It’s been a long time since we’ve ventured anywhere outside the house, as we’ve been locked down due to Covid-19 (aka Coronavirus). We’ve been hunkered down with Mom/Dad since returning from Yuma nine months ago. We are all anxious to get out and start doing things again! This year we are aiming to get an early start. We will combine Thanksgiving with Hanukkah (“Thanksgivukkah”?) with Robin, Sijia and Evie, and start heading south the following week. Mom/Dad will be joining us on our travels, and will be staying in a Park Model at the same RV resort (“Sun Vista RV Resort”) just a short distance from our reserved RV spot. The current agenda is as follows:
We are aiming to meet up with Adam in Hemet (about 1-1/2 hour drive from San Diego), before heading on to Yuma where we plan to stay through the end of February. In March, we are currently planning to drive back to Chicago so Mom/Dad can vist their home which they have not been to since Nov 2019 due to the coronavirus. We understand that there are several pharmaceutical companies with a Covid-19 vaccine that they are expecting to bring to the market shortly. We hope the vaccine is effective, safe and available soon!
We’re off on another adventure with 2 unique differences from past trips. First, we are at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic so we will have to be extremely careful in all that we do, and there will be many things we won’t be able to do (due primarily to safety restrictions). Second, Mom and Dad are joining us on this trip to Yuma. If you read the blog from last winter’s trip you know they spent several weeks with us in Yuma, a week in Las Vegas, and then made the return trip home in the RV with us. The plan was a 2 week visit in Mukilteo – then a return trip to Skokie but then Covid-19 exploded in numbers making it unsafe for them to fly. As the virus progressively got worse Mom and Dad’s visit kept getting pushed out again and again until now. Since it’s still not safe to fly we all decided to venture to Yuma together to enjoy better weather and a change of scenery while riding out the winter and pandemic. We’ll reevaluate the situation and availability of a vaccine as the winter goes on. Our current reservations in Yuma are through the end of February, at which time we may stay longer awaiting a vaccine, we may drive M&D to Skokie in the RV, we may put them on a plane if things miraculously improve and they are vaccinated, or they could come back to Mukilteo with us. But, our goal is to get them vaacinated before leaving them in Skokie. We’ll see!
December 2, 2020 – Wednesday
After a sad goodbye to Daniel and Nicole we left the house about 7:00 am. We hooked up the tow car, settled into the RV, and left the storage facility just before 8:00 am. After a couple pockets of traffic on 405 we had smooth sailing for the balance of today’s trip. It was a very sunny day but as we drove south we encountered some on and off fog which was beautiful at times flowing around the trees and mountains. It had been a frosty morning and the melting frost on the bare trees sparkled in the sometimes intense sunshine. After traveling south of Portland we stopped at a rest area for a light lunch and coffee. An uneventful afternoon drive brought us to Seven Feathers RV Resort. With their Players Club Card the price for a stay was only $9.99! Unfortunately, our cards had expired which required Laurie to make a quick trip to the casino to renew them (very cautiously). Covid-19 precautions included having his temperature taken before he got on the shuttle, an infrared scan at the casino, another temperature taking on the return shuttle, and, of course, wearing a mask. It saved us about $50! We had a Costco “meal-in-a-bag” heated up in a frying pan with rosemary bread on the side, then relaxed for the evening watching TV before turning in early after a long day.
