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Arizona


Southern Arizona including Phoenix and Tucson are in the Sonoran desert. This desert is full of interesting plants and animals. The weather has been wonderful; sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s!
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Judy's Place


For the last several years, I have come out to Judy's for a couple of weeks around Christmas to be with the family. This is a nice house in Ahwatukee, a suburb of Phoenix. Judy has orange and lemon trees in her yard! For more photos of Judy's click here
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Tostitos Fiesta Bowl


January 2, 2006 OSU defeated Notre Dame 34-20. The game was played in nearby Tempe, so we went up for the pre-game activities then returned to Judy's to watch the game. For more photos of the Fiesta Bowl click here
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Tucson


On January 4th and 5th, 2006, Ken and I took Andrew and Kayla down to Tucson for two days of fun. We visited Saguaro National Park, the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum, and Old Tucson Movie Studios For photos of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and the Saguaro National Park, click here For photos of the Old Tucson Movie Studios click here
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Family Reunion


Jenny arrived in Phoenix from Lakewood, OH on January 7th. This is the first time in a long while that all the family has been together at one time. Back L-R: Me, Ken, Dave. Front L-R: Judy, Jen, Susan. Birth years: Judy & I 1943, Susan 1969, Ken 1971, Jen 1973, Dave 1980. For more photos of Family and trip to Laughlin, NV click here
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Las Vegas, NV


Ken and I stayed at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas for three nights. Here is a view from our room looking north up the Strip. For photos of our Las Vegas adventure click here
I remained in Phoenix at Judys until Ken left for Tokyo on January 15th. On January 16th I headed for California and some camping...
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Joshua Tree National Park


I camped for three nights in the White Tank campground site #15; the high winds (gusting to 60 mph) made camping interesting... For more photos of Joshua Tree click here
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Salton Sea


One day during my stay at Joshua Tree, I drove south out of the park to see the Salton Sea and surrounding area. The sea is only slightly saltier than the Pacific so it supports fish and other life. For more photos of the Salton Sea area click here
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James is Born!


On January 17th, I called my nephew Tom in Costa Mesa to see how things were going. He announced that he was the proud father of James, born at about 4:50 AM, 8 pounds and 20 inches! I was able to get down to see Tom, Tiffany and James the next day! My wonderful sister-in-law, Leslie, was already there. Maria flew in the following Friday, January 20th, and my brother Dick flew in on Saturday - great reunion to greet a new family member! For more photos of James click here
While mom and dad rested, Maria and I took a hike down to the estuary at Newport where a nice interpretive center described the flora and fauna.
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La Jolla, CA


Maria and I drove down late Saturday, January 21st, to La Jolla to soak up some rays and see the sights. Here Maria relaxes by the pool. For more photos of La Jolla click here
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San Diego, CA


On Monday, January 23, Maria and I went down to San Diego to see the Coronado Hotel and the world famous Zoo. For more photos of San Diego click here
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Mission of San Juan Capistrano, CA


On the way back from San Diego to Los Angeles, Maria and I stopped at the Mission of San Juan Capistrano. A very peaceful place. For more photos of Capistrano click here
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Rodeo Drive


Who are these riff-raff, and what are they doing here?! Hey, Tony, can you hear me now? Eating at 208Rodeo Cafe next to Tiffany's??? What's the world coming to?
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South Pacific Coast Highway - Route 1


The Pacific Coast Highway, Route 1 in California, can be considered one of the most scenic highways in the world. It twists and turns its way from the southern-most to the northern-most part of the State. Don't take Rte. 1 if you are in a hurry! If you're retired, enjoy! I have arbitrarily divided the Highway into North and South. The dividing point is the Monterey Penisula. For more photos of the Pacific Coast Highway click here
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Big Sur


I camped at the Big Sur campgrounds on 27-January. This area is one of the most picturesque locations on a very scenic highway! For more photos of the Big Sur click here
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Monterey Penisula


The Monterey Penisula is home to many golf courses, including the famous Pebble Beach. It is also the location of some of the most expensive homes in California. I took the 17 mile drive, which costs ~ $9, refundable with a validated purchase of over $25. I highly recommend taking this route for the spectacular scenery and access to Pebble Beach! For more photos of the Monterey Penisula click here
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San Francisco


Ah, what a great city! Couldn't go up through California without stopping, even if for just a few hours! For more photos of the San Francisco click here
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North Pacific Coast Highway


North of San Francisco, the weather was much damper, and cool (50s). This is the land of the Coastal Redwood Giants that love continuous moisture (fog) and well drained soils. Here I reached apogee, the furthest point from home, I now turn around and head south and east, then eventually back to Ohio in April! It will be eleven weeks I have been on the road, tomorrow, 1-Feb-2006! For more photos of the North Pacific Coast Highway click here
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