It’s been awhile since we’ve posted an update. After SXSW we spent about six weeks at home and didn’t sit still much. We took care of business, made some improvements at the townhouse and went to the Grand Canyon and Sedona with our dear Colombian friends, Lucia and Marta.
At Lucia’s favorite, El Gato AzulRelaxing in the “old” trailerMarta and I enjoying the fireplace on a cold day at the Grand CanyonLucia, Steve, and Marta on the RimMarta’s first up close encounter with snow!Sedona
We also visited with many our Prescott friends and family, went to Mexico to finish up work on the condo, and Steve did a 30 mile bike race.
Well-deserved break at BanditosCrossing the finish of the Whiskey 30 MTB race
And oh yeah, we bought a new truck and trailer to continue our RV adventures! It’s been a whirlwind but we are happy with the outcomes and are now searching for new adventures with our new home on the road. Here are some details about our new home on wheels.
We traded the Ford F250 and Grand Design Reflection 295RL for a 2023 Ford F350 long bed and a 2023 Grand Design Solitude 310GK. Our new rig is basically the same configuration as the old one but a bit bigger with more bells and whistles.
The new truck can tow a heavier trailer and has a longer bed to give us more clearance and more storage space. It also has a ton of new technology that we continue to learn how to use.
Our 2023 Ford F350. We call it “Maverick.”
The new trailer has a washer and dryer, full-sized refrigerator, and an on-demand hot water heater. The king-sized bed is also an upgrade from our last trailer.
Grand Design Solitude 310 GKFull-sized refrigerator and pantryMy favorite new feature: W/D!!!!Yes, I have a lot of stuff but the closet accomodates!And the rain shower in the bathroom is pretty cool too!
So, Steve’s in love with “his” new truck, and I love our new home on wheels. Changing rigs is not without challenges but we’re working through them as we go.
We’ve already towed the trailer over 1400 miles with a quick visit with Sam in Castle Rock, Colorado. Dinner and some Flor de Caña made for a fun, rainy evening.
We’ll have plenty to report in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we’re open to questions and comments as always. We love hearing from you!!
We’ve just finished our second month in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico at the Playa Bonita RV park while waiting for our condo to be renovated. What a month it’s been!
February was punctuated by visits from dear friends. First we had a great weekend with Michelle and Owen May. The four of us have spent a lot of time together in Puerto Peñasco over the years, so we searched for new experiences this time, in honor of Owen’s birthday. We hit at least four new restaurants, Jessy’s, Grapes & Barley, La Negrita, and Ole Mole.
First of several visits to JessysJessy’s peacockOle MoleLighted margaritas Mole!Salud!Sunset at Grapes & BarleyLunch at La Negrita
We played pickleball and visited Fernando at the Tequila Factory. Sunsets on the beach too!
Sunset on the beachSunset at Grapes & Barley
One Saturday we met up two of Steve’s former colleagues. Cheryl and Janie are so much fun! They even invited me to join them at Sip and Paint the next evening.
Cheryl, Steve, and Janie at Diego’s Tiki BarBudding artistsThe final product
We had a great visit with “The Toms,” our long-time friends and now Prescott neighbors. While we missed dear Nancy terribly, we honored her by visiting some of her favorite haunts and toasting her memory more than a few times.
The Toms at Grapes & BarleyMandatory stop at Manny’s
Dave and Peggy Armstrong, our fun neighbors from Prescott, made a quick trip down. So far they’ve visited us three times while we’ve been RVing: Montana, Alaska, and Mexico. Despite a cool and windy weekend we had a great time showing them our favorite places. They hadn’t been to Rocky Point for 40 years so there was a lot to show off and, they even got to meet our long-time friend Betty at Regina’s Mexican Cocina.
Candy Cake for Breakfast with the ArmstrongsDave meets Betty at Regina’s Peggy with Nancy VanPelt’s peace pole
In between visitors, we enjoyed time with new friends we met at the RV park, including one more session of Sip and Paint. Even Bob got in on some action that night!
