Randy and Robin's Roving Retirement

What a beautiful paradise we found just west of Panama City. Playa Blanca is a large resort with condos, villas, hotels, shops, restaurants and the largest saltwater lagoon in Central America. Our unit is fantastic, 5th floor of Founders 1, a 12 story building. We are walking distance to a mini market, happy hours, cafes, and the beach. We take a taxi to Super 99 for grocery shopping every week and rented a car twice for day trips. We love it here so much that we are considering buying here.

Day Trip to El Valle

El Valle is a lovely small town in the mountains just north of Playa Blanca. On Easter Sunday we took the winding road in our rental car. Church bells with a harsh metallic clanging could be heard as we arrived. The Sunday market was in full swing. We enjoyed a lovely lunch at Brucheta.

Coronado and Nueva Gorgona

Our first day trip was to Coronado, to eat lunch with Cinny and Larry, a couple we met on the Monkey Island tour. After a fun lunch at Gold Coast Brewery, we ended up going to their beautiful condo. We were supposed to meet Sharon and Steve from Senior Nomad Facebook group, but called them and had them meet up at the condo. Great conversation and fun along with the usual magic tricks.

Our new condo!!!

We took a private shuttle from La Fortuna to Alajuela, just outside of San José. We stayed at the lovely Alice and Juancito boutique hotel and caught our flight from Costa Rica to Panama the next day. Felix and his wife Mani, picked us up at the Tocumen airport in PC and drove us to Casco Viejo to our Airbnb. Our neighborhood appeared to be a war zone, with destroyed buildings around. Our taxi driver advised us not to walk in the area at night. Although the building and our unit were new and nice, the surrounding area was rough with lots of poverty. We were just 4 blocks from Casco Viejo, a stylish, gentrified area. Our first day out walking, the police pulled us over and told us that the area was very dangerous, but we were 100 feet from our front door. Fortunately, our Airbnb host allowed us to cancel as we did not feel safe.

We scrambled to find a new home for the remaining 7 weeks and settled on the Tucán Country Club in Rousseau, northwest of downtown Panama City. Very safe and quiet here, we have pools and gyms and a restaurant on the premises.

Casco Viejo

Casco Viejo, also known as Casco Antiguo, or the old quarter, is Panama City’s historic district. It is a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site and dates back to 1673.

Veracruz

We took a day trip to Playa Veracruz, a beach approximately 6 miles from us. A unique beach in an impoverished area with several nice restaurants along the strip. The tide was way out when we walked the Beach, but when we finished lunch it was all the way up.

Metropolitan Park

Biking Amador Causeway

Amador Causeway links 4 small islands by the entrance to the Panama Canal. It serves as a breakwater. The first time we rented a Surrey type bike which was pretty slow peddling, but great for looking around.

The next time we biked Amador was with Matthew and Miki, a couple we met through Senior Nomads. Great fun! Our surrey had a low tire, so we went back and traded in for a nicer one that was easier to pedal. We rode to the Biomuseo, which looks worthwhile to visit and we plan to. We ate lunch at La Fabrica, a marvelous spot with great food and craft beer. The owner, Hai, gave us a tour of the brewery.

Taboga Island

Also known as the “Island of Flowers”, is a volcanic island about 12 miles from Panama City. Minimally populated, with about 1600 residents, Taboga relies heavily on tourism. With one of the better beaches in the Panama City region it attracts locals and tourists alike. We took a walking tour with a local young man named Brian.

Panama Viejo

The remaining part of the original Panama City, Panama Viejo was destroyed in 1671 by pirate Captain Henry Morgan. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. We toured with our fellow Senior Nomads members, Matthew and Miki. We had an enjoyable, relaxing walk while reading the information signs alongside the ruins.

Birds of Panamá

Miraflores Locks at Panama Canal

There is a museum and an Imax film, narrated by Morgan Freeman, but all is still closed due to Covid.

