ouradventure

Debby and Charlie Our Adventure

Debby and Charlie Yaker in front of the home we owned in Fair Lawn, N.J. when this journey began on July 15, 2002

1 Less then 50 miles from Fair Lawn we broke down in Hackettstown NJ on July 15,2002. The truck was towed to the closest Ford dealer and the next day the trailer was towed to a nearby campground. We stayed there until the truck was repaired and on July 18,2002 we continued our trip to De Forest , WI. where our son Michael and his family lived. We took our grandchildren Jesse and Leah up to a Corp of Engineer campground on the Mississippi River near La Cross Wi for about a week before returning to De Forest, From Wisconsin we went to Minnesota and worked our way stopping at various State Parks, National Parks and Monuments in the Dakotas., Wyoming and Montana down into Utah, Arizona into California where we finished the year in Dockweiler State Beach in El Segundo near LA.

2 On January 7, 2003 we returned to the Desert, Took a side trip to San Francisco, truck, trailer and all for a family function then returned to Southern Cal for more Exploring including a visit to Death Valley. From Death Valley we went into Nevada through Arizona back into Southern California then in April we went to Northern California and up the cost into Oregon and Washington before crossing the border into Canada. In Canada we visited their great western national Parks. We Returned through Montana into the Dakotas and Back to Deforest Wisconsin where we picked up our Grandson Jesse and headed for Kenebunkport for another family function. After bringing Jesse home we took Leah for a week in Indiana. Then we went to the trailer factory in Junction City , Kansas for some minor repairs. After which we went to Oklahoma City and into Arkansas before going to a Rally in Illinois.

3 When the rally was over on September 18, 2003 we headed to Fair Lawn 14 months after we had left. Not satisfied to hang around we visited several locations in New Jersey culminating in Cape May. Upon our return we winterized the trailer but weren't finished traveling. In November we joined friends and flew to New Orleans for a few days before going to Overland Park, KS for a friends wedding. We returned home from the wedding and stayed put until January 3rd when we took the trailer out of storage and headed to Florida. After traveling around South Florida on March 18 we went to Bermuda for another family function. Upon our return we headed up to Palm Beach county and remained until April 7th when we headed over and up the West Coast of Florida into Alabama and Mississippi's and the Gulf Shores National Seashore. From Mississippi we went North back through Alabama into Virginia and another family visit in Fairfax outside of Washington DC before going to New Jersey arriving May 3rd.

4. On June 19, We again left Fair Lawn for a trip to New Mexico to look at land traveling through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana Illinois through Iowa into Nebraska down through Colorado into New Mexico. After a hospital visit in Santa Rosa New Mexico we traveled to Texas into Oklahoma to Missouri and up through Illinois to Wisconsin and a family visit before returning to Fair Lawn on August first. during August we went down to the DELMARVA Peninsula to visit Assateague and Chincoteague. On October 19 we took a short trip to Shenandoah NP and back which I didn't write up. On November 17 th we again headed west and went to Harper's Ferry National Monument. From there we went into Tennessee visiting the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. We spent Thanksgiving in Little Rock visited the Clinton Library before going into Oklahoma City and down to Junction City, Kansas for more repairs on our trailer. From Kansas we drove back through Oklahoma down to Dallas, Texas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and the Rio Grand Valley through Laredo's undusty paved streets without gunmen and Langtry where we visited Judge Roy Bean's courtroom and down into big Bend NP. We arrived in Big Bend when it was 73 degrees however it got cold when we headed up to Alpine and visited FT Davis before heading for El Paso and New Mexico on our way to Tucson where we spent New Years eve with friends.

5. On Sunday January 2, 2005 we left Tucson and drove to Mesa,AZ About a week later we went to Yuma for a night and then to the Fountain of Youth campground in Niland, Ca despite the name there ain't no youth's there On the 18 we went to Anzo Borrego desert State Park where our son and his late wife visited us and one of our great restaurant finds which is no longer there. After three nights we went down to the Salton Sea for a few nights before going to Quartzite Arizona and boondocked in the desert with many Senior RV'ers. About a week later we went to Malibu with a brief stop beck at the Salton Sea. We remained in the Malibu RV Park until February 16 when we headed back to Florida on I 10 which runs from Santa Monica to Jacksonville, FL stopping at various campgrounds along the way. Coming to Florida in late February without reservations can be a hassle but we found places to stay until March 11th when we packed up and headed to Fair Lawn arriving March 14th. At the end of April 2005 we put our "stick house" in Fair Lawn, N.J. on the market and began to plan for the life of full time RV'ers. On July 25, 2005 we left Fair Lawn and headed for Texas and our new domicile by way of West Virginia, Tennessee and Arkansas. We spent a week or so getting our papers and new legal domicile in order and went up to Madison, WI by way of Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois. After a family visit we went North to the Upper Peninsula where we visited Fort Michilimackinac and the Grand Hotel then down to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakefront and then back to Fair Lawn.

