Apricity West 5

March 28, 2025 - Friday

Early walk while it was cool. Went over to Terri and Jim’s for cheeseburgers, veggie tray and potato salad. 

Terri, Rich and I played a number of songs for Mrs. Parsons - she seemed to enjoy it. After Jim took her home, we started cocktail hour inside and moved it outside - solving the problems of the world! 

 

March 29, 2025 - Saturday

Another early walk. Terri and Jim were invited to a birthday party this morning - their neighbors first born son, Amari, was born to Landon and Monique while we were here last year. So this was his first birthday and the party was at a local park/zoo - 100 friends and family (Mexican culture style)! This little boy is very lucky - he already has 2 electric cars - a Jeep and a Chevy. 

Rich and I went to the Barrio Brewery to save a table for the four of us. We opted to come back here as it is a favorite from past years. 

Then we went to La Encantada Shopping Center to complete the trifecta of FROST gelato shops in Tucson.

Didn’t realize there was an Art Festival happening here today, so here are a bunch of pictures I took.

This booth was another family showing from Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua, Mexico. It is fired in an open pit or kiln, using local materials like cedar wood, which give the pottery its characteristic smoky appearance. The artisans use a hand-coiled technique by adding coils of clay to a base, rather than a wheel, and then smooth it out. They also carve the designs with special tools before hand painting it. This family is proud of the dark smoky black pieces it created.

Artist hand paints the clay after it is fired. 

There is also a co-op Artist Shop in the center and here is a tour of it:

March 30, 2025 - Sunday

After walking the RV park for the last time, Terri and Jim picked us up to have our last meal at the TTT Truck Stop. We are sad to learn that the business, including Omar’s Grill, is on the market. We asked our waitress about it and she asked if we wanted to buy it! Another family business that was passed down 2 generations and the current gen isn’t interested in carrying on. Same thing with the Escapee RV Parks. Sad 🥺.

 

Went back to our patio and visited - reminiscing and imagining possibilities for the future. Over the last 5 years, we have had tons of fun, laughs, bantor, a few tears (usually when leaving), intellectual conversations, discovery, sharing thoughts and ideas, exploring old and new Tucson events, and don’t forget the musical escapades 🎹 🪕 🎸 🍹 + harmonica. As has been their custom each year, they handed us a delightful travel bag full of this 'n that - favorite food items, including Trader Joe’s grain variety and dark chocolate peanut butter cups, stickers for our water bottles, a Tuscon magnet, coasters and a box of tissues!

1st and 4th/last born of those Bickford girls 💕

March 31, 2025 - Monday

Didn’t sleep well last night - leaving this beautiful part of the country for the last time was on my mind. We took off at 6:30am so did NOT get a free apple fritter for the road - proud to say we didn’t get one single donut this year at Crazy Horse! In the past years, we got one for each of us twice a week. Stayed on Interstate 10 until Deming, NM - easy peasy today. Traveled through the jaw dropping Texas Canyon with enormous boulders teetering on larger boulders. We passed from Pacific Time Zone into Mountain Time Zone. New Mexico, Land of Enchantment, is known to have blinding dust storms. The road signs say:

• In a Dust Storm
• Pull Off Roadway
• Turn Vehicle Off
• Feet Off Brakes
• Stay Buckled

New Mexico:

The plan was to stop at Lordsburg to gas up, but the entry overpass was closed due to a too tall vehicle crashing into the bridge! Looking back, we could actually see the bridge was bent. No worries - we usually stop at a half tank of gas… 

 

After a briefer than usual walk for me, we had a rich conversation sprinkled with laughter with Dennis, Fran and Rich - great people. 

 

Sad to say I won’t see Pat for one last walk as planned. Due to weather, we only stayed here one night. But we had a great conversation on the cell and wished each other well…

 

April 1, 2025 - Tuesday

On the road by 6am today in an effort to beat the red flag winds they are predicting. I drove a short distance from Alamogordo to Vaughan, NM (Suzie) on Route 54 which was an easy drive. The winds seem to be pushing us along, so we decided to continue to Elk City making it a 10-hour day! Plus Rich doesn’t like sitting around when we are on a mission. Had several opportunities to go inside at a gas stop and buy junk, especially Cinnabons! But we planned carefully for hand held snacks while driving and easy prep meals at the end of the day - Stouffer Frozen Dinners! So far so good… 

 

Entered Texas and the Central Time Zone

Entered Oklahoma - my birth state

As for my daily walk - I did go around the small park twice. Not a lot, but didn’t break my streak.

 

April 2, 2025 - Wednesday

On the road at 7:30am, destination Springfield, MO. Yesterday, we were running with the wind; today, we are chasing the rain storms ahead of us with none in sight - thankfully. We stopped at a Red Apple Truck Stop for fuel and there was an Indian Restaurant in it. Whoa! We love Indian food - so I got two orders of curry chicken and garlic naan to go. It smelled so good, but we waited another hour to get to the KOA for the night. Turns out, there was so much food that we split one order and will have the other tomorrow. 

 

Crossed into Missouri and Central Time Zone

Did a short walk twice around the RV park. Had a nice phone call with both Dot and Cindy today. Keeping up with North Ranch news. 

 

April 3, 2025 - Thursday

Woke up to the robins singing their uplifting song. Leaves and flowers are budding, grass is turning green. Got on the road at 6:30 to outrun the rains. BUT Roadrunner was just chugging along with no get up and go. Ugh! OK - put on your problem solving hat while moving. First thought - fuel filter? Got on Google in search of "diesel mechanic near me” and came up with one behind us and several ahead of us. Called one of them and got an answer at 7am - that’s a good start. Steve answered on the first ring and told me his shop just moved so he doesn’t have filters, but there is an O’Reilly between us and him, so we pulled off of I-70 and bought the last one they had. Then, on to his new location. This didn’t help our plan to beat the storms, but this family owned business is amazing. It is so refreshing to meet folks that are kind, skilled, helpful, and genuine. When I asked how much we owed him, he said, “Is $100 fair?” Fair? Amazing... 

Crossed over into Illinois. 

We planned to stay in Cloverdale, IN tonight, but they never answered the phone all day long. So we pulled off in Casey, IL (Tim!) an hour shy of Cloverdale. I drove the last couple of hours. Finished our Indian food, took a 2-round-the-park walk before the rain, had a bourbon/cranberry drink, and then hit the sack. Tomorrow onward to Erie, PA, our last night out. 

 

Rain tomorrow - Stay tuned...