Homeward Bound

 And the journey continues......  The following night was spent in San Felipe - this time I decided to try a different place (bad idea!!) but it was more like an apartment and your car is enclosed in the courtyard during the night!

Did I mention we had a heavy duty ice chest on top of the car - Jo gave it to us for all the work Glenn had done - extremely heavy - therefore a very good one!!  There was no way it would fit in the car so it had to go on top!  And Glenn HAD to have help to get it up there!!

When we found the place (in a residential neighborhood!) the "garage door" was up but not all the way so we knew we wouldn't fit - so we parked on the street and walked in to pay and find our place - there were only 3 apartments in this small complex - the gal was nice (but a little flakey) and said the place we had rented had a shower issue and the guy was still coming to fix it - so she offered to let us have the other one because it was empty and not rented.  While she was finishing up getting it ready, we did talk some and found out she used to live in Florissant for a few years - WOW - small world!

The apartment was clean - lots of room - decorated very strange!!  Glenn took a quick nap and then we headed out for dinner as we had to drive a few blocks!  Dinner was fine and we also walked to the money exchange and traded our pesos back in for American money!

When we got back to the place, Glenn tried to drive in but I was watching and said the ice chest would hit!  He had me get in to drive and he was looking and watching but knew it would hit - then the gal's son came over and crawled up on a shelving unit by the door and pushed it up a little ways and we had plenty of clearance so drove on in!

Was it a comfortable night - OMG NO!!!!  I could tell the queen bed was VERY soft - Glenn was already asleep when I went to bed and when I laid on my side I immediately rolled to the middle - the bed was SO uncomfortable and the mattress was ridiculous!!  I finally got up and went into the living room and slept on a futon that was somewhat made up with covers!

We left early, about 6:30 - and did the same thing going out - I drove and Glenn lifted the door a little bit higher and I drove out and we were on our way!! (more on this in another blog!)

Crossed the border late morning with no wait at all and it went just fine!  And then we were headed to Parker, AZ - a little bit out of the way but Glenn had decided that this might be the place to go next year for fishing along the Colorado River instead of Baja!

Our friends had stayed at one of the 3 campgrounds we checked out and said it was beautiful there - and they were right!!  The campgrounds were VERY nice with wonderful views of the river!

BUT the more we looked, the more we could hear the jet skis and the large motorboats racing up and down the river - and we were looking to get AWAY from that kind of noise - in Baja we had the atv's and side by sides going by which are very noisy and we are looking forward to a QUIET place!  This place was just not conducive to Glenn's idea of peaceful fishing!  So we won't be heading to AZ next Feb!

We stayed in Parker that night and just walked to a close by place to eat - the hamburger and fries were delicious!!

I was excited to see a Human Bean in the town so got coffee the next morning - YUM!!

And the lilacs were blooming so had to pick this!!

It was a long days' drive to Albuquerque but I helped drive and we made it in late afternoon!!  AND surprisingly enough, we hit a heavy rainstorm as we were driving through town!!  So heavy I had to sit in the car awhile before I could go check in and then we both had to wait awhile before we could walk in with our luggage because of the rain!!!  I was hoping we would get it at home but no such luck!

The sunset that evening was amazing!!!  If I hadn't already been in my pj's, I would have walked outside and got even better pics.....

After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we headed out and after stopping for some groceries in W. Pk, we were FINALLY HOME!!!!!  Oh what a wonderful feeling!!!

And this is what awaited us at our house!!!!!

OH MY GOSH!!!!  We laughed and laughed (and KNEW the neighbors Al and Debra had done this) and then Glenn drove right through!!

This was waiting for us at the front door!!

And THIS was what we saw when we walked in - lots of laughs!!!  Don't we have great neighbors?????

I immediately texted them that we were home and how much fun it was to see all of this - they were just on their way home after church and lunch so stopped by!!  What a great ending to a wonderful trip home!