Panama Canal, Monkey Island, Soberania National Park Tour

We chartered a private shuttle with Ricardo and his wife to La Fortuna. It took over 3 hours. We had a pleasant ride and enjoyable conversation with the opportunity to pull over for photo ops when needed. Our place is in Arenal Rooms and is quite cozy, that is, tiny. Unfortunately, we have almost no light in our unit, but with a 3rd floor terrace available in the next building and a very walkable town, we are doing fine. We joined the local gym, Arenal Fitness, for 1 month for $30 each and usually go 3 times a week. Just down the block is Travesía, an excellent restaurant and D’ Mi Tierra, a cafe with local food.

Birdwatching from the terrace

Bogarin Trail

The Bogarin Trail is just off the main road through town, about a half mile from our Airbnb. We took a couple of tours with William Bogarin, who grew up there and whose family has managed the previous cattle land as it grew back into jungle over the last 20 years. We learned about the various trees, leaf cutter ants, birds and wildlife. Since we are here for 6 weeks, once we paid for the first tour, they allowed us to walk the trail alone any time we wanted. We went back 10 times and even did a night tour.

The night tour (below) provided a whole new outlook

Full day tour- Mystico Hanging Bridges, Arenal Waterfall and Arenal Volcano hike

Our combo tour was amazing! We were picked up in a shuttle bus at 7:30 am and drove around La Fortuna picking up other tourists. We ended up with 22 people on board. First stop, the Mystico Hanging Bridges. A glorious 2 mile walk through the rain forest canopy over 6 hanging bridges. Next stop, the La Fortuna waterfall, which is about 530 steps down, and of course, back up. Then lunch after climbing back up the steps. Finally, the Arenal Volcano hike, another 2 miles with gorgeous views and rugged lava rock trail. It was dark walking back down the last 20 minutes and we needed our cell phone flashlights to see. We were quite beat at the end and Robin had about 20,000 steps and Randy over 15,000.

Horseback Ride to Arenal River

This was one of the most amazing rides we have had together. Rode down to the Arenal River and actually into the river. We saw a white faced monkey (capuchin) as well as a howler monkey. We were part of a fun group with Jorge as our guide. After the ride, Jorge said to us that he wanted to be like us when he got older. He was excited that we are happy, fun loving people. He said most of the older people he encounters are angry all the time. Pura Vida!

Our time in La Fortuna has been a wonderful experience we will treasure forever! Pura Vida! Next stop, Panama City, Panama.

We flew into Liberia airport from Houston. Pleasant and uneventful flight. We did check our bags. We have come to the conclusion that a 22 lb carryon and a backpack (maybe 15lbs) is a bit much to lug on and off a plane. Once we get back to the states in June, we will sell our 21″ carryons and get a bit larger size bag to check. That way we can lower the weight of our backpacks as well.

We are in a comfortable condo complex about 1/2 mile from the main street in town. Marina loft has about 60 units, only about a third occupied. The units are small, maybe 400 sq ft, but with a table under a gazebo outside our door and a pool, it is more than sufficient for us. There’s a pizza place next door that opens at 5 pm and a Peruvian ceviche place on the other side. We also have a small mini mart across the street, but it is pricey. We tend to grocery shop ar Super Compro and New China, about .5 miles toward town. For larger stock ups we walk to Auto Mercado or Mega Supermercado (1. 5 miles), but then take a taxi home for $2 or 1,500 Colones. We are only .3 miles from the beach and on non shopping days, we walk the beach into town.

We have met a lot of people in the complex, a few Canadians, and US citizens who come here for months at a time. Many people use WhatsApp for calling and texting, so we are now users as well. It is great to hear feedback about where to go to eat, shop and about tours and other tips. My spanish is improving tremendously and I have received several compliments. I took 4 years in high school, but that was almost 50 years ago so I practice on Duolingo daily.

Ocotal Beach

About 2 miles away there is another lovely beach. Our new friend, Fernando, picked us up in his golf cart and gave us a tour.

