THE LATEST...
Not necessarily in order here, our travels are
listed chronologically on the Route page.
January, 2012
Huatulco (1) - Leaving Acapulco's wildlife, we spotted the remains of a tragedy at sea and pulled into picturesque Huatulco.
Acapulco - Yacht races, cliff divers, a fancy yacht club and several picturesque anchorages made our stay a true delight.
Lectronic Latitude - Some of our pics and Acapulco sailboat race excitement turned up in Latitude 38's online newsletter.
Ixtapa/Zihua - The best thing in Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa is the wonderful people we met shoreside. Plus the cool animals!
Escapees - My article Boondocking: The Essential Ingredients is featured in the January/February issue.
Ztown Parthenon - After a beach Christmas we snuck into the "Parthenon," a decaying castle built by extortion & drug money.
December, 2011
Facebook - I created a Facebook page for this site so Facebook users can easily receive notification of updates.
Manzanillo Bay - Our return to this lovely bay featured a breaching whale, a bit of memory lane, and an alternator adventure.
Hobie Kayak - Our inflatable tandem kayak has given us hours of joy in both the RV and the boat. Here is a review.
Paradise Village - We crossed the Sea of Cortez to visit the luxurious Paradise Village Resort Marina in Puerto Vallarta.
Mexico Tips (2) - More tips and tricks on cruising Mexico, from provisioning to boat parts to buying a TelCel USB modem.
Mexico Tips (1) - A few things we've learned while cruising Mexico, from weather websites to goodies that make life easier.
November, 2011
Mexico Maps - Added detailed maps showing the anchorages we have visited in the Loreto and La Paz areas.
La Paz Area - Taco joys and water heater blues in Laz Paz, followed by a nice retreat to Playa Bonanza and Bahía Falsa.
Articles - A new button in the banner at the top of each page leads to a page with links to all my published articles.
Maps - A new button in the banner at the top of each page leads to pages with maps of the areas we have visited.
La Paz Islands - We visit three unique island anchorages, receive a fly-in visit from a bird, and find treasure while snorkeling.
Loreto Area (3) - (Oct) Pretty coves, charming architecture, tricky navigation & fresh caught tuna: we had a fulfilling few weeks.
October, 2011
Chivato-Concepción - After crossing the Sea of Cortez we made great discoveries at Punta Chivato and Bahía Concepción.
Porta-Bote - A description of our cruising dinghy, how we assemble it on deck, and how we upgraded it.
San Carlos, Mexico - We returned to Groovy and to the place that first seeded our dreams of full-time travel and cruising.
Bug fix accessing the "Boats" page from the Mexico pages, plus small improvements to the "Hunter 44DS" page.
Williams, AZ - (Sep) A county fair and the Interbike trade show were followed by beautiful Sycamore Canyon in Williams, AZ.
September, 2011
Red Canyon - This Utah gem offered more red rock hikes, and we visited nearby Panguitch for Mormon history lessons too.
August, 2011
Cedar Breaks - Red rock vistas and colorful wildflowers defined our visit to this stunning yet unsung Utah National Monument.
Dixie Nat'l Forest - From caves to 2,000 year old trees to red rock canyon hikes, we explored Dixie Naitonal Forest, Utah.
Bonito/Wupatki - Chores finished, we escaped to Bonito Campground and Wupatki National Monument in Flagstaff, AZ.
July, 2011
In July we left the boat in San Carlos, Mexico, and returned to Phoenix, AZ, to visit friends/family and re-lease our townhouse.
RV Journal - The Summer, 2011 issue features an article I wrote about Sun Valley, Idaho. More info here, here and here.
June, 2011
Bahía Concepción - We immersed ourselves in nature and the local ex-pat community along this bay's many beaches.
Puerto Escondido & Loreto (May) - Back in civilization, we took care of body, soul and the boat's pantry in these busy ports.
May, 2011
Loreto Area (1) - We experience the contrasts of the "natural" Sea at Isla Coronado and the "glam" Sea at Ensenada Blanca.
Agua Verde - After some quick stops and a bucking bronco ride during a 3-day Norther, we found heavenly Agua Verde.
Ensenada Grande & Isla San Francisco (April) - These islands welcomed us with tropical beaches and rugged desert hikes.
April, 2011
La Paz / Balandra - La Paz offered peace and good provisioning while lessons about the Coromuel winds awaited us nearby.
Mazatlan - Even wearing our customary rose colored glasses couldn't help this city, and we hurried across the Sea of Cortez.
Mexico Maps - Detailed maps of Mexico's primary cruising grounds with summaries of what's there.