Final Days in Baja

 We decided to leave early!!  The heat and humidity were starting to get to me - Glenn had sold the boat and ATV so was kind of at loose ends so we made the decision to leave on April 8th!!  Yes, much earlier than we had planned but we were both ready!

Glenn had once again helped out at Jo's house and Brenda's house so they took us out for dinner at Tio's!  It was on Easter and they even served ham if you wanted to order it which I did!

We also celebrated Jo's birthday which was coming up on Thursday!

And then it was down to the serious packing - in the heat I might add!!  I had 4 tubs of supplies that were kept down there and a lot of it I was NOT bringing back home as I already had the same items!  So there was a lot of sorting to do and I ended up putting all the things I didn't need to take home on a back bed and then had 3 gals come over so they could take what they wanted - and everything was taken!!

Unfortunately, I still had a lot of food left that I had brought from home so that needed to be packed up - a lot of the things I gave to the gardener!  Monday late afternoon we went over to Suzie and Eddy's place and had appetizers and drinks - a fun evening!!  And Tuesday night we went to Shon's house for a wonderful beef roast dinner and also enjoyed visiting with her mom Susan!  So many friends in Baja and we will definitely miss them all!

We left Wedneday morning, April 8th at 6:00am!!  Our last sunrise!

It was a nice day and we stopped in Loreto for a picnic lunch along the malecon!

Our lodging that night was at the Bay of Conception - we had wanted to stay in the next town of Mulege but it was all booked up due to Easter and spring break for the Mexicans!

This Bay is very pretty with about 60 homes located in it - I had booked an "eco" room so didn't know what to expect - very basic but very clean!  We walked out to the water which was just a block!!  A bunch of the locals were having a bocce tournament and were all so friendly!!

A very pretty church in this little area!

The restaurant (the only one there) was basically right next door to the place we were staying in!  The owners barely spoke any English but we got through to them what we wanted and the food was absolutely delicious!  We enjoyed visiting with the people at the next table - lots of Americans live there!

And this was our view as we left the next morning!

A Relaxing Day

 We both enjoyed a nice relaxing day!  I enjoyed the couch and finished a book - Glenn ended up talking with the owner for a couple of hours!!

A lot of the cacti were in bloom!!  Beautiful!!

The ranch is down to one donkey and one horse!  In years past they offered horseback riding!

A lazy time in the hammock down by the pool!

And a nice view from the sitting area of the pool and sauna!

There were 9 little lambs there with one more yet to be born - so cute!

Glenn grilled steaks for dinner along with baked potatoes!  Another great nights' sleep and the cool air was so refreshing!

Breakfast the next morning was fruit and huevos rancheros!  Excellent!

Glenn ended up walking up to Bob's house and working on his ATV as there was an issue with it - and after lunch, we headed back to Spa Buena Vista!  A lot of the people were leaving and after having an Easter dinner with Norm, Jo and Brenda, we settled in for the night!

I was SO EXCITED when Jessi and Jill face timed me at the winery so I could talk to the family and watch the grandkids color Easter eggs - still love that tradition, even though they're all getting older!

B & B

 I couldn't wait to get in that pool!!  After relaxing and napping (Glenn) we headed to the pool! It was really refreshing!

There's a sauna right above the pool, built into the rocks - it was way too warm to use it but it was pretty cool looking inside!

There's a nice lounging area with a table and chairs!

Kind of a neat setting of rocks, cacti and trees right outside the pool!

The parking area has several of these skulls painted differently!

Glenn grilling our hot dogs the first night!

We slept great!  And actually were cold in the morning as we had left the windows open!  Gosh did that feel good!!

We went for a walk after we got up and then Bob brought breakfast down on his ATV - and set it all up for us!  His wife used to own a restaurant and our meal was delicious!!  The bacon, eggs and potatoes were all from their ranch!  And the homemade bread was delicious with their honey and jam!

To be continued.....

