Category: 2023

All posts from 2023

Goodbye 2023 and Hello 2024

~ Wandering Cindi ~ Leave a comment

Aaron and our three kids on the patio

The most difficult thing about the life Aaron and I have chosen is being away from our kids for extended periods of time. We were fortunate that Gage’s job enabled us to see him a few times while on the road, but we had not seen Jenna and Mason for almost 10 months. We decided that an extended visit to Florida and our kids was the best way to spend December, Christmas, and the New Year. So, we spent December and half of January parked in the back yard of our old home in Yulee. Mason, Jenna, and Quentin (Jenna’s fiancé) are renting the home from us while we wander.

Jenna and Quentin had found an inflatable Santa gnome for us. Aaron became inspired and hung some Christmas lights.

Christmas was full of laughs, amazing food cooked by Quentin, and yummy mimosas! The kids gave us the best gift! They had this blog turned into a beautiful book. The best part of Christmas was being together (and the mimosas).

Gage brought an insane amount of fireworks, and we had a blast toasting the new year and making a lot of pretty booms in the sky. None of us could remember how long it had been since we all celebrated New Year’s Eve together. It was magical.

Murphy and Lola

Girl, Honey, and Stella

Jenna and Quentin have 3 dogs that they brought with them when they moved to Florida. We had Lola (who is actually Gage’s dog) while we were living in Florida. Gage couldn’t have her at his apartment. When Aaron and I decided to start this journey, we chose to not have any pets along. Jenna, Mason, and Quentin agreed to have Lola continue to stay with them at the house. Of course, after 5 months we adopted Murphy. With Murphy, there were 5 dogs all sharing one yard. They did not all get along. So we made sure they took turns using the back yard. Lola and Stella never learned to get along, and as soon as we parked the camper, Lola came out to us, and decided she was moving into the Airstream. Luckily, she and Murphy became fast friends.

Girl would come visit the Airstream quite often.

I was fortunate enough to be able to spend time with some of my friends! I was able to make it to Karen’s Christmas party, have margaritas and dinner with Gia and Barbara, mimosas and lunch with Terri, see Tonia’s new office, and more dinner and a little shopping with Karen. Once again, I failed on all levels with taking pictures. At least Karen was able to grab a selfie of us during our last dinner together before Aaron and I hit the road.

After discussion with Gage, Jenna, Mason and Quentin, we decided to keep Lola with us for a few months. Gage’s lease will be up in March, and he is getting a place where he can have Lola with him. In the meantime, Lola is going to have some adventures of her own with Aaron, Murphy and myself. She is 10 years old and Murphy is only a year and a half. They are good for each other. He is keeping her active and she is keeping him in line.

After a month and a half being stationary, it was time to say goodbye for now to our kids and friends. When we started this journey, we said we were going to travel for a year and then decide if we were going to continue the journey. Our first year isn’t finished until the end of February, but we have already decided that we are going to keep wandering for at least another 1-2 years if not longer. We have seen some beautiful things, but we have hardly scratched the surface of places to see and adventures to be had. Back on the road we go!

Thanksgiving Week in Louisiana

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Aaron and Murphy made it to Louisiana the day before I did and got everything set up at Fontainebleau State Park. I landed at the New Orleans International Airport, and got ready for a week of family, friends, and food.

We were back in the town we lived in for over 20 years, and we had people to see, things to do, and food to eat!

The state park we were at is set on Lake Pontchartrain. It was such a pretty and soothing setting. I also was able to meet another full-time Airstreamer! She and I really hit it off and talked for a good 3 hours. It was very special to make a connection with someone who is on their own wandering journey. She does it solo, and is so impressive with her knowledge, kindness, and warm spirit. What a great bonus to our Louisiana visit!

My best friend of 36 years and I spent a day in New Orleans with her 13 year old son. WE checked out the aquarium and went to an old favorite Port of Call to get burgers and baked potatoes. It was one of our favorite spots back in our younger, carefree days of fun in the city.

Aaron and I also had a great visit with his Aunt Peggy and Uncle Ed. We also got to see his cousin, Danielle, for a few minutes. Murphy and their dog, Buddy, had a fantastic time on the back yard.

We spent Thanksgiving Day in Chackbay with some more family. Aaron’s Maw-Maw is almost 104 years old. Seeing her is so special.

We got to spend time with Aaron’s brother, sister-in-law, my niece and her kids. Also all of Aaron’s aunts, uncles, cousins, and their kids. It is always such a wonderful time there with so much family and love. We are so fortunate to have them all.

Aaron’s cousin, Shantel takes family photos every year. She does a wonderful job.

This whole week is something we will always be thankful for. We have so much to be grateful for! I don’t think when we started this journey we understood how it has actually enabled us to spend more time with family and see family we normally would not have the chance to see or visit.

Next we will be heading back to Florida to spend the holidays with our kids. We have seen Gage a few times during our journey, but we have not seen Mason and Jenna and Quentin since we left Florida. We miss them and are ready to spend the whole month of December mooch-docking in the backyard! I will probably slow down the blog posts while we are stationary. Thanks for following our journey! It will continue in 2024…

Family time!

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Aaron and Murphy dropped me off at the Dallas airport and promised to pick me up at the New Orleans airport in about a week. I was off to Iowa to spend time with my mom, brother, sis-in-law, and nephew. I was also there to take my dad to his doctor appointment. I am so glad that I am able to make these trips to help my brothers and my dad, and get quality time with my mom and family.