December 3, 2020 – Thursday
After a cozy night in the RV we were all up very early, fortified ourselves with coffee and biscochos, then departed just after 6:30. After getting gas at the Seven Feathers Truck Stop we were on our way a little after 7:00. We had another good traffic and weather day with just some spots of fog to contend with early. Late morning we stopped at a rest area for brunch then continued south, arriving at Flag City RV Park in Lodi, CA, and 68 degrees, about 3:15. We had a pleasant walk around the perimeter of the park before settling in for the evening. It’s a very clean park with a lot of fifth wheels in the back-in sites that mostly appeared to be residents. There were plenty of pull throughs for overnighters like us. We ate leftovers from yesterday along with a salad. Our evening was a combination of TV and conversation
December 4, 2020 – Friday
Another early start hitting the road just before 7:00 after coffee and biscochos. Our streak of sunny weather continues. The start of today’s travels was uneventful. A rest area provided us with stopping place for a quick lunch. As we journeyed farther south we encountered more and more of California’s infamous traffic. Being a Friday it appears traffic starts getting heavy before 2:00. Our 3:30ish arrival time turned into a 5:00ish arrival time (after dark!) at Golden Village Palms in Hemet. A 10 hour day on the road! Then came the fun of getting settled into our spot – in the dark. We had a pull through reserved so we didn’t have to disconnect the tow car. Their map showed us in the 4th spot from the end, right next to the pickleball courts. Instead of counting the spots as we went we aimed for the spot next to the courts which turned out to be 5th spot which was not on the map and it wasn’t a pull through! Since we can’t back up with a connected tow car we had to disconnect, back out, and pull into the proper spot. Finally settled in, we enjoyed a pasta with leftover lasagna sauce and rosemary bread dinner, some TV, and an early turn in.
December 5, 2020 – Saturday
We’re staying here in Golden Village Palms to have a visit with Adam who is making the 1-1/2 hour drive up from San Diego to spend the day with us. Due to Covid-19 we will be outside the whole time, with masks on and socially distanced. Thankfully a chilly, but sunny, 43 degree morning quickly turned into a warm, sunny, 73 degree day. We had about 6-1/2 hours of good conversation and a sandwich lunch. It was so wonderful to see Adam again, and he was looking healthy, handsome, and in shape due to watching what he eats and taking up biking. The time went by fast and he was soon on his way again. After sitting all day, the four of decided to go for a walk to stretch our legs before getting cozy for the night. Due to a 2:00 lunch no one was hungry for dinner. When we made reservations it was with a 15% off Black Friday deal that included a gift bag which they dropped off shortly before it got dark and we closed up for the night. The bag included red wine, munchies, antibacterial wipes, and a couple of face masks. We spent the evening watching some TV and chatting.
December 6, 2020 – Sunday
We had an 8:00 departure for the last leg of our trip to Yuma. We had to reconnect the tow car and disconnect electric, water, and cable. This was the first time we hooked up water, plus we made it the whole trip south without hooking up the sewer hoses due to conserving water (no showers!). It made life a lot easier and our arrivals and departures much quicker. It was another sunny, California day as we made the 3 hour drive to Yuma, just over the border from CA, arriving at Sun Vista RV Resort shortly before noon. The park is on an “indoor” lockdown which means everything inside is closed for the time being due to the virus. The outdoor pool, shuffleboard, pickleball, mini golf, etc. remain open. We parked the RV in our spot (479) facing east with a distant mountain view and started setting up until Mom and Dad’s park model (553) keys were delivered. After checking it out we moved all their stuff from the RV to their new home for the next 3 months and left them to settle in while we did the same at the RV. Late afternoon we brought a frozen pizza and leftover pasta over for dinner. It was a long, tiring day so we chatted for a little bit then returned home to take long-awaited showers(!!) and turn in.
December 7- 13 , 2020
The past few days were spent settling in and establishing a routine. We spend our mornings and early afternoons doing our own thing, then join up with Mom and Dad late afternoon to visit and have dinner together. Sometimes we eat at the RV and sometimes at their cottage. Some of the items we’ve accomplished have been washing the RV, outdoor window shades, some RV screens, and the car. Laurie also waxed the RV, and Pat cleaned some blinds. We did a large Walmart pickup for our initial stock up, and next week we’ll finish stocking up with a trip to Costco. The daytime temperature tends to be around 70 with mixed sun and clouds. Very pleasant. One night it unexpectedly rained for a short time. Of course this was the night after we had just washed the RV! There are a few hummingbirds zipping around our RV like tiny rockets on a regular basis. So fast and cute when they hover in place or land on a tree branch momentarily. Nicole and Daniel surprised us by organizing Hanukkah candle lighting online. It was wonderful to celebrate together and to see the kids!
