The drive to Florida for the boat, August 2024

[To write: a few lines about this trip]

Monday 5 August 2024

This is a hard post to write. I sit here quietly, thinking. My standard life as I knew it is about to disappear. True the real change will be in a couple of weeks, but for me it feels like it has started. I am leaving my brothers in the motorhome for Florida. True, I have lived in the motorhome for a couple of months, but I had a base. A solid piece of land I was on. Now I am leaving. I don’t know when, or really IF I will ever be back. I have around two weeks of driving, visiting family and friends. Then I end up in Florida for my first look at my new world. My boat. Depending on how much I have to do to it. I will soon be on the big ocean’s starting my voyage around the world. My plans change often, currently I am looking at sailing the Caribbean, then around Argentina and the Pacific, Hawaii and finally Thailand. Basing out of Thailand I can travel and see so many places. How long? Where will I go? These are questions I have no answer to. I am truly a vagabond. No longer a normal person living in a house, I am a traveler. A new life. A new Adventure. It is a bittersweet goodbye to all I know,, and an excited anticipation to what will be. Am I afraid, not really. I have a lot of trepidation, there is a LOT I don’t know. But I do know I can handle it, figure it out and learn. Off I go, through the door that may have no return.

Tuesday 6 August 2024

📍 Hayward Regional Shoreline, San Lorenzo Creek

A going away dinner with my daughter, Colleen and soon to be son in law

Wednesday 7 August 2024

Time to stop, rest up for tomorrow's visits to some wineries,,

📍 Camp Roberts Rest Area

Friday 9 August 2024

📍 Paso Robles

Some wine tasting, and then meeting my friend fir breakfast. So nice and important to have good friends that care Solmaz Bavilinejad

📍 Whitewater Rest Area

I made it, my stop for the night. Palm Springs, and Pheonix on tomorrow's agenda. This is but the biginning of the long, dry, and extremely hot drove through the southlands.

Saturday 10 August 2024

Made it to Pheonix. Dinner with my nephew Raul Lomas and his wife, and her uncle G.

📍 Phoenix, Arizona

Sunday 11 August 2024

📍 Edgewood, New Mexico

Made it to Walmart in Edgewood. I'll spend time with my sister tomorrow. Tonight I think sleep is on the menu 😴. I went from desert, to mountains, to the high desert, but at least it's a lot cooler.

Monday 12 August 2024

A great lunch with my sister Rebecca Lomas and my brother in law, Raul. Santa Fe is such a beautiful town

📍 Dr. Field Goods Kitchen & Butcher

📍 Lubbock

Just outside of Lubbock, about half way to San Antonio. Midnight, I guess it's time to stop for the night 🥸

Tuesday 13 August 2024

A delicious dinner with my niece and her family

📍 Henry's Puffy Taco

Wednesday 14 August 2024

Still not a big fan of Texas, but at least the coast isn't as bare or hot as Pheonix. And super hard to argue these gas prices!!

📍 Bucces Baytown

📍 Lousiana, United States

I made it, now I just gotta remember not to feed the alligators.

Thursday 15 August 2024

Welcome to Florida, home of the Blue Angels, and my boat.

📍 Florida Visitors Center

I've been trying to stay apolitical, but had to comment. It's all about perspective. This sign is posted, and all over the visitor center they are pushing the SunPass. Your payment system for toll roads, I guess driving isn't free?

📍 Rest Stop

Time to stop for the night, it's been a long day.

Today my good buddy Gus passed. It was hot and I let him swim in a pond. I guess the water was bad. He fought it for a day. This morning as he lay in the dew soaked grass, he passed quietly. I'll miss you buddy, enjoy your new journey.

Friday 16 August 2024

I made it to the boat, more info to come. Right now I'm just getting set.

📍 Riverside Marina, Inc

Saturday 17 August 2024

📍 I-95 Rest Area South Carolina MM139

So I have a few days of twiddling my thumbs until the boat survey, so I have headed north to visit a friend, way to much driving

Thursday 22 August 2024

Someow I feel like dust. I mean all we are is dust in the wind 🤣. I was already feeling the change. Maybe sailing around the world by myself was a bit much. The the boat survey came back that the boat is not ready, and has issues. So cancel the boat. Now what? We'll as one of the guys at the marina mentioned, lots of boats in the Philippines. And I loved Thailand. So I guess I get there by plane instead of sailing. I am heading back to California. I'll balance and get my flight booked to Thailand. Let's see where the wind blows

Friday 23 August 2024

Booking it on back to Cali

📍 Old Vicksburg Bridge

📍 Texas-Louisiana State Line I-20

Made it to Texas, hopefully a more northern route will he cooler.

Saturday 24 August 2024

109 degrees F, even the windmills are to hot tovwork

📍 Electra, Texas

Another long drive, Texas heat is no joke! But I'm getting there.

📍 Texas/New Mexico Border

📍 Texas/New Mexico Border

Welcome New Mexico! At least the night was cool enough for a good sleep. Today ill visit my sister Rebecca Lomas in Albuquerque, then maybe stop at the Grand Canyon.

Sunday 25 August 2024

📍 Arizona Welcome Center

Had a bit of a lightning storm, so rain and cool instead oh heat and sun. I'll take it

📍 North Rim Grand Canyon, AZ

Almost to Marble Canyon. A Ling day and time to stop 😁

Following the morning sun to the grand canyon

📍 Navajo Bridge Scenic Lookout

There is something g beautiful in this dry high desert,

Monday 26 August 2024

📍 Arizona / Utah Border

Yup, Arizona, then Nevada. Back to the desert. I'll eat lunch and do a photo dump 🤣

📍 Hawthorne, Nevada

Yup, last stop. Should be at my brother's tomorrow. I tried to check in at tikaboo valley for Jiahus trees, but no connection. So you get the photos right here instead,,,