Memories Journal #29- In love at Joshua Tree National Park

 Something a little personal-my husband and I took a 6 month break in our marriage a couple of years ago. It was a reset of everything, and it did so much good for us. We had been married 17 years at the time, and they weren't all that easy.

When we resumed our marriage, we dreamed about a getaway alone. Nothing too exotic, but somewhere we both had never been before but wanted to see. That place was Joshua Tree National Park, and so we loaded up our Jeep Gladiator, and made the journey south. 

Our first stop was in San Luis Obispo. This is such a quaint college town, and super friendly. We only stayed one night, and then headed to Santa Monica Pier. My husband had never been to the L.A. area, and on our way there, we drove through Santa Barbara and Malibu. Gorgeous part of Southern California!

Our second night we stayed in Palm Springs-I immediately fell in love with this fun city! It was extremely hot for April. Finally, we made it to our hotel at Desert Hot Springs. This town is well known for natural hot springs, and we took advantage daily to lounge in the pool, soak in the outdoor tubs, and we got a room with our own indoor tub. I was super relaxed staying here.

The real treat however was touring Joshua Tree NP. This is a beautiful park! I loved the rock formations, the trees, and because it was spring-lots of desert flowers! 

We watched a sunset while drinking some wine. This was by far my greatest memory-

I hope to someday get back to this park, I really enjoyed the vibe here!

Memories Journal #28- Reunion with Aunt Ann

 She was determined to live to 100 years old. Her Roman Catholic faith unwavering. Pride of her Sicilian heritage. And she radiated so much light. She was my great Aunt Ann, my grandmother's sister who had been a major maternal force in my infant and toddler years. She was always smiling, always speaking positive about everyone, and loved to chat on the phone even at 100 years old. 

I visited with her when I was 18 years old, and then lost touch for 30 years. I found her on Facebook! She was in her mid 90's and on Facebook! In 2021, she was turning 100, and there would be a big party for her. Immediately I began to plan my trip to see her, and bring my oldest daughter with me.

She lived in Costa Mesa among her children and some of her grandchildren. When we got off the plane, we went right to see her, and what a sweet feeling that was. I had been speaking with her on the phone up until our visit, and then to hug her was an incredible feeling. She showed us old pictures, and that in itself was a gift.

The following day was her birthday party. She was wheeled in with a tiara crown! She had hundreds of people gathering around her-she was so well loved. She was presented with a plaque from the mayor of Costa Mesa! AND then she was presented with a Papal blessing from the Pope! This was incredibly special for her. Here we are celebrating her mega birthday-

For her birthday, I made her a throw blanket with flowers. She was a homebody and I wanted to give her something handmade-

During our stay in Southern California, my daughter and I stayed in San Clemente. This is a beautiful city, and we really enjoyed this little getaway.

I was so grateful and glad I made the visit to see Aunt Ann. She passed away the following May. She lived to 100-1/2. While I know she lived a wonderful life, I miss her light. The day my cousin gave the news, this was in the sky above me. For me, I felt her light one last time. I love you Aunt Ann.

Memories Journal #24, #25, #26 & # 27- A desert road trip in 2021

 I have not updated my posts on the Memories Journal I keep for all of my travels, so here I am doing just that...

In the spring of 2021, I took my two older kids on a road trip to Arizona and California. We spent 7 nights traveling down through Nevada, northern Arizona, then south to Tucson, and back up into the lesser traveled parts of California. 

Our first night we spent in Tonopah, Nevada where the infamous Clown Motel is at. I could not convince my oldest to spend the night in this motel unfortunately. On our way south, we stopped in at the Area 51 Alien Travel Center, bought a few trinkets, got some photos of the alien locals and made our way south. Here is the journal entry for that stop-

The second, third and fourth nights we spent in Cottonwood Arizona. This was where we would venture into the Grand Canyon, spend a day in Jerome, and on my bucket list was to visit the vortexes in Sedona. I was able to escape alone to Bell Rock and walked around the area in total peace and bliss. It was April 20th, and the weather was perfect. If I ever get the chance again to hike the area, I will definitely do it. Parking at Cathedral Rock was full, but Bell Rock had plenty as I got there very early.

After we left northern Arizona, we headed south to Tucson. When I lived in Arizona, I never made it down there, and always wished I had. We toured the unique homes in the Catalina Foothills and dreamed of desert living. We visited the Tucson Mineral and Gem World and hauled away a lot of cool stones-plus visited with the T Rex outside the shop. But the real gem I had wanted to see was the Saguaro National Park because the desert was in full bloom! Hummingbirds everywhere, radiant red and yellow flowers blooming on the cactus plants..it was a feast for the eyes. While it's a small park, this was a real treat for me to indulge in, and grateful my kids tolerated an extra couple of days to visit.