Palo Verde National Park Tour

We were picked up in a van outside our complex, Marina Loft at 7:30am. We drove about 20 minutes before our driver got a call to turn around and pick up another couple in Playa Hermosa. Rick and Laura were a friendly couple from Colorado Springs. Our driver, Ricardo, was a talkative fellow who like me, uses Duolingo to practice his English, while I practice my Spanish. Total time was about 2 1/2 hours to get there due to our detour. The boat tour was awesome as we were the only 4 people along with Ricardo and the boat captain. They slowly went up the river pointing out crocodiles, birds, bats and monkeys.

Random adventures in Coco

Tamarindo reunion with Jay

Guanacaste Tour

Our tours have been phenomenal! Not cheap, but well worth the money. They picked us up in a passenger van at our complex at 8:30am. Driver spoke English and was very informative. Only one other passenger, an engaging man from Idaho named Jerry. We first drove to Llanos de Cortes waterfall. Gorgeous waterfall was just a short hike from the parking lot. Afterwards, we drove to Bijagua Ranas, a wildlife preserve, where we saw an amazing close up array of flora and fauna. Our guide, Stefani, was quite entertaining and full of information. Then a delicious lunch while discussing our adventures.

Thanksgiving Day Horseback Ride at the Monkey Farm

The Monkey Farm is a non profit about 2 miles from our condo. We caught a cab on Thanksgiving morning and arrived at 8am for our jungle and beach ride. Our guide, Emanuel, was very accommodating and informative. All the volunteers are in recovery or homeless and the founder, Vicki, is a kind soul who is changing lives. We rode through the jungle first, then down to Ocotal Beach. A beautiful, comfortable day as we shared a lot of joy.

Liberia, the capital of Guanacaste

Fun day in a rental car cruising around. We visited a museum, art galleries and souvenir shops, topped with an excellent lunch.

Rincon de la Vieja National Park

The national park is named after the volcano, which due to cloud cover was not visible when we were there. We did a DIY tour as we had rented a car for two days. Patricia joined us and we hiked the Pailas trail loop, about 2.5 miles. It was not a difficult hike, yet tiresome with all the steps up and down. There were many beautiful, varied ecosystems as you pass through the Park.

Next stop… La Fortuna, Costa Rica

We finally got out of the country a year later than planned. La Paz and even Mexico were not on our initial list, but proved to be a relaxing, budget friendly stop before heading to Central America. At an average of $36 per night, our Airbnb is walking distance to many stores, restaurants, banks, quick marts and taco stands. We are on the 3rd floor with a view over the central zone, 6 blocks from the Malecon.

We rented a tandem bike for $4 an hour and rode along the Malecon. Great weather, much cooler, about 78F, as we rode about 9 miles down and back. We returned the bike and walked across the street to 7 Crowns Hotel to the rooftop restaurant on the 5th floor for brunch.

Another day, we took an Uber to Pichilingue to Perlas of La Paz, where they harvest and culture pearls. It was 2 hours long, with explanations and demonstrations of the various procedures used.

One of our last days in La Paz, we went on a boat tour to Isla Espirito Santo, an island group north of the city. We went snorkeling and went swimming with the sea lions. One baby sea lion nipped at Robin’s hand and my flipper.

We spent the last 30 days on multiple dentist and doctor appointments, visiting our daughters and several of our Seattle friends and just further downsizing for the start of our international travels. We visited some old Seattle haunts, went to Ellensburg and Index, Woodland Park Zoo, Edmonds Arts Festival and Green Lake. It was a fun send off before flying to La Paz, Mexico on Sept 14th.

We finally made it back to the Seattle area, residing in Snohomish, about 40 minutes north of Seattle. We are back to visit our daughters and take care of medical and dental visits before leaving the country. We have a great Airbnb in the basement level of a large home. The married couple who owns it are real estate agents, who do flips. Our unit is very modern, with Samsung appliances and a Tempurpedic massage bed. We are close to the Centennial Trail near Machias. Down the road from us is the Machias Community Cemetery, with gravestones from 150 years ago.

Artful Ashes, Whidbey Island

My father passed away in 2015, at the age of 99. His ashes are interred at the Southern Nevada Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, Nevada. We kept some of the ashes to eventually spread in Italy and Normandy. We discovered Artful Ashes when a niece lost her 4 year old son to cancer and used them to create memorials. They actually mix the ashes into molten glass and create beautiful art pieces in the shape of hearts, starfish or orbs. Robin, Rikka and I rode the ferry to Whidbey and watched the creation of the memorials.