December 14-20, 2020
We’ve had a string of glorious sunny and warm days and we like to try to sit outside for a little while each afternoon. The warmth of the sun is very soothing and relaxing. Taking advantage of the weather we’ve visited out on our patio with M&D before grilling some yummy dinners. Nicole and Daniel’s nightly Hanukkah celebrations continued every night. On the last night they had Robin and Evie join which we all thoroughly enjoyed. We could just endlessly watch Evie – she’s so adorable and every single thing she does is entertaining. We went to Costco for a stock-up run which is in El Centro, CA (about 1 hour 10 minutes west and a different time zone)! It was a somewhat scenic drive, about ½ hour over the border into CA where there are huge rolling sand dunes. There were RV’s parked here and there across the expanse with their trailers carrying ATV’s to play in the sand. We did another Walmart run but it was much smaller than last week. In the evening when we part ways with M&D, we’ve started watching “The Walking Dead” series. After watching a couple episodes we go to bed – usually watching a little TV or read before falling asleep.
December 21-27, 2020
It’s been a typical week with mostly sunny, pleasant weather. We did have one cloudy, cool day as well as one short burst of rain early one evening. There were a couple of gorgeous sunrises with the mountains in the background that we viewed out the front window of our RV. We continue to alternate having dinners here or at M&D’s, including some delicious grilled meals here preceded by a happy hour on the patio soaking up the late afternoon sun and enjoying each other’s company and conversation. Finally everything came together to spend an afternoon playing shuffleboard together. There wasn’t anyone else on the courts but we had our masks handy. Laurie sanitized everything with alcohol sanitizer and wipes – cues, discs, the wax container, and even the marker for keeping score. We played “Guys” vs “Dolls” and had a lot of fun while getting in a little exercise. (The “Dolls” won both games!) On Christmas Eve Sun Vista had a parade of decorated golf carts and bicycles that drove around the park which was kind of cute. During the week there also were the usual items such as RV maintenance, cleaning, a Walmart pickup, watching The Walking Dead in the evening, etc.
December 28, 2020 – January 3, 2021
One of the hummingbirds zipping around has made itself a daily visitor to the lemon tree just outside our door. Throughout the day it comes and goes, landing on the leafless end of a branch or hovering in place. When the sun hits it later in the afternoon we can see it’s back is a very dark shade of green and it has shimmery reddish color on the front of it’s neck.
M&D got a surprise video phone call from Syd, Yvonne, and Ann in Sydney, Australia while we were at their cottage for dinner. Everyone looked great and they had a long, lively conversation. We hope to visit them in Spring 2022. It’s been sunny, a little bit cooler (low-mid 60’s), but often windy. This kept us off the shuffleboard courts as the tiny wax beads we shake on the courts blows off when it’s too windy and then the discs don’t slide. The RV tends to block the blowing wind on the patio/southside so we still can enjoy relaxing in the sun. New Year’s Eve was like any other day except we watched a movie, “3:10 to Yuma”, which we had seen a long time ago but was well worth seeing again. Of course we celebrated Mom’s birthday on the 1st. After the wind let up some in the afternoon we were able to get in a shuffleboard game. The “Guys” won this one. This was followed by happy hour in the sunshine on our patio, a shrimp scampi-pasta-asparagus dinner, and watching the movie “Jojo Rabbit” which was very good. We wrapped up the day by having a caramel pecan birthday cheesecake and presenting Mom with her annual calendars.
