The Big Surprise

We had sold our boat Bad Influence prior to getting the motorhome. Tim said a home, boat, and an RV are too many things for him to look after. Our boating friends Dennis and Jackie did not know we had purchased a motorhome in WA. They were going to be completely surprised when we showed up unannounced on their doorstep in Arizona.

We pulled in to Canyon Vistas RV Resort in Gold Canyon and set up camp. We could see their 5th Wheel from our place. When we knocked on their door, no one was home. So we left a voicemail and waited. Dennis called back and while they were talking on the phone we walked over and knocked on the door. Surprise!!

Several hours later we sent them home - well hydrated. The saga of the Bad Influence continues. Hurray!

Driving South

Tim & I set out driving through the fog of the great Northwest, anxious to see sunshine. We're accustomed to a 1300 mile drive south in the car in a brutal 2 days. I wanted to take our time and do some sightseeing on the way, but my driver thought otherwise. We agreed upon taking 5 days for the drive south; driving about 5-6 hours daily. I was not the greatest co-pilot that first day. OK the first several days. I felt like every time we passed a trucker I could reach out and hand him the Grey Poupon!

Our first overnight stop in the motorhome we planned dry camp at Seven Feathers Casino in Canyonville, OR. While setting up, Tim realized the water pump was malfunctioning. So he hopped back behind the wheel and drove to an RV Park near Grants Pass. The next day we stopped for a new water pump and Tim installed it when we stopped for the night in Corning, CA.

Our third night we had pre-planned to watch the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football.  Harris Ranch in Coalinga is our usual first night stop when travelling by car to San Diego. Unfortunately the game was not a good one for the Seahawks. The next morning we started out early for Palms River Resort in Needles, CA so we could spend the afternoon relaxing at a nice locale in the sunshine.

Our Maiden Voyage - October 26, 2013

We bought two tickets to fly from Tacoma, WA to Phoenix, AZ - one way. The plan was to buy a motorhome in Arizona in January, travel the southwest for the winter, and return in April or May when it warms up at home.  Plans change. In October we purchased our first RV, a 2006 Itasca Sunrise motorhome with 7200 miles. Within the week we were on the road headed south.

We're glad we bought the Beast in WA because we were able to outfit it with belongings from home. We did a good job preparing for our adventure in that quick week. We had previous experience from loading up the boat for month long excursions. The one thing we did not plan was a tow vehicle. We just couldn't decide what to do: trailer the Camry? buy a flat tow vehicle? We needed more time to figure it out. So for 6 months the 35ft land yacht is our primary vehicle.