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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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