Snowbirding - A Review

We pulled the trailer home yesterday after our four-month stay in beautiful Hurricane.  It’s cleaned up and back in storage.  So what was snowbirding really like? 

Well, we were truly rookies.  If we had been experienced snowbirds, we would have brought a coordinated bistro set, a small gas grill, and a plant or two.  We would have also known that our trailer didn’t fit in the smaller driveways with the cutout, and would have missed the fun of vacuuming dust and mud every other day.  Now we know.

It was great not to have to shovel snow.  Yes, it did get cold in Hurricane but it never snowed.  It was also great to be so close to so many activities: Zion National Park, three state parks, and so many backroads that it would take years to explore them all.  It was also great to be able to run any time without worrying about falling on the ice or breathing the bad air.

Being in Hurricane felt like a four month vacation, and that’s just too long to be on vacation.  Every day we made a plan to go do something, because it just didn’t work sitting home in the trailer all day.  This was a good thing – we’ve seen a lot of beautiful country and done a lot of fun things.  But there were no projects to work on, and in such close quarters I didn’t feel comfortable taking time (and hogging the shared laptop) to write or scrapbook.  I even neglected my blog.  And this trip reminded us that three months in the trailer is pretty much our max.  We thought we could handle longer if we didn’t have a job, but having a job actually gave us some structure to our days.

We volunteered for VITA in St. George, and found ourselves doing far more instruction than production.  They needed Paul to be a site coordinator for an established site at the Red Rock Center for Independence, so that was our regular spot.  It was appointment only, and we only had six appointments each session for three preparers, so it was a much slower pace.  We were also asked to help a new preparer at the Deaf Center.   He was deaf, as were his clients, so we worked with him through an interpreter and helped him learn the program.  He’ll be able to do this on his own next year.  That was an amazing experience.  American Sign Language is so beautiful.  Learning it just may land on my bucket list.

What I really learned about myself is that my life is in Salt Lake City.  For better and for worse.  The air may be bad, the traffic may be bad, but our kids, our friends, our extended family, and our volunteer work are all in SLC.  I guess Dorothy had it right – there’s no place like home.

That said, we won’t rule out snowbirding again.  After all, now we’re experienced.

Tri-State ATV Jamboree

One of the biggest annual events in Hurricane is the Tri-State ATV club’s Jamboree.  Jamboree attracts riders from throughout the US, Canada, and even a few foreign countries.  The three day event features guided rides each day, breakfast every morning and a fun event each evening.  Headquarters, at the Washington County Regional Fairgrounds, also hosts a number of ATV vendors displaying the latest and greatest in ATVs and gear.

This year we were among the 500+ participants.  We weren’t sure how the logistics of this many people and machines would work, but the organizers have it down to an art.  The large parking lot had plenty of room for the riders to line up each morning for their rides, and the lines moved one by one as the riders trailered to their respective staging areas.

There were 22 guided rides to choose from, with difficulty ratings quite similar to what you’d see on a ski slope.  Or so we thought.  We’d been riding for a couple of months, so signed up for Intermediate rides, thinking they would be challenging enough without getting us in over our heads.  Or so we thought.  We learned the code on the rides.  What we would call “Oh, s__t!” they refer to as “Intermediate plus.”  We managed one such section with me riding on the back, but I had to hop off and walk for the other two so Paul could maneuver the ATV.  Of course, in hindsight, our machine is somewhat underpowered and not built for a rider.  Yes, it’s true – the Queen’s Chair is an add-on. 

Other than the “Intermediate Plus” sections, which were just a small part of the rides, the rides were fabulous.  We rode some incredible trails and saw some fantastic scenery.  We got to know people from all over the country.  We met sisters from Beaver, one a cancer survivor, who drove the “Oh, s__t” sections like champs, and even had breakfast with a Huntsman Senior Games gold medalist in pickleball.  

There are similar jamborees all over southern and central Utah during the spring and summer months, and many participants know one another from past jamborees.  While we were the new kids on the block, we were welcomed with open arms.  How open?  On one of the rides we ran out of gas.  Seriously.  We started out with a full tank but between the sandy conditions and the climbs we used more gas than we had.  One of our guides came to the rescue.  He put his spare gas into our tank and refused to take any money for it.  I promised him that someday I would help another rider.  I hope to someday be able to keep that promise.

Hurricane, Utah, USA

Now that we’ve been in Hurricane for two months, it’s time to share the best and brightest about this beautiful little city of 11,000. The city name is pronounced “Hurr-i-kin” as opposed to “Hurr-i-cayne.” Local lore states that it was named after the wind that blows fiercely every afternoon. Other lore states that the area was settled by English converts to the Mormon Church, hence the British pronunciation.   Many of the city streets honor the names of the founding families.

