The Big Push begin's

Howdy again.

On the road

Monday May 11th was the beginning of the beginning. We are calling this "The Big Push". We got up at five am to get ready and hit the road. Eddie wanted to make it up the hill out of the desert before it got to hot. Highway 10 has a pretty steep climb going up to Chircho Summit. Our Freeda made it with no problems. We also wanted to avoid the bad winds. We were VERY grateful that it was pretty calm. I like calm weather and smooth roads!!!!

Bad pic of the Colorado River

Hello Arizona

I snapped a pic of the Colorado River, but you see more of the window screen than the river!!! We crossed into Arizona about eight in the morning. The highway is a pretty nice one, and we were traveling along nicely.
There were sign's about Dome Rock, so I just had to get a shot of it. It is pretty interesting looking. I have never been to Arizona. It is very interesting State so far.

Dome Rock

Quartsite AZ

Funky little place

Heading to Phoenix

We stopped in Quartzsite Arizona to stretch our legs and eat breakfast. Eddie took Suzy for a little walk while I cleaned up from Breakfast. Quartzsite we hear is a VERY big RV place. Right now it isn't the season, but when it is, Quartzsite is the place to be. Maybe next year we can experience it. 

After our little break, we headed back out to Phoenix. Our plan was to get to the Flying J Truck stop off of Highway 10, and stay there for the night. I had spoken to my best friend, Dana's, mom about meeting up with her while there. Joan, Dana's mom, lives with Dana's sister Lisa, Lisa's husband George and Lisa's kids, south of Phoenix. When we got into Phoenix at noon, I called Joan to let her know we were there. Unfortunately they weren't going to be able to make it to see us. So we hope to see them on our way back west.
Eddie and I took it easy for the afternoon. He napped, and I read. We had parked in the RV area and figured this was a good place to spend the night. We were away from the trucks, but close to the store, Denny's and the pumps. That way first thing in the morning we could gas up and go. We were down to just over a quarter tank of gas. It was pretty warm out, so we went into Denny's and had "Linner"a  combination of lunch and dinner. When we came out, we just couldn't take the heat, so we cranked on the generator and turned on the A/C. For those of you in the know, a generator will run only until you get to a quarter tank of gas. We had hoped it would last us for a while, but we hit our limit about 9ish. That was okay. We opened up the windows and crossed our fingers it would cool down. Our luck and not one, but TWO trucks pulled up right next to us. Neither one had trailers on them, but both of them, as trucker do, kept their engines on. If we could have closed the windows and had the A/C on, it probably would have been okay. But between the heat and the noise, no one was going to get any sleep. This is the price you pay if boondocking at a truck stop. Eddie was rested from his earlier nap, so he was up to moving. We talked about it, decided to fill up and hope that our spot would still be there. That way we could at least use the geni. But of course, as soon as we moved, our spot was snatched up. When we got there at noon, there was plenty of open spots, but as the day turned to night, that place filled up FAST!!! Our plan B was to move on down the road to a Walmart off of Highway 17. Now we don't like traveling at night. We try and avoid it, but there are times when we have and will need to. This was one of them. I punched the Walmart address into the GPS while Eddie filled up and we were on our way. We pulled in to the Walmart at 11:45ish, again cranked up the geni, and turned on the A/C. It cooled down fast, and we crawled into bed and were OUT!!!
The next morning, we both woke up early. Eddie took Suzy for a walk and to check the Cruiser while I showered and dressed. The night before when we pulled in, I had looked around to see if there were any signs posted prohibiting overnight parking. I didn't see any. Usually when we park at a Walmart, we go in and ask the manager on duty for permission. But this time we didn't because it was so late, and honestly we didn't even know if it was open. We had parked WAY in the back. I also have an App on my phone with RV overnight parking places, and this Walmart was on it, so I figured we were good to go. When Eddie got back from walking Suzy, he informed me that there WAS a sign about no overnight parking. It was not at the driveway we used, but by the one we ended up parking by. Again Heavenly Father was watching over us-NO TICKET!!!!! Of course, we didn't dilly dally, and got going.

Saguaro cactus

Our next stop is Camp Verde RV park in Camp Verde Arizona. Camp Verde's elevation is about 2000 miles above Phoenix, and is cooler. We were TOTALLY looking forward to that. But that also means some big hills to climb. Highway 17 is only a two lane going each way highway, and one lane was closed for construction on a good portion of if. Freeda did good, but at times it was VERY slow going.

Quintessential Arizona landscape

Highway 17 in Arizona

Camp Verde AZ

Camp Verde ahead

Descending down into Camp Verde was a BEAUTIFUL site. I can see how it got its name. It was so much cooler here. We had the windows open and were enjoying the scenery. The camp ground we were headed to is off of Highway 260, which is off of Highway 17. It wasn't to far though and easy to navigate.

We arrived at the RV park just after 9:30 am. I was worried that we might be to early to check in, but no problem. We got all registered, parked, hooked and set up before noon. This is a real nice place. If we weren't on a mission to get someplace, we would stay here longer. We definitely plan on coming back. The gentleman at the front desk told us about some really fun and neat stuff to do around here. We hope to be able to partake in some. There is some "business" to take care of first. We noticed as we were unhooking the dolly, that the wires for the lights are broken. So that HAS to be repaired before we can move on. 

