World United States California Anaheim

Another trip? Hale yes! Where the Hale Are We?

From Sea To Shining Sea ! Dec 14, 2004

We are on the last leg of our 3 month motorhome trip. It has been a wonderful odyssey that began on September 7th and ended today with our arrival back home. We were pulled over today by the Arizona highway patrol who wanted to know why we had no license plates on the rig. After Doug showed him all the paperwork and explained that since we bought it we have not had it in California and reassured him that we were going to register it within the next 2 weeks, he let us go with a warning. But not before he exclaimed "This is NICE!" He then wanted to know how much we paid and all the particulars! Doug chatted with him for a while alongside the road before he let us get on our way. We drove a total of 7,400 miles and visited 19 states. We made the distance without one mechanical failure or traffic accident! We did have a Guardian Angel aboard (Thanks, Mom, for the visor clip)and she worked overtime keeping us safe! There were 2 red lights that Doug didn't see and just blew past...luckily there was no traffic! We never felt threatened or in danger, in fact, we knew that if we found ourselves in need of assistance there would have been an unlimited number of strangers willing to lend a hand. As the media depicts the U.S. in the throes of moral decay, we found just the opposite. We return with confidence in our fellow countrymen after seeing the generosity of spirit, honesty and integrity in everyone we met. We witnessed the deep humanity in our fellow Americans! We bring home memories of the majestic beauty of Zion, the drama of Niagara Falls, the history of Boston and Gettysburg, the southern charm of Savannah and the tropical allure of the Florida Keys. Each state had its' own endearing qualities and we must say that we did not have ONE bad meal! We were greeted with warm welcomes by our family in Ohio, New York, Florida and Louisiana and we cherish the time spent with each and every one of you! How grateful we are to have met so many other travelers along the way on their own journeys. 3 months of day-to-day companionship has only served to make us feel closer as a couple. I can only recall a few instances of minor annoyances toward each other. As Doug told me during the trip, "I sure like you...some days more than others!" I always knew that if we needed space, I was welcome to ride behind in the tow car! Luckily it never came to that! We missed our kids and grandchildren and if not for the frequent phone calls, we might have been home much sooner. Our friends and extended family have been a great source of encouragement and enthusiasm for our daily experiences. We looked forward to the daily messages and humorous comments regarding our journal entries. This has been "The trip of a lifetime" and we are so blessed for having had the opportunity to set out on such an adventure. We would like to thank each and every one of you who tuned into our website to share our many experiences. Your greetings and comments were something we looked forward to every day! How could we ever come back and recount all that we've seen and done over the last 3 months? (It has saved you all from those home movies we would have shown!) We know you were with us every step of the way and we appreciate your good wishes and support. We are now home with our California family and friends but we send our love and "Thanks" to all of you along the way for the time we spent with you! "Until we pass this way again!"

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