TWOFER...

The official definition of TWOFER...  early 20th century (originally denoting

a cigar sold at two for a quarter of a cent): 

representing

a pronunciation of two for in ‘two for the price of one’.

So here they are...

#1 Nancy's 2011 (purchased new) Hyundai Santa Fe - Limited
with only 63221 miles - (drive by a little old lady only)...
often carrying hikers, and/or kayaks and kayakers.

#2 Don's 2014 Honda Ridgeline (purchased used in May 2015)
And only 42,200 miles.  This was the deal MAKER   Honda was very interested in this
model because so few had been manufactured...
We called these 2 "red" and "ridge".  So you may think that's
not normal, but I have a friend who named her navigator voice  Carmelita.
Isn't that right, Marge!!!

The result of our Twofer is this beautiful
2019 Honda CR-V (Touring Model), in a brand new color,
Yes, we're still down sizing and are now a 1 home 1 car family.  We
intended to trade both car/truck above for a new Ridgeline, or maybe a
Passport.  While waiting for Patrick, our sales guy at Honda-Superstition Springs,
 to come back with some answers to some questions we had,
we went and sat in this vehicle.  What a dream.

My only requirement, a light color inside and out - due to now living in the Phoenix area.
And as a color/designer person I was totally impressed with the
stunning attention to detail inside & out.

Who wouldn't love those rims!!!!

What I loved most about my Hyundai was how comfortable
it felt when I sat in it...  what more can I say about this Honda ...
it too fits!!!  And how could you go wrong with Sandstone Metallic
accented with Flat Black and snippets of
polished chrome outlined in black.

Don's been a car aficionado (interest began before age 16),
and  knows an amazing amount about most
cars.  So he was in charge of all the mechanical & electrical stuff
and we both thought we loved the "geeky" stuff...
Well, you won't believe the mind-boggling # of features this vehicle has.
I'm sure it will take us 6 months to figure it all out.
A day after the short test drive and  purchase, we

 took a real test drive.as we headed to Miami AZ
east of Gold Canyon about 39  miles.  We  cranked up the air
and the Siris XM and Don put the pedal to the metal
to see what this puppy could really do.

This scenic byway goes from 4 to 2 or 3 lanes, twisting
and turning as you gain over 2800' in elevation!!!  So much for "Puppies"
it purred like a "Kitten" with easy handling and a great ride.

As we returned home, 3 hours later, the outside temperature had gone from
87 degrees to 80 degrees in the high country  and was a
"comfortable" 95 as we pulled into the carport.  Shades of things to come.

Ten Days in Arizona...

This mornings weather report indicated that today's high
temperature of 78 degrees was the lowest "high" temperature
for Memorial Day ever recorded in the Phoenix area!!!

The cool temperature made it ideal for checking out
our resort.   Pretty vacant - not many RV's and most of the
residents of those "winter" homes had left for the season.

A refreshing shaded green belt path made walking
the length of the entire park very enjoyable. 

And many cactus showed off their stuff...

as did some thornless shrubs.

Yesterday the patio furniture we ordered arrived and
we spent a couple of hours assembling it, 

which provided us with a a perfect place to sit & review some
of the  many activities scheduled for the resort
during those soon to be HOT days.   This will be our first year
as fulll-time AZ residents.  We're not complaining though
since most of May was 20-24 degrees cooler than average!!!

Each year the 225 acre National Cemetery Memorial Park of Phoenix
decorates each of it's over 45,000 interment sites with flags.  There
are 2 National Cemeteries in AZ, the other one is in Prescott.

While researching the locations of AZ National Cemeteries, 
I was reminded of a couple of photos that I took in 2012
 along Route 66, west of Kingman near the town of Oatman.

The tattered flag  flying over this remote
 Veteran's Memorial, located in a dry & desolate desert,
reminded us of the harsh conditions 
that all Veterans must of had to endure to keep America safe.  
Memorial Day gives us a special day to honor them
and also fondly remember  family & friends who are 
no longer with us.  Here's to Memorial Day...

