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Main Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: CalCruiser on March 05, 2019, 06:41:19 pm

Title: Phoenix Free Birds thread - let's talk travel !!
Post by: CalCruiser on March 05, 2019, 06:41:19 pm
With the days getting longer and spring approaching it's almost time to get out and play :-D
Where's everyone heading to  this spring or summer? Destinations or recommended day trips and stops along the way? Chime in !

We're heading to Archview in Moab for 3 days at the end  of April. Renting a Jeep to explore Canyonlands and take the long way in to Arches. Driving from SoCal  with a stopover in Vegas  or  Saint George , still TBD. Favorite routes , stop-overs or must sees along the way??

Finally scored an early June reservation for Upper  Pines in Yosemite (a real tough one!!) . Got a  preferred campsite next to a seasonal creek (hopefully not a river this year) . The falls will be cranking  from all the snow in the high country. Overnighting at Bass lake on the way in and out (site of  The Great Outdoors movie starring the late John Candy). Will be watching out for bears!
Title: Re: Phoenix Free Birds thread - let's talk travel !!
Post by: Ron Dittmer on March 05, 2019, 06:53:23 pm
If only we could drive our PC to Israel and Greece.   :'(

We are heading back to the Holy Land to take it slower this year and absorb it rather than via a fast-paced tour.

We are also visiting Irene's aunt in Greece.  Maybe you heard of her.  Vefa Alexiadou is the "Julia Childs" of Greece.  She is now 85 and needs a lot of help with her home.  It will be a working vacation there fixing faucets, toilets, windows, and window dressings.  Greece's failed economy along with Aunt Vefa loosing her 2 daughters months apart to sudden illness, just wiped her out.  Her daughters were her managers.  Vefa's cook books on Greek cooking was a hit in the USA for a while.  CLICK HERE (https://www.marthastewart.com/247688/chef-vefa-alexiadous-milk-pie) to see her on the Martha Stewart show.
Title: Re: Phoenix Free Birds thread - let's talk travel !!
Post by: mikeh on March 05, 2019, 10:58:15 pm
Hi Cal!

As a new RV'r I'm definitely in a learning curve, so while I have some general plans I'm keeping things pretty flexible.  One of the things I plan to do is to run down to the Keys--while I've been in Florida in the past, never made it across the Overseas Highway and through the Keys--I plan to remedy that during the year.  My son and family in Colorado will be traveling this summer after the kids are out of school, so I'll plan to rendezvous with them as well; they've made the western and eastern Disney pilgrimages the last couple of years, and plan to head west again with some time in Yosemite--so I'll be out that way probably in June.  I want to make a trip to northern Wisconsin to see some specific areas that I've read about for years (any one read McQuarrie?), so hope fit that in as well--probably late summer/early fall.  It all sounds somewhat ambitious right now, when all looped together, but I've got the the time available, and that's why I bought the RV.

All the best,       Mike
Title: Re: Phoenix Free Birds thread - let's talk travel !!
Post by: 2 Frazzled on March 06, 2019, 09:33:49 am
We're currently in Arizona waiting for the thaw so we can start north. We're on a quest to find an awesome location for the Phoenix Cruiser Travel Club Reunion for 2020. We'll be hitting Sedona, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon, St. George/Zion, Bryce, Salt Lake City, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone before looping across the upper U.S. then back around to Charleston SC for the 2019 PCTC Reunion. We'll probably hit the Black Hills on the way through. No reservations so far, no set schedule, just wandering.

I like the "Phoenix Free Birds" name!
Title: Re: Phoenix Free Birds thread - let's talk travel !!
Post by: keelhauler on March 06, 2019, 09:38:49 am
We have been in our PC since 11/10 and in a week or so will be back home and be done until next fall. We are wintertime RV'rs.
Title: Re: Phoenix Free Birds thread - let's talk travel !!
Post by: gandalf42 on March 06, 2019, 10:53:30 am

We are heading back to the Holy Land to take it slower this year and absorb it rather than via a fast-paced tour.


