July 30: Home

The air is cool as we leave St. George. We hit a snag at the on ramp to the I-15, it is closed for road work and there are detour signs. Either the last detour sign is not well marked or we don't see the arrow. We end up on the other side of the I-15 and stop at a gas station for information. Dan is definitely not adverse to asking for directions. We find the temporary on ramp for the south bound traffic and are on our way.

The trip takes 9 hours, but the air stays cool, the traffic is light and the route we take has good roads. We take the 58 west from the I-15 to Mojave, then Ave. D to the I-5 near Gorman and head south to the 126 west to Ventura. Linda sleeps most of this time so the trip doesn't seem like 9 hours to her. Dan is so excited to get back home that he doesn't feel tired. At the last rest stop before home he has a huge smile on his face.

We get home earlier than planned so we can spend a little time with one of our daughters and her girls since they are "vacationing" at our place this week. They have been doing the "back to school shopping" and enjoying the nice beach climate. They live inland where it gets very hot in the summer.

It is good to be home, but as we unpack the trailer and start to put things away we have a little trouble remembering just where everything goes. It is like being in someone else's home. We have been gone two and a half months so there is a pile of mail to go through as well as unpacking. It will take a few days to get everything done and a few weeks to get the dirt from the road off the van and trailer. The fun is over and it is time to get to work.

We had a marvelous trip, really enjoying the places we visited and seeing so much of our country. The Bear was a great companion. He had a few boring days, but otherwise had a good time. He is glad to be home and is getting rested up.

Our country is a marvelous playground with many wonderful and helpful people. There are an incredible number of interesting things to see and do. Everyone wants to know if we will do it again. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. We will keep you posted if we plan another adventure.