6. On September 6, we returned to Fair Lawn found a new real estate broker, moved whatever we wished to save to our daughters new home in Connecticut and arraigned for someone to hold an open house for the rest of our stuff. In conjunction with the new broker we arraigned for an attorney to represent us if a buyer was found and on September 16 we went to the RV show in Hershey PA. From Hershey we went into Ohio down through Indiana into Illinois where we visited some state parks and went to an Escapade Rally. Returning to our daughters for the Jewish Holidays. After Rosh Hashana we went to a county park in NJ to celebrate Yom Kipper with friends. On October 17th we headed South and worked our way down to Florida by the coastal route. We spent the Winter in Florida moving between State and County Parks in Southern Florida. On March 17, we left Debby's cousin in St Mary's lake and went up to Jacksonville and the Mayo Clinic for a check up. On April 1 st we left Jacksonville heading up to New Jersey. Although our home still hadn't sold there was nothing there for us so we went to a county Park in Morris County about an hour from Fair Lawn. From there we went to Susan's house where we stayed on April 5, we went and set up the trailer in Susan's driveway and stayed there until April 27 when we went to Washington DC for a march then back to Jersey where we hung around for a wedding and then on May 17 th we headed up to Visit Michael in Wisconsin before heading up to Fargo,ND and into Canada for a trip to Alaska

7. Alaska

8. We returned from Alaska in September 2006 and worked our way down the coast visiting Crater Lake NP on the way to California. Unfortunately I did not write or if I did I can't find any records between our return to the States , Our Winter sojourn in the West or our trip to Florida for a family event and subsequent return to New Jersey. I began writing again for Memorial Day from Atlantic City. During the summer 0f 2007 we finally went to the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park , NY then up to the Finger Lakes and Adirondack Mountains and out to Wisconsin where we picked up our grandson Jesse and went to the Upper Peninsula and Mackinac Island. From Mackinac we went to Picture Rocks National Park and then we met Michael his wife and our granddaughter in Porcupine Mountain State Park. After two nights we left them and headed south and East back to Atlantic City. From where we went up to Connecticut to baby sit our other granddaughter. In September we attended the wedding of a dear friend in New Jersey and then scooted across country to California from where we joined an RV tour group for a trip to Australia and New Zealand

9 Australia and New Zealand

10 Upon our return we sort of hung around the West Coast for the remainder of 2008 alternating between California and Arizona. Then in the Spring of 2009 we headed North through Oregon and Washington and back up to the Canadian Rockies. This time we went to the Calgary Stampede then to Drumhellor and Dinosaur Provincial Park before heading East and returning to the States on July 13. Although we went to Florida in the Fall and Winter of 2010 returning to the New York Metropolitan area for the Summer and fall there are no more entries until December when we got to Dockweiler Beach State Park on December 2, 2010. We hung around in California and Arizona until February when we got on a Plan for Dulles International Airport for a trip to South Africa.

11. South Africa

12 After that it took me awhile to finish writing and posting the trip to South Africa but I never did finish writing the Trip East in 2011 or what we did that summer.

13 I did not write again until we went up to See the Polar Bears in Churchill, Manitoba.

14 Upon our return to the States we along with several friends stopped at a campground in Grand Forks,ND for the night. There were about four couples and we were joined by two others, (veterans) that had stopped at the local Air Force base, for dinner at Olive Garden. The next day we headed south while our friends went back to Devil's Lake to pick up stuff they had left in storage. We continued on to Concordia, Missouri for some trailer repairs before continuing to Arizona and California.

15 In the Spring of 2013 our son Richard got married after which we went to the Canadian Rockies after a brief visit to Lake Tahoe with Richard's new In laws.. Interestingly enough I have what is obviously a false memory of writing the trip beginning when we returned to the States from Winnipeg that past Fall including our trip back to Canada but can only assume I posted on Facebook instead because the pages just can not be found.

16 In the Fall of 2013 we went to Albuquerque with that same tour company for the Balloon Festival although we had a great time I never did post that trip either.

17 In October 2014 Debby and I were planning a trip To the Galapagos and Machu Pichu. Unfortunately I developed pneumonia and spent 3 days in the hospital instead. When my doctor felt I was fully recuperated around November 7th we headed south down the DELMARVA Peninsula, went to a nice county park in Newport News, VA and then to the Bnai Mitsvote of Debby's grand niece and nephew in Reston, VA. From there we scooted south to John Prince Park to celebrate Thanksgiving with Debby's cousin. In December we put the trailer in storage and went to Aruba for 10 days where we were joined by my brother.

18 We had spent the 2014 winter in Florida following our usual travel patterns we would have gone out west at the end of 2014. It has been said the RV'ers plans are made in Jello and change often. Our aborted planned trip to the Galapagos and Machu Pichu began as a planned Cruise out of Fort Lauderdale at the end of January. When that was the plan we made arraignments to go to Aruba for the 10 days and spend another 12 days in the Florida Keys. After everything was said and done we still had those reservations in place after that we gradually headed West for a very enjoyable Winter.

19. We spent the fall of 2015 and Winter,Spring of 2016 in Florida revisiting our favorite parks

20. We Summer of 2016 in the Eastern Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec as well as the State of Vermont. Unfortunately we kept breaking down almost weekly. It was either buy a new truck or leave the road. Since we weren't ready to leave the road if for no other reason then we had booked an RV trip to the Rose Bowl Parade and the only way that was going to happen was if we bought a new truck. So we bought a new truck.

21 After the Rose Bowl we remained out West until the Spring when we went to the Spacecraft Factory to have our White trailer painted to match our Pearl White Truck
before the paint job

22 After spending the Fall of 2017 and Winter of 2018 in Florida visiting some of our favorite State and County parks we purchased a condominium in Boynton Beach Florida in May .We closed on that purchase while we were on the road in Madison, Wisconsin. We had decided it was time for a home base. Besides for getting up in years which hasn't seemed to slow us down we really needed an exit plan. One other very important reason was that it's getting crowded in the camping world and becoming harder to find campsites. Especially in warm climates during the Winter and most places during the Summer. When we started in 2002 we just went, now we have to plan ahead and make reservation. Obviously it isn't the same thing.

21. Then in July we went to Newfoundland, Canada

22. We moved into the Condo in November 2018 and in May 2019 went out West