I love small town grocery stores.  And small town hardware stores.  And even small town Walmarts.  Really – haven’t you noticed that small town Walmart stores are SO much nicer than their big city counterparts?  But I digress…

Lin’s Market is a delightful little grocery store, walking distance from WillowWind.  Lin’s carries most of the products I buy and has a great selection of meats and produce.  But the best thing about Lin’s is the deli.  All their salad entrees and dinner items are homemade.  They make fresh sandwiches to order.  They seem to be the alternative to the Hurricane High cafeteria; we’ve often seen high school students munching on chicken, corn dogs, and potato logs at one of the several tables in the deli area.  Best of all, they are fully stocked and ready by 8:00 AM. 

Hurricane’s Buck’s Ace Hardware has a little bit of everything.  And I do mean everything.  They were able to match our ATV key.  They carry fishing and hunting gear, trailer supplies, and of course, the usual hardware.  What’s that delightful smell as you pass the front door?  Fresh popcorn – free to customers.

The local movie theater is Coral Cliffs Cinema 8.  It offers stadium seating and has a VIP Theater.  What’s that?  It’s a fabulous concept that I haven’t yet found in Salt Lake City.  The tickets are about double in price, but the price includes recliners with tray tables and the ability to pre-order both theater concessions AND Mexican food from the Durango’s restaurant across the street.  Your food is delivered to your seat.  About halfway through the movie they pause for a bathroom break and bring in mint truffles.  A great date night experience.

Hurricane has curbside recycling.  It’s on the curb at 400 South and 700 West.  We’ve brought our recycling several times.  The bins are regularly emptied and the area is always clean. Add to this a view that I’ll never tire of looking at, two golf courses (it’s getting warm enough to golf), the close proximity to both Sand Hollow and Quail Creek Reservoirs (it’s getting warm enough to fish) and of course, the miles and miles of ATV trails, and you’ve got a great place to visit.  Or vacation.  Or snowbird.  Or live????

ATV 102

We’ve been ATV owners just over a month now, and are just beginning to see why people choose ATV-ing.  We’ve seen some amazing country.

At our new friend Bob’s advice, we went to the BLM office in St. George and asked for their ATV trail maps.  The gentleman handed us a packet of several maps – an overall map of the trails in the area and detailed maps of each section of the overall map.  All free of charge.  He turned out to be from Taylorsville.  Small world.

We visited Moto Zoo – a specialty store for all things motorized both on and off road.  We tried on helmets and admired from afar the brightly colored riding outfits.  We looked at machines much newer than ours.  We came away knowing 1) our helmet sizes, and 2) we’re definitely not in with the in crowd when it comes to off-roading.  Oh, well.

Helmets are not required in Utah (unless you are under 18), but wearing one really makes sense.  While we don’t expect to be doing any of the expert rides where they warn you that you need to be willing to risk breaking something – including a bone – accidents happen.  We bought helmets.  And while the safety factor is paramount, I really wear my helmet because it keeps my ears warm.

We joined the Tri-State ATV club.  Membership is only $30 a year, and they do several rides 

throughout the year.  We went on our first ride last Friday.  There were about 30 machines in the pack, most of them the newer side-by-side ATVs.  This particular ride was a dress rehearsal for one of the rides in the upcoming Jamboree – so the assigned guides could learn the area.  The guides focused on safety and on leaving the trails better than we found them.  The Tri-State ATV club is a positive force in a sport where there is so much negativity in the media.  Yes, Virginia, there are ATV riders that respect others and respect the environment.

The Tri-State ATV Jamboree is a huge event here in Hurricane.  This year’s Jamboree is March 9 – 12.  ATV riders come from all over the area to socialize, participate in guided rides, and get to know the southern Utah backcountry.  The Jamboree features several rides to choose from, breakfast each morning, and a fun dinner party on Saturday night.  We’re looking forward to attending.

But for now, we’re breaking out those maps and finding our way on the trails.  Sometimes it’s challenging.  There are few signs out on the trails, and we’ve taken the wrong turn more than once.   We’ve come home covered in dust, and we’ve come home covered in mud.  And we’ve always come home with smiles on our faces.

Chasing Heat

In a couple of years, the old timers of WillowWind RV Park will sit over coffee and regale themselves of the tales of the brutal winter of 2015-2016.  “Yep,” they will say, “it was the coldest winter we’ve ever had here in Hurricane.”

Or so I’m told.  Many of the repeat residents have told us that this winter has been much colder than the past several.  And it seems that our particular trailer just isn’t set up for the colder temperatures.

Oh, it has a furnace.  If you doubt the existence of the furnace in our trailer, all you have to do is turn it on.  The decibel level when the furnace is running is not only high enough to erase all doubt, it’s high enough to inhibit normal activity such as sleep.  We bought a space heater the first week we were here, and use it to heat the space we’re in.  It’s working pretty well.

But then there’s the water system.  In late December our water hose froze solid.  Thankfully no interior pipes were broken.  What’s a snowbird to do?  They make heated insulation for trailer water hoses, and for a while we seriously considered the investment.  Then a practical trailer owner advised us, “Just fill up your tanks.”  Brilliant! We knew they worked as we’d used them at Washington Lake. 

