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2023
  • Debra Giltz

2023

A 369-day adventure by Debra Read more
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  • Trip start
    December 28, 2022
    Debra Giltz2023Traveler

    Jan 1-Jan 29, 2023

    January 29, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 43 °F

    Following Christmas we surfed the atmospheric river back to the desert southwest without any mishaps.
    Despite some unseasonably cold temperatures here in Arizona, we've been enjoying the sunshine.
    This past month we adopted and planted a car load of cactus, agave and aloe from a generous neigbor; purchased a golf cart; attended the Casa Grande Street Fair, Car and Bike Show; watched softball here at RR (Robson Ranch) ; were entertained at the RR talent Show; and of course played a lot of pickleball.
    Tuesday, we welcomed our first house guests. Our friends, Gary and Carrie, joined us for five days of fun and sun.
    We took them on a tour of RR; hiked at Picacho State Park; watched the skydivers at Sky Dive Arizona; visited Suguaro National Park; took in the South 12th Ave food scene in Tucson; played pickleball; watched movies; talked, laughed and reminisced. We had a great time and hated to see them depart.    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2023Traveler

    January 30-March 13

    March 13, 2023 in the United States

    We've had a relaxing month and a half. Last month I took a gourd art class at the Creative Arts Center here at Robson Ranch (RR). I've also been baking a lot of bread, in fact we haven't purchased a loaf in months. https://www.sodiumoptional.com/easy-crusty-brea…
    We watched our next door neighbor, Wes, along with 5 other contestants vie for the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy at Dancing with the Robson Ranch Stars. It was a great evening of entertainment.
    My cousin, Sally, and her husband Dave spent an afternoon with us. We served them lunch and took them on a tour of our community.
    Randy and I volunteered and spectacted at two pickleball tournaments held here at RR. It was great cheering on our friends competing in the tournaments.
    As with a good part of the country it's been colder and wetter than normal here in Arizona... not that we're complaining. This past week it's been warmer. We've enjoyed the desert starting to bloom and spending the afternoons and evenings hanging out on our patio.
    Today we took the motorhome to the local truck wash before heading north to Cottonwood, AZ for four nights. This is the longest time we've not resided in our home on wheels and it feels good to be on the road again.    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2023Traveler

    March 13-17

    March 17, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    After a 90 minute delay, due to multiple accidents and road construction through the Phoenix metroplex, we finally made it to Verde Valley RV Resort in Cottonwood, AZ.
    This was absolutely one of the nicest Thousand Trail parks that we've stayed at. It had well maintained facilities and roads with spacious sites and nice views.
    After setting up "camp" we headed into Cottonwood for a delicious Mexican dinner and a stroll of Old Town.
    Tuesday we drove an hour west to Prescott where we toured the Sharlot Hall Museum https://www.sharlothallmuseum.org/ followed by lunch at Bill's Pizza. Bill's is our favorite pizza restaurant in Palm Springs and we were delighted to find that it originated in Prescott. We explored the many shops and galleries in Old Town/Whiskey Row and stopped at Superstion Meadery for a flight of their fine mead. https://superstitionmeadery.com/company-info/
    Wednesday we hunkered down in the motorhome for most of the day due to rain and flood advisories. We did get out for a hike around the park during a break in the weather.
    Yesterday we had an outstanding breakfast at Crema Craft Kitchen in Cottonwood before spending the day in the former copper mining town of Jerome.
    We stopped at the Audrey Shaft Headfram of the Little Daisy Mine
    then toured the Douglas Mansion. https://azstateparks.com/jerome/ We had a great time walking the hilly, historic ghost town that is Jerome, AZ.
    Today we return to our home at Robson Ranch. It was wonderful resuming our nomadic lifestyle for a few days to explore new sights.    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2023Traveler

    March 18-31

    March 31, 2023 in the United States

    Spring continues to slowly make her way to the Sonoran Desert, though it is still unseasonably cooler and rainier than normal.
    Randy and I hoped to see the super bloom at Picacho Peak but so did hundreds of other people so we did a short hike adjacent to the park instead.
    We continue to spend lots of time on the pickleball courts. Usually at 6:00am and/or 6:00pm so we see some beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
    Last Saturday we snatched up some bargains at the Robson Ranch Yard Sale where over 90 of our neighbors had tables set up. We also visited Wuertz Gourd Farm where I purchased some gourds to decorate. https://www.wuertzfarm.com/
    Last week we had our patio extended and a dry stream bed added to our backyard landscape.
    Tuesday we joined Gary and Carrie in La Jolla, California for three days of fun. We had lunch on the waterfront before visiting Cabrillo National Monument, including the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. https://www.nps.gov/cabr/index.htm
    That evening we watched the sun set at Windandsea Beach.
    Wednesday we had a nice walking tour of the neighborhood while on our way to Harry's Coffee Shop for a tasty breakfast. Later we met Gary's brother, Gordon and his wife Patty at Cesarina's for a delicious dinner of italian cuisine. https://cesarinarestaurant.com/welcome-to-cesar…
    Thursday Carrie led Randy and I on a long walk up to Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial. We were rewarded with beautiful views at the top. Later that day we got in over an hour of pickleball at the Barnes Tennis Center before getting rained out.
    Thank you so much G & C for including us on your vacation. We had a wonderful time!    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2023Traveler
    2