On a separate note, I had a great birthday lunch at Moonshine BBQ

PikePlace Market

Debra and Charles came to visit from St. Paul, Minnesota. Robin and Debra have been friends for 48 years. They stayed in Snohomish in the unit next door to us. This made it perfect for quality time, whether with a drink on the patio or a meal inside together.

Fairhaven, WA

Another day we drove to Fairhaven, just outside Bellingham. We wandered the shops, bookstore, and boardwalk. We bought cheese and Charles never said no to an ice cream store. Afterwards, we drove the scenic Chuckanut Drive and stopped at the Oyster Bar for an incredible lunch.

Ferry to Kingston, WA & Port Townsend

Music at the Marina with the Dusty 45’s

Everett, WA

Our next stop is the Greenwood area of North Seattle for a month. After that, we start our international travels with La Pax, Mexico. To be continued…

Upon leaving Tucson on June 10th, we had multiple short stops as we made our way to Colorado and then back to Seattle. On a positive note, we have finally confirmed plans to start our international adventure with La Paz, Mexico in September, followed by Costa Rica in November and December.

Here is how our last 30 days went:

We drove from Tucson to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Spent 2 nights there and drove to Denver, CO. 5 nights in Denver and flew up to Grand Forks, ND for a family memorial for Robin’s parents in Aneta. Flew back to Denver and immediately drove to Boulder for 3 nights. Then to Breckenridge, CO to spend a week at my old timeshare condo. Next drove to SLC and spent 2 nights and after that drove to Reno, NV for 2 nights. Then drove to Sacramento for 4 nights, Sunnyvale for 1 night. Left for Grants Pass, OR for 2 nights and finally drove to Seattle.

Santa Fe June 10-12

We could spend a lot more time in Santa Fe. The galleries are amazing to peruse and most are clustered together on Canyon Drive. Plenty of food options are available as well. The downtown area is enjoyable to walk and is worth more time as well.

Denver, CO June 12-17

With 5 nights in Denver, we were able to connect several times with Rick and Janet Baird, father John, and their grown children, Willie, Andy and Kimberly. Our Airbnb in Aurora, CO, was a spacious 1000 sq ft and well equipped with a full kitchen and beautiful, peaceful backyard. We used guest passes from the Bairds to spend a few hours at Life Time Fitness, an immense 129,000 sq ft facility and enjoyed a workout and swim.

North Dakota June 17-20

June 17, we flew to Grand Forks, ND with Katy meeting us at our Minneapolis layover. The three of us. stayed in Cooperstown, about 25 minutes from Aneta, where the family activities took place. We were there to lay Robin’s parents ashes to rest in the family plot next to their first daughter. It was a beautiful day and several family members made the trip to share the experience at Silent Hills cemetery. Our Airbnb was a hunters style 4 plex. Roxanne, Tom, Shirley and Darrell were in an adjacent unit.

North Dakota is also home to Minuteman Missles. Silos and launch bunkers were spread across the countryside. All were deactivated with the 1991 SALT talks. The tours are quite informative.

Turkey Days is a big deal in Aneta (population 222). Thousands come and celebrate with turkeys, a parade, car show and conversation.

Boulder, CO June 20-23

Boulder is a fun city. I moved here in 1977 after working as a ski bum in Keystone with Rick Baird. Very scenic city. We stayed 3 nights with my friend, John Givens. His wife, Gail, was out of town, so we only saw her the morning we left. We explored the Pearl Street Mall and hiked a trail in Eldorado Canyon with John.

Breckenridge, CO

I bought a timeshare condo in Breckenridge back in about 1977 and still own it today. Robin and I last used it in 2013 over Labor Day. Quite a historical old mining town, now ski resort.

Salt Lake City, UT

A short 2 night stay near the Mormon Temple and state capitol. We enjoyed walking the City Creek Mall on a hot sunny day. Temple was under renovation. Ate lunch one day at the original Crown Burgers. The Law Enforcement Memorial and Vietnam War Memorial were quite moving.

