Another Happy Meeting

In May, while staying in a Corps of Engineers campground in Texas, we discovered that the couple next to us owned a funeral home, just like we did 30+ years ago. We had a good visit with them.

This week, we talked to the couple next to us here in the Apostle Islands Area Campground in Bayfield, WI. After learning they were retired, enjoyed RVing so much they had talked about going on the road full-time, and they loved hiking and biking, we gave them our card with our blog address. A little later, they brought their card over so we could see their blog. We already had a lot in common and from the blog, we learned the wife, Trish, is a retired Presbyterian minister. Since John is a retired Episcopal priest, we had a lot more to talk about.

If you look carefully at the words on their hats/visors, you will see Trish and Jack have a ministry to children being Santa and Mrs. Claus. Who would have guessed that Santas get together to share ideas on ways to relate better to children? Did you know that in Georgia (and, perhaps, other places) Santas are on call to visit ill children anytime during the year? We didn't, but were impressed with how much this might mean to a sick or dying child.

A Small World

On our last day at Cedar Ridge COE Campground on Lake Belton, we spent some time talking to the couple in the 5th-wheel trailer next to ours. Who would guess that we would be next door to another couple that, just like us, had owned a funeral home? Ken grew up in his family's funeral home in Belton and owned it for several years. John grew up in his family's funeral home, then we owned it for nine years. Ken and Karen had experiences much like ours.



We have had lots of small-world type encounters during our years of RV travel, but this has to be the most unusual. After all, how many people own funeral homes and RV?

After six months in one spot, and that spot was in the Arizona desert, we were glad for a change of scenery as we started our summer travels. It seems, however, we have become even more attached to the advantages of full hook-ups. While were we glad to see trees and water our our rear window,



we found that we really missed having a sewer hook-up after two weeks without one in corps of engineers campgrounds. I know, many of you spend weeks, even months, without sewer, and often without electrical or water hook-ups. You don't mind conserving water and storage tank space, then finding a dump station. But we have come to really like all the amenities of home, wherever we park our home. So we are spending four or five days in commercial parks. For one thing, it was good to have a laundromat close by. We hadn't washed clothes for 11 days!

Today, we rode our bikes on the Legacy River Trail in Arlington. It was THE place to be on a sunny Saturday morning, I guess. The paved trail had families walking and biking, individuals jogging and walking, and lots of serious bike riders. We enjoyed our hour-plus ride for 6 or 7 miles through the beautiful forests along the Trinity River.







The river isn't exactly clear and bubbling.

A Great Town

We are really impressed with Prescott, Arizona, and have had a great time since we arrived on Friday. Point of Rocks Campground is on the edge of the Granite Dells. We had never even heard of the Dells before, but we sure are enjoying them. Saturday morning we took the trail out of the campground to Watson Lake, one of two man-made lakes now owned by the City of Prescott. The views of the lake were spectacular.



Today, we walked on another trail out of the campground and were able to view the lake and also explore the mounds of granite in the dells.



There are lots lizards about. This one let me take its picture this morning.



Earlier this morning we rode out bikes on a trail near Willow Lake.



Although a sign said we were near a great blue heron rookery, I really think the birds I saw on and near the nests were double crested cormorants. Anybody have a better suggestion?



In addition to hiking and biking, there are a lot of other things to do and see in Prescott. This was the first capitol of Arizona when it became a territory. The courthouse square is full of art shops and refurbished saloons from Whiskey Row where the early bars and bordellos were located. Some have colorful signs.



We saw a neat hat shop.



The Yavapai County Courthouse is very attractive.



And we saw two great bronze statues outside. The first honors Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders and the local volunteers who fought with him. The second is called "Cowboy at Rest."



Prescott reminds us a little to Durango, Colorado, or Sheridan, Wyoming. It is a mile high, the same elevation as Denver. We really like it here.