Once we left Tucson, it hit me just how far we were from home. So, we headed out early on our last morning in Arizona for the grandest desert of them all-Death Valley National Park. This is an absolutely HUGE park. It took a long time to get into the The Ranch at Death Valley where we would spend a night at. For the cost of the room, I was not impressed with the quality. I do realize a) California is expensive, and b) we were hundreds of miles from anywhere. We did get time at Badwater Basin, which was surreal. The drive took a lot out of us, and we ended up resting more than sightseeing in the park unfortunately. 

The last day we decided to just get home. That was 15 hours of driving! We left early enough to watch the sunrise, and got home close to midnight. In hindsight, I would have left off Death Valley to save for another time and spent more time in northern Arizona. It is truly one of my favorite places to be in all of the U.S. 

Memories Journal #18

There is a little town on the northeastern tip of the Olympic Peninsula so quaint called Port Townsend. In 2014, my father came for a visit from North Carolina to spend time with my brother. I drove myself and my three children up to PT for an extra long weekend to have a mini family reunion. It was early spring and the winds were brisk. 2014 was a memorable year for our family because my 14 year old son had just moved in with us permanently. We spent our family time eating pizza, walking around town, strolling pebble beaches, and it was the first time in my life I saw a bald eagle. 

Memories Journal #17

Continuing on westward home from our 2012 cross country trip, we stopped in Wyoming. Our destination was Devil's Tower, but we were running low on funds and decided not to spend the cash on entering the park. Instead, we admired from afar while eating cold ice cream just outside of the pay booth. 

Probably the biggest regret I have on this trip is continuing on I-90 instead of detouring east to drive through Yellowstone. I had this vision that Montana was going to be more beautiful than Western Wyoming, but I was greatly disappointed until we reached the very northwest tip of Montana. Hopefully this journal will include a memory of Yellowstone and the Tetons in the future. 

Memories Journal #16

We drove home on a northern route when we left Reading. Driving through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois wasn't memorable, other than I appreciated the toll highways to move along quickly. Once we made our way into Wisconsin however, my attention was perked up. Grateful that we were traveling during summer and not a bitter winter, the flat farmlands were quite beautiful to me. 

Once we made our way into South Dakota, I was pleasantly surpised at how magnificent the summer prairies were. Yellow was everywhere, and it was unlike anything I had ever seen. Yes, flatter than I am used to, but the whole point of this trip was to see landscapes I had never experienced. 

We planned to stop in Wall SD because of the hype of the drug store. We toured that 'mall', and it was cute, but I couldn't really find the drug store but it's there. Our daughter had her photograph taken on the famous Jackalope, and my husband ate buffalo that night for dinner.

We ventured into the Badlands earlier that day, and again was surprised by a beauty I had no idea existed. The rock formations, colors and sunshine was a very happy place to be. An unforgettable area, I always tell others how surprised they will be with the beauty of this region.

Memories Journal #15

Our final destination in the 2012 road trip was Reading Pennsylvania. Anyone who knows anything about Reading would be curious to know why this was our final destination in such an epic trip. For my husband, it was a trip to his hometown and to see his family, but for me it was another opportunity to re-evaluate where I needed to be. Having been just laid off for the 2nd time in less than 3 years, I had began to wonder if it was time to relocate. Exploring the vastness of this country would give me a better prospective of whether or not I needed to try life somewhere different. Oregon is beautiful, but the Portland area was growing fast, housing was becoming expensive, jobs becoming competitive. Could I find a better place to make home? I had considered Berks County Pennsylvania.

Reading itself is not a small city, but it's not a prosperous one either. Poverty, drugs and crime are central to this old city, yet I couldn't help but see a lot of potential in it. The older row homes have so much hidden character, old churches dot the city, and then of all things a Pagoda sits on the top of the foothills.

We visited the Pagoda when it was closed, but I found it an interesting symbol of this depressing city. 

After spending a few days in Reading, I knew Pennsylvania wasn't where I wanted to call home. The visit had been good for my husband to reconnect with his family however, so I dedicate this post to him.

Memories Journal #14

One of the east coast destinations we stopped in the 2012 road trip was Washington DC. It was June, and the right coast was in the middle of an intense heat wave. Several gas stations we stopped out were out of power to pump gas. We were fortunate to find a working station on the way into DC.

We spent some time wanding around the Lincoln Memorial, we observed the Washington Memorial and walked around the WWII memorial. The Washington Memorial was closed because DC had been hit by a minor earthquake that damaged the memorial. It was still a sight to paint even years later.

Memories Journal #13

On the epic roadtrip of 2012, we stayed the second night in Oklahoma. I recall how thick the air felt, and a lot more bugs than I liked. It was nighttime when we finally stopped, but in the morning we traveled through the eastern part of the state on I40. I was very surprised to see rolling hills, farms, and colorful landscape in this part of Oklahoma. Being from a beautiful area of the U.S.A. (Oregon of course!), it was enlightening to see other parts of America that held their own unique beauty.

Memories Journal #12

In May 2012, I was laid off from a job I had for only 18 months. It was a devastating feeling, but the day after they let me go I realized it was a big relief. With the little bit of savings I had, I decided now was a good time for that mid-life crisis, and so my husband, 6 year old daughter and tiny dog jumped in our Subaru and we toured the United States for three weeks. The next few memory journals document this epic roadtrip.