    April 1-May 16

    May 16, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 99 °F

    We've really enjoyed seeing the desert come to life during the past month.
    I haven't played pickleball for five weeks due to a bum shoulder 😔. It's improved but is easily irritated. I've kept active with 6-8 mile desert and neighborhood walks where I have spotted jack rabbits, coyote, road runners, many cottontails and colorful birds as well as beautiful sunrises and blooming vegetation.
    Learning to decorate gourds at the Creative Arts Center here at Robson Ranch has been fun and introduced me to a new group of very talented people. I've also been reading a lot with Lessons in Chemistry, Everything I Never Told You and Demon Copperhead being my favorites.
    Randy's been honing his skills on our Traeger, smoking tri tip, chicken, ribs and char siu pork.😋
    We've had fun playing shuffle board, pool and cards and sharing food and drink with friends.
    Yesterday we hit 100°F and the cold tap water is coming out warm, so time to head north.
    We'll take 10 days to make our way back to Boring, OR with stops in Cabazon, Paso Robles, Isleton and Lewiston California and Phoenix, Oregon.    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2023Traveler
    1

    May 16-18

    May 18, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 91 °F

    We spent the first night of our journey home boondocking at Morango Casino in their new RV parking lot. We slept well without the noise of semi trucks parked next to us.
    Yesterday we avoided the congestion on interstate 210 by taking 215 to 138, north of the San Gabriel mountains.
    Last night and tonight we're in Paso Robles where our rv site backs up to a vineyard with beautiful views.
    This morning we started our day with a delicious breakfast at Brother's Cafe before exploring downtown Paso Robles, including a visit to the History Museum. Next we continued west to San Luis Obispo where we revisited the Mission, did a lot of walking and had some yummy ice cream at McConnell's.
    Continuing west we had a cool respite from the inland heat upon our arrival at Pismo Beach. We strolled the main drag and the pier before traveling down the coast a bit before stopping at some farm stands on our way back to the RV park.
    It's good to be on the road again. 😊    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2023Traveler
    1

    May 19-21

    May 21, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    Friday we traveled north through the San Joaquin Valley to the California Delta for a two night stay at Delta Shores Resort and Marina located on the Mokelumne River.
    Saturday we were up early to shop the Golden Villa Farmer's Market in Stockton. It's an asian market that features fish and produce. We purchased some beautiful veg and fruit. https://www.goldenvillafarmersmarket.com/
    Next we took a long walk along the waterfront before heading to Modesto's Farmer's Market where we bought some tasty bread.    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2023Traveler

    May 21-23

    May 22, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    Sunday we arrived at Trinity River RV Park in Lewiston, CA. It's a modest little park with beautiful water views.
    Monday we drove to Weaverville, a historic gold rush town with quaint shops, beautiful architecture and the best grilled cheese sandwich we've ever had! https://www.weavervilleca.org/
    We drove through the sleepy hamlet of Lewiston before our return to the moho.
    Today was busy and fun filled. We started off with a hike to Whiskeytown Falls where we got a good workout, saw wildflowers, beautiful scenery and many small lizards. Next we visited the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area Visitor Center before doing a walking tour of Shasta State Historic Park on our way to Redding. Our first stop in town was a tour of the Behrens-Eaton House Museum. https://eatonhousemuseum.org/ The docent. Kathy, was knowledgeable and entertaining. Then one of the trustees gave us a private tour of an auxiliary building that is being set up with more exhibits. He also recommended that we see the Sundial Bridge, arboretum and bike the Sacramento River Trail... So we did! Thanks Mike for the excellent suggestion. https://www.turtlebay.org/sundial-bridge/
    We also managed to fit in a delicious lunch at Conelo's. https://www.canelosredding.com/
    Tomorrow we head to Phoenix, Oregon.    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2023Traveler