San Blas & Isla Isabel - From breaching whales to blue footed boobies, nature impressed us, along with the Bells of San Blas.
La Cruz (Late March) - We left the quiet bays of the Costa Alegre and landed in the huge city of greater Puerto Vallarta.
March, 2011
Chamela Bay & Islands - After the tsunami we discovered a gorgeous nature preserve hidden among Chamela's islands.
The March 11 tsunami sent us out for a pleasant day sail in safe, deep water, along with most of the Mexican cruising fleet.
Tenacatita - Witnessing all the human and ecological struggles of this area in a few short days, Tenacatita was not paradise.
Barra de Navidad - (Feb, 2011) - For a week we tucked into this protected lagoon anchorage fronting a cool, funky town.
February, 2011
Manzanillo (3) - At Las Hadas we sighted a megayacht, kayaked to a hidden beach and saw more of downtown Manzanillo.
Santiago (Late January) - We returned from Zihuatanejo to make new discoveries in Santiago Bay in Manzanillo.
January, 2011
Zihuatanejo (2) - We hung out for a month in this fun little town, uncovering odd stories, ancient history and special places.
Hunter 44DS - Some specs, pics and thoughts about our home on the ocean.
Zihuatanejo (1) - A charming town that deftly combines upscale tidiness with authentic Mexican grit, we found many friends.
December, 2010
Isla Ixtapa - After four days in transit from Manzanillo, we arrived at Isla Ixtapa, a tiny island paradise near Zihuatanejo.
Improved website layout - New menus separate the destination pages from other topics, there is a placeholder for future Boat
equipment related pages, and there is a Search button.
Welcome - A new favorite photo and a Donate button for readers who would like to contribute to the production of this website.
Manzanillo (2) - Las Hadas Resort was so lovely we stayed 10 days - and got some important chores done too.
The Route - I added an annotated map of Mexico (bottom of page) so you can see where all these cool places are.
Manzanillo (1) - Just a daysail further south, we anchored off the utterly charming Las Hadas Resort, site of the movie "10."
Chamela Bay (Thanksgiving, 2010) - For 55 hours we crossed 330 miles of open ocean to arrive at charming Chamela Bay.
November, 2010
Cabo San Lucas - Leaving the remote Baja coast behind, we arrived in Cabo, welcoming its crazy party-town atmosphere.
Pacific Baja California (2) - We continued further south, exploring a little ashore and enjoying the sights and sounds at sea.
Pacific Baja California - We left San Diego at last, and started sailing down the Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico.
Heart of a Dream - Escapees Magazine Nov/Dec 2010 features my article on finding the heart of our traveling lifestyle dream.
October, 2010
This month disappeared too fast as we finished outfitting Groovy for the 750 mile trip south from San Diego to Cabo San
Lucas, Mexico (and beyond for the winter/spring before we return to the fifth wheel next summer). Initially delayed awaiting
replacement parts for our watermaker, we now plan to leave San Diego around November 2nd with hopes of getting to Cabo
by the end of the month. Depending on internet accessibility, I will bring pics and stories to you as we sail south in November.
Roads Back in Time - Highways Magazine (Oct. 2010) article about our visit to the RV Hall of Fame. More info here.
September, 2010
San Diego Anchorages (2) - We continued visiting the cruisers' parking spots: the "Cop Dock" & Glorietta Bay on Coronado.
Escapees Magazine - The Sep/Oct issue includes a "How To" article of mine on insulating your screen door for winter RVing.
Highways Magazine - Cover shot of our rig and two feature articles about fun small town Labor Day weekend festivals.
San Diego Anchorages - (Aug) Sailing north to San Diego, we visited 3 scenic & free anchorages, boondocking on the water.
August, 2010
Baja Naval - A stay at the Baja Naval boatyard rounded out the last days of our Ensenada, Mexico adventure.
Races & Faces - (July) We brushed lives with many interesting personalities in Ensenada, and Mark ran two running races.
Highways Magazine - My cover story entitled America's Alps is about Sun Valley, ID. More info here, here and here.
July, 2010
Ensenada's Wineries - We took a daytrip inland to savor the beauty and flavor of Ensenada's Ruta del Vino (wine route).
Coast to Coast Magazine - Summer 2010 issue features my cover article about the Valley of Fire (more info here and here)
June, 2010
Riviera / Baja 500 - From high culture to raucous partying, we tour the Riviera Cultural Center & Baja 500 off-road race.
Carriacou (2), Union Island and the island of Bequia- (Dec 2009) Better late than never, here's our Caribbean Christmas.
