As 2009 draws to a close, many of us take time to reflect on our accomplishments and happenings of the past year, to take stock of our many blessings, and to take a quick peek at what the New Year may have in store for us. Mary Lynn and I have been blessed many times over this year as we traveled around North America in our RV. We left Maryland in early January, taking time to visit MLA’s sister in New Orleans before slowly working our way west. After attending the largest gathering of RV’s in the US held in Quartzsite, Arizona, we moved to Casa Grande, Arizona, which is about 45 minutes south of Phoenix.
And that’s where we spent the winter, enjoying the bright Arizona sunshine and warm weather. One highlight during our ‘winter’ stay was rafting through the Grand Canyon on the mighty Colorado River. After a wild day of rafting in 47 degree water, we were whisked to the top of the Grand Canyon in a helicopter. Truly amazing.
We decided to spend our summer traveling through Alaska with our good friends Mary Anne and Dave as our travel buddies. We began moving north in mid-April, taking almost a month to explore the beautiful state of Utah. Utah is home to some of the most spectacular desert scenery in the country including Zion, Bryce, Moab, and Arches National Parks.
We joined Mary Anne and Dave in Montana, crossed in Canada, and after briefly visiting Banff & Jasper we headed for the southern-most tip of the Alaska panhandle, where we boarded an Alaska Maritime Ferry in Prince Rupert. The inside passage of Alaska is truly breath taking in it’s scenic beauty and wildlife displays. Seeing the islands and towns from the deck of a ship is a great way to take it all in. After the ferry trip north we drove almost 4000 miles in Alaska, making a huge loop and driving on almost every paved road in the state.
During our Alaska adventure, Christopher, his wife Rachael, and Scott flew into Anchorage and stayed with us for a week. Most of the time was on the Kenai Peninsula, where we enjoyed hiking, fishing, rafting, and sight seeing. What a great time, made even better by having some of our children join us.
The week flew by and, after everyone returned home to the ‘lower 48’, Mary Lynn and I spent another month working our way out of Alaska, eventually driving the RV down through the Yukon Territories, a small part of Alberta and most of British Columbia before emerging back into Montana. We arrived back in Maryland in late August having driven ~ 15,000 miles and after being gone for 9 months… Wow!
We worked like crazy to get the house back on the market however I’m not sure why we were in such a rush. It seems there are very few serious buyers – little wonder since half of the homes on the market in Maryland are foreclosures, which has driven prices down substantially. Oh well, hopefully it will sell in the spring
Christopher & Rachael, after getting married in July of 2008 have been busy with work and the church. They bought a new house over the summer and it was finally ready for them to move into in early October. We can’t wait to take the RV to Oklahoma and see their new digs.
Scott & Diana are engaged to be married in September of 2010. Both are working long hours, saving up in order to buy a home together. We are so happy for the two of them.
Kasey Lynn is at Towson University and is doing great. She is maintaining a high GPA and has one year left ; she should graduate in December of 2010. We are so proud of all she has accomplished this year.
Jenna Kate has just transferred to Towson University for the Spring 2010 semester where she will complete the last two years of her degree. She has been battling health issues for many years and has finally been diagnosed with narcolepsy, a sleeping disorder. While it means a tough battle ahead of her, at least we finally know the cause of her health issues. She is doing a terrific job of coping with the many medicines required while balancing a demanding school schedule.
All in all, our family has had another wonderful year with lots of activity, adventure and excitement. Despite a challenging year for the economy and our wallets, our family is doing well and we are fortunate to be in good health. We have many, many friends and relatives who love and care for us, our health is good and our blessings are many. We are looking forward to another year of travel and hope to see many of you along the way. Send us an e-mail. Pick up the phone and call. Heck, throw a rock with a note tied to it if you have to but please, please stay in touch.
Love to all!
Dale, Mary Lynn, Christopher & Rachael, Scott & Diana, Kasey Lynn, Jenna Kate, and Dobbie the Wonder Dog
PS: If you want you can go to www.daleandmarylynn.blogspot.com to read about our travels in 2008 & 2009. Or follow along with us as we start another RV adventure in January 2010 after the new year. Also our new mailing address is:
110 E Center Street #605
Madison, SD 57042
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