I forgot about the downside of filling the tanks – you have to refill them when they run out.  Last year in Chasing Water I envisioned myself running out of water mid-shower.  Well, it happened yesterday.  Expletives began sputtering out of my mouth as the water sputtered to a few dribbles and then nothing.  It was my nightmare come true – my hair was full of shampoo; my body covered in soap, and no water! 

I shouted to my husband in the next room.  After he picked himself up from rolling on the floor laughing (I did not witness this due to the soap in my eyes, but I know it was happening), he hooked the hose back to the tap and restored the water.  Looking back, it was kind of funny.  Oh, OK, really and truly hilarious!

We’re here in Hurricane for another couple of months.  Hopefully the warmer days are headed our way.

Cruisin'

Monday, January 4, 2016 saw us driving to Long Beach, where we met the kids and their respective significant others and boarded the Carnival Inspiration for a four day Baja California cruise.  It was sunny and 68 degrees in Long Beach, and as the boat pulled out of harbor, all signs pointed to beautiful weather and calm seas.

Alas, it was not to be.  Tuesday morning – the beginning of our “fun day at sea” was overcast and windy.  I had thought when I booked our staterooms that being on the top deck at the front of the ship would be a good thing.  That “I’m king of the world” thing.  But physics reigns supreme, and when the boat is hitting 8 foot swells, the front of the ship goes WAY up and then WAY down.  Ughhh! Suffice it to say I’ve discovered that Dramamine is my friend. 

California’s much-needed rain began to fall. The Captain announced that we would not be making our scheduled stop at Catalina Island.  The good news was that we’d spend two days docked at Ensenada.  Yeah!  A couple of days without the boat rocking.  By the afternoon I felt well enough to go to afternoon tea.  I couldn’t talk anyone else into joining me, so I went alone and had a lovely tea with a lady from LA and her 8 year old daughter.  We made the decision NOT to participate in the elegant night before we went on the cruise.  Looking back, we should have brought the dress clothes.

 

Never fear – they let us in the comedy show and the piano bar in our less-than-elegant attire.  We were even recorded in the piano bar.  The piano man chose to record that evening because there was a “really cool crowd.”  Yep, we made the cool crowd.

We arrived in Ensenada Wednesday morning to sunshine and spent a delightful morning sitting by the pool.  Next we went into Ensenada for a nice seafood lunch and shopping.  Well, mostly looking and listening to the local vendors regaling us with the glories of their particular brand of stuff we didn’t need. 

Our ATV/Wine Tour scheduled for Thursday had been canceled by the vendor.  Now we were two for two on shore excursions being canceled.  We decided to book another tour – wine country on a bus instead of on ATVs – and thoroughly enjoyed touring two wineries and of course, tasting the wine.

Carnival is known as one of the more economical cruise lines.  That said, the quality of the food on board was quite good and the portion sizes were reasonable.  I’ve been on cruise ships where you literally had to train to eat as much as they expected you to eat. 

The best part of the cruise was that through the ups and downs (some literal) the family spent most of the time together and had a great time.  Two days later, the motion sickness and disappointing weather has mostly faded into the background, and I’m remembering the smiling faces of the cruise staff and the adventures we had both onboard and on land.

And two days later I’m still feeling the motion of the boat at sea.  So when does the boat stop rocking, anyway?

No Turning Back

When I first contemplated retirement, I had thought that I might like part-time work during the non-camp-host seasons.  I thought it might be kind of fun to take on short-term consulting jobs.  To that end, I’ve kept up my professional certification (Certified Information Systems Security Professional –CISSP) for the three years that I’ve been retired.

Three years – wow!  Has it really been that long?  Why, yes, it has, and during that three years I’ve done exactly zero consulting jobs.  In fact, every time I think about a job, I think about how much it would interfere with my free time.

I’ve crossed the threshold into real retirement – to the point that I’m not even using some of my free time to take the online classes required to keep my certification.  But there’s still a small part of me that just doesn’t want to part with the credential.  Part of me still thinks that if I give it up, I’m giving up the part of my brain that is relevant.  Part of me just doesn’t want to accept that if I do this I may never be qualified for a job in my industry again.

The part of me that is in charge of reality checks stepped in.  “Cheri,” I tell me, “it doesn’t matter.  You don’t ever have to work again.”  And yet I’ve continued to struggle with this decision.

The drop dead date has arrived.  As of today, I have exactly 28 days to complete 20 hours of continuing education.  It’s not going to happen.  I’ve known all year that it wasn’t going to happen.

I took a deep breath.  I wrote the following:

To the Management of ISC²,

The time has come to really retire.  Effective immediately, I surrender my CISSP certification.

I am honored to have been counted among the elite security professionals achieving this certification and proud to have been affiliated with ISC²

I sent the email today.  No turning back…