    May 24-26

    May 25, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Our last two nights on the road were spent at Holiday RV Park in Phoenix, OR. Wednesday we enjoyed a spicy, hot meal at Charm Thai Kitchen before going to Central Point to purchase award winning cheese from Rogue Creamery https://roguecreamery.com/ and chocolate from Lillie Belle Farms https://www.lilliebellefarms.com/.
    Next we did a walking tour of historic Jacksonville.
    Yesterday Randy gave the moho a much needed wash then we headed to Ashland for lunch at Martolli's and dessert at Zoey's. BJ's ice cream seems to be the product of choice at the ice cream parlors in this area and it is delectable! Well fortified, we strolled downtown Ashland and Lithia Park. After taking a break back at the moho, we drove back to the Angus Bowmer Theater in Ashland to attend the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's production of Rent. It was fantastic! https://www.osfashland.org/ It was Randy's first time at OSF. I'd been to many productions with my mom, Auntie Aki and sister Marcia... Fond memories.❤️
    We had a lovely drive through the forest, into the Willamette Valley then on to our home base in Boring Oregon where we were welcomed with a delicious dinner prepared by my MIL, Sharon.    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2023Traveler

    May 27-June 21

    June 21, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    As always the first month back at our home base in Oregon has been busy, catching up with family, doctors and dentist appointments. I started physical therapy for my shoulder and am slowly resuming pickleball.
    We had a wonderful visit with cousin Carrie and her family, who traveled from their home in South Dakota.
    Last week we visited my Auntie Mary. I hope I'm doing as well as her when/if I reach my 90's!
    Saturday we attended the Hillendale Pickleball Annual Potluck where we shared good food, good company and good play. It was great reuniting with our Oregon pickleball family.
    Friday Randy spent the entire day smoking two pork shoulders for our Father's Day meal. Sunday we had a delicious feast followed by a rousing game of pegs and jokers.
    Yesterday I shared a tasty meal at Tara Thai with "the girls".    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2023Traveler
    Sandy High School Nature Trail
    Pickleball at Gresham High School

    June 22-July 3

    July 3, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    We've been enjoying the forest foliage and blooms with hikes on nearby trails.
    Last week my cousin Matthew and his wife Chay came down from Seattle. We had a nice visit with them at Uncle Kay's.
    I'm still working hard at physical therapy for my shoulder, and trying not to overdo it during pickleball. We played at Gresham High School's courts for the first time last Wednesday and met some nice people.
    I've taken up dot painting and have been practicing on almost every surface I can get my hands on! I find it a very enjoyable and meditative craft.
    Yesterday we celebrated Randy's 68th birthday with a mexican feast of chicken fajitas, chili colorado, rice/beans and all the fixins. Sharon provided a yummy jello salad and Marcia made delicious desserts.
    We wish all of our family and friends a happy, safe Independence Day. 🎆    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2023Traveler

    July 4-12

    July 11, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    Last Wednesday my sister, Marcia, and I took a road trip to Twin Falls Idaho to attend the 2023 Minidoka Pilgrimage. Minidoka was an American concentration camp where up to 13,000 Japanese Americans were denied their civil rights and were incarcerated during World War 2. https://www.nps.gov/miin/index.htm
    The first stop on our journey was lunch in Goldendale, WA. We continued east with stops in Baker City, overnight in Ontario, then on to Boise before reaching Twin Falls.
    The Pilgrimage kicked off with a social and dinner at Koto Brewing Company. https://koto.beer/
    We connected with our relatives from Texas, my Auntie Toku, cousins and theirs spouses and kids. Twelve Texans in all ranging in age from 1 to 91!
    Opening ceremony was at the College of Southern Idaho followed by a full day of enlightening educational seminars.
    Saturday morning we took a bus to Minidoka National Historic Site where we went to the Visitors Center then had a walking tour of the site guided by the NPS. It was quite moving walking where my grandparents, mother, aunts, uncles and older cousins trod 80 years ago. We returned to the college for an afternoon of small group Intergernerational Legacy Sessions. My session was informative, bonding and surprisingly (to me) emotional and cathartic. I guess generational trauma is a real thing. Later that evening we headed to the Fairfield Inn for cocktails, karaoke and dancing (imagine line dancing to Uptown Funk by a 90+ year old) and Japanese Bon Odori.
    The closing ceremony was held at Minidoka with speeches given by various leaders of the JA community, National Park Service and Crow Nation. It was touching witnessing the survivors take part in the Native American sage smudging ceremony.
    As always I was proud to locate my father's name on the Honor Roll where the names of JA soldiers of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and Military Intelligence Service fought for and served their country while their loved ones were incarcerated. https://goforbroke.org/history/unit-history/442…
    We visited Shoshone Falls before starting our long drive home.
    Thank you to the Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee, Friends of Minidoka https://www.minidoka.org/ and National Parks Service for a fantastic experience. Thank you Marcia for driving.
    Today we're bound for a 12 night stay at Neskowin Creek RV Park on the central Oregon Coast.    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2023Traveler