Our Camp Verde campsite

Horse across the street from Camp Verde

Another view of our site at Camp Verde

The River at Camp Verde

On the 14th, we drove into Cottonwood to get the wires we will need for the dolly. We also had the Cruiser checked out. We are going to have to get a repair done soon. We have a small leak in our power steering hose. It is okay for now, but when we will be somewhere for a period of time, it will have to be taken care of. The part has to be ordered, so we have to be in one place for a week or so before getting it fixed. We also went to Home Depot and picked up a little desk fan. That way we can have some air circulation at night when it is cool enough to have the windows open and the A/C off. Sedona was only 20 minutes form Cottonwood, and Eddie wanted to drive over and check it out. We took the 89A from Cottonwood to Sedona. What a beautiful day and beautiful drive. We had the top down and cruised.

WOW!!!! Sedona is BEAUTIFUL!!! Eddie had heard about it, but I really hadn't. My eyes were bugging out of my face. This place is a MUST see on any one's bucket list. It is truly amazing.

I took LOTS of pictures, but they just don't do this amazing place justice. I LOVE old Westerns, especially John Wayne movies, and all I could do is imagine this place in the 1880's. I have always sided with the Indian's claim on this land, and now I see why they fought so hard for it. It is DEFINITELY worth fighting for!!! We hung around Sedona all afternoon enjoying the beauty of this special place.

cool statue at Pinion Point

Suzy & I taking in the scenery in a cool spot

Eddie checked out some art galleries, and Suzy and I walked around taking in the sites. Eddie was told if we REALLY want to see something, to take highway 179 back to Camp Verde. Boy they knew what they were talking about. It made the drive there seem boring. the red rock formations down 179 are breath taking.

I swear I could see mighty warriors on horseback in those rocks looking down on us. Being here was almost a spiritual experience. I can not put into words the feelings I was having. Again I have to say, this is a MUST see place. We loved every moment we spent here. Both of us want to be able to visit again. 
When we got back to Freeda, we had a "picnic" dinner outside. They do not allow BBQ's here because of fire fears, so we used our electric griddle and made burgers. Also had a pasta salad I made the day before. It was a yummy and lovely dinner. After we ate we caught some news. We have the West coast feed so we get L.A. and San Diego news. Everything was about all of the wild fires in San Diego. We have several friends and family in that area, so we called to see if they were all okay. Everyone we know was and is safe. One friend and their family had to be evacuated, but they are now home and all is well with them.

Full moon at Camp Verde

On Thursday I worked on laundry and getting Freeda "travel ready". Eddie worked on fixing the dolly lights. He realized that the wires we got the day before were the wrong ones, so he had to go back to Cottonwood to exchange them for the correct ones. When he got back, he took a break to eat lunch, and then back at it. He got them all hooked up, but there is no way to check them until we hook up the dolly to go. The dolly was not at our site. They have "dry storage" that the dolly had to be parked at. So we had our fingers crossed that all would work. 
Friday May 16th we got up early to take advantage of the cooler morning temps. Camp Verde is 5000 feet elevation, and we knew that flagstaff is 7000 feet elevation. Ergo a pretty good climb. By the time we pulled out, it was just after 7am. A bit latter than we had hoped. The good news is that the dolly lights work!!!!!! That was a HUGE relief to both of us. 
The climb up towards Flagstaff was beautiful, but STEEP. We REALLY put Freeda through her paces. But she did GREAT!!!!

The road to Flagstaff

Beautiful drive

Outside of Flagstaff

outside Flagstaff AZ

Part of the road was being worked on, and at times it was down to only one lane.... up hill!!!  We putted up as fast as we could, and so did the 18 wheelers, it was slow going again. It was a bit nerve racking. Both of us were relieved when we reached the top and the road work was over. The climb also ate up a good amount of gas, bummer!!!!
We stopped in Winslow Arizona to fuel up. As we pulled off, we saw a flatbed Ford and that cracked us up!!!!

We took a little break there.  It was for us AND for Freeda. After we ate, Eddie and Suzy went for a little walk while I cleaned up. Eddie likes to stop about every two hours or so to stretch his legs. That way he doesn't get to worn out and stiff. After gassing up, we got back on the road. Just down the road we saw gas for less than what we just paid, darn!!!! The gas here was still cheaper than what we had paid in Washington and California. 

Taking a break in Winslow AZ

Our plan was to make it Albuquerque New Mexico, but I saw Eddie was winding down, and I was pretty tired as well. So we stopped for the night in Gallup New Mexico. I checked my App on my phone to check for free overnight parking at a Walmart, Truck stop or a Casino etc.... I found a Walmart in Gallup and called to make sure it was okay to stay there. They said no problem, so that is where we headed.

We are LOVING seeing this beautiful country of ours. Arizona was something, now New Mexico was blowing us away. Both so pretty in their own way.