Friends/Easter

 Trying to pack a lot of "things" on our list before we leave is exhausting!!  We made plans to visit friends in El Cardonal which is about a 45 minute drive - funny enough the highway we take through the mountain to get there is called "The Road to NoWhere"!

They have an absolutely beautiful house - it's beach front but set up high so they have wonderful views, a nice breeze and almost 3 different levels to get to the beach!  It was sure fun to see their place and enjoy a great pizza at a local restaurant!

I had never seen a "permanent" ping pong table but that's exactly what they have at their house - it's made out of concrete!

The "Easter" crowd started coming in on Monday!  By Wednesday it was getting crazy and loud - by Thursday it was even busier and by Friday morning, the beaches seemed at capacity!!

I took both of these pictures from our neighbors' upstairs so I could get a birds' eye view of everyone - it's just hard to imagine this beach being SO FULL when usually it's just a few people!

Glenn and I had already booked "Rancho La Venta" for Friday and Saturday night - just to get away from the loud music, loud traffic and the horrible dust from people driving by!  And gosh were we glad!

This ranch winery B and B is up the mountain, about 10 miles from the nearest town!  The BEST thing about this place was the weather!!  Hardly any humidity, lower temps and a nice breeze most of the time!  We were excitedd to be here!

The place only books 1 couple at a time now - I had picked the casita with the couch in it so I could read!  The bath, sink and shower were just a couple steps out the door and there was also a kitchen with a frig and stove if you wanted to bring your own food! (which we did because we didn't want to leave the place)

Here's a picture of our casita!

And here's the front of it!

There's a nice outdoor place where breakfast is served - the first little building is the kitchen!  A perfect place to relax and read!

I couldn't believe the size of these plants!!  WOW!

And the above picture is Glenn standing outside the wine cave!

To Be Continued......

Goodbye Can Am

 It was sad to see the Can Am sold!!  I've always loved that ATV, especially the color and the seat that set up high!  I liked it even better than the side by side we have now!  But all things come to an end......

Glenn sold it to a guy from LaPaz - when he came to look at it, he wanted to buy it that day but Glenn talked him into coming back the next weekend so he could use it one more week!

It's all loaded up - papers signed - money paid!  One last look at a super ride these past 8 years!!

The sun was weird looking that morning!

This was brought in on Monday of Easter week - we ASSUME it is for a life guard?   Or maybe the police?  Time will tell I guess!

We went into the Tiki Bar for drinks and dinner with good friends - and darn it, forgot a picture of them!  But I ordered a pina colada and it came in the cutest coconut mug!!  I ordered pork sliders and they were delicious!

On the ceiling of this place is a huge octopus!!

Certainly not a great sunrise but better than nothing!

Baja Happenings

 Besides Glenn fishing and me reading and swimming in the ocean, you would think we would have LOTS of down time but it sure doesn't feel like it at times!!  I do play cards sometimes with the gals - Swoop or Hand and Foot - Swoop is easy - Hand and Foot, not so much!!  I'm getting better at it though!

Afternoons are HOT!    Glenn takes a nap and I read if I'm not invited over to Spa Hotel to get in the water with the gals!

But life is good - and the ocean is beautiful!

Dinner over at our good friends' Eric and Hillary!  They have a beautiful view from the place they rent!

I still enjoy the mango dacquiris I make!!  I did have 5 ladies over for these drinks along with several appetizers I made and we had a great afternoon - and of course I forgot to snap a picture!

Glenn sold the boat to an American who lives down here part time - so he took him out along with another friend to teach him all the boat things!!  The nice thing is that Glenn was allowed to still use the boat for another week or so!

Out with our neighbors, Jerry and LouAnn - really super nice people from Montana and they have rented beside us for years!

I was thrilled to see cardinals down here!!  We don't have them in Colorado so it was fun to see them!

Glenn took Hal out fishing - he's almost 94 years old!!  It's a struggle to get him in and out of the boat but we did it!!  Hal actually caught this dorado but couldn't lift it so Glenn helped!