About to take an Israel tour in a week. Checking it all out it's clear there is so much more to see than all is listed on the tour so already thinking may have to go back sometime and wander on my own...so interested in how it goes for you.

RV Plans: Oregon and then a trip down the western side of the Rockies starting in British Columbia. Albuquerque Balloon Festival in the fall. Copper Canyon and parts of Mexico next winter.
Title: Re: Phoenix Free Birds thread - let's talk travel !!
Post by: Ron Dittmer on March 06, 2019, 04:10:48 pm
We are heading back to the Holy Land to take it slower this year and absorb it rather than via a fast-paced tour.
About to take an Israel tour in a week. Checking it all out it's clear there is so much more to see than all is listed on the tour so already thinking may have to go back sometime and wander on my own...so interested in how it goes for you.
I'll let you know upon our return.

Our experience with the 7 day tour covered so much each day.  I don't knock it because we did see so very much.  I recommend such a power-tour as a first-visit.  Unfortunately yet understandably so, it moved along so quickly that the Holy Spirit inside us just couldn't get stirred up.  Our plan is to stay 6-7 nights in or close to old Jerusalem and walk around on our own to many of the same places we been to before, and a few not yet seen.  We might rent a car to expand our foot print, but only if we so desire at that time.

Safe travels and Shalom!
Title: Re: Phoenix Free Birds thread - let's talk travel !!
Post by: garmp on March 06, 2019, 04:59:21 pm
Been trying to make our way down to Louisiana for a couple of weeks, but the DW & I both have been hit with a respiratory bug and our plans are delayed. But not out! Just gonna be a bit later and a bit shorter than originally planned.
Almost for the best weather wise and Mardi Gras is over.
Title: Re: Phoenix Free Birds thread - let's talk travel !!
Post by: donc13 on March 06, 2019, 07:19:19 pm
Garmp,  if it makes you feel any better, we are on the Gulf coast and it is cold, wet and windy.  The Canadians next to us were in NOLA  a few days ago and said it was really foggy.  I'm sorry you aren't feeling well but the delay may be a blessing while we wait for this "global warming" thing to kick in.  Safe travels.

Patti
Title: Re: Phoenix Free Birds thread - let's talk travel !!
Post by: 2 Frazzled on March 07, 2019, 08:55:14 am
We have been in our PC since 11/10 and in a week or so will be back home and be done until next fall. We are wintertime RV'rs.
Isn't it still evil winter in northern Ohio? You may want to wander back slooooowly.
Title: Re: Phoenix Free Birds thread - let's talk travel !!
Post by: 2 Lucky on March 07, 2019, 09:18:12 am
We're currently in Arizona waiting for the thaw so we can start north. We're on a quest to find an awesome location for the Phoenix Cruiser Travel Club Reunion for 2020. We'll be hitting Sedona, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon, St. George/Zion, Bryce, Salt Lake City, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone before looping across the upper U.S. then back around to Charleston SC for the 2019 PCTC Reunion. We'll probably hit the Black Hills on the way through. No reservations so far, no set schedule, just wandering.

I like the "Phoenix Free Birds" name!

Great Name for sure!
You may be hunkering down in AZ awhile, the way the weather has been and the forecast is looking. All of your destinations are fantastic, and hopefully you can get to some of them before the summer onslaught hits. Hard to believe right now that summer is just around the corner!
Happy Trails
Dougn
Title: Re: Phoenix Free Birds thread - let's talk travel !!
Post by: 2 Frazzled on March 07, 2019, 09:37:16 am
Weather definitely is hitting some extremes. I'm considering pushing North just to get some humidity. I feel like the air is sucking all the moisture out of my body. We did laundry and the hang dry stuff was almost dry by the time we got it back to the house to hang it up. I'm talking something like 15 minutes! I've already hit nose bleed stage and we probably have another month in dry climates. I see people basking in the sun and cringe. I'm a serious weather wimp.
Title: Re: Phoenix Free Birds thread - let's talk travel !!
Post by: Volkemon on March 07, 2019, 10:34:20 am
Weather definitely is hitting some extremes. I'm considering pushing North just to get some humidity. I feel like the air is sucking all the moisture out of my body. We did laundry and the hang dry stuff was almost dry by the time we got it back to the house to hang it up. I'm talking something like 15 minutes! I've already hit nose bleed stage and we probably have another month in dry climates. I see people basking in the sun and cringe. I'm a serious weather wimp.

