A NEW ADVENTURE

We’re off on a new adventure and this seemed like a good one to brush off the keyboard and blog about.

In fall 2007, after we purchased this new coach, we attended an FMCA rally where I sat in on a seminar for the RV Care-a-Vanners, an RV group affiliated with Habitat for Humanity. The information I received made me want to participate with this worthy organization and when I shared the info with Les, he was also intrigued. We’ve talked about doing a build for some time and have finally committed to one. So, we’re off to Las Cruces, New Mexico, where we will work for 2 weeks to help build safe, decent, and affordable housing. I will try to share with you what we learn along the way.

Myth: Habitat for Humanity gives houses away to poor people.

Fact: Habitat for Humanity offers homeownership opportunities to families who are unable to obtain conventional house financing. Generally, this includes those whose income is 30 to 50 percent of the area's median income. In most cases, prospective Habitat homeowner families make a $500 down payment. Additionally, they contribute 300 to 500 hours of "sweat equity" on the construction of their home or someone else's home. Because Habitat houses are built using donations of land, material and labor, mortgage payments are kept affordable.

Our Journey Begins:

We left home on Wednesday morning and headed east across Highway 88, through Jackson and across the Sierra’s. We had some beautiful fall color along the way and the leaf peepers were out in force; parked alongside the road with cameras in hand. We stopped our first night at Topaz Lake on the border of California and Nevada. It felt great to be back in the RV and on the road.

Thursday was a trip down memory lane as we drove south on 395 and spent a couple of hours in Bishop, where we had spent many summer days with our good hang-gliding buddies. Of course, we had to stop at Schat’s bakery for a sandwich and a decadent pastry and a stop at the local store to pick up High Sierra Chileno peppers, that you can really only find here.

We traveled on south to Death Valley and a night at Stovepipe Wells. We took some time on Friday to explore some of the highlights of Death Valley. Borax mining was major industry here and the remains of the Harmony Borax Works are interesting to explore. They really did use 20 mule teams to haul the borax across Wingate Pass to Mojave; traveling about 2 miles an hour, it required about 30 days to complete the round trip. The mule teams pulled loads weighing up to 36 tons, including 1200 gallons of water. The entire unit, with mules was over 100 feet long.

The area known as Badwater Basin is 282 feet below sea level, the lowest point in North America. Two to four thousand years ago is was the site of a 30-foot lake that evaporated and left a one-to-five foot layer of salt in its wake.

Currently, we’re in a beautiful RV park in Pahrump, Nevada, with a terrible name: Terrible’s Lakeside Casino and RV Resort. Les has gone off to ride his dirt bike and I’m enjoying a down day.

I want to dedicate this trips blog to my friend, Ann Mall, who lost her battle with cancer on the Tuesday evening before we left. She was a passionate world traveler, a gracious hostess, an active volunteer, a fierce competitor, an enthusiastic grandmother and in the end, a valiant warrior. Those of us who knew and loved her, will miss her greatly.