Caren and BobBev, Caren, Karen with me and BobBob likes Karen from TN
One of the downsides of RV travel is making friends only to move on down the road. We’ll miss Ian, Bev & McDuff; Ken, Caren & Lulu; and Karen, Mike & Bo; and so many others we hung out with. Dinners out, sunset happy hours, and a lot of time standing around swapping stories!
Steve, Bev, and IanAt Jessy’s with the neighborsDinner with neighbors at Jessy’s Another gorgeous sunsetHappy hour with Ewa, Janus, and Michael on the beach
I’ll especially miss my “boyfriend” McDuff, the most fun poodle I’ve ever gotten to play with! Sorry, Bev, for destroying so many of McDuff’s toys!
McDuff and Ian on the beachMy boyfriend McDuff. Isn’t he cute?
From these photos, you’d think all we did was eat while we were in Puerto Peñasco. Well, that might have been true, but in the midst of all the fun, we spent time most days at the condo, following the renovation process.
While construction was to be done before we left, it wasn’t meant to be. When we departed the tile work and painting was mostly done and final details still needed to be taken care of. We are confident (fingers crossed) that it will be done and ready for renters by next weekend! Here are a few shots from the day we left.
Master bath sink without mirrorFinishing work in guest bath showerHallway tile is doneDeco in guest bath showerKitchen is in good shape
We had to hit the road. We’re currently headed east to Austin for 10 days of music, comedy, and learning at SXSW. If you aren’t familiar with one of the largest tech/music and more festivals on Earth, you can learn more here. We promise to post updates when we get there.
We’ve been offline for a few months, mostly staying stationery at home in Prescott to celebrate the holidays and enjoy the luxuries of “home.” But you can only stay put for so long before the itch returns to hit the road. Plus, the weather in Prescott has turned cold and icy, so it was time to head south!
We are spending the next few months at the Playa Bonita RV Park, on the beach in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico. We’ve owned our condo here for 20 years, and it was time for some renovations. We’re staying in the fifth wheel while the condo is under construction and it’s been a fun new way to experience our little Mexican town.
Playa Bonita is one of about four RV parks here in Peñasco, and it’s been here forever. Many of our fellow campers are here for months, Americans and Canadians escaping the winters up north. It’s a super fun environment, and we’re really enjoying the group bike rides, weekly “shot” bingo, and happy hour at the beach at sunset. The water man delivers a bottle to our door for $1, propane man will refill our tanks without moving, and we had our rig washed and waxed for a fraction of the cost in the US. Even the dogs are enjoying the Mexican lifestyle, with $15 haircuts at the local dog spa.
One day Steve discovered a leak somewhere in the bowels of the trailer. He worked hard to find out where the leak originated and then we were able to hire a guy to come fix it. Problem solved!
One weekend we fully participated in Roger Clyne’s January Jam, a three day music event that features one of our favorite bands. Good food, good drink, and great music right outside our door made for a fun few days.
Most days we head about a mile down the beach to the condo to check on the progress and to workout in the gym. It’s been good to be here to supervise the construction as it seems there is always something to decide or adjust. We’ve had to pick out countertops at the local shop, which allowed us to watch the craftsman at work.
Overall the remodel is coming along very well, appears to be on schedule, and is looking pretty good! Our crew has been very professional and appreciative of the daily goodies and Friday afternoon beers. Here are some pictures of the work being done and you can be sure we’ll post “after” pictures!
Of course there’s been lots of time for the beach, soaking in the sun, and enjoying the slow lifestyle that is Puerto Peñasco! We are grateful that Mitch made the trip down to visit for a few days and brought us some needed supplies from Costco. More visitors are expected in the next month and we’re looking forward to seeing our friends!
We probably won’t have much more to report for awhile as there’s not much variation day to day – sun, fun, relax, repeat. But rest assured, we are enjoying every minute!
Marnie and Steve Travel 