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  • Debra Giltz
  • Debra Giltz

2025

The past month and a half have been good here in Arizona. Randy is almost 8 weeks post knee replacement. He's completed physical therapy and had his last post op visit at Ortho Arizona. He's doing fantastic! He's walking up to a mile without a limp, Read more
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  • Trip start
    January 1, 2025
    Debra Giltz2025Traveler

    Dec 26-Feb 4

    February 4, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    The past month and a half have been good here in Arizona. Randy is almost 8 weeks post knee replacement. He's completed physical therapy and had his last post op visit at Ortho Arizona. He's doing fantastic! He's walking up to a mile without a limp, has reached his range of motion goals, going on bike rides and is back on the courts for pickleball dinking and serving. He still has some swelling, weakness and post op pain but is progressing daily and should be able to play a game of PB and go on an easy hike in a month or two.
    I continue to play pickleball 5-6 days a week and have finally taken advantage of some of the fitness classes offered here. I've tried aqua jump, TRX and line dancing as well as working out in the gym and hiking the surrounding desert.
    We had a wonderful visit with Joy, Jim and Jessie,
    who we met years ago while RVing.
    The geraniums we hauled down from Oregon have resumed blooming and are loving the Arizona ☀️.    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2025Traveler

    February 5-March 17

    March 17, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    We continue to love our time here in Arizona.
    We celebrated Valentine's Day by attending the Casa Grande Home and Garden Show at the Pinal County Fairgrounds where we unexpectedly gifted ourselves an EcoSpa hot tub!https://ecospas.com/. We've used it everyday, sometimes twice, and are impressed by it's construction, ease of use and easy maintenance. Hot tubs have come a long way since we last owned one over 25 years ago! Southwest Hot Tub Warehouse was wonderful with delivery, installation and with customer support after delivery.https://swhottubs.com/
    We visited with our Oregon pickleball club at a Hillendale South potluck hosted by Bev at her home in Sun Lakes, preceded by some play at Pecos Park Pickleball Courts in Phoenix. We had a great time!
    Randy's knee continues to improve. His range of motion goals have been met and he's diligent in increasing his strength and endurance. He's back to playing pickleball round robins 2-3 times a week and winning his share of games😊
    Earlier this month we went to the Spring Market at the Windmill Winery. There were hundreds of vendors and quite a crowd but the grounds were very pretty.
    Last Wednesday we headed to Tucson where we biked 32 miles of the Canada del Oro/Tucson Loop trail. It was a perfect day for cycling.
    We got a good workout but I must admit it was nice to have the pedal assist with our Lectric e bikes.
    Happy Saint Patrick's Day to our family and friends.☘️    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2025Traveler
    3

    March 18-April 17

    April 17, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    We've had a great start ushering in spring, here in the Sonoran Desert.
    We attended the Robson Ranch Pickleball Club's End of Season party March 21st where we played plenty of PB, visited with fellow players and had a good meal.
    The "kids", Kelsie, Kyle and Kelly visited us the end of March. They arrived Thursday the 28th. Friday was a full day of adventures. We visited the Ruins of Casa Grande National Monument https://www.nps.gov/cagr/planyourvisit/basicinf… then headed southeast to Biosphere 2 https://biosphere2.org/.
    Biosphere 2 was a bit disappointing as it didn't include as many exhibits as when Randy and I toured it in 2018. We did prep for it by watching the Pauly Shore classic, Bio-Dome, the night before 😅 We stopped for dinner in Tucson at La Indita for some Mexican-Native American cusine.
    https://lainditaaz.com/
    Saturday we went to the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch https://www.roostercogburn.com/then into downtown Casa Grande for lunch at the Big House Cafe for some delicious big food🍔. The rest of the day was spent relaxing. We had a wonderful weekend showing our family some of sights of the desert southwest.
    After dropping the kids off at the airport early Sunday morning Randy and I "hiked" the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch. It was a very easy hike where we welcomed the many shade trees, birds, bunnies and water views.
    Before heading back to RR we stopped in
    Gilbert for an excellent breakfast at the Liberty Market.
    The past few days have. been spent preparing for our return to Oregon.
    We departed this morning for a three night stay in Palm Springs. We had made reservations in Flagstaff but, alas, the predicted weather changed to a high possibility of snow with lows well below freezing🥶.
    As always we had a great season of snow birding at our winter home. It was the perfect place for Randy to have his knee replacement and get back on the PB courts and for me to keep busy during his rehab. 😎    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2025Traveler