Reno, NV

Another quick 2 night stay to relax and do a little sight seeing.

Elk Grove, CA (just outside Sacramento)

We spent 4 nights in Elk Grove at a lovely Airbnb. My sister, Kathie and husband, Charlie live there , as well as my niece, Ashley and her partner, Brandon. We arrived on the 4th of July and met up with my sister for the Salute to the Red, White and Blue event at a local park for fireworks. The next day we went to Ashley’s and Brandon’s for barbecue, sun and conversation.

Sunnyvale, CA

We spent one night with Robin’s cousin, Don. His cats Leo and Miller are still wary of us, but warming up after a few visits now.

Grants Pass, OR

We spent 2 nights in Grants Pass (Merlin actually) with my OVS schoolmate Jude and her husband, Greg. Beautiful location by the Rogue River. Lots of birds around their feeders. Another amazing home cooked meal and home made wine. Robin celebrated her birthday there. Wonderful to connect with a high school friend after so long.

Our whirlwind 30 days came to a close when we pulled into Snohomish, WA on July 11th. We had a terrific month zipping around the western US, but it will be nice to settle in for the next month. We have definitely gotten our packing down and have been exposed to a variety of floor plans and furnishings in our ultimate quest for our future home.

We are in Tucson from May 13- June 10. It is great to be back in the desert. Our condo is up in the Catalina foothills where it is cooler than the central area. There is so much to do here that we are shocked. People are very friendly and the weather is excellent.

Our place is very roomy and comfortable (except the bed) and we have a hiking trail behind our building. Birds, lizards and bats are daily sights.

Reid Park Zoo

We became members of the zoo in Palm Springs as we were there 3 months and it paid for itself after 2 or 3 visits. Now we get 1/2 off at reciprocal zoos and fortunately, Tucson`s zoo qualifies. Small, yet entertaining zoo, it was easy to breeze through in 2 hours without rushing.

Turquoise Trail

The Turquoise Trail is an historic walk around Tucson, marked with a blue line with historical signs along the way. We jumped on the light rail, known as the Sun Link Tram. Normally $4.50 for a 24 hour pass, it was free due to the pandemic. We met a local couple, Al and Evelyn, as we got on the tram. They have been married close to 60 years and met in first grade here in Tucson. We parked across from Seis Mexican Restaurant (our post walk lunch destination) and took the tram to Hotel Congress. It is infamous for being the hotel where John Dillinger was arrested in 1934, but he later escaped.

Hotel Congress bar

While visiting Hotel Congress, we met Tiger, the hotel’s bartender, namesake of Tiger’s Taproom. He has worked there 60 years and his 88th birthday was May 28th.

Next along the trail we met Jerry and Randy at the train depot where we got an expert education on steam train operations.

We finally caught the tram back to Seis. We were pleasantly surprised to find Al and Evelyn on the tram.

Sabino Canyon

Sabino canyon is actually down the road from us. Our America the Beautiful National Park Pass gets us in free. One day we took the tram up and down, a 7.4 miles round trip. Another day we just hiked.

Sunset from A mountain (Sentinel Peak)

Sweetwater Wetlands

The wetlands is a man made habitat using reclaimed water. It is a short 1.1 mile loop around multiple ponds. Plenty of birds, green herons, white winged doves, Abert’s towhees and more.

Loews Ventana Canyon Resort

We are fortunate to be a short walk from a beautiful resort. There is a delightful trail on the property with educational signs describing the fauna and flora of the area. The trail ends at a scenic waterfall. We discovered that they have live music at 2 different venues on Friday and Saturday nights. Fun to get out dancing again.

Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

Tucson is a very widespread city. We are living in the very north end and it can take an hour to get to the far end of town. The desert museum was a long drive through Tucson Mountain Park and abuts the Saguaro National Park West. The museum is a zoo, an aquarium, an aviary as well as a museum.

Degrazia’s Gallery of the Sun

Very large art gallery of Ted Degrazia, a Tucson legend.