We found a nice spot in the back of the Walmart parking lot, and got all parked. There was a Carl's Jr there, so we went in to grab a bite to eat, cool off, and charge our phones. While there, Eddie noticed his wedding ring was gone. We had just sat down with our food. He got up and retraced his steps to see if he could find it. As he was doing that, I looked around the food again. There it was, under his burger wrapper!!!!! When he came back in, I waved to him that I found it. The relief on his face was HUGE!!! Both of us sighed a BIG sigh of relief. It was still warm out, I was glad we bought the little fan in Cottonwood to help cool us down.

this truck made us think of our Lily!!!!

Welcome to Texas

Texas

Road signs

The next day we started out early again. We were up, showered, and gone by just after 5am. We were now on Mountain time, so it felt even earlier. Our goal was to make it to Amarillo Texas today. 

Amarillo or bust!!!

We try and get to where we want to stay kinda early to be able to get a good parking spot. It was nice and cool, and seeing as how it is Saturday, the road work was not going on. It was mostly us and truckers on the road at that early hour!!!! We stopped in Santa Rosa New Mexico to gas up and take a break, then back at it. 
Just as we were about to cross the New Mexico/Texas state line, a group of motorcyclist passed us. One of them on a trike got in front of us and slowed WAY down. He then got off, and got right behind us. I told Eddie I thought something might be up. He then came up besides us and slowed again. Eddie rolled down his window, and the biker told us that one of the straps holding the Cruiser on the dolly was broken!!!! We had JUST bought those straps while we were in the Desert!!!!! We pulled over as did our guardian angel.  We thanked him for warning us. He pointed it out again, and before we could get his name, he was gone. We are EVER so grateful to him whoever he was!!!!!! It was a good thing that Eddie insisted we keep the old straps as back up. We got the car all taken care of and back on the road with no more incidents. I will be contacting the company that I purchased the straps from and asking for our money back!!!! We pulled into a Pilot Truck stop in Amarillo Texas, cranked up the geni and A/C and called it a night.

Bill and Eddie

Storm shelter

Tornado storm shelter

Elk City OK

Oklahoma countryside

Once we had water and our other tanks were dumped, we got back on the road heading for Oklahoma City. We really were enjoying the drive in Oklahoma. It is a pretty state and the roads were nicely maintained. We had experienced some pretty rough roads so far, so the nice smooth flat highway was a treat. That was until we hit Oklahoma City!!!! There was a LOT of road work going on. Between that and the traffic, it was NUTTS!!! We pulled off just outside Oklahoma City in a small town called Edmonds. There we parked at a Flying J truck stop. We found a curb side spot with a nice grassy area and a tree right out our door. Not bad for a truck stop. There was a restaurant called Huddle House across the parking lot, we went there to use their Wifi and take a break. There was a nice cool breeze, so we kept the geni off and turned in for the night.
I think all of the early mornings were getting to us. It was also a pretty quiet spot, so we slept in a bit on the morning of Monday the 19th. Instead of pushing it, we eased into our day. Today's goal was to make it to Missouri, and as close to Lost Valley Lake in Owensville as possible. We got thru the Tulsa traffic pretty smoothly, and into Missouri. Again, another awesome place. I know I keep saying that, but it is true!!!! This is one heck of a BEAUTIFUL country we live in!!!! One creepy thing I noticed. There were signs in Oklahoma and Missouri saying do NOT pick up hitchhikers, they may be escaped prisoners!!!!! Like I said, CREEPY!!!!! 

more of Oklahoma

The further east we drove, the greener it was getting. At one of our stops, as we were getting back on the highway, we followed the signs instead of listening to the GPS, so we ended up on a toll road, DARN IT!!!! They charge per axle, so we had to pay $9.75 at both ends. Not to bad, but an unexpected expense. They don't take cards, so we had to stop and get cash to pay for both tolls at the other end. Unfortunately the gas station's ATM wasn't working. Lucky for us, they take checks and we were allowed to leave Oklahoma after all!!!!

toll both in Oklahoma

Oklahoma

OK

river in Oklahoma

the wind WAS rushing down the plain!!!

entering Missouri

We got into Missouri with no more surprises. The wind had been CRAZY all day, at times we had to take it slow. It was really knocking us around. We drove for eight hours. That put us in Lebanon Missouri. They have a Walmart, so that was our "campsite" for the night. We went in and made sure it was okay to park there, did a little shopping and hunkered down for the night.

Highway 44 in Missouri

More Missouri

Our next destination was for Owensville MO. We will be staying at Lost Valley Lake RV Resort until the 24th. Again we were a bit early, but they had no issue letting us check in. We were grateful for that. After being on the road for several days, we are both ready for some down time. 
This is a good place to end this chapter. We are going to enjoy some rest in Missouri, and do some exploring, before moving on to Indiana. So far the "big push" has gone pretty good. We both are VERY thankful to our Heavenly Father!!!!!! He has watched over us and blessed us every inch of the way. Our Freeda has been good to us and she has run GREAT!!!!! 
Until next time, take care of each other and be safe always!!!!!
Eddie, Darlanne & Suzy.