    April 17-19

    April 19, 2025 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 70 °F

    We had a pleasant drive to the Thousand Trails RV Resort in Palm Desert, CA. The motorhome started right up and almost all systems were in working order after sitting idle for 4 and a half months. The only repair needed was rewiring the connectors to the tow car which Randy was able to do.
    Thursday we spent the evening at VillageFest in downtown Palm Springs. It's a great place to people watch, enjoy street performers, public art and street food and stock up on licorice.
    Friday Randy and I tried on pickleball shoes at Pete Carlson's for a good part of the afternoon. They have a huge selection of sale shoes, we ended up with three pairs☺️https://petecarlsonsgolf.com/ We met my cousin Steve and Karlene at Tony's Burgers for dinner. In addition to good burgers they have the best fish tacos ever!
    This morning we broke in our new shoes on the pickleball courts at the RV park playing skinny singles and drilling then did a little shopping at the craft fair. We spent a pleasant afternoon visiting my cousin-in-law, Dave, in La Quinta where he's vacationing with family.
    It was nice spending time in the Coachella Valley before continuing north to Oregon.    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2025Traveler

    April 20-May 7

    April 20, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 48 °F

    We arrived at Harris Ranch Inn in Coalinga, Ca on Easter Day. The decorations were beautiful and we enjoyed some yummy treats from their bakery.
    Monday April 21st was spent at Rolling Hills RV Park in Corning, CA. We did some shopping and had dinner at the Olive Pit then played some pickleball at the town park. Waiiaka RV Park in Yreka, CA was our next stop. We spent the afternoon playing a little pickleball in nearby Montague then strolled through Yreka's historic downtown.
    Source Engineering/Elite Renovation & Repair in Veneta, OR was our home from April 23rd-May 2nd.
    We had eight airbags replaced on the coach and had a slide repaired.
    Next we headed to Coburg, OR, 30 minutes away, for a new windshield. As sometimes happens we spent about a week longer than anticipated getting our home on wheels in tip top condition. We had lunch with our good friend Terri and her daughter Sarah and toured Terri's beautiful home in Eugene. Thank goodness the coast was only an hour away and there's plenty of pickleball to be had in the area. We spent most days on the courts while the coach was in the shop. We received the sad news that our good friend Jan had passed away. I'll miss our monthly meals out and especially her friendship. RIP Jan❤️
    We landed back at our home base in Boring, OR yesterday afternoon.
    🌸🌳    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2025Traveler

    May 8-June 23

    June 23, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 48 °F

    Randy and I hit the ground running upon our arrival back at our home base in Oregon. We've been working hard helping Randy's mom and dad move into their apartment at a nearby retirement community. This included purchasing new living and dining room furniture, as well as adjustable beds. We'll be staying in their home so we've been spending a lot of time making it our own and sorting through 40 years of accumulated belongings. We're also assisting my uncle with his transition into a senior living community and readying his property for sale.
    We celebrated Mother's and Father's Day with the family, and our daughter, Kelsie, provided some delicious dishes for both. I think she's inherited the Endo culinary genes. 😋
    My sister Marcia, Kelsie, Uncle Kay, Randy, and I visited our dear departed the weekend before Memorial Day. We always go early to beat the crowds.
    We also had the sad task of attending funerals for two good friends. It was nice seeing folks we'd lost touch with, despite the somber occasion.
    Our friend Gary is sailing his boat, the Salish Star, from his home in Gig Harbor, Washington, down the Washington coast, up the Columbia River, then up the Snake River to Lewiston, Idaho, and back again. We met him at Riverplace Marina during the Rose Festival where we enjoyed a beverage and an some ice cream.
    We took four much-needed nights "camping" in the motorhome. The first two nights were at Peach Beach RV Park in Maryhill, Washington. We took a short drive for a delicious dinner at my cousin Stan and his wife Sue's home in the Dalles where we met the newest member of the family, their grandson, Tobias. What a cute, serene little man he is with a full head of black hair! The next morning we played pickleball on three new dedicated courts with a great group of competitive people in the tiny town of Rufus, Oregon (population 290).
    Next, we headed an hour east to the Boardman Marina and RV Park. Gary and his friend, Alan, arrived on the Salish Star after passing through two locks and a fuel stop on their way upriver. Carrie, Gary's wife, was unable to complete her drive from Gig Harbor to meet us, due to the Rowena fire; however, she did make it the next day. As always, we
    had a great time with our friends, reminiscing and hearing about their journey up the Columbia.
    I met my friend Terri and her brother-in-law Fred for drinks at McMenamins Edgefield, a unique and charming property. We had a great visit and a fine afternoon strolling the grounds.    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2025Traveler