International Wildlife Museum

This is an incredible museum with a huge display of stuffed animals from around the world. Very educational place with many rooms of displays.

Mount Lemmon

We heard from several sources that we should make the drive up to Mt. Lemmon. We had no idea what an incredible adventure was in store. You go from Tucson’s 2400 feet, up to over 8,000 feet at the summit. There is actually a ski area up there. As you go up in elevation, the landscape and vegetation change several times. We had lunch at the Sawmill Restaurant and bought a mountain berry/rhubarb pie at the Iron Door Restaurant.

Mission San Xavier del Bac and Tubac

We took a day trip to Tubac, an artisan colony. We stopped at an historic mission en route.

Pima Air and Space Museum

Fascinating air museum with a specific space hangar as well as thousands of planes at the boneyard. Unfortunately, the boneyard, which is on USAF property was closed. Still very entertaining and educational. Modern cafe with snacks and drinks to cool off during the Tucson heat was appreciated.

We are settled into our new condo 1 block from the beach. Lots of shops and restaurants all in walking distance. Definitely an old school California beach town. Lots to do here in San Diego area. Several sunny days, but cooler and cloudy most days. May Gray. We are glad we have 28 days to explore.

Candi and Gene drove down from Ellensburg with their trailer. We met up with them at Mission Bay at the trailer show. So nice to meet up with family while on the road.

Tijuana Estuary Wildlife Preserve

The Tijuana Estuary Wildlife Preserve is a short walk away. Several trails are accessible. It is on the Pacific skyway and hosts 350+ bird species.

Coronado is king!

We spent a day touring Coronado and the elegant Del Coronado Hotel. The white sugar sand beach as well as the shops and restaurants along Orange Avenue were a delight.

San Diego Museum of Art

We spent a fascinating day at the museum and Balboa Park. Saw works of many renowned artists, Dali, Monet, Rembrandt, and others. Beautiful grounds at Balboa Park. Delicious lunch at Panama 66, grilled cheese, tomato soup, Ceasar salad and fries.

Old Town and Ocean Beach

San Diego Zoo

What an incredible zoo! A bit spendy at $62 per person. AAA discount saved 10% though. The tour bus and the Kangaroo bus were closed due to Covid, but the Skyway was open, which saved a lot of uphill walking. We spent 5 hours and walked 15,000 steps. We did not see everything, but probably covered 80% of the exhibits.

Chance encounter with a sea lion

Tandem bike and other fun

One day we drove to Coronado and rented a tandem bike for half a day. We got a great deal $35 for 4 hours. Beautiful ride along the Bayshore Bikeway and the town on Coronado. We stopped at Silver Strand State Beach for a picnic lunch. In total, we rode about 15 miles. Afterwards, we had baby back ribs at Lil Piggy’s BBQ.

Always a pleasure to connect with friends and family while on our travel adventure. Mark, Arlene and Spencer treated us to breakfast at Tip Top Meats in Carlsbad. Afterwards, a relaxing stroll through Carlsbad Village.

Vista with Janice

I had not seen my cousin Janice in over 50 years. We met for breakfast in Vista, where she lives. What a delightful visit. She gave us a walking and driving tour. It was incredibly educational, informative and entertaining.

USS Midway Museum

We jumped on the Coronado-San Diego ferry for a minute ride to the Broadway Pier which is right next to the Midway Museum. The Midway is an aircraft carrier which served from 1945-1992. Along with a self guided audio tour, there are excellent docent talks about the catapult launches and aircraft landings.

Visit with the Altobellis

Cousin Mike Altobelli and his wife, Becky met us for lunch at Las Olas in Carlsbad. Delicious food and then a casual walk by the beach. Fun to connect with family.

Little Italy San Diego

Farewell date night and sunset

One of our last nights we had date night dinner at Sea 180 at the Pier South Hotel. Incredible Brussels sprouts and braised short ribs with an ocean view. Another beautiful sunset. Our very last night, we met with our new friends, Mike and Carolyn at their place for conversation, cobbler, wine and card tricks.