Hello World!

This is our first blog. We are adventurers, travelers, and rosarians. So expect to see pictures of our travels in our 2007 17' Casita Freedom Deluxe RV. We will go in January to Rice, Texas, and take delivery on our Casita. Can't wait! Most of our travels are either in our 2001 Coleman Niagara Elite pop up camper or to our time share condo.

So expect to see images and narrative on our travels and what's blooming. Currently, our garden has recovered from the summer heat and is in full bloom! See the 'Rio Samba' bloom, above.

We are also photographers. Sandi just won THIRD PLACE for color floral photography in the State Fair of Texas photo contest. It was the 'Rio Samba' pictured above. You have to go to the the Arts & Crafts building to see her ribbon and photo displayed during the fair. See: www.bigtex.com/creativearts/contests/2006winners/dept_k.html for dates of the fair in Dallas. While you are there, please see my meager honorable mentions in the same display case.

So first off, we want to tell you about our recent trip to Graceland (Memphis, TN) to celebrate Elvis Presley's life on the 29th anniversary of the death of the King of Rock 'n' Roll.

We did all the Elvis fan things such as visit the mansion, the car museum, his movie memorabilia, and the huge museum of gold and platinum records. The highlight was the Candlelight Vigil where thousands of fans holding candles traipse up the driveway and around Elivis resting place in the Meditation Garden.

It was a very moving and somber event with a sound system playing appropriate music by Mr. Presley. All of this will be repeated in a bigger way on the upcoming 30th anniversary in August 2007. We hope to be there in 2007

Meanwhile, we visited Memphis' beautiful botanic gardens. But the Mecca of Rock 'n' Roll music is Sun Studio on Union Street where Sam Phillips literally changed America by opening the doors of his studio to local vocalists and musicians. One of those was Elvis Presley. Don't ever visit Memphis without paying homage to Sun Studio which is now a museum as well as a working, functioning music recording studio. Very little has changed since Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Perkins, and Johnny Cash recorded history there.

We left the camper at home in late June through early July and traveled to Flagstaff, AZ. What a wonderful place Flagstaff is! Not only is it a high oasis in the middle of a hot desert, but is beautiful, green, and cool. Not only is Flagstaff a few miles away from the Grand Canyon, there are many interesting sites in and around Flagstaff. Don't miss the Lowell Observatory.

We stayed at the Fairfield Resorts, a time share. Perhaps we will reserve a future post for our Flagstaff/Grand Canyon/Sedona adventure.