It was another great visit to Iowa. Mom and Chris found lots of really cool places to go and things to see. Mom and I went to the high school’s production of Annie, and she took me to Hannibal, Missouri. Hannibal is the hometown of Mark Twain and the basis for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. We were able to go on two cave tours, Mark Twain Cave and Cameron Cave. I can’t imagine exploring those caves by candlelight like they did back when they were discovered. I also can not imagine letting children play in caves like the town kids did back then with only candles to light their adventures. Jessie James hid out in the Mark Twain Cave; they would also hold town meetings there. It was a really interesting tour with a unique insight into the town’s and Mark Twain’s history. What a great adventure!

My mom has some cool things from our family that go back to the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. This quilt, for example, is from the early 1900’s and is made from used hats. It is so unique and soft and beautiful!

My younger brother, Chris, has a background in professional photography. In his spare time he likes to go to small towns in Iowa and capture beautiful images. This trip, he was kind enough to take me with him and let me borrow his camera (I didn’t bring mine) to explore and take some photos. These towns were on The Des Moines River. The bridge used to be for automobiles, now it is only for pedestrians. Even walking on the bridge was a bit sketchy in parts, but a really fascinating walk.

The Mason House had peeked my interest. The name had nothing to do with the Mason organization, my middle child’s name is Mason, and the signage and building markings were intriguing.

There was a mill of some sort there at one time, and the town turned the remains of the foundation into a public garden. I am looking forward to seeing the garden in the spring or summer when it is in bloom. It was beautiful even in late fall.

This memorial bench really captured my imagination. It was so unique and thoughtful.

I had never seen a warning sign like this before. I could not stop giggling.

Chris and I went to 3 or 4 towns, down a few gravel roads, and saw some pretty cool sights. We ere headed down on gravel road and saw a rock with a plaque just randomly placed on the side of such a road. Of course we had to turn around and check it out.

Chris gets the credit of this photo. I love finding beauty in an unexpected place.

I spent my last full day there with my dad. Dementia, diabetes, and Parkinson’s has taken their toll on him. WE went to see is doctor and had some good quality time together. Then, it was back to Mom’s and off to the Cedar Rapids airport.

While I was having my adventures in Iowa, Aaron and Murphy were making their way from Texas to Louisiana. Aaron sent me this picture of Murphy listening to music. The speakers are above his head.

Next stop, Louisiana! Time to see more family, old friends, and have some good food!

Louisiana and Iowa…here we come!

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We drove north and east through Texas towards Dallas. We had a reservation at an RV resort this time. Neither one of us are big fans of the resort type campgrounds. They are usually crowded, small sites, and expensive. That being said, we did enjoy our stay at Northside RV in Waxahachie, TX. This town is just south of Dallas. The campground had 2 dog parks and a laundry facility. It was super clean and well maintained. We got to take long showers and do laundry. I got to relax, Aaron got to commute to work each day, and Murphy got a front row seat to all the action in the dog park.

When Aaron reserved this campsite, he did not realize how close to the dog park it actually was! If Murphy wasn’t playing in the dog park, he was watching all the action through the windows, and barking and whining because he could not be out there every time a dog was there. It was a good training experience for us and the dog. He learned not to bark every time he saw a dog, and he learned that sometimes it is OK to play with other dogs, and sometimes other dogs do not want to play.

We saw some beautiful sunsets while we were there!

Once again, it was time for me to fly to Iowa. My dad has doctor appointments every month and my brothers and I rotate months to take him. That way they do not all fall on one person. November was my turn. So, Aaron and Murphy and I got up very early Thursday morning and drove to the Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport. Dallas at 5 a.m. is a cool looking city. I did not have enough sleep or coffee to think of taking pictures on the drive. The buildings were lit up so creatively. The town was still excited about the Rangers winning the World Series.

I got on a plane, and Aaron and Murphy went back to Waxahachie to pack up the camper to continue the journey east into Louisiana. Look out Louisiana and Iowa…we are on the move again!

Detour

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We made it to Arizona and the Sonoran Desert. We had planned on spending a little over a week at the West Pinal Park. It was a really nice campground with very, very spaced apart sites. The camp host was the friendliest one we have met so far. We settled in, and started to enjoy ourselves. Then, Aaron got a call. He was going to be needed in Dallas, TX in a little over a week.

We saw some beautiful sunrises, moon rises, and sunsets during our stay in the Sonoran Desert.

So sadly, we shortened our stay, changed our route, and started a long drive through Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. We had planned on boondocking in Las Cruces, New Mexico at the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument. After a 6 hour drive, we arrived at dusk to find all the spots already occupied. Plan B -Cracker Barrel! They allow RVs to overnight in their parking lots. Thankfully, there was one 10 minutes away, and we were both hungry! Hashbrown casserole had never tasted so good.

After our restful night at the Cracker Barrel, we drove on into Texas. We drove through more desert that then turned into the oil fields. It was another long day’s drive. This time we were stopping for a few days in Colorado Lake City, TX. We went from Pipe Organ cacti, to Prickly Pear cacti.

Murphy had a great time in the lake. He did not have such a great time in the prickly pear. We had to pick cactus spines off of him a few times. It was a great, short stay of 3 or so days and then, we had to keep moving. Next stop, Waxahachie, just outside of Dallas-Fort Worth.

Until next week my friends.