Our stay in Mesa, AZ, at Val Vista Villages, was now officially our longest in one place since we started full-time traveling in December of 2012. June was an unusually hot month but our A/C kept up with demand and we stayed cool or spent time in the pool (until it was closed in pandemic response). Friends Tina and Ron called it quits with their traveling and gave us a nice awning screen which made outdoor activities tolerable most mornings.
One day we kept hearing a tapping sound at the door. I finally spied this Gambel's Quail arguing with her reflection in the panel below our door. She and her babies finally ambled off across the road leaving us in peace.
We had agreed to terms on a Park Model in the Fiesta section. Penny and Jim already had their new house so I helped them with some odds and ends to hurry along their move. Joani, ever anxious to get started bought two new ceiling fans which Penny allowed me to install even before the sale had closed. Then Joani found the perfect sofa sleeper for the living room. Since the house was now empty we put it inside as well. I did worry just a bit about everything we were doing before the house was ours but, as long as I didn't do anything permanent or destructive, I rationalized it would be OK.
The process of buying a park model is very much like buying a used car - you simply sign the back of the title and register the exchange (technically it is a Recreational Vehicle). Since they could not find the original title they had to apply for a replacement - that delayed things a bit.
Our daughter, Kate, was finished with the school year and thought about driving out to Mesa. I suggested, as an alternative, she could fly out and then ride back with us in the coach. Everyone agreed and we had a plan. Kate could see the park model and maybe even help with some of the initial remodeling. She was able to stay in it while Joani and I stayed in the coach a few sites away. With a new place to store our treasures, we took everything out of the coach but the bare essentials so we could load up things from storage in Georgia and bring them back to Arizona. The coach was its lightest since we bought it.
That pesky replacement title stood in the way of starting any demolition and even threatened our reservations heading back to Georgia. When it finally arrived we had everything signed, notarized, and into the DMV the afternoon before we were scheduled to leave.
Kate really wanted to help with the removal of cabinets in the living room and once the place was officially ours, I consented even though we were driving the next morning, June 27th. That was a quick but satisfying demo as we moved the cabinets to the shed. I slept pretty well that night after the unexpected workout.
That was as much as we could do because we really wanted to travel back to Georgia. Between the pandemic and groups prone to shutting down highways, it was a little disconcerting to set out on a cross-country trip but it had already been much too long since we had seen our beautiful baby granddaughter, Alice. Of course, it would also be good to see the kids and family in Tennessee, too.
The straightest route east was along I-10 through Arizona and New Mexico then I-20 across Texas just south of Fort Worth and Dallas. The day started out hot, over 100 degrees F. We tried to drive with the generator running so we could use the rooftop A/C to keep us cool. Unfortunately, every time we hit a pothole the generator stopped. I was worried about using the dash air since the engine seemed to be running hot.
When we arrived in Deming, NM, we found the front roof air was no longer operational. It's always something when you have a house that moves down the road!
Our second night took us to Monahans Sandhills State Park in Monahans, TX. A surprising gem that we will visit again in the future.
We spotted several dung beetles rolling their prizes up the dunes. Just a little bit gross if you think about it too much.
There was some cloud drama and thunder and rain on the horizon. We stayed warm and dry and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. Kate thought she would sleep well with the windows open. Unfortunately, the breeze stopped when the sun set and I suspect she was not very comfortable.
Our third night was spent at my cousin Steve and Angie's place, south and a bit west of Fort Worth, TX. They have 17 acres and some nice level areas for the coach. It was a hot and humid night! The next morning Steve suggested we could take a look at the A/C. Disassembly was actually really straightforward. We quickly found the motor was seized up. Steve determined he could free the bearings with some oil and a little work. Sure enough, he had it spinning like new and reassembled in no time. We started the generator and, voila!, we had functioning A/C.
We spent two nights at the ranch and had a great time - Thank you, Steve and Angie!
Our next stay was at Ouachita Campground in Monroe, LA. Just a quick overnight where we discovered in our efforts to empty the coach we neglected to bring along a wine bottle opener. Luckily, our next-door neighbor came to our rescue.
It was too far from Louisiana to Atlanta without one more stop this time at Jennings Ferry campground in Eutaw, AL. We had to stay a few nights in Alabama before our reservation in Georgia started. Finally, we reached Sawnee Campground in Cumming, GA, our old stomping grounds. Kate was happy to be home and said she enjoyed the trip even if it was 25 hours of driving instead of 4 hours of flying.
As quickly as we could we made our way to Jon and Sara's house. What can I say about this little angel - she was such a good-natured beauty. Always smiling and ready to melt our hearts.
Several days were spent going through everything in storage. We determined what we might want to have in Arizona and what we could fit in the RV with us. We carefully weighed everything as it was loaded so we did not exceed the coach weight limit. As it turned out, we were never close to the weight limit but we did pack until we ran out of space.
After a couple of weeks in Georgia, we said our goodbyes and drove to Lebanon, TN, where we put the coach in storage for a month while we stayed with my Mom. It was good to see family and friends. In the back of our minds, we were all the while refining plans for the park model waiting for us back in Arizona.
The pandemic hysteria seemed to escalate with each passing day making it difficult to ignore. Eventually, it made our decision to head back to Mesa seem more pressing. Joani plotted a return route along I-40 to I-30 to I-20 and finally I-10 to Phoenix. Our first night was at the Agricenter in Memphis, TN. We were familiar with this place having attended a rally there many years ago. I agreed to several long days of driving to return as quickly as possible. I was very concerned with states closing campgrounds or closing borders to travelers. We overnighted in Stinson RV Park in Campbell, TX, then a return stay at Monahans Sandhills SP in Texas and Dreamcatcher RV Park in Deming, NM, before getting back to Val Vista Villages in Mesa, AZ. That was a lot of miles in five days of driving but the peace of mind was worth the effort.
Joani and I were both excited at the prospect of a new project as a focus to keep our minds off the insanity that had its grip on the year 2020.