Round 2 Day 5 - Summation...

For those of you reading this blog now, or those who join us

later on, I'm sure you're asking or will be saying WHAT's with 

Round 1 and then again in 8 days Round 2.

Map Round 2

Here it is in a nutshell...
3/15 - 3/17  Drive AZ to Colfax.
3/19 Agent lists Colfax home
4/5  Received an OFFER...
After a couple of counters
4/9 SOLD
Buyer requested early possession by 4/24
Don and I did all the packing & pitching

donating and dump runs by ourselves.

(Our advise, don't wait till you're 80 - do it now.)
Stayed with our daughter for 1 week after
vacating premises for family fun & DDS appts.

5/2 - 5/5  Drive back to AZ In Don's Honda Ridgeline

 unload & unpack...
5/14 Fly to Sacramento

5/15 - 17 Drive to AZ in my Hyundai
Don takes "Big Red" to the car wash...
WHEW.

Just to prove it... both cars at our place in
Superstition Views!!!

As they say in the video business "That's a Wrap".
You may not hear from us for a few days...

Round 2 Day 4 Lone Pine to Kingman AZ

Today is Thursday May 16 and we're still

on Hwy 395 headed south.  Once we hit Hwy 58 east, 

the photography stops since we just did that part 8

days ago in Round 1 in Don's Honda Ridgeline.  This

time we're in my Red Hyundai Santa Fe...

Only slight rain off & on, but the wind is blowing
big time 25-35 mph gusting to 45!!!

The clouds put on a show for us.

And sometimes just laid down on the ground!!!

Mother Nature at her best...

Then a sand storm started at the base of the mountains
to the east (right) and swept across the highway.

Things just look calm!!!

Finally after 355 miles we arrived at the
Best Western Wayfarer's Inn in Kingman (2nd time
in the last 8 days) and it looked like this - still gusting.

So we braved the storm, walked/blew across the street
to our favorite Mexican spot (Oysters Mexican and
& Seafood Restaurant) and Don promptly ordered a couple of 
Margaritas and kindly shared with me after some begging.
And of course we ordered some of their great FOOD!!!
Manana...

Round 2 Day 3.2 Hwy 395 to Lone Pine

As we continued South on Hwy 395 along the

eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mtns, it continued

to rain, rain, rain (but thankfully no snow).

No such luck, but that didn't keep us from looking.

There are many peaks over 14,000 feet visible along this section
of 395.  On the western side you would find Yosemite National
Park, plus Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

Most of these photos were taken with my i-phone 10S
while Don was driving.  

You may remember in a prior post where I had a
photo of Mono Lake from the air... now we are driving by
along it's western shore.

It is one of the oldest lakes in the western hemisphere.
An immense inland sea which contains about 280 million
toms of dissolved salts.  A 70 square-mile lake that
fills a natural 700 square-mile basin.  They have a
great visitor center which also provides many more photo opportunities.

Another worth while side trip is indicated by these
flags along the east side of the highway.  You'll be
traveling to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
which is in the White Mountains at
between 9000' - 11,000" elevation.

Some of these living trees exceed 4000 years of age and
exhibit spectacular growth form of twisted and beautifully
colored wood as shown in this photo I took a few years ago.
Some are thought to be the longest living things on earth!!!

A few miles north of Lone Pine is the  Mt Whitney
Fish Hatchery located in Independence CA.

Built out of 3500 tons of granite with 2-3 foot walls,
not cut to size but collected and sorted to fit!

It was built to match the mountains and last forever.

The grounds are stunning to say the least...

Also in Independence, Don had time to solve
a virtual geocache!!!

And of course no trip to Lone Pine would be
complete without a picture of Mt Whitney 14,505' 
(the tallest peak in the lower 48) basking
in the morning sun, (which I took in 2016), since
the nasty rainy weather today obliterated it's magnificence!!!