Did someone say humidity?   hithere  We got that.  :lol

I can agree. In 2009 we were seriously looking at moving to the boulder area, but the dryness would have me with chronic nosebleeds also. We did a few 1 week stays, and by day 2 I was in 'nose misery'.  LOVED the area (like Vermont, but with money and culture),  the job offer was attractive, but I could not deal with the dry.  :'(


But hey... I am a 'caged bird' still. Our hope is to get the PC *gasp* OUT OF STATE  roflol for the first time in our ownership.  Several festies coming up in state however..it is season! 
Title: Re: Phoenix Free Birds thread - let's talk travel !!
Post by: garmp on March 07, 2019, 05:46:44 pm
donc13, thanks for the kind words. Just returned from the doc's and the DW's gonna be house bound for at least a week. So that sort of blows this trip out the window as we have to be back home last full week of March to tend to my Aunt (91) for a while.
We are planning a trip to the hill country of Texas end of April/early May. Looks like we'll just have to wrap some extra time in there for Louisiana.
Title: Re: Phoenix Free Birds thread - let's talk travel !!
Post by: bftownes on March 13, 2019, 08:33:35 am
If only we could drive our PC to Israel and Greece.   :'(

We are heading back to the Holy Land to take it slower this year and absorb it rather than via a fast-paced tour.

We are also visiting Irene's aunt in Greece.  Maybe you heard of her.  Vefa Alexiadou is the "Julia Childs" of Greece.  She is now 85 and needs a lot of help with her home.  It will be a working vacation there fixing faucets, toilets, windows, and window dressings.  Greece's failed economy along with Aunt Vefa loosing her 2 daughters months apart to sudden illness, just wiped her out.  Her daughters were her managers.  Vefa's cook books on Greek cooking was a hit in the USA for a while.  CLICK HERE (https://www.marthastewart.com/247688/chef-vefa-alexiadous-milk-pie) to see her on the Martha Stewart show.

Ron, we just returned from a 10 day tour of Israel.  Our guide was a former combat medic in the Israeli Army.  He took us to some very interesting places that were more of a political interest than religious.  It was a great trip.

Barry T
Title: Re: Phoenix Free Birds thread - let's talk travel !!
Post by: Ron Dittmer on March 13, 2019, 12:09:15 pm
If only we could drive our PC to Israel and Greece.   :'(

We are heading back to the Holy Land to take it slower this year and absorb it rather than via a fast-paced tour.

We are also visiting Irene's aunt in Greece.  Maybe you heard of her.  Vefa Alexiadou is the "Julia Childs" of Greece.  She is now 85 and needs a lot of help with her home.  It will be a working vacation there fixing faucets, toilets, windows, and window dressings.  Greece's failed economy along with Aunt Vefa loosing her 2 daughters months apart to sudden illness, just wiped her out.  Her daughters were her managers.  Vefa's cook books on Greek cooking was a hit in the USA for a while.  CLICK HERE (https://www.marthastewart.com/247688/chef-vefa-alexiadous-milk-pie) to see her on the Martha Stewart show.
Ron, we just returned from a 10 day tour of Israel.  Our guide was a former combat medic in the Israeli Army.  He took us to some very interesting places that were more of a political interest than religious.  It was a great trip.

Barry T
Wow, that founds fascinating.

But this trip for us will be a slow paced self-guided tour with our bibles in-hand reading the scriptures to explain what exactly happened in each of the places we go back to.  We will include a few new stops.