Glenna and I left the Ranch in Aguanga and headed East towards Glendale, AZ. Beautiful morning for a drive that took us across the desert into Arizona to our first stop getting fuel where it was almost $2.00 cheaper than in California, good start to the trip. Rolled into the Pueblo El Mirage RV Resort, checked in and started our two day stay visiting Glenna’s besty Karla and Ros. Golf at thier club at the resort then dinner that included our other friends in the area, Mike and Sandy. Fun time at Oregano’s Pizza in Glendale catching up and eating some great food, wine and laughter.

Friday morning we said our goodbyes and hit the road, only a three hour drive to Benson, AZ to meet up with our travel partners, Ron and Kathy. First, Glenna and I had to go check out the old western town of Tombstone since it was only 28 miles away. We spent a few hours woundering the town, checking out the shops and visiting the largest rose tree in the world. This rose tree covered over 2500 feet on thier outdoor patio. Back to the RV resort and time with Ron and Kathy planning the exciting days ahead.

Saturday and Sunday were long days on the road driving thru New Mexico and Texas where we ended up spending one extra night because of the very strong winds. We were on a mission to get to New Orleans and let the fun continue. We stayed at the N. O. RV and Marina on Lake Pontchartrain, we had beautiful sites right on the water with views of the vessels coming in from the Gulf of Mexico. Late afternoon linner at Acme Oyster House never dissapoints. Walked around town a bit before heading back to the resort for the night. Next day we had dinner with some friends (Jason and Sarah) at Meril, which is one of Emril’s restaurants and is named after his daughter. Started out at the bar trying our their signature drink Old Fashion. Great food, fun times, awesome service but loud in the dining room.

Thursday, March 28th we had a four state day even though it was only a seven hour drive. We started in Louisiana, then hit Alabama and Mississippi before settling into Florida for the week. Our stay at Santa Rosa RV Park in Navarre was a good location for us to explore the beginning of the Gulf Coast. We had a small issue with our rear axle seal but was able to get the rv into a truck service center only a few miles away for the quick fix on Friday morning. While in the shop, we met up with Ron and Kathy for lunch at The Back Porch in Destin. More good seafood and views overlooking the water. Saturday was a golf day at Shalimar Pointe Golf Club with Kathy, Glenna and I. Sunday was our first big MMT (magical mystry tour) that took us over to Fort Pickens and a drive along the Florida coastline on Santa Rosa Island.

Monday April 1st

Today we were in for a real treat, we visited the famous bar called Florabama which is right on the border of Florida and Alabama. You can actually stand with one foot in each state. Lunch and cocktails on the beach setting listening to a great country singer Tim Roberts entertaining the crowd on a perfectly sunny beach day. Thank you Scott for telling me about this place and adding it to my bucket list. The second part of our treat was a drive over to Fairhope, Alabama to visit friends of Ron and Kathy’s. After a walk on the long pier and driving thru this cute little town, we arrived at thier ranch. A spralling 8 acre slice of heaven with perfectly manicured landscaping, pond, peacocks, ducks, horses and a donkey walking the prestine pastures. Glenna and I met Sean and A.C. (Ann Clinton) Roberts and moved into our own suites for the night. Sean told Ron he wanted us to come see his wine room, well this was not just a room, it was a wine barn (see pictures below). Incredible spacious bars with a huge temperature controlled wine room with over 6000 bottles of fine wine. Sean opened wine for us as we sat and admired his construction skills and the details of his labor. We had dinner at one of their small favorite dinner restaurants in town, Plane & Level Coastal proved to be a perfect place to enjoy good food, wine and good times.

Tuesday was moving day over to Pensocola and Perdido Bay. First, we stopped by the Pensocola Navy Base to watch the Blue Angles and visit the museum filled with aircraft memorabilia. After a test flight by the lead pilot, they determined that the clouds were too low to have a show so it was cancelled. Next was time to get over to Sean and A.C. little condo on the beach in Perdido Bay, Florida. When we arrived there was nothing small about this condo. We each moved into our private master suite on the 14 floor and enjoyed taking in the views of the Gulf of Mexico and Perdido Bay. Dinner at the condo, more wine tasting and stories filled the night.

Wedensday morning we went over to the local Target parking lot and had a spectacular view to watch the Blue Angles practice show. This 55 minute thrilling airshow delighted the crowd and everytime I see them I still get goose bumps as they fly just over our heads doing high speed maneuvers.

April 4, 2024 was moving day down to Carrabelle Beach, Florida. A very nice drive along the Gulf coastline thru little towns, a stop at Mexico Beach to have some lunch in the RV’s and checked into the Carrabelle RV Resort.