January 4-17, 2021
Yes, this entry covers 2 weeks! That should give you an idea of how routine our lives are here in Yuma. The important date during this time was Pat’s 63rd birthday. Laurie made breakfast sandwiches to start the day, and Mom made her wonderful chicken dish and also had a chocolate cake with candles to end the day. In between we enjoyed talking to all the kids and getting some Yuma sun. We did get in a couple days of shuffleboard but a lot of the afternoons have been a little too too windy to play. We have ridden our bikes around the park, gone for walks, picked up Walmart grocery orders, sat in the sun on the patio (where the RV blocks the wind), and continued to watch “The Walking Dead” in the evenings. The last few days were very sunny, the temperature reached into the 80’s, and we had some spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Our priority these days is to try to get M&D covid vaccines. Yuma has moved into the phase that covers adults over age 75 but the first week all the times were filled and now they are waiting for more vaccines, which is supposed to happen this week. Tuesday we will be calling at the given time to try to set up appointments. We’ll keep our fingers crossed and keep on trying!
January 18-24, 2021
The big event this week was getting Dad in to get his first Moderna vaccine shot through the Yuma County Public Health Service. Due to the massive number of people trying to get appointments coupled with the poor appointment system, we weren’t able to get Mom an appontment this time, so now we wait for more vaccines to arrive in Yuma so we can get mom’s scheduled. We check online multiple times a day for Yuma vaccine news. Then we’ll have to get appointments for the second shots but online it looks like they give priority to people requesting their second dose. The process for actually getting the vaccine shot, though, was very efficient: We waited in the car for about 10 minutes in a staging area as directed by the National Guard, since we arrived about 30 minutes early. They then moved us to the main parking area and gave us a pager. When the pager goes off, that is dad’s signal to go in the building for his shot. We waited about five minutes before the pager went off, then dad was in the building for about five minutes to get the vaccine. Afterwards, we waited in the car for 15 minutes as instructed to ensure there were no adverse reactions. Overall, it was a very smooth and efficient process. This was the first time M&D were out of the RV park since we arrived back on December 6th!0
This week also saw a bit of rain, wind, and cooler temperatures (high of 64 degrees!) but at least the worst of it seemed to be overnight and early morning. We did get in some shuffleboard, bike riding, and some relaxing time in the sun on the patio. Our evenings continue to be shared with zombies as we moved onto Season 6 of “The Walking Dead”.
January 25-31, 2021
This week started out with something different – a stormy Monday! We had a torrential downpour for while with some hail mixed in, then off and on showers. It was very windy all day with some occasional big gusts. There was some sun mixed in and we even had a rainbow which was especially pretty with a waving palm tree in the foreground. The temperature has cooled a bit as well, but 60ish is still better than Mukilteo or Skokie!
We were able to get Mom in for her first Moderna vaccine through the Yuma Regional Medical Center! It took Laurie over 120 redials to get through and about 20 minutes on hold! The vaccine clinic was held at the Yuma Civic Center and again was very efficient with Mom getting her shot exactly at her 9:30 appointment time. In this case, the process was to wait in the car until the scheduled time. At that time, Laurie went in with Mom where they were checked in, provided the shot, then waited in a holding area for 15 minutes before being released. Again – very smooth and efficient! We now rest for 3 weeks or so before we try to line up the second shot appointments for both M&D which need to be within 4-6 weeks of the first ones.
February 1-7, 2021
The weather has warmed up again and we even hit 80 degrees! The days are mostly sunny with some clouds later in the day that provide some glorious sunsets. Weirdly, a very light, very brief shower occasionally passes through (mainly at night) despite the precipitation forecast being only 1-2% chance of rain. We played a couple games of shuffleboard one afternoon with the “Guys” and “Dolls” each winning one game.
February 8-14, 2021
It was back to the lower 70’s this week with more clouds and several very windy days. A couple bike rides and watching much of Trump’s second impeachment trial were the highlights of a slow week.
February 15-21, 2021
The week started out a little cooler (60-70’s) and windy, but ended warmer (in the 80s) and calmer. Same routine: bike rides, walks, alternating where we have dinner, relaxing in the sun, and pre-dinner visits with M&D on the patio. Our evenings are still shared with “The Walking Dead”.
