Jan. 6th – Jan 15th

I left Lopez Island on the 6th, but I only got to Anacortes by 3pm and stayed at the Swinomish Casino that first night. My target was to get to Quartzsite AZ on the 15th. It was a lot of driving, with occasional weather that I had to avoid. The key event on the way south was to stop at Long Beach in WA. I had the last of Sunna’s ashes with me and scattered them in the ocean. She loved running, and running, chasing her ball in and out of the water, and running. I drove into OR and made a stop at a state park, after dark. Turned out one of the trailer tires was flat! Too late to call AAA, so I called them in the morning. Had to stop and buy a new tire to replace it.

I made one other stop in Talent OR and met my friend Robin for lunch before heading across the Siskiyou Pass. Luckily, it wasn’t too cold and the roads were clear, a bit foggy. I was focused on driving and didn’t stop to take many pictures. These were all familiar routes! I mostly drove on freeways, then headed down the central valley to Bakersfield, then east to AZ, avoiding the fires and smoke. I made one final stop at an RV park in Needles CA so I could dump my holding tanks, fill the water tank, and do laundry. Stopped in Parker AZ and had lunch with Linda Adams, a Lopezian friend, and a tour of their AZ winter home. Got gas and groceries. I arrived in Quartzsite late in the afternoon with enough daylight left to find my camping spot. I had a day to relax before the Solos rally began on the 17th.