    July 12-24

    July 24, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    We spent 12 relaxing days at Neskowin Creek RV Resort where we were able to beat the heat in the Portland metro area while we hiked, biked, ate, played pickleball and shared a meal with our friends Jim & Angie.Read more

  • Debra Giltz2023Traveler

    July 25-Aug 26

    August 12, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 77 °F

    We started off last month harvesting and freezing 35 lbs of blueberries and about 20 lbs of blackberries.
    I dined twice with Jan and Terri. We celebrated Kelsie and Kelly's birthdays. Visited the Japanese American Museum of Oregon with the kids and Uncle Kay. https://jamo.org
    Hosted Christmas in August at Sally and Dave's beautiful home located on the Columbia River. Had lunch and a nice visit with cousin Sharon. Out to lunch with Leslie, Angie and Jim. Enjoyed an excellent production of Man of La Mancha performed by the Clackamas Repertory Theatre, with my MIL, Sharon. https://www.clackamasrep.org/
    Strolled the Gresham Farmer's Market and Japanese Garden.
    All in all a great month, spending quality time with family and friends, reading all of Elizabeth Strout's novels and doing our best to keep cool.
    Tomorrow we head to the North Oregon Coast for a 10 night stay in Seaside.    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2023Traveler
    Visiting Carl and ValAdded a rock to Painted Rock Beach

    Aug 27-Sept 8

    August 30, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    We spent a relaxing 12 nights at the Thousand Trails RV Resort in Seaside, Oregon.
    I spent my days taking long walks, bicycling around town, visiting with friends and
    playing pickleball at the RV park, Gearhart and indoors at the Sunset Empire courts.
    We also managed to binge watch all six seasons of The Americans, an excellent series.    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2023Traveler

    Sept 9-Oct 3

    October 3, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    This past month we said farewell to summer and welcomed fall spending time with family and friends.
    My Auntie Toku, cousin Sharon and her husband Steve flew over from Texas to celebrate Uncle Kay's 90th birthday and to meet the newest member of our family, their grandson, Jude.
    We also celebrated the birthdays of Sharon, Kyle and me!    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2023Traveler

    Oct 4-Nov 18

    November 18, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    Randy had foot surgery, left big toe fusion and bone spur removal, the 6th of October so he was recuperating the entire month. He's doing well and should be back on the pickleball courts by the end of next month.
    We joined RECS indoor pickleball so between there and Hillendale I've managed to get 2-3 sessions in per week. https://www.wearerecs.com/
    Earlier this month we spent the weekend in Gig Harbor, Washington, visiting our good friends Gary and Carrie. We took a cruise up to Olympia on their beautiful new boat. A perfect day with smooth water, no rain and lovely fall foliage.
    We dined at the Tides Tavern https://www.king5.com/article/life/style/best-o… and the Hy Lu Hee Hee, two Gig Harbor landmarks. Carrie and Gary also prepared delicious meals during our stay. They are truly extraordinary hosts.
    Randy and I have spent the rest of this month catching up with family and friends and slowly preparing for our trip south. We plan on departing November 24th.    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2023Traveler

    November 19-24

    November 24, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 45 °F

    Last Sunday we had a fun time celebrating Larry, Marcia and Braden's birthdays at Kyle and Kelly's.
    Uncle Dan provided the venue for Thanksgiving this year. Thank you Hinatsu family for setting up everything in your family home so Marcia and I could host the event. Many delicious side dishes and desserts were contributed by our guests. We had 26 family members in attendance this year. It was wonderful getting together with everyone.
    This morning we began the annual migration to our home in Arizona.    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2023Traveler

    Nov 24-Dec 1

    December 1, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    We experienced near perfect weather as we made our way down south. On our way we spent 3 nights at Fortuna de Oro RV Resort in Yuma, AZ. While there the motorhome and car got washed and waxed, we played pickleball, bocce ball and visited friends that we'd met over the years while staying in Desert Hot Springs. We also visited our friend Tom and toured his beautiful new home at the Palms RV Resort.
    We arrived at our Robson Ranch home yesterday and have been working hard getting our stuff transferred over from the motorhome.
    It's good to be where it's sunny and warm. 😎    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2023Traveler

    Dec 2-25

    December 25, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    After spending several days setting up house here in Arizona we've laid low with minimal socializing. I caught a cold then Randy decided to join me two weeks later. 🤧
    I brought my late mother's Santa Claus collection down. It was nice having some of her cherished Christmas pieces to decorate our home.
    I did manage to get out to the pickleball courts after my cold symptoms subsided. Last week the women's group I play with had a fun Christmas round robin with goodies and hot chocolate with "additives".
    Randy and I wish our friends and family a very Merry Christmas 🎄    Read more

    Trip end
    December 31, 2023
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