Heading Home Plus a Few Loose Ends

Our trips to the West Coast usually require more than two weeks in each direction. This trip went south through Alabama and Mississippi, then west through Texas and beyond. By doing so, we avoided a significant snowfall that hit Knoxville the day after we left. My neighbor sent me a picture of the event.

Eventually, we reached California, where we camped in Seal Beach, San Onofre Beach, and Del Mar. After about six weeks in those locations, we eventually arrived at Fiddler’s Cove Campground in Coronado, California.

Fiddler’s Cove Campground is probably my favorite campground in the military inventory. Although the weather was unusually cool this year, we enjoyed our stay immensely. Below are two pictures of a night scene across Coronado Bay from the campground. The image on the left was from our visit in 2024, taken with my Canon 60D (ISO 200, f/13, 15 sec). During this trip, I used my Canon 6D for the picture on the right (ISO 100, f/13, 30 sec). Although the conditions were better in 2024, The photo on the right captured more detail. Thoughts?

I mentioned in my last post that I went through an attack of appendicitis in Coronado. Fortunately, the episode did not require surgery, and I left the Navy Medical Center, San Diego, with instructions to consult my family doctor when I reached Knoxville. On our return trip home, we decided to play it safe and go to Holbrook, AZ, then head east on I-40, the most direct route available.

Our first stop after San Diego was the El Centro, CA, Navy Air Station–the winter home of the Blue Angels. When we arrived at the Navy Base, we pulled in behind a long line of cars awaiting entry through the gate. Surprisingly, an Air Show featuring the Blue Angels would begin soon after we checked in. It was a complete surprise, but I’d rather be lucky than good. The Air Show was a fantastic display of skill and precision. Our campsite gave us a front-row seat.

Our next stop on the way home was a KOA in Holbrook, AZ. The Petrified Forest National Park was a few miles from the campground. The weather was perfect, so we decided to take it in. A Volunteer at the Visitor’s Center informed us that the road through the National Park was 26 miles long, but we should take our time—there was a lot to see.

An overlook facing the Painted Desert gave us our first clue that the volunteer knew what he was talking about. The colors are astounding, and we paused at several overlooks.

The Petrified Forest covers over 346 square miles and showcases an environment that was over 200 million years old when this stark desert was under two miles of water and silt. The Petrified logs covering the land are fallen trees, eventually buried in silt for thousands of years, then exposed when the land dried. The colors in the logs resemble works of art. Helen took a stump break after one of our hikes.

Visitors are encouraged to stop at several points to view petroglyphs created by ancestral Puebloans between 1000 and 1300 AD. The drawings represent art or thoughts rather than words. We observed several displays etched into huge boulders sitting on the desert floor.

At Studebaker Point, we paused for a photo op beside the antique Studebaker marking the original Route 66 that once crossed the desert in the last century. The telephone poles that ran along the highway remain to mark the route.

We departed Holbrook the day after our park visit. Helen woke us early to prod me toward Albuquerque, NM, our next stop.

Eventually, we returned to Knoxville to witness our Pink Dogwood in bloom.

We had a wonderful time on this adventure. Easin’ Along is a blessing, and we’re so grateful to have the opportunity at our age, but there’s no place like home.

Until next time…