Adventures On the Road

It’s a very special time when you find a little piece of the world that allows you to escape from the regular hustle and bustle of life.  I think that I may have found my little place of tranquility in Lake Havasu City and Parker, Arizona.

This is a place where darkness really exists (instead of the constant glow of streetlights, billboards or traffic) and the stars come alive at night.  This is the type of place that makes you wish that you knew more about the constellations and the stories behind them.  With towering mountains in varying shades of red and brown that are like chameleons that change their colour from yellow, orange, red and pink with the time of day and the lake water that is as smooth as glass offering mirror images of these mountains.

It’s like time slows down and your senses reawaken.  Instead of trying to block out the noise of honking horns (which doesn’t exist because no one’s in a rush) and the constant chatter of people around (because the one thing you can guarantee here is space), you’re able to revel in the sound of your breath as you run up and down the neighbourhood hills (for fun), and you’ve slowed down enough to catch sight of the elusive hummingbird as it feeds.

Not only did we catch sight of hummingbirds but we also saw a hawk as it perched on the deck railing, a little gecko scurrying between the rosemary bushes and roadrunners, bobbing their heads as they crossed the street (they are a lot smaller than the infamous cartoon roadrunners). The iconic moment that makes me feel like I am in a place that is outside the realm of my regular life is seeing orange, grapefruit, and lemon trees – westcoast or eastcoast, this is not a sight I am used to seeing.

We have been fortunate enough to take a week off during the American Thanksgiving holiday to recharge our batteries in an oasis in the middle of the desert in Arizona.   We honoured the holiday with a feast American Style – deep fried turkey.   I got back in touch with my baking roots and kicked off the week by baking (and decorating) gingerbread and homemade chocolate chip cookies – it feels good to be back in a well-stocked kitchen!  We took advantage of sunny, 75 degree, days by going out on the boat – speedboat and not sailboat; which, after 5 months of sailing is an entirely different experience.

And, to cap off each day (and start off some days), a relaxing dip in the spa taking in the amazing views from the backyard.