Mullin in AZ!

Tess Mullin, Murph, photo by Davis Duyne.

If I had met Tess Mullin in the past, she was a very young child.  She's the daughter, one of three children of my second cousin, John Mullin, an artist, author and sign entrepreneur in Indiana.  When I was growing up, our family visited the Mullins, Uncle Moon and Aunt Sam.

Then in FB we discovered that Tess, her fiancé and I were RVing in the Phoenix area!  Of course, we had to meet!  We met at a local restaurant.  David, Tess' fiancé, and I met, certainly for the first time, and Tess and I said hello, possibly for the first time.  We had a terrific time swapping RV stories and getting to know each other.

Desert Sun, Brenda, AZ

The saguaro were all shapes & sizes.

What a difference a day makes!  The AZ desert almost sparkled today in the sunshine.  I took a walkabout and enjoyed the sights.

My view earlier this morning.

Less than a thousand feet from the RV (left of center) and
the desert looks void of human impact.

Most of these rocks were pocked with hundreds (thousands?)
of small holes like air bubbles, looking like a sponge.
I suspect they're of volcanic origin. For panorama, Click.

For panorama, Click.

My first jack rabbit sighting!  I've been
roaming the high desert for a month and
heard they're common.  Finally
caught this fellow on camera
and later saw a buddy of his.

The elevation gain/loss is misleading.
It must count every step up/down.
You can see from the contour lines,
this was flat terrain.

I had a great view of the nearby mountains as I hiked.

The track of my trek. Except for a few washes,
rather flat, but the rocks and cacti
kept me treading carefully.

Facebook post: Click

My campsite outside Brenda, AZ.  For panorama, Click.

Desert Hail, Brenda, AZ

That white line defining the RV perimeter is
the hailstones that failed to penetrate the fiberglass.

Arizona is a bit cooler than expected!  Hail today made for an exciting weather event.

My trip to our current camping spot. It still
doesn't feel like camping.  As this is my first RV &
my prior camping experience was in tents,
the RV is certainly "glamping."

Not sand, that's hail in southern AZ.

This may provide you a sample of my experience today.

Facebook post: Click

General Patton Museum

On the drive east I discovered the rain in LA
landed in the mountain peaks as snow.

Completing the entire length of Historic Route 66 was fun, but I missed my bicycling and pickleball, so I took off the very next day to find a spot for the RV and me in the Phoenix, AZ area.  I find I enjoy the slow, stop-&-see-the-sights, RV lifestyle.  I might make AZ in a few days. 😀

I Camped near the General Patton Memorial Museum.

This is an original Willys Jeep, built in Butler, PA.
I also found the sign in the background interesting.
US Forces Personnel HALT, 1km to East Germany.

As a sailor, I couldn't resist this pic.
No sails, but it once navigated the waterways.

Check out the Jeep and wire frame.
For WWII tank training in this area
(prep for the North Africa against Rommel)
they draped canvas over the wire frame in lieu of real tanks.

My campsite tonight in the CA desert.

I figured I earned my CA sticker, as has anyone
who survived LA's freeways. 🙂 
Actually, traffic was much faster and
more open than I've ever seen it in LA,
except for my first business trip which
required a crazy drive from Manhattan Beach to
Pasadena at 2am, 35 years ago.

Click Here for the Facebook Post

Route 66 Completed: 66 On 66 In 66!

As Covid prohibited anyone on
the pier, this is as close as I got.

66 Days following historic Route 66 in my 66th year!  And I've now completed the trip I began in Chicago 66 days ago.  There were loads of sites to see in LA, but as I'm travelling alone, it was a challenge to stop, park, get pics, say hi to the locals and move on.  The result was that I enjoyed a lot more sights than I'm sharing with you.

The day began where yesterday ended, but this 
is the west side of the bridge in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.
For panorama, Click Here.

Neon signs along Rt 66 highlight old venues.

Easy to see how the "Sycamore Inn" got its name.

In Claremont, this market has been
serving locals & visitors since 1917!

The Vintage Flying A Service Station, Monrovia, CA.

Beverly Hills has a different
take on the Rt 66 shield.

Having recently read Yogi Berra's book,
I had to share this. The book?
"When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It!"
This modern art is at the fork of
S. Pasadena Ave at S. St. John Ave.

The famous Aztec Hotel is for sale, Monrovia, CA

Only the cigar shop at the corner, is open for business.

At long last, the Santa Monica Pier,
official termination of historic Route 66. 

For panorama, Click Here.

Proof the pier was closed. Zoom into the signs
at the top. I checked several entrances.

Several wonderful murals in the pedestrian
underpier walkway connecting the
north and south sides of the pier. 

Pier entrance, seen above.
I liked the bird!  😊

I made it!

All Eight Rt 66 states are now on my RV map.