    June 24-Sept 25

    September 25, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    Up until the past couple of weeks, we've continued to be very busy with house projects here in Boring. Randy has been arranging for siding, roofing, tree removal, and painting to be done. We've both been sorting and organizing. I've also spent much of my time helping our daughter, Kelsie, sort through my Uncle Kay's belongings and getting him moved to a retirement community. Both he and Randy's parents seem to be adjusting well to their new living situations. They're integrating into their communities, meeting new friends, and are taking advantage of offered activities. I really admire the courage it took for them to make such a change in their lives.
    We had some fun too! My sister, Marcia, treated us to an excellent W. Kamau Bell performance of humor and social commentary. We had Christmas in August at Uncle Dan's, where we feasted on Randy's smoked ribs and chicken and many delicious side dishes and desserts provided by family and friends. My Auntie Toku, cousin Sharon, and her husband Steve flew in from Texas to join us. We had lunch with our good friend and former neighbor, Leslie, who was visiting from Florida. Our mutual friends Jim & Angie and Jim & Kathy joined us. Last week we were at Seaside on Oregon's north coast. We had four wonderfully relaxing days of dining, walking, pickleball, and biking.    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2025Traveler

    October 23-Nov 4

    November 4, 2025 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 57 °F

    Randy and I just got back from a 10-night trip to the Central Oregon Coast. We started things off with 5 nights at Neskowin Creek RV Resort, and wow, did we get hit with an atmospheric river – crazy winds and tons of rain! Good thing we could still play pickleball at Lincoln City's rec center and sneak in walks when the weather let up.

    Then we moved to Whaler's Rest RV Resort in South Beach for the next 5 nights. My sister, Marcia, stayed with us Wednesday night. We grabbed lunch at Local Ocean (https://www.localocean.net/) and then went mushroom hunting. I whipped up a delicious mozzarella and bolete pizza with Marcia's finds! On Thursday, our son, Kyle, met us for lunch at La Maison, one of our favorite spots in Newport.
    We managed to squeeze in some beach walks, scenic drives, and, of course, more pickleball during our stay.

    We had a beautiful drive along the coast, then inland to Elite RV Repair and Remodeling in Veneta (https://eliternr.com/), where we went to get some work done on our motorhome.

    We're getting tired of the wet, chilly weather and are looking forward to heading south after Thanksgiving. 🍁    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2025Traveler

    Nov 5-Dec 15

    December 15, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    My sister Marcia, Uncle Kay, and I attended the dedication ceremony of the Nisei Veterans WWII Memorial Highway, held in Hood River, Oregon. My father was a Sergeant in the 442nd Infantry Regiment.https://oregontic.com/oregon-historical-markers…
    After the ceremony, we stopped by Kiyokawa Orchards for some delicious apples and pears.
    Our friends, Gary and Carrie came down for a long overdue visit from Gig Harbor. We also had the pleasure of enjoying brunch with their son, Ian, and his wife, Catherine.
    Later in November, we celebrated Marcia's and my father-in-law, Larry's birthdays, where we filled up on clam chowder, zuppa toscana, and my mother-in-law, Sharon's chocolate peanut butter cake. 😋
    We stopped by Gradin Sports Complex to check on the progress of the new pickleball courts and were pleasantly surprised that they are done! We are ecstatic, as it will cut our commute time to play down from 40 minutes to 10!
    Thanksgiving was celebrated at Uncle Dan's as it's difficult for him to get around at 101.5 years old! Marcia and I prepared most of the food with some sides and desserts contributed by family. As always it was wonderful gathering together for the holiday.
    After an overnight stay in Veneta, Oregon to have the moho front end checked (all was good) we began our migration south for the winter.
    It's great to be where it's sunny, warm, and dry, with wonderful friends, a fantastic new gym, and 16 pickleball courts a bike ride away.
    Randy aced his one-year post-op visit with his orthopedic surgeon. We celebrated with an outstanding meal at Joe's Farm Grill in Gilbert, where I had some amazing chicken and waffles and Randy an impressive chicken sandwich. https://www.joesfarmgrill.com/
    Last Wednesday, we took a tour of Caywood Cotton Farms. I highly recommend it. Nancy represents her family's farm well, is very informative, entertaining, and provides snacks! https://caywoodfarms.com/    Read more

  • Debra Giltz2025Traveler
    Christmas at the Giltz's

    December 16-31

    December 31, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    Our holiday season here in Arizona has been wonderful. Although we miss our family and friends back in Oregon, we've had a great time socializing with friends, new and old, in our community while hosting and being hosted. We ended 2025 with fun, friends, and delicious food at our neighbors'.
    Thank you, Wes and Sherry, for a lovely evening.

    Hoping all of our family and friends had a joyous Christmas and wishing all of you a happy, healthy and peaceful 2026. 🥳    Read more

    Trip end
    December 31, 2025
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