The End of This Chapter

It is with mixed feelings that I post today….Our travel adventure ends today. On May 20th, 2014…two years, seven months and 10 days ago, Kendra and I left Morehead City, towing a camper, headed for Texas, and into a lifestyle neither of us knew anything about…the life of a gypsy….living out of a camper, Kendra working in six different ER’s all across the country.

We have lived in Texas, Florida, California. South Carolina and in the desert of Arizona. We have been through every southern state in the US, twice. We have been to the border of Mexico, seen the redwood forests, walked the path of the Earp brothers and Doc Holiday, met life long friends, done just about everything from wading in the Pacific Ocean to getting tattoos in the southern most tattoo parlor in  Key West to riding out a hurricane in a camper ….we have done so much and been to so many places, and we did it together.  People ask if we got on each others nerves, living in a small space like a camper.  I can honestly say, no…not really. Has there been some moments?  Sure…just like any marriage.  But I believe this experience…our being together all the time, has solidified our relationship, brought us so much closer together. When you are 3000 miles from family and home, you learn to totally depend on each other and I cannot think of anyone I would have wanted to take this adventure with other than Kendra…she is my soulmate. She has truly been one that I could lean on, and did so many times.

I would love to list all the places that  we have been and everything that we have done…but it simply is not possible. What I can do is put up some pictures we have taken during the last two years and and ten months.

This has been quite the ride and I would be lying if I said I’m glad it is ending…but, the one constant thing about life is change…and this new change is necessary.  So, I close this chapter with one of my favorite quotes from Mark Twain,

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

Starting out, First Assignment-Conroe Texas

Cutting watermelon

Texas Ranger Bob Platz (Retired) photo by Shawn Arrajj, Impactnews.com

Chad and Amber

Second Assignment-Bullhead City, Arizona ( and places visited while there).

Set up at the Silverview RV Park, Bullhead City, Arizona

Surrounded by mountains…

View from the RV park of Laughlin Nevada

Oatman, Arizona

Scenes along the historic Route 66

Stairway to the upstairs honeymoon suite of ClarkGable and Carol Lombard, Oatman Hotel

Shootout in Oatman, Arizona

Scenes along the historic Route 66

Shootout in Oatman, Arizona

Kendra playing the slots.

Kendra and Darren K. from AdvantageRN

Chloride, This Way…

One of the more ornate grave markers in Chloride Cemetery

One of the two restaurants in Chloride

Proof we were there.

Lake Mead

Another view of the dam.

Good eatin’…good view…water front.

Bridge to Coranado

Petco Park

Kendra and her doggie stroller

Mission Beach Babe.

View of San Diego from Cabrillo Point. North Island Naval Air Station in the forefront.

Lifeguard trucks at La Jolla

“Are you coming?”

Jim Hunter, served on the Midway and actually worked on the plane he is standing in front of, the A 1 Skyraider.

A salute to Bob Hope, who entertained service men and women in several wars.

Kendra boarding a restored H-46 Seaknight

The original “San Diego Silver Man”

The Stage Coach to Bisbee

Selfies…

Sea lions in their natural habitat, La Jolla

Hotel Del Coranado

Third Assignment-Ukiah/Willits, California (and surrounding places)

Point Cabrillo Lighthouse

Baristas at work…

Three tiered cell block

Typical Prison Uniform

Lombard Street, “the most crookedest street in the world.”

Santa Cruz Surfer Museum

Fourth Assignment-San Antonio, Texas

 

Tile inlay Scottish Rite symbol

Kendra chilling outside the camper.

Fifth Assignment-Daytona/Ormond Beach

Sixth Assignment-Laurinburg NC/South of the Border SC

PS….I said I was closing the door on this chapter. I think I’ll leave it open a bit…just in case…..

Until then……

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