February 22-28, 2021
A beautiful start to the week with weather in the 80s and sun. Laurie took a bike ride out of the RV park to explore the surrounding area. We’re starting to plan our trip home at the end of March beginning with the Yuma to Skokie leg to get M&D settled back in their place. Mid-week we had some extremely windy weather that started overnight and lasted until late the next afternoon. It even rocked the RV a bit. The temperature dropped to the upper 60’s but it was a sunny, cloudless sky. On Thursday we took Dad to get his second Moderna dose through the Yuma County Public Health Department which went smoothly. By Friday we were back in the mid-70’s which made for a nice bike ride to the residential neighborhood south of the RV park.
March 1-7, 2021
A great start to the week with Mom getting her second Moderna shot through Yuma Regional Medical Center. It’s a relief to have both Mom and Dad fully vaccinated! Yuma has dropped the vaccination age to 55+ so we will see if we can get an appointment in the next week or so, otherwise it will have to wait a while. We made another trip to Costco in El Centro to stock up on a few things. It was a nice, sunny day with a variety of scenery along the way ranging from vast sand dunes to scruffy desert to expansive green fields of produce – so the hour or so drive went by quickly. We took a bike ride next door to The Palms RV Resort to look around. It’s a newer, more upscale park with casitas, villas, and fancier RV’s rather than the older park models in Sun Vista. Their amenities are pretty similar to Sun Vista but it just looks nicer. Of course it’s a lot more expensive to stay there, though! We’ve had several 80+ days in a row and even turned on the front AC in the RV one afternoon which worked well.
March 8-21, 2021
Another two-week entry (that should tell you how routine it’s been). The one major event was the two of us getting our first dose of the Pfizer covid vaccine on March 15th. We had slight injection-site soreness and Pat felt tired for a couple days (more so than usual!) We are staying until April 7th to accommodate getting our second doses on April 5th and 6th before we head to Skokie. About the only other happenings were some more windy weather, several very hot days, and Laurie giving Dad a haircut. We’ve been planning for Passover which starts at sundown on the 27th when the 4 of us here will do a Zoom seder with home. Also, we continue to plan our return journey. The general timeline is figured out but we need to finalize where we’ll spend our stops between Illinois and Mukilteo.
March 22-April 6, 2021
Week one – not much was going on. We did have a little outing with M&D to UPS and FedEx to drop packages off. We spent some time getting organized for Passover. The four of us here in Yuma had a wonderful Zoom Seder with Daniel and Nicole at home, and Robin, Sijia, and Evie at their place. Laurie led a nice service and we had a few minutes afterwards to visit. It was so good to see all the smiling faces of our family! Week two we continued to observe Passover, not eating grains and eating matzah. We also had a streak of very hot days, 90+ degrees. Some days there was a good breeze so it didn’t seem so bad. Other days we turned on the air conditioning in the afternoon.
G&G moved into another park model on April 1st for our last week here. (We extended our stay by a week due to us getting our 2nd Pfizer vaccines on the 4th and 5th.) The park director, Cody, will be staying at their old place as part of his employment package and apparently they wanted to get it ready for him to move into so G&G had to move out. However, it appears that one of their neighbors spoke with G&G while they were moving in, and he knows the RV park owner and told them about G&G having to move for their last week. The park owners stopped by and apologized to them and told them they should not have had to move. Since G&G had already moved everything and unpacked they decided to stay (the main downside is no washer and dryer). The owners said they would “make it right” and sure enough the next day Cody stopped by with a check to reimburse them for the rent they had paid for the extra week plus an extra $100.00! He was apologetic and G&G were vry pleased with the outcome.
Pat got her second Pfizer vaccine on the 5th and Laurie got his on the 6th. We had slightly sore arms but no other side effects. Our last couple of days here were spent getting ready to hit the road on the 7th. Pat did some cleaning, meal preparation, and laundry. Laurie did some cleaning/organizing, got the water softener ready for storage, washed the outside window coverings, cleaned up the grill and table, drained the tanks, filled up the water tank, packed up bikes and patio chairs, and a million other items.
Now – on to Skokie!