Thursday, February 24 through Saturday, February 26, 2012
New Casita, Here We Come!
One thousand thirty-five miles from home, sunshine, blue skies and 65.° We've found the sun! But wait, I am getting ahead of myself. (By the time I post this blog, we will have traveled even farther, to Barstow, CA where we are spending the night.
For one of the first times in recent years, we left home on February 24 between 8:00am and 8:30am. Must be a record for us. Right up to the day we were doing bookkeeping, readying tax returns, taxiing grandchildren to and from school and friends' houses, and otherwise providing care/supervision for them while Kurt and Heather celebrated their 20th anniversary in Hawaii. Think it was amazing we left when we did. Both of us were exhausted. I was concerned about our stamina for the long, long drive to Rice, Texas to pick up our new Casita Travel Trailer. Our car is chock-full to the roof and windows with the contents of the old trailer - same kind, but 19 years old.
Choosing to ease slowly into the grueling drive, we chose to stay in Cottage Grove, OR the first night out, taking advantage of the $99 Dinner Package with dinner, a bottle of wine, complementary breakfast and king-sized bed all inclusive. (Also inclusive was the non-flushing toilet, but who's complaining? Dinner was wonderful.) Duffy got a 14-15 mile bike ride in on a bike trail that wound through the countryside. The second night we stayed at sister Deb's (Duffy's sis in Paradise, CA). We love seeing her and staying in her home. She had a delicious pot of soup in the slow cooker and I had the best night's sleep in a long while in her big, comfy bed. Deb gifted us with a “trailer warming gift” of space savings travel accessories and yummy snacks for the drive. Thank you, Deb!
Today's drive is the longest of the first three days of our trip: about 500 miles from Paradise to Barstow, CA. We left early in the morning again to get in early enough to have a leisurely meal and go to bed early to face the fourth day with the rising sun again. Smooth sailing all the way! Thank you, Lord.
We are loving the Honda Pilot we purchased in December for the purpose of pulling the trailer. It drives well and rides smoothly. So far, with tailwinds on I-5 through the Central Valley we are getting 27+ mpg! (MPG leveled out with the climb up Tehachapi Pass, albeit with a tailwind.)
Until next time....
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