On that first day, we drove straight for 14 hours with few breaks. From Oregon, we ended up just north of Zion National Park. America never ceases to amaze me with the beauty we hold in this land, and Zion did not disappoint. 

Memories Journal #8

In 2003, I tried doing a sales job that I ended up really hating. It did take me to some new places I would normally not travel too. One of those places was the Yakima Valley in Washington. I sold industrial brushes to agricultural industry, which meant trying to get that sale from companies or farmers that grew apples. One of the most difficult jobs that I have a great respect for. After two years of that job, I decided to be an accountant.

Memories Journal #9

After a difficult divorce in 2001, I took the plunge again into marital bliss. There was no fancy wedding, but on July 16, 2004 I married my husband (as of this blog now 13 years) in Newport, Oregon. You never know what you are going to get with the weather at the Oregon coast, but this day was flawless in sunshine. How beautiful I felt in a big white dress at the courthouse with my sunglasses on. One of the happiest days of my life.

Memories Journal #10 and #11

I am a west coast gal, and never thought about visiting a place like New York City. It seemed like a different country to me, and almost a little scary. I couldn't be more wrong! In 2010, my family and I flew back east for vacation. My husband and I stayed in a quaint hotel in Greenwich Village, and explored Manhattan on foot. Central Park was my favorite part of the city. 

This sketch is taken from an actual photo my husband took of the Flatiron building.

On that same trip, we visited New Jersey. Our destination was the beach in Pleasant Point, and spent the day on Jenkinson's Boardwalk. Even though it was very hot, it was another great memory made with my cheeks sore from smiling so much. This sketch was also taken from my own camera of the boardwalk.

Memories Journal #7

In 1999, I moved to Arizona thinking there would be a better life for me in the desert. I thought I would be tan all of the time, and never cold. Well, I stayed very pale and cold because being outside in 110 degrees was terrible. The air conditioning was constantly running, which is why I stayed cold. However, northern Arizona is absolutely stunning. I loved the red rock, the high altitude and cooler temperatures. A year after moving to Arizona, I moved back to Oregon as I was not cut out for all of that sunshine.

Memories Journal #6

Just 18, and a trip to San Francisco? Yes please! I spent a weekend in 1990 in San Fransciso exploring the entire city by foot. It was my first time over the Golden Gate Bridge. A memory of a lifetime!

Memories Journal #4

Southern Oregon is a place like no other. Golden hills, pear orchards, volcanic areas to the east, coastal mountains to the west, and the Rogue Valley is deep. I spent 8 years of my childhood here-from age 6 to 14, and feel like it is truly home. It does not have the rain fall that Portland does, and it can get hot. What is really unique about Southern Oregon is there are not one, but TWO table rocks very close by. I hiked one during a 6th grade field trip, and was amazed by the unique nature there. This sketch shows one of the table rocks. I truly love this area with my whole heart, and feel complete when I go back to visit.

Memories Journal #3

In October 1978, I was almost six years old, and with my 25 year old mother, she drove us from North Carolina cross country to Oregon. I recall spending days in that old car looking out the window, but don't remember much except one place-Texas. This is not one of my good memories. Our car had major trouble and we were stuck. I remember the fear I felt from my mom, and I didn't like the landscape of where we were. There were these ugly 'hammer machines' everywhere, and later I learned these were oil pumps. It was so vastly different from the trees and lushness of where we had come from. To this day, I still see Texas as a negative place. I have only been there once since, and that was on another cross country trip in 2012. No breakdowns then.

Memories Journal #2

Living in North Carolina in 1977, we lived near the beach. I would dig my own little pool in the wet sand, but couldn't figure out why the water would disappear when I poured the seawater from my bucket. When the waves came crashing in, I screamed in terror fearing that I would be swept away. Maybe I perished in a tsunami in a former life?

Memories Journal #1

My watercolor sketchbook collection won't stop growing. I just purchased another Bee Creative watercolor book now made with 100% cotton. This is far superior (IMHO) to the 25% cotton paper. It is an 8 X 8 book with 30 sheets, and feels very high quality for the price.

This new journal will focus on haikus that describe memories I have of various places traveled or lived in. Some of these memories aren't necessarily good ones, but definitely shaped me. Most of us are trying to forget those less than perfect memories that bring back pain, but as time goes on, we realize that pain made us better, stronger, or happier. 

#1 in my book takes place in 1975ish, living in rural North Carolina in an old single wide trailer with my mom, grandma and uncle who was just 10 years my senior. Money and space were tight, but I just remember having my family.

Memories Journal #5

In 1987, my family moved from southern Oregon up to Portland to find steady work. It was a very low point in my life, but I understood it was necessary even at age 14. While the bigger city had malls and a much better selection of things for a teenager to do, it did not have the same feel of home as southern Oregon had. The Portland Oregon area has remained home for nearly 30 years since.