Sue built this house in Lake Havasu City, and we thank them. Brad and I enjoy an afternoon with the group in the pool the day before the celebration.

Patron Silver Tequila Sue's blog already has the best party photos. We played volleyball in the pool, had a great Mexican feast for dinner, complete with margaritas and tequila shots. And Sue put together a groovy 2-hour playlist for evening dancing. What a party! One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor!

Camped in the one of three full hookup sites in the Porters' driveway with an almost full moon rising. Our last night in the southwest.

The day after the party and we make a run for the border - 2,400 miles (3,860 Km) in 3 days! Normally, we would take 4-5 days to do that kind of drive, but bad weather in the form of rain and gusting winds is expected on day 4, so it's a mad dash. Luckily, the weather is great all the way home, and we arrive on day 3 around 10:30 pm, unpack the entire trailer, and tumble into bed around 2am. But by bedtime the next night, we are both sick with the flu and spend almost a week in bed. But enough of that. Here's the 2015-2016 trip's numbers:

Total distance driven:	11,700 miles (18,830 km) in 5 months
Total amount spent on diesel (truck fuel)	$ 2,233 USD of which $910 USD was spent driving out and home (fuel was VERY cheap this year)
Total amount spent on propane (heating and cooking)	$ 293 USD which isn't bad considering it was a cooler, wetter season than in past years
Total trip-related expenses:	$ 3,740 (excludes groceries since we would buy food at home)
Average trip-related cost:	$ 25 per day for the two of us
States Visited:	Utah, Arizona and California
Number of different camping spots:	14 (2 were repeated during this year - Lake Havasu City and Yuma)
Amount spent on camping:	$24 - 2 nights paid for in 5 months; all the rest of the trip was free camping - a new record! And - on that second day after paying, we learned where the free camping is in the area, so we could have spent $0,000.00 on camping this year with that little extra smidge of knowledge!

Now to begin planning the next trip, hopefully to the Oregon coast starting in early September 2016. Safe and happy travels everyone. Thanks for following us for another year.

Favourite photo of the trip

Family in California

During our first visit, Christmas 2010

Since year one of our RV travels (2010), we come as far west as California to visit my uncle who moved to the Golden State in 1958. Sadly, and suddenly, he passed away last spring. As executor of his will, I carried out his wish to be cremated and return to California to pick up his remains and his few personal belongings. It's a bittersweet trip, knowing we'll never being able to visit Uncle Bill again, but we do meet his best friend, and visit with my aunt and cousins (not Uncle Bill's wife and daughters, but his brother Frank's).

 Background story - my dad had three brothers. Two, Uncles Frank and Bill and their families, moved to California in the mid and late 1950s; my dad, his oldest brother and their parents (my grandparents) stayed in Ontario. Uncle Bill's wife didn't like living in California, so she and their daughter returned to Ontario within a few months. They divorced, she remarried and Uncle Bill lost touch with his daughter. Unfortunately, their relationship didn't survive the distance.

 From the time I was a youngster, maybe 9 or 10 years old, I've written letters to Uncle Bill and we always exchanged birthday and Christmas cards. It was a practice we continued until his death. He was my favourite uncle. I don't know why; we rarely saw each other. We just clicked. I will miss him dearly, but having listened to stories about him from my aunt and cousins, and Uncle Bill's best friend about his life in California, I am convinced he lived his life exactly the way he wanted to. And isn't that all any of us can ask for?

Back - Bev, Dan; Middle - me, Aunt Irene, Jan; Front - Brad A fun and very chatty day is spent with my Aunt Irene, cousins Jan and Bev, and Jan's husband Dan. We haven't seen each other in almost 10 years. We also share our best memories of Uncle Bill.

Uncle Bill's best friend, Tony and his wife Libra. Uncle Bill spent a numerous holidays, weekends and evenings with Tony and his family over the past 30+ years, being granted honorary grandpa status to Tony's three children.

Century old olive trees shade this outdoor patio Tony takes us on a tour of the area, something we could never get Uncle Bill to do during our visits. At 80+ years old, Uncle Bill didn't want to venture far from home. This is Padua Hills Theatre about half-way up Mount Baldy. Originally privately owned, it was bequeathed to Pomona College in Claremont, which later transferred the title to the citizens of Claremont. It is beautifully preserved and still used for dinner, dancing, theatre and special events.

San Antonio Falls, Mt. Baldy One of Uncle Bill's favourite spots on Mount Baldy, San Antonio Falls. Ice pellets start to rain down as we begin the short, 1/4 mile hike from the parking lot. But we have to see it.

Brad and I near the Falls. Yup, that's snow up there. And it's drizzling ice pellets!

The last photo I have of Uncle Bill, taken during our visit during the American Thanksgiving in November 2014. He's enjoying a beer at our campsite in San Dimas above the Puddingstone Reservoir, a spot he really loved for its great view and tranquility in the maze of California highways.

May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.