The scenery has been awesome, the rocks, the desert, the animals and wildflowers have all been amazing! But really what fills in the story, what creates the colorful background to our trip are the people we meet along the way.

For instance, back in Moab after having finished a delicious brunch affair at the Peace Tree Cafe, we were walking around town when I spotted a yarn store I had to go into. Really I HAD to go in. The owner of the store was a wonderfully sweet women with her 8 month old baby girl. After chatting awhile, the first thing I noticed was the local fiber producers, and one in particular…a co-ETSY seller, who I had previously bought a few fiber braids from. It is those type of surprise connections that make traveling so interesting.

When I finally finished with my fiber and yarn fixation, I returned outside to find Fred talking to a couple with a VW Rialta. Not only did this couple at one time live in the Santa Cruz area, this couple knew MY BROTHER!!!  I mean, seriously, the U.S. is a big place. And Moab, Utah is a long way away from Santa Cruz, California.

O.K…still not enough. When we finally got back to the Keevan, parked next to it was another white VW loaded down with cargo carrier, surfboards, firewood, bicycles…(and that’s just on the outside.) Fred and I looked at each other thinking this van looked familiar, and sure enough, when we spotted the stickers, we both knew we had again run into Cory and Emily from “Where’s my Office Now?” 

The one and same couple we met in the middle of the desert south of Sedona, Arizona a month ago. Now here in front of a natural food store in Moab, Utah, we meet again.

Crazy, small, forever entwining world it is!

There’s been so many kind and interesting people we’ve met in campgrounds, in the parks, along turnouts, while dispersed camping, and in coffee shops and cafe’s.

There was the couple in Prescott that kindly told us that the YMCA in town would allow us each to take a one time free shower. On that particular day, that was the best gift we could imagine! Then every day for a week, we shared news on trails and hikes we each experienced. We compared camper van notes, retirement thoughts and art pursuits.

Then there was the sweet couple that gave us a huge bag of home-grown tangerines off their cherished tangerine tree back in San Diego, and then really encouraged us in our newfound love of birdwatching! They shared information about field guides, binoculars and good birding places to go.

The Colorado two traveling with their cats, shared so much info about Arizona, kayaks, good restaurants,  archeological ruins, cultural studies, etc. and then invited us to visit and camp out at their high elevation homestead back in Colorado.

The fun-loving VW driving, margarita swinging couple we shared a campfire with for a few nights, and lots of VW stories!!

And my favorite, the Vita-Mix toting green smoothie girl wonder and her fabulous wood-working partner with a VW to envy all the way to Italy for an awning with a easy open crank handle. We really envied that awning, they really envied our solar panels. They also welcomed us to camp on their property.

There was the young couple with a 9-month old baby AND a 2 month old Great Dane puppy…all camping around in their VW. That was a LOT of CUTE!!!

And so many more stories.

See, it’s really not all just about rocks in the desert. These are the real people that are making this adventure so much fun.

Thanks so much to all of you who have shared so much.

❧