May, 2010
La Bufadora - Entertaining a boat-guest gave us a chance to do the tourist stuff, including seeing the famed blow hole.
Ensenada Charms - Midway through our six month stay, we discovered more charms around town and in the marina
Escapees Magazine - Included my article on the Amish Heritage Trail (more info here) in the May/June 2010 issue.
April, 2010
Ensenada Races - Ensenada is the destination for the Rosarito-Ensenada bike race and the Newport-Ensenada sailboat race.
Life in Ensenada - (Mar/Apr) Sailing, witnessing natural events, and discovering who makes all that noise beneath our boat.
RV Life - Here is my article on Spring Mountain Ranch (April issue). More photos / stories on bottom of Las Vegas page.
March, 2010
Borders & Marina Stories - (Feb/Mar) We crossed the US/MX border several times and then settled into our new home.
Escapees Magazine - The Mar/Apr 2010 issue features an article on the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Indiana
Carnaval - (Mid Feb) Ensenada's Carnaval Parade was a colorful, exciting spectacle.
Ensenada - (Early Feb) We wandered around this very friendly foreign town, finding things both familiar and exotic.
February, 2010
La Salina / Hotel Coral - (Late Jan) We took our first "real voyage" to two northern Baja California Mexico marinas.
Groovy - (Jan) In a whirlwind we start a new life chapter, leaving the Caribbean, buying a sailboat and moving aboard.
January, 2010
Escapees Magazine - Jan/Feb 2010 article A Mexican Crown discusses superior dental work Mark received in Mexico.
The new year got off to a wild start. We came home from the islands ahead of schedule to purchase and move aboard a
sailboat. I'll post more Caribbean stories followed by tales of our boat transition once we get settled.
December, 2009
Carriacou - We walked around this 13 square mile island and relaxed on stunning Paradise Beach.
More Grenada - We explored beaches, bluffs, Frank Sinatra's charter yacht and went to Fish Friday in the town of Gouyave.
Grenada - Our first few days on this Caribbean island were a delicious whirlwind. (New stories start 20% down the page...)
Escapees - Surprise!! I just received my Nov/Dec '09 issue and found it includes my article "RV Friendly Casinos" !!
We have been busy with friends and family in Phoenix, AZ. Lots of good times seeing the old homestead.
November, 2009
Tips & Tricks - Here's a collection of useful RVing tips and tricks we have learned so far.
Boondocking - Added some notes about the cool 110 volt a/c LED bulbs we found at Walmart, 3/4 down the page.
Phoenix Parks - Welcome home. We hung with saguaro cactuses, met some gals in vintage trailers and cuddled a stray kitty.
Havasu Springs, AZ - Offered four free nights at a resort's RV park, we enjoyed a brief interlude of upscale living.
RV Life - Yuma - The November, 2009 issue focuses on Arizona and features an article of mine about Yuma.
October, 2009
Laughlin, NV - (Early-Mid Oct) - Stopping for an overnight, we stayed over two weeks as the snowbird flocks arrived.
Fulltiming - Added some notes from a campground membership presentation we attended, about 40% down the page.
Valley of Fire - (Sep/Oct) - A return visit to a favorite place of soaring vistas, dramatic geology and fleeting human history.
www.rvresources.com - We were just honored as the "RVers of the Month" for October 2009 on this informative website.
Las Vegas, NV - (Late Sep) Two sides of Las Vegas: a crazy bicycle trade show and the tranquility of Red Rock Canyon.
Fulltiming - Added some notes about the computer-based phone system Skype (www.skype.com), ~3/4 down the page.
September, 2009
Logan to Cedar City, Utah - (Mid Sep) We traveled down I-15 with scenic detours over Logan's Pass and around Mt. Nebo.
Helmville Rodeo (2) - (Early Sep) A weekend full of cute kids, bull-riding, steer wrestling, calf roping and barrel racing.
Helmville Rodeo (1) - (Early Sep) We spent Labor Day weekend immersed in rodeo fun in a small Montana town.
Hitchitch.com - Has featured our website. Check out the dozens of sites/blogs from other RV travelers at this unique link.
Stevensville, MT - (Aug/Sep) We visited friends and saw some cattle ranching in action at their neighbor's ranch.
Escapees Magazine - Published an article I wrote about our vent-free propane heater in their Sep/Oct 2009 issue.
RV Life - Published an article I wrote about our stay in Pioche, Nevada last fall in their September, 2009 issue.
Stanley, ID - (August) We spent a week at the base of the craggy Sawtooth Mountains.
August, 2009
Sun Valley, ID - (August) More sights and sounds of this winter and summer resort area.
Heater Footnote - Our heater is rated for 3,500 ft. elevation or less, but every morning in Idaho (6,000 ft.) it worked flawlessly.
RV Life - Published an article of mine on Best Friend's Animal Sanctuary in their August, 2009 issue about Utah.
Ketchum, ID (2) (July/Aug) Nature's glory, a sports car road rally and a fantasy figure skating movie kept us entertained.
Ketchum, ID (1) (July) This mountain paradise charmed us for a delicious month of rest and relaxation.
Soo Locks, MI (Late-June) We watched two freighters transit the Soo Locks between Lake Superior and Lake Huron.
Lake Huron (Late-June) We came down the Michigan coast along Lake Huron, land of terrible shipwrecks and fun boat races.
U.P. - St. Ignace & Hessel (Mid-June) We swung through a corner of Michigan's rugged and remote Upper Peninsula.
N. Lake Michigan - (Mid-June) Charlevoix, Harbor Springs & the Tunnel of Trees captivated us on some pretty summer days.
July, 2009
Finally, happily camped in the mountains by a creek in sun-drenched Idaho, we can tell our tale of the past few months.
Many thanks to everyone who emailed us, asking if we were okay and wondering why there were no updates on the website...
Amish Country & Heartland RV - (Early June) While in Elkhart, IN, we toured Amish country and an RV factory.
Lake Michigan - (Early-Mid June) Saugatuck, Higgins Lake & Traverse City combined new discoveries and old memories.
South Haven, MI - (Early June) A cute Lake Michigan town offers a sunset extravaganza and car show during our visit.
Ohio & Elkhart, IN - (Early June) A drive along Ohio's Lake Erie shore and a stop at the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, IN
Lake St. Clair, MI - (Late May) After visiting family near Detroit we did a loop around the lake that laps Detroit's shore
SF Bay & LA Area - (April-May) We spent some time here shopping for a sailboat and reeling from the experience.
May, 2009
An unexpected incident takes us by plane on a Big Detour to visit family in Michigan until the end of June.
April, 2009
Roosevelt Lake, AZ - After a tough drive into the wind across country, we recovered at this gorgeous lake in the desert.
Chanute, KS - Returning to the NuWa plant in Chanute, Kansas for trailer repairs, we found many changes since last year!
Ozarks, AR - We visited the Clinton Museum, a dulcimer factory and the home of Walmart in Arkansas.
Natchez Trace, MS - We rode our bikes along this beautiful road to a well-remembered Indian Mound on the Trace.
March, 2009
Florida Panhandle (2) - The "Emerald Coast" had us beachcombing, antiquing and swimming, and required a second page!
Florida Panhandle (1) - After a mad dash across country in February, 2009, we enjoyed Florida's "Forgotten Coast."
San Diego (3) - In January, 2009, we returned to San Diego's waterfront for the sailboat show.
Arizona Deserts - We floated between Quartzsite and Phoenix during December, 2008 and January, 2009.
Solar Update - Series versus Parallel Wiring (end of the page). All solar panel wiring installations are not equal...
Look! - "Shedding Light on Solar," an article I wrote for Escapees Magazine (March/April issue)
February, 2009
Too busy traveling from California to Florida and socializing with family and friends to put anything new on the website!
January, 2009
www.gonomad.com - Check it out! Here's an e-zine article I wrote about our adventures in Goblin Valley, Utah.
www.escapees.com/magazine.asp - Look! Our buggy made the cover of Escapees Magazine in the Jan-Feb 2009 issue!!
It's a nice sunset shot we took near Bryce Canyon last summer.
Solar Update - A Winter's Tale (end of page). What we learned about our solar setup when the sun is low and days are short.
December, 2008
Heaters - It's winter! Brrr!!! Here's everything we've learned so far about RV furnaces & vent-free propane heaters, with a
pictorial walk-through of our installation of a Vanguard 20K BTU blue flame heater.
Yuma, AZ - We enjoyed a quiet November filled with bike rides, a balloon festival, and strolls through the historic Old Town.
November, 2008
Statistics - Updated the statistics page. Surprising how we and the world have changed in 18 months.
Pioche, NV - We stopped in Pioche, Nevada in September. Awesome historic town with a gorgeous canyon nearby.
(I don't always write in order!)
October, 2008
San Diego (1) - We spent the month of October in San Diego, caught up in the whirlwind of activities on Shelter Island.
San Diego (2) - Every few days we escaped the bustle of Shelter Island and went over to the peace and surf of Mission Bay.
What's It Like? - If you've wondered what it's like to travel fulltime in